Arcane: We Need To Talk About The Ending

[@AtelaLafford]

it's that terrible affliction knowing something would be better (when it was already fantastic) if it just had a little more, not out of any greed, but because you can feel it in the breaths of the story. loved it to bits, but all the shades of criticism certainly aren't wrong.

[@AFlyingWalrus]

I agree. I would have loved to see the full intended 1-45min cut of the finale. But I do also understand budgeting and time constraints meaning that they had to leaving things on the threshing floor. I do hope they are able to finish it and release it in the future as a special bonus or thank you.

[@AtelaLafford]

@AFlyingWalrus exactly my thinking! i know this has been a very expensive and labor of love for a long time now, and i'll never know the full workings behind the scenes, but what i would do for bringing back the era of deleted scenes voiced over the storyboards in the special features section of the dvd....

[@JakobLogan]

​@AFlyingWalrus I also think the scenes with Vi and Jinxs original parents could have been removed with little-to-no impact, giving the rest of the story a little more breathing room.

[@Adonna2424]

@@AFlyingWalrus I don't think it was budget, it was the format they chose to stick with from the beginning.

[@charlestonjew7587]

We'll always have season 1, which was more simple, focused and efficient. There's a lot to love about season 2 but I think it falls mostly in the artists' passion superseding cohesion. It works in spite of itself.

[@mepollack]

I loved S2 for a lot of reasons. Needless to say, the animation was crazy good, and these are still some great characters. I think it’s still narratively strong, but it makes me wish that S2 had been given another 2-3 episodes, if only to expand on Part 2 and the ending, expanding on a couple of the relationships and building out the ending into more of an actual ending rather than emphasizing that it’s a setup for events to come (that I will definitely watch). Even that feels like it’s asking too much, though. What we got was still incredible.

[@tuntunkhan5539]

Supposedly the finale was supposed to be like 1 and a half hours long for each episode. They had to cut out a lot of things like the conversation between Ekko and Jinx in the final episode. That was supposed to be like 5-10 minutes longer. Mainly because Netflix didn't allow them for whatever reason to have it that long which is very strange.

[@vinvos8651]

@@tuntunkhan5539 Fr they really have to ruin all good things because of stupid business ideas. I really do hate corporations because they always end up ruining good art. But it all that is true then maybe they will release a dirrectors cut one day and im definetly going to watch it.

[@chrishaven1489]

No, I don't think having longer or extra episodes would be the solution. That would just blow out the budget. The show needed a whole other season with a separate budget. And if it needed padded, they have the source material to do it

[@mepollack]

@ I could see them separating this season’s events such that there can be two seasons worth of content. Either way, I think the idea of expanding on what they did here to give more time for these ideas to breathe would have benefitted the show.

[@apoorvsingh4459]

I think they did the best they could do with the show being reduced to 2 seasons from 5. And even then they had to cut out a lot of stuff, that's why some pieces feel missing or felt happened off camera. They had to keep only the most important stuff for the story, unfortunately missing out on some interesting story beats and relationships

[@isaw9969]

i think what s2 did that was the worst offender to me was; it was a clear soft-pilot to upcoming shows. the whole Mel Black Rose plotline was borderline impossible to follow if you didnt know league lore. this season could have easily, and i mean easily, done without it. put Mel back in the councilor position, make her and Ambessa two opposing forces whispering into Caitlyn's ear. Make Mel realise the harm she did to the undercity by her avoidance of conflict. Throw out some cool parallels between Cait/Mel and how they react to violence done by the people they stand under. There was no reason to make this incredibly intruiging political woman a 'oh shes an OP magical girl" other than 1) backdoor pilot for the Noxus show, and 2) new League Legend.

[@damjay005]

Thissss

[@henrique88t]

You're right, your idea feels more what Arcane felt to me than that rushed marvel ending

[@thatgermanview5721]

There had to be one magic girl guiding over the new life when Jinx was throwing her birthday party. There is enough room on the wall to write your own stories, but stop critizising the architechture. It is insulting since you peole got no clue what you are talking about.

[@thehutch1674]

I don’t know league lore and I followed it. It had to be expanded upon since it’s the entire reason that Mel and Jayce survive Jinx’s missile. It’s the entire reason Ambessa comes to Piltover in pursuit of Hextech. Take it out and so much of the series doesn’t make sense. All the plot lines were planted in season one and needed to be expanded upon, I just think they didn’t realize how much time it would take and they bit off a bit more than they could chew. And time/budget constraints don’t help either. Everything that was there definitely needed to be there and I think they told the story the right way, they just needed a tad more time they didn’t have. And that’s ok!

[@hatexson]

​@@thehutch1674 Same , but this BlackRose plotline was unnecessary. All we ever needed was some seeds planted and knowledge that that organisation/person is the reason she went to Piltover in pursuit of technological military advancement. That's it. It would make ppl more excited for the new series, questioning 'who the f made this badass warrior of a woman run with tail between her legs, what happened in Noxus' and keep them on the edge. We got something but not enough so it borderlines on the meh territory. It should be left for other series and the precious time spent on PiltoverZaun and other storylines. And to be fair Mel, the great already trained mage, was not it, I didn't like it at all. Should've left the gold armour as a passive, something passed down in the bloodline or sth. Looked kinda cool, but eh

[@atlanta2076]

My biggest mistake was not rewatching S1 before getting into S2. I was arrogant enough to belive that I remembered most of what happened in S1. And I usually have a pretty good memory. But rewatching S1 after S2 made me realize just how much I had forgotten, and how much of what happened in S2 was clearly set up in S1. My experience would have been way better with S2. Less confusing. And I would not have gotten a bit angry about that last shot with the flying ship. That scene particularly was teased in the very first ep of S1. And I would have known what it meant.

[@thirdcoinedge]

While watching, one thing that really helped me understand what the season was doing was realizing that Arcane S2 is just a direct continuation of S1. The show itself is a six-act narrative of 18 episodes, with three main parts separated by two time skips: Part 1 (Act 1), Part 2 (Act 2-4), Part 3 (Act 5-6). With that knowledge, the fast pacing made quite a bit more sense imo. It's like if Evangelion were released in two seasons instead of just all at once. People would complain the second season felt rushed compared to the first, because it's all meant to be viewed as one cohesive narrative.

[@GadgetsGearCoffee]

I did the same. Wasn't super into it either. Then watched some analysis too, mainly season 1, some reddit posts, and rewatched the whole thing start to finish and truly appreciated all the nuances, subtleties, details

[@lockekappa500]

@@thirdcoinedge Yup, they should never have structured this show in the way they did. This should have been "Arcane Part 2" Not Arcane season 2. Or simply an entire single season that was split into 18 episodes. I think from a perspective side it would have made people feel like Season 2 had to stand on its own less than it ever intended.

[@Joeda89]

I love that when ekko confronts victor and throws the literal answer to the coin question in Victor's face it breaks open the right side of the face. The right side of the brain responsible for creativity and emotions.

[@TeamHybridOffical]

I've tried to steer pretty clear of the discourse surrounding the ending, but much like you said at the end, I think this will age really well. It'll be the starting point of the Runeterra shows and I'm glad it was that. Most everything I've seen has been pretty emotionally charged. People "really love it" OR "really hate it" (from what it seems) but I think confusion can lead to dipping into strong emotions rather than introspection and working through the nuances. The show is nothing if not nuanced and the few times I've gone back to watching it already, I appreciate the ending of the series quite a bit more. Your take is pretty refreshing and I agree with it whole heartedly.

[@thirdcoinedge]

Honestly, it's kind of rare for TV finales to have universal adoration from fans at the end, particularly for animated shows. Take Attack on Titan and Steven Universe for some examples. Their endings have been more positively viewed as time has gone on (less for the second one, I think, it has only been a year), but at the time, they were very much divisive amongst fans. Even something as legendary as Sozin's Comet was seen as imperfect by quite a few people back in 2008, mostly because of the Lion Turtle & energybending, Zuko's mother plotline not being resolved, and how Aang re-attuned to the Avatar State back, but now it's near-universally seen as the gold standard for how to end a TV show. Personally speaking, I watched Amphibia back when it was airing, and I found myself a bit disappointed by how the ending was executed. I get how people can feel disappointed when a work they enjoy seems to decay over time. I didn't feel that way with Arcane. Maybe it could've benefited from more time, but given how well-constructed & fine-tuned the season was, how to implement that extra space is something I can't even consider. I am satisfied with how it turned out. Not the best finale, but I'm not exactly expecting "Saul Gone" levels of confident finality from a franchise work (there's three more shows coming at most, we're gonna be back to this world sooner than later). Besides, Arcane is meant to be judged more as a whole than as separate bits. It is its entirety, maximalist entertainment with absolute purpose. (As an aside, I do think part of the problem is how much Arcane S1 was pushed by people in the months after as being "one of the best things of all time," which makes it so that any changes in the artistic direction that fans might disagree with would be infinitely more pronounced) For what it's worth, I enjoyed my time with Arcane, and I don't regret any second being in its company. And I imagine more people may feel the same as time goes on.

[@overtime8392]

The series needed 2 more episodes to flesh out the story beats and rapid changes in tempo. It felt very rushed to me. The ending was unsatisfying. Loved the show overall, but it certainly had its flaws.

