When Arcane Season 2 picks up, just moments after Jinx’s bomb decimates the Piltover City Council meeting and tragedy strikes. There is rubble everywhere, bodies appear in the rubble as the dust begins to clear. Even for a series as dark as this Arcaneit is desolation; As one character puts it, another cruelty or so later, it’s something that makes you “understand how easy it is to hate” those who did this to you.
This is an extremely complex feeling that is expressed in every program, not least the one that aired the same week as the dismal US election. But in the first three episodes of the second season Arcane proves he’s up to the challenge, constantly battling not only the rigors of life in Piltover and Zaun, but also the frightening ease with which resentful anger – and violence – comes ever closer. Such leisurely destruction leaves the world simultaneously chaotic and full of focus: whether it’s Vi, who has yet to figure out if there’s anything left of her sister in Jinx, or Cait, upset and struggling to figure out how much of their instincts are gut feelings and how much grief.
The Arcane can illustrate so much of their struggle with its arty animations would feel like a cheat if the series wasn’t so damn good with it. Everything from the memorial battle to Jinx’s alley brawl looks impeccable and shows a real ease in incorporating animation styles so that they naturally fit the mood, person or situation. When we see Cait delve into the science behind “the gray” noxious gas, it’s done in a comic book style – further evidence of how easy it is for her team to see everything they do as “right.”
What makes it all the more fun is that a montage like this can just as easily fit in with Sevika’s skirmish with her new, unpredictable Jinx arm. Sometimes Arcane feels like it’s emulating lush anime, classic art, or slick music videos; Often, when the second episode sets up Zaun’s power struggle, it feels like all of these things are happening at once. Thanks to the work of the animation studio Fortiche, the visual language of Arcane can be anythingand go everywhere.
And so the show dives into it. The shock of last season’s cliffhanger hangs over everything that happens, and the threat – that such a catastrophe could be lurking around every corner – runs through the narrative. There’s a real sense of confusion and melancholy throughout all of the storylines (who can’t relate?). Although Jayce and Viktor’s evolving experiences with hextech technology are more focused than Mel’s attempts to hold Piltover together, they share a desperate desire to make everything right and a nagging fear that it may have already progressed too far (Who can’t understand that?
In a smaller premiere, these battles might feel distant, overshadowed by the tiny eternity we spent waiting for Season 2. Instead Arcane keeps it moving, artfully weaves in just enough context to leave an impression, and lets the remarkable images speak for themselves.
There’s a saying that’s been popping up in TV shows lately: It’s a miracle if we get a season every year. It’s a little anachronistic; Not to mention, there are some hard-hitting examples that counteract this, either moving forward a season or so like clockwork (Slow horses) or just that network television works the way it always does (Abbott Elementary School, 9-1-1the list goes on). People are tired of having to bide their time between seasons, with no set regularity or schedule. The wait, especially with a streaming show, can feel endless. But then a show like that Arcane comes along and takes his time consciously and methodically. And it is released by chance when it could offer a mirror to our own experiences.
Media can never be a pure outlet; it interprets and spits out too much of what we feed into it. And even in times like these, when many are afraid, stressed and struggling, simply turning away and covering ourselves up doesn’t help. ArcaneThe long-planned release is thoughtful and nuanced in its first three episodes, as it follows a group of people striving to improve their condition. It’s impossible for the long gestation period to predict this exact moment, but it feels like one of many answers to it, another encouragement to channel the pain into something considerate. A reminder that big ideas don’t have to go down hard.
In the final moments of Episode 3 we see this Arcane plays to something bigger – this is not a simple revenge story, nor is it a bleak world headed for disaster. This may be a tragedy, but every single second of it will be a decision. We’ll have to wait and see where exactly that ends up.
It may not be easy, but if these first three episodes tell us anything, it’s that we should be careful. Sometimes it’s worth the wait.
The first three episodes of Arcane Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix. The next act will be released on November 16th.
