Oliver wakes up on a couch and discovers that he's dressed in a suit. A football game is playing on the TV, and William, Mia, and Connor come in. Mia wonders why Oliver is still there, and Oliver tells them that the last thing he remembers was on a rooftop being tranqed by Lyla. Oliver explains that Diggle said it was a big misunderstanding, and William informs Oliver that he said they don't need the wave generator. Connor tells Oliver that Diggle is at a fundraiser at Palm Tech, and Mia hands Oliver an invitation.
At the fundraiser, Oliver bumps into a waitress. Diggle tells Oliver that the party started an hour ago, and Lyla feels awful about tranqing them two days ago. Oliver explains that it's the last thing he remembered before he woke up in the apartment, and says Lyla is working with the Monitor. Lyla comes over and reminds Oliver that she told them on the roof that she's been a double agent. Rene comes over and tells Oliver that the mayor is looking for him, and leads him over. He reminds him that he's making joint remarks with the mayor, and Oliver asks when Palmer Tech got rebuilt. Rene says that the mayor--"he"--is waiting for Oliver, and Quentin comes up.
Quentin wants to run some changes to the speech past Oliver. Oliver insists that it isn't possible, and says that it's been a while since he's seen Quentin. Quentin knows that Oliver unmasked and went to Slabside, which happened after Quentin died. He says that he almost died in the OR, and he somehow escaped his fate. Rene says that there's a hostage situation at the SCPD and the leader, Vincent, is demanding Quentin. Quentin insists on going and Oliver insists on going with him as Green Arrow.
At the SCPD, Dinah tells Quentin and Arrow that armed mercs stormed the precinct house. She refuses to send Quentin inside, but Dinah refuses and Arrow agrees. Despite that Quentin, says that he'll distract the mercs while they go in the back and take them out. Arrow says that he'll have Quentin's back, and Dinah reluctantly agrees.
Quentin enters the precinct house.
Arrow takes out the mercs guarding the outside and tells Quentin over the earbud to stall. Quentin tells Vincent that they can talk alone, but Vincent refuses to release his hostages. Arrow comes in and shoots the gun out of Vincent's hand, and says that it's over. Vincent says that it isn't over until Oliver stops it, takes out a detonator, and hits the button. A bomb blows up under the building.
Oliver wakes up on a couch with the same football game, and the clock showing the same time it was before. Mia, William, and Connor come in holding the same conversation they did the first time. Oliver asks them if something happened at the SCPD HQ, and then goes to the fundraiser. Oliver bumps into the waitress again, and tells Diggle that he's been there and figures that the Monitor dropped him into a time loop. He says that he needs to break the loop by stopping the bomb, but Diggle doesn't believe him. Lyla comes over, and Oliver goes over to talk to Quentin. Oliver says that they need to talk, and repeats what Quentin said the first time. He explains about the time loop and how it ends with the two of them dead. Quentin believes Oliver, and Oliver says that they'll learn about the hostage situation at the SCPD.
The events repeat themselves and Arrow tells Dinah that there's a bomb beneath the building. Quentin backs him up, and Quentin calls the mercs to say that he's coming in. Meanwhile, Arrow finds Laurel in the precinct house's basement. She says that they're both there for the same thing and says that the Monitor has trapped them in a time loop. Laurel wakes up in the bunker each time, and they figure the Monitor is punishing them. When Arrow mentions that Quentin is upstairs, Laurel stares at him in shock. The bomb arms itself, and Laurel and Arrow plan where to meet in the next loop.
The loop repeats itself, and Oliver goes to the fundraiser. He avoids the waitress and repeats his conversation with Quentin to Quentin. Laurel comes in and Quentin greets his daughter. She hugs him and says that she's happy to see him, and Quentin knows that she's the Earth-2 Laurel. Oliver takes them both to the SCPD and tells Dinah that there's a bomb. Black Canary and Dinah go to the basement and try to defuse the bomb, and Arrow fights his way into the precinct house. Dinah figures out how to stop the bomb, but Arrow and Black Canary are still there. Vincent manages to shoot Quentin.
In the next loop, Oliver and Laurel meet at the fundraiser. Oliver figures that Quentin's death is the reset point, and they have to save him to break the loop. He figures that there's a larger conspiracy at work, and tells Laurel to take Quentin to the bunker while he looks at the bomb. Lyla approaches Laurel and Laurel tells her that once they get out of the loop, she's going to tell everyone that Lyla is a traitor. When Lyla says that what's happening is on Laurel, Laurel threatens Lyla, telling tells her that she won't remember and walks off.
Oliver finds the bomb, and Diggle arrives in response to Arrow calling in a bomb threat. When Oliver tells him about the time loop, Diggle concedes the possibility and assures Oliver that he'll figure it out because he never stops fighting. Oliver suggests that Diggle get him into ARGUS so he can use their equipment to analyze the bomb.
