Laurel Lance: Black Canary, Black Siren.

[bethy]

I seriously expected Laurel to step forward after Thea offered and say, "No, I'm responsible; I'll go." That way she would have been both acknowledging her responsibility and protecting Thea. But of course they didn't have her do that. Instead she stood there until Oliver asked if she trusted him. Which I guess is significant in that now she's trusting him, but ain't great in terms of hero development?

 

Also, aside the fact that she didn't notice Sara sneaking into Thea's hospital room, after Sara throws Thea across the room and jumps out the window, Laurel literally just stands there. Oliver is crouched by his sister and Laurel stands, unmoving behind him. She's the Black Canary, isn't she? She's said she wants to find her sister and stop her murderous rampage through the city, hasn't she? Could they - the writers, the director, the actor - at least look like they're trying to have Laurel be proactive in hunting Sara down? 

 

I do not get how they are portraying this character. At all. 

[writersblock51]

I remain as unimpressed with the point of this character than I've been for 3+ years now. 

 

People are dead because of her decisions and she has paid no price whatsoever for any of it.

Yet we're expected to believe that she can do her job for the DA's office to prosecute people so that they are convicted and sentenced to prison for lesser crimes than murder, kidnapping and accesssory to murder (not to mention interfering with a police investigation).  She only has her job because she blackmailed her now late boss - so the means of her unemployment is only known to her now. 

 

if the writers are trying to characterize her as sympathetic, loving, heroic and honorable, they have failed on each and every one of those points.  She isn't selfless, either.

 

If the show actually committed to writing her as a very troubled and unstable addict who needs professional help and a protracted stay at a rehab place (we could even call it a Spa), fine.  Or turn her evil.  But, again, they've written her as horrible but then told us she's worth forgiving because her intentions were from love and honor. 

 

I'm so disgusted with this version of Black Canary, too.  She's lightyears from resembling any variation of the comic version that it's ridiculous and offensive.  They should have created an entirely new identity for her.  I thought after S1 that she could be Manhunter but now?  Hell no.

[morakot]

When Oliver becomes Mayor, do the DAs report to him? Will he then become Laurel's big boss?

[AyChihuahua]

When Oliver becomes Mayor, do the DAs report to him? Will he then become Laurel's big boss?

Usually there's THE DA (District Attorney) and the minion ADAs (Assistant District Attorneys).  The DA is elected (in most states; in NJ they are appointed by the governor).  The ADAs are regular hired bureaucrat attorneys doing the actual work.  So typically, no the DA doesn't actually report to the mayor, although they would usually have some influence with each other.

 

I don't believe we know who the the DA on Arrow is right now.  We also don't know who the chief of police or equivalent is, unless it's supposed to be Lance.  If so, it'd be nice if they'd actually say so.

[statsgirl]

As a lawyer, I categorically reject that statement. In her somewhat defense, there are very few television lawyers who kick ass.

Let me amend that -- as a lawyer she has the potential to kick ass.  She was good in 3x01 in the "you catch 'em, I cook 'em" and she was very good fighting Ray and her father to defend Oliver later in the season.

 

The problem is that the writers won't let her do what she does best (be grey; be a lawyer) and keep telling us that she's the Comics Black Canary when that's not what they're showing on screen.

[VCRTracking]

If Laurel Lance was one of the Bluth family from Arrested Development with Ron Howard narrating her actions while ukulele music is playing I might  be amused by her. But she doesn't so I don't.

Edited November 5, 2015 by VCRTracking

[catrox14]

Go away, Laurel. Just go far, far away and never come back.  I just can't with her at all anymore.

[NumberCruncher]

If Laurel Lance was one of the Bluth family from Arrested Development with Ron Howard narrating her actions while ukulele music is playing I might  be amused by her. But she doesn't so I don't.

Great, now I'm forever going to imagine this is actually happening in all of her scenes.

[Sakura12]

Are we sure Laurel isn't a long lost Bluth? She'd fit in perfect in that family. 

[kismet]

When Oliver becomes Mayor, do the DAs report to him? Will he then become Laurel's big boss?

NO silly, LL reports to no one - least of all OQ! We all know that he is not the "boss of her".

Edited November 6, 2015 by kismet

[morakot]

I do beg your pardon, kismet -- what was I thinking?

[Tangerine]

If Laurel Lance was one of the Bluth family from Arrested Development with Ron Howard narrating her actions while ukulele music is playing I might  be amused by her. But she doesn't so I don't.

