Arrow Recap: "Taken" (4x15)

Damien Darhk has kidnapped Oliver's son. As Oliver tries to find Darhk, he realizes he needs to enlist help from outside of Star City. A magic-wielder from Detroit known as Vixen arrives to help save William. But rescuing William is only one of the problems Oliver faces in this episode. To save his son, his life, and his city, he may need to learn to do something else. This is Arrow.

(source)

Felicity gives herself a pep talk as she prepares to take her first steps with the implant. Oliver and her physical therapist--who is Curtis' husband Paul--stand on either side of her, offering their support. She falls, which discourages her. Paul gives her his own advice: be patient because healing takes time.

However, Felicity reveals her disappointment more openly as they head to the car. Oliver comforts her, but they're interrupted by the sudden--and creepy--appearance of Damien Darhk. (He literally just emerges out of the shadows of the car garage. Creeeeepy.) He makes a snarky comment toward Felicity and her wheelchair, which enrages Oliver. But Darhk uses his magic to hold Oliver back. Then, he reveals to Oliver that he has William and the only way to get him back is to drop out of the campaign race. Darhk leaves, which gives Felicity the opportunity to ask the question we've been waiting for: "Who's William?" Reluctantly, Oliver says, "He's my son."

(He is actually a terrible person.--source)

They return to the Arrow HQ, where Felicity spills her true feelings. She isn't mad Oliver has a son, she's upset he didn't tell her. He tries to explain that Samantha didn't give him a choice, but Team Arrow arrives. Oliver tells them about William. During this conversation, Oliver admits Thea, Barry, and even Malcolm Merlyn knew about William already. This makes Felicity even more upset.

Felicity: "Maybe it would be easier to name those who don't know about your son."

Samantha--William's mother--finds Oliver and demands he get her son back. Apparently, Barry Allen told her to talk to Oliver. Thus, Oliver tells Samantha he can get William back because he's the Green Arrow. (What? No way!) He takes her to the Arrow HQ to meet the rest of the team. Laurel steps up to comfort her (Laurel Lance wins this episode for this moment right here. Okay? She wins. All the points.), and Samantha is slightly embarrassed. She immediately apologizes for what happened. (She was with Oliver when Laurel was with Oliver.)

Team Arrow looks for options to stop Darhk and find William without Oliver forfeiting his mayoral campaign. They need someone to help battle Darhk's magic. Constantine can't help because he's in Hell. (Literally. He's in Hell. See any Winchesters down there, Constantine?) But Oliver knows someone else who can help: Vixen, a hero from Detroit. (Vixen is from an animated web series by the CW. In the show, she's interacted with other CW superhero characters like Oliver, Barry, Cisco and Laurel. Vixen is set in the same universe as Arrow and The Flash.)

(Ha ha ha.. I understood that reference.--source)

Vixen patrols the streets of Detroit, taking out bad guys. Oliver swoops in to help her out, but she doesn't need his help.

Thugs: Face us like a man!
Vixen: How about I kick your ass like a woman? 

Oliver and Vixen return to Arrow HQ, and he introduces her to everybody. Vixen says she can find William with magic. Her necklace is a special amulet that gives her the ability to possess the power of animals. Samantha gives her William's Flash action figure, which Vixen uses to "smell" William's location. Team Arrow heads out, following her lead. This leaves Samantha alone with Felicity. (Dis gonna be good.)

(I actually love her.--source)

Thea makes a pit stop at her apartment where Malcom creepily hangs around waiting for her. (Okay, but is it a villain requirement for them to creepily hang out in the shadows waiting for opportunities to pop out and say, "Ta-da!"?) She confronts him about telling Darhk about William, but he doesn't give her a straight answer. (Of course not. That would be too simple for Malcolm Merlyn.)

While Vixen uses her magic around the city, Diggle talks to Oliver about William. (Daddy Diggle is just so cute.) Samantha helps Felicity create a search profile for William, but they soon divert to discussing Oliver. She tries to tell Felicity that keeping William a secret was her fault; she forced him to choose. Laurel enlists her father to help with the search. Lance isn't at all surprised Oliver has a son. However, he has to comfort Laurel, who realizes that Oliver cheating on her is still a tender subject. (Okay, is this their initial build-up for Laurel and Oliver to end up together eventually? Because I keep thinking the writers are giving Oliver and Laurel more opportunities together to remember they used to date.)

They locate William and begin their attack. They have to fight their way into the building. Meanwhile, Darhk is looking unconcerned and pretty smug. Oliver crashes through the window, but William isn't there--only Darhk. He quickly pins Oliver down with his magic. Vixen arrives, but Darhk's magic is too powerful for her. She does a crazy blue magic mist thing, and Darhk lets go, but then he thrusts Oliver out the window. Vixen just barely manages to catch him. Darhk escapes, and Vixen loses track of William. (Dun-dun-DUN!)

