Moment of Goodness: Oliver and Diggle Have A Prison Floor Heart-To-Heart, Arrow “Nanda Parbat” 

It should come as no surprise by now that my favorite part of this show (and the thing we never get enough of, in my opinion) is the bromance between Ollie and Diggle. From episode one, these two have just clicked, even when they didn’t really click. They have each other’s back. They can call each other out on their bullsh*t. They can joke. And most importantly, they actually trust each other and can let down their tough guys exteriors to confide in one other about their feelings. Yep, I know, gushy girly stuff, but it still speaks to the connection these two have. And this week’s episode did not disappoint on any of those fronts. They may have had a handful of scenes together, but there was one in particular that stood out, making it my Moment of Goodness.

After breaking in to Nanda Parbat together to rescue Merlyn, both Diggle and Oliver are captured, thrown in a cell and chained to the floor. In a moment like this, I feel like a conversation about how to break free, what to do next and the ultimate goal of survival would be appropriate. But nope, these two have a heart to heart, which is one of the many reasons of why I loved their conversation so much.

Oliver: I’m not going to let you die down here.

Diggle: I don’t think that’s up to you.

Oliver: I shouldn’t have let you come.

Diggle: Also not up to you, Oliver.

Oliver: You don’t understand.

Diggle: No, I think I do. You forget I know you sometimes better than you know yourself.

Oliver: Maybe you could’ve told me that I wasn’t doing this for Thea before we left.

Diggle: You are doing it for Thea. But yet, you’re right, it’s not just about her.

Oliver: You know every time I close my eyes, all that I can see, all that I can hear, feel, is the fall. I couldn’t live like that. I couldn’t live knowing that there was someone out there that beat me.

Diggle: Yea, that makes sense.

Oliver: No, that’s egotistical and insane.

Diggle: So is putting on a mask and jumping off rooftops, Oliver. To do that, you have to be in a certain mindset. Every soldier on the battlefield has to believe he’s coming home, otherwise he’s paralyzed. Ra’s got in your head.

Oliver: What’s that favor you want to ask me?

Diggle: I don’t think now is the right time.

Oliver: We’re not dead yet. Now might be the only time.

Diggle: I always assumed if I ever got married again, Andy would be by my side. When I lost my brother, I never thought I’d get another one. So pretending for a moment that we aren’t dead yet and chained to the floor, how you feel about being my best man?

Oliver: I feel pretty good about it.

Honestly, I could not have imagined a better scene at this point. It’s funny, it’s witty, it’s heartfelt and it’s honest. I love that Diggle reminds Oliver that he knows him better than Oliver knows himself. I love that Oliver can admit his own shortcomings (which he hardly does with anyone besides Diggle). And I love that in turn, Diggle turns those supposed shortcomings in to a necessary strength and makes sense out of Oliver’s struggles. These two just fit so well together and Oliver is damn lucky to have Diggle by his side.

Which obviously brings me to the biggest highlight of the conversation. Sure, Diggle asking Oliver to be his best man would’ve been meaningful in any situation, but the fact that they were shackled to the floor of a prison in the middle of nowhere made it even more momentous. Last week, we had the chance to see Diggle’s brother for the first time. Andy has often been discussed but having the chance to see him and Diggle together was a real game changer for me. Even in the brief flashback scene, you could see how close they were and the strength of their bond…plus, they had that playful banter that Oliver and Diggle have since adopted, which makes Diggle’s words ring all the more true. Oliver is the former-playboy-turned-crime-fighting brother that Diggle never thought he would have. Honestly, to think back to when they first met, Oliver was kind of a jerk and Diggle didn’t seem thrilled with his new gig, but like I said, I saw something between them, so this feels particularly validating. Not to mention, this gives them both something more to fight for. Fighting to avenge his near-death fall may be important and a driving force for Oliver, but fighting for his friend is even more powerful.

Seeing these two fight side-by-side in this episode was beyond awesome, but that being said, I can’t wait to see them trade in their leather fighting gear and guns for a suit-and-tie and wedding bells. Diggle has always been by Oliver’s side, but now it’s time for Oliver to be by Diggle’s side. And being tasked to be the new head of The League of Assassins better not get in the way of that.

Be sure to catch Arrow Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.