why JINX wants to die | a response to schnee

[@mylittlethoughttree]

Schnee video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3OvXmBmqbClh7Msi=qmQxU-I5TV3jsdkM The thing I wanted to add in the pinned comments comes from a good question I was asked on my last video about whether or not I saw Jinx's wasteland scene as a romanticisation of su1cide. That's how they saw the scene, it didn't right with them, they wondered what I thought. Naturally, the idea of romanticising that is a very unsettling one. I think it's a very valid interpretation because it does feel like that in a lot of ways but I also think I empathise. I can remember wanting to end it all and thinking about it in exactly the same glorified sort of ways. Feeling just like Jinx does: numb but also wanting to carve some sort of meaning out of it. In that sense, I find it an incredibly moving scene but also one where we're meant to see flaws in her thinking. We are supposed to align with the perspective of Ekko, who interrupts the song and tells her it's never too late to building something. The fact Jinx's story still ends the same way after it all...that does harm the message somewhat in my opinion. In the original video, there was going to be a big section discussing all of that in depth, but Schnee got me thinking other thoughts: hence this slightly rushed jumble of different thoughts you have for a video now. Really curious to know whether people think I've got it right with this one or not. Patreon link: www.patreon.com/mylittlethoughttree Buymeacoffee link: www.buymeacoffee.com/mltt Second channel: www.youtube.com/@ThoughtlessTre

[@crimsonlilyfairy]

this is gonna sound like a slight tangent, but bear with: i saw another video discussing how arcane discusses ableism-particularly surrounding viktor's characterization and arc, specifically in season 1. the one main criticism i saw on that video was that the idea of viktor "fixing himself," i.e. turning into mecha-jeezus, was a negative character arc, and not a positive one; it just happened to be that to his perspective, that negative character arc seemed positive. in relation to jinx, thinking of her entire life story, and character arc as we've seen it, her arc is largely negative; unlike viktor, jinx sees her charcter arc and sense of self as negative the whole time, even back when she was powder (the screw-up, too little, too weak, not a fighter, wanting to help, being a jinx, etc). we even continue to see hints of this in the alt. timeline; it's likely a large reason why she doesn't want to/feel ready to move forward with her life in zaun (also helped by the fact that alt zaun is pretty decent, and powder has two dads who both love and encourage her in that timeline). actually, it's an interesting choice that throughout the majority of season 2, jinx desperately wanted "silco" to talk to her, give her advice--despite every other voice in her head being largely negative/self-harming. but when "silco" finally DOES talke to her, he's exactly the encouraging, loving figure she was looking for him to be the whole time. curious what your thoughts are on that as a therapist. anywho, i don't know if i would call what arcane does as "glorifying" suicide, in the same way i don't think they're making a statement about how disabilities should be "fixed." yes, jinx's sacrifice at the end muddies the waters; but i took that as her mercy-killing vander, since at that point, there truly was no way for him to come back, more than sacrificing herself. and while i think the show could've been a bit more explicit in whether jinx survived or not, given it's her art-scratches we see on the "The End" card, it's a pretty safe bet that she did escape to go live elsewhere/start over.

[@aetherwolf9288]

The thing is Jinx didn’t die in that scene. Quick run down why (because I had to write it down too many times): 1. Quick pink flash before Warrick falls and the scene cuts. 2. Cait looking up the hexgates schematics seeing air vents then smiling. 3. The air blimp is the same as the one Powder wanted to ride one day. 4. Jinx scribbles are at the end of the last scene. 5. Jinxes story isn’t done (according to LoL lore and also narratively). If you mentioned this in the video Im sry as I hadn’t time to watch it yet. If you want me to elaborate any point please ask. Have a nice day Your videos are great AEther

[@kevinmccalister4602]

Jynx lives

[@dertgok9813]

What if Jinx survived in the end purely by chance? Does it change her overall mindset?

[@aetherwolf9288]

@@dertgok9813 she hugs Warrick before dashing away. That isn’t surviving by chance. She saw her way out and took it.

[@raverdeath100]

totally agree on your view of the ending. i think the main lack in that episode was the lack of the interaction between Ekko and Jinx. following her attempt to end it the next scene is her dropping smoke bombs on Ambessa - i think the end would've been more fulfilling if we had had a glimpse of what changed a suicidal person into someone who was willing to build improved weapons and turn her lair into an airship!

[@kevinmccalister4602]

I agree. I just kind of figured Jynx's lair was always meant to be an airship someday. She just needed Ekko's help to figure out the finer details of the anti-gravity technology because there's no way the ship could fly with just the fans and balloons we could see on it.

[@momomomo__]

Agree. For one, a scene with Ekko and Jinx preparing to fight would have been a wonderful parallel to the scene in episode 7 with Powder and Ekko. If they wanted to add some dramatic hopelessness, and make it more cohesive with her choice to blow herself up at the end, bring back 'What could have been' from the season 1 finale. They could have shown in her demeanour that she isn't Powder, she was doing it in a way to fix her mistakes and then leave for good. I hate that fatalistic approach, because it implies that some people are doing so badly that they're beyond reach, but it would have made sense at least. In her eyes, she could fix the mistake she made by nuking the coulcil, try to finally be useful in her fight with Vi, actually save Vi and then exploding with Vander like she thinks she should have in season 1. And if they didn't want this fatalistic ending, which I'd prefer, it's just as you said. Show us what Ekko said that made her turn it around. Show him talking about the Powder he saw, because that's concrete proof that there is a good version of Jinx. And then show her go to Ekko at the end (I'd suggest Ekko, not Vi, since Jinx has no reason to think Vi wouldn't go after her again) and say goodbye. I liked the ending, I just wished they had made it more cohesive with Jinx's character arc, whether they decided to go with a depressing or an optimistic option.

[@soccerking4468]

All they needed was like an after credits scene to show that too I feel like

[@heheshshdbsjshjswkqfi]

probably eko told jinx that vi nedded her help

[@imainthreshLoL]

The detail of their clothes having the same paint, most likely painted by each other… I need to see the scenes

[@solusquinto]

The refrain of Wasteland is always killing me. First she sings „please let me go“ and in the last refrain she sings „don‘t let me go“. There is something left that wants to live and wants to be saved.

[@Pebbles_516]

Not just the final line, the whole chorus changes. First time: This world is a wasteland where nothing can grow I used to have strength, but I ran out of hope I know it's my fault that I'm here all alone This world is a wasteland Please let me go This version is played both times in the episode, at the start and the end. But in the full song the final chorus changes to: This world is a wasteland where nothing can grow If it weren't for you, I'd be here all alone I know in my heart this is where we belong This world is a wasteland Don't let me go To me, the first chorus is: everything sucks, there’s nothing left for me, please let me leave it all behind. The final chorus is: everything sucks, but I’m not alone and I belong here with you, please help me stay here with you.

[@solusquinto]

@@Pebbles_516 Yep, the whole song is insanely strong.

[@TipoIrritable]

Did you hear about the scenes Jinx and Ekko had? Where the aforementioned tells Jinx about Powder and the other reality, they had an intimate moment while they were painting and preparing for war. (Confirmed by the Co-Creator) Likewise, in the minigame: "Jinx fixes everything" where it is also confirmed that Jinx went to the Firelights camp and the Tree, and mentions that she can't forget the way Ekko saw her on the bridge. Or likewise in the ArtBook that tells Jinx's feelings, where these 2 characters are seen holding hands and Jinx drawing hearts on Ekko, or asking him to go on a date, or calling him Smart, etc. They both loved each other a lot. Powder was the perfect contrast to the premise that JInx established. "There are no good versions of me" When there were, there were. Ekko realized this, through Powder, he realized that both were the same person under different experiences, and that loving one meant staying in love with another. That's why he chose her, his Jinx, that's why he escaped from heaven to save his beloved from hell. His own hell. This love is beautiful. Because it is as impossible as it is possible, Jinx and Ekko would look great and even the animators, writers and the Co-Creator himself believe that. So I refuse to accept: "In another life", because in this one it is also possible. At the end, the one who saved was Ekko.

[@TipoIrritable]

@@Pebbles_516 Did you hear about the scenes Jinx and Ekko had? Where the aforementioned tells Jinx about Powder and the other reality, they had an intimate moment while they were painting and preparing for war. (Confirmed by the Co-Creator) Likewise, in the minigame: "Jinx fixes everything" where it is also confirmed that Jinx went to the Firelights camp and the Tree, and mentions that she can't forget the way Ekko saw her on the bridge. Or likewise in the ArtBook that tells Jinx's feelings, where these 2 characters are seen holding hands and Jinx drawing hearts on Ekko, or asking him to go on a date, or calling him Smart, etc. They both loved each other a lot. Powder was the perfect contrast to the premise that JInx established. "There are no good versions of me" When there were, there were. Ekko realized this, through Powder, he realized that both were the same person under different experiences, and that loving one meant staying in love with another. That's why he chose her, his Jinx, that's why he escaped from heaven to save his beloved from hell. His own hell. This love is beautiful. Because it is as impossible as it is possible, Jinx and Ekko would look great and even the animators, writers and the Co-Creator himself believe that. So I refuse to accept: "In another life", because in this one it is also possible. The final chorus just represents their relationship perfectly. Everything sucks, but they have eachother.

