Arrow – Who Are You?

By: Stacy Miller

As the episode opens, Oliver (Stephen Amell) is shocked that Laurel (Katie Cassidy) is alive and asks her how. “I saw you die,” Oliver says. Laurel tells him that Sara and the Wave Rider were able to save her life. Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) enters and Ms. Lance’s presence surprises her as well. But come on, it’s not like Team Arrow hasn’t had people return from the dead in the past. Felicity says that they are having a party to celebrate. But in all the excitement, Felicity forgot that she came into the room to tell Oliver than Diggle (David Ramsey) was captured and is back behind bars.

Diggle has decided that he will fight the charges against him. Oliver asks DA Chase (Josh Segarra) to defend Diggle. I wonder how knowledgeable Chase is in military law? General Walker (Garry Chalk) wants to have Diggle transferred to Langham. John believes that he’ll never make it there as he knows once he leaves the facility where he’s being held, he will have a fatal accident a/k/a be killed. General Walker says that he’ll call the Attorney General and the President if he’s given any opposition to Diggle’s transfer. Chase tells Diggle to punch Walker because in doing so the DA can hold and prosecute Diggle under the jurisdiction of Starling County. At least Diggle will be safely back in in Starling. Chase has become a helper and supporter of Team Arrow. In addition to assisting in Diggle’s legal trouble, he also helped to cover up the Prometheus and Green Arrow’s connections in the death of Billy.

At the welcome home Laurel party, Rene (Rick Gonzalez) is surprised that Oliver doesn’t find it strange that Laurel returned back from the dead. “The Lance sisters have a habit of coming back to life,” Oliver explains. Yes Rene, this is the team you’re a part of so you will need to get used to members dying and coming back to life. Felicity’s insistence on a party for Laurel was a way for her to gather Laurel’s DNA on a glass. The truth comes out when Laurel enters the room. It seems she is Laurel, but not our Laurel. She is a Laurel from Earth 2 and known as Black Siren. Laurel a/k/a Black Siren is glad the truth is out since she hated being Earth 1’s Laurel. Then, Black Siren releases her deafening siren scream. The deadly screams throw everyone all over the room. She exits when Oliver enters. We learn that Prometheus broke Black Siren out of STAR Labs so she can do his bidding and also to show Oliver that he ruins everything he touches. Curtis (Echo Kellum) thinks about the idea of alternate worlds and his double. “Oh God, what if I’m straight?” Curtis wonders.

Meanwhile, Black Siren and Prometheus have a meeting. He reminds her that the only reason that she is alive is because she works for him. And if she chooses not to follow his orders, he can change that. To prove his point, Prometheus grabs Black Siren by the throat and begins to choke her. Black Siren calls Oliver. She tells him about Prometheus threatening her life if she doesn’t continue to do what he wants. Black Siren asks to meet with Oliver by the Black Canary statue. Is she leading him into a trap? Oliver doesn’t come alone. He tells the team to suit up, but not to make a move on Black Siren unless he tells them to. However, Felicity has her own ideas and has the team move against Black Siren. She again uses her supersonic scream to immobilize the team. Since Black Siren has been screaming at them for the entire episode, it seems like Team Arrow should have equipped themselves with sound proof earbuds when they go into battle with her. But Oliver is able to tranquilize Black Siren and bring her back to Team Arrow hideout where she’s put in a cell. Black Siren tells Oliver about her life on Earth 2. After losing Oliver ten years ago, she changed and not for the better. “It was one bad choice after another. I guess once you let the darkness inside, it never comes out,” Black Siren says. Oliver listens and believes that if he can save this Laurel, it will somehow make up for everything he couldn’t do for his Laurel. But Felicity is guarded and suspicious, reminding Oliver saying, “She’s not our Laurel.”

As Oliver appears to be completely taken in by Black Siren, Felicity comes up with her own plan that should lead them to Prometheus. She lets Black Siren taunt her with a multitude of questions like why Oliver and Felicity aren’t together anymore such as “Did he find someone else or were you not tall enough? Do you have a sister? Because I hear he loves sisters.” While these questions are being asked, Felicity plants tracking nanites on Black Siren. Felicity tells Oliver that she will get revenge for Billy, saying to him, “Well, now that you’re killing again I thought why not put it to use. But first we need to take care of your ex who’s not even your ex.” Oliver knows that Felicity is right about Black Siren not being Laurel, but he failed Laurel once and has no intention of doing so a second time.

Felicity’s plan works and Black Siren leads them straight to Prometheus. This time the team is prepared with a way to protect themselves from her screams. When Black Siren attempts to kill Felicity, Oliver pleads with her not to since he knows there’s good in her. Curtis gets the noise proof damper to work and Felicity punches Black Siren in the face, proving to Oliver that she’s not Laurel and never will be.

In the flashback from the past, Oliver meets a woman named Talia (Lexa Doig). Oliver figures that the way to honor Laurel and her legacy is to train someone new to be Black Canary. Meanwhile, at a bar in Hub City, an attractive brunette use a sonic scream on two pool players. Will she be the new Black Canary?