Jinx, Caitlyn and Vi Confrontation Analysis | Arcane Season 2 Essay

[@RedEveTillDawn]

To be fair, when Caitlyn said “I won’t” to changing she was technically not lying. She had already changed after the memorial attack ;~;

[@StopMeOh]

@@RedEveTillDawn xD true

[@captainziggy82]

Yup, she had already changed

[@Azenithf]

I mean Vi asked to her to promise. Cait never said she promises 😂

[@BattleAngelFan99]

@@Azenithf Joking, but I just imagined her thinking "Damnit she's onto me, I'd better get this kiss while I can."

[@Azenithf]

@@BattleAngelFan99 One way to shut her up i suppose lol

[@dagdamor1]

I wasn't expecting Jinx to go "I'm out of guns, but I'm not out of options" and break out the Muay Thai in a head-to-head with her sister. She really was ready to go down swinging.

[@Azenithf]

It was so funny, it was such a siblings fight lmao. The fact that jinx set that area up to be her tomb where she lays to rest, is very jinx and very dark lol

[@aranthur]

I tend to think Cait and Vi both lied in this episode, but not to each other, to themselves. Cait about not changing, Vi about really being ready for Jinx to die. They both believed it but both were wrong in the end As for the kiss, I don't see it as a manipulation at all. This was their last safe, quiet moment before a battle in which ether of them could die, and Vi was distraught. Caitlyn just wanted one last bit of comfort and vulnerability for both of them before it was too late

[@Azenithf]

The kiss felt very flat. Felt like a goodbye instead of i love you. i hated it lol

[@venusries]

@@Azenithf the creators said the kiss represents how cait and vi feel it could be their last moment together btw

[@Azenithf]

@@venusries I can absolutely see that, they did a good job damn them 🙂

[@mathies3598]

Thats cuz it couldve been a goodbye. Lol​@@Azenithf

[@Dani2000T]

Jinx´s face when Isha hugged her melted my heart...she was SO CONCERN for her watching Vi with a sad and defeated expression...I can hear her thoughts "Please don´t"...

[@RedEveTillDawn]

I like your notes on Vi in this. Too many people are being really harsh on her and while I don’t think she’s completely innocent because yes, she could’ve moved Isha, aside from not doing that she did nothing wrong. Cait should not be comfortable killing Jinx with Isha present. She’s let her anger overpower her empathy. Even if she’s a perfect shot no matter the headspace she’s still behaving irrationally. Too focused on revenge

[@ninjatoriumnova2483]

Yeah, I've seen people question Vi not moving Isha away, but, even if she did, killing a person the kid's obviously attached to right next to her is still incredibly messed up.

[@StopMeOh]

Oh that is a very good point!!

[@PricefieldPunk]

I hope we get a scene where Caitlyn actually reflects on that fight in Act 2 cause Vi fully let her take the killshot when they didn't know Jinx was using a mirror shield. I expect Ambessa will try to influence Caitlyn to make her believe Vi and Jinx are both enemies.

[@bidulus1]

The Arcane essays are back babyyyyy 🥳🥳

[@Anna-c9v1o]

great analysis! I completely agree with it 💛 that's an important point when Isha steps in, Vi realizes what she is about to do. this little girl risks her life to protect my sister, who I wanted to kill... someone cares about Jinx/depends on her. like you said, she does not only want to protect the child like she said (because she could have moved her away), she also doesn't want Jinx get killed anymore

[@youngdolph8867]

Every character goes into the fight with the mindset that they could die. Usually at least one character is arrogant but not for this fight. Sevika knows what it means to fight VI. And all of Piltover knows that Jinx isn't easy to walk away from.

[@DianaDonineaux]

At first I thought the ventilation system was done by a Kirraman ancestor but in several reaction videos people said it was Cassandra and it was ironic that Caitlyn used it that way . Caitlyn seems to be the kind of person who wants change right now when maybe her mother was more cautious about it , maybe too when we know what happens to the council is a result of their inaction .

