In the three years since the first season of ArcaneI had forgotten a lot of little plot details – what exactly was Shimmer? Why is hextech such a big deal? What’s wrong with Mel’s mother?
But the brilliance of Arcane is that you don’t actually have to remember all the details of the plot for it to work. Sure, there’s a whole wide world, bigger than just Piltover and Zaun. And yet, all of the larger themes and questions can be traced directly back to Jinx and Vi. Even if Arcane When she starts asking higher questions (like Viktor’s entire Hextech Jesus arc) or gets involved in certain political machinations in Piltover, Zaun, and the lands beyond, the sisters are the host of the entire show.
[Ed. note: This post contains spoilers for Arcane season 2.]
This becomes particularly clear in this final episode, in which the sisters come together – and work for a common cause for the first time in years. After Jinx learns what happened to her adoptive father, she sets out to find her sister. Even though Vi almost killed her the last time they met (and Jinx was about to let her), Jinx knows that Vi is the only person who will understand what’s going on and the only person who might recognize Vander too.
Now that they are back together, we are thoroughly and devastatingly reminded of what they lost when they were torn apart. They mend their relationship (as best they can) and work together to free Vander from the beast he has been turned into. They are still hurting and haunted by their past, but as they dwell in the peace of Viktor’s commune, for the first time there is a glimmer of hope for their future. The beautiful watercolor sequence in Vander’s memory also solidifies the norm that once was, the close relationship this family once had – and perhaps could have again.
Through Vi and Jinx, we see how the larger conflict between Piltover and Zaun divided a family. It’s a wound that goes deeper than the two sisters and goes back to the rift between Vander and Silco. But it’s Vi and Jinx who have felt the aftereffects most acutely, having followed in their respective father figures’ footsteps, for better or worse. They represent two sides of the same blade, two different hands to be dealt, two different paths to follow. Arcane
Remarkably, however, it seems that both paths lead to tragedy. They’re not alone: Jayce single-handedly ends Viktor’s hextech utopia here and Mel is still stuck in Black Rose Prison. But Vi and Jinx’s story is one of utmost torment because of all the love that still exists between them. Vi had the chance to kill Jinx and end everything, but she always hesitated because that’s still her little sister. This love doesn’t just disappear. It still drives her, urging her to try again and repair the burned bridges, desperately clinging to what once was. But that just raises the stakes of the entire show; What happens when that love isn’t enough?
Keeping the focus on Vi and Jinx not only anchors the world so that the show never goes too far beyond Piltover and Zaun, but also ensures that the tone and message remain consistent. It doesn’t matter what exactly Shimmer is, why the Council is divided over Hextech, or what exactly Piltover has against Zaun; What matters is that the decisions of those responsible have devastating effects on ordinary people. And Arcane illustrates this particularly with the two characters we have known since the beginning of the series, who have a special relationship with each other and who have been torn apart and turned against each other by forces beyond their control. It’s their relationship that makes the show – even if it hurts.
The first six episodes of Arcane Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix. The final three will be released on November 23rd.
