ARCANE's Vi and Jinx: Grief, Guilt, and Psychosis

[@CinemaTherapyShow]

Alan here clarifying something: This episode does not mean we are suddenly *_TELEVISION THERAPY_* or *_VIDEO GAME THERAPY_*. We can't take that amount of time regularly to review entire multi-season shows to prep for this. Sorry. We will _occasionally_ be able to do limited series like this (Ted Lasso, we're looking at you, buddy!) We're glad that you're all so passionate about Steven Universe, but there's no way we can spend the time to watch 160 episodes of a show. But the channel is still Cinema Therapy. Movies are our passion. Love you all!

[@TunaPetunia456]

That's understandable

[@CheetoChannelCity]

I'm just glad of all the series you could analyze, it was this one

[@chubbyanimalenthusiast70]

Yah makes sense

[@rimurutempest4945]

Makes sense, your format works better for shorter series and movies

[@Louis_2568]

Could you please do a video on “Inside” by Bo Burnham?

[@tessat338]

When my mom was a psychiatric nurse, she had a patient in the middle of a psychotic episode, and she was trying to get him to focus on her to bring him back into touch with reality. In the middle of this, (with security guards right behind him) the patient lunged, not AT my mom, but PAST her, because she was a nice lady and he wanted to protect her from "Them." She always remembered this as evidence of this person's essential decency, that, even in the middle of a delusion and a severe psychological crisis, he was still trying to look out for others.

[@lyannawinter405]

Well, that touched me a lot.

[@TF-kn3kf]

That’s heart breaking. That this man was suffering and affected by something so debilitating and yet he’s still a good person trying to protect others. Knowing he’s trapped like that… geez

[@tessat338]

@@TF-kn3kf Brought tears to my mom's eyes, even though she's had years of experience.

[@lilscenechick1995]

That poor man 😭 I just can't imagine what it's like to suffer like that, mentally. Always questioning your own perception because you can't properly separate reality from imagination

[@tessat338]

@@lilscenechick1995 I have had panic attacks. When I am having them, part of my mind can stand back and understand that this is not an accurate perception of reality. That part of my mind actually gets bored during the attacks and wonders just how much more time I still have to waste doing this. I asked a former classmate who had suffered from psychotic breaks, if she could tell at the time that it wasn't really real. She said no, it seemed to be a completely real and factual perception of what was actually happening at that moment.

[@TheLangenator]

I think my favorite description of that last moment is: "Powder killed Silco to save her sister, Jinx killed Powder to avenge her father"

[@luiiiandmovieee]

!!!

[@Weteperepe]

Right in my heart, ouch

[@michaelcherokee8906]

That is as impactful as it is succinct.

[@leandraleo281]

ow..ouch

[@pukupukupaopao]

Oh ma gosh wtf that gave me chills

[@Witheringdawn2]

I interpreted it as Vi walking away because she needed some space. She had just hit her sister, which she thought she would never do, and she needed to be away from her before she did more damage. When she saw Powder was in danger, she tried to go back. It was never her abandoning Powder

[@MrChannelforwatching]

That's exactly right. If you rewatch the scene again, After Vi hits Powder and her nose starts bleeding, it runs onto Vi's hand and she stares at it. She immediately turns her hand over to her knuckles, a callback to when Vander took her bloodied knuckles after a fight and said "This? This doesn't solve anything". Vi realises at that moment that her lashing out is wrong and needed to cool her head. She never intended to abandon her.

[@saranaila5905]

@@MrChannelforwatching yeah it's unfortunate af cause from powder's perspective she made a turn and never came back, she believed for years that her sister abandoned her. It's hard to get over that.

[@Kenkasan]

Same

[@MsUnamusedNerd]

Yeah, Vi walked away because in that moment she was no good to powder and she needed to cool off.

[@kiwio3o387]

That's definitely not something she thought she'd never do probably, as if you watch some other stuff like the Enemy music video, she does shove her out of anger. I do believe there may have been some physical abuse on the occasion of anger, but I do agree with you on everything else. She just needed space, and unfortunately for somebody with abandonment issues (Powder), that can be hard to deal with and understand mentally.

[@occultnightingale1106]

Lying is such a trigger for Powder/Jinx because Vi had, previously, attempted to comfort her by pushing back against when Mylo would call her dead weight, inexperienced, or bad luck. However, in her darkest hour, the moment she needed help the most, Vi punched her in the face and spat out "because you're a *jinx!"* When Vi said that, Powder heard "everything I've ever told you was a lie, and this is the underlying truth I've been hiding all this time." That was the moment that Jinx was born.

[@gman7497]

That was tough. Looking at Vi's perspective though, it's this incredibly gut-wrenching idea that, if she didn't constantly encourage Powder that she 'could' contribute and help, and she should keep trying with her bombs and other devices, then maybe she wouldn't have gotten the idea to use the monkey-bomb, or even think to try and help in the first place. It's this guilt of believing that she is partially responsible for everything coz she never gave Powder any real discouragement or set limits with her. And this is what it led to.

[@saracioffi8263]

Totally! Also, really early on in the series, Powder overhears Mylo talking shit about her to Vi and the beginning of Vi defending her, but she only catches something like "yeah, she's a deadweight" before running away and never hears the end of it. I feel like that played an important part too, kind of another seed planted into what then gave birth to Jinx

[@ethidian3444]

Oversimplifying. Jinx in the time jump is fully aware Silco has been lying to her to manipulate her, but allows it and lies to herself that it's not a dealbreaker because of her attachment issues. Vi still isn't around, so she needs Silco. She knows Silco would have murdered Vi and kept it a secret from her, but stays with Silco and is emotionally reliant on him. Silco creates Jinx slowly, after the key traumatic incident (of which she knows Silco is to blame).

[@dannyfar7989]

I think occultnightingale is on point. Vi had her own struggles and good intentions, good intentions are what the way to hell is plastered with. The carachters in this show are well written. The one complaint I have aboit the show is that it pretends to show a class war, up vs down yet we only see the bosses of the upper city fight the bosses of the lower city and hear nothong about all the unnamed "minions" on both sides that the bosses of the upper and lower city (imcluding Vis amd ekkos decisions here) regularely and carelessly semd to their deaths. The Characyers are great but for a seeies with class war jn it's main focus it doesn't seem to understand much about classwar. However, nobody's perfect, the Characters are well enough written to discuss them as if they where real people, that is quite something. I'll watch and enjoy the 2. Season too

[@ethidian3444]

@@dannyfar7989 I think the political and class dynamics are simply rushed, as are many plot points-like Caitlyn freeing Vi in a pinch for example. You can argue it’s rushed on purpose, to get to the main points more concisely, but I think it’s one of the weaker aspects of the series.

[@na3rial]

Vi has the "first born child" trauma on top of everything else. She feels responsible for everything, no matter how out of her control it was

[@sbutler373]

Vander even tells her as much, that while people will listen to her orders and run when she tells them to run, that when things go wrong it’s on her.

[@AnFithich]

This comment hit me hard, because it's my name and also I'm the first born of me and my sis. I feel like I should have been there for her more...

[@CaptainSoftboy501]

*cries in first born trauma in an immigrant household*

[@KnoKei]

And that's why she likes Caitlyn. For the first time since Vander died, she feels protected by someone else.

[@Weteperepe]

Exactly, Vi took up the role of basically Powder's parental figure after their parents died (there's Vander of course but if you pay attention there barely is any line of dialogue between him and Powder, which shows us that Vi's her main caretaker), that role only being reinforced by Vander who constantly reminds Vi how much responsibility she bears over the rest of the crew. That's one one of Vander's flaws, an understandable mistake which so many parents in our world throw upon their eldest child's shoulders too. Like the previous commenter said, that's how Vander parallels/contradicts to Caitlyn when she assures Vi that what happened to Jinx isn't her fault (there was already the "you've got a good heart" recall; she's also a parallel to Jinx for Vi in other sometimes subtler instances, Cait's representing a different form of love to Vi - one she didn't know she needed)

[@Mediados]

Vi's greatest problem towards Jinx is that she doesn't understand her issues. The thought of Vander, Milo, Powder and Claggor is what gives Vi the strength to keep going. For Jinx the thought of them has been endless torment for years. Vi can't imagine that their family is exactly the thing that is Jinx' worst thought.

[@mwuahugz1115]

Tru. For Vi, they were their family, her hope. But for Jinx, they were her guilt

[@beetle1516]

that's why that scene hurts so much. Vi is making it so much worse, and the fact that she cant see that, but WE get a very visual representation of it, is heart-breaking to watch.

[@Weteperepe]

@@beetle1516 exactly

[@MissAlyssa108]

It’s like she’s almost choosing to kill Silco cuz he’d be less horrible as an inner demon than adding Vi.

[@dpc3834]

@@MissAlyssa108 I never thought of it that way! It's very interesting, and heartbreaking too

[@coloraddiction]

It's sad how Silco did genuinely become very attached to her, but because he did so through the lense of his own trauma he pretty much dumped his insecurities on her in a way that made her psychosis so much worse.

[@TheLangenator]

Indeed. He genuinely loved her and tried to be a good father, but he failed.

[@BrokenDarkFire]

Yup. He saw so much of himself in her and he wanted to be the one to guide her out of her own personal hell. But Jinx needed a bigger support system than he could’ve provided alone. He didn’t consider that if he died, she would be alone with her psychosis with no one to support her at all.

[@marallenrondez2606]

@@BrokenDarkFire This compounds to the scene in the last episode where Silco was talking to Vander's statue. After how many years, he finally understood the motivation of Vander to protect those kids, or in this case Jinx.

[@Darkstormsun9865]

Perhaps but I still think he mostly did that because it was the only way he can manipulate jinx.

[@mangalores-x_x]

@@Darkstormsun9865 it's not an either or. He did both. But Jinx is the only person he does a purely selfless act for. Everyone else he manipulates only for his own gain.

[@Maxisamo1]

The scene where Silco sits by Vander's statue and basically goes "Dude... I finally understand you..." is amazing character work

[@actuallynotsteve]

It's brilliant stuff. This may not track, but I used to not like dogs and was very meh on them. But I adopted this female Boston puppy a month before lockdown...just this sweet, innocent little life that needed me to watch her 24/7 to survive. 3 years later, I would eat 50 bullets before I'd let her experience trauma, and I feel like Silco. I can't pour her whiskey, or call her my daughter, but I'd give up my Nation of Zaun before I let something bad happen to her, and it's very undoing.

[@danielguy3581]

@@actuallynotsteve It is the opposite of undoing.

[@ChimeraLotietheBunny]

Agreed

[@karljohan2300]

just love how he atlast understands it all and just is so torn of finally realising his big dream but he has to sacrifice his daughter

[@Triple-A-Artist]

I love vi because she subverts the stereotypes of “strong woman no emotion strong” Vi is strong but she holds so much emotion she cry’s she cares for people. Ekko is the one who holds the “hardened ” trait. I love how this show is so strong and confident in how it does women and just people in genre

[@yoongitrash2699]

and even then, ekko is show to be vulnerable and cries too

[@excessivelyfangirlingbookw3339]

Agreed. I love how this show isn't afraid of showing powerful female characters being resourceful and strong (physically and mentally) as well as more humble, caring, gentle male characters.

[@Densoro]

Ekko's version of 'hardened' isn't about repressing the loss, but instead acknowledging and paying love and respect to it. In a lot of ways, he's got the healthiest outlook. The mural for the dead has this gut-wrenching parallel to the real world, and shows how bittersweet it can be to accept the losses and move on instead of being consumed.

[@ijornhribrudkrvir]

Yeah I absolutely love the scene in the finale after she beats sevika abd just let's out that visceral scream, like there's so much emotion in everything she does and that's *okay,* that's what *makes* her strong. They show how different characters find their strength in different things

[@bobtheball5384]

I really wasn't expecting to like Vi as much as I do now, but yeah no it's somewhat refreshing after "strong woman with no emotions" is a trope at this point.

[@FlubbedPig]

Worth noting, at one point Milo says "He's our dad too" about Vander, so Powder didn't just get her friends killed, it was her entire adoptive family.

[@NanciBK]

Thank you! Why does everybody miss this? They were not friends, they were Vi and Powder’s brothers.

[@neo1053]

Exactly

[@Voidbbit]

AYO, you didn't have to make me cry like that ;-;

[@ChimeraLotietheBunny]

That hurts deep

[@Laecy]

I think Jinx’s trigger around lying is due to her psychosis. When you know you can’t trust your own perceptions, there’s a degree of trust you have to place in the people around you to navigate reality. It’s a trust that goes beyond normal relationships. I have a somewhat milder version with being on the spectrum. If there’s someone I trust to help me socially, being lied to or manipulated by that person is especially devastating. I imagine there’s something similar with deaf folks and their interpreters or blind people with their guides. Jinx can’t tell the difference between truth and delusion, and being lied to by her father figure would be terrifying.

[@eonstar]

Such an interesting take :o

[@cryforhelp7270]

I just keep remembering my mom lying to me about something small, and it always manages to make me cry. I'm not sure what that means, hope I can understand it one day lol

[@shinkamui]

i dont really see it as something started by the psychosis the first person that lied to powder wasnt her own mind, it was vi when vi said she was capable and trustworthy, and reassured powder after she made a big mistake at the beginning, when everyone else condemned her, that was cathartic for powder. only for vi to not back it up when the push came to shove, and vi told her to stay at home. And then, there was the abandonment and everything else. In powder’s eyes, vi was constantly a rug being swept under her feet, many promises but not very reliable if anything her psychosis is just another echo of that moment. Potentially being made stronger by the fundamental betrayal that happened by the hands of vi. Its no coincidence powder is compared to that one lucifer’s painting in the show’s promotional art. Powder feels betrayed by her protector in a way the way vi was unreliable, is a perfect fuel for the psychosis

[@jazzfan1994]

This would apply to memory issues too. I have often just had to accept someone saying that I said or did something that seems plausible but I don’t remember. Someone deliberately lying to manipulate that vulnerability is a huge breach of trust.

