#base violence necessary for change

[kikiiswashere]

Silco @ Vander in ep3

[sapphiresaphics]

The reason Season 2 ends with a big robot battle is because throughout the entire show, everyone thinks that to solve the conflict between the two cities you just need either bigger violence or the more correct form of violence.

Silco’s brilliant takeaway from the failed bridge revolt that began Arcane is that he just needs to have an even BIGGER attack. “For respect.” Right?

Jayce’s big plan to solve things was to team up with Vi to take on Silco. Because just getting rid of Silco will solve everything… right?

Jinx’s hatred and anger is taken out on the council, blowing them up in a fit of rage and retaliation. Surly that will stop things from getting worse, right?

Ambessa believes that Hextech weaponry will solve all her problems with the Black Rose. Remove them and everything will be okay, right?

So much of the justification for peace, is through acts of violence. Something Caitlyn herself remarks upon in season 2. But notably each time the violence escalates, the retaliation escalated too.

Jayce’s attempt to stop Silco resulted in him killing one of the Chem-Baron’s kids. That same Chem-Baron then attacks the memorial for the counselors which in turn sets off Caitlyn to attack the undercity, which in turn sets off Jinx to attack Piltover, which in turn forces Ambessa to seize control of the city. Every time, the violence escalates larger and larger.

The cycle continues.

And as things get worse and worse and worse, Viktor comes up with the ULTIMATE form of violence:

Forcefully remove ALL choice and agency from ALL people in the world and impose his own will on everybody all at once.

Viktor’s “glorious evolution” is the inevitable culmination of this attempt to stop the conflict between the two cities. It’s a different type of force, yes, but it’s still a force against your will all the same.

Viktor’s robot army is a visual representation of what the cycle of violence will ultimately lead to. It’s taking away your choice, your individuality, your emotions and fears, against your will.. by force. Reducing you to just a blank, faceless, obedient, automaton. You have no agency. You have no purpose. You don’t even have a voice to scream with.

But as future Viktor observes: “when all equations were solved, all that remained were fields of dreamless solitude.”

Arcane begins with the tale of two cities entrenched in the cycle of violence. The political machinations don’t leave the show, it just gets more and more heightened as the show goes on until it balloons out of control and becomes this enormous war over the very concept of individuality. Arcane needs to end with a big robot battle because that’s a visual metaphor for what happens when the cycle of violence continues. When you keep thinking “this act of violence will be the one to stop everything from getting worse” this is the only logical end game.

Just as doing science for the sake of science gets you the Atomic Bomb and the potential of Nuclear Destruction, violence for the sake of violence will only result in devastating consequences and a loss of rights and freedoms.

Anyone who thinks season 2 did away with the political messages of season 1 is lying to themselves. Season 2 is just a continuation of what was happening in season 1 and it only gets bigger and more intense as the show progresses until it reaches its breaking point.

Ps: this is my own extrapolation from this brilliant post. Please check their analysis out as well!

[garchankdefender]

Just thinking today about how Vander's last words to Vi as his full self, before the explosion and before the Shimmer, are, "You did good."

In the moments just after she slams the door on the mutated Deckard - just after facing down and beating all of Silco's men in a desperate attempt to buy Mylo and Claggor time as they work to free Vander - Vi looks back to Vander for reassurance.

And he gives it to her - he saw how she fought; he saw how she saved them. "You did good."

And this episode is a masterclass in building tension, because they're so close to getting him out, and every time I watch it I'm on the edge of my seat, saying "Almost, almost..." But like I said, these are his last words to Vi as his full self. The next time he speaks to her, he's dying and shimmered-up.

This scene is just seconds before Powder's monkey bomb goes off, and nothing is ever the same again.

[arcane-aesthetics]

"Why did you leave me?"

"Because you're a Jinx, do you hear me? Mylo was right."

[thewistlingbadger]

"The base violence necessary for change."

