Ready to roll with the Arrow Season 4 Episode 11 A.W.O.L. Recap. Spoilers ahead.

We begin with Lyla and Diggle walking home from having dinner, regretting not having taken the car so they won’t be late for the babysitter. A man appears out of the shadows looking for Lyla, and identifying himself as Chang, an ARGUS agent who has been compromised. Lyla tells him she doesn’t work for ARGUS anymore, and he says that’s exactly why has has come to her. He starts to tell her to contact Agent Waller, the head of ARGUS when a van of gunmen drive up and snatches Chang. Diggle is caught in the crossfire and cops a bullet to the arm. They give chase to the van, and Diggle is dragged along the road but eventually loses his grip and the van gets away. Should have taken the car, says Diggle.

Back at Oliver and Felicity’s super gorgeous apartment, Oliver is carrying Felicity down the stairs to her wheelchair. He fusses around, gets her her medication, a fluffy blankie and broaches the subject of her coming back to work for Team Arrow. She’s just not ready, and Oliver will have to track down Darhk without her. He tells her that she still has her superpower, her mind. But there’s a lot on it a the moment, she replies. Oliver gets a message from Diggle, telling him about the attack and her has to go. But her dinner is in the fridge, and just needs to be reheated in the oven! Who is this person, and what have you done with Oliver Queen?

At the Team Arrow bunker, or is it a lair? I can never remember, cave? Anyway, Oliver meets up with Diggle and Lyla, and Laurel and Thea. Lyla tells them that Chang must have been working off book for Amanda Weller, otherwise he would have gone to ARGUS for help. They agree that they have to find Chang before it’s too late. Laurel takes the bullet to SCPD to see if there are any matches, Thea goes to re-search the crime scene.

Diggle goes to see his brother Andy in his cell, and brings him a Big Belly Burger. From the noises coming out of Andy’s mouth that must be some burger. They discuss how John came to be working as a vigilante. John tells him they’re not fighting crime, they’re helping to save Star City, helping the community. John prompts Andy to remember what it felt like to be working to save something, not destroy it *cue flashback*.

Andy and John are serving in Afghanistan, and head out on a patrol and their trucks gets fired upon by Taliban insurgents protecting an opiate operation. The soldiers return fire, and John breaks cover to set a makeshift bomb in the road ahead of the Taliban vehicle. As the vehicle approaches, Andy puts himself in the line of fire and shoots the bomb, setting it off as the Taliban drive over it. When they arrive back in camp, John and Andy are put on security to guard the opium they have recovered. Some reward, says Andy. John replies, what did you expect, a kiss from the President?

At home Felicity is alone and super frustrated at not being able to get around as much as she would like.  She hits up the painkiller bottle, again, and almost immediately begin to hear someone speaking to her, telling her that three is maybe too many party favours to be having at the one time. She wheels about, checking for whoever is talking to her, saying, whoever you are, you picked the wrong woman, on the wrong night to mess with. What is going on, she says to herself, I’m losing my mind. Now I am talking to myself! Not exactly, we hear. Felicity turns, and it’s Goth Felicity?

Laurel enters a crime scene, as the Assistant DA I guess she can do that? Insults the cops so they bugger off, and lets Diggle in the check out the body. It’s Chang and he has numerous cuts, bruises, four missing fingernails (now that just gives me the heebs), oh and he is missing an eye.  Not the most pleasant way to go out I’m guessing.

Lyla and Diggle head over to ARGUS to see if Amanda Waller has any answers as to what Chang was up to. Being the Supreme Queen Biotch that she is (that is a serious compliment), she refuses to offer any information but does tell Lyla that she is missed at Argus. They shake hands, exchange a look and Lyla and Diggle leave. Lyla reveals to John that Amanda passed her a memory stick, and that ARGUS has full surveillance at all times and she would not have been able to discuss anything if it was an off book operation.

Felicity examines her medication, deciding that now might be a good time to look up side effects.  Yep, hallucinations are one of them. Goth Felicity of old is still hanging about, telling her she is wasting her life trying to be a superhero, and look where that got her.

Lyla opens the data on the memory stick and finds that Chang two other agents took down an organisation called Shadowspire two years ago. The other two agents are also currently missing. Diggle recognises their insignia, from Afghanistan *cue flashback*.

John and Andy are guarding the opium when they are approached by their commanding officer, Lt. Joyner, telling them they are doing a good job and have a bright future.  Lt. Joyner who happens to be wearing the Shadowspire insignia on his shoulder.  He makes the offer of some extra cash if some of that sweet Afghani powder goes A.W.O.L. before the morning. Andy shoots him down, saying his mama taught him to never trust dirty war profiteers. Joyner tells him to watch his tone, or he might end up in worse shape than those Tali’s from yesterday. Joyner leaves, and John tells Andy how proud he is of him.

