When it made its debut in 2012, The CW’s Arrow almost immediately scored the highest ratings that the network had ever received, and its pilot episode alone was the most-watched episode of the entire year. Even now, after three years and nearly three seasons, Arrow is still going as strong as ever.

After two highly successful seasons, most CW shows either quit while they’re ahead or milk a series until its drier than the Sahara Desert. Arrow strives to be different, and with every single arrow fired, the show has been propelled higher and higher over its competition.

The story follows the ex-billionaire playboy Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell), a man who was once a spoiled child stranded for five years on a brutal island called “Purgatory” (a background which the character reminds viewers about at the beginning of every episode). Upon his return, he strives to be a better person, becoming a vigilante and eventually, the Green Arrow that the show is named for. We’ve already witnessed him encounter well-known DC Universe villains such as The Dark Archer or Deathstroke, but Season 3 takes its villain a step up, like everything else.

Season 3 of Arrow introduces Ras Al Ghul, the immortal leader of the League of Assassins. What the Christopher Nolan movies edited out of the popular Batman Begins franchise, Arrow has taken in stride and improved. Played by Matt Nable, Ras Al Ghul fills the vacant role of the mastermind, the enemy in the shadows. Season 2 of Arrow had a phenomenal finale, but its earlier episodes lacked the mystery element that truly made the first season spectacular. In Season 3, that element has returned, providing a fresh, yet nostalgic atmosphere for the first half of the season.

As ever, the soundtrack composed by Blake Neely is a neverending masterpiece, constantly providing a feeling of immersion that augments emotions and sets the tone for every scene before you even realize that music is playing. Even when the tension is low and nothing is happening on scene, the music is subtly keeping you engaged from beginning to end.

The acting is as phenomenal as ever. The CW is famous for its incredible ensemble, most noticeable in shows such as Arrow, where every character has a story that allows you to know and care for them. Season 2 faltered in this– characters either died or were pushed to the side to entertain the main, delayed plot. This latest season has already revived several characters who I had given up faith on, leaving me excited for more every week.

Not only that, but Arrow’s brother show, The Flash, has thrived alongside it, so much so that the cast has nearly been interchangeable, exchanging important characters and even creating a crossover of the shows, the result being ratings and reviews that haven’t been seen since 2012. To give Season 3 a rating, I’d say Arrow hit the bullseye, easily earning 4/5 “Star Cities.” Honestly, I’m tempted to give it even more, and when the second half of the season comes out, I have no doubt I can.