I think its something about watching jinx and vi losing that hope for a strong and warm father figure (almost god like for children) for a second time.
Nerdy, I think you might be missing a lot of dialogues while watching and that's making you confused about somethings, for instance when you don't get why Vi does not get noticed by the guards, Caitlyn showed how their patrol scheme is like so she could get out, when you don't know what's wrong with Jayce, in the previous episode Viktor says that Jayce is being controlled by someone or something that can be deduced is that gem on his wrist, and when you can't figure out how much time has passed, there's always some little things that helps you speculate the time passed, they won't make it obvious putting the date on screen, but if you feel it doesn't make sense that some scene is in the same time-line as the previous scenes, it's enough evidence that some time has passed. Another thing, you were confused about the magic sources, I'm not super into league lore but, they haven't said that the only source of magic are the gemstones, the gemstones are magic objects that they extract magic from to use in hextec and some mages do the same on their on, that's not off show lore that's what we learn in the show, it doesn't mean that other types of magic doesn't exist and that all the mages must carry their gemstones to conjure magic.
its a mentality thing. they clearly enjoy shows they watch, but when they dont understand things, they assume the show is bad and doesnt explain itself
Nerdy, I think you need a rewatch of the season so far before the final arc. The episodes are RIDDLED with details that make everyting make so much more sense. We are so pulled with the emotions with the first reaction that I can see why you're lost. I don't think you need the final 3 episodes to understand and love it. Also, remember that this show is character driven, not plot driven, I think you're getting caught up in asking yourself "what is the purpose of this plot-wise" and the show is telling you: that's not the right question to ask.
Which is probably the biggest weakness of the show that is nearly perfect. This season felt a bit too tight. I get why cause it wants you to feel things are getting worse and there is less and less time to breath but you definitely miss a lot the first watch. Which for a lot of us is not a problem cause we have another reason to watch it again.
100% agree. Every single time I’ve thought there was a loose end or plot hole, a rewatch or a conversation with friends has made me realize I just missed stuff.
@@nathantomaneng7259 Weakness. If people cant follow properly because it goes too fast is definitely a weakness. Also weakness is used relatively. Compared to everything else in the show it is. Compared to other garbage its still better of course.
Caitlyn to Vi, an experienced cat burglar and ex prisoner: "Here's a schematic of the camp, the path the guards take, and information that Ambessa has minimal guards in her inner parameter." KN: I find this escape hard to believe.
Caitlyn realizes what she was doing wrong was when they talk to Singed. Caitlyn hates Singed and calls him a "monster" because he created Shimmer and does inhuman experiments. When Singed tells her what he did was for the love of his daughter, Caitlyn realizes that because of her love for her mom, she might be doing something evil as well. That makes her understand that not everything can be justified for love but also that she would still be willing to help people that she loves (Vi) for good. This is exactly the message they were trying to convey through this episode, that there are 2 sides of a coin. Love makes us do both good and bad things. Caitlyn's love for her mother made her do bad things but her love for Vi makes her do good. That is exactly what they were trying to tell us.
She probably also realizes Ambessa's true nature because she attempts to help singed do even more crazy inhuman experiments. It exposes the war hungry monster that Ambessa is. Cait wants vengeance against Jinx , but she doesn't want Singed to continue his work and cause even more damage. Her goal was to end shimmer and bring Jinx to justice.
I think the point of the show is cyclical mistakes and repetitions. Isha becomes Jinx becomes Silco becomes Vander. People don’t understand each other and judge them then repeat the same mistakes. Isha blows herself up acting rashly like Jinx did, who became like Silco as she raised her. Silco became like Vander after raising jinx. And so on. This is what Viktor comments on while he is dying. Capacity for good and evil is linked. Nobody understands and tries to stop the pattern. Nobody learns until they are burned.
I disagree about Isha and Jinx. When Jinx acted in s1e3, she wasn't thinking about the consequences of her actions, and didn't understand the power of the hexstones. Her plan also completely backfired. Isha clearly knew what she was doing, and understood the power of what she was about to unleash, and was completely successful (apparently) in her efforts. She chose to sacrifice herself to save jinx.
I get the impression a lot that Nerdy didn't brush up on Season 1 and forgot a lot of stuff between the two seasons coming out. A lot of his questioning of the show has been brought up in the show already. This show LOVES to make call backs to previous things, so if you are forgetting details that happened prior, of course its going to seem out of the blue.
You guys are kinda killing me. You keep criticizing the show for not explaining things it explicitly explained. There was literally a flashback of Caitlyn telling Vi specifically how to escape the patrols.
I think Vi was able to escape without the soldiers seeing her, is because Caitlyn earlier showed her all the soldiers' positions so she could sneak past them
it wasn't convenient that there was no one guarding the tent. The big guy WAS in the tent when Cait brought her in. He's enough of a guard for the "threat." A peaceful group of hippies with no weapons. He left when Vi arrived because he was sent away by Ambessa for privacy. They had no reason to suspect Ambessa was in danger because she can handle herself and Vi was in handcuffs. We see the big guy later near Vander so that's probably what he was up to. Also, Cait had a monologue telling Vi where all the guards were. She would have known and also it was HER who walked VI in. Meaning she would have gotten past the defenses. And since VI and Cait knew where the guards were they could have evaded them after subduing Ambessa. Not too much of a stretch. I don't think they were on super high alert for assassination in this scenario. Noxus armies are probably fairly arrogant especially in situations where their enemies are pacifists.
yeah, I agree. They assumed that the area was secure when it was just an area of Pacifist. No one bothers to patrol around because there haven't been rulebreakers in the area . At least, up until Jinx and Ambessa came for the wolf
For Vi escaping the camp, I just thought that since Caitlyn already mapped out the camp, Vi knew the most efficient way to get out and she can knock out the soldiers she has to escape
the first 16 years of violet's life were spent breaking into places and stealing things. Then cait gave her the exact security layout. Find something else to complain about lmao
@@jasonmarbach Huck might come back if Viktor does. I'm pretty certain that Vander will never come back, even if that body is still alive. Four to six deaths.
