The Starling City Times: News and Media about Arrow

looptab · April 7, 2016

Again, Noel Kirkpatrick's review at Tv.com nails it (IMO):

Killing off Laurel Dinah Lance was bold from a perspective that didn't matter all that much and was not terribly bold from a perspective that did actually matter a fair bit. The first perspective was that Laurel Lance is a canonical comic book character, a major player in the Green Arrow mythology and within the DC Comics universe as a whole. That Arrow was willing to kill off such a character was a big deal (probably) to folks who value comic book canon.
But Arrow has never really cared all that much about comic book canon, and while it's been a good framework for the show to use, it's very much become its own thing. That reason is why killing Laurel wasn't that big a deal. Don't misunderstand me: Laurel's death is a big deal for Team Arrow. This is a death that will have ramifications on Oliver, Thea, Diggle, Felicity, and of course, Quentin (and most importantly for me, honestly), the show's ultimate chew toy at this point. But within the larger context of the show, killing Laurel won't alter the face of Arrow all that much.

I say this because Laurel has largely been in a neutral gear since she accepted Sara's death and committed to the Black Canary mantle back in Season 3. Apart from the franchise-mandated Lazarus Pit silliness earlier this season, Laurel has had very little to do on the show storyline-wise beyond worry about Quentin and take jabs about her fetishistic outfit. Her role as an assistant district attorney rarely came into play beyond providing the show with a different location for characters to visit every now and then. The only other character of the show's regular cast who would have less of a story impact would have been Quentin,

[...]In any case, it's tricky to eulogize Laurel. She's a character that Arrow has always struggled to do much with, let alone do a lot of interesting things with. Season 2 was probably Laurel at her peak, grappling with the return of Sara and what that meant for her and her family. It was sturdy, emotionally sound stuff that came on the heels of anger over Tommy's death and her anti-Arrow task force (remember that?). Her grief regarding Sara's second death (I hate that I had to type that) in the initial run of Season 3 episodes was, likewise, pretty solid, and the beginning of Arrow allowing characters to call Oliver out on his behavior in consistent and corrective ways (even if the episode would then make Oliver turn out to be correct about his concerns, as was the case this week).

After that, however, Laurel faded into the background, without storylines or a world of her own. Even Quentin had a romantic storyline this season; Laurel simply existed. I don't want to say that Arrow gave up on the character, but the series clearly deprioritized her, a tacit admission perhaps that beyond "becoming the Black Canary," the writers weren't exactly sure what the path forward was for her, or how she fit into the narrative gears of the show. In that sense, killing Laurel simply doesn't change the show because she had never been a huge part of it.

[...]it will give the show plenty of dramatic action for the remainder of the season, and likely into Season 5. Which is both good and bad. It's good in the sense that Laurel's death will provide some much needed momentum—while Arrow handled the run-up to this point in the season in a more entertaining fashion than seasons past, it was still spinning its wheels pretty hard—and that will give a lot of characters, especially Diggle in light of how all this was pretty much his fault, some new beats to play. It's bad in the sense that, once again, Arrow has killed off another woman—from the same family, no less!—to propel itself forward. We've been here before, and Arrow can't seem to figure out how to raise its stakes without killing characters, especially its female ones. Congrats, Tommy, you get a room all to yourself, while Shado, Moira, Sara, and Laurel all get to bunk together, and Amanda Waller gets to visit since her death was basically pointless deck-clearing for a movie.

[...]Shows don't always need a plan, but when a series teases that sort of stuff, it's best to have an idea of how it's going to play out before you actually try and do it. Otherwise, "Eleven-Fifty-Nine" is what happens. To get from "We promised to kill someone off" to "We're going to kill Laurel to satisfy that" meant that the show needed to figure out a way to achieve it. How they achieved it was Diggle acting like an idiot and not listening to Oliver, and that was just pretty convoluted and terrible. The episode also handled it in a way that Laurel made a tearful confession of her love for Oliver (I mean, I've felt like she's been lightly vibing Oliver this season in a distant way, but whatever, show), asked for some unheard promise, and then started seizing, initially off-screen. Which, again, was convoluted and terrible. Medical complications happen, yes, of course, but the progression of events was just too melodramatic, even for me, and I love melodrama.
This was pretty much the entirety of the episode, though: a series of shortcuts that functioned as plot development. "We updated the security!" "Ah, but not enough!" "I got you the idol to keep my daughter safe even though last week your allies were ready to let you rot!" "Ah, but there's a piece missing!" "I've hidden the piece!" "Ah, but I found it off-screen at some unspecified location because I know you, dear brother, and also because it really doesn't matter!" And on and on. Arrow's always done this, and there are ways to make it entertaining to be sure, but when it's daisy-chained together like it was in "Eleven-Fifty-Nine," it was hard not to roll my eyes at the contrivances necessary to keep everything moving to get to Laurel's getting stabbed with an arrow

.[...] - "You really love not talking about that place." You know, lines like that and the show's continued insistence on not having Oliver talk about it, just irritate me. It's not clever, and Oliver's motivations, while likely grounded in PTSD and such, aren't really played in-show, so it's just the series withholding information because it wants to.

bijoux · April 7, 2016

Laura Hurley's reaction to 4x18

Arrow Finally Revealed Who's In The Grave

Season 4 Arrow has been a bumpy ride, but there’s been one plot that has made it easy to keep eyes on the prize. The flashforward at the end of the season premiere featured a tearful Oliver looking wrecked in a graveyard, joined by a Barry Allen showing up to express condolences. For the past 17 episodes, we’ve had to wonder and theorize and speculate about who would die. The only people who were officially out of the running were Oliver, Barry, and eventually Felicity. Now, we know the truth, and Arrow is never going to be the same: Laurel Lance was murdered by Damien Darhk. As of “Eleven-Fifty-Nine,” the Black Canary of Arrow has cried her last.

Her death was actually rather difficult to watch. The rest of Team Arrow were held helpless thanks to Damien Darhk's magic and machinations as he stabbed Laurel in the abdomen with an arrow of Oliver's, and it was both insulting as well as vicious...which is how it needed to be. Darhk killing a member of Team Arrow had to be awful and ugly and abhorrent, and Arrow did a good job with a bad thing by making it truly despicable.

Laurel's death was foretold from the beginning of the season, and Arrow actually deserves some credit for paying off on a promise. Damien Darhk swore to Quentin that he'd kill Laurel if Quentin crossed him; Quentin crossed him, so Darhk killed Laurel. At least Laurel had some agency in her final moments in the field by fighting the good fight to the very end.

...

tv echo · April 7, 2016

Hollywood Reporter's post-mortem interview with MG (spoilery portion will be quoted in the Spoilers thread)...

'Arrow' Boss Explains Grave Shocker: "We Knew That It Would Enrage a Lot of People"
APRIL 06, 2016 6:00pm PT by Sydney Bucksbaum
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/arrow-laurel-dies-katie-cassidy-881297

While Laurel has always been a huge character in the comic books, fans have been critical of the way she was written on Arrow — specifically that she didn't end up romantically with Oliver as the character does in the comics. But producers felt that that was a road they weren't interested in going down a second time on The CW drama.

"We knew that it would enrage a lot of people," Guggenheim said. "We're not immune to the [fans rooting for Oliver and Laurel] and we're not blind to it. We knew people would think, in the season where Oliver and Felicity get engaged and Laurel dies, that's clearly making a choice about who's going to end up with who. We told the Laurel/Oliver romance story in season one. We never really thought about going back to it. [Fans rooting for them] was not an element or a factor for us."

Guggenheim, who also has a prolific writing career for comics, novels and the big screen, stressed that The CW series uses the DC source material as inspiration. Arrow, like The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones, refuses to take the page-for-page approach to its storytelling and opts to remix its source material in a bid to keep things interesting for both fanboys and new viewers alike.

"We recognize that that upsets a lot of fans, particularly the comic book fans," Guggenheim said of Laurel's death. "In the comics, Dinah Lance and Oliver Queen are in a romance together in various iterations. To some people, that is considered canonical and iconic. We respect that but at the same time, we've always made no bones about the fact that we are telling our own version of the Green Arrow mythos. ... But it made the most creative sense for us going forward despite the fact that we love Katie. Every time we've killed off a character on the show, it's really been for the affect on all the characters left behind."
* * *
"We made a creative choice and we're sticking to it," Guggenheim said. "We're recognizing that Black Canary and Laurel have an incredibly loyal fanbase and Katie has an incredibly loyal fanbase but the show has never been just about the comic book history. It's never been just about one or two different particular fanbases. We make the creative choices we feel benefit the show as a whole and the story we're telling overall."

bijoux · April 7, 2016

‘Arrow’ EPs and Stars on That Shocking Grave Reveal and Whether Dead Means Dead by Christina Radish

http://collider.com/arrow-grave-reveal-death-interview/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=collidersocial

It's a long interview with MG, WM, KC and PB.

