Cayden James Escalates Things in ‘Arrow’ Synopsis for “The Devil’s Greatest Trick”

The CW has released the official synopsis for “The Devil’s Greatest Trick,” the February 8 episode of Arrow.

In the episode, Cayden James steps up his attacks on Team Arrow and Star City as Oliver struggles to balance his vigilante life and fatherhood. All of this is taking place while, apparently, the full Team Arrow has not yet reconvened.

The relationship with William — Oliver’s son, played by Jack Moore — has shaped the season in unexpected ways.

“My first day on the show this year was four scenes with Jack [Moore], who plays Williams,” Amell said. “I was f—ing nervous. I was really, really nervous. I had never done a scene with him before and, reading episode 601, I’m like, ‘Oh God.’ In my mind, this entire episode hinges on us having good on-screen chemistry and Jack was not only equal to the task but excelled. So Oliver being a dad, it’s certainly been my most fun thing to play.”

The line of that relationship has been one of the key relationships to track this season. While Oliver and Felicity were married during “Crisis on Earth-X,” for instance, little has changed about the way they interact with one another as a result. William, meanwhile, has been a bit more of a moving target.

Err, maybe “target” is a poor choice of words in a show about archery. Still, it seems to fit. In next week’s episode, “We Fall,” Cayden James (Michael Emerson) targets William in the hopes of terrorizing Oliver.

“Some of my stuff with Jack this year has been some of my favorite stuff to play,” Stephen Amell told reporters during a recent visit to the set of Arrow. “[Hes a] really, really good actor. We get in and work on the scenes together because I feel like they are written like he’s a couple of years younger than he is. I guess maybe the writers remember him as that kid that we saw in season four. Now, all of a sudden, he’s 14 years old and not a kid. So, a young man. They’ve been really great about letting me get in there and play around with Jack and figure out how we make those scenes as relatable and human as possible. I do think that Oliver’s relationship with William, it has changed things forever. I don’t know where it ends up, but it’s not like we are going to erase him having a son. It’s now part of what we are doing.”

You can check out the official synopsis for “The Devil’s Greatest Trick” below.

Cayden James (guest star Michael Emerson) discovers a secret about the Green Arrow (Stephen Amell) that pushes him over the edge. Knowing everyone and everything he loves is in danger, Oliver must decide if he can do this alone or if he needs to turn to his old teammates for help.

William (guest star Jack Moore) starts to demand more of Oliver’s time.

JJ Makaro directed the episode written by Sarah Tarkoff & Emilio Ortega Aldrich.

Arrow airs on Thursdays at 9 p.m., following new episodes of Supernatural on The CW. “The Devil’s Greatest Trick” will premiere on February 8.