Arrow - Season 1 Episode 3 - Recap and Review - Lone Gunman

One thing I loved about Arrow this week, right off the bat, is that the show is pushing itself far beyond the simple serialized format the pilot had suggested. I had expected week after week of Oliver (Stephen Amell) and Company checking villain after villain off of his father's hit list. "Lone Gunman" proved that the heart of the story surrounds the ever expanding depths of Arrow as a hero, and as episodes pass, it seems as though the business tycoons pegged as Queen's arch nemeses are more so target practice for bigger problems. We met Deadshot (Michael Rowe)!

The show opened with Ollie running through another one of his ridiculously vigorous training routines. I needed a protein shake just from watching him workout. James Holder was touted as the episode's business baddie but the guy barely survived a scene. I loved that! After having Oliver explain how the crook installed faulty fire alarms in low income housing to make some quick dough, the show rolled into what we've come to expect. Arrow showed up at the man's pool to give him a chance to confess, (we knew that wasn't happening) but before the man could get a word in edgewise, he was shot dead! The look on Arrow's face said, "hey, this is my job!" Doesn't Deadshot know how to be a vigilante?

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The issue is that Deadshot is not a vigilante, but another thorn in Arrow's side. When Oliver returned home to tend to his wounds, a nick from the bullet on his shoulder, he found himself feeling faint. The former party boy looked around dazed and confused. Had he become so used to boozing that he forgot he'd been partying this whole time? "Am I drunk?" No, he was poisoned. Quickly realizing this, Oliver whipped up an antidote using some handy supplies in his chest, allowing him to blackout in peace. He's used to this, guys.

Island flashback numero uno! Oliver woke up in a cave, which is always a good way to start your morning. The man who shot him with an arrow last episode was tending to his wound. Why was he shot? "For protection," uttered the man in some unknown language. Oliver looked at him, baffled by the lack of subtitles, but didn't hesitate to drink something gross while the foreign man ripped the arrow from his chest. Apparently, something dangerous is lurking on the island. Have you seen Lost? A little later on, Ollie got back to thinking of his days in the cave. Waiting for the friendly foe to fall asleep, Ollie made a run for it only to be scooped up in a big net. Later the hooded man cut him down just before some military-type figures could catch him.

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Thea (Willa Holland) was a real jerk this week. When the show first premiered she seemed a little mischievous yet fun. Then she became a troublemaker. Now's she's just obnoxious. We get it, you're acting out. For someone who's brother just washed up back on shore after being pronounced dead, she sure is set on butting heads with him. I thought there would be a little more of a balance between driving Oliver insane and being grateful for his return. This week, she broke into a clothing store wasted with her buddies and tried on clothes. Can't you just do that during the day? You can even do that drunk during the day. Just a thought, Thea. After dealing with those awful grown-ups knows as the police, Thea decided to take the day off. Her mother Moira (Susanna Thompson) barely gave it a thought, but Oliver interjected. Five years on an island breeds no tolerance for truancy. Thea ended up grounded for two weeks.

Detective Lance (Paul Blackthorne) knew something was up when he found a body floating dead in the pool, riddled with bullets. His partner seemed to think the single arrow found at the scene incriminated Arrow, but Lance knew better. "Maybe he just figured out that guns exist or something," pondered the partner. Wouldn't it be something if a team of police on a superhero-type show (or in a film) were actually adept? At least Lance seems to be capable.

Oliver did a little digging over the course of the next few days, and several more hits, to discover a few facts about the assassin. Deadshot's m.o. is the specific type of poison that lace his bullets. This is where we caught some of our first glimpses of Deadshot, tattooing the names of his kills across his body. Listen, I know he's a villain, but anyone who can self-tattoo themselves like that has a fan in me. That was just great work.

Let's get back to what's really important. Partying all around this week! Oliver brought Tommy Merlyn (Colin Donnell) and John Diggle (David Ramsey) to a new space he's considering buying in hopes of opening his own nightclub. Tommy was more concerned with doing the research via experience. As in, he was looking to go out to a club that was already in existence. Diggle wondered why Queen would want to open a nightclub in The Glades a.k.a. a very impoverished area. Digg wasn't so keen on the idea. White knight swoops in to stimulate the economy of a ghetto? Queen had other plans. He needs an excuse as to why he never comes home at night.