How suspicious should viewers be about what Laurel and Oliver talked about in the hospital room, since we couldn’t hear the exchange?

GUGGENHEIM: The joke I’ve been making, quite frankly, is that Oliver Queen killed her. But there are certain coins of the realm on our show. Death is one of them. Mysteries and secrets are another. What did Laurel say to Oliver? We didn’t intend for it to be that she asked Oliver to euthanize her.

So, there is no room for it to be that he drugged her and faked her death?

GUGGENHEIM: No. We’ve done that. We’ve done a fake death before. We’re always trying to figure out the next way to do this. That fake-out where she was okay, and then she wasn’t, was our attempt to do a death that we haven’t done before. We’ve had people killed right in front of Oliver. We’ve faked a death. We’ve had someone be fatally injured, and then Oliver arrives on the scene. The Walking Dead has this problem, too. I shouldn’t say problem, but creative challenge. Game of Thrones has it, also. I don’t know what’s going to happen with Jon Snow, but that is also probably going to change things. It’s the nature of having a long-running show that deals, with death as a major component of it.

Before he stabbed Laurel, Damien Darhk said that he was doing it because Lance betrayed him. Are those words going to find their way back to Quentin, and will that have an adverse affect on how he accepts this?

GUGGENHEIM: Not this season. Anything is possible next season

Did you get to keep anything from the set?

CASSIDY: Yes, actually. I asked for the jacket and mask, and I didn’t think they would let me have it. But, I got to keep the Black Canary jacket and mask.

BLACKTHORNE: That’s this year’s Halloween costume.

Edited April 7, 2016 by bijoux

looptab · April 7, 2016

So, will Quentin just assume the reason she's the one dead while the others are not? I mean, will he blame himself anyway, or just accept that today is Laurel, tomorrow might be another?

Sakura12 · April 7, 2016

The Collider Arrow After show doesn't believe Laurel's dead. They think faked death or they will use the LP. So they really didn't drive home that Laurel was dead like they did with Sara (and that didn't even last).

I know the EP say she's dead but they said that about Sara, Oliver and even Felicity before. I tend to not take their word for it. I need Arrow to end without ever seeing present day Laurel to really believe it. I don't trust to them not take it back if they are pressured too.

dtissagirl · April 7, 2016

I think if critics and reviewers aren't aware of all of the behind the scenes stuff that happened since the paparazzi leaked those pics, the first instinct is to doubt the death. And not without reason, because that's the kind of thinking the show set up for its audience.

Which is why a big part of the Q&A on Monday was Guggie saying the word "permanent" a lot.

bijoux · April 7, 2016

I don't remember them saying Felicity was dead.

looptab · April 7, 2016

I think the only way to dispel the thought that she'll come back in the finale or s5 is if they show her body like they did Sara's, and not just the burial.

Edited April 7, 2016 by looptab

apinknightmare · April 7, 2016

I think the only way to dispel the thought that she'll come back in the finale or s5 is if they show her body like they did Sara's, and not just the burial.

With all the resurrections and magic, I don't think there's anything that will make people think she's not coming back at some point. Katie could land a role on another show, and I think people would still be counting on it. Even if the team spends all next ep trying to find ways to bring her back and failing at every one of them, people will still think she'll show up again.

looptab · April 7, 2016

That's true. Funny times ahead!

tv echo · April 7, 2016

A.V. Club's review of 418 - reviewer thinks this was a "mostly very good episode" (he also doubts that Laurel is really dead)...

Wait, what the hell did Arrow just do?
By Alasdair Wilkins Apr 6, 2016 8:50 PM
http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/wait-what-hell-did-arrow-just-do-234924

Let’s back up: Laurel died at the end of this episode. That’s assuming we take what happened here at face value, and there’s a ton of circumstantial evidence to suggest we shouldn’t. The doctor said Laurel was going to be fine. Laurel articulated her last few pent-up feelings to Oliver, and then she asked him to get something out of her uniform. [Edit: Which was the photo that symbolized her love for Oliver. I’m an idiot. But there’s still that mysterious promise she asks him to make, which still leads me to think there’s something more going on here, albeit not quite as strongly. I’m editing accordingly.] One quick time cut later, and Laurel suffered that fatal seizure. The bit about the doctor could be ignored as a swerve for the sake of a swerve, but that mysterious ~~something~~ promise must have some significance, and ~~the~~ one plausible conclusion, at least based on the finality of Laurel’s conversation with Oliver and the apparent disconnect between her prognosis and her almost immediate death, is that ~~she used said mysterious something to fake her own death, with or without Oliver’s knowledge.~~Oliver somehow helped her fake her death.

One of the most famous concepts in storytelling is that of Chekhov’s gun, the narrative principle that something significant should not be introduced without some sort of payoff. The odd thing about “Eleven-Fifty-Nine” is that we’re effectively dealing with a pair of Chekhov’s guns, each pointed in opposite directions. Something screwy happened at the end of this episode, which means Laurel probably survived. But then, the only reason anyone had to die, or appear to die, in the first place is that the season premiere gave us a year-spanning Chekhov’s gun, with the flash-forward to someone’s grave. The Arrow creative team has been candid about how they didn’t have a specific person in mind when they first shot that scene, with the initial flash-forward eliminating only the already effectively unkillable Oliver and Barry, and with a later reprise scene adding only Felicity to the safe list.

Now, a big part of the reason that Chekhov’s gun is such an important concept is that it articulates a promise made between the storyteller and the audience: This thing we’re setting up here will be followed through on later. For better or worse, Arrow promised us a body at the beginning of the season, and the peripheral signs indicated the victim was someone important, almost certainly someone in the core cast. What complicates all this is that viewers are aware of ideas like Chekhov’s gun, even if not all know the name, and that makes it harder for a show to stay one step ahead, to be both satisfying and surprising. That’s why I got suspicious tonight when the episode went in so ridiculously hard on foreshadowing Laurel’s death. ... The show was laying this all down so ridiculously thick that I assumed a twist had to be coming, which got me especially scared when Malcolm got the drop on Thea and looked like he was maybe prepared at last to end her.

But there’s another issue going on here, and it speaks to a basic question of what the individual viewer wants Arrow to be. Your reaction to whatever happened (or is still to happen) with Laurel tonight likely depends on what kind of show you want Arrow to be. Should Arrow be a grim, dark show in which death is a constant companion and tragedy keeps visiting our heroes even as they struggle to be better? Should Arrow be something more hopeful, leaving open space for happy endings and just deserts even as Oliver and company stare into the darkness? Or does is matter less what specific philosophy Arrow espouses, just as long as it keeps its damn promises? All those perspectives are valid! If you favor the first or the last viewpoint, then you probably would prefer Laurel to be dead. (And yes, I realize there’s also the “I just really dislike Laurel, so it’s fine if she died” contingent, but let’s just pause on that for one second.) But I’ll admit I’m in that second camp, in which I’ve seen enough death on Arrow, and if the way to avoid one more death is for the show to pull some ridiculous swerve out of its ass, then … eh. I can live with that.

Edited April 7, 2016 by tv echo

tv echo · April 7, 2016

Vulture's positive review of 418...

Arrow Recap: Laurel, Lanced
By Jenny Raftery April 7, 2016 8:47 a.m.
http://www.vulture.com/2016/04/arrow-recap-season-4-episode-18.html

Cut to the hospital, where a panicked Arrow is running down a corridor with a bloody Laurel in his arms. As she’s rushed into surgery, the rest of Team Arrow arrives, including Felicity. Laurel comes out of surgery, and she’s okay! Now, I may have fallen for that Andy trick, but I am most certainly sure by this episode’s foreshadowing that Laurel is not okay. The Team gathers around her, and everyone, except Oliver for some reason, tells her how much they love her. (She’s so dead.) In the hospital room, Laurel and Oliver have a quiet moment to themselves, during which Laurel tells Oliver that she’s glad he found Felicity. She goes on to admit that while Laurel may not be the love of Oliver’s life, he’s the love of hers. (So, so dead.) To top it off, she asks him for a secret favor that we can’t hear. (Deader than dead.)
* * *
This final scene was fantastic. Paul Blackthorne and Amell managed to give heartbreaking performances without any words between them. I love that the show chose to put Laurel in the grave. Her character has often been the weakest link in the series, so it makes sense to go in this direction. Plus, I’m excited to see how the death affects the remainder of season four and opens up the show to different storytelling next season.
* * *
Ironically, this was one of the best Laurel episodes in recent memory. Katie Cassidy performed well throughout.
* * *
I didn’t quite follow why Laurel keeps the picture of herself that Oliver had on the island in her wallet. I understand the urge to bring that detail back into the story for closure, but it was more confusing than moving.

