Let’s get to the Hong Kong Flashback first

It basically involves Tatsu and Oliver coming to an understanding and Maseo didn’t return home after saying he was only going to be gone for an hour. Tatsu and Oliver go to the docks where Maseo was supposed to be and we learn that Tatsu and Maseo escaped Japan because it wasn’t safe for them. When they see Triad members appear on the dock, Oliver goes to find out what has happened to Maseo but instead gets beat up. Tatsu comes on the scene to rescue Oliver with katana swords. Tatsu questions one of the Triad members who says that three ARGUS agents were killed earlier that day. Tatsu believes that Maseo is dead and when Oliver and she return home, she wonders what she will tell her son. But we didn’t have to worry as we see Maseo is alive and well and was moved a safe house when the three ARGUS agents were killed. The family happily reunite and Oliver leaves them alone to do his laundry (earlier it was a bone of contention with Tatsu as she ridicules how a billionaire like Oliver doesn’t know how to do laundry).

But the main plot of the episode starts 6 months ago, on the night of The Siege where we see Slade’s men terrorize Starling City. Team Arrow stop their van so that Arrow can save a woman who is about to be killed by one of the mirakuru soldiers. We see that the woman is the one from the last episode who killed Isaac Stanzler.

Back to the present day, Lance and Arrow are at the crime scene where Stanzler body is found and dressed like an archer. Also, found on the scene is an arrow with a tip shaped like a spade. Lance and Arrow both realize that the killer wants the vigilante’s attention.

Meanwhile, at Queen Consolidated, Felicity is going to Ray’s office to get him at his press conference on time. But what Felicity finds is Ray doing the salmon ladder (and her hilariously saying she has a type). So Felicity definitely is attracted to Ray. And who wouldn’t be. The man is hot. See photo on the left. Since Felicity as at his office, Ray takes the opportunity to ask her out to a work dinner with the CEO of a mining company that he wants to buy. Ray needs to Felicity there from a very boring evening. Felicity is unsure but Ray promises it will be a platonic dinner and has even bought an au couture dress that seals the deal for Felicity to accept the dinner date.

At the Arrow Cave, with Diggle and Oliver watch Ray’s press conference and sees Felicity by his side looking at him admiringly. Ray announces that for a fresh start, to make Starling City new again, he has re-branded Queen Consolidated Palmer Industries (and we see the company logo involves an atom). Diggle senses that Oliver is quite upset and Felicity moving on with Ray and smashes the arrow tip found at the crime scene. Inside is an address.

Diggle and Oliver go there and inside is a shrine to the Arrow. Oliver realizes the arrow tip is actually a heart and not a spade. A cell phone goes off and it is Cupid. The crux of this conversation is that Cupid has captured someone for him and is ready to kill for him to help clean up the streets.

At the Arrow Cave, Felicity has managed to ID the man that Cupid has kidnapped, it is a mob boss and eventually manages to crack the heavily encrypted SIM card to ID Cupid as Carrie Cutter, a former SCPD cop but left the force shortly before Oliver returned from the Island. Oliver says she looks familiar and Felicity says there is a reason because she is shown at the Ted Grant crime scene and other places that the Arrow was recently seen. Diggle notes that Oliver has a stalker.

Oliver wants Felicity to keep on working on finding out where Cupid has the mob boss. Felicity says she will but she wants the evening off to attend a work dinner with Ray. Oliver is not too happy with this news but he does let her.

Based on clues in the photo, Felicity has managed to track down that Cupid is keeping the mob boss at a greenhouse near her apartment. Arrow and Arsenal arrive on the scene but Cupid soon takes out Arsenal. Cupid and Arrow converse over comms and we hear her be quite obsessed with him and how she loves him and wants to be with him etc… Arrow is rebuffing her. Cupid manages to get away but Arrow saves the mob boss.

When Oliver returns to the Arrow Cave, Roy isn’t happy that Cupid took him out so easily so Oliver tells him to go home and rest. When Oliver requires Felicity’s help, she is MIA but Diggle lets him know that Cupid went to see a psychiatrist after she became obsessed over her partner, which forced her to leave the police. Before that though, Diggle notes that Oliver is quite upset that Felicity is out on a date and he wants Oliver to share what he is feeling but he doesn’t.

