“Dodger” is episode fifteen of season one of Arrow.
The episode opens with a security guard nervously staring at a really big red gem in a display case. A second guard speaks to him, but has to repeat himself because the first didn’t hear him as he looks slightly spaced. The first guard tells the second that the gem needs moving into the vault. When the second guard queries this, as it’s midday, the first says that it’s because of all the robberies lately. Both guards are needed to open the case, using their fingerprints, but once it’s open, the first guard knocks the second one out. He takes the gem and gives it to a man (James Callis, Battlestar: Galactica‘s Gaius Baltar and Eureka‘s Dr Trevor Grant). The guard has a collar around his neck and he begs the man he gave the gem to to remove it. The man uses a gadget and unlocks the collar; apparently he had told the guard it was an explosive. He says to the guard that, as he did exactly what was asked, all he will get is unconsciousness. Then stuns him.
Oliver is training whilst Felicity works on a computer and Diggle watches. In the previous episode, “The Odyssey”, Felicity had agreed to join, but only so that Walter could be rescued. Once that’s done, That’s it. Well… she may not be right about that. Oliver is planning to go visit a Kent Williams who stole millions in a pyramid scheme. As Oliver is leaving, Felicity locks the door so he can’t. Felicity admits what she did, but says that Williams is a widower with a ten year old son, and she didn’t join to orphan a boy. Felicity tells Oliver he can do real good beyond helping people with their stock portfolios and savings accounts, and she may have made a mistake signing up.
At the Queen mansion, Moira greets a guest, Frank, who has arrived in the city. He says that, as the Undertaking (you can almost hear the capital) is approaching, he returned to Starling City. Moira wants to talk to Frank about the Undertaking (whatever the heck it is) as she wants to get out. Moira says that she has reached her limit, with Robert and Walter and the vigilante nearly orphaning her children, and wants to get out. Robert had misgivings and Moira knows he reached out to Frank, because Frank had misgivings too. Frank points out that Robert was then murdered, which is something they should consider. Moira replies that they started this to fix the Glades, to cure the city not lay it to waste, and that Frank got in because of what happened to his daughter. Lots of implications, but no real information as yet. Frank agrees to see if he can do anything.
Digg and Oliver are waiting for Felicity in her office. Diggle is worried about Felicity, and asks what if she went to the police. Oliver tells Digg he made the same calculation with him. So Diggle asks what if he had gone to speak to Lance – Oliver replies he would have put an arrow in him. Diddle thinks Oliver is joking. Then becomes unsure. At which point Felicity shows up.
Oliver tells Felicity he may not have made the best impression. She asked what happened to Williams; apparently he returned the money in time to tuck his son into bed. He just got a warning. Felicity is watching the news and the jewel thief from earlier is called the Dodger, and Felicity says that’s because he avoids getting his hands dirty. He uses hostages with a bomb collar to steal for him, and a guard who didn’t do it in Madrid got his head blown off. Felicity mentions that it’s a shame the Dodger isn’t in Oliver’s notebook. He tells her that sometimes exceptions are made. Such as jewel thieves who take hostages. And does Felicity want to help take him down?
The Dodger himself has arrived at a fence’s to sell the gem. The fence decides that he’d rather just take the stone, and has his three goons point guns at the thief. Who quickly disarms, and stuns, the guards, pointing one of their guns at their boss. The Dodger says the guards will wake up in a few minutes; the fence asks what about him. Well, he gets shot.
Felicity has agreed and she asks if they always discuss their plans over burger and shakes. Which Carly drops off. Felicity asks if she’s Diggle’s girlfriend; Oliver explains that she’s Diggle’s brother’s widow. Felicity comments that she’s hot for Diggle. So Oliver suggests Diggle ask her out. He replies that he will do so when Oliver asks out McKenna Hall, the officer in charge of the Dodger investigation – an old friend of Oliver’s who he met again in “Vertigo”. Felicity tells Oliver, as Digg is asking Carly out, he can go and see McKenna, flirt with her then bug her phone. Oliver comments that’s not how he typically gets information, so Felicity asks his normal procedure. Which is to find the person and put the fear of god into them until they talk. He’s willing to try it Felicity’s way though.
Laurel is getting a hotdog with Thea; the vendor was her first case. She helped keep his son out of prison for a mugging he didn’t do. When Thea asks why Laurel doesn’t get free hotdogs for life Laurel replies that the CNRI is there to help the people who can’t afford high-priced lawyers. Thea asks if she’s supposed to feel guilty because she’s lucky, but Laurel tells her no. Laurel and the CNRI just want to show Thea that she is lucky. Then a man steals Thea’s handbag. They run after him and it seems he’s run into a dead end – but parkour’s over a fence. Leaving a chain from his wallet behind.
Oliver does go and see McKenna and she says that she thought he had given up crime fighting. Taking Oliver back for a minute, but McKenna was referring to his trying to help Thea. Oliver tells her he never thanked her for what she did for Thea. So thanks her. She’s also been promoted to Major Crimes. McKenna comments that it’s just like old times – only the PG version. She’s someone who used to know how to have a good time. Something that is missing from her life currently. So Oliver does ask her out (as well as bugging her phone) but makes a major hash of it. He says that after five years on the island he’s out of practice. McKenna agrees though. The bug reveals that the Dodger’s fence is dead, so he’s going to need a new one. One he hasn’t killed.
At home, Thea is trying to find the man who stole her bag using the wallet chain when Oliver enters. She asks why he’s so nervous about going out with McKenna and he asks if it’s that obvious. Yes, it really is. Oliver and the others set a trap for the Dodger, with something for him to steal – according to Felicity, the thief steals things from Spain’s Ominous Decade. This does not quite go to plan. Oliver and Diggle go on their dates with McKenna and Carly. Neither date goes that well, for several reasons. Thea finds the bag snatcher, but doesn’t react quite the way she expected.
The flashbacks from the island start at the crashed jet where Oliver is tending to Slade. Slade has a bullet in his arm, from the fire fight in the previous episode, and it needs digging out. His arm is also infected. Oliver tells Slade that Yao Fei has herbs in his cave that cure anything. Slade tells Oliver that he won’t last an hour out there. Oliver replies he’d better hope he’s back in 45 minutes then. The cave isn’t empty though; there’s a bloodied and bound man waiting there. Which presents Oliver with a dilemma.