EKKO FACES JINX! | Arcane Fiancé Reaction | Ep 7 "The Boy Savior”

[@LettsReact]

All of Arcane posted to Patreon now in their EXTENDED 1+ hour long forms! HTTPS://Patreon.com/lettsreact

[@deathking1019]

Please do Dragon prince

[@sweetlemoncreations215]

I would love if you did owl house and then dragon prince!

[@brandonphoummany9668]

Young justice

[@NyehNyeh12]

Owl house omg I need it

[@biankam.6665]

Please Owl House

[@Dovahkirin]

Ekko vs Jinx is simultaneously one of the most hype and one of the saddest scenes in the show. The animation with Denzel Curry on top of that is just *chefs kiss*

[@dzhk143]

When they were kids they use to play the same way but now it's kill or b killed

[@DirtPoorWargamer]

@@dzhk143 Arcane has mastered the art of hyping you up to see a fight only to make you feel terrible about yourself by the end for having wanted to see it.

[@derekmarshman6154]

@@DirtPoorWargamer THIS!

Here after Act III of season 2... sobbing

[@vsGoliath96]

Jayce: "I'm sorry, I've had a lot on my plate." Viktor: "What was that? Sorry, I couldn't hear you over the sound of my internal organs failing."

[@jjjjj07]

BAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[@kenjutsukata1o1]

It's not like Viktor's handling his full plate either. He's gone just as desperate as Jayce has. Two very different situations, similar levels of acts of desperation.

[@daceshiet]

LMFAO

[@6ixpool520]

@@kenjutsukata1o1 exactly. jayce gets a lot of hate (or at least not a lot of sympathy) but he's always genuinely tried to do the good thing using the information he has available to him.

[@Fotoschiki]

@@6ixpool520 And it's not like Viktor just met up with the evil scientist who creates the very weapons Silco uses to terrorize both halfs of the city or anything ... oh wait, yes he did exactly that. And he knows it was wrong and he knows what he is about to do is dangerous and he WILL regret it and beg Jayce to destroy it later. Jayce was actually right with his waryness about the dangerous people down there, he just didn't know Victor had a connection to them. He was afraid for Victor's safety, not suspicious of his connections. As I read the scene, Victor wasn't actually offended. He used the opportunity to change the subject on purpose by making it about his origin to hide his connection to Singed from Jayce. But many viewers WANT to feel sorry for the poor cripple from the rough neighborhood with a death sentence and be angry at the "privileged successfull guy", so Victor's response, meant to manipulate and distract, achieves exactly that. Not that I'm hating on Victor, we know the full story and this is intended to be a mistake out of a dire situation. It's meant to be a relatable human tradegy, not a heroic triumph. But seeing so many people fall for the emotional manipulation is a funny meta commentary on the current main stream this show probably didn't directly intend to make.

[@thiagohayashi9936]

In game lore from LoL: Ekko/Little Man had a childhood crush on Powder. So for him, it's absolutelly impossible to make a killing blow on her.

[@trueblaze84]

There's a scene that got cut out of the series for pacing reasons that was a flash back between Ekko and Jinx that filled out their back story even more. Hopefully they'll be able to either work it into the next season or release it as an extra.

[@arjana3862]

"I used to have a crush, Then she started talking to her guns."

[@aspieanarchist5439]

Yep, in fact he was the one who confirmed her birthname to be Powder in "Legends of Runeterra". Unfortunately by then, Jinx was too far gone to remember Powder.

[@KingOfEden12]

@@trueblaze84wait where ?? Is it on the disc release ??

[@trueblaze84]

@@KingOfEden12 it was never released, but it was story boarded out. Maybe they'll have it in season 2

[@ShOrt_RoUnD]

Notice how Ekko doesn’t trigger any of Jinx’s squiggly trauma flashbacks that usually happens when she meets someone from her past/when someone from her past is brought up. Just makes it all the more heartbreaking

[@wilder11]

Never realized that but it kinda makes sense. She has only good memories of Ekko.

[@cavalryscout9519]

I like how Cait was saved from the butterfly bombs on the bridge by an act of compassion in the last episode. The butterflies are shown landing on metal armor and guns, but Cait gave up her gun to save Vi, so she had nothing on her for the bombs to be attracted to. If Cait hadn't been selfless in episode 6, she would have shared Marcus' fate. It shows very tight, well-planned writing. How does Cait survive the trap? Well, she doesn't have any metal on her and the bombs are drawn to metal. What happened to her gun? she gave it away to save Vi in episode 6. Why would she give away her gun? Grayson asked her 'what she was shooting for" and said that for her the rifle was 'a way to protect', so Cait only uses her gun to help people, including using it to buy medicine. Why did Cait need to buy medicine? It's one of those things where the writers were thinking about this when they were writing earlier episodes, so everything works and everything makes sense.

[@HaydrogenBomb]

Whoa . . . Add that to the HUGE list of things I've noticed after watching this series.

[@Erick-tv8oq]

The butterfly bombs being attracted to metal makes sense, but then why didn't they land on Ekko's chestplate?

[@th3voice]

Yup. Also, if Caitlyn had her gun at the end of the last episode, she'd have fired at the Firelights and they'd have probably hurt her pretty badly OR killed her outright. After all, they were prepared to kill Vi after she was downed, and only Ekko's intervention stopped them - not to mention, for them to attack at that specific time (when they've been following Vi around since she returned to the Lanes), their attack can hardly be seen as anything other than an opportunistic assassination attempt on Jinx. Caitlyn giving up her gun has saved her life many times over by now (the first time was having a restored Vi available to deal with the confrontation with Silco).

