First appearance of Roy Harper, who would go on to be a series regular and then main cast member. In DC comics, Roy was not only Green Arrow's sidekick Speedy but was the nephew of another DC superhero named The Guardian. Jim Harper was a cop who was selected by the research group CADMUS to be reborn as a super soldier; eventually becoming the DC equivalent to Captain America, Guardian.
When Thea is describing Roy over the phone, she describes his face as 'Abercrombiean', Colton Haynes who plays Roy was an Abercrombie & Fitch model.
While tracking the Dodger, Felicity says "He's headed towards Adams & O'Neill." This references Neal Adams & Denny O'Neill, artist & writer of the landmark Green Lantern/Green Arrow comic series of the 1970's.
The gem at the start is named "The Sherwood" which may be a reference to Robin Hood, another hooded archer. Sherwood Forest was where Robin Hood hunted.
The concept of the Dodger forcing innocent people to carry out his robberies is based on the so called 'pizza bomber' case from August 2003, where a pizza delivery man was strapped with a collar bomb and told to rob a bank. The man was intercepted by police and the bomb exploded, killing him. As of 2011, two people have been convicted for their roles in the case.