Arrow – Season 1 (Episodes 3-5) – Lone Gunman, An Innocent Man & Damaged

Lone Gunman –

Continuing on from my previous posts on Arrow (sorry for the delay on these by the way … I assure you that I will catch up quickly!) we meet a villain that I actually remember from my DC reading days!  Deadshot has arrived and he’s a welcome addition to the pantheon of baddies that Arrow will be rolling out over the weeks and months ahead.

In Lone Gunman, Oliver tracks down another millionaire from “the list” but before he can make his regular threat, this man is killed.  Initially the police suspect “The Hood” of the killing but they (Detective Lance) quickly realize that the evidence goes against this theory and there must be someone else involved.

Oliver continues to setup his base of operations for his vigilante activities and decides to build a dance club above his hideout as a cover for his disappearances.  By conducting some good old fashioned detective work, Oliver is able to determine who the mystery assassin is and contacts Detective Lance to help him protect some of the other targets on his list.  Oliver is able to fight off the assassin by shooting an arrow through his aiming receptacle apparently killing him (don’t worry he’ll be back!), but in the process Diggle is wounded by Deadshot and Oliver has to reveal his secret identity to help save him.

In the flashback sequence we learn that while Oliver was on the island, the archer who initially attacked Oliver was actually trying to help him.

An Innocent Man –

OK quite a bit happens in this episode.  As mentioned in the previous episode Oliver had to reveal his secret identity to Diggle in order to save his life.  Oliver realizes that Diggle had actually served with distinction in the military and while he’s a glorified nanny now, his previous experience would be invaluable to him.  Diggle however turns him down calling him a murderer and while he agrees not to turn him in, he refuses to help him also.

As the Hood, Oliver enlists the help of Laurel to help prove the innocence of a death row inmate – Declan – wrongly convicted of killing his wife.  When he realizes that there is a connection between Declan and Jason Brodeur – another member of the list – he knows that something fishy is going on.  Laurel seems infatuated with the Hood and seems happy to help him.  However before they can overturn the conviction, Brodeur has his bodyguard initiate a prison break while Laurel is visiting Declan so that he can have the pair killed.  Oliver infiltrates the prison dressed as one of the guards with his head covered in a ski mask.  When he meets up with Brodeur’s bodyguard who is threatening Laurel a vicious fight ensues in which he almost kills the man with his bare hands.  Laurel looks on with horror as she realizes that this man might not be the Robin Hood she visualized in her head.

Diggle eventually returns and agrees to help Oliver – not only as the vigilante but also to help him ensure that he doesn’t lose his humanity in his fight for vengeance.  However this isn’t where the episode ends … there are rather two very large twists awaiting us next!

• Detective Lance has gone through the security tape of the attack by Deadshot and he is able to find a frame of Oliver retrieving his disguise from a bag.  He quickly arrives at the house and arrests Oliver on suspicion of him being the vigilante.
• Walter has continued his own investigation and has discovered the salvaged and sabotaged family yacht hidden in a warehouse!

Damaged –

One thing you can say about Arrow is that they don’t really drag stories out. I mean we found out quite early why he’s conducting his secret vendetta and while we’re still learning where he received all the skills his secret is already known to others and Oliver is now in police custody as the vigilante.  This could be a very quick show and we could be done here, but surprise, surprise … this is all part of the plan!

Oliver realized even before he started his actions as the Hood that return of the millionaire playboy and a corresponding arrival of a masked vigilante at the same time are a coincidence too large to ignore.  When he arranges to have a lie detector test to prove his innocence, he is able to arrange house arrest for himself.  In typical playboy fashion he throws a prison themed party while wearing a bracelet that will alert anyone to his departure from the grounds.  Simultaneously he has Diggle dress in his Hood persona and break up a arms deal forcing the police to the conclusion that he couldn’t be in two places at the same time. The plan works and the charges are all dropped.

Meanwhile Moira meets with a secret associate who realizes that the Hood’s targets match the list that they have … the same list in fact that Oliver received from his father.