I love how they said in the post episode chat in ep 3 or 4, that they don't react like other reactors and break it all down and hyper analyze everything yet miss sooooo many details. love watching these bizarre reactions based off half truths and misconceptions to the actual show watched. it sure makes for a good time LMAO
Isha didn't steal the gems to be a thief, or cause mischief, or screw Vi, or anything like that. Vi doesn't understand ger gauntlets or the danger posed by the hex gems, so she just drops her gauntlets when she isn't using them. Jinx designed her own weapons and understands hextech. She knows the gem is the heart of the device, so when she gives over her weapon, she pops the gem out and keeps it. Isha noticed, and realized they shouldn't leave the gems in Vi's gauntlets, because she's smart and observant. Of course, that's also why she does what she does when Vander goes berserk.
The series is an exploration of love, and the positive and negative things it can push us to do and the horrific and heroic acts we use it to justify. That's been at the center of every characters actions.
Every time Jinx surrenders to death it is at the hands of people so close to her that she deems them family. Isha has seem this and has always been there to get Jinx back into the fight, to get her out of that slump. And each time Isha does this she loses her helmet, her protection.
Isha's song, the last words the Chinese singer says translates to this: "I'm just fine this way" meaning that she didn't want to die but she accepts it has to be that way. Isha's name also multiple meanings, two of the most important are "Healer & The One Who Protects". That brush moments are intentional; we saw ourselves as a kid in brighter memories. Memories where all was bright, colorful, and joyful. We never wanted to change that, but we did. Also, two symbolism, Isha’s paint color is blue symbolism for Powder as she is catching up to Jinx purple to heal her soul. Also notice how Jinx’s eyes flutter blue at least twice as they are jumping. Now Isha's soul says those last words to Jinx, unheared by death, echoed on us. This show is the epitome of show, don’t tell. So many times, I wish more dialogue was written, or I wrote it my own. But they left it up to the audience to interpret the situation based on their own perceptions. And this truly epitomized by the character of Isha, a character that is mute, doesn’t say a single line of dialogue, which also represents the voices going away in Jinx’s head. People don't realize it yet, but the writers made their point of this act very clear from the beginning. The second we see Maddie with Caitlyn, we feel betrayed and hurt, some even hate Maddie herself. We feel bad for Vi and we feel cheated on as an audience, but time and people move forward, even if it's temporarily or attempt to "fill a hole,” but Maddie also played a secondary role; to help keep Cait's humanity. Warwick and Isha's roles were to heal Jinx, bring back her humanity, heal sisters and a family. And just like the intro of the act, it's the outro, we have it all torn away and are betrayed.
Said it way better than I could of. Jinx may also have a different understanding of the events in season 1 and why Vi didnt want her to go to Silcos, and what she was afraid could have happened.
If theres 100 people in the commune they each would need a basket for carrying food/small tools. Those things take like a day to make each. That's 3 months of labor right there. It's also one of the first signs of a developing civilization. Along with smithing. So maybe it's showing the arcane starting a new world from scratch?
8:59 as a sapphic, Cait definitely tops in that relationship. Wish Vi would top me tho 😢 9:08 I agree with this too tho, Cait has I’m in control everywhere but- and Vi also has stone top vibes idk. They switch.
First, regarding Vi escaping capture: I think Caitlyn tactical skills is not mentioned enough. Caitlyn is one of the most intelligent and strategic characters in the show. Her ability to anticipate where every soldier would be is completely in line with her character. She’s like a mix of Spider-Man or Batman in detective mode in the video games-sharp, methodical, and calculated. The prison break wasn’t meant to be overly complicated; it was straightforward and effective, showcasing how similar Jinx and Caitlyn are in terms of being smart and calculated. As for the Jayce and Viktor dynamic, I was surprised by the lack of theorizing in the review. While it’s valid to feel confused about Jayce potentially killing Viktor, this is the kind of moment that invites speculation. Arcane often leaves gaps for viewers to fill with their own ideas and resources, rather than spoon-feeding every detail. For me, the fun is in building theories and trying to piece together what’s coming next. I feel like moments like these are missed opportunities for deeper engagement, especially since Arcane’s strength lies in its layered storytelling. The same goes for the question of why Vander was brought back only to be killed. It’s a fascinating narrative choice that begs for speculation. Rather than dismissing it, I think it’s worth considering why this happened and what it means for other characters or themes in the show. Some of the best moments in reactions come from theorizing and exploring those “what ifs.” For me it’s quite obvious that Vander was brought back as a way to make Viktor even stronger. Like the professor was saying Vander is the perfect Shimmer project and Viktor is the perfect Hextech project. Combining them would make Viktor a god basically. Where was that discusssion in the review? On the topic of character deaths, I did find it inconsistent to say, “I hope they aren’t done with Viktor and Jayce” while also suggesting that “no character stays dead.” That’s a valid observation, but it could’ve been unpacked more thoughtfully instead of being left as a contradiction. Lastly, while I enjoy Nerdy’s enthusiasm, I do think some of the commentary comes off as disconnected at times, especially when speculating about future episodes. It would be great to see a stronger focus on analyzing the episode at hand rather than jumping to episodes that haven’t happen yet. That said, I understand that everyone has their own style, and part of the fun of reactions is sharing their immediate thoughts. This show is heavily character driven instead of plot driven. Every choice is due to the characters.
Some Act 2 Call Backs - Jayce, Ekko, and Heim definitely saw some evil twisted world. We are so sad and focused on the "Arcane" (getting vander back, all the happiness) that we didn’t focus on the little sinister details behind the scenes. One Salo isn’t breathing when they are in the hexgate mesh, they also did very quick camera flutter, but they show a very sinister image of non-human existing instead of salo as a human. Also, I don’t think a lot of people noticed, but Vander didn’t just disappear because of Viktor’s death. Singed most likely woke up and injected the Serum into Warwick after Caitlyn, Vi, and Jinx walked out. Season 1 - Vi "Oil & Water" Season 2 - Caitlyn "You look like an angry oil slick." Also some people don't realize when Vi is telling us the plan, she is actually talking to Jinx because she says "You're not going to like it." Meaning Vi told Jinx the plan because she's going to have to trust Caitlyn. Ironically she didn't tell Caitlyn that Jinx knew the plan.
when we saw salo in the hex core room look at his breath u cant see anything but when we see any other character in there u can see that its cold from their breath so that could mean what ever victor did to him makes it so that he does not need to breathe whatever that means for salo and the rest the people victor ''cured''
Welcome to Nitpick Nightly. I’m sorry, but I feel like Nerdy’s media literacy is declining. Clarus tries her best to explain the show without just arguing on camera. The point about human nature is literally playing over examples of what he is talking about. It’s a high level philosophical statement.
