“Heir to the Demon” is episode thirteen of season two of Arrow.
The episode opens at Starling City airport and a woman is going through security. When asked if she’s there for business or personal reasons, she states personal. An A.R.G.U.S. security alert comes up on the computer screen relating to the woman, and the man tells her that his computer has frozen. Several armed men surround her and one tells her to put her hands on her head or he will shoot. He never gets a chance, as the woman easily takes down him and all the others.
At Queen Consolidated, Mark Francis is talking to Moira, Oliver, Thea and Walter about Moira’s mayoral campaign that was brought up in the previous episode, “Tremors”. Felicity speaks to Walter as he is checking his phone away from the others; she wants to talk about Tempest. Mrs Queen’s super sketchy offshore LLC that Walter asked Felicity to look into last year. She embedded an alert in the account to see if anyone accessed it again. Felicity found that there was a transfer to a numbered account at Starling National Bank. Walter says it was probably the account shutting down but promises to mention it. Francis is also telling Oliver he will need to end his support for Sebastian Blood. Then Oliver receives a call from Lance.
Lance is at the hospital with Dinah around Laurel’s bed. Lance is promising to get Laurel help; in the previous episode, she collapsed in her apartment. Laurel states she didn’t overdose, and given that it looked as if someone dosed her drink with something, she’s probably telling the truth. The doctor mentions a haemorrhage in Laurel’s eye, that was probably caused by the fall, and Oliver takes the opportunity to take a look at the haemorrhage himself. Laurel mentions to her father that she thought she saw Sara before she passed out, although she knows she was hallucinating. Lance, who knows that Sara is alive, thinks she did see her sister.
Oliver had called Sara, who had left town in “League of Assassins”. She’s at Arrow base when Oliver arrives. Sara is planning to leave town again, as the League is still after her, and she is putting her family at risk by being here. Despite Oliver saying that Sara’s family, and he, needs her. Oliver also wants to take a look at Laurel’s bloodwork. Then he – the Arrow – gets a call from Lance. Who is calling for Sara.
Lance wants Sara to stay around so that they can face things together. After meeting her father, Oliver, as the Arrow, is watching her, when a masked woman spirals down in front of Sara and draws a knife. The woman is the one from the airport and she approaches Sara. And kisses her. Neither was certain what they were going to do. Sara tells the woman she needs to talk and she in turn asks if Sara needs permission from her boyfriend. As Oliver has approached. The woman is Nyssa al Ghul, daughter of Ra’s al Ghul – the titular Heir to the Demon. Nyssa wants Sara to return home. Oliver states that isn’t happening. Sara has a word with him.
Felicity has gone to see Moira about Tempest. She knew Walter wouldn’t talk to Moira, so Felicity looked into it. The money went to a doctor; the same one who delivered Thea, who Moira stated previously knew who Thea’s father was and needed dealing with. Evidently, he was dealt with by a large payoff. Felicity has put together the facts and realised that Thea is Malcolm Merlyn’s daughter. Moira suggest Felicity not tell Oliver, for Felicity’s own sake. Because some part of Oliver will always blame Felicity.
Nyssa was the one who found Sara – at some point not yet covered – and nursed her back to health. Sara wants releasing from the league but Nyssa tells her Ra’s never releases anyone. Sara mentions that Ra’s released Malcolm Merlyn. Nyssa points out that a lot of people regret that. Sara tells Oliver and the others that the League will never let her go, and at least when she’s halfway around the world her family will be safe. Diggle is not so sure about that; he’s got Laurel’s bloodwork. She was poisoned with venom from a Tibetan pit viper. Probably poisoned to draw Sara back.
At the hospital, Dinah Lance is taken by the man who spiked Laurel’s drink and bundled into the back of a van by him and Nyssa. Oliver and Sara give chase but are unable to catch them. Nyssa gives Sara one day to return; it seems that her business is more personal than business, for Nyssa appears to be more interested in having Sara return to her than to the League.
Oliver can tell that there is something off with Felicity and talks to her. During the episode, some family secrets come out and the reactions of those who didn’t know the truth are not happy ones. There are consequences.
Nothing from the island this episode, only a few clips from six years previously, the time that Sara returned home from college and decided to slip off on the Queen’s Gambit along with Oliver.