Arrow (2012–…): Season 1, Episode 8 - Vendetta - full transcript

Oliver Queen attempts to train Helena Bertinelli in the hopes that she will join him in his fight for justice. Meanwhile, Walter Steele delves deeper into his wife's secrets.

My name is Oliver Queen.

For five years, I was stranded
on an island with only one goal:

Survive.

Oliver Queen is alive.

Now I will fulfill my father's dying wish:

To use the list of names he left me...

...and bring down those
who are poisoning my city.

To do this, I must become someone else.

I must become something else.

Previously on Arrow:

The company Mrs. Queen invested in
doesn't exist.



Tempest purchased a warehouse
in Starling City.

Oliver, this is my daughter, Helena.

The Starling City vigilante comes
and goes as he pleases, doesn't he?

- How did you know?
- I saw you fight.

- I saw your eyes.
- It's your fault Michael's dead.

Not your father for ordering the hit
or me for carrying it out.

That island changed you.
Only someone like me could understand.

I know that it feels like justice,
but it's not.

Revenge is justice.

You feel the same as I do. I know it.

- Take your hands off me.
- What do you think you were doing?

That man was the leader of the Triad.

My father blames them
for the recent hits against his men.

- These are men you killed.
- That's right.



I take out Zhishan and the Triad retaliates.
I've weakened my father's organization...

...to the point where there's no way
he can survive their onslaught.

What, and then you have your revenge?

Then I have justice.

For what he did to Michael and me.

It's not justice.

And what you do is?

Would you let me show you?

Get you anything else?

No, thank you, Carly.

Where's my brother-in-law?

It's late and this is the Glades.
Shouldn't he be keeping you safe?

She's tougher than she looks.

I haven't been on a second date
in a while.

Feels good so far.

Look, we slept together
and it was really nice, and I needed it.

- But I'm not looking for anything.
- Because you have everything figured out.

I don't think you're one to judge.
I saw you kill people.

I kill people when it is absolutely necessary.
It's not my opening move.

And the way you're going,
you're gonna get somebody hurt...

...like my mother or yourself.

I'm sorry about your mother.
That was an accident.

How many accidents have to happen before
you're done getting back at your father?

Hopefully none.

But I am not getting back at him.

I am stripping away everything
that has meaning to him...

...like he did to me
when he had Michael killed.

What if I show you another way?

A way that you could take down
your father's organization...

...without putting innocent people
at risk?

Thank you for the coffee...

...and the sex, but I am not interested.

I don't know
where the next Olympics are...

...but you might wanna think about
signing yourself up.

So you wanna talk about last night?

Okay. Last time you and I spoke,
you were on your way...

...to stop Helena Bertinelli
from her one-woman war against the Mafia.

How'd that work out for you?

Nick Salvati,
Frank Bertinelli's right hand...

...was found with his neck snapped,
along with a few of his thugs.

Was that her or you?

I was with Helena
when Salvati jumped us.

- We didn't have a choice.
- "We"?

She knows, Diggle. About me.
It was my secret or her life.

It's not just your secret anymore, Oliver.
This woman's a killer...

- ...dropping bodies all over the city.
- She's not what you think she is.

Three years ago,
she was gonna turn her father in.

She put everything she had on a laptop.

Her father found it, thought it belonged
to her fiance, and had him murdered.

All right, that's a heavy thing, but it doesn't
change the fact that she is dangerous.

And if Bertinelli retaliates against
the Triad, or is perceived to...

...the Triad is gonna rain down hell
and innocent people are gonna be killed.

She's lost, Diggle.

And whether she knows it or not,
I can save her.

- Stop her from doing anything reckless.
- That's just it. You can't save her.

- Some people don't change.
- She can. I can help her.

All right, maybe you think
you're more persuasive than you are...

...or she thinks she's fine the way she is
on her mission of righteous fury.

Whatever it is, either way, all of this,
it ends badly.

Either way...

...I gotta W-

Where are you off to so early?
You just got home.

Trouble with traveling for a few weeks
is a few weeks' worth of work piling up.

I just want to dig my way out
from underneath it.

Of course.

What is it?

We haven't spoken since you left.

Really spoken.

I know.

Well, I can imagine finding out
that I had Robert's yacht salvaged...