(Her powers are fabulous.--source)

They regroup at HQ. Darhk calls Oliver to boast. He tells Oliver to drop out of the race and give his support to Ms. Adams if he wants William back. Vixen explains how her magic works--through the amulet. She wonders if Darhk has some kind of item to help him do magic too. Fortunately, Lance has witnessed this item--the idol. Oliver holds a press conference to suspend his campaign and announce his support of Ms. Adams. Vixen figures out that Darhk gets his power from ley lines--"wi-fi" for magic. If they use the ley lines, they could find where he is pulling his power from. Darhk hasn't given William back, which makes Samantha upset.

(This is Felicity's best moment of the episode.--source)

Vixen gives Oliver a pep talk since he feels like he's failing. (Remember the whole Oliver carries the weight of the world on his shoulders thing? Yeah. Poor Ollie.) Vixen tells Oliver that maybe when they get William back Oliver needs to let him go. She herself was a foster child, who wondered about her parents. Yet when she learned the truth as an adult, she realized she would never be prepared for the answers. Perhaps letting William go would give him his childhood.

Felicity uses her awesomeness to locate Darhk. But Darhk calls to tell Oliver he'll release William in three hours, safe and sound. Team Arrow thinks they should still go after Darhk now while they've got the choice. Oliver lets Samantha decide since it's her son. She tells him to go after Darhk and get their son back.

Oliver: "He's your son. It's your call."
Samantha: "He's your son too, Oliver. Get him back and take this son of a bitch Darhk out."

(Thea deserves some points for this, though. Heck yes!--source)

Team Arrow moves toward their target. Vixen's powers rock. She distracts Darhk, then leaps over his head to grab the idol. She races out of the house and into the woods. Laurel and Thea arrive to help Oliver take out the Ghosts. However, Darhk comes out and uses his "force choke" on them. Separating Darhk from the idol didn't stop him. So, Vixen uses her epic powers to smash the idol. William comes out of the house and tells Darhk not to hurt the heroes. But once Vixen smashes the idol, Darhk loses his powers. Oliver fights Darhk--and for the first time he wins. Then, Team Arrow takes off, letting the police take care of the aftermath.

Lance brings William to Samantha at the precinct. She gives him the Flash action figure, but he tells her he wants a Green Arrow action figure now. (D'awww.) Lance tells Oliver and Thea that Darhk didn't kidnap William--a man with a missing hand did. (Malcolm! You no-good-dirty-rotten-kid-stealing-great-great traitor!)

(I'm crying. Of laughter.--source)

Oliver thanks Vixen for her help. She reminds him to think about what would be best for William before leaving. (Please come back soon, Vixen!) Thea confronts Malcolm about William. He claims he did it for them. (Right.) Thea isn't happy; she tells Malcolm she's done with him, for good this time. (God bless Thea for not putting up with any more of his trash.) He tells her without him she would be nothing, she would be dead. He tells her she doesn't know what's coming, she can't see the big picture. Then he tells her he'd rather she hated him and she lived than she loved him and she died. He leaves. (Wow, that's colder than Captain Cold's heart.)

Vixen: "The best thing my parents ever gave me was that freedom. Well, that and this totem, that makes me a total badass."
Oliver: "You don't need a totem for that."
Vixen: "Damn right, I don't."

Oliver makes a video for William to watch when he's eighteen. He explains that he is his father, that he is the Green Arrow, that he asked Samantha to take him far away so he'd be safe and have the chance to enjoy his childhood. As he explains why  he can't be his father, clips of Diggle with Sara and Lance with Laurel go by.

(source)

Felicity comes in when he's finished. She says they need to talk. Then, she takes her engagement ring off and tells him she can't do this. She needs space, and he needs to learn how to rely on his partner. His secrets affected her more than she thought. As she talks, she realizes she can move her legs. To their astonishment, she stands and walks... right out the door. (Ouch...)

(I'm sorry, but this is hilarious.--source)

On the Island, Reiter moves forward with his plans to find his mystical device. He forces Oliver and Taiana to join him. They go to the newly dug tunnel, but before they can enter, a creepy, possessed version of Conklin appears and begins spouting off warnings in a foreign tongue. The soldiers and Reiter flee, leaving Oliver and Taiana behind. However, Conklin's ghost pauses and says to Oliver, "You are worthy to enter." Oliver's fancy tattoos from Constantine light up, and Conklin's ghost fades. Reiter returns, feeling victorious. He prods Oliver forward into the tunnel.

What did you think of "Taken"? What do you think is next for Oliver and Felicity?