Just two seasons into DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, the ragtag bunch of misfits known as the crew of the Waverider have created a true sense of family with each other — even if certain team members would be quick to deny such a thing. But it seems that the concept of found/makeshift family often times forget that there’s still room for actual, blood-related family. Earlier this season, Dr. Stein proved that both can coexist when his time aberration daughter (a lovely woman for sure, but still, an aberration) helped the team on a mission and set foot on the Waverider.
But when it comes to families and Legend of Tomorrow, you really shouldn’t even have a conversation about that without first acknowledging that the series has wide open access to one of the first families of the entire Arrowverse: the Lance family. No, this isn’t a stealth way to spark a “bring Laurel back!” conversation (especially after the news that Black Siren will be a regular in Arrow: Season 6), but there is certainly still another member of the Lance family who could aid (and benefit from working with) the still-a-work-in-progress Legends. That member would be Quentin Lance.
It’s a no-brainer, really. While Quentin Lance has been a good (fourth) father figure to Thea Queen this season on Arrow, the man still has a lot of his pain and angst in his life comes from the fact of not having his daughters around. In the case of Laurel, death is what prevents him from seeing her, but when it comes to Sara, there is absolutely nothing keeping them from being apart. Except for space and time, but that’s something that could easily be resolved by Quentin Lance joining Team Waverider...
Quentin missed out on the big CW/DC crossover earlier this season because of rehab, and it was apparent even then that was a truly missed opportunity. (Unless the Arrowverse writers are saving such glory for Quentin Lance’s eventual stay on the Waverider, that is.) But the fact that he was even in rehab in the first place is part of a larger Quentin Lance/Arrow problem: Quentin Lance’s story is (essentially) over in Star City. Recovery is not an easy endeavor, so it’s not even the concept of relapse that feels repetitive; it’s the exact story on Arrow. This idea to move Quentin to Legends of Tomorrow isn’t coming with the assumption that all of his problems will be solved by a change of scenery and a closeness to one of his daughters; it’s more the idea that the change of scenery means a new approach and scenario for the familiar.
Paul Blackthorne is a very talented actor, and the character of Quentin Lance has been near and dear to Arrow fans’ hearts for years. But many of those years have also involved a lot of wondering why Quentin is still around and how he’s even still alive (whether it was the job or the booze that was going to kill him in action). Quentin Lance is now the Deputy Mayor of Star City, but he’s possibly even less qualified for the position that Oliver Queen is for Mayor — at least in the sense that his first instinct is always to take out his piece (or, in the first half of the season, drink).
But none of that actually negates Paul Blackthorne’s worth as an actor, and as well all know, the Arrowverse rarely truly throws someone away. In this instance, it wouldn’t need to, as a change of scenery to Legends of Tomorrow could do the character good and also give Arrow something new to do without the odd crutch of Quentin Lance. Plus, the inclusion of such a prominent character of the Arrowverse in at least one season of Legends of Tomorrow absolutely falls in line with the supposed vision for the show, a revolving door of team members saving space and time.
Quentin Lance is a real meat and potatoes, hardboiled kind of guy, and that’s part of why we love him. He’s a gruff, grizzled type of guy in the gruff, grizzled world of Arrow. He makes sense there because he’s obviously a product of Star City. Now think about transplanting the man who sincerely gave us the phrase “mobbed up to the eyeballs” to a show that’s ultimately all about light, fun, adventure. Sure, you have someone who’s pretty much just as gruff as Quentin in the form of Mick Rory, but part of Mick’s appeal is how his cartoonish alpha male behavior severely contrasts with Legend of Tomorrow (the same was true for his time on The Flash). Quentin’s standoffishness, in addition to his awe and — let’s face it — parental confusion over a spaceship that travels through time would instantly be a completely new dynamic for Legends of Tomorrow.
While the Waverider crew are quite the merry band of scoundrels, they’re also regularly shown to be out of their depths at times. Sure, Sara is a technically a soldier (the way a League of Assassins assassin is), but as the series’ original premise pointed out, this isn’t necessarily a gang of highly-qualified superheroes. There obviously won’t be a season of Legends of Tomorrow that will feature the Arrowverse A-list of the Green Arrow, Flash, or Supergirl, but those heroes’ respective shows have plenty of supporting characters who would all make sense on loan to the Legends.
Quentin Lance, much like The Flash’s Joe West, would be an especially good — but not too major when it comes to his original team — addition to the team, because as a former cop, he actually has the kind of experience you’d hope for on a spaceship crew of people responsible for saving the world. You know, someone who knows how to properly execute missions, as well as follow and give orders. Plus, unlike his position as Star City’s Deputy Mayor, this job requires — and even encourages — him to bring his gun along and get in on the action. And when the time comes for weekly hand-to-hand combat, Quentin can hold his own; he can probably even hold it against normal people during time travel than all the metahumans and intensely trained supervillains that show up in Star City.
Besides the rational arguments for all of this, you have to admit: Just the way Quentin Lance could beam with pride over witnessing his daughter Sara regularly save space and time would make for an instant heartwarmer. And since Legends of Tomorrow certainly loves the heartwarmers and emotional manipulation, the father-daughter dynamic of Quentin/Sara would be a license to print tears. With the aforementioned Arrow news that Katie Cassidy is returning as a series regular — to play Black Siren — looking at the bigger picture, there’s every bit a possibility that situation will either trigger Quentin’s return to drinking or possibly signal the end of his character (so the audience doesn’t have to witness him suffering weekly over this). But Quentin instead choosing to leave Arrow for Legends of Tomorrow — to be around his actual daughter — is the healthier Option C in this instance. Quentin and Sara would even be able to bond over the confusion of the Earth 2 Laurel situation in this instance.
Understandably, Sara Lance can charm the pants (or skirts) off anyone, no matter the time. It’s a large part of her charm, even. But come on, admit it — it would be pretty funny to see just how well she could get her mack on when her father is always just one step away. Ray Palmer has become the Waverider’s resident moment killer and cockblocker, but there’s honestly nothing more mortifying than having your father interrupt one of your lustier moments. Especially when social skills have never quite been Quentin’s forte in the first place. So one can only imagine fatherly attempts to apologize or even possibly play matchmaker for his daughter. Legends of Tomorrow is the time and place for a version of Lance family interactions that are rooted in something resembling fun, and after all these years, doesn’t Quentin Lance deserve it? Better yet, doesn’t the Arrowverse audience deserve it? (The answer to both questions is yes.)
The smart money’s on Mick, but we won’t know until Legends of Tomorrow tries.
Would you like to see Quentin Lance -- or any other Arrowverse character -- make the jump to DC's Legends of Tomorrow? Let us know in the comments below!
LaToya Ferguson is a TV reporter whose work has appeared in The AV Club, Entertainment Weekly, Complex and The Guardian. Follow her on Twitter at @lafergs.
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