The first important Myth Arc revolves around Oliver utterly ruining everything Malcolm worked for, right? When you look at it, it's very much a Shout-Out to Arthurian Legend. Remember who was responsible for destroying King Arthur's kingdom? Yeah, it was his bastard son, Mordred, who basically became the perfect antithesis to dear ol'dad — just like Oliver, here the adulterous offspring to Malcolm whose original name was Arthur King. And cherry on the top, some retellings of the mythos have Arthur trying to kill a young Mordred by putting him on a ship rigged to sink.
Eddie's desperation to bring in the Flash makes a lot more sense when we meet his parents - even if he doesn't let their horrible words affect him anymore, what would be a better way to prove to his parents his career is worthwhile than to become the one to bring in one of the most dangerous metahumans Central City has encountered?
Barry being a knife wielder makes a lot of sense: Unlike, say, a sword or spear, knives don't need much kinetic power behind them, can be thrown or handled, and are fast and agile weapons. Perfect for a speedster.
When you closely look at it, men from the Merlyn bloodline definitely have a problem about familial love:
Malcolm is the most obvious example, as he's ready to destroy a whole neighbourhood in order to avenge his beloved wife. He's also desperate to have his illegitimate child Oliver forgiving and accepting him as his true father.
Tommy is more subtle, but he definitely craves love. He wanted Laurel to love him as a boyfriend, he wanted Malcolm to love him as a son, and once he learns of their true relation, he wants Oliver to love him as a brother.
Interestingly, Oliver inverts this, as the Living Emotional Crutch for Barry and Kara and Malcolm's Morality Pet. Loving him allows them to grow as people and show nobler qualities, which fit with his position as the White Sheep for the Merlyn family.
Eddie beating Barry in a fencing match: Not only is Eddie truly an expert while swords are not Barry's primary weapon, modern fencing is more oriented around sportsmanship than real combat. All of Barry's combat training is for obvious reasons geared around life-or-death battles, which meant he was actually being subtly hampered in their contest by his own muscle memory!