The fight between the Zaunites and the enforcers is what changes Vander from a man who sought independence to a man that sought peace

Silco's attempted murder is what pushes him to be the violent and extreme person we see

Sky's death is what makes Viktor realize the hextech dream is lost and that the hex core must be destroyed

The violence Mel witnesses as a child is ultimately why she ends up rejecting war

Sevika losing her arm is what ends up making her more powerful than before

The death of Vander ends up bringing Silco's Zaun.

The death of Silco ends up bringing a Zaun revolution

Jinx's stealing of the hex gem and her attack on Piltover (the first one)/the threat of zaun violence is why Piltover ultimately votes for peace

Caitlyn's mom's death is what turns Caitlyn into a hateful person who lusts for revenge

The attack on the council is the catalyst to the war

Vi punching Jinx was what made her jinx

Singed injecting shimmer into jinx violently and without consent is what makes Jinx more unhinged

Silco's death ends up changing Jinx

The violence silco inflicted is what made Vi determined to bring him down

The violence from both piltover and Zaun and shimmer is what makes Ekko start the firelights

Ekko beating the crap out of jinx makes him realize powder still exists

Jinx's bomb on the bridge would have killed her, forever altering the story (had she not been saved)

Jinx attacking piltover and stealing the hex gem is why fishbones and other hex weapons exist

[q8qwertyuiop8p]

All silco colorscripts shown in the expo

[berrytheicecream]

I had this “au” idea except it’s not rlly an au considering basically nothing story wise would change but like. What if young Gert knew young Mylo. When they were like teens or something and the two were friends, similar to how Ekko and Powder were at the time but “cooler” cus they’re teens lmao. Also bc a young Gert design NEEDS TO BE REAL‼️‼️

I have a hc that Gert lost one of her parents during the riot on the bridge and the other of a result of the riot a few days later (infection from an injury, starvation, etc). But Gert wasn’t fortunate enough to have anyone to take her in, so she learned to take care of herself just fine.

Thing is, Gert had no one to fight for. That is, until she met Mylo. How would they meet? Idk but I assume it would probably be something stealing related. But they slowly became friends and started hanging out a lot. She really liked how Mylo was able to put a smile on her face with his jokes, and she gave him advice when he was frustrated with his family (bc normally when he had fights with them he’d just run to his and Gert’s hang-out spot. Their hangout spot would probably have a good view of the warehouse).

Speaking of which, Gert only sorta knows Mylo families. She’s only met them a few times. She’s pretty fond of Powder and thinks Vi and Claggor are chill. (I think this would be a cool connection to the jail scene in Ep 4 since she was the first one to reach out for Jinx/Powder, and even add to that scene with Vi and her when she passed away. Ofc not the reason those scenes happened, but just adding a layer of story to it. They did know each other back when life was simpler, back as kids).

Mylo would talk about his lockpicking skills and Gert would talk about her interest in producing music. She would’ve helped him paint that giant middle finger we see in episode 1 lol. (He would still trip over his own bucket LMAOO)

They did practically everything fun together, and for the first time, Gert knew what it was like to want to fight for someone. To want to help them. Being with Mylo was the most happy time of her life, because he was someone who was carefree and helped her struggles feel at ease. She could share her problems with and him and he would make her laugh.

So they’ve known each other for like a year at least, and the last time they ever spend in their hangout spot is the day before the heist at Jayce’s penthouse. And Mylo trusts Gert enough to tell her, even though his older sister probably said not to. So she KNOWS about everything even before everything went wrong, and she was shocked to learn they literally blew up a building.

But unfortunately because they needed to lay low and just all the chaos of the situation, Gert never managed to talk to Mylo again. The last time she ever saw him was when she was in their hangout spot, and she managed to catch a glimpse of him and his siblings entering the cannery.

And then she saw the explosion. She was frozen in shock for a few minutes, but instantly, Gert rushed over to the place, only to find it a complete wreck. She walks cautiously through the debris to avoid detection from anyone, and amongst the debris and rubble, what does she find?

Okay no but seriously we see Claggor’s goggles multiple times after he died but like wtf happened to Mylo’s lockpick lmao (I mean to be fair it is pretty small and probably just got like blasted into pieces from the explosion)

But Gert refuses to believe it. She clings onto the hope that maybe, somehow, Mylo survived this whole mess. She didn’t want to go back to having nothing to fight for, to feeling alone.

But every year that passed without ever seeing him again, it dawned on her that he was likely gone. She had to keep on moving forward without him, which was hard, but she knew it was probably what he would’ve wanted.

Aaaand after that Gert’s story is probably the same as we see in canon. I like the idea that she joined the Jinxers to have something to fight for but there are small adjustments which could be made. She probably still holds onto Mylo’s lockpick, remembering back when she was younger, but I think she views his loss as a reason to keep moving forward. For his sake, and for her own. Now she has new family to fight for (the Jinxers and honestly all of Zaun if you think about it) and she won’t allow herself to lose anyone she cares about anymore.

that’s it, just a silly thought bc Gert & Mylo are such an underrated pairing/duo istg

[registeredboykisser]

@poltergeist-punk not edited I'm trying to freewrite and get my creative ass going again. but yippee we overcame writers block!!

(Spoilers for s1ep3 of arcane but tbh if you're on this blog, you've probably already seen it)

The Base Violence Necessary For Change — Silco's POV

He watched Vander writhe on the ground, pained and bloody and bruised.

The absolute monster of a man he made loomed over, disgustingly vile with purple practically glowing throughout his veins. This was all in the name of vengeance, though he couldn't help but feel pricks at his heart when he heard Vi's sobs. He looked over slightly, taking in the pink mess of hair trapped under a piece of rubble. Tears ran down her cheeks as she looked at the bodies of her friends—her siblings. Then her gray eyes met his, and he averted her gaze.

The smoke surrounding them made it incredibly difficult to breathe, akin to the way the fissures clogged your throat. Though, this environment was much warmer, with the sweat trailing down his temple to the scarring of his face, nearing the point of stinging. The blade in his hand began to slip, and he adjusted his grasp.

He heard the familiar—all too familiar—sound of Vander's growl at the enemy, and panic began to settle again. The way he'd growled when forcing him down into those murky waters—scolded him when he desperately tried to escape, scowled at the way the knife plunged deep into his forearm— felt so similar to this moment. It defeated the purpose of why he was here.

He needed to regain control, set the record straight,

Become a monster himself.

He plunged the knife into Vander's back, the wet squelch of muscle and blood filling his ears. It wouldn't be the first time it did, but this time it felt raw, not drowned out by the water filling his ears, his lungs, his eye. He pushed the bulky man in front of him off of the knife, watching the red consume the typical off-white of his shirt. He stepped back, albeit not dexterously assessing the damage. Memories threatened to flood back, but he did his best to refuse acknowledgement.

Until Vander turned around and wrapped his large hands around his neck, tightening their grip and restricting his air flow. He met his gaze, anger began to dilute with fear—the same fear he felt that night. Vander's hands around his neck, the murky river waters eating away at the flesh and nerves of his eye, desperately gasping for air as his lungs continued to fill with more and more fluid—it was terrifying, and it made him feel so weak.

Vander's gaze was different, he seemed to still hold a fight he'd lost long ago—when he'd taken Powder and Vi under his wing, when he'd made deals with enforcers to keep the Lanes safe, when he feared his power after trying to kill the person he cared for.

And despite everything, he still felt like the same, weak young adult being drowned under that bridge.

Without anymore thought, he took another strike at the man above him. The knife landed in his abdomen this time, drawing much more blood than before without removing it. It only made his windpipe tighter, made him part his lips and gasp for hair. He bared his teeth—and yet he still looked more like a terrified stray than a feared figure. He watched as Vander got closer, willingly forcing the knife deeper and resting his forehead on his. Still so filled with anger, not holding the softness he once hated. But the gesture portrayed a different message. And then that pressure moved to his shoulder, and soon his whole body.

