Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy) was clearly set up to be Oliver’s primary love interest on Arrow, so why did the Emerald Archer end up with Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) instead? Oliver (Stephen Amell) and Laurel had romantic feelings for each other in the beginning of Arrow, but at least one of them moved on. A love story between Oliver and Felicity took shape starting in Arrow season 2, culminating in a wedding in season 6.
Laurel Lance was introduced in Arrow's pilot episode as the ex-girlfriend that Oliver Queen betrayed by sleeping with her sister, whom he took aboard the Queen’s Gambit, where she was presumably killed. Laurel was working as a lawyer when Oliver returned from his five-year absence. She understandably resented Oliver for what he did and initially served as a staunch opponent of Green Arrow’s initial persona, named “The Hood.” Despite their problems, romantic feelings between Oliver and Laurel lingered, but Arrow eventually moved on from their relationship and focused instead on putting Oliver and Felicity together.
Of course, Laurel Lance, a.k.a. Black Canary, is the love interest that Green Arrow actually ends up with most often in DC comics. Felicity Smoak, by contrast, is a character original to Arrow. Thus, a big part of Arrow’s decision to pair Oliver and Felicity rather than Oliver and Laurel comes down to the show’s desire to tell its own story. Here’s why Oliver ends up with Felicity and not Laurel in Arrow.
Arrow: Why Oliver and Felicity Got Together
Naturally, Arrow’s Oliver Queen love interest problem is one of the show’s biggest points of discussion. A big part of why Oliver and Felicity got together in Arrow comes down to the strength of Emily Bett Rickards’ performance as Felicity and her strong chemistry with Stephen Amell’s Oliver. Their dynamic worked so well for Arrow that it felt like a natural direction for the show to take, even if it wasn’t what was originally planned. Felicity was a minor character from the beginning, but as Arrow's story progressed, it became apparent to the writers that Felicity was the character Oliver should end up with. Likewise, Felicity’s popularity among Arrow’s audience could have been a contributing factor to her ending up with Oliver.
Arrow: Why Oliver Didn't End Up With Laurel
Some have attributed Arrow’s decision to move away from Oliver and Laurel’s relationship solely to Felicity’s popularity, but it goes deeper than that as well, with Arrow season 1’s Tommy Merlyn death playing a major role. Oliver not being with Laurel has a lot to do with his character’s arc in Arrow seasons 1 and 2. Oliver and Laurel did share a few romantic moments, and at the end of season 1, Oliver finally decided to get together with her again. That changed after the death of Tommy Merlyn (Colin Donell), which devastated both characters and caused them to rethink their relationship, with Laurel feeling that she had betrayed Tommy. Plus, Laurel developed a vendetta against the Hood, which complicated things further. Also, Oliver was against resuming their romance. Around this time, Arrow put less focus on Oliver and Laurel’s relationship and more so on the budding dynamic between Oliver and Felicity.
According to Stephen Amell, even if Arrow season 4’s Laurel Lance death hadn’t occurred, it still wouldn’t have made a difference when it came to her role as a love interest, as Oliver and Laurel were never going to get back together anyway. This was illustrated in Laurel’s death scene, when she admitted that she was still in love with Oliver, but acknowledged that she wasn’t the love of Oliver’s life. Arrow producer Marc Guggenheim has explained in the past that even though Green Arrow and Black Canary are supposed to be together in the comics, Arrow was telling its own story. Guggenheim has also said that Arrow finished its Oliver-Laurel love story in season 1, and that the writers had no intention of going back to it.
Ultimately, Laurel and Oliver’s relationship in Arrow, while comic-accurate, wasn’t the right direction for the show to take on its own distinct journey. Right up until the Arrow series finale’s Felicity death, Oliver and Felicity ended up being the more compelling pair for the show to follow. This is why Arrow chose not to have Oliver and Laurel end up together as originally planned.