You can watch my reaction to the next episode RIGHT NOW on Patreon here (5$+), or the Full Length reaction (10$+): www.patreon.com/Aleczandxr To follow the readthroughs on stream, you can follow me on Twitch here: www.twitch.tv/Aleczandxr/ Link to AJ's Discord server: discord.gg/Ekhz7PNuJd CURRENT TWITCH SCHEDULE: Mondays @ 10am EST: A Blind Playthrough of Resident Evil (Sometimes gaming streams are Tuesdays too, check Discord) Wednesdays @ 10am EST: Bleach Readthrough Fridays @ 10:30am EST: SOME FRIDAYS, I do full One Piece discussion streams as well. Check Discord for updates/details. Sundays @ 11am EST: One Piece + Hunter x Hunter chapter reads (When applicable)
Good to see you back, brother. I've been waiting in anticipation for your take on this season and thusly have followed along with every upload, just like last time around. We had a couple of good conversations back then. I have always appreciated your insight and appreciation for this series. I remember one convo we had that centered around whether or not you'd be coming back to review Arcane again whenever this new season dropped and at the time you generally didn't seem to know. Glad you chose the path righteous in the end. lol Seriously, good to see you back, Alec and always your analysis is deft, well thought out, intuitive and carefully observant. Singed is one of the most meticulously crafted and nuanced characters on the entire show. You are correct in stating that nothing this man does is without purpose or reason. In the episodes to come you will be made privy to the grander machinations of his motivations. He is story is fascinating. Your analysis of Jinx's introspection is noteworthy as well. You see her (as usual) in away that most viewers either can't or won't. But the girl is probably one of the most layered characters in modern fiction. You're one of the only people (besides myself lol) that seems to understand her reluctance to rise above the aimlessness of her perceived station and why. Most viewers see her as this "heir apparent" to Silco's legacy, but Jinx's agency has always been predicated on the notion of proving her worth to others, in particular those she feels closest to. Without Silco and his grander notion of Zaun it's no wonder she feels as aimless as she does. That was his dream; one that she was happy to participate in just as long as her usefulness was recognized. Now, finally at the helm of her own destiny, the girl doesn't have marching orders anymore. Plus she's only 17 years old. Think about everything this kid has had to endure in all that time. The things she's done. The way she chose to live. Jinx is fascinating in that she exists both on the precipice of young adulthood and a lingering state of suspended adolescence and for the first time in her life all of her decisions are her own. But that she is now seen as a champion of the people by the citizens of the Undercity, Isha and even Sevika, given her past and her lack of desire to hold such a title (let alone live up to it) is why her arc is so robust. From Jinx, to scourge, to symbolic hero of the revolution by 17 is not a bad come up for a poor kid from the mean streets of Zaun. lol
I just realized that Silco's corpse wasn't in the chair for a very specific reason. She was there talking to his chair because she was actively trying to trigger herself and make herself hallucinate, because she's desperate to hear his voice again. If his corpse were there, she'd see his body in front of her, and thus would be less likely to start hallucinating him. She was trying to make her mental health worse so that she could have Silco back.
Of course. Jinx deliberately created her hallucinations of Milo and Claggor. To make herself strong. Knowing full well what it cost her to do so. Notice that her talismans of Vi - the flare and the bunny - were kept in a box underneath the feet of Milo’s mannequin.
@@robertwise2032 I think it's a stretch to say she deliberately created her hallucinations of Mylo. Every time he ever showed up in season 1, she was either arguing with him or telling him to go away and shut up. The hallucinations didn't make her strong directly, they just offered her a way to directly interact with her insecurities and have an easier time getting over them than most people do, but their existence wasn't deliberate on her part.
I've seen a few reactors say that when Ambessa is talking about the strength to forgive and trust in the future, she's somehow trying to manipulate Caitlyn, but as far as I can tell she looks completely genuine in that moment. Like you say, she's self-aware. Maybe part of her even wishes she *could* drop the feud, the cycle of violence, but she just doesn't have it in her. She knows that she won't be able to rest until her enemies are brought down. The question left up in the air is, can Caitlyn? The 'Salo is lacking power, like Huck' observation was cool, I never thought of that. I have to watch the discussion portion later, but great reaction!
Yeah someone else said that too, and it’s a strange take to me tbh. I think that there’s a certain weight to that scene that really shows that she’s being vulnerable and honest and speaking from the soul in that moment. Not to mention that it just all-together makes her character more rich and interesting as well, but it wasn’t like I was trying to look for that interpretation lol. It was just the natural conclusion I found and I’m very confident in it personally, as it then echoes to some of her other actions throughout the story. It’s all very cohesive.
@@ajgdude I think it stems from common trend in fandoms to associate evil/morally questionable with "gigabrain 5D chess manipulation" whenever some dialogue line seems at all ambiguous to them between enexpected vulnerability and convenient deception. I've seen it many times with Eren, Light, Johan, Obito, Seiko, Griffith and probably some others that I can't recall right now.
@Reality-Distortion I was the one who left that comment, I just mentioned thats what I onterpreted based on what she had said before and based on the shot composition, and I definitely wasnt the only one who interpreted it that way, so I think you're jumping to conclusions here
The uploads are weekly, so there’ll be one more on TH-cam (and early access on Patreon) before the year is done! But more importantly, thank you, and all the best to you as well!
