'Arrow' Recap: Oliver Saves the City from Dangerous 'Vertigo'

In the "Arrow" episode "Vertigo," Oliver is feeling vengeful about the street drug that nearly got his sister killed. Digg remains the voice of reason, and Oliver and Thea learn it's good to have friends in all kinds of places.

Arrow uses his powers of persuasion on a drug dealer to get a name in relation to Vertigo: The Count. Before Oliver has a chance to pursue it, Digg reminds him it's more important to be at his sister's DUI hearing. His moral support is welcomed by Thea, but it's not enough. The judge decides to make an example of her and jail time seems imminent.

Oliver hopes that bringing down the Vertigo operation will be more important to the crime-weary judge than busting an 18-year-old first-time offender. He lines up a Plan B, however, surprising Laurel by asking her for a favor from her dad. Despite the long odds on Detective Lance helping Oliver, she agrees to try.

Laurel appeals to her dad on behalf of Thea, who reminds her of her sister Sarah. He's offended by the comparison, but she insists that his rosy memory of his daughter is far from the truth. She also notes that Sarah was just as responsible for being on that boat. Laurel asks him to put in a good word with the judge, for a troubled girl who needs help, not time in jail. He reluctantly agrees.

Oliver is relieved when the judge offers community service and two years probation. Unfortunately, Thea is so messed up that she refuses the plea deal because she wants to punish her mother for cheating. Oliver finally tells her that Dad wasn't such a nice guy after all, upsetting her and angering his mother.

Leaving his family in turmoil as usual, Oliver meets with his Russian mob contact under the pretense of getting into the drug trade. He offers money and the thin police file on The Count, which an old friend at the precinct showed him, in exchange for a meeting with the Vertigo maker. His fellow Russian captain agrees -- as long as he proves he's more than a wealthy brat by killing one of their enemies.

Digg is not happy when Oliver does as asked, putting the guy in a choke hold until he drops limply to the floor. Digg feels a lot better when Oliver carries the body out to the car, drops it into their trunk, and then revives the guy with a touch to his neck.

This leads to this week's flashback, where Oliver languishes in a makeshift cell and confronts a visiting Yao Fei. He feels betrayed and doesn't understand why the assassin protected him, only to turn him over later. He gets his answer when Fyers forces the two of them into a fight to the death, and Yao puts Oliver in that familiar choke hold. Yao makes sure he's the one to push his charge's body over a cliff, so it misses the rocks below and plunges into the rapids. Oliver revives, finds the map Yao slipped into his pocket, and realizes he's been saved after all.

Back in the real world, Digg and Oliver meet with The Count. He lets them know that 56 people died perfecting Vertigo. Just as they're completing the deal, the police show up in force. The Count escapes after injecting Oliver with a heavy dose of the drug, and our hero needs Digg to carry him off to safety.

Unfortunately, Detective Lance is waiting for him at home with Oliver's old friend McKenna Hall. When she confronts him about her seeing him at the drug deal, he quickly makes up a story about trying to get a look at The Count to help out Thea. The police let him off with a warning, but once they're gone, Oliver's mother lets him have it. He realizes her anger is more about him telling Thea the truth about Mr. Queen.

Thea turns up for the fight, and finds out her mother never told her the truth because she wanted to preserve her daughter's good memories of the father who loved her. The two reconcile, which thankfully leads to Thea taking the community service deal for her sentence.

Oliver once again uses Felicity's detective skills to analyze the drug he was injected with -- to track down the water supply it was made with. Still suffering from Vertigo side effects, Arrow ambushes The Count at his factory, destroying the drug-making equipment just as the police again show up on a tip. Lance stops Arrow before he kills The Count with a double dose of his own medicine, but enough of the drug gets into the villain's system to make his future bleak anyway.

Oliver is content that a dangerous drug lord is out of business and his sister is safely being mentored on her probation by Laurel. Then Felicity asks to meet him, and she nervously shares the book of names that Walter gave her before his disappearance. Oliver is clearly disturbed when she mentions that the book belongs to his mother. It seems Thea may have been right after all.

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'Nashville' Recaps, Season 1 Here!

Connie Britton and Eric Close star in "Nashville."

Welcome, "Nashville" fans to Season 1 recaps! (Season 2 is here.) If you've just discovered the show and want to catch up, or you missed an episode, or if you just want a refresher before the next installment, this is the post for you. I'm recapping "Nashville" for Yahoo!TV, and I'll put all the links right here. Bookmark it and you'll always know where to turn for every last twist and turn of Rayna and Juliette's lives. (And of course there's Teddy, and Deacon, and Scarlett, and Gunnar, and...more.)


