History Recap / ArrowS3E8TheBraveAndTheBold

* FreudianExcuse: Defied. When Barry shows disgust over Oliver's methods, Oliver goes on a rant on all the personal tragedies he's gone through in a hellhole like Starling City, while Barry lives in "sunny" Central City. Barry counters that he's also experienced tragedy, having seen his mom murdered right in front of him when he was only ''10'', but he doesn't use that as an excuse to torture everyone who ticks him off.

* DemotedToExtra: Much of the main cast is cast aside in favor of the visiting cast members of ''The Flash''. In addition to Merlyn [[AbsenteeActor not showing up at all]]:

* ActuallyPrettyFunny: Oliver cracks up when Barry calls The Arrow "a douche".

* AbsenteeActor: Merlyn doesn't appear at all. Maybe they thought the show could only handle one [[Series/{{Torchwood}} Captain named Harkness]].

** Oliver's belief that this works is used against him in the same scene, as the one being interrogated gives up a phone that he got from Harkness, but this turns out to be a BatmanGambit on Harkness's part which allows him to find out where they're keeping Lyla soon afterward.

A week after the Arrow's team visited Central City, the Flash arrives in Starling City to help the Arrow deal with a killer targeting A.R.G.U.S. Part of a {{crossover}}, together with the earlier ''Flash '' episode [[Recap/TheFlash2014S1E8FlashVsArrow "Flash vs. Arrow"]].

--> '''Oliver:''' Barry... you live in Central City, where it's sunny all the time and your enemies get cute nicknames. You're not in Central City.
* TakeAThirdOption: Harkness thinks the Arrow and the Flash can either take him in or allow multiple bombs to explode across the city. Barry realizes he can't be in five places at once to defuse them all simultaneously... but then he realizes that ''he'' doesn't have to be in five places at once when [[ThePowerOfFriendship he's got four friends available.]]

** '''Lyla:''' I appreciate the offer Johnny, but we have it handled. ''[cue alarms]''

** Thankfully, this is balanced by a straighter example in the present, as Barry cuts off Oliver's self-loathing by telling him that he can inspire people -- not as the Arrow (he's kind of a douche), but as Oliver Queen.

* FreudianExcuse: Defied. When Barry shows disgust over Oliver's methods, Oliver goes on a rant on all the personal tragedies he's gone through in a hellhole like Starling City, while Barry lives in "sunny" Central City. Barry [[NotSoDifferent counters that he's also experienced tragedy,]] having seen his mom murdered right in front of him when he was only ''10'', but he doesn't use that as an excuse to torture everyone who ticks him off.

* DistractedByTheSexy: Lampshaded when Caitlin asks what the salmon ladder is for.
-->'''Felicity:''' ''(deep sigh)'' Distracting me from work.

* BirdsOfAFeather: Oliver and Lyla, both having worked for Waller, and with friends (Barry and Diggle) who maintain their idealism.

* WhatTheHellHero: Barry chews Oliver out for torturing criminals for information.
** In a flashback, Waller chews out Oliver for not torturing a man who knew where a bomb was planted.

* ItDoesntMeanAnything: Thea is shown on the phone trying to convince Chase of this regarding their smooch.

-->'''Felcitiy:''' ''(deep sigh)'' Distracting me from work.

* {{Revenge}}: Captain Boomerang was a member of Task Force X. When the mission when sour, [[YouKnowTooMuch Lyla activated their bomb implants]]. Digger's malfunctioned and now he's out for payback.

* ChekhovsGun: Oliver tells Cisco not to touch a TrickArrow that's activated by compressed C02. Later Felictiy uses one as an improvised grenade against Captain Boomerang.

* SecretKeeper: Our friends from Central City don't quite get it.

* ArtisticLicenseGunSafety: In "The Brave and the Bold", Diggle's spare guns are shown to be kept loaded in an unlocked drawer of a cabinet. Despite the prevalence of people doing it in fiction or RealLife, guns should never be stored loaded; there's a small chance they can malfunction and go off.
* BadassNormal: "Captain Boomerang" Harkness manages to come up with {{Batman Gambit}}s so that he remains a threat against a Barry.

--> '''Lyla:''' I appreciate the offer Johnny, but we have it handled. ''[cue alarms]''

* DoubleTake: Roy pulls off a good one when he sees the Flash's entrance.

* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: Felicity notes that Oliver works out on the salmon ladder every Wednesday.