'Arrow' Season 7 Spoilers: Episode 15 May Explain Adopted Connor Hawke

Arrow’s Connor Hawke is not an adult JJ, and “Training Day” may explain why.

If you’re an Arrow fan who also watches Legends of Tomorrow, chances are you were confused when Connor Hawke introduced himself as John Diggle’s adopted son in the Season 7 flash-forwards. Joseph David-Jones also played Connor Hawke in an alternate timeline on Legends, but he was John Diggle Jr. (He didn’t use his name because he didn’t feel like he deserved to, after his father was killed.)

Spoilers for Arrow Season 7 Episode 15 below.

In “Training Day,” which aired on Monday, Ben Turner/Bronze Tiger tells Laurel that Diaz is dead. Someone burned him alive in his cell at the end of the previous episode, but Slabside is covering it up and claiming he was stabbed. Turner knows who did it, but he wants something in return for the information. Laurel can’t make good on Oliver’s promise to get him his freedom, but she can bring Turner’s son to visit him.

It’s during this visit that we find out Turner’s son’s name is Connor. Furthermore, Turner calls him his “little hawk.” Clearly something happens that leads to Diggle adopting Turner’s son.

Episode 15 even may hint at what that is. Turner tells Laurel he was in solitary the night Diaz was killed and saw who did it through the open meal slot in his cell: the new Green Arrow.

Laurel then calls Emiko to her office to let her know that she knows she killed Diaz. However, Emiko’s not worried about her telling Oliver or the others since she doesn’t think anyone will believe Black Siren. Yes, Emiko knows that Laurel is actually the Earth-2 Laurel Lance, and now Laurel has to worry about it getting out that she’s impersonating her Earth-1 doppelganger.

As for how Emiko knows this information, it’s simple: Diaz must have told Dante. As “Brothers & Sisters” revealed, Emiko knows Dante and seems to be playing Oliver as part of Dante’s plan.

Emiko’s already gotten in and out of Slabside once. It’s not hard to imagine Dante figuring out who told Laurel about Emiko killing Diaz — Laurel must have signed in at Slabside, or Dante may have an inside man at the prison — and sending Emiko to kill Turner. The only way this doesn’t end with Turner’s death is probably that he stays in prison forever, but that wouldn’t explain why Diggle adopts Connor. Unfortunately, anyone who could take custody of Connor may be in danger, unless Diggle takes him in for everyone’s safety.

But none of this explains Connor Hawke being played as an adult by the same actor who played an adult JJ in another timeline. However, that timeline was an alternate future that isn’t going to exist outside that episode.

You also have to consider that it took place before Flashpoint. Baby Sara still existed. John Diggle Jr. did not. Maybe Sara Diggle still existed in that future. Maybe John Diggle Jr. was still Diggle’s adopted son, and he used his birth name again after losing his (adopted) father? It’s messy, but it could work.

Here’s what we do know: We should probably start preparing to say goodbye to Ben Turner.

Arrow Season 7 airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on The CW.

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