idkjustletmescroll

[idkjustletmescroll]

Great explanation! I will say that of course we're all entitled to our own opinions, and I think that a lot of the problems people like me have with the show would have been fixed with another season or another arc, just a bit more time to flesh everything out.

The only real critique I would make of yours is Caitlyn's arc, which I think is just always going to be a polarizing point in the fandom: whenever I say I don't think Caitlyn's arc was in character, it's not because I don't think she's capable of doing bad things, or see why the writers would have her do it. I get it, and we saw in season 1 that she'll do whatever she thinks of right (like when she very, very illegally broke vi out of stillwater), even if nobody else will support her in it. I just wish we'd seen more of her actual spiral: like talking with her dad, or having to deal with the fact that she has seen people from the undercity as regular people trying to get by, but now, most of them being loyal to jinx, they're reminders of what she's lost. I would have wanted a messy, crazy psychological spiral with Caitlyn, that ultimately leads to her causing mass pain, like with the grey.

As for mel's arc, it was, of course, set up in season 1, but I just think the black rose arc is so far removed from the rest of the story that it feels thrown in there. I would have liked to see a more natural way to continue mel's arc and introducing the black rose, but as it is, it just feels like a waste of screen time to me, personally.

And the theme of the show absolutely is duality: order and chaos, magic and science, but also two cities and two sisters, which, as you mentioned, the story is centered around. And one of the reasons season 2 feels so disjointed (to me, anyways), isn't necessarily that there's a huge turnaround of characters, but that vi and jinx are surrounded by so much more plot that they don't feel the central focus anymore. As many plotlines and characters as season 1 had, it always centered around two sisters, their struggle to reunite, and the forces driving them apart. Season 2 doesn't feel so focused on the literal representations of this theme of duality: vi, the big sister, enforcer, physically strong; and jinx, the little sister, chaos gremlin, good with long-range weapons and her brain. One lives in Piltover, the other in Zaun. Etc. They didn't feel like the ultimate focus of the story, for me. Glad you seemed to enjoy season two, though! I just had a few gripes with it :)

I find it hard to participate in arcane discourse around season 2 because I just...don't agree with most of the writing choices.

Like, do I think gassing civilians is fine? No, but I don't think Caitlyn would have done that of her own accord at all. I don't think vi would have agreed to it. I don't think she would have decided that jinx had to die so early on in the season.

I think Caitlyn would have agreed to go to drastic measures to capture/kill jinx, but not to the point of harming a bunch of civilians over it. I think vi would have decided, at this point, that power is long gone, but would be angling to get her in stillwater or something, rather than dead. I don't want to argue about whether or not their choices are justified when I don't think they would make those choices in the first place.

Part of it's pacing, and part of it's clutter. As much as I love Mel, her black rose arc was completely unnecessary. Seeing Mel having to confront her own complicity with Zaun's oppression, and therefore with the current conflict; learning to navigate politics with Zaunites and their system; trying to keep her mother in check; etc. And then the writers made viktor's machine herald arc the end-all-be-all, when that was never what the show was about? Progress was a huge theme in s1, too, but it was always meant to help amplify and push forward the main story about two SISTERS and two CITIES. It was never supposed to be the main focus. And the actual characters suffer because they become whatever the plot needs them to be as soon as the plot needs them to become it, rather than having more natural arcs that would lead them there. If any of that makes sense.

[idkjustletmescroll]

Warning: if you liked the dragon prince as it is, go right ahead and scroll on by :) this is basically what I would have done differently/liked to see, even if I did really like the show overall

We're just going to get right into it. This pretty much only pertains to act 2. I liked act 1. Anyways!

1: Ezran stays in katolis in season four; sunfire elf plotline rewrite

It's no secret that most people dislike the sunfire elf sideplot, and, despite the fact that janai and amaya are both my fav characters and my fav ship, it doesn't fit in to act 2's overall story. I'd have liked for them to continue the human/elf plotline both through sunfire politics and katolis', as well; there's no way ezran's speech in the graveyard in season 4 just made it a non-issue. Tbh, I didn't feel like ezran contributed much to the gang's journey in season 4, and, considering that act 1 had it be such a major plot point that the kingdom needs its king, I'd have liked for him to stay in katolis and, along with the sunfire plot, develop a plotline about humans and elves not only needing to reconcile, but come together to defeat aaravos (elf magic + human creativity and resourcefulness).