...and that he was murdered
was a lot for you to take in.

Yes, it was.

I just don't want you to feel
that you can't trust me anymore.

I wasn't lying to hurt you,
but to keep you safe.

I haven't changed, Walter.

I'm still the woman you fell in love with
and married.

Do you see that?

Yeah, of course I do.

I just want us to agree to be honest
with one another moving forward.

Yes, of course.

Walter...

...will you give me a lift to school?

I like to mix it up sometimes
and actually be on time.

Well, that would be my parental privilege.

Or you could just buy me a convertible
and then we could avoid this.

What, and miss out on all those wonderful
conversations we have in the car?

I don't think so.

I'm so sorry, Frank. Last thing you need
is me crying on your shoulder all night.

I just can't believe that Nick is gone.

Dina, look, you and Nicky,
you're like family to me, okay?

And in my family,
we take care of our own, okay?

I'm sorry for your loss.

Nick was like a brother to me.

Come on.

We'll talk to you soon. Okay.

I'm gonna find
the son of a bitch who did this...

...and on my life,
I am gonna make him pay.

You know, that girl's
always forgetting something.

Frank, sorry to drop by unannounced.

No, no, no, come on in.
It's all right, come on in.

I know, uh, that we've been working
on that construction deal.

And I'm sorry for dropping the ball.
We've had a death in the family.

- I'm terribly sorry to hear that.
- Thank you.

Actually, though,
I'm not here to discuss business.

Oh, okay.

Well, this is one merger
I won't stand in the way of.

Excuse me, sweetie.
A father knows when he's not needed.

Was I not clear
that I wasn't interested in talking?

You don't have to talk.

Who was she?

Somebody I knew a long time ago.

I was dating her sister
and it was getting serious.

But back then, I did not do serious well.

But I was excellent
at screwing things up.

I started sleeping with Sara.

I started sleeping
with my girlfriend's sister.

I brought her on the yacht and she died.

Right in front of me.

And I hurt... I hurt her family.

I just didn't care.

Before the island, I wasn't a good person.
I was...

...selfish and thoughtless and awful.

And it affected, really affected people.

People I love.

Because, Helena, you're on an island too.

Oliver, I want to let you in.

But Michael was the last man
I opened up to.

- I can't be hurt again.
- Never.

I'll never hurt you.

I promise.

Ah, ah. Relax. Relax, relax, relax.

Now pull back gently.

You need all three fingers to come off
the bowstring at the same time. Relax.

Breathe.

And release.

- This is a waste of time.
- I'm teaching you something.

- The least effective way to shoot people?
- No, control.

To use a bow and arrow
requires patience and discipline.

I can do this all day. It's kind of fun.

I love a man with stamina.

Our crusades
have something in common.

Mine started with my father too.

He left me with a list.

Of people who need to be reminded that
Starling City isn't theirs for the taking.

Anthony Venza's in here.

He works for my dad.
He deals illegal prescription pills.

Diggle, this is Helena.

Diggle is my...

...associate.

- Well, any associate of Oliver's...
- Is absolutely nothing to you, ma'am.

I'll leave you to associate.

She knows my name. That's lovely.

- You can trust her.
- Except I don't.

- You sleeping with this girl?
- I don't think that's your business.

It became my business
when you brought me into this.

When I signed on, I told you
I was gonna keep your head straight.

But you're lonely.
Lonelier than you wanna admit.

You think you can change this girl
because you need to think you can.

Like a dope fiend who deals
with his own addiction...

...by making another addict go straight.

Oliver, what you do is dangerous.

Getting confused about who's good and bad
is a good way to get yourself dead.

You done?

Yeah, I'm done.

With this.

Everything else? I don't know.

I don't know, Oliver. You tell me.

Hope you don't have plans
tomorrow night.

I just got us a rez at that new
restaurant, Table Salt. Opening night.

- Isn't that place ridiculously expensive?
- Everywhere worth going is.

Aw, you have the cutest crinkle
in your forehead when you're worried.

Stop. This is serious. I thought
you were gonna live more frugally.

Yeah, I know, everybody's a grown-up
except for me.

Even Oliver has a job.
He's working on that new nightclub.