[@Mi_Z]

@@Erick-tv8oq Thick leather instead of metal? And not so sure it was metal that attracted them, perhaps it was having something 'stuck out' like that fellow's finger in episode 4? I'd have to rewatch the entire scene, but I'm not sure if it lands on just weaponry or also armor. As if it's a metal thing, one has to wonder why they didn't simply land on the bridge (presumably some of it is metal), and blow up the bridge?

[@HxH2011DRA]

@@Mi_Z I think it was gunpowder they were attracted to not metal, would make sense as a way to protect Vi from being targeted

[@lostdmg7511]

I NEVER GOT THAT THE FACE JINX MADE WAS SILCOS!!! That was a amazing observation

[@LettsReact]

ISNT IT SUCH A COOL DETAIL!?

[@Dilligff]

As many times as I've seen it, even I didn't catch that little detail. This show can be almost infinitely dissected and you still wind up finding details you missed or overlooked before.

[@dionadair8195]

Fun fact: if you slow down the scene where Jinx shoots at Vi and Caitlyn, you can see that Caitlyn is trying to hold Vi closer and shield her, while Vi, who has already lost people because they protected her, shoves her out of harm's way.

[@MrWizeazz]

Yea I love that detail

[@sqxbarto9229]

Jinx's grenade has teeth, so if killing Ekko was the main goal, she would have put it on Ekko's shirt, but she just left it next to herself...

[@saltator8565]

Almost as if she deliberately gave him the choice to survive 🤔

[@ginganinjav5220]

I've always seen that as Poweder's action, not Jinx. That was Powder's attempt at ending things, not Jinx.

[@tsrjsjzaekzdt7686]

Who is this Echo you are talking about? I only know Ekko

[@junior523]

No way he was pressing down on her. She wouldn't have gotten the chance.

[@LadyDoomsinger]

@@ginganinjav5220 They're the same person - any distinction between Powder and Jinx is entirely metaphorical, she doesn't have a split personality; if she did, Jinx wouldn't be aware of Powder's actions or thoughts, and Powder wouldn't know Jinx. The "Powder" side of her personality is just the memory of who she used to be, the guilt over killing her friends, and her love for Vi - the "Jinx" side is who she is now; confident, strong, and as ruthless as she needs to be to survive. People seem confused by the concept of a person changing their name to reflect a radical transformative experience in their life, but changing your name doesn't change who you are - it's just a way to tell the world that you're not who you used to be.

[@jack-mw9ok]

Jayce: "I'm not working out, I'm just working" The Letts's brains: We are gonna stop working for now.

[@HaydrogenBomb]

I was hoping they'd react like that 🤣

[@Marta-uv4id]

I think the Jinx and Ekko fight scene is one of the best scenes of any animated work ever. Along with being brilliantly animated, choreographed and having incredible music, it also serves a huge narrative purpose and tells us so much about how Jinx and Ekko changed in the years after act I. Jinx always fired the same exact shots Powder did and didn't try anything different, while Ekko changed and that is why he was able to beat Jinx as an adult, while he was defeated by Powder as a kid. Ekko is able to grow and adapt while Jinx is still stuck in the past and all of the guilt she feels around it. The scene shows *so much* with almost no dialogue and it's simply brilliant.

[@XDrakarXx]

Ufotable ratio

[@Marta-uv4id]

@@XDrakarXx Demon Slayer has incredible animation as well, but Arcane is still leagues ahead in my opinion.

[@TechnoArpan]

@@Marta-uv4id Demon Slayer has incredible animation but its animation doesn't tell the story as masterfully as Arcane

[@ruanpaiva3554]

Fun fact: When Silco enters the room with the Chemical Barons the plants in the room were alive. When he was leaving the plants were dead and brown. That's how much the air is poisonous in the worst parts of the undercity.

[@daceshiet]

I didn't catch that wow

[@aspieanarchist5439]

Yep and Powder, Vi, the Lanes, Singed and Silco come from the Sumps, the lowest, most inhospitable level of Zaun. Vander and Powder and Vi`s parents who died in the latest of many wars between Piltover("Topside"/"Northside") and Zaun("The Undercity" or "Trenches") came from a slightly higher level of Zaun near the Northside of Piltover.

[@markandrew5968]

I'm reviving a long-past thread to comment also that the scene , I think, is also meant to show that Silco, unlike all the other undercity people who rose to wealth and power, has maintained his own twisted love for the city he grew up in. He's tolerant of the gas not just because he's a tough bastard or something, but because he's continued living in it even when he has had the means not to. When I was young, I swam in pools without goggles on and never felt bothered by the chlorine making my eyes sting or anything. Then, as I was doing competitive swimming I started wearing goggles because it was helpful to be able to actually see clearly underwater. After a few years of always wearing goggles, I was no longer able to swim in a chlorinated pool with my eyes open. Silco can tolerate the toxic air because he never stopped breathing somewhat toxic air. The other chem barons are just like most of the council members in Piltover, who are responsible for making the laws and command the enforcement of those laws, but don't follow them themselves in favor of their own personal enjoyment or comfort. Silco is a twisted, horrible character, but he does legitimately believe the things he says and acts consistently with his ideology. That's why he goes off on them for "forgetting" the circumstances of where they grew up and the hatred for Piltover that came with it.

[@alicebunnymera]

I really love viktors "there is always a choice" line. I see his hesitation before cutting the wire as him considering just letting the bomb go off, essentially ending the possibility of piltover weaponising their tech by taking out the only 2 people capable of doing so. He made that choice to trust jayce enough to not blow them both up.

