[WARNING: As the title of this feature notes, and this warning further notes, the following article is full of SPOILERS for season 3 of The Flash. Read no further beyond the picture below, lest ye be spoiled now and forever. Thank you.]

Fall is upon us and with it comes the return of our favorite network television shows. It may be a quaint tradition in these days of streaming media but it cannot be denied that anticipation is running hot and heavy for the premieres of all the shows that make up the shared multiverse of DC Comics inspired series on The CW‘. For those who lack the time to binge-watch everything before the premieres next week, we’re happy to offer these brief refreshers as to what happened last season and what to look forward to in the year to come.

Arrow

Last year, the sins of Oliver Queen’s first year as a vigilante caught up with him, as the bastard son of one who failed Starling City set about securing his own revenge. Calling himself Prometheus, he set about destroying everything Oliver Queen held dear while building an army of others who had a grudge with The Green Arrow. In the end, with all of his allies held hostage on Lian Yu – the island which ten years earlier had turned the pampered prince of Star City into something else – Oliver Queen was forced to turn to old enemies like Merlyn and Deathstroke for help.

Six months later, Oliver Queen finds himself balancing his life as Green Arrow and his job as Mayor of Star City with a new role – father. Somehow, Prometheus had unearthed the existence of William Clayton – the son Oliver Queen gave up to keep him safe from his enemies – and Oliver is now trying his best to be a proper father. It is a challenge to say the least but it is not the only one Oliver Queen faces. A new crime-lord is gathering strength in the Star City underground and Black Siren – the Earth 2 version of Laurel Lance – has returned with her own score to settle with The Emerald Archer.

The Season Six trailer and casting announcements for this year have been surprisingly Spoiler-Free. Of all of the characters still stuck on Lian Yu during Season Five’s explosive finale, the only ones we know for certain have survived into Season Six are Oliver Queen, his son William, cop turned costumed crime-fighter Dinah Drake (now officially calling herself Black Canary), Deathstroke and Black Siren.

The next year will be filled with enemies old and new. In addition to Deathstroke and Black Siren, Oliver’s old ally, Bratva captain Anatoly Knyazev, will return seeking revenge. Oliver will also have to contend with an FBI investigation, spearheaded by a no-nonsense agent named Samandra Watson, into just how closely tied Green Arrow is to the Star City Mayor’s office. Finally, Green Arrow will have to face off with Richard Dragon – a martial arts master with a connection to The League of Assassins.

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Arrow returns to The CW on Thursday, October 12 at 9 pm EST/ 8 pm CST.