Also, the show mentions janai's grandma, queen Aditi, ALL THE TIME, and then never really does anything with her character--or the orphan queen. Since lux aurea canonically has a massive and ultra-important library ("bookery"), time could've been devoted to research there, too. It would have been a way to work in plenty of exposition.

2: The Terry issue

My issue with Terry is that he's just not important. I don't care about this guy. I spent most of act 2 dreading when he was on screen because I just don't care. Sure, he's sweet, but...why is an elf involved with a dark mage? How does he even get involved with claudia? How does he justify all the terrible things they're doing? I think it would've been interesting to see an elf who not only doesn't mind dark magic but defends it, presenting more issues for the main cast (i.e. callum) to think about. In my opinion, he should have either died or abandoned claudia fully in either seasons 5 or 6. He would have been the last person who loved and supported her unconditionally leaving her, one way or the other, and therefore leaving her fully vulernable to aaravos' manipulations. I'm sorry, but most of what he did in season 7 was centered around getting the gang not to hurt claudia, and it was pissing me off. No, you don't have to agree, this is just an opinion.

3: Rayllum

Yes, I know, I know, it's just a kid's show. Yes, I know rayllum is an audience fav, and even if it's not mine, I understand why people like it so much. It's cute, it's fun. My issue with act 2 rayllum is that it feels like the show focuses a lot more on their relationship than on the individual characters. I'd like rayla to actually explain to callum why she left: she was paranoid, she wanted to make sure viren was gone for good. Could she have finished him off herself, if it came down to it, looking him dead in the eyes and using her swords? There's a question that keeps coming back to haunt her: is she able to end a life? Why couldn't she have let callum and ezran help her? She's failed at everything else (in her eyes). She can't go home, her own adopted fathers either banished her or tried to kill her. She couldn't fail at this, too. She had to do something. That's interesting.

And on callum's side, I think it would have been cool to see him connecting with the ocean arcanum...without the finnegrin plot, bc I didn't like it. He sees ezran growing up, and that's kind of scary, not always knowing what his little brother's thinking or feeling anymore. Callum's growing up, too, and, as much as he loves being high mage, he still wants to explore the world and learn new things outside of katolis; he's getting political marriage offers; his life is going to change soon, one way or the other, and that's scary, and he doesn't really have a parental figure to talk to, with Amaya being away. He can't always control or predict rayla, and he can't control or predict or prevent all of his losses, either. Since that's the ocean arcanum's whole deal, I think it would have been a neat way for him to get it.

There we go, plotlines for individual characters instead of the whole relationship, that still include and effect that relationship. Also, I would somewhat tweak callum's decision to help rayla in s7. First, he would also have his own conflicting feelings about runaan. He agrees runaan should be allowed to go to his home and husband, but insists that ezran will be easily convinced as soon as things settle down, "in a few weeks." Rayla goes through with the breakout anyways, callum's hurt but decides to go along with it, and--and this is very important--HE DOES NOT LIKE RUNAAN. He does not FORGIVE Runaan. Maybe they talk it out, but either way, runaan being the one to have killed harrow effects callum in some way. S7 made it more of an ezran thing. Callum also feels a lot more torn up about betraying ezran, maybe seeing some sibling pairs in the silvergrove that make him think back on his brother.

4: The key of aaravos

Just some resolution to the key, guys. It's been emphasized CONSTANTLY in the show since s1 episode 4. Idk what it would be, I just want it to be SOMETHING.

[idkjustletmescroll]

just saw a post saying that "vi constantly gave up on jinx but jinx never gave up on vi" and it ruined my whole day.

Love jinx, but let's not forget like she didn't point a gun directly at vi's face because...Caitlyn showed up (who wasn't wearing a uniform, or even her rifle). Let's not act like she's a saint here.

Vi's entire thing in season 1 was refusing to give up on jinx...despite everyone telling her to.

[idkjustletmescroll]

Is ep 7 my favorite episode of arcane s2? Yes. Do I still have a thought? Yes.

(Also, calm down. I know we all love it, this is just a fun little thought I had last night while taking off my makeup).

