S01.E06: Legacies

[Lisin]

A gang of bank robbers, dubbed The Royal Flush Gang, hits a local bank and seriously wounds an off-duty police officer during a heist. Diggle tells Oliver he needs to deviate from his father's list and start helping the citizens of Starling City. Meanwhile, Tommy asks Thea for relationship advice, but things get awkward when she realizes he was asking about Laurel. Moira confronts Oliver about all of his recent disappearances in the middle of family functions.

 

I really like this episode. I love Diggle steering Oliver towards doing good in ways other than focusing on The List. Thea thinking Tommy is talking about her is so sad

especially now that we know he's her brother!

and he's so great about taking care of her and he's just so sweet. 

[statsgirl]

A good  episode for Diggle teaching Oliver to be more than just obsessed with his book and his Mission.

 

"Oliver, I'm not finished talking. Where are you going?"

 

"Please tell me you're not going where I think you're going."
"Diggle, why do you even ask?"

 

Random thought: the rain is pouring down outside when Oliver and Diggle are training.  If the lair is in the basement of the foundry,  how can we see the rain?

 

I love the Carter Bowan jousting between Oliver and Thea. This is the best scene between them yet.  (Couldn't they find someone who knows something about science to vet his book explanation?)   And Tommy "Did you know that as a doctor, I could diagnose myself as a giant tool"

 

Why hasn't Moira seen the Bowans for  years?  And if she doesn't care enough about them to see them regularly, why do her kids have to be there for brunch?  Wait till Walter gets back to invite them over if you don't want to entertain her alone.

 

Thea advising Tommy on his love life is so cute. 

I wonder if they hadn't killed Tommy and made Thea a Merlyn if there wouldn't have been a love story between them down the line.  On the other hand, that would have meant that Oliver ended with Laurel and just no to that.

 

The family has been robbing banks this for 5 years and they still  don't have enough money?  They're picking the wrong banks.

 

Moira lambasting Oliver: "... you have little or no interest in being with me, or in telling the truth"  Back at ya', Moira.

At Big Belly Burger: "Mom, it's okay to get your hands dirty every  once in a while." Oh, Oliver, if only you knew.

 

And then there's Laurel:
telling Tommy that CNRI will have to close: "which means that all of the hard work and sacrifices that I have made to set this clinic up have been for naught."  (What about Joanna, Laurel?  What about all the people who won't have lawyers any more?)

"Thank you Tommy, but I think we can manage without your family's finances"  (Except you can't)
"He's not interested in throwing us a fundraiser, what he wants is his annual attempt to get back into my pants"
"Hey Tommy, I owe you a dance. You earned it."

 

It's always All About Laurel and how things affect her in her mind.  It amazes me that given how Laurel is written all over the place in terms of characterization, how consistent they make her in this aspect.

Edited June 14, 2014 by statsgirl

[Lisin]

"He's not interested in throwing us a fundraiser, what he wants is his annual attempt to get back into my pants"

 

That annoyed me too. I was like "Laurel, just because that's his plan doesn't mean it has to work out that way!" I don't understand why she couldn't see that the smart thing to do for the clinic was to just say "Thank you!" and have the fundraiser, and just not get back with Tommy if she didn't want to. She was acting like saying yes to the fundraiser meant she was immediately back together with him. It was annoying. 

[statsgirl]

Joanna was there to tell Laurel to say "thank you and we'll take the offer", but I thought it made Laurel look even worse that she was willing to blow off a way to raise money to keep CNRI open because an old friend and ex lover was doing it because he wanted to get together with her again.  It would have looked better if Laurel had been the one to say it didn't mean she had to sleep with him, not Joanna.    

 

I wish I knew someone be willing to put out that much money to get into my pants.

[MsSchadenfreude]

Very sneaky, Diggle!  Loved that he got Oliver to think outside the "infamous" list.

 

The Thea/Tommy scenes were great.  The way he handled her awkward pass and the drinking.  "Don't hate me" "Never"  Oh, what could have been.

 

"So, you weren't really good friends then?"  Hee!  Oliver, a toddler could come up with more believable lies than you do!

 

Carter Bowen may be an ass, but he played Cameron on Alphas :( so he gets a pass from me.