 

Times I've enjoyed Laurel as BC: 

 

[EmeraldArcher]

Times I've enjoyed Laurel as BC: 

 

Really?! Not even in Canaries when Hallucination!Sara kicked her ass?

[BkWurm1]

I don't believe we know who the the DA on Arrow is right now.  We also don't know who the chief of police or equivalent is, unless it's supposed to be Lance.  If so, it'd be nice if they'd actually say so.

 

The last DA was murdered so I'm thinking the position is currently open. 

[AyChihuahua]

The last DA was murdered so I'm thinking the position is currently open. 

They'd have an interim DA IRL, bc every government agency needs a boss.  And IRL they'd have emergency elections for these positions.  

 

But Arrow is nothing like IRL, so who knows.

[BkWurm1]

Surprising that they are missing the opportunity to have both Laurel and Oliver run a campaign at the same time. 

[Tangerine]

Laurel, to Oliver: "We've had some good times together haven't we?"

 

 

Man, this reference just works on so many levels.

[Morrigan2575]

Laurel's greatest love is always going to be herself. This episode just proved that ten fold.

 

Based on what the show is telling us this is very true.  Even her lying to Quentin last year, it was superficially wrapped up in we can't tell Lance because of his heart problem.  However, the underlying reality (which was given text in at least one episode) was that Laurel couldn't bare to lose anyone else.  If this was an isolated incident I wouldn't have even thought twice, i mean really there's always a tiny bit of selfishness in wanting to keep a sick loved one around, rather than letting them go.  However, it's just another example of her selfish/self-centered thinking.  Just like in 205 after Oliver rejects Laurel's drunken pass, she's all woe is me, everyone leaves me (of course two of the people that left her DIED) but that's irrelevant to Laurel it's all about her.

 

I made a similar observation about Malcolm way back in S1. That while Malcolm loved Rebekah and loved Tommy his drive for the Undrertaking wasn't about Avenging poor Rebekah's death or protecting Starling City (Tommy) or just cleaning up/helping people of the Glades.  Malcolm's motivation was all about how HE felt, not Tommy, not Rebekah but HIM.  Malcolm's actions were entirely self motivated, The Glades hurt HIM when they killed Rebekah.  He never thought twice about Tommy's feelings after losing his mother at 8 (or 10?).  Basically it was all about HIS pain, HIS guilt, HIS wife that was taken from HIM.

 

To me they've always written Malcolm as self serving and self interested, he loves Thea but only as an extension of himself, something/someone he could be proud to carry on his legacy/DNA.  However, his love has nothing to do with Thea, he didn't care about putting Thea in the LoA cross-hairs, or Thea's mental/emotional well being in turning Thea into a Murderer in order to save his own ass.    I think JB knows this about Malcolm and has expressed similar thoughts in interviews.

 

What's funny is that they intentionally/unintentionally write Laurel the same way.  The only difference is, the writers and actress either can't see it or don't acknowledge it.  Malcolm is a villain so he's supposed to be selfish, self-centered, self-motivated.  Laurel is intended to be a hero but she's written and acted as a villain but we're told she's a HERO (both in interviews and text). 

Edited November 9, 2015 by Morrigan2575

[Sakura12]

Also just like Malcolm, Laurel thinks she's the hero in the story. The one that is always right and doesn't need to listen to anyone.

 

Laurel never once stopped to think about what she was going to do to Sara. Thea did, she said she didn't want to put Sara through what she's going through. That's why I think Thea cares more about Sara than she does. Thea was putting Sara above herself, part of it was guilt and part of it was understanding. Laurel never put anyone above her self in this entire situation. She even had to bring it up to make it about her. 

 

How can they not understand how they are writing this character? People were dying, Thea was in the hospital because Sara's a zombie and Laurel wants to talk about how she's a victim. WTF?  They have to realize they are writing her just like she's a villain or as the most selfish, self centered, self serving hero in the entire show. 

[KirkB]

A part of me keeps thinking it MUST be intentional. That they couldn't say one thing about a character while showing something else over and over again without it being on point, but I doubt that's actually the case because normally there would be a resolution. It turns out Laurel is not really Laurel but was replaced by a doppleganger in a previous episode or all of this is supposed to be an indication that she is having a mental breakdown. None of that seems to be true here. A character can have faults.. The weird thing is, a self centered emotionally needy character is a perfectly valid acting choice, and if they were deliberately making Laurel that way I would be fine with it and it would explain a lot, I just don't think that's what KC or the show runners are doing. 