Laurel takes Quentin to the bunker and tells him about the loop. She explains that in the real world, Quentin isn't the mayor. Quentin realizes that there's more, and Laurel finally tells him that in the real reality, Quentin died saving her. He says that it's the best way he could have gone, and explains that he always felt he cheated death. Oliver texts Laurel saying he figured out the location of the mercs' hideout, and the two of them head there.
Arrow, Black Canary, and Quentin break into the hideout, and Arrow tells Black Canary that he traced the bomb's chemical signature to the building. They find a laptop and when Quentin activates it, it sets off a bomb. It goes off as they run, and Lyla walks out and says that Arrow can't fight it and she's trying to help him. She then shoots Quentin dead.
In the next loop, Oliver and Laurel meet at the fundraiser. There's no sign of Lyla there, and there's no sign she's been there. They wonder why Lyla revealed her hand, and Laurel remembers Lyla saying that it was Laurel's fault they're in the loop. Oliver isn't so sure the Monitor is punish them, and Oliver says that Lyla said she's trying to help her. He figures the loop is a test but doesn't know of what, and vows to find a way out. Oliver says that they'll go back to the hideout and do things differently, and tells her to get Quentin.
The team goes to the hideout and Arrow defuses the bomb. They turn on the laptop and check the files to discover that Anderson White hired the mercs to kill Quentin. White is a cop, and they discover that he's a CEO of a company at the docks. They go there and mercs open fire. One of them hits Quentin, wounding him, and Black Canary gets him to a stairwell while Arrow goes after the others. Black Canary refuses to let Quentin die again, but he says that it's too late. She says that he believed in her when nobody else did, and tells Quentin that he's the reason she's trying to be a hero. Quentin tells her that she is a hero and Laurel thanks him, saying she never had the chance to tell him what he meant to her. He says that he loves her and dies, and Laurel weeps over his body. Arrow arrives and curses, and says that they'll fix it. Laurel tells him that she can't do it again, and all she wanted was a chance to say goodbye to Quentin.
In the next loop, Oliver goes to the bunker and calls to Laurel. Lyla steps out and says that Laurel is gone because she got what she wanted. She says that the Monitor wants Oliver to understand that the only way to win is to accept the inevitable, and disappears in a flash of light.
Arrow takes Quentin to White's office and the man there triggers a button before Arrow can knock him out. Merc arrive and they find a list of targets. As the two men go out in the hallway, security guards attack them. They fight their way out and Quentin is wounded in the side. Arrow takes on the guards in hand-to-hand, and then leads Quentin out. He finally takes out all of the guards, but more move in and Arrow realizes that he's out of arrows. Arrow insists that they're figure a way out of the loop no matter how many times it takes. Quentin says that it's like when he pursued Arrow, and suggests that maybe Oliver isn't supposed to save him. Arrow refuses to give up or let Quentin give up, and Quentin says that he's giving in. When Diaz shot Quentin, it felt like he was at the end and he made peace with it... and suggests that Arrow do the same.
The guards train targeting sites into the room, and Arrow tells Quentin to get ready to move. Quentin removes his vest and steps out into the laser sites, and a shot rings out.
In the next loop, Oliver wakes up in the apartment. He turns off the TV, picks up the invitation, and William, Mia, and Connor arrive. Oliver tells them that it's been a gift getting to know them. Connor figures that he's talking about Crisis, and Oliver says that he's proud of them. As Oliver goes, Mia tells him that he's going to be fine and Oliver says that they all will be whatever happens.
At the fundraiser, Oliver finds Quentin and talks to him privately. He asks Quentin about when he was trying to arrest him, and asks what made him decide he wasn't his enemy. Quentin tells him that his daughters were okay with him so he figured he should be, and he realized they were fighting on the same side. Oliver figures that he's been hanging onto something and someone said he should make his peace with it. He says goodbye to Quentin and thanks him for everything, then walks out. Rene leads Quentin away, and Oliver hopes that they'll see each other again.
Oliver leaves the room and finds himself in an empty office. Lyla appears and congratulates him on finally understanding. Oliver admits that he couldn't change Quentin's fate or his, and Lyla says that she's sorry. Lyla explains that Oliver had to see things for himself, and Oliver points out that she lied to all of them, including Diggle. She believes that working with the Monitor is the only way to protect her family, and says that soon Oliver will know what the Crisis is. Lyla says that there's an evil coming that is greater than anything they had to face, and she doesn't know if they can stop it... but Oliver is the only chance that they have. She explains that all of the things that the Monitor has had Oliver gather have a purpose, and he let Oliver meet his children because time is a gift.
Lyla tells Oliver that now he completes his final mission. There's a flash of light, and Oliver and Laurel wake up in a tent in a jungle. Oliver says that they got out because they learned their lessons, and explains the Monitor let her see Quentin one last time because she didn't betray him. He explains that deep down he believed that he could fight his fate, and now he knows that he can't. They leave the tent on their final mission, and realize that they're on Lian Yu. Mia and the others are there and ask where they are, and Oliver tells them.
Written by Gadfly on Nov 27, 2019