Did Samantha Clayton die during Arrow season 6 premiere?

Did Samantha Clayton die during the Arrow season 6 premiere on The CW Thursday night? We know that entering the episode, there was already a mount of speculation on this very subject. This character, after all, hasn’t been mentioned in any press materials. Meanwhile, we’ve seen constant scoop about how Oliver’s son William is going to be a more permanent part of the show this season — clearly, that suggests that Samantha is gone given that she probably wouldn’t want her son being around all of this near-constant chaos otherwise.

In the opening minutes of the episode, the truth was revealed that Samantha was, in fact, gone following the events of the explosion. Her death is a way to clearly move William forward towards Oliver and to have these characters have a much more present relationship with each other. That’s an exciting possibility in a number of different ways, mostly because they’re both interesting characters to bring towards each other. While Oliver has felt the need to help others before, it’s very much different when it’s his own son. It’s even more different when this said son has very distinct feelings about you. It’s going to be interesting to write about here at CarterMatt in the weeks to come.

The Samantha character was always an interesting one in Arrow mostly because of what she represented. Back when she turned up for the first time, it was proof of how far Moira Queen will go in order to ensure that her son gets the narrative that she wants for him. She didn’t want him to have a child when she thought he wasn’t ready for one, and as a result of that she sent Samantha away. Following that, Samantha eventually became a slightly larger figure in the show because of her being tracked down in Central City, and then after that because of what Adrian Chase was able to figure out. We do wish we got to know more about her and how she moved on from her highly unusual circumstances so many years in the past.

As for the actress behind the part in Anna Hopkins, she’s going to be more than fine when it comes to securing other acting jobs. She is going to be one of the main villains on Shadowhunters season 3 in Lilith, who was first teased over there during the season 2 finale. You can read more news on that subject over at the link here.

Are you shocked at all that Samantha Clayton is dead on Arrow? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments!

Meanwhile, be sure to click here to get some more news regarding the series’ big return tonight, like us on Facebook for more TV news, or subscribe to our weekly CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: The CW.)