'Arrow': Black Canary's Identity Revealed!

A lot of things were unmasked this week on Arrow. The newest episode, "Crucible," brought the big Black Canary reveal we've all been waiting for, a glimpse at the truth about Alderman Blood and some surprising (and sad) news about Laurel's private life. As much as I love Laurel and as important as Blood's true self might be to the arc of Season 2, we all know the Black Canary reveal stole the show tonight. She'll equally steal this reaction post #sorrynotsorry.

6 Things We Know About Black Canary

1. She is really Sara Lance. Oh, did I forget to put a spoiler alert? It's in the headline.

2. She can fight. Oliver mentions Sara's newfound fighting skills after the big reveal about her identity. Her response is ominous, but vague. She was up against tough people and had to get tough herself — so the story isn't unlike Oliver's.

3. She has tech. We've seen this before, but Black Canary is packing some awesome tech. She was able to put down an entire S.W.A.T. team with a sonic boom. While her sonar warfare doesn't appear to work on The Arrow, her explosives certainly do. A well-placed boom got her out of Arrow's clutches when he first discovered her true identity.

4. She doesn't have foolproof situational awareness. She may be a worthy opponent or ally for Arrow in the long-run, but Black Canary isn't a flawless tracker. The Arrow is able to capture her almost immediately once the decision to lay a trap is made. He fakes a shot at her while she's stalking big sis Laurel and then plants a booby trap, which she runs right into.

5. She's the private type. Despite Oliver's plea that she make her family's lives by revealing to them that she miraculously survived the wreckage, Sara isn't willing to tell the other Lances her secret — at least not yet.

6. She lets her heart lead the way. Whatever happens down the line with Black Canary, we have to keep in mind some key points of her pre-vigilante personality. Even though she and Laurel have what seems to have been a fairly close relationship, she runs off with her sister's boyfriend on a whim because she's in love. This a girl who will no doubt be lead by her passions, probably when Diggle is screaming at everyone to think with their heads.

True Blood

Hey, I said Black Canary was going to steal the reaction, not that I'd completely ignore the other plot developments. One of the big ones has to do with Blood, who has been upgraded from antagonist to villain. In the public eye, he's doing good all over the Glades (even spearheading a campaign to get guns off the streets). In reality, he's the masked man with the green serum. And, I have to say, Black Canary's mask is way cuter. Simple definitely wins here.

Lushy Laurel

Laurel's storyline this week doesn't involve serial killers or natural disasters or uncomfortable love triangles, but it does go back to all of those things. With everything Laurel has gone through recently, she's feeling stressed. That's natural. What's not so natural? The alcoholism that's threatening to take hold of her. She's pulled over and would have a nice DUI on her record if the officer who stopped her hadn't called her dad instead of reporting her for being .6 over the legal limit. Detective Lance has also struggled with drinking problems and he saw the truth about Laurel's situation right away. He even involved Oliver in an attempt to get through to her, but she's not hearing it — from anyone. In a world of super-sized problems, this grounded issue is striking, especially when it involves a beloved (and historically strong) character like Laurel Lance.

Did you watch Arrow this week? What did you think?

Image: The CW