He has a tendency to judge shows based around what he thinks they are instead of what they actually are. I prefer his reactions to live action stuff, because he brings up a bunch of things about lighting, framing, etc that I'm genuinely unaware of so lack appreciation for.
Yup, especially since I'm really good at grasping the little details in most shows right away, I get a little frustrated when people complain, when it's pretty much mostly things going over their heads. I stopped watching this channel because it annoyed me how slow they can be sometimes, but I decided to give them another shot only to be disappointed yet again
I get that it is hard to put things together when reacting to a first time viewing. Hope this helps. Cat showed Vi where the guards are. It was really explicit. As for the prison break, there were no guards at the door for some reason that may or may not have to do with the wolf-shaped hole in the wall. The writers hands are a bit tied having to get characters to where they are in the game. Also, not justifying but I take the grey as like bad weather for the underground they used to clear the streets so the cops could minimize civilian exposure. I think the dominatrix gang got knocked out by Vi not the gas. I mean Jinx hung out in it for quite a bit and coughed some.
Vander coming back was the only thing to bring Vi and Jinx together. His "death" in Season 1 was what destroyed their bond. Vander served his purpose for the character's motives and the emotion beat for the audience.
At 1:25 in the episode Victor says "That isn't Jayce. There is another will at work within him" Isha sacrificing herself is a direct callback to Season 1 Episode 3. Powder uses 3 crystals and kills her family by accident. Isha knows better. She gets in close and points the gun up to limit collateral damage.
Vander(now Warwick) has extremely powerful regenerative abilities as shown in his fight with Vi, I'm expecting him to be in a really bad state next episode but not dead and think he will eventually regenerate. I also think Victor's death will have likely killed or at least severely weakened what's left of Vander inside the creatures mind.
My two observations. 1st, I suspect Victor's closing thoughts have little to do with Jayce and more to do with everything happening around him. 2nd, Maybe I'm weird but at no time sense Jayce has returned have I been under the impression I'm supposed to understand exactly what's going on with him, therefore I'm not bothered by not understanding by the fact that it hasn't been explained yet.
I think you guys are definitely are in the minority about not liking the show at the moment. perhaps once a full picture is painted that can be remedied. But overall I think Nerdy is thinking too deep.... Not to say it's bad but I've notice that nerdy like to think deep into everything and sometime doing so break the illusion? It's fun to dive into details, you're just doing it often that any stage magic just fall apart and you see the cracks. Because I myself do decipher everything I see, but I learned to turn those off whenever I want to enjoy something.
Nah I think he's just missing details. He's trying to critique like he's caught everything, but he's missing some pretty obvious answers to his gripes. Maybe if he rewatched, he'd catch them.
Viktor dies also and he has a name, but well...We need to wait at least 3 days to be 100% sure. For Vander flashbacks are watercolor, like some more primitive For Isha flashbacks are pencils, like a kid would use. Cat and Vi, Top and Brat for sure. 10:50 "We are murdering kids now Jayce?" Well, it's not his first rodeo
Jace, as far as I can figure is basically like on a bad trip that won't end... his thought process is muddled, fractured, irrational, and insane, because he's been driven insane. I'm not so sure everyone died at the end from that gun blast from the kid - - big flash of light doesn't necessarily = explosion that kills everyone. We don't know what happened, but it's probably less than you're assuming except the Jace did kill Victor... though Victor's disembodied higher self seems at one whatever magic/spiritual realm Jace also appears to inhabit, that's part of the HexTech's source. We might see him again as something akin to a "force ghost"?
during the isha death scene i was just looking at nerdy's face, and then i look over to clarus and her face is DRENCHED in tears lmao, you can tell this ep destroyed her
I'm not sure if they ever state it, but if you watch with subs on then the captions label some of her grunts or whatever as from Isha. Also spoiled that it was Warwick.
This does not change the fact that in Australia there are 48 million kangaroos and in Uruguay there are 3,457,380 inhabitants. So if the kangaroos decide to invade Uruguay, each Uruguayan will have to fight 14 kangaroos.
why they brought Vander back? Vander isn't Warwick yet. I'm assuming this was their shot to give Warwick his actual back story that league players have been pondering for years. They made it make sense. He literally was shown regenerating in the previous episode so Warwick is most certainly still alive. Pretty sure we haven't seen Viktors final form either so he's still alive. Arcane is a Prequel to League. All of these named characters are champions that make their way to Summoners Rift. All of this is just back story. I wish more folks understood that this is a Prequel to an ongoing story.
I think I like S2 a lot more, but I feel the same way about its story. In S1 everything was always building towards the inevitable conflict between the upper city and lower city over their inequality. Every single character thread involved this. The fight over Jynx's soul, and themes of family were central too. But there was clear, singular focus in the plot. There is no unifying, non-symbolic conflict this season. The theme of family is even stronger, but less universal (Caitlyn, Viktor, Jayce, etc. aren't as tied to it). Meanwhile who are the main ideas or groups that are escalating towards a climax? We have no fucking idea. Is it upper class v lower class? Is it magic v humanity? Is it Noxus v Piltover (war v civility)? And what is the looming threat we're afraid of being able to overcome? Is it the wild arcane? The black rose? Ambessa and Noxus? Escalating new superweapons (hextech, Vanderwolf, shimmer)? This is also really unclear. In the first season we knew it was the escalation of power on both sides thanks to hextech (Jynx's vs Jayce's). I love a lot of this season's individual sequences. Some of them will live in my mind forever (i did cry at this episode's final sequence, though I agree Viktor's quote didn't make sense to me). But I'm not as invested in the broader story. I want to see more because it's great and cool looking. But I don't have specific hopes or things I'm rooting for in the way I did at this point in S1. Like, literally, is there even still a conflict between upper city and lower? For almost 3 episodes now Ambessa's basically just acting on her own and we have no idea what sentiment is like among the upper city public or military.
