Cast Members Stephen Amell, Right, And Katie Cassidy Attend A Panel For 'Arrow.'
Cast members Stephen Amell (R) and Katie Cassidy attend a panel for "Arrow" during the CW television portion of the Television Critics Association summer press tour in Beverly Hills, California July 30, 2012. Reuters

“Arrow” Season 4, Episode 21 (“Monument Point”) aired May 11 on The CW. In this week’s new episode, Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) does not face Damien Darhk (Neal McDonough) until the very end, leaving fans guessing what happens next in the Genesis initiative. The Calculator (Tom Amandes) is injured, but he is determined to help his daughter. Meanwhile, Taiana’s (Elysia Rotaru) glowing yellow eyes in Lian Yu could mean some hope for Team Arrow.

Spoiler alert: This review recaps the highlights of Arrow 4x21. Details include major character and plot developments up to the latest broadcasted episode.

Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) has been fired from Palmer Tech. It remains to be seen whether she would be jobless (again) up to “Arrow” Season 5. Felicity’s dad, Noah Kuttler a.k.a. The Calculator, sustains a gunshot wound from Darhk’s HIVE operatives, but he’s still in the team. In Arrow 4x22 (“Lost in the Flood”), Curtis Holt (Echo Kellum) joins the father-daughter computer team.

Monument Point saved!

Felicity diverts a missile on its way to Monument Point, but she is not able to save tens of thousands of lives in Havenrock. Lyla Michaels (Audrey Marie Anderson) reminds her millions could have died at Monument Point had she failed to divert the bomb. Still, Damien Darhk is winning at this stage.

Death gives Damien Darhk his powers. The death toll at Havenrock was pumping in some energy into Darhk when Ollie and Diggle (David Ramsey) finally find him. Oliver is barely able to fight off Darhk’s magic in Arrow 4x20. Now that the big villain is freshly charged, what are the chances that Oliver Queen could stop Darhk? Is it possible that somehow, the idol artifact is still connected to Taiana Venediktov, the woman who has been helping Oliver in this season’s Lian Yu flashback scenes?

Who is Taiana Venediktov in Lian Yu?

Baron Reiter (Jimmy Akingbola) had absorbed the idol’s powers in Lian Yu, but in Arrow 4x21, it is revealed that Taiana appears to have soaked up some of its magic, too. Oliver’s first instinct was to defend himself, but he is unable to even point his gun at the woman who has been a strong ally to him. What happens next will fully explain the relevance of Taiana’s memory in Oliver’s present life.

The next episode, “Arrow” Season 4, Episode 22 a.k.a. “Lost in the Flood” sees Oliver and Dig on a mission to save Thea Queen (Willa Holland) from her dad, Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman). Malcolm wants his daughter safe, but Thea does not want to be a part of Damien’s new world.

Lonnie Machin: Thea Queen, get a grip!

At Darhk’s underground world, Thea stops villain Lonnie Machin (Alexander Calvert) from destroying the HIVE shelter. Machin offers an interesting insight to Thea, why is she always doing what the men in her life has been telling her to do? She is not a pawn, he says. She is a Queen (not a Merlyn), after all. This is expected to affect Thea’s character through “Arrow” Season 5.

Meanwhile, Momma Donna Smoak (Charlotte Ross) and Quentin Lance (Paul Blackthorne) talk about the Black Canary. Donna finds an unsigned affidavit saying that Quentin had no idea his daughter Laurel (Katie Cassidy) was a superhero. Donna makes it clear she does not live well with liars. Quentin later signs a document honoring Black Canary and admitting he knew what she was doing.

The penultimate episode of “Arrow” Season 4 airs on May 18 on The CW.

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