Well, better late than never.
After frustrating Arrow fans as a clueless love interest in Season 1 and as a pill-popping alcoholic in Season 2, Katie Cassidy's character Laurel Lance finally suited up as her comic book alter ego Black Canary in last week's episode "Left Behind." The development seemed a little uncertain because of Laurel's sister Sara fighting crime as The Canary, with many fans feeling that Sara should remain as the show's official version of Black Canary. However, with Sara's death earlier this season, it seems Laurel is indeed the chosen one, and no one is more pleased about that than Cassidy...
"I can’t tell you how happy it made me," Cassidy said to Entertainment Weekly. "I remember at the end of Season 2, they needed to fit Sara’s (Caity Lotz) jacket on me and I started to cry when I put it on. I’ve been waiting for this for so long. I’m so happy and honored. From day one, I knew that eventually that’s where they were planning to go with the character, but I didn’t know when and it’s television, anything can happen. Honestly, there’s no words that can even explain lucky, excited, grateful, thrilled I am. For the Black Canary fans, I hope they’re happy with my performance and my take on the character. I hope people are happy."
However, it sounds like Laurel's new road as a superhero is going to be a rocky one with some character conflicts. "Even though it’s messy, you can tell there’s fire," remarked Cassidy. "She has some skill, but she’s not trained. But then she proves herself because she has so much heart and drive. Arsenal (Colton Haynes) is the first person to come around to it."
After the trilogy of Oliver's disappearance and what happens to Starling City in his absence is over, Laurel will face off against Sara in an episode called "Canaries," which features the return of Caity Lotz...somehow.
"You’ll be surprised how much Sara is a part of Laurel in Season 3 in her going from avenging her sister’s death to honoring her sister’s death to becoming her sister," said Cassidy. "Sara is so much a part of Season 3 as a character even though she’s physically not there. It stays with her and the show. It’s what gets Laurel out on the streets. It’s what she wants to do. She has a choice. The difference between Sara and Laurel is that Sara didn’t have a choice. When her and Oliver were on the island, she had to go through that with him. Laurel has a choice. She takes her sister’s position, but she it comes from her heart and again avenging her sister’s death and honoring her sister."
And on the subject of Sara's murderer, Thea Queen (Willa Holland), Cassidy added that fans will be "surprised by her reaction." And there's also Ra’s al Ghul (Matt Nable) to deal with since Laurel believes he killed Oliver. "She will seek vengeance on those who she feels deserves it," said Cassidy.
Arrow airs on The CW Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST.