Arrow Recap With Spoilers: Nanda Parbat

At Nanda Parbat, Nyssa reports to her father that Oliver Queen is alive. Ra’s al Ghul replies that he already knows, and that Ollie is in Starling City. He also knows that Oliver didn’t kill Sara.

In the Foundry, Ollie and Thea both train with Malcolm, who keeps winning as they spar. Malcolm points out that Ollie trained with a bow and arrow but that this will be a sword fight. He also stresses that they work in unison. Thea is not thrilled with the arrangement, but knows she and Ollie need Malcolm.

Diggle arrives to explain that Thea’s closed Verdant, and borrow security from Argus is keeping them safe. Malcolm called him John. Diggle responds that his friends call him Dig, but Malcolm shouldn’t even talk to him. Malcolm tries to convince Ollie that he and Thea should leave the loft, but Ollie refuses. Meanwhile, Laurel tries to talk to Thea about how Malcolm’s fighting style reminds her of Sara. Thea is clearly uncomfortable not telling Laurel what she knows about Sara’s death.

Ollie continues to practice with his sword. Dig wants to ask him a favor, but decides to wait once he realized that Ollie isn’t sleeping. Ollie says he’ll sleep once it’s all over.

Flashback. Ollie is being given a polygraph by a solider. He is excused by General Shrieve, who has claimed army jurisdiction, removing Amanda Waller and Argus. He allows Ollie to return to Japan with Maseo and family. From there, Ollie can go anywhere he wants. Even home to Starling City. Ollie and the General shake hands.

Roy finds Thea sitting in the empty club. She admits to having killed Sara. Roy answers that he knows and tells Thea about how he killed the police officer. He promises that it gets easier. Thea answers that Roy doesn’t have to see that cop’s family every day like she does, she doesn’t believe it will get better.

Ray Palmer is working on the ATOM suit in his home office. Felicity shows up, wanting to make sure he is alive. No one at Palmer Tech has seen Ray in a week. Ray is clearly exhausted, and Felicity has to stop him from using a tool that would explode the entire building. She calls him out on not sleeping. He says that he started working on the suit because of how helpless he felt when he could not save Anna. After not being able to stop Brick during his recent attack, Ray became determined to finish the suit. He refuses to stop until he is done.

Laurel calls her father and leaves him a voicemail. Lance has not spoken to her in a week. Now that he knows about Sara, Laurel doesn’t think either of them should have to face it alone. Thea arrives then, unable to keep her secret from Laurel any longer. Thea explains how Malcolm drugged her and used her to kill Sara. Laurel doesn’t blame Thea. But she does call her out on knowing who Malcolm was and still welcoming him in. Laurel encourages Thea to make different choices.

Ollie is still training at the Foundry. Laurel comes in and says she can’t remember Sara’s smile. She makes a comment about not knowing who Sara’s killer is. Ollie lies, covering for Thea again. Laurel admits that she knows and is furious that Ollie is still lying to her. Ollie points out how Laurel has gone after every suspect, he was protecting Thea. Laurel is unforgiving. “It’s hard to remember a time when I was actually in love with you.”

Ollie goes to the loft, angry at Thea for telling Laurel. Ollie quotes Malcolm’s earlier comment about being in unison and reminds Thea how useful her father is. Thea tells Ollie that they aren’t in danger anymore. And Malcolm is going to get justice.

Malcolm walks through the streets at night. He hears someone behind him, and knows it is not anyone from the League. Laurel shows, in full Black Canary gear. She attacks, but Malcolm deflects her easily. Until Laurel pulls a gun on him. Before she can shoot, Nyssa and several other members of the League arrive. One of them holds a knife to Laurel’s throat to hold her back while Malcolm and Nyssa fight. He is defeated, and captured. Nyssa tells Laurel that Sara’s murder is avenged.

In the Foundry, Ollie confronts Laurel. He also tells the rest of the gang that Thea traded Malcolm to the League of Assassins in exchange for her and Ollie’s safety. The others are worried that Malcolm will show Ra’s the tape of Thea committing the murder, but Ollie believes that Malcolm loves Thea and won’t sacrifice her. Ollie wants to rescue Malcolm, which both Laurel and Felicity are very against. Ollie convinces Felicity that he is doing this for Thea’s benefit, and she agrees to help. Laurel still argues, so Ollie throws her out of the Foundry. Meanwhile, Felicity finds a clue and sends Ollie to the airfield.

Flashback. Maseo, Tatsu, and Ollie are greeted by Aiko, who invites Ollie to stay with his family forever. Ollie offers to send for them with his family’s private plane so they can visit him in America. Tatsu is impressed that Ollie’s family has their own plane. They walk along the docks, when Maseo notices something about some of the dockworkers. He pulls his gun and shoots some of the workers.

Nyssa and fellow League members escort a chained Malcolm to a helicopter. Arrow shows up and begins to fight Nyssa. Malcolm manages to fend off the others at first, but they eventually managed to force him onto the copter. Arrow manages to capture Nyssa, telling her that this isn’t justice, its vengeance. But he is unable to stop the helicopter.

Nyssa is caged in the Foundry, where she meditates. Ollie knows that Ra’s will not trade Malcolm for Nyssa, but she is still useful. Laurel is disgusted by the idea of keeping a prisoner, and believes Ollie is planning to torture Nyssa to find Nanda Parbat. Diggle gets everyone to clear the room, but before leaving himself, Dig tells Ollie that he can’t save Thea’s soul at the cost of his own. Alone with Nyssa, Ollie does not torture her. Nyssa is happy to tell him where to go. Because she knows he will die there.