43:22 Man, the king of detail and layers.Legit But again, can we do the right thing for the wrong reason, now have become what I have to accomplish to get what I want, and is it worth it? Shout out for the great observation and seeing thing underneath the visual and lines!
27:15 missed opportunity to say "shimmering along". Also, the fact you picked up on Warwick = Vander from the goddamn OST. Man, you just built different.
I think that act 4 ultimately did a LOT in it's runtime, with so much going on with so many characters. And so suddenly when act 5 opens with this episode, I was floored by the change. The focus on the very few characters here is so stark. In episode 4 of season 1, we got to see a post timeskip where we visited how everyone is doing, with the sole exception being Vi, whose release from prison sets off the rest of the season alongside Jinx acting for her family. Now we have this episode. Not only is Vi missing, but we do not see or hear from: Jayce, Heimerdinger, Ekko, Mel, and Viktor, the last of whom has been absent for longer, but we hear rumors of him. So much of our cast is gone, and even when Jinx goes to the prison to save her family, it isnt Vi she finds. The parallels are so excellent in this episode, and I am blown away by how such a trimmed down episode can move so much forward. Also the Warwick reveal was known to people who knew League lore, but all we had know was that his latest Lore was "A Zaunite Gangster transformed by Singed". So when Vander got introduced in episode 1 as "Hound of the Underground", i took notice. And fun fact, when Vander is all hulked out and rampaging, a lot of his grunts and growls were directly from Warwick in the game. But they did it so subtly that without that added knowledge you cant see it coming, and yet all the seeds are there from the beginning. I was so wondering how they were going to bring him in with season 2, and they did not disappoint. "It's time to let the monster out" indeed.
I love your take on Caitlyn. How she's basically just filling the shoes of Jayce and his role in driving the political aspect of the show. I actually really enjoy that about Season 2. Most people assume plot threads were abandoned, or themes changed. But it's mostly still there. Typically it's another character filling that Season 1 character's shoes in what is mostly an ingenious manner.
Ambessa grumbles about the incompetence of others then in the next breath admits she screwed up not grabbing Jayce. It nicely reinforces Mel & Alora talking about mom making mistakes out of desperation. I really like the new spin on the girls pretending they're monsters. The kid can't describe her monster so Jinx turns the game into painting the bugs. How they introduced Isha feels lazy to me but how they show her impact on Jinx this episode is beautiful. Great after show breakdown as always.
okay so some more cool details i think you'll appreciate: -isha is wearing bunny ears at the beginning, probably an allusion to vi's bunny plush that she gave to powder -in the shot where both jinx and isha are looking in the mirror, the shattered glass centers around jinx's heart, while barely any touch isha -next to the mirror is a little drawing of isha and jinx in the shape of a heart (which melts mine) -the hideout overall is a lot more vibrant, with all of the symbols that were made out of jinx seemingly trying to control her psychosis back in season 1 gone -speaking of, after she's told isha was captured, jinx has her first psychotic episode of the entire season since silco's death. despite how important they were to each other, i think it's shown so clearly how unhealthy silco was for jinx and how much worse he made her mental health -more of a comment than a detail but maddie and cait are so one sides in their affection it's so uncomfortable omg -salo obviously looks WAY worse but his legs, especially upper legs, have brown and purple spots, most likely due to long term use of shimmer -as someone who uses mobility aids i also want to say i find it very interesting how salo handles it. for the most part it doesn't seem to bother him, rather it's the lack of attention and status that's mostly due to the council's diminishing importance that bothers him. compare this to how viktor viewed his disability. the wealthy and poor can face similar struggles, but the actual struggle for the wealthy is in any perceived lack of importance rather than lack of ability -the lowkey sexual harasser enforcer was actually in the martial law caitlyn coronation -one of the jinxers that's freed is wearing jinx's signature outfit from league -comment, but i loved how jinx looked in the enforcer outfit and how disheveled it was okay now time to talk about warwick. i got spoiled about this before season 1 even finished because league fans are loud. -in vander's proper introduction season in EPISODE 1, "so you're vander? hound of the underground" -episode 3 with silco, "you had my respect, until you played lapdog for them" -warwick's theme is played subtly during that scene in episode 3 as well -warwick has his right forearm replaced, the same one that was scarred by silco -usually with the impact frames, they're either black and white or blue and black if hextech. with warwick, they're red and black finally, not details, just memes spread throughout twitter around this episode. -after ep 3, people were speculating that maddie was a spy as she was the first enforcer to start beating her chest along with the noxians. after this episode, people were saying (or at least one really funny tweet) "mf didn't even know what martial law means she just wanted to HIT" -#KluKluxKiramman started trending on twitter. not really episode 4 specific but it's really funny
Man I knew that Vander was Warwick because of all the foreshadowing but the way they introduced him was so peak, you even hear the "Dear friend" melody during the doom metal song (the DOOM METAL SONG!!!!). Then ending it with the piano version made me tear up. Also Jinx has by far the best close combat fights, ironic
I think its interesting how you interpreted the fireplace scene of ambessa and caitlyn, from the first time I watched it I always assumed Ambessa was manipulating Caitlyn, saying "maybe you have the strength to forgive" seems to me like a manipulative way to say "maybe you think what Jinx did wasnt that bad, maybe you don't care that much". Even the shot frames Ambessa in a way where she's kinda trapping Caitlyn in a corner. But honestly, maybe both the interpretations are correct, I never thought of it as self awareness from Ambessa. This is why I love seeing your reactions to this and how you were able to parallel that with other characters even though I never even interpreted Ambessa that way. super interesting. Great video!