[@solusquinto]

@@TipoIrritable Yep, recently I've heard of some art concepts in the Art Book and of a deleted scene in which Ekko found Powpow years later in Silkos hideout but was rejected by her. He was too late. That makes S2E7 even stronger because finally he acknowledges his own guilt by letting her down. It's absolutely tragic that Ekko saved her but still lost her. In the end she had to leave and at least Vi knows it. Her final scene with Caitlyn, she wasn't in grief but instead had peace of mind. It's unlikely that both (Vi and Caitlyn) don't expect that Powpow had escaped. Otherwise Caitlyn would not inspect the Hexgate construction plans and focus on the ventilation channels. And I would even say that Caitlyn was only searching for evidence that Powpow had escaped and not in order to pursue her. The way she handles the grenades monkey head ... there was no aggression left and that's in line with S2E8. I think we've seen the best and only possible ending from which they all can move on. I'm so curious of what is coming in the future and which characters get revisited. I mean, we have to know what happened to Heimerdinger, Jayce and Viktor.

[@momomomo__]

Just a little detail I noticed that doesn't really add to the video. Cait removed Jinx's hair ties, her hair accessories, the straps on her clothing and her shoes when she's arrested. Jinx surrendered, she wasn't gonna use any of that to harm anyone else. Cait knew exactly what Jinx would do if she was left alone with any type of strap or metal from her shoes. If I must suffer with this information, so do all of you :)

[@copachuu]

I immediately thought, that if Jinx really was fully ready to off herself in this prison cell, she could just used her hair 😅 I'm sorry...

[@Yeneney]

oh my days and i thought the "isha is mute therefore if jinx starts hearing voices again at least isha can't be one of them" chain comment was bad enough but fuck me

[@WASSERAN]

Cait *thought* she "knew exactly what Jinx would do...". Cutting herself (or hanging, as @copachuu suggested) doesn't seem like Jinx's MO. Throughout S2 we've seen her wanting to go in very specific quick and *definitive* ways - *beaten* *to* *death* by Vi, *executed* by Cait, *exploded* with her own grenade - *some* kind of spectacle. So I think, even with all af those metal bits and straps and laces - she would have waited for execution. There also probably is something to say about Jinx wanting to loose life by someone elses hands, but I need to think about it some more

[@rexanael243]

I've had experience with law enforcement and it is standard practice to remove those types of items regardless of how the person is presenting.

[@momomomo__]

@@WASSERAN That's actually quite interesting. And I think you're right, she tends to go with more immediate methods. I wouldn't say she wants to lose he live by someone else's hands, I think it was Vi in particular she would rather be killed by. If it isn't me, it's you type of mentality, because she feels responsible for what their family went through. I could be wrong though, it's in fact something worth putting thought into. I'm not sure how intentional on the writers' end this may be, but what you mentioned speaks to how Cait fundamentally misunderstands Jinx. Cait can empathise with her, to some extent, but she really can't understand her. It shows in how she did what was necessary to make sure Jinx wouldn't hurt herself in ways that seemed doable and 'logical' or predictable to her, but let Vi go see her unsupervised, which arguably is much riskier for Jinx's wellbeing.

[@jadegecko]

Just noticed this today In S2E7, we see that alternate Powder has a pink streak in her hair to memorialize Vi. In S2E8, Jinx says there is no good version of her. In S2E9, Ekko intervenes in her attempt to end herself. When we see Jinx next, she is once again saving the day, a big fat hero, and she has a purple streak in her hair. Perhaps to symbolize her love for Vi, but perhaps in homage to the alternate Powder Ekko met, who really was a good version of her, and one who she can now learn from and become like.

[@mylittlethoughttree]

Now that is a very good catch!

[@gloriakristiani5372]

purple is also her mom's hair!

[@ramseyferguson4921]

Apparently there was a scene Where Ekko told Jinx about the alternate version of her and she believed him, which would also explain the monkeys

[@theanimekid7839]

It's also the same shade of war paint that Isha had on her helmet.

[@Fidddle2Pie]

in the final scene with ekko, he's got his hair tied up and ears freshly pierced like the AU ekko

[@Alpha1918]

This is how I interpreted the final sacrifice: Jinx found a way to break the cycle and walk away, but by doing that without ending her life, she completes her arc. She's tried to end it multiple times prior, so showing the will to keep herself alive while still doing the sacrifice is the sign of her character growth.

[@Yeneney]

actually that's a good one!

[@yazzyari9746]

Exactly this !!

[@77Night77Shade77]

That's a more positive interpretation, but it ignores the fact that Jinx still fundamentally believes herself to be "bad", especially for her sister. She still thinks it's better for her to "die" (even though she did not actually die), because as long as she's around, Vi can't be happy.

[@Alpha1918]

@ not anymore. She only believed that in the prison cell, after Ekko saved her, her viewpoint changed.

[@z0mbiigrrrl]

@ ​​she words it differently tho. When leaving Vi in the cell she makes it clear that she is exiting Vi's life to 'free her' of worrying abt Jinx and allowing the pilties to be with her bc SHE is the issue. Comparing to their final scene where she says Always with you, sis, shes making a sacrifice not committing su!c!de. i think she didn't want Vi to feel the guilt of Jinxs creation or death, or to feel Jinx had left her. Her attitude COMPLETELY changed, regular Jinx would've never stood by her sisters side bc she could never see herself actually helping her or even being on the same side. She chose to fight WITH HER then sacrifice herself and potentially start a new life with her sister KNOWING shes always by her side. Not that shes a jinx and needs to die to free Vi of her. Its not that she believes shes bad in the final scene, its that she accepts the two sides to her. She merges the bad and the good instead of choosing to sit in 1 chair and decide thats all she is. But she cannot grow and build a new life for herself in the same place, she needs to be free of everyones view of her. Also Before Ekko stops her, shes sure there is no good to her. I think she was trying to prove to Vi there is, and she was right not to give up on her.

[@corinschweigert2715]

The end of the wasteland song states "don't let me go" instead of "please let me go" so she did change her mindset. She still faked her death but imo that's because she doesn't see a future where she can live happily with Vi while there's still Caitlyn and other people who suffered due to her. There's no realistic way that Jinx can somehow live in peace with those people. However she broke the cycle of hatred and honored Ishas sacrifice by saving Piltover and the undercity and by keeping on living and not wasting her life. I think the ending was therefore perfect.🎉

[@planetarydozer5411]

Yeah this is exactly what I was thinking!

[@Maluuh]

Perfect it's too strong of a word. For a show so proud of the "show don't tell" mindset they didn't show us anything and we're just supposed to believe everything went well in the end

[@cwinchcarwash2629]

Really really great insights, thank u for this 🩷🩷

[@RespiteofChampions]

@@Maluuh Except...they DID show us. We all slowed down that moment and saw the pink Shimmer streak of Jinx zooming away from the explosion, we saw the blimp flying away. They DID show us how it all went well in the end.

[@skytheemperor]

That’s the perfect ending for her imo. Just wonder what will be her next adventures

[@kidlikecrow7426]

It's an unfortunate thing when we see a character finally make the decision that will lead to their further development, however something happens that then completely stops that development out of nowhere and they then never reach that point of development again. We saw this with Vi when she was ready to sacrifice herself in season 1 until Vander stops her. It seems to me to be the method Arcane uses to suck us dry of emotions; the "What could have been if only she did this or if only etc." Now "Jinx" also seems to go through that development of being right there, right at that point where everything might be okay, of not seeing herself as this curse and being stuck in this mental prison, and then Isha's death occurs and she goes back to her mental prison of "Jinx" even though it was evident to me that Isha was trying to show her who she really is, meaning not Jinx or powder but just a girl in pain, not something that curses everything it touches but in fact a person who is stuck in the mistake of the past. This is why my favorite scene was when Ekko stops her, he has seen literally everything, he has seen her change from Powder to Jinx, he has seen her help Silco build his empire, letting drugs infest their homes, he has even witnessed her kill his own friends, and yet after all that he still won't give up on her, and even still loves her.

[@ЖеняШевченко-н3с]

I dont think he loves her i think he believes in her For love to develop people need to open up about their feelings, there are an understanding of each other but it is potential one, build up on nostalgia about Powder. It is a strong base for love tho. I wish writers develop this pair in the future, another universe versions of them were divine

[@DerpASherpa117]

Ekko DID largely give up on her via their duel on the bridge in S1 due to him seeing her kill a lot of his Firelight friends. However, he stopped himself from killing her because in her blue eyes he saw a spark that the Powder he knew was still in there, but Jinx responds by blowing them both up anyway; her natural belief that all she can do is hurt people in a self fulfilling prophecy. She hurts herself so badly this time that it requires Singed to intervene with shimmer, which saves her life at the cost of her mind, making the trauma of her past mistakes as well as the pain from the drug magnify her latent psychosis. It makes her body stronger but further breaks her mind so badly that she becomes full blown schizophrenic and even further erodes her original Powder identity. Ekko reacts negatively when he sees AU Powder (in the mirror he sees her as his Jinx frowning at him), but learning that there's a different timeline where she's smiling and happy (even with losing Vi) and not psychotic makes him realize that she can change. When he gets back to his main timeline and sees a now suicidal Jinx, he convinces her to try and live for herself and help others because he's SEEN a version of her do just that and therefore knows this version is capable of it too. She also realizes that she cannot stay in Piltover and guarantee Vi's happiness with Caitlyn due to all the people she's killed, but she also comes to the conclusion that she doesn't deserve to die either, so I tend to agree with the people who say that she survived the explosion at the end of S2E9. She knows she has hurt too many people and staying in Piltover would just cause Vi more pain, so she's mature enough to realize that she should just leave, which (hopefully) she succeeds at. While it's bittersweet, it's a sign that she's truly grown as a character and has the capacity to be the Powder that Ekko saw in the AU timeline. Her and Jayce have the most complete arcs in the series in my opinion, with Ekko and Silco up there too.