Back at Arrowland, John confronts Andy about Shadowspire, saying, exactly how many evil organisations are you associated with? Your old army buddies are in Star City, and have tortured and killed an ARGUS agent. Andy tells him he isn’t involved with them anymore, once you get discharged you are out. John questions how Andy could have fooled him the whole time they were serving.  Andy tells him he only saw what he wanted to see. They’re brothers, but Andy isn’t built like John (you can say that again short arse). He didn’t take to the Army like John did.  He couldn’t see how they could fix what was already broken, so he made sure he had enough to survive it. Andy tells him he can help, he knows how Shadowspire operate, and that they should look for a free port in the area. The best place to hide illicit things is as close a possible to legitimate ones.

Team Arrow heads for the port, and finds the area being used. The security system has been bumped up, security cams, motion sensors, the works. They need Felicity, stat. Oliver calls her at home, and she ignores Gothicity to answer the phone. Felicity hacks the system and shuts down the security, still ignoring her. She opens locks and doors as they go, and they take out several guards. Laurel and Thea find the two missing agents dead in a shipping container. Oliver tells them to get out, and they will handle the rest of the guards. Suddenly, a door slams down behind Diggle and he is surrounded with Oliver on the outside. Felicity is having issues and can’t get the door open, she thinks she has overloaded the system with too many demands.

Lt.Joyner appears and asks whether he and Diggle have met before, when Oliver blows up a wall with one of his boom boom arrows and proceeds to take everyone out. Joyner escapes, and Oliver and Diggle head back to Arrowville. Back at Felicity’s, Gothicity tells her that it was all her fault and she should really not be doing this. Oliver arrives homes and finds Felicity upset and tries to assure her that is wasn’t her fault, it was his for pushing her when she wasn’t ready. She tells him that she can no longer be a part of the team, and Oliver tells her all the reasons that they need her. At the same time Gothicity is talking over the top of him, telling her that she is right, she is no good for the team and so on. Felicity cracks and screams at them both to just shut up! Oliver is rather taken aback and she tells him that it’s not him, and tells Gothicity she just wants to be alone for a little while. Oliver of course, thinks she means him and leaves.

John is leading Andy into ARGUS, still handcuffed and into another cell. Amanda Waller shows up, wanting to debrief Andy about what he knows about Shadowspire. The agents that was killed, were on a mission to safeguard a shipment of confiscated rail guns. She is very interested to know how Shadowspire knew about it. Andy tells her the rail guns don’t matter, Shadowspire runs on misdirection. The rail guns are the distraction, and there is something else they are planning.

At Arrowtown, Laurel and Oliver are sparring and Oliver begins to show his frustration about not being able to help Felicity. Laurel tells him that none of this is his fault, it is all because of one person, Damien Darhk. Oliver tells her that when they were fighting Vandal Savage previously, Barry (The Flash) travelled through time and changed things.  He warned Oliver that when you change the past, the past fights back. So for the past month, Oliver has been tortured by the idea that what happened to Felicity might have happened because he didn’t listen to Barry. Laurel tell him the only one responsible is Damien Darhk. Oliver gets a call from Diggle, he isn’t believing Andy and insists Shadowspire are going after the rail guns.

Felicity is home reading The Shining, when Gothicity reappears. She tells her that the when her ex-boyfriend Connor died, that was the day she changed everything.  Her hair, her glasses, her clothes and ever since then she has been pretending to be something she is not. And look where it got her, a ringside seat to the rest of her life.

Team Arrow arrives at the port but there is no one there, and Oliver tells them that something is wrong. He is of course, totally correct.  Remember that missing eyeball?  Just got used to enter ARGUS and take Amanda Waller and Lyla Diggle, who has agreed to come back to work, hostage.  John and Andy are down in the cells still, unaware of what is happening. Lt Joyner enters and demands that Waller give him the codes for something called Rubicon, or he takes out one ARGUS agent every twenty minutes. Lyla presses a handy button, and the feed from the war room begins to show on screens throughout the building.  Including the cells. John sees and tries to rig the television to get an outside signal, so he can get a message back to Team Arrow. The exact process for this sounds a bit suss, but John assures Andy that Felicity taught him a few tricks.

Andy tries to convince John to let him help, but John remembers back in Afghanistan finding Andy talking to Joyner on another occasion and seeming to be on good terms. This makes John suspicious of Andy and his loyalties and he leaves him in his cell for now.

