Arrow season 3, episode 22, “This Is Your Sword,” aired tonight. Read our recap and discuss the episode with fellow fans.
Bringer of Death
In Nanda Parbat, Ra’s reiterates that Oliver must use the Alpha-Omega bioweapon to destroy Starling City as part of his ascension. Ra’s also reveals that Maseo brought him the bioweapon.
In Starling, Diggle and Black Canary work together to take down a gang, but Diggle keeps punching one of the gang members long after he’s down and out. Back at his place, Diggle tells Felicity and Laurel that he’s furious at Oliver. Felicity, for her part, believes their Oliver died the day he joined the League.
Nanda Parbat: We get an incredibly awkward family dinner, as Nyssa is not interested in marrying Oliver. Things get even worse when Ra’s declares that Nyssa must have Oliver’s children. Father of the Year, says no one.
Oliver excuses himself to go for a walk, where he meets Malcolm Merlyn. The two have been in cahoots all along.
The long con
Oliver tells Malcolm they need help. Malcolm says Oliver has too thoroughly convinced his friends that he’s been brainwashed, so Oliver suggests someone else. Maseo later approaches, but Oliver is alone.
He asks Maseo about the bioweapon. Maseo stole it from the van before they blew it up; he wanted to make Shrieve pay, even before Akio’s death. Oliver offers to free Maseo when he becomes Ra’s, but Maseo says there is no escape from his prison.
Meanwhile, Felicity finds Ray working on his A.T.O.M. suit. He recognizes that she’s upset — and that it’s Oliver-related — but she doesn’t want to talk. He promises to always be there for her and asks her to sign some paperwork. After she leaves, the papers are revealed to be a transfer of ownership.
Revealing the truth
Malcolm informs Team Arrow of Oliver’s charade, but no one believes him because he’s a sociopath and a liar. Malcolm brings in Tatsu, who corroborates the story, but Felicity doesn’t believe her. Malcolm and Tatsu leave the group with information about the bioweapon and passage to Nanda Parbat.
At Palmer Technologies, the group looks over the bioweapon files. Diggle and Laurel are convinced, but Felicity still isn’t. Tatsu later comes in and says Oliver, he spoke about her. She tells Felicity to fight for Oliver — to do what she did not for Maseo. This convinces Felicity to join the trip, and everyone heads out.
In Nanda Parbat, Ra’s attempts to persuade Nyssa to go through with the marriage by telling her how he fell in love with her mother and presenting her mother’s jewelry. Nyssa refuses, though, so Ra’s threatens her instead.
Fight to the finish
Team Arrow plus Malcolm and Tatsu in full Katana costume arrive in Nanda Parbat. They want to take down the plane carrying the bioweapon. The team fights off League members while Felicity tries to hack the plane. However, her tablet is shot and the plane takes off. The A.T.O.M. downs the plane, but the suit is damaged and he crashes.
Meanwhile, Katana and Maseo face off. Maseo seems to get the upper hand, but Katana fatally stabs him. She holds him and cries as he thanks her for releasing him from his prison and dies.
The fight ends when Ra’s, Oliver, and more League members arrive. Team Arrow is taken captive, and Oliver asks them to trust him. They are brought before Ra’s, who knows there is a traitor among his ranks. Tatsu claims Maseo told her, which Ra’s recognizes as convenient but accepts. The team is imprisoned, and Oliver reveals his impending wedding to Nyssa.
All is lost
Diggle is brought to see Oliver. After dismissing the guards, Oliver asks after their friends. Diggle, though, is furious at Oliver for targeting Lyla. He says Oliver has lost his friendship and trust.
Meanwhile, Malcolm is brought to Ra’s. Malcolm offers his fealty and sells Oliver out. When Oliver arrives, though, he replies that Malcolm is lying. Ra’s and Oliver return Malcolm to the dungeon, remove Tatsu, and toss a vial of the bioweapon into the cell. It breaks, unleashing the virus in the now-sealed cell.
We close with a montage of Oliver and Nyssa’s wedding while Team Arrow struggles against the virus. Nyssa tries to stab Oliver but is thwarted, and the marriage is finalized as Team Arrow succumbs.
Thea and Roy
Prior to the events in Nanda Parbat, Malcolm finds Thea packing to visit Roy. He tries to discourage her but eventually relents. Later, Thea gets out of a cab at an auto shop and asks for Jason — who turns out to be Roy. They greet each other before heading to Roy’s apartment.
There, Roy says he’ll be back on the run soon. Thea offers him his Arsenal suit, and the two fall into bed together. Post-sex, Thea tells Roy about being revived and Oliver’s sacrifice. Roy doesn’t believe Thea can keep running, but Thea replies that she’s running to him.
The next morning, Roy is gone when Thea wakes up. At the garage, Thea finds Roy has quit and left her a note. He’s gone and says Thea deserves more. He also rejects the Arsenal suit, saying he’s always thought red was her color.
Meanwhile, in Hong Kong…
The city riots amidst evacuation orders. Meanwhile, Akio’s illness worsens, as the vaccine isn’t helping. Akio falls unconscious, so Maseo and Oliver target Shrieve, hopeing he has a cure. Oliver kills the guards at the base and the two threaten Shrieve until he offers up the cure. Maseo and Oliver bring him back to Akio, but by the time they return, Akio has already died. However, it didn’t matter since there was no cure; Shrieve just wanted to track down Oliver, Maseo, and Tatsu because they were loose ends.
Watch a promo for the season finale