[@DerpASherpa117]

​@@ЖеняШевченко-н3сhe loves Powder and that love that actually got to blossom in Episode 7 in the AU timeline proves to Ekko that Jinx isn't a lost cause. AU Powder saves Ekko and gives him renewed purpose to go back to his timeline and save everyone, starting with Jinx. He may not be able to love her like he did in the AU, but he can at least help her get closer to being Powder again, or at the minimum deal with her trauma and psychosis better. He's literally the "I can fix her" meme, except he succeeds.

[@Maluuh]

Yeah and that bit with vi worked because it was the beginning of the show, it basically shows us that she still has the potential of developing further. Having it in the very last episode just feels bad

[@Miss_Trillium]

Its why the song Ma Meilleure Ennemie plays during the dance--jinx is his favorite enemy, he loves her and cant stand her but cant stand to fight her. Definitely recommend reading the translation of the song if you want a good cry--I sobbed when I learned the translated lyrics and put it in context

[@BuddyChy]

Love your video and Schnee’s. The only thing I think you forgot to touch on was the fact that Vi was now also struggling to give up on Vander until the very end so Jinx took out two birds with one stone. Her saying “I’m always with, sis” feels like a change in her perspective. Kinda like how alternate Powder said her sister was strong because she was afraid of losing the people she loves. She actually seems like she’s appreciative now rather than guilty and she’s no longer thinking Vi has to forget about her to be happy. She actually looked happy when she let go knowing her sister never gives up and she can actually save her for once. Idk if I formulated my thoughts properly, but I hoped that made sense and someone can make build upon this.

[@Yeneney]

"no longer thinking Vi has to forget about her to be happy" this!!!

[@mylittlethoughttree]

Very good comment, thanks

[@BuddyChy]

@ thanks, I also thought about Vander’s line to powder in the alt dimension. He said “as good as it feels to pour everyone’s drink, you need to fill your own cup every now and again”. Even though this line isn’t heard by anyone from our dimension, I feel like this relates to Vi. She’s too selfless. Everything she does she does for someone else. So it’s kinda like Jinx is forcing Vi to finally fill her own cup.

[@FilmsChips]

I like your take, there's definitely things to think about..

[@skytheemperor]

@@BuddyChyYep so Jinx is alive but in Vi POV she’s dead. So she can live happily her life while she moves on.

[@geonah05]

You perfectly encapsulated how I felt about the end; the fact that they intentionally framed her sacrifice as death, and only teased the possibility of her surviving, still perpetuates the narrative that she can't be saved. anyway the creators are sadistic and i appreciate your take on this! your voice is so soothing

[@rincledon1]

At 16:46 when you mention the song coming back at the end. I think its worth mentioning that the second half of the song is about her believing in change and not wanting to die. E.g. "There's a beauty in changes And I wanna try" and "If it weren't for you, I'd be here all alone" referring to Ekko. as well as her now saying "Don't let me go" instead. This to me means that Ekko did save her and help her realize that killing herself is the only way to break the cycle. I think Ekko convinced her that there are good versions of herself and she can change and save herself. I think the reason she didn't want Vi to know she was alive was because she thinks/knows Vi won't give up on her and let her leave. She feels the need to leave because she wants to change and move on from her mistakes in the past, but being in Piltover & Zaun she won't be able to.

[@alexelion7084]

This exactly! The song is about a change from giving up to a glimmer of hope and no longer wanting to die

[@DLxxx]

In fairness, that verse of the song doesn't play in the ending. It's just a replay of the second verse, which is about the temptation of death, and hitshe can finally rest now that "there's nothing to fight or protect" (i.e. he sister and father don't need her anymore, so she's free to dissappear now). I can absolutely understand why someone walking away with this interpretation would be upset because Jinx shouldn't have to be stuck in this mindset. But I also agree that the final, secret verse of the song does hint at her breaking out of it.

[@rincledon1]

@@DLxxx Yeah the whole song is not in the show, but its the same kind of thing as hinting that she survived. The more you dig into it the more you understand the ending and why she did what she did.

[@lew.wright]

I think the song is this moment is also talking about Vander, how he can finally rest now, he doesn’t need to fight or protect (whether those he loves from others or, in vain, from himself) anymore. The bit that doesn’t connect as well with this interpretation is the “world is a wasteland, nothing can grow” part which speaks WAY more to Jinx’s depression at the beginning of the episode, but I suppose you could just see it as Vander’s time has MORE than finished and he’s just ready to rest (like how in the flashback before the explosion he put his kids in a safe place, all tucked in for bed, only after which he can blow out the candle, let his light go out).

[@hknlndbrg]

I agree. At the end Vi and Caitlin must have figured out that Powder survived; otherwise it makes no sense to put in the scene of Caitlin being curious about the drawings and air vents or the airship etc. But by not explicitly showing Powder surviving and walking away they make us stay with the feeling that Vi has; "Powder is gone".

[@JasminTheDreamer]

I think the alternate reality in ep 7 shows how Vanders parenting was a lot better than Silcos. I always thought Jinx and Silco had a loving, but extremely toxic and dependent relationship, since she was so sheltered she had no closer social contacts beside Silco. We see that in season 1, when Vivica hates the guts out of Jinx whereas after Silcos death, they two become allys. It felt like with Silco being out of the way, JInx had, for the first time in her life, control about her own decisions and social life. We could also see in season 1 that after all these years under Silcos cair, Jinx was a complete maniac. In season 2 we see her regain clarity just because of the healthy influence of Ishka, which shows exactly what she needed but didn't get to experience in all those years with Silco: Learning to trust again. The trust in Silco wasn't strong, since when Vivica told Jinx in season 1 her sister was alive and Silco hadn't told her she turned on him right away. She wouldn't do that if their relationship had been build on a healthy type of trust. Again, in ep 7 we see how being raised and cared for by Vander made Powder turn out overall allright, no psychosis in sight (even with the super traumatic incident of Vi dying- we all know how she clung to her sister and what that must have meant for her at that age), which to me, just shows how f*ed up and codependant Silcos influence on her was. He loved her like a daughter, yes, but not enough to step away from his plans from the first day he took her under his wing and had to take care of a child. Instead he used her as a weapon to achieve his plans, whereas Vander (though he did not shelter the kids in season 1) never used them in unhealthy ways to enforce power over others. He taught them to fight for survival, as he had to in that environment, but no more than that, and he was overall protective and supportive. To me, ep 7 season 2 confirms this. I don't understand how people can idolize the Jinx/Silco relationship so much, since it wasn't healthy at all. We can literally see how Jinx (and Vi too) is able to put aside all of her strange thoughts and psychosis by the hope of saving Vander and getting her family back. If Silco truly was a stable family, she would have been in a better place in season one, arc 2.

[@JasminTheDreamer]

@@solarydays I disagree.

[@JasminTheDreamer]

@@solarydays Not writing it for them, just sharing theories like all other people in the fandom ;)

[@Yeneney]

not me trying to work out who tf vivika and ishka are

[@sakareeh]

@@Yeneneyit’s obviously just a simple spelling mistake for “sevika” and “Isha”

[@BlackShardStudio]

​@@solarydays Jasmine is merely making the implicit explicit. Bad writing is when everything has to be spelled out for an audience that is incapable of doing for themselves what Jasmine is doing here.

[@Strix2031]

Ok so going with the Jinx is alive interpretation i think this is a particularly happy and realistic ending. As Jinx says she knows Vi wont give up in her but she also knows theres no way she can make up for killing Caitlyn's mom. The best answer is to walk away, make everyone think she is dead so she can start a new life without having to worry about Vi wanting to come with her or Caitlyn's feeling about her mother's (And the other councilors) murder being able to wall away scot free.

[@ToastySNXZ]

It's not even an interpretation. Jinx is alive, confirmed by the co-creator in Necrit's interview.

[@Maluuh]

​@@ToastySNXZthe average viewer might never see the hints or that interview, for them jinx just died after all that

[@M00mmy_SSBM]

Exactly I think she’s on her way too Demacia were she will start a new life befriending lux

[@skytheemperor]

@@ToastySNXZEven the merch confirmed

[@hachmanno]

I wholeheartedly agree on the ending. Episode 9 started with four consecutive onscreen suicide attempts and ends with Jinx blowing herself up. It affected me quite a lot, to the point where I spent the entire next day sad and angry. It felt like the Story told me "some people are to broken to heal, your family is better off without you"

[@THETYMEKK12]

Exactly what happened to me..

