As per usual, Arrow opens with some Super Serious Voiceover while Oliver works out shirtless, explaining how Starling City is “dying.” Why does he think that? The billionaire businessmen Oliver takes out every week seem like jerks, but they’re not terrifying by any means.
As Arrow, Oliver attacks a third semi-immoral businessman named Holder, but somebody else shoots him first. Oliver gets shot with a poisoned stray bullet. Luckily, Oliver apparently already has the antidote. He only passes out for long enough for an Island Flashback, where he wakes up to be treated by the green-garbed guy who shot him at the end of last episode. The guy pulls the arrow out of Oliver’s shoulder and calms him in a different language.
Present Day Oliver discovers that, according to Dig, Thea’s been arrested for “[lighting] up a Breathalyzer like a Christmas Tree.” Unfortunately, we don’t hear more about Thea’s crazy night, because Oliver and Moira argue about how to deal with Thea’s growing addictions.
The poison in the bullet that struck Oliver leads him to learn that the assassin was a mob hit man called Deadshot. And we officially see the creepiest Arrow scene so far, as Deadshot tattoos Holder’s name onto his arm, then stands up to reveal that his chest is inscribed with dozens of names–all the people Deadshot murdered.
Tommy shows Oliver an abandoned warehouse, with the idea that Oliver should turn it into a nightclub. I’m predicting this nightclub will turn into a cross between the Hub and the Batcave.
Meanwhile, Lance is investigating Holder’s murder, and doesn’t think that Oliver did it. He talks to Moira and Walter, revealing that all the people Deadshot killed recently were enemies of Queen Industries. WHOA, WALTER IS BRITISH. HE’S DEFINITELY EVIL.
Oliver and Tommy run into Laurel at a nightclub, where a wasted Thea reveals that Tommy and Laurel are together. Oliver seems more concerned about getting Thea home safe—until Max Fuller, aka the WASP-iest WASP ever, shows up with bodyguards to beat Oliver and Tommy up, because apparently Oliver slept with his old fiancé. Laurel, continuing her badass streak, beats up the bodyguards and saves the boys.
Afterwards, Dig takes Oliver and Tommy to a diner run by the wife of his dead brother, and Tommy apologizes to Oliver. Oliver is pretty chill about it, because he’s got more important things on his mind: later that night, Oliver attacks Deadshot, but Deadshot escapes. Oliver recovers his laptop, which he takes to Felicity, a cute blonde in the IT department. They banter a bit, and Oliver makes an Actual Joke, before Felicity discovers that the computer has blueprints of an auction taking place the next day—which all of Star City’s elite, including Moira and Walter, will be attending.
Oliver realizes he can’t protect everybody by himself, so he coerces Lance into helping out. Meanwhile, Thea and Moira have a bonding moment about Moira’s inability to relate to her daughter, and Tommy and Laurel come to the conclusion that while they’re not ready to date, Tommy will be “better” for Laurel.
Cue epic fight at the auction! Deadshot tries to kill everybody, but Oliver (as Arrow) corners him and the two fight in some sort of industrial attic. Oliver’s fighting style is certainly intriguing, but the actions scenes feel a little stale. Deadshot and Oliver pause for a minute to deliver the Come To The Dark Side cliché. Then Oliver kills him, with an arrow to the extremely weird eyepiece.
In the fighting, it turns out Deadshot hit Dig with one of his poisoned bullets. Oliver takes Dig to his underground lair and makes him the antidote. Oliver flashbacks again, this time to running away from the green hooded man and getting caught in a net. The man cuts him loose, but not before warning that “they” will find Oliver. Oliver runs off again, and a few men in soldier-like black uniforms inspect the now-empty trap.
Dig wakes up, and turns to see Oliver wearing the green hood. “Hey,” Oliver says.
DUM DUM DUM.