So Arrow pays Dr. Avery Pressnall (Jill Teed) a visit, where she tells Arrow that Carrie/Cupid has some sort of attachment disorder and once she hooks on to something, her hooks become deep. Pressnall’s advice is that Arrow be honest with Carrie. Pressnall also notes that Arrow could use therapy too. Smallville fun fact: Dr. Pressnall is played by Jill Teed, who played Maggie Sawyer in the early seasons of Smallville.

At Palmer Industries, Diggle visits Felicity at her new office and tells her that Oliver is not happy that she is going out with Ray. Felicity tells him it was Oliver who decided not to pursue anything with her and she had to accept it.

Meanwhile, Carrie has visited an old cop buddy of hers who has managed to locate where the Arrow hangs his hat: Verdant. Cupid then kills the man and Lance is on the scene letting the Arrow know what is happening.

We should mention Thea’s storyline tonight. It was all about the grand re-opening of Verdant. Thea is holding DJ auditions when a brash one, who we know is called Chase (Austin Butler) but his name wasn’t given in the episode, all but says the job is his. Thea is put off by him that when we see the opening of the club it isn’t Chase but some other DJ that is doing a piss poor job. Thea fires him and Chase saves the day and gets people to dance. Thea promised Chase half of the cover and can play three nights a week. Instead Chase gives Thea a kiss and tells her to keep the money. Too bad Roy wasn’t there to see that, not quite sure what he would think about it.

Also at Verdant is Carrie looking for the Arrow, who calls her and says that he isn’t at the club but will meet her wherever she wants.

Back to Felicity. Felicity is looking all kinds of glamorous going to Ray’s office where she is immediately disappointed the salmon ladder is now gone. Ray is also looking particularly handsome in his suit and adds something to Felicity’s dress: a $10 million diamond necklace.

At dinner, Oliver is texting Felicity needing her help but Felicity ignores it. The man that owns the mineral company doesn’t want to sell and Ray indicates that they are in for a boring evening.

Felicity leaves momentarily to help Diggle but when she returns, she gives an impassioned speech about how Ray is a man that just wants to do good and he can with the mineral company. Ray looks quite touched at Felicity’s words.

Soon after, Felicity is at the Arrow Cave with Diggle helping Oliver with Carrie, who has asked to meet him and where he saved her. Oliver is brutally honest with her that they can never be. Oliver talks about knowing what it is like wanting to be with some they can’t (i.e. referring to him and Felicity) but he knows they can’t be together that he has to be alone. Felicity, of course has heard all of this.

A fight ensues between Cupid and Arrow. When it looks the Arrow has the upper hand, Cupid opnes up a grate and the two fall into a subway tunnel where she has managed to handcuff one of Arrow’s hand. As a train comes barrelling down, Cupid says that death will be the only place they can be together for eternity. Arrow breaks his thumb to get out of the handcuffs and manages to pull him and Cupid to safety.

At the Arrow Cave, Oliver has handed over Carrie/Cupid to the Suicide Squad thinking that is the best place for her as it will allow her to help people. Talk then turns back to Felicity where Diggle tells Oliver that she heard him saying he needs to be alone. Diggle encourages Oliver to tell Felicity how he feels before it is too late. Earlier, Oliver confesses to Diggle that it bugs him that Felicity and Ray have gotten closer.

Later that night at Palmer Industries, Felicity is in her office when Ray comes in to say that because of her speech, he is able to buy the mineral company. Ray then says he has to take back the necklace and when he does, the two share a really passionate kiss that I rewatched several times. Also watching that kiss is Oliver, who walks away without confessing his feelings. As much as I wanted Olicity for the past two seasons, seeing the chemistry between Brandon Routh and Emily Bett Rickards, I have to say I am Team Ray and hope that somehow Ray stays a part of the show beyond season 3. Plus Ray is a hero, he is not a villain. Because we see Ray waiting for the first minerals to be extracted as it seems to work for his A.T.O.M. Exoskeleton suit. When we see the rendering, we it looks like the Atom suit from the comics and a bit like the Iron Man suit. I really look forward to seeing Ray in that suit because we all know how Brandon Routh looks like in a superhero costume (i.e. hot).

Oliver returns to the Arrow Cave quite angry. Roy wonders if he is okay but he is not. Oliver asks if Roy is okay, he is not. Roy is still struggling over the fact that he killed a cop last year. So Oliver decides to bring Roy to Diggle’s and Lyla’s for a late dinner, which he earlier declined the offer.

The end scene involves setting up the epic The Flash/Arrow cross over as we see a man (Nick Tarabay) with a boomerang kill a man looking for something.

Can’t wait for December 2 for these epic episodes!