[@Blaidd1298]

Riot basically pulled a "go 0/1 irl" on Jinx emphasizers

[@Maluuh]

Yeah and the whole "jinx is actually alive" theories don't fix this at all, they don't SHOW US her getting better, they just skip through the whole thing and make us believe she died again and for some reason we're expected to just assume she's good now? And even if she's alive why didn't she tell VI wtf that's just rude

[@Deeegenerate]

​@@Maluuh I dunno, personally, without seeing she's alive, believed it immediately. Because to me it made sense- I'd seen her get better and put in the work in some aspects so it was believable (to me at least) that something in the end pushed her over the edge to not die, but to live. And leave instead of dying. A fresh start. Her not telling Vi is still a sign of her believing she ruins everything but is also an accurate judgment that her sister will be unable to focus on herself so she wanted to "spare" Vi and Cait of herself, so her sister could "fill her own cup". I dunno, to me it made sense and it was hopeful. Maybe she's not healed, but she saw an out other than death, a fresh start (all this is my opinion and perspective I dunno if it's accurate to the writing or how people generally see it)

[@RodrigoLeaf15]

One interpretation of the ending that I have is that Jinx wasn't planning on sacrificing herself. The part where she says "I'm always with you, even if we are worlds apart" kinda implies that her original plan was to finish the fight, hopefully alive, and then she would leave the cities behind to find her own path. The problem was that Vi was trapped still in her protector mindset, and seeing "Vander" just made it resurface. Jinx HAD to do the sacrifice act to remove herself AND Vander from Vi's life (that's why both of them are hanging from there) and finally free her from the weight, like you said.

[@sakurap95]

I don’t think Jinx intended to sacrifice herself until the moment Vi was holding her hand and she knew Vi wouldn’t let go. Just as how Vi always haunted her, picking her up when all the colors were black, Jinx tells Vi, “Always with you, sis.” Yes, Jinx again chooses for Vi, but at least both of them will live to see another day. Compared to how Jinx originally planned to end herself, she built so much more in her final fight than ever. Not physically, emotionally. Having Vi’s back, fighting side by side in a way she couldn’t have as Powder as a child. Jinx got to fulfill Powder’s childhood dreams, her idealized version of growing up, then she got to change her own course and go off on a different adventure, fulfilling her other dream.

[@NPryde]

Two points to add to this, 1.The theory that Jinx survives ties back, the last images of S2EP9 on the blimp match with the beginning of S1E1 where Powder says she'll fly off on a blimp one day the airship is the exact same design. 2. When you say the song goes back at the end of S2E9 it does but it picks up on the part where the refrain is now 'don't let me go' instead of 'please let me go' showing how Jinx doesn't really want to have Vi give up on her but she also doesn't want to burden her or a threat to her. It ties into S2E2 where she tells Smeech that everyone she gets close to dies, which Isha proved again, Vander proved after they just got him back. She doesn't want Vi to let her go but she does still hold the narrative that she's a Jinx, everyone she loves dies and she needs to go.

[@DLxxx]

But the refrain doesn't actually play in the episode. It's the second verse, which is all about how she can be free in death now that the people she loves are safe.

[@skytheemperor]

For Isha it wasn’t jinx fault

[@principalsweets8703]

I've loved all of Schnee's videos. I found some of your analysis the other day and have binged you're entire playlist. I was left feeling a bit empty waiting for Schnee's next video and was tired of rewatching all the edits and "10+ things you missed" which all just highlight the same things from the show. Then this video came out and I get that nice juicy analysis and Arcane fix until the next Arcane video comes out. Thank you kindly

[@mylittlethoughttree]

Schnee is still fairly new to me but I'm slowly dipping into them all. An absolute beast of a channel for Arcane analysis, so glad to have found it

[@sooyster4033]

@@mylittlethoughttree Schnee's "Methodology of Analysis" video is life changing. Per his recommendation therein, though, I would encourage you not to delve too deeply into his or anyone else's analyses on the show until you've finished your own analyses. What you see in the show while unaffected by other people's opinions and theories can be super valuable.

[@Luna-fn2nv]

I love the schnee community. Feels like we're all so happy to be here and being friendly with everyone. We're all always down to discuss these things normally and happily

[@andrew-hf9fl]

I'm just now able to watch arcane KZbin videos haha. I Loved arcane. I hadn't watched season one, so I pretty much binged both seasons. Sometimes I feel like I'm not in love with being alive in this Era, but experiencing arcane...I just loved it. The next day, as silly as it sounds, I woke up in a pretty deep melancholy. Like struggling not to cry on the way to the gas station haha. I suppose it's only fitting to watch a little thought tree video on it first, although I actually had some trepidation that there would be too much empathy in it and I wouldn't be able to take it :D

[@mylittlethoughttree]

I know the feeling 😅 I wouldn't worry too much with these videos though, they're not my big, in depth analysis sort. There's ones I've been making very quickly while the episodes are still topical

[@DarkHarlequin]

I think there is a beauty in feeling this melancholy after a great story like Arcane (I feel it too a bit). But what i love specifically about the feeling induced by Arcane that in spite of all these really serious, really emotional, really sad things that happen in the show, it leaves me tremendously hopeful. Not because everything was solved and honky dory, but because the tragedies happened... wern`t just ´solved´ by the show but life in Piltover & Zaun Goes on. And that the show showed us there is joy out there. In Cait & VI, in what Ekko experienced with alternate world Powder, in the small moments we don`t expect it just like in the show. I hope you and others feel that too cause it`s a great (but very melancholic) feeling 😊

[@TheBobo203]

Because Arcane and series like this would only exist because of "this Era". Your body needs to be valnerable for all emotions which can be felt only here. Only if people have no idea who they really are the will have conflicts and stories to live and tell. Otherwise you seen what writers wanted to tell you through Victor and Jayce story - "There is no prize to perfection, only an end of pursuit". Literally the point of the very beginning or end of all existence, pure consciousness in which everything merges into one whole

[@facilitieees4391]

this upload feels like striking gold, been waiting for this moment

[@LT-jr3yb]

Omg I’m so happy your video came across my feed! While I did love Shnees analysis he missed what you talk about thoroughly in your video, Vi. Their relationship, the sibling dynamic!! I’m so glad to hear someone else felt iffy about how Jinx’s arc ended too. Like all she had to do was talk to Vi, not self sacrificing herself, especially after showing that she was suicidal. It didn’t feel right at all. She couldn’t even talk to her sister!! I thought we’d be able to see them talk at the end :,) but after really thinking about the ending I realized that the sisters would be stuck in their cycles because they aren’t ready to talk yet. They both aren’t in a healthy state of mind to look at one another differently, especially after war. So Jinx deciding to leave Piltover is a fresh start for both her and her sister. For Jinx, to be able to grow and heal without anyone knowing her or her past. The fake death wasn’t necessary but it was in her mind and in the spur of the moment. Once Jinx can get to a healthier mindset away from the place that brought her so much trauma, and Vi as well. I can then see them having that talk and can finally be healthy with one another.

[@moonbeanchannel]

I liked jinx’s ending, (tho some more screen time with her and ekko would be nice) jinx/powder is still finding herself still healing and if she is alive her stepping away and removing herself from everything traumatic in her life including her sister is probably the healthiest thing she could do, a fresh new start without all the confusing memories, things that are constant reminders of all the bad things she’s done. It’s bittersweet, all i hope is that she makes a cameo in the upcoming projects so we can get that confirmation 😅😅😅

[@Lonaticus]

17:30 Go back to Season 1. Among the first things Powder said is that she's "going to ride in that airship one day" and the vessel shown is identical to the one in the conclusion of s2e9.

[@deeplyjuniper]

YOUR MIND

[@volkrart]

Ohhhh I love these videos about more experienced, analist minds basically make a conversation about this marvelous series

[@T0mlunch]

god i love your and schnees videos on arcane so much. you guys gave me a completly new perspective on the show i am very proud to share with friends now and come around like a little bit smarter than i am haha

[@Miektastic]

the way you describe jinx's potential internal dialogue: expecting a choice that doesn't have to be made, forcing a choice that doesn't have to be made - by sacrificing herself and truly believing that it not only is the right thing to do but that it will free vi - that's rooted both in the (incorrect) conviction that she is bad (a burden, a curse, a jinx so to speak) and, in the case of s1 at least, the fear of being replaced so she makes sure to do that for vi... just hits a little too close to home. i've worked a lot with my own sense of these themes throughout my life ("i'm a burden, everyone will eventually leave me, so unless they can definitively prove to me in this moment that they will never leave and i am the most important person to them, i have to leave; to set them free as well as to protect myself from the inevitable harm of them leaving") and i'm surprised i didn't see this aspect (in its entirety, anyway) in jinx's internal dialogue until you pointed it out.

[@hoffa9000]

Her faking her death is her walking away, breaking the cycle. It's her final gift to Vi, to allow her to move on while Jinx, taking Ekkos advice to heart, decides to start anew. She can't stay, Vi would forever keep fighting for her and given Jinx's strenuous reputation she knows she cant wander around freely. So faking her death is the only option that would allow for both sisters to heal, to be free from their burdens and traumas and to start a new. Even then, Jinx will always love Vi, hence her last line to her; "Always with ya, sis". Its an admission of love for her.