Episode 1:  'Nashville' premiere recap: Music, politics, and good old-fashioned catfights

Top-level acting, fast-paced storytelling, and some darn good country music elevate "Nashville" from mere melodrama to seriously fun, quality TV.

Episode 2:  Love songs and love triangles

"Nashville" episode "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)" turned up the heat on our love triangles, throwing temptation and increasingly romantic duets in their paths to heartache.

Episode 3: 'Someday You'll Call My Name' reveals turmoil for Rayna, Juliette

Rayna's conflicts over money, family, and her career boil over in "Nashville" episode "Someday You'll Call My Name." Meanwhile, Juliette faces disappointment from both Deacon and her mother.

Episode 4: Will Juliette and Rayna ever tour again?

"Nashville" began with two country stars who didn't want to tour together. Now it looks like neither one will be touring at all.

Episode 5: Deacon and Juliette bail each other out in 'Move It on Over'

In this week's "Nashville," Juliette struggles with her mother's relapse, Scarlett sees Avery's jealousy and ambition clearly for the first time, and Teddy's campaign goes negative.

Episode 6:  Scarlett finally tells Avery 'You're Gonna Change (Or I'm Gonna Leave)'

"Nashville" episode "You're Gonna Change (Or I'm Gonna Leave)" puts shaky couple Avery and Scarlett to the test, while Juliette's PR penance just might land her in a decent relationship.


Episode 8: 'Nashville' recap: Juliette is ready to go 'Where He Leads Me'

In "Nashville" episode "Where He Leads Me," Juliette decides to get herself a new family, Deacon gets a golden opportunity, and Rayna finally learns the truth about Teddy and those photos.

Episode 9: Avery learns to 'Be Careful of Stones That You Throw,' Juliette runs from her troubles

In our latest "Nashville" recap, Avery learns that stepping on people on the way to the top has consequences, Juliette's elopement isn't all that she thought it would be, and Rayna tries to keep her marriage from completely disintegrating.

Episode 10: Juliette finally says 'I'm Sorry,' Deacon quits the band

"Nashville" episode: "I'm Sorry for You, My Friend. As much as she tries to run, Juliette finally has to face the music on her flight from the altar, and Rayna learns that replacing Deacon on tour isn't as easy as she thought it would be.

Episode 11: Juliette plays second fiddle to Rayna, Deacon falls apart

In "Nashville" episode "You Win Again," Juliette feels she's being ignored and belittled on the joint tour, Deacon suffers depression after quitting from the band, and Rayna gets wooed by another record company.

Episode 12: Is it the end for Rayna and Teddy?

In "Nashville" episode "I've Been Down That Road Before," Deacon causes more tension between Rayna and Teddy, and fires Juliette up about transitioning from pop diva to serious country music star.

Episode 13: Juliette goes diva (even more than usual), Rayna faces the end of her marriage 

In "Nashville" episode "There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight," Rayna faces the stress of her divorce and gets tempted by Liam, while Juliette tries to take over her own tour.

Episode 14: Deacon gets a birthday surprise, Gunnar gets tragic news

In "Nashville" episode "Dear Brother," Rayna and Teddy deal with tabloid fallout from their divorce, Juliette plans a party for Deacon, and Gunnar faces off with his gun-toting brother.

Episode 15: Maddie Acts Out, Juliette Causes Chaos, and Avery's Career Goes Up in Flames

In "Nashville" episode "When You're Tired of Breaking Other Hearts," Juliette turns a 50-person concert into a fan mob scene, and Rayna's troubled daughter Maddie gets caught up in the stampede.

Episode 16: Juliette Steals Her Mother's Sober Companion, Scarlett and Gunnar Clash Over Her Record Deal
 

In "Nashville" episode "I Saw the Light," Juliette continues her selfish ways, Rayna tries to talk her daughters out of being musicians, and Avery is forced to leave town.

Episode 17: Rayna Has a Revelation About Her Father, Juliette Puts All Her Trust in Dante

In "Nashville" episode "My Heart Would Know," Rayna learns more about her mother's affair, Dante takes over Juliette's life, and Scarlett tries to celebrate her record deal with an emotionally struggling Gunnar.