Edited April 7, 2016 by tv echo

Morrigan2575 · April 7, 2016

Ironically, this was one of the best Laurel episodes in recent memory. Katie Cassidy performed well throughout

If that's the best they can manage for the actress. she performed satisfactorily...

tv echo · April 7, 2016

IGN's positive review of 418...

ARROW: "ELEVEN-FIFTY-NINE" REVIEW
BY JESSE SCHEEDEN 6 APR 2016
http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/04/07/arrow-eleven-fifty-nine-review

Arrow fans were promised a game-changer with this week’s episode, and “Eleven-Fifty-Nine” didn’t disappoint. Damien Darkh came roaring back as a threat and reminded our heroes that there are costs to putting on a costume and fighting crime every night. And the show got the catalyst it needed to escalate the conflict between HIVE and Team Arrow into full-blown war leading into the final leg of Season 4.
* * *
... Even if it was pretty obvious that Diggle was being set up for betrayal, his storyline was very compelling this week. He only recently repaired his relationship with Ollie, and seeing their bond fraying once again was difficult, to say the least. I think we can expect great things from David Ramsey in the remainder of the season. The combination of being betrayed by his brother and seeing one of his best friends die as a result is going to put Diggle in a very dark place. That, more than anything else, has me excited to see the next episode.
* * *
This was easily one of the more action-oriented installments of Season 4, what between the multiple clashes with the League, the battles with Reiter’s forces in the flashbacks and the massive fight scene in Iron Heights. This wasn’t the strongest the choreography has been this season. Director Bob Hardy lacks the dynamic touch of, say, Lexi Alexander or James Bamford. But the action was still solid, and there was plenty of it. With a mix of car chase scenes, shoot-outs and up-close, hand-to-hand combat, there was also plenty of variety to keep things exciting.
* * *
One final thought before addressing the big moment. Felicity had a very limited role this week, possibly her smallest all season long. Her absence was definitely felt, though whether that was a good or bad thing is largely up to how you feel about the character in general. It was weird not having any character serving as comedic relief. It certainly hammers home how much the lightness and humor of early Season 4 Oliver Queen has been drained away by one tragedy after another. And while that lack of humor serves a purpose for now, it also serves as a reminder that Felicity’s role in the series is crucial, whether it’s filled by Felicity herself or someone like Curtis.
* * *
Now for the big death scene. The show needed something bad to happen in order to punctuate Darkh’s return to power and to escalate the conflict. Laurel was probably the easiest choice of character to sacrifice. She’s experienced the least amount of growth and attention this season. She’s not exactly the most beloved character on the show. And it’s easy to picture Sara returning to Star City and taking up the Black Canary mantle again after Legends of Tomorrow’s first season wraps up. Whether intentionally or not, Arrow has never really built up Green Arrow and Black Canary as soulmates in the way they’re usually depicted in the comics. So killing Laurel doesn’t take quite the same toll it might have in another incarnation of the franchise.

All that being said, her death was a huge emotional moment. Her final conversation with Ollie was easily one of Katie Cassidy’s finest moments on the series. Needless to say, that scene offered a fitting and moving farewell for her character. All the actors were in top form as they gathered around Laurel’s hospital bed in celebration, only to return in grief and dismay a few moments later. Quentin’s reaction was particularly devastating. This is a guy who’s had to deal with losing a daughter twice already. Paul Blackthorne’s performance made it clear that the hat trick might just destroy Quentin for good. As much as I want to see Diggle’s reactions to this week’s event, I also very much look forward to what’s next for Quentin.
* * *
Arrow has had its ups and downs lately, but "Eleven-Fifty-Nine" helped the show round the corner and build a huge amount of momentum leading into the final stretch. This episode offered plenty of compelling family drama, a steady stream of action and a showdown with Damien Darkh that promises to change the Team Arrow dynamic forever. It's going to be tough waiting three weeks for the next installment.

Edited April 7, 2016 by tv echo

tv echo · April 7, 2016

ScreenCrush's fairly neutral review of 418...

Review: ‘Arrow’ Finally Ends Grave Mystery With Shocking Death at ‘Eleven-Fifty-Nine’
Kevin Fitzpatrick | 10 hours ago
http://screencrush.com/arrow-eleven-fifty-nine-review-laurel/

I’ve said from Season 4’s beginning that it was a mistake for Arrow to use the grave as a flash-forward, and I hold to that. Not solely because Season 3 front-loaded its narrative with a mystery aspect as well, or that so many genre series today feel like they need some far-flung puzzle for its viewers to solve instead of a linear story, but primarily that the kind of mysteries answered by “Eleven-Fifty-Nine” pull focus from viewers all season. Every inch of a given scene, every line of dialogue becomes trees in an unseen forest, something to pick apart rather than experience in the moment. ... I can’t help imagining how much more of a gut punch tonight’s death could have been, had we never known of any future grave whatsoever.
* * *
Killing Laurel represents a particularly interesting and unexpected road to take as well, especially in light of how producers have sold the event with a permanence* intended to oppose the convenience of Lazarus pits returning both Thea and Sara last year...

*This is still Arrow we’re talking about, and skip this paragraph for a spoiler or two, but ...

, which could easily turn into a backdoor for Laurel to remain part of the team. Not only that, but the gap between Laurel’s recovery prognosis, an unheard promise made to Oliver, and the offscreen onset of her unexplained coding clearly intend some wiggle room, whether or not producers acknowledge it.
* * *
Laurel also represents a character that Arrow has struggled to utilize from the beginning, whether that owes to Katie Cassidy’s more reserved interpretation, admitted difficulties of working courtroom drama into the narrative, non-starter stories of substance abuse, or the pivot toward Oliver’s romance with Felicity. At the time, killing Sara felt like a desperate gambit to jump-start Laurel’s role as the Black Canary, and to her credit, Cassidy has put in tremendous work since, at least until Sara’s return somewhat blunted that grief. It’s a weird bit of poetry even, that for all of Laurel and Season 4’s laborious quest to revive Sara for a spinoff, she takes her sister’s place in the ground.
* * *
Still, this felt much closer to the intimate, consequences-laden early years of the series, and I’m curious to see where they go with it.
* * *
WHAT PRISON CEILING DID THEY DROP FROM? NO.
* * *
Good on them to include Felicity for that brief scene, save for that incredibly distracting coat.

Edited April 7, 2016 by tv echo

Sakura12 · April 7, 2016

I don't know what episode I was watching. I found that to be one of the weakest episodes I've seen. Granted I've only seen S1, S2 and the premiere of S3.. The plot was predictable, the stunts were not good, the editing was all over the place, even the acting seemed kind of sub par. It looked like people going through the motions. The last 5 minutes was probably the only time they felt like their characters.

All this episode did for me was show me that I would not watch a show with Laurel as the lead. She just has no screen presence. The writers can be blamed for many things regarding the Laurel character but they can't be blamed for that. Some people just pop when they are on the screen, it doesn't even have anything to do with acting ability.

tv echo · April 7, 2016

Robert Dougherty's critical review of 418 (scored it 7/10)...

Arrow S4: E18 -- 'Eleven-Fifty-Nine'
By Robert Dougherty April 07, 2016 08:31AM EDT
http://www.themovienetwork.com/review/arrow-s4-e18-eleven-fifty-nine

... . As such, the only ones who may have been left in real suspense in Eleven-Fifty-Nine were probably fans of that character, hoping against hope the signs were lies.

However, that was not to be the case. Therefore, the only real question is whether the inevitable death could still tug at the heartstrings, and serve as a last-minute proper goodbye to a very embattled character. As it turns out, a great deal of it does, although there are still a few things to nitpick that have nothing to do with predictability.
* * *
At first, it is a relief Felicity isn't around, if only because it makes it safe to watch Arrow again without worrying about more Olicity setbacks. But since this is the first episode in ages to not have her around the team in any capacity -- whether as Overwatch or as someone to rescue -- the hole she's left behind is more glaring the more things fall apart.

