Line #66 Recap/ArrowS2E13HeirToTheDemon


1	Nyssa al-Ghul, Heir to the Demon, shows up in Starling City to bring Sara back to the League... or rather, back to her.
2	----
3	!Tropes Applying to This Episode
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5	* AdaptationalWimp: Dinah Drake, the original ComicBook/BlackCanary in the comics, gets kidnapped without putting up a fight.
6	* AntagonistTitle: Nyssa is the titular Heir To The Demon.
7	* ArtisticLicenseBiology: After Laurel is poisoned by the League of Assassins, she suffers what the doctors describe as a sub-conjunctival haemorrhage. As the name suggests, in real life, this would leave a blood-red patch in the white of her eye, but in the series it is shown as some [[BeautyIsNeverTarnished pretty golden sparkles]].
8	* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Nyssa and Sara have a couple moments were it looks like they will kill each other, only to be subverted. Nyssa rejects a DeadlyHug, while Sara gets her hands on some powerful poison and everyone thinks she is going to kill Nyssa with it, but instead drinks it herself. She then powers through the poison enough to stop Oliver from killing Nyssa.
9	* BaitAndSwitch: Oliver aims his bow as the black-clad female Assassin advances on Sara with her knife drawn...and grabs her for a BigDamnKiss.
10	* BearerOfBadNews:
11	** Moira has [[EveryoneCanSeeIt seen how Felicity looks at her son]] and tries to convince her that if she reveals the secret about Thea it will tear apart their family and Oliver will always blame her for that. It doesn't work because Felicity isn't an IgnoredEnamoredUnderling but Oliver's FireForgedFriend--he gets the truth from her anyway and Moira's actions remove any sympathy Oliver might have had for his mother.
12	** In the final flashback Moira has the unpleasant task of telling the Lances that Sara absconded on the ''Queen's Gambit'' with Oliver. Given that she witnessed the subsequent destruction of their family and Quentin's hatred of hers, it's likely she's thinking of her own experience when she threatens Felicity.
13	* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: The 'hallucination' of Sara she witnessed after she was poisoned makes Laurel happy, but the return of the real Sara brings back her anger over her sister's betrayal and the disintegration of her family that followed.
14	* BigNo: Nyssa lets out one as she undergoes her VillainousBreakdown.
15	* CallBack: Quentin meets Sara in the Chinese restaurant from "League of Assassins."
16	* ComeAlone: Sara tells her father to come alone and not bring the Arrow. Oliver works out what she's doing and turns up with his all-purpose HealingHerb to save her life (along with Dinah and Quentin whom Nyssa was about to slay in her grief). When everything over we see Laurel followed her father as well, as she's shown staring in shock at Sara.
17	* CurbStompBattle: Those Customs and Immigration officers in the beginning of the episode never stood a chance against Nyssa.
18	* CyanidePill: After being captured by the heroes, Nyssa's subordinate drinks poison rather than talk.
19	* DamselInDistress: Dinah Drake gets kidnapped by Nyssa and her {{Mook}}s.
20	* DarkActionGirl: Nyssa [[EstablishingCharacterMoment introduces herself]] by beating up several trained Customs and Immigrations officers, then gets to actually fight, giving Arrow a run for his money.
21	* ADayInTheLimelight: This episode focuses a lot more on Sara than Oliver. Instead of the standard flashbacks to the island, we get flashes to the Lance family before Sara got on the ''Queen's Gambit'' with Oliver.
22	* DeadlyHug: A deliberate version when Sara refuses to return to the League and tells Nyssa to "do what you have to". Nyssa hugs her close, goes to draw her dagger...then pushes her away.
23	* DeathGlare: Oliver picks up on the hostile looks between his mother and Felicity, and coaxes Felicity into saying what's bothering her. After hearing the news, Oliver gets a death glare of his own.
24	* DoubleMeaning:
25	** Blood advises Moira not to run for Mayor. Referring to the inevitably political mudslinging he says, "I'm apprehensive about destroying my friend's mother." Of course we already know Blood has arranged the death of the previous Mayor...
26	** After Felicity drops the bombshell about Thea, Oliver gives a speech in support of Moira's mayoral race about how people don't know his mother and what she's capable of.
