Seeing Laurel (?!) is a very welcome surprise for Oliver, says showrunner Wendy Mericle. But there will be
whatever the reverse of a silver lining is
when he finds out whats really going on. It will have a lot of emotional resonance, particularly for him and Felicity. On top of that is the significant fallout of Malones murder, a tragic accident that steers Felicity to a darker place as she sets her own sights on Prometheus. That, coupled with the question of the Big Bads identity, is a gift that keeps on giving for the rest of the season, says Mericle. Elsewhere, Diggle emerges from his latest imprisonment with a much bigger drive, and not the same fatalism that he had earlier in the season, the EP previews. Hes going to come up against Colonel Walker as well as grow closer to Adrian Chase. Among new faces, Talia al Ghul plays a crucial part in unraveling the Prometheus mystery, while SCPD Detective Tina Boland will form a connection with Oliver, seeing as she has been through her own hell, her own sort of island.'