[@yazzyari9746]

I agree with this take too. I also feel like its very on brand for jinx in terms of what she’s been through and her mindset until that point. Ekko made a difference when he talked to her, but it’s not gonna completely change how she views things. I also feel that not all stories have to have the happiest ending where everything is wrapped up in a neat little happy bow. As much as i love a happy ending and wish everyone could live happily ever after, how arcane ended made sense. Especially for jinx’s perspective. It’s a bittersweet tragedy

[@idontthinkso6172]

why would Vi not be able to let Jinx go. Feel like Vi just wanted her sister back which is basically what happened.

[@hoffa9000]

@idontthinkso6172 cause that's Vi fatal flaw, her inability to give up on those around her. Jinx, Vander, she's the type of person who if she heard that her death would fix everything, she would do it in a heartbeat. Because of that Vi is never able to make the decision to move on from the past, so she is eternally trapped in a prison of her own making based on the commitments and oaths she holds to herself. It's why Jinx has to be the one to make the decision for her. Instead of Jinx forcing her to choose between Powder and Jinx, she makes the choice herself to free both of them from that burden that held them back.

[@rexanael243]

@@idontthinkso6172 I think the symbolism of the Silco conversation is that ultimately, staying with Vi would not break the cycle and free her from the cage she had created. Remember, Caitlyn's last interaction with Jinx included her saying something like no amount of good can undo her crimes. If Jinx stays she will constantly be stuck with the obligations and enemies she created. As others have said, if they had kept the scene with Ekko showing Jinx what other universe Powder was like, I can see Jinx making the decision that she has to leave and start again. Maybe in that context, once she had become Powder again, she could see Vi again. I can sort of see what the writers were trying for but I do think the rushed timeline of the episodes meant it was not fleshed out satisfactorily.

[@rexanael243]

@@yazzyari9746 While the writers said they will be moving to other areas of Runeterra, I fully expect the Jinx story to continue with those stories and hopefully they can bring it back full circle over time.

[@valhatan3907]

I really like when essayist KZbinr made response video like this, it really encourage thoughful discussion in internet.

[@maximumonus5946]

Very nice analysis. I do think you're wrong at the end, though. I think she left at the end of the show to discover herself. To see who she is without her past, Vi, Ekko, and all the things that made her who she is. Healing isn't a smooth ride. It has crests and valleys. Sometimes the road is untrodden and broken. So much so that you need to build the path yourself. Brick by agonizing brick. That's going to come with a lot of mistakes, hasty decisions, and bad ideas (leaving without saying anything for example). The road will need to be demolished, looked over, and built again. Im not surprised that jinx left like that. In fact, I would feel weird if she didn't take the chance presented to her to disappear. Her journey has just begun, and she still believes, in my opinion, that she is a jinx. A bad luck charm, a catastrophe waiting to happen. She doesn't know if she can be a force for good because that has never played out well for her. So, she needs to see if she can do it. Without any help or guidance. She needs to know that she can be more than what her past has defined her as. That she can be more than what her name means to those who do not know her, and to those that do. Will she keep the name? Reclaim it and define it through the actions she takes in the future? Or will she discard it and event something new? I dont know, she sure as hell dosent either. But that is a journey she must undertake herself to discover. Would Vi have allowed her to leave? I honestly do not know the answer to that question. She almost got herself killed because she could not let go of her past and Vander's place in it. Its not a detriment to her character. It's who she is at a fundamental level. Vi can't let go for better or for worse. So Jinx helped her along that process. Would Vi be able to live her life if she was constantly worried about her unstable sisters' adventures abroad? I think we all know the answer to that question. So Jinx had to leave the way she did. She'll come back. She has to, as that will be a part of her journey. Too much left unsaid, too much left unexplored. But not now and not for a while, I suspect.

[@mylittlethoughttree]

I don't disagree with that in itself. I think that probably is what will happen, it's the fact the show wasn't highlighting any of that, which makes the message feel very different...at least to me, but I'm glad to know people think I'm wrong, because I hope I am 😂

[@maximumonus5946]

@mylittlethoughttree hey man! I appreciate your insights!Thanks for replying! I'm angling on becoming a therapist myself. How's the job? Do you enjoy what you do?

[@mylittlethoughttree]

Very big question to ask in a comment section 😆 also very varied what type of therapist or counsellor, psychologist etc, means things will be a bit different for everyone but I definitely love the job. It's a job all about exploring your own doubts though, constantly evaluating yourself, if you're doing the best you can for each person etc. there are many days where that kind of doubt and grappling with uncertainty can be hard but I think if you're good at exploring your own feelings and flaws without being too hard on yourself, then it's a great job

[@Telrob]

@@mylittlethoughttree I agree with your take on the ending and will only reconsider it if we ever get a continuation of Jinx's arc, because as it is now it feels very incomplete and like it didn't lead anywhere. That might be more true for reality that we don't always get happy endings but i do think stories who's only goal is to make you feel pain just suck. A big part of why i can't reconcile Jinx's "death" is that if she actually still is alive, then she is letting Vi believe that due to Vi's action her sister died, and if she really is dead then again Vi will have to live with this huge crippling guilt much like Jinx had to do and that's at odds with everything the show is telling us and makes the ending not feel like an ending but a continuation of suffering.

[@feduckil9238]

I love this take! It does seem that Jinx needed a way to redefine herself, and Vi’s inability to let go of both Powder or Jinx would be a roadblock. Plus, with Vi always taking on the role of a protector, it’s easy to forget that Jinx’s base motivation is to help and fix (as we see with Powder in S1 and Powder in S2E7), so this disappearance is her way of helping Vi let go of both her and Vander and also fix Vi’s relationship with Caitlyn (who’s also not indifferent to Jinx).

[@sergeygrigoryan2620]

Just want to add a small thing which interestingly is not talked about. The song of Jinx's sacrifice, Wasteland, is going in a very melancholic and suicidal direction, however it is actually a song about hope, if you listen till the end. I know in the show it ended on the words please let me go, however I do think that this specific song choice can very much be a deeper hint on the entire arc, as this show has always demonstrated real depth, and we know Riot's love for expanding and giving hints with music and music videos. And it makes sense that the final words would match Jinx's actual mindset, at least I choose to hope. So these are the words the song, and Jinx's story in Arcane, end with This world is a wasteland where nothing can grow If it weren't for you, I'd be here all alone I know in my heart this is where we belong This world is a wasteland Don't let me go, go, go, go, go, go, go Don't let me go

[@JasminTheDreamer]

Off topic, but: Has anyone else noticed that when Jinx and Warwick are falling, we see a memory from VANDERS point of view, watching Powder and Vi sleep? Wasn't he supposed to be fully gone at this point? Maybe I am being wrong here but why would a memory of Vander suddenly pop up and not a memory of Jinx? I really want to believe that at this point, not all of Vanders humanity was killed, just as not all of Viktors wasn't killed. Viktor returned to his humanity in the end, and even though Warwick didn't recognize Vi and Powder at the end (or at least, that is what it looks like), I can't help but believe he might have in the last moments when they fall. Could it be that by Viktor returning to his Viktor-self, a glimpse of Vander might still have been intact at this point? ( Vanders fate broke my heart and I cannot stop thinking about it so I'm grasping on straws here :D)

[@sarusthelorevore523]

Sounds like copium, but I'm here for it. I hate Vander's fate too.

[@writethepath8354]

Oh good you found schnee x3

[@cdnicdinc]

WE LOVE SCHNEEEE

[@txbiaz]

i'm living for this crossover episode (more like cameo, but yknow)

[@mrzeverton27]

I liked the points you made along the video and agree with a lot of them, although I think in the end when Jinx decides not to kill herself she is kinda breaking the cicle of Jinx, in the sense that she sees that she is not that horrible thing she constructed in her mind, like what the dialogue in her mind with Silco says to her about the prison of our narratives and identities. And she sees that because of Isha, but also because of Vi, because she comes to understand that Vi doesn't sees her in that way and that narrative is a false thing she has always believed about herself. So when she makes the sacrifice it's not about killing the bad (Jinx) so that the good (Vi) can be happy. Is because she came to understand that Vi won't let go of her and Vi deserves to be happy, but as long as she is around Vi will always choose her or be in that conflict between her and Caitlyn. So Jinx sees that she changed, but Vi can't change. And that's why she is alive at the end, because if she didn't believed there is good in her then she wouldn't make an effort to survive the explosion and get away from Piltover/Zaun in the airship. So what she thought about herself in the jail scene when she leaves Vi and decides do kill herself changed by Ekko talking to her and showing that there is good in her. In that sense she has saved herself.

[@ellybean7354]

16:56 THAT HIT SO HARD. As someone who did something she really regrets when she was a child, that line spoke to my soul. I have gone to counseling about it and am starting to forgive little me, but there was a lot of time I felt I had to do something drastic to make up for it.