[@Merilirem]

He defused the situation.

[@alicebunnymera]

@@Merilirem I hate you for that XD

[@dinkelberchs3697]

Yeah I think it actually is more about defusing the situation, in that very moment but more importantly the escalating conflict between Piltover and Zaun. Of course Viktor doesn't REALLY mean it a 100% like that, but I think this is the show trying to tell us that the escalating conflict CAN still be defused at this point if the people responsible can keep their cool and analyse the situation appropriately - which is precisely what Viktor does in this scene - as opposed to giving in to fear and panic and subsequently making terrible mistakes - which is most likely how the average person would have reacted in Viktors situation and would have been blown up. Really clever.

[@3ΘΕΌΣ6]

In the video game itself there is an interaction between Ekko and Jinx *"I had a crush on you until you started talking to the gun"* It's well known by players and seeing that fight scene is so heartbreaking.

[@aspieanarchist5439]

Also, Ekko was the first to confirm Jinx`s birthname as Powder in the game "Legends of Runeterra" and said "Man, I miss you." referring to the sweet, innocent, precocious girl who`s given way to the chaotic evil and madness of Jinx.

[@dearikj90]

When Ekko stood straight and let the watch drop it was a call back to a game they used to play as kids. He's basically challenging Jinx to another game, this time with real bullets, when he knows full well that he never beat her before. Jinx chuckles, takes her stance and accepts. The flashback was incredible then we see Echo in the present actually beat Jinx. The two are very much still the kids they used to be but their circumstances and their choices have them at odds. Echo hesitates in that last moment as he sees Powder, his friend, not the Jinx she's become.

[@lamp6017]

Show: *leaves us with a massive cliffhanger* Kenny: "They can not possibly do that" Me: *flashbacks of the ending of season 1*

[@Jimins__Pookie]

You mean Act 1? This is all the same season

[@lamp6017]

@@Jimins__Pookie No I mean the end of season 1, so the end of the 9th episode.

[@Jimins__Pookie]

@@lamp6017 Ahh, I see what you mean. Yeah, major cliffhanger 😭

[@Marta-uv4id]

Marcus is so interesting to me because he was someone that wanted to be a hero, just like Silco said, but he dug himself into a hole that he couldn't get out of by helping Silco. I feel like Marcus genuinely wanted to do good and help people, but he only wanted to help the people of Piltover and had immense prejudice towards the people in the Undercity, and his prejudice was stronger than his wish to help. He's been fighting with everything since the moment Silco changed their deal, when he realized he was nothing but a coward and a bad man that can't do the good thing simply because he's too scared to do it, and he died the same way.

[@crimsoneclipse0618]

Yep, Marcus is a great character, I think yhe reason he's underappreciated is because he's surroundsd by so many great and nuanced characters. Put Marcus ina different show, maybe a police procedural drama, and he'd be a fan favorite.

[@Precaricat]

I also want to note that he clearly had the bluster of a young guy trying to look braver than he was in an attempt to be taken seriously. The fact he chose intimidation, threats and invading the space of other people is pretty typical behaviour of the person who bullies because they are afraid about what might happen if they don't. The other problem with Marcus, which is also a pretty common one in a certain type of young dude is the pride that doesn't let him back down when he's getting too deep, he just doubles down again and again. This is why even though Marcus has matured in the X years it's been, he's never going to be able to get away from the mistakes of his youth - as it would mean showing a type of bravery that he never has before; giving up any respect the population of Piltover/Zaun has left for him, his job, and likely his freedom - to redeem himself in his own eyes. His daughter was the final piece of the puzzle. I believe that if he didn't have a daughter, he would have acted out his fantasy and pulled the pin on that grenade. It's the perfect way out for a guy like him. He rids the city of a bad guy (/someone he hates for putting him in this position), gets to redeem himself and most importantly doesn't have to be around to deal with any of the consequences. Unfortunately for everyone in both cities, Marcus loved his daughter in his own broken way, and as a result she is the perfect jailor in the prison that he created for himself. I dislike Marcus, but he's a great example of an effectively portrayed tragic flaw.

[@HumanTypewriter]

He didn't want to do good he wanted glory

[@EnCey2]

​@@HumanTypewriter I'm not sure, I think he was trying to do the right thing. Under Vander, kids blew up an apartment in Piltover and stole a bunch of valuable goods. Silco promised him to keep the Lanes in check for some allowances in return, and for a couple of years that deal worked and Marcus did make things better - in Piltover. What he failed to see was that once he got into bed with Silco, he was trapped. When Silco started to demand more and more questionable stuff, Marcus was stuck - unless he confessed to everything, he had to play along. So I think he might have wanted to do right, but he too naive. He may even have cared for the Lanes somewhat, but took Silco's word for it that he'd look out for the Lanes and do right by the people. I don't think Marcus was only in it to become Chief, he is repeatedly shown to mourn the loss of his predecessor, I genuinely think he did not want that, if he wanted the promotion than he'd have wanted to earn it in his own right. He's a great character in that he shows how being too narrow-minded and focused on some aspects of a problem, you can end up making things much worse in the long run, even though you had good intentions.