You have thinky face. Why thinky face?

- Thought about asking Oliver for a job?
- Not even once.

This isn't a quality
that I love most about you...

...but you do know the club scene
and how to have fun.

You make some very valid points.

I'll take care of it. I'll talk to Ollie later.
We'll see what he thinks.

He is gonna think it's a great idea.

How was your trip to Australia?

I've always wanted to go down under.

It's just I have this thing about kangaroos.
More of a phobia. They wig me out.

They look evil. I'm sure their picture's
on everything in that country.

You had something important to tell me,
Ms. Smoak?

Yes, I did. It's about Tempest.

Your wife's mysterious LLC.
The one she diverted company funds to.

I appreciate your diligence, but it was
a misunderstanding between my wife and I.

- Everything's been resolved.
- No, see, it hasn't.

There was something about
the money transfer that felt hinky to me.

The money your wife withdrew,
I wasn't the only one who tracked it.

She was being shadowed by another entity.
And whoever it is, they're good. NSA good.

But as you know, I'm good too.

So even though they left almost no trace
of their presence in our system...

...I did manage to find one thing.

Well, one image.

Does that symbol mean something
to you, sir?

No.

What means something to me
is one of my employees...

...prying into my wife's private business
without authorization.

And should it happen again,
I'll have you suspended.

Is that clear?

Crystal.

- Where's your friend?
- Just the two of us tonight.

Oh, really?
And what did you have in mind?

An object lesson.

- We're going after Anthony Venza?
- Yes, but we're doing it on my terms.

Your father loses a piece
of his organization...

...but no innocent people get hurt
in the process.

- What is it?
- I explained...

...guns were weapons of emotion
and unpredictability...

...but since you are far from an expert
at archery, this will have to do for now.

I like it.

But you can't go out like that.

Why? You got a spare hood?

Does it come in purple?

I like purple.

This isn't crack.

Anyone can sell crack.

All you need is a street corner
and a hoodie.

This is pharmaceutical-grade
oxycodone.

It is caviar. It is champagne.

And you sell this
in fancy houses at parties...

...with rich kids that got money to burn.

Check it out.

Whoever you are, you really think you're
gonna get out of here in one piece?

I was thinking the same thing.

Anthony Venza.

You have failed this city.

Please, just don't hurt me.

Aw. How about just a little?

Millions of dollars' worth
of illegal drugs confiscated.

A massive blow
to your father's criminal proceeds.

And nobody had to die.

Jusfice.

What do you think?

I think this feels good.

And not just the justice part.

Anthony Venza was arrested last night.

The police confiscated a warehouse
full of illegal prescription drugs...

...with a street value estimated
in the millions.

Several unconfirmed witnesses reported
seeing the Starling City Vigilante...

...leaving the scene with another unknown
accomplice, possibly a woman.

Bad year?

The scotch, I mean.

Yeah, sorry.

Another business setback.

Wow.

You look beautiful.

Oliver Queen?

Aw. It's nice to see you happy again.

It's been too long.

Yeah?

Yeah, yeah, I heard about Venza.

Yeah, I know where that leaves us!

I'm sorry to rush out.

I have this impromptu
board of directors meeting...

...with the
Starling City Modern Art Museum.

I don't know much about art,
but I do know how to pay for it.

No worries.

- Whip them into shape.
- Yes, sir.

I'll see you when I get back.

Well, it's only been 30 minutes.
That's not too bad for an opening.

If they don't seat us soon, I'm going
to write a horrible review online.

Let me see what I can do.

Hey, I am loving the Cavalli.

Uh, look, I'm Tommy Merlyn. Is there any way
that we can go to the head of the class?

Is there?

Let us know when our table's ready, okay?

Maybe you can eat
some of those fancy peanuts...

- ...from behind the bar.
- Hey.

Hey, Oliver and someone.

Tommy, Laurel, this is Helena.

- Nice to meet you.
- Pleasure.

Likewise.

- You look beautiful.
- Thank you.

Mr. Queen, your table is ready.

- When will our table be ready?
- When it is.

- Why don't you both join us?
- We're gonna have a drink...

- We'd love to.
- Are you sure?

I'm sure I'm hungry.

That... Ahem. That's...
That'll be... It'll be great.