[@charlespc]

Yeah, or maybe a whole new season to flesh out and explain the sudden appearance of magic here and there.

[@chrishaven1489]

Adding more episodes to the season would've blown out their budget. It would've made more sense to add another whole season with a separate budget.

[@crowriverrider]

While I do 100% agree, you saying, "gay lovers repairing the world," legitimately caught me off guard. 🤣

[@andrewl.9736]

I feel like this is a common viewpoint on the internet because "it's 20XX" or whatever but I feel that they really tried to write Jayce and Victor as like brothers, or at the very least deep friends. If anything, Victor's "romance" was with Skye. It's possible (normal, even) for men to care about each other without it being a hint of romantic, and that's what it seemed like to me. Jayce doing all he could to save the man he's come to know as a brother.

[@fozzy6632]

@@andrewl.9736 They actually planned to make a romantic storyline out of Jayce and Viktor, but scrapped the idea of it. As a gay guy, i think this was the right decision.

[@charlestonjew7587]

I've come to terms that season 2, while not perfect, was good and I look forward to what Fortiche has in store for the IP going forward. 'Arcane' is beautiful and inspiring. This was a passion project for all those involved and MY GOD, is it a story worth telling.

[@Marksman3434]

I doubt Fortiche will go back to it. They’ll likely keep doing shorts. But they want to move on doing wholes series based on LoL and want to do more things, especially their own original stories

[@charlestonjew7587]

@@Marksman3434 Either way, I'm in. I saw the poster for 'Penelope of Sparta', looks pretty cool.

[@MideXIII]

Jesus Christ, this is the most reasonable take in the entire cs. Everyone is Siskel and Ebert now, it’s mind numbing. Encourage these artists to create more and better programming like this rather than the constant whining. Had to get this off my chest. Truly appreciate your comment.

[@tovbyte]

Here’s my take on season 2: as far as I’m concerned, it didn’t really feel like an actual season of television. It felt like the spark notes version of what seasons 2 & 3 would have been if we had a season 3. It still looked and sounded amazing, with great acting and music. I also liked all the individual story points. But the narrative felt more like one of those lore videos where someone summed up the entire timeline of a book or video game series. This doesn’t mean it’s bad - I enjoy these types of videos very much, and the show has fantastic production values to boost. But it didn’t really leave me with the same feeling of satisfaction that a show like Breaking Bad, Fleabag or Succession would give me

[@kamilszczęsny-m9d]

then go write better thigns then being here bitching

[@trellified]

I agree, but that's the reason I didn't enjoy it.

[@isaw9969]

cant believe the 3 characters who all expressed suicidal ideation got to die in the end

[@Yoongi10269]

Oh my.... Dear lord I didn't see that.

[@madpostman]

Jinx is definitely not dead, lol, too many hints that she's not. For Jayce and Viktor, it's possible that they're not dead, just on a multiverse adventure. They may come back in future shows.

[@hatexson]

No one is dead, that's the point. Metaphorically, Jaybe, maybe. Creators said that they could very much off some champions, but would never have the guts to actually do that. They're their cash cows, so no way. Jinx is well and alive on her next journey in the other series (gonna have some sick, grand entrance, appearance). Jayce and Viktor are thrown possibly to some other dimension/universe (they were sucked in, not evaporated) another series. Ambessa is technically the only dead, but I can bet we are going to have some ritual to revive her/character preventing deaths popping up/sth like we had a deal, you still need to serve (some death like person). Warwick is presumably the most dead of all but they gonna pull his regenerative powers and 'it is his humanity that was killed there, the beast side is alive'. And Heim is a yordle and he was transferred to some yordle dimension city (idk I don't know the lore, that's what some lol players said).

[@madpostman]

@@hatexson I mean, Ambessa definitely died, lol. She's the proof that champions can officially die in the lore, since the League of Legends / Summoner's Rift game itself isn't canon (or it's possibly in the far future of Runeterra). In any case, Ambessa is dead. The most you could say at this point is that she's part of the "Chosen of the Wolf" and is now in Volrachnun (the mythological Noxian version of "Vahalla" for the honored fallen warriors).

[@thirdcoinedge]

Wait, I thought we all knew that Jinx didn't die?

[@JakeWilde-i5m]

I think the drive to make a franchise out of this series is what killed the second season. It just missed the point of what the first season was all about.

[@shadowone01x99]

The second season was NOT "killed" but rather climbed higher peaks.

[@damjay005]

This

[@joshua09290]

What makes you say that?

[@JakeWilde-i5m]

@ if you look at the opening of season 1 it sets up a very clear picture of what the story is about. The story of two sisters and the cities. Season 2’s ending put those things off to the side, which ultimately undermined the point of the show.

[@Adonna2424]

I thought it was great. Did the S2 rush a couple things? Yes, but the way they did them and the overall effect still worked and didn't leave me angry about it. Do I wish there was more time? OF COURSE - WHO DOESN'T WANT MORE ARCANE?! But this is the format they stuck too and because of that, they had to cut things shorter.

[@gman7497]

I just wish certain fans could modulate their criticism slightly. Yes there's small issues here and there, but overall it's a stellar season. Endings are hard. And endings with a very strict limit on time, even more so.

[@isaw9969]

@@gman7497 i do understand what youre trying to say, but some of the issues sadly arent... small...

[@gman7497]

@isaw9969 you're entitled to that, but by most accounts this season is a smashing success, if the flaws were that glaring everyone would be seeing them and judging accordingly. All the s2 episodes currently are above a 9 on imdb.

[@isaw9969]

@@gman7497 yeah cause recency bias? it is full of plotholes or retcons (the vander and silco both knew ViJinx's parents opens up such a can of worms it insane. whole major plot points of s1 suddenly... dont work anymore, or are at least a mess timewise) (many things are open and unanswered: why do we see the cog in e6 falk differently 4 times, same shot? why did jayce not just hug Viktor right there to blast memories into him? how did Viktor go from a genuine wanting to help guy in s1 to, 'oh its internalised ableism!' in s2, even tho that was never his plot?) (how did Ambessa, warlord supreme, expect Viktor to listen to him if he got 100% power? no was shes that dumb, is she?) (how did mel go from barely able to restrain viktor in e8, to magically fighting Ambessa, shielding characters and destroying leblanc in her own domain in e9?) (why did Cailtyn just stop trusting Ambessa and follow Vi, even tho they had a Bad Breakup?) (so r Zaun and Piltover - the Main Thing in s1 - just besties now they had to fight one big bad? why did radical sevika gaf abt Piltover enough to help them?) (i can go on sadly) the season and the things it shows itself arent bad; but it almost never explains how we got from A to B. season 1 was a masterpiece because there are no holes left to be filled post-canon. the show explains every character, their motivation and their actions, be it with words or show-dont-tell. s2 just.... skips right over super essential plotpoints and basically only gives you the end-result of a mini-arc we didnt get to see! like, i love arcane. s1 means the literal world to me. its just insane how much s2 fell of. they were too ambitious. "in pursuit of great, we failed to do good"

[@chrishaven1489]

@@gman7497 If you call it a smashing success and overlook its flaws, you're encouraging the creators to ignore those flaws as well. And they'll make those mistakes again. You're not doing them any favours pretending the show/season was perfect, because it wasn't. They made mistakes and if you want them to improve, you call them out on it so they don't do it again

[@gabbylikeskicks]

I loved the ending. Finally I get to rewatch a series over and over, knowing it'll only end in two season which is not taxing to be invested in, knowing it'll be great from start to finish

[@R4Y2k]

You know, something that has just crossed my mind as I was clicking this: Maybe the "there is no price to perfection, only an end to pursuit" was just as much about us (as in "the audience") as it was about them. Every show that ended in the past 10 years was either "the best thing ever" or "the biggest trainwreck ever". There doesn't seem to be any middleground anymore for many people which I think is unfortunate because in the grand scheme of things, it is still ART and there is no right or wrong in art. Just pespective.

[@thirdcoinedge]

Gonna be that one guy rn and bring up the one quote from Ratatouille: "In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the *new*. The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations. The new needs friends."

[@gianmarcozampella5138]

can't wait for season 2 deep dives,I absolutely loved the ones you did for the first season,they made me appreciate it even more on such a deeper level,and I extended that knowledge to my brother when I showed it to him

[@blackmanwithcomputer]

I disagree. This wasn't the ending that Arcane S2 needed. It was just the one that we got, due to budget and time constraints. Season 2 contained *SEVERAL SEASONS* worth of content, and due to that disregarded a lot of character work, conflicts and thematic storytelling to turn into Avengers Endgame by episode 9. The show isn't bad, but it's a steep fall off in regards to the writing and plot structure. It needed another 1-2 seasons, to focus on the Arcane, Hextech and Noxus plots, while this one should've been focusing on the city conflict and giving resolution to the sisters's story.

[@RecapWorldTV]

What do you mean budget they had $200 million bro?

[@henrique88t]

I agree there was too much stuff in it. In some ways it felt more like when I watched the S1 recap some days before than the actual season 1. It was not bad, it just felt like I watched the bullet points of the story.

[@blackmanwithcomputer]

@@RecapWorldTV That's the problem. Because it was too expensive to keep going, we got this rushed ending.

[@kreiskhaos8516]

​@RecapWorldTV that is misinformation, yknow. The $200m figure includes advertising, which was not part of Fortiche's budget for actually making the show.

