Penance

"I need you, the team needs you, the city needs you. I'm not saying you shouldn't do your penance. You probably should, but do it as Spartan."

—Oliver convincing Diggle to return to Star City

"Penance"
Information
Season 5 » Episode 4
Episode number	96 of 170
Original airdate	October 26, 2016
Written by	Brian Ford Sullivan Oscar Balderrama
Directed by	Dermott Downs
Guest stars
Audrey Marie Anderson as Lyla Michaels Rick Gonzalez as Rene Ramirez/Wild Dog Joe Dinicol as Rory Regan/Ragman Madison McLaughlin as Evelyn Sharp/Artemis Chad L. Coleman as Tobias Church Vincent Gale as Pyotr Friedkin David Nykl as Anatoly Knyazev
Chronology
Preceded by	"A Matter of Trust"
Followed by	"Human Target"

"Penance" is the fourth episode of the fifth season of Arrow, and the ninety-sixth episode overall. It aired on October 26, 2016.

Synopsis

Oliver and Lyla team up on a secret mission for Diggle. Felicity finds out and disapproves of the plan and opts to stay behind. When Tobias Church launches a deadly assault against the city, Felicity must decide if she wants to send the recruits out without the Green Arrow.

Trivia

• Escaping a military prison after being framed for a crime the prisoner didn't commit is likely a reference of The A-Team.
• There are two references to George Lucas' films:
  • The way Rory Regan says "Sorry about the mess" is a callback to Han Solo from Star Wars.
  • John is in cell 1138, a number commonly used in pop culture after the George Lucas film THX 1138 and referenced in the Star Wars and Indiana Jones series.
• Oliver escapes with John just as Batman did with Lau in the film The Dark Knight, using a Fulton surface-to-air recovery system.
• The title comes from a line where Oliver convinces Diggle to return to Star City.
• Madison McLaughlin, David Nykl and Vincent Gale previously appeared on Supernatural. Nykl and Gale also appeared on Sanctuary in addition to the Stargate franchise.

Videos

Arrow 5x04 Promo "Penance" (HD)

Arrow 5x04 Extended Promo "Penance" (HD)

Arrow Penance Scene The CW

Arrow Inside Arrow Penance The CW

Production

Production ran from July 27 until August 8, 2016, with a break for British Columbia Day on August 1. Shooting ran from August 9 until August 18, 2016.