[@mathies3598]

It mightve been a kiramman ancestors. The reactors arent necessarily more right than you

[@aranthur]

One of the most interesting things in this episode, to me, is the series of parallels they show us between Caitlyn and Isha. Cait biting Sevika like Isha bit that gangster that grabbed her last episode. Isha using a gun to protect Jinx from a fatal punch, just like Caitlyn did for Vi at the end of s1e5. Isha wrapping herself around Jinx the way that Cait wrapped herself around Vi to protect her from Jinx's bullets back in s1e7, etc etc They are the sisters' new emotional anchors, and if Jinx really did die here, they would just be putting another person through what happened to Caitlyn herself this season. The cycle of violence would never stop

[@beastmonger4821]

i see in Vi's actions still lot of protective behavior toward Caitlyn... i mean... we can clearly see that in moment Vi is holding Jinx pinned down Cait just lowers the barrel down... so YES.. for Caitlyn is Jinx rotting in Stillwater viable option... and when Isha enter the scene... well... Vi is protecting partially kid... BUT MAINY she's protecting Caitlyn... because she already experienced similar situation with Jayce and Remy's son... Vi is really scared that Caitlyn will change and imho. killing innocent child must change anyone forever... that's my take.. i belive that kiss was pure and sincere from Caitlyn in same way that Vi was honest about termination of Jinx... it just went very very wrong... because Cait now feels betrayed by Vi despite the fact that Vi was just trying to protect her…

[@Dani2000T]

In my eyes Isha DID pulled the trigger, that´s why Caitlyn shoot her Also I think Caitlyn saying "I wasn´t going to miss" mirror the first scene of Episode 1 when she tells Vi her mom was right about her "being arrogant and taking more than she can handle" because I strongly believe she was not thinking in hurting the child...they her foreshadowing On the other hand I think Caitlyn physicaly hurt Vi because she told Jayce back in episode 1 that "Vi thinks she can fix everything with her fists" and she knows that´s the only lenguage Vi knows...obviosly is not correct, but the wirtters needed to make it that way, because with words it woudn´t have been that strong for Vi, I mean just look her "separations" with Jinx...Also that´s their love lenguage, they needed to "break" it

[@StopMeOh]

@@Dani2000T I agree Isha was just about to pull the trigger!

[@Fionalah]

I've missed your analysis so much, Ola! Just watched Act II on your Patreon and my mind is still blown!

[@michaelcarlson1208]

I love the conversations going on in this comment section and perspectives. I personally don't think anyone can claim their thoughts are more right or wrong than someone else's. Just goes to show, everyone percieve things differently and they took the show, don't tell route. I like some thoughts that Caitlyn and Vi's Kiss was genuine as they go into their final fight and both wanting comfort and being vulnerable. Or they both are lying to themselves about not changing; Vi acceptancing her sister is gone and Caitlyn on not changing. I also do think Vi was about to kill her sister as it at least seemed like she was about to bring her fist down after pausing, & accepting this is the last moment she'll see her sister alive and she'll be the one to have killed her. I also do think Caitlyn was going for the kill shot, just by luck it seems like Vi knocked her back and bullet hit Jinx's finger. Also I assume most people locked into the story realize that Vi doesn't know Ekko is alive, which is even sadder since Vi believes she's officially all alone. One other moment I haven't seen mentioned, when Caitlyn grabs Vi before they enter the arena, I thought she was either going to say "I love you" not knowing how it's about to end or "i'm sorry/look vibe" since she just got the okay to kill Jinx from Vi Again everybody perceives things differently and that's fine!

[@Azenithf]

A very poignant analysis! And I very much agree with most of your points on here. I'd have to say this is also one of the best deduction of the situation I've listened to so far. I would only personally emphasise on the dynamics of the oppressor and the oppressed playing a much bigger role in this story. The parallels of the grand memorial and then jinx sending silco into a murky watery grave, amongst many others. I think the dynamics here matter a lot. The luxury that cait was born with the actual power to make better changes and yet chose to be self-seeking anyway can be argued this demonstrates her privilege and the deep seated prejudices that she's always had. Even her dad demonstrated this with his small interaction with Vi, even tho Vi has only always been there for cait he still detested her still being around. It could also be argued that perhaps S1 cait was no more than a naive idealistic rich kid with a saviour complex, and didn't actually have true empathy for what her family had contributed to zaun. Actions speak louder than words and so far cait has not stuck by any of her words in season 1. Cait suffering only a fraction of grief zaunites experience on a daily basis and for her to so easily turn into something that would either be unthinkable for most ppl or that it would be the very last resort is very telling of perhaps her true character? And how imperialism is rotten to the core. At least currently. I also believe cassandra may have been threatened by silco to deliver fresh air, as we do hear him mentioning his contribution in S1 during the leaders meeting. And even if that isn't the case, this can still be viewed as someone breaking your legs and then giving you a wheelchair from an oppressed pov. Piltover really has a lot to answer for. I would personally like to see cait be redeemed as I despise tragic endings lol but if cait rats out the firelights which I feel like this is the direction it is heading, I do not know if it will be possible. I do not see jinx as a dark character, just a tragic one. She is the result of the horrible environment she was forced to survive in. Chaotic, purposeless, alone. I will always side with the oppressed and I will never question how dirty they fight for the quest to their liberation. But that's just me. I can't wait to see jinx finally finding her true calling, her purpose. All she wanted to do was fix things. She can finally do that. I also hope Vi will finally grow a backbone lol and restore the fire and fight she had in her youth. They will both finally find their purpose in the next acts. I cannot wait!!!! And to think I started off disliking jinx so much in S1 LOL The writers of arcane are truly, truly brilliant and I love this show sm. I cannot state it enough. My life's wish is that I will still be watching new seasons into my 90's 🤣thank you for feeding into my addiction stop me oh channel lol