Yeah it was a very clear message for me from that scene and I love the layers it adds to Ambessa, and several episodes later that remains to be true. I think this nature of hers really elevates her a lot. Thank you!
Love your reactions and analysis man especially the parts where you spoke about the different characters and their motivations what they are going through what it means for the overall ideas of the story. Also your appreciation for jinx character and understanding of the fact that powder was probably never gone that jinx powder its one in the same two sides of the same coin in a manner of speaking is just beautiful and its exactly how i have always viewed jinx/powder there are defining aspects for each but these aspects are shown in both. Thank you.
I love the analysis of Ambessa. I think I sometimes forget to look deeper at why she does what she does, boiling her down to a cartoonish villain is a disservice to her (so thank you for helping to understand the subtext of her!) She's undoubtedly a horrible person who will manipulate people she sees as political tools or deadly weapons, but there is some slight hints of vulnerability in her armour. I used to think that her and Cait's discussion in the fireplace room was just pure goading manipulation, but I think her showing some genuine vulnerability and empathy makes her perspective feel more grounded and less like she's trying to solely force Caitlyn's hand to do precisely what she wants.
On the topic of incompetent enforcers etc - It isn't in Ambessas interest for Jinx to ever be found. She wants the Hextech weaponry, not Jinx. As soon as Jinx gets found, Caitlyn will revert to her normal kindly and fair personality and restore the council and normal law. Ambessa complains about not being able to recreate Hextech but clearly doesn't care a whit about mass arrests and cruelty making everything else more difficult. Doing the search for Jinx badly (for instance having Rictus beat people up) is almost certainly on purpose.
I'll just add here - Isha is a miniature Vi, not a miniature Jinx/Powder. Only one other character in Arcane would try to 1vs Rictus even though hilarously outmatched to save a random innocent from harm and it's Vi. Powder would run away, Jinx wouldn't care.
I’m aware about Ambessa, and I argued that point somewhere in the comments as well. I just find it interesting that in spite of whether or not she personally wants Jinx to be found, she clocks it immediately and Sevika and Jinx illustrate the incompetence immediately. This time it actually plays into her hands but it proves her point systematically. And I really can’t say I see where you’re coming from regarding Isha tbh. She has one character trait that definitely parallels Vi but outside of that the narrative role is clear. The character design, blue hair, helmet, big sister/little sister dynamic, the actions she takes and how they foil Powder, how she bridges the gap between the symbols of both Powder and Jinx, etc. She has a sort of boldness and courage that is reminiscent of Vi for sure but outside of that Isha is a clear parallel to Powder aesthetically and thematically. And the story outright states this as Isha helps Jinx reflect and reconcile with the Powder within her. Yes, courage is a common trait between Isha and Vi, but outside of that her role is a Powder parallel and Jinx herself is much more of the pre-timeskip Vi parallel.
[In this comment I talk about Lore aspects of League of Legends that are no longer cannon, as they have been discarded, if you've seen Episode 4, there are no spoilers of Arcane] I was very confused as to how you called Vander "Warwick", as that's the name of the playable character in League of Legends. What I'll write now isn't a Spoiler, as this is the previous history of the character that now is no longer cannon, but Warwick used to be more of a basic werewolf type, his origin story was that he was a vicious gangster who was cursed by an angelic being into being an abomination that would die soon, one that Singed managed to save its life by turning it into Warwick. They then remade his story, and now he was much more steampunk inspired, with all sorts of machinery and bloodlust, this time he was a prominent Zaunite who had been kidnapped by Singed and made into what he is today. After Arcane came out and blew everyone out of the water in the first season, the developers of League of Legends made it so the TV Show Arcane is now the real lore, and they'll just change the in-game lore to adapt it. So they now remade Warwick's story into what the show depicts, he now was Vander. Visually there's still a large difference between in-game Warwick and Arcane Warwick. In-game he's much more wolf, but the show wants us to see Vander, so he's more human.
@@ajgdude Yeah, I was confused at first, but then you explained in the end. To me hearing/seeing the name "Warwick" was nothing I registered because it's what I call the Character due to playing the game (don't play the game). But much like Singed it's not a name acknowledged by the show itself, you'd normally be calling him "The Doctor", you just know these numes by the metadata of the show like the credits or subtitles. That to me is kinda interesting as I don't know how much this element is as purposeful by the creators of the show. Did they intend for the first time viewers to call them Singed or Warwick, or is this an unforeseen consequence of miscommunication between Riot Games / Creators / Netflix? The baseline assumption should probably be that this is intended, and that you should know this name of the character, and it's not like it matters much, it's very minor "info".
