This week’s episode “Deathstroke” starts off in pretty much the creepiest, most predator way ever and I can’t say I didn’t expect it. Thea gets in the car with Slade Wilson and at some point, a flip switches in Slade’s head that turns him from a nice older man to downright the most creepy and intense psycho you’ll ever meet. After yelling for her to get out of his car, Thea runs out into an alley and into the arms of Brother Blood. Yeah, you’re not going home tonight Speedy. 
In the Quiver, Oliver continues training Roy to shoot a bow and arrow but there’s seriously no progress being made there. The boy just isn’t talented at it at all. Just then, Felicity walks in on the boys and tells Oliver that as the CEO he needs to start showing up to the board meetings. 
FLASHBACK. Sara and the group of men debate what to do with Hendrick. Should they give him up to Slade or shouldn’t they? Sara instead presents a third option-to use Hendrick to kill Slade. [We obviously already know this doesn’t work.] 
Back in the future, Oliver arrives at the board meeting 30 minutes early only to run into Isabel Rochev (Summer Glau). The two share a quick awkward moment where Ollie thanks her for taking care of his company before Felicity interrupts them to inform them that Moira Queen has arrived. After asking him if he’s heard from his sister since last night, Moira and Oliver duke it out in a passive aggressive conversation between mother and son. She quickly leaves after Oliver ends the conversation on a chilly note. 
Later on that night, Oliver heads to the political debate and he still can’t find his sister, Thea. He then runs into Sebastian Blood, his mother’s political rival, who admits to Oliver that Thea being late is potentially his fault. According to Blood, SCPD insisted that he arrive with an escort and that may have caused traffic all over the city. [Yeah right Blood.] Blood then runs into Laurel Lance who apologizes to him about her past accusations. [NO. You weren’t wrong Laurel. This guy is evil.] 
The debate begins. Moira and Blood argue about their policies and who would be better for the city before the moderator is forced to step in and ask them not to interrupt one another. The moderator then gets to the next question which is strangely from Thea Queen. Before he can actually read the question, the projector behind two candidates then starts to go haywire and shows Thea in an unknown place begging for someone to help her. Apparently her pleas for help don’t really register with anyone until we see the hands of Deathstroke cover her mouth. The words “How much is Thea Queen’s life worth to you?” flash on the screen. Oh Ollie, whatever will you do now that Thea is in danger?
The Queen family and everyone they know are now back at Queen Consolidated. The police, press and everyone is hounding at their doors for more information. Ollie is reminded by Isabel that he still has responsibilities as CEO of Queen Consolidated. His response? He gives Isabel the temporary power as acting CEO. This could be an extremely bad move, but for the most part, it seems like Isabel is just trying to help Oliver. 
Felicity interrupts the two of them with information about a Mr.Slade Wilson. Oliver follows Felicity back to The Quiver before telling the rest of the team that she was able to find some indication that Slade was the one that took Thea and that she tracked his car outside of some bar. The whole situation sounds like a complete trap and only Diggle really seems to care as he’s the only one to bring it up to Ollie. Before heading out, Oliver recruits Sara who has just prepared some Tibetan Pit Viper Venom, the League of Assassins’ go-to poison and Roy Harper, who has his rage. 
FLASHBACK. Sara asks one of the Russian men to disable a land mine. Luckily for her, this man was apparently trained by the KGB to do this very thing. She explains how her plan is the best of both worlds, kill Slade and escape the island. The scene ends with the man asking Sara when did she get so scary? 
Meanwhile, Oliver, Sara, and Roy confront Slade at the abandoned bar. After a brief moment of talks, Oliver orders Roy to call Detective Lance to come arrest Slade Wilson before simply shooting Slade with a venom laced arrow. [Well that was anti-climatic. He didn’t even put up a fight.] Slade’s now in SCPD custody and the Queen family is called into the police department.
Unfortunately for Detective Lance, Slade has a complete alibi for his whereabouts and Lance is ripped apart by his CO for his shoddy police work. Oliver slips away and gets a moment to speak with Slade about why he kidnapped Thea. But Slade has no reason to answer him. Their conversation is cut short by an officer and Slade is released. That, however, doesn’t stop Felicity, Roy, Diggle and Sara from tracking Slade’s car, which ultimately ends up in failure. Slade gets back to Thea and tells her that she’s completely free to go. He explains to her that he just needed to make a point and he did what he wanted. But, before she leaves, Slade tells Thea that if she does leave, she’ll never know about her brother’s secret. 