But essentially it would just be playing with arcane's whole "inevitable tragedy" bit. Ekko gets back everyone he lost, has this whole great world where everything's amazing and nobody's oppressed, and he, despite being a responsible leader and all that, wants to stay. He's a young man who's lost almost everything, and even though he's built this amazing community out of his loss, he wants to stay with his lost loved ones. And he realizes that they're not those lost loved ones at all.

Powder, for example. At first, it's all great! The Pow-Pow Ekko loved, all grown up without the Jinx-iness! But she's not ambitious, or even all that creative, or super-attached to her family, or even insecure; she's missing the essential qualities that made Pow-Pow Pow-Pow.

And for Zaun as a whole: think about the firelights. What does ekko's community represent? The great things about Zaun: the protectiveness and loyalty, and ingenuity, innovation, and creativity. But this au zaun doesn't have those things that ekko loved so much. They're hyper-individualistic, rather than tight-knit; they're complacent, rather than creative and determined, happy to conform to a norm--we even see smaller shifts, like a lack of street art (think the mural vi leapt past in s1 ep 5 after cait got her out of stillwater). Everyone's happy and fed, but it's not ekko's zaun.

Pls don't take this necessarily as criticism of ep 7 because I genuinely love it sm, and I know this idea might not necessarily have worked, but I just thought it would be so much fun and bittersweet to see on screen!!

[idkjustletmescroll]

I find it hard to participate in arcane discourse around season 2 because I just...don't agree with most of the writing choices.

Like, do I think gassing civilians is fine? No, but I don't think Caitlyn would have done that of her own accord at all. I don't think vi would have agreed to it. I don't think she would have decided that jinx had to die so early on in the season.

I think Caitlyn would have agreed to go to drastic measures to capture/kill jinx, but not to the point of harming a bunch of civilians over it. I think vi would have decided, at this point, that power is long gone, but would be angling to get her in stillwater or something, rather than dead. I don't want to argue about whether or not their choices are justified when I don't think they would make those choices in the first place.

Part of it's pacing, and part of it's clutter. As much as I love Mel, her black rose arc was completely unnecessary. Seeing Mel having to confront her own complicity with Zaun's oppression, and therefore with the current conflict; learning to navigate politics with Zaunites and their system; trying to keep her mother in check; etc. And then the writers made viktor's machine herald arc the end-all-be-all, when that was never what the show was about? Progress was a huge theme in s1, too, but it was always meant to help amplify and push forward the main story about two SISTERS and two CITIES. It was never supposed to be the main focus. And the actual characters suffer because they become whatever the plot needs them to be as soon as the plot needs them to become it, rather than having more natural arcs that would lead them there. If any of that makes sense.

[idkjustletmescroll]

Could we have not had a scene with the firelights in act 2, choosing to join jinx's cause?

They think ekko's dead cause he's been gone forever, and for once, the undercity seems really united to do something about their oppression. The only problem is that jinx has PERSONALLY killed multiple of the firelights, and their friends and families.

So they need to have a meeting: do they help the cause? Do they fight jinx now? Isn't this awful to do to their dead? And at the end, obviously, they decide to join the cause--which means working with jinx, but achieving a free and better zaun might be worth it. Like, the firelights are supposed to be a symbol of hope and what zaun could be (all of its resilience and creativity and intelligence, etc.), and they're just brushed aside and never mentioned in s2 and it makes me soo mad i actually love them so much.

[idkjustletmescroll]

I did enjoy arcane s2, but I kindaa wish they made isha inspire jinx towards revolution instead of giving her another reason to hide away from it. We already know that jinx doesn't want to be a revolutionary symbol; we already know that children inspire their adopted caretakers to refrain from violence, even at the cost of their lifelong goals. (Vander and Silco, and even Ambessa, if we believe her own side of things, sent Mel away to prevent this exact thing from happening). AND we know that jinx sees powder/innocence in isha. So I think it would've been fun if she saw this powder-like kid, who was also reckless and eager to help no matter the risks, even if there were people more qualified to do it, and realized that these were the exact circumstances that created jinx, and wanted to spare isha from that.

