They need to make Diggle a more consistent crime-fighting partner rather than occasional muscle. As a former soldier, the man has skills even Ollie could learn from.
Yeah, he'd been reduced to an extra for too long now. And what was it with Roy not even showing up? Last week's episode ended with him being drafted by "team Arrow", and this week there's no sign of him.
In one of these threads, someone suggested they should change his last name to Stewart and "Diggle" is just a field call sign. It might open new paths for him. The way it's going now, I don't see him lasting much into next season.
Diggle is part of the Big Three they set up this season. I'm not concerned. I didn't even notice that he's been sidelined until I came into this thread. I do notice though, that they have trouble giving everyone something to do, so that needs to be rectified. The only character I'm concerned about right now in terms of screen time and character development is Thea.
Wait wait wait wait. Diggle has his own arc that hasn't even taken off yet, for Christ's sake. H.I.V.E., anybody?
Can all you Laurel haters really not see/refuse to get that the writers are playing a long game with her? You think they've accidentally brought her character to rock bottom? These guys, who have been so smart about everything else, you honestly think they're just floundering around with the character, oblivious to all those dumping on her? No. Sketcher and Dick Whitman are correct: the writers know that, if they carefully and patiently rehab and rebuild Laurel's character, over whole seasons even, they'll have pulled off a truly awesome feat of arc-writing. If anything, the plaints of the anti-Laurel whiners are sure to strengthen their resolve; to assure them that the challenge they've set for themselves is worth taking on. So, go ahead, Laurel haters, and hate away; you're only making it harder on your own selves. Sara's gonna bite it at some point, Laurel's gonna end up stronger and more awesome than ever, and y'all are gonna be so moted.
Personally, even after defecting over to Team Sarah, I still necessarily hate Laurel at this point. I just like Sarah better after the last episode, and if it came down to an either or situation I'd go with Sarah. I understand what the writers are probably going for here, and I wouldn't be surprised if what you're saying does come true in the end, but at the moment, Sarah is still the more likeable of the Lance sisters.
1. If Ollie wants to go for the full set of Lance women, then he has to make a play for their mother, Dinah Lance... Wait? The mother's name is Dinah Lance? 2. Ivo's Ship was called The Amazo? Fuck. I did not notice that.
You mean the sister who got screamed at came off as more likable than the one who did the screaming? You don't say! Surely the writers had no idea people would have that sort of emotional response. Things that are one way "in the moment" will, with good writing, turn into different moments down the road. IMHO, the writing for Laurel has been just as strong as that for Sara's, but because she isn't wearing masks and punching people, a vocal contingent of male fans is quick to call her annoying and hope for her death. It's really a tad gross when one thinks about it. Laurel's made a number of mistakes and has a number of character faults, but no more than Ollie or Sara at different stages of their development.
People still loved Chloe after Lois came along. In fact, there was the long-running "Chlois" theory that people believed (hoped?) Lois would die and Chloe would take the name as a pen name.
I love Chloe, but I hate Smallville. I have this feeling in about 10 years that Emma Roberts is going to play Lois Lane.
Yes yes, as always you're so much smarter than everybody else. No doubt they'll bring Laurel through this and develop her (again), sure. And part of that will probably be writing off (killing off?) Sarah. When that happens - not the killing Sarah! - I'll be right back to enjoying her character again. In the meantime, she's just gotten some terribly predictable plot developments ("It's all THE VIGILANTE'S fault my boyfriend is dead..." "I don't NEED help DAD"). Worse, the one time she got to be proactive and right about something this season they decided "Nope, let's make her look like a delusional idiot about Blood instead" because of course that's interesting.
My dad and my brother were both alcoholics. My dad died one. My brother took three trips through AA and three relapses, finally sobering up in his 50's. He didn't turn into a superhero. I actually admire the writing in this series; Laurel has been depicted pretty realistically. Laurel is years away from becoming an ordinary person. Sober, she would be less powerful and less emotionally stable than Detective/Officer Lance. She would just be a regular woman who used to be an addict, but who tends to blame other people in order to avoid her own guilt. Physically, she would be about where Sarah was when she fell off the boat. She would then need 5 years of extraordinary coincidences just to get where Ollie was at the beginning of season one. If Arrow lasts 10 seasons, I could believe Laurel as Black Canary. Or if she gets injected with Miraculu. ETA: If we use Ollie as a benchmark, let's look ad Diggle in comparison. Ollie was just barely able to take down Malcolm Merlin with Diggle's help. Diggle alone would have died in about 2 minutes. How does Laurel get even within 10% of Diggle's abilities without years of special forces training? Or compare her to Diggle's wife. If the show is to remain even somewhat grounded, Laurel would need years of training, AFTER the years needed to get her to the point of "ordinary human." Alcoholism and drug addiction is not a super power. It doesn't give her a leg up.
Have you dealt with drunk people recently? No fear, and they don't feel pain. (Which is balanced by diminished capacity and increased stupidity.)
Because someone seems to think that Laurel is in a position to become a super hero within some reasonable time limit of the series run. Right now she is not super, she is not normal, she is below a normal person. Unless she gets some super soldier serum, she has a LONGER path to being super than Sarah and Ollie did. This is my point.