[@thetalantonx]

I am glad I scrolled down to find this. If you're ever given reason to doubt your own perceptions, it's a lot harder to function around people who give you reason not to trust them. Hallucinations and delusions are easier to talk down when there's that history with a person, and it can be devastating to have that solid reality anchor snatched away.

[@chaoticcasper5835]

As somebody who's been best friends with somebody who genuinely struggles with psychosis & schitzophrenia... Lying is a gigantic trigger. Why? Because they already struggle with knowing what is and is not real. The idea of a person lying only adds to that. Jinx is one of my biggest kins and the main reason is because my sister left me, quite recently actually. She hasn't talked to me in two years. The lines "are we... still sisters?" and "I thought, maybe you could love me like you used to... Even though I'm... different." cut me fucking DEEP.

[@Jarod-vg9wq]

Hope you see her again

[@lunarie7313]

I don't even have a sister. I have a brother, and that shit cut me deep too. I think having a shaky relationship with a sibling (esp if you're the younger one) in general can cause them to feel like they can really identify with Jinx.

[@alnajla-fe1lp]

im sorry, i hope you can reunite with your sister

[@juliab3326]

​@@lunarie7313 Yep. Hearing my oldest brother say, 'I don't care if you ever come back home,' was devastating, especially since I didn´t even want to visit them, but was trying to fulfil THEIR wishes.

[@juansebastian8027]

I think you are right but also has something to do with silcos own traumas that he put onto jinx,he thinks he is doing something nice for her but its actually making her distruthful of everyone too even himself included at times,because of he sees that everyone is going to betray them

[@slsthewriter1299]

I think the biggest thing with Vi, for me at least, is she *never* actually did abandon Powder. Powder was still in her line of sight the whole time, hence why she was able to get right back up and (try to) run and protect her. The key with her is Vander raised her. Vander who used to just talk with his fists, and arguably had a lot of anger issues. He probably taught Vi, given how similar they are to each other, to step away and cool off before coming back to recoperate. When Vi ran off, I don't think she it was ever to abandon, it was just to clear her head and give her the space, especially with how horrified of herself she was about laying a hand on her sister. And as I said, she really didn't go that far. Still within Powder's line of sight, Silco just literally came between them. So Powder didn't see that Vi was, in fact, still there.

[@JonathanRodriguez-nz9nw]

Everyone knows she did not abandon her. It is very heavily implied that Marcus imprisoned her that night

[@slsthewriter1299]

@@JonathanRodriguez-nz9nw ?? Have you been anywhere in the internet? People say she does. In this video, they both LITERALLY say she did. xD Like cmon man. Glad to see another reasonable mind, but like, saying everybody knows she didn't is giving too much faith. Lol

[@JonathanRodriguez-nz9nw]

@@slsthewriter1299 no, i just binged it last night recovering after a training session 😅. But it seemed to me she punched her for killing the other orphans, and was inmediately going to go back to say sorry when the corrupt cop arrested her there and then. That is not abandonment, she was clearly taken. Although only in movies do little children survive in adult prisons (cough, Nolan's Bane) 🤣

[@slsthewriter1299]

@@JonathanRodriguez-nz9nw Ah. xD Well double-glad that's your first impression and not that she abandoned her. Lol. I've been in fandom spaces for Arcane since last November, so I've seen a lOT of the Vi-blaming. ;_; But yeah, Vi just went to cool off. Though hey, maybe she's a lil Bane too. xD

[@JonathanRodriguez-nz9nw]

@@slsthewriter1299 definitely xD

[@rorygiambalvo2955]

Jinx's baptism was killing Silco. She didn't mean to, didn't want to, it was just another split-second reaction that got someone she loved killed. She messed up, again, and not only did Silco not blame her, he continued to say she was perfect. She let Powder die with Silco, but hoped that Vi would still love her as Jinx.

[@chelbanna]

I agree. Powder was always called Jinx because she would mess up everything she tried to do. She adopted the name after she killed her found family and made her sister leave (as she saw it). She was bullied and teased by Mylo for being a Jinx, but Silco loved her for it. He loved every bit of chaos that she was and tried to nurture her as best as he could, gave her a second home and a purpose and helped her feel strong by honing her skills and encouraging her, and most importantly a new person to cling to even as her mind fell apart. Then, in a split second of psychosis she kills him too. She kept on reaching out to Vi, hoping and trying to ague with the voices in her head that Vi loved her always and was being honest. Then when she killed Silco I think she really finally fully believed that she was Jinx, and worse, she was A jinx. Vi would never love her now, and even if she did, Jinx would probably accidentally kill her too, one day. So, she killed Powder instead, freeing (in her mind) Vi of the curse that she is.

[@GreyscaleGod]

And Vi thinks that by accepting/acknowledging her as Jinx, she's giving up on her, when really it's just meeting her where she's at. That's the fundamental disconnect between the two: Jinx wants to be loved for who she is, and Vi wants her to be something else (out of love).

[@xsomili5501]

Yes ❤️

[@cuileth3369]

I have to disagree with Alan here, I loved that even the side characters got at least one little moment for them. I love that the corrupt cop was humanized. For me, that is a big part of why this show is so great. It puts everything into complicated perspective and reminds you that nothing is as simple as it "often seems"/ many shows make it seem.

[@supercyan6360]

Yeah it's just like the common phrase "don't judge a book by its cover".

[@abbiebagnell1398]

And the fact that, everyone is a person, the side characters can be just as complicated - they just don't get focused on

[@TheRibottoStudios]

Ekko vs Jinx allowed for an entire ass backstory to be told in.....what 2 and a half minutes?

[@abbiebagnell1398]

@@TheRibottoStudios And it was done in a really cool way, from the animation style to the music to every kick and punch they each threw. When it kept flashing back to them aw kids I literally stopped it and was like "woah"

[@inoli3164]

That and some of the side characters are other in game champions people play

[@SilverGallowglass]

One part of that last scene that always hurts is when Jinx says "Even though I'm...different" because I can tell that that moment before she says "different", that she is also saying "broken", "crazy", "wrong". All these other words are just pressing on the back of tongue and she finally settled on "different". Because you can feel you're a lot of things but to say them out loud, especially to a loved one, makes them real and more painful. "Different" she can say, "different" is what she can face right now.

[@RobHFirstReflect]

"Y'know, Powder, what makes you different makes you strong. Always remember that, ok?"

[@Overseer2579]

Nice catch

[@dapperdabber13]

The line "but you changed too" is interesting because of all the characters Vi _hasn't_ changed. It's like she's just stuck in time. What Jinx is referring to, isn't Violet's personality, or mannerisms that changed. It's the _idealized version_ of Vi in her head that's changed. That's gone. That's never coming back, because now there are other people in Violet's life she cares about. But here's the thing....She _Always_ had other people in her life she cared about. Not just Powder. But we can idealize people in our minds, and get fixated on that version of them. In Jinx's mind, Vi was HERS. No one else's. Now she's seen that she was ABANONDED _again_ for Caitlyn at the bridge, she saw Violet team with Ekko, so that's where the line comes from. And it's all the more tragic for it.

[@jharris3267]

Your comments make me want to watch this.

[@silver9wolf6]

Wow, that's a really good point. People always talk about Vi having an idealized picture of Powder, but I hadn't thought much about that fact that Jinx probably also has an idealized picture of Vi. This show is so good!!

[@msk-qp6fn]

Jinx saying that Vi changed...well, to me at least, it was a good indication of Jinx's mental state. As you have said, Vi is pretty much the same as she was when she was a kid. But it's Jinx who has changed and her relationship with Vi, but Jinx cannot see this. Whether it's wilful ignorance or not, it still shows how fragile her mind is, I think.

[@ohno8398]

That's a fascinating view! I had a totally different interpretation (eg past Vi would never have teamed up with an enforcer let alone become close to one) but the idea of Vi and Jinx both losing the idealised version of each other is devastating

[@beast6213]

I would argue that Vi did change because she finally opened up to someone and let someone who wasn't a parent figure but her "equal" take care of her. That Caitlyn is an Enforcer when Vi as a kid blamed Enforcers for everything bad in their lives, every loss, every disruption that robbed them of any peace or security, is the icing on the cake.

[@arokh72]

"If you're in love with the original, you're in love with someone who doesn't exist anymore". After 25 years of marriage, I find this so true and profound. My wife at 49 is not the person I met, and fell in love with, when she was 23. I'm not the same person as almost 50 as I was when I was 24 (as much as I'd prefer my 24 year old body without the medical issues and ravages of time). We have grown together, had a quarter century of ups and downs together, and we still love each other very much. Yes that love looks different today to what it did in 1996 when we met, or 1997 when we married, but it's still love and we are still in love with each other.

[@kentoylampingasan]

As a man married for 2 years only, this is very uplifting man. Thank you.

[@alaaalshaba9456]

this is so wholesome to read, i'm happy for you!

[@Houkuko]

I feel like part of Jinx's fixation on honesty and others being truthful is because she knows she can't rely on herself to know the truth through her delusions and hallucinations, so she has to know if she can trust the ones around her instead. Like she can't trust her own perception, so she's forced to trust theirs, so when they prove themselves as unreliable it cuts especially deep for her. With trauma and ND, I can understand that as well, having to work hard to have people around me I trust because I know I don't always see things the right way.

[@Weteperepe]

Well said, I was wondering about that too like the Cinema Therapy guys, this makes a lot of sense now thank you for sharing and sending hugs 🫂

[@michaelcherokee8906]

That's an amazing insight, and the best theory Ive heard so far.

[@paraquietusghosty6407]

I think this could be it, but, I think it might also have come from all the times that Vi told her that she is not a Jinx, only to eventually tell her that everyone who called her that all along was right. From a certain point of view, it could be seen as Vi having lied to her on all the previous occasions to make her feel better, whether it was actually true or not. I could be wrong about some info here though, because I think it’s been nearly a year since I’ve watched this series, and I’ve only seen it once.

[@melaniehermand384]

Lying brings false reality, false beliefs, false perceptions. The truth, even when it hurts, brings a true reality to which one can learn to adapt, to live with, beliefs and perceptions based on true reality. Lying also leads to doubt and therefore, possibly, to paranoia: what is true? what is wrong? how to know ? what, who can I trust? The truth is always better than a lie.

[@Fyre11]

There's also the point where Vi tells Powder she's not ready, and that's why she got left behind, despite Vi telling her she was ready before the heist. I feel like that could also be a major memory and first pang of betrayal in her spiral that led her to feel like she had to prove herself as a child with her monkey bomb.

[@aperson9847]

The bit where you guys were talking about Jinx's "chaotic apathy" being an act that's born from pain over how much she cares...YES. There's a scene you didn't cover here where she's talking to Sevika and has her tied to a chair, and Sevika really gets under her skin by telling her Vi has replaced her with Caitlyn. Jinx seems like she's on the edge of a breakdown but then suddenly she does this overexaggerated sneeze and starts laughing. I fully believe the first part is real and what she shifts to is an act to cover up and avoid how much she's hurting.

[@maryhales4595]

"Ten outta ten, toots!"

[@gracer9975]

Never thought we would get a TV series. So excited for this episode!

[@daisyphinney1038]

ikr!?? IT'S A BREAKTHROUGH PPL!!! PANIC IN ABSOLUTE HAPPINESS!!!

[@chubbyanimalenthusiast70]

They already did Wanda vision which was a doozy

[@jonathanhancock470]

I’d love to see more TV! As long as it is, I’d love a deep dive into Eleven from Stranger Things.

[@dechanezlea6136]

Yeah and there’s so many good mini series like « The Queen’s Gambit » or « The Night Manager » they could watch

[@UnreasonableOpinions]

I mean, they've done two extremely limited short-run series. They are, combined, shorter than some film trilogies. People expecting them to do 24-episode 5-season runs of mega shows will be disappointed.

[@treyslider6954]

Something you didn't point out, but that I really love, is the final scene where Vi is trying to call back Powder, she's unintentionally recreating the game they played as kids; Vi is building up the big scary monsters, and she's getting carried away and not realizing that Powder/Jinx is getting scared. Only this time, it's not Vi who scares the monsters away...

[@Weteperepe]

Holy shiiiiiii

[@CattyLoveKittenLove]

OMG I didn't notice this and I haven't seen anybody mentioning it up until now. That's really clever!

[@ChickenTheThird]

you know, reading comments under reactions and essays has made me feel a lot of powerful emotions and i've read some incredibly profound observations that i feel actually had an effect on both myself and my perception of the show and story. i'm not gonna lie, homie, i think this is the first one that made me say "oh, _fuck_ you." because dude, that shit *hurted*.

[@treyslider6954]

@@ChickenTheThird *hurt :)

[@CattyLoveKittenLove]

@@ChickenTheThird ikr, I love this fandom and its intelligent members

[@kalten1011]

"People change and evolve over time and when you love somebody you are choosing to love a different version every day, every month and every year. Because if you just love the original you're in love with someone that doesn't exist anymore." Well that really hits hard...

