“Keep Your Enemies Closer” is episode six of season two of Arrow.
The episode opens with Roy leaving the sign that he has something for Oliver. Oliver is currently arguing with Isabel about not attending board meetings when Felicity enters. Felicity has to try and get their attention; when she does, she says it’s about Oliver’s plans that evening. With Mr. Harper. Oliver tells Felicity afterwards that they need to work on her excuses. She agrees.
Roy is watching an SUV arrive when Oliver appears behind him and tells him to be more careful. Roy’s reason for summoning Oliver was to tell him when the funny money people arrive. Roy wants to help but Oliver tells him to go home – he already has help. The two parties are exchanging money for printing plates when Oliver takes them down, with Diggle being his backup. Outside, Roy is trying to make a citizen’s arrest of one of the criminals when the police, including Lance, arrive, and Roy gets arrested too. Inside, someone stuns Dig then radios in, saying that they have the prize.
Dig is in a chair, and his hood and restraints are removed, when a woman enters. Amanda Waller, the head of A.R.G.U.S. Dig wants to see Lyla Michaels; she wants the same thing. Lyla has gone dark. As in missing. She was running down a lead in Moscow but has missed her last two scheduled check-ins. As to what Waller is doing about it – she’s telling Dig. Her superiors do not care and as to why she’s telling Dig – Waller knows how he and Oliver Queen spend their nights. And Dig’s passport is up to date. Lyla was in Russia following up on a lead on Deadshot, so she was there for Dig. Waller considers Lyla to be irreplaceable, and wants her brought home.
At the precinct, Roy tells Lance that he’s working for him – the guy that cost Lance his shield. And who Lance is also working with. So, when an annoyed Thea arrives, Lance tells her that Roy is free to go. It was a mistake.
Oliver and Felicity are watching a news article about the S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator becoming operational. And the potential for a cataclysmic event. There have been quite a few news stories for the particle accelerator cropping up in the background. There’s a reason for that. Dig arrives and says he needs a few personal days to help a friend. Lyla Michaels was looking for Deadshot when she went missing. Oliver tells Felicity that it would be an ideal time to visit the Queen Consolidated subsidiary in Moscow. As they arrive at the jet, Isabel arrives too. She is coming with, like it or not. Oliver promises Dig they will get Lyla back, wherever she is. Which does not appear to be a vacation spot.
In Moscow, Isabel has arranged a meeting with the COO of the Moscow subsidiaries. She thinks Oliver is using the company jet for a weekend with fun with his assistant. A blonde IT girl promoted to his personal assistant. There are only two reasons why that happened. One is nepotism. The other, well… you can guess. There happens to be a third reason. Which, as Felicity stated, does have something to do with how she and Oliver spend their nights. Oliver tells Felicity to head to the hotel whilst he and Dig grab a drink.
The drink is at an establishment owned by Anatoly Knyazev, first mentioned in “Lone Gunmen” and seen for the first time on the freighter in “Crucible”. Knyazev has located Lyla. She was arrested two days ago trying to break into a gulag. One known as ‘The Nightmare.’ Filled with violent psychopaths and killers, and that’s just the guards. The only way in is as a prisoner. Knyazev has a way that could work. Dig tells Oliver that he is going to go in; Oliver is needed on the outside. Although a Russian gulag is perhaps not the most ideal place for someone who looks like Dig to be heading.
To get in, Dig needs arresting. Which is done through a big pile of drugs. Felicity has a coat for Dig to wear. The guards will take it from him, and that’s the point. Dig needs to meet at the rendezvous with Lyla, or… well, best not to mention that. Felicity knows that Lyla is a friend – and Dig tells her that she’s more. She’s his wife. By the looks on their faces, neither Oliver nor Felicity knew that. The two met in Afghanistan but, outside a war zone, had little to keep them together.
So, Diggle is heading into a Russian gulag and outside Oliver is working on helping him get out again. Plus getting to know Isabel a little bit better. Along the way, Diggle learns something new. Back in Starling City, Moira’s lawyer, Jean Loring (Teryl Rothery), comes to see Thea. Reporters know that Thea is dating a known felon. Moira’s defence rests on the justification that she was a loving mother trying to protect her children. So, it would help if it looks as if she raised Thea to make good decisions. Jean thinks that it might be an idea for Thea to end her relationship with Roy.
On the freighter, the man who rescued Sara from the crew in the previous episode, “League of Assassins”, Ivo, comes in and introduces himself to Oliver. Sara indicates that Oliver shouldn’t give his real name. Ivo asks Oliver if he found a Japanese Imperial Navy submarine on the island. During World War II, countries were attempting to develop the ultimate weapon. Imperial Japan was working on stem cell research and gene therapy, decades ahead of its time. A serum that provided increased strength and rapid cell regeneration. For supersoldiers of course. The submarine carrying the only know supply was attacked by the Allies and ran aground in the chain. In the process, some of what happened on the island after the shelling in “Broken Dolls” is revealed.