History Recap / ArrowS5E16Checkmate

* RealityEnsues: Anatoly's bewildered reaction to Oliver's attire and behavior as the Hood is how someone would react to a friend suddenly dressing and acting differently.

* BatmanGambit: Every move that Oliver and co attempt on Adrian he counters and uses said move to further his own plans. Invade Adrian's house to talk to his wife? Have the cops arrive and attempt to arrest the Green Arrow forcing Oliver to publicly call for a shoot on sight order. Give information to DaChief about Adrian using a fake identity in order to have him kicked out of office? Stab said chief and leave him in a coma so Oliver loses an important ally and prevents the information from being leaked. The hostage you revealed your identity to escaped and is willing to tell the cops? Kidnap Oliver to ensure that both Susan and Team Arrow wont reveal your true identity.

* TheBadGuyWins: There's a reason this episode is called Checkmate. By the end of the episode Adrian and Talia are able to capture Oliver and have him chained up in a TortureCellar. Meanwhile the Green Arrow now has a shoot on sight order levelled against him and the rest of Team Arrow can't expose Adrian as Prometheus under threat of Oliver's death.
* BatmanGambit: Every move that Oliver and co attempt on Adrian he counters and uses said move to further his own plans. Invade Adrian's house to talk to his wife? Have the cops arrive and attempt to arrest the Green Arrow forcing Oliver to publicly call for a shoot on sight order. Give information to DaChief about Adrian using a fake identity in order to have him kicked out of office? Stab said chief and leave him in a coma so Oliver loses an important ally and prevents the information from being leaked. The hostage you revealed your identity to escaped and is willing to tell the cops? Kidnap Oliver to ensure that both Susan and Team Arrow wont reveal your true identity.

* DiabolusExMachina: At the end, Oliver seemingly ''finally'' defeats Adrian in a fight...and then [[DidntSeeThatComing Talia arrives and incapacitates Oliver when his back is turned]].
* DiggingHimselfDeeper: Thanks to Adrian's manipulations every move that Oliver makes forces him to throw his Green Arrow alter ego under the bus and, by the end of the episode, the Green Arrow now has a shoot on sight order levelled against him.

* EvilGloating: Chase spends basically the entire episode with rubbing his superiority under Oliver's nose. The only time he loses his composure is when Oliver brings in his wife, and even that doesn't completely phase him.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Early in the episode, Curtis tells Oliver that the name of Talia's monastery translates as "demon something"

** Felicity ignores any doubts she has on working with Helix, when Prometheus kidnaps Oliver since she's so desperate to find it.

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: It's subtle, but the only time Adrian loses his composure is when his wife finds out his secret and he is forced to kill her to keep it. Right before the fight immediately follows, one can see a brief look of rage on his face when he drops his sword to go at it with Oliver [[GoodOldFisticuffs the old-fashioned way]].

** Although [[ManipulativeBastard Adrian]] seems to truly love his wife, he still murders her upon finding out the truth in order to dedicate his life full-time to vengeance. This calls to mind the character of [[Theatre/{{Othello}} Iago]].

** Felicity ''expects'' to get this from Oliver for being awol from her Team Arrow duties. Except Oliver tells her that she's worried about her since he knows she's keeping something shady from him -- KeepingSecretsSucks after all, but he won't press her from details.

* YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle: Dinah and Curtis explore Chase's mother's house when the hear a scream from upstairs. When they break into the room, they find Prometheus holding a knife at Susan's throat, on a television screen, on a loop.

* Foreshadowing: Early in thee episode, Curtis tells Oliver that the name of Talia's monastery translates as "demon something"

* KeepingSecretsSuck: Oliver lampshades this in his conversation with Felicity, seeming to have ''finally'' learned it after five years.

* IgnoredEpiphany: Even though he seems shaken by his wife's appearance and having to kill her, Adrian is back to his smug, sadistic persona merely moments after it.

* WhatTheHellHero: Curtis scolds Felicity when he realizes he is helping her hack Homeland Security and she refuses to tell him what this is all about.

* CombatPragmatist: Talia shows up in the final minutes of Prometheus and Green Arrow's battle and puts an arrow into the latter's left leg.

* MoralMyopia: Both Talia and Prometheus want revenge on Oliver for killing their fathers -- not caring that they were horrible people who killed scores of innocent people. Prometheus could at least make the argument that his father was killed in cold blood, while Ra's was more than capable of defending himself and was about to destroy an entire city just to ensure Oliver would become his heir.

** Prometheus reveals how much he knows about Oliver when he names drop Shado, whom ''no one'' outside of Slade and Shado's twin sister should know about.

* ColdBloodedTorture: Adrian puts Susan through it.

* CurbstompBattle: Anatoly and Oliver absolutely destroy Gregor and his men during the attack on the ice rink.
* DealWithTheDevil: Felicity quickly realizes she's over her head when Helix starts asking for a "quid pro quo" arrangement for their help and that includes asking for things like hacking into government drones.

* EvilGloating: Chase spends basically the entire episode with rubbing his superiority under Oliver's nose.

* MoralMyopia: Both Talia and Prometheus want revenge on Oliver for killing their fathers - not caring that they were horrible people who killed scores of innocent people. Prometheus could at least make the argument that his father was killed in cold blood, while Ra's was more than capable of defending himself.

* OhCrap: Oliver when Talia reveals her last name - Al-Ghul.

* WorthyOpponent: Oliver seems to regard Ra's as this. Whatever else he had least had honor - something his eldest daughter lacks.
* YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle: Tina and Curtis explore Chase's mother's house when the hear a scream from upstairs. When they break into the room, they find Prometheus holding a knife at Susan's throat, on a television screen, on a loop.
* YouKilledMyFather: Talia's justification for betraying Oliver - he killed her father.

** When going through Gregor's laptop, Anatoly and Oliver talk out loud about someone who could pull data off of a bullet-ridden laptop. Just months later, Oliver will find someone who is able to do so.

* YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle: Black Canary and Mr. Terrific explore Chase's mother's house when the hear a scream from upstairs. When they break into the room, they find Prometheus holding a knife at Susan's throat, on a television screen, on a loop.

* YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle: Black Canary and Mr. Terrific explore Chase's mother's house when the hear a scream from upstairs. When they break into the room, they find Prometheus holding a knife at Susan's throat, on television screen, on a loop.

* DiggingHimselfDeeper: Thanks to Adrian's manipulations every move that Oliver makes forces him to throw his Green Arrow alter ego under the bus and, by the end of the episode, the Green Arrow now has a shoot on sight order level=led against him.