[@blake9033]

It does and it's gonna be a hard learned lesson for Vi regarding Jinx, cause they were seperated for so long with different perspectives and trajectories in life. She's still "powder", but she's not 9 (or 7 or whatever ages they were in the 1st act) anymore and has a lot of baggage. Vi's gonna have to learn that who she is now and going forward, is who she is. Regardless of her name. Also Vi needs to recognize her own baggage too. Ugh i love this show

[@Insertia_Nameia]

Exactly. And Jynx, not Powder, can and will still change everyday as well. You may not always change for the better but whether or not you cont to do so is up to you. How do you choose to continue to change?

[@msk-qp6fn]

Then the real tragedy is not that Vi's love for Powder is gone. The real tragedy is that Vi now doesn't have the chance to build her love for Jinx.

[@charliecheadle9154]

Alan: “There’s a Villian Therapy on Silco coming sometime soon!” Me two years later: “….😀…”

[@LydianMelody]

About lying: Episode 1 Vi told Powder “What did I tell you?” to which Powder said “…I’m ready.” And she took a leap. Episode 3 when Powder wanted to help rescue Vander, Vi yelled at her “You’re not ready!” I can’t imagine that being anything but incredibly damaging to her considering what follows, even though Vi had the best intentions. Vi is such a brilliant example of someone who seems to do the right thing at so many turns (far from perfect I know) and yet everything falls apart anyway. I hecking love this show.

[@HK-gm8pe]

she tries to do theright thing but she just doesnt know how , she tries to help her sister but does it in a way that is reawakening Jinxs demons

[@mackielunkey2205]

You have to remember that part of that was due to Vander telling her “Who are you willing to sacrifice? Powder?” When Vi wanted to fight against the Enforcers. And once he put that idea in her head, it then led her to put that idea in Powder’s head.

[@jessi7855]

Yea and Vi was definitely on the right when she told Powder to stay at home, you're obviously not taking a nine year old to a rescue mission like that. It might have hurt Powder's feelings but Vi knew how brutal Silco can be and didn't want to risk anything happening to her

[@AndyTaken]

Tbh Poweder is already showing psychosis at that point, I am in no way an expert but maybe because of her parents dying etc but Powder has (as far as we're shown) had these mental breaks.

[@LydianMelody]

@@mackielunkey2205 You’re absolutely right. The trauma came from context of what happened next, and Vi (and Vander) had no way of predicting that. Unfortunately it doesn’t make it any easier for Powder, especially when she’s too young to understand. Sometimes there’s nothing we can do to prevent tragedy. All we can do is our best. It’s a heartbreakingly realistic way for something to happen.

[@dryfish8337]

"i should have known, nothing ever stays dead" its just a line that i think perfectly shows Jinx's mind. when something dies of course it stays dead, everything dies eventually but to jinx it just sticks around haunting her. how Jinx see's the world is so crazy that she has everything backwards to a point were it is normal to her. gosh i love this show

[@nogitsune4452]

I just find it funny since it's based off of League Of Legends where it's true, nobody stays dead.

[@pringlebatch]

Guess her parents stayed dead, unless you count the hallucinations

[@brittvaughn9447]

The silence before Jinx chooses her chair is very telling. It's not the voices telling her what to choose- it's her. It's heartbreaking that if Vi had understood that she needed to accept Jinx rather than reminding Powder of her greatest trauma, she might have been able to reach her. Georgia Dow has great breakdowns of their psychology on here!

[@mkmc94]

What accepting Jinx would mean ? She became a murderer can you just accept this from a sibling ? Like yeah it's ok if you like to kill !

[@heathersmith4042]

@@mkmc94 it doesn't mean accepting jinx the way silco did. it means accepting jinx as a human being who can change and heal, but also accepting what she's done. for all of season 1, vi was insistent that jinx wasn't real, and that everything jinx had done was just silco making her do it, and that if she could just have a conversation with her then she'd be like powder again- but to accept jinx means accepting who her sister has become and everything she's done. not throwing up her hands and saying welp you murder people now i guess that's fine :D

[@lizcl6857]

​@@heathersmith4042Also it is very interesting "that she likes to kill" because one could also dive into that. There's another analysis about the way she doesn't seem to particularly enjoy violence, in some frames as the one in wich the shoots the raven she closes her eyes (almost as if killing it was her default to make it go away), when they're are delivering the shimmer and she for a second believes that the pink haired person is Vi, she starts shooting with rage until she seems to realize what she's doing and looks rather scared (almost as if shooting erratically was her involuntarily trying to defend herself, more like a reflex that steams from trauma). There's also the council archives (which if you hadn't checked out I encourage you to) in wich you can read how she closed the eyes of the people she had to kill for Silco, as well as the belief she creates that there's some wholesome after that death creatures go to and reunite, which is more of a way to deal with the guilt of taking their lives away than anything that signals she enjoys it.

[@ashleycook300]

I have to say, Jonathan is amazing. I can see why he makes an amazing therapist. The scene in front of the broken mirror, when Jynx is having a psychotic break, and he just looks heart broken and says, "Omgosh that would be exhausting" I don't have psychosis but I have PTSD and it feels so cathartic to hear someone understand. I really want to get into the break down and how well you both analyize the masterpiece that is Arcane but that moment touched me and I had to type this out while it was still raw. Thank you both for being so amazing. And thank you Jonathan for being such an empathic human being. The world needs more people like you both.

[@dps8629]

PTSD is exhausting. Can confirm.

[@boramuffin12]

Oh my God, yes. Like I'm the same as you and when he said that I just said, 'Yes, it is exhausting' without me realizing it and suddenly I was like, 'Wait, I dob't even have psychosis.' but reading your comment....ah yes, the PTSD in me just really made me saying it without me knowing....

[@alastairvanmaren5243]

Honestly I very much appreciated that they refused to have any one-dimensional characters. Because at the end of the day, that's much more true to life. Nobody is one-dimensional. I don't think there is anything intrinsically wrong with "letting the corrupt cop be the corrupt cop", or allowing characters to function as symbols of some particular group, but I sure do appreciate it when the fact that individuals are not just symbols of a group to which they belong is recognized and acknowledged. It may not be particularly important in many dimensions of film-making and story-telling, but it is a message that I think is immensely important to communicate. And for a character-driven story like this, anything else would have felt out of place.

[@sarahschulz7987]

Completely agree! IMO, good character writing stops as soon as characters are (solely) used as symbols or to carry an idea or represent an ideology... hollywood likes to paint the world in black and white, and that's just not true. That's also the reason why I hate "gag writing" - if it feels like it's pushed upon a character just to make a point or crack a joke, it stops taking the character seriously and I just don't think that's good writing. In Arcane, not only is every background character taken seriously and developed, their subplots and roles influence and enrich the main story so beautifully, it's amazing :D

[@MABlacksmith]

Also, making the side characters more complex makes each standout, filling out the world and making it memorable. In the end, the only argument for making them "simpler" is efficiency, which the filmmakers were doing in other areas anyways. A great analysis of this is with the animation, where they did A LOT, but they were efficient about it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYm0g4SIZ7OYa5Y

[@slsthewriter1299]

That AND I don't know what he was talking about, but the characters they gave depth to played right into the themes of the show?? Like corrupt cop needed depth because, literally, the show's about a civil war where the police are the face of a lot of its issues. Heimerdinger got depth, because he's of the council who leads the cop (and is old and was there since the beginning). And then you have others like Skye who represent 1) the undercity, and 2) Sky is meant to play into Viktor's arc. She herself is a seed to his story. Cassandra and Tobias have depth because 1) council, 2) rich people, and 3) Caitlyn's parents. I dunno what that point was. Because no. When side-characters are side-characters, they need to be fleshed out if they play an element theme-wise, or arc-wise. Not as much as the main cast, sure, but they do. _And,_ if not, they need to be dimensional as an operating piece of the story's environment. Like…I just don't get it. Lol. Especially with a character-driven story, as you said. One-dimension is fine depending on the kind of story, and if the characters don't play a particular role in the narrative structure.

[@jaynerdy2313]

It also reinforces some of the show’s themes. Violence begets violence. It wouldn’t be surprising if that little girl grew up hating Zaun because “They killed my heroic cop dad”. All the characters allow for a super deep analysis of the show

[@evasage14]

100% agree, it enriches the story to an insurmountable degree. i love how every character in this show is so human, shown to be vulnerable at least once. That attention to detail and writing, this intergal theme of vulnerability and refusal to have one dementional charcters is what makes this show unlike anything i’ve ever seen.

[@Ptollemios]

If there was ever a series worth stepping out of the cinema zone temporarily, Arcane is the one. Fantastic show. The best show I've seen in my life thus far.

[@DarkHarlequin]

Honestly it sounds like exageration but I agree. And I've seen a lot of TV shows! 😅

[@dietotaku]

yeah, i honestly can't think of another series that's as good as arcane. just... god DAMN, sometimes it feels like riot does tv shows and songs and music videos better than they do actual games...

[@mackielunkey2205]

Honestly better than Avatar so far, and just below the classic era of Simpsons. Can’t wait for next season!

[@sakurap95]

What I loved about Vi is that she recognized that she was pushed over her limit and instead of staying and potentially saying or doing something she'd regret, she chose to walk away. She had no more tools left in her arsenal to handle the situation, so she pulled herself from the situation. That choice was what convinced me she is a good and responsible person. No, she shouldn't have hit her sister. And it's tragic that Powder misunderstands Vi's intentions. But part of being human is not about how we snap but what we do after we snap. Because we always will have a limit. And break that limit. But how we handle ourselves at our worst is a mark of a strong person.

[@smartlele5790]

thank you for saying this!!! so many people think vi is a horrible sister, but they don’t understand that she was just extremely flooded that night. it was mature of her to step away and take a minute.

[@jayfranco2383]

Vi deserve the credit for surviving some much trauma and still fighting even in the midst of all the chaos and Destruction,she deserves respect,Thank you!

[@gingko_maple]

Unfortunately at the end, Jinx didn't actually choose to save Vi. You'd notice that throughout the show, sometimes when the voices get to be too much, she simply lashes out and unloads her gun at them to make them go away. What's heartbreaking is that in Vi's efforts to bring back Powder, she only made the voices louder for Jinx to where she unloaded her gun blindly again to make them go away. Silco was just who happened to be caught in the crossfire this time, cementing in Powder's mind that she is, in fact, a Jinx. That no matter what she does, all she'll end up doing is getting the people that she cares about killed. And with that, all that's left of Powder finally dies and she fully steps into Jinx. This show is an absolute masterpiece.

[@calebpurvis6195]

Yes! I hope they notice that, silco for his part merely was trying to stop Vi from continuing to hurt Jinx. He just wanted to protect her. It's one of the few times (only?) he even picks up a weapon himself. (And he doesn't fire, maybe he would have, but I don't think he has anything against Vi, he just wants her to stop)....

[@TaheerahA]

@@calebpurvis6195 he definitely does have something against Vi, from his point of view Vi did leave/betray Powder just as Vander betrayed him. He also sees Vi as a fundamental threat to his relationship with Jinx, that Vi will take her away from him. This is the only person he's developed any relationship with since Vander, and he has his own demons/version of abandonment issues that result.

[@N3TY3R]

@@calebpurvis6195 He does fire, and he almost hits Vi in the head. Watch that scene again.

[@calebpurvis6195]

@@N3TY3R ahh, well then my bad, I'll have to re-watch that. 🤔 Though my core point still stands I think. In that moment, in the same way Jinx, being triggered by the sound of the gun, fires upon her demons, hitting Silco. Silco is firing not at Vi herself, but at the one causing Jinx harm. If that makes sense.

[@evilratguy]

@@calebpurvis6195 I think he totally has something against Vi, to him she is Jinx’s Vander. Family that betrayed her. There’s a lot of scenes to prove he hates her, like his rage during Jinx’s flare.

[@kathigh8122]

I think my favorite detail is the fact that Jinx’s voice is a little raspy, most likely because of psychosis and her not knowing how to deal with it properly and just screaming

[@ExcelJustExcel]

Which is why it took 3-4 years just to find the voice actor of Jinx.

[@augustprahl9575]

Another great series you should talk about is Violet Evergarden. It's about a girl who knows nothing but war, who is now forced to come back to society and learn what her superior's last words, "I love you", really meant. A great story about being a war veteran, highly recommend it, 13 episodes of 20 min each, so 260 min in total.

[@julesdrey7415]

I just left a comment recommending this as well.

[@hawaii5298]

God, I LOVE this anime. Same studio, KyoAni, who animated Silent Voice. They're always good with expressing emotions in the medium

[@villelavikka7403]

There are also couple of movies. Cry Anime, Best Anime.

[@scissorskin9369]

I recently Finished all of Violet Evergarden and is absolutely wrecked me, up until ep 10 I was like yeah its good I can see why people talk about it. However I did not cry at that point but was teary eyed, then ep 10 hit and I cried like I haven't cried since my dog died, the final movie destroyed me too. The ost is phenomenal aswell and need I even mention the art?

[@nevamoore5192]

Yes please! That series is amazing!

[@DDizzleBig]

The line "Are we still sisters?" is do damn good and really highlights how smart the creators were to give the voice actor that moment to REALLY give that line the life that to needs.

[@heathersanders5592]

Honestly I feel like Arcane did the right amount of "give attention to -side character-" because it gave more weight and consequences to every character's actions. It's never bad to show character motive and we get to see everyone's motive and that helps us understand how the events we are watching came to be. For example, the assistant that liked Viktor, we only got two scenes of her really, but those scenes established that she liked Viktor so when she tries to save him her action makes sense to the audience and its easier for us to empathize/sympathize with Viktor when she dies. And she also furthers the plot. It's the same with the corrupt cop, he played a part in setting off the events that ultimately put Powder into Silco's hands, and he's used as a set piece for Silco more than once, so seeing HIS motivations helps us to understand why he works with Silco/helps him, there's a reason and he can be used multiple times instead of just creating a new minion every time etc. Nothing is isolated and they honestly still manage to keep it minimal enough that I never felt like we were getting bogged down when we were shown other characters. Were some of them less interesting to me? Absolutely, but its good to see the tie-ins, it makes a cohesive story and all of them made sense to me in why they were shown/given attention.

