Sure he made mistakes, but he came back from it a flawwed but changed man and a super hero. He's grown a lot and continues to grow on the show.

Laurel wrestled her inner demons, Oliver's past negative influence, pill addiction, the loss of a loved one (twice), and learned to forgive and became a respectable assistant DA, super hero, a reliable field asset and valuable emotional guide to the Arrow team.

Felicity was a rebellious hacker who sold out to blonde hair and a tech job at a major company. Later she bounced around relationships dumping Barry who ends up in a coma, getting Palmer to open up and love her after the tragic death of his wife then dumping him the moment he goes missing, and then dumping Oliver the moment she finds out he has a kid. And what does she do with herself now? Act butthurt, quit helping the team that relies on her help, and complain every chance she gets.

Everyone else in this story has overcome their own shortcomings and risen above the adversities that stop them from being successful. I mean Oliver is just a man and he's fought trained super soldiers, assasins, meta humans, magical adversaries and evil half sister father figures. He's beat his own demons like imulsitivity, narcissism, womanizing. He's overcome his playboy image and sparked a city to think of him as a legitimate mayoral candidate. And he's never once asked for a thank you from one he's saved.

The only thing Felicity overcame is being physically disabled, and she only did that by not giving back Palmertech to her ex boyfriend and conning Curtis into saving "her" company from her own incompetence.

But hey, let's not talk about how Laurel is dead, because had Felicity not quit team arrow she might have caught that Diggle's brother met with Merlyn on a streetcam or how she could have tapped into the prison before hand and kept an eye on Dahrk. Let's talk about how much her feelings are hurt while there are lives literally on the line.

Disclaimer: I never liked either chrarcter, Laurel nor Felicity, but the contrast of Felicity being a huge thorn with Laurel giving sage-like advice and moral support to the team this season is way to high to not see that Laurel has had enormous growth.

Meanwhile, Felicity's growth is more like that of a cancerous tumor on Arrow, taking up more time/space and damaging the entire show's story. Damaging to the point where many in this sub feel that the show is inoperable, and worse, not worthy of being saved. Laurel didn't do that, she just wished Oliver the best and graduated from the shitshow we now know as Felicity and Friends.

I wish Katie Cassidy the best. Her acting has improved as much if not more than her fitness. A transformation many are unable or unwilling to make for their craft. She's a class act.