To that end, we have Oliver falling back yet again on his "self pity and self-righteous" ways, Diggle not being enough to talk him down and no one to really play peacemaker. And given that Oliver and the show had no memory of last week's moral, it just raises more doubts that there'll be enough time in these last five episodes for him to plausibly and permanently conquer the nine-year-old impulses that drove Felicity away.
* * *
At least now that Damien is the killer after all, it adds something different to the equation, and won't lead to an exact repeat of Sins of the Father and other episodes stretched out into five weeks. At least with Damien as the killer, it restores him back to being the Big Bad he is supposed to be, instead of letting Malcolm take over yet again. Plus for all of Neal McDonough's one-liners and comic relief evil, it is refreshing to just have him be completely and hissingly evil again for this big moment.
* * *
For weeks and months, those of us who knew it was Laurel's time tried to imagine how she would go out. For the most part, it was easy to assume she would sacrifice herself for Oliver, Thea, Felicity, her father or the team in general, or to perhaps fall because of Malcolm just like Tommy did. All things considered, letting her go out a hero after all her struggles as the Black Canary -- or after all the nitpicking we did about how she became the Canary -- seemed like the best kind of reward for her, or at least the one that would save the most face with her fans.

Instead, all Laurel gets is to be stabbed by Damien, just as he promised Quentin all those months ago if he defied him. While this indeed brings that plot line full circle, letting her succumb like that while she is frozen by magic and unable to defend herself doesn't seem like the best the writers can do. Even if the show has outgrown Laurel and wanted to just get rid of her by this point, there were probably more heroic final acts she could have gotten to perform as the Canary first.
* * *
Then comes the final conservation[sic] between Oliver and Laurel -- the one true pairing of Arrow turned cautionary tale. Nothing may dull the pain for 'Lauriver' shippers that already suffered enough well before this, and who are surely setting Twitter on fire with protests and prayers for Arrow's downfall as we speak.

Still, the show gives them the consolation of bringing back the famed photo of Laurel -- albeit one that island Oliver even dismisses as a symbol of hope during the flashbacks -- and by having Laurel declare that Oliver was the love of her life while accepting she wasn't the love of his. While that may help the Laurivers to some degree or not, it probably would have been nicer if Laurel had a chance to acknowledge Sara or even Tommy in those final moments as well. In so many ways, they were really the truer loves of her life during the course of these past four seasons.
* * *
Everything other than the very beginning and the very end of Laurel's death lands with the emotional impact it was designed to, in spite of the distinct lack of subtlety and surprise. Getting that much from a scenario like this is a victory onto itself, all things considered. Laurel wasn't thrown away for the sake of plot as blatantly as Sara was the first time she died, but they hamper it so she doesn't get the kind of heroic and fully poignant death sequence that Tommy and Moira did.

Edited April 7, 2016 by tv echo

tv echo · April 7, 2016

No comment...

Arrow Season 4 Episode 18 Review: Eleven-Fifty-Nine
Carissa Pavlica at April 6, 2016 10:33 pm.
http://www.tvfanatic.com/2016/04/arrow-season-4-episode-18-review-eleven-fifty-nine/

There have been so many articles about this death and Katie Cassidy and how the death of Laurel Lance/Black Canary was chosen and how it, in particular, will make the series "pop."

That's a beautiful theory, if only Laurel and/or Black Canary had been given a viable story during Arrow Season 4 from which to launch this popping story.
* * *
Instead, Laurel has been a side player, with less known about her character than most others on the series.
* * *
You know immediately for which characters the writers enjoy telling Arrow's stories, and whether they are leads or bit players, you will know those characters better – their history, their aspirations, their suffering and their motivation.

And the characters they do not feel keen to write about seem to sit on the sidelines. Laurel Lance was a casualty of the sidelines.

What's worse is what became of Arrow this season. By setting out the death at the beginning and noting to fans the person in the grave was unknown, it became a dog-eat-dog, free for all between character factions.

What at first seemed strange and maybe interesting, became painful and hurtful to many. Whether the end result will have the impact that was hoped for or not, only time will tell.
* * *
There is one thing I know. This was not anything any actor did or didn't do. This isn't a character against character assassination. It isn't Laurel against Felicity, for example.
* * *
I believe it. I believe Laurel loved all of them and they loved her right back. The Arrow lair is going to take a hit. Diggle is going to be gutted. Oliver will blame himself. Felicity might even try it since she was no longer with the team. The blow back will be terrible.
* * *
Personally, I never bought her and Oliver as a thing, but I looked forward to her conquering alcoholism and assuming the mantle of Black Canary. Even as that was happening, it was done more off screen than on, bringing more ire than acceptance and the question of whether or not she earned the moniker.

looptab · April 7, 2016

There have been so many articles about this death and Katie Cassidy and how the death of Laurel Lance/Black Canary was chosen and how it, in particular, will make the series "pop."
That's a beautiful theory, if only Laurel and/or Black Canary had been given a viable story during Arrow Season 4 from which to launch this popping story.

Instead, Laurel has been a side player, with less known about her character than most others on the series.

Well, that's exactly it. Her death supposedly will make the show pop. They didn't say anything about a storyline involving her that then her sudden death would propel forward.

tv echo · April 7, 2016

WeMinoredInFilm's generally negative review of 418...

ARROW’S “ELEVEN-FIFTY-NINE” (S4:E18): BYE BYE BIRDIE
Posted on April 7, 2016 by Kelly Konda
http://weminoredinfilm.com/2016/04/07/arrows-eleven-fifty-nine-s4e18-bye-bye-birdie/

The answer is fairly par for the course for a show like this. The character we knew is dead, but thanks to time travel, alternate universes and flashbacks Katie Cassidy is always welcome to return....
* * *
So Laurel’s dead. Did they give her a good send-off?

They sure as heck tried....
* * *
To this point, the episode was leaning super, super hard into making us believe Laurel was going to die:

-New dream job promising a bright future? Check. The District Attorney gig was hers to take.
-Quasi-conclusion to an arc with her dad? Check. Quentin officially declared he was cool with her being Black Canary, sorta bringing an end to his longstanding, all-consuming concerns for her safety.
-Dialogue which randomly summarizes her entire time on the show to this point? Check. When counseling her to take the D.A. job, Oliver referenced how before Sara died Laurel’s journey was to continue her fight for justice through the legal system, not as a masked vigilante honoring her sister’s memory.
-Sudden reminder that Laurel and Oliver used to be in love? Check. The flashbacks to pointless island included a moment where that picture of Laurel which Oliver used to keep in his pocket came back up, possibly for the first time since season 1. We’ve long since forgotten this, but she used to represent the last bit of sunshine in his increasingly dreary world.
-Reminder of potential danger? Check. Earlier in episode, Laurel visited Damien in prison, and he reiterated his threats on her life.
-Near complete absence of Felicity to give Laurel more screen time? Check.
-“Three days to retirement moment” where she claims she’ll suit up as Black Canary one last time? Check. She decides she will stop being Black Canary and instead serve the team and the city as District Attorney, flat out stating the Iron Heights mission will be her one last time in the mask.

After all that, she was as good as gone. Even when she emerged from surgery in full recovery mode you could sense she was simply being granted a final goodbye. She’s far from the first character to be killed off on TV through the old “everything went just fine in surgery, and she’s going to make it”/”oh crap, she just seized and died on us, but at least you got to say goodbye” [ER did that multiple times].

However, Arrow‘s handling of this was kind of terrible. First of all, it is remarkably difficult to take any of this seriously when the MacGuffin, i.e., Damien’s magic totem, looks so remarkably stupid:
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Beyond that, her actual death was Arrow at its melodramatic worst, with Blake Neely’s remarkably over-insistent score attempting to conjure up emotions the episode hasn’t earned, Stephen Amell wandering into a hallway and encountering Quentin who arrived too late and crumbled to the ground at the realization that his baby girl was gone. Everything just felt off, like they were going through the motions of playing a capital “m” Monumental death when the evidence didn’t support that tone.

The bigger issue is this: Laurel Lance was written off of this show a long time ago. “Eleven-Fifty-Nine” simply made it official....
* * *
... Speaking of which, her final moment is similarly a callback to the first season, declaring her love for Oliver while also acknowledging the true love of his life is Felicity. Screw that noise. Laurel’s most consistent relationship on this show has been with her father. The one person whose presence would have made her death matter more wasn’t even there.

... Still, watching her go out by declaring a love for Oliver even though that hasn’t been a going concern for three seasons and then endorsing his relationship with Felicity again felt less about Laurel and more about Oliver.
* * *
At some point along the way, Arrow eased way the hell back on Laurel, de-emphasizing her role and minimizing Katie Cassidy’s screen time. This initially seemed beneficial, especially after the story lines the writers kept giving Laurel sucked so much energy out of the show (e.g., her sudden alcoholism, half a season of lying to her dad about Sara). Katie Cassidy was actually better served during her guest appearance on The Flash last season, where she was allowed to have some actual fun with the role. However, in the long run they effectively undercut Laurel’s own death by making her not truly matter to Arrow...