[idkjustletmescroll]

I kind of wish (and will continue to imagine) that in arcane s2, the undercity really leans into Sevika's role as the kingmaker, with the regular people kind of waiting for her "verdict," so to speak. She backed vander, until she didn't, at which point the guy she chose, silco, rose to power. When the other chembarons want to overthrow silco, they go straight to Sevika. I think it would've been a fun way to look at the hierarchy in the undercity to see the other chembarons trying to get Sevika on their side (Hamilton "election of 1800" style, if you're a fan of that), or trying to make their own kingmaker sevikas. Some people, obviously, would be on jinx's side because she launched the rocket, but I think it would've been so cool for Sevika's character if you had other people just kind of...hanging out for whatever tf Sevika feels like doing, idk, and then obviously that adds pressure to her already-bad situation, because so many people are trusting her to lead them to whoever's going to lead them. Idk idk idk.

[idkjustletmescroll]

I mean cait saying that does make sense given the whole "lost in grief" thing they were going for (which could've been so much better done, but anyways), but it doesn't make sense that vi would switch up so fast on jinx, either.

I saw theories when the trailer first came out that vi would just go along with the enforcers to try and protect jinx/zaunites from them, which would've just made...infinitely more sense. Then, when the breakup finally happened, she would realize that she'd lost her sister, any respect she might've had in the undercity, (she'd probably still think ekko was dead from the bridge fight with jinx, too, so literally no one else), and even Caitlyn, and she'd really be completely all alone, with nobody to fight for/protect. Plus, she's given up her own morals...for nothing! And boom! Pit fighter era!

Idk vi's trauma tends to get so swept under the rug. Jinx watching Vi's spiral could've been better done, too, with Jinx maybe coming into a bit of sympathy for her sister's trauma, too. Or finding that, despite how much she insists that they aren't sisters anymore, she still cares for Vi and wants to protect her. Cait hurting Vi only fuels Jinx's rage towards Piltover--because, sure, she's been talking big about how different things are, etc., but no piltie's hurting her sister and getting away with it. And so on and so forth. The writing room seriously just needed to take a breath and write the story they set out to tell--which was about sisters and sister-cities, not...noxus and a multiverse or whatever it was.

I loved the first three episodes of season 2, but I have to say that I do have issues with how Vi's character arc was handled.

I might change my mind on a rewatch, but it seems that the switch was flipped very quickly for her. When she first turns down the enforcer badge, she does so citing the fact that enforcers murdered her parents as the reason. This is a valid reason, and one that Caitlyn incorrectly says she understands.

(Caitlyn knows what it is to have her mother killed by an individual. She doesn't know what it is to have her mother killed by a police state that continued to beat and brutalize her and her loved ones as a child, and then be asked to join up with them. It would be as if someone suggested that Caitlyn team up with Jinx, in a way, but even then it isn't quite the same. Caitlyn does apologize later, but she apologizes for "springing the badge" on Vi; I don't think she realizes that their circumstances are still vastly different.)

But then two scenes later we see a drunk Vi lamenting how Caitlyn wants her to join "the peanut patrol" -- and this is a very trivializing way to refer to what is, again, an oppressive police force that not only murdered Vi's parents, but also physically assaulted her during her own childhood and did the same to people she loved. It's the very same police force that "saved" her from Silco by throwing her, at around age fourteen or fifteen, into a prison where she was starved and beaten for years. (She says herself that she would "lie on the cold floor, hungry and bloody" -- so yes, she was at times denied food.) "Peanut Patrol" is what you call mall cops or campus security; people without any actual authority or power to hurt you. It's not what you call a literal police state that has given you complex trauma throughout your childhood.

Then, immediately after that, we get Maddie gushing over how she looks up to Vi and how Caitlyn stood up for Vi's honor, and this . . . changes Vi's mind? Or at least makes her less hostile toward Maddie? Maddie talks about how "the sheriff betrayed us" -- but again, that's the same person responsible for throwing Vi into Stillwater and no one cared. They don't care about the people they beat and oppressed, they only care that they were betrayed. But Vi is just . . . okay with this. And seems to be changing her opinion because Caitlyn really fought for her right to become a cop uwu.

