CW's official description of the season 3 premiere, "The Calm": 

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'Arrow' season 3 premiere photos for "The Calm"Cate Cameron/The CW, used with permission

Arrow -- "The Calm" -- Pictured: Stephen Amell as The ArrowCate Cameron/The CW, used with permission

The "Arrow" season 3 premiere may still be a few weeks away, but fortunately, we don\'t have to wait any longer to get a few teases about it. On Thursday, Sept. 18, the CW released the official description for the first episode of the new season, titled, "The Calm." Glen Winter directed the episode, with story by Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg and teleplay by Marc Guggenheim and Jake Coburn.

It seems that things are looking up in Starling City when "Arrow" season 3 begins, both for Oliver as Oliver Queen and the Arrow and for the city itself. Crime is down, and Captain Lance calls off the Anti-Vigilante Task Force. People feel safe again. Oliver even thinks he can have a private life and asks Felicity out on a date. However, a deadly villain reappears, showing that the city still needs The Arrow.

Now, with the first episode synopsis of the season, we know that "someone close" to Oliver is hurt by the deadly new villain (and the Comic-Con trailer seems to have revealed who gets hurt), who has claimed the name Vertigo, and he and Roy take him on. We also have confirmation that Lyla gives birth in this episode and why Felicity is working in a tech store in the extended promo for the season. And there\'s always Ray Palmer\'s introduction to look forward to in the premiere.

Here\'s the CW\'s official description of the season 3 premiere, "The Calm":

"OLIVER SEARCHES FOR AN IDENTITY BEYOND THE ARROW — With crime in Starling City at an all-time low thanks to the Arrow (Stephen Amell) and his team, Oliver thinks he can finally balance being both the Arrow and Oliver Queen and asks Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) out on a date. However, when a new villain (guest star Peter Stormare) emerges, who has claimed the name Vertigo from the recently deceased Count, Oliver is caught off-guard and someone close to him is hurt. Oliver and a newly suited up Roy (Colton Haynes) take on the Count. Meanwhile, Diggle (David Ramsey) becomes a father, Lance (Paul Blackthorne) is promoted to Captain, Laurel (Katie Cassidy) joins Arrow’s inner circle and Felicity gets a part-time job at a tech store to make ends meet. Also, Oliver fights to regain his company, Queen Consolidated, but comes up against a very worthy opponent – the charming Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh)."

Plus, don\'t miss the promotional photos the CW has released in the slideshow. They offer a look at Oliver and Felicity, Captain Lance, Roy as Arsenal, Sara, Brandon Ruth as Ray Palmer and more.

"Arrow" season 3 airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on the CW. "The Calm" airs Oct. 8. What do you think of these premiere photos and spoilers?

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