[@weirdnerdygoat]

Personally, the more character motivation I see the better. Could watch a full show that was just character motivations for a specific scene XD

[@luiiiandmovieee]

I 100% agree with you. Arcane did all characters and decisions they make very realistic and thought-out because everyone just did what they thought was the right / best way. I think it's good that we get to know the woman who likes Viktor so her death affects us. But we don't know her very well what makes it even more sad. We as the audience feel just like Viktor who, as well, doesn't have the chance to know her as much as he could

[@freshwaterlife]

I agree. I feel that it helped to make the characters less trope-y. Like, oh, another corrupt cop, goody two shoes rich girl, Igor/mad scientist, pretty but stupid mayor/councilor type, etc. It was more true to the reality of humanity in that everyone has a story and isn’t just good or bad. It could have been done to death but, for the most part, it was interesting.

[@rioisnotokay-ipromise-6115]

Absolutely agreed!!!

[@nicole_1747]

This is a great video overall but that tangent was so dumb and unhinged lmao. They should’ve cut it out of the video. Like why are we demanding more 2D characters?! Marcus feels like a real human being and I still hate him for being a POS. That’s on good writing.

[@Bloodjen]

It's so nice to see someone point out that Vi was a child reacting to the trauma in Ep 3. Watched another video where it kept placing Vi into a position of an adult parent and it was so frustrating. Cause yes, Jinx needed all these things from a responsible adult in a parental position but it was pointing it out by placing blame on Vi for "failing" at being a big sister which she simply didn't. She did her damned best, which is far more than you should expect from a 13(ish) year old child who was promptly placed in prison before she could try to fix the one mistake we really see on screen. Always love your guys' take on stuff, and it's really interesting to get an actual breakdown of what Jinx is dealing with in terms of conditions. Awesome stuff Edit: Vi (and Powder) was older than I thought she was, but even as a 16-17 year old my statement stands.

[@thepinkestpigglet7529]

I think I know the video you're talking about and yeah I had an issue with that too. It really shows how people just expect older siblings to be a third (or second in this case) parent to younger siblings sometimes.

[@jasonblalock4429]

I find in general online commenters seem to have a hard time sympathizing with kids in that age range. Another couple I've seen would be Hope in Final Fantasy XIII and Ava in Borderlands 3. (Granted, BL3's writing wasn't the best.) But both tend to take a LOT of crap from people judging them by adult standards, despite being kids dealing with huge emotional trauma and stress.

[@geraltbiaywilk1788]

This is so frustrating, when people are like "oh it's Vi fault that Jinx messed up there, it's here fault she went after them, she shouldve left someone with Jinx or something" and in general give Vi shit and make it seem like she is responsible for what happened to Jinx. She was a literal child, she acted a bit more mature, but she was a child that wanted to help her dad, she doesn't have to have the knowledge or foresight or emotional maturity to take care of her traumatized sister. She is traumatized herself, give her some leeway holy shit. All my homies love Vi, she done her best and tries so hard to keep doing her best

[@grimlock1471]

I could make the argument that Vi was acting in the ROLE of an adult parent in a lot of situations. But she wasn't an adult. And lets be even more fair. Adult, teen, child, it doesn't matter, if you just watched your entire surrogate family die and you find yourself confronted with the person caused it, intentionally or not, lashing out in rage and pain is not unreasonable.

[@pau259]

@@thepinkestpigglet7529 yeah, specially older sisters, I've seen that in other fandoms too

[@nutmeg3910]

I personally really loved that they spent time developing all the characters. The world felt so big and immersive like an animated Game of Thrones. And it made that face off between Marcus and Caitlyn way more intense because I was like crap... maybe he will shoot her? Also, his character was another exploration of a father daughter relationship like Vander/Vi and Silco/Jinx and I liked that they showed all these parents who truly loved their kids, but how yeah that's not enough to justify being a bad person or a bad parent.

[@quickredf0x143]

Also Caitlyn's parents and how they showed care to Caitlyn. Cait's mother burst in with a gun when she thought someone was invading her daughter's room and then gave tough love in the next scene with them while her father doctored her ankle.

[@DefconDelta88]

The thing that I appreciated about this is that although they did spend time giving every side character some dimension, it wasn't needlessly long amounts of time. It was enough to humanize them which is critical to the overall point of the story---that EVERYONE is a multi-dimensional person with their own motivations, and not the more one-dimensional projects of what we as individuals presume them to be. Powder assigns these ideas of who people are without recognizing what she SEES and what doe DOESN'T see are very, very different things. Vi struggles to reconcile the Powder she knew with the Jinx standing in front of her because she assigns only what she knows of Powder to her sister, but begins to realize she's missed so much that simply reaching for Powder alone is not enough. She has to see Jinx and still choose to love her so that there is room for Powder to come back. The same can all be said for everyone else. People assume they know everything, when the reality is, we are all limited to our own perceptive abilities and cannot possibly DEFINE an entire person. And the side characters, in the small amount of time given to them in order to demonstrate that very thing, have more of an impact, I think, BECAUSE we saw enough of a gilmpse to wonder where they might have gone had they not been taken out so soon. What depths might have been, that are erased. Just as we are left wondering what Powder might have become if Vi wasn't taken away, and where Jinx might go if her sister can't reach the part of her that is still the sister she's always known and loved. Our experiences change us, but who we were is still a part of us even as we are now. Our past selves don't cease to be simply because we change, because we are not static creatures and every single day adds another layer to who we are.

[@psychosislove]

I grew up with a psychotic mental illness, schizophrenia. I have never seen this show, but saw the title and wanted to see what the psychosis in this video is talking about. When it showed Jinx stapling her leg together and the hallucinations and delusions she was experiencing, though animated, is all too real. I grew up like that. It took so many years of therapy, medicine trial and errors, realizing and accepting I have a loving family and friends wanting to help. I am diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder depressive type. I know that this show is spot on with what psychosis is like just after watching that scene. It is scary and sometimes downright terrifying, to lose control and freak out, wondering if everything around me is real or not. If I could handle the rest of this video, I would watch it and finish watching it. Seeing that scene brought out memories I have suppressed. And I have been dealing with this my whole life. It never went away, just easier to handle. I can't work, I can't be out long around people, I can't always comprehend what is going on around me, and sometimes I will sit in weird positions looking out at nothing. I really hope, that throughout the rest of this video, that your explanations of what Jinx is going through is correct, because going through psychosis nearly cost me my life. I love watching your other videos and learning about different psychologies. And growing up with psychosis is the reason for my name on here. It was hard learning how to love myself through all the anger and pain I felt. Thank you for doing these types of videos, educating people about mental health. There is so much stigma around it, and you both have found an amazing way of teaching about it. Again, thank you for that.

[@KATSIE]

One thing I wanna mention that most people don't notice about Silco and Jinx' relationship is how it fits the exact description of "emotional inc3st." (Which isnt actual inc3st but rather is when a parental figure treats their child as if the child were a peer, giving them responsibilities which a child should not have. A good example would be how Silco projects his own issues onto Powder in an unhealthy and codependent ways, he trusts her with his medical treatment, he describs his traumas to her and vents to her.) It would be amazing to see you guys mention that in the video about Silco since it's such a huge part of what makes his villainy so realistic in a way I've never really seen before; his thought process is one that I've personally seen in real life and its absolutely terrifying(yet also alluring due to the "I trust/love you this much" factor)to be subjected to that abuse.

[@Weteperepe]

Exactly!! Some elements of Stockholm syndrome are definitely there

[@tosh.m.k]

Yes exactly! It's not talked about enough.

[@rendmedead]

The only thing I disagree with in your comment is that emotional incest is, in fact, a form of incest. I've lived through it myself- emotional incest may not involve sexual contact, but its just as intimate. But otherwise, you've got that shit spot on: it was so weird to see Silco and Jinx in that situation.

[@michaelcherokee8906]

I interpreted Silco and Jinx's relationship COMPLETELY differently than everyone else, I immediately took it as akin to the relationship between Humbert Humbert and Delores 'Lolita" Haze, although probably not as extreme. In fact, I simply did not realize their relationship was an adoptive parent/child relationship until well near the end of the series, and because of that, Ive always harbored doubts that they werent, uh, how to put this delicately, parent and child with benefits, shall we say? Maybe a more accurate parallel I could draw to describe how I initially interpreted their relationship to be was that of the Jared Leto and Margot Robbie's Joker/Harley Quinn pairing, either way, I interpreted Jinx's abuse to be not only emotional but intimately physical, although I assumed that Silco had twisted her mind into actually being ok it, maybe even enjoying it. I dont know, they always seemed a little bit too, icky, with each other, like there was subtext, and things that the show couldnt come right out and display between them.

[@louginko4432]

Your comment was actually helpful to me. I think I just understood something new about my step-family. Maybe not exactly "emotional inc3st" but certainly something that looks like it.

[@faffywhosmilesatdeath5953]

11:51 in my opinion the eye lining up with the hole is something that's done more to show Silco's influence on her. The way Silco's injured eye is all black with lines going outwards across his face is mirrored (heh) in the way Jinx's face looks with the hole over her eye. Most of the second half of the season could be described as the war between Powder that wants her sister and the love and safety that she represents, and Jinx who is built from a still ongoing, complex trauma, and nurtured by Silco.

[@calebpurvis6195]

Interesting view I haven't seen before 🤔

[@user-do5es8qh1n]

wow that's super insightful

[@12Syldiin]

I didn't catch that symbolism, that's so cool

[@Weteperepe]

I love how they showed that Silco's left his "mark" in a lot of places to show his influence and everlasting presence - in this scene and also physically with the huge neon eye signs around Zaun, "Big Brother is watching" kinda reference. I'm sure he will still be present in that way for a long time after his death next season.

[@rioisnotokay-ipromise-6115]

OMG YESSSS

[@PurpleIris1]

My favorite line from this show atm is "in the pursuit to do great, we failed to do good." Such amazing writers

[@Ashicakez3]

I just finished watching Arcane and that quote stuck out to me as well

[@accidentallyawkward7388]

I will say, as someone who experienced psychosis for 18 years before I got on medication, having delusions, hallucinations, what have you, leads to a big trigger geared towards lying. At least, that’s how it was for me. Because you’re constantly questioning what’s real or not, finding out someone lied to you is like adding to that pile. “Did that really happen”, “Are they truly my friend”, “Can I really trust them”, etc.

[@jadegecko]

A couple of things that I loved in Ep9. -When we see the split-second frame of Cait's face, before Jinx uncovers the platter, it isn't Cait smiling or fighting or flirting. It's the moment when Vi makes herself completely vulnerable, admits failure and defeat, and Cait doesn't take advantage of that or lecture her or shame her. Cait's just tender toward her. Usually, the moment that hits a character like a ton of bricks is a standout moment of trauma in a normal life. For Vi, whose whole life is trauma, what overwhelms her is a moment of compassion from the last person she expected. -I love the delivery of 'maybe you could love me like you used to, even though I'm different.' So often, 'different' is used to mean edgy, glamorous, offbeat, fun, etc. But the way Ella Purnell delivers the line, 'different' isn't jubilant. She says 'different' like she''s ashamed of the state she's in.

[@TheRibottoStudios]

What bothers me as a woman is this: when women are written JUST to be badass that type of writing is solely happening BECAUSE OF THE GENDER. And it's tropish and annoying and so blatantly "we're just doing this so you ladies out there can FEEL GOOD." But Arcane over here looks at women and removes GENDER and focuses on CHARACTER. Both men and women mess up, women aren't made to be badass at the expense of men which is annoying, men are seen in traditional female roles like Cait's dad is good with patching her up, her mom is in politics, a traditionally male role. And a lot of the empathetic nature of Caitlyn, a lot of the tropes we see in women in media, being the heart of the story, and all that is THROUGH Cait's DAD, that's how we get that neutralization. That's the key thing with writing women. Don't make it about THE GENDER. Just let the world itself forge what kind of person she is and will become. EVERY type of woman is here and they're here and well represented because of the WORLD they're in, NOT because of their GENDER. When it comes to writing women, it's important to focus on the following core aspects: 1. People like us, or relatable. 2. People we aspire to be, or look up to. 3. People we aspire to not be. We see people like Vi, and Caitlyn, people we can relate to, we see people like Jinx and Sevika, maybe people we look up to but don't want to become (in Sevika's case we might admire her, but maybe not want to become like her, and in Jinx's case we just don't wanna become like her), we see people like Ekko people we aspire to be. Arcane is a show about the duality of humanity at the core. And the reason why the women there are top tier, is because it shows that at the core, WE'RE NOT PERFECT. And that's OKAY to not be PERFECT little role models. Why? Because we never get better if we don't mess up in the first place. To err is human, and the sooner Hollywood realizes that when it comes to writing women, the better.

[@ThyFloorestFloor]

Something that I read once in the comments of an Arcane review was this: "In a world where people are so tired of trying to define what a woman/man is, Arcane just focused on writing people".

[@_mar.v_]

I don't remeber the channel but someone made two every good video essay where they show how Arcane is great at writing females and males characters

[@TheRibottoStudios]

@@_mar.v_ I can't remember the channel name either, but I stumbled across it and that's how I realized "wait omg cait's this way cause of her DAD not the MOM I love that" and I am subbed cause he's very well spoken if...a little fast when he speaks lol

[@maramackenzie-mann]

@@_mar.v_ Schnee?