Episode 18: Rayna and Deacon struggle with their love, Dante proves he's worse than we thought 

"Nashville" episode "Take These Chains from My Heart" has love triangles galore, with new and old flames, and romance from unexpected sources. Meanwhile, Dante and Tandy do some serious scheming.

Episode 19: 'Nashville' Recap: Rayna and Deacon Romance Already in Trouble; Juliette Drowns Her Sorrows

In "Nashville" episode "Why Don't You Love Me," Juliette suffers from the after-effects of Dante's betrayal, but it may not be over yet. Rayna is troubled by the secret she must keep from Deacon.

Episode 20: The Rayna, Teddy Fight Gets Ugly; Jolene Takes Drastic Measures to Protect Juliette

In "Nashville" episode "A Picture from Life's Other Side," Teddy takes his anger over Rayna's relationship with Deacon to the courts. Meanwhile, Jolene decides to solve Juliette's blackmail problem herself.

Episode 21: 'Nashville' Season 1 Finale Recap: Juliette Mourns Her Mother; Deacon Spirals and Takes Rayna Down With Him

In the "Nashville" finale, "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive," Juliette finds out the truth about her mother's death, Teddy gets shocking news, and Deacon falls off the wagon. 

Watch "Nashville" on ABC, Wednesdays at 10/9c.

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PHOTO: Connie Britton and Eric Close in "Nashville", 2013 screencap, ABC, fair use.

'Arrow' Recap: Diggle Learns the Hard Way to 'Trust, but Verify'

In "Arrow" episode "Trust, but Verify," Oliver faces trust issues in both his family life and secret life. Twice he gets caught between a rock and a hard place; in a rift between his mother and sister; and between Diggle and one of the names on the list.

Thea is still curious about their mother's quick recovery from concerns over Walter's whereabouts. After witnessing a few furtive phone calls and doing some spying around corners, Thea comes to the erroneous conclusion that Moira is having an affair with Malcolm Merlyn. She also suspects this is something that went on while her father was still alive and led to arguments between her parents.

Oliver tries to reassure her, but Thea is adamant that her brother has blinders on to their lying, cheating mother. He finally questions his mother himself. She tells him that Malcolm is someone she goes to for business advice, and that Oliver's father actually cheated on her numerous times, which is why they argued. Oliver lets it go, but her manner is so suspicious he's starting to see Thea's side of things.

It turns out Malcolm is busy this week. He finally agrees to show Moira proof of Walter's life, in exchange for her "convincing" a friend to not attempt development in The Glades. In between manipulative meetings with her, he phones Tommy and extends an olive branch. Tommy reluctantly agrees to bring Laurel along for a family dinner. It all seems pleasant enough until Malcolm tries to get Tommy to sign off on closing down his deceased mother's free clinic, in an effort to "move on."

We learn that Tommy's mother was murdered when he was 8, possibly because of her work at the clinic. Afterward, Malcolm completely shut his son out for two years, and it seems this may be why and when Malcolm became the Dark Archer. Tommy leaves the dinner in disgust, convinced his father has never cared about him without some agenda involved. Laurel gets the impression that Malcolm thinks he's protecting Tommy from getting beaten down by the harsh cruelties of the world.

Meanwhile, Oliver investigates a string of deadly armored car robberies and traces the clues to a name on the list: Ted Gaynor. Diggle is stunned and refuses to believe that his commander in Afghanistan, who once saved his life, could be a criminal. He's so adamant that he interrupts Arrow's visit to Gaynor at his security firm and forces the hooded hero to flee. Oliver still manages to steal a storage disk from the office, and Felicity's hacking skills reveal the plans for robbing additional armored cars.

Oliver is furious with Digg, who has gotten a job at the security firm and demands he get the chance to prove Gaynor is innocent. He thinks another former soldier is at fault, but he learns the hard truth when he starts looking for evidence at the security firm. Caught snooping around, Digg is forced to accept that Gaynor is on some greedy mission to recapture the power he had as a soldier. They've kidnapped Digg's sister-in-law, Carly, forcing him to do one last job with them in return for her safety.

Luckily Oliver planted a listening device on Digg and shows up in time to see him thwart the robbery. Digg protects Carly, and Arrow's there to launch an arrow into Gaynor when Digg hesitates over killing his former friend. Digg reveals that he knew Oliver was tracking him, and that it's obvious he doesn't trust him. Oliver says he trusted him but not the guys he was with. Oliver later confesses to Digg that because of his time on the island, he has a hard time trusting anyone, but he'll try to do better.

