After Thea’s return and Laurel’s burning desire to join the action last week, Arrow strikes back with the third season’s fourth episode for even more action. “The Magician” is all about the hunt for Sara’s killer and Malcolm Merlyn’s return to the city.

The episode kicks off with Nyssa making it to the Arrow’s lair. She asks about Sara, leaving after being devastated by the news of her death.

However, Oliver sends Roy right behind her (as she seems to know something) while he goes to dinner with Thea to catch up. Cue the first flashback, with Oliver on a mission to kill a terrorist while in Hong Kong!

Nyssa finds Laurel in front of Sara’s death, before Oliver meets her at Sara’s safe house. She hits him with the news that Malcolm Merlyn is alive and could be the one who killed their beloved one.

Back in the lair, the assassin joins the rest of the gang in the hunt for Sara’s murderer. They all start looking into Malcolm’s case for more evidence. When detective Lance appears to know something, they send in Laurel to say she’s got a call from her sister and get the address of a lead.

When the four arrive at the man’s door, they find out that Jansen’s been dead for quite a while and Malcolm is the one living there. He once again manages to make a not-so-sweet escape, receiving a little wound from an arrow…

When they all get back together, Oliver tells everyone they’ve got Merlyn tracked, thanks to the technology of the arrow that hit him.

However, Laurel is unhappy that he had the chance to kill him and didn’t do it, making Nyssa promise that she will put her sister’s killer down. Another flashback finds Mr. Queen murdering his target and getting a pair of keys from him.

While Roy’s helping Thea with the club and making sure she’s not near her father (they still don’t know she was with him all that time), Diggle directs Oliver to Malcolm’s position, since Felicity is over at Central City (as you might already know from The Flash).

It turns out Mr. Merlyn is driving him to an empty location but he makes sure they set a date at a public place. As soon as they meet, Malcolm claims he has nothing to do with Sara’s murder and he brings Thea’s life on the table.

Oliver makes sure he tells his sister that her father is alive and she acts oh-so-surprised and afraid, but baby-girl’s got some secrets of her own now, doesn’t she? Nyssa is the one who’s really not happy with the news though, as she refuses to believe Merlyn’s not Sara’s murderer.

The third flashback finds Oliver devastated that he killed a man without even knowing the reason. When he gets access to the computer of the family’s kid, he sets a date with Waller.

Jumping to the present, Roy and Thea get a visit from Nyssa as they exit the club. She takes Thea with her and sends Merlyn a message with a smoke signal, while the Arrow time is well aware. Nyssa reveals Malcolm is the one called the magician, as she fight-chats with Thea about whose father is the worst.

Oliver jumps in to set his sister free, before Merlyn appears and the fighting sequence begins, but the Arrow is fighting Nyssa along with his sister’s father, as he’s not willing to kill him. Even when she’s captured and he’s got another clear shot on him, he lets him go.

Heading back to the lair, the whole team meets with Felicity’s return, right after Nyssa punches Oliver and leaves with a threat.

One more flashback from Hong Kong reveals Ollie meeting Waller and explains more about their history.

As Laurel trains, Nyssa passes by to say goodbye and leave on a good word with her. Right after, detective Lance causes our hearts to melt by leaving Sara a message, still ignoring that she’s dead.

Oliver checks in on Thea’s well-being after she was kidnapped, and she offers Roy the position of assistant manager at the club.

Malcolm calls her to make sure she’s fine and promises to keep her safe, but the League of Assassins has different plans. The finale finds Nyssa returning to the League’s place and the super villain, Ra’s al Ghul, makes his first appearance, giving his two cents on the news brought by his daughter.

Make sure you watch this week’s episode, “The Magician”, to find out what he has in mind, and tune in next week for more action!

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