The Huntress Returns

"The Huntress Returns" is the seventeenth episode of the first season of Arrow. It aired on March 20, 2013.

Synopsis
Open at a strip club. A patron named propositioned for a private dance. In the back he sees that the girl is Helena. She is looking for her father Frank and thinks Gus, his attorney, might know something. He swears the feds stopped telling him anything but she kills him anyway.

Queen's club will be opening soon. He asks Hall to be his date.

Laurel sets Lance up with a surprising meeting with ex-wife Dinah, who thinks Sara is still alive. Dinah explains that based on where Queen was found she thinks it's possible she washed up on one of the other islands. She also shows him a picture taken by a tourist of a woman who looks just like Sara. Lance doesn't want to believe it.

Thea runs into Roy on the street and says she might have a job for him working as a valet at Queen's club.

Digs shows Queen video of Helena killing Gus. Digs thinks Helena is dangerous and Queen asks him to look into finding her.

Queen comes home and finds Helena sitting with Thea on the couch. She tells him Frank just cut a deal to testify and will be getting out in protective custody in 24 hours. She wants help taking him down but Queen thinks it would be murder. Helena makes a veiled threat against Queen's family.

Tommy is still having trouble getting past Queen's alter ego.

Flashback to the island. Queen and Wilson discuss how what Fyers might be planning with his arsenal of missiles. Wilson thinks he has enough firepower to start a war and they need to step in and do something. There are six soldier guarding the launcher.

Laurel asks Lance to at least take a look at the information Dinah put together.

The night of the opening Moira tells Queen she's proud of what he's accomplished. Laurel notices that something is up with Tommy, then mentions he skipped breakfast with her parents. Tommy tells Thea that Roy starts work the following day. We see that Helena is in the club. Queen gets a note to meet Dig downstairs.

Queen finds Helena with Tommy pinned down to a table. He finally agrees to help her and she lets him go.

At this point viewers notice that the CW has submitted a faulty copy of this week's episode. We can hear the background music, but none of the dialogue. This continues for three minute and two full scenes...

... the dialogue returns with Tommy stopping by to see Laurel at work. He tells her Roy never showed for work. She wants to know what happened to his wrist and he gives her an obvious lie. He says he can't tell her the truth. She's particularly upset that he isn't there for her at a crucial time in her life.

Thea drops by Roy's place. He says he didn't show up for work because he didn't want to accept her charity. She leaves and runs into a few muggers. Roy arrives out of nowhere in a red hooded sweatshirt and saves the day, sustaining a knife wound in the process.

Helena and Queen follow a motorcade of some kind with Frank in it. Queen takes out the back of one of the vans but finds it empty. Helena goes after the other van and runs into a police ambush lead by Lance and Hall. Queen sees this and mutters "damnit" to himself.

Lance and Hall question Helena and tell her they knew it was just a matter of time before she came after Frank. They say there were also looking at getting the Vigilante and offer her a deal if she gives up his real name. Helena begins talking about Oliver Queen and the way he uses people. When pushed for a specific name she doesn't budge. An alarm goes off and we see the station is full of smoke. Arrow walks in and helps lead Helena out of the building.

Thea accompanies Roy to the hospital. He seems worried about getting a shot and she kisses him to take his mind off the pain.

Outside the station Helena wants Queen to admit he has feelings for her. He gives her a plane ticket so she can start a new life in Europe. She takes it angrily.

In another island flashback Queen and Wilson place explosives on the launcher. But Queen thinks all they have to do is remove the circuit board.

Queen drops by Hall's place unannounced. He says he feels like he's letting down his friends by not having enough time. This leads to them getting in bed. Felicity tries to call Queen with information about a recent sporting goods store robbery of a high-powered crossbow. As leaves him the voicemail we see Helena walk into the room.

Queen rushes to his headquarters and finds Felicity tied up and gagged. Digs arrives a moment later. Helena forced Felicty to hack he FBI database to find where Frank is being held.

We see Helena force her way into Frank's safe house, taking out agent after agent. She gets upstairs and Frank jumps out a window. She follows him outside and runs into Arrow. Hall arrives at the same time and is told to wait for back-up. Helena tells Arrow she knows he won't shoot because he isn't a murderer. He says he has no choice because she plans to kill people and shoot an arrow at her chest. She catches and seems hurt he would have actually killed her. They begin to fight and Arrow gets the upper hand. But as he points his bow at Helena, Hall approaches from behind and orders him to put down the weapon. Helena uses the distraction to shoot Hall.

Hall wakes up in the hospital with Queen by her side. She has a broken femur and is looking at a year of rehab. It means she'll be leaving town.

Lance meets with Dinah and tells her he's "ready to listen."

In an empty club Tommy and Queen talk. Queen says he was wrong to think he could have a normal life given his enormous secret.

We get a final flash to the island. Queen radios Fyers that they have the circuit board. Queen suggests a trade: The board for a way off the island.

Production
Preparation ran from January 18 until January 28, 2013. Shooting ran from January 29 until February 7, 2013.