[@coralis099]

“How Arcane Writes Women” by schnee

[@rachelgilbert3164]

Some of the “side characters” are actually characters from the game, so they may seem less significant to the plot of the series, but are not less significant to players who want representation of their mains, so that’s why they fleshed out some of the “side characters” a little more than seemingly necessary. I love Vi in this series, but have maybe played Vi once or twice in the past ten years, whereas I got full-on giddy at the *hint* of an upcoming storyline featuring Warwick, and loved their inclusion of Singed, who isn’t even called by name in the series but players know exactly who it is. Everyone has their favorites when playing the game, not just the 8 to 10 characters featured in the series 💚💙💜

[@MeNumber47]

Yeah, Came here to say this. So many of the "side characters" are really important to parts of the player base. Heimerdinger, Ekko, Singed, Warwick, Viktor, Jayce, Ryze. All part of the game, and it would be a shame if they had any less time

[@slimefudge]

​@@MeNumber47 Yeah, I wanted to comment on this too. It's understandable that it's not too interesting to see "side-characters" being fleshed out in the show that's about VI and Jinx, but these are characters who are relevant in the League of Legends games and stories - who seem to be getting hints and introductions to their own storylines and also help have an effect on the major story: The Lanes vs the Topsiders.

[@TerraRose21]

@@slimefudge It's also a branching mechanism - Arcane is not necessarily always going to focus on Vi and Jinx. They're setting up all of these other characters to be able to have their own bigger and important arcs as the series continues, and potentially we might even end up leaving this area of the world and bring characters from other districts into focus. Without the side characters getting fleshed out as they have been, there would be no precedent to continue expanding the cast of characters.

[@McJusti]

Singed is actually called by name in subtitles when you turn them on

[@saranaila5905]

@@slimefudge it's also important for the show itself, arcane would not be the master piece it is without these characters. They are part of the story and have agency in it. They all have incredible stories. For example when I first watched arcane i was more invested in the political aspect of the show and wanted to know how the two cities are gonna resolve(or not) their conflict. And without all these characters the show will simply not work and be as good.

[@28starwarsfan]

I also side with Vi way more than I don't. She sees Powder/Jinx in a horrible place, and place that is hurting her sister. She just wants to take care of her sister, no matter how she's changed. Silco sees the monster inside and feels it should be freed so she's not burdened by trying to be something else. I feel like there is a lot of projecting going on from Silco, encouraging the worst in Jinx, thinking it's what she needs.

[@ziadt6489]

My thoughts too. He just tells her the quick and easy way to feel better and Vi wants to help her in a more difficult but genuine way. The problem is that this needs a lot of talking and therapy, which the sisters never had the chance to have.

[@Casper8855]

Always glad to read other people's comments about Vi and Powder/Jinx. I kinda see it as an addiction (Silco's toxic view of 'only I can love you as you are' and her desire to help him build a criminal empire from her family's home, all to prove her worth so he won't leave her as Vi did (or so she believes)). When Vi comes back she wants Powder to help Powder come back, but doing so will force her to face the consequences of the trauma and her actions since that night that she has been running from. For an addict it is easier to keep taking drugs (or in Jinx's case, keep blowing up stuff and killing for Silco) rather than face your trauma. Better the certainty of a toxic love than run the risk of trying to rebuild your relationship with your sister and failing in it. Her inability and unwillingness to face it and instead become more dependent on the man Jinx herself admits 'took everything from us' is the greatest tragedy of Arcane.

[@taoliu3949]

​@@Casper8855 You're basically saying Jinx should change and become someone else she isn't. She doesn't blow stuff up or kill people because she's an "addict" chasing that high. She blows stuff up and kills people because she's literally fighting a war. Silco feels that Jinxs struggle with her past trauma is what's causing her condition. She needs to let go of her past so she can just be herself, only then could she rid her psychosis.

[@Casper8855]

@@taoliu3949 She is not fighting a war, she is working for the man who caused her trauma in the first place, the man she clung to because he was the first person to meet her when Vi 'abandoned' her. She kills for him and works for him because she is afraid if she isn't seen as useful, he will leave her like she believes Vi did. He feeds this belief (that Vi left her), so she will be loyal only to him. Silco sees that she struggles with her past, but he is the cause of that pain. He won't admit that because he is a amoral, murderous sociopath who was about to kill her as well as Vander. Jinx won't admit it because she can't open up about her trauma to the man she would have to admit caused all her pain in the first place. She would rather try to drown her pain than risk the only form of love she feels she has left, toxic and destructive for her as it is. I wasn't saying Jinx was an addict, I was making a comparison. Most addicts would sooner continue the constant desire for drugs and it destructive results than face their pain, and Jinx would sooner slide further into madness and cling more and more to Silco rather than truly deal with her trauma (accidentally killing 2 of her brothers trying to save them from being killed by the man who now claims to be her father) and run the risk of losing that relationship.

[@taoliu3949]

@@Casper8855 And how does she work for the man? By fighting his war, and she definitely does not do it because she's "addicted". In fact, none of the entire blurb you just wrote suggests that she's addicted. Jinx most definitely opens up to Silco, she does it throughout the show and talks to him about her psychosis. And nor is Silco a sociopath, he obviously does care for people especially Jinx, and pretty much everything he does is for "the cause". Addiction refers to a very specific trait where a person struggles to control his actions because he is "hooked" and failure to continue his actions would lead to withdrawal. Using your logic, everyone is "like an addict" because nobody wants the pain of losing their loved ones. And nor does anything suggest Jinx was "sliding into madness". She had already developed psychosis and constantly being reminded of her trauma is not going to make things better. If anything, her PTSD consistently triggers and worsens her psychosis, so not sure what you mean by "dealing with her trauma". You deal with it by letting go, constantly forcing her to dwelve on it is not going to make things better. And it's not like she is agnostic to the cause, she grew up hating Piltover and it's enforcers just like pretty much everyone else from the undercity.

[@MadameTamma]

Something I really love about Arcane is that all of the conflicts between friends, family, colleagues, etc are not due to dumb misunderstandings which could have been cleared up easily by talking it out. It would have been so easy for Jinx to have set off the smoke signal and Vi wasn't able to get to her, or if their conversation had gotten interrupted before Vi could explain why she couldn't be with her sister all this time and that she still loves her. They all get the chance to talk it out to the best of their abilities, but it doesn't fix anything because the problem is deeper than just not understanding one another, and I love that because I don't know where this can go or how it can be fixed and I'm excited to find out.

[@CaptainSoftboy501]

!!!!

[@luiiiandmovieee]

EXACTLY!! I couldn't have said it better

[@Weteperepe]

Yes!!!

[@Crazy_Diamond_75]

I somewhat disagree. I think the core problem is that they still don't understand each other. They talked about some of their issues, sure, but these characters are coming from such different angles at this point that it's just really difficult to see eye-to-eye.

[@elizabethgregory3352]

I love this take but I still believe that there is a massive miscommunication underlying all of these issues. Like how Jinx sees Vi run back to help Caitlyn and Ekko and she sees Vi as a liar while as Vi sees it as "oh shoot the people I care about are in danger (again). I have to help!" The miscommunication certainly lies in the fact that Jinx is not mentally sound to process any desires other than her own and Vi who isn't even nearly as far gone as Jinx is baffled by all the pain her sister is under. Vi cannot fathom Jinx's pain and Jinx is incapable of empathy unless manipulated into it *cough by Silco cough*

[@uncharted3awesome]

Man, I know they're never gonna do ATLA, but I really wish they would talk about Zuko's character arc. So many great characters in that show

[@loudamir7390]

The whole series is just amazing, I would love to hear about uncle Iroh and his relationship to Zuko rather than Zuko himself. Brb rewatching avatar again...

[@tanavast4140]

Yaaasss. Zuko’s arc. Iroh and his backstory followed with his love and support of Zuko. A hundred times yes

[@muriaal]

I'm wondering if maybe they could do one video per season. It would be more feasible that way

[@AdrianParkinsonFilms]

Hello Future Me has several good psychological analysis videos on the ATLA characters. They're worth checking out.

[@s8940]

Azula too!

[@briargray2355]

Another thought on Jinx's need for honestly and triggers surrounding lying: Remember that she is aware of her psychosis. She has these voices telling her how things are and she actually argues with them that what they're saying isn't true. She is in a constant battle for her sanity against these inner voices that lie to her, and is probably especially reliant on the real people in her life to remain honest to keep herself from slipping further into psychosis. When someone lies to her, they put themselves on the same level of these voices that torment and sabotage her. Since her voices are obviously reflective of some sort of doubt/inner truth, she needs the truth of the people around her to hold her steady and escape this doubt.

[@crystalthalassa664]

Vi never abandoned Powder though, she knew she was out of control and was hurting Powder so she walked away to calm down. However, Powder didn't know that so she believed she was being abandoned. Vi stopped at the nearest corner where she could still see Powder but was far enough she could be alone to calm down. I also love how Jinx has so many people telling her Vi will betray her and that she can't be trusted but still gave her the benefit of doubt until the end, it really shows how Powder and Jinx are actively fighting each other throughout the entire season

[@GrayCatbird1]

What's fascinating to me about Vi's relationship to Jinx is that it subverts the classic trope of "there's still good in them" in an unusual way. The usual subversion of a hero's mercy is to have the villain reject it outright, showing that they are "too far gone". Thus the hero comes out with the moral high ground. But here, Vi isn't necessarily right, and Jinx isn't necessarily wrong. The reasons as to why Vi's plea to Jinx falls on deaf ears or even straight up hurts her are clearly articulated. And it has nothing to do with Vi being a knight in shining armor, or Jinx being a monster. We're driven to see Vi's beliefs about her sister as correct because they line up with what we usually see, that love is going to save the day, that she can change her. But the problem is that Vi doesn't see the extent to which Jinx's trauma has changed her, and doesn't realize that she can never be the same as she was before. And because of that, the acceptance she shows to Jinx ends up being incomplete. Jinx feels this all too well, and cannot possibly accept it, even feels hurt by it, even though she craves nothing more. Vi isn't capable of helping her sister because she refuses to see her for who she is. And ultimately, especially for Jinx, this doesn't have to do with Jinx's murderous tendencies, or her alignment with Silco. The problem ends up just being that Vi couldn't accept that Powder was this unstable and suffering.

[@xCoatlicuex]

I agree with most of it except when you said that Vi dosen't acept Jinx. Everybody demand Vi adapt and correctly guess what her sister needs but no one giver her correct context. She was kidnnaped and hold in torture conditions (a teen surronded by killers, rapist and coruupst being contantly beaten and isolated) and her only hold was the hope od seing her sister again. Then she gets her dreamed freedom and all is diferent, that means that she would be unable to adapt and never would be able to "love" Jinx? NO, means that she needs time to adapt. But she never gets even 10 minute to talk with her sister without interruptions and Jinx faling into manipulations (Silco and Sevika making her belive she can't be loved). Also Vi is shown loving her sister, even offering left everything behind and running away with her the last episode. But Jinx is so sure that Vi would never "love" her that she dosen't even try, she has an idea fixated in her mind (that Vi would never acept her) that she changes the words to fit her idea and refuses to see anythig else.

[@TheSuperRatt]

The kind of person Powder became, is not the kind of person we should enable to develop.

[@itsaUSBline]

Pretty spot-on, except it's hardly Vi's fault she's unable to accept her sister as she is now, because she doesn't know how she is now. She just got out of prison, and prior to the final climactic scene, she's only seen Jinx for maybe a few minutes when they met just before the firelights showed up. She simply has no way of reasonably knowing the full extent of Jinx's trauma or mental state. It's not like they had a lengthy heart-to-heart conversation about it, and no one really filled her in. I mean, I suppose Ekko did try to warn her but still, he was pretty vague about it. Anyway it is a brilliant subversion like you said.

[@bulletsandbracelets4140]

@@xCoatlicuex Responded with this above but absolutely spot on. Everything Vi says to Jinx speaks of acceptance - "you had to do things to survive. that's fine. We can leave, we can be together, I don't care what you've done". At no point does she judge her. But all Jinx sees is the monster that she has become and it's Jinx herself that is convinced that she isn't worth loving and isnt worth saving. She assumes Vi is lying and going to choose others (Caitlin), and nothing Vi says is going to be able to convince Jinx she is telling the truth. Jinx has to choose to believe her.

[@raro344]

@@TheSuperRatt but it is what she is. You cant put that back

[@nugget8967]

I know everyone is already saying it but- I genuinely loved how every character was fleshed out. In my opinion, that is the best way of story telling. Arcane is different in a way that it makes you feel for everyone. And not just in a passive pitying way, you want the characters to survive and get what they want regardless of what side they are on. And while Marcus was definitely the least fleshed out (in my opinion at least) it’s still fascinating to see why he does what he does. On the subject of not humanizing bad or corrupt people, I think it should be done. Just to look in and see why they are like this, why the way they think is so skewed, is just so fascinating. You can still recognize someone as bad, and maybe even incapable of change while also recognizing they are human. And have human responses to things.

[@calebpurvis6195]

Yes, 100% 👍 It also shows how easy it is to be a 'villain' it's not like you wake up one day and decide to be evil. The most evil men in history were driven by misguided good intentions... It's humanizing and real.

[@xCoatlicuex]

This, you can empathyze with a character and still get that they are wrong and what are doing is terrible and should not be just forgiven or given a pass.

[@l.a.5120]

A-FCKING-MEN!!

