'Arrow' Recap: Dirty Cops and Dirtier Cops

Warning: Spoilers ahead for this week’s episode of Arrow.

It’s a big night for Quentin Lance on Arrow, as he finds out about his resurrected daughter, an old anti-vigilante policy of his goes astray, and his connection with Damien Darhk is exposed. Paul Blackthorne really gets to cut loose, and it’s fantastic to see him stretch this episode.

The Plot

Captain Lance may have authorized an anti-vigilante task force last year, and that task force may now be using their military-grade equipment to steal police-confiscated drugs for resale. He may also have been caught on camera by Felicity and Oliver while talking to Damien Darhk.

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The task force uses him to access the Contraband Disposal Facility for their last big score, but Lance convinces their leader that they’ve crossed the line from dirty cop to full-on criminals. Meanwhile, Oliver revs up his run for mayor, and on the island, his cover is blown when one of the guards finds his communications with A.R.G.U.S.

Quentin Lance and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

The thing about political scandals is not so much that a person does something bad; it’s that they’ve spent their whole career calling out other people for doing exactly the same thing.

Lance has been lecturing Oliver from the very beginning about his “ends justifies the means” activities, and just when it’s beginning to sink in, he gets in bed with Damien Darhk and is forced to deal with his hypocrisy. It adds extra relevance to his speech to Liza Warner (Rutina Wesley) when he tells her, “I gotta believe that we are not beyond redemption.” How is he going to redeem himself when there’s no way he’s getting out from under Darhk’s thumb?

Sara Unchained

Could Laurel have possibly screwed up things with her sister more? Showing her dad a naked, feral daughter chained to a wall; then having to stop that father from putting a bullet into her; then finding out her sister is now loose and, presumably, consumed with bloodlust?

Lady Cop, Meet Dirty Cop

Liza Warner had her own comic book in the ‘70s; it was called Lady Cop. That’s right: Her superpower was that she was a lady and also a cop. Okay, she wasn’t actually a superhero — but she did get her own one-issue special and occasionally appeared to offer The Atom police help when necessary. Liza’s comic counterpart was a good deal more ethical than the TV version — though maybe Wesley will reprise her role later in the season? Make up for past wrongdoings?

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Ollie for Mayor

This episode aired opposite a GOP presidential debate, which brings up an interesting question: If one of the candidates delivered that speech, would you vote for him? Not that the writers should have written a comprehensive fiscal policy or anything, but his platform was basically “I love this city.” Is that all it takes to get elected? Say something about togetherness and have a pretty face? You’d think if anybody could sell a “tough on crime” policy, it’d be a guy with years of vigilante justice under his belt.

Felicity’s Glitch

So Teeny-Tiny Ray Palmer is the one sending her those messages? Texting someone crash logs is the nerd equivalent of those chalky little candy hearts schoolkids hand out at Valentine’s Day.

Diggle Helmet Update

Wait a minute… is that not a full helmet? Is Diggle just wearing a strap-on face mask like a drugstore Halloween costume? WE ARE NO LONGER ON BOARD WITH THE NEW OUTFIT.

Inside Comics Moment

Curtis Holt — who we may just start calling Curtis Terrific — was pretty sure that Neal Adams is the Palmer Tech employee who’s secretly Green Arrow. He definitely isn’t the Green Arrow, but he certainly had a huge hand in who the character is. Mr. Adams’s run as writer and artist on the Green Arrow comic in the '70s is arguably the most important of the series.

Arrow airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on The CW.