[Chaser]

I still maintain that part of the problem with Laurel isn't Laurel, but how everyone around her reacts to her.

[statsgirl]

I agree, part of the problem is how everyone around her reacts to her.  Especially Andrew Kreisburg and Marc Guggenheim.

 

I truly doubt that it is intentional because they have to know they're pissing off at least a couple portions of the audience -- those who like Laurel/Black Canary and resent how she is portrayed here, and those who don't like her and wonder why all the time is being spent focusing on her to the detriments of time spent on other characters (e.g. Thea s2).

 

 

Also just like Malcolm, Laurel thinks she's the hero in the story. The one that is always right and doesn't need to listen to anyone.

 

Laurel never once stopped to think about what she was going to do to Sara. Thea did, she said she didn't want to put Sara through what she's going through. That's why I think Thea cares more about Sara than she does. Thea was putting Sara above herself, part of it was guilt and part of it was understanding. Laurel never put anyone above her self in this entire situation. She even had to bring it up to make it about her.

I don't think Thea necessarily cares more about Sara than Laurel does so much as Thea has empathy and can put herself into another person's shoes while Laurel rarely can.  From the Restaurant Dinner From Hell with Tommy, Helena and Oliver where she embarrassed Tommy because she couldn't imagine why he didn't ask Oliver for a job (although to be fair she was very nice to Tommy when he was down), to not telling Quentin and then expecting  him to just get over it, to this whole thing with Sara, she has a problem putting herself into someone else's shoes.  That's why I had a problem with her working at CNRI, because even though she was "saving the world", it felt like she was doing it to show what a great person she is rather than to genuinely help others.   Just like Malcolm's destruction of the Glades was about him rather than Tommy or Rebecca.

[Primal Slayer]

These past 3 episodes have made me really come to appreciate S1 Laurel more. They really need to come up with a good cross between who she was then and who she is now. 

[kismet]

I'm not sure there is much to take from s3 or s4. Her personality & choices have been pretty horrendous over the past 2 seasons. I did like her in s1 and for parts of s2, so if they could get her closer to that, maybe they could turn her around. But honestly, I've lost interest in them trying to make her work. I'm immensely disappointed in them, but I don't care anymore about them fixing her. I kind of like their inner snark about her now within the show. The more invisible she becomes to the whole story, perhaps the better for everyone.

[morakot]

These past 3 episodes have made me really come to appreciate S1 Laurel more.

 

Though Season 1 still had her being entitled and dismissive of a Tommy who was doing her best to take her out. I'm still not sure if I can forgive her for her treatment of him.

 

She was doing good work in CNRI though.

[tv echo]

I think the EPs have blinders on when it comes to Laurel, just like they did with Ray Palmer, and just dismiss any criticism of either character as ship bias and/or easily cured by putting them in a superhero costume.

[kismet]

I was actually going to use RP as an example as well, just a little differently.

 

I think a good portion of the audience put more emotional emphasis/investment on the Tommy/Laurel relationship than Laurel (or perhaps the writers) actually did. The reverse seemed to happen in Ray/Felicity, where R&F and the writers seemed to put more emotional emphasis/investment in the relationship than that audience did. It’s interesting because it boils down to a lot about chemistry. CD & KC made KC more appealing & likeable. She actually seemed consistently happy at times. According to the writers/actors/misc others, FS & RP chemistry also light up the screen, but for many their chemistry seemed to come at the expense of FS appearing OOC . FS being OOC (or at least not a likeable version of her character) for me is personally why the R/F relationship always rubbed me the wrong way; whereas T/L made me hope for more because their relationship seemed to make the characters more enjoyable.

 

For Laurel though, I think she saw Tommy as a good friend with some benefits. I don’t know to what extent she really processed TM as her serious boyfriend. I think TM was so genuinely in love with LL that the audience took to that earnestness and ran with this magical relationship in their minds. Whereas, LL seemed to care for and love TM – but I don’t think she was desperately in love with TM like he was with her. I think because TM died saving LL, he became this tragic & heroic lover – which only increased the romances mythology. But when you actually look at the script and the episodes there was not a whole lot that made their relationship as storybook as fanfic & fading memories permit. The audience I think remembers Tommy’s love and LL being happy/likeable and their brains begin to remember a deeper relationship than perhaps existed.