The large man pressed against him, making him readjust himself to handle the weight. The hand on his throat dropped to his side, and he quickly took a breath. He silently thanked Janna for the air, even if it was in the form of smoke.

If he closed his eyes, he could almost imagine their most domestic moments. Vander's warm body surrounding his, Felicia chuckling while conversing with Connol, when Silco provided a breakthrough on their mission. He appreciated it and would've stayed there for longer, to forget the way Vander had tried to take his life momentarily. He wanted to indulge in the warmth against him, as his breathing slowed and his mind stopped racing.

The man always had a way of grounding him and his wild thoughts.

But the warmth soon started to run cold, the pulse against his chest no longer present, the breath on his neck just memories of it. And it soon became useless to continue.

His mind wandered, wondering if things would've been different if Vander had continued to fight instead of flea, if he had chosen to leave the children orphaned. But this was the universe they were in now, and he got to spend their final moments seeing that life in Vander come back.

He exhaled and tipped his head, unhanding the knife and reaching his hand to Vander's chest.

"I knew you still had it in you."

He breathed, but he couldn't tell if he was talking to Vander's now limp body or himself.

He pushed Vander off the ledge of the bridge and watched him descend into the flames.

[polymathart]

I think this line from Season 1 summarizes Jinx and Cait's relationship after the finale.

If not respect, at least understand.

[icy-watch]

By, using the crystals to cause some explosions?

[thingsasbarcodes]

Arcane 1x03 - The Base Violence Necessary For Change

[sapphiresaphics]

Arcane is about exploring the cycle of violence through many different avenues.

It explores the cycle of violence through how characters treat each other. How misunderstandings, pride, arrogance, or ignorance can cause the cycle to continue. (Us vs them, sister vs sister, brother vs brother, mother vs daughter)

It explores how systemic systems put in place fuel and perpetuate the cycle of violence through the innate classism divide between the two cities and its people. (Rich vs poor)

It explores how power, absolute raw unadulterated power from the gods, corrupts and destroys and perpetuates the cycle of violence. (Chaos vs order)

It explores how ideals, from the vile and wicked to even the most benevolent, can still perpetuate the cycle of violence. (Vander, Silco, Greyson, Ambessa, Mel, Viktor, Jayce, Sevika)

It takes this magical setting, utilizes these rich vibrant characters and lore, and uses all of this to weave an amazing tapestry that explores in great detail how all these things are connected and are used/misused to perpetuate the cycle of violence. It is a MASTER CLASS of literary exploration of a central theme. Every aspect, every action, every character, every plot point… everything in this show is LASER FOCUSED on exploring this theme.

To take ALL OF THAT and say “Arcane is supposed to be about classism” is such a deeply REDUCTIVE statement that glosses over so much of what Arcane is actually doing and saying.

And I’m frankly sick of it.

I get you liked the classism stuff, but that wasn’t all that Arcane was about, nor was it the central theme of the show. Classism, like the Arcane magic itself, was a expositional tool to explore the themes of the cycle of violence through the characters it affected. The creators chose Piltover and Zaun BECAUSE the class divide offered opportunities to explore the theme of the cycle of violence. The Arcane magic itself was chosen because its power imbalance provides opportunities to explore the themes of the cycle of violence in ways that couldn’t be achieved otherwise.

I’m just so fucking tired of people refusing to acknowledge this because they preferred the classism stuff more.

[garchankdefender]

Sad Arcane Parallel of the Day:

In Season 1 Episode 3, when Benzo is killed in front of Vander, Vander just drops to his knees...

Hmm, now where else have we seen that?

[heartfeltletters-written]

just finished s1e3 of arcane and like .... what the hell, sure

[r1ghthandrebel]

This blog is live!

[bigolbard]

I've wanted to rewatch Arcane for like a year now (I binged it three times through in a week and a half in June 2022) and I finally convinced my dumb ADHD brain to do it

Just finished Episode 3 and yeah this was a mistake, I shouldn't have done this