[@jessicahrudey4199]

I appreciate you putting words to the uncomfortable feeling at the end of the series, especially before I saw all the very likely theories that Jinx did survive. I couldn't figure out why it bothered me so much, but also left me feeling kind cold on the first watch. One other thing that I hear many people comment on is the "there is no good version of me" when we just saw Powder in the alternate universe and then they talk about how "no, there's the good version of you right there in the AU!". And I just have icky feelings about saying that AU Powder *is* the good version of Jinx. She's just a different version, a different person with different circumstances who didn't end up going to such dark places, but we've already seen Jinx in this season be a good person. No one is entirely good or bad, which I think fans of the show all agree on, but I just struggle whenever I hear that comment come up because for me it just feels like folks are saying she needs to become that Powder to be a good person, and while I like that Powder, she's not Jinx. Maybe I'm just misunderstanding what folks are getting at and I'd love to hear other thoughts. But I guess...I love Jinx for all her flaws and I know she's done awful things, but she's also capable of great things and a good "version" of her isn't necessarily the Powder we see in the AU, it's someone with all the crazy, wild, fun grit of this weird girl, but who also doesn't kill and harm others so gleefully and thoughtlessly like she was in the past. I think we see a glimpse of that version in Season 2 Act 2, as well as when she comes in to save the day in her balloon helicopter. I dunno if any of that makes sense, just my thoughts.

[@Maluuh]

Completely agree, I do like the theories that jinx decided that her fake death was her way of atoning for her sins, she has ruined a lot of people's lives and even tho they worry about her and want to forgive her she may not be able to forgive herself. The more she likes Caitlyn the more she'll be sad bc she killed her mother, the more she gets closer to Ekko the more she'll feel bad for killing the firelights. Maybe getting away, becoming the better person they want her to be and THEN coming back is the right choice, she's taking away the burden of her victims while still trying to better herself BUUUUUUUT I'm still unsatisfied with the ending and will not forget the awful feeling of being made to believe jinx would never properly finish her story. If I didn't engage with the fandom I would never have interpreted her ending in a positive light and I think it was irresponsible of them to cut so much content that could've been used to flesh out these issues. What I loved about Arcane season 1 was how accessible it felt, I even showed it to my mother and she loved all the social commentary, now it's kinda bloated and I'm so sure she'll be very upset with the ending even after I explain that jinx might not have died, so that's going to be annoying In the end arcane is a masterpiece, just not absolutely perfect but it's okay we'll still love it anyways. Hope everyone learns from this experience and make even better shows in the future And who knows, maybe we'll get a book or a movie fleshing out jinx and Ekko, the co creator did say in the interview he wanted to make more content for them. Maybe it'll all work out in the end

[@jessicahrudey4199]

@ I know it’s a silly pipe dream but I hold out hope for an extended cut someday. Animation takes a lot of work of course which is why there aren’t deleted scenes to allow for the simple release of an extended cut, but who knows, maybe if there was enough funds/demand/love to make it happen, they could create the extra scenes they wanted and since its ok if the actors age because its voice acting, it doesn’t have to happen on any kind of short turnaround. I know I’m just dreaming for something that will never be, but it’s fun to have little dreams sometimes! In the meantime I’ll just enjoy all the fanart of Ekko helping Jinx get ready for the battle

[@jakecassar6554]

I felt much the same way on first watching it because the biggest want I had going into the last episode is that Jinx doesn't self-sacrifice. A few shows (the Magicians, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power) have solidified my distaste for that trope, especially for characters who've suffered from mental illness. I felt betrayed and I just couldn't believe it. Watching it again knowing that her survival is all but confirmed helps, and now my main issue is what it does to Vi. I've head-canoned it that she figures out that Jinx is alive, Caitlyn is holding the monkey bomb in the same room after all, and that implies to me they both know the body wasn't found. I choose to interpret it as Vi respecting Jinx's wish to walk away, understanding why it's needed for her to break the cycle. With all that in mind I'm trying to understand why they left it ambiguous. A casual viewer might not catch the hint in the next scene and leave the show with an end for Jinx I think is very hopeless when I now sincerely believe that's the opposite of what is meant by it. The creative decision probably comes down to those last scenes being from the perspective of people in the two cities, of Vi and Caitlyn who don't know for sure. The pessimistic perspective would be that it's done only to leave it open ended for later shows to decide what to do later, and for shock factor when she shows up in a future series. Given the amount of trust they've built from me through this show (even though S2 has its flaws), I choose to believe the first, that it plays with perspective like the show has taught us they like to do.

[@jeffreychandler8418]

probably all of the above. It is 100% a correct business choice. But also, from a story perspective, it 1. makes the sacrifice sticky and more final than a "shes still around haha" ending 2. does make character sense, as a way to help her loved ones let go and her to move forward.

[@grey8288]

I like how you pointed out that Jinx's self loathing music stopped when Isha arrived. There's theories Isha is tonally deaf, that she can't hear most pitches and tones. She can read lips, she never reacts when someone talks and her back is turned but when facing someone she's looking at their lips and expressions. Isha can't hear Jinx's self loathing, she can't hear what Jinx has done. She just sees the girl in front of her, the one who saved her, the one who cares, the one who makes people light up with hope.

[@ambers5mile]

It's definitely not just you. This framing of the ending is heartbreaking and I couldn't stop crying over it the whole rest of the day after finishing Arcane. I want so bad to see hope in which Jinx herself believes. No matter even if she got away or died at the end, just that it happened not with that 'wasteland' mindset, lonely to the point it hurts.

[@dachosens1]

they needed more scenes of jinx and ekko and showing jinx how there are good versions of her, but also the idea is that what has been done is done - jinx has done unredeemable things even if she can reconcile with caitlyn and vi (basically they already do), it is cooked regarding zaun and piltover a big part in my view is in episode 7 of ekko and powder, saying how sometime, in order to move forward, you have to leave some things behind i dont know if she should have told vi, but her fake death was necessary for the wider populace of piltover vs zaun. Caitlyn obviously knows, we are assuming vi doesnt, she doesnt tell vi because she thinks vi will just chase after her again (and since caitlyn is obviously staying in piltove, vi would be forced to choose to go with jinx or stay with caitlyn)

[@JesusActual]

Really enjoyed this analysis and video essay - thanks for making it!

[@AndrewKendall71]

The point made starting at 5:15 is one of the most important lessons humanity could learn globally today. That's not overstating it. And really, the whole analysis is so good. Also, while it's a common take that Isha is a little Powder, it's interested me as an artist that her design and some circumstances seem to make her look like a tough little Vi that Jinx ends up treating as a little sister. I think that's as much a key to her turning a corner as a sister/mother character. I feel, too, that her going the way she did-while still a sacrificing of self to let her sister move on-was one that provided resolution of the need for justice for a truly guilty individual (really even if she survived) as well as being a different self-selected death than she intended when Ekko stopped her.

[@woofwoofchs9472]

S1E1 - Vi grabbed Powder's hand as she was about to fall off the roof. That was a time when Powder knew her sister loved and believed in her. We also know Jinx has been struggling with her sister's abandonment throughout the film since S1E3. Vi, though late, has been trying to fix the relationship by not giving up on Jinx, hence Jinx's "You're never going to give up on me, are you?". Still, you can tell that Jinx wasn't 100% certain from the way she phrased that question. It wasn't until the tipping point in S2E9 where Jinx found closure as Vi grabbed onto Jinx again on the ledge like she did in S1E1. Arcane is truly a masterpiece.

[@yitongwan]

I feel like with all the clues and the cast refusing to answer if Jinx is dead, we can basically treat jinx living as fact. In that case its a happy ending where she leaves to go build a new life and heal, and she doesnt tell vi because Vi has trouble letting go. Vi will heal from jinxs 'death' eventually, and this way vi can be happy with Cait. Also jinx staying definitely still causes too much tension with piltover. Its a bittersweet ending and jinx will probably visit eventually. I like that they dont spell it out and trust us to figure it out. They literally state in the afterglow "figure it out".

[@CrochetAlice]

In LoL jinx goes to Demacia and finds a new best friend. So I think we’re gonna see this new state in the next seasons

[@Sam-ve4tx]

This video helped me understand a lot of the connective tissue between season 1 Jinx and season 2 Jinx, thank you. I was having trouble seeing how the character was totally synchronous between the two seasons.

[@sehammahmoud52]

This dude just straight up said it youre so right and this is coming from someone who relates to everything jinx has to offer. u said it man

[@ahmedathemna7401]

an analytical response video? about arcane to schnee? now we cooking!