Honestly Im having a really hard time understanding why Jinx would be seen as this so called symbol for Zaun that everybody unites under. If anything Jinx should be a symbol everyone unites against considering all the bad things she did to the people of Zaun even before blowing up the council. Speaking of which does the rest of Piltover and Zaun still not know about the peace talks and how she killed Silco? If so why the hell would Piltover withhold such info? I really wish they didnt have Ekko, Jayce, and Heimerdinger dissapear the way they did, Ekko especially. Honestly I feel like Ekko shouldve been the symbol everyone rallies behind, at least thats what last season seem to be building towards. Ive got other gripes big and small bout the episode (Jinx's mental issues and psychosis being mostly absent, isha being more plot device than character, Jinx and Ishas dynamic, lack of explanation to the creation of Warwick, the use of Ambessa and the black rose, etc.) but the whole Jinx as a savior thing is what really sticks out like a sore thumb, and this is coming from someone whose favorite character was Jinx. Also how the hell did all those prisoners not only avoid being ripped apart by Warwick but also avoid Ambessa and countless Noxus soldiers and enforcers on the way back?
I think it’s quite simple and self-explanatory? Jinx has always been aligned with Zaun, she was a loose cannon but was an overall ally and net positive as the former symbol’s daughter (who also stole hextech and helped in combatting Piltover’s technology) and now that she literally launched a bazooka at the council room, killed multiple of Piltover’s elite and sounded the war horn, those who are downtrodden have a very obvious person to worship because in their eyes she did what they had been hoping Zaun could do for ages. She literally killed multiple of the most important people in Piltover, all of whom were actively responsible in dictating their misery. Why on earth wouldn’t they rally around her? Also why on earth would Piltover spend any time at all trying to convince the Undercity that their symbol killed her father and their former symbol on purpose? Why would Zaun even believe what this oppressive regime tries to feed them to turn them against themselves? The first Piltover official to try to tell them this would quite simply die if they’re in any vulnerable position. It’s falling on deaf ears. No one is believing that and Piltover aren’t foolish enough to waste their energy on that, it’s a total non-starter. Also to suggest that Jinx should be a symbol to unite AGAINST for Zaun when Piltover, the Council, enforcers, Caitlyn and her gassing tactics, a legitimate traitor in Vi who assisted in gassing the lanes, and Ambessa exist is kinda insane to me, especially when Jinx literally declared war and killed their direct enemies. Rallying against that would provide them with no cause and emotionally it makes no sense at all for the average Zaun rebel. Being completely honest this comment is quite bizarre to me. All of your questions and critiques have very simple, in-character explanations and your proposals for what should apparently be done instead are much more far-fetched than what you take issue with.
Arcane S2 has lots of parts that you can justifiably critique; you've listed none of them. This isn't critique, it's just being angry and complaining for the sake of complaining.
Well how about the fact that as Silcos right hand she helped him essentially make Zaun a living hell for the majority of the people living there for years. Maybe not as bad as Noxus is doing now buts thats not saying much. Silco wasnt exactly this benevolent leader for Zaun in the same way Vander was trying to be. Lets not forget the whole shimmer smuggling ring and shimmer addicts, the child labor, and the countless people whose lives were ruined/killed by Silco and his men, including the firelights, many of which were killed by Jinx. As for the chemgangs, most of them were more concerned with profit as oppose to Zauns freedom and they basically saw Jinx as a liability to put it mildly. As for whether Piltover telling Zaun about Silcos deal, they couldve easily spun it around to make it seem like Jinx killed Silco cuz he was going to give her up for Zaun freedom, making Jinx seem less like a freedom fighter and more the selfish sociopathic criminal she kinda was. Yes thats not what was going to happen but you cant sit there and tell me Noxus wouldnt try to spin the story in said direction. Hell we see in this episode them making speeches like "Jinx isnt your ally". Would it have worked? Admitedly, I dont see everyone buying it, but again no attempts were even made, and if they were we certainly didnt see, much like alot of things this season. Again going back to what was said before, jinx hasnt exactly endeared herself that much to Zaun either based on the info I provided. Yes what Noxus and Zaun have been doing is awful and in many ways worse than what Silcos reign did but I dont see soo many people running to Jinx as a savior given her past crimes and how she is partly responsible for whats happening in zaun right now. Hows that for in-universe logic?
@@stevenpeeckford5999 By all means enlighten me. Tell me where and why my critiques fall short and where you believe the true flaws of Arcane S2 lie. Im all ears.
@@markrogers4050 The "crime boss" is often the hero of the downtrodden slums. They often offer the only avenue of prosperity for the ignored and uneducated. They also often provide a sense of order amid the chaos. Child labor, while frowned upon by prosperous societies, is necessary in slums. Silco doesn't make the undercity hell, Piltover does. Slico represents a means to survive in hell. I'm not saying it's a great way, but lacking any alternative it's the only way. (Spoilers to follow) Ambessa isn't going to do anything to turn Zaun against Jinx. Do you think she wants to end the conflict? She doesn't. She wants this war... she wants it to get worse and worse so that Piltover will produce hextech weapons that she can obtain... problem is that the scientists have disappeared. This is why she switches to Singed and his "weapon" and Viktor turning her troops into stronger weapons.
You can watch my reaction to the next episode RIGHT NOW on Patreon here (5$+), or the Full Length reaction (10$+): www.patreon.com/Aleczandxr
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Good to see you back, brother. I've been waiting in anticipation for your take on this season and thusly have followed along with every upload, just like last time around. We had a couple of good conversations back then.
