History Recap / ArrowS1E12Vertigo

* UnwillingSuspension: In the BatmanColdOpen, a drug dealer tries to escape the Hood by climbing a gantry on the docks, only to get [[PinnedToTheWall pinned to it]] and left hanging there, [[KickTheSonOfABitch even after he gives the Hood the information he wants]].

* IfYoureSoEvilEatThisKitten: TheMafiya boss will only introduce Oliver to the Count if he kills an underling who has displeased him. Oliver appears to strangle him, but actually just renders him unconscious and temporarily stops his heart. Oliver carries the 'corpse' outside, then tells Diggle to get him out of town and set him up in a new identity. We then flashback to the island where Yao Fei 'kills' Oliver using the same method to prove his loyalty to Fyers, showing where Oliver learnt this trick.

* TestedOnHumans: The Count got his name from the experiments he conducted to perfect his drug, which left twin injector-marks on the necks of the deceased junkies, prostitutes and homeless people he used as test subjects.

-->'''Diggs:''' Your BS stories are getting worse.

* FailedAttemptAtDrama: After spending all night PerpSweating drug dealers Oliver comes up with the Count, only for Detective Hall to tell him that they've known about him for months.

** Judge Brackett is not impressed with Thea's delinquency once again being swept under the rug, especially as she's no longer a juvenile, and refuses to allow the plea bargain because he wants to make an example of others who might want to try Vertigo, showing that if the [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney Queens can't get away with this]] no-one else can. Oliver's desire to bring down the Count is partly motivated by a desire to take the heat off Thea.

* PowerOfTrust: Despite the BlatantLies he's been dropping on her, Felicity thinks he can trust Oliver with the book containing the List that Walter found.
* ReplacementGoldfish: Laurel sees Thea as this for her dead little sister Sara. She gets her father to pull strings so she'll be assigned probation under her supervision at the legal clinic.

** Thea is willing to reject the community service and go to jail just to spite her mother in revenge for cheating on her father.

* ItsPersonal: Oliver is more than a little intent on taking down the drug dealer responsible for Thea doing drugs. In fact from this episode on, on any attempt to reintroduce Vertigo to the streets of Starling City gets a guaranteed violent response from the Vigilante.

* ItsPersonal: Oliver is more than a little intent on taking down the drug dealer responsible for Thea doing drugs.

* EvilIsHammy: Count Vertigo acts like he's operating in Gotham rather than Starling City.

* SadisticChoice: Count Vertigo injects [[BadBoss one of his drug pushers]] with pure Vertigo which stimulates the pain receptors. He then gives the pusher a gun with one bullet, so he can either get revenge on Vertigo or MercyKill himself. The pain is so agonizing he chooses the latter.

-->'''Count Vertigo:''' A good wine's value is measured by its vintage. The number of years it took to ferment. Vertigo is measured in lives. 56 people died to perfect this high. Believe me when I say that they did not die for nothing.

* TheEndIsNigh: Turns out people do up these signs even while fleeing an impending earthquake!

* InternalReveal: Felicity hands Oliver the book containing the List that Walter found in Moira's study.

* ReplacementGoldfish: It's implied Laurel sees Thea as this for her dead little sister Sara.

* LeaveNoWitnesses: The Count jabs Oliver with Vertigo after the SCPD bust their drug deal, citing this trope. Although Oliver's HealingHerbs pull him through, he spends the rest of the episode fighting the effects.

* ImpairmentPOV: Oliver suffering the effects of a Vertigo overdose.

* CopsNeedTheVigilante: Quentin is taken off the Vigilante case by his lieutenant, who points out that maybe they don't really want to stop him given that he's doing them a lot of good. Quentin needless to say is not happy.
* EvilIsHammy: Count Vertigo acts like he's in Gotham rather than Starling City.

* SayingTooMuch: When Oliver says he's very particular about what he puts into his body, Felicity says, [[EatingTheEyeCandy "I've noticed"]], then tries to VerbalBackspace.

* MeaningfulEcho: After Island!Oliver wakes up in the river where Yao dumped him, he finds a map in his pocket marked with the word "Shengeun".