27	* DramaticallyMissingThePoint: When Blood tries to warn off Moira from running for Mayor, she thinks it's because he's worried she might win, when it's actually because her life will be in danger if she gets in the way of Slade and Blood's conspiracy.
28	* DramaticShattering: Laurel throws a glass of wine towards Sara near the end of the episode.
29	* TheDreaded: Ra's Al-Ghul's status as this is further cemented by Oliver's explanation to Diggle why killing Nyssa would be a ''bad'' thing.
30	-->'''Oliver:''' If half the stories I've heard about Ra's Al-Ghul are true, then if Sara kills his daughter, we will ''[[PapaWolf all]]'' pay.
31	* DramaticDrop: Laurel drops a plate on seeing a news report on the ''Queen's Gambit'' sinking.
32	* EvilBrit: Nyssa who has a British accent.
33	* FastRoping: A variation when Nyssa and her fellow Assassin [[RuleOfCool unfurl themselves down a long banner-like cloth]].
34	* {{Foreshadowing}}:
35	** When asks on arrival at the airport if the reason for her trip is business or personal, Nyssa replies "Personal".
36	** We get our first mention of Felicity's DisappearedDad and awkward relationship with her mother.
37	* GetOut: Laurel gave Sara this ''[[RuleOfThrees thrice]]'' near the end of the episode after giving her a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech.
38	-->'''Laurel:''' Now get out!
39	-->'''Sara:''' Laurel...
40	-->'''Laurel:''' Get out!
41	-->'''Sara:''' I'm sorry...
42	-->'''Laurel:''' ''(throws her glass of wine at the door)'' I said '''GET OUT!'''!
43	* GirlOnGirlIsHot: After Nyssa kisses Sara, Oliver has a subtle yet still very suspicious grin.
44	* TheGloriousWarOfSisterlyRivalry: Sara and Laurel. On top of FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling dynamics, it seems that [[SiblingTriangle both sisters competed for Ollie's affections]].
45	* GraveMarkingScene: Subverted when Sara is shown visiting her own grave, the headstone put up when she was LostAtSea.
46	* {{Hallucinations}}: Laurel regards seeing Sara in the previous episode as this, but it tips of Quentin that she's back in town and he rings the Arrow to demand a meeting.
47	* HappyFlashback: Of better times at the Lance house.
48	* HaveYouToldAnyoneElse: The non-lethal version; Felicity approaches Moira to give her a chance to come clean with her children. Moira instead tries to coerce Felicity into silence.
49	* HeIsNotMyBoyfriend: Averted; Nyssa refers to Oliver as Sara's boyfriend, but he simply ignores it. However the {{foreshadowing}} version applies as Oliver/Sara have a RelationshipUpgrade at the end of the episode.
50	* ICanExplain:
51	** Sara to Oliver when Nyssa turns up, but [[FriendshipMoment Oliver just says she doesn't have to]].
52	** When Sara offers to explain to Laurel, she just tells her to GetOut!
53	** Moira tries to explain her actions to Oliver as protecting Thea from Malcolm Merlyn, but Oliver isn't having it.
54	-->'''Oliver:''' No, you lied because that is what you do. [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech And that is who you are, Mom. Lies.]]
55	* IDieFree: Sara tries to commit suicide with Viper venom rather than return to being an assassin with Nyssa.
56	* IHaveNoSon: Inverted with Oliver to Moira. Played otherwise as Laurel gives this to Sara as part of her continuing breakdown.
57	* IHaveYourWife: Nyssa poisoned Laurel to draw Sara back to Starling City, then kidnaps Dinah and gives Sara 24 hours to surrender herself.
58	* ImprovisedWeapon: Nyssa uses a pen and a barrier strap to take out a couple of airport guards.
59	* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Nyssa releases Sara from her vow.
60	* KeepingSecretsSucks: Quentin has to hide from Laurel and Dinah that Sarah is still alive. Felicity and then Oliver is burdened by the secret of Thea's parentage.
61	* KissDiss: Nyssa tells Sara that she's had warmer greetings from her, though the fact that Sara didn't know [[DeadlyHug if she was about to be killed]] was a MomentKiller.
