Another great episode that offered up a few memorable scenes that people will ALWAYS remember. The first was how Laurel announces to Oliver that she knows that he is the Arrow. I thought it was a great way to do it by having Diggle tranq him and having Oliver waking up in his own lair. The way it was set up, we are made to believe it was Slade Wilson that kidnapped him. So when Oliver wakes up and sees Laurel standing before him....it worked to perfection. The second great scene was when Oliver confronts Sebastian Blood and tells him that he is in fact  the Arrow. Too many people now know his identity. But I think in this case, it was definitely justified because of the knowledge that Oliver knew Blood had a hand in his mother's demise. The third great scene was when the Blood Army has been unleashed and we see one of the minions attack Diggle, the camera zooms in on Isabel Rochev (Summer Glau), it's revealed that she is wearing a alternate version of the Deathstroke mask that only covers up the top half of her face. This way we can still see who it is. I love it!! As for the Army revealing themselves at the appointed time, they ALL should have been pulling out 'Joe Carroll' masks instead. Just sayin'. It was very reminiscent of The Following.

All action, all the time. This could have easily served as a Season Finale, right down to the finale scene. More on that in a bit. With the city in turmoil and Slade Wilson's goons terrorizing everyone, the situation looks dire. Enter......the cure. That was the entire episode's main objective. To retrieve the case carrying the cure that would level the playing field. I was just surprised that it was Sebastian Blood that came to the aide of Arrow by handing over the case. I kinda suspected this was going to be his swan song and when Isabel showed up and skewered him kabob style, it was a done deal. But then again, in the world of comic books, is anyone really ever dead? One cool thing about this episode in particular was watching Laurel of all people talking Sara off the metaphorical "ledge" in her lowest moment as a 'Superhero'. Even cooler was that Laurel, having just watched her sister save a life, being the one to name her the 'Canary'. Another cool moment was seeing Meriln as the one that saves Thea. But she is not quick to forgive and forget. When she fires the gun at him, we are made to believe she was killing him. My money is on her shooting someone off camera wearing a Deathstroke Mask. FYI, Summer Glau looks so f*cking hawt dressed from head to toe in leather! Yowzza!!

The SHOWDOWN that we have literally been waiting for the past 2 seasons FINALLY happens as Arrow and Deathstroke go one on one. We don't just get one Showdown....we get TWO! Both the current story line and the flashback story line converge together. The juxtaposition of both was a great way to play them both out. In the flashback sequence, we finally get to see Oliver taking out Slade's eye and in the current story line, we get to see if Oliver will become the murderer that Slade has gambled everything on. He failed of course. I just love where Slade eventually ends up at after being caught and taken down. To have it revealed that Slade now resides in ARGUS' Maximum Prison is one thing, but to have said Prison literally on the very same Island that he and Oliver spent 5 years trying to get off was.....perfect.

What's also made this a stand out episode is that they tease us of what's to come next season as we see the start of a story line that will track Oliver and Amanda's back story in Hong Kong. I can't wait for Season 3 to roll out. Overall, the episode, as great as it was, did come in a bit under the previous episode. But I still enjoyed seeing how they wrote Sara's character off as she rejoins the League of Assassins. I like how they set up Thea's future by doing the 'Unthinkable' of joining forces with her father Merlin, this coming after she actually shot him with the intention of killing him. The cliffhanger with Laurel's father collapsing and bleeding out wasn't what I saw coming. So, I hope they have something good in store for that one. And finally, the "relationship" between Oliver and Felicity ratchet's up a few notches, but I do think the writers are going to try and keep them from getting together any time soon so as not to f*ck with the sexual tension that has been driving the series thus far. One downside was of course killing off Isabel in such a lame way. That of course means the end to Summer Glau's run on the show. Sigh.

As for the entire season this year, it has been a great ride. Now bring on Season 3!!!!