The setting for the Mayoral Debate in this week’s episode is Vancouver’s Vogue Theatre that is a concert venue. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen something at the Vogue but it is a pretty cool venue.

And it is the the Vogue where we open up the episode with Oliver and company going over the logistics of the debate. Oliver meets Ruve for the first time and he wonders if Adams is her maiden name. Ruve says that isn’t married and Oliver calls her a dark horse candidate, of course alluding to her really being married to Damien Darhk.

As Ruve is leaving, Felicity gives Oliver their engagement party invites which when opened, glitter comes popping out.

Team Arrow have brought their gear to the venue so they can trail Ruve so she can lead to Darhk. However, the team follow Ruve into a trap. Ruve tells the Green Arrow that her husband didn’t take too kindly on being stood up and a bunch of HIVE men open fire. Of course, Team Arrow beats them but Ruve has disappeared.

Island Flashback

Rieter is watching over Oliver and the prisoners working on removing rubble from the wall to retrieve something he wants. Rieter leaves and some of the prisoners want to kill Oliver for what he did to Vlad. Tiana defends Oliver and everyone decides the only way for Oliver to redeem himself is to kill Conklin. Oliver is reluctant and Tiana deduces that he is afraid of becoming a monster but she thinks it takes a monster to kill Conklin.

Oliver is brought to Rieter who says thanks to the map and stone he got from him, he is now able to find what he needs for power.

Rieter leaves and Conklin enters. Oliver removes his handcuffs and tries to attack Conklin but he avoids the attack. The two then engage in a knife fight that results in Conklin being killed by Oliver. Before he dies, Conklin tells Oliver that Rieter is just going to kill all the prisoners anyways.

Back in his cell, Rieter tells Oliver that he needs him and alive and goes. Tiana realizes that Oliver has killed Conklin and gives him a peck on the cheek. Oliver tells Tiana what Conklin told him and that they need to work on getting out their prison.

Darhk’s Secret Council

Darhk gathers a meeting of his council that now includes Malcolm. There is talk about the importance of the debate and when one of the members mocks Ruve via teleconference, Darhk kills him. The Council also discusses what to do with Lance, whom Malcolm confirms is working with the Green Arrow. Darhk says that Lance is taken care of.

Donna and Quentin

Lance is answering a request for back-up for a break and enter call. Laurel is tagging a long so she can join her dad and Donna for dinner afterwards. Unfortunately, it is a trap as the building was rigged to collapse with Lance inside. Fortunately, Lance and Laurel make it out.

Knowing that Darhk is after him, Oliver suggests that Lance stay at the Arrow Cave.

When Donna drops by Oliver’s campaign office to see Lance, he tells her that they should take a break fro each other. Donna doesn’t understand why and Lance tries to say that people are after him because of his gambling debts. Donna isn’t buying the excuse and breaks up with Lance for not being honest with her.

Donna calls Felicity and tells her what happened. Felicity thinks that Lance is different from the other guys she has dated and that he is a good man. Felicity encourages Donna to be one that has trust in their relationship. Donna tells her daughter that she wants what she has with Oliver, an open and honest relationship. Felicity totally agrees with her mom. Little does Felicity know what Oliver is keeping from her.

Back at the Arrow Cave, Lance admires how honest Oliver is now and doesn’t have to lie to his lady love. Oliver thinks that Lance should be honest with Donna.

The Not-So Secret Son of Oliver Queen

While digging up dirt on Ruve, instead the million dollar cheque that Moira wrote to Samantha Clayton comes up. Thea wonders why and why Samantha never cashed it. Oliver thinks it is nothing and it won’t come back to haunt him.

Later on during debate prep, Thea recalls Oliver mentioning a Samantha Clayton. Oliver admits to being with her while he was dating Laurel, something he isn’t proud of. Thea looked into Samantha and how she moved to Central City shortly after the cheque was written and how she has a son. Thea realizes that boy is Oliver’s son and says it is. Oliver tells Thea why he kept it a secret and it kills him how he can’t tell Felicity. But Thea says that Samantha was right to ask him to keep it a secret as it protects his son from people going after him.

The Demolition Team

Team Arrow discover a HIVE crew called the Demolition Team that took out the building that almost killed Lance.

Team Arrow arrive at the Demolition Team’s hideout, an action-heavy fight ensues and the team barely make it out before it blows up. Before it does, Speedy manages to get the Demolition Team’s laptop, even though it is filled with nails.

Oliver brings it to Felicity to find information on it and it reminds her of the first time they met. Laurel recalls seeing blueprints on the PC before it got shot up with nails.

Diggle learns from Andy that the Demolition Team are seeking certain materials to make their bombs but when he and Oliver arrive, the team is gone but have gotten what they need.

The Debate

It is 20 minutes till the debate and Felicity gets alerted from Curtis, whom she recruited to find out what was in the laptop, that the blueprints were of the Vogue. So Thea pulls the fire alarm to evacuate the building.

Outside, Donna is worried about Thea and Oliver and wants to go back in but Felicity says they are fine. Lance arrives and volunteers to go in instead. Ruve tells the Demolition Team to ensure Oliver Queen doesn’t make it out of the building.

Meanwhile, Team Arrow have suited up and see bombs throughout the venue. The Demolition Team is there to try and stop Team Arrow from disarming the bombs. As usually, Team Arrow takes down the Demolition Team and disarms the bombs.

The debate goes on as planned and when Oliver greets Ruve he tells that the applause almost brought the house down. I don’t know why Oliver is practically telling Ruve that he is also the Green Arrow.

Engagement Party

At Oliver and Felicity’s engagement party, their neighbour from the season premiere arrives and Felicity guesses she is going to get them a slow cooker. Also at the party, Lance tells Donna the truth about working with HIVE to protect Laurel. Donna does see what a good man Lance is and SmoakNLance is back on!

Curtis and his husband arrive too. Curtis gives Felicity his engagement present, a microchip that when implanted in her spine will allow her to walk again. Oliver and Felicity are touched at this gift with Oliver calling Curtis terrific for doing this for them.

Coda

Darhk is at home and introduces his daughter to William, whose mother asked him to take care of him for awhile. My question is does this mean Samantha is dead? If so, does this mean William will live with Oliver?

And it definitely looks like next week Felicity will know about William too.