I have always appreciated your insight and appreciation for this series. I remember one convo we had that centered around whether or not you'd be coming back to review Arcane again whenever this new season dropped and at the time you generally didn't seem to know.
Glad you chose the path righteous in the end. lol
Seriously, good to see you back, Alec and always your analysis is deft, well thought out, intuitive and carefully observant.
Singed is one of the most meticulously crafted and nuanced characters on the entire show. You are correct in stating that nothing this man does is without purpose or reason. In the episodes to come you will be made privy to the grander machinations of his motivations. He is story is fascinating.
Your analysis of Jinx's introspection is noteworthy as well. You see her (as usual) in away that most viewers either can't or won't. But the girl is probably one of the most layered characters in modern fiction. You're one of the only people (besides myself lol) that seems to understand her reluctance to rise above the aimlessness of her perceived station and why.
Most viewers see her as this "heir apparent" to Silco's legacy, but Jinx's agency has always been predicated on the notion of proving her worth to others, in particular those she feels closest to. Without Silco and his grander notion of Zaun it's no wonder she feels as aimless as she does.
That was his dream; one that she was happy to participate in just as long as her usefulness was recognized. Now, finally at the helm of her own destiny, the girl doesn't have marching orders anymore.
Plus she's only 17 years old. Think about everything this kid has had to endure in all that time. The things she's done. The way she chose to live. Jinx is fascinating in that she exists both on the precipice of young adulthood and a lingering state of suspended adolescence and for the first time in her life all of her decisions are her own.
But that she is now seen as a champion of the people by the citizens of the Undercity, Isha and even Sevika, given her past and her lack of desire to hold such a title (let alone live up to it) is why her arc is so robust.
From Jinx, to scourge, to symbolic hero of the revolution by 17 is not a bad come up for a poor kid from the mean streets of Zaun. lol
I just realized that Silco's corpse wasn't in the chair for a very specific reason. She was there talking to his chair because she was actively trying to trigger herself and make herself hallucinate, because she's desperate to hear his voice again. If his corpse were there, she'd see his body in front of her, and thus would be less likely to start hallucinating him.
She was trying to make her mental health worse so that she could have Silco back.
God damn :(
@ajgdude I know...heavy stuff. That's why she mockingly said *"Still giving me the silent treatment, huh?"*
Of course.
Jinx deliberately created her hallucinations of Milo and Claggor. To make herself strong. Knowing full well what it cost her to do so.
Notice that her talismans of Vi - the flare and the bunny - were kept in a box underneath the feet of Milo’s mannequin.
@@robertwise2032 I think it's a stretch to say she deliberately created her hallucinations of Mylo. Every time he ever showed up in season 1, she was either arguing with him or telling him to go away and shut up. The hallucinations didn't make her strong directly, they just offered her a way to directly interact with her insecurities and have an easier time getting over them than most people do, but their existence wasn't deliberate on her part.
@@robertwise2032 It wasn't deliberate at all, that's not true. Psychosis isn't deliberate.
The fact that you realized it was Vander just from the background music is crazy. Congratulations on your attention to detail 👏
I've seen a few reactors say that when Ambessa is talking about the strength to forgive and trust in the future, she's somehow trying to manipulate Caitlyn, but as far as I can tell she looks completely genuine in that moment. Like you say, she's self-aware. Maybe part of her even wishes she *could* drop the feud, the cycle of violence, but she just doesn't have it in her. She knows that she won't be able to rest until her enemies are brought down. The question left up in the air is, can Caitlyn?
The 'Salo is lacking power, like Huck' observation was cool, I never thought of that.
I have to watch the discussion portion later, but great reaction!
Yeah someone else said that too, and it’s a strange take to me tbh. I think that there’s a certain weight to that scene that really shows that she’s being vulnerable and honest and speaking from the soul in that moment. Not to mention that it just all-together makes her character more rich and interesting as well, but it wasn’t like I was trying to look for that interpretation lol. It was just the natural conclusion I found and I’m very confident in it personally, as it then echoes to some of her other actions throughout the story. It’s all very cohesive.
@@ajgdude I think it stems from common trend in fandoms to associate evil/morally questionable with "gigabrain 5D chess manipulation" whenever some dialogue line seems at all ambiguous to them between enexpected vulnerability and convenient deception. I've seen it many times with Eren, Light, Johan, Obito, Seiko, Griffith and probably some others that I can't recall right now.
@Reality-Distortion I was the one who left that comment, I just mentioned thats what I onterpreted based on what she had said before and based on the shot composition, and I definitely wasnt the only one who interpreted it that way, so I think you're jumping to conclusions here
Welcome back King 👑. In case we won't see more of you this year: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year my friend!
The uploads are weekly, so there’ll be one more on TH-cam (and early access on Patreon) before the year is done! But more importantly, thank you, and all the best to you as well!
43:22 Man, the king of detail and layers.Legit
But again, can we do the right thing for the wrong reason, now have become what I have to accomplish to get what I want, and is it worth it?
Shout out for the great observation and seeing thing underneath the visual and lines!
27:15 missed opportunity to say "shimmering along".
Also, the fact you picked up on Warwick = Vander from the goddamn OST. Man, you just built different.