Then the staged attack (which no one knew was staged, but was) happens. And after that, Vi agrees to join up with Caitlyn and become an enforcer. Because she loves and wants to protect Caitlyn, I guess? That's the best reasoning I can glean from what we were shown; she was moved by Caitlyn vouching for her yet again, saw that Caitlyn was in danger during the attack, and then decides to join up. To me, it seems like it's all about her love for Caitlyn, which is extremely weak when, again, you compare it to the fact that enforcers killed her parents and she was oppressed by them her entire life, and it isn't like Caitlyn said anything in the episodes that would make Vi think that she wants to change that. (You could argue that Caitlyn vouching for her was enough, but Caitlyn saying that Vi is One of the Good Ones really shouldn't have made her feel that way.)

And then there's the 180 her opinion did on her sister, which I think hurts the way they transitioned Vi into being an enforcer even more. What we're supposed to understand is that Jinx firing on the council is what made Vi change her opinion entirely -- even though, moments before that, she was trying to reassure Jinx that everything would be okay after Jinx killed Silco. Yes, Jinx had her "here's to the new us" speech, but I still don't understand after all this time why Vi didn't speak up when Jinx said that Vi couldn't "love [her] like she used to." Just earlier in that scene she was saying that she did, that nothing would change that. And she lets her go that easily? She doesn't try to say anything more, she just lets Jinx continue believing that she was right?

I understand that Jinx chose the "jinx" chair. I understand that Jinx was asking Vi to do horrible things (namely, murdering Caitlyn). But even after that, Vi was telling Caitlyn not to shoot because, "please, she's my sister." So even after Jinx wanted Vi to kill Caitlyn, Vi was still trying to reach her. Yet Jinx blows up the council -- a council that Vi herself has witnessed wanted nothing to do with helping fix the Silco problem, and she has no idea that they were deciding on peace in that moment -- and Vi suddenly turns. As if Vi herself hadn't encouraged Powder to keep making bombs in their childhood, promising her that one day they would work. As if Powder didn't grow up under the mentorship of a big sister who wanted to bring the fight to Piltover herself one day.

I think showing more internal conflict within Vi would have helped. If she had chosen to join the task force because she wanted to make sure that Jinx would be alive when brought in, because as appalled as she was at the carnage (because violence is only okay when she does it) she still loved her sister, and was willing to fight her but didn't want to kill her, that would be one thing. But I think the writers made a mistake that a lot of writers make, which is that, they know the character's inner thoughts so well that they think it'll be obvious when it isn't. The shift in Vi's character seems entirely based on "Jinx did a Big Violence and I'm not okay with that even though I always encouraged her to do it when we were kids" and "My new girlfriend loves me and I love her, too" and it feels disconnected with who Vi was even in the last episode of season one.

(Well, the "completely giving up on her sister" feels disconnected. Vi was always upset with Jinx doing violence, as we see in their reunion in episode six of season one, because again, violence is only okay when she does it. Her little sister, who she again encouraged to make bombs and promised Powder that they would work someday, is just Not Allowed.)

With all that said, I do think -- or hope? -- that we're supposed to see a logical disconnect within Vi. During their confrontation in the temple, we get an exchange where Jinx points out the awful things that Vi has done since becoming an enforcer -- plastering the wanted posters so that others would stop Jinx for her, and especially poisoning the air of the undercity. Not only did Vi rationalize that course of action a few moments prior ("we cleared the streets to keep people safe" -- you aren't keeping people safe by suffocating them, Vi! you should remember that from your own childhood!), but then she says, "I'm done blaming myself for your mistakes," which -- what is she talking about? Jinx isn't the one who put the wanted posters up. She isn't the one who flooded the Lanes with the Grey. These are actions that Vi, along with the task force, took. Those are her mistakes. Ones she should take accountability for, but is refusing to. Instead, it seems she's now blaming Jinx for her mistakes and wrongdoings. Which is kind of funny, because it's like, Jinx has done plenty wrong. Why not blame her for shit she actually did, eh?

Oh, but on that note: "I never thought my [sister] would orphan kids." It took me a moment to remember that the child Jinx orphaned was Ren, but I mean, Vi, sweetheart, you and Jayce killed a child last season when you were busting up a shimmer factory. Don't you remember that? Again, this is "violence is only okay when I do it." Vi definitely has a hypocritical streak going on when it comes to Jinx, and I think that we are supposed to recognize that. At least, I hope we are. I'll have faith in the writers that we are.