[@RecapWorldTV]

@@kreiskhaos8516 we need to admit that it was mid. I don’t care what the excuse is.

[@BBrainsTube]

I feel they leaned waaaay too much into Marvel-esque type of ending. Epic battle of the Good League of Heroes (no pun allowed) vs the Big Bad Evil Magic, huge time travel plot twist "it was his plan all along"... And I hate it. None of this is what Arcane great. Season 1 did not have any significant fight or battle in the last episode - and it was perfect. It was character driven plot, not "we have to rush to defeat the Eeeeeeeevil". The stakes in season 1 were incredibly high, because it was so personal, not just another bland "saving the world again, same as we saw a million times already". And overall "the Marvel formula" is nowadays a really bad thing to say about any show. But for Arcane this is just... a crime to turn it into "just another Marvel like show". Unfortunately, this is exactly what Riot chose to do. As for personal ending for Jinx... I did not expect anything in particular, but definitely not: "She sacrifices her life to save Vi... kinda, but not really, because she has unexplained plot armor". Personally, while season 1 of Arcane is my favorite show of all time, and season 2 had a lot of fantastic moments, I am not interested in any other shows that will continue its legacy. At all. It will most likely be just milking Arcane fans for more cash from now on. That is my prediction. I hope I am wrong.

[@epigonesenvy]

To be fair. If a war didn't happen after jinx lauched a ROCKET and killed wealthy and politically powerful councillors, I would be disappointed

[@chrishaven1489]

As someone who's familiar with the lore, league/Runeterran lore is actually really good. And I'm personally looking forward to their future projects HOWEVER.... If they apply that same Marvel-esque brushstroke to their future stories, then yeah, I'm done. The lore of Runeterra is as fantastic as it is because each region and the characters that occupy them each have something meaningful to say about the human condition. The story of Piltover and Zaun has plenty to say about our relationship with class, the economy, technological advancements, and what it means to be human and what it means to want to help. Noxus has plenty to say about our relationship with war, colonialism and nationalism and the impacts and consequences of all those things. Ionia has plenty to say about our relationship with nature and balance, both in an ecological and interpersonal context. The Freljord has a lot to say about tribalism. Demacia has a lot to say about discrimination and the distinction between following the law and doing what's right. Bilgewater has a lot to say about the neverending cycle of revenge. The Shadow Isles has a lot to say about our relationship with death and grief. Targon has a lot to say about our relationship with religion and faith. The world of Runeterra has plenty of deep interpersonal stories like Vi and Jinx, usully revovling around two deeply connected characters who end up falling out with each other for one reason or another, mostly pertaining to the themes I mentioned above. And it makes for compelling reading and hopefully, watching in the future. But if they treat it like the MCU and care more about the "big magic battle", then we're dealing with idiots who have completely missed the point of their own lore

[@chrishaven1489]

@@epigonesenvy Yeah, but a war between Piltover and Zaun. Not Noxus. It started out as a story of class and struggle and devolved into a story about a villain who wants to destroy the world. Lets forget all our issues and band together for some reason

[@Kazuhiro-i]

Well Im afraid that was a mistake from Arcane, but at the same time of you. If u had bothered to read more about league lore, u would have known THIS was going to happen. In league there are literal cosmic entities wanting to unexist existence... no seriosuly. And a giant cosmic dragon that makes stars. League lore IS filled with epic battles, good vs evil, etc. Again, Arcane created a false expectation from people not knowing but... it is what it is. I hate that they changed OG Viktor, but I love Arcane Viktor. bc I understand WHY. (I still wished they would have separated them in league...) And I will insist league has always been this. (but worst). This is not your fault neither them anyway. U didnt like it, and if u didnt like this, u arent gonna like whats coming bc Noxus, Demacia and Ionia are literally the most epic fantasy stuff (with a lot of horror too). But hey, my advice is that u open ur mind.

[@epigonesenvy]

@chrishaven1489 "team up for some reason" it's NOXUS. they are know for successfully conquering countries.

[@shadowone01x99]

The compact pacing was fine for me. Arcane season 2 builds on sn1 without handholding you, no filler, no fluff, no over-simplification, no over repetitively *FORCED* toddler-ish "comedy" and no spoon feeding while encouraging deductive participation from the audience/ viewers to follow the plot complimented by an ABSOLUTE BANGER of hyper-cinematic induction all culminating to higher immersive experience. There are many online still scratching their head about how or why Silco and Vander became buddies again in the alternate timeline yet they COMPLETELY forgot about the LETTER from Vance addressed to Silco IN SEASON 1 which Silco never read in the main timeline so it becomes BLATANTLY OBVIOUS that he read the letter and "found the will to forgive" in the alternate timeline. Brilliant compact and impactful writing. But instead many are demanding to be spoon-fed. The only main issue for me (personal bias) is the finale should have been longer and bigger battle filled will much more multiple character moments AND we should have SEEN how Ekko united Zaun after saving Jinx including seeing Jinx make a new arm for Sevika. Also we never got to know WHO the other leading families of Piltover are but i am okay and content with what we got on screen. Especially considering how INSANELY EXPENSIVE the budget was (Arcane sn1+2 budget= $250m, most expensive animation ever) so it's understandable how and why they made the writing tight and compact while giving the audience some participatory deduction and generate interest to research into the lore. What they delivered is still very peak in my opinion. We all wanted more eps but there is cost-benefit situation with that. Perhaps in future projects they could make each ep 10mins longer from 40mins-50mins then the final can be like 1hr. This can be a perfect middle ground to give more time to more avenues of the plot without adding more full eps. It might cost a little more but still significantly LESS than making additional FULL eps. Either way, both Arcane sn1+2 have been incredibly amazing. Both get at LEAST 9/10 rating from me irrespective of whatever flaws each season has. Urgh [eye roll], i see so many in the comments already conflating this epic series into their rage bait grift politics trying to take the constructive discussion AWAY from the show itself. Unfortunately, this youtube channel owner is deliberately encouraging this based on his hearts/ likes he is giving such posters.

[@deandredukes95]

9 episodes wasn’t enough

[@martheon2513]

Can't wait for more Arcane s2 videos from you, love your analyses!

[@jordanbeck2140]

Arcane killed me

[@UnabridgedGamer]

Well, you’re walking off the resurrection smoothly!

[@b.h.4249]

Rest in pieces, my friend

[@Lexyvil]

Season 2 wasn't as character driven as Season 1. For example, I wanted to see more Vi and Isha interaction, or see Mel being worried and ask herself what happened to Jayce after his disappearance. Many tidbits like that, were left off screen this season. Also it's as if Zaun was barely relevant to the plot after Smeech's death--What about the remaining chembarons and Sevika's influence over them to be at piltover's high table in the finale? How did that came to be? It wasn't elaborated at all. I'm not saying Season 2 was bad, it's close to perfect, but it needed a bit more scenes or at least more episodes to show missing character interactions like that, which was present in the previous season. Another example is this Loris guy who disappears the same way as he appears--out of nowhere. For the amount of effort put to have him appear in many scenes, it feels like they decided to discard that idea as the finale approached, instead of exploring his character. I read the co-creator mentioning that they will try to be more careful about rushing things though in future shows, at least.

[@Jwoosle]

To me if I had to pinpoint the moment everything changed, it’s Jayce giving the speech about how they all need to come together and put differences aside to defeat the greater threat, cause to me from then on is when it stops feeling like as much of a grounded complex character driven narrative with some elements of fantasy and sci fi and starts feeling more like a marvel movie. Where difficult questions and character conflicts get sidelined or fast tracked so that everything can end cleanly with a grand spectacle and the big bad being taken down. Not necessarily bad or even unenjoyable, but disappointing and unsatisfying personally

[@kamilszczęsny-m9d]

can you people stop comparing everything you dont like to marvel? do you even watch marvel movies? they can be really complex and deep but dumb ignorant ass like you will get it

[@nephthis42]

I think this was it for me, too. S1 had a LOT to say about the class conflicts between Piltover and Zaun. S2 had those to say also, kept saying them with the uprising and authoritarianism and arrests, and even had a whole episode showing how things COULD be... only for the last two episodes to hastily drop all that existing conflict in favor of uniting against a common, global enemy. I think turning Viktor into an existential threat sort of hurt the intimacy and realism of the narrative, too, and (probably unpopular opinion) as touching and powerful as it was that Jayce was able to talk Viktor out of the whole thing at the last moment, I think it did have the same sort of Marvel-ish vibe as the "we must unite" scene you mention. A lot of grounded, built up momentum - resolved in a few sentences. The enemies they had got where they were explicitly because of the division of Piltover and Zaun, with Viktor being a product of that divide (and his mindset being to remove it entirely in the most extreme way), and with Noxus being able to worsen and manipulate it. And as sweet as it was that love finally got some wins in Arcane, the fact that those wins didn't actually address ANY of the issues... eh. Yeah, we can assume the survivors then go on post-show and work out some of the cities' differences, but I can't help but feel it would have felt more satisfying to see some of that on screen. I'm unsurprised, and it was still a beautiful story. But man... What Could Have Been. 😔

[@Jwoosle]

@ yeah, and it’s a shame cause by the end I can’t help but feel like s2 isn’t really *saying* anything. Like the conflicts presented in that last act are so far removed from both real life and the prior main conflicts of the show it’s kinda hard to get much out of it

[@duxfot6998]

I m surprised how no one talks about how they used season 2 like a tool to set up future projects. they basically baited the audience by setting up a serious tense confrontation between the two cities only to throw a multiversal magic war so they can set up future projects to keep making money is a slap to the face to everyone who expected a serious conclusion for the story.

