Arrow Dinah Laurel Lance/Katie Cassidy Thread

[AspieXLDS]

Well, Guggenheim recently said that the direction they are taking the laurel character will surprise people. Now since a lot of people expect them to eventually make her BC [ugh] im thinking they've changed their minds slightly.

Wasn't there some article that said that the Huntress episode coming up is meant to be a major step in a new direction for Laurel? That intimates that she might become a version of the Huntress. It'd be interesting.

Yeah, since a lot of people, even Sara fans, are expecting them to try and force Laurel into the role of BC, having a different story arc that doesn't end in that position would be a surprise (and a welcome one).

 

[charl_huntress]

They could certainly change their plans or put Laurel's character on a different path, but I really don't see that happening. I think it's very possible we will see some more movement on the Laurel = BC next season. She still has to meet someone to train her and she needs to be given a reason to fight for truth, justice, and yada yada yada...

 

[DrRocket]

^ why would anyone want to train her?

 

[kane9321]

The less screen time she has the better the show...Laurel sucks the life outta
every scene shes in

 

[DrRocket]

^ #trueFacts

 

[Ultra Nolanite]

They could certainly change their plans or put Laurel's character on a different path, but I really don't see that happening. I think it's very possible we will see some more movement on the Laurel = BC next season. She still has to meet someone to train her and she needs to be given a reason to fight for truth, justice, and yada yada yada...

I would really hate for "training" to be the thing that turns people into superheroes on this show.

At first I wanted simple "training" for Roy but now I believe injecting him with the Mirakuru to be the best choice. It makes him useful and it's a nice little twist.

This show is supposed to last 5 seasons, how stupid would it be for a person to do some martial arts for a year and suddenly turn into a superhero ? It's just stupid. Who will believe in the possibility ?

Sara, Ollie, Roy, Slade, Nyssa. They all have purpose and something believable driving their arc to who they are or are going to become.

Laurel has none.

 

[Mikelus]

Since when opinions are facts? That's what happens when hate takes over rational thinking.

Apparently, the Huntress episode will be very important for Laurel according to the producers:

What can you say to tease the return of The Huntress on the “Birds of Prey” episode? Who will she be now, when we see her again?

GUGGENHEIM: It’s been literally a year, in story time, since we’ve seen her. One of the things we told Jessica De Gouw, who plays The Huntress, was that we weren’t interested in treading over old territory with Helena. What we pitched her was the idea that basically Helena Bertinelli is gone. The only thing that remains is The Huntress. It’s been a year of her literally scouring the world to find her father, who was on the run at the end of Episode 17 of last season. We really wanted to show that wear and tear on her. We even aged up her costume a little bit, so you really get the sense that she has been traveling the world and literally has just spent a year killing people to try to get at her dad, and it’s done quite a number on her soul. We get to explore all that, in a really fun episode that also deals with Laurel Lance, in a very big way. One of the things we wanted to do with the episode was give Laurel her groove back, as it were. We have obviously taken Laurel down a very dark path, this year. As we started to see at the end of last week’s episode, she’s going to start turning the corner. And this episode with The Huntress is a very big move in that direction.

http://collider.com/arrow-the-flash-marc-guggenheim-interview/

So, the producers are executing their "Laurel plan"... as it has been said, maybe they will use the mirakuru to accelerate the process and give her the canary cry by season's end, thus she would train to control her powers and improve her fighting skills in Season 3. If she doesn't get powers, then extreme martial arts training is a must to make her at least a decent fighter over a short period, unless they do a time jump to facilitate the story. Hopefully, it will be better executed than their stupid and contrived Slade hating Oliver over a girl or pandering to freaking shippers with forced relationships.

 

[JC00]

The big way is that Laurel gets her district attorney job back.

 

[Nathan]

When was the last time they mentioned something important happening for Laurel, and at the end, it wasn't such a big deal after all?