[@SarahsVeganSpace]

Thank you. There were too many who discussed if Caitlyn could have made the shot. It's not about the technical skills but the morals why Vi intervened.

[@Manifibell]

Act 2 is so close! Arrrgh! Great video and good takes :D

[@benschultz1784]

Ok. Now I want an AI cover of Katie Lueng singing a particular Disney song... The opening credits have a lot of foreshadowing. Caitlyn and Vi coming together and being thrown apart signals their break-up. The shadow of Caitlyn holding her head in her hands resembling a crown foreshadows her mad tyrant arc (and a cheeky reference to Macbeth at that).

[@mkraulis]

I hink that prior to Isha hugging Jinx, Vi had convinced herself that letting Caitlyn kill Jinx was the only way to put right the death of Cassandra. Vi could convince herself to live with that. Caitlyn, on the other hand, realized that she couldn't ask that of Vi. So, she shot Jinx's finger off, and shot Vi's glove. She later blamed Vi for blocking the shot, because she knew she couldn't hurt Vi that way; but, Caitlyn really didn't want her own 'weakness' shown. I have mixed feelings about where Jinx's motivations are coming from. I would imagine, at some point she would have wanted to make Vi feel the pain she had felt (feeling abandoned).

[@sophiefredrickson9370]

I feel like Vi wouldn’t be able to live with herself if Jinx actually died.

[@BirSorunumuzVar]

Both of them knew what was going on with their own feelings. That's why we have seen those conversations between them. But let's not forget that this situation is new for them. Both of them are facing another side of their personality. Even though it is heart breaking to watch, it was unevadable. i think they both don't know what to do with these feelings. They wanted to stay the same but it was impossible. It will be painful to watch Caitlyn in the second arc. 🥲 Thank you for the video, i was waiting for this analysis. 🤭

[@texn7526]

Awesome essay as always Ola🥰Thanks so much and happy Friday!🥳Time to relax and pop open a can of giggle juice👀😉

[@lucianocruz3383]

Very cool video love your acent and arcane videos

[@michaelcarlson1208]

4th! I think one sad thing I perceived is that Caitlyn has already changed, one of Vi’s themes also is not accepting change or not realizing it’s already happened. I think Caitlyn has already changed mentally and in sad way, only kissed Vi to give her false reassurance. Also, if you look at episode one of season 2, after Mel is able to convince the counsel of not using hextech, Ambessa nods at her main guard, that’s when he goes to manipulate thee situation. And the other one I liked is when Mel talks to the Vastaya women (Vastaya are half fox, half human race in runeterra), the play they are showing is re-actment of crowing of "Jarvan 4 on Demacia kingdom. Jarv IV is the king of demacia." And last one off the top of my head, just like episode 3 of first season, this time Vi is left on her own and lost everybody. This show is very good at show, don't tell. So many times I wish more dialogue was written or I wrote in my own, but they left it up to audience to interpret the situation on their own perceptions P.s. alsp quite dark but I noticed many of of your subs noticed in 2x3 reaction, but I fully believe and agree Jinx was ready and wanting to die again and was going to have herself and whomever else that might've died, flown up through the fans...and we can piece what happens when that happens. Quite morbid and sad

[@ralunix4612]

Oooo So excited to see her take. And I personally believe the KISS was very out of place. They where both in a bad state of mind so it ended up in a trauma bond. Ima finish the vid add more but YESSSSSSS new video

[@BattleAngelFan99]

I've seen so many people debating over whether Caitlyn would have missed and whether Vi should have trusted her to make the shot, and I have to keep reminding them, that's not really why Vi stopped Caitlyn. Vi wasn't being honest with herself about giving up all hope on Jinx. But when Vi saw this child protecting Jinx as if Jinx were her mother, that means so much to Vi, as it should mean something to everyone.

