ARROW: “Nanda Parbat” {Recap}

As has been the case in many of these Arrow episodes, we open on a flashback – this time of Ra’s and Nessa talking about Sara’s “death” from the ship, but only so that we know that Ra’s still wants Oliver dead, but that’s nothing compared to watching Merlyn fight both Thea and Oliver in the basement. Merlyn wants to have them stay at Verdant while the League is off hunting him, but Oliver won’t have any of that – and Thea too.

Another flashback for Oliver’s debrief with the Army after what Oliver did with Alpha and Omega. But that’s still not connecting to the here and now, at least to me.

Now that Thea knows that she killed Sara, she didn’t want to tell Roy about it. Too bad Roy already knew, but that at least gives him a chance to talk to Thea about what killing Sara did to her. She also goes to tell Laurel that she killed Sara and that seems like the worst idea in the history of ever. Laurels tries to be reassuring and it doesn’t work well when she talks to Oliver about it, especially when Oliver lies about knowing who killed Sara. When Oliver confronts Thea about her telling Laurel, he also learns that she has a plan for Merlyn.

In other news, Felicity runs over to Ray’s apartment after he hadn’t shown up to the office in a week. He’s in a state where he wants to finish the suit so he can protect more people (since Anna didn’t get the same advantages as Starling City can now). Felicity goes away and it looks like Ray wants to sulk or be crazed with his work. Not a great look on him.

With Laurel knowing what she knows about Sara’s killer, she goes to confront Merlyn, but as she does, Nessa swoops in and takes Merlyn off to who knows where. Oliver’s upset that Laurel went after Merlyn before Nessa got him, but it now means that Oliver wants to rescue Merlyn from the League. Hello backwards logic!

Oliver’s attempts to get Merlyn back have Nessa saying that vengeance is justice for something like Sara’s death, and Oliver can’t stop the plane from leaving with Merlyn in toe. But he does capture Nessa and keeps her hostage while they try to figure out how to get Merlyn back.

Back at Ray’s apartment, Felicity has stopped Ray from getting into the server so that he can’t work on his project. She’ll hold the password hostage until Ray eats, showers and sleeps. He finishes all that, gets the password and then Felicity kisses him and they start making out because that’s what sexual tension is all about in this show.

Oliver’s off to find Ra’s’ base and after a conversation with Lyla he decides to go with him. Or else that personal guilt he felt after the first time will only increase. Of course Ra’s knows he’s coming and he and Diggle are nearly killed, but they manage to get through the arrows and have a way to get to Merlyn without too much difficulty. Only that it was a trap to keep Oliver and Diggle with Merlyn. However bad that situation might be, it does allow Diggle and Oliver time to say that they might as well be brothers and for Oliver to be Diggle’s best man.

Roy also takes Thea to see the family of the man he killed earlier and talks about how it helped him to get over his killing. However, that doesn’t compared to seeing Ray take his suit out for the first time and flying off around Starling City.

Of course the show can’t end with Ray getting a happy moment so we have to find out that Oliver might be training to be the next Ra’s al Ghul, if the current one has his way.

Arrow airs on Wednesdays at 8 PM Eastern/7 PM Central on the CW.