On paper, the Dinah Laurel Lance of Arrow has the makings of a hero with a solid origin story. She is a lawyer who has fought for the rights of the downtrodden from her first appearance. Her family suffered terrible losses. Her philandering boyfriend cheated on her with her sister. She went through a crucible of drugs and alcohol following the death of the man that she loved. In practice, however, Laurel comes across differently. She is a lawyer whose interpretation of her oath varies upon the situation. The sufferings of her family are seen through the lens of the wrongs done to her. Both the philandering boyfriend and the cheating sister are more sympathetic. She sped through her substance abuse problem in a flurry of poor execution and contrivance. The writers have flung characterizations at Laurel like spaghetti at a wall, and not much good has stuck. Part of the problem with the attempts at rehabilitating the character lies in the fact that her storyline almost always parallels rather than intersects Oliver's. As the dynamics of Team Arrow have generally been more entertaining than the weekly trials and tribulations of Laurel Lance, the inconsistencies frustrate. Producers must find a way to integrate rather than insert Laurel into the main plot of the season. Laurel needs a niche of her own to keep her interactions with Team Arrow relevant and organic instead of just periodically bursting back into the spotlight for her Very Special Episodes.
Fiction buff and writer. If it's on Netflix, it's probably in my queue. I've bought DVDs for the special features and usually claim that the book is better than the movie or show (and can provide examples). I've never met a TV show that I won't marathon. Follow on Twitter @lah9891 .