- That sounds great. There you go.
- Yeah.

I had forgotten that.
You filled your parents' pool with beer.

- How many kegs did that take?
- Roughly a thousand or so.

So his father was so pissed, I thought
he was actually gonna drown you in it.

Death by beer, there's worse ways to go.
Right, Helena?

Well, there are no good ways to die.

So, uh, how did you and Tommy meet?

Actually, we've all known each other
since...

We've all known each other forever.

You three have a lot of history.

Sometimes a little too much.

So how's the nightclub coming along?

Slower than I expected it to.
I've, uh, been busy.

- You must be happy to have the help.
- What do you mean?

I'm sure that Oliver doesn't want
to talk about work right now.

- You didn't ask him?
- Ask me what?

Tommy wanted...

Tommy said that he was gonna talk to you
about working for you at your nightclub.

Really?

Sorry, I didn't think that you wanted
any responsibility at all.

Who'd believe that?

You've always wanted
to get into business with Tommy.

Remember when we went to Aspen
and you wanted to open a ski lodge?

The thing I remember from Aspen...

...was your father being furious
we shared a room with one bed.

Wait.

So you two were together
and now you're dating his best friend?

Yeah, we're just primed
for a reality show, aren't we?

Tommy, you working for me,
that could be fun.

I don't feel so good.
I'm gonna step outside.

I should probably go check on him.
Helena, it was very nice to meet you.

Tommy, why are you so upset?

Why did you say something
about the job?

- You were supposed to talk to him.
- Well, I hadn't.

- I didn't realize. I was trying to help.
- You were trying to get Oliver to help.

You know, it's typical Laurel,
always running to her white knight.

It's Oliver and Laurel.
It always has been.

That's not gonna change.

Oliver and I are over.

You seemed awfully bothered
by his new girlfriend.

- What, am I supposed to like her?
- I do not wanna be Oliver's charity case.

To every day be reminded
that I can't give you everything he could.

You know, losing a fortune I think
is gonna be easier than losing you...

...so why don't we just stop now?

Hey, I'm sorry. How am I supposed to know
it's gonna get so weird in there?

No, I'm sorry.
Sorry I ever listened to you.

- Helena, wait.
- You know what I've been through.

I told you I couldn't be hurt again.

I'm not trying to hurt you.

So making me have dinner with the love
of your life is what, Oliver?

Laurel was the girl
things were getting too serious with.

The girl whose sister's grave
you used to manipulate me.

I saw the way you looked at her.
That kind of love doesn't die.

- And you still love her.
- I don't.

- Hey.
- No, don't.

Don't touch me. I am done talking.

I came to apologize.

I know you were just trying to help.

I guess I wasn't ready to face reality.

This is just so new, you and me,
and I didn't want you to see I'm scared.

I'm almost 30 years old and I've never been
given an ounce of responsibility in my life.

You, you are driven and intelligent.

You're a million times too good for me
even before I was broke.

And now I have absolutely nothing
to bring to whatever this is.

I never cared about the money.

And truth be told, "billionaire"
was your least attractive quality.

I am so sorry if I pushed you too hard
on the job with Oliver.

I just... I thought you working for him
was a good idea because he's your friend...

...and it's okay to ask a friend for help.

You won't lose your street cred.

I am happy to lose my street cred.
I just don't want to lose you.

Well...

...I'm not saying that it's gonna be easy.

But I'm here for you
if you need someone to lean on.

That's what people do
when they're together.

Together like boyfriend-girlfriend?

Do not ruin this moment.

It was going so well for you. Ha-ha-ha.

I didn't expect to hear from you tonight.

Something happen?

I think you were right.

- Okay. About which part?
- All of it.

I should have listened to you.

Oliver, you said you wanted
to help her change.

The thing is, she already did change.

When her father killed her fiance,
she changed into something dark and twisted.

You see that now, don't you?

It's not that I... It's not that
I couldn't see it, Diggle. I didn't...

I didn't want to.

I'm living a double life.

And to do that,
I'm taking all these people I love...

...and I am putting them at arm's length.
I'm giving up a lot. So maybe...

Maybe I thought the universe
owed me one.

But I looked into her eyes tonight.

And I can't stop her
from going over the edge.

