Arrow season 3, episode 3, “Corto Maltese,” aired tonight. Read our recap and discuss the episode with fellow fans!
Six months ago…
Thea leaves Starling with Malcolm Merlyn. Malcolm leaves the destination up to Thea. Thea says she no longer wants to feel the pain she feels ever again, and she wants Malcolm to teach her.
So Malcolm trains her — first with the mind, then the sword. But he treats her as a student, not his daughter. “Pain is inevitable and suffering is optional,” Malcolm says.
Present day
The Arrow tracks down another dead end on Sara’s death. Back in the foundry, Oliver angsts over the cold trail while Felicity informs Oliver that Thea’s in Corto Maltese, an island off the coast of South America. Oliver plans to go after her, and Roy volunteers to go with him.
That night, after putting baby Sara down, Lyla asks Diggle to go with Oliver because an A.R.G.U.S. field operative named Mark Shaw has gone dark. Diggle agrees to check in on him.
At a boxing gym, Laurel confronts boxer Ted Grant because one of his students was involved in a break-in. Ted gives an alibi, though essentially admits to lying. Ted sees Laurel’s anger and suggests she learn to fight.
Sibling reunion
In Corto Maltese, Oliver tracks Thea down at the cafe where she works. The siblings hug and Thea apologizes for lying, saying she needed space. Oliver understands but misses her and wants her to come home. But she’s never coming back to Starling.
Meanwhile, at Queen Consolidated, Ray Palmer introduces Felicity to her executive assistant. Ray then asks Felicity to recover information from a fried applied sciences hard drive. Oh, and her office? Oliver’s old office.
Back in Corto Maltese, Oliver watches Diggle’s back as he checks on Shaw. Shaw draws a knife until he confirms Diggle’s identity. According to Shaw, there is a sale going down of intel on A.R.G.U.S. agent covers, targets, etc. Shaw and Diggle head out to stop the sale — only Diggle realizes too late that Shaw set him up. Shaw tases him, takes a computer chip from his pocket, and flees.
Anger management
At an AA meeting, Laurel says that while she hasn’t been tempted to drink since Sara’s death, she’s been angry and doesn’t know what do with it. Quentin, though, arrives and Laurel stops speaking. Another woman, Erica, speaks up, showing an injury from her alcoholic boyfriend — apparently not the first, either.
In Corto Maltese, Roy finds Thea throwing out trash behind the cafe and tries to convince her to come home. She says she likes it there — no one knows her or lies to her. Roy apologizes again and tells Thea that she should stay if she’s happy. They part ways.
Back at Queen Consolidated, Felicity struggles with the hard drive. She’s in the middle of a conversation with Ray when Diggle calls with a request. She agrees but is interrupted again by Laurel calling for a favor. Felicity tries to balance the calls as Ray looks on in confusion. “It’s a long story,” Felicity fails to explain.
Just for one night
In Corto Maltese, Oliver plans to tell Thea the truth. Diggle tries to talk him out of it, but Oliver sees no other choice. If lies drove her away, only the truth can bring her back.
That night, Laurel dons a ski mask and attacks Erica’s boyfriend in an alley, but he beats her up.
At the hospital, Laurel is in pretty rough shape, which horrifies Quentin. He tries to get Laurel to talk to him about what’s been bothering her, but she remains silent. Finally, Quentin makes Laurel promise to never do anything like that again.
Back in Corto Maltese, Oliver tells Thea that he’d lose her if he told her about all the things he’d lied about, but Thea replies she’ll always see Oliver as her big brother. Taking the plunge, Oliver tells Thea the truth about their father’s death; he says their parents sacrificed themselves for them, and if the siblings aren’t together, they aren’t really alive.
For the sake of family
Later, Diggle, Roy, and Oliver stalk Shaw’s meeting. As the sale goes down, mercenaries Shaw hired arrive and fight with Team Arrow. A shootout ensues while Diggle chases and takes down Shaw. Meanwhile, Oliver and Roy take out the mercenaries before Oliver takes down the buyers and recovers the intel.
Shaw says he was looking for a way out of A.R.G.U.S. and begs Diggle to tell Amanda Waller that he’s dead. Diggle refuses.
Meanwhile, Thea tells Malcolm she wants to go home. Malcolm says that perhaps she hasn’t come as far as he thought, so they fight. Thea holds her own and puts a blade to Malcolm’s throat. He agrees to let her go home, but Thea realizes he let her win. Malcolm smiles and says he’ll see her soon.
At the airport, Thea arrives in time for the flight home. While they’re waiting, a man accidentally spills a cup of hot liquid on Thea’s hand, but she doesn’t react, much to everyone’s surprise.
Back in Starling
Oliver returns to Verdant, where Laurel is waiting for him. She says wearing Sara’s jacket makes her want to help people. It also feels like Sara is alive again. She asks Oliver to train her, but Oliver refuses. He says Sara would never forgive him. Laurel goes to Ted Grant and takes him up on his offer instead.
At Queen Consolidated, Felicity asks for time off to visit Barry in Central City and Ray agrees. After Felicity leaves, Ray pulls up files on top secret advanced weapons from the applied sciences files.
And in the foundry, Roy and Oliver talk about Thea — but their conversation is interrupted as Nyssa al Ghul draws her bow and demands to know where Sara is.
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