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Summary

While attending a fundraiser, Lois witnesses the Green Arrow steal a rare diamond necklace off Martha's neck and vows to find the man behind the costume. Clark does some investigating of his own and discovers Oliver Queen is Green Arrow and has been stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. Meanwhile, Lex enlists Lionel's help in testing Lana's loyalty.

Recap

→ see also Category:Screencaps from episode 6x04

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Martha about to give her speech.

Martha Kent, Lionel Luthor, and Oliver Queen are attending a fund-raiser, and Lois is there as Oliver's date. Martha is wearing an expensive diamond necklace that Lionel loaned to her. He wants her to meet the other party guests so they can offer her a bid for United States Senate. As Martha gets ready to make a speech, the lights go out and a masked man steals the necklace and runs out of the party. Lois follows him just as he is about to use a bow and arrow to pull him up an elevator shaft. He pulls her close and she grabs a chain off of his neck with a ring on it before he disappears.

Oliver takes Lois back to Queen Tower. She is questioned by Milo, who runs Lionel's security firm, Safetex. Clark arrives and meets Oliver. Oliver admits that Clark is not what he expected. From Lois' description, he expected Clark to be more geeky. Clark explains that he wants the necklace recovered so that his mother doesn't have to owe anything to Lionel, but Oliver is not sympathetic. He tells Clark that over a dozen of Metropolis' richest citizens have been robbed, and points out that Lionel didn't even call the police about the theft.

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Lex and Lana prepare to meet Dr. Groll.

Lana Lang and Lex Luthor are returning from a jog when Dr. Groll arrives. He shows them the results of the tests he conducted on the disk fragment. He explains that it is an extremely potent power source, but could also be used as a weapon. Lana wonders why he hasn't handed it over to the government, but Lex guesses that Dr. Groll wants to be the first to figure it out and encourages him to keep working on it.

Lois goes to Chloe Sullivan at the Daily Planet to ask her to help her research her story. She is reluctant to tell Chloe about her story, and Chloe points out that Lois can barely maneuver the Planet database. Lois gives the ring to Chloe, who photographs the inscription inside. They are interrupted when an arrow lands and spews a green gas. Chloe and Lois pass out and the masked man collects the ring. He takes it back to Queen Tower and sets it down next to a framed picture of a couple and their young son.

Black box remains

Dr. Groll shows them the remains of the black box.

Lionel called Lana to his office, and she assumes he wants to talk about her developing relationship with Lex. Lionel claims he doesn't, but points out that just a few weeks ago, Lana was willing to kill Lex because of his obsession with the piece of alien technology. Lana claims they have put that behind them. She says that she is protecting Lex from himself to make sure he doesn't become consumed with it. Lionel doesn't think Lex will ever stop and tells Lana they need to destroy the technology.

Lois tells Oliver that she intends to write an article about the "Green Arrow Bandit". Oliver mentions that she doesn't have much evidence since the ring was stolen, but Lois doesn't care and is willing to stretch the truth a bit. Oliver admits that he worries that anyone after Green Arrow will target her as well, but Lois says that she wants to see him locked up. Oliver tries to tempt Lois with a romantic trip, but Lois turns him down to chase her story.

Clark meets Lionel at a LuthorCorp construction site and asks him why he didn't report the incident to the police. Lionel claims he is avoiding bad publicity, but Clark shows him a list of other Safetex clients' stolen items. Lionel tells Clark that he should track down which one of Safetex's clients hasn't been hit.

Lana meets Dr. Groll in an elevator. She informs him that Lionel intends to bribe Dr. Groll into giving him the black box containing the powerful disc fragment, but whatever he offers, she instructs him to come to her first. Dr. Groll hesitates, and Lana threatens to ruin his life if he doesn't comply. Later, Lex confronts Lana on her threat. She thinks he is angry and admits that she already knew the box was dangerous. Lex thinks she wants him to destroy it, but Lana counters that she thinks it can protect them and says she wants them to continue to research it.

Groll

Dr. Groll is threatened by Lana.

That evening, Green Arrow uses his high-tech gadgets and arrows to break into a mansion and steal an Egyptian necklace, but is interrupted by Clark. He tries to fight Clark, but Clark throws him across the room, tripping the security alarms. Green Arrow tries to explain to Clark that he's on the wrong side, but Clark tells him that the police would disagree. Green Arrow tries to shoot Clark with an arrow, but Clark catches it. He shoots again and hits a guard. When Clark runs to check on the guard, Green Arrow escapes.

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Clark is frustrated as he describes his encounter with the Green Arrow.

Clark explains to Chloe that Green Arrow got away. He gives her the arrow tip he caught so she can research. He mentions that he is surprised Chloe allowed Lois to write the story, but Chloe says she doesn't see Lois as competition and admits that she has in fact, done research on the story. She gives him the findings on the arrow and reports that none of her photographs on the ring came out cleanly, but she's working on restoring one.