 

If the writers decide to keep LL around, it would be nice to see her in an actual relationship, considering they never really gave a LI to her character. TM was there emotionally & physically for her, but I don’t think she ever mentally committed to that relationship. And then when he died, she seemed more invested in the vendetta against the Hood, than her grief over losing Tommy. She was using Blood, so that really doesn’t count. Wildcat got a new gig, so that ended that. Dylan Bruce’s DA was using her for her Queen connections. LL really does have an unwritten use or lose rule when it comes to LIs.

[Sakura12]

I actually did not like the Tommy/Laurel relationship and didn't like when we had to spend time with them. Laurel treated him pretty horribly as well. Most of the time she seemed to look down on him for not being Oliver. He didn't have enough money, couldn't get a table for being recognized. Tommy was never good enough. I think Tommy's death did romanticized Tommy and the Tommy/Laurel relationship into what it never was on screen. Laurel wasn't happy or likable with him, she was an entitled brat even then. She wanted Oliver, Tommy was consultation prize that according to KC took advantage of her. 

[bijoux]

Tommy was consultation prize that according to KC took advantage of her.

Whoa. Okay. I never got the impression Tommy took advantage of anyone in the time we saw him on screen.

I do agree Laurel had her shitty moments during their relationship but at least there were occassional glimpses that she is capable of caring about another person now and then.

[Sakura12]

Whoa. Okay. I never got the impression Tommy took advantage of anyone in the time we saw him on screen.

I do agree Laurel had her shitty moments during their relationship but at least there were occassional glimpses that she is capable of caring about another person now and then.

 

That's KC interpretation of the Tommy/Laurel relationship. 

 

Laurel's always been capable of caring about another person now and again. But I will still maintain that Laurel Lance's greatest love is Laurel Lance. 

Edited November 10, 2015 by Sakura12

[bijoux]

No, I got that and I believe you. I was just caught off guard that she saw it like that. Especially since that's the warmest she's played a relationship of Laurel's.

[Menrva]

I wish the show would stop demanding of me that I accept Laurel as warm, as caring, brave, selfless, tenacious and kick-ass. Laurel Lance is NONE OF THOSE THINGS. She never has been and never will be. Stop telling me what to believe about Laurel, when all I've been shown is that LL is a selfish, arrogant, spoiled brat with delsuions of grandeur, incapable of serious introspection and unwilling to accept any blame for any of her missteps. She's not a hero, she's nowhere near an equal of Oliver in terms of her physical capabilities. Will the show runners and writers ever get it? They've failed LL as a character.

 

I was so incredibly disappointed that they wrote Sara's resurrection story as they did; they squandered a fabulous opportunity to make LL at the very least tolerable, since we're never going to be rid of her. I have no faith that LL will be in that grave. The writers have burned me too many times. LL is never going to go away, folks. She will always be there, hovering in the background with her arms folded, like a self-righteous gargoyle.

[Nanrad]

That's KC interpretation of the Tommy/Laurel relationship. 

 

Laurel's always been capable of caring about another person now and again. But I will still maintain that Laurel Lance's greatest love is Laurel Lance. 

Tommy took advantage of Laurel???

 

That remark just made me go from being indifferent to KC to flat out disliking her. Laurel may have lost her sister and boyfriend, but Tommy lost his best friend who was like a brother to him. He was hurting to and, arguably, even more since he went out of his way to look for Oliver. LL seemed to being using Tommy more than the other way around. Tommy may have come on to her, but I think he was hurting as well as he thought she was the closest thing to Oliver he'd ever have again.

[dtissagirl]

She said it during SDCC 2012. At that point, they had shot the pilot, and were about to start shooting 102. So that was backstory she made up for Laurel/Tommy going into the show, but yeah, imo I think it colored how Laurel reacted to Tommy in S1.

[Chaser]

KC did play Laurel warmer with Tommy. I didn't see this explosive chemistry between the two, but it was certainly something that played a lot better than anyone else they put with Laurel.  It is disappointing to hear KC's take on it and it doesn't jive with what was on screen (both in S1 and in the S3 flashback). I know some may disagree, but with all of Laurel's S1 issues I do think KC played her with more layers and Tommy was apart of that. S2 just zapped any warmth from Laurel. KC may have been playing it that way intentionally but there were scenes that called for some humanity and there was nothing.

 

IMO, KC played Laurel better in S1 because she was confident she knew where the story was going. Then came S2 and they brought in Sara as the Black Canary and Felicity was elevated in the show and media and she completely lost her place. Instead of trying to make the most out of it, she just checked out. Even now with her getting more screen time and BC, I don't think she can find her footing again.

[kismet]

Instead of trying to make the most out of it, she just checked out. Even now with her getting more screen time and BC, I don't think she can find her footing again.