[@ArcaneMelodies82]

Son of a B, Each character is being depicted as Characters from Major Shakespeare or other influential Plays, All who meet tragic ends. When you see it you can't unsee it. Jinx is being depicted as If Jinx is being depicted as a character from Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables, she most closely represents Éponine. Both characters are products of their environments-Jinx from the underbelly of Zaun and Éponine from the streets of Paris-struggling against societal expectations and injustices. Their lives are marked by rebellion against the circumstances they were born into, highlighting themes of class struggle present in both narratives. n a pivotal moment during the uprising, Éponine saves Marius’s life. When she sees that he is in danger from enemy fire, she throws herself in front of him to protect him. This act of bravery results in her being mortally wounded. Final Moments: As she lies dying in Marius’s arms, Éponine reveals her true feelings for him one last time. She expresses happiness that he loves Cosette and finds peace knowing he will be happy with someone else. Her death scene is filled with emotional weight as she passes away contentedly after having fulfilled her love for Marius through her sacrifice. #TimeBomb ? Jinx saves Ekko. Ok now I am gutted.💔 Caitlyn's journey reflects the tragic arc of Macbeth, marked by ambition, moral conflict, and ultimately, a descent into darkness. In the opening credits of Season 2, Caitlyn is depicted with imagery that resonates with Macbeth's themes, suggesting her rise to power and the heavy burdens that accompany it. This connection is further emphasized by her increasingly ruthless behavior as she pursues Jinx, viewing her as an obstacle rather than a sister figure14. Episode 3 Insights By the end of Episode 3, Caitlyn's transformation becomes even more pronounced. Her actions are driven by a desire for vengeance against Jinx, mirroring Macbeth's ambition that leads to betrayal and violence. As she grapples with her grief over her mother's death and her responsibilities as a leader, Caitlyn's character embodies the tragic consequences of unchecked ambition25. In a pivotal scene, Caitlyn's confrontation with Vi showcases her internal struggle; she feels compelled to push Vi away to achieve her goals, hinting at a deep-seated regret reminiscent of Macbeth's tragic choices28. The episode culminates in Caitlyn being appointed as a general by Ambessa Medarda, further entrenching her in a role that reflects power but also manipulation, akin to how Macbeth was used by Lady Macbeth to fulfill their ambitions

[@Unelith]

I still can't get over that she shot her and showed so little remorse for it. It's remarkably fucked up to me. What kind of person does that to their girlfriend? Sure, I've hurt my loved ones too in the past, but I've never fired a gun at my girlfriend, even during my most rageful meltdowns. I'm also very harsh on Cait this season, because while Vi and Jinx each have also had big moments of moral failure, they handled those situations much better relative to how well equipped they were to handle it. I feel like Cait's actions were disproportional to the reasons she has. Vi has pretty much only had one defining moment of moral failure that the universe has been disproportionately punishing her for ever since. It was her hitting Powder, and it kinda mirrored Cait hitting Vi. Vi, at the time, was still just a teenager, and a hotheaded one at that, and she had seen her family die, from up close, with her own eyes. Vander died in her arms, and they had had a very strong bond. She too let emotions control her and hit Powder and verbally abused her. However, she pretty much regretted it immediately and had the look of "fuck, what have I done". She showed self-awareness by recognizing that her emotions were taking over, and thus stepped to the side to calm down. I'm pretty sure she would have apologized to her just minutes after that, if it wasn't for Marcus. IMO Vi showed more maturity there, as a teenager, than Caitlyn did here as an adult. Cait was much more cruel and just straight up abandoned Vi, on purpose, and then showed zero concern for what happens to her afterwards. And Vi hadn't even really done anything wrong here to even remotely warrant that sort of reaction. Jinx, in turn, has had a very well established streak of psychosis and extreme emotional unstability. She had shown signs of it even as Powder, namely when Vi told her to stay back. It seems like they didn't exactly base her on any specific condition, but IMO she has borderline personality disorder (among other things). All the visuals representing how her perception changed was great artistic depiction of what that disorder feels like. Moreover, she was a child when her parents were murdered, and was still a child when she killed her entire second family by accident. And then she was subsequently parented by Silco, of all people. That's an insanely fucked up childhood. She was put in a position where she was pretty much doomed to fail. It might not justify her various violent actions, but it does make them much more understandable, and it's very difficult to judge her for not having sorted herself out with everything that has happened. In comparison, Caitlyn had never shown any signs of mental disorders in the past. She was always a well-adjusted, altruistic, kind-hearted individual and had a safe childhood. She did lose her mother, which happened when she was an adult, but it's not like they had had the same kind of bond that, say, Vi and Vander had. That makes the way she acted here jarring. Out of all main characters in the show, she's the last one I'd ever expect to go *this* far just because of grief and a desire for vengeance. Then there's the whole class aspect to this too. Most people in that council room kinda deserved to get exploded by Jinx. They weren't some random, innocent people, they were the literal government. They oppressed Zaunites and swept the issues under the rug, and in S1E9 Jinx was like an embodiment of all those issues come to life to deliver the consequences. She's a product of that corrupt system. They could have lived to be a happy family with none of the trauma, if only they didn't live in the Undercity. By that point, she kinda had the right to fire that rocket at the people that were truly at fault. The council dug their own collective grave, Jinx just pushed them into it. They did change their mind in the end, but it was too late. Cassandra was part of that government too. I get that Caitlyn is grieving, but for someone that used to be an ally of Zaun and very understanding of social issues, she seems to have suddenly become completely ignorant of all those dynamics. Tbh I feel like they kinda messed up Cait's writing. It's been lacking finesse and nuance in S2. I'm not entirely sure what the story is meant to be at this point.