Edited April 7, 2016 by tv echo

tv echo · April 7, 2016

Blastr's positive review of 418...

We finally learn who's in the mystery grave in the latest, heart-breaking episode of Arrow
Trent Moore Thu, Apr 07, 2016 8:13am
http://www.blastr.com/2016-4-7/we-finally-learn-whos-mystery-grave-latest-heart-breaking-episode-arrow

The character of Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy) has had a complicated history on Arrow, and at times, it seemed like the writers never really knew what to do with her. You’d have to think she was originally conceived to be Oliver’s true love ala the comics (a story they threw a nice nod to in her swan song), but once the Olicity chemistry stole the show, the character lost some direction. It took a few seasons, but when Laurel eventually pushed past her demons, she finally found her legs as a character. But… we knew someone had to end up in that grave. Plus, Damien Darhk did promise he would kill her. Say what you will about the dude, but he keeps his promises.

As far as a swan song goes, “Eleven Fifty-Nine” was a fitting tribute to who Laurel had become, and a heartbreaking goodbye to someone who had finally come into her own. She got a chance to go on one last mission with Team Arrow, and just before her death, came to terms with the fact that she’ll always be the Black Canary. Her moments with Oliver were also touching, and a nice reminder of the history between these characters (some of it even going back to the early seasons of the show). The flashback scenes were also a nice touch, as we’re reminded that a faded photo of Laurel was his tether to humanity during his five years following the ship wreck.
* * *
You just knew this twist was coming, despite Diggle’s brother doing everything he could to prove his allegiance to Team Arrow. But, when push came to shove, his true allegiances were revealed — and it cost Laurel her life (it also led Diggle to absolutely shred Oliver over Felicity leaving him, which was brutal). Diggle has always been one of the most earnest characters on this show, and living with that is going to eat his alive. This is some ripe storytelling territory, and it looks like they’ll be digging deep into it. Also, you have to give credit to Oliver: He saw through it all, but didn’t want to push Diggle away, so he trusted Diggle’s (very clouded) judgement.

Edited April 7, 2016 by tv echo

tv echo · April 7, 2016

'Arrow' recap: Time of death
Meredith Jacobs April 6, 2016
http://www.examiner.com/article/arrow-recap-time-of-death

Here's one problem with an episode where someone dies: the anvils are everywhere. By the time the death occurs, it would have only been shocking if someone else had died. Instead, this entire "Arrow" episode might as well have been screaming "Laurel dies." Just from the offer from Ruve to be district attorney that would mean hanging up her mask to Oliver bringing up her photo in the flashbacks, it's like they don't know the meaning of "subtle." (That's not even taking into account pretty much every scene Laurel is in.) In fact, the foreshadowing goes back further than this episode.
* * *
While Oliver and Lance have both faced the consequences of their actions as of late (Oliver for his lie, Lance for working for Darhk), it's no surprise that that too came into play, this time by means of a threat made from the beginning and carried out to its fullest extent. The reason that Lance was even working for Darhk was because he threatened Laurel's life, but she insisted that she could take care of herself and she proved that time and time again this season. However, at the most important moment, that didn't matter and there's nothing anyone can do to stop what happens. It comes down to trust. For all that the heroes can do in their masks, for all the people they can save, they have to be able to rely on the people in the field with them. As the team is falling apart, as Oliver voices to Laurel, it's that splintering that leads to their downfall.
* * *
And that brings it back to Laurel's job. When she tells Oliver she's going to turn down the promotion, that being DA was something she wanted a lifetime ago, he points out that she put on the mask to channel her grief after losing Sara, who's no longer dead. The city has plenty of heroes with masks on, he tells her. It needs one without one. It needs Laurel Lance. (Anvil.) But when Laurel decides to put on the mask "one last time" when Darhk takes control of Iron Heights? Well, it's sadly clear that she's not going to be making it out alive.
* * *
In the flashbacks, Oliver tells Taiana of the photo he carried that reminded him of who he used to be, and in the hospital, Laurel reveals that she has that photo in her bag. It's a reminder of when things were simpler for them, she explains in a moment of complete closure for their relationship. While he may be the love of her life, she knows she's not his and she's glad he found Felicity and hopes he finds his way back to her. On a night that reminded her that anything can happen, she needs him to promise her something. What that something is is a mystery, but even still, it's a moment that speaks volumes about the status of their relationship. Like Laurel herself, it has had its ups and downs, and even though Oliver accepted her as a masked hero at the end of season 3, it's not until season 4 that they settle into being friends.

tv echo · April 7, 2016

Why Black Canary Dying on 'Arrow' Matters So Much

Eric Francisco April 6, 2016
https://www.inverse.com/article/13917-why-black-canary-dying-on-arrow-matters-so-much

Laurel never quite fit in as the Black Canary, her sister Sara’s superhero identity she inherited upon Sara’s (second) death in the show’s third season. Even though Laurel is Black Canary in DC Comics myth, in Arrow she was somewhat ill-fitting in her costume (which I was personally never a fan of). Though she struggled under the mask, outside Laurel flourished, casting off her teary drunk phase in Season 2 and her irrelevant shrill-ness in Season 1. Though Season 3 was around the time Arrow began to falter, it was that time when Laurel was growing into her own, becoming a character worthy of admiration and props.
* * *
It doesn’t feel quite final for either Katie Cassidy or even Laurel, who it should be known is a major part of Green Arrow mythos from comics. I’m not privy to actor contracts and I wouldn’t be surprised if Cassidy did want to move on, but there’s something I can’t put my finger on that is telling me this isn’t the end for Black Canary, especially with that “mysterious” promise as a flashing warning sign that this isn’t the last we’ve seen of her.

Edited April 7, 2016 by tv echo

BkWurm1 · April 7, 2016

Doesn't seem (so far) to be any shipper backlash in the reviews. I'm sure it will come up somewhere in a review.

tv echo · April 7, 2016

Collider review of 418 (rated it 3 stars GOOD)...

‘Arrow’ Recap: “Eleven-Fifty-Nine” – Grave Tidings for One Hero
BY DAVE TRUMBORE 12 HOURS AGO
http://collider.com/arrow-recap-eleven-fifty-nine/

Reading between the lines, however, it’s easy to see that this would be Laurel Lance’s, and by extension Katie Cassidy’s last episode. Flashback Oliver showing a soft spot for his ex-girlfriend coupled with the fact that Laurel was gearing up for one last go-round as the Black Canary before hanging up the mask to become newly elected Mayor Ruvé Adams’ District Attorney…you just saw the writing on the wall. The manner in which her death would play out was rather mishandled, which is actually a testament to how the writers have struggled with the character of Laurel Lance since Season 1.
* * *
Rather than dying in the heat of battle, an event that would have really hit home how dangerous and unpredictable their vigilante lifestyle really is, Laurel got a chance to say goodbye to her friends and have a heart-to-heart with Oliver. (Not with her father, mother, nor sister, however…) While Laurel was happy that Oliver found Felicity and hoped that he’d find his way back to her, Laurel then admitted that he was the love of her life, even if the reverse wasn’t true. The curious bit of dialogue here was when Laurel asked Oliver to promise her something, but whatever that was isn’t heard as she told it to him off-screen. Then, in typical soap opera fashion, Laurel had a seizure, flatlined, and was pronounced dead at 11:59. (This was a tough scene to watch, but Quentin’s wordless reaction was even tougher.)

I don’t think the writing team ever truly had a handle on Laurel Lance. She’s gone from jilted girlfriend, to drunken mess, to vigilante-in-training, only to finally emerge as a confident fighter (and lawyer) in this fourth season. And then they kill her off without any rhyme or reason. Perhaps her death is just another chink in the armor of Team Arrow which, in Oliver’s own words, is already falling apart. Perhaps it was meant to remove any potential love triangles involving Oliver and Felicity. Or maybe it’s just because the writers couldn’t find anything useful for her to do anymore, but also chose not to shift her character to another show. Whatever the reason, she’s gone.

Edited April 7, 2016 by tv echo

tv echo · April 7, 2016

418 review by a Den of Geek reviewer who has always liked Laurel (iirc) - needless to say, I disagree with parts of her review...

Arrow season 4 episode 18 review: 11:59
Caroline Preece 7 Apr 2016 - 14:00
http://www.denofgeek.com/tv/arrow/39755/arrow-season-4-episode-18-review-1159

A lot of people dislike Laurel, which is an improvement on near-blanket hatred during the first couple of seasons of the show. But for three years the writers stuck with her, they developed her and they pushed her towards becoming the Black Canary 2.0 with admirable patience.