There's a meta-statement / inside joke in there somewhere :) Nicely done :)

[morakot]

So what would it take to redeem her? I agree about the need to actually see some selfless compassion in action - yes, Thea is sleeping on her couch - maybe she could be shown babysitting toddler Sara? Visiting former CNRI clients who she had helped? Being an effective and compassionate ADA? Inviting Felicity and Oliver to dinner? Telling her mother about Sara's return?

 

Isn't she still in the program? She could be making amends to the people in her life. Part of AA is about seeing and experiencing the consequences of your own behavior. I would like to see her AA/NA sponsor call her on her behavior -- and yes, some judgey-face is likely to happen.

[KirkB]

For anyone who has given up on Laurel (like me) I don't there IS any redemption. I can't stand the character but I know she isn't going anywhere so I just have to accept her continuing presence and more or less blank out when she's on screen. If they want to redeem her in the eyes of those who still have a smidgen of hope for the character I think she has to start owning her to her mistakes, or at least admit she's made some, and not keep deflecting any criticism toward her into cries of "Why don't you care about how this makes ME feel?" They don't have to try and remake her as completely selfless, since nobody in the world really is, she can stay impulsive and stubbornly self involved so long as those are not her main defining character traits. 

Edited November 10, 2015 by KirkB

[bijoux]

She said it during SDCC 2012. At that point, they had shot the pilot, and were about to start shooting 102. So that was backstory she made up for Laurel/Tommy going into the show, but yeah, imo I think it colored how Laurel reacted to Tommy in S1.

That's less infuriating than hearing her say it after everything that went on in S1. Still damn confusing though as they ended the pilot with her smiling at him after he delivered the first of many always trying to save the world lines.

[dtissagirl]

That's less infuriating than hearing her say it after everything that went on in S1. Still damn confusing though as they ended the pilot with her smiling at him after he delivered the first of many always trying to save the world lines.

 

Yeah, it's totally weird. But then, I've always thought KC telegraphs all kinds of weird stuff in her acting -- like, if she knows where the storyline is going, it reflects in how Laurel behaves [see: smiling like a loon in the jacket scene from the S2 finale]. So even before I knew she had said that, I always felt like her scenes with Tommy were Colin playing him being completely smitten by Laurel, and KC playing Laurel seriously labeling Tommy "PLACEHOLDER" until such time as she could be with Oliver.

Edited November 10, 2015 by dtissagirl

[Morrigan2575]

She said it during SDCC 2012. At that point, they had shot the pilot, and were about to start shooting 102. So that was backstory she made up for Laurel/Tommy going into the show, but yeah, imo I think it colored how Laurel reacted to Tommy in S1.

She's also quoted in an October 2012 interview saying the same shit. By then they would have been 8-9 episodes into the season so....

[Chaser]

IMO, KC didn't want anyone getting the wrong idea about Laurel and Tommy. In her mind, it was all Oliver and Laurel.

[AyChihuahua]

IMO, KC didn't want anyone getting the wrong idea about Laurel and Tommy. In her mind, it was all Oliver and Laurel.

I've never been a fan of a show that turned out to have [probable] backstage drama before, so I'm just so incredibly curious about so much that went on in the background of Arrow, and one of the things I'd like to know is when KC was told LL wasn't working as an LI, if she already knew that from watching her scenes, what her reaction was, etc.  Not in a gloating way, as being told you're not quite working out in your job is terrible, but to fulfill my curiosity.  (Also really super curious to know more about what the original plans were for S3, what changed, what prompted those changes, etc.  I like to think there is an alternate universe out there in which Arrow S3 didn't suck balls.)

[statsgirl]

It wouldn't surprise me if they didn't tell her she wasn't working as the LI.  It's a rotten thing to do, to let her keep thinking Oliver and Laurel would be together in the end until after 3x23, but it would explain why she kept pushing Lauriver fans to hang in.

 

She said it during SDCC 2012. At that point, they had shot the pilot, and were about to start shooting 102. So that was backstory she made up for Laurel/Tommy going into the show, but yeah, imo I think it colored how Laurel reacted to Tommy in S1.

What I find interesting about this idea that Tommy took advantage of Laurel is that it's very much the Laurel who is always more sinned against than sinning, who rarely takes responsibility for her actions, the one in the last episodes who told Oliver "you never think about me" when Thea was in a hospital bed put there by cray cray Sara and Oliver was trying to figure out how to fix things.

