ARROW Season 6×15, “Doppleganger” recap

11 Mar

Welcome back, Arrowheads! We’ve had a pretty massive blow-up last time we we’re checking in on Team Arrow, mainly because they ended up fighting their former teammates to save Evil Laurel! While that kind of thing is going to be hard to work past for everyone, the Team has to still worry about Ricardo Diaz and his move to take control of Star City. And Evil Laurel is still out there, still with the city’s money. So let’s jump in…

Evil Walks In. At the mayor’s office, Ollie gets some great news from his attorney regarding that FBI case against him. As the evidence against Rene was obtained by illegal means (as in by Cayden James), they can move to throw the whole case out. Ollie was expecting some bad news to go with that, and he gets it, just not from the case. Quentin drops by after the attorney leaves with breaking news: Evil Laurel has appeared at the police station, claiming to be THEIR Laurel. Like you all didn’t think this might happen eventually.

They arrive to the police station, where Evil Laurel has got some media attention, spinning a story about how Damien Darhk kidnapped her two years ago, and replaced her with a double or something. The point is, she “escaped” and is happy to be home with her friends like Ollie and dear old dad Quentin. They whisk her away for “some rest”, or “let’s have a little chat in an interrogation room, Evil Laurel”, where they ask her what she’s up to. Well she had a snag in her escape plan, which was the millions stolen from the city was not where it was hidden, so she needed a way to keep Dinah and the rest of Team Arrow from going after her. Seeing as how much she knows about all our heroes, they don’t have much choice but to play along for now.

I know, Quentin. It has not been a good season for you. I feel ya.

Surprise Witness. Ollie and his attorney arrive for a closed hearing at the courthouse where the motion to throw out the case has been put on hold, because the prosecution has found a new surprise witness: Roy Harper! Roy’s been off the radar for a while and presumed dead to the world at large, so it’s clear to the Team that either Diaz or Anatoly captured him to use for this case. Ollie and Diggle scout out the hotel the SCPD are holding Roy, and from the way it looks, the police are corrupt and using torture to make Roy a willing witness. They find a gap in the security they can use to get in to save Roy, and Thea wants to suit up and go with them.

So later on, she goes inside the vents to see Roy getting seriously beaten, but still unable to talk. While the cops leave the room for a snack break between all this beating up Roy, Thea gets into the room and cuts him loose. Unfortunately, the police get wise and start swarming towards the room, and with Roy still seriously hurt, Thea wants to stay and fight the police off. But Ollie lassos her out of the room with a trick arrow, leaving Roy behind. Thea is upset, and for good reason. You couldn’t grab both of them, Ollie?

Corrupt Brotherhood. While this is going on, Quentin pays a visit to Evil Laurel as she’s being checked out in the hospital. He is distracted by having to leave the hospital room to talk to Dinah, who just heard the wonderful news. Quentin still thinks he can make her leave her evil ways behind, but Dinah is way less convinced. And then Evil Laurel is taken away behind their backs by a “police escort”, who is taking her to see Diaz. Diaz is doing some sparring at an empty casino, talking to his men and Anatoly about “family and brotherhood”, and letting Evil Laurel know he’s the one who stole back the money from her. So what is he going to do with her now?

Quentin and Dinah are trying to figure out what happened to Evil Laurel when Ollie drops by to talk to both of them. Felicity has discovered evidence that the cops holding Roy are being paid off by Diaz, and that Cayden James was killed by Diaz but covered up by the SCPD. So he needs both of them to find out how deep the corruption in the department goes too. Later on, the Team thinks they have a lead on the transport vehicle Roy will be in after that hotel got compromised, and they arrive as that vehicle is moving only to find it’s empty! So where is Roy?

“You like this place? I wanted to go for ‘creepy day-glo villain hideout’. What do you think?”

Who Gets The Pain. Well Roy finds himself back in that empty casino with Mr. Diaz, who is more than happy to threaten Thea with some harm if Roy doesn’t cooperate. Thea is frustrated that they can’t find Roy, and Ollie shares that frustration, as he feels guilty for making him have to go on the run. Thea has felt empty since Roy left, and Ollie suggests maybe once they find Roy, she leaves with him and maybe they can find some happiness together. Ain’t that nice of him?

Diggle gets some news relayed to him: Evil Laurel returned to Quentin’s place, claiming she has info on where Roy is being held. Obviously they can’t completely trust what she claims, but the Team has no choice but to go and find out for themselves.

Dragon’s Lair. The Team and Thea get to the casino, and end up fighting Diaz’s men and Anatoly to get to Roy. The police are called in, leaving little time to get Roy back, but the Team finds him in a van with Diaz. Thea is given the task of driving the van with Roy to safety, and Ollie is left to handle Diaz. Diaz lets him know how pointless it is to try to arrest him, between the corrupt cops and those honest ones who have to follow the anti-vigilante bill. So the Team leaves, leaving Diaz and Anatoly to bail themselves out of police custody. And I’m sure the Green Arrow taking off with the only witness in the case against the Green Arrow is not going to get that case dismissed anytime soon. But hey, they got Roy back for themselves and Thea, so it works out.

Earning Trust. Ollie goes to see Evil Laurel, who is now sleeping at Quentin’s place on the couch, to thank her for not setting them up. Despite her saying she wants to try to be better, Ollie has his doubts. He might be right, as she receives a text message from Diaz, thanking her for the “good job”. Thea takes Roy to her place to rest up for a few days while he recovers from all those internal injuries, and they start making out. Just like old times, except as that is happening, the two are being watched by a woman in League of Assassins garb. She makes a call to inform her master that she’s found “the heir to the Demon”. Well, that’s just great.

Hey, that she can still fit into that suit is amazing in itself.

–Comic book connections: the appearance of the League and Ricardo Diaz is maybe not coincidental, and people following the current DCU can attest to.

–Curtis pops up in only one scene to tell Rene’s daughter about him having to go to physical therapy.

–Speaking of throwaway scenes, we get a scene involving that corrupt police captain offering to help pay the cops by selling off some of the seized assets they have. I’m sure nothing is particularly sketchy about that.

–Diggle asks about wearing the Green Arrow hood again, and considering how deep Ollie is into handling this Diaz business, I would say, don’t expect that to happen for the foreseeable future.

–Yeah, it seems a stretch that a dead woman is not dead even after having an autopsy performed, but as that doctor says regarding Laurel, who knows what’s impossible these days? I mean, look at the last six seasons of this show!

–“Is it Laurel or Laurel these days?”

–“I love it when you visit me, Mr. Mayor.”

–“Sure. Do you offer medical and dental?”

That’s it, but come back in three weeks for the recap of “The Thanatos Guild”…