[@th3voice]

You're probably right, but there's even more to it. Marcus is a bigot, a coward, and frankly, not very bright... but his greatest vice is HOPE. He's held on for seven years, and PART of that is probably the prestige and power he wields, and the implicit (and then, as of last episode, EXplicit) threat of what might happen should he try to weasel out of it... but a large part of it is the HOPE that eventually, his inherent superiority as a proud citizen of Piltover (I believe an appropriate shorthand to be "Pillock") will let him get the upper hand of the Undercity riff-raff like Silco, and put them in their place and achieve great things on behalf of his beloved, superior nation. Without that hope, he would have tried to get out of his intolerable situation long ago... but he keeps having this hope against hope that ONE DAY, he will be able to live up to Grayson, make a difference, and be a bastion of peace and stability. It's a very interesting juxtaposition - that a traditionally positive quality, one of the cardinal virtues, has brought untold damage to everyone and laid Marcus low... though if we're talking sins and virtues, Marcus does traffic heavily in the deadly sin of Pride, too.

[@kaijingarou6526]

13:23 For the record, the guy who Ekko was talking about in episode 1 of how he "charged him double price and didn't even haggle" was Jayce, so he actually must have been there once at least.

[@Hohum37]

I don't think Jinx was particularly trying to kill Ekko. Her childhood friend had just looked at her with eyes not filled with fear, disgust, or hatred - but with recognition - something that probably hasn't happened for a long time - and she was just DONE. Her expression looks like a wistful goodbye to me. If she was trying to take him with her, she could have clamped the grenade to him.

[@yuwei_]

Since I know yall have seen the rest of the season, a couple things: 1) At the last scene, the explosion, you can actually hear Ekko knocking the grenade away right before the sound of the explosion. 2) The fight scene is glorious. But also a bit confusing for people who don't play the game and even for those who do. The explanation is simply Ekko was making a callback to a childhood game they used to play. He then thinks back to Jinx's actions during their childhood to predict her shots and dodges them.

[@smody121]

As a League player, I actually glossed over point 2, I thought he used Ekko R to rewind time but your explanation actually makes more sense since he doesn't have hextech yet.

[@kenjutsukata1o1]

@@smody121 *spoilers, for anybody who hasn't finished the show and is reading the comments* Yup, I have to assume that he's gonna invent the time travel device with Heimerdinger and we'll see it in season 2.

[@demise0]

If he knocked it away, Jinx wouldn't have suffered her fate. Also that 'clank' is after the visual explosion. It doesn't line up. Ekko was free to leap away, get a tail end of the explosion and be knocked into a lesser injury, whereas Jinx could not escape the brunt and needed experimental extreme shimmer enhanced surgery to survive. That clank is over interpreted.

[@neelchaudhary8993]

@@demise0 Go back and listen again. That 'clank' is a second before the explosion

[@demise0]

@@neelchaudhary8993 Go back and watch again, it's after the flash. And nothing counters the state it left Jinx in, and the disparity between that and Ekko's lesser injury. It couldn't have been hit away, it had to be near Jinx but further from Ekko. Edit: And I just listened to her bombs go off in episode 4, there's the same clank-boom sound. That clank was just part of the bomb itself.

[@FallenOne669]

I never put Ekko's placement in the intro as a clue to his identity. That is brilliant.

[@SolidSnake8295]

These two already had a “this is my boyfriend, Derek, and this is Derek's boyfriend, Ben” vibe about them, but this episode took it to a whole other level. 🤣

[@ch4r_]

the amount of emotion and backstory we get in one single fight is so sad yet so incredible. this show fr is in a tier of it's own at times

[@galaxystudios370]

I think this goes without saying, but Arcane has the best animation I've ever seen in television. This episode is Fortiche's crowning achievement. The show just redefined animation as we know it, and may have surpassed Spider-Verse.

[@JustAMagicDuck]

The moment when Jinx fires on Cait and Vi is very telling of their personalities. Vi tries to throw herself in front of Cait and Cait tries to shove Vi out of the way, both ready to take the shot for the other.

[@Alpi778]

Other way around but still a great detail. I loved that when I seen that for the first time!

[@Erick-tv8oq]

It's also really telling how Jinx fires between them at first, and doesn't point the gun straight at them. Instead, she fires three or four shots directly on the ground before any bullets are pointed towards Vi and Cait. She wants them to be separated, but not necessarily to kill either one, since Vi is her sister and killing Caitlyn would be meaningless if that made Vi reject her - which is why in the final episode she asks Vi to kill Caitlyn instead of just outright doing it herself. It's not a vendetta, it's jealousy and insecurity.

[@quarksarranged]

My dark theory on the Viktor bomb scene at 22:38 is that he knew immediately which wire to cut but hesitated because he was contemplating suicide. He feels that hextech is altering his physiology and psychology; whatever he saw looking into the hex-core shook him. This is what Heimer sensed when he said something had changed in Viktor. Yordles are very attuned to magic which is how he noticed immediately. This is the beginning of a slow unravelling of Viktor I believe. Jinx did the same with the grenade. It was intended for them to both die together. There are a lot of hints that Powder and Ekko liked each other as kids. She resents him somewhat for saving everyone but her hence the "boy saviour" jab. Ekko hit the grenade away with the metal bar he was holding just before it exploded. You can hear a metal cling just before the grenade exploded which ensured they weren't in lethal range.

[@thewingedone1172]

Is that first Kenny bi-panic? I feel you dude

[@zigzagzoom369]

It usually isn't Kenny getting the multiple-successive-simp-counters 😆

[@boppity2412]

There was vander is episodes 1-3

[@HaydrogenBomb]

@@boppity2412 Also, he simped for Bolin a bit back in Legend of Korra

[@carlosylagan9592]

That was the end for Jynx in her eyes. After seeing Vi abandon her once again in her eyes and then seeing the eyes of pity from Echo I think Jynx had finally given up all hope. Her maniacal smile was gone when she released that last bomb.