I agree a bit with Nerdy. I think it's starting to show that they need to work towards the characters lining up with the existing lore and they seem to be in a hurry to do so due to time constraints (or at least that's how it feels to me). I also think you guys are missing some stuff though. Some of the questions you have are being answered or at least hinted at in the show.
they don't need to line up with the existing lore. The lore is being based on this show. Well anything going forward basically. This was something they announced earlier this year to avoid confusion about what was and wasn't canon. This show is canon, it is in fact the BASIS for the canon in regards to Piltover/Zaun likewise with any cinematics/champion trailers we've gotten since that announcement.
3:01 her weapons are her fists, i mean have you seen her technique and the power she has???? the bitch-mittens are just a power-up LMAO XD 3:29 MY QUESTION EXACTLY!!!! Apparently a requirement for a peaceful community is basket weaving, maybe the reason we don't have peace is because we don't do enough of it.
I feel like you guys just want spoilers. Because there's a lot of... "but why is this happening?" Then again, I think I'm not too bothered by it because after S1 I devoured everything lore related and have an inkling of where it's going to end. Spoilers: I don't think any of the main characters are going to die and aren't dead after this episode.
I am with you here. I hope that act 3 tomorrow wil bring clarity, because I am not into it right now. For now, I feel like the script is a huge downgrade compared to season 1 (while the animation studio and voice actors have done a godly job).
warwick was a league of legends champion of zaun with that kind of tragic backstory. He is a really famous/popular old champion that fans expected to watch in these series. As i thought for some non league players might be a bit forced but they almost had to include him. But yeah he could have had a less important role and not be vander. For me warwick was fine, cait story arc was a bit rushed and the kid suiciding while vander is crying lava in pain was way 2 brutal even for a dramatic show.
I don't think Viktor's line is referring explicitly to Jayce. It's true that Jayce killed him, but their camp was also being attacked by Ambessa and her goons. It's likely that he was referring to all the chaos caused by these outsiders as a whole. They had a peaceful enclave, and a group of warmongers came and destroyed it all. With that being said, I do agree specifically about the Black Rose stuff being too much when combined with every other plot thread happening. Unfortunately, I have the feeling that it's there specifically to set the stage for a spin off. I could be wrong though
Arcane season 2 has a lot of things that I love in it, and the animation is consistently the best done anywhere, but it doesn't feel as well-structured as season 1 was, and they've brought in too many plot elements for me to expect arc 3 to finish things out satisfactorily. In particular, we have the montage openings to episode 4 and 5 which end up not really having lasting effects.
While Nerdy missed the mark on many things concerning this episode, he is absolutely correct that this season is trying to do too many things. I feel a lot of whiplash on character beats. Like sure their motivations make sense, but it is tough to feel it because there is no time to breathe with the characters as their motivations keep flip flopping (like Caitlyn and Vi going from lovers to hate and back to allies). It is still an emotional journey and I enjoy the show… but the whiplash is rough. And I think that is the main thing Nerdy is feeling here. This season really feels like it should have been two seasons.
Nerdy cries, I cry. CLARUS cries? I’ll never heal
I saw her eyes water suspiciously at the end of last Episode as well.
Watch their reaction to Cyberpunk : Edgerunners finale then :P
I think its something about watching jinx and vi losing that hope for a strong and warm father figure (almost god like for children) for a second time.
Nerdy: she stole the orbs, what a little thief
Me, knowing how this ends, sobbing: Yeah she's the best thief ever!
That brave little soul was the best thief
He’s still hung up on people ‘magically surviving’ the Council explosion when that’s literally what happened. Mel and Jayce survived due to MAGIC.
exactly even tho he made the point that maybe she had magic she doesnt even know about after seeing her in the prison place of the Black Rose
Nerdy, I think you might be missing a lot of dialogues while watching and that's making you confused about somethings, for instance when you don't get why Vi does not get noticed by the guards, Caitlyn showed how their patrol scheme is like so she could get out, when you don't know what's wrong with Jayce, in the previous episode Viktor says that Jayce is being controlled by someone or something that can be deduced is that gem on his wrist, and when you can't figure out how much time has passed, there's always some little things that helps you speculate the time passed, they won't make it obvious putting the date on screen, but if you feel it doesn't make sense that some scene is in the same time-line as the previous scenes, it's enough evidence that some time has passed.
Another thing, you were confused about the magic sources, I'm not super into league lore but, they haven't said that the only source of magic are the gemstones, the gemstones are magic objects that they extract magic from to use in hextec and some mages do the same on their on, that's not off show lore that's what we learn in the show, it doesn't mean that other types of magic doesn't exist and that all the mages must carry their gemstones to conjure magic.
18:04 Cait literally tells Vi how to avoid the soldiers! 🤷
i sweat he miss half the stuff then said it’s not explain
its a mentality thing. they clearly enjoy shows they watch, but when they dont understand things, they assume the show is bad and doesnt explain itself
Might just be clever engagement bait.
@@Jellysfrickingstuff yea they are just reacting, it's like hearing but not listening. 2 very different things
Nerdy, I think you need a rewatch of the season so far before the final arc.
The episodes are RIDDLED with details that make everyting make so much more sense. We are so pulled with the emotions with the first reaction that I can see why you're lost. I don't think you need the final 3 episodes to understand and love it. Also, remember that this show is character driven, not plot driven, I think you're getting caught up in asking yourself "what is the purpose of this plot-wise" and the show is telling you: that's not the right question to ask.
Which is probably the biggest weakness of the show that is nearly perfect. This season felt a bit too tight. I get why cause it wants you to feel things are getting worse and there is less and less time to breath but you definitely miss a lot the first watch. Which for a lot of us is not a problem cause we have another reason to watch it again.
100% agree. Every single time I’ve thought there was a loose end or plot hole, a rewatch or a conversation with friends has made me realize I just missed stuff.
@@Arthera0 is it a weakness? or is it intentional rewatchability/assumption the audience is smart enough to think through each scene
@@Arthera0 Showing things instead of telling them is a weird thing to call a weakness
@@nathantomaneng7259 Weakness. If people cant follow properly because it goes too fast is definitely a weakness. Also weakness is used relatively. Compared to everything else in the show it is. Compared to other garbage its still better of course.
Caitlyn to Vi, an experienced cat burglar and ex prisoner: "Here's a schematic of the camp, the path the guards take, and information that Ambessa has minimal guards in her inner parameter."
