First he attempts to right his father's wrong - which is basically what Arrow has been doing, but on a far more lethal level - but failing that, Arrow's endeavor to stop the gang's final heist was also his first real attempt to prevent the criminal in question from being killed. It's an act that illustrates the kind of hero Arrow could be if Oliver were to give himself half the chance. In doing so, Oliver takes it upon himself to not only stop the gang, but to do it by first extending an offer to cease and desist to the group's ostensible leader, Derrick Reston (Currie Graham) - who has earned some sympathy from Oliver after he learns Derrick's job and benefits were lost as a result of Robert Queen's (Jamey Sheridan) outsourcing. But after the Royal Flush Gang hits Starling City and an off-duty cop is critically injured during a robbery, Diggle implores his new partner to look beyond the names on his list and act more like a hero. It's sort of ironic that in trying to protect the little people who've been victimized by the city's wealthy elite, Oliver Queen has overlooked just how devastating certain "street crimes" can be.Īrrow has been too myopic in his duties, referring to a group of bank robbers as a "symptom," not the cause of the problem. It also provides an additional direction for the show to take as it continues along the narrative path of the first season.Īs Oliver (Stephen Amell) learns during 'Legacies,' there is a whole other level of crime plaguing the streets of the city he's so intent on saving that has gone unnoticed by the vigilante. The inclusion of John Diggle (David Ramsey) into Arrow's vendetta against the corruption ruining Starling City helped transition what was quickly becoming a repetitive - if not unsuccessful - attempt at levity into a device that would alter the formula of Arrow (in this episode, at least).