[thegirlsleuth]

I found the  Buzzfeed article that came out earlier this year where they interviewed the guy who casts all the CW shows incredibly interesting, and I'm going to quote his comments on Stephen Amell:

 

“The Vampire Diaries was on the air already, so we were sold as a three-hander between Stephen, Katie Cassidy, and Colin Donnell — a tripod if you will. That’s how we cast it and then the posters came out and Stephen was shirtless. First of all, we never saw him without his shirt on; I knew he was a physical guy, but I’d never seen him do stunts or anything like that and all of a sudden in the pilot, he’s doing his own stunts. He became famous for being shirtless. The poster was him shirtless and none of the other actors were on the poster, and as talented and amazing as they were, it became clear the show was about ‘The Arrow,’ so that really changed the concept for us because initially I saw it as more of an ensemble and cast it that way.”

 

This was interesting for a couple of reasons.  First, they cast Stephen Amell without having him take off his shirt (!) or do any stunts (!!!).  I think KC was playing is as if the ensemble dynamic that she was originally signed on for was still in play, where she was on equal footing with Stephen  Meanwhile, I think the producers realized that they could do something more than Vampire Diaries with arrows and built the whole show around Stephen, with everyone else playing sidekick.  I think bringing on two true sidekicks in the form of Diggle and Felicity better fit that dynamic, as did jettisoning Tommy, as much as I liked him.  

 

That said, I do not understand why they didn't jettison Laurel, too.  They seemed to recognize very early on that the dynamic had changed.  They were trying out a more successful Canary in the form of Sara and a more successful love interest in the form of Felicity by the beginning of season two.  Her storylines have floundered.  Personally, I deeply dislike both the character and Cassidy's performance, and tend to visit sites that reinforce that opinion--hi gang!--but when I searched "laurel arrow" on twitter and looked at all tweets it was more or less nonstop hate.  I cannot for the life of me figure out why they are keeping a character that has failed narratively and with audiences on the show.

[Chaser]

I read an excerpt that contained an interview with WM. It was put out between S2 and S3 and she talked about the Oliver and Laurel history as lifelong lovers and how Felicity made them change how they were doing Oliver and Laurel and makes a reference to a love triangle that could last for many seasons. That was the first time I had heard anyone other than KC reference a love triangle between the three. I always wondered way SA was saying one thing and KC was saying another. I think they told KC that Laurel was becoming Black Canary and Laurel wasn't thinking about romance but maybe down the line. 

 

It wasn't till this season that they told her it wasn't something they were doing.

[AyChihuahua]

I read an excerpt that contained an interview with WM. It was put out between S2 and S3 and she talked about the Oliver and Laurel history as lifelong lovers and how Felicity made them change how they were doing Oliver and Laurel and makes a reference to a love triangle that could last for many seasons. That was the first time I had heard anyone other than KC reference a love triangle between the three. I always wondered way SA was saying one thing and KC was saying another. I think they told KC that Laurel was becoming Black Canary and Laurel wasn't thinking about romance but maybe down the line. 

I think sometime in S1 or maybe S2 filming they had to have said SOMETHING to her.  Even saying she'd be in a love triangle with Felicity and Oliver is a pretty ginormous change from being the apex of the planned Tommy/Oliver/Laurel triangle.  Once CD was told Tommy was being killed off the plan, including the plan for Laurel, changed.  She at least had to have been told she wasn't the ONLY love interest, and/or she wasn't going to be Oliver's love interest any time soon.

[statsgirl]

I just want to say how very, very thankful I am that they didn't do "a love triangle that could last for many seasons".  Who was the one with the brains?

 

I start out liking the characters and then the love triangle makes me hate all of them by the end.

[Primal Slayer]

Considering how they didn't even tell her that they were bringing in her "sister" to the show to play Canary and she practically found out when everyone else found out, they probably never even had a sit down with her about her status as love interest. 

 

AK and GB were very big on keeping Laurel as a big part of Olivers life and after they stepped away from the show to focus on launching Flash and MG taking over the reigns more, that is what seems to have shifted things a bit more. 

[kismet]

Should LL stick around much longer... if the "always and forever" doesn't come through as an anvil, she really does need some type of distance weapon or the stunt choreographer needs to figure out a way to not make her look so awkward in the group action scenes. Having SL in the field finding a way to take down victims and TQ shooting off arrows, really highlighted how stupid LL looks running and hiding behind couches until things clear up. I get that we can't always use the collar, but there has to be something else in the BC arsenal to make her capable of being an asset in group stunts when the Canary Cry is not needed.