A.W.O.L.

"The doctor said your condition is permanent. And I don't think that it's healthy or productive for either of us to... live in denial. But I have seen people speed and shrink and fly. We watched a friend of ours come back from the dead. That is the world we live in now... and I will not stop searching it until we find a way to make you walk again."

—Oliver Queen's promise to Felicity Smoak

"A.W.O.L."
Information
Season 4 » Episode 11
Episode number	80 of 170
Original airdate	January 27, 2016
Written by	Brian Ford Sullivan Emilio Aldrich
Directed by	Charlotte Brandstrom
Chronology
Preceded by	"Blood Debts"
Followed by	"Unchained"

"A.W.O.L." is the eleventh episode of the fourth season of Arrow, and the eightieth episode overall. It aired on January 27, 2016.

Synopsis

Diggle must learn to trust his brother Andy when an enemy of their wartime past, an agent of the criminal organization Shadowspire, pays a visit to Star City. However, Diggle learns more than he bargained for about their shared time at war. Meanwhile, Oliver has to learn a whole new way of life.[src]

Plot

The scene opens on Diggle and Lyla, going for a stroll through the city and agonizing over returning home in an ideal opportunity for her sitter.

Operator Chang, an old partner of Lyla's, comes to them and says he needs Lyla's assistance connecting with Waller — that he's been undermined. Out of nowhere a gathering of shooters get Chang, discharge a shot on Diggle (it's only a tissue wound) and escape.

At home, Oliver strolls Felicity down the steps to her wheelchair. She reveals to Oliver that he needs to take a shot at the Darhk issue, and that he may need to do it without her. Oliver says her super-power is in her psyche — yet she says there's parcel on it, and she's not prepared to return yet.

Oliver gets a book from John and Lyla, and needs to pardon himself.

At the Lair, Oliver and Laurel have joined Thea and the Diggles. Lyla thinks Chang was taking a shot at something under the table at the command of Amanda Waller. Oliver says they have to follow him before the grabbing becomes something more awful.

Diggle brings his sibling a Big Belly Burger.

In his cell, Andy asks Diggle how he got hung up with the Green Arrow. He says he never gets the chance to ask Diggle inquiries back. He needs to realize how Dig wound up with Team Arrow, and Diggle discloses to him that Oliver is a decent man, and they're helping their locale.

Flashback to 2005 in Afghanistan, when the siblings are working with a boss who needs to go remove a shipment of Taliban sedates that will pay for weapons. Their vehicle experiences harsh criticism and in spite of some impulsive activities by Andy, Diggle figures out how to make sense of an approach to take out the other truck and get themselves away to wellbeing.

At the condo, Felicity takes more than her suggested portion of painkillers — and is welcomed by a dream of herself as a more youthful, dull haired goth programmer.

At a homicide scene, Laurel appears at converse with cops and, in the wake of diverting them, welcomes Diggle to distinguish the body — it's Chang. He's been tormented, and his eye has been taken.

At A.R.G.U.S., Amanda Waller won't educate the Diggles anything regarding Chang's task. She reveals to Lyla that she's been missed and shakes her hand — and Lyla is astounded.

In the following room, Lyla shows Diggle that Waller slipped her a thumb drive.

At home, Felicity understands that mind flights are a typical reaction to her painkiller. She and Goth Felicity contend, with her more youthful self disclosing to her that she squandered her life playing hero, and now she's in the wheelchair as a result of it.

At the Lair, Lyla opens up the thumb drive. Chang had taken out a weapon running association called Shadowspire a couple of years back. His two accomplice operators on the sting are dead.

Diggle comes in with some desk work — he recalls Shadowspire, as well… from Afghanistan.

The Diggle siblings are viewing the opium they seized when their CO comes to converse with them, recommending that them three could rake in boatloads of cash if a portion of those medications went A.W.O.L.

Andy decays — not pleasantly — and keeping in mind that he gets a danger from the CO for his difficulties, Diggle is glad for him.

At the Lair, Diggle irately requests data about Shadowspire from Andy. Andy says he has nothing to do with those folks any longer… yet he knows how they work and advises Diggle to search for the closest free port as a base of activities.

