'Arrow' May Save Thea's Life, But At What Cost?

Last week's Arrow episode ended with a one-two punch: Roy left, and then Thea was stabbed by Ra's al Ghul. We saw Thea lying in a pool of her own blood and glass shards, so it's hard not to immediately assume that she's a goner. But there's no way Starling City would take two characters away from us in the same episode, right? I won't believe it. Thea has to live on Arrow , but how?

The way she's stabbed is a huge callback to when Oliver was stabbed by Ra's. It's right through the stomach with Ra's' sword and yes, I shrieked during both instances of this. Still, last time I was confident that Arrow wouldn't kill off its star, so it was just a matter of calmly trying to figure out how he'd be saved. That task fell on Tatsu, but she's nowhere near Starling City (at least, she wasn't last time I checked), so just how will Thea rise from the dead?

Way back when Oliver was doing his stint being dead, I thought he might come back to life via the Lazarus Pit. Now, it looks like Thea might find herself submerged in its waters instead. Quick Lazarus Pit recap: in DC Comics, it's a magical spring that breathes life into sick and dying things, but also has side effects if used incorrectly (like death).

The preview for Wednesday's episode of Arrow, "The Fallen" shows Oliver bringing Thea's body to what looks like the Lazarus Pit, and Malcolm Merlyn tags along because of course he does. Watch the sneak peek below.

So let's not even talk about if Thea is dropped into the water, because she is totally dropped into the water. Instead, the question is: will it work? Is Thea actually going to be revived by the Lazarus Pit? In the comics, those who use the Lazarus Pit have come out of it with side effects, and death isn't the only one. The Lazarus Pit can sometimes make a person go insane, so even though this is clearly a last ditch effort to save Thea, it might actually end up doing her more harm than good.

While it looks like this is indeed a cure for Thea, I hope it's the right cure for her. The last thing I want to deal with during Arrow is an insane Thea, but from the promos, it kind of looks like that's what is going to happen. Yes, Thea's alive, but at what cost? Will she be the same as she was before? Is Merlyn hanging around because he knows she's going to come out of the water not quite herself, and he wants to be there to swoop in and turn her evil once again?

Image: Cate Cameron/The CW