This leads us to this week's flashback, where Oliver dons the black balaclava of his first victim and tries to infiltrate the camp where his mentor Yao Fei was taken. He ends up in a jeep with Fyers, who is suspicious about this soldier's recent arrival on the island. As he gets a tour of the prison cells, Oliver thinks he's doing OK, but soon he's been knocked to the ground and unmasked. Fyers tells him that he has put his trust in the wrong place and reveals that the masked man next to him is none other than Yao Fei.

Back in the present, Thea sees Moira once again with Malcolm at her birthday, and it reinforces her suspicions. Distraught, she takes some "Vertigo" that her friends brought her and drives her new convertible...right off the road. At the hospital, she refuses to speak to her mother. She's eventually treated and released, but she can't go home. Her blood work has come back, and in front of a shocked and disappointed Oliver, she's arrested for driving under the influence.

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'Arrow' Recap: Oliver Tracks a Fireman-Killer and Nearly Gets 'Burned'

In the "Arrow" episode "Burned," Oliver and his mother both avoid their responsibilities under the pretext of caring for their family. Oliver's difficulties result from his run-in with the Dark Archer, and Moira is struggling with the absence of yet another husband.

Our hero is healing physically at the start of "Burned," but we can see psychologically he's been damaged. Digg tries to get to the bottom of why Arrow isn't picking up with the list again, but Oliver puts him off, letting him know that his troubled family comes first.

Moira has been housebound for weeks now, unwilling to even come to dinner with her children. When Oliver asks Thea what snapped their mother out of her depression over their father's death, she tells him that Walter was the one that finally got her out of the house. This time, a solution seems less clear.

Despite his reluctance to get back into the vigilante game, Oliver finds it difficult to avoid it when Laurel needs Arrow's assistance. Her best friend at work, Joanna, has just lost her firefighter brother in an accident. The report of the fire, however, indicates he may have been murdered.

Laurel goes to her father for help, but his hands are tied with bureaucracy. She happens to be there when a forensics tech returns Arrow's phone to Detective Lance, saying it's untraceable. When he explains that it's a way to contact "The Hood," she, of course, steals it and contacts the vigilante herself.

Oliver shows up at her apartment in full archer gear, keeping turned away from her and altering his voice electronically. He agrees to look into the case. Digg is surprised when Oliver tells him to find out what he can so that they can give the information to the police, instead of dealing with it himself.

In this week's flashback, we see Oliver all alone on the island after his protector is captured. He's pursued into the woods, and a frightening altercation leads to a tumble down a cliff. Oliver plucks himself from the waters below, but his enemy lies broken on the rocks. It's the rich playboy's first kill in combat. He buries the man and takes his gear, finding multiple keys and a map of the island.

Back in the present, Digg follows the clues about a truck at the original fire and discovers another potential murder in progress. Oliver is forced to suit up as Arrow, but he gets there too late; the killer overpowers him and escapes behind a wall of fire.

Shaken by the experience, he tries to disentangle himself from the case, but he's unable to leave Laurel on her own for too long. When he talks it over with Digg, he shares that all the time on the island, he never feared death because he had nothing to live for. Now he feels he does, and he's worried that it's a weakness. Digg tells him that he needs to consider it a strength -- to have something worth fighting for.

Oliver and Laurel's investigations eventually lead to a fireman who was supposedly killed in a high-rise blaze years before, left alone after his company was called to retreat. Escaping the fire with severe burns, he sought revenge on those he felt abandoned him.

The disfigured killer appears at the fireman's benefit party Tommy's hosting at Oliver's future nightclub, targeting his final victim, the fire chief. He sets the warehouse ablaze, sending the guests running. Digg helps get everyone to safety, and Oliver zips to his secret lair to don his archer gear, returning just in time to keep the fire chief from being burned alive. He tries to talk the killer into seeking help, but it's too late; he's too mentally damaged, and he walks into the blaze to let it consume him this time.

Back at home, Oliver is pleased that a news report calls the "vigilante" a hero. Then he discovers that his mother has snapped out of her depression, thanks to an angry motivational speech from Thea. He's happy she has decided to step up and take Walter's place in the company, but Thea is suspicious at the quick turnaround from Moira.

Laurel gets confronted by Detective Lance about the phone she stole, but to her surprise, he tells her to keep it. He says he's happy there's someone else out there helping keep her out of danger. But then we find out that he's bugged the phone, so that he can use it to track down the vigilante. "Using your daughter as bait," a police tech marvels. "That's cold."

Catch up on all the recaps here!