KN: I find this escape hard to believe.
They likely missed that line, which is understandable. What does suck is when the reactors don’t watch a recap of season 1 after 3 years
@@stacysmom9926 exatcly like asking why is vander alive or brought back.... bruh he has been eluded to being experimented on in season 1 lol
Caitlyn realizes what she was doing wrong was when they talk to Singed. Caitlyn hates Singed and calls him a "monster" because he created Shimmer and does inhuman experiments. When Singed tells her what he did was for the love of his daughter, Caitlyn realizes that because of her love for her mom, she might be doing something evil as well. That makes her understand that not everything can be justified for love but also that she would still be willing to help people that she loves (Vi) for good.
This is exactly the message they were trying to convey through this episode, that there are 2 sides of a coin. Love makes us do both good and bad things. Caitlyn's love for her mother made her do bad things but her love for Vi makes her do good. That is exactly what they were trying to tell us.
well said.
She probably also realizes Ambessa's true nature because she attempts to help singed do even more crazy inhuman experiments. It exposes the war hungry monster that Ambessa is. Cait wants vengeance against Jinx , but she doesn't want Singed to continue his work and cause even more damage. Her goal was to end shimmer and bring Jinx to justice.
@@LilRedRasta yea I realized they don't REALLY pay attention, they are just reacting
I think the point of the show is cyclical mistakes and repetitions. Isha becomes Jinx becomes Silco becomes Vander. People don’t understand each other and judge them then repeat the same mistakes.
Isha blows herself up acting rashly like Jinx did, who became like Silco as she raised her. Silco became like Vander after raising jinx. And so on.
This is what Viktor comments on while he is dying. Capacity for good and evil is linked. Nobody understands and tries to stop the pattern. Nobody learns until they are burned.
I disagree about Isha and Jinx. When Jinx acted in s1e3, she wasn't thinking about the consequences of her actions, and didn't understand the power of the hexstones. Her plan also completely backfired. Isha clearly knew what she was doing, and understood the power of what she was about to unleash, and was completely successful (apparently) in her efforts. She chose to sacrifice herself to save jinx.
@ she didnt’t understand how her death will hurt everyone, and we haven’t seen the other consequences. But you’re right it’s not a perfect mirror
Super meta. Shoutout to all the mediocre League players out there who haven’t learned the definition of insanity yet.
I get the impression a lot that Nerdy didn't brush up on Season 1 and forgot a lot of stuff between the two seasons coming out. A lot of his questioning of the show has been brought up in the show already. This show LOVES to make call backs to previous things, so if you are forgetting details that happened prior, of course its going to seem out of the blue.
You guys are kinda killing me. You keep criticizing the show for not explaining things it explicitly explained. There was literally a flashback of Caitlyn telling Vi specifically how to escape the patrols.
yea at this point i just get the felling they reacting to react
😂 Clarus's face as it descends into the dark spiraling pit of Nerdy's grip strength joke
I think Vi was able to escape without the soldiers seeing her, is because Caitlyn earlier showed her all the soldiers' positions so she could sneak past them
it wasn't convenient that there was no one guarding the tent. The big guy WAS in the tent when Cait brought her in. He's enough of a guard for the "threat." A peaceful group of hippies with no weapons. He left when Vi arrived because he was sent away by Ambessa for privacy. They had no reason to suspect Ambessa was in danger because she can handle herself and Vi was in handcuffs. We see the big guy later near Vander so that's probably what he was up to. Also, Cait had a monologue telling Vi where all the guards were. She would have known and also it was HER who walked VI in. Meaning she would have gotten past the defenses. And since VI and Cait knew where the guards were they could have evaded them after subduing Ambessa. Not too much of a stretch. I don't think they were on super high alert for assassination in this scenario. Noxus armies are probably fairly arrogant especially in situations where their enemies are pacifists.
yeah, I agree. They assumed that the area was secure when it was just an area of Pacifist. No one bothers to patrol around because there haven't been rulebreakers in the area . At least, up until Jinx and Ambessa came for the wolf
Nerdy not being absolutely in turmoil over the last two episodes is sooooo wild to me. I would have put MONEY on it
Nerdy in the last episodes: no named character ever dies on the show
Isha at the end of this episode: Hold my beer
Eh, she's a side character tbh
@@battlefuta9953she is literally a named character
i mean i don't know if it counts tho she clearly was created just to die from the very beggining it was pretty obvious ^^'
Not sure if she's actually dead.
@@natanaru i mean then what he says makes no sense since a lot of named characters die on the show lol
For Vi escaping the camp, I just thought that since Caitlyn already mapped out the camp, Vi knew the most efficient way to get out and she can knock out the soldiers she has to escape
Yeah, I am with the rest of the comments section here
The escape from the camp is fine and didn't need further explanation
the first 16 years of violet's life were spent breaking into places and stealing things. Then cait gave her the exact security layout. Find something else to complain about lmao
Up to four named characters died this episode
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
We’re not sure yet about Vander, and maybe Viktor can come back somehow. At least 2 named characters, maybe up to 4
Oh! Six. I forgot about Huck and Rictus
@@jasonmarbach Huck might come back if Viktor does. I'm pretty certain that Vander will never come back, even if that body is still alive. Four to six deaths.
I think Isha took the orb, so noone else could use the gloves.
Exactly, she was mimicking what Jinx did with her hex gem.
I love how they said in the post episode chat in ep 3 or 4, that they don't react like other reactors and break it all down and hyper analyze everything yet miss sooooo many details. love watching these bizarre reactions based off half truths and misconceptions to the actual show watched. it sure makes for a good time LMAO
Isha didn't steal the gems to be a thief, or cause mischief, or screw Vi, or anything like that.
Vi doesn't understand ger gauntlets or the danger posed by the hex gems, so she just drops her gauntlets when she isn't using them.
Jinx designed her own weapons and understands hextech. She knows the gem is the heart of the device, so when she gives over her weapon, she pops the gem out and keeps it.
Isha noticed, and realized they shouldn't leave the gems in Vi's gauntlets, because she's smart and observant. Of course, that's also why she does what she does when Vander goes berserk.
he was being lighhearted about it though
15:55 The kid can’t speak so Jinx wouldn’t even hallucinate or remember her voice😭
Doesnt she say phew
Do you post this in EVERY reactions comments, or what?