[@elirevzen418]

Completely agreed. It's important to humanize the villains in our stories since the villains in real life are also human because if we don't explore the line of when does the damage someone causes outweigh their humanity in our stories then we won't be able to stand for anything.

[@sarahmoller7308]

You're right, almost every character - even the ones with "just" supporting roles - do have a backstory and they aren't one-dimensional, but that's exactly the beauty of this show. Because it's just like this in real life. Every human being, ourselves AND the others around us, have both good and bad traits inside of us, and "we're all the villain in someone else's story". I love that EVERY character in Arcane has layers and beliefs and their own reasons to act the way they do, to make certain decisions no matter good or bad.

[@silver9wolf6]

Same!! It's part of the beautiful nuance and tapestry of grey

[@Vizible21]

They're probably used to one dimensional characters hollywoods put out. Lmao. It's definitely not a weakness.

[@jennifers550]

Right? Arcane didn't take the easy one dimensional lazy writing. So many other storytellers are like "Oh we can't have relatable or understandable villains cause then our heros might look bad!" That's real! People have their reasons, sometimes good, sometimes not. Sometimes bad things are done for good reasons. And sometimes bad things are allowed to be done and continue to be done because 'good' people don't want the guilt of doing what it takes to stop it. Sometimes all of our choices are bad and you just do the best you can and move on. I loved this series!

[@jasminecruz]

I agree so much. I love that everyone has a story because that’s how it is in reality. The grocery clerk, the guy you walked past a week ago, your friends’ friend all have an intricate world of their own happening right along yours. We’re all the main character of our lives, so those side characters are also a main character in another story.

[@tonichan89]

We don't even know everyone's backstory, but everyone shows that they aren't one-dimensional anyway. Like the first captain of the guard lady, in the first episodes. She was strict, hard, but had a softness to her as well. She showed she had a gentle side. We still don't know her home life or anything. We didn't need to. The background that was shown was relevant, I felt. You feel like everyone around the main characters are PEOPLE, and that's the point. It's a story about people being people, and those people don't just do things to serve the story, they all have their own, very human motivations.

[@Simonethedog]

Sylco jinx relation also have a huge impact on the story, the part when sylco has to choose between peace and giving away jinx then he goes to his old friend statue (vander) and says he now understands gives me chills. he knows why Vander acted this way all he did to protect his daughters.

[@marallenrondez2606]

The irony for Silco is him calling Vander a weak man because of it. Same with Sevika to an extent, but Silco had the personal relationship with Jinx.

[@__-fm5qv]

What I love about the final scene of the season is the absolute clarity that that final confrontation and Silcos death brings Jinx. Through the season she's gotten more and more chaotic as her psycosis gets worse and worse. But, in the final moments of the season, her head is clear, there are no demons scratched into the film. She has accepted where she's got to, where her sister has got to and is accepting that she's pretty much lost everything. And that realisation and grief is what leads up to her firing the rocket. Its not because she wants approval, or is seeking thrills and chaos to mask her inner guilt, its simply because she is done. Done with Silco, her sister, everything, and just doesn't care anymore. And to me that looks a lot more dangerous.

[@momuv6980]

I started watching this with my 19 & 22 year old daughter and son and made it to the scene where Vi screams at Powder that she's a jinx, etc. That scene literally broke me. It touched something deeply hidden inside me (haven't revisited it) and I began to sob hysterically and had to leave the room. It took me quite some time to regain my composure; I have NEVER, in my 66 years on this planet (and after decades of psychotherapy) had such a primal, debilitating reaction to something on screen. All I can say is "What a powerfully done show." (P.S. The kids finished the series - I did not).

[@grimlock1471]

Powder/Jinx is the first example I can think of that does this type of character where I can't decide if she needs a hug or a "kill on sight" order. On one hand, she is a ball of pain and trauma and she doesn't have the tools to deal with all that. On the other hand, she well trained, well equipped, very creative, highly intelligent, unpredictable, amoral woman. There is virtually no way to know which way she's going to go next, only that there will be a body count. I find most other examples of this type of character tend to favor one side a lot more than the other, but Arcane balances both wonderfully.

[@na3rial]

And it's so perfect because the audience is feeling exactly what Vi is feeling, and what everyone who used to know Jinx as Powder felt. It's a powerful moment of empathy and storytelling. When Jinx asks Vi "Are we still sisters?," it's not just Vi that has to make a choice between Powder and Jinx. The audience does too

[@blublubblub]

Hug on sight

[@d1anacrystal127]

I know what she needs... Therapy!

[@Speedy2619]

The line before lifting the dinner plate. "i made her a snack" My heart was outside of my chest as i saw this scene the first time.

[@Zzoolay]

I think when Jinx kills her father figure, Silco, it's when Jinx also kills powder for good, it's what she had to do to become Silco's image of perfection, we get that when he says, after being shot by her, "you are perfect". And Vi, accidentally, just gets her there faster by not accepting that powder is gone, that her sister changed. So this is why I believe this is honestly such an amazing villain arc, one of the bests on television. Thank you for covering it even though it's not cinema, this TV show it's cinematic in all its extension.

[@DarkHarlequin]

I remember a quote from somewhere that stuck with me: Powder killed Silco for VI. Jinx killed Powder for Silco!

[@Zzoolay]

@@DarkHarlequin damn, yes!!! Totally agree with that

[@dan7564]

I disagree. I think, Jinx chose Vi, maybe not even that, just reflex killed Silco to protect Vi. Then she sat in the Jinx chair as a self Punishment/ Self Flagellation. Because she realised she will always screw things up and get the ones she loves killed. That she doesn't deserve the happy family life she craves. That being the Villain who brings pain is her curse and fate.

[@Zzoolay]

@@dan7564 I don't know, cause, yeah she chose Vi, but literally in the next scene she blows everyone up in the council, and her shooting that bazooka or whatever was her destroying any hope Vi had on her, I don't think she chose Silko, nor Vi, she chose herself, she embraced herself as Jinx.

[@xmiunax4385]

@@dan7564 thats an interesting idea. Based on the game lore and jinx im not sure hiw accurate but i like where your heads at maybe the series will try something different

[@jennifervoet5265]

I think an interesting movie for you guys to react to would be "Everything Everywhere All at Once". I recently watched it and found it confusing af, but there are quite a few things you two can touch on. The relationship between the older and younger generation, parent and child, husband and wife. I would definitely recommend it to you.

[@CinemaTherapyShow]

Coming soon...

[@Bluejeanne1]

@@CinemaTherapyShow LETS GOOOOOO

[@gen_li7725]

YES my favorite movie in recent memory. So creative and top tier execution imo

[@hawaii5298]

ITS HAPPENING OMG ITS HAPPENING

[@taroka1119]

I cried like a baby near the end. Then hit replay and watched it all over again.

[@DariaHupov]

Cinema Therapy finally breaking their box and analysing a series instead of just films. Love you, guys!

[@latoniamiller8976]

Only the mini series though. But you damn well know somebody in the comments are still gonna recommend a series that's like 100 episodes. 😂😂😂😂

[@ethanbuttazzi2602]

im pretty sure they did that on other miniseries.

[@jjfam777]

@@ethanbuttazzi2602 it was Wandavision

[@DariaHupov]

@@jjfam777 Haha, forgot about that one (probably because I didn't watch it and I just assumed it was a Marvel movie).

[@UnreasonableOpinions]

@@latoniamiller8976 Wandavision's like 5 hours long and Arcane is 6, less if you skip credits. It's the length of a long double-feature or a normal trilogy. I don't see the show suddenly veering off into Legend of the Galactic Heroes or such - and it probably can't, since a single episode can't really cover any show worth watching with major character development.

[@rodvincetolosa9386]

The fact that every character is 3 dimensional and not one note is a strong suit not a weakness imo. It's only 9 episodes but you understand every character and every character is not black or white but grey. That is a feat of storytelling.

[@mortiii_]

So excited for this episode! Congrats to Arcane for winning an Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program, and to the 3 artists awarded in the Outstanding Individual Achievement In Animation category. This show really is phenomenal, and a credit to the people who worked on it!

[@theshire9173]

I just wish it also got awards outside of animation-specific ones because this show is just amazing in general. In my opinion, it's better than lots of live action series that won awards that year, but awards shows just can't wrap their heads around animation as a medium being better than any live action show

[@EvolverForU]

While I consider Jinx to be my favorite character in Arcane (absolutely love her writing and how they wrote her psychosis beyond the "chaos-loving criminal" character she seems to be in League of Legends Lore, but rather a tragic character that comes as a direct consequence of not only the mistakes of the people in her life, but also Piltover AND Zaun's problems), it isn't really until after I finished the series how much I love the subtle, yet brilliant, depiction of trauma when it comes to Vi. This is a girl who grew up with the responsibility to protect her family and loved ones being *solely on her*. She is the big sister of the group, the tough one, the big one, and her siblings all look to her not only because of genuine love and respect, but also for protection and leadership. Vander's conversation with her in the bridge is well-meaning, but it ultimately reinforces that SHE is responsible for whatever happens to Powder - obviously, Vander doesn't mean this, but it's very possibly how Vi interprets it. "Take care of Powder". Now we flash-forward to the present, to adult Vi, and we see the effects of this "I am responsible for the bad things that happened to my family" take hold on her. She blames herself for turning Powder into Jinx, for snapping at her and never being able to come back and apologize until it's too late. It's so easy to blame mistakes on yourself, even if objectively it's not your fault, and it's genuinely amazing to see Caitlyn reassure her: "no. it's not your fault. You were only a child and you made a very human mistake." Anyway, I really hope if you continue to do videos on Arcane (after that possible Silco episode lol), you'd do one on Ekko and/or Heimerdinger. I really love it when people analyze these two, especially since just like Vi and Jinx, they're both very polarizing reactions to trauma.

[@Orthus100]

Yeah, Vander accidentally fucked VI up big time. Really interested to see if that gets addressed in a later season.

[@Cyax0k]

@@Orthus100 There's a chance we see Vander come back as Warwick in a later season as well.

[@simonmagid4205]

It's a common mistake to make for father figures. My parents underwent a very traumatic divorce that made it impossible for them to ever reconnect. When my father left, he told my older brother that he had to be the man now. My brother was twelve years old and it was obviously impossible for him. And it screwed him and me over big time. I saw his attempts to protect and guide me as trying to take control of me. Eventually I told him to get out of my life and it took more than a decade for us to even start to reconnect.

[@Weteperepe]

@@Cyax0k that's gonna make such a huge mess of Vi and Jinx and their relationship I can't wait to see it

[@Darkstormsun9865]

@@Orthus100 it's because he wasn't there to fix it when they did make mistakes. He didn't say anything wrong or bad, it's just it was too early and it gets out of hand.

[@YayaIsSilly]

Speaking of people changing, Alzheimer’s and memory, you should do KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS!! The ending has me uncomfortably conflicted regarding the antagonist lol

[@readmachine18]

I support this recommendation--also some good stuff to dig into about grief and death, I think 🤔

[@mistamoon4924]

Vi is hands down, without a doubt, the character I most relate with in any film, show, or literature and I'm a late 20s guy. Her guilt and pain with Powder is precisely how I feel with my younger brother, whom I no longer speak to. As an older sibling, there is a bone deep instinct to protect them, especially with a hard upbringing, and to fail that self-imposed task and lose them is the deepest pain I've ever felt. So many plot points in Arcane are parallel to my life (just turned up to 11 in the show) that I can't watch a single episode without feeling something I hadn't realized was personal. A masterpiece of animation for sure.

[@fashioni.star.]

7:34 THIS! Jinx has a specific rig for her face that makes her look more childlike versus how she normally looks! Go watch the bridging the rift series on arcane, they talk about the production and making of the series and as a student in illustration intending entertainment design it made me fall more in love with this show

[@itsasquid]

I need to watch the rest of it. I'm a 3D character artist with experience in rigging and animation and this series blew me away in how their faces are animated. It's just incredible and I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out how the hell did they animate the face ever since I've seen the series.

[@vl-s1716]

“If you just love the original then you’re loving someone who doesn’t exist anymore.” Boom. 💥Headshot. 😌❤️

[@scatteredsol]

I see what you did there... lol

[@alexschott2092]

First off, fantastic analysis on both the artistic and psychological fronts. You guys never disappoint. Second, I went into _Arcane_ knowing next to nothing about _League of Legends_ or the supposed lore that ties the game together. All I knew was that the in-game backstory had been re-worked a couple times already and that Jinx was a fan favorite. Her design, mannerisms, and voice lines made her feel like Harley Quinn but more mentally unstable and with a greater fixation on guns and explosives. Then _Arcane_ comes along and says, "Hey, what if we took this wacky, violent, chaotic action girl that's a fan favorite and present her condition in the most profound, heart-wrenching way possible?" And that's how you create a series worthy of the critical acclaim that both old fans and fresh newcomers can fully appreciate. While so many big-budget studios continue to struggle with adapting game franchises into shows and movies, Riot Games and studio Fortiche just set out to make a series that respects the source material and characters enough to let the amazing story unfold.

[@shaliekk]

The line that really hits for me is Silco's "Don't cry, you're perfect" My heart hurts so much for Jinx. She needs a hug.

[@demogorgon312]

Violet Evergarden is a wonderful anime that absolutely deserves attention for how it portrays grief and healing. the animation is top tier and the acting in both English and Japanese is stellar. I cannot recommend the series enough, I truly think yall will appreciate the series if you give it a watch.