[@Yeneney]

dinner's good tonight

[@micaiahborchers8914]

First and foremost I think this video is awesome, it perfectly wraps up and emphasizes what Schnee was saying and follows it up with something equally and additionally impactful. Thank you so much. I don't think Jinx's character and story is intentionally meant to emulate the experience of a person with BPD, but as a person diagnosed with the condition, I deeply connect with her patterns and mentality. That's why the ending doesn't sit right with me. I wanted so badly for her to have hope. I need to believe, for my own sake, that a person so grounded in these false ideas about herself could still uproot and rewrite these even after they've wreaked havoc on her life, and thereafter be a kinder, healthier person. But like you said, whether or not she survives, the ending doesn't leave room for hope or repair or redemption. She still removes herself from Vi's life because she falsely believes everyone is better off without her and it's almost like we're supposed to believe that's the right choice. I hate that. That isn't the RIGHT choice. I cannot let myself believe that that's ever the right choice. Jinx running away or killing herself are just means of escaping accountability and buying into those lies she believes about herself. You even used the word "splitting" to describe this tendency to see the world in strict blacks and whites, goods and bads, "I'm evil and unlovable Jinx" (this version of me my sister hates) or "I'm Powder again" (this version of me my sister loves), "Vi chooses me" or "Vi chooses Caitlyn." No gray exists between these extremes for a person whose experiences have pounded hard into her that, SHE is wrong and SHE deserves to die and the necessary end of her story is death, because everyone is happier without her. This is a mode of thought I have also subconsciously and consciously carried my whole life. It calls to mind Spinel in Steven Universe. She says, "When you change, you change for the better. When I change, I change for the worse. I used to be just not good enough for Pink, but now, I'm not good at all," which is also Jinx's mentality. Powder got worse and Jinx made everyone worse, killed Silco, turned Vi into an enforcer etc. Spinel says to Steven, "Friendship isn't going to be easy for me. I'm gonna have to work at it. You make me want to try, but... I've already messed up bad with you. I wish I could just start from scratch with somebody." It's one of my favorite lines because we get 1) acknowledgement of and accountability for serious harm inflicted and 2) relinquishment of any responsibility Steven might enforce on himself to fix her or be her friend (which has previously been his compulsion), but 3) none of this despairing self-hating "It's all over for me now," "I need to be gone," etc. that we sort of get from Jinx's ending. The focus of Spinel here isn't on herself, it isn't about how bad and hopeless she is, it's a healthy choice to step away from these people and "start from scratch" because she understands after the damage she's caused, Steven does not owe her friendship. It's in everyone's best interest for her to leave, including her own. Not because SHE'S bad, but because she did this bad thing to these people, who now need to heal from it without having also to placate here. She still deserves friendship and love and understanding, but the mature choice is separation. Fortunately she gets that with the Diamonds. I still don't love the narrative choice to have her leave with them and I hate how she gets butchered in SU: Future, but it makes more sense than Jinx's ending whereby it's nailed in cruelly that Jinx can't EVER have peace or happiness apparently. Even with some of those lines we get from Jinx to Vi, like, "You deserve to be with her, you don't have to worry about me anymore," which feels less self-condemning and more focused on giving the people she's hurt a chance to heal, flips right back around to, "There's no good version of me," which rips my heart out of my chest because YES THERE IS!!! Thankfully Ekko shows her. The eventual sacrifice feels wrong because it's like rewarding Jinx for this mentality she has. The final lyrics of "Wasteland" feel hopeful, the little glimpse of shimmer in the explosion, Caitlyn smiling at the vents, the blimp, the Jinx-scratch ending cut, it all communicates she's alive but Vi doesn't get to know that. There's no peace in the not knowing. Steven wanted Spinel to leave but Vi didn't want Jinx gone, she'd just grieve her sister, and cut a brand new raw wound and it isn't healing for anybody in my opinion. It's an unnecessary sacrifice in my opinion.

[@blalmon]

I'm sure folks have been talking about this, but Ekko's flashback to seeing Jinx's body on the bridge recontextualized the end of their fight for me. Rather than her trying to take him with her, it now seems like she was trying to do him a kindness by taking the decision to kill her out of his hands. Unlike Vi, whose unwillingness to kill her Jinx can chalk up to Vi not understanding Powder is gone, she knows Ekko understands that (especially with the deleted scene in mind). Despite that, Ekko still can't kill her. He still sees something in her. To borrow the language of Schnee's analysis, she thought she had already spiritually killed her childhood friend. But just like that later scene with Vi, Jinx saw she had not. In Jinx Fixes Everything, she describes seeing Ekko's face during that time as a very profound moment (though it didn't seem to have affected the narrative that much at the time). I don't know if Jinx wanted to die going into the scene, but I do think she wanted to die going out of it. Like Vi's opinion being changed is just a matter of time, from Jinx's perspective. But if Ekko can't do it now, he never will. So she decides to do it herself. You can speculate that there was time for Ekko to save Jinx but that he chose to save himself instead, which gave him the guilt he had to resolve in the second season with Powder. But that's less supported. Anyways, I hope someone talks about all the times Jinx keeps trying to die and can't because folks won't let her. It's Vi at least once, Ekko twice, Warwick at least once (there's speculation that he saved Jinx at the end with the remaining bit of Vander). You can even throw Silco in the list if you believe he was being honest saying he wouldn't give her up. Like maybe Warwick and Vi count less because they're family and didn't have the contiguous history. But still, it's a lot of examples of other folks thinking she was worth saving for someone who doesn't believe she is worth it. Also, I think it would be interesting to compare the support system Jinx to what Vi has. Jinx seems to almost always have at least one person in her corner, from her parents to Vander and Vi to Silco to Sevika to Isha and Vi to Ekko. For someone who is convinced she can't have anyone around her, she's basically always had a person around her. In contrast, her sister has spent chunks of her much more isolated. I think the season did a job depicting how that damaged Vi, but I don't think they did enough to call attention to this difference. Vi's left with like two people she knows (Caitlin and Ekko, who she didn't even talk to in Season 2). That's messed up.

[@lew.wright]

16:46 (replied this to another comment, but felt it should go here too) I think the song is this moment is also talking about Vander, how he can finally rest now, he doesn’t need to fight or protect (whether those he loves from others or, in vain, from himself) anymore. The bit that doesn’t connect as well with this interpretation is the “world is a wasteland, nothing can grow” part which speaks WAY more to Jinx’s depression at the beginning of the episode, but I suppose you could just see it as Vander’s time has MORE than finished and he’s just ready to rest (like how in the flashback before the explosion he put his kids in a safe place, all tucked in for bed, only after which he can blow out the candle, let his light go out)

[@fissteque]

I’d love to see a few more episodes dedicated to Jinx and Ekko, but at least we’ve been left with plenty of intriguing details. For instance, the song Wasteland ends with the same verse but with one crucial change: instead of “Please let me go,” she sings “Don’t let me go.” Such an important detail, especially considering that the entire song is about Jinx.

[@MrKeeshetbeest]

I actually thought the finale was more positive than it would be, but that might just be because all I was thinking going into the finale was, ''If you thought this story would have a happy end, you have not been paying attention''

[@DarkHarlequin]

I think there is a very interesting point in "What story do the creators want to tell with Arcane?" Is it a story about overcoming a cycle of negativity, self doubt and self destruction... or is it a tragedy that highlights just how powerful these thoughts, these cycles, these doubts are? I think when people (including you here) say "I don`t like this story beat", what we`re really saying is "I desired a different message!" maybe also "because it`s animation I expect a positive message/outcome" (usually fantasy & animation stories are about these grand inspiring messages). I also think there is a power in both narratives. There would have been an inspirational power in Jinx overcoming her self doubts but there is also a power in representing this negative spiral and mindset with its back and forth struggles. That we DO have a narrative where we break the cycle in Victor & Jayce... but we also have a story where the cycle continues. I don`t want to talk for others but I think there is power in seeing your own struggles mirrored in stories where it doesn`t just end in some heroic overcoming that I in real life never seem to be able to achieve. And that´s the fundamental point for me. The story of Jinx the showrunners want to tell is a tragedy (as you say whether she lived or not). It´s an unflinching look at trauma, depression, maybe mental illness (although it`s never in the narrative center for Jinx imo), negative self talk. That`s also why I think S2 E7 is not only the best episode of all times but important. Cause it allows the show to play out the theatrical tragedy of our Jinx without leaving the viewer hopeless. There IS a different Jinx/Powder that`s possible, Ekko has seen it. We have seen it. It enables the showrunners to commit to the severity of Jinxes and VIs arc. Extra Rambly point for those who care and read full comments 😄: I think a lot of the ´diverging opinions on S2´ that we talked about a few videos ago and see on YT and the socials stems from that divergence of what story we expect. Arcane did something almost no video game show could, it drew in a WAY wider audience than just LOL players/fans. What that means though is that we have a very diverse group of viewers who all expect a different story. The game players expect a story where their favorite game characters do cool things on screen as faithfully as possible. The lore fans wanted their deep love for the lore validated and put into motion picture setting up the 100s of other stories they know and love. The francise fans desired a slow show giving them the often memed "7 seasons and a movie!". etc. etc. At the end of S1 everybody could tell themselves "Yes we`re not there yet but my story WILL be told later I know it!" But that`s why ending in stories are so difficult. the showrunners HAD to commit to a type of story they would tell. And close the possibilities on all the other stories that wasn`t. It is 101% for the good of the show. I`ve seen many times shows trying to please everyone pleasing noone (see the entire recent MCU for example). But that means inevitably there won`t just be people who got exactly the show they wanted (me I admit it 😉💕) but also those who didn`t. There was no other way imo for Arcane to end as a good show.

[@Simon-A.-Tan]

It's been 5 days and I'm still kinda reeling over this. Not because of Jinx: she's just a fictional character and the show allows for a more optimistic headcannon. More for the type of people who identify with some of her struggles and have therefore gotten into her character. There's just this really toxic and dangerous message to them around the depiction of her death.... Even if this is just to a minority of the fandom, her death scene looks like it still might be conveying them the sentiment of "Just give up. It's ok. It's fine. It's for the better." If even one person takes it like this.... For the record: I'm fine with shows depicting suicide.... or murder, rape, genocide, child abuse, spousal violence.... anything terrible really.... It's just HOW it's being portrayed that's important. Especially with something that's a social contagion like suicide. However: creating such a widely viewed show, writing such an iconic character who goes through these struggles in a realistic way.... one that actually seems to connect with an audience.... only for them to then succumb in the end and for it to be pretty much glossed over as "tragic, but ultimately ok and indeed liberating".... No, I still can't deal with that. I still feel like the writers have to set this straight somehow.... Not for the character, but for real life folks.

