It was a pretty devastating second season of The CW’s superhero smash Arrow, with important members of Oliver Queen’s family either dying or high-tailing it, and an all-out war between the goodies and Deathstroke’s super soldier army having been only narrowly diverted. Still, there was a bit of happiness to come into Oliver Queen’s life, in the form of, apparently, a newfound relationship with brilliant computer expert, confidante, and perpetual awk-talker Felicity Smoak. Whether you’re a fan of “Olicity” or not, it seems like that’s the way things are going in the new season, which premieres this Wednesday, October 8th.

Two clips have surfaced from Season 3, Episode 1, entitled (I’m guessing ironically, or perhaps not) “The Calm” from two very different aspects of Oliver Queen/Arrow (Stephen Amell)’s life after the complete collapse of his family and business life. In the first, we see, I suppose, the good part, in which he’s chasing a bad guy with the help of Detec–er, CAPTAIN Lance (Paul Blackthorne) while asking Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) for assistance on the computer, while she’s at her new, much less glamorous job. Who can think about dinner at a time like this?

The second clip sets up who may be a recurring villain this season: Vertigo, or at least someone else employing the hallucinogen Vertigo, thought destroyed for good with the death last year of the criminally insane Count. This villain, whomever he may be, is played by the great Peter Stormare, who also, incidentally, is playing a recurring villain on The Blacklist this year. In the clip, we see the new, even scarier effects of Vertigo, resulting in Oliver fighting his greatest fear… (it’s himself)

Whatever any of this means, it looks like we’re going to have a very eventful new season of Arrow, airing Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW, and make sure you look for my recaps right here on Nerdist.com every Thursday.

Image: The CW