With Green Arrow (Stephen Amell) frantically searching for any leads to find Slade Wilson (Manu Bennett), even going so far as threaten Alexi Leonov (Eugene Lipinski) and Bratva for information to put Deathstroke in the ground before one-eyed super-assassin makes good on his threat to destroy Oliver’s life, Lyla Michaels (Audrey Marie Anderson) taps her ex-husband, and current on-again/off-again love interest, Diggle (David Ramsey) to lead Amanda Waller‘s (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) Suicide Squad and retrieve a chemical weapon from a smuggler and terrorist (Lee Majdoub) in Markovia whose life Diggle saved six years ago.
Taking Lyla, Deadshot (Michael Rowe), Sharpnel (Sean Maher), and Bronze Tiger (Michael Jai White) into the field Diggle soon learns the hard truth about the Squad as one member’s escape attempt leads to Shrapnel literally loosing his head. After locating the nerve agent, which is far too much to discretely extract, Diggle learns just how far Waller will go to complete a mission including calling in a drone strike which would level the building, destroy the toxin, and kill hundreds of innocent bystanders.
While Oliver’s quest for Slade Wilson only turns up the dead body of a former ally and more attempts of our hero trying to push away those closest to him for his own good, Diggle’s storyline offers a look into Diggle and Lyla’s past while also offering several fun moments for DC fans including the introduction of Deadshot’s wrist-shooters, nano-bombs buried in the heads of each member of the Squad, and a cameo by the one member (Cassidy Alexa) of the Squad who doesn’t go into the field with the rest of the team.
The episode’s final scene also reveals past ties between Oliver and Waller, both of whom have interest in returning Slade Wilson to the grave. As to where that relationship falls in Oliver’s missing five years we’ll have to wait to learn more (although the episode suggests Waller was apparently present when Ollie shot an arrow into Wilson’s eye). Next week’s return of the Huntress (Jessica De Gouw) will likely further delay Oliver’s search for Deathstroke, but it should offer Ollie’s current and ex girlfriends (both of whom enjoy masks, pointy objects, and leather pants) the chance to get to know each other better.