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Laurel’s (Katie Cassidy) investigation lands her in the wrong cross-hairs and that pesky addiction problem raises a few eyebrows.

Let’s bitch it out…Poor Laurel. Just when she finally manages to do something interesting, she’s immediately sandbagged with accusations of drug addiction. It’s hard to feel too bad for her since the charges are technically true, but still, it’s going to be a tough slog for her now that she’s questioning herself. At least she’ll have lots of time to think about things now that Hot Paul DA Donner (Dylan Bruce) has fired her. Silver linings, right? No? Ah well, then.

After her visit to the institution last week, Laurel sets in motion a series of events that nearly reveals the identity of the true villain in Starling City. Her interest in Sebastian Blood’s (Kevin Alejandro) mother – and Maya’s (Ana Mercedes) subsequent death – prompts Laurel to dig deeper into her near paramour’s history. This forces her to ally herself with Arrow (Stephen Amell), which raises Diggle (David Ramsey) and Felicity’s (Emily Bett-Rickards) eyebrows considering she was trying to arrest him just a few weeks ago. The result is a mixed bag: Laurel and Oliver nearly expose Blood’s corruption and ultimately kill henchman Officer Daily (Jesse Hutch), but they mistakenly believe that they’ve eliminated the threat and believe that their suspicions of Blood were ill-informed. Blame it on the drugs!

The events of ‘Blind Spot’ are definitely a win for Slade (Manu Bennett) and Blood, however. Not only have they cleared Blood of suspicion (though the mask will have to be retired lest they be aroused anew); they’ve managed to use the drug charges to discredit Laurel and sow doubt in the minds of her allies, including her father (Paul Blackthorne) who pretty much immediately labels her an addict and calls it a day.

Lance credibility is front and center in this episode in both the present and the past. The events on the island reveal that Oliver’s trust in the Lance women is historically ill-advised: Sara (Caity Lotz) reveals that Laurel deliberately got her grounded in order to initiate a romance with Oliver herself. Of course Sara herself proves to be a dubious ally when she reconnects with Dr. Ivo (Dylan Neal). I’m curious as to why she contacts him: is she working out whether her feelings for him (and distaste about his science projects) are true? Or is she hoping for signs of the kind man he initially appears to be when she calls? I’ve long felt that Sara’s not being entirely truthful with Oliver since she appeared on Ivo’s boat and this conversation suggests that my uncertainty has merit. Whether or not I can put my suspicions to bed now that Ivo has (once again) revealed that he’s a psycho remains to be seen.

Courtesy of The CW

Other Observation:

• Anyone else get the impression that Oliver specifically comments on his innate trust in Laurel as a way for the writers to stoke the fires of their “almost romantic” relationship? It’s pretty slight, but since the writers appear reticent to match Oliver up, it’s like they’re keeping all of their options on the table (no matter how slight).
• I really like Oliver and Laurel’s infiltration of the file room and the resulting action scene. It’s tense, well edited and features a fun (if silly) escape into the alley. If we’re being truthful, though, what I find most appealing is that the file folder they steal is empty. So often the information that Oliver needs for his investigations is accessible with a simple click of a button by Felicity. The fact that some documents are still only available in paper form hidden in storage, as well as the fact that these files can be misplaced or stolen feels realistic. Things shouldn’t always go Oliver’s way, even when he’s risking life and limb.
• The B story involving Roy (Colton Haynes) and Sin (Bex Taylor-Klaus) is dull. He continues to refuse to tell Thea (Willa Holland) about his powers, preferring  instead to set up the worst prostitute killer sting operation ever. Using Sin as bait for a creep who can’t even wait to park before pulling a knife, Roy predictably overdoes it and nearly kills the guy with his newfound powers. And then he still refuses to talk to Thea again, preferring to cry by himself instead. Ugh – hopefully now that Oliver has agreed to train him all of this whining and moping will end.
• Laurel needs better home security. How many times has her apartment been broken into now?
• Slade debuts his brand new Deathstroke outfit for Blood (who’s a bit too choked-up to comment). It’s definitely sharp, though I almost prefer Manu Bennett with his eyepatch. (Side Note: What does Slade do when he’s not bitching out Blood? I imagine him sitting around stroking a white cat ala Blofield all day)
  
• So is Moira just not on the show anymore?

Best Lines:

• Diggle (when Ollie suggests Roy doesn’t like discussing his feelings): “Not like you and me”
• Felicity (when Diggle suggests Sebastian may just be a normal guy): “His last name is Blood. That’s not a good sign.”

Do you feel like the island and the present synched up better this week? Are you glad that Laurel has more agency now? Can we all agree that it’s good that her dumb drug addiction is out in the open? Are you excited to see Oliver train Roy (two words: workout montage. Two more: salmon ladder)? Sound off below

Arrow airs Wednesday at 8pm EST on The CW. Click below for a preview