[@lewolf4047]

Yeah true

[@Hawk199031]

In case you guys didn't know Jinx got her own theme song back in 2013 around the time of her release in the game. It's still slaps and is worth checking out. it's called "Get Jinxed"

[@sachar1268]

You guys NEED to react to the Imagine Dragons - Enemy music video. It gives so much more context and makes the fight between Jinx and Ekko so much more heartfelt.

[@sonofjack6286]

Eh, J.I.D. kinda ruins the whole thing with the rapping, seriously. I cannot listen to that version after having found the original, makes me feel like my ears wanna vomit.

[@JamesHeller-if5kg]

@@sonofjack6286 you must hate rap or something. Everyone else on KZbin said they loved J.I.D.s verse. only thing I hate is how abrupt he ends the verse.

[@ALJ9000]

@@JamesHeller-if5kgI’ve seen countless comments on the rap-less versions saying they prefer the song that way

[@TheRedpiso89]

"and you still block with your face" is the best comeback ever and I love it every time someone reacts to it 🤣

[@IVISMiLESIVI]

The Ekko vs Jinx scene blew me away because at first like most ppl I wasn't sure what was happening. I literally was like "Wait is he hypnotizing her?" Then after it cut away to Jinx as Powder I immediately realized that is was recalling a moment from their childhood. Ekko teases Jinx with his watch for target practice just like he did when they were kids and Jinx can't help herself but to engage. With this scene alone you can gleam that they were great friends and played alot. That's why this scene is so powerful, it sums up their relationship in mere seconds without saying a single word to the audience.

[@TriXJester]

Schnee's video "This is a PERFECT Side Character" breaks down Ekko and how he does break every rule set up by Arcane so far, he is the perfect middle ground between all these factions and ideologies. Every other character is either obsessed with the past or the future, but Ekko is focused on the present. You should absolutely check out that video after the series.

[@ilianysl4850]

Rewatching this episode for the 100th time, it always breaks my heart to think that maybe in the final scene, Jinx was ready to end it all. No way out, she just accepted her fate and thought death was the only way out, showing her already terrible lack of self preservation

[@isaiah1654]

Very well edited, putting timers on discussion breaks really help.

[@LettsReact]

Appreciate it! That way people know how far to skip if they want haha

[@clintbeastwood5116]

Also everyone I see seems to forget that Silco threatened Marcus' daughter. He doesn't think he has a choice anymore.

[@3dCraddock]

After watching this series on repeat for months, only now did I realize that Jayce's childhood drawing of himself bearing a hammer weapon was essentially a bookmark after the page that shows Heimerdinger's flashbacks. Jayce studied magic a lot, he has always known the dangers, and it seems at times fantasized the powers to bear.

[@CrazeeAdam]

LOL love how the bisexual meter is off the charts for this series. Jayce, Vi, Caitlyn, Mel, Vander even. Love it

[@ScarfeeEdits]

to me personally, the grenade scene was less of Jinx trying to get rid of ekko and more just Powder (not Jinx) giving up. She just relived her trauma of 1. Vi turning her back on her AGAIN 2. Confirming that Cait has replaced Powder as Vi’s companion (different contexts, but Jinx doesn’t know or understand that, from her traumatized POV), but also 3. Her childhood best friend directly turning on her once again. (the “again” is assumed because there was talk of a deleted scene where similar thing was shown to have happened before.) So when Ekko pins Jinx down, in the facial expressions we see Powder come back to surface, and Ekko is shown to have seen that too, hence he stopped punching. He couldn’t believe it either because he thought his friend was gone, but now seeing her eyes again he can’t bring himself to finish the job, even after telling Vi hours earlier that Powder was lost and the only thing that was remaining was Jinx. That shows that even he, the person that is trying to focus on the now and help people in present day instead of living in the past, can’t let go of the hope that Powder is still in there somewhere. And for Powder… just imagine how tired she is of this existence where everybody either just hates her no matter what she does, or uses her for their own gain without any regard for her. Everybody wants to be Jinxes enemy, yet nobody would go through with it to finally put her out of her misery. So in my interpretation, Powder, not Jinx, just decided to finally do it herself, since no one else would.

[@mobile_player4516]

kenny simping over jayce and montana fangirling over Vi is so perfect lmao

[@umkm2k]

For Question 1: I think it's the right idea, but for me the reason is her seeing the rage and hatred her childhood friend had for her. Anyone else she knows from childhood is trying to save her. He was beating the hell out of her, then for a moment saw her as Powder, frail and scared. She realized this is how her friend reacts to her now. I think that's what made her not want to live anymore. It's not shown in the series, but they were very close friends as children.

[@SirSpitsAlotable]

This fight is so perfect. We see Jinx and Ekko as kids playing a game vs their adults forms fighting. As kids Jinx wins cause Ekko couldn’t get close enough to her, but now Ekko is grown and he’s able to make the distance without getting hit. It also illustrates how Ekko has grown up where Jinx is still a kid on the inside. She’s unable to mature because of the trauma she went through.

[@SirVampyr]

So, what you probably missed is the music video of "Enemy", where you see a lot of Powder and Ekko playing together and that Ekko had a crush on Powder. So not only has he seen his former childhood friend, but also the person he once loved, which is all the more heartbreaking and why he couldn't hit her when she was down.