Lois is in her apartment, fielding calls from possible Green Arrow sightings, when two men attack her. She calls Chloe, screaming for help just as they drag her off. Chloe sends Clark to save her, but when he arrives they are gone. Oliver arrives and Clark says he thinks Green Arrow kidnapped her because she's trying to expose him. Oliver looks doubtful and informs Clark that everything Green Arrow has stolen was bought off the black market. He believes Lois was taken in an attempt to catch Green Arrow. Chloe calls back and sends Clark the image from the ring: it is a family crest, which Clark remembers seeing in Queen Tower. He speeds to the apartment and finds a secret room filled with archery equipment and gadgets. There is also a collection of articles detailing large anonymous donations to charitable causes. A security monitor begins to sound, indicating a tracking system has been enabled. Lois is being followed by a GPS signal.

Lois' attackers try to torture her into revealing Green Arrow's identity by submerging her into a tank of water. She thinks Green Arrow is responsible for her kidnapping, but Milo appears. He tells her that she has humiliated him by reporting the thefts, and Green Arrow has ruined his business by stealing from his clients. Lois says that she doesn't know who Green Arrow is and Milo almost drowns her. Milo instructs them to kill her, but just as they shoot, the bullet is deflected by an arrow. Green Arrow arrives and incapacitates the thugs. He collects an unconscious Lois and lifts her away. He takes her to a rooftop where she revives, but she is not grateful for his saving her. She wrestles his crossbow from him and points it at him, demanding he reveal his identity. However, several blasts of fire suddenly shoot through the sky and destroy the outside lighting. Clark is standing on an adjacent rooftop, shooting the lights with his heat vision. Lois looks around in the darkness, but Green Arrow has disappeared.

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Green Arrow saves Lois.

Clark catches up to Green Arrow and reveals that he knows his true identity. Oliver questions why he let him get away and Clark admits that Lois probably wouldn't understand Oliver's double-life. He asks Oliver again to return the necklace to Lionel.

The next day, Chloe reports that seven of the stolen artifacts have been recovered, along with more large anonymous donations. She is impressed, but Clark still thinks the broken laws negate the good deeds. She asks him about the ring and Clark lies that it was a dead end. Chloe finds all her photographs of the ring have been deleted. Clark asks Chloe to stop looking into Green Arrow as a favor to him, and Chloe correctly guesses that Clark and Green Arrow know each other's secret identity.

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Clark and Oliver disagree on right and wrong.

Lionel meets Lex at the mansion. Lex reveals that he asked Lionel to approach Lana about the box; Lex was testing Lana's loyalty to him. Lionel thinks that Lex will share what he knows about the box, but Lex maintains that he doesn't intend to tell Lionel anything.

Lois informs Oliver that she still thinks Green Arrow needs to be caught. Later, Oliver meets Clark in his loft. Clark tells him that his relationship with Lois won't work out if he doesn't tell her the truth. Oliver knows that Clark lost Lana to Lex, but he doesn't intend to stop his Green Arrow duties. He believes he has a duty to help people and gives the diamond necklace back to Clark. He tells Clark that Lionel bought the diamonds from a Bosnian warlord to launder money. Clark looks conflicted and asks if stealing is right, if it's for a good cause. Oliver tells him yes, without any hesitation. Oliver says that Clark should use his abilities to help everyone, not just those close to him. He tells Clark to let him know when he is ready to use his abilities to help the world.

Main Cast

Recurring Roles

Guest Cast

Featured Music

  • "Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 21: Canon on the Seventh" - John Rusnak

Title

  • An Arrow is a projectile generally shot from a bow.
  • The title of the episode references Green Arrow's name as well as his signature weapon.
  • While not the first appearance of Oliver Queen, this is the first appearance of his alter-ego Green Arrow.

Notes

Arrowposter

Arrow poster

  • Antagonist: Milo
  • Clark uses the following abilities in this episode: super strength, super speed, and heat vision.
  • Lana Lang shows her nascent dark tendencies when she coldly threatens Dr. Groll with ruination if he betrays Lex.
  • This episode contains a deleted scene on the Season 6 DVDs. In it, Chloe discusses Clark's motivation for showing up at Oliver's apartment and teases him about his "feelings" for Lois. She also gives him the list of Safetex clients and confirms that no police reports have been filed.
  • Brainiac appears in this episode as the black box.
  • This is the first time that Clark meets Oliver in the series, even though there was an indication that Lois mentioned Clark before to Oliver because he responded when Clark came into Oliver's building after the party and Lois called him "Smallville", her nickname for Clark.