 

Moira/Oliver.  Loved their scene at the benefit "Sometimes, I don't even know why you bothered to come home" and the final scene at Big Belly Burger.  

 

Re-watching these early episodes just reminds me what an awful father Robert Queen was.  If you die on the island, how can you right my wrongs Oliver.  My sacrifice on the lifeboat will have been for nothing.  Really, dude! How about your son should survive because he's your son and you want him to get back to his mother and sister.  And not because it's his job to fix your mistakes while you took the easy way out and dumped everything in his lap.

[quarks]

Ah, yes, the episode where I first started moving from general indifference to serious dislike of Laurel Lance. But first!

 

1. Awww, Thea with her little

totally inappropriate

crush on Tommy. 

 

2. Loved Diggle knowing just how to get Oliver involved with stopping regular bank robbers.  And the later comment about lacking MySpace: "It was a very dark time."  The first glimmerings of Team Arrow in the making. 

 

3. I'm really struck by how well Joanna works as the voice of reason and sense over at CNRI.  Even if this just emphasizes how much Laurel lacks reason and sense. Moving on for now.

 

4. "For all our sakes, please start reading US Weekly."  

 

5. You know, I realize we're meant to think that Oliver wouldn't hesitate to go catch bank robbers at this point anyway, but I feel he had a bit of extra incentive in this case.

 

6. Question from this viewing:

 Was some of the first scene of Oliver versus the bank robbers shot in the same locale as Oliver's showdown with Slade in the second season finale? If so, really clever camera work from the editors.

 

7.  What kind of fundraiser has just one flavor of cake? Have a selection, Tommy! Chocolate, carrot AND mocha!

 

8.

You're also like my sister, my baby sister. I swear, I totally forgot that line was in there.

 

And now, sigh, Laurel:

 

I have to say, Laurel was really cute in her last scene with Tommy - "I owe you a dance."

 

And then, alas, the rest of the episode.

 

1. Number of times Laurel fails as an attorney this episode alone, one: It's kinda the entire theme of the save the CNRI plot!  To the point where I am fanwanking that the huge donor dropped out because they were dissatisfied with her performance as a lawyer.  

 

2. Number of times Laurel makes it all about her, three:  1, discussing how the failure of the clinic means that all of "her" hard work and sacrifices went for nothing. I suppose she's talking about the sacrifice of going to law school, because, Laurel, according to the show, when Oliver left for the island you hadn't even started law school yet. That's three years, which means you have been working for CNRI for two years at most.  How much sacrifice did you really make for this? And come to think of it, since you'll still be able to practice law if the clinic closes, does going to law school count as a sacrifice in this context? 2. Turning down Tommy's offer of assistance. I'm bolding and italicizing this because of just how awful it is. From the extras, it looks as if this clinic employs about twenty people, not to mention offering legal assistance to a city where people really, really need it -

something that will only be more apparent when Roy and Sin later enter the show.

 . Joanna is dead on here: in this case, it doesn't matter why Tommy is throwing the fundraiser. And to be snippy when you accept his offer?  AUUGH. 3. Interrupting important party planning to figure out why a guy might be interested in her. Geesh.

 

3. Number of inconsistencies with Laurel in this episode, one: This is a small one, and it's more of a Tommy one - but three weeks before this episode, Tommy had said he was ready for just one girl, meaning Laurel. That got dropped for a bit, apparently to the point where Tommy says that just one week before, he went to another girl's place - i.e, just two weeks after he said he was ready for just one girl.

Our first but alas not last example of how other characters, not just Oliver, can look worse around Laurel. 

 

4. Number of times someone says something negative about Oliver/Laurel: Actually, not that much in this episode, except for offering Laurel another option who is not a guy lying to her and running around the city killing people. Also, other option has a very cool sports car. Lots to be said for him!

[Orion]

Diggle/Oliver training session. That scene alone is worth rewatching this episode.

 

I always thought the water running in the background was from leaky pipes in the factory. IIRC the water is always running down there until Oliver starts to fix the place up for his club.

 

The Starling City Police Department is the least secure building in all of Starling.

 

I think this was the first episode with trick arrows? Oliver uses them to tie down the money bags.

