By dislocating Oliver’s thumbs, Anatoly enabled Oliver to slip out of his bindings.
It was a great re-introduction of the Bratva into Arrow, and it proved that Season 5 may be much better than Season 4 at organically connecting the events of the past with those in the present.
The flashbacks were finally as fun as they used to be in “Legacy,” too, and not just because Oliver got to enjoy his favorite pastime of “working up a sweat shirtless.”
Oliver reunited with his old island pal Anatoly who, as it turns out, is the person who taught Oliver the skills he needed for the “Let me murder you with this chair!” maneuver.