Arrow season 3, episode 16, “The Offer,” aired tonight. Read our recap and discuss the episode with fellow fans.
Nanda Parbat
We open with a reminder of Ra’s’ offer to Oliver: Become the next Ra’s al Ghul. Oliver is cut loose and he follows Ra’s into the inner sanctum. Ra’s gives some assassins training advice. While Oliver is appalled by the idea of running an army of assassins — people to kill for him — Ra’s reminds him that the members of the League also die for him.
Ra’s invites Oliver to his table and recognizes Oliver’s struggle over not killing. He says that Oliver could do far more than help one city as Ra’s al Ghul. And why not, when Starling City will eventually abandon the Arrow.
Later, Ra’s shows Oliver the Lazarus Pit, but says it powers are losing their effect on him and his time will soon be over. He wants Oliver to succeed him. Oliver asks what will happen if he refuse, and Ra’s says he will let Oliver, Diggle, and Malcolm go as a gesture of good faith. They leave.
Back in Starling
In the foundry, Nyssa doesn’t believe Thea’s confession of killing Sara, but Thea keeps pushing. Nyssa says there would be no justice in killing Thea; the blood debt ends with Malcolm. Roy and Thea burst in then, manage to tranquilize Nyssa, and lock her back up.
Meanwhile, back in the loft, Thea comes home to see Oliver — and their new house guest, Malcolm Merlyn. Oliver wants him to stay while he recovers since he has nowhere else to go.
Oliver then heads to the foundry, where he brushes off all questions about what happened and lets Nyssa go. Oliver then insists they need to prove that they’re still out there, so Felicity detects a robbery in progress. Oliver, Roy, and Laurel suit up.
The Arrow, Arsenal, and Black Canary break up the robbery, but its ringleader, a man with his mouth sewn up, escapes. Team Arrow finds some diamonds left behind.
The Arrow brings the captured thieves to SCPD, but Captain Lance is furious with the Arrow for lying to him about Sara’s death. He says his trust in the Arrow is broken and that they’re done.
Disowned
At Palmer Technologies, Felicity and Ray get their flirt on, but Oliver interrupts and asks to talk to Felicity. He tells her about the robbery and Lance; he’s feeling Lance’s words heavily.
Laurel visits Thea, who is struggling to deal with her anger and guilt. Malcolm, who’s planted on the couch, tells Thea she’s learned his lessons well. Thea, though, says she’s learned nothing from Malcolm. Malcolm tries to goad Thea into killing him, but she leaves.
Meanwhile, in Nanda Parbat, Nyssa demands to know why Malcolm is still alive. Ra’s tells her about his offer to Oliver. Nyssa, furious, accuses her father of punishing her love for Sara. She strikes at Ra’s, and he seems to disown her.
Starling: Roy plans to ask around the underworld about the diamonds they recovered. Oliver then tells Diggle about Ra’s’ offer and prophecy. He’s already seeing it coming true with Lance and Felicity, so he’s thinking about taking the offer after all.
A reason to fight
Back in the loft, the Queen siblings talk. Thea can’t recognize herself; the only reason she didn’t kill Malcolm was the thought of her mother and what Moira would think of Thea becoming a killer. Thea says the thing that’s broken in Malcolm is broken in her. She leaves. Oliver tells Malcolm about the offer, but Malcolm isn’t surprised; he says there is a prophecy that the one who doesn’t die by the blade of Ra’s al Ghul will become Ra’s al Ghul.
Later, Oliver finds Felicity in the foundry. Felicity doesn’t want Oliver to take the offer. She tells him that when he was dead, the rest of the team had to figure out why they were doing this; now it’s Oliver’s turn. Diggle and Roy return with a lead on the diamond-stealing killer with the stitched mouth; he’s going to SCPD.
At SCPD, Laurel visits her father, who is ignoring calls from Felicity. Laurel wants to start healing their relationship, but Lance just isn’t sure he can forgive her. However, gun-toting men with diamond bullets arrive and start killing police officers. Lance gives Laurel cover to run, but she runs into one of the killers. However, Nyssa appears and kills him first.
Nyssa and Laurel rush back into the bullpen, where the Arrow just saved Lance’s life. The group takes down all but the stitched man, who flees out the back. Outside, the Arrow knocks him out. Lance appears but lets the Arrow go.
In the foundry, Oliver thanks Felicity; he’s realized why he fights and wants to continue his work as the Arrow. He meets Maseo and refuses the offer. Maseo, though, warns him that Ra’s will retaliate.
New bonds
Elsewhere, Laurel finds Nyssa waiting for her. Nyssa offers to talk about father issues, and Laurel accepts because they could both use a reminder of Sara. Nyssa offers to help train Laurel because she has nowhere else to be.
Across town, Thea asks to stay at Roy’s apartment. Roy agrees, and the two kiss.
Meanwhile, a group of criminals are attacked by a man in an Arrow suit. The fake Arrow lets one man escape, wanting him to spread the word of what he witnessed. The fake Arrow is Ra’s al Ghul.
Meanwhile, in Hong Kong
Oliver and Akio flee from A.R.G.U.S. agents. Akio informs Oliver that his parents told him to go to the botanical gardens if they were separated. Oliver takes Akio there, but finds A.R.G.U.S. agents waiting. He and Akio flee, but when they get back into the market, Oliver runs into a woman who looks just like Shado.
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