 

Oliver's little head shake, sigh, smile when Felicity says she should "add personal internet researcher for Oliver Queen to her job title" was so adorable.

 

The flashback where Oliver wants to kill himself and hallucinates his Dad was really powerful. I'm normally not a fan of the flashback but that one showed how desperate and alone Oliver was.

 

I agree with you Quarks this the episode I gave up on ever liking Laurel and it's also the episode I started hoping Tommy ran as far from her as he could. The CNRI party offer scene had me shaking my head but the moment where I remember yelling at my TV was at the begin of the party, Tommy turns around and sees Laurel, he smiles and his eyes open wider, he stumbles over his words just a little but says, "Wow. You look...just really lovely" And Laurel in what I guess was suppose to be playful banter, but KC's face has more of a smirk than a smile on it says, "Lovely? Well it's nice that you've extended your vocabulary from words like hot and mega hot." Tommy jokingly answers back, "You could just say thank you." That scene struck me as so mean spirited. This guy just got all his rich friends to show up to a party that he spent days planning for you, Laurel, and your going to make mean spirited jokes about him after he paid you a compliment. Not to mention Tommy shouldn't have had to ask her to say Thank you. Those should have been the first words she said. This was also the point where I realized it was not just a writing problem but also an acting problem. The two combined to really turn me away from that character. 

 

This was also the first episode where I started to think that the people BTS, in this case the music editors didn't like Laurel either, when you first see Tommy and Laurel walks up to him the song that is playing is Maroon 5's "One More Night" and the lyrics  when he sees Laurel walking toward him are, "You and I get so damn dysfunctional, we stopped keeping score. You and I get sick, yeah, I know that we can't do this no more." During rewatch I had to hit stop to giggle about that.

[statsgirl]

I want to know how Oliver knows which is the trick arrow and which is the regular one.  They're all in the quiver and he just reaches back and grabs the right one. how does he know it isn't the wrong one?  

 

Re-watching these early episodes just reminds me what an awful father Robert Queen was.  If you die on the island, how can you right my wrongs Oliver.  My sacrifice on the lifeboat will have been for nothing.  Really, dude! How about your son should survive because he's your son and you want him to get back to his mother and sister.  And not because it's his job to fix your mistakes while you took the easy way out and dumped everything in his lap.

It was Oliver's hallucination of Robert, and while it served to keep him going, and to make him obsess about crossing off the names in the book, it didn't do the memory of Robert any favours.  I like that the show demonstrates how Oliver got the way he was pre-island -- lots of money, attractive and lousy parenting.

[tv echo]

2. Number of times Laurel makes it all about her,...

You're right.  And Laurel's ego-centrism was apparent from the very first episode - when Oliver Queen's return from the dead was featured news on TV and Laurel just turns off the TV at CNRI even though everyone else is still watching the TV.

Edited June 18, 2014 by tv echo

[formerlyfreedom]

Okay, catching up with the rewatch. I love Currie Graham, so I was excited to see him here. Even though his story line was one of my favorites, always good to see him getting work! Warren Christie as well, as Carter Bowan. I'd love to see this annoying guy back for more, WC plays an excellent douchecanoe! And the bit with Moira and Oliver eating a burger, and he says to her, "Get your hands dirty." I LOVE that scene.

 

Diggle: Please tell me you’re not going where I think you’re going?
Oliver: Diggle, why do you even ask?

[KirkB]

I want to know how Oliver knows which is the trick arrow and which is the regular one.  They're all in the quiver and he just reaches back and grabs the right one. how does he know it isn't the wrong one?

 

I suppose Oliver could have different amounts of fletching on different arrows, and trained himself to know them apart by touch. So all he has to do is reach back, run his hand through and pull out the one he wants.

[wingster55]

Randomly rewatched this one...I liked the Thea/Tommy and Thea/Oliver..the latter was humorous and generally pleasant. As were the majority of their early s1 interactions. 

[Wayward Son]

•This show loves to give us plenty of shirtless Oliver scenes. Not that I’m complaining ;)

• I think I’m starting to ship Tommy and Laurel. The actors share chemistry and the characters share affection Oliver and Laurel lack. 

• I’d feel sorry for Oliver’s mum if she hadn’t you know arranged the kidnapping of her son.

