"Arrow" has experienced it ups and downs since its 2012 debut, on the heels of its milestone 100th episode, the CW drama was renewed Sunday for a sixth season. The network's first foray into what's now referred to as Arrowverse has undergone a transformation in that time, from a Christopher Nolan-esque gritty vigilante story to a television behemoth, spawning spinoffs and spanning timelines and dimensions. However, one thing that's remained consistent is the affable charm of the cast.

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For an example, we need look no further to star Stephen Amell's heartfelt Facebook message following news of "Arrow's renewal.

"We are so lucky. Six seasons... Six!!" he wrote. "I'd like to thank WB, the CW, our unmatched Crew, the cast, the producers and most of all, the fans. We are still here because of you. We have a chance to get to 200 episodes, because of you. I have the job of my dreams, because of you. Thank you. A thousand times... thank you."

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It's fascinating to speculate on the future of the show. In the comics and on TV, Oliver Queen learned the skills he needed to become the Green Arrow while lost for five years on a deserted island (what the show refers to as his "five years in hell"). The CW drama has always portrayed this as a sort of reverse-"Lost," with flashbacks to his time on the island (and elsewhere). By the end of this season, the flashback story will have caught up with the pilot episode, and Queen will have been rescued.

The showrunners originally thought "Arrow" would end on that note, but this renewal confirms that future seasons are going to have to try something different, or abandon the flashback format entirely. While there are plenty of fans who would be happy to have "Arrow" set fully in the present, the framing narrative has always been something unique to "Arrow". Hopefully the writers will come up with something cool and unexpected.

Returning Wednesday, Jan. 25, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW, "Arrow' stars Stephen Amell, Emily Bett Rickards, David Ramsey, Willa Holland, Paul Blackthorne and Echo Callum.