She's... She's already past it.

I don't speak Chinese.

So I'm just gonna assume
you said goodbye.

Tell your mistress
Frank Bertinelli sends his regards.

You wanted to see me, Mr. Steele?

Did I mention it's almost Christmas?

Many of the suicides this time of year are
due to sudden and unexpected joblessness.

I want you to find out all you can
about that notebook.

Where it was made, how it was purchased,
what it could mean.

- Yes, sir.
- Felicity.

I asked Josiah Hudson,
our head of security...

...to look into the same subject matter.

He died the next day
under questionable circumstances.

What I may be asking of you,
this mystery...

...are you sure you want to do this?

I hate mysteries.

They bug me.

[They need to be solved.

It's Dig. What's the situation?

War.

Boss, we just got word.
Somebody hit Zhishan. He's dead.

All right, then we know
what's coming next.

Tell everyone to strap up.

Ricco's not answering his walkie.
Check it out.

Frank Bertinelli, this is for Zhishan.

Run!

Helena, what is this?

Payback for Michael.

I know you had him killed.
Salvati told me.

I did that to protect the family!

I had to take everything away from you
because you took everything away from me.

You finally know what it feels like...

...to find out your own blood is responsible
for the death of your entire world.

No!

Helena.

Helena.

- Ugh.
- Hey, easy, easy. You were lucky.

- Am I supposed to be grateful?
- No, Helena...

He's a mobster, a criminal.

Why would you save him?

I didn't save him.

I saved you.
You think that because you've killed...

...you understand what it's like
to have blood on your hands. You don't.

You don't understand the toll
that it takes on you.

Especially when it's your father.

I'm not going to stop.

The police have him in custody.
He's going to jail and then on to prison.

They don't have any evidence on him.

They do now.

The laptop.

He's going away, Helena,
for the rest of his life.

This is justice.

Then I guess you were right.
I'm more interested in revenge.

Stay out of my way, Oliver.

Or I'll make sure your secret
doesn't stay secret.

Helena.

What I did...

...everything that I've done,
I've done because I care about you.

Too bad I can't say the same.

Hey, you. Thanks for the call.

- What are ex-sisters-in-law for?
- Mm.

Chili cheese fries with jalapenos. Mm.

That's a cry for help
if I've ever seen one.

I don't know what hurts worse, this...

...or getting shot
with a curare-laced bullet.

- Been there, done that. Definitely the bullet.
- Heh.

You know, Oliver, I'm no expert at this...

...but I don't think love
is about changing or saving a person.

I think it's about finding the person
who's already the right fit.

One day you will.

I think I burned that particular bridge.

- Napalmed it, actually.
- So things didn't work out as you planned.

You did save Frank Bertinelli's life.

He'll be doing time for a while.
Justice wins out.

Helena doesn't see it that way.

You opened up,
took a risk with your heart.

The Oliver I met a few months ago
would not have been able to do that.

And when you meet the right person,
you'll be ready for her.

- What are you doing?
- Needs to be dark if we're gonna do this.

If I'd had more time to think of that
sentence, it wouldn't have sounded so dirty.

Look.

- I don't see anything.
- I got these from Applied Sciences.

They're able to pick up the sub-visible
variations in the UV spectrum.

Now look at the book again.

Hi.

Look, I'm sorry about last night.

I just... I let it get too far, us sitting
at the same table. That was...

- That was stupid.
- No, I was stupid.

I haven't been entirely honest with you.

My dad cut me off.

He froze all my funds.
I am living on fumes.

Really?

- Why didn't you say anything?
- Embarrassment, shame, jealousy.

Probably a few other emotions
I'm not used to feeling.

Tommy, my trust fund is your trust fund.

No, that is the easy answer.

And believe me,
I have loved easy answers.

What I need is a job.

I'm trying to change.

Not sure into what yet...

...but I don't wanna be
what I was anymore.

It just so happens that I have a general
manager position that is available.

- You're probably the guy for the job.
- Will I get dental? This smile wasn't cheap.

- I will look into that.
- Thank you.

- Thank you.
- You're welcome.

- You okay?
- I will be.

Something happen with Helena?

We had a falling out.

But I have a feeling
that I will be seeing her again.