[@SashaClueless]

even 5 seconds of screentime in the aftermath would make HUGE impact on people's takeaways and feelings

[@Blaidd1298]

I wanted to say thank you, reading this felt cathartic for me

[@Miss_Trillium]

8:24 thanks for providing the breakthrough I needed to hear--regarding children with trauma that hold shame needing to prove themselves as the bad guy. Im 25 years old and had a fair amount of therapy, but sometimes I just need to be told point blank what's going on. My mother k---ed herself when I was in middle school, and I was the last person in my family to talk to her, and i hold a lot of shame around that. Around that time in my life, i acted out a lot, and to some degree still do. Anyways time for me to get my a** into therapy to rework through some stuff

[@txbiaz]

YES thank you for bringing up Jinx's ending and the problems with how it was written!! It's so common for characters with mental illness to have tragic wrap-ups in their arc where they either lose everything or just die altogether. Even if Jinx isn't dead and left to have a "happy ending", she deserved different and I was really hoping the writers would go a different way.

[@kevinmccalister4602]

While I agree with you that a happy ending would be better. I think a definitive ending where we know for certain she's alive would be the best. But Arcane is a masterpiece of ambiguity. That's the tragedy though. Jynx can't forgive herself enough to see herself as worth living with her loved ones. But maybe she doesn't need her loved ones. Isha was just some random person who fell out of the blue. Isha came to love her and Jynx loved Isha back. Maybe Jynx thinks she can do it again somewhere that's not Piltover or Zaun. Imagine Jynx's genius and abilities used to improve the lives of some backwater village. I think she could find happiness again. I just wish I know definitively that she was out there somewhere looking for her happy ending, but at least i can't say for certain she isn't alive : )

[@DMrKunst2]

Her ending makes sense. She also is not dead

[@DMrKunst2]

@@kevinmccalister4602 I definitely believe that she thinks that she can do it again.Because I think that was the whole purpose.

[@feduckil9238]

I think there’s something to say about Jinx not being able to heal with Vi around. After all, Vi is the one, in Jinx’s words, who created/cemented “Jinx” as a role for her. Perhaps, with enough time, Jinx may be healthy enough again to reconnect with Vi, but until then “always with you, sis” has to be enough.

[@s0pita-vp4ke]

The broad strokes of her ending (finding her own agency) make sense, but the execution felt a little diluted and confusing. It left me feeling she had finally found a "good way to die" although I don't think that was the point. Imo she was the best written character but wasn't given enough time

[@chelseawehrhahn793]

The fact that the writers had cut an hours worth of content that would show Ekko telling jinx the good version of herself etc and than the hair cutting and body painting with new outfits! There was concept art and everything but we didn’t get to see it!

[@frenkibum9041]

I would actually argue with the point of 16:44 of Jinx coming back to this song as if she didn't progress at all, and counterpoint it that it means the exact opposite! But for it to work we must believe in theory that Jinx survived. I am thinking very specifically about what we saw and what we heard. The lyrics are: "If I could just lay my head down and rest If there was nothing to fight or protect Maybe then I could finally be free Maybe death is like falling asleep." And we see specifically Jinx looking at Vander, that then cuts to flashbak of him putting sisters to sleep for the night. I think the meaning of the song changes, because it's now not Jinx wishing for death, but rather Jinx telling Vander that it's okay, that he doesn't have to protect his little girls anymore. Tragically, his life cannot be saved here in any shape or form, so Jinx relieves him from the fate of continuing existing not as himself, without the ability to "walk away". And so the scene parallels what happens "now" and "in the past", where the latter was the parent putting his kid to sleep and the former is the child doing that to parent, but in this sadly painful way, and in the end you can argue that WHO is singing this song is changed, final words "Please let me go" belonging now to Vander.

[@kbachelder]

Great video...thank you VERY much for sharing these with us!

[@LightsOnTrees]

I also think we'll see Jinx again, and that her story will have more movements before we see the larger arc. Taken as it is however, I must admit I thought there was a courage in the bittersweet ending. Good decisions, and a refinding of motivation doesn't erase the exhausting from years of trauma, and though deeply tragic I think we could read the final moments as Jinx finally finding some peace, after getting the briefest of wins. We assume that a happy ending has a certain inevitability about it, that we can be as strong as we need to be, but that isn't necessarily true, nor does it need to be true in the most compassionate sense. Jinx was not strong enough to continue, and the fact that it is so painful to watch tells us something important about ourselves, and how we distort our own stories. Again, deeply tragic, but brave from a story that denied us so many easy answers elsewhere.

[@justinlee3168]

Jinx needed to leave, not because she felt like Vi could only be with caitlyn or jinx, but because jinx is a criminal. She killed a lot of innocent people in season 1. She only reckons with those deaths once Isha dies (see mention of Caitlyn's mom in jail cell). Jinx realizes how much unnecessary damage and pain she has caused, and how this has hurt Vi (both because Vi has to take responsibility for Jinx and because it has hurt Vi to see what her sister has become). From Jinx's perspective, Vi can't be happy knowing that Jinx will be executed / imprisoned for life for what she has done, nor should Vi need to worry about trying to convince everyone that Jinx is reformed. Vi deserves to have her own life, without paying for Jinx's crimes.

[@CueQ-u6c]

i think Jinx escaping that final explosion and redemption in details like cutting her hair again after the stop from Ekko with a streak of purple in it just like their mother‘s hair… indicates that she’s going on a more realistic journey alone away from the noise to soul search in her own way, because she doesn’t have the proper tools to heal. I believe in her mind staying with Vi would cause her to be more of the problem, maybe bc she always see the mistake in her (Vi) eyes. because she is her biggest problem so she’s gonna have to be her biggest solution. then maybe return better than before maybe, a trapped genius.

[@CueQ-u6c]

plus her burning everything down and flying her own home with isha bunny ears on the balloons let’s me know she was already ready to leave, not sacrifice her life again. that’s what i believe she meant when she said “always with ya sis” . i shockingly relate way too much with J!nx in my own life so i can say there’s a peace in not fearing death anymore. sometimes that’s healing. in a strange ironic way. yet Ekko helps a ton so she going to keep fighting to live until she doesn’t.

[@NatalieLovesxo]

I'd be so mad if my sister made me think she was dead! 😭She did say "I'm always with you sis" which isn't necessarily a "proper" goodbye. But I also think she knows Vi would never let her be on her own. She would always worry about her. Not to say she should leave without making it clear she's not dead! But it would be nice if Vi could let her go, not have the worry, and send letters to each other or something.

[@mrbushido56]

As a therapist what is your view on cait n jinx relationship ? Where cait becomes obsessed with jinx but comes to her at the end to reconcile. Could it be possible for her to forgive jinx ? It ends with her inspecting the building blueprints hinting jinx escaped. Cait being a detective wont just believe she lived on false hope. She will look 4 jinx. She probably wont tell vi to not give her false hope, but my question is what will she do once she finds her, will she take revenge or argue for her to come home. Jinx is in a bad place could cait be the one to pull her out of her despair ? Can someone forgive a person who killed their mother ? Im not saying they will be a typical sister n sister in law couple but cait could do this so vi can be happy. So thats my question can cait n jinx really depend on one another with all the crap in their history what are your thoughts on cait speech in the jail cell

[@mrbushido56]

BTW was my other super chat comment deleted I can't find it and I did read your responsec

[@mylittlethoughttree]

Weird it deleted? Is that youtube glitching out or something? In terms of Caitlyn, I think the crucial quote is her saying to Jinx in the cell "when are you going to take accountability for what you've done?" I think that tells us exactly what Caitlyn wants and I think, through that, she might be able to forgive. Though let's not forget Caitlyn has done bad things, too. She unleashed the grey on the undercity and Jinx has been angry about that. However, the thing about taking accountability is that it requires self-belief. Often people try to shame or guilt people into taking accountability...but if you feel so bad that nothing could ever improve, and you can't ever do good...then what's the point of trying? You take accountability often when you believe you can do better and believe trying to repair would actually make a difference. I think that's why her conversation with Ekko is important, and also why I wished we'd seen more of it.

[@vanesasteves6922]

I also hated the fact that they didn't show us Jinx choosing to be free and beliving in herself, to live for her, after the sacrifice for Vi, it feels tragic and unsatisfying for her arc

[@yipyip4177]

LOVED your conclusion. the ending's implications stirred me a little disappointed T__T regardless of that rn, this analysis was sooo good! this interpretation felt strangely comforting and i found myself falling in love w jinx's character more :') subscribed instantlyyyyyy

[@ViewTube_Dan]

0:06 That scene with the hairs in all direction is something I would put on a giant canvas and put it right into the center of my living room.

[@TheUnknownFactor]

The way the Wasteland song ends makes me feel a bit better about the end. The end of the song is still sad, but no longer wanting to die. I dont know to what degree that is in line with what Arcane considers canon, but I prefer to think it is

[@kaybee7860]

yeah i didn’t feel satisfied by the ending, it felt like we’ve spent so much time on Jinx’s character arc only to have it just end unfinished. She still believes that she is a jinx in the end. She willingly sacrifices herself so that Vi can live happily bc she thinks she can’t be saved, can’t ever be good and live happily with Vi. