4) “Betrayal” – February 6, 2013
Matters of trust occupy this hour of Arrow. In the present, Diggle begins to suspect that Moira Queen knows more about the list of names from Oliver’s book than he realizes, and despite Oliver’s apprehension, Diggle begins an investigation into Moira. Flashing back to the island, we see Oliver arriving at the coordinates given to him by Yao Fei, and a meeting that may be the most significant of Oliver’s life, his introduction to former ASIS operative Slade Wilson.
On the island, we see Oliver take his first real steps to not just surviving, but becoming actively engaged in his own survival as Slade takes him on and trains Oliver to help him in a plan to escape the island. You could say it’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Meanwhile, Oliver throws off Diggle’s attempts to convince him that his mother knows something about the list, even while we’re introduced for the first time to a term that will have wide-ranging and negative implications for everyone in Starling CIty, the Undertaking.
The case of the week was also not without its fair share of drama, as debate over the necessity of the Arrow puts a wedge between Quentin and Laurel, not to mention Laurel and Tommy. When a released con tries to re-establish himself as the city’s top crime boss by taking out the vigilante, Laurel gets caught in the crossfire after her father uses her as bait to catch the Arrow. This may be a breaking point for Detective Lance, as he soon comes to realize with his city’s rampant corruption, even into the halls of his own police precinct, there may be a necessary place for a vigilante after all.