I think that act 4 ultimately did a LOT in it's runtime, with so much going on with so many characters. And so suddenly when act 5 opens with this episode, I was floored by the change. The focus on the very few characters here is so stark. In episode 4 of season 1, we got to see a post timeskip where we visited how everyone is doing, with the sole exception being Vi, whose release from prison sets off the rest of the season alongside Jinx acting for her family.
Now we have this episode. Not only is Vi missing, but we do not see or hear from: Jayce, Heimerdinger, Ekko, Mel, and Viktor, the last of whom has been absent for longer, but we hear rumors of him. So much of our cast is gone, and even when Jinx goes to the prison to save her family, it isnt Vi she finds. The parallels are so excellent in this episode, and I am blown away by how such a trimmed down episode can move so much forward.
Also the Warwick reveal was known to people who knew League lore, but all we had know was that his latest Lore was "A Zaunite Gangster transformed by Singed". So when Vander got introduced in episode 1 as "Hound of the Underground", i took notice. And fun fact, when Vander is all hulked out and rampaging, a lot of his grunts and growls were directly from Warwick in the game. But they did it so subtly that without that added knowledge you cant see it coming, and yet all the seeds are there from the beginning. I was so wondering how they were going to bring him in with season 2, and they did not disappoint. "It's time to let the monster out" indeed.
I love your take on Caitlyn. How she's basically just filling the shoes of Jayce and his role in driving the political aspect of the show. I actually really enjoy that about Season 2. Most people assume plot threads were abandoned, or themes changed. But it's mostly still there. Typically it's another character filling that Season 1 character's shoes in what is mostly an ingenious manner.
Ambessa grumbles about the incompetence of others then in the next breath admits she screwed up not grabbing Jayce. It nicely reinforces Mel & Alora talking about mom making mistakes out of desperation.
I really like the new spin on the girls pretending they're monsters. The kid can't describe her monster so Jinx turns the game into painting the bugs. How they introduced Isha feels lazy to me but how they show her impact on Jinx this episode is beautiful.
Great after show breakdown as always.
okay so some more cool details i think you'll appreciate:
-isha is wearing bunny ears at the beginning, probably an allusion to vi's bunny plush that she gave to powder
-in the shot where both jinx and isha are looking in the mirror, the shattered glass centers around jinx's heart, while barely any touch isha
-next to the mirror is a little drawing of isha and jinx in the shape of a heart (which melts mine)
-the hideout overall is a lot more vibrant, with all of the symbols that were made out of jinx seemingly trying to control her psychosis back in season 1 gone
-speaking of, after she's told isha was captured, jinx has her first psychotic episode of the entire season since silco's death. despite how important they were to each other, i think it's shown so clearly how unhealthy silco was for jinx and how much worse he made her mental health
-more of a comment than a detail but maddie and cait are so one sides in their affection it's so uncomfortable omg
-salo obviously looks WAY worse but his legs, especially upper legs, have brown and purple spots, most likely due to long term use of shimmer
-as someone who uses mobility aids i also want to say i find it very interesting how salo handles it. for the most part it doesn't seem to bother him, rather it's the lack of attention and status that's mostly due to the council's diminishing importance that bothers him. compare this to how viktor viewed his disability. the wealthy and poor can face similar struggles, but the actual struggle for the wealthy is in any perceived lack of importance rather than lack of ability
-the lowkey sexual harasser enforcer was actually in the martial law caitlyn coronation
-one of the jinxers that's freed is wearing jinx's signature outfit from league
-comment, but i loved how jinx looked in the enforcer outfit and how disheveled it was
okay now time to talk about warwick. i got spoiled about this before season 1 even finished because league fans are loud.
-in vander's proper introduction season in EPISODE 1, "so you're vander? hound of the underground"
-episode 3 with silco, "you had my respect, until you played lapdog for them"
-warwick's theme is played subtly during that scene in episode 3 as well
-warwick has his right forearm replaced, the same one that was scarred by silco
-usually with the impact frames, they're either black and white or blue and black if hextech. with warwick, they're red and black
finally, not details, just memes spread throughout twitter around this episode.
-after ep 3, people were speculating that maddie was a spy as she was the first enforcer to start beating her chest along with the noxians. after this episode, people were saying (or at least one really funny tweet) "mf didn't even know what martial law means she just wanted to HIT"
-#KluKluxKiramman started trending on twitter. not really episode 4 specific but it's really funny
Thanks so much as always! Lots of great stuff here, love the details. Also that hashtag is INSANE
Man I knew that Vander was Warwick because of all the foreshadowing but the way they introduced him was so peak, you even hear the "Dear friend" melody during the doom metal song (the DOOM METAL SONG!!!!). Then ending it with the piano version made me tear up. Also Jinx has by far the best close combat fights, ironic
I think its interesting how you interpreted the fireplace scene of ambessa and caitlyn, from the first time I watched it I always assumed Ambessa was manipulating Caitlyn, saying "maybe you have the strength to forgive" seems to me like a manipulative way to say "maybe you think what Jinx did wasnt that bad, maybe you don't care that much". Even the shot frames Ambessa in a way where she's kinda trapping Caitlyn in a corner. But honestly, maybe both the interpretations are correct, I never thought of it as self awareness from Ambessa. This is why I love seeing your reactions to this and how you were able to parallel that with other characters even though I never even interpreted Ambessa that way. super interesting. Great video!