[@Silburific]

YES! Seconded and thirded! The best thing about _Violet Evergarden,_ to me at least, is that it takes the anime convention of "this child is super strong and great at killing and is such a badass- isn't it awesome?!" And not only deconstructs it but shreds it to pieces as it rightfully should be. So many anime and manga- especially shonen- have this _power fantasy_ of young people, young boys in particular, being... let's be frank, absolute sociopaths. They murder people and...that's it. Death means nothing to them, unless it affects them personally, and yet they're portrayed as being perfectly normal. Violet _was_ like that, because she was conditioned to be a pint-sized killing machine by people who didn't even consider her human... and it _fucked her up!!_ The series isn't just about grief and healing, but also about a soldier once again learning how to humanize not just the people around them, but also the enemies they killed. Ahhh, it's so good! VE was what I wish _everything_ that told stories about war was (glaring at you, _Attack on Titan)._ I've heard _Vinland Saga_ is a similar narrative about a child soldier renouncing violence and learning how to live with empathy and compassion, but i can't say for certain as I haven't read/watched it (yet- I plan to).

[@thehackingburger3002]

@@Silburific Agreed! Violet Evergarden was fantastic! I'm curious, though, what's your beef with Attack on Titan? I thought it handled, thus far in the anime, the discussion about war very well. (Though apparently this can be controversial now, so I may be opening a can of worms... but like I said I'm curious. :) )

[@nightfall3605]

The ep with the mother and daughter BROKE me. I figured it out part way through, and Violet’s compassion and discretion with the daughter was so KIND and showed Vi’s growth as a person. ❤️❤️❤️

[@shadowkitsu]

Please please please do Violet Evergarden

[@EmilynWood]

Agreed. It was so therapeutic for me to watch. I've heard several real veterans say it has very realistic portrayal of war PTSD.

[@JustJen1386]

Speaking as someone who’s often been on the brink of psychosis, I wouldn’t call it “hearty” so much as, when you’re dealing with the level of mental pain and anguish as Jinx, stapling your leg together (which you have to get done anyway, and do you really want to show your adopted father weakness? Having been wounded by the enemy?) is just…a little more pain. But truth be told, it’s easier to deal with than the mental stuff, because physical pain is finite - so if you have to, say, pour alcohol on a gaping wound in your leg, or staple together a knife wound, you just grit your teeth and do it🤷‍♀️

[@AfroditeOhki1]

Please also make an episode on Ekko. I know he's not a central character and doesn't show up as much, but... he's so important. When the two sides are fighting for what they think is saving their own, topside and underside waging war, Ekko grew up to be there... actually making a change. Apart from those, regrowing and nurturing life, all while being an engineering genius. Love the guy. And so happy to see you guys tackling this series!

[@dorkmagnet5430]

I don't believe Vi ever was trying to abandon Powder. After she punches her in anger she looks down at her fist and sees her sister's blood and then her sister's bloody nose. She realized she was in a state that could hurt her sister so she gave herself distance, enough that she could still she her sister from where she was. So interesting that the show never holds anyone's hands and tells them what's going on, it leaves it up to us to put the pieces together

[@Zjacnz]

The line you said towards the end "when you choose to love somebody, you're choosing to love a different version every day" really reminded me of this quote from Bloom Into You: "You know, love doesn't mean 'I never want you to change.' But I don't think it means 'I don't care how you change,' either. So I suppose it might mean 'I believe you'll always be the person I adore'."

[@soroep8234]

omg never expected to see a bloom into you reference, there are so many touching lines🥲

[@thepax2621]

Dammnation... Now I have to reread the Manga for the 3rd time 😅... *Ugh* I adore this story, but I had stuff to do man 🙈

[@Jasonwolf1495]

Honestly even if its just a smaller part of the Silco episode Id love to see some stuff on Vander because here we have a violent revolutionary, someone who was previously known for his ability to literally crack skulls, who has transitioned into a peacekeeper and father. He is one of the few examples of positive change in the setting. Pretty much every body else is in the process of falling.

[@AnastasiaAisling]

[CoughWarwickCough]

[@Jasonwolf1495]

@@AnastasiaAisling they clearly don't know about any of that so lets not spoil them.

[@AnastasiaAisling]

@@Jasonwolf1495 it's not confirmed, so it technically can't be a spoiler.

[@Ani_Thari]

@@AnastasiaAisling To be honest, even Warwicks stories have him fighting the chemtech for control and clarity so, sure, he's knocked down but he's getting back up. Only a matter of time, if they want to convert Arcane to canon.

[@Jasonwolf1495]

@@AnastasiaAisling dont try to technicality you're way out of being rude. A highly foreshadowed event that hasn't happened yet doesn't make it not confirmed.

[@lucisgallery1412]

The last scene with jinx shooting Silco I’ve always viewed that click as he cocks the gun as a trigger for her fight or flight response. Not because she wanted to save her sister, but if you think about the time jump Jinx has probably been around a lot of under fire situations to the point that a simple click of a gun may make her body react before she can register what’s happening. She was in the middle of her mind surrounded by her demons when she heard that click, I don’t think she realized where she still was and just had her body react thinking “that’s the sound of possible death. Act now towards that sound.” So the result was her shooting in that direction, ultimately killing Silco on accident. That was always my take away

[@ilovemichaeljackson58]

I 100% agree with you. You can see it in the animation of her eyes after shooting Silco that she wasn't even aware of what direction she shot in. Jinx was so spaced out and then after taking a moment to collect herself, she looked up to see what she fired at. She was too in her head but she heard the noise and that's what caused her to shoot in his direction. I've been saying this for the longest time that if it had been Vi holding the gun, Jinx would've killed her. I'll stand by this statement for the rest of my life.

[@ExcelJustExcel]

That and the result of that is my headcanon as to why she chose to be Jinx. Because Vi was spouting out names of people she clearly didn't see the same as. Vi... didn't know... the current her. Therefore, Vi cannot love "her". But if the tables were turned (Literally and figuratively), and Vi was the one who she killed... Maybe then, she would have had the chance to be Powder again. And with "Jinx reacting to the racking of the gun" rather than her "Instincts to protect her sister", this scenario would be possible and I bet the writers talked about this which translated to that scene.

[@calebpurvis6195]

100% and Silco knew it, he wasn't angry, just happy she wasn't being hurt anymore. I don't think he had anything against Vi besides wanting her to stop the pain she was causing Jinx.

[@redloops4364]

Tbh never saw it this way but yeah I can see it too. Just love that there are so many interpretations and each one I discover just gives the series a new refreshing outlook for me

[@ThatIsNotVeryDisneyOfYou]

It always hurts to think that Silco saw Jinx being tortured by Vi and wanted to stop it. Yes by killing her (not a good choice) but it was all he could do. He wanted to save her at all costs. The fact he says, “Don’t cry” and “I would have never given you to them” shows how much he cared. I absolutely LOVED how much he cared for her. 💔

[@ceridwenaeradwr8105]

When I watched Arcane for the first time I remember thinking "well, if there's ever anything that would get CinemaTherapy to do an episode on a TV series, it's this"

[@infingirl8488]

One thing I’ve since noticed about the final moments before Jinx snaps and shoots Silco, at first viewers will think that Jinx chose Vi over Silco in that moment, and that’s why she shot him instead of her sister. I myself believed this upon first watch as well. However, if you pay closer attention, Jinx is in a state of pure fight-flight as her hallucinations are overpowering her, and she looks up the moment after you hear the click of the gun being drawn that Silco grabbed in an attempt to shoot Vi. Some people have taken note of the fact that Jinx could’ve heard that and shot in Silco’s general direction in pure fight-flight self-defense and didn’t actually see the consequences of her actions until seconds later. It’s, once again as is typical in Arcane, a nuance of a character choice that makes it all the more subjectively interpretive and entirely human. I don’t think we’ll really know if Jinx truly meant to shoot Silco or not, but that detail is something you can’t easily ignore.

[@amanda4634]

He was her father (adopted but still) so she definitely didn’t mean to shoot him specifically. In the mindset she was in, it was more her eliminating a threat towards her sister.

[@Trichromanic]

I am SO GLAD you guys watched Arcane because there's SO MUCH to talk about with the characters on a psychological level but also it's just a damn good show. Would love any further videos you do for the series.

[@Dressup_Doll]

Jinx disowning Vi yet being desperate to see her years later, craving honesty from those around her, not being able to tell when someone’s lying, wanting approval and love even though she has it stuck a chord with me. Things like that really had me realizing that it’s not too far off from how I am. I get anxious that everyone around me hates me or is annoyed by me, and I can’t stop it or do anything about it. I have a hard time telling when people are lying or playing around. I hated my own sister but wanted to be near her out of some strange desire for attention or something else, I don’t know. As much as I love the show, Jinx was painfully relatable, and that’s not including her with Silco at all.

[@scottrivas2714]

It would be really great to do an video on Pan’s Labyrinth. There’s so much to unpack there: fantasy as a form of escapism, civil disobedience in a morally corrupt society, fascist ideology. Plus we can gush over the cinematography.

[@rfv618]

Great remendation, cannot second it hard enough

[@Kurotekken]

One of my favorite movies. Great call.

[@nightshade2826]

Yeah honestly that movie had some ART in it

[@chiekohoki]

I avoided watching this because I didn't have much of an interest in League of Legends, but holy cow did Riot knock it out of the park with this one. The animation style going against the normal grain of animation, the EXTREMELY well written characters, and especially female characters, the strength you can feel from Vi, the empathy you have for Jinx who could have very easily just been a manic pixie dream girl... Just in love with this series ❤

[@Pandodede]

I’ve always wondered why Jinx choose Jinx and not powder at the end, even with a carring sister like Vi. I think now that it’s because Silco told her something that even Vi didn’t say. He unconditionnally said « You’re perfect. » even if she shoot him. I think this is the moment she trully embrace the Jinx she is. She stops trying do be something else. Maybe that’s why the voices stop at that moment.

[@linsidious11]

Also Vi proved she didn't really understand Jinx in the last episode. Vi kept shouting names that only caused Jinx hurt. She didn't understand that Jinx doesn't hold the same type of memories associated with those names. Silco understood. Silco tried to stop Jinx from hurting by telling her not to listen to Vi.

[@selagaddy7331]

It's been a year and I'm still patiently awaiting a video on Silco. Please kind sirs

[@gab_deltoro]

i’ve been so excited for this omg. it caught me by surprise as if i haven’t been waiting for this for months

[@julilulyp5667]

IKR, i thought they never might've since it's supposed to be only movies.

[@CheetoChannelCity]

@@julilulyp5667 exactly. I was so happy to see the notif read "JINX" aaaaaahh

[@rimurutempest4945]

@@julilulyp5667 didn’t they do a bunch of series before too? Like Stranger Things and Wandavision?

[@julilulyp5667]

@@rimurutempest4945 ohh, well yes, i forgot those, thank you

[@CinemaTherapyShow]

Surprise! 😁

[@biestibelzer]

This series is pure insane quality. To this day and probably until I stop or Riot messes it up, I can't understand how they were able to make this when they can't get their game right.

[@Weteperepe]

Lmao love this comment so much

[@Darkstormsun9865]

Because game balance and design is not the same as writing a story. You can't ever get the game right or make it "good." they fix one thing and something else will be called broken. Xin Zhao used to be a broken character lmao.

[@SaltyCatling]

It took them 6years to do this masterpiece, with a lots of funds and no rush at all

[@gabbyn.3049]

@@Darkstormsun9865 not to mention they have to make things not boring and have to change up formulas once in a while i.e metas and builds.

[@gabbyn.3049]

@@SaltyCatling Crazy how they made the pilot and redid everything just because they wanted to

[@katemiller4084]

I hope you cover Silco being a dad to Jinx during his villain therapy episode. I would love to see your take on if he is a good dad or not, especially from a professional therapist, because honestly after watching the series, I’m not entirely certain myself.

[@greywolf5896]

I would love to see that as well!

[@sofiagovea228]

@@greywolf5896 He was definitely NOT a good father, but that is more because of the person he was instead of what he intended to be, and he definitely loved her as a daughter. That is not even questionable.

[@lilscenechick1995]

I think a "good" father and a "loving" father can be separate ideas. Silco was absolutely not a good father; he groomed Powder into a life of crime, and reinforced her trauma of abandonment while also tainting her memories of Vander (a father figure who did his best to guide and nurture her, as well). However, I 100% believe that Silco loved Jinx as a daughter, and he genuinely wanted her to become strong and independent.

[@sofiagovea228]

@@lilscenechick1995 Congratulations, you've got tickets :B

[@Rainjojo]

If she were any other kid he’d kill her. He might’ve loved her as a daughter but he was far from helping her mental state and only groomed her into this trauma extension from himself. He knew vi was alive and lied to jinx, he only wanted her for himself as jinx did with vi. so toxic yet endearing

[@mitchlinnen2228]

The key to Jinx's trust and lying issues comes from early on. When Powder was eavesdropping, she heard Milo and Violet talking after the failed heist. She overheard Milo talking about how useless Powder was and heard Violet agree with what he was saying. She fled, and didn't overhear the rest of the conversation; where Violet was shown to have been speaking facetiously. This was never discussed between Violet and Powder, was then cemented as "truth" by Violet's subsequent abandonment and in turn warped their entire history and relationship as Powder perceived it

[@kamakazines4901]

Personally, I like how they handled Marcus. It shows how easily hypocritical self-righteousness can be twisted and used as leverage against a person the moment they comprise. Marcus believed the Undercity was corrupt, with 'a crime behind every coin', and with a single shady deal with Silco, one that wasn't even 'that bad' on paper, he became everything he hated, and everything he thought he was above, and became trapped. I think we're all susceptible to become a Marcus, if we hold others to a higher standard than we hold ourselves. It's a good reminder to live honorably and seek to understand where everyone else is coming from, lest we fall, further and harder, down those same traps.

