Arrow - The Magician

Alliances shift quickly in "The Magician" as Nyssa al Ghul (Katrina Law) arrives in Starling City in search of Sara and her killer as well as bring news of Malcolm Merlyn's (John Barrowman) survival of the Undertaking. From the looks of things in this episode Oliver (Stephen Amell), Thea (Willa Holland), and Malcolm are going to be tiptoeing their way around the truth quite a bit this season before all secrets are eventually laid out on the table.

Nyssa and Laurel (Katie Cassidy) are both quick to blame Merlin for Sara's murder, but Ollie is unsure both of the man's guilt and what to do if he is indeed responsible given Green Arrow's maiming but no killing policy. The friction eventually erupts as Nyssa kidnaps Thea to draw out Merlin which ends in a free-for-all between the city's hero, the man responsible for the deaths of hundreds, and a master assassin. The fallout, and Nyssa's rage and unwillingness to listen to reason, create an unexpected turn of Oliver being forced to defend his enemy and draw the ire of not only Nyssa but the entire League of Assassins including their leader Ra's al Ghul (Matt Nable, appearing for the first time).


With Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) in Central City, the team is down a man for nearly the entire episode which allows for well-placed joke at Diggle's (David Ramsey) expense and a missing voice of reason to help keep Oliver on-point when both Laurel and Nyssa are championing murder. Far from satisfied with Ollie's choices in the episode, and continuing the storyline began last week, Laurel continues her own training slowly working towards the day we might see the lawyer don her own mask and fishnets.

"The Magician" ends by leaving Starling City a little more interesting than when the episode began with Oliver ticking of an entire league of assassins and choosing to save a man who, no matter his other crimes, is innocent at the killing which Nyssa wished to lay at his feet. Whether or not he would have made the same choice had he known of Thea's secret relationship with her father is a bit doubtful, but either way Oliver's choice to draw a line in the sand for justice demonstrates further growth in the character and foreshadows dark days ahead for Team Arrow.