 

On 18/06/2014 at 4:36 AM, statsgirl said:

It was Oliver's hallucination of Robert, and while it served to keep him going, and to make him obsess about crossing off the names in the book, it didn't do the memory of Robert any favours.  I like that the show demonstrates how Oliver got the way he was pre-island -- lots of money, attractive and lousy parenting.

I thought we were meant to believe it was a genuine apparition of Robert. I thought that was what the names appearing on the formerly blank book was meant to signify.

[BkWurm1]

I think the names appeared when exposed to the heat of the fire.  I assume it was a hallucination but I doubt Oliver would have been able to tell either way.  

[catrox14]

On 3/14/2018 at 7:37 AM, Wayward Son said:

•This show loves to give us plenty of shirtless Oliver scenes. Not that I’m complaining ;)

• I think I’m starting to ship Tommy and Laurel. The actors share chemistry and the characters share affection Oliver and Laurel lack. 

• I’d feel sorry for Oliver’s mum if she hadn’t you know arranged the kidnapping of her son.

 

I thought we were meant to believe it was a genuine apparition of Robert. I thought that was what the names appearing on the formerly blank book was meant to signify.

I always thought it was legit spy stuff with invisible names on the paper until fire revealed them. I never thought it was anything other than real.

 

19 hours ago, BkWurm1 said:

I think the names appeared when exposed to the heat of the fire.  I assume it was a hallucination but I doubt Oliver would have been able to tell either way.  

[Wayward Son]

Just now, catrox14 said:

I always thought it was legit spy stuff with invisible names on the paper until fire revealed them. I never thought it was anything other than real.

 

Episode 8 spoilers

Spoiler

Yeah, this is confirmed as being the case when Felicity discovers Moira’s copy of the list was ultraviolet invisible ink. 

[catrox14]

2 minutes ago, Wayward Son said:

Episode 8 spoilers

  Reveal hidden contents

Yeah, this is confirmed as being the case when Felicity discovers Moira’s copy of the list was ultraviolet invisible ink. 

Spoiler

 

I meant I thought that before that confirmation.

 

The only thing I thought was an hallucination was Robert. Not that the was an actual ghost. (This isn't Supernatural! LOL...mostly)

Edited March 16, 2018 by catrox14

[BkWurm1]

Lol.  That's what I meant when I brought up Oliver not knowing if it was a hallucination or a ghost, not the writing, that was definitely a trick ink.  

Edited March 16, 2018 by BkWurm1

[tv echo]

106 (Legacies) – Oliver Queen’s voiceover intro:
Oliver (voiceover): "My name is Oliver Queen. For five years I was stranded on an island with only one goal... survive. Now I will fulfill my father's dying wish... to use a list of names he left me, to bring down those who are poisoning my city. To do this, I must become someone else. I must become something else."

106 (Legacies) – Felicity helps research Derek Reston for Oliver and John Diggle:
Felicity: “I should add ‘Personal Internet Researcher for Oliver Queen’ to my job title. (Oliver sighs) Happily, I mean.”
Oliver: “His name is Derek Reston. We were close before I… went away. And I want to get back in touch.”
Felicity: “I guess you didn't have Facebook on that island.”
Diggle: “Nope. Not even a MySpace account. It was a very dark time.”
Felicity: “Well, there's not much here that's recent. No credit activity. No utility bills. Well, I guess you guys must have met at the factory.”
Oliver: “Wait. What – what factory?”
Felicity: “The Queen Steel Factory. Derek Reston worked there for 15 years until it shut down in '07.”
Oliver: “Derek Reston worked for my father?” 
Felicity: “You weren't really close friends, huh? It looks like Derek was the factory foreman until your dad outsourced production to China. About 1,500 employees got laid off. Looks like the finance guys even found a loophole in the union contract, so, they didn't have to pay severance packages and pensions to their employees. They all pretty much lost their homes. Including your friend.”

[lemotomato]

Paigeota's gifs of the episode. First proto-OTA scene and sweaty Oliver/Diggle workout. (I'm pretty sure if Felicity hadn't been introduced, the show would've gotten very slashy very quickly)

 

[tv echo]

Edited August 22, 2020 by tv echo