[@sakshampal6730]

Can you do a part 02 on the Cait - Vi video you made post season 01 please!

[@gamensch2629]

But what if I don't wanna... 😶

[@Mr.Starpop]

Idk....

[@vinvos8651]

How can this comment be 18h old when it says the video was released 1h ago?

[@FOXy_BOY0]

​​@@vinvos8651 He/she's exit the matrix

[@mothlight9661]

​@@vinvos8651probably because the video was up 21 hours ago, it just hadnt premiered yet

[@Hollocska111]

Finally, the waiting is over!

[@Nyxxie_Sparky]

Man now im hooked. These videos are just absolutely wonderful and i love listening to them as i work. Its just great. I cant wait to see what you talk about next :)

[@isaw9969]

wanna get a long opinion comment? here is one: As much as i adore arcane (which, trust me; its a lot. i was dying when s1 dropped and it actually gave me drive to get better), season 2 just felt ... empty. it left me dissapointed, because it simply did not deliver well on any of the things set up in season 1, and leaves more questions than answers - something which a season finale should NOT do. A few problems i have: > remember when this show was about discrimination, oppression, conflict and corrupt governments? dont worry, the writers didnt remember either! why do they spend whole season 1 setting up the tension and breaking point between Zaun and Piltover, only for season 2 to be like "uhm well akshually Noxus is the big baddie and with the power of friendship we must defeat them!!!" like... thats so fucking lazy. Its borderline insulting how the Zaunites were faced with police aggression from Piltover their whole existence, only to be expected to pick up the enforcer uniform in s2A3 and fight to defend the city which has let them rot. its mindboggling to me that they decided to not go into the conflict between those cities (the CORE OF THE SHOW), and instead end it with Sevika gaining a seat in the council, wildly outnumbered by topsiders and without any hints as to what happened between the cities further. and the Jinx Fan Girlie, who was a super radical freedom fighter suposedly, died while wearing an enforcer unifrom, protecting the city that never gave a shit about her.... fuming. this is not the type of show that needed a Big Bad Villian. the reason people love season 1 so much is because, despite it all, it felt grounded. > also remember when it was about conflict between different ideologies? again, dont worry, the writers didnt either! Vi VS Jinx, Mel VS Ambessa, Jayce VS Viktor, Vander VS Silco (dont get me started on how they retconned their backstory lmao). its just a whole bunch of nothingness now. just. complete emptiness. this season has nothing to say. nothing. remember the banger lines in s1 ("in the pursuit of great, we failed to do good", "weapons cant be unmade, and they are always used", "its a shame that those who shine brightest often burn faster' and i can go on)... what hardcore, borderline radical lines did we have this season? and then i mean lines that were genuinely creative and strong, not 'people should have free choice!' type lines) > the black rose plot. I get they wanted to give Mel a plot, and probably added this as a soft introduction to their next League series, but it was just completely random and a mess if you dont know any of the lore. what is the black rose, really? what is the Actual reason the black rose and Ambessa are fighting and why should we care? and, with Mel: in episode 8 she was struggling with holding back Viktor's puppet and didnt understand her powers yet, and in e9 she suddenly knows how to create shields and energy blasts? why does she, an empath who can control and change the inner power of others, do these things? > Its, imo, insulting that they reduced Mel, such an interesting character when it comes to politics in this show, to 'magical mage'. like. Her relationship with Ambessa is so so interesting. The show could have reflected more on Mel, in s2, realising that her passive action in the council as a result of the trauma from her mother's aggression in her childhood did not lead to peace like she wished, but that she instead became, albeit unwantedly, complicit in oppression. in s1 we see this only as her smearing Gold over the portrait of Noxus (which was well done btw) and voting for Zaun's independence, but i truly believe they could have done more with that. Make her and Caitlyn mirrors of one another, wherein both are priveleged, but one tries finally to get rid of her family ties for good (medarda), while the other grasps unto them for the power it gives (caitlyn). Instead, Mel became the Powerfull Strong Woman. we see her show little actual uhh idk the english word. softness? vulnerability? that, in s2, while s1 was abt her learning that side of her and not having to be harsh all the time. and when she does try to show softness, Jayce shuts her down (alltho i guess the man was traumatised and Unwell^tm too, but still). and she ends up all alone, having lost her mother, jayce and her seat in piltover, shipped of to the place which does not care for her. yayyy what a happy end!1!!1! > The Viktor and the hexcore jesus plot is just. a MESS. What were the footsteps in episode 2, that led him to the undercity? was the hexcore controlling him, guiding him to a place it knew the arcane was strong? but, if the hexcore was possesing him, why did Jayce in e9 act like it was all Viktor's own deliberate doing? but if it was all his own doing in the beginning, why was he so emotionless? but if he was so emotionless in the beginning, why does Viktor's speech after e6 imply that he only lost his emotions after /that/? > and, what the FUCK do you mean the mage is Viktor?? Huh?? how does that even WORK?Viktor turns bad in universe A, is like 'i must stop this from happening in other universes' and can just... travel the multiverse i guess. But then, why did he still give Jayce the stone, and not just let Jayce and Ximena die on the plain, resulting in no hextech in Piltover, and so no hexcore that entices Viktor, and so no Arcane Jesus Viktor? Why does he still give Jayce the stone? and who gave Jayce the stone in the original universe wherein Viktor went all Evil? its just suchhh a lazy idea and makes the world feel so small. everyone is connected to everyone that matters from beginning, actuallY!! boring. > and finally abt Viktor; so its never gonna be confirmed if Sky was an hallucination made up by him to combat loneliness (which, why would she then guide him to corrupt others with arcane? why would Viktor think Sky would want him to do that when he is so guilty abt her death?), if she was an apperation from the hexcore itself (in which case, why does she leave when Viktor fully turns?, or if she was simply also taken into the hexcore when she died?) season 1 would have explained it, and season 2 is like.... ahhh dont worry abt it she was there and now shes gone! some say she was his humanity, some say she was a hallicunation by viktor, some say some say etc.... im tired. > Vi's character arc. I mean, the character arc which simply WASNT THERE. What did she do this season that was driven by her own desires? she just reacts to outside forces, seems to have no particular goals in mind, and loses everything. Her fall into alcoholism was hyped up, only for it to be 1 amv within the show and no further depth to it. it was said she was gonna learn how to not be a protector, but she didnt! she protected Isha in act 1, Jinx and vander in act 2, and whole pitover in act 3. like, ok, good character arc. i can actually rant ages abt how they massacred her character. also, making her say "im the dirt under your nails" as a ROMANTIC LINE is INSANE. who tf wrote that? Hello? LOok this trencher knows she is dirty and disgusting and her Topsider Queen is neever gonna get rid of her :DDD i HATE it. its also just a bad line in general lesbians we deserve better than wtv this was. > the s3x scene in the cell... fellas if my brother heavily implied he was gonna kill himself and i showed fear abt it but then my gf walked in, i would not start doing the do. > their treatment of Jinx and her mentall ilnesses. just. she doesnt have them anymore i guess! thats how trauma works, right? it makes ur schrizoprenia go away when ur trauma is gone, right? sure Arcane Writers thats 100% how it works. oh and the suicidal character dies in the end? ground breaking thanks we needed more of that in fiction (and, no, the 'purple glare is actually jinx thing!!', while true, is still stupid. not many people catch that, and, for example, my parents without social media will always have the end be Jinx = dead, because canon doesnt offer us definitive other things). also how Isha was only there to die and then not get mentioned in act 3?? it is SUCH a missed oppurtunity. instead of child loosing carer it is this time carer losing child and thats so different! make her realise "thats why Vi always kept me home with dangerous jobs", etc. make THAT be the thing that makes her reconcile with Vi fully. > vander's plot was lazy and rushed. hes gone!! u cried we all did!! oh but hes back now. and the girls are bestiesssss bc hes their fatheerrrrrr. your gonna hear them call him dad/father 10000 times even tho in s1 they almost never do bc we need you to know Hes Their Dad!! i can actually go on longer than this, but im too frustrated. IMPORTANT: i do not hate the show. i love arcane, and season 1 will always be one of, if not the best (animated or general) series ever produced in the west. season 2 has its merits; its entertaining, it has drama, etc., but the decline between season 1 and season 2 is difficult not to notice. season 2 really makes you realise: oh, yeah, this is based on League of Legends. its like s1 = arthouse movie, s2 = infinity war.

[@finixmoon127]

Oof, there is A LOT of stuff that you’re misunderstanding here, and I think that stems from the real issue that everyone has been repeating since Act 2 : lightning fast pacing. As much as I’d love to respond with a Ted Talk of my own I simply don’t have the time rn, so hopefully you find a few answers that clear up the confusion in your own time.

