Arrow: 6 Reasons Why Laurel's Death Was Actually A Good Thing
5. It Was A Bold Move
It was clear by Oliver's wrecked expression in the flashforward that the big death was going to be somebody reasonably close to him. Arrow ruled out Felicity as the possible death thanks to a second flashforward in the midseason premiere, so at least her name could be crossed off the candidate list before the six month mark.
One character that seemed likely to survive from the very beginning was Laurel Lance. As much as she hasn't been terribly instrumental to Oliver on Arrow over the years, she was the live action adaptation of legendary DC comic character Black Canary. Laurel seemed like she might be safe by virtue of her comic counterpart.
So, it was really a ballsy move for Arrow to ignore comic canon in order to kill off the woman who had taken on the mantle of the Black Canary. Arrow demonstrated that it's not afraid to move beyond the status quo of DC canon in order to tell its own version of the Green Arrow. Laurel's death was likely a big blow for comic Black Canary fans, but the show is after all called Arrow. Killing Laurel was a move that proved that the show is not afraid to be bold when the narrative calls for major change.