Nyssa al-Ghul, Heir to the Demon, shows up in Starling City to bring Sara back to the League... or rather, back to her.
Tropes Applying to This Episode
- Adaptational Wimp: Dinah Drake, the original Black Canary in the comics, gets kidnapped without putting up a fight.
- Antagonist Title: Nyssa is the titular Heir To The Demon.
- Artistic License – Biology: 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 pretty golden sparkles.
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Nyssa and Sara have a couple moments were it looks like they will kill each other, only to be subverted. Nyssa rejects a Deadly Hug, 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.
- Bait-and-Switch: Oliver aims his bow as the black-clad female Assassin advances on Sara with her knife drawn...and grabs her for a Big Damn Kiss.
- Bearer of Bad News:
- Moira has 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 Ignored Enamored Underling but Oliver's Fire-Forged Friend—he gets the truth from her anyway and Moira's actions remove any sympathy Oliver might have had for his mother.
- 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.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: 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.
- Big "NO!": Nyssa lets out one as she undergoes her Villainous Breakdown.
- Call-Back: Quentin meets Sara in the Chinese restaurant from "League of Assassins."
- Come Alone: 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 Healing Herb 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.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Those Customs and Immigration officers in the beginning of the episode never stood a chance against Nyssa.
- Cyanide Pill: After being captured by the heroes, Nyssa's subordinate drinks poison rather than talk.
- Damsel in Distress: Dinah Drake gets kidnapped by Nyssa and her Mooks.
- Dark Action Girl: Nyssa introduces herself by beating up several trained Customs and Immigrations officers, then gets to actually fight, giving Arrow a run for his money.
- A Day in the Limelight: 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.
- Deadly Hug: 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.
- Death Glare: 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.
- Double Meaning:
- 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...
- 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.
- Dramatically Missing the Point: 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.
- Dramatic Shattering: Laurel throws a glass of wine towards Sara near the end of the episode.
- The Dreaded: 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.Oliver: If half the stories I've heard about Ra's Al-Ghul are true, then if Sara kills his daughter, we will all pay.
- Dramatic Drop: Laurel drops a plate on seeing a news report on the Queen's Gambit sinking.
- Evil Brit: Nyssa who has a British accent.
- Fast-Roping: A variation when Nyssa and her fellow Assassin unfurl themselves down a long banner-like cloth.
- Foreshadowing:
- When asks on arrival at the airport if the reason for her trip is business or personal, Nyssa replies "Personal".
- We get our first mention of Felicity's Disappeared Dad and awkward relationship with her mother.
- Get Out!: Laurel gave Sara this thrice near the end of the episode after giving her a "The Reason You Suck" Speech.Laurel: Now get out!Sara: Laurel...Laurel: Get out!Sara: I'm sorry...Laurel: (throws her glass of wine at the door) I said GET OUT!!
- Girl on Girl Is Hot: After Nyssa kisses Sara, Oliver has a subtle yet still very suspicious grin.
- The Glorious War of Sisterly Rivalry: Sara and Laurel. On top of Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling dynamics, it seems that both sisters competed for Ollie's affections.
- Grave-Marking Scene: Subverted when Sara is shown visiting her own grave, the headstone put up when she was Lost at Sea.
- 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.
- Happy Flashback: Of better times at the Lance house.
- Have You Told Anyone Else?: 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.
- He Is Not My Boyfriend: Averted; Nyssa refers to Oliver as Sara's boyfriend, but he simply ignores it. However the foreshadowing version applies as Oliver/Sara have a Relationship Upgrade at the end of the episode.
- I Can Explain:
- Sara to Oliver when Nyssa turns up, but Oliver just says she doesn't have to.
- When Sara offers to explain to Laurel, she just tells her to Get Out!!
- Moira tries to explain her actions to Oliver as protecting Thea from Malcolm Merlyn, but Oliver isn't having it.
Oliver: No, you lied because that is what you do. And that is who you are, Mom. Lies. - I Die Free: Sara tries to commit suicide with Viper venom rather than return to being an assassin with Nyssa.
- I Have No Son!: Inverted with Oliver to Moira. Played otherwise as Laurel gives this to Sara as part of her continuing breakdown.
- I Have Your Wife: Nyssa poisoned Laurel to draw Sara back to Starling City, then kidnaps Dinah and gives Sara 24 hours to surrender herself.
- Improvised Weapon: Nyssa uses a pen and a barrier strap to take out a couple of airport guards.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Nyssa releases Sara from her vow.
- Keeping Secrets Sucks: 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.
- Kiss Diss: Nyssa tells Sara that she's had warmer greetings from her, though the fact that Sara didn't know if she was about to be killed was a Moment Killer.
- The Missus and the Ex: 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.
- Muggles Do It Better: Nyssa's subordinate who's giving both Sara and Oliver trouble is dispatched by a surprise right cross from Quentin.
- Mythology Gag:
- Nyssa uses the alias 'Ms. Raatko', her surname in the comics, when entering the airport.
- 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 Canary Cry.
- The color schemes of Dinah's clothes (navy blue jacket and everything else black) matches that of the Black Canary's costume.
- Never Got to Say Goodbye: 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.
- Nothing Personal: 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.
- Obligatory Earpiece Touch: Done as Five-Second Foreshadowing before an airport guard draws a gun on Nyssa.
- Oh, Crap!: The airport security officer scans Ms. Raatko's passport only to find it's flagged with an ARGUS security alert.
- Open-Minded Parent: 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 best parental figure on the show.
- Psycho Lesbian: Nyssa comes across as this. Although despite her definite Yandere tendencies, her love for Sara is perhaps her only redeeming trait.
- A Rare Sentence: 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.
- Relationship Upgrade: Sara and Oliver renew their relationship from six years ago.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech:
- Oliver to Moira before disowning her.
- Laurel to Sara near the end of the episode.
- Red and Black and Evil All Over: Nyssa's Dark Archer outfit, including the arrows.
- Rescue Romance: 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.
- Revealing Cover-Up: 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.
- Sex for Solace: Oliver and Sara, after both have a really rough day.
- Silk Hiding Steel: 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 Damsel in Distress who was supposedly coerced by Malcolm Merlyn.
- Stepford Smiler: 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.
- This Is Unforgivable!: The revelation about Thea's parentage is one lie too much for Oliver.
- Title Drop: Nyssa gives one in her introduction to the Arrow.Nyssa: I am Nyssa. Daughter of Ra's al Ghul. Heir to the Demon.
- Tracking Device: 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.
- Wham Episode: 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.
- Workout Fanservice: This time we have Sara on the salmon ladder, while Oliver whacks a truck tire with a sledgehammer and does some shirtless Percussive Therapy on his martial arts dummy. The later leads to a different kind of fanservice when Sara and Oliver start making out.
