Arrow Season 8 Review: 6 Ups & 1 Down From 'Prochnost'

2. Laurel Comes Through

The shocker to end all shockers came in the closing moments of the previous episode when The Monitor asked Laurel to betray Oliver in order to save Earth-2. A jaw-dropper yes, but one specifically engineered to make us doubt both Laurel and The Monitor himself. However, it appears that his intentions weren't that villainous after all as good old Mar Novu just wanted her to retrieve the god-destroying device that Oliver was attempting to obtain - which actually seems remotely understandable if you think about it.

Nonetheless, the realisation that she would have to betray the people who helped her leave her days as the villainous Black Siren in the past left her wondering who she would become without that redemption, and it was a realisation that Lyla ultimately paid the price for because, upon discovering that she was working with The Monitor, the Black Canary informed Oliver and Diggle - proving that she was worth that redemption after all.

Two weeks ago, this writer claimed that this would only work if Laurel didn't return to her villainous ways. Well, here we are two weeks later, and it's safe to say that it did. While her arc could have done with a little more screen-time, it remained thoroughly engaging throughout, as we watched and hoped that she would make the right decision.