[@alexandregehin8665]

This ekko and jinx duel has got to be my favorite scene of the series. The sequence was a throwback to games they used to play when they were younger

[@The_Other_Dan]

You were on the right track with the watch representing time reversal. In the game Ekko has time manipulation abilities. Here he played out the encounter (the part where they were kids playing) to see where Jinx was going to shoot. He was able to dodge all the paintballs that Powder shot at him except the last one which told him what he needed to adjust before he attacked. He then "rewound" time and attacked knowing when to dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge in order to make Jinx miss and win the encounter. It's a really ingenious way to represent his in-game ability.

[@aspieanarchist5439]

Ekko realized at the last second Vi was right and Powder was still alive inside Jinx and whilst he was willing to kill the evil Silco henchwoman Jinx he wasn`t prepared to kill his childhood friend and crush Powder.

[@pandavengers]

Montana's facial reactions to Cait/Vi Moments are everything 😆

[@truslew8089]

Kennys reaction to the Jayce scene 😳

[@Reavyn1]

I know it's been some time, and you might not see this comment. Jinx's face at the end of the fight, just before dropping the grenade, looked as though she was saying "I'm sorry, you win." Out of all the facial expressions in the show, that is easily my favorite. The sorrow on her face said so much.

[@ICantThinkOfANameB]

First time I saw Ekko vs Jinx little montage...man, what a visual treat. A trip back into memory lane where they were kids and playing "dodge the bullet." It's our first time seeing it, but in seconds, you realize Jinx and Ekko remembered playing it after years apart because it was one of their favorite games, probably playing it hundreds of times. Jinx always won. Now Ekko has grown, learned new skills, and improved, while Jinx remains stuck in the past as that scared little girl named Powder.

[@NeededANewName1]

The Dragon Prince is so good, the animation is a bit wack in the first season but it gets better. The story is great tho, the most ATLA show I have seen since ATLA.

[@FStopMello]

Im sure this has been mentioned already but if you weren't aware, in the lore Ekko and jinx grew up together an he was in love/had a crush on jinx when they were kids and he watched her grow into what she is now - them 'fighting' as kids is kind of like having flashbacks to how things used to be, this is why he hesitated on punching her which probably would have knocked her out. they even have a few voice lines when matched with/against each other - "I had a crush… until you started talking to the gun." Im sure someone has already explained his time reversal power too which just adds another layer to how awesome that scene is :D

[@HaydrogenBomb]

"Apparently, a lot of people simp for Caitlin." Of course they do; she's best girl.

[@RedLoves]

I just realized that when Jayce, Viktor and Mel are talking about Jinx's work, they don't assume Jinx's gender. Like they used they/them pronouns, not he/him (because technology is stereotypically a man thing). It just shows that how cool the writers to think of every aspect of the phrase , "a world without prejudice of race, gender and sexuality." I like the small details.

[@1DMapler18]

Montana's vi simp counter 🤝 Kenny's Jayce simp counter 😭😭😭

[@athena8335]

"Apparantly a lot of people are simping for Caitlyn.- Shocking." I know right, I mean, who could ever crush on these blue eyes, pretty face...Dang it everything makes sense now!

[@ChronicSyd]

Kenny’s be reacting to Jayce the same way Montana did during “you’re hot cupcake” 😂😂😂

[@jjjjj07]

WOOHOOO I SOOO LOVE THIS TYPE OF EDITING SO MUCH!! Ur guys reactions are so entertaining I love it. CANNT WAITT FOR THEE NEXT EPISODEE

[@LettsReact]

Thanks so much!! I truly try to do as many funny things as I can editing wise, so glad you enjoy!

[@BATTIS94]

Yes. Cait good, me simps. I love the symbolism of Viktor defusing the bomb before saying "there's always a way" to avoid violence, btw.

[@itstheeyeliner7714]

you can now watch the music video for "everybody wants to be my enemy". it's animated just like the series and tells a bit more about powder and little man

[@aliperro]

Wow! Montana's psychological analysis of Ekko vs Jinx' showdown was so on point. Loved it!

[@Silent_Eric]

'Fun' fact: when Jinx is about to shoot at Cait and Vi, look at Vi instead of devil Caitlyn. Vi gets scratched out and darkened while Cait glows red. Jinx did not see her sister. Her vision was clouded by her mental tunnel vision. Also, please react to Bridging the Rift after Arcane. It's short but does so much for your appreciation of this show.

[@kellyramirez7465]

In calling Ekko through boy saviour, I feel like Jinx was trying to make a dig that Ekko saved so many people, but he had failed to save her. They've obviously had multiple encounters over the years, and Jinx never told Silco who the leader was. Perhaps Ekko had tried to take her back from Silco but had to give up when he realised that he couldn't be the one to reach her, that she eventually chose to be the Jinx she convinced herself she was. In LOL lore, he had a massive childhood crush on her ("until you started talking to the gun"), and says so when their characters are pitted against each other.

[@alexstempe]

Ever since yall started Arcane I have been dying to see your reactions to Ekko vs Jinx. It is far and above my favorite scene in the series and everything is done so perfectly. The animation, the music, the character development, the action, the emotion all in such a short period of time. Truly one of my favorite animated scenes EVER!

[@matthewlayo9561]

Just in case no one else mentioned it. Jayce HAS been in the under city before. He bought stuff at benzos store and ekko followed him to his place topside.

[@dragonrider0079]

OK VERY COOL MOMENT!!! 29:40 that little small tune that is playing is actually Ekko's theme song in the video game, so yea that's it have fun with that XD

[@gabbyestrera6452]

THE OWL HOUSE IS INCREDIBLEEEE HIGHLY RECCOMMEND THE FINAL EPISODES COME OUT THIS OCT 15TH BETTER BE READYYY!!!!

