Look at what you wrote fren,you use DPC`s style of storytelling,to claim a theory is illogical as far as the story goes....No,as far as the story goes the flashback theory makes perfect logical sens.
Quinn convincing Tommy is one good point that you made,one that also can be explained away - maybe he never did the needle?Maybe it was Quinn that proposed the alliance and Tommy is still pondering on it?
"When you're doing flashbacks, they're important for the story, for MC... And here? Who cares about Tommy's first drug use?! That's absolutely unimportant to the story. By that logic, 0.3 could start with the scene when Riona first time swam in the sea.
Or in James Bond movie - after 007 kills some bad guy, we would get a flashback of that guy last holidays when he was skiing in the Alps."
That`s an example of the wizardry that you do fren.
It might work on weaker minds but not on a maderfaking sith lord.
Riona swimmig has no relation to anything,it`s not important.
Establishing Quinn`s and Tommy`s relation,the nature of it,is very important,it`s something that has a potential of being the central point of most of the drama to come.
Let`s try this way - if it`s a flashback,it`s not important,if it`s not a flashback,it suddenly is? - that is illogical.