Arrow (7×11): “Past Sins”

Episode Synopsis:

DAVID RAMSEY DIRECTS HIS FIRST EPISODE OF ARROW — The past comes back to haunt both Oliver (Stephen Amell) and Laurel (Katie Cassidy). Curtis (Echo Kellum) is upset when he discovers that Diggle (David Ramsey) and Lyla (guest star Audrey Marie Anderson) have restarted The Ghost Initiative with Diaz (guest star Kirk Acevedo), China White (guest star Kelly Hu), Kane Wolfman (guest star Liam Hall) and Carrie Cutter (guest star Amy Gumenick). – The CW

The episode opens with two vigilantes now out in the open working with the public being interviewed. Those two are Laurel and Oliver. The interviewer asks about how they’re fathers impacted their careers which in turn kicked off a flashback to when Oliver met Emiko at the end of last week’s episode.  Oliver wants to atone for Robert’s sins done to Emiko and her mother. She is cold at first, she goes as far to declare that the Queen’s destroy everything they touch—not 100% wrong. Eventually I think Oliver will be able to win over Emiko.

China White is being eyed for the Ghost Initiative, along with my boy, Kane (Deathstroke’s son) and Cupid. I hate that they aren’t calling it the Suicide Squad—I still will be calling it that. Anyways Curtis sees all these former villains being interviewed and being a former vigilante he isn’t in love with the idea. Lyla and Diggle explain to him its to catch Dante—during his little rant he gets very close to calling them a suicide squad. Curtis is even more pissed when he finds out Diaz is a new member of the Suicide Squad. ARGUS does now about the Squad but the don’t know about taking down Dante. They need Curtis to make sure the bombs work.

Holy cow, we are either getting a flashback to Earth-2 or Laurel’s time on Earth-1 unseen. It’s Earth-2. Laurel is grabbing drinks with Felicity and then she sees this dude in the bar which kicks off the flashback. She killed or at least hit him with her scream on Earth-2. He gets in her face in the present day telling her she belongs behind bars before being removed from the bar.

And the guy that interviewed Oliver and Laurel is zapped by lighting before the commercial break.  Police consultant Oliver Queen is on the job. Whoever abducted the man is not a fan of Oliver, he had him make a video saying Oliver  isn’t fit to help the people of Star City. At the same Laurel is being harnessed. She finds a note in her office stating “I Found You. I Can Get You Anywhere.”

Curtis is working on the bombs but he is still anti Squad. Diggle basically says the end justifies the means. Meanwhile Curtis may be looking into alternative means.

Laurel is going to Felicity for help with this potential Earth-2 visitor. His name is Callens or something.

Oliver is still mulling over his “new fan.” Luckily for Oliver and SCPD, the perp is a rookie and they were able to track his upload to a coffee shop in the Glades. And with that they’ve got a location and the police ad the Green Arrow are off. Olive finds the hostage rigged up in a death trap. He is able to save him but the perp got away. He is not a Queen fan.  “People without the last name Queen are people too.”

Oliver is thinking this may somehow be tied to Slabside, something the perp said to Oliver remind him of his sessions with Parker at Slabside. The prep may be Sam Hackett who by reading the files found out Oliver’s dad killed his, definitely seems like motive.

Mr. Terrific test some bombs by turning off the bombs Apparently the anesthetic didn’t work on Diaz and the proverbial shit hits the fan. He escapes attacking Curtis and waking up his new friends.

At the same time Laurel gets a new note saying, “I’m coming for you.” She finds him in an alley and a beat down ensues. He denies knowing about Earth-2 and the beat down continues. Laurel looks like she is seconds away from killing him when Felicity intervenes. I’m pretty sure he is not from Earth-2.

Dinah and Oliver are at Sam Hackett’s apartment. He isn’t there but his apartement certainly implements him. He has crazy string boards and Oliver’s file and evidence of weapon building. Poor guy just wanted to find his dad alive like Oliver.

The Assault on ARGUS continues. The Suicide Squad fights their way through cards. Curtis attempts to play hero one more time. Diaz snaps his neck saying “This time I’m going to finish the job.” I’m actually shocked Curtis just died. Like shook. Damn, RIP. The episode cuts to commercial after showing us Curtis’s lifeless dead eyes.  Diaz makes his escape in an ARGUS vehicle and calls Dante to give him a warning of ARGUS coming for him.

Goddamn, we’ve been had it was all a simulation. Curtis was roasting Diaz. He was able to get information on Dante without sending Diaz out in the field.

SCPD has no leads on to Hackett’s whereabouts. To fish him out Oliver thinks Dinah should fire him from the SCPD, most of the people in Star City agree. Dinah’s not doing that, police deal with backlash from the public all the time.

Back at the apartment Felicity tells Laurel that the DA shouldn’t be fighting men outside of bars—that’s a good point. Anyways this leads Laurel to come clean abut Callens. He killed Earth-2 Quentin on her 13th birthday so, when she got her cry she went after him for revenge and killed him. Laurel blames herself for Quentin’s death, of course Felicity tells her it’s not her fault. Felicity wants to help her get this guy, whoever he is and wherever he is from.

Turns out there was no need to search for Hackett and his weapon because he was bringing it to SCPD all along. Hackett has crafted some sort static electricity vest and vows to kill someone every minute until Oliver Queen is found. Luckily, Oliver is a stand up guy and reveals himself immediately. Oliver apologizes for the sins of his father and shows regret for not coming clean to Hackett. But it is too late for sorry. Hackett tells the cops, kill Oliver or die. No one is willing to do it. Dinah is able to disable his weapon outside before Hackett can come clean on his word.

With that taken care of Oliver takes the interviewee chair once more to completely come clean about the sins from the past. Robert Queen killed David Hackett.

Diggle is stoked about the Dante info but that’s still not getting rid of the Ghost Initiative. At least you didn’t die Curtis. But with that Curtis is out.

Laurel and Felicity bring the Callens problem to Dinah who is happy to help because they already picked him up for public intoxication—he has a record of harnessing and being anti-vigilante. It is also confirmed he is from Earth-1. So that’s a problem solved.

Looks like Oliver coming clean in his interview brought Emiko around because she is hanging at SCPD waiting for Oliver. She is still bitter about Robert but understands Oliver isn’t him. Until take time but she is open to talking.

The episode closes with Dinah receiving a note just like Laurel’s saying “One by One, I’ll Kill You all. Guess Callens wasn’t leaving the notes.

Catch Arrow Monday nights at 8pm on the CW.

Shout out to David Ramsey for directing a pretty solid episode.