Darkness on the Edge of Town

"Darkness on the Edge of Town" is the twenty-second episode of the first season of Arrow, and the twenty-second episode overall. It aired on May 8, 2013.

Synopsis
With the Undertaking days away, Malcolm dons his Dark Archer costume and black hood to conclude business with seismologist Dr. Brion Markov and his team. Oliver and Moira entertain a number of surprise and mostly unwelcome visitors. Hooded confrontations at home and the Merlyn Global Group reveal dark secrets. Meanwhile, Roy and Thea are still looking out for The Hood. Laurel makes a decision after Tommy's revelation. In a flashback to the island, Oliver, Slade, and Shado, struggle to prevent Edward from shooting a Ferris Air jet out of the sky.

Plot
Malcolm Merlyn, in his Dark Archer costume, goes to Unidac Industries to tie up loose ends by murdering scientists who worked on the seismic device that will be used to level the Glades. Oliver and John devise a plan where John dresses as The Hood and kidnaps Oliver and Moira in an attempt to uncover the truth about the Undertaking. The plan works and Oliver, Felicity, and John break into Merlyn Global to hack the mainframe and find the device. Oliver convinces Tommy to get back together with Laurel, but when he learns that he could give up being the Hood if he stops the Undertaking, Oliver decides to reconcile with Laurel himself; later, Tommy witnesses Oliver and Laurel becoming physically intimate. That night, John goes after the device, but Malcolm learns of the system hack and has the device moved. The Hood attempts to kill Malcolm, who reveals to the Hood that he is the other archer, the two fight and Malcolm gets the upper hand, discovering Oliver's secret, however he seems to express regret for beating him up after unmasking him. Meanwhile, Walter reveals that he knew that Moira was part of his kidnapping and gives her divorce papers as a result. In a flashback, Edward reveals that he plans to cripple the Chinese economy by blowing up an aircraft going into China. Edward then murders Yao Fei, after forcing him to take credit for the attacks via video recording.

Production
Preparation ran from March 18 until March 26, 2013. Shooting ran from March 27 until April 8, 2013.

Featured Music
Radioactive by Imagine Dragons

Trivia

 * The episode's title is a reference to the Bruce Springsteen 1978 album and song of the same name.
 * The Jet Liner that Edward Fyers wants to take down belongs to Ferris Airlines. In the DC comics, Carol Ferris is the on/off girlfriend of the Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, and the owner of Ferris Airlines.
 * This episode marks the 5th main character to discover Oliver is The Hood. The others being Diggle, Helena, Felicity, and Tommy. Malcolm is also the first major villain to discover his secret identity.