For the most part, much of what we've seen on Arrow has been accurate in the sense that many of the show's recurring characters are familiar to those of us who have read the comics. There are, however, many differences between what we see on the show and what we've read in the comics, and the latest casting choice is another example of that.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Dinah Lance will be coming to the CW's Arrow. "Dinah" will be played by actress Alex Kingston who you may recognize from ER and Doctor Who. "Dinah" will be Laurel's mother and Detective Quentin's ex-wife. So why will she be returning to Starling City, and why did she leave in the first place? And will she play an older, more mature Black Canary?

Later this season Dinah will return to Starling City to make amends with her family that she abandoned years earlier following the tragic death of her daughter aboard Oliver Queen’s (Stephen Amell) yacht.

It will be interesting to see how things unfold on the show and what extent and role that the actress will play. What do you think? Are you looking forward to seeing how things unfold? Do you think she will make an appearance as Black Canary? Have you been watching?

Source: Entertainment Weekly

I think bringing in Laurel's mom will give us some more interesting story. Can't wait to see what she brings to the table

River Song? what are you doing in Arrow?

Laurel is still one of the most boring characters on tv if you ask me. Definitely the most uninteresting on the show.

Oh wow! She'll be great, I love River.

Sweet. Been enjoying Arrow so far. Can't wait to watch it tonight.

If you ask me this is the first black canary ie BC 2s mom

Um, Babs? Isn't this a bit of a "spoiler"?

@Smart_Dork_Dude Not at all. This is just letting you know about a casting choice, and then Babs' speculations of what MIGHT happen.

I really hope Dinah isn't Ollie's love interest if she is going to be the mother. That would make an intimate relationship with every girl in that family. Poor dad... lol

First Captain Jack and now River Song? Am I the only wondering when Matt Smith is going to appear? xD

@TheJester said:

@Smart_Dork_Dude Not at all. This is just letting you know about a casting choice, and then Babs' speculations of what MIGHT happen.

I was making a joke since her character on Doctor Who always said "Spoilers" when referring to future events.

Flashbacks ahead!!!

... Dang it. I thought she was "dead" ... Now, we'll have some more awkward family time (which means less action).

Accept characters, reject CW Drama being added.

I actually think it's kinda awesome the way they are portraying Laurel as Barbara Gordon in the show

She is probably going to die or get injured and give up the legacy of Black Canary to her daughter.

Oh, great. I really hope she is not going to be an older Black Canary. Of course, it wouldn't be the first time Alex Kingston tried to act younger and cooler than she really is. I was a little interested in this show, but NEVER MIND!

She better not be black canary!!!

Ugh, I hated her as River Song.

Isn't Laurel's first name Dinah as well? I'm pretty sure it was mentioned in an earlier episode that her full name is Dinah Laurel Lance.

Black Canary is my favorite comic character (well the entire Birds of Prey team) and this really bums me out. Sure she's a great actress and will no doubt be a wonderful Dinah Lance if I'm reading that correctly it sounds like Dinah Laurel Lance is dead so this series won't have any of the awesome back and forth between Oliver and the junior Black Canary...sad!

I've still got to watch a few episodes and see if it takes now that all of my shows are canceled or ending I'll have bandwidth for more TV.

This may the only time Capt Jack and River actually actually exist together!

I have been watching. It would be good if she isn't Black Canary or anything, just a normal woman who left her family. It will be interesting that Laurel's parents are both played by English actors while she isn't. I want to see scenes with her and Tommy's father. River Song and Captain Jack Harkness.

Thats great news! I like watching her and she has a geat tv presence. I hope she comes out a lot. I also saw her on an episode of law and order. Arrow is beefing up!

great that they're incorporating that legacy aspect into the story. they really need to not drag out (ala Smallville) the inclusion of Black Canary (Dinah Laurel Lance). They also better move quickly to establish the existence of metahumans and humans with abilities so. If they side step Laurel having a Canary Call once she's introduced as BlackCanary it'll be the last episode I watch right there.

Isn't "Laurel" also named Dinah? I could have sworn "Laurel" was her middle name that everyone was calling her by for some unknown reason. In the first episode I'm pretty sure Tommy called her "Dinah Laurel Lance" near the end.

Arrow keeps getting people from awesome shows.

Kyle Shmid from Being Human, and Copper as Ace (Royal Flush Gang)

Seth Gabel (Agent Lincoln Lee) from Fringe as Count Vertigo.

Manu Bennett (Crixus) from Spartacus as Deathstroke.

Ben Browder from Farscape.

David Anders (Dr. Frankenstein) from Once Upon a Time.

James Callis (Baltar) from Battlestar Galactica.

And now Alex Kingston (River Song) from Doctor Who.

@bsavelli: how are they portraying laurel as barbara gordon? in the comics larry lance (black canary's father's REAL name not that quinten mess they came up with) was a detective just like in the tv show so same but they made laurel a lawyer instead of a florist. last I checked barbara gordon has never been a lawyer....

@darkwingdan: they have the same exact name. long story short dinah laurel drake (the original black canary) married larry lance and became dinah laurel lance. when they introduced black canary 2 she was originally suppose to be the original black canary hence why they have the same name but then they introduced the idea of the JSA being on Earth 2 including black canary so to explain away two black canary's they made one the mother and on the daughter. never found out the in story reason why they have the same name (men do it all the time with question so i just go with it)

@Loki9876 said:

River Song? what are you doing in Arrow?

This just got me to watch the show again XD Hello sweetie aka Melody Pond/river song

I am glad Arrow is pretty much following the Smallville tv show mythology where there is a current Black Canary and there was also an older Black Canary. In the pre-flashpoint comics, the 2 Black Canaries are differentiated by the names Dinah Drake (black canary 1 married Larry Lance) and Dinah Laurel Lance (black canary 2). At first, there was only 1 Black Canary but as the years marched on, it became hard to say that a young black canary started in the 1940s so in the 1980s, it was decided to say there was an original black canary who died on earth 2 and a daughter who is the current black canary on earth 1. Post-coie reboot, the mother black canary was alive again for a few years then later on died of cancer.

MILF.

@darkwingdan said:

Isn't Laurel's first name Dinah as well? I'm pretty sure it was mentioned in an earlier episode that her full name is Dinah Laurel Lance.

IKR? I had to make myself remember there were two :S

@Perfect 10: Just me thinking out loud, maybe I exaggerated. I just said that because her personality reminds me a lot of Babs' in the comics (the independent, always-standing-up-to-herself-and-never-taking-no-for-an-answer kinda person), more even than Dinah's. And now, with this thing of her mother coming back after abandoning her family, it just reminded me of Gail Simone's current Batgirl story arc.

Missed it last night! Grrr, well hopefully she does well for it, even if I still wish Laurel would be named Dinah too. Its only right.

@longbowhunter said:

Oh wow! She'll be great, I love River.

Seriously? She sucks!

To be honest, whether or not there is a Canary Cry makes no difference to me. Also it has been stated in the show that Laurel's Mother left, not that she died.