In present day Oliver finds out that Talia is who trained Chase; and is helping him take down Team Arrow. She hates Oliver for killing her father (Ra’s Al Ghul from season 3), and wants to avenge him. Talia doesn’t really add much in the present, she’s much more interesting in the flashbacks. Chase kidnaps Susan and she doesn’t have much time. Oliver tries to get a leg up on Chase by contacting his wife. This doesn’t work because Chase is a psycho and he straight up kills her (his wife that is)! Chase is definitely the craziest villain in the Arrowverse. After this, Oliver captured by Chase and is tortured for days. Holding his head under water, reminding him of every life he’s taken, and shooting him with arrows are only a few torture techniques Prometheus uses. Chase throws Evelyn in Oliver’s cell, trying to unleash the killer inside him. When that doesn’t work, Chase snaps Evelyn’s neck! Not long after Oliver admits that he killed, not because of some crusade, or to avenge his father, but because he enjoyed it. Evelyn gets up and says she knew he’d crack. Chase finally let’s him go, and Ollie decides to disband the team. Adrian Chase is scarier than Deathstroke, and that’s saying something.
In the flashbacks, Oliver and Anatoli infiltrate Kovar’s mansion and find evidence that Gregor has been embezzling money from the Bratva. They have a vote on who should be the leader, and of course, Anatoli wins, but Gregor starts a mutiny. Most of the Bratva captains are killed before Gregor escapes. Oliver manages to kill Gregor, and Anatoli becomes the new Pakhan [leader of the Bratva]. All of this is happening while Kovar is planning a coup against the Russian government. Oliver continues down his dark path by torturing an operative of Kovar. Oliver learns that Kovar plans to kill key Russian leaders with Sarin gas. Something he bought from Malcolm Merlyn. Ollie and Anatoli manage to stop Kovar, for now.
In present day we learn that Rene’s wife was an addict and was murdered in front of him by a drug dealer. Not only that but his daughter Zoe was also present; leading to her going into foster care. This is a thread that carries through to the end of the season. Quinton wants to help Rene reconnect with his daughter (because he’s lost both daughters multiple times). This gives Quinton and Rene a bond that works really well. Their relationship is one of the strongest of the season, and I hope it continues in season six.
With Team Arrow disbanded, Oliver calls in the Bratva to kill Chase. As payment Ollie allows them to steal medicine [best mayor ever]. The rest of team Arrow stop them and convince Oliver to let them help. Oliver breaks his deal with Anatoli and ends their friendship. This pretty cuts all ties to season one Oliver. Not much time passes and the Team gets back together; because pep talks work really well in the Arrowverse. Felicity and Curtis managed to reveal Chase’s identity to the police (via video footage from Helix), and Prometheus is taken to prison… Of course that’s what we wish happened. Chase kills the guards trying to arrest him and escapes with a Joker-like smile on his face. This make Chase an even bigger psychopath than we’ve previously thought (didn’t think that was possible). There was some more Felicity Helix stuff but it didn’t really add anything to the overall plot. Aside from an Olicity-centric episode (more on that later).
Quinton wants to help Rene reconnect with Zoe, but Rene believes he’s not a good father. Quinton convinces Rene to try and get his daughter back. It was touching little arc, especially knowing that Quinton lost both of his daughters. Rene refuses to testify because he doesn’t want Zoe to relive this traumatic moment. This causes the judge to dismiss his claim.
Later on, Chase triggers an EMP inside the Arrow Cave (The Quiver?). This traps Oliver and Felicity inside with no way to get out. This also renders Felicity paralyzed [remember that chip in her spine?]. The episode focused on Oliver and Felicity’s relationship. It was fine, no much changed. They had sex for some reason. So yeah, Diggle got them out by the way, so…
A body is sent to Oliver’s office [some guy named Henry Goodwin], it is revealed that Robert Queen (accidentally?) killed him. This shocks Oliver and Thea, and both don’t know how to handle it. Chase wants to show that even Oliver’s father had blood on his hands. But here Oliver has an advantage. We learn that Chase’s father was going to disown him! This leaves Prometheus in shambles. He even asks Green Arrow to kill him, but they arrest him instead because don’t forget, they’re the good guys. Oliver shows Thea a video Robert left her, and they are both somewhat able to move past this. The Queen family has some serious issues.
In the flashbacks, Oliver and Anatoli say their goodbyes, and Ollie goes back to Lian Yu. They’ve made plans for him to be “found” on the island. It’s a solid plan, but I hate how that beard is fake.
Chase is still managing to ruin everyone’s lives from inside a prison cell. Dinah, Rene, and Curtis are kidnapped by Chase’s goons, and the others are next. Thea and Quinton are also taken, leading to Malcolm offering to help save his daughter. Chase wants Oliver to let him out otherwise they’ll kill them. Oliver refuses until they take William (Oliver’s son) and Samantha (William’s mother). With William, Diggle, and Felicity took, Ollie finally lets Chase go. Oliver asks Nyssa for help to stop Talia and her Assassins [instead of calling The Flash].
In the flashbacks Kovar goes to the island to kill Oliver, ejecting him with this drug that makes him hallucinate. No one has ever survived longer than 10 minutes, but there’s a first for everything.
In present day we find out that the team is being held captive on Lian Yu. After arriving on the island, Oliver goes to an underground bunker and asks Slade Wilson for help. Deathstroke is back, not some silent stunt double in a suit, Manu Bennett makes his return and it’s glorious. Oliver and the greatest team ever assembled go to stop Prometheus once and for all (oh and Captain Boomerang is here too). Slade is no longer on Mirakuru so he’s closer to the season one version of the character; which is nice. The team dynamic here is pretty fun, and I wish we got more of it.
Not long after they find half of Team Arrow, and are confronted by Talia and Evelyn. Discount
Sokka decides to switch sides, and everything is going horribly, as expected. They mange to fight them off and free Felicity, Thea, Curtis, and Samantha. Malcolm takes this group to Chase’s plane so they can escape. Leaving Green Arrow, Deathstroke, and Nyssa to find the others. They do, and one awesome fight scene later we learn that Prometheus killed William, at least that’s what he wants us to think. Oliver is starting to catch on to Chase’s mind games.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the island Thea carelessly steps on a landmine [you’ve been here before, Speedy. Pay attention]. Malcolm pushes Thea off and takes her place, killing Boomerang and the other thugs chasing them. The Dark Archer is dead, this season has been brutal. The others escape and get to the plane, but find out that the entire island is rigged to explode if Chase dies. Diggle and Slade take Quinton, Rene and Dinah to the others so they can find a way off the island. Oliver goes after Chase thinking he still has William, which he does. The two duke it out of a boat, mirroring Oliver’s fight with Kovar in the flashbacks. Reminiscent of Ollie’s fight with Slade in season two. In the Flashbacks Oliver kills Kovar and escapes from the island (almost shot for shot from the pilot). In the present Oliver saves William but Chase kills himself, and presumably everyone on the island. The episode just ends with explosions.
How do you just end after that? Who’s dead? Is everyone dead? I’m sure most of them survived, but my God what a cliffhanger. This season was jam-packed with action, drama, and suspense. Seeing a villain that just overpowered Oliver in every way was great to watch. He rarely got a win, and in the end he lost everything. The season wasn’t perfect, but it was some of the strongest episodes the series has seen in awhile. It’s the best season since season two (the series’ peak), and hopefully it’s nothing but up from here on out. Arrow Season 5 is everything fans wanted, and then some. Is it October yet?
Arrow returns for its sixth season Thursday, October 12th on The CW.
