In “Brotherhood”, we learn that Andy isn’t quite so dead, Malcolm offers Thea a way to control her blood lust, Ray explains why he doesn’t want to come back from the dead and we finally learn the name of the woman in the island flashback.

Island Flashback

Oliver explains his reasons on why he had to kill the man, Vlad, that attacked him to Conklin, who explains the man he killed was the brother of Tiana (pronounced like Diana or her name could be Diana), the woman that Oliver “killed”.

In front of Rieter, he uses some magic twigs to determine that Conklin lied about the reasons why Vlad attacked went after Oliver. As punishment, Oliver whips Conklin in front of an audience.

Oliver goes to the gave to tell Tiana that Vlad is dead and it was Conklin’s fault. Oliver omits the fact that he he actually killed her brother. Tiana explains how she and Vlad came to be on the island and wants revenge. Oliver stops her and shows Tiana a map of Lian Yu and outlines what Rieter is after. But Oliver needs a more detailed map of the island and needs Tiana’s help.

Thea’s Blood lust

While on a mission to stop the Ghosts from attacking a armored vehicle, Thea was about to deliver the death blow to a Ghost but stops herself.

Thea eventually accepts a call from Malcolm who happens to be at Laurel’s and offers her give into her blood lust. Malcolm gives her a file of a pedophile and suggests that Thea kill him. Thea refuses. However, while on a date with Alex, a man approaches Thea and tries to hit on her. When the guy gets too aggressive, Thea starts to beat him into a bloody pulp and would have killed him if Alex didn’t return from his phone call.

During an encounter with Damien Darkh, Thea realizes that blood lust disappeared when he tried to use his powers on her and failed. Thea summons Malcolm and wants her dad to find a way to make that a permanent thing.

Not Quite Back from the Dead

Ray is summoned to Felicity’s and Oliver’s loft to help ID who a tooth belongs to from a Ghost member. While working on it, Felicity really wants Ray to come back and take over Palmer Technologies. Ray is reluctant because he thought he was doing something good but then after he came back from the dead, he realized that no one really missed him and nothing he did made an impact.

Later on, Ray decides he needs to go away for a while to see who he really is and where he fits in this world.

Andy Back from the Dead

While on a mission to get something Ray needs to ID the tooth, Team Arrow breaks into a lab and encounter Ghosts. Diggle takes one down and pulls off his mask to ID him but when he does is shocked to see it is brother, Andy.

Diggle is shocked at these turn of events but Oliver thinks this is a good thing. What Diggle is pissed at is what was in Darkh’s file on Andy and that his brother let his family think he’s dead for the last 8 years.

Even Lyla thinks that Diggle needs to be a bit more forgiving.

Thanks to a tip from Lance, the Green Arrow and Diggle go to the docks to observe a meetig of Darkh and some new recruits. Darkh gives all of them a pill that puts them under his control. The Green Arrow and Diggle are found out and a fight ensues but the two men make it out.

At the Arrow Cave, Diggle isn’t happy that Oliver put his life on the online for his brother, who doesn’t deserve it. But Oliver is still insistent on saving Andy from Darkh.

Thanks to Ray’s research, Team Arrow (minus Diggle) determine that the Ghosts base of operation is an old mental institution. Thanks to some infrared cameras developed by Curtis, Team Arrow is able to ID Andy. [Vancouver filming note: If this mental institution looks familiar, it because it has been used in tons of productions. It is Riverview Hospital. In Smallville it was used twice – in Season 8 as Blackcreek -the place where Chloe was held and in season 10, it was Granny Goodness’ orphanage.]

In a pretty awesomely shot sequence, Thea is the one that takes on Andy and their fight moves around the facility. Thea eventually takes Andy down but requires some help in lifting his body.

Team Arrow is fighting off Ghosts when the ATOM swoops in and joins the fight. Diggle also joins in because his other brother needed him.

Back at the Arrow Cave, Diggle goes to see his brother in the jail (which really looks like the same setup Smallville used to hold Toyman in season 10). Diggle shows Andy the file on his and asks if everything in it is true. After thumbing through it, Andy coldly returns the file and says it is all true.

Oliver Queen on the Campaign Trail

Oliver wants to a press conference on a project to rejuvenate bay area of Star City. Alex thinks it is a bad idea while Oliver believes this will help create jobs. During a SCPD fundraiser, Darkh introduces himself to Oliver and offers to help in his campaign if he drops his bay project and join forces with him. Oliver doesn’t know why he should considering that he is running unopposed. Darkh warns that if he doesn’t join him then he won’t be running unopposed. Oliver flirts with the idea of working Darkh since Lance has lost his trust but both Felicity and Diggle are against the idea. Diggle says the best way to fight Darkh isn’t in the shadows but in the light of day.

Oliver takes this to heart and makes his campaign speech at the bay and looking right at Darkh repeats Diggle’s words and says he won’t stop saving Star City.

We are off next week but on December 2 we get Part 2 of the The Flash/Arrow cross over event and of course we don’t know what will happen as it all depends on what goes down in Part 1.