Quentin Lance quotes from Arrow

Quentin

You know, most cops they meet their informers in the back seat of a cruiser or maybe a coffee shop or something. What's with the mask?

Oliver

Gift from a friend.

Quentin

You've got friends?

Quentin

You never did tell me how you joined up with the Arrow. Where did you two even meet?

Sara

Vigilante club

Laurel

I know who the Arrow is.

Quentin

Don't say another word. Don't say anything. Listen to me, there was a time when I would have sold out my badge to find out his name, you know that. But then I realized I didn't care who he was. In fact, I didn't want to know who he was.

Laurel

Why not?

Quentin

Because I knew if I knew who he really was he would become a person, okay? Maybe he has a family, friends, people to care about him, someone with a life. Then he couldn't be what I needed him to be, what this city needs him to be. See, Arrow - the man under the hood isn't important. Can you imagine what it's like to be him? What he has to live with? Day in, day out? What that's gotta be like?

Quentin

Lieutenant. Listen to me, these guys, have you seem them? Huh? Have you seen these guys? They do not go down. We gotta call in the National Guard.

That's a call for the mayor. And he hasn't made that yet.

Quentin

And he won't. Mayor Blood let this happen.

What?

Quentin

Trust me. Blood's behind this.

Look, even if I believe you, I don't have that kind of authority.

Quentin

Well, in an emergency, the chief of police does, so get him on the line.

Chief's dead.

Quentin

Well, then... There's only one more guy to we can call. You're not gonna like it.

The vigilante.

Quentin

The Arrow. Lieutenant, I know he's breaking the law. But what we're up against, it's not about the law. It's about survival. We got masks tearing our city to pieces, and we're gonna need a mask to stop 'em.

Make the call.

Arrow

What is it, detective?

Quentin

You okay? You look like someone peed in your cornflakes.

Quentin

It doesn't mean I can't help the Hood Squad off the books.

Felicity

We call ourselves Team Arrow. Well, actually, that's just me, but...

Quentin

I just got everything we have on Brick from evidence lockup.

Felicity

Okay. I'll send Arsenal over once the next brushfire's put out.

Quentin

Arsenal? What, are you guys just pulling names out of a hat now?

Captain Lance.

Quentin

Harper.

I'm not sure what you...

Quentin

Look. I've seen you shooting a red hoodie, I've seen you shooting arrows at people. You think I don't recognize you with a little extra leather and lace?

Well, I guess I won't be needing this anymore. [turns off voice modulator]

Laurel

You have no idea why Sara was killed.

Quentin

She ended up in the League of Assassins 'cause she was marooned on Lian Yu. 'Cause she got in that boat with Queen.

Laurel

So what? Now Oliver's to blame?

Quentin

Oliver, the Arrow, either way, same guy. On some level, I think I always knew. When I thought he was doing good, it didn't matter to me. You know, when that boat went down and we thought Sara was dead? We blamed Queen. It's funny how things come full circle, right?

Quentin

Lian Yu.

Oliver

What about it?

Quentin

This, uh, Ra's character, he told me that Sara made it to the island with you. You didn't feel like sharing that with me? Huh? I mean, I'm only her father. Well, I was. When did you decide that you knew what was best for my family?

Oliver

I love your family.

Quentin

[slugs Oliver] You got the right to remain silent. Take it!

Oliver

Just ask me what you want to know.

Quentin

[scoffs] What do I want to know? Well, was it worth it? All that pain and misery you brought back from the island? Merlyn, Slade Wilson? Wouldn't it be better if you just died there?

Oliver

The reason I came back was to try and save the people of the city.

Quentin

I hate to break it to you, but saving people isn't your specialty. Tommy. Hilton. Your mother. My daughter. And now you're set on killing Laurel, too.

Oliver

I didn't want her to be involved in this. I didn't want anyone to be involved in this.

Quentin

But you involved me. You spent a year making me look like a fool. You spent a year making me your accomplice. You have any idea what you've done, huh? What you've done to all of us, to the people you claim to care so much about? You've made us criminals! You've made us liars and victims. You, Mr. Queen, are not a hero. You're a villain. But you know that, don't you?

Darhk

I can give advice, father to father. If she were my daughter, I'd put her down.

Quentin

She's my baby girl.

Darhk

No, she isn't. She may look like your daughter, but she doesn't possess her soul. The most loving act you can commit is to return Sara to her final rest. I'm sorry.

Quentin

[comes home to find Oliver sitting there] You know I got a heart condition, right?

Oliver

For years you've looked at me with contempt and utter disdain, so I'm wondering, do I have that look on my face now?

Quentin

What the hell you talking about?

Oliver

I'm talking about you... and Damien Darhk.

Quentin

Okay, it's, it's–

Oliver

I didn't know if you knew who he was, or what he's been doing to this city. And now I see this look on your face. You know.

Quentin

It's complicated.

Oliver

No, it's not. Do you have any idea how many people he's killed?

Quentin

Yeah, I got more of an idea than you. And listen, you, you of all people, you don't get to come in to my house and pass judgement on me, all right?!

Oliver

You always held yourself out as better than me. More righteous. And you were. Until tonight.

Quentin

Actually, it's been a little more than 2 months now, me working with Darhk. It started out benign. He said he had resources, he had people, money. He held himself out as just another guy who wanted to help this city. And we needed the help. You weren't here. By the time I figured out who he was... what he was, that's when he threatened Laurel.

Oliver

Laurel can take care of herself. You see what she does out there.

Quentin

That's what I thought about Sara, too–

Oliver

Stop, stop it! Stop hiding behind your daughters!

Quentin

You don't know what I'm going through.

Oliver

You know a funny thing? You were the main reason behind me running for Mayor! A part of me has always wanted you to see what kind of man I really am! I didn't expect to wind up finding out what kind of man you really are.

Quentin

So you're back to dropping bodies?

Oliver

It's just this one.

Quentin

[after building collapsed] It's like the big bad wolf huffed and puffed or something.

Laurel

This wolf being Darhk.

Quentin

You know, in AA, we say you're only as sick as the secrets you keep. You're looking pretty healthy these days. Let's just hope I can get back to that place with Donna.

Oliver

For what it's worth, you're in a tough spot, and you're trying to keep her safe. You know, sometimes a lie isn't wrong if it's for the good of someone that you love.

Thea

So he's trying to call the Green Arrow out.

Quentin

Yeah, except he doesn't know he already has him.

Thea

Alright, well, you need to go do something.

Quentin

Well, that was gonna be my line to you.

Thea

For the first time in a long time, I'm really starting to feel like myself again. I'm not a killer, I'm not a vigilante, I am a normal version of me. And I just think after everything that happened with Laurel, I really needed to know that life like this was even possible. And now that I do, I don't want to give it up.

Quentin

Yeah, yeah, I get where you're coming from. I do. I lost my job, I lost my daughter, I lost my girl, and you know, I just wanted to hit pause on the world, you know?

Thea

Yeah.

Quentin

But then I listened to Oliver's speech, and that's when I realized I can't do that. I can't hit pause. I need to get on with my life, even if that life isn't what I want it to be.