Roy is impressed by the Argus security in Verdant. Laurel is still horrified by the idea of taking prisoners. Ollie joins them, he knows where to go. Roy points out that Ollie dying is just as bad for Thea as her being responsible for Malcolm’s death. One by one, everyone but Diggle tries to stop Ollie. Finally, Ollie asks Diggle what he thinks, and Diggle again asks everyone to leave him alone with Ollie. Dig thinks there is more going on than just Ollie trying to save Thea’s soul. Ollie denies it.

Ray finds himself unable to sign into the Palmer Tech server. Felicity has shown up at his home again. She reset the password. She offers Ray a choice. Either he can crack her password, which should take him over six hours. Or he eats, showers, and sleeps for five hours, at which time she will give him the password, which she has written down. Ray agrees to take care of himself.

At home, Dig plays with baby Sara. Lyla emerges from the shower and wants to know if Dig asked Ollie for the favor. Dig admits he didn’t and tells Lyla what Ollie has planned. Lyla is horrified that Ollie is going to Nanda Parbat, and wants to know if Dig is going too. He says no, but she encourages him to go with Ollie. Lyla knows Dig blamed himself for not being there for Ollie last time and doesn’t want him to go through that again. Dig asks to borrow the Argus jet.

In the club, Thea confronts Ollie. Ollie explains that he can’t put her through the same thing he suffers, being responsible for both Robert and Moira’s deaths. Thea begs him to stay, but Ollie walks out.

In the alley by the club, Ollie sees Dig. Diggle offers to go and points out that Ollie needs him, no longer having his own private plane.

Malcolm is chained again, and dragged before Ra’s al Ghul. Ra’s talks about an illusionist he knew centuries ago. “A magician can cheat many things, but one.” Malcolm is clearly terrified and begs for his life. He offers to serve as Ra’s horseman again. His pleas fall on deaf ears.

Felicity examines Ray’s very impressive art collection while he showers. Ray emerges in just a towel. Felicity can’t look at him. Ray tells Felicity that she doesn’t need to blackmail him. He trusts her judgment. Felicity reminds Ray that he is naked. He admits that when he is with Felicity, he forgets they work together. They kiss. She apologizes, but he kisses her again.

Outside at Nanda Parbat, Ollie explains to Dig that their only chance is to try and surprise the League. This thought is interrupted by several flaming arrows being shot at them. Dig asks for a new plan. Ollie answers “Shoot straighter than they do!” Ollie and Dig shoot most of the guard, but one actually dodges an arrow and runs inside. Ollie and Dig give chase.

Flashback. From where he has found cover, Ollie uses a mirror to try and find the men shooting at him and the Yamashiros. Maseo recognizes them as Argus and they realize that Waller was not happy about being cast aside by the military. Ollie points out a delivery truck and provides cover so that Maseo and his family can try to get to it.

Laurel gives a mug of something to the caged Nyssa. Laurel is surprised that she isn’t happier about Malcolm going to his death. Hating him let her hold onto a piece of Sara. She asks Nyssa if she remembers Sara’s laugh. Nyssa tells Laurel that when Sara was first brought to Ra’sm, he put on a display designed to frighten her. And Sara just laughed. That’s the moment Nyssa fell in love. She wanted to hear Sara laugh again. Laurel thanks Nyssa.

Ollie and Dig catch up to the man they were chasing him. They take out several members of the League. Dig isn’t sure how they will find Malcolm in such a large place. Ollie pulls out his phone, says he can track the nanites he put in Malcolm four months ago.

They find Malcolm badly beaten, and chained over hot coals. Malcolm manages to tell them one word. “Trap.” A gate closes them into the room.

Ollie wakes from unconsciousness to find himself and Diggle chained in a separate room from Malcolm. Ollie finally admits that coming here was about more than saving Thea’s soul. He’s been haunted by the fall. He can’t stand having been beaten. Ra’s gotten into his head. Dig comforts Ollie. Ollie remembers that Dig wanted to ask him a favor, and asks what it was, assuming they aren’t actually about to die. Dig talks about losing Andy. “When I lost my brother, I never thought I’d get another one.” He asks Ollie to be his best man at his wedding. Ollie accepts.

Flashback. As they try to make it to the truck, Aiko gets separated from his parents and hides with Ollie. Maseo and Tatsu beg Ollie to save their son, and Ollie picks Aiko up and starts to run.

Roy and Thea sit in his car. He wants to show her what he does when he feels bad. They watch a woman and child get out of their car to go into their house. Thea doesn’t understand why Roy is stalking a strange family, then she realizes that this is the widow and child of the cop he killed. Roy has been anonymously giving them money, groceries, even toys. It makes him feel better, helps with the guilt. Thea is still no better. She blames herself for letting Malcolm in, knowing he was a killer. She’s afraid that means she’s one too.

Ray and Felicity sleep in each other’s arm. Ray wake, suddenly inspired. He gets up and looks at what the password Felicity gave him. (It’s password.) Ray dresses in the ATOM suit for the first time, and begins to fly around the city. Felicity sleeps through all of it.

Thea goes to Nyssa. She says that Malcolm put things in motion, but confesses to being the one who actually shot Sara with the arrows. Thea opens the cage door and gives Nyssa her sword.

Ollie is brought before Ra’s, who points his sword at Ollie. Ollie begs only for Diggle’s life. Ra’s admits to being impressed by Ollie. He doesn’t want to kill him. Ra’s wants Oliver to take his place at the head of the League.