Present
Adrian (Josh Segarra) holds Oliver’s (Stephen Amell) head underwater for 145 seconds. While his head is underwater Oliver flashes back to some of his kills. Adrian held Oliver’s head underwater for 145 seconds because that is how long his father had been underwater after Oliver had shot him with his arrow. He took the name Prometheus because Prometheus took power away from the Gods, the same way he is taking power away from someone who has made himself, judge, jury, and executioner. If Oliver will confess to something he’d never confess to anyone, even to himself, Adrian will let him go. Oliver doesn’t know what he is talking about.
There are many pictures surrounding the room of some of the people Oliver has killed during his crusade in Star City. Adrian shoots Oliver with three arrows just like he did to one of the men on the wall. Adrian threatens to harm Oliver’s son if he doesn’t confess. Shortly after Oliver recovers from the three arrows, Prometheus drags in a traumatized Evelyn Sharp (Madison McLaughlin), the girl who betrayed Team Arrow. It looks like siding with Prometheus wasn’t a smart career move. Adrian drops a knife in the middle of the floor. Either Oliver kill Evelyn or she kill him. If Oliver won’t kill her, he will have to watch Adrian snap her neck. Evelyn apologizes to Oliver and tells him she can’t take another day there and picks up the knife. Oliver tries to get Evelyn to give him the knife. He promises they can ambush Adrian together. She says that won’t work and attacks him. He easily takes the knife from her. Adrian comes in and asks Oliver to tell him his secret, Oliver honestly doesn’t know what Adrian wants to hear. Prometheus snaps Evelyn’s neck.
Flashback
Oliver is torturing an injured Gregor (David Meunier), Anatoly (David Nykl) tells him to stop. Oliver stops but Gregor dies anyway. The Bratva has to pick a new Pakhan, (leader). In a ceremony, Gregor’s body lays on a table; the Bratva captains surround the body in a circle. Someone takes the Pakhan ring off his finger and gives it to Anatoly; he is the new Pakhan. As the new Pakhan, Anatoly has to talk to Konstantin Kovar (Dolph Lundgren). Whatever business arrangement Gregor had with him, he has to honor it. Oliver wants to talk to Galina (Natasha Vasiluk), Taiana’s mother and Kovar’s housekeeper. She might be able to help them.
Anatoly runs into Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman), who is conducting a business transaction with Kovar. Malcolm introduces himself as “Malcolm Merlyn, CEO of Merlyn Global Group.” Anatoly introduces himself as “Anatoly Knyazev, gangster.” Kovar and Anatoly discuss Gregor’s death, Anatoly tells him a Kapiushon (man with a hood) killed Gregor. Anatoly learns that Kovar is planning something big and terrible. He is planning to overthrow the government. Whatever he plans on using to overthrow the government, he is getting it from Malcolm. Anatoly suggests Oliver go home to America, Oliver won’t leave Anatoly’s side. We get to see that Malcolm sold Kovar Sarin gas.
Kovar’s men arrive at the dock; the Bratva is waiting for them. We get a big action scene where the Green Arrow takes out many of Kovar’s men. Kovar proves that he is a tough old bird and he manages to retrieve the Sarin gas and get away in a truck. Viktor (Mike Dopud) is mad at Oliver for starting this war with Kovar for his own personal reasons. To get more information on Kovar’s plans with the Sarin gas; Oliver tortures one of his men. Anatoly walks down the stairs and is shocked at what Oliver has done. Oliver tells Anatoly he is able to do these terrible things because of the hood. It helps him separate from the darkness inside. Anatoly tells him this is BS. What he is doing isn’t human. Dividing yourself in two only makes the monster stronger.
Oliver was successful in getting the information. Kovar’s plan is to gas a casino with the government officials in it. Anatoly sees the damage Oliver did to the man; he remarks to Oliver that the man was tough. Oliver said he gave up the information rather quickly, Oliver was practicing his torture technique on him.
Oliver had unsuccessfully tried to meet with Galina earlier. He succeeds this time. Oliver tells Galina he knows her children, she asks where are they and how are they doing. He tells her the kids are dead. Kovar had told her he was looking for them. Oliver says Kovar is lying and that he is a bad man. Taiana made him promise to bring Kovar to justice. He asks Galina to help him keep his promise to Taiana. She ask Oliver who killed her children, he responds a monster. (If you don’t remember the island storyline from last season, Oliver killed both of them.)
Oliver breaks into the casino. Kovar is entertaining government dignitaries. Oliver helps Anatoly and his men enter the casino. On the monitors Oliver sees Kovar with Galina. Viktor has sold them out. Oliver watches Kovar kill Galina.
The flashback and the present day story mingle together now. Adrian tells Oliver to confess and he can leave. Kovar tells the Russian dignitaries that the Bratva is going to assassinate them. His men bring in the captured Bratva members. The newspapers will report that they died in the gas attack along with everyone else. He puts on his mask and says goodbye. Adrian says Oliver’s heroics are just an excuse. His crusade is built upon a lie. Oliver fights Kovar in a vicious fight. He is able to open the doors and save Anatoly and the rest of the people in the room. Oliver has won the fight, Anatoly tells Oliver they can turn him in to the authorities. Oliver kills Kovar in cold blood. Oliver confesses to Adrian that he wants to kill because he likes it. Evelyn gets up, her murder was a ruse. Adrian burns off Oliver’s Bratva tattoo. He keeps his word and lets Oliver go. He has won. Kovar also isn’t dead either. (They will have to explain that one.)
Diggle (David Ramsey), Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards), and Curtis (Echo Kellum) are in the Arrow cave discussing Oliver’s kidnapping. He has been missing for six days and they don’t have a clue where he is. Oliver walks in; he looks like hell. He tells the team he is through and he is shutting everything down.
We see a final flashback; Oliver and Anatoly are getting their Bratva tattoos together. Anatoly warns Oliver that he does likes to kill. When the façade of the hood fails, Oliver isn’t going to like what he sees.
***
Adrian broke him. He actually was able to break Oliver Queen. The physical punishment softened Oliver up, but the mental torture he brilliantly applied to Oliver sealed the deal. Oliver is a tough guy, he can take more physical punishment than a normal human can, but Adrian hit Oliver in all his weak spots and broke him. Oliver confessed he likes to kill. Oliver has always told himself he killed because he had to. For a ‘good guy’ Oliver does kill a lot. We saw how vicious Oliver was in Russia. Thanks to Diggle and Felicity, Oliver has become less violet. When he kills now, it is because he has too, but that hadn’t always been the case. Adrian forced Oliver to see this and it shattered him.
Since their first confrontation, Prometheus has tried to convince Oliver he ruins people. If he doesn’t cause their deaths, he makes them a worst person. Exhibit one: Evelyn Sharp. Oliver feels guilty for Evelyn parents’ death. It is really Damien Darhk’s fault but Oliver is quick to accept blame for everything. Evelyn blames Oliver for it too. She joined Team Arrow for a moment but betrayed him when she found out about his killing spree early in his Green Arrow career. Oliver felt guilty when he thought Adrian had killed her; and guilty that he had damaged her so much that she would willingly take part in this ruse. I think that is what finally broke Oliver. This girl is such a messed up person and it traces back to her being involved with him. He fears the people he loves the most, Thea, John, and Felicity will be next. What a heavy burden to bear.
This was a dark and powerful episode. Steven Amell gave one of his best performances. He exuded such raw emotions. Josh Segarra also gave a great performance. His Prometheus is so powerful because some of his madness originates from truth.
Grade: A
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