[@tutunepan492]

😄If Caitlyn is not a scorpio ♏....she's a virgo ♍ Anyway, all I heard up to here is "If the opportunity araise, take it" ...therefore Vi gave Caitlyn her blessing to take Jinx out who is a full blown terrorist at this point. ... That kiss wasn't manipulative ...(for me) it was a farewell ahead of time, after evaluating the possibility of Vi act opposite to what she asked "take the shot" .... a mistake that Caitlyn vowed to correct, a mistake that cost her mother. The kiss translated as "I have tried Vi, ...I took you out of jail when I realized you didn't have any charge. I traded my weapon for your healing, I introduced you to the counsels, ...I pulled you in when you pushed me out. Since your mission is to save Powder and I will get Jinx in anyway....we need to go your separate way" 🥀 #TeamCaitlyn 💞 Happy Veterans day 😊

[@montybrewster7]

I don;t see any chance that vi & caitlyn will end up together after act 1. My gut tells me jinx will have a redemption arc through isha but that caitlyn & vi will remain divided by vi's love for her sister & caitlyn's overwhelming hatred of jinx.

[@blindsaint07]

I do not agree with a lot of points here. Isha was absolutely about to shoot Vi, Cait saved Vi's life at that moment. Also, Isha holding gun to Vi's face made her a willing participant in the combat, and if she got shot, she would have it coming. If Caitlyn was really out there to only kill Jinx, she would just headshot Jinx at that moment, but instead disarmed the threat and let Vi handle situation, as she trusted her. Cait wasn't outright here to kill her, she was willing to capture Jinx if Vi decided to. When Vi decided to save Jinx it was very clear that Vi betrayed her, she picked Jinx over her promise, and chose to stand between Cait and Jinx, to let her escape, taking Cait's choice from her hands AGAIN. I don't begrudge Vi for changing her mind, but explaining its about 'about shooting a child' is a big cope on Vi's side too. She had all the time in the world to remove her. It wasn't about child, it was about Vi seeing her sister again and believing she needs to be saved. Vi absolutely became an obstacle in Cait's mind, as she took the decision to shoot from her once again and preventing her from doing her duty and revenge. And Vi will be feeling guilty because she just created another monster.

[@StopMeOh]

@@blindsaint07 I am not arguing about the part when Isha was about to shoot Vi, absolutely Caitlyn was aiming to save her, she was also willing to let Vi take care of Jinx, however I do think she was also after Jinx and most of other stuff had secondary meaning at the moment.

[@CzarsSalad]

Vi was not ready. Otherwise she should've pulled that girl off Jinx and let Cait take her shot. Or it's just an artistic choice

[@annamariabalov8987]

Second!

[@DianaDonineaux]

first!!!