'Arrow' Season 3 Spoilers: 7 Things To Know Before The Oct. 8 Premiere

Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) returns Wednesday night in the Season 3 premiere of "Arrow." CW

On Tuesday, the CW premiered “The Flash,” but Wednesday night is for the parent show, "Arrow," to shine. The hit comic book series returns for its third season following Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell), aka Green Arrow, at 8 p.m. EDT Wednesday night. Last fans saw, Oliver had just taken out Slade (Manu Bennet) and the Deathstroke army, but the new season holds a new adventure with a new villain.

Here are seven things fans need to know for the “Arrow” Season 3 premiere:

1. Premiere Synopsis

The synopsis for the premiere has been released and reveals that, with crime at an all-time in Starling City, Oliver will be struggling in the episode to balance his identities as Oliver Queen and the Green Arrow. Meanwhile, a new villain, Vertigo (Peter Stormare), arrives in the city

2. Episode Titles

The titles for the first 8 episodes of Season 1 are:

1. “The Calm” – Oct. 8

2. “Sara” – Oct. 15

3. “Corto Maltese” – Oct. 22

4. “The Magician” – Oct. 29

5. “The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak” – Nov. 5

6. “Guilty” – Nov. 12

7. “Draw Back Your Bow” – Nov. 19

8. “The Brave and the Bold” – Nov. 26

3. New Villain

There will be a new major villain for most of Season 3, with Slade (Manu Bennet) in prison. That new baddie will be Ra’s Al Ghul, Nyssa’s (Katrina Law) father and the leader of the League of Assassins. The new villain will be played by Matt Nable and will apparently challenge Oliver and his no-killing philosophy.

4. Felicity

Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) will be Oliver’s main love interest in the third season, and the premiere episode will feature him asking her on a date. Is love in the air? Arrow actor Stephen Amell spoke about the Aeason 3 relationship, saying, “Oliver has one woman in his life this season, and that is Felicity.” That sounds promising.

5. Thea

Fans will remember that Thea (Willa Holland) had a big moment in the Season 2 finale, choosing to leave Roy (Colton Haynes) and form a partnership with Malcolm (John Barrowman). The Thea that returns in Season 3 will be very different from the one fans have come to know.

6. The Flash

“Arrow” and the newly premiered “The Flash” both exist in the same universe, and in a special episode, the two heroes will meet. Episode 8 in the new season of both shows will be a combined two-hour crossover episode featuring both heroes. The producers are promising the episode will deliver a big surprise for fans of both shows.

7. Trailer

Watch the trailer for Season 3 of "Arrow," giving fans their first taste of Ra's Al Ghul, below: