'Arrow' Recap: 'Taken' Season 4 Episode 15, Team Arrow and Vixen V.S. Darhk
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It looks like Oliver is going to have to go Liam Neeson in CWTV's Arrow. In "Taken," episode 15 of season four, Oliver's worse nightmare comes true when he learns that William has been kidnapped.
When Oliver learns that Damien Darhk has taken William he seeks out the help of Mari McCabe a.k.a Vixen. Vixen has the ability to summon the power of animals. So, Oliver has her use her powers to track down Darhk and she is able to find a lock on his location.
With Malcolm helping Darhk, things get complicated during a heart-to-heart with his daughter Thea.
Felicity finds out that Oliver has a son as she along with Diggle, Laurel and Thea have to come together to stop Darhk with some help from Vixen.
We jump right into the episode as Felicity gets ready to walk in therapy. Curtis' husband and Oliver are there to help Felicity as tries to take her first steps but she stumbles and Oliver is there to catch her. She is discouraged at first but Curtis' husband tells her a story about patience and the how he and Curtis met.
He tells her that those things take time.
In a flashback Taiana and Oliver realize that they are all going to die when Reiter comes up and tells them that he wants them by his side as they come up on the prize he has been searching for.
Oliver and Felicity make their way to the car and she gets a bit emotional because she is disappointed. She wants to be able to walk on their wedding day. The moment is ruined by Darhk and when Oliver tries to attack him, Darhk uses his powers.
Felicity says that they have powerful friends and that Darhk should watch himself. However, Darhk hands Oliver a photo of William and tells Oliver that he has until 6PM to drop out of the race.
Felicity asks Oliver who William is and he tells her it's his son.
Oliver is pleading with Felicity to say something and he says he can explain but she doesn't want to hear anything. She says she doesn't care that he has a child, she is upset that he has a child that he couldn't tell her about. Oliver reveals that Samantha told him he had to keep William a secret. She thinks that the ultimatum is ridiculous. The rest of the team joins them and are up to speed on Oliver's son.
Thea already knows and so does Malcolm. When Felicity hears that Malcolm knows, she says maybe it would be better for him to list the people that don't know about his son.
Samantha is also on her way to Oliver's campaign office. Samantha is there in a panic and she is regretting letting Oliver into William's life.
She tells Oliver that she went upstairs to get him for dinner and he was gone. She had the police looking everywhere and says that Barry actually told her that she needed to talk to Oliver about it. Samantha asks Oliver what he can do that the entire police department can. He is forced to tell her that he is the Green Arrow.
He takes her down to the lair where she meets the rest of the team and Samantha actually apologizes to Laurel. Oliver asks if CCPD had anything else and when he realizes hey don't have anything he vows to fight harder and stronger.
However, Felicity tells them that they need a new plan.
They think about Constantine but he is literally in Hell. So, Oliver suggests his friend Mari, who calls herself Vixen and possesses mythical powers. Meanwhile, Vixen is busy kicking some butt. The Green Arrow actually ends up saving her from a surprise attack. She tells him she had it under control and he replied by saying that he knows.
He then tells Vixen that he needs her help. Vixen follows Oliver back to the lair where she meets a familiar face in Laurel.
Oliver talks about an animated encounter with Vixen and reveals that's how they met. Vixen says that she can channel the spirit of any animal and Samantha presents her with a Flash action figure, William's favorite toy.
Mari tells Oliver not to say a word to Barry about her sniffing his toy and she manages to locate William. The team disperses in their mini missions. In a flashback, Reiter unleashes something creepy and evil in Conklin. It's as if he is possessed.
In present day, Thea meets with Malcolm and they are actually pretty civil. Malcolm says that Oliver took the league away and gave it to Nyssa.
The conversation turns sour when Thea asks him if that was more important than saving her.
She then asks if he told Darhk about William. He won't give her a strange answer and just told her that whatever he is doing is for the greater good.
Vixen soars arounf the city as Diggle and Oliver have a heart-to-heart and Diggle tells him he needs to focus on getting his boy back safe. Oliver asks Diggle how he handles being a father and fighting crime. Diggle tells Oliver that he is there for his daughter and she knows that he will do anything to keep him safe.
Felicity and Samantha are working on getting a better description of what William was wearing last. During the conversation Samantha tries to make things right by admitting that she was the one that made Oliver choose between William and her.
Laurel meets with Lance and she reveals that Oliver was with Samantha while they were together. It still hurt Laurel and her father has to comfort her when she is driven to tears. Laurel gets a message from Oliver who knows where William is. The team sets out on their mission and Oliver is fighting like a man possessed, with a little help from Diggle, Speedy and Black Canary. The team seems so in sync and complete.
The Green Arrows bursts in on Darhk who mocks him. Arrow demands to know where William is and when he doesn't answer, Vixen tries to help. She and Oliver are trapped for a bit but she uses her powers to fight back against Darhk.
