'Arrow': Can Oliver Put The "Secret Identity" Toothpaste Back in the Tube?

"I was framed"

Probably the easiest, and the most long-game, of all options is to simply prove that he was framed.

The thing about this one is that it's tough: there is a lot of evidence linking Oliver to being Green Arrow and to committing those crimes -- because he did them. Once you know who the suspect is and begin to tailor your investigation to that, you can find all kinds of things that might seem hidden to an investigator operating in a bubble.

The upside to simply proving that Ricardo Diaz recruited a bunch of dirty cops and crooked city officials to frame him is simple: it means that by liberating himself, Oliver would be simultaneously taking down Diaz.

Things like tonight's incident, with Ricardo Diaz walking Rene's daughter into court to make sure he testified the way he wanted him to, would also be invalidated by this argument.

This one would seem like the least creative in a lot of ways, but with "creativity" comes loopholes.

Also, to be honest, this one is a potential "reset" button, even inasmuch as it could put Oliver Queen back in the mayor's office. That might seem like a drawback, since Oliver-as-mayor has already been explored for a season and change, but putting him in office with the specter of his presumed guilt and then redemption hanging over him could create an interesting dynamic.

One potential take calls to mind Savior, a villain from the mid-'90s who appeared in Superman comics and hated the Man of Steel in part because even afterthe dust settled from Superman's death and resurrection, he believed that the man presenting himself as Superman was a fake.

The opposite could work for Oliver here: putting the toothpaste back in the tube feels impossible now, and so doing it could carry with it a lot of suspicion on the part of everyday people that he "got away with" something, and that could fundamentally change the way that both Oliver and Green Arrow interact with Star City.

Doppelgangers

While the heroes of Earth-1 and beyond know about alternate-earth/multiversal doppelgangers, it seems as though the everyday people on Earth do not.

This seems unusual given the attack by Earth-X earlier this year, but we'll leave that aside for now.

Oliver, if tied to the Green Arrow, could presumably use the corpse of Fuhrer Queen to prove that alternate-universe doppelgangers are a thing. Heck, they could just use Laurel Lance's body, which presumably is still in its grave while Black Siren is running around claiming to have been long-lost.

Having a doppelganger instantly creates reasonable doubt, and while that may not be an effective defense in the face of a judge and/or jury pool tainted by Diaz's interference, in the court of public opinion it would certainly muddy the waters.

Human Target

Yes, we know, they tried the Human Target thing tonight and it was not compelling.

Still, as Oliver begins to navigate a his post-trial life, continued appearances by Green Arrow at times and places that might conflict with Oliver's public appearances -- as opposed to a one-off (which has been effective in the past but has raised questions with numerous people) -- would be a lot more compelling to the world at large.

Since Team Arrow knows that Diaz and company were ready to "out" Human Target to the world, Chance being burned is a great motivator for him to get out there and help Team Arrow screw the guys who screwed him.

ARGUS

So far, the fact that ARGUS has worked regularly with Team Arrow, and that a clandestine, quasi-military governmental organization is headed by John Diggle's wife and employs Diggle himself, has not played a role in trying to clean up any of the chaos that has struck Star City since Ricardo Diaz came to town.

The reality is, ARGUS would be a way to clear Oliver's name: falsify some records that say Team Arrow were duly deputized agents of the government for the last six years, and it doesn't matter who they are.

What's more, though, ARGUS could end this all right now by providing documentation claiming that Oliver is a deep-cover agent who has been put in place to draw out organized crime by posing as Green Arrow. This would out him as someone who was screwed by the government and victimized while trying to be patriotic, not as a masked vigilante or even a "real" spy.

A Presidential Pardon

Okay, so if the system doesn't work...

...and a doppelganger doesn't work...

...and a spy doesn't work...

...and a clandestine government organization doesn't work...

...why not the President?

Why couldn't the President simply pardon "Green Arrow," thus rendering any speculation as to who the vigilante is fruitless gossip?

Why would the President do this?

Well, because the President, per the events of "Invasion!" last year, KNEW who Oliver was and put a medal on his chest along with the rest of the heroes who saved the world.