 

[regnak]

The big way is that Laurel gets her district attorney job back.

I doubt it, I bet she will be a juror. Donner fired her and if he is working for either Blood or Slade a lot of plot holes get filled in.(why the cops send 20 guys after the Arrow but don't escort the FEMA trucks, why there was SWAT team so close in Blind Spot and more) Unless the show runners forget what they did 5 eps ago Laurel isn't getting to be an ADA again this season.

 

[b_boy]

Didn't some spoilers said that

Spoiler

Laurel will be a lawyer to Helena's father, that's why the Huntress go after her and Sara goes to protect Laurel?

I guess that's what they mean that she'll get her groove back.

 

[regnak]

Didn't some spoilers said that

Spoiler

Laurel will be a lawyer to Helena's father, that's why the Huntress go after her and Sara goes to protect Laurel?

I guess that's what they mean that she'll get her groove back.

Not that I have seen.

 

[DrRocket]

Since when opinions are facts? That's what happens when hate takes over rational thinking.

Apparently, the Huntress episode will be very important for Laurel according to the producers:



So, the producers are executing their "Laurel plan"... as it has been said, maybe they will use the mirakuru to accelerate the process and give her the canary cry by season's end, thus she would train to control her powers and improve her fighting skills in Season 3. If she doesn't get powers, then extreme martial arts training is a must to make her at least a decent fighter over a short period, unless they do a time jump to facilitate the story. Hopefully, it will be better executed than their stupid and contrived Slade hating Oliver over a girl or pandering to freaking shippers with forced relationships.

You seem really thirty, brother.

And I agree, laurel shouldn't be in any sort of relationship with anyone, she has no chemistry with the cast and like you said it comes of as forced

 

[Primal Slayer]

Watching Revenge made me remember if they can make Ems into a badass they can make Katie into one.

 

[charl_huntress]

Man....the Laurel hate is so strong....

I don't get it. Yeah, she has some issues, but she's not THAT bad.

Why do so many hate Arrow's Dinah Laurel Lance?

 

[AspieXLDS]

Man....the Laurel hate is so strong....

I don't get it. Yeah, she has some issues, but she's not THAT bad.

Why do so many hate Arrow's Dinah Laurel Lance?

I don't know about hate, but the people I talk to online (both on this forum and on other ones) tend to cite the lack of chemistry she has with the rest of the cast (and sorry, that's one thing you can't deny since even the critics who give Arrow big scores tend to point that fact out), particularly the lack of chemistry between Katie and Stephen. If the two 'top-billed stars' of the show don't have chemistry, than that lowers credibility. Now, I don't know if the rumors about Katie being a diva have any weight to them; I don't know if she was forced on the show by the CW; what I do know is that there are actors who are called 'character actors'.

They can only play a certain type of character with believability. I have only seen Katie Cassidy in two other roles since I don't follow her avidly. I first saw her as the original Ruby on Supernatural, and I thought she did a good job on there. The next role I saw her in before Arrow was Nightmare on Elm Street, playing the first girl to get killed on the film, who was a 'nice girl'. I barely remember anything about her performance in that film. The other roles she's apparently known for are all a little snarky. She had some of that in Season 1, and I found the character enjoyable then.

In the end, the problem does not so much lie with the actress as the role she's been given and the lines and actions that go with that role. At least, that's where it lies as far as I'm concerned. The only other issue I have is that even with a stunt double doing most of the work, you need to at least look like you can handle major fighting. Katie Cassidy did not do this dieting thing and all for the sake of her role; it was because she felt like losing weight. If it was for the role, maybe she'd have lost weight still, but they would have mentioned it, just like they mention Stephen and Caity Lotz doing all the training they do to keep in physical condition for their characters.

If the character is not somehow killed off at the end of the season, than I hope to hell (yes, a SUpernatural reference) that the writers give the character of Laurel a much better storyline next year. Because if this drug abuse element is supposed to be her Crucible the way the Island was Oliver's and the League of Assassins was Sara's, than it's just not believable for the whole "she becomes BC" storyline.