They start fighting again but Darhk tosses Oliver out of the window and Vixen has to catch him. The rest of the team walks in but Darhk is gone and Vixen can't trace William anymore.
Oliver hangs up his bow at the lair and Samantha learns that there was a setback. Oliver receives a phone call from Darhk who tells him that some of his friends stopped by at his place and were very rude. Oliver demands to know that his son is safe. Darhk is forcing Oliver to drop out of the race earlier and endorse Ruve.
Oliver tells Thea to let Alex know about the plan. Vixen tells Oliver she is sorry then reveals that Darhk might have an idol that he draws power from. Lance confirms that and he decides to draw it up.
A flashback occurs where Reiter and Oliver are trying to figure out what the possessed Conklin is saying but they can't. His men fire at Conklin but it does no harm. Conklin vows to kill them all and Reiter takes off leaving Oliver, Taiana and his men.
Conklin says that Oliver is ready to pass and his wound begins glowing. In present day, Oliver drops out of the race and throws his support at Ruve.
He thanks his supporters and tells them that what they have done will not be forgotten.
Alex is packing his things up when Oliver walks up. Alex tells him that he was leading but Oliver just apologizes for dropping out. Oliver is also sorry because he can't give Alex an explanation. Felicity is there in the aftermath and reveals that Samantha told her about the ultimatum.
Oliver says he should have made more of an effort to be a part of William's life. Just then, Oliver gets a call from Mari who says that Darhk's idol is very rare and powerful.
She tells the team that the idol is connected to one of the Earth's lay-lines. The team gathers their roles together once again but Samantha is livid because they don't have William back.
Mari meets Oliver in private and tells him not to beat himself up. He tells her about the last time he made a bargain with Darhk and she tells him that they will get William back. Vixen tells him to consider letting William go and she tells him she overheard him talking to Felicity.
Oliver says a boy should know who his father is however, Mari says when she was younger, she realizes that she wasn't ready for the burden of her family secrets.
She tells him the best thing he can do is give William his childhood.
The team figures out that Darhk moves the idol around and they find Darhk's location. Just then, Darhk calls and says that William will be released.
The rest of the team wants to take out Darhk's idol but Oliver leaves the decision up to Samantha. She tells him to get William back and then take out Darhk.
The team has their sites set on the attack. It begins and Darhk realizes that something is wrong. Vixen makes the first move on Darhk and but it was all a distraction to steal his idol. Canary, Speedy and Oliver are kicking ass outside but Darhk comes outside and appears to still have all of his power. He has most of the team by their throat and Felicity says they have to go to plan B. Vixen begins destroying the Talisman and William comes outside to see darhk hurting his favorite heroes. Vixen destroys the Talisman and Darhk's power wears away. Oliver puts a beat down on Darhk and William is there to witness it. The police are on their way and Oliver is forced to leave William. Most likely to prove that Darhk is responsible for the kidnapping.
William is reunited with Samantha thanks to Lance and he is in perfect health. She presents him with his Flash toy and tells his mother he wants a Green Arrow action figure. Oliver asks if William is okay and Lance reveals that Darhk didn't take William, a man with a missing hand, Malcolm did.
In the final flashback, Reiter tells Oliver that he knew he would survive and presents a whole other problem. Oliver stares out a huge hole where Conklin escaped.
Oliver thanks Mari in present day and she tells him to take care of himself. She says she is only just a phone call away. Thea is back at her place and immediately tells Malcolm that she knows he took William. He tells her that he did it for them but Thea says she isn't doing it anymore.
She says that she is not going to listen to his lies anymore. She brings up Robert, the man who raised her and says that she threw that all away when she started listening to him.
Malcolm tells her that he turned her from a spoiled brat to a warrior and never got anything in return.
He says she is not looking at the bigger picture and he rathers her hate him and be alive than love him and wind up dead.
Oliver records a message to his son William that he will likely deliver to him when the time is right. He confesses on video that he is the Green Arrow and that's why he decided to keep William out of his life for all the years. He says what happened to him in Central City was because of him.
Oliver asked Samantha to take William far away and not to tell anyone, including him. The video will not be given to William until his 18th birthday. Oliver says goodbye to his son and hopes it's not forever.
Felicity comes in and tells Oliver they need to talk. She puts the ring on the table and tells him that she can't do it. Felicity says that she needs space and that Oliver should have told her.
She says that marriage is about inclusion and leaning on your partner when things get complicated. He says that he is trying but she says she was left out of the decision to send William away.
Then, something happens, Felicity's leg twitches. She stands up and begins walking but she walks out of Oliver's home.
"Taken" was a pretty special Arrow episode because it introduces another one of DC's celebrated characters.
The fight is not over and are just seven episodes left in season four.
Is team arrow going to pull out a full victory this season? Fans who want more Arrow extras can head over to The CW to find out updates as season four continues to progress.
Photos that sum up tonights episode.
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