Im pretty sure she can hallucinate her appearance tho
The series is an exploration of love, and the positive and negative things it can push us to do and the horrific and heroic acts we use it to justify. That's been at the center of every characters actions.
Every time Jinx surrenders to death it is at the hands of people so close to her that she deems them family. Isha has seem this and has always been there to get Jinx back into the fight, to get her out of that slump. And each time Isha does this she loses her helmet, her protection.
I find all the reasons or negatives given to this season can always be explained by missing details they give you.
Did NOT expect that reaction from Clarus!
Isha's song, the last words the Chinese singer says translates to this: "I'm just fine this way" meaning that she didn't want to die but she accepts it has to be that way. Isha's name also multiple meanings, two of the most important are "Healer & The One Who Protects". That brush moments are intentional; we saw ourselves as a kid in brighter memories. Memories where all was bright, colorful, and joyful. We never wanted to change that, but we did. Also, two symbolism, Isha’s paint color is blue symbolism for Powder as she is catching up to Jinx purple to heal her soul. Also notice how Jinx’s eyes flutter blue at least twice as they are jumping. Now Isha's soul says those last words to Jinx, unheared by death, echoed on us.
This show is the epitome of show, don’t tell. So many times, I wish more dialogue was written, or I wrote it my own. But they left it up to the audience to interpret the situation based on their own perceptions. And this truly epitomized by the character of Isha, a character that is mute, doesn’t say a single line of dialogue, which also represents the voices going away in Jinx’s head.
People don't realize it yet, but the writers made their point of this act very clear from the beginning. The second we see Maddie with Caitlyn, we feel betrayed and hurt, some even hate Maddie herself. We feel bad for Vi and we feel cheated on as an audience, but time and people move forward, even if it's temporarily or attempt to "fill a hole,” but Maddie also played a secondary role; to help keep Cait's humanity. Warwick and Isha's roles were to heal Jinx, bring back her humanity, heal sisters and a family. And just like the intro of the act, it's the outro, we have it all torn away and are betrayed.
damn bro. You need to make a video at this point lol. Deep stuff.
Said it way better than I could of. Jinx may also have a different understanding of the events in season 1 and why Vi didnt want her to go to Silcos, and what she was afraid could have happened.
If theres 100 people in the commune they each would need a basket for carrying food/small tools. Those things take like a day to make each. That's 3 months of labor right there. It's also one of the first signs of a developing civilization. Along with smithing. So maybe it's showing the arcane starting a new world from scratch?
Isha is such a little hell raiser. I'm a wreck because of her 😭
"I don't have the strongest grasp on the show..."
Proceeds to get wrecked on an atomic level
8:59 as a sapphic, Cait definitely tops in that relationship. Wish Vi would top me tho 😢 9:08 I agree with this too tho, Cait has I’m in control everywhere but- and Vi also has stone top vibes idk. They switch.
Cait definetely tops ahaha
the cope of this fandom with Cait topping is hilarious
Cait's like a dominant feminine
@@fr9570 Agreed, she's a dominate femme
First, regarding Vi escaping capture: I think Caitlyn tactical skills is not mentioned enough. Caitlyn is one of the most intelligent and strategic characters in the show. Her ability to anticipate where every soldier would be is completely in line with her character. She’s like a mix of Spider-Man or Batman in detective mode in the video games-sharp, methodical, and calculated. The prison break wasn’t meant to be overly complicated; it was straightforward and effective, showcasing how similar Jinx and Caitlyn are in terms of being smart and calculated.
As for the Jayce and Viktor dynamic, I was surprised by the lack of theorizing in the review. While it’s valid to feel confused about Jayce potentially killing Viktor, this is the kind of moment that invites speculation. Arcane often leaves gaps for viewers to fill with their own ideas and resources, rather than spoon-feeding every detail. For me, the fun is in building theories and trying to piece together what’s coming next. I feel like moments like these are missed opportunities for deeper engagement, especially since Arcane’s strength lies in its layered storytelling.
The same goes for the question of why Vander was brought back only to be killed. It’s a fascinating narrative choice that begs for speculation. Rather than dismissing it, I think it’s worth considering why this happened and what it means for other characters or themes in the show. Some of the best moments in reactions come from theorizing and exploring those “what ifs.” For me it’s quite obvious that Vander was brought back as a way to make Viktor even stronger. Like the professor was saying Vander is the perfect Shimmer project and Viktor is the perfect Hextech project. Combining them would make Viktor a god basically. Where was that discusssion in the review?
On the topic of character deaths, I did find it inconsistent to say, “I hope they aren’t done with Viktor and Jayce” while also suggesting that “no character stays dead.” That’s a valid observation, but it could’ve been unpacked more thoughtfully instead of being left as a contradiction.
Lastly, while I enjoy Nerdy’s enthusiasm, I do think some of the commentary comes off as disconnected at times, especially when speculating about future episodes. It would be great to see a stronger focus on analyzing the episode at hand rather than jumping to episodes that haven’t happen yet. That said, I understand that everyone has their own style, and part of the fun of reactions is sharing their immediate thoughts.
This show is heavily character driven instead of plot driven. Every choice is due to the characters.
Some Act 2 Call Backs - Jayce, Ekko, and Heim definitely saw some evil twisted world. We are so sad and focused on the "Arcane" (getting vander back, all the happiness) that we didn’t focus on the little sinister details behind the scenes. One Salo isn’t breathing when they are in the hexgate mesh, they also did very quick camera flutter, but they show a very sinister image of non-human existing instead of salo as a human. Also, I don’t think a lot of people noticed, but Vander didn’t just disappear because of Viktor’s death. Singed most likely woke up and injected the Serum into Warwick after Caitlyn, Vi, and Jinx walked out.
Season 1 - Vi "Oil & Water" Season 2 - Caitlyn "You look like an angry oil slick."
Also some people don't realize when Vi is telling us the plan, she is actually talking to Jinx because she says "You're not going to like it." Meaning Vi told Jinx the plan because she's going to have to trust Caitlyn. Ironically she didn't tell Caitlyn that Jinx knew the plan.
