Arrow S02E23 (Finale) Recap: Unthinkable

Diggle checks on Oliver. The cure isn’t working, Oliver fears, but Felicity still has hope. The alarm she set sounds, Slade’s men have arrived to kill them. As the men arrive, Roy awakens, but his powers are no more. Oliver shoots an arrow and sends everyone down to safety. Felicity hesistates, and Oliver grabs her and they leap down as the cavalry arrives. Dig’s ex-wife comes with a helicopter and blasts the tower.  Starling City is in chaos. The Arrow cave is compromised. The city is going to be blasted at dawn, and yet she still came. Oliver wants Lyla to go back to Argus and buy them some time. While they filll as many injection arrows as possible with the cure, and stop more killings.

Thea kills the last of the attackers. Merlin isn’t dead, he’s fine thanks to a Kevlar vest. She tells him to get on with it and kill her, but he doesn’t intend to do that. Her brother also held him at gun point he reveals, Tommy. He lacked the conviction to pull the trigger, but not Thea. He may be proud of her, but she cannot look at him.

Quentin reminds his officers to remember their training, and take clean shots. The sounds from the radio don’t sound good. The city is in chaos and their fellow officers are in danger. They have a right to fear, but he reminds them to be the heroes he knows they are and sends them out. He reminds his daughter Laurel to remain inside. Sara is saying how she doesn’t want Laurel involved, when Laurel sneaks up on her and is tranqed.

Roy has a huge gap in his memory. Felicity tells him that he was out the entire time. Oliver reasons that they will need an entire army to administer the cure, which is a good thing, since its an army that Nyssa al Ghul has brought. Sara must have called her girl in. Felicity isn’t happy that seven assassins have been called in, but Sara invited them in. Oliver worries about the price, but Sara has already paid it. She is more than willing to do anything to protect her father and sister, and rejoining the assassins is a small price. Oliver tells her that they have the cure, and it works, but Sara believes that to fight the unthinkable you must be willing to do the unthinkable. Nyssa is ready for action, and they’ve tracked Slade to his high rise. Roy may have lost his Mirakuru powers, but he still has training, and Oliver gives him a red mask. A friend once told him “If you survive a crucible you grow stronger for it,” he instill that on him. He asks about Thea, but Oliver tells him that she was headed out of the city before this mess started.  If they’re going to fight together, then they’re going to do it Oliver’s way. The League does not take prisoners Nyssa says, but Oliver is firm that tonight they will.

Merlin cautions Thea that the city is dangerous at the moment, but she thinks her psychotic father is as well. She points out the fact that she tried to kill him. Roy calls, and she’s shocked to hear him. She tells him that she is at the train station. He asks her to meet him at his place, and she agrees. Merlin asks if its Roy, and he finds it interesting that she would run to him after trying to run away from all the lies and half truths. He tells her that Roy is no different than Oliver and her mother, and if she doesn’t believe him then she should go to Roy. She plans to do just that.

Team Arrow makes its move against Slade’s men. Canary comes up through the elevator, clearing rooms as she goes, and Arrow makes his way to the conference room. Slade thinks they must have quite a bit of faith in the cure to have just the two of them come alone, but they haven’t come alone. The assassins break through the windows, and as chaos ensues, Slade makes a getaway. Arrow stops Canary from dealing a death blow to Isabel. She taunts him, and Nyssa snaps her neck, telling him that it is his weakness that is allowing his city to burn. Oliver admits to Sara that he cannot get close enough to hit Slade with the cure.

Past. Sara and Oliver are held hostage on the tanker. Another person has disappointed Slade, he brings forth another prisoner to try out the Mirakuru. Oliver makes a last stitch effort, telling him that he knows that he blames him for Shado’s death. Shado’s spirit yells in Slade’s ear, fueling his fire. Oliver tries to make sense of it all, telling him that Shado loved them both, he wouldn’t want them to fight, to kill eachother, but Shado tells him to kill Oliver. Below, Anatoly prepares to fire on the tanker. As Slade draws his gun, and Anatoly fires.

Quentin finds Laurel as she awakens. She tells him that she saw Sara with that woman, the one that took their mother. One of Deadstroke’s men has broken into the precinct. Quentin tries to hold him off, but he’s tossed aside, and the man grabs Laurel.

Amanda Waller prepares her drones to strike out Starling City. The drones are en route.

