While Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy) may have returned to Earth-2 for now,
TV Line has confirmed that Cassidy hasn't left the series and will be back before the end of the season, which should be welcome news to fans of the true Black Canary. Showrunner Beth Schwartz reveals, “
Katie does not leave the show; she comes back this season. It appears like [she leaves], but it’s not true. She’s still [part of the show].”
Meanwhile, it looks like next week's installment will be a Diggle-centric (David Ramsey) episode as he's forced to reach out to a former acquaintance (Ernie Hudson) for help in stopping the Ninth Circle, but it doesn't look like everything's going to go according to plan.
"Spartan" - (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET) (TV-14, V) (HDTV)
ERNIE HUDSON ("GHOSTBUSTERS") GUEST STARS - After the Ninth Circle delivers a major setback for Team Arrow, Diggle (David Ramsey) reluctantly reaches out to a Four-Star General of the Defense Intelligence Agency (guest star Ernie Hudson) for help, despite unresolved tension from their past. Meanwhile, Oliver (Stephen Amell) discovers a piece of information that he believes will turn Emiko (Sea Shimooka) against the Ninth Circle. Alena (guest star Kacey Rohl) returns with an interesting proposal for Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards). Avi Youabian directed the episode written by Benjamin Raab & Deric A. Hughes (#719). Original airdate 4/22/2019.
After a violent shipwreck, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen was missing and presumed dead for five years before being discovered alive on a remote island in the North China Sea. He returned home to Star City, bent on righting the wrongs done by his family and fighting injustice. As the Green Arrow, he protects his city with the help of former soldier John Diggle, computer-science expert Felicity Smoak, former protégé Roy Harper, brilliant inventor Curtis Holt, street-savvy Rene Ramirez and meta-human Dinah Drake. Oliver will find himself vulnerable in a way unlike ever before when a mysterious new enemy begins to unravel his work as Green Arrow, forcing him to redeem his name or risk losing everything.
Arrow features:
Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen/Green Arrow
Katie Cassidy as Laurel Lance/Black Siren
David Ramsey as John Diggle/Spartan
Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak
Echo Kellum as Curtis Holt/Mr. Terrific
Rick Gonzalez as Rene Ramirez/Wild Dog
Juliana Harkavy as Dinah Drake/Black Canary
Colton Haynes as Roy Harper/Arsenal
Audrey Marie Anderson as Lyla Michaels
Kirk Acevedo as Ricardo Diaz/Richard Dragon
Sea Shimooka as Emiko Queen
Arrow returns with an all-new episode April 22