Yeah it was a very clear message for me from that scene and I love the layers it adds to Ambessa, and several episodes later that remains to be true. I think this nature of hers really elevates her a lot. Thank you!
Love your reactions and analysis man especially the parts where you spoke about the different characters and their motivations what they are going through what it means for the overall ideas of the story. Also your appreciation for jinx character and understanding of the fact that powder was probably never gone that jinx powder its one in the same two sides of the same coin in a manner of speaking is just beautiful and its exactly how i have always viewed jinx/powder there are defining aspects for each but these aspects are shown in both. Thank you.
Thank You and Happy Holidays ❤
I love the analysis of Ambessa. I think I sometimes forget to look deeper at why she does what she does, boiling her down to a cartoonish villain is a disservice to her (so thank you for helping to understand the subtext of her!)
She's undoubtedly a horrible person who will manipulate people she sees as political tools or deadly weapons, but there is some slight hints of vulnerability in her armour.
I used to think that her and Cait's discussion in the fireplace room was just pure goading manipulation, but I think her showing some genuine vulnerability and empathy makes her perspective feel more grounded and less like she's trying to solely force Caitlyn's hand to do precisely what she wants.
Can't wait for 2x7. I hope you love it.
This is the episode in Season 2 most similar to Season 1, in my opinion.
On the topic of incompetent enforcers etc - It isn't in Ambessas interest for Jinx to ever be found.
She wants the Hextech weaponry, not Jinx. As soon as Jinx gets found, Caitlyn will revert to her normal kindly and fair personality and restore the council and normal law.
Ambessa complains about not being able to recreate Hextech but clearly doesn't care a whit about mass arrests and cruelty making everything else more difficult. Doing the search for Jinx badly (for instance having Rictus beat people up) is almost certainly on purpose.
I'll just add here - Isha is a miniature Vi, not a miniature Jinx/Powder.
Only one other character in Arcane would try to 1vs Rictus even though hilarously outmatched to save a random innocent from harm and it's Vi.
Powder would run away, Jinx wouldn't care.
I’m aware about Ambessa, and I argued that point somewhere in the comments as well. I just find it interesting that in spite of whether or not she personally wants Jinx to be found, she clocks it immediately and Sevika and Jinx illustrate the incompetence immediately. This time it actually plays into her hands but it proves her point systematically.
And I really can’t say I see where you’re coming from regarding Isha tbh. She has one character trait that definitely parallels Vi but outside of that the narrative role is clear. The character design, blue hair, helmet, big sister/little sister dynamic, the actions she takes and how they foil Powder, how she bridges the gap between the symbols of both Powder and Jinx, etc. She has a sort of boldness and courage that is reminiscent of Vi for sure but outside of that Isha is a clear parallel to Powder aesthetically and thematically. And the story outright states this as Isha helps Jinx reflect and reconcile with the Powder within her. Yes, courage is a common trait between Isha and Vi, but outside of that her role is a Powder parallel and Jinx herself is much more of the pre-timeskip Vi parallel.
@@ajgdude Actually I think you are right, I just saw more of Vi than Powder on first glance but your points have changed my mind.
[In this comment I talk about Lore aspects of League of Legends that are no longer cannon, as they have been discarded, if you've seen Episode 4, there are no spoilers of Arcane]
I was very confused as to how you called Vander "Warwick", as that's the name of the playable character in League of Legends.
What I'll write now isn't a Spoiler, as this is the previous history of the character that now is no longer cannon, but Warwick used to be more of a basic werewolf type, his origin story was that he was a vicious gangster who was cursed by an angelic being into being an abomination that would die soon, one that Singed managed to save its life by turning it into Warwick.
They then remade his story, and now he was much more steampunk inspired, with all sorts of machinery and bloodlust, this time he was a prominent Zaunite who had been kidnapped by Singed and made into what he is today.
After Arcane came out and blew everyone out of the water in the first season, the developers of League of Legends made it so the TV Show Arcane is now the real lore, and they'll just change the in-game lore to adapt it. So they now remade Warwick's story into what the show depicts, he now was Vander.
Visually there's still a large difference between in-game Warwick and Arcane Warwick. In-game he's much more wolf, but the show wants us to see Vander, so he's more human.
"Warwick" literally appears in the subtitles when he says "Powder"
Yeah I was just repeating what the subtitles said
@@ajgdude Yeah, I was confused at first, but then you explained in the end.
To me hearing/seeing the name "Warwick" was nothing I registered because it's what I call the Character due to playing the game (don't play the game). But much like Singed it's not a name acknowledged by the show itself, you'd normally be calling him "The Doctor", you just know these numes by the metadata of the show like the credits or subtitles.
That to me is kinda interesting as I don't know how much this element is as purposeful by the creators of the show. Did they intend for the first time viewers to call them Singed or Warwick, or is this an unforeseen consequence of miscommunication between Riot Games / Creators / Netflix?
The baseline assumption should probably be that this is intended, and that you should know this name of the character, and it's not like it matters much, it's very minor "info".