* claps*
Did you guys switch bodies. Seeing her cry and get emotional and you not crying is amazing.😅
I do love it when Nerdy makes a dirty joke and it takes a little bit for Claroos to figure it out
To make it worse, in the Isha/Jinx flashback, you can see Jinx's eyes flashing blue several times. Showing that Isha was bringing powder back
when we saw salo in the hex core room look at his breath u cant see anything but when we see any other character in there u can see that its cold from their breath so that could mean what ever victor did to him makes it so that he does not need to breathe whatever that means for salo and the rest the people victor ''cured''
Welcome to Nitpick Nightly. I’m sorry, but I feel like Nerdy’s media literacy is declining. Clarus tries her best to explain the show without just arguing on camera. The point about human nature is literally playing over examples of what he is talking about. It’s a high level philosophical statement.
Yeah, I hate to agree, but I have stopped watching the analysis after the reactions because Nerdy has become too frustrating to listen to.
He has a tendency to judge shows based around what he thinks they are instead of what they actually are. I prefer his reactions to live action stuff, because he brings up a bunch of things about lighting, framing, etc that I'm genuinely unaware of so lack appreciation for.
@@jasonfarley9025 yea i fell Clarus understands way more than he does,
Stay for the reaction, leave before the critical complaints for no other reason than to complain.
Yup, especially since I'm really good at grasping the little details in most shows right away, I get a little frustrated when people complain, when it's pretty much mostly things going over their heads. I stopped watching this channel because it annoyed me how slow they can be sometimes, but I decided to give them another shot only to be disappointed yet again
I get that it is hard to put things together when reacting to a first time viewing. Hope this helps.
Cat showed Vi where the guards are. It was really explicit. As for the prison break, there were no guards at the door for some reason that may or may not have to do with the wolf-shaped hole in the wall.
The writers hands are a bit tied having to get characters to where they are in the game.
Also, not justifying but I take the grey as like bad weather for the underground they used to clear the streets so the cops could minimize civilian exposure. I think the dominatrix gang got knocked out by Vi not the gas. I mean Jinx hung out in it for quite a bit and coughed some.
Vander coming back was the only thing to bring Vi and Jinx together. His "death" in Season 1 was what destroyed their bond. Vander served his purpose for the character's motives and the emotion beat for the audience.
"damn" was also my reaction after the ep ended 😂
I thought the narrative of this episode was about sacrifice and the motivations behind those intentions.
At 1:25 in the episode Victor says "That isn't Jayce. There is another will at work within him"
Isha sacrificing herself is a direct callback to Season 1 Episode 3. Powder uses 3 crystals and kills her family by accident. Isha knows better. She gets in close and points the gun up to limit collateral damage.
Jinx can’t catch a break!!😭😭😭
Vi as well, people seems to forget that
@@battlefuta9953 atleast Vi still has caitlyn
Jinx pain is another level @@battlefuta9953
Vander(now Warwick) has extremely powerful regenerative abilities as shown in his fight with Vi, I'm expecting him to be in a really bad state next episode but not dead and think he will eventually regenerate. I also think Victor's death will have likely killed or at least severely weakened what's left of Vander inside the creatures mind.
LOL is a very soft magic system. We just gotta go with it on the magic.
This show is about family and how we fuck everything up.
10:49 well that would not be his first time💀
My two observations.
1st, I suspect Victor's closing thoughts have little to do with Jayce and more to do with everything happening around him.
2nd, Maybe I'm weird but at no time sense Jayce has returned have I been under the impression I'm supposed to understand exactly what's going on with him, therefore I'm not bothered by not understanding by the fact that it hasn't been explained yet.
YASSSS 6 IS HERE time to sob again
The closest thing league has to aliens are the void creatures. They are more like Lovecraft horrors.
I think you guys are definitely are in the minority about not liking the show at the moment.
perhaps once a full picture is painted that can be remedied. But overall I think Nerdy is thinking too deep.... Not to say it's bad but I've notice that nerdy like to think deep into everything and sometime doing so break the illusion?
It's fun to dive into details, you're just doing it often that any stage magic just fall apart and you see the cracks.
Because I myself do decipher everything I see, but I learned to turn those off whenever I want to enjoy something.
Nah I think he's just missing details. He's trying to critique like he's caught everything, but he's missing some pretty obvious answers to his gripes. Maybe if he rewatched, he'd catch them.
Viktor dies also and he has a name, but well...We need to wait at least 3 days to be 100% sure.
For Vander flashbacks are watercolor, like some more primitive
For Isha flashbacks are pencils, like a kid would use.
Cat and Vi, Top and Brat for sure.
10:50 "We are murdering kids now Jayce?" Well, it's not his first rodeo
wow, clarus does have emotions :) it only took arcane to bring them out.
Isha was a lioness. She earned her place in Valhalla. I salute her. Fun Fact. The name Isha has its origins in Hindu meaning "Protector."
Kaitlyn explained to Vi where the guards were placed so she could get in and out. Look back the timel stamp 24.44 to see it.
Jace, as far as I can figure is basically like on a bad trip that won't end... his thought process is muddled, fractured, irrational, and insane, because he's been driven insane. I'm not so sure everyone died at the end from that gun blast from the kid - - big flash of light doesn't necessarily = explosion that kills everyone. We don't know what happened, but it's probably less than you're assuming except the Jace did kill Victor... though Victor's disembodied higher self seems at one whatever magic/spiritual realm Jace also appears to inhabit, that's part of the HexTech's source. We might see him again as something akin to a "force ghost"?
jinx said Isha's name multiple times
15:05 "something really got you and didn't really got me."
Dude.... you're either out of touch, or you have no heart.
The season finale is going to be long. I have a feeling it’s going to be an emotional roller coaster that puts everything else to shame.
Jinx: started as Powder, became Jinx
Isha: Started like Jinx, became powder
I guess these ppl need their hands held through this show bc its not difficult at apl to understand whats.going on
never getting over isha
during the isha death scene i was just looking at nerdy's face, and then i look over to clarus and her face is DRENCHED in tears lmao, you can tell this ep destroyed her
I'm not sure if they ever state it, but if you watch with subs on then the captions label some of her grunts or whatever as from Isha. Also spoiled that it was Warwick.
10:50 Ah, yes, Jayce famously has a track record of not doing that.
She's obviously only with you for the finances, dude. That's it.
Hope all is well, regardless.
