An Arrow Season 5 episode 10 promo released only on The CW App suggests Laurel Lance may not come back as a nice version of Earth-2 Black Siren after all. Laurel appeared in the bunker after Ollie came back from a romantic evening with Susan Williams in Arrow Season 5 episode 9, “What We Leave Behind.” All we got to see was Oliver’s reaction before the episode ended, but the new teaser gives some insight into whether or not Laurel is actually real.
“I can't believe she’s back,” Dig says, almost as if he knew already. “I walked into the bunker and she was just there, like nothing had happened. Like it was some kind of gift,” Oliver responded.
While Oliver may be under the impression it’s Earth-1 Laurel, this new version isn’t up to date with the new recruits or Prometheus, which could mean Flashpoint or the Lazarus Pit has something to do with this. Oliver told Diggle he’s “easing her in.” Oliver also said Felicity and Lyla are working on finding Prometheus’ mother, Justin Clayborne’s partner before Oliver killed him. Finding this woman could help the team learn more about not only Prometheus' identity, but how he's able to keep up with the Green Arrow.
The scene from episode 10 takes place with Dig now in prison. The two speak with a glass panel between them during a visit. In their conversation, Dig also confirms Oliver was trained by the same person as Prometheus, who Dig calls a “dude.” Oliver quickly corrects him.
“Well she doesn’t stay in one spot for very long but I'm working on finding her,” he says.
The appearance of Talia Al Ghul in Season 5 episode 10, especially given this new information, is quite suspicious. Oliver said in episode 9 the woman in question is from Russia. It’s unclear at this point if Talia will be a part of the flashbacks or current day. It also hasn’t been confirmed Talia is indeed the woman Oliver and Prometheus trained with in Russia, but Talia’s appearance and ties to the League of Assassins certainly can’t be a coincidence either. Talia could be how Laurel is resurrected. It’s possible Flashpoint made it so the Lazarus Pit didn’t get destroyed.
In a Facebook Live after the episode, Stephen Amell teased there will be a resurrection, a bro roadtrip in search of a female, and a previous ‘honored thing’ gets destroyed. He also warned fans his character won’t necessarily trust Laurel right away.
"Obviously people don't just come back from the dead, so there has to be some sort of vetting process to make sure that it is Laurel because the group has seen some peculiar things," Amell said. "We delve into that when we come back in the New Year."
Amell teased Laurel’s permanent return more when he talked about how important Black Canary is in the comics on her own, and as part of Green Arrow’s arc.
"I will say that forgetting about the show for a second if you look at the canon of Green Arrow, John Diggle wasn't a character and he's indispensable. Felicity Smoak wasn't really a character and she's indispensable. So we picked and plucked from various parts of the DC Universe, but if you're just getting into the canon of Green Arrow the comic book character, the Black Canary is easily the most important feature next to the Green Arrow, period, full-stop, forever. So it would be nice to have the Black Canary back."
Personally, I’m thinking now would be a great time to introduce Lady Shiva as Prometheus and Oliver’s trainer in Russia. She’s tied to the League and is one of the most skilled martial artists on the planet. It’s possible she even trained Talia as well. Any theories on how Laurel is alive and who trained Prometheus? Let us know in the comments below!
To view the trailer download The CW App. Arrow returns to The CW Jan. 25.