[@BluesClues2s]

​@finixmoon127 what a useless response "you're wrong but I refuse to even remotely elaborate why"

[@finixmoon127]

@@BluesClues2s No need to get upset lol, was just trying to be respectful. To be fair, you *are* right about my reply being useless. I’m faced with the exact same problem as the people at Riot and Fortiche : I want to accomplish much, explain in detail Vi’s underlying character arc, why Viktor being the mage makes tons of sense, why Jinx “lost her schizophrenia”, but I just legitimately don’t have the time necessary right now, so perhaps I’ll come back to this comment some day.

[@sportenapfeltorten2095]

Oh F you. Why do you have to make such good points. I love this show. Its stupid how INCREDIBLY important its is to me. I spent 3 years between the seasons listening to Schnee talking about how ridiculously good the writing and EVERYTHING about S1 is. And now you come along, being all elaborate, explaining how they messed up S2. And the worst thing is: your points are RIGHT. I cant even brush you off as a hater. God damn it. Anyways, good job pointing out true things, now I have to reconcile my love for the show (yes also S2) with the fact that the second season is kind of a mess. :) PS: In case that wasnt clear I am obviously not seriously insulting you. I am just a bit desperate. Sorry

[@isaw9969]

@finixmoon127 if you'd like to explain it one day; please do. My comment posed questions in genuine good faith. Season 1 never left me confused and I'm also not exactly new to analyzing media and it's tropes. I don't really like that to fully understand major points on s2 u gotta use the microexpressions and outside of show league lore. If you could help me clear up some parts id really appreciate it! No hurries tho, life is busy

[@cannonfodder4376]

The ending was good. And I agree that based on what they needed it to lead to and leave on, it was what it needed. The problem I have is that a bunch of the intimacy of what made Season One so good was simply not as present and the buildup seemed kind of rushed. Sequels tend to inherently become more plot heavy as the scope and stakes escalate and it showed, the season had to handle new plot drivers in the form of the Noxian intervention and Viktor's drive toward the apocalypse and more. In addition it had to handle the new character arcs for these plots as well as the characters and themes from season one. With only nine episodes, without say more time per episode (5 - 15 min), one or two more episodes per act or even another act to balance character intimacy and arcs with plot developments and provide some breathing room to better address some of the themes from season one like the conflict between the cities, neither gained to both their detriments. (and no I don't think another season was entirely necessary) With the trademark storytelling efficiency in Season One, with its limited intimate scope they did well but it does not surprise me that it justifiably sort of came across as rushed and too dense in Season Two. Without more time for intimacy, to give things time to breath, for things to be internalized and explored, it does feel these like events on screen seem separated from a story core that was not quite there like in season one. Season Two looks to me very much a product of the preplanned two season story that they had in their internal vision, much of it was already baked in plot wise and structurally. The problem appears that while season one was rewritten to its great benefit to be intensely character focused and be narratively tight and thematically and emotionally interwoven, it appears they might not have realized season two would need the same treatment to carry on more effectively where season one ended until too late to change. I lament that it fell short of what it could be. I never expected it to reach Season One's 10/10 "lightning in a bottle" experience, but a 9/10 would have been wonderful; but alas 8/10 is not terrible. Especially since it is stronger than it is weaker. Still all in all, a remarkable piece of storytelling when considering their limits in time, scope and budget. Especially since this show was their first time doing something like this, I hope they take away the right lessons from this experience. Easily my favorite piece of animated media

[@20Marine]

Man, I agree with everything but Jayce and Viktor were brothers, not gay lovers 😂. Their relationship was showing how men should be able to show true compassion for eachother, show how much they mean to eachother and their love for eachother (which isn't always romantic) without feeling like they have to hide it because they're 'men' and it's 'gay' to love eachother and show it. The thought of them being lovers never crossed my mind once from start to finish, until people started missing the message and just putting down their true love for eachother to being gay for eachother. You wouldn't think two real brothers would be gay for eachother just because they show how much they love eachother, like me and my older brother, that would be weird asf, so the same should apply to close male friends.

[@taylorschmidt6657]

my biggest frustration with season 2 is that it feels like it wasn't super interested in exploring the interesting and complex class conflict that was explored and set up in s1 in favor of a world ending style finale that just didn't feel very "Arcane" to me. the revolution plot disappears after episode 4 in favor of a world-ending plot that itself didn't have the time to fully flesh out. It feels like bullet points of 2 seasons of content shoved in one, and they had to rush through the complex conflicts and dynamics that s1 set up and explored for the sake of getting to that end of the world threat final battle ending. The solutions to many of these conflcits felt sorta simple. Like the sisters forget all their complex issues cuz Vander comes back, Jinx's mental stability is momentarily gone because she adopts Isha, and the Piltover/Zaun conflict is brushed aside just for them to come back together in the end. Which is frustrating because the complex themes and characters and how they were all affected by systemic inequality and also how character driven the show was, was what made me fall in love with season 1. I felt like I got the opposite focus in s2.

[@KeeganRobbins]

OMG exactly this! I feel like what was missing was a middle season between S1 and S2 going into the power struggle for Zaun and it gaining independence and building to Ambessa's takeover and Victor's change. Then the final, third season could have been the growth of Ambessa's power, the Black Rose stuff, and Victor's evolution and the whole final conflict. That would've helped a ton.

[@BE-hjvvfv]

I think the Moment the Show lost itself to me was when sevika attends the meeting before the war. She is standing in the oppositions parliament that not long ago “her people” bombed and it’s not even a real deal. How did the 2 city conflict, that mind you, worsened in the beginning of S2, just disappear? All the classism and discrimination just… dropped in the final arc. It lost its social commentary in order to tell an “age of ultron” type story imo

[@Jwoosle]

Pretty much my thoughts

[@kamilszczęsny-m9d]

who said thats is drop?she only got a seat n the council that doesnt mean that problems are over

[@Jwoosle]

@@kamilszczęsny-m9d …because the shows over. We can say it was dropped because it’s not as if they’re gonna continue it next season because there is no next season

[@BE-hjvvfv]

@@Jwoosle thank you, explained to perfection

[@kamilszczęsny-m9d]

@@Jwoosle but they can continue in spin offs creators said that we will see arcane characters again especially vi and caitlyn creator said they want to do urgot story so they will get zaun piltover story again

[@vinvos8651]

Saying this is what the show needed is respectfully complete bs. They could have easily just give the show an ending that fitted with the rest of the show focusing on the actual main plot instead of rushing it and forcing in a "greater than thou" plot that renders every other subplot unimportant. The only reason this is the way it ended is because they have more content they want to produce and felt the need to end this show quicker so that the animators can get going on their next project. It just sucks because season 1 was a 10/10 experience in every regard and season 2 became a generous 9/10 with the only factor that was actually better than the first season being the animations. They could have made a perfect story but they decided with rushing and I will never forgive them for it. Im not even gonna watch their future projects because I had such high expectations and if they are just gonna ruin it for dumb reasons then I don't want to invest in anything else.

[@rjofusetsudzin8011]

Bye don't forget to write

[@sckmindfrud]

agree... but I wouldn't even give S2 a 9.

[@chrishaven1489]

While I do agree with your issues with the show, I will say that I personally will watch their next project, if only to see if they address the issues they had with this season. I really, really, really hope they learn from their mistakes, otherwise, yeah, I'm not watchin anymore of their stuff

[@madxD144]

sup r3tard

[@EstanislaoSantino-xk8uz]

Damn is just an Shows mates, stob your BS shts mate. Damn you don't know how hards it is to write an Long and Complicated story mate and so does animation too. Y'all are just Fcking emotional baby who can't forgive someone who just accidentally spilling your milka. Geez just be grateful of how Writers are putting into this season like Animations, Symbolism and Allegory, Character depths, and Character Development etc.

[@unbentsign7194]

I've seen a lot of fantastical dystopian literature that kind of loses the original concepts of wealth disparity and rebellion, like Dr. Strange and Brandon Sanderson's Steelheart. Steelheart was a great book with a relatively satisfying conclusion and a theme about how power corrupts, if you ignore the forced setups for the next two books. However, by the end of the trilogy, it becomes about the multiverse, an eternal angel out to strip the world of the power he gave it, how it's not actually the people's fault and anyone with the powers will be corrupted just by using them, and something something I don't even know what it's about at the end. Arcane is the only one I've seen do it without losing the show's meaning. Everyone wanted to make the world a better place in their own way, and Viktor finally had the means to do it. It's revealed that future Viktor had seen the solitude that his plan caused, that perfection and removing free will was a bad thing, and went back to give Jayce the power to stop himself. It also uses the trope of uniting enemies against a common enemy and somehow perfects it. Ambessa's death and her being proud of Mel for being ruthless was surprisingly wholesome.

[@danutghidia5820]

The animation is still the best there is, but Season 2 is so rushed and pretty much destroyed Vi as a character, so the more i think about it, the more i hate it

[@BewareCalamity]

The biggest issue is without a doubt having the biggest set ups in act 1 having no impact, aside from Jayce,Ekko and Heimerdinger. Caitlyn becoming filled with revenge and having trouble filling her mother's shoes,goes kinda nowhere. The politics of Piltover and Zaun are thrown aside for the black rose stuff, witch while interesting and has a nice conclusion, is still not as big as a hook as the politics of the first season, i woud have much preferred seeing more of Jynx and how she works with Sevika to unite Zaun, but all we see is her breaking some people out of jail and then leaving for Werewick, and i feel like they coud have handled that entire stoyline better, maybe even combining it, having Werewick attack the chembarons and the people who followed Silco, only for Sevika and Jinx to save them, and only after that, Vi and Jynx join to heal Werewick. Most of my issues is that a lot of time was wasted between Act 1 and 2, so everything kinda happens in Act 2, and gets a decent but not amazing resolution in act 3. I feel like the entire Blacm Rose thing wasn't included as well and coud have been just something hinted at for the future and not being such a major conflict.