This does not change the fact that in Australia there are 48 million kangaroos and in Uruguay there are 3,457,380 inhabitants. So if the kangaroos decide to invade Uruguay, each Uruguayan will have to fight 14 kangaroos.
why they brought Vander back? Vander isn't Warwick yet. I'm assuming this was their shot to give Warwick his actual back story that league players have been pondering for years. They made it make sense. He literally was shown regenerating in the previous episode so Warwick is most certainly still alive.
Pretty sure we haven't seen Viktors final form either so he's still alive.
Arcane is a Prequel to League. All of these named characters are champions that make their way to Summoners Rift.
All of this is just back story. I wish more folks understood that this is a Prequel to an ongoing story.
15:27 Fuh King Same.
R.I.P. Isha, Vander & Powder.
Damn Nerdy, were your tears stored in your hair or something, because you not crying in this episode is absolutely bonkers
"We murdering kids now, Jayce?" Always have been, what?
Q.Q sending the best positive vibes yalls way. this episode hit so hard, and definitely excited and ready for the finale. staying up til drop for it.
If you wanna cry, look up the English lyrics to Isha's Song :X
I freeking love this show...
That hit me so hard too.
glad that Anya has an emotional support stuff toy to hold on to
10:48 he’s been doing that since season one
REALLY strange to hear the OTHER member of the team with her voice breaking from emotion
Episode 7 is my favorite can’t wait for you to watch it
I think I like S2 a lot more, but I feel the same way about its story. In S1 everything was always building towards the inevitable conflict between the upper city and lower city over their inequality. Every single character thread involved this. The fight over Jynx's soul, and themes of family were central too. But there was clear, singular focus in the plot.
There is no unifying, non-symbolic conflict this season. The theme of family is even stronger, but less universal (Caitlyn, Viktor, Jayce, etc. aren't as tied to it). Meanwhile who are the main ideas or groups that are escalating towards a climax? We have no fucking idea. Is it upper class v lower class? Is it magic v humanity? Is it Noxus v Piltover (war v civility)? And what is the looming threat we're afraid of being able to overcome? Is it the wild arcane? The black rose? Ambessa and Noxus? Escalating new superweapons (hextech, Vanderwolf, shimmer)? This is also really unclear. In the first season we knew it was the escalation of power on both sides thanks to hextech (Jynx's vs Jayce's).
I love a lot of this season's individual sequences. Some of them will live in my mind forever (i did cry at this episode's final sequence, though I agree Viktor's quote didn't make sense to me). But I'm not as invested in the broader story. I want to see more because it's great and cool looking. But I don't have specific hopes or things I'm rooting for in the way I did at this point in S1. Like, literally, is there even still a conflict between upper city and lower? For almost 3 episodes now Ambessa's basically just acting on her own and we have no idea what sentiment is like among the upper city public or military.
I love you guys so much…we’re here for honest reaction and damn do we get them lol…10/10
I agree a bit with Nerdy. I think it's starting to show that they need to work towards the characters lining up with the existing lore and they seem to be in a hurry to do so due to time constraints (or at least that's how it feels to me).
I also think you guys are missing some stuff though. Some of the questions you have are being answered or at least hinted at in the show.
they don't need to line up with the existing lore. The lore is being based on this show. Well anything going forward basically. This was something they announced earlier this year to avoid confusion about what was and wasn't canon. This show is canon, it is in fact the BASIS for the canon in regards to Piltover/Zaun likewise with any cinematics/champion trailers we've gotten since that announcement.
3:01 her weapons are her fists, i mean have you seen her technique and the power she has???? the bitch-mittens are just a power-up LMAO XD
3:29 MY QUESTION EXACTLY!!!! Apparently a requirement for a peaceful community is basket weaving, maybe the reason we don't have peace is because we don't do enough of it.
You both make me smile and cheer up especially on the harder days, so I just wanted to say thank you so much :)
0:35 🤨hey hey what did he mean by that
she looks like she can use a straw very well too
I may be a hater but I'll never reach Jayce levels of hating happiness and good things in this world
6:09 🤯 wooooww
All the hugs
I feel like you guys just want spoilers. Because there's a lot of... "but why is this happening?" Then again, I think I'm not too bothered by it because after S1 I devoured everything lore related and have an inkling of where it's going to end.
Spoilers:
I don't think any of the main characters are going to die and aren't dead after this episode.
I love you guys so much!
20:02💀
waltuh
I am with you here. I hope that act 3 tomorrow wil bring clarity, because I am not into it right now.
For now, I feel like the script is a huge downgrade compared to season 1 (while the animation studio and voice actors have done a godly job).
warwick was a league of legends champion of zaun with that kind of tragic backstory. He is a really famous/popular old champion that fans expected to watch in these series.
As i thought for some non league players might be a bit forced but they almost had to include him. But yeah he could have had a less important role and not be vander.
For me warwick was fine, cait story arc was a bit rushed and the kid suiciding while vander is crying lava in pain was way 2 brutal even for a dramatic show.
I don't think Viktor's line is referring explicitly to Jayce. It's true that Jayce killed him, but their camp was also being attacked by Ambessa and her goons. It's likely that he was referring to all the chaos caused by these outsiders as a whole. They had a peaceful enclave, and a group of warmongers came and destroyed it all.
With that being said, I do agree specifically about the Black Rose stuff being too much when combined with every other plot thread happening. Unfortunately, I have the feeling that it's there specifically to set the stage for a spin off. I could be wrong though
Arcane season 2 has a lot of things that I love in it, and the animation is consistently the best done anywhere, but it doesn't feel as well-structured as season 1 was, and they've brought in too many plot elements for me to expect arc 3 to finish things out satisfactorily. In particular, we have the montage openings to episode 4 and 5 which end up not really having lasting effects.
I agree that this season is a bit rushed, but I still love it. My experience of this episode was closer to Clarus's through.
While Nerdy missed the mark on many things concerning this episode, he is absolutely correct that this season is trying to do too many things. I feel a lot of whiplash on character beats. Like sure their motivations make sense, but it is tough to feel it because there is no time to breathe with the characters as their motivations keep flip flopping (like Caitlyn and Vi going from lovers to hate and back to allies). It is still an emotional journey and I enjoy the show… but the whiplash is rough. And I think that is the main thing Nerdy is feeling here. This season really feels like it should have been two seasons.