Quentin wants to know why Slade has such a hard on for the Queens, but Felicity doesn’t spill the beans. He’s not pleased to see  Nyssa, but Sara assures him that she’s an ally today. He’s willing to work with anyone to get Laurel back. News that Laurel was taken does not make Sara or Oliver very happy, and Felicity has more bad news. Felicity tells them that all of Slade’s men are headed out of the city via the tunnel. Slade knows Waller’s tactics as well as they do. Luckily with all of the enemies in one place they can pick them off, and hopefully before Argus levels the city. For now, Laurel has to come second with saving the rest of the city, which does not make Quentin too happy, maybe he didn’t get the memo that if the drones drop their bombs Laurel will die anyways, they all will. Quentin respects that Arrow was on this whole no kill kick, but now is not the time for that strategy. Felicity thinks he’s wrong, but Oliver knows that he’s right. He’s been fighting with one arm behind his back, and that cost his mother her life. He tried to end this all in the past by killing Slade, and Felicity thinks that was a mistake. He has a choice and he doesn’t have to repeat history.

The news reports that residents are urged to stay indoors, and that Mayor Blood may be among the casualties. Thea arrives at Roy’s and she’s distant. Roy understands though, he admits that he hasn’t been himself for these past months and he apologizes for it. He tells her about the Mirakuru, and she already knows about it. Roy tells her that he is fine. She asks about the Arrow, he said he would take care of Roy. Roy tells her that he doesn’t know about the Arrow, but that he’s done with all of that. She hugs him, relieved. He asks her if something has happened, but she claims its nothing. She wants to get away, to start over. He receives a message from Oliver, its go time. He tells her that he has to take care of something before he goes. He asks her if she trusts him, she says she does. He promises that when he gets back that they’re getting away forever, but that kiss goodbye, seemed more permanent.

Oliver takes Felicity to his house, she doesn’t know why they’re there. He tells her that she has to stay for her own protection. He promises to come and get her when its all over. She wants to know why, and he tells her that he needs her to be safe. She doesn’t want to be safe, she wants to be with him, with the others. He reveals that Slade took the woman that he loves, but he took the wrong woman. Light bulb. Oliver admits that he loves her, he asks if she understands, and she says a simple yes as he walks away.

Lyla and Diggle make a run for it. Lyla hesitates, and Diggle reminds her that he loves her. She’s glad to hear it as they head in.

Things aren’t going according to plan for Waller. She loses communication with Easy company. Her agent reasons that the tunnel they’re in may be causing the interference, but the case of the dead that they’ve come down with is more likely the cause. Slade’s men have killed all of them. Team Arrow arrives like Gangsters to the tunnel. Oliver warns them to take no kill shots, to allow the cure to do its work. Slade’s men have scented blood in the air, and they go on the offensive. Oliver holds his team until the last minute, before he unleashes them and their fury of arrows.

Lyla and Diggle take out an Argus guard. Diggle unlocks the Suicide Squad. Although Deadshot would love to play, there’s the little tick tick boom issue with their heads. Lyla asks for their faith in her. Lyla hands out the toys, and Diggle warns no dropping bodies. Harley Quinn is not among the released.

The fight in the alley continues at its crazy pace. Arrow and Canary are machines, administering cures all over the place. Roy is keeping pace with them. Nyssa saves Canary, and nearly gets taken out herself. Quentin saves her. Looks like the two are playing nice.

Past.Water rushes in after the attack. Oliver capitalizes on the chaos. He tries to get Sara out, but she doesn’t want to leave without him. Slade is after the Mirakuru, but Oliver tries to keep it away from him. Sara jumps into the fray, to get tossed aside, and sucked out the side of the ship as Oliver watches helpless to save her.

Thea goes through Roy’s apartment, packing. Under his bed she finds his bow. Ruh-roh.

Waller orders the drone be prepped to fire. Lyla, Dig and the Suicide Squad hold the room at gun point. Waller asks Lyla if she is willing to risk so many innocents, and how will she explain it to her son, or is it daughter. Lyla has some explaining to do. Waller congratulates Dig on his upcoming heir.

Slade places a call to Oliver, of course he isn’t fighting with his men. Oliver tells him that his army is no more, but Slade reveals that he has once again missed the point in the exercise. Slade tells him that he has the one that he loves, and he will meet him where he tells him or he will kill her. Oliver tells him that he is done playing games. Slade always thought that he had a thing for stronger women, but now that he has met her, he sees her appeal. He says that his Felicity is quite lovely. Slade took Oliver’s carefully laid bait.

The drone has arrived.