[@oliviab4079]

As someone who’s never played LOL and doesn’t know a thing about the Black Rose I agree that they really weren’t included very well. The show didn’t really go much beyond “oh no they’re spooky witches” like I couldn’t get a grasp of what was at stake because I don’t know what the Black Rose is capable of as a threat or what their history is. As a layman it all came across as very hollow

[@CrimsonCharan]

Might need to rewatch this season. For now, I think I'll just take a break.

[@melam4522]

The more you watch the first season, the better it gets. The more you watch the second one, it just gets worse.

[@CrimsonCharan]

@melam4522 I'll be the judge of that.

[@haruhirogrimgar6047]

Idk if I am gonna rewatch S2. If I do it is probably just gonna be the Ekko episode. Otherwise I think Arcane is a 1 season show to me. S2 isn't a bad show... It just isn't Arcane.

[@doctorfluffnstuff403]

ooh shit, been looking forward to you analysing season 2.

[@benhill70]

The final episode is horribly rushed. Season 2 is still better than 90% of the dreck out there. Nowhere as good as season 1.

[@shinra358]

nah, they leave clues with hidden frames lol. some hideo kojima type stuff

[@chrishaven1489]

@@shinra358 No, no. I caught those clues. The season was still rushed

[@EstanislaoSantino-xk8uz]

But still Great.👍 ​@@chrishaven1489

[@CharnelCrusader94532]

It wasn’t rushed, it was just way to condensed. There should have been more episodes or a season three to really flesh out all the story’s they had in there in a more authentic way. It was so so rich and packed full, it didn’t have time to tell all of them in just 9 episodes

[@chrishaven1489]

@@CharnelCrusader94532 The show is rushed because it's condensed. There's fewer episodes so they speed through all the content to get to the end quicker. The show needed a third season

[@calebpurvis6195]

At first it felt rushed, however the longer I sit with it, and the more I think back on things the more I like it. I want to do a watch from start to finish I think I'll enjoy it even more. I do think it is a bit of a beginning, and personally I think that's great. Would I love more, definitely. However I would rather have an ending that leaves room for potential in each character's story than to have them drag on too long

[@I.Simmonds]

For me I think Arcane should have broke with the 3/3/3 format. The audience should have been privy to the Under-cities side, the conversation between a suicidal Jinx and Ekko, how Ekko and Jinx convinced the oppressed people of Zaun to defend their oppressors. While I am fine with ambiguous endings, In Cyberpunk 2077 the Star Ending is considers by some the best, Jinx on the bow of an airship breathing free.

[@Marksman3434]

The problem for sure is that the last act was made more to set up the rest of the LoL shows and not to conclude the story that’s been brewing since S1

[@isaw9969]

season 2, to me, can be summed up by "in the pursuit of great, we failed to do good". the season was a mess of, on their own, interesting ideas, but then without the proper time to flesh them out, leaving many plots feeling empty and unfullfilled. military/puppet ruler Caitlyn? Dropped 1 episode after where she already shows doubt abt Ambessa, and dropped 2 episodes after that after Vi calls her cupcake once. Vi also seems to hold no actual grudge against Caitlyn despite their pretty serious fight in the airducts. Viktor's whole plot needed 3 more epispdes on its own to fully make sense. Was he controlled? season 1 made the hexcore look like a sentient entity, and season 2 was like "nevermind!". But what were the footsteps, how did he know to use his powers? why was his physical body so un-emotive while his cosmos body was? when did he use his emotions? why the FUCK did he go from "there is always a choice", to "i wont sacrifice his humanity for your cause" to "choice is false (and we all should be one hivemind)"? it was Not a natural progression at all. Why does Jayce imply in e9 that Viktor always wanted to fix what he saw as imperfections, when we are never shown that pre-s2? he wanted to use the hexcore to Stay Alive so he could make a legacy and help the people in need. it was never implied it was bc he saw himself as imperfect? also, imagine telling a stage 4 lung cancer patient them trying to be cured is them "trying to get rid of imperfections/what makes them admirable". i would start biting people. again, the idea is good, but the progression felt veeery tacky. he just became whatever villian the writers needed him to be, without considering how he would become to that point. i dont wanna type more im tired and dissapointed. s2 did not deliver on many promises from s1, and it tried to cram in too much new stuff while not resolving the things s1 set up.

[@lizryan7451]

Absolutely agree with you on this. I felt so disappointed by how rushed everything felt. It felt like they were trying to shoehorn a much bigger story into the 9 episode structure from season one where it just didn't fit, and the story majorly suffered for it

[@chrishaven1489]

"Why does Jayce imply in e9 that Viktor always wanted to fix what he saw as imperfections" Btch Viktor was dying. What are you on about Jayce?

[@TheCrossoverWriter15]

@@lizryan7451I was also a bit disappointed by the feel of the show. My dad described it as “too esoteric” and I agree. Arcane S1 was a combination of real characters and worlds that were fleshed out while having some magic elements involved! Season 2 was just magic without any of the “real” moments that made Season 1 great!!

[@aceofsalts0246]

Also, the plot line focused on the building tensions between piltover and zaun? Y'know a major thread of season 1 and *the* primary thread of act 1? Dropped after episode 5. It's building up towards Jinx realizing he role as a leader then gets *completely* dropped to focus on Vander and mecha wizard Jesus. Shit, Sevica is a major character right up to episode 5. After that, she gets barely any screen time and not a single line of dialogue.

[@noanfour]

Arcane made me cry so much in s2 it was unbearable I loved every second of it, it could have ended at ep 7 (btw ep 7 I was so confused and angry at the start of this episode, because of the 3 last episodes they used a whole one to talk about "what if" and I wanted them to use all of the 2 hours to conclude into a real finale like s1, but at the end of ep 7 I wished that it ended here because I liked it so much and wow what a watch, overall it was such a nice event and coming back every week to watch it with a friend was an amazing time I had, thanks arcane you did a lot for me (and thank you too Walrus, your videos about season 1 were so great)

[@filmreviewer117]

Nearly a week later I agree with every point. Show is top tier in story telling, animation and everything you want in pure good television, just it could of done with more time to breath. Five minutes more on each episode to allow you to learn more about the characters, their actions and thus relate to it that more.

[@thejanusproject32]

Exactly, not a finale. IMO it's the beginning of the ACU.

[@TindraSan]

I agree with what most ppl are saying in the comments about this season, but something that really got my goat about your video was... and I may have misunderstood what you meant, but it sounded like you think season one had a more neat and satisfying ending than this one did? When the only thing that was really concluded in that season was the "Powder vs Jinx" character arc, nothing else felt settled but rather it was all intense setup for season 2 which starts off with the direct aftermath of the season 1 finale. If we never got a season 2, then the season 1 finale would have infuriated me bc it would have been obvious that it wasn't meant to end there. Heck, for some of the characters it was a legit cliffhanger! Season 1 never intended to feel complete and satisfying imo. This finale did not infuriate me, it left me feeling settled but curious, which I feel was the intent if they are indeed working on more shows for this franchize. The only thing I felt truly satisfied with was the Black Rose plotline bc of what a massive cocktease it was, not at all being subtle about being setup for some sort of spin-off project. Like it's the only time I've felt like I might need to have prior knowledge of LoL lore to understand what the fuck is going on.

[@awesometwitchy]

Without even watching the video (blind comment); I was disappointed by season 2 because it had an obvious bad-guy, an ideology that was broken at its core, while season 1 was more about how there is no good or bad when building social and economic hierarchies; no matter what you decide to do, it’ll bite you in the butt somehow and you just have to live with that. I do get why the writers made the pivot though; fans wanted something more conclusive and traditional.

[@SenturosGaviannus]

There is so many question left... i think they letft them there for us to talk about them. So riot sees that we want more. Because maybe they can only do 5 seasons. But if they leave questions behind and all that. It leaves us angry and sad wanting to know more, And we act out and Riot see that, And give them the green light to make more. This story has broken my very soul. I know that i will come out of it ok. But While im down here it really sucks. Hearing more on these guys future stories could really drag me out of the mud. I dont care if i had to wait 5 years. Knowing I'll see them again would bring me peace.

[@lockekappa500]

Probably my favorite perspective of the ending of this show on the internet. I appreciate you going in with a clear frame of mind and understanding what these developers had to work with and what they had to lead up to for the future of this universe.

[@Hawkido]

the "THE END" at the end, the E's are mirrored such that they form double doors. With one door left open, and poetically the door left open is the left door. Jinx escapes the cycle.

[@mikolmisol6258]

I was disappointed with the multiverse/time travel stuff that we get in every contemporary TV show already, and that shot the stakes into the orbit and, to me, made Piltover and Zaun's story, as well as that of Vi and Jinx, feel irrelevant in comparison. Granted, multiverses and time travel have been part of League's lore for a long time. But the final fight didn't have to be about the survival of humanity in the multiverse. And the message that there is beauty in imperfections and Jayce's tone-deaf remark that Viktor shouldn't have felt like he needed repairs felt generic and disconnected from the rest of the show. Arcane as a whole still gets 10/10 from me. S1 is 10/10. S2 is 10/10 up until and including E7. The ending is still good at 7/10 for me. It just could have been better.