Anyway, those are my thoughts on that. I'd like to specify for anyone who has read this far that, no, I do NOT hate Vi, although right now I'm definitely more on Jinx's side because I think it is always morally right to oppose the police state, and again, Vi is coming across as a hypocrite. (Also stupid as fuck because, girl . . . Jinx is Powder is Jinx. Your sister grew up. Jinx did not "kill" your sister and is not "staining her memory." You are acting like a clown. Get it together.) But characters having flaws is a good thing, as it makes them more interesting, so it's okay that Vi is a hypocrite. I just wish that it got explored a bit more, especially re: her decision to join the enforcers and flood the Lanes with poison gas to "protect people" lmao.

Anyway. Can't wait for episodes 4 through 6!

[idkjustletmescroll]

Proud dads fr.

The Powder/Ekko dance wasn't shot like that to be artsy, that's just how many photos Vander, Silco, and Benzo took of them.

[idkjustletmescroll]

arcane season 2 oversimplified pros and cons

PROS:

-Caitlyn villain arc (so sue me).

-EMO VI (ik she was depressed guys but she was hot and i love her and also she deserves to crash out after all the shit she's been through, so--)

-Jinx/Isha/Sevika being the cutest little found family the entire damn show.

-At first I thought that the vi-jinx fight was too early in the season, but it ended up really working out and yk what it ATE. My sister and I have had the same fight over the tv remote.

-Sevika's gambling arm is sooo jinx I love it.

-THE SOUNDTRACK HELLO???

-Warwick/Vander recognizing his daughters!!!!

-HAIR DOWN JINX! HAIR DOWN JINX! HAIR DOWN JINX!

-Jinx and Caitlyn not hating each other (completely) anymore/letting go of their hatred of each other and freeing Vi to not feel so torn between them anymore--

-Which is why vi and cait only hook up after that? Because vi can finally feel okay committing to a relationship with someone else without feeling like she's abandoning her sister.

-ALL of episode seven omg my babies could've been so happy (except vi but in my head she's fine in both universes).

-Viktor's monologue in episode 6 abt humanity.

-More Mel screentime

-Ambessa talking about Kino omg my heart

-Ekko talking Jinx out of yk what MY HEART

-JINX AND EKKO SAVING THE DAY

-MEL AND CAIT TEAM UP

-Vi calling Caitlyn Cait and Caitlyn calling Vi Violet

-JAYCE LOVING VIKTOR'S IMPERFECTIONS I'M--

CONS:

-Mel's powers are lk giving MCU

-Needed more episodes (like 2-3) to flesh out the plotlines

-Feels less grounded than s1; like, I know s1 also had magic and stuff, but idk it felt more "real."

-Feels like they kind of diverted from the themes? I guess viktor's cult counts as "themes of progress," but it wasn't as touched on i feel like?

-The entire handling of the undercity's oppression in act 3. It's weird af idc. None of these people should be fine working with topside; it's not a both-sides-dealt-equal-harm-to-the-other situation, one side's oppressed and the other's the oppressors?

-I feel like we still? Didn't touch on? Vi's trauma? As much as we could have?

[idkjustletmescroll]

if Arcane was a funnier world

[idkjustletmescroll]

90% of Arcane season 2's issues would be resolved with like, 1-2 more episodes. The plotlines and relationships could have been more developed (caitvi reunion, maybe more of an acknowledgment to the tensions between topside and bottom than we-all-just-had-to-come-together-in-the-power-of-friendship-guys-topside-didn't-mean-to-oppress-yall), and we might have gotten my man ekko a little more screen time cause idc he could always use more.

[idkjustletmescroll]

WE'VE GOT ONE ACT LEFT FOR THIS EVERYONE MANIFEST

[idkjustletmescroll]

My boy Ekko doing flips to avoid screentime smh

[idkjustletmescroll]

one time i found an arcane fanfic where grayson would take cait down to the lanes and let her hang out with vander's kids?? And then obviously there's like slowburn caitvi?? And she's friends with claggor and mylo, too, but then powder/jinx still blows them all up, but she doesn't get taken in by silco and vi takes over the last drop?? Idk I can't find it anymore so if anyone knows it...

[idkjustletmescroll]

yessss

She really misses her wife!

Thanks man, help this rag get her shit together😩

And the second option, I also couldn't choose