 

[Llama_Shepherd]

By the looks of it they should give Dinah a Sinestro Corps ring considering the fear she is putting into your hearts at the possibility of becoming more important.

 

[Dark Raven]

Watching Revenge made me remember if they can make Ems into a badass they can make Katie into one.

How does that follow at all? Emily in Revenge never started off as a whiney damsel in distress drama queen who had no chemistry with the rest of the cast and then went through a journey to become a tough heroine. She already started off as a badass when we first encountered her from episode 1. The fact that we got her backstory afterwards isn't the same as having to endure seasons of Katie Cassidy's melodrama.

 

[Nathan]

By the looks of it they should give Dinah a Sinestro Corps ring considering the fear she is putting into your hearts at the possibility of becoming more important.

 

[Primal Slayer]

How does that follow at all? Emily in Revenge never started off as a whiney damsel in distress drama queen who had no chemistry with the rest of the cast and then went through a journey to become a tough heroine. She already started off as a badass when we first encountered her from episode 1. The fact that we got her backstory afterwards isn't the same as having to endure seasons of Katie Cassidy's melodrama.

I am talking about the actresses.

 

[Dark Raven]

I am talking about the actresses.

But even so, they would've had to have made Cassidy show that potential to be a badass from the very start. They've had 2 seasons now where her character has been tortuous to watch, written badly and established in a certain way that people won't just accept her as something she isn't. You can't really exclude an actress's character on a show.

Had Van Camp been extremely dull as the main star of Revenge and a terrible actress, then people wouldn't even want to watch her or follow her journey however she started out and wherever she would end up. Van Camp is infinitely more watchable than Cassidy.

 

[Nathan]

Even with Oliver they showed early on that he had character and a strength. Enduring the torture, without giving away Yao Fei's location. With Laurel, aside from occasionally seeing her show off her self defense skills, she doesn't portray any of the necessary traits she would require to be a great Canary. And we are now in the middle of season 2.

 

[DrRocket]

^ yep, don't think she has that 'survivor instinct' that ollie and Sara have

 

[Coconut1214]

^ yep, don't think she has that 'survivor instinct' that ollie and Sara have

And that was shown in the finale last season.

Everyone: "Laurel don't go into the Glades there's an earthquake is about to happen"
Laurel goes into the Glades.

Everyone: "Laurel GTFO of the Glades there is an earthquake happening right now"
Laurel makes no attempt to leave the Glades.

Tommy runs in there and has to push her out the door to get her to leave, then he's the one that gets killed.

So yeah, Laurel has the same survival instincts of desk in an office. Just stand there until someone moves you.

Not to mention her constantly getting kidnapped doesn't help her play to become the Black Canary. If they wanted to show us her hero tendencies why not show her rescuing some people and helping get them out of the building last season? What they show us is her standing around stupidly holding paper until someone else saves her.

They keep saying they care about Laurel and her journey but they are doing a terrible job showing that on screen. To me it looks like they really don't care all that much. They seem much interested in all the other character's journeys.

 

[Primal Slayer]

But even so, they would've had to have made Cassidy show that potential to be a badass from the very start. They've had 2 seasons now where her character has been tortuous to watch, written badly and established in a certain way that people won't just accept her as something she isn't. You can't really exclude an actress's character on a show.

Had Van Camp been extremely dull as the main star of Revenge and a terrible actress, then people wouldn't even want to watch her or follow her journey however she started out and wherever she would end up. Van Camp is infinitely more watchable than Cassidy.

They didnt need to show Katie having the potential to be badass (though it happened like twice in a blink youll miss it moment), the character still has A LOT to grow, lets not forget this is only season 2. Yeah they really did a disservice to the character, but she can still be salvaged. And seeing as though I believe in Katies acting, I hope I get to see it come true.