Home Invasion

"What happened to you on that island?
You're about to find out."

—Mr. Blank and Oliver Queen before their fight.

"Home Invasion"
Information
Season 1 » Episode 20
Episode number	20 of 170
Original airdate	April 24, 2013
Written by	Ben Sokolowski Beth Schwartz
Directed by	Ken Fink
Chronology
Preceded by	"Unfinished Business"
Followed by	"The Undertaking"

"Home Invasion" is the twentieth episode of the first season of Arrow, and the twentieth episode overall. It aired on April 24, 2013.

Synopsis

Deadshot returns to Starling City after taking down a U.S. Ambassador and six others overseas. By keeping tabs on A.R.G.U.S.'s manhunt for the assassin, Oliver, Diggle, and Felicity learn that a sting operation is underway to capture Deadshot - alive. Diggle is determined to see his brother's killer dead, with or without Ollie's help. Meanwhile, Laurel takes drastic steps to protect a young witness, exacerbating friction between Tommy and Oliver. Later, Roy Harper unconventionally pursues all leads to find his new hero, but runs afoul of Detective Lance. Back on the island, Oliver recalls how Shado helped him incrementally gain confidence with a bow and hit the target for the first time.[src]

Cast

Starring

• Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen/Hood
• Katie Cassidy as Laurel Lance
• Colin Donnell as Tommy Merlyn
• David Ramsey as John Diggle
• Willa Holland as Thea Queen
• Susanna Thompson as Moira Queen
• Paul Blackthorne as Detective Quentin Lance

Guest starring

• Manu Bennett as Slade Wilson
• Byron Mann as Yao Fei Gulong
• Celina Jade as Shado
• Audrey Marie Anderson as Lyla Michaels/Harbinger
• J. August Richards as Mr. Blank
• Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak
• Michael Rowe as Floyd Lawton/Deadshot
• Al Sapienza as Edward Rasmus
• Colton Haynes as Roy Harper

Co-starring

• Callum Seagram Airlie as Taylor Moore
• Bruce Dawson as US Ambassador
• Bombyx Du Murier as SCPD Officer
• Connor Dunn as Courier
• Marrett Green as News Reporter
• Jessica Harmon as Nancy Moore
• Lexie Huber as Dignitary's Wife
• Paul Lazenby as Mr. Robbins
• Brenda Matthews as Grandmother
• Juno Ruddell as Social Worker
• Dan Quinn as Eric Moore

Plot

Laurel represents the Moore family, who are suing a corrupt businessman, Edward Rasmus, who cheated the family out of their life savings. A hit is put out on the family, and the couple's young child, Taylor, is the only one to survive.

Laurel takes the boy into her custody until his extended family can be reached, but the hitman comes after Taylor, who can identify him. Laurel is saved by the Hood, and Tommy suggests that they all go to the Queen Mansion for protection while the police look for the hitman.

A sting operation headed up by A.R.G.U.S. is set to capture Deadshot, who returns to Starling City after taking down a US Ambassador and six others overseas. Oliver agrees to help Diggle, but chooses to locate the man responsible for hiring the hitman instead of stopping Deadshot. Feeling betrayed by Oliver for choosing Laurel over him, John decides to leave the team.

After killing Rasmus, the hitman comes to the Queen residence to kill all remaining witnesses, but Oliver manages to kill him before he can get to Laurel and Taylor.

Taylor is placed into the care of his grandparents. Afterwards, Tommy decides to leave Laurel, believing that he could never compete with Oliver should she ever discover that he is the vigilante.

Elsewhere, Roy continues his search for the Hood, and Thea agrees to help after seeing how important it is to him.

During a flashback to the island, Shado teaches Oliver to shoot a bow but before his skills can be used as their cover, Yao Fei Gulong brings Fyers' men to their hideout to capture them all.

Production

Preparation ran from February 22 until March 4, 2013. Filming ran from March 5 until March 14, 2013.

Trivia

• The name "Edward Rasmus" is a possible reference to the Renaissance Humanist philosopher Erasmus.
• Al Sapienza, who played Rasmus in this episode, went on to play Joe West's partner, Fred Chyre, in the pilot episode of The Flash, which is part of the same universe.
• When Roy and Thea discuss searching for the vigilante, a question mark can be seen on the stairs, a nod to the Batman villain, The Riddler.
  • This could also be a nod to the vigilante The Question.
• The title refers to Mr. Blank invading Laurel's apartment and the Queen Mansion in his efforts to kill Taylor Moore.
• At one point when Quentin Lance is talking to Thea and Roy, he sarcastically calls them "wonder twins". The Wonder Twins are teenage super-powered siblings who are part of the DC Universe.
• When communicating with other A.R.G.U.S. agents to look for Floyd Lawton, Lyla uses her codename "Harbinger" which is her superhero name from the comics.
  • In season 8 of Arrow, Lyla would become Harbinger during the Anti-Monitor Crisis.
• Diggle is wearing a Starling City Rockets hat during the sting operation against Deadshot.