At the closest free port, Team Arrow scouts the zone. Oliver shouts to Felicity, who brings down their security capacities. Oliver and Diggle remain behind to manage watches while Thea and Laurel head for the prisoner — however when they arrive, the two missing ARGUS operators are dead.

Back at home, Felicity loses control of her hack. The doors pummel shut behind Oliver, catching him inside and isolating him from Diggle. While Felicity freezes and gets assaulted by Goth Felicity, Oliver blows his way in and salvages Diggle.

Afterward, Oliver apologizes to Felicity for pushing her, saying he believed that getting back in the game would assist her with feeling increasingly ordinary. She says there is no returning to typical, that she can never again be a piece of the group. Oliver says she can't let her physical issue stop her, however she says she's caught in the condo constantly — and that now she can't even client her psyche. Goth Felicity appears and begins ridiculing her, and she shouts at Goth Felicity to quiet down, yet Oliver believes it's for him.

At A.R.G.U.S., Diggle acquires Andy to be questioned. They move him to a cell there, and Waller comes to converse with Andy. She says that the operators who were seen dead today were assumed as guarding a shipment of rail weapons. Andy says that is not Shadowspire's style, that if there's something that prominent they're engaged with, it's an interruption.

At the den, Oliver is preparing Laurel with boxing cushions, and she instructs him not to be so difficult on himself about Felicity. Oliver says he has been reprimanding himself for everything that is turned out badly since he urged Barry to time-travel.

At the point when Laurel is attempting to cause him to feel better, Oliver gets a call from Diggle. They need to go monitor the rail weapon shipment.

At the loft, Goth Felicity goes from deriding Felicity to advising her to quit feeling frustrated about herself, and quit imagining that she's a hero. She leaves, and Felicity cries.

While Team Arrow stake out the rail firearm shipment, Lyla and Waller squabble about the legislative issues of A.R.G.U.S. When Shadowspire doesn't appear for the rail firearms, Oliver figures something isn't right — and it is: twelve or so Shadowspire specialists have utilized Chang's taken eye to beat A.R.G.U.S. biometrics and get into the structure.

Lt. Joyner, a Shadowspire operator conspicuous from Diggle's Afghanistan flashbacks, is driving the soldiers, and he and Waller know one another. Joyner needs something many refer to as Rubicon, and says he'll kill an operator at regular intervals until Waller gives him get to.

In the territory where Diggle had been sitting with his sibling close to the phones, Diggle attempts to hack the security screens to get an outside sign, while Andy reveals to him that they have to make a move themselves.

In Afghanistan, Diggle sees Andy conversing with Joyner, however Andy works out of difficulty.

At the Lair, Felicity shows up reveals to Oliver that she's back — that she needs to be a piece of Team Arrow to help individuals, and to stop Darhk "in light of the fact that it's our main thing, it's what our identity is."

A PC blares, and Oliver gets a video feed from A.R.G.U.S., demonstrating that Lyla is at serious risk.

At A.R.G.U.S., Joyner takes steps to murder Lyla to gain admittance to the Rubicon. Waller says she's totally equipped for watching them murder everybody in the room, she'll still never give him what he needs. When Lyla affirms the case, Joyner kills her and discloses to Lyla that now she has twenty minutes to give him what he needs. In the holding region, Andy asks Diggle to let him tag along and help.

Group Arrow shows up on the scene — Oliver calls Felicity "Overwatch," her new code name — and she helps break them into A.R.G.U.S.

In the holding territory, two Shadowspire folks go get Andy Diggle, who advises them to let Joyner know he's there and ready to help. They walk Andy into the primary room, and Andy reveals to Joyner that John is Lyla's significant other, and all they need to do so as to get what they need is hold a firearm on Diggle.