Slade taunts Oliver about slitting Felicity’s throat. Oliver follows his sweet voice right to Slade. He finds Slade with his blade at Felicity’s throat. Slade tells him to put down his bow, and he does. He has one of his men bring out Laurel. Slade plans to take from Oliver all that he took from him. Oliver knows that Slade sees Shado, and he asks how she looks in his delusion. She was young, kind and beautiful. Oliver knows that Shado would be horrified if she knew what he’s done in her name. Slade thinks that he did what had to be done, and when the floor is slick with Felicity’s blood, then Oliver will finally know how he feels. Oliver already knows how he feels. He knows what it is to hate, to want revenge, and now he knows what it feels like to have his enemy so distracted he doesn’t see the danger in front of him. Felicity plunges a syringe into Slade’s neck. Oliver knew that Slade had bugged his house, that he would be listening, so he gave Felicity the syringe knowing that if he told her that he loved her that Slade would hear and come for her. Sara kills the man holding her sister, and he tells her to get them out of there.

Past. Poor Sara. Slade asks how many  times is Oliver going to watch her die. The two fight in the water of the sinking ship. Slade mocks Oliver that he cannot kill him. Now, the Mirakuru isn’t what made Slade hate Oliver he says, and he will make him watch his city burn before he kills him. Past. Slade has the upperhand on Oliver. Now, its more of an even fight. Past. Oliver gets tossed around. Now. Slade tells him that there is only one way to end this all, but with his death it will prove that Oliver is indeed a murderer. Past, the ship collapses, trapping Slade. He tells Oliver that it doesn’t matter if he sticks him with the cure, he will make good on his promise. Sara was only the first, he will kill all the women in Oliver’s life. Oliver chooses to stab him in the eye with an arrow. Before he can make sure Slade is dead another explosion rocks the ship and knocks Oliver out. Now. Oliver manages to ensnare Slade with a few cable arrows, wrapping him up with a pillar. Whether he lives or dies, Slade thinks he’s a winner.

Oliver makes a call to Waller. He tells her that Slade and his threat has been neutralized, to call back the drones. Waller ends her Mexican Standoff, dropping her guns and recalling her drones.

The Assassins’ ship is preparing to disembark. Quentin and Laurel have come to say goodbye to Sara. He doesn’t understand why she’s leaving, tells her that she doesn’t have to. For once in her life, she’s making her own decisions. Nyssa vows that she will protect Sara with her life. Laurel says her own goodbye to Sara. She knows that it isn’t the last that she’s seen of her. Sara gives Laurel her leather jacket before heading off. Quentin tells Laurel not to get any ideas. He tells Laurel that he needs to get some Pepto on the way, that his stomach is a little upset. Laurel jokes that Sara will be fine. Quentin knows that that she will be, and he begins to cough. He coughs up blood, falling to the ground as he struggles to breathe. That little throw by Slade’s man earlier, when he took Laurel did some internal damage. Laurel calls for help, begging her father to stay with her.

Roy returns home to find Thea gone. She left him a note on his bow bag that she found, telling him that she made a mistake. She thought she could be with him, but she is no longer Thea Queen. Thea Queen was trusting, but she does not trust him. Thea Queen was weak, and she refuses to be so. Thea has gone to her father. She tells him to not to try to find her, she doesn’t even know where she is going. All she knows is that she is never coming back. Roy pulls the mask from his pocket.

Slade awakens in a cell. He is as far from the world as Oliver could put him. Oliver didn’t kill him because he had the strength to let him live. Slade knows that Oliver is a killer, he made him. Oliver admits that he was a killer because of him, but he also made it home and back to his family because of him. Over the last year he had faltered, but without killing he brought down Slade. He thanks Slade for making him a hero. Slade warns that he keeps his promises, as Oliver closes the door on Slade’s prison. Felicity remarks about the beauty of the island. Dig wonders if the prison will be enough to hold him. Oliver is sure that Argus’s super prison below ground can hold him and anyone else they have to send there, because he is sure there will be more. First on the agenda is getting Queen Industries back. Felicity jokes that he may have to get a real job since he’s broke now. Dig goes to wrap things up, and Felicity congratulates Oliver on the way he outfoxed Slade. She touches on the unthinkable of them as a couple, and admits that he made her believe for a moment too, that he really sold it. They both did. Oliver asks about the news about Dig and Lyla, but Dig isn’t spilling. Felicity has one last question, if Oliver spent five years on the island, when did he learn to fly a plane.

A whole new set of flashbacks seem to be in order. Oliver wakes after the ship. A pair of asian men with guns arrive for him, and he is brought downstairs. Amanda Waller introduces herself as he gets in her car, and she welcomes him to Hong Kong.