‘Arcane’ Season 2 Slows Things Down In Act 2 To Extraordinary Effect

It’s accurate to say that Act 2 of Arcane Season 2 slows things down a lot relative to the balls-to-the-wall frenzy of Act 1, but I don’t want to give you the wrong impression. This is by no means a criticism. On the contrary, Episodes 4, 5, and 6 are remarkable, especially holistically, with the usual stellar animation, music, voice acting, and action, complemented by new swerves, the introduction of more League of Legends characters, and real emotional power.

All three episodes ping around between different subplots and viewpoints, but there are recurring themes – parenthood, surrogate and otherwise, technology and its dangers, military might versus public revolution, and an almost messianic angle for Viktor – that crop up all throughout. It’s impossible to overstate how effortlessly good this show is on pretty much every level.

Viktor’s Demise

I mentioned Viktor above since his (presumed, for now) death at the hands of Jayce is a pretty significant development. Jayce, having escaped the Anomaly but been irreparably altered by it, a condition worsened by his magic crystal now being embedded in his wrist, is determined to eradicate Hextech by any means necessary while being relentlessly pulled apart and cobbled back together by the unknowable energy of the Arcane.

Jayce goes after the Herald, aka Viktor, in his camp on the outskirts of Zaun, and is taken to him by a kid he comes distressingly close to killing. A blast from the Hextech hammer seemingly puts paid to Viktor.

It’s hard to know what to make of Jayce and the precise nature of what he’s experiencing and similarly hard to feel sure about Viktor’s fate, especially given all the Christ-like imagery and theming. Act 3 will surely address this in due time.

(L to R) Harry Lloyd as Viktor and Kimberly Brooks as Sky in Arcane Season 2. Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2024

Vander’s Transformation and Fate

There are unintended consequences of Viktor’s death for all of his followers, who seem to agonizingly die with him via some kind of telepathic connection, but the strongest ripples are felt in what is probably Act 2’s most defining subplot – the efforts of Vi, Jinx, and Viktor to divorce Vander from Warwick, the monster that Singed reanimated his corpse as.

This story isn’t just what brings Vi and Jinx back together but also carries the most emotional weight because there’s so much bundled up in it. Viktor’s work to undo Singed’s actions was about separating beast from man, which can be interpreted in any number of ways, but Warwick suffers mightily from Viktor’s demise. He reverts to a feral state just as progress is being made and mauls Rictus to death. It’s obvious right then he isn’t going to make it.

Isha’s Sacrifice

What isn’t obvious is what role Isha will play in this, and as he becomes clearer, it only becomes more heartbreaking. Isha hasn’t had a great deal to say, but her relationship with Jinx has been instrumental in her character development, allowing her to evolve into a surrogate sister – nay, even a parent – to fill the hole left behind by her relationship with Vi being fractured.

And there’s a tragedy in this whole arc from Isha’s point of view, too. We know, as the audience, that she’s idolizing someone who is deeply broken. We also know that Jinx is relying on Isha to remain even keel in a way that she probably can’t even articulate. It was an accident waiting to happen from the very beginning.

It all comes together at the end of Arcane Season 2, Episode 6, when Warwick goes postal. Jinx’s efforts to calm him down backfire, and as he rounds on her to deliver what one assumes would be a killing blow, Isha loads Jinx’s pistol with both its own gemstone and the two taken from Vi’s gauntlets. Isha’s finger-gun gesture to Jinx is a full-circle moment, the student becoming the master in a sense. Jinx can only watch with horror as Isha delivers a Hexclad-infused shot into the air that almost certainly kills Warwick, herself, and many in the surrounding area.

(L to R) JB Blanc as Warwick and Ella Purnell as Jinx in Arcane Season 2. Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2024

Repercussions

This and the death of Viktor will likely have profound repercussions in Act 3, especially regarding Ambessa, whose mission to seize power in Piltover has hit a bit of a snag considering that Rictus is dead and Caitlyn has allied herself with Vi and Jinx. At this point I don’t even know if Jinx will be able to hold herself together for long enough to fight back against Piltover, but the possibility that she might leaves Ambessa in a deeply terrible position.

We’re supposed to be rooting for Zaun though, aren’t we? I think this impulse is only exacerbated by the flashback scenes in Arcane Season 2, Act 2, which shed a bit more light on Vi and Jinx’s mother, Felicia, her relationship with Vander and Silco, and her dream of Zaun’s independence. Vi and Jinx have the opportunity to fulfill a familial legacy, and everything going on with Piltover is so nakedly awful in so many respects that we know where we stand.

The Wider World

Episodes 4-6 of Arcane Season 2 devote a fair amount of time to wider worldbuilding and the introduction of some more LoL characters who should make Act 3 a lot more interesting.

Consider everything going on with Mel, who manages to escape her captivity by the Black Rose after tussling with a vision of her dead brother Kino. Her powers are a little unexplained, and there’s a lot to chew on when Minnie Driver’s disembodied voice refers to her as “sister”.

There’s also the revelation that Singed is Doctor Corin Reveck, a classic mad scientist type whose experiments – including the creation of Warwick – have all been efforts to save his daughter, Orianna, who is suspended in a stasis pod afflicted with a terminal lung ailment. Ramifications for League of Legends lore aside, this creates huge storytelling opportunities for the final three episodes, and at this point, it’s likely that the closing act will be some of the best work Netflix has ever been associated with. I, for one, can’t wait.