Bullets left by Deadshot were also of a specific variety; a variety used by the Russian mob. Fun times, Ollie. Queen found Alexi Leonov working at an auto body shop. He stormed in trying to look all smooth, calling them out for hiding a secret organization, and their leader Alexi, underneath their simple garage. Truth is, Alexi was right there working on a car. After witnessing Oliver break his partner's hand to disarm him, it became clear that Oliver was "a Captain." If not, they'd kill his entire family. Yeesh. We're still learning of Oliver's history and the processes of his training. Could Oliver be related to Deadshot? Scars in place of tattoos? He has a signature weapon, too. The men agreed to help Oliver look for the identity of the one known only as "Deadshot." Time for shots, by the way! Vodka.

Guess who else was looking to party this episode? Laurel's (Katie Cassidy) friend! Laurel's friend, we barely know you, but I enjoy your screen time. Laurel was "surfing the net." Cool, Laurel. After catching Laurel snooping for Oliver stories in tabloids online, her buddy suggested they go out for shots and to meet boys but mostly for shots! Laurel begrudgingly obliged. Guess who happened to be at the same club? Oliver and Tommy! Buzzkill. Poor Diggle got shafted at the door. Guess who else happened to be at the same club? Thea! Bigger buzzkill. Thea was already obliterated by the time those legally allowed to booze showed up. Old people suck. To piss off Ollie, she blew Tommy and Laurel's cover. They banged! Oliver seemed totally unfazed, no questions asked. Wow, that was easy. Leave, Thea.

Thea: "You're not my father. You're barely my brother."

Does she even go to this school?! Oliver slept with the owner's wife just before their wedding. Beatdown! The M.V.P. of the bar fight was... Laurel? Laurel was pretty damn good. She embarrassed Fuller enough to get banned from his lame-o club forever. Wear it like a medal, Laurel.

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After getting kicked out, Diggle took Tommy and Ollie to a diner where his sister-in-law worked. Here, we learned that John's brother was killed doing the same work he does. Meanwhile, Oliver and Tommy talked Laurel. Ollie really didn't seem to mind. He was either lost at sea or dead. It's kind of nice to think the girl you'd loved ends up with your best friend. Yes? No? Tommy, on the other hand, refused to take it that easy and followed up with profuse apologies. Even if Oliver had died, he felt bad doing it. Not that bad, I guess, because by the episode's end he got up the cajones to ask Laurel to go steady. "Circle 'yes' or 'no' if you want to trust that I'm a one woman kinda guy."

Detective Lance informed Oliver's family that the men being picked off by Deadshot are tied to one another. They're all bidding on the same company; the company Walter (Colin Salmon) is looking to buy through auction. Lance half threatened and half warned Walter with this information.

The Russians called Oliver at the diner and tipped him off to Deadshot's location. Hoping he'd be there, and he was, Arrow made a house call and... bang, bang, whoosh, whoosh! Bullets and arrows flew left and right until Deadshot made a run for it, leaving a blasted computer for Arrow.

Arrow took the computer to Felicity, (Emily Bett Rickards) who I'm pretty sure is going to stick around. She was a lot of fun to watch! Ollie tried to sell the bullet blasted computer as water damaged from some coffee, but Felicity was pretty sure it was destroyed by, well, bullets. After uncovering some blueprints, Oliver learned that Floyd Lawton, Deadshot, had been working for a bidder named Patel. The blueprints documented all of the known shooting locations at the company's auction.

Knowing he needed backup, Oliver sucked it up and informed Detective Lance of the possible shooting. Queen's whole family showed up at the auction, including Thea who had made nice with her mother. There was a strange bonding story over a mean stray cat and her father fibbing that it was a tiger. Somehow that cheered Thea up. What was important to note was that she was close with her father and they had a sense of trust.

Detective Lance's check-in went like this:

Unit 1: "Here."

Unit 2: "Here, too. Two's here."

Unit 3: "Me three."

Unit 4: "Yeah, duh."

Unit 5: "I'm not Deadshot."

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He was Deadshot. Queen, having realized his mother and sister were in attendance, enlisted Diggle to get them out of there. Deadshot started picking off wealthy cannon fodder left and right, ladies included, and Detective Lance saved Walter's skin.

It's morphin' time! Ollie became Arrow in the blink of an eye, and another battle with Deadshot occurred. Floyd acknowledged his enemy's skill right before taking an arrow through the big glass spectacle of an eye. Well... that was easy. He's not really dead, right? Diggle took a shot from one of Deadshot's bullets prior to the end of the fight, though. Ollie hadn't even seen him there, running to his rescue. After slipping him some antidote back in his lair, Arrow removed his hood to reveal his identity to John.

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What did you all think of this weeks episode? Is it me, or is this show getting better and better? Is Thea grating on you a little? Do you like Laurel and Tommy? Are you looking forward to maybe seeing Deadshot again? Who will end up Arrow's true confidant, Diggle or Merlyn?