[@CommanderM117]

you can actually see Little Man mask back in Benzo shop when he find out about the deal their like 3 of them along the wall.

[@KenjiTheSnek]

Everyone in the community going “FEEL OUR PAIN” when you groan at the cliffhanger

[@kenjutsukata1o1]

A little heartbreaking detail that I like is when Jinx sees Vi helping Caitlyn stand up she kind of scoffs in a "seriously?" way. It's not a huge reaction, not an immediate rage or emotional breakdown. She just seems really hurt, yet not surprised. The way you would if a sibling promised to stop stealing your after-school snacks, only to come home and find them eating the cupcake you'd been looking forward to. A 'I really thought you wouldn't, yet in hindsight I should have expected this' sort of disappointment. Something about it really sticks out to me for some reason.

[@LettsReact]

WHICH SHOW SHOULD WE WATCH NEXT! Vote by commenting below! -Owl House -Dragon Prince -Young Justice

[@kal.august.yippee]

Dragon Prince!

[@kyramika1777]

I would say Owl House !

[@dominiquemccormick2193]

Owl House!

[@rinche1789]

Owl House!!

[@mikasa0074]

Dragon Prince for sure!!! Its my life!! Its my favorite serie on netflix

[@unrelatedcoma]

whats with these "Jayce hasnt seen the undercity" counters? the very first episode they robbed Jayces house because he went to Benzos store and bought things then Ekko followed him to find his home, proving the topside and Marcus right about the criminal element thats rampant in the undercity.

[@nicoaperson5506]

that last fight scene is literally one of the best scenes in the show. I forgot the episode ended like that lol.

[@Torr3697]

Y’all are getting close to some really amazing scenes, and I honestly can’t wait! That scene with Ekko and Jinx remembering back to playing as kids the same way was so touching, cause it really shows that these were friends, and that even when facing off for the death they can’t help but think back to that childhood friendship. Plus apparently Ekko had a crush on Powder, which is adorable and heartbreaking. Once you finish Arcane you should watch Cyberpunk Edgerunners! Only 10 episodes but I think you’ll love it!

[@LettsReact]

Anyone else BLOWN AWAY by this episode??

[@Schwarzunstler]

YEsSs

[@HaydrogenBomb]

You have NO idea

[@brumendes]

this episode is amazing

[@karlwilker579]

You could say that for any episode this season.

[@zagnose]

Definitely me, I love seeing reactors watch the buildup to that epic fight scene for the first time.

[@Metal-Spark]

Montana is absolutely right about the suicidal ideation point - suicide isn't necessarily a thought of "I want to die" as much as it's a thought of "I just don't want to live". I don't think anyone really wants to die, but living can be so painful that you just need it to stop. When Jinx pulled the pin on the grenade, I think she was at a low point where living was just too painful and not worth fighting for anymore.

[@sarahmoller7308]

Totally unrelated to the video reaction but can I just say how heartwarming and cute you two are? That little gesture - holding each others hands during the reaction... ah my heart 😭😭💜

[@mithrandirpilgrim1419]

The Bridge fight scene between Jinx and Ekko was really superb. The unexpected change of animation is something else. A little info about them. Powder and Ekko were pretty much the same age in their circle of friends so they were probably best friends. If you check the "Everybody Wants to Be My Enemy" music video you will see extra footage of them hanging out as kids. Also, in Ekko's in-game voice lines he references Powder as his "crush until she started talking to the gun." Knowing that, makes it even more heartbreaking. 😢😢

[@Lucretiel]

So there's a really interesting subtle nuance that's going on here. One of the many dualities in this show is that of Hextech vs Shimmer; they're both major technological innovations that promise a lot of power for people who control them. And, as I'm sure you can imagine, the theme here of unintended consequences and loss of control (hextech intended as a tool to help, but once it's in the wild it's being adapted into a weapon) is one that'll continue for the rest of the show. But there's a more subtle layer I love: the same is true of shimmer, which had the opposite transition. It was designed and intended as a weapon for the undercity, but once it was in the wild, it was used for everything, *including* explicitly as a reagent in the healing potion that Vi drank in episode 6.

[@trueblaze84]

When Jinx fires her mini gun I don't see it as her firing her gun at Vi and Catlin but rather her firing the gun BETWEEN Vi and Catlin trying to force the two to separate from each other. She was so angry and desperate for her sister to come back and fearful that she has chosen Catlin over her that she just reacted without thinking (kind of like how she'll do the same thing later in the final episode).

[@M0rmagil]

Ekko had to grow up fast after the events of Ep 3. Singed is such an interesting and pivotal character. That line, “You aren’t here about the plants. I know the look of a doomed man.” Is such low key genius.

[@lulujijijojo]

I’ve noticed that you can hear a metal-like “ding” sound right before Jinx’s grenade went off! He maybe knocked it away

[@PresidentScrooge]

The scene between Ekko and Jinx is rather simple. The first "fight" is a flashback to how they fought as children and Ekko lost. The second fight is the actual fight that plays out almost identical with a difference that in the end Ekko wins by doing something else than before while Jinx does the same. This is meant to display that Ekko GREW as a person while Jinx is still a child who hasn't moved on.

[@govind.m86]

I believe one of the writers mentioned Jinx just doesn't have a "healthy fear of death" so it's more that than being suicidal.