But there was always a sense that she was one of the audience's least favourite members of Team Arrow and, once Sara had been resurrected and Laurel had become comfortable with her new crime-fighting identity, the producers lost interest. She's been through a lot in four and a half years, but a lot of that tension had admittedly been resolved a while ago.

My personal feelings aside, the episode itself is actually pretty great, teasing a number of character deaths before the axe (or arrow) finally lands on Laurel...
* * *
... The scene between Oliver and Laurel is the hospital was so rich, with both actors bringing their A-game with seemingly every scrap of painful history brought into that room just in time for the show to rip our hearts out.

Love her or hate her, these two characters have been on quite a journey, and the fact that all of it could be felt in a single scene is astonishing work from everyone involved.
* * *
This is textbook fridging of a great female character, and there's no way around that. Sara's death at least had major consequences for Laurel, and was key to her overall arc, but this is in service of Oliver and Quentin's stories, and that's not okay. In her final moments, Laurel was treated as an expendable part of other people's plotlines.

Felicity's arc has always been tied to Oliver, Thea's to Malcolm, but Laurel was at this point her own woman, and so couldn't survive within a show that consistently puts the existential angst of its main protagonist above rhyme, reason and audience satisfaction. It's been that way since the beginning, but it's devastating that Laurel, who had grown so far past the trappings of a mere love interest, had to be a casualty of that agenda.

She evolved so far past the writers' original plans for her, usurped in the romance department by Felicity due to understandable chemistry issues, that the writers just didn't know what to do with her anymore. She hasn't had an arc this year, and she hasn't had a love interest since early season three. Unfortunate as it is, this isn't an ensemble show, and it could be argued that she'd served her purpose.
* * *
The producers may claim that she had reached a natural plateau, and that fans of Laurel are a 'loud minority', but talented writers (which they are) make their characters worth watching – they shouldn't have to be spoon-fed potential storylines. Laurel's journey wasn't over just because she was Black Canary. That wasn't the end point, but what should have been the beginning.

As Diggle says to Oliver in one of my favourite moments from the entire series – some people change, some people evolve. Laurel changed and evolved more than any other character on this show, but she was rarely recognised for that by the audience or the overall direction of the show.

Ann Mack · April 7, 2016

No comment...

Arrow Season 4 Episode 18 Review: Eleven-Fifty-Nine

Carissa Pavlica at April 6, 2016 10:33 pm.

http://www.tvfanatic.com/2016/04/arrow-season-4-episode-18-review-eleven-fifty-nine

Wow she is quite the "Bitter Betty" isn't she? Is she trying to throw shade with the "bit player" woman please if she is referring to Felicity/Emily she earned her spot as a regular and an overwhelming portion of Arrow viewers and media accepted her as Oliver's true love. Some folks just need to let it go and not write ragey articles filled with "red meat" to throw at an already angry and upset fan base who just lost their favorite character. She is definitely entitled to her opinion and how she phrases her article but I also have an opinion that she did it in a reckless way and with the intent to rile up her readers who aren't too happy with the show right now.

Edited April 7, 2016 by Ann Mack

lemotomato · April 7, 2016

418 review by a Den of Geek reviewer who has always liked Laurel (iirc) - needless to say, I disagree with parts of her review...

Arrow season 4 episode 18 review: 11:59

Caroline Preece 7 Apr 2016 - 14:00

http://www.denofgeek.com/tv/arrow/39755/arrow-season-4-episode-18-review-1159

I'm surprised that, as a fan of Laurel, she's so satisfied that her last moments were spent declaring her eternal love for the man that cheated on her, instead of with her father. But I guess that was the audience MG/Keto was trying to please.

Also, she wants to claim that Laurel got fridged, but Sara didn't? Sara's death was textbook fridging, even though it was for another woman's pain and development.

tv echo · April 7, 2016

Another 418 review from a different Den of Geek reviewer...

Arrow: Eleven-Fifty-Nine Review
Kayti Burt 4/6/2016 at 9:50PM
http://www.denofgeek.us/tv/arrow/254346/arrow-eleven-fifty-nine-review

Let it never be said that Arrow doesn't know how to pull off the Main Character Dies, Motivating The Rest of the Characters Into Action plot. They do it every season around this time. It was most effective in season 2 with Moira Queen's death when we hadn't yet had time to figure out the pattern. Things were rawer then, the stakes less predictable. The Arrow verse was still one little show, with no commitment to anything outside of the confines of its narrative. Two seasons later, the strings on the puppet that it is this plot device — the strings on the puppets that are most Arrow plot devices — are much more visible, but damn if Laurel Lance's death at the end of "Eleven-Fifty-Nine" didn't hurt something fierce.

Laurel Lance has been with Arrow from the beginning. As a romantic prospect for our guy Oliver, she never really worked. Whether it was chemistry or writing or a combination of both, Laurel and Oliver never made sense together — at least not as a couple. But, at least to me, they have always made sense as old friends, as one of those messy, yet deep relationships you have in your life that don't always fit into an easily defined category and don't often get depicted on TV.

Once Laurel was freed from the impossible confines of her role as Romantic Interest, Arrow really didn't know what to do with her for an entire season....
* * *
This was the thing that really rubbed me the wrong way about Laurel's death: it felt like it was in service to the Oliver and Diggle character arcs rather than her own. The show used Laurel's death to prove a point in Oliver's favor, to demonstrate that he was right and Diggle was wrong and this is why we should root for the Green Arrow. But hasn't Laurel already sacrificed enough for Oliver? Oliver can be motivated by something other than trauma, show, and so can our faith in him as a hero.

Edited April 7, 2016 by tv echo

tv echo · April 7, 2016

411mania reviewer thought that 418 was a "so-so" episode...

Arrow 4.18 Review – ‘Eleven-Fifty-Nine’
April 7, 2016 | Posted by Anthony Falco
http://411mania.com/movies/arrow-4-18-review-eleven-fifty-nine/

... So with a death looming over the show, whenever a decision like this has to be made, it is fairly easy to realize who will die. This fact is further confirmed by the heavy emphasis on Laurel throughout ‘Eleven-Fifty-Nine.’
* * *
The resulting action is the epitome of tonight: half-decent yet rushed. The fight between Thea and Malcolm has some cool moments, but eventually finishes cheaply. On the other hand, the gang’s battle is alright, however, nothing really jumps out as memorable. The episode just concludes by hitting every predictable beat possible: Andy reveals himself to be a traitor – go figure – Darhk gets his power back and he stabs Laurel with an arrow.

Now, much like the Sara death episode, the entire night was awfully mediocre until the final moments: the goodbye to Katie Cassidy’s Laurel is awfully sweet. The conversation between her and Oliver is heart wrenching, especially when she professes her love for him. And the acting by Paul Blackthorne is like a kick to the gut. Unfortunately, her death, which is handled rather well, is placed in a night filled to the brim with mediocrity.

tarotx · April 7, 2016

The problem was that Laurel wasn't organically the Black Canary and nor did she feel part of Oliver's journey once s1 ended. Laurel and Oliver always felt like they were being forced into each other's lives. Laurel should have moved on after season 1. Being a super hero like Black canary was never on her radar until Sara came back. And Season 4 Laurel was fixed but in a way that she didn't have her own arcs-she was a side character to affect the other characters.

Edited April 11, 2016 by tarotx

NumberCruncher · April 7, 2016

I'm surprised that, as a fan of Laurel, she's so satisfied that her last moments were spent declaring her eternal love for the man that cheated on her, instead of with her father. But I guess that was the audience MG/Keto was trying to please.

Also, she wants to claim that Laurel got fridged, but Sara didn't? Sara's death was textbook fridging, even though it was for another woman's pain and development.

I had the same reaction. If you're going to use a feminist viewpoint in regards to a female TV character then why would you be okay with making Laurel profess her undying love to a man who wronged her in the worst way possible? That's pretty much saying that you believe in the feminist treatment of characters, but only if they're not salivating over a man. Does not compute.

As for your second point, it may not technically be fridging, but it's still killing a character to further another character's arc. Male or female, the major characters who have died have ALWAYS been in the service of other characters.

S1: Tommy (killed to further both Oliver's and Laurel's arcs)

S2: Moira (killed to further Oliver's arc)

S3: Sara (killed to further Laurel's arc)

S4: Laurel (killed to further Oliver's--and I presume Diggle's--arcs)

That's just the way this show works though and they make no secret about that. Sure more of the major characters killed have been female, but if you look at the characters their deaths have serviced, it's not strictly the male ones.

