The CW’sArrowis one of the longest-lasting live-action DC Comics series (eclipsed only bySmallvilleand its sister showThe Flash), and with that tenure came plenty of ups and downs. The highs were truly high, giving birth to what would be known as the “Arrowverse” — the interconnected shows that grew to be the bedrock of The CW for roughly a decade. On the other hand, the series fumbled some major stories over the years. For example, we’re still not over the fact that the story ofJohn Diggle (David Ramsey) potentially becoming a Green Lanterncame to such an unsatisfying conclusion inThe Flash. But, our biggest issue remainsthe series' handling of the Black Canary a.k.a. Laurel Lance(Katie Cassidy).
Nowhere isArrow’s rocky reception more prominent than in the way it handles its cast. As the show grew in popularity, it started to flesh out the ensemble, surrounding Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) with a number of vigilantes (many of whom happen to be established heroes in the comics). One of the most prominent is the Laurel Lance. The Black Canary is well-known as Green Arrow’s longtime romantic partner. Plus, she is an amazing superheroine in her own right; she has not only been a major member of the Justice League, but she also formed one of the most prominent female-led superhero teams (theBirds of Prey). Despite this history and the comic character’s popularity,Arrowkilled Laurel Lance in “Eleven-Fifty-Nine” (Season 4, Episode 18), leaving her story cut short and fans infuriated.
Spoiled billionaire playboy Oliver Queen is missing and presumed dead when his yacht is lost at sea. He returns five years later a changed man, determined to clean up the city as a hooded vigilante armed with a bow.
Interestingly enough, whenArrowdebuted in 2012, Laurel Lance wasn’t a superhero.That journey would take the course of three seasons, showcasing her evolution from crusading lawyer to vigilante(not unlike a certain Man Without Fear over at Marvel). Laurel had a rather icy relationship with Oliver when the series started. The two were in a romantic relationship, but Oliver secretly brought her sister Sara (first played by Jacquelyn MacInnes Wood, thenCaity LotzinArrowSeason 2 and beyond) aboard his father’s yacht, the Queen’s Gambit,when it sunk, both presumably dying while cheating together. Five years later, though Oliver managed to survive on the mysterious island of Lian Yu, Sara was still presumed dead, and she blamed him for her death. Laurel slowly warmed up to Oliver again, though her father, Quentin (Paul Blackthorne), still hated him.
Sara eventually reappeared as the Canary,a vigilanteworking with Oliver’s Green Arrow, throwing a wrench into Laurel’s life — a wrench that took an even further turn downward when Slade Wilson (Manu Bennett) revealed to her that Oliver was the Arrow. Then, in “The Calm” (Season 3, Episode 1), Sara is killed by a mysterious assassin.Sara’s death (again) puts Laurel through the emotional wringer, but she decides to follow in her sister’s footstepsand become one of the heroes protecting Starling (soon to be Star) City. Keeping in line withArrow’s intense focus on grounded, realistic storytelling at the time, Laurel’s lack of combat experience nearly got her killed. It wasn’t until Sara’s former lover Nyssa al Ghul (Katrina Law) offered to train her that Laurel started to come into her own as theBlack Canary, joining Oliver’s team out in the field. But, the Black Canary’s flight was about to be tragically cut short.
Laurel’s Death Came Completely Out Of Left Field
ArrowSeason 4 took several departures from the gritty, dark nature of the previous seasons. First, it shared broadcast space withThe Flash, allowing for more fantastical elements to be introduced throughout the show. Secondly, it saw Oliver finally donning the mantle of the Green Arrow after leaving an early retirement withFelicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards)to help Laurel, Diggle, and his sister Thea (Willa Holland) battle the sorcerer Damian Dahrk (Neal McDonough). But, the biggest shock involved the end of the Season 4 premiere, which revealed that someone close to Oliver would die. And, as we later learn,it was Laurel in the grave.