Group Arrow begins working through the foyers, taking out Shadowspire folks, however another pair get Diggle into authority. Joyner puts a weapon to Diggle's head, and when Diggle advises Lyla to "do it," she begins entering in the Rubicon codes. Joyner puts down the firearm. Felicity calls to Team Arrow to let them know Diggle needs assistance. She's sticking what Lyla is attempting to do, however needs Canary and Speedy close to the protected vault where Rubicon is held as a protection strategy. While she works, Goth Felicity appears, and Felicity berates her. When Lyla can't get into the sub level vault, Joyner puts a weapon on Diggle again — and Andy and Diggle collaborate to bring down Joyner and two or three his men. Oliver and Lyla participate, and it's an out of control situation until there's no Shadowspire left standing.

Diggle expresses gratitude toward Andy, who concedes the entire thing was John's thought.

Afterward, at the sanctuary, Oliver and Lyla toast Amanda Waller (despite snarky comments from Felicity). Group Arrow blame Diggle somewhat about his sibling.

In Afghanistan, Joyner gives an envelope of cash to Andy. He says it's a badge of gratefulness from "The Boss," who goes along with them. It's Reiter, who had exchanged the opium for a guide to Lian Yu.

At their condo, Oliver presents to Felicity a container from capacity. She shows him a photograph of herself as Goth Felicity, which she consumes, saying she needn't bother with that individual any longer.

Oliver discloses to Felicity that while he knows it's not beneficial to live trying to claim ignorance about her condition, they live in a peculiar world — and he'll look constantly for an approach to make Felicity walk once more.

At his home, Diggle carries Andy to remain with him and Lyla, who guarantees Andy she and John settled on the choice together. John brings Sara in to see Andy, inviting him home.

Cast

Main cast

• Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen/Green Arrow
• Katie Cassidy as Laurel Lance/Black Canary
• David Ramsey as John Diggle/Spartan
• Willa Holland as Thea Queen/Speedy
• Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak
• John Barrowman (credit only)
• Paul Blackthorne (credit only)

Guest starring

• Audrey Marie Anderson as Lyla Michaels
• Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Amanda Waller
• Eugene Byrd as Andy Diggle
• Jimmy Akingbola as Baron Reiter
• Erik Palladino as Lieutenant Joyner

Co-starring

• Tomas Mauro as A.R.G.U.S. Agent
• Kevan Ohtsji as Alan Chang
• Donna Soares as SCPD Detective
• Josh A. Young as Shadowspire Soldier

Uncredited

• Unknown as Sara Diggle

Production

Preparation ran from October 29 until November 6, 2015. Shooting ran from November 9 until November 23, 2015.

Gallery

Promos

Arrow 4x11 Promo "A.W.O.L." (HD)

Arrow 4x11 Extended Promo "A.W.O.L." (HD)

Arrow 4x11 Sneak Peek "A.W.O.L." (HD)

Trivia

• The term "A.W.O.L." stands for "absent without leave", or "absent without official leave".
• Oliver mentioned to Laurel that Barry traveled back in time, which happened in the episode "Legends of Yesterday".
• Felicity jokes that her new codename could be "Hot Wheels", a reference to the brand of toy cars. DC Comics had published a comic book series based on the brand in 1970-1971.
• This episode introduces the organization Shadowspire, who originally appeared in the comics as enemies to Deathstroke. However, while introduced in present-day storyline, they are more prominent in flashback storyline, starting with "The Candidate".
• Lt. Joyner is likely a reference to the DC Comics writer Tom Joyner, the creator of Shadowspire.
• Felicity is given the new codename "Overwatch". It is the title of a novel written by Marc Guggenheim, and was said to have been suggested by fans.
  • Oliver claims that he would've called Felicity "Oracle", but the name was taken. This is a reference to the character Barbara Gordon, who goes by that codename in the comics and like Felicity, is a paraplegic hacker (though Barbara was initially a field vigilante known as Batgirl before her paralysis).
    • This also might be a joke at the fans because during the winter hiatus, it was heavily theorized that Felicity would become Oracle.
• The writers for the episode, Brian Ford Sullivan and Emilio Aldrich, appear in cameos as the pictured missing A.R.G.U.S. agents, John Le and Tim Sullivan, respectively.
• The railguns Shadowspire pretended to steal were stored in containers labeled Kord Industries.

Goofs

• The synopsis erroneously states that Oliver has to learn a new way of life. However, it actually refers to Felicity dealing with her recent paralysis.