Edited April 7, 2016 by NumberCruncher

lemotomato · April 7, 2016

JFC, I've never seen a more click-baity article ever written. RIP, Sydney Bucksbaum's mentions:

'Arrow': Who Will Be the Next Black Canary?

And while there might not be an obvious choice for who might be willing or able to honor Laurel's memory by taking on the title of Black Canary, Mericle's comments suggested something intriguing.

"[Laurel's death] will have a huge impact on [Felicity]," Mericle said. "If you think about Felicity and what she would do in the wake of something like this, you can draw your own conclusions and you'll find out in [episode] 19. Everyone is going to be compelled to try to fix this and figure out what happened and try to get revenge."

Could Felicity shed her former code name Overwatch to become the new Black Canary? She's no longer paralyzed thanks to Curtis Holt's (Echo Kellum) implantable bio-chip, and she's no longer needed behind the computers in the Arrow lair now that Curtis has proved his worth to Oliver, helping on a mission in Felicity's absence. He even took down a psychotic robot bee fanatic, all while battling the flu. And now that Kellum has been promoted to a series regular for Arrow for next season, it looks like his time on Team Arrow won't be a one-time occurrence.

All the pieces are in place to have Curtis take over as the resident IT expert on Team Arrow, freeing up the newly motivated Felicity to channel her grief and anger over a loved one's death to train and become the new Black Canary — just as Laurel did when her sister Sara died. It's all coming full circle.

1) I think she needs to look up the definition of "circle"
2) As a Felicity fan, um HELL NO, I don't want any of this.

Edited April 7, 2016 by lemotomato

Password · April 7, 2016

Ermm...

tv echo · April 7, 2016

I know I said that I was going to drop Forbes reviewer Erik Kain from my media list after he relied on Reddit to make a point (and I did), but I couldn't resist taking a peek at his 418 review. -- Shocker, his review is titled "Arrow Is Dead, and Olicity Killed It". (You can find it for yourself if you want to read it.)

Edited April 7, 2016 by tv echo

lemotomato · April 7, 2016

I know I said that I was going to drop Forbes reviewer Erik Kain from my media list after he relied on Reddit to make a point (and I did), but I couldn't resist taking a peek at his 418 review. -- Shocker, his review is titled "Arrow Is Dead, and Olicity Killed It". (You can find it for yourself if you want to read it.)

So the Arrow subreddit has a media mouthpiece now? How nice for them.

looptab · April 7, 2016

You know, I kinda wish he keeps on with it. The more people read about this evil Olicity who brought down a show, the more are going to get curious about it.

tv echo · April 7, 2016

L.A. Times review of 418 (Laurel wins over this critic in death in a way she never did in life)...

'Arrow' kills off a character with a well-placed gut-punch to the soul
James Queally APRIL 7, 2016 8:47 AM
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/herocomplex/la-et-hc-arrow-eleven-fifty-nine-recap-20160406-story.html

I have never been a fan of Laurel Lance. Actually, that's too kind, I've been an avowed enemy of the character during "Arrow's" four-season run. I complained that she was selfish and irritating, often criticizing her as an unnecessary part of Team Arrow's dynamic, a hindrance to the group's otherwise Scooby Gang-like harmony.

I'm certainly not the lone "Arrow" fan with a distaste for the TV iteration of Black Canary, but I've never been great at justifying it. Did Black Canary grate personally due to her dissenter voice on the team? Her occasional nudging of Oliver to kill when a situation arguably called for death? Her weakness in combat, when compared to the capes and cowls around her?

Was I unknowingly giving her the Skyler White treatment, vilifying a female character who was often morally right, simply because she often challenged the male lead?
* * *
But as Oliver Queen carried a mortally wounded Laurel through a hospital, I found myself praying she would somehow survive. When her prognosis improved, I was shocked at my level of relief that this character I'd never loved would still be around in the weeks to come. And when she died, slipping away after a tearful goodbye to the show's titular hero, it felt like Darhk had driven that arrow through me instead of her.
* * *
And whether it's a function of the episode's wonderful structure or the guilt I'm feeling over loathing Laurel for what may have been the wrong reasons, her death is an absolute emotional haymaker.
* * *
But those are nits to pick for another day. This episode is a marvelous sendoff for Laurel, a character I fear I misunderstood on some levels until it was too late. I maintain some of my complaints from the past: the addiction storyline was a dud and her obliviousness to the consequences of Sara's ressurrection remain a prime example of smart characters being dumb in service to the plot.

But Laurel was a hero, one I never truly appreciated. ... She simply saw her city going to hell, watched her sister die and decided to do something about it. With the exception of the Canary Cry, Laurel went into fight after fight woefully outmatched but with little regard for the consequences.
* * *
Goodbye Laurel Lance. Thanks for doing the things I wouldn't.
* * *
Really nice touch having Darhk finish off Laurel with Oliver's own weapon. Reminded me of the end of Kevin Smith's "Guardian Devil," in which Bullseye brings one of Matt Murdock's love interests to a particularly moritfying end.

Edited April 7, 2016 by tv echo

tarotx · April 7, 2016

Yeah woefully outmatched but never showing wear and tear after the the first arc.

There is something I think the woeful flashbacks have done is weaken Oliver's training potential to the point that Laurel's training seems comparable. So Laurel taking out 2 LOA trained assassins would seem ok if KC& stunt double worked more in a cohesive manner.

When was the last time Oliver had an actual win in a fight?

tv echo · April 7, 2016

Arrow Season 4: 13 Questions We're Asking After Eleven-Fifty-Nine
James Hunt 7 Apr 2016
http://whatculture.com/tv/arrow-season-4-13-questions-were-asking-after-elevenfiftynine

Well, so much for a beacon of hope, eh?
* * *
This episode was an action-packed one, but there's only one place to start, and that's at the end. Laurel Lance, someone who has been there from the start, been a love interest, a friend, a vigilante, and at times a divisive and badly written character, has been killed off. It was signposted throughout - and spoilt by certain corners of the internet - but still came as a shock.
* * *
As for the rest of the episode, well it was all building to that moment, but there were some good scenes along the way. The action wasn't quite at a season high-point, but still had some enjoyable set-pieces, particularly any involving Thea, who is fast becoming one of the very best characters on the show. There was a whole mystery of whether or not Andy was working for H.I.V.E., vaguely interesting happenings on the island, and of course Darhk getting his mojo back and getting himself out of prison.
* * *
With any reappearance from magical characters such as Vixen or Constantine unlikely, Oliver and co. are going to have to figure out another way of defeating Darhk, one that goes beyond just bows and arrows. That's what they've got to do, but how they'll manage it is another matter entirely. Now that the stakes have been raised even further though, I'm even more excited for how this conclusion plays out.
* * *
'Why Laurel' isn't born of some anger at killing off a major character from the Green Arrow comics, because they've not been sticking to canon anyway, and any chance of a Laurel/Oliver relationship has long-since passed.

But why Laurel, and why now?

Admittedly the pool of characters they could kill off is pretty slim. Laurel has been the most problematic character on the show, including a period where she was by far the most detested by a big section of the fanbase, and even earlier this year there were questionable decisions.

Generally, though, she's been far more likeable, especially in recent weeks (which may be deliberate, to make her death hurt more). Although a divisive character, it still feels like a bit of a waste, and that there was more they could've done with her going forwards, especially if they'd made the decision to kill off Quentin, who most (including myself) had been betting on.

Unfortunately, the writers failed this character.

tv echo · April 7, 2016

I can never quote these ladies because their reviews are always so lengthy and beautifully written (I may not always agree with what they say, but they often make good points and I can acknowledge the quality of their in-depth analyses)...

WHEN IT’S ALL OVER: 11:59 ARROW 4X18 REVIEW
jbuffyangel APRIL 07, 2016 @ 10:18
http://jbuffyangel.tumblr.com/post/142408071103/when-its-all-over-1159-arrow-4x18-review

Arrow 4x18 Review: "Eleven-Fifty-Nine" (The Eleventh Hour)
Just About Write 6:47 PM
http://www.itsjustaboutwrite.com/2016/04/arrow-4x18-review-eleven-fifty-nine.html

Edited April 7, 2016 by tv echo

tv echo · April 7, 2016

TIME OF DEATH, “ELEVEN-FIFTY-NINE”: ARROW SAYS GOODBYE TO A MAJOR CHARACTER
Verena Cote | April 7, 2016
http://www.4ye.co.uk/2016/04/time-of-death-eleven-fifty-nine-arrow-says-goodbye-to-a-major-character/

It’s time to be really, really strong, Arrow family. Because last night’s episode marks the end of the show as we know it. We say goodbye to Laurel Lance, a major character since day 1. #4.18 “Eleven-Fifty-Nine” gives us a stronger, more appealing Laurel than ever before, just to rip all the could-have-beens away from us.
* * *
Laurel Lance has been more than problematic in the past, but this season her writing has dramatically improved. She has become more mature, more likable, more real in just the last ten or fifteen episodes, and it is almost insulting to see that the writers have only tapped that potential now. Until this season we thought that writing a more appealing Laurel was not possible, but season four proved us wrong. This is why her death suddenly feels like a major loss, not only to Laurel fans, but to the fans of the show in general.