Back in the Quiver, Roy starts to question Ollie’s leadership. He starts to argue with Felicity, Diggle and Sara about why they follow Oliver without question. [Burning bridges at its best.] Up top and at the Queen Mansion, Moira and Ollie share a tender moment as Moira recounts a childhood memory about Thea and she reflects on her past as a parent. [Seriously, Marc Guggenheim & Drew Z. Greenberg penning this episode was amazing. Moira’s speech is damn chilling in a good way and Susanna Thompson really just brings it on home.]
FLASHBACK. Sara and Slade’s two groups meet up to make their exchanges. But, it seems like Mirakuru also gave Slade blood hound-like sense. Slade quickly finds a hidden cache of TNT on Hendrickson’s unconscious body. Slade draws his fun on Sara and is about to fire but then he’s stopped by Shado, who I can only assume is his subconscious. 
In the Quiver, Roy’s had enough of waiting around for Oliver and decides he wants out. This doesn’t really sit well with Diggle, who attempts to stop Roy but is quickly put into an arm lock by the young, adolescent boy. [Poor Diggle…Ex-Special Forces man being held down by Roy. You’ll have your time in the lime light again…I hope.] Sara shoots a bow at a nearby light and threatens Roy to let go of Diggle or else. Oliver gets back to the Quiver just in time to see his team being torn apart. Roy quickly leaves after Ollie shows up and something pops up on the computer screens that has Felicity alert Oliver.
Oliver reaches Queen Consolidated and interrupts Isabel’s board meeting. In her short time as temporary CEO, Isabel called an emergency board meeting and made herself permanent CEO of Queen Consolidated. [Well, I can say I really didn’t see this coming. I let my blind love of Summer Glau cloud my judgement.] Oliver comes to the realization that Isabel has been working for Slade the entire time. She states her reasoning being “the sins of the father are the sins of the son.” She then gives up Slade’s location and warns Ollie to come alone. 
Oliver suits up and rushes over to Slade’s location only to find that Slade’s nowhere to be found, just a bunch of his men waiting to be completely wrecked apart by a pissed off Arrow. Meanwhile, Slade hits a prisoner transport carrying Starling City’s finest criminals. After beating up pretty much everybody, Oliver gets a call from Felicity informing him that Thea was found and brought to SCPD. 
Oliver rushes to the SCPD where Diggle and Sara update him about Slade’s recent attacks while he walks to find Thea. Moira and Ollie find a distraught Thea, who now knows Oliver’s secret-that Malcolm Merlin is her father.
FLASHBACK. Turns out, Slade is following the orders of a made-up Shado in his mind. Shado really is a Shadow for Slade. He ends up leaving the group to live at Shado’s insistence that a swift death would be too good for them. Instead, Slade decides to leave them on this island as a prison for the rest of their lives. 
Things start to unravel for our characters. Outside the police department, Roy watches as a confused Thea walks away before leaving Starling City himself. [I’ll miss you Roy!] Inside the police station, Detective Lance is arrested for aiding and abetting the Arrow in his crimes. [Well, that sucks. He caught the real criminal in the end!] And Sebastian Blood, Isabel and Slade regroup to talk about their latest developments. Isabel informs Slade that Queen Consolidated is now fully concentrated on developing a serum from his blood. [Uh oh. Here comes an army of super charged and crazed criminals just like Slade and Roy.]
In the Quiver, Ollie, Felicity and Diggle reaffirm their convictions to stand together against Deathstroke. But the episode ends with Laurel receiving a visit from Slade Wilson himself, who reveals to her that Oliver Queen is the Arrow!
Review
Secrets coming to light truly are Oliver’s greatest enemies. Everything is falling apart for the people around him and especially his family. Slade is sparing nothing in order to destroy Oliver and it is incredibly mental to watch. I mean this in the best possible way. I loved the episode.
Both Moira and Thea were really able to get chances to show more depth into their characterizations and we were able to get a glimpse behind Deathstroke’s crazy. Other than that, I’m a little sad that the troupe of having a distracted CEO having his company stolen from him wasn’t brought to my attention sooner but like I said, I was blinded by love. I’m sad by Roy’s sudden leave. I was really hoping for him to get better at archery and really become integral in Team Arrow.
All the events in tonight’s episode is really building up to what could be a crazy season finale. However, according to the episode guide, Arrow still has 5 more episodes to go. I can only imagine how intense the next 5 episodes will be.
Arrow returns on April 16th at 8PM/7PM Central on The CW.