[@Dannydarko27]

Ekkos trauma is one least talked about, but that boy is channeling it the best he can. He probably feels guilty for giving the tip that created this whole mess in the first place. Nows hes actively fighting against the world to better it💙

[@everforward5561]

Made even more tragic by the fact that Powder was Ekko's first love.

[@matakuju]

i really hope you guys look into what vi, cait, jinx, vik, ekko, etc look like in the game league of legends on your own free time. they are all champions with unique fighting abilities. ekko's ultimate ability allows him to rewind his body back to the state it was in 8 seconds ago, allowing him to avoid danger. in this amazing fight scene in episode 7, ekko hasn't learned this ability yet, but the way the animators tease the league fans by showing them play as kids first, then "rewinding" and having adult ekko execute his moves with prior knowledge was so GENIUS.

[@eatandrun8020]

17:21 Peek how the sound effect is slightly delayed in this scene. Light travels faster than sound so this would be exactly what it seems and sounds like from the camera, or Mel's perspective.

[@christopherholley8164]

Ekko and Powder used to play a game together as kids facing off in simulated combat to improve their skills, they played together since they were the youngest.

[@lukewarm1242]

I have been waiting for young justice for so long 😭, atm it doesnt seem like its gonna be the next show, probably not even the next few, but i cant wait for you to finally watch it.

[@derekmarshman6154]

Great reaction as always!! I personally believe that if Jinx wanted Ekko to die, she would have clipped the grenade to him as we have seen her do to others so many times. She doesn't try to be sneaky. She puts it right out there. Whether Ekko can get away is yet to be seen, but she gave him a chance.

[@Veryslightlymad]

My take was Jynx/Powder wanted to specifically die, in that moment, with Ekko. She did love him, and she thought the right moment to die was one where, just for a moment, she wasn't alone.

[@Marta-uv4id]

I feel like a lot of people attack Vi this episode because they believe her and Jinx got separated because Vi chose Caitlyn over Jinx, but I'd argue it was unfortunate circumstances and Jinx's paranoia. Vi walked away and left Caitlyn and Ekko fully intending to search for her sister to get her back, but Jinx saw her saying goodbye to Caitlyn and set off her traps because she believed Vi cared about Caitlyn more tgan her, and then got upset Vi came back to check on Ekko and Caitlyn after it. She then proceeded to shoot at Caitlyn *and Vi* and even though we all know she only did it to separate them because if she wanted them dead, they would be, I feel like blaming Vi for trying to help Caitlyn after she got hurt by an explosion Jinx caused and then getting herself and Caitlyn to safety after Jinx shot at them is very hypocritical. This entire situation is just so delicate and blaming eitheir of the sisters for all of it is not the way to go.

[@stephaniehaak8634]

The start of the fight scene when Ekko chuckles a bit, and then pulls the pocket watch, then jinx gets ready like it was practiced, followed by a flashback? I think the way they did it implies that they both remembered facing off like a game they always played as kids. The music video for "enemy" implies they were best friends as kids. It was a memory, then Ekko wins when they cut forward and jinx seems caught off guard. Then Ekko seems caught off guard cause he sees powder in her face, and she pulls the pin. Yes, it was a way for her to win but you also see peace cross her face when she pulls it. Like along with the suicidal ideation she's thinking "I'm ok with dying while he (my estranged best friend) still sees me as Powder.". Super fucking sad

[@kal.august.yippee]

Viktor and Jayce on two different sides of the Chad spectrum

[@SCharlesDennicon]

34:00 "Many have interpreted this as a suicide attempt" => "Many"? I mean... not everyone? It's pretty obvious. What Ekko sees at that moment is Powder tired of living this life and attempting at ending things.

[@Mi_Z]

Yeah, I assumed almost everyone viewed that as a suicide attempt. Although these reactors strangely think its primarily to kill Ekko and to 'win' the fight. And out of general malaise she doesn't feel like moving out of the way. I found their interpretation pretty weird, to be honest.

[@SCharlesDennicon]

@@Mi_Z It's not weird, it's just dumb. ^^; It's not understanding the character. I know, Jinx is nuts, hence the fact that she fires on her sister in a fit of rage, but she also is former Powder, which is what Ekko sees in her eyes at that moment. Then she kills her(former self) at the end of the season.

[@abrack_]

No one has ever remembered a character less than Montana remembered Ekko/Little Man 😂

[@Thundernoob98]

Btw in case no one told you the Jinx vs Ekko fight hints his abilities from the game. His ultimate lets him reverse time so he can dive in and attack and take a bunch of damage and then Rewind time to when he was healthy

[@anhuro8558]

My interpretation of Ekko vs. Jinx: I think Jinx wanted to die here. 1) Suicide is a repetitive theme throughout the show (Jayce, Jinx, Viktor), 2) Jinx felt like she had lost everyone close to her, for real this time, and she wasn't happy with what she had become. Fighting Ekko was probably her last straw (Ekko was presumably Powder's closest friend and perhaps even a crush as Ekko had a crush on her). Moreover, I think her intention was to end her own life, while expecting Ekko to survive somehow (I feel like she actually wanted Ekko to live). She knew Ekko wouldn't do it, and she felt sorry. There are multiple ways to interpret this scene, which is part of what makes Arcane so good.

[@misterk3722]

rewatching this just makes me appreciate ekko soo much for the perspective he brings

[@hinnyu7748]

Ekko and Jinx used to be best friends.. even Ekko used to have a crush on her (source: Ekko game voice lines). If you watch Enemy by Imagine Dragons music video you can see them hanging out a lot as kids. Not far fetched as the two both likes sciency and gadgetry thingies.