At the Arrowcave, Felicity arrives ready to be a part of the team again.  She has recognised how much anger the old Goth Felicity had inside her, and that she is not that person anymore. She gives a lengthy speech where she tells Oliver that saving the city is who they are, and that this is where she is meant to be. Oliver still feels guilty, and gets his gorgeous little sad face on. Felicity tells him that it is the fault of one man, and he has an extremely on the nose and alliterative name. LOL, preach Felicity! So glad I’ve only had to type it a few times so far this episode. One of the screens gets an alert, and John has managed to stream the ARGUS hostage situation to the bunker.  Uh huh, sure that’s possible.

Joyner is trying to coerce Waller into giving up the codes, and shoots another agent when she refuses to help.  She tells him that he doesn’t know her very well and she is prepared to watch him kill every single person in the room and she still won’t tell him.  Ice cold, lady. Joyner turns to Lyla to see if she believes this to be true, Lyla agrees and says she is the most cold-blooded person she has ever met. Joyner brings out his gun as if to shoot Lyla, but instead turns the gun on Waller and shoots her in the head! Holy guacamole! John is still unsure of whether to let Andy out, and after witnessing Waller’s death, he is even more torn.

Team Arrow head into ARGUS and Oliver addresses Felicity over his earpiece as Overwatch. OMG she finally gets her codename? Felicity loves it, and Oliver tells her he was going to go with Oracle, but it was already taken. Weeee! A Batman reference! Barbra Gordon (Batgirl) becomes Oracle in the comics after being injured, and many had thought this was who Felicity would become. I’m pretty sure this is the first Batman reference in Arrow so far, which is exciting in itself!! Okay, nerdgasm over.

Guards inform Joyner that there has been unauthorised communication from the cells, and he sends them to investigate.  They find Andy in his cell, and John gone.  Andy tells them about John, and that he has information that Joyner would be very interested in hearing.  Motherflipper! They take him to Joyner, and he tells him that Lyla is his sister in law and that her husband John is in the building. All they have to do to get the codes in capture John and threaten to kill him, Lyla will turn over the codes.

Team Arrow is working there way in, but Diggle gets captured by two guards and taken to Joyner. He puts his gun to John’s head and asks Lyla what she wants to do.  John tells her to give over the codes, and she agrees. Felicity tells the team that Diggle needs help, and she hacks into ARGUS to try and stop Lyla from being able to access the vault that holds the mysterious Rubicon. Once Joyner realises that Lyla is not getting in, he turns his gun back on John, but John and Andy are ready for him and start to finally fight back. Yay, Andy! Oliver appears and shoots John’s handcuffs off, ka-ching!

Now it’s a full on wham bam, all in brawl and everyone is kicking Shadowspire’s ass.  Lyla is freaking glorious and man, it must feel good to punch someone like that. When it’s all done and dusted, John thanks Andy, letting everyone know that was their plan all along.

Back at the Arrowbunker, they raise a glass to Waller, who while being a stone cold biotch, she was also a damn fine ARGUS agent. The crew ask John what he is going to do about Andy, is it too soon to trust him?  John isn’t sure what to do yet *cue flashback*.

In Afghanistan, we see Joyner paying Andy an extra payment.  The big boss is pleased as that opium that acquired has enable him to make an excellent trade.  The big boss is revealed to be Baron Reiter, the man who Oliver encountered previously while stuck on Lian Yu. His trade is a map of the island, essentially the beginning of his search for the mythical power supposedly located on Lian Yu.

Back home, Felicity and Oliver are relaxing in the bedroom when she asks him to fetch a certain box for her.  She produces a photo, wanting to show him what her past self, with all her anger, was like. She brings out the photo of herself as Gothicity and Oliver has quite the reaction. I think Olly might want to play dress-ups laters.

Felicity burns the photo, to prove to herself that she is not that person anymore and has moved on from the past. Oliver tells Felicity that while they shouldn’t live in denial about her condition, he has seen a lot of strange things and people with powers and abilities they shouldn’t have.  He swears to her that he won’t give up until she is able to walk again.

Back at the Diggle’s, we see John bringing Andy home.  Lyla has cooked his favourite meal and assures him that she is fully behind him coming to stay.  John brings out his baby daughter Sarah to meet Andy, and we see the tiniest little lip quiver from him as he says that she has their mother’s eyes. Hmmm, I want to believe, but how do we know Andy is not going for the long con here?

That was a good one, lots of Diggle and Felicity.  Hallucinations and a fairly significant death. I am super excited for next weeks episode, even though he doesn’t feature in the promo, Roy aka Arsenal is back!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFEF3Zk5P5o