Peak
Act 5 is the best act in arcane
Act 3 > Act 5 for me
Honestly Im having a really hard time understanding why Jinx would be seen as this so called symbol for Zaun that everybody unites under. If anything Jinx should be a symbol everyone unites against considering all the bad things she did to the people of Zaun even before blowing up the council. Speaking of which does the rest of Piltover and Zaun still not know about the peace talks and how she killed Silco? If so why the hell would Piltover withhold such info?
I really wish they didnt have Ekko, Jayce, and Heimerdinger dissapear the way they did, Ekko especially. Honestly I feel like Ekko shouldve been the symbol everyone rallies behind, at least thats what last season seem to be building towards.
Ive got other gripes big and small bout the episode (Jinx's mental issues and psychosis being mostly absent, isha being more plot device than character, Jinx and Ishas dynamic, lack of explanation to the creation of Warwick, the use of Ambessa and the black rose, etc.) but the whole Jinx as a savior thing is what really sticks out like a sore thumb, and this is coming from someone whose favorite character was Jinx.
Also how the hell did all those prisoners not only avoid being ripped apart by Warwick but also avoid Ambessa and countless Noxus soldiers and enforcers on the way back?
I think it’s quite simple and self-explanatory? Jinx has always been aligned with Zaun, she was a loose cannon but was an overall ally and net positive as the former symbol’s daughter (who also stole hextech and helped in combatting Piltover’s technology) and now that she literally launched a bazooka at the council room, killed multiple of Piltover’s elite and sounded the war horn, those who are downtrodden have a very obvious person to worship because in their eyes she did what they had been hoping Zaun could do for ages. She literally killed multiple of the most important people in Piltover, all of whom were actively responsible in dictating their misery. Why on earth wouldn’t they rally around her?
Also why on earth would Piltover spend any time at all trying to convince the Undercity that their symbol killed her father and their former symbol on purpose? Why would Zaun even believe what this oppressive regime tries to feed them to turn them against themselves? The first Piltover official to try to tell them this would quite simply die if they’re in any vulnerable position. It’s falling on deaf ears. No one is believing that and Piltover aren’t foolish enough to waste their energy on that, it’s a total non-starter.
Also to suggest that Jinx should be a symbol to unite AGAINST for Zaun when Piltover, the Council, enforcers, Caitlyn and her gassing tactics, a legitimate traitor in Vi who assisted in gassing the lanes, and Ambessa exist is kinda insane to me, especially when Jinx literally declared war and killed their direct enemies. Rallying against that would provide them with no cause and emotionally it makes no sense at all for the average Zaun rebel.
Being completely honest this comment is quite bizarre to me. All of your questions and critiques have very simple, in-character explanations and your proposals for what should apparently be done instead are much more far-fetched than what you take issue with.
Arcane S2 has lots of parts that you can justifiably critique; you've listed none of them. This isn't critique, it's just being angry and complaining for the sake of complaining.
Well how about the fact that as Silcos right hand she helped him essentially make Zaun a living hell for the majority of the people living there for years. Maybe not as bad as Noxus is doing now buts thats not saying much. Silco wasnt exactly this benevolent leader for Zaun in the same way Vander was trying to be. Lets not forget the whole shimmer smuggling ring and shimmer addicts, the child labor, and the countless people whose lives were ruined/killed by Silco and his men, including the firelights, many of which were killed by Jinx. As for the chemgangs, most of them were more concerned with profit as oppose to Zauns freedom and they basically saw Jinx as a liability to put it mildly.
As for whether Piltover telling Zaun about Silcos deal, they couldve easily spun it around to make it seem like Jinx killed Silco cuz he was going to give her up for Zaun freedom, making Jinx seem less like a freedom fighter and more the selfish sociopathic criminal she kinda was. Yes thats not what was going to happen but you cant sit there and tell me Noxus wouldnt try to spin the story in said direction. Hell we see in this episode them making speeches like "Jinx isnt your ally". Would it have worked? Admitedly, I dont see everyone buying it, but again no attempts were even made, and if they were we certainly didnt see, much like alot of things this season.
Again going back to what was said before, jinx hasnt exactly endeared herself that much to Zaun either based on the info I provided. Yes what Noxus and Zaun have been doing is awful and in many ways worse than what Silcos reign did but I dont see soo many people running to Jinx as a savior given her past crimes and how she is partly responsible for whats happening in zaun right now.
Hows that for in-universe logic?
@@stevenpeeckford5999 By all means enlighten me. Tell me where and why my critiques fall short and where you believe the true flaws of Arcane S2 lie. Im all ears.
@@markrogers4050 The "crime boss" is often the hero of the downtrodden slums. They often offer the only avenue of prosperity for the ignored and uneducated. They also often provide a sense of order amid the chaos. Child labor, while frowned upon by prosperous societies, is necessary in slums. Silco doesn't make the undercity hell, Piltover does. Slico represents a means to survive in hell. I'm not saying it's a great way, but lacking any alternative it's the only way.
(Spoilers to follow)
Ambessa isn't going to do anything to turn Zaun against Jinx. Do you think she wants to end the conflict? She doesn't. She wants this war... she wants it to get worse and worse so that Piltover will produce hextech weapons that she can obtain... problem is that the scientists have disappeared. This is why she switches to Singed and his "weapon" and Viktor turning her troops into stronger weapons.