The Royal Flush Gang was added to the ranks of Arrow‘s rogues gallery in this week’s episode, “Legacies.”
The Royal Flush Gang has long been a thorn in many a hero’s side in the DC Universe, having first appeared in the comics way back in 1966 (although my favorite memories of them stem from episode of Batman Beyond).
Like their comic book counterparts, the Royal Flush Gang’s iteration on Arrow is a family of criminals.
Tying into the episode’s title, “Legacies,” this week takes a look at Oliver’s motivation to rid Starling City of corruption.
In flashback, Oliver is shown talking to a ghost of his dead father. Ollie’s dad acts like a Ghost of Christmas Past/Present/Future towards Ollie, telling him that if he doesn’t survive his time on the island, he’ll be failing the Queen legacy.
He offers Ollie a (ghost?) revolver with one bullet. If Oliver chooses, he can end it all right there. He’s warned, however, that doing so would make good ol’ dad very upset with him.
Ollie’s starving to death on that island as it is, so he decides on the easy way out and pulls the trigger. ‘Lo and behold, nothing happens. It is a ghost that gave him the gun after all. And if something did happen, there wouldn’t be a hit show on the CW named after his vigilante alter ego, now would there?
Remember when Ollie found his father’s book and it was blank? Well, this episode shows how the name’s appeared — the ink was heat activated.
When Ollie’s tossing pages of the book into the fire, he notices words – names – showing up in the book. So after a crazy dream and some disappearing ink, Oliver finds the strength to stay alive so he can return home and right his father’s wrongs.
Back in the present, it turns out that the Royal Flush Gang was created by one of Oliver’s father’s wrongs. King was laid off from a Queen Consolidated manufacturing plant when Ollie’s dad moved the work overseas for cheaper labor. To make ends meet, King enlisted his wife and two sons and went on a crime spree.
King, only really wanting the best for his family, decided a life of crime was the best answer. Hard times, hard answers.
Their story isn’t as well-developed as it could have been if they had more than 42 minutes to fit so much in, but they did good with what they had to work with. Maybe less Thea and Merlyn would’ve helped.
Plus, for once, the villain costumes did not suck. Simple hockey masks with a playing card motif. Very guerilla and urban, and way less hokey than, say, Deadshot.
Overall, not a bad episode. The time – albeit short – dedicated to the Royal Flush Gang really helped add a little dimension, something that could have been used in “The Lone Gunman” when Deadshot was introduced.
What did you think of this week’s episode? Let us know in the comments below!
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