[@Adonna2424]

srs? For all alternate dimension versions I've seen, this was the absolute best version. And it is needed to explain wtf happened to Heimer, Jayce and Ekko. Why Jayce is so violent against it, how the Z-Drive was invented and all the characters going through HUGE growth.

[@mikolmisol6258]

​​@@Adonna2424I'm with you on that. It's not that the multiverse stuff was poorly executed (barring the inconsistencies and illogic inherent to it). It's just that I think it diluted the show's other, more interesting conflicts.

[@isaw9969]

the "beauty in imperfections" thing was so out of place. Like, Jayce, the man was dying. He was coughing up blood, fainting and literally hospitalized. Him trying to fix his illness isnt him wanting to get rid of imperfections, wtf. it also just... completely ignores the fact that Viktor wasnt born with this stuff - it is the direct result of Piltover's oppression of Zaun, and the living conditions here. The thing that made Viktor so tragic was that his whole character was abt making sure others wouldnt go through the illnesses he did - he wanted to help! - only for him to die before he could have, because Piltover wanted to use his work for their own gains instead. and e9 just... forgets that, it seems!

[@and.me_7390]

I agree minus episode 7

[@chrishaven1489]

@@mikolmisol6258 I hear you. When Viktor and Jayce had that cosmic spat, I spaced out. I didn't give af what they were doing. The Jinx and Vi teamup was infinitely more interesting and then they got hooked up to the matrix and I just had to sit there and accept that for some reason.

[@nofacespacetasmr3008]

Arcane is a prequel to the League of Legends game that is magic based. Watching season 1 before watching season will definitely help you understand how things were setup from the beginning. A lot of things threw me off in the beginning as well, Mel being a mage, Victor going loco. The presence of magic was definitely stronger in this season than the first. I didn’t even remember that magic and mages existed before Hextech came around. I don’t think it was rushed anymore than the first season was. I mean Cait and Vi went from total strangers to acquaintances to friends to lovers and then exes in 72 hours 😂. Things always happened fast in this show. But I was truly able to understand that after re-watching the first season.

[@MRDLT00]

5:36 EHHHHHHHH Would it have thought? That's a pretty big claim to make and I don't think many would agree with you there my dude. Maybe the end of Act 1 of season 2, but not JUST season 1. XD

[@redrex9112]

I watched all of Arcane, for the first time, over the course of about a week or two. Arcane is everything I have ever wanted in a series and I didn't know a show could even do that. Season one was amazing and insaine, and the cliffhanger left me on the edge of my seat with watering eyes. The first two acts of season 2 were fantastic, then act 3 went into go go go mode and it was sooo dense, and Im wirh you on how hard to swallow the last episode was because of how much happened. After season 2, I felt like I got hit by a bus, and for a few days, I was soaking it all in. It was emotional but felt lacking in "something," like we just needed a bit more time with everyone to come to a comforting conclusion. I know there were more seasons planned (I believe?) origonally, so the fact they pulled with off, have hidden details, great writing, relatable characters, and wverything else is a feat i cannot praise enough. Im going to miss these characters so much, and I hope they make a comeback in later Arcane series.

[@deb5390]

It's the best comment I've heard about the end of season 2, I couldn't agree with you more

[@ArcaneFanatic]

I just find it sad when I see the arcane community bashing season 2 so hard when it’s still an incredible show (it literally got 100% by reviewers and 92% by audience on rotten tomatoes) it’s just sad because people are completely ignoring the nuance just so they can focus on the flaws. Amazing take FlyingWalrus.

[@PeakToxicity]

Those aren’t day 1 arcane fans most of them are League fans who is the worse fanbase in probably all of gaming they judge everything and don’t know how to actually enjoy something

[@ArcaneFanatic]

@@PeakToxicity that’s a good point!

[@TooflessSapien]

People bash it because of the shockingly poor writing in season 2, which is made even more stark in comparison to Sn 1. I've never played League in my life, and I don't know a damn thing about the lore, but you cannot tell me the writers did not sacrifice the majority of the interesting plot points and interpersonal conflicts in Season 1 on the altar of spectacle, good AMVs and the setting up of a franchice in season 2. Additionally, Christian Linke keeps showing his hand on social media by exposing his surprisingly skewed political mindset, comparing Zaunites to svengalis and bastardazing their fight for independence as pointless bloodthirsty violence and gang related warfare. It just doesn't sound like the mindset of a person who intimately understands the trauma of a community such as that facing the disefranchisement the people of the undercity are facing. There is an understanding of violence born of suffering in Season 1 that is simply missing in Sn 2. It almost leaves one to wonder whether certain key voices in the writer's room were overpowered by louder, more ignorant voices. Love and forgiveness does not heal such communities, and neither does a simple diversity hire. You would understand this is you have had to survive under the heel of such a society as Topside. Season 2 was an insult and lacked understanding of what sparks a revolution. As the writers said, they wanted to make the show apolotical, but I guess this was a Sn2 Act 3 decision because up until then, every single interrelational conflict within that universe was staunchly political. The political becomes the personal when the political breaks down your door, kills your parents, and imprisons your adolescent sister indefinitely. You don't choose to make your life apolitical in such a polarising climate. The writers took a short cut with the Noxus channel because thye were too cowardly to carry on the conversation that gathered us here in the first place, class conflict born of generations of violent oppression, plain and simple.

[@ArcaneFanatic]

@@TooflessSapien see you make some good arguments and that was very well written im still personally inclined to disagree with you as a quite like the writing, though I am not willing to write a paragraph about it lol

[@Gloomy_Knight-dw5pm]

@@ArcaneFanatic I can understand the hate to be honest. Arcane S1 is extremely well written. S2 is poorly written. They took a bunch of nuanced characters and squashed them flat with chatgpt-like dialogues and crammed what felt like 57 plotlines into 9 episodes. It's a fall from grace if I've ever seen one.

[@kyloben8537]

I'm glad they didn't give it a full ending. they did leave things to interpretation, they left things open ended, they gave options for the future. would it have been better with a full ending? maybe. but that would have cut off potential for continuity in the future. they did what was best

[@nitzeart]

I'm still mad agut season 2. I don't care ow many projects they will do in the future because they didn't give us much in this season 2 of Arcane. I don't have trust in them anymore. (The animation of course is stellar but the writing is bad, sorry.)

[@sleepyhead7420]

The only way we could all hate and complain about the season 2 finale (or just season 2), is if the rest of the show was actually very great.

[@EatTheRichAndTheState]

So basically its a big advertisement so riot ca sell more champion skins with new series of probably questionable quality that prioritizes the ip over a good story, like you said, it could have been the best show ever

[@JakobLogan]

I agree. Although I enjoyed season 2, it almost felt like the "middle child syndrome" that most trilogies have, especially ones that werent sure theyd get a trilogy. I know we are getting way more than a trilogy, but it has the same issues a lot of middle movies have with needing to set up the next movie, leaving the movie feeling like it has less of an ending.

[@marcellolupoli7978]

Ok man good video as always bla bla bla, now feed me with other arcane related content, youre videos are made with so much passion and emotion, i swear that after finishing the show i was just waiting to know youre opinion about it

[@AFlyingWalrus]

Haha. More Arcane is coming when it’s ready. I still and collecting my thoughts, but needless to say Viktor will absolutely be the first video for a deep dive

[@PeakToxicity]

I WAS SAYING THIS THIS AINT A ENDING THIS IS THE BIRTH OF MORE SHOWS TO COME Which didn’t make me mad at all cause we will see these characters in the other shows people will come around to all love in it’s gonna take time just like how people ain’t enjoy the beginning of season 1

[@MrSeba0212]

Thank you. Great review. I believe this is a masterpiece in terms of Art, Animation, Music, Storyline and Characters. Possibly once in a generation show that hope money (or social media...) never touch or ruin. It is interesting to note Riot is a publicly traded company so money is never far on their mind.... Let's hope whatever comes next is from the same mindset of creating art, making something unique and "human".... Just that... "Human" with love and passion.

[@roddquinn6347]

The show needs 5 more seasons

[@Jessemus]

Best reaction to ending I’ve seen so far

[@CzarsSalad]

Season 2 problems are rooted from the unnecessary plotlines in Season 1. Take Ambessa and her Noxian storyline out of Season 1 and we may have a more concise season 2. So to say that Season 1 was perfect is pure bullcrap

[@theoleivald7388]

Hands down the worst thing about the finale and the entire show is that it is over! You may disagree but I will gladly die on top of my little hill of a singular opinion😤

[@PaleImperator]

Can we take it as a truism that when an IP is confused as to where they want to go, someone at the table always suggests "Hey, time travel plot!" and is more-often-then not listened to?

[@Miki_Naz]

S1 was perfect, I can't think of anything to criticize. S2 was amazing, but it does stumble a bit in a few places. Too fast pacing, using music video portions as timeskip/exposition for things that should have been shown, political plot abandoned for high octane action fights for the future of the whole world, too little development of Caitlyn task force and Isha's, forgetting about a lot of relationships in last 2 arcs, like Jayce and Cait, Vi and Ekko, Sevika and Jinx and Isha. Not to mention the implications for the wider world that kinda break a lot of Piltover and Zaun characters that didn't show up in the show. Still everything else was so good that it's worth a 9.5/10 despite all of those flaws.