[@hawkins347]

It's especially telling later on when Jayce becomes a councillor and you watch the two interact. You can see that Marcus absolutely despises Jayce because in many ways Jayce is everything he wanted and failed to be. Now admittedly, Jayce is not without his flaws either.

[@kamakazines4901]

@@hawkins347 that is very true. He also manipulates Jayce in a similar way to how Silco manipulated him. He gets Jayce to think closing that bridge is Jayce's own idea, knowing all the while that he's maneuvering Jayce to inadvertently betray Caitlyn, sabotage his stated mission, and quite possibly cause the death of innocents... again, just as Silco did to him. His self-loathing is projected onto Jayce from both directions.

[@luciapitti1722]

I always thought that Jinx/Powder has the schizoaffective disorder with CPTSD, since trauma literally shaped her personality to the point that you can't actually understand where the trauma ends and Jinx's personality begins. Also I love the show because there are so many tridimensional characters that make the world amazing.

[@jeremyyates1026]

This show is definitely awsome me and other people online think she may have bpd along with schizoaffective disorder constantly thinking people are against her the way she'll lose it at times and the moment new characters pop up immediately seeing them as threat along with thinking she's a screw up all the time definitely loved the way they approached the series and trauma

[@rexeno]

When u said "If you're in love with the person you just met or the person you once knew, you love someone that doesn't exist anymore" hit me so hard bcz I struggle with self hatred bcz I believed that the person I was as a kid was the real me and that I'm far gone. Thank you for opening my eyes

[@somelaughingjade]

I used to think that about myself too. It gets better when you start showing love towards your new self, and transform the lingering nostalgia of the old self into appreciation for it having been a part of your journey. You got this! Wishing you the best with your self-acceptance :)

[@drea4864]

I am really thankful for your comment because that was exactly what I needed to hear. I struggle with depression and complex PTSD and all this suffering started when I was a child and influenced my development immensely. Now that I am an adult I need to sort out what parts of me is the trauma or reaction to trauma and what is my natural character. It is so hard to differentiate those parts from another and I thought that my younger self is as you called it the 'real me' and therefore I need to become my old self. But that always felt like damaging myself which resulted in more self-hatred and now it becomes more clear to me why. Thank you a lot! And I really hope that you can make it through whatever you are facing right know!

[@rexeno]

@@drea4864 I'm glad I could help, and honestly, ik exactly what ur going through

[@saionjisan]

Woow I wouldn't have thought about it in that way... But it makes so much sense, it might be helpful to what I'm struggle with at the moment, thank you!

[@rexeno]

@@saionjisan np :3

[@jckitkat4499]

This show was one i was skeptical of at first because it was league of legends, but ended up being one of the few animated shows to break me so many times in one season and still make me want more knowing I'm just going to cry more. Its also one of the few shows I've seen where a character being gay is subtly hinted at and isn't used as a punchline for a joke or just blatantly screamed into your face constantly.

[@Weteperepe]

Yes, this and also the fact that this love is not rushed, growing gradually and slowly over time (Cait and Vi had spent together approximately 5-6 days together by the end of season 1), makes it a lot more natural, I'm actually glad they didn't get a kiss yet, the small hints are enough for now 💙

[@TheOnlyToblin]

There's obvious chemistry, at least from Vi's side, almost immediately, but it still isn't rushed. It's very refreshing.

[@pineapplefrostyfruits9225]

To be fair the best (and only good) thing with LoL is it's character animatics and story plots. Might I recommend Jhin The Virtuoso's short story, The Man With The Steel Cane-

[@Thulgore]

Arcane is a masterpiece that stands alone. I've never seen a show this great in my 44 years on this rock.

[@blinkachu5275]

Whenever Jinx says "I thought you could love me like you used to... even tho I'm... different" I start bawling. Like legitimately, without question, I don't even need to see the previous scenes. Just that moment alone, with how perfect the animation and voice acting is, it instantly gives me a lump in my throat and my eyes start watering. As for recommendations, please look into Squid Game. It's such a good commentary on people's behaviors when they reach rock-bottom, and I'm curious what you'd think of it. If you do watch it, PLEASE do yourself a favor and watch it in Korean with regular English subs, not the SDH English subs. They're the most accurate.

[@Jandrix_bb]

Based on my own anecdotal experience of cPTSD and Developmental Trauma... I think to understand Jinx's character you have to view it through a "Wonderland" lens. Alice is rational and follows inductive reasoning, so when she goes to wonderland, nothing makes sense because the worldbuilding rules work around deductive reasoning. Inductive reasoning takes you from the specific to the general, while in deductive reasoning, you make inferences by going from general premises to specific conclusions. Wonderland thought processes are following lateral movements. (PTSD and psychosis a lot closer than we are often comfortable looking at. I.E. what is a triggering flashback if not a vivid hallucination of reliving one's own trauama ,lol. It's like potent nostalgia for horrible experiences!). But an effect of complex trauma is that it shifts your cognitive throught processing into the deductive territory. Survival depends on you being able to make lateral deductive jumps. To infer information through constant hypervigilance. This is especially true for CPTSD. Developmental trauma that happens at a time when the brain is still forming itself and a social sense of identity and self. Things learned at that age tend to hardwire into core pillars of identity. Trauma responses only seem "irrational' from the surface, and if you attempt to understand it like Alice tries to understand Wonderland it can be beyond frustrating. Because the lived experience and the inner reality of one experiencing that trauama response often doesn't follow traditional linear logic. It follows an emotional non-linear intuitive thought process. Trauma is created as a means to protect the person, but over time, it becomes both the sickness and the cure. It's a vicious cycle. But the thing most consistently real to Jinx is her emotion (read: pain), so you have to follow her character through a narrative of emotions. You have to understand her emotional reality. That inner world that she navigates to make sense of the external--and that's when you start to understand Her. At first, It doesn't make logical linear sense, (Hah, but when have triggers and stressors and agitators ever have been?). They do, however, form an emotional narrative that all relates and anchors around the ways Jinx has learned to respond to trauma (which is compartmentalization, dissasociation, depersonalization and avoidance). And these ways that she has learned to navigate and cope with since childhood worked for powder, but now they are becoming increasingly unsustainable for Jinx, (particularly when that inner reality is confronted with an external reality that is Vi), Jinx's intentional dissasociation from powder is a means to re-create a narrative of self (powder is dead to her just as much as everyone else, but repression, the fear, the guilt, and shame of powder doesn't stay dead, and it resurfaces as more trauama) Those feelings are a shadow Jinx is always running from but can never escape. The psychosis (dolls and the childhood remenants that linger in her spaces) I think are a nod to arrested development (a consequence of developmental trauma), but also tell us that Jinx has not fully accepted her identity as Jinx. She is still grappling with the idea of wanting to get back to the person she used to be before trauama effed it all up. I think that idea of "who she used to be" haunts her just as much as everyone else. Powder doesn't stay dead, but for Jinx it's harmful because in powder there is a kind of misguided hope. That delusional bargaining of "if I can just be powder again, things will go back to normal." It's the idea of things maybe getting better. Her being able to feel safe, and loved. And so she surrounds herself with "recreations" of Powder's life. Feelings of safty and comfort and nostalgia. She's trying to be what she lost, but it's that cognitive dissonance in having a hope that can never be made into a reality, and an unwillingness to move forward from the loss of identity following trauma, that causes Jinx to spiral into psychosis. Shimmer plays an important part in this because what is substance abuse if not a maladaptive coping mechanism for trauma. Jinx fusing with the shimmer really drives that point home. Right before this was a suicide attempt where Jinx, in a rare moment of clarity looked at Ekko and was able to hold everything. The good the bad the powder the jinx, the monster the friends. And that acceptance of compexity pushed her to choose suicide, but Silco denys her that agency and forcefully revives her with shimmer. Which leads her into deeper psychosis. (Fun Aside: Jinx was creating the firelights as a kid and it makes the narrative that much more tragic because of that "loss" of another hopeful future that could have been (one ironically created by jinx, and foiled in Ekko). Substance abuse and any coping mechanism is an intentional disassociative action that allows the mind to escpape from the pain of the body. One thing that is hard to explain with trauma like this, is that you dissacociate because you were not able to learn how to navigate a painful experience. You never learned your limits, or how to manage emotions in a healthy way, so you learn to stop listening to the pain instead. You dissacociate from it because it becomes too painful to exist on a day to day basis. It's a survival mechanism and an act of self preservation. But over time you get so lost in that discconnect (apathetic chaos), that the only way to ground yourself is to be willing to lean into and feel the pain you have been avoiding. So in this way, pain (and through pain, love) becomes the only constant of complex trauama, and if you're not careful in healing, you don't know how to live without pain because it's the only thing that is constant. The only thing that truly feels real. It becomes something that feels safer in it's familiarty. This is jinx. Through and through. She can't trust any reality but her own. But she trusts violence as the only true constant she has ever known. She trusts pain (even when it hurts). This is why trauma like this is so insidious, it isn't so much a "degredation" of your sense of self, so much as the entire sense of identity being robbed and solen outright. I think Jinx/Poweder's sense of self is fragmented because neither never fully formed to begin. Her challenge in the story is constructing a sense of identity, as one that emmbraces and accepts that her past and trauma as part of her experiences. Just chasing one or the other is a fantasy of magical thinking / escapism. Healing from trauma is a very subjective process of remembering it. Feeling empowered to tell the story of what your experiences have meant to you, and in doing so reclaiming the identity that was stolen. It's being empowered to tell your own story in a world that constantly seeks to force their own narratives onto you ( Who they think you are because of trauama, and who they think you should be in response). TBH that forced narrative has always been just as traumatizing, if not more traumatizing than the traumatic events in my life. (Which is why Vi forcing her own narrative onto Jinx by calling her "powder" is so triggering for Jinx. Vi might as well be deadnaming her). And why "Are we still sisters" gets wrapped up in questions of identity. Jinx is the person who has to live in her own thoughts with her trauma. And sucess and healing from it means that she makes that headspace a better place to live, and that is the challence because there is no beating trauma and what success looks like is learning how to manage it, reconciling with it, and learning how to live forward with it. A person who is able to hold space for all the things and complicated, intersecting aspects of your identity. But in the end, I don't think Jinx is "choosing the wrong" reality. It's her becoming empowered enough to assert her reality. To choose how she wants to tell her own story. She isn't running further into escpaism and trying to become powder again (Though she did consider it when Vi showed up and wanted to pretend that Jinx didn't exist). Jinx's dark character arc is accepting the hard truth and reality of who she is (what trauma made her into). Granted this very much gets twisted through Silco's "Symbol of zaun" ideology: I.E. Jinx is perfect, just the way she is. A triumph born of chaos. The resilient monster created by society, and a monster that is going to burn Piltover to the ground to liberate the opressed), but that personal resolution of trauma is embedded in there. In that way, I really like how the narrative adresses this by """diagnosing""" her as "jinx". The way jinx describes herself is with a sense of detachment. As a verb. "I'm a jinx." it shows the audience how she perceives herself, but also alludes to the traumatic experiences that created her. I think the writers do a good job showing that it's not about "what diagnosis she has" but focus on her learning managing the symptoms of it while learning to live with herself. Although it's dark, it focuses on how she defines a meaningful and fulfilling life for herself, in spite of (and mabye even because of) that trauma, on her own terms. That's healing. And the final moment when Jinx accepts herself as "Jinx", it's a dark triumph of self-acceptance, because she is fully embracing that label. (The one she until that point previously weaponized toward herself in self harm. The downside is that she has also accepted the essentializing narrative of her identity). TL;DR: I hate when Jinx gets compared to Joker and Harley Quinn (Her LOL character design was inspired by Harley, but the writers did so much to make it more subersive and human). As someone who lives with this kind of disabling complex trauma, this character is done so well. It was one of the most emotionally honest and emotionally realistic portrayals of trauama and mental illness that I have ever come across.

[@theblackkat2164]

I read your comment, and I may not deal with your experiences with that. But I hope I can write things one day where it doesn't come off as just edgy. I hate characters being that. If all else fails, maybe there's a different challenge that the character I'm trying to have a more sympathetic approach to instead of just being a 1 dimensional antagonist. I hope you are doing well today, me myself am Autistic. And I'm not sure if this comment is weird or not. So let me know if me mentioning this was highly inappropriate or not! Thanks!

[@lilydapug5399]

This comment is so well written. Your analysis is so good.

[@daisukesdisappointedpayche3845]

I paused the video just to read this whole thing, i dont normally do this lol. I love arcane, and ur comment was extremely informative and enlightening. Thank you so much for taking the time to write all of this. I'm probably gonna think about this for like a week straight and might even come back to it lol. Have a nice day or night :)

[@dennysdonuts4918]

God this is so good why can't I pin this to read again later lol

[@kat6038]

please write a book on this topic wow

[@kimkilinski3816]

The part with Vi's "unreasonable" guilt was to me very compelling and realistic. I do agree that, at some point, one has to let go, definitely. But it sometimes is so damn hard. And in Vi's case I would even go as far as saying it was reasonable. Because she was the big sister. She wanted to protect her little sister all her life but then in that moment she failed to do so. And tbh, I think the scene on the bed is her facing that for the first time for herself (at least if I remember it correctly). Because before that she was distracted: I need to find powder. I need to find this. I need to do that. I need to protect this other woman I met now. Etc. And the bed scene just gave her room and time to notice and face these feelings of guilt like she did and had to. So, I think, even though it doesn't seem to serve a purpose anymore, it still is very good it is there.