62	* TheMissusAndTheEx: Sara's former and current love interests (Nyssa and Oliver) meet. Technically both are Sara's ex's but it's played this way, and she renews her relationship with Oliver anyway at the end of the episode.
63	* MugglesDoItBetter: Nyssa's subordinate who's giving both Sara and Oliver trouble is dispatched by a surprise right cross from [[PapaWolf Quentin]].
64	* MythologyGag:
65	** Nyssa uses the alias 'Ms. Raatko', her surname in the comics, when entering the airport.
66	** After failing at her and Oliver's initial attempt to foil Dinah's kidnapping, the scene ends with Sara screaming (in frustration) and her scream being emphasized, alluding to the [[SuperScream Canary Cry]].
67	** The color schemes of Dinah's clothes (navy blue jacket and everything else black) matches that of the Black Canary's costume.
68	* NeverGotToSayGoodbye: Sara begs a moment with Oliver before walking off with Nyssa, who acknowledges that goodbyes can be difficult. After all, Nyssa says pointedly, ''she'' never got one from Sara.
69	* NothingPersonal: Sebastian Blood doesn't take offense when Oliver has to withdraw his support for Blood's campaign to back Moira. Of course Blood is Slade's puppet anyway.
70	* ObligatoryEarpieceTouch: Done as FiveSecondForeshadowing before an airport guard draws a gun on Nyssa.
71	* OhCrap: The airport security officer scans Ms. Raatko's passport only to find it's flagged with an ARGUS security alert.
72	* OpenMindedParent: Quentin who when told that Sara is bi, only mentions how glad he is that she managed to find some small measure of happiness. Quentin is shaping up to be the [[GoodParents best parental figure]] on the show.
73	* PsychoLesbian: Nyssa comes across as this. Although despite her definite {{Yandere}} tendencies, her love for Sara is perhaps her only redeeming trait.
74	* ARareSentence: Felicity gets another one when she mentioned she never thought she'd ever say out loud that "It starts losing its potency the minute it leaves the fangs" regarding the Tibetan Pit Viper venom used as a poison through the episode.
75	* RelationshipUpgrade: Sara and Oliver renew their relationship from six years ago.
76	* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech:
77	** Oliver to Moira before disowning her.
78	** Laurel to Sara near the end of the episode.
79	* RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: Nyssa's Dark Archer outfit, including the arrows.
80	* RescueRomance: Averted, Nyssa muses that maybe the only reason Sara was with her was because Nyssa saved her life, but Sara denies this saying she was with Nyssa because she loved her.
81	* RevealingCoverup: Moira paying off the obstetrician only draws Felicity's attention, because she's been keeping an eye on the Tempest account in case Moira uses it for anything else illegal. Moira makes things worse by trying to coerce Felicity into silence, removing any sympathy Oliver might have had for her.
82	* SexForSolace: Oliver and Sara, after both have a really rough day.
83	* SilkHidingSteel: Moira really shows this in the episode, and Blood notes the inherent contradiction between the woman who is tough enough to run for Mayor versus the DamselInDistress who was supposedly coerced by Malcolm Merlyn.
84	* StepfordSmiler: Oliver tells Moira he will keep up the façade of a loving and supportive son for Thea's sake, but from now on their relationship is finished.
85	* ThisIsUnforgivable: The revelation about Thea's parentage is one lie too much for Oliver.
86	* TitleDrop: Nyssa gives one in her introduction to the Arrow.
87	-->'''Nyssa:''' I am Nyssa. Daughter of ComicBook/RasAlGhul. Heir to the Demon.
88	* TrackingDevice: Oliver concealed one on Sara, having no intention of losing her again. It also explains Sara's earlier question of how Oliver was able to contact her in the first place.
89	* WhamEpisode: The episode ends with Oliver finding out about Thea's father being Malcolm Merlyn and disowning Moira as his mother, and all the Lances and the world discovering that Sara is alive.
90	* WorkoutFanservice: This time we have Sara on the salmon ladder, while Oliver whacks a truck tire with a sledgehammer and does some shirtless PercussiveTherapy on his martial arts dummy. The later leads to a different kind of fanservice when Sara and Oliver start making out.

Context Recap / ArrowS2E13HeirToTheDemon