[@df36367]

between episode 8 and 9, one more episode to let revelations breathe would've been nice. Other than that, good god, i loved this season. i wouldn't change the conclusions or loose threads left over. so stoked for the other stories to come.

[@joewauters9065]

Ah you're so right. I couldn't figure out why I felt like I did - so much in that last episode. Should have been three seasons?

[@satyasyasatyasya5746]

hmm, might have to watch the show then xD

[@mariatorres-by6du]

For what you said about recomending the show, to me season one was so good that I would recomended to any one who likes to watch TV, I think anyone can find something that they would like in the story, and yeah the "watch the first three episodes" is one of the ways to recomended. With the second season I would be a lot more hesitant, and just recomended to people that like fantasy and/or animation, because I think there is a lot of stuff that they wouldn't enjoy if they are not into the fantasy genere or like animation (even if I'm a big defender of animation as a medium not a genere, there is still a lot of people who simply do not watch stuff that's animated because it's animated). My favourite part of season one was the politics and how this interacted with the science, and that was mostly gone from this season even if I still find it very enjoyable. In the last season Jayce had an interaction with Mel, who were two character that I enjoyed to see dance around each other, and I just though "oh, you two are just different people now". I don't think it was a bad ending, I think they did what they wanted to do in a very beautiful way, but none of the bits of this season hit me as hard as the ones in the last season. And, weirdly, I do not care for this world so I am just no interesting to see them going into knew lands. I was interested into this story about Piltover, that's what season one sold me on. Season two didn't do a good job into selling me this vast and expanded universe. If the next show has the same quality of animation I'll check it out, because I love animation, but I don't care for were this story or characters go next, or to find out that the people that "died" just pop out in a different place. I like stories to end.

[@llamamilk]

Excited for this era Riot is starting. We are at the start of an amazing cinematic universe. We are watching what some have already experienced watching the first LOTR or Star wars in theater. Or the first pirates, or the first harry potter or Iron man. All these first release drew you into amazing movies and series based on the worlds favorites books and created by the world most beloved writers. And now the era of our favorite Games will start.

[@gulli72]

"So, how do we get Viktor and Jayce to stop the Arcane?" "Jayce says something cheesy, Viktor touches the crystal and everything goes poof." _"...Why?"_ "WHO CARES!"

[@pugisherpug4366]

Why did Jayce shoot Viktor episode 6 if he was sent to “show him this” by Viktor.

[@gulli72]

@@pugisherpug4366 Good point! Gotta think about this one.

[@smallfox8623]

@@pugisherpug4366 Probably because the first thing he saw when he got back was Viktor turning people into mindless drones so I imagine Jayce thought Viktor was already too far gone to save. In fact you can even see hints of this in both episode 5 and 6; everytime he looks at someone healed by Viktor he sees a vision of the same drones he had just escaped from in the future.

[@ourjoy2x527]

I think they couldve avoided the tone switch a bit if they had displayed the more powerful and abstract properties of the arcane throughout the series. The most advanced thing hextech (hexgates) can do for most of the series is teleportation and then it suddenly turns into alternate dimensions and manipulating fundamental forces of the universe.

[@shadowgamer4306]

Make a video about Andor!

[@TheGamingAbyss]

I really liked how AU Powder didn't know that that wasn't her boyfriend Ekko walking around in his body. And that AU Heimer just is completely gone for 3 years since OG Heimer has been occupying his body for 3 years. What the fuck were the writers thinking introducing multiverse slop like this.

[@my2randomcents]

People and circumstances not being consistent from ep 6 to 8 were horridly jarring. If this is the path the other shows will follow, I won't engage in them

[@SunDryll]

he's back!

[@joshuaharris3039]

Thank You 😊

[@MRDLT00]

4:41 There was no resolution....like none at all. Sevika doesn't get a SINGLE line of dialogue in ACT 3 man. XD Nothing was solved, everything around the twin city conflict was put on the back burner in the face of the invasion. XD

[@Shiroahlberg]

Excuse me.. gay lovers? When in the show has Vinc and Jayce been more than brothers?

[@mikolmisol6258]

I was against shipping Jayce and Viktor, but their final forehead-on-forehead, neck-holding scene raised questions for me.

[@Arthera0]

men cant be close without being gay apparently...

[@overtime8392]

I mean pretty much everyone else in the show was gay, but these 2 were not. They were very close friends. Both men had female love interests during the series.

[@Arthera0]

Ok if most were gay make me a list of all the straight characters. the list haas to be shorter than the other way around.

[@isaw9969]

its just people having fun. if Mel or Jayce had the scene in the end, everyone would see it as romantic. If Ekko and Jinx did, everyone would see it as romantic, etc. Theyre literal soulmates, and if people wanna interpret it as platonic, romantic or familial thats up to them. its just pixels on a screen - i have taxes to pay, so i truly dont understand why people devote their time to caring abt how other people view the relationship between two non-existing things.

[@1321mcm]

I agree that the show was fantastic and one of the best I’ve ever seen. I do also think the last two episodes were missing some context and spectacle to finish out the character stories as well as make the war feel more… well spectacular.

[@emleah.k184]

Couldn't have said it better meself lad😌☺️💯💛✨️

[@shadowone01x99]

I agree with what was stated in the video.

[@MRDLT00]

4:20 Still a pretty shitty writing decision. Don't care for time loop/travel/paradox nonsense. -_-

[@androsh9039]

Good vid.

[@bonny-at-morn]

I can't wait to hear you go more in depth about Viktor especially in Season 2. I literally haven't been able to stop thinking about his story since I watched it (I've now watched it all twice through). Just... so beautiful 😭

[@martinw2235]

i really appreciate you ranking arcane against all shows ever. when people say "it's one of the best animated shows ever made", i want to reply that it is not competing in the "animated" category. it's up against everything - Breaking Bad, the Sopranos, The Wire, anything you want to put up there. i think it's the best animated show by quite a distance and in my personal top 3 series with BB and Buffy.

[@tsuritsa3105]

"To a now captive audience" - right there with you. Jeez. I enjoyed S2. I think not quite as *much* as S1, but I enjoyed it. There were flaws that feel like a by-product of time-restriction. By that I mean, it feels rushed and I chalk that up to only having so much of a run-time to work with/budget to play with/ time to produce. Anything devled into more deeply is done at the expense of something else that has to be left a little more short-changed than I might like. For example, Mel's story was just...compressed and a littlle hard to follow beyond the basics of -exactly what was happening on screen- since the Black Rose isn't something the show provides a lot of info for beyond "Noxian Mage Cult manipulators". Maybe that's less true for people who play LoL but part of the beauty of Arcane has been that it works both for those people and the audience that is just coming in for the show. Since I love Mel I found that disappointing but in no way is it ruinious. I'm looking forward to a spin off that deals with this more specifically. I think Arcane had the challenge of having to wrap up all the plot threads they had going, all the character arcs they had begun, in a satisfying way -while- still setting up interest in spin offs beyond this point. That's a lot of heavy lifting. Most shows can't do the first part nearly as well as an auduience would like, let alone juggle it with the latter satisfactorily. When I look at the finale of S2 that way, I find it works very well for me. I still feel like the events/plots and arcs of Acts 2 -3 of S2 could have been spread across another season and maybe let us delve more deeply into some of them in a way I'd have enjoyed but with a show this good that's an observation more than a complaint.

[@DeathLess-fx9wz]

Just finished watching S1 and S2 in two days, and I must say i don't want to say goodbye to the characters at all.. I enjoyed the series too much and didn't want to end at all.. Don't know what to do with my life now lmao.. So my question is, should I start re-watching it again? Is it too soon, should I wait a couple of weeks, than re-watching it.. i don't know

[@joerivde]

Beautiful animation, art style and superb voice acting, but... Where season 1 was (mostly) grounded and about heartfelt character development, season 2, while conceptually interesting, went a little too 'larger than life' for me. I respect what they did here, but I feel like they diminished a real strength of the show in favor of more spectacle and grander topics. Like a lot of people have said: s2 needed a bit more breathing room (+3 - 4 episodes?) to let characters naturally progress their ideology, motives and ultimately actions. As well as deal with the emotions their situations provoke in them. Without this, some character actions feel rushed and sometimes even illogical. A bit of down time creates contrast and lets the highs shine that much more. That said, the fact that they crammed so much into s2 is a miracle in and of itself. You can feel they wanted to tell more story, but most likely couldn't. There were plenty of brilliant moments, had a good time watching it, but wasn't nearly as gripping as the first season to me. Looking forward to what comes next!

[@Zenon24]

I think for me arcane left me with the feeling of this is riots cinematic univers. Which is fine i just hope it doesn't turn out like the mcu where you need this or this to understand whats happening next

[@blueblade6174]

No, the ending that the show needed was one with better pacing and more episodes to properly flesh everything out.

[@mattsmith8160]

The problem with setting the bar this high your first time at bat is that it's nigh impossible to meet or exceed that height with future endeavors. I fear the LoL stories yet to come won't live up to the expectations set by Arcane.