“When will Laurel Lance have a plot that doesn’t revolve around a man?”
Hello fellow humans, far be it for me to defend the writers who brutally murdered their female lead and had her murderer whisper that her death was to punish her father, but let us not erase the fact that Laurel Lance has had some of the best character development on this hell show.
Laurel Lance in the first season of Arrow was unfortunately trapped in a love triangle, which many claim was detrimental to her character and was the cause of many fans turning their back on her (never mind the fact that certain other characters were in the same position during season three without the same witch hunt). Yet it wasn’t Laurel’s character who exacerbated the love triangle. It was Tommy’s insecurities and Oliver’s feelings. Laurel’s character in season one was passionate about her work, and was determined to seek justice. Even more-so than Oliver, who at that point was still finding his identity as a hero. Laurel Lance was more the Black Canary in season one than Oliver was the Green Arrow. Season one Laurel didn’t revolve around a man - she pursued justice, and tried her best to care for the family she had left.
Laurel Lance in the second season of Arrow was a character struggling from depression and addiction. The catalyst was the death of a loved one, but it was years of anger and pain and grief, a dead sister and an absent mother and an alcoholic father and having to hold it all together for six years. It was never about her revolving around a man. When Laurel was struggling to maintain sobriety, who was her inspiration? Sara Lance - not her love for Oliver or Tommy. In fact, Oliver was completely unable to support Laurel at this time. He didn’t have the capacity.
Laurel Lance in the third season loses her sister again. This is what propels her into becoming The Black Canary. Again, at no point is her drive and story revolving around men. At this point in the show the writers had abandoned Oliver and Laurel as a couple, and Laurel’s storyline has nothing to do with him except in her proximity to him. In fact, at this point, with Quentin’s anger and vengeance, and Oliver’s lack of support, you get the feeling that men are the continued antagonists in Laurel’s story. She has always had to grow and rise above circumstances in spite of the men in her life. And those men aren’t evil - they are just men. They are her father and her friend. It is the eternal struggle of a strong woman, to fight to be yourself despite the men around you.
Laurel was murdered in season four, and her death was absolute bullshit. Murdered because of her father’s mistakes. And yet, in this very same season, Laurel brought her sister back to life once again despite what the men in her life threw at her. She gave her sister a second chance.
Laurel is dead. The Laurel we saw in 5x10 is Oliver’s hallucination. Of course that Laurel’s plot revolved around Oliver. She was a construct of his mind. It only served to remind us that Laurel was an important figure in Oliver’s life, not that Oliver (or any man) was the driving figure in Laurel’s.
Laurel’s plot has NEVER revolved around men. Laurel’s plot has always been about sisterhood, and rising above tragedy. To say otherwise completely ignores her amazing achievements, her amazing growth, and what her character symbolises to many of her fans.
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