‘Arrow’ Co-Creator Marc Guggenheim’s Response to Fan Outrage Was Utterly Insulting
Before Laurel’s death inArrowSeason 4, Damien Dahrk was sent to jail (after Oliver destroyed the source of his magic), and Laurel had him convicted. However, Dahrk’s imprisonment didn’t last for long; his followers smuggled in the pieces of an idol that would restore his powers. Once his powers were restored,Dahrk used his telekinesis to freeze Laurel in place and stabbed her with one of Oliver’s arrows. Not only did Laurel’s death result inone ofArrow’s most heartbreaking moments, but theresponse from showrunner Marc Guggenheim twisted the proverbial arrowhead.In an interview withComicBook, Guggenheim discussed the reason for Laurel’s death. “[W]e realized that you know, the thing that will give us the most pop going into the end of the season and into next season unfortunately would be Laurel, and we knew by the way, we knew that it would enrage a lot of people,” he said. This landed like a lead balloon with viewers, especially those who felt that Laurel had more story to tell, and future creative choices would only highlight that.
‘Arrow’ Wasted Laurel’s Potential and Later Tried to Replace Her
After Laurel’s death,three other characters would also add to the Black Canary legacy: Evelyn Sharp (Madison McLaughlin), a teenager who stole Laurel’s costume and sonic devices to battle Dahrk’s forces before joining Oliver’s team of vigilantes, and Dinah Drake (Juliana Harkavy), who eventually became the new Black Canary. These two only highlight how much potential was left on the table, especially concerning where Laurel was heading. In “Eleven-Fifty-Nine,” Laurel tells Oliver that she is considering giving up vigilantism to pursueher law career full-time. And, it was revealed that, prior to her death, she asked Oliver to find someone to take up the mantle of the Black Canary. However, it would have been much more powerful if Laurel were able to talk to Evelyn, who idolized her, or if she were the one to convince Dinah to become the new Black Canary.
Laurel Lance would shortly return to the Arrowverse, though in a different form. InThe FlashSeason 2, the Earth-2 version of the Black Canary, a metahuman going by Black Siren, arrives to battle Barry (Grant Gustin). The Scarlet Speedster defeats her and locks her in STAR Labs' pipeline, but she is eventually freed byPrometheus (Josh Segarra)inArrowSeason 5 as a part of his plan to destroy Oliver Queen. Siren would reappear throughout the remainder ofArrow’s eight-season run, eventually becoming a hero — the last Black Canary.
Despite Multiple Opportunities to Return, Earth-1’s Laurel Lance Stayed Dead
Even though Black Siren was an interesting character and had a similar journey to the original Laurel’s, there were plenty of missed chances to bring Laurel back from the dead (which is what we were hoping for). For instance, Sara Lance, once thought dead, returned and became the lead ofthe breakout hitLegends of Tomorrow.There were multiple opportunities via alternate universes, time travel, and resurrections, all of which proved that Laurel could have come back. Most notably, the events of theCrisis on Infinite Earthscrossover, in which Oliver remakes the universe after becoming the Spectre.
TheArrowseries finalethen revealed that Oliver had brought back many of his friends and family, but not the Earth-1 version of Laurel. The logic behind this decision was that Oliver had to leave certain things as they were, but that still feels like a cop-out. Some deaths, like his father’s, are understandable; they helped shape him into the Green Arrow. But Laurel, who was such an important part of his life, deserved a second chance at a life that was stolen from her far too early. By doubling down on their decision until the very end,Arrow’s showrunners proved how poor of a storytelling choice it ultimately was. Laurel Lance and the legacy of the Black Canary both deserved far better.
Somehow even more jarring is the fact that otherArrowverse showswere able to phase out their characters without killing them. The biggest example of this is Cisco Ramon (Carlos Valdes). Though he chose to give up his metahuman abilities inThe FlashSeason 5, he continued to be an integral part of the show. Laurel could have served in a similar capacity with her status as Star City’s District Attorney providing some interesting conflict of interest — especially asArrowSeason 7 later dealt with the costs of vigilantism.
Arrowis available to stream on Netflix.
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