Arrow - S3E9 - The Climb

Tweet

Previously on Arrow, ‘The Brave and the Bold’

Like this week’s The Flash, this episode of Arrow begins with our hero in a dangerous situation and we’re left wondering, “How the hell did we get here?” Then we backtrack a few hours to get the answer.

Oliver’s climbing up a snowy mountain and then we’re back 48 hours.

Oliver is attacked by masked assailants who drug him and drag him to Nyssa al Ghul. She gives him 48 hours to bring Sara’s killer to justice or the League of Assassins will take out their anger on the people of Starling City. Oh, and Maseo is now a member of the League.

Thea bumps into Laurel at the cemetery and wonders why she’s talking to Sara’s grave if Sara is alive. Laurel tells the truth and Thea promises to keep it a secret.

Felicity has the awkward I Kissed My Boss and Now I Have to Work With Him conversation with Ray. She brushes him off saying she understands why he’d want to forget their kiss.

Oliver pushes Felicity to get a rush on that DNA sample, and when she does, the test reveals Oliver killed Sara. Oliver assumes Malcolm is behind the frame-up and Felicity tracks down his movements and learns Malcolm did fly into town the night before Sara was murdered. When they obtain surveillance footage from the airport, Oliver is shocked to see Thea with Malcolm.

And at this point I’m giving my first What the Fuck of the night ’cause I’m all, “Thea totally killed Sara!”

Back to the mountain, Oliver is still climbing and he looks pretty damn miserable.

Laurel is surprised to find her mother is visiting for the holidays and doesn’t do a good job of hiding that something’s wrong when her mother asks about Sara. Later, Laurel is forced to confirm her mother’s fears that she’s not going to see Sara again, and tell her that Sara is really dead this time. Laurel then vows to her mother that she will find the person who killed Sara and make them suffer. And Mama is all about that plan.

Diggle, Felicity, and Roy are all thinking Thea killed Sara and that explains the DNA match. Oliver ain’t tryna hear that shit.

Ray tells Felicity about his dead fiancé who was killed the night Deathstroke’s men attacked the city. That’s why he was so freaked out after their kiss because he never thought he’d be kissing another woman.

Oliver questions Thea about her time away and she lies about being with her father. He goes back to Team Arrow and still insists that even though Thea may be lying, she’s not a killer. Felicity has an idea: Let The Arrow ask Thea. So, he busts into the house, demanding that Thea tell him where he can find Malcolm Merlin. Thea responds by kicking his ass and then jumping off the balcony. “Stay away from me and my father!”

She leaves Oliver looking like, “What the entire fuck?”

Malcolm confronts Oliver, wondering why the hell he attacked his own sister. Oliver is finally going to kill him, but Malcolm has another card to play: video of Thea killing Sara… but she doesn’t even remember doing it because Malcolm drugged her with a South American plant. Malcolm wants Oliver to admit he killed Sara and request a trial by combat with Ra’s al Ghul. When Oliver kills him, it will release Thea’s blood debt to the League and, of course, Malcolm’s. That grimy bastard!

Of course, Oliver does as he’s told and he tells Ra’s al Ghul that he killed Sara because she asked him to in order to get away from the League. Then he demands his trial by combat, which Ra’s happily - too damn happily - accepts. Hasn’t Oliver seen Game of Thrones? This isn’t going to end well.

Felicity confronts Ray about what else he’s hiding from her and why he bought QC. He shows her what he’s been working on: the A.T.O.M. suit. He wants to protect the city and he wants her help. Sound familiar?

Oliver is given 12 hours to get his affairs in order, and that includes saying goodbye to Thea (though she has no idea what’s going on) and Felicity -  he promises her he’ll kill Ra’s al Ghul… and then he says he loves her. And now we know why Oliver has been climbing that damn mountain. At the top is where he’ll duel, if he makes the climb. That’s some bullshit.

Before they start, Oliver is given the chance to pick a weapon and he picks two because fuck that. Also because Ra’s al Fucking Ghul. But my joy at Oliver’s smart move is short lived because soon into their fight, Ra’s al Ghul throat chops Oliver, stabs him twice, and then pushes him off the top of the mountain.

What.The.Fuck?