In Other Media

  • Lois Lane (with a little help from Chloe) coins the name Green Arrow just like she coined the name Superman in Superman: The Movie.
  • The diamond-tipped arrow that Green Arrow shoots at the security laser (which split the laser, leaving a clear path for him to get to the necklace) bears a strong resemblance to the diamond-tipped trick arrow he used in Justice League of America #4 (May 1961). In this issue, the JLA was trapped in a giant diamond, and the Green Arrow used his diamond arrow to split the diamond and free them. This is also the issue where he becomes the first non-founding member to join the Justice League.
  • Lois' relationship to Oliver Queen and Green Arrow in this episode is very similar to Lois' relationship to Clark and Superman for much of their comics history (and in most media adaptations). In this episode (just like the comics), Lois is determined to discover and expose a superhero's secret identity (and comes close to succeeding) without realizing that that secret identity is someone she already knows.
  • Arrow is also the name of another TV show featuring Oliver Queen as the protagonist. It debuted in the fall of 2012 and it also airs on CW.

Continuity

  • Chloe comments that Lois' "bumbling through the database is like watching Clark try to dance"—a sight viewers were treated to in Tempest and Spell.
  • Clark has a news article about Oliver Queen's parents' death, almost identical to a headline Lionel Luthor read on the plane to Smallville in Pilot.
  • Lionel mentions that the last time that he and Lana spoke, they were discussing which one of them would kill Lex, which occurred in Zod.
  • The black box was last seen in Zod.
  • This episode marks the 41st appearance of Clark's red jacket & blue shirt outfit, which he wears frequently throughout the series.

Spoilers

  • Despite Lana's threats, Dr. Groll later appears in Fallout to back out of their project.
  • It is revealed a year later in Wrath that Lana and Lex's investigation into the black box are the beginnings of Project Scion.
  • While in Oliver's apartment, Clark makes his "using-x-ray-vision" face three times, but the audience never sees those images. This happens very rarely, but it happened again in Power when Clark searched the Talon apartment for clues for Lana's whereabouts.

Allusions

  • Lois uses a variety of references when referring to Green Arrow. She mentions William Tell, the Swiss folk hero archer, and Errol Flynn, a Tasmanian actor famous for his role as Robin Hood. She also points out that Green Arrow's support doesn't validate his cause, referencing Charles Manson, the cult leader who led a group of young people to serial murders in the 1960s. Finally, she says she has a "V for Vendetta" on Green Arrow, a reference to the graphic novel about an anarchist determined to bring down a totalitarian government.
  • Green Arrow asks about Lois' "Tomb Raider" routine, a reference to the female adventurer heroine of the movies and video game series.
  • Oliver calls Clark "Beav," a reference to "Beaver" Cleaver, the earnest and well-meaning young son of the Cleaver family in the late 1950s television show Leave it to Beaver.
  • When Oliver shares his theory that Clark's disdain of Lois inversely reflects his feelings for her, Lois calls him "Freud Junior", a reference to Sigmund Freud, who pioneered psychoanalysis.
  • Chloe reports that stolen artifacts have been returned to the Met, the Tate, and the Louvre, three of the world's most renowned and celebrated art museums, located in New York City, London, and Paris, respectively.
  • While speaking to Lana about the black box, Lionel refers to it as "Pandora's Box", a box thought to have contained all of the world's evil in it. The Black box was used to destroy the human race, rather than collect all of the evil, as seen in Fallout.
  • Oliver says to Lois, "You know that whole sugar-and-spice thing? It never really took with you, did it?", a reference to the popular nursery rhyme, What Are Little Boys Made Of?, in which little girls are said to be made of 'sugar and spice and everything nice'

Locations


Quotes

Lois: Stay away from religion, politics, and bad dye jobs.

Clark: It's nice to see Lois has found someone who’s willing to overlook her personality.

Oliver: Yeah, well, don't worry about it Clark. You know. I mean, if I lived under the same roof as such a beautiful woman, I would've masked my feelings in sarcasm, too.
Lois: Feelings?
Clark: Feelings?

Chloe: So how'd you let this guy slip through your fingers.
Clark: This Green Arrow bandit has a lot of gadgets.
Chloe: Gadgets, against the man of steel?
Clark: He's good, all right?
Chloe: Fine. Backing off...

Green Arrow: I saved you.
Lois: Yeah. From goons who were trying to find you. They're not the only one with a "V" for Vendetta on your little leather ass.
Green Arrow: Little? I've really been working on the glutes lately, too.
Lois: Did the humor come with the costume?
Green Arrow: Did the "Tomb Raider" routine come from wanting daddy's attention?

Chloe: Well, I guess there's some sort of secret code of honor among superheroes.

Oliver: Well, you seem to have a crystal-clear idea of what's right and what's wrong. You decide who it belongs to.
Clark: It's not as clear as it used to be.

Oliver: Clark, you have abilities I couldn't even dream of. And I admire that you use them to save the people you're close to.
Clark: But?
Oliver: But there's a whole world of people out there, Clark. They need us. With your potential... you can't wait for them to come to you. When you're ready to do something about that... you let me know.

External links


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CategoriesMain Characters · Relationships · Villains

ComicsThe Comic · Season 11 · Miniseries


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