It is not only the whole ensemble that absolutely slays those final moments of the episode, but especially Katie Cassidy and Stephen Amell. Laurel and Oliver did not work as a couple and it is for the better of the show that the writers realized that early on. It is even better that they tried really hard to establish a friendship between them this season. The whole progress this character has made – albeit too little, too late – makes saying goodbye to Laurel a lot more difficult.

Edited April 7, 2016 by tv echo

catrox14 · April 7, 2016

With all the resurrections and magic, I don't think there's anything that will make people think she's not coming back at some point. Katie could land a role on another show, and I think people would still be counting on it. Even if the team spends all next ep trying to find ways to bring her back and failing at every one of them, people will still think she'll show up again.

I'm telling y'all. I'm gonna need to see Oliver, Thea,Quentin, Sara and Dinah salt and burn Laurel's bones and any artifacts associated with her that might keep her ghost tethered to Star City.

Sakura12 · April 7, 2016

From Jbuffyangel's long review.

There's no one left besides Thea that knew Ollie Queen

Umm...Sara?

tarotx · April 7, 2016

It doesn't matter what they do, they'll still bring her back if they want. You just have to watch the show or give it up until after the series finale to know for sure.

Edited April 11, 2016 by tarotx

tv echo · April 7, 2016

‘Arrow’ 4×18 Review: ‘Eleven-Fifty-Nine’ (aka an Honorable Goodbye)
fangirlish APRIL 7, 2016
http://fangirlish.com/arrow-4x18-review-eleven-fifty-nine-aka-honorable-goodbye/

When it comes to Arrow there are moments that are significant. And then there are moments that are game changing. “Eleven-Fifty-Nine” was that episode for Arrow as it closed the book on one major hero and set its sights on what’s sure to be a gut-wrenching final five episodes as the rest of our characters deal with the fallout of this emotional goodbye.
* * *
But Arrow lives on with Laurel’s death. While the show may have bid adieu to a major character that exists in the comics we need to remember that this is Oliver Queen’s story. The show lives and dies by him. So this show is far from over. But Laurel’s death will have a significant effect on the characters and this show moving forward that will show that even in death the Black Canary will continue to fly.
* * *
It’s no secret that from the very beginning Laurel Lance has been a character often met with harsh criticism from critics and fans alike. But it’s also no secret that it was the result of the way that she was written. But there’s also no mistaking that the character of Laurel Lance has been controversial in this fandom for quite some time.
* * *
The death that Arrow set up in the season premiere held huge implications and expectations for the fans. While the producers swore they didn’t know who was in the grave from the start, the entire season worked to set up Laurel’s rise and fall and cement her legacy as Black Canary.

While Laurel has been present since Arrow’s pilot back in 2012, she has never been a character that has been “safe” on a show where high stakes often translates to death. The only person that is safe – Oliver Queen, you know the person who Arrow is centered around – actually “died” for a hiatus. But Laurel’s death wasn’t meant to serve a ship (which is an utterly ridiculous claim), it was meant to be a catalyst for Team Arrow moving forward. Laurel’s death was significant; Laurel’s death will serve a purpose.
* * *
For me, Laurel has always been a controversial character because of how she’s been written. This was the woman that was Dinah Laurel Lance – the Black Canary – and at times it felt like the writers didn’t care about her.

But the most important thing about this death for me was that it was a satisfying one. Laurel found her purpose. While originally she thought her future rested in saving the world as a District Attorney, she learned in this episode that her destiny was to save people as the Black Canary. And that’s exactly what she did.

Artsda · April 7, 2016

From Jbuffyangel's long review.

Umm...Sara?

Quentin also.

tv echo · April 7, 2016

Laurel Died On 'Arrow,' But That Doesn't Mean We'll Never See Her Again

KELLY SCHREMPH 17 hours ago
http://www.bustle.com/articles/152796-laurel-died-on-arrow-but-that-doesnt-mean-well-never-see-her-again

That being said, I would be arguing against any character they decided to kill off, so I was never going to come out of this episode very happy with the outcome. Goodbyes are always difficult, but that doesn't mean that Laurel can't occasionally pop up from time to time. Sure, the death itself seems pretty permanent, but there's always the possibility of seeing her during a flashback sequence. And I think we can all agree that some Laurel Lance is certainly better than no Laurel Lance at all. RIP, Black Canary. You will be sorely missed.

Andy Betrayed John On 'Arrow' & Their Relationship Will Never Recover
KELLY SCHREMPH 17 hours ago
http://www.bustle.com/articles/152868-andy-betrayed-john-on-arrow-their-relationship-will-never-recover

John Diggle is never going to forgive himself for trusting his brother so completely, even when Oliver tried to get him to connect the suspicious dots. He will blame himself for what happened to Laurel and undoubtedly fall down a very dark rabbit hole of guilt. Not only that, but his relationship with the brother he'd grown to love again has now officially been ruined. I can tell you right now that there is no recovering from a betrayal of his magnitude. So, in a way, it's like Diggle lost two loved ones that evening, rather than just the one.

Edited April 7, 2016 by tv echo

tv echo · April 7, 2016

Why Everyone Needs to Stopping Freaking Out about the Latest 'Arrow' Death
Thursday, April 07, 2016 Derek Stauffer
http://www.buddytv.com/articles/arrow/arrow-why-everyone-needs-to-st-59522.aspx

Arrow finally revealed the identity of the person that was in the grave and the reaction has not been exactly positive. Or at the very least there is a very vocal minority who have taken to the Internet to espouse their discontent.

It's a given whenever a show kills off a beloved and popular character that there is going to be some outrage. The reaction to the deceased's demise has gone a little bit overboard and everyone just needs to take a breather. The death of "Elven-Fifty-Nine" is shocking but ultimately necessary. Everyone just needs to stop freaking out for a second, have a little bit of patience and look at the facts.
* * *
Looking at Laurel's death on just a surface level, it was absolutely necessary for the show to have it happen. Not only had Arrow season 4 set up this long mystery about who was in the grave but the world of Arrow has grown a little too safe. There were two major deaths in season 3 with Thea and Sara, both were undone in time. Oliver seemingly died in the mid-season 3 finale, only to be revived episodes later. Even earlier in season 4, Felicity was crippled and is now up and walking like nothing happened. Since Moira died in season 2, Arrow has lacked severe consequences for the characters.
* * *
It's been especially ridiculous when you look at season 4 more closely and the villain of Damien Darhk. Damien is so much more powerful than any of the previous villains the heroes have faced. Damien has had Oliver on death's doorstep so many times before and he somehow escapes each time. Neal McDonough has been a great addition to the cast but the confrontation in the prison would have been incredibly groan-worthy if all the members of Team Arrow escaped with their lives, yet again. ... When you have a villain like Damien Darhk, you need to use his powers against the heroes in ways that have consequences. There is no reason to take Darhk seriously if he is not using his powers to the fullest extent. It's not surprising at all that Darhk killed Laurel so easily, it is a surprise that it took this long to do it.
* * *
There is also some outrage that Laurel's last words were all about Olicity, which is not entirely true. Yes right before we see Laurel die, she tells Oliver that she hopes he finds his way back to Felicity. There's nothing more to that though than Laurel comforting Oliver in his time of emotional pain. It was also preceded by a long goodbye between Laurel and the rest of the team where she talked about how important being the Black Canary was to her and how much she loved everyone. We also don't even know what her true last words were because the scene cut away right after she made Oliver promise something.
* * *
Arrow also really struggled to understand how to use Laurel's character in 4 seasons. Laurel has had a very clear journey from season 1 to season 4 but there were stumbles along the way. Laurel was not always written well and frequently was more of annoyance than a beneficial character. While Arrow eventually turned it around and season 4 was, by far, Laurel's best season. Of all the characters on Team Arrow, Laurel is the one that was the most problematic for the show.
* * *
Fans want to pretend that is a complete disrespect to the source material that Arrow has killed off one of the most important characters in the Green Arrow mythos, Black Canary. The fact is that Arrow never knew how to handle Black Canary and Laurel was a very different character from the comics....

Edited April 7, 2016 by tv echo

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