Arrow Recap With Spoilers: A Matter of Trust

The Green Arrow chases after a thug with a gun while his new team watches on Felicity's monitors. Felicity and the recruits comment on the fight. The thug is a drug sealer, who sells a new and dangerous drug called stardust. After being threatened by Green Arrow, the thug drops a name, Derrick Sampson. And Green Arrow drops him off a roof.

Rene wants to hit the streets, he knows how to find Sampson. But Ollie joins everyone and refuses to let any of them onto the streets until they impress him in training. Felicity receives an alert and Ollie leaves.

Detective Malone (Felicity's boyfriend) used the alert to summon The Green Arrow because he wanted to share some information about the recent cop murder (from two episodes ago). There is some evidence that ties back to Church.

Lyla visits Diggle in military prison, and he fills her in on how he was framed for trying to steal one of Damian Darhk's nukes. He is brought back to a cell, and begs the guards not to leave him with the other man in that cell. The man is Floyd Lawton.

At his office, Ollie's security guard is upset about losing track of Ollie the night before. Ollie deflects and reminds that he never wanted a security detail. He goes to meet with Thea, who shows him the news. An anchor named Susan Williams is ripping into Ollie for appointing known alcoholic Lance as Deputy Mayor, something which surprises Ollie since he had no idea Thea offered Lance the job. Thea agrees to handle the situation.

In Russia, Anatoly goes to see Oliver. Ollie is angry about the men who were killed during the bell ringing exercise. He is ready to walk away from Bratva. Anatoly agrees not to stop him, but wants to show Ollie something first.

Rene and Evelyn sneak off to find Sampson. She's not exactly thrilled about breaking the rules, but continues to accompany Rene. They find Sampson and several others making stardust. Rene pulls out his hockey mask and jumps into the fight.

Evelyn defends herself as Wild Dog and Sampson fight. A pipe bursts, spilling liquid into a huge vat of stardust. Eventually, Sampson also falls into the vat.

In his office, Ollie meets the new DA, Adrian Chase. Chase is furious about stardust, which is worse than even vertigo. He was going to have Sampson arrested and flip him on his suppliers, but he can't because Sampson is dead. Killed by a vigilante in a hockey mask.

Ollie rages at Rene. While Rene and the others need to trust Ollie, Ollie also needs to trust them. If he can't, why bother? Felicity is also not thrilled with Rene, and calls him even more stubborn than Ollie.

Thea meets with Susan Williams. Williams is kind, and agrees to walk back the story when Thea admits that she appointed Lance without even asking Ollie.

Dig asks Lawton how he is alive, and Lawton tells a story of surviving and getting arrested again. He asks for Dig's story.

As the medical examiner starts to autopsy Sampson, the drug dealer awakens, wondering why he can't feel pain. Sampson kills the medical examiner.

Curtis offers Rory a ride how, simultaneously flirting a little and mentioning his husband. When Rory mentions being from Havenrock, Curtis makes an excuse, and goes to Felicity after Rory leaves. Felicity does not want to tell Rory about the role she played in his home being nuked, she still blames herself. They are interrupted by an alert from the hospital.

Sampson is causing chaos in the hospital. He is shot in the back a few times and barely reacts, nor does he seem to feel the arrow that The Green Arrow shoots into his shoulder. They fight, and Sampson is clearly very strong. Green Arrow manages to escape.

The team returns, but Ollie does not want their help. Even when Rene admits his mistake and the others all try to offer assistant, Ollie turns them down.

Anatoly takes Oliver to see a woman, who asks about her son. Anatoly shows her a picture of one of the men who Bratva killed, and assures her that her son's killers are dead. She calls Anatoly an angel. Anatoly explains to Ollie that the men trying to ring the bell with him were assassins. Not everything is what it seems.

Lawton amuses himself by playing solitaire and getting under Diggle's skin. He mentions Andy, and Diggle finds himself explaining that Lawton didn't kill Andy, he did.

Chase and Ollie have a meeting, Chase is calmer than before. He wants Ollie to ask a judge to sign a search warrant to help them find Sampson. Ollie is willing, and Chase good naturedly tells a story about how they met 12 years earlier, with Ollie stealing Chase's girlfriend.

Thea arrives and shows Ollie the newest story from Williams. Williams insults Ollie for not even knowing who was being hired and leaving his job to his team. Thea blames herself and plans to resign.

Curtis and Felicity talk about Rory. Curtis reminds her about how secrets never stay secret and how she has been hurt by them in the past. She should trust Rory.

Sampson gathers with his old crew. He plans on giving all his men the same treatment so they can also be stronger and feel no pain. Then they won't have to fear anyone, even Church. He burns himself to demonstrate.

Felicity talks with Ollie about how being a leader means being responsible for everything his team does. Even when they disobey. He has to trust. They are alerted to a break in. Ollie goes to get the team.

Lyla visits Diggle at his cell. She is trying to investigate, to prove he is innocent, but Dig wants her to stop. He believes that he should remain in prison, to pay for killing Andy. Lyla tries to comfort him, and he realizes that he's been alone in the cell the whole time, Lawton was a figment of his imagination.

The team trains and Curtis reveals himself a wrestling fan, especially a wrestler called Mr. Terrific. Ollie shows and apologizes to Rene. Felicity tells them that a chemical replicator was stolen. They realize that Sampson wants to replicate the drug which changed him, which Rene reveals is stardust mixed with the liquid which dripped from the pipe. He's going back to the scene of his "death."

The Green Arrow finds Sampson working on the new Stardust. They fight. The rest of the team is there as well, with even Curtis and Evelyn in masks. Curtis works to explode the stardust, assisted by Ragman and Evelyn while Wild Dog takes out some guards.

The Green Arrow cuts Sampson's tendons, rendering him immobile. Not feeling pain does not mean his body is not being damaged. Green Arrow and his team leave as the stardust is destroyed.

Ollie takes the team to the Arrow Cave for the first time, and they're all very impressed. He also bonds a little with Rene over liking his hockey mask.

Anatoly explains that Bratva means brotherhood. Even though the men of Bratva have all tried to kill Ollie, they are his brothers and he must trust them. Ollie obediently turns his back on the men, and allows them all to cut his back with knives, trusting that they won't kill him.

Thea finds Chase telling Ollie about Sampson's capture, but what looks like the Green Arrow's new team. Thea tries to resign, but Ollie insists he needs people he can trust. He walks Thea out to a press conference, where he repeats Felicity's earlier words. He trusts his team, and he is responsible for every decision they make. Including his new Deputy Mayor, Quentin Lance.

Thea confronts Williams before she can leave. Williams still plays at being Thea's friend, but Thea does not fall for it this time. She threatens Williams' job if the reporter ever tries to play her again.

As the team gets comfortable in the Arrow Cave, Felicity approchs Rory. She tells him everything about her part in the nuke falling on Havenrock. He tearfully walks away.

Lyla comes to the cave to make a request. She wants Ollie to break Dig out of prison.