ARROW: Katie Cassidy on ‘Pivotal’ Moments, the ‘Action-Packed’ and ‘Jaw-Dropping’ Finale, and More

As ARROW’s Oliver Queen has had his world fall apart (thanks to Slade’s increasingly devious moves), his off-on love, Laurel, has rebounded nicely after hitting her own rock bottom — and now that Laurel has revealed to Oliver that she knows he’s also the Arrow, she has positioned herself to help him take down Slade, too.

To get a tease about what’s to come, I spoke with Katie Cassidy (Laurel) about the huge episodes coming up, getting to do a bit of action work, Laurel’s love for Oliver, and more…

What was your reaction when you found out that Laurel was going to learn that Oliver was the Arrow?
Katie Cassidy: I was excited about it. Her finding out Ollie is the Arrow just makes her love him all the more. As Tommy said in season 1 — once he found out about Oliver being the Arrow — he said [to Oliver], “You should be with Laurel…I can’t be there because she’s in love with the Arrow and you.” So I do think she embraces him and loves him that much more for being such a good doer.

Did you know that she’d only wait a few episodes to clue Oliver in that she knew his secret? Or did you think there was a possibility the writers would have Laurel keep that secret for the foreseeable future?
KC: Honestly, it all depends. I did not know what the plan was after her knowing — whether she was going to tell Oliver she knew or not. We don’t really find out until we get the scripts, unless our creators Andrew Kreisberg or Marc Guggenheim are actually in Vancouver, feeding us juicy plot points, I never really know what’s going to happen.

You mentioned Laurel loving Oliver, but given his recent relationship with her sister, Sara, is Laurel actually looking at Oliver as a possible love interest in the near future? Or does she need some space/time?
KC: I don’t think she really knows. I think she loves him, and he will always have her heart. They’re soul mates. I think he’s the love of her life. I don’t think she knows what the future has in store for them, but I definitely think she’s open to many things.

There was a delicious tease in the trailer for tonight’s episode about Laurel getting to use a bow and arrow. What leads Laurel to that, and how was that for you to film?
KC: Oh, it was awesome. I got to work with Patricia [Gonsalves], she does our archery training.

Whether Laurel knows how to use the arrow or not will be something that’s interesting for the fans. [Laughs] And the situation of why she had to use it, it’s a jaw-dropping scene. Don’t get me wrong, I totally geek out when I get to be a part of the action scenes and [do] action stuff.

If Laurel ends up doing more action, will that change how you approach this character going forward?
KC: Moving forward, I will do the proper research: if she’s going to be involved, I’ll do the proper training, I’ll get as much information as I can, and work as hard as I can to make the fans happy.

As Slade is causing damage all over the city, is Laurel in danger in these final episodes?
KC: I think everybody is in a massive amount of danger. Yes, Laurel does end up being put in a situation that is really unfortunate, but I think everybody…because he’s an awful villain, nobody’s safe. Not even the Arrow, at times.

In the coming episodes, there’s a lot that happens. There’s a lot of crazy explosions and action and everybody having their life at risk, and it’s just really huge. And I can’t believe we shoot this show every week, because it’s like a gigantic movie every week. [Laughs] And we shoot it in nine days! It’s crazy.

I know she’s mixing it up with Team Arrow in the next few episodes, but does Laurel get any meaningful time with her father, too?
KC: There are scenes with her father. There may or may not be things that she reveals. Her father is definitely a great part of her interactions.

You and the writers have been vocal from the start that if Laurel is going to end up as the Black Canary, the process will likely be slow and natural. Given what she goes through in the final episodes of season 2, do you feel like it’s setting her on the path to actually becoming the Black Canary?
KC: I don’t know, you’re going to have to watch!

If you had your choice, would you like to see her stumble a little bit before she got there? Or would you like to have it happen sooner?
KC: Honestly, I think Laurel has [already] hit rock bottom at this point. She’s becoming stronger, she’s finding out information, she’s on board with the Arrow. I think what happens in these next few episodes are absolutely pivotal moments for our show, and definitely major plot points. But, you should watch. [Laughs] And I think the fans will be very happy, without me giving too much away.

What can you say about the finale, specifically?
KC: I think the finale is a gigantic episode. It’s action-packed, it’s jaw-dropping, it’s exciting, it’s moving. You get to see Laurel be stronger and take care of people, and look out for others. I definitely think the fans are going to walk away being very happy for the season finale, and very excited.

As you look towards the future, is there any costar you’d like to work with more?
KC: John Barrowman (Malcolm Merlyn) is fantastic, and I love working with him. I love working with Paul Blackthorne (Quentin Lance), because we work the same way — our craft is very similar. I would probably say them. I [also] love working with Caity Lotz (Sara Lance), because I have sisters of my own, so I can tap into that sister bond.

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ARROW airs Wednesdays at 8 PM on The CW.

Related:

ARROW First Look Photos: John Barrowman Returns!
ARROW Season 2 Finale First Look Photo: Look Who’s Back!
ARROW: Susanna Thompson on the Heartbreaking Twist, Her Improvised Line, What Was Cut, and More

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