Neural processing in the retinal could take place with either arrangement so this does not seem to me to be a counter argument. It is easy to come up with a better design. Send the nerve straight to the larynx. Anything is possible - especially in biology. All we can do is to discuss the available evidence.
Biologists do have an explanation for the recurrent nerve.
It was originally the 4th branch of the vagus nerve in the fish. Here the route is direct. The nerve followed the same route through the higher vertebrates but as the neck became longer the detour came to look increasingly absurd. If these examples don't work for you, perhaps others would. Certain cetaceans produce teeth during development which are then reabsorbed before birth.