Warning: There are spoilers for the upcoming Arrow episode “The Offer” ahead!
Like The Flash, Arrow has been on hiatus over the past several weeks, but this Wednesday the show finally returns with the new episode “The Offer.” When we last saw Oliver Queen, he had broken into Nanda Parbat with John Diggle to rescue Malcolm Merlyn, but the two of them were soon caught. Rather than execute Oliver on the spot, Ra’s instead gives him a surprising offer: to become the next Ra’s al Ghul, i.e. the new leader of the League of Assassins. That’s one hell of a cliffhanger to leave fans on for three weeks!
When Oliver returns to Starling City this week, he’ll have a new villain to face off against, and the rest of the cast will also have their own problems to deal with. There are quite a few details we’ve learned from the episode description and preview, so here are the five most important things to know about Episode 16 of Arrow.
5. Oliver Is Seriously Considering Ra’s al Ghul’s Offer
It’s the norm to watch a villain try to eliminate a hero, but it’s not too often that said villain will give the hero a unique offer. In the preview, Ra’s tries to convince Oliver that eventually his city and allies will turn on him, but as leader of the League of Assassins, he could take his mission of justice to a global scale. Of course, Ra’s obviously has ulterior motives, and Stephen Amell has stated before that this offer is more of a demand, meaning that should Oliver refuse the proposal, the Demon’s Head is going to be pissed and take swift action against him. Whether Oliver accepts the offer or not, he’ll back taking a hard look at himself in this next episode and beyond.
4. A New Villain Is Terrorizing Starling City
Still weighed down by his last meeting with Ra’s al Ghul (guest star Matt Nable), Oliver (Stephen Amell) returns home to find a new villain and his crew have started terrorizing Starling City – Michael Amar AKA Murmur (guest star Adrian Glynn McMorran), a man whose mouth has been sewn shut.
What better homecoming to Starling City for Oliver (he said sarcastically) then a new criminal causing chaos on the streets? Murmur, may not be much of a talker, but with the men and firepower he’s seen with in the preview, he’s going to cause plenty of devastation. In the comics, Murmur is a Flash villain who sewed his mouth shut so he wouldn’t accidentally incriminate himself. Whether he’ll have the same backstory in Arrow is unknown, but after the terror Brick caused in The Glades two months back, having a new guy shooting up Starling City is the last thing Team Arrow needs.
3. Laurel And Nyssa Are Bonding
Meanwhile, Laurel (Katie Cassidy) and Nyssa (guest star Katrina Law) bond over their issues with their fathers and Nyssa make Laurel an offer.
The last time we saw Ra’s al Ghul’s daughter Nyssa, she had been captured by Team Arrow, only to be freed soon after by Thea after she confessed that she killed Sara. The next time we see Nyssa, she’ll be hanging out with Laurel and bonding together over their issues with their fathers. Nyssa is probably realizing that because of her relationship with Sara, her father will never let her lead the League of Assassins (especially not after giving Oliver that offer), and Laurel is dealing with her father’s anger after she lied to him about Sara. The promo pictures for this episode show they’ll be off on their own adventure, perhaps hunting Murmur separate from Team Arrow. What’s more intriguing is what Nyssa’s offer will be. Maybe she’ll suggest they become a pop music duo? No, probably not.
2. Thea Has To Deal With Malcolm Coming Back
Thea (Willa Holland) is forced to come to terms with her father after Oliver brings Malcolm (John Barrowman) to the loft to recover.
Apparently Nyssa didn’t feel the need to kill Thea, because she’s still breathing and dealing with her father being brought back to Starling City. You’d be hard-pressed to find an Arrow fan who is surprised that Thea turned her father over to the League of Assassins after learning he manipulated her. However, now that Oliver has rescued him from Nada Parbat, she has to deal with a man she basically sentenced to death recovering at the apartment. We know Oliver saved Malcolm so his death wouldn’t taint Thea’s soul, but in her eyes, Oliver risking his life for her murderous father was a mistake. Now that Malcolm has avoided his corporal punishment, she’ll find herself unsure of what to do next.
1. Quentin Lance Has Had It With Laurel And The Arrow
…and Lance (Paul Blackthorne) shuts out both Laurel and the Arrow.
Quentin was understandably upset when he learned that Sara was dead (the second time he’s had to go through that), but it was Laurel hiding her death from him that felt like a betrayal. We saw him push Laurel away in the previous episode, and now he’s going to do the same to The Arrow. Quentin has been an ally to The Arrow since Season 2 and even called off the city’s manhunt against him, but as with Laurel, he is upset that the hooded vigilante hid the truth about Sara’s death. One of the scenes shown in the trailer at this past weekend’s PaleyFest was of Quentin leading Starling City’s finest on a hunt against The Arrow and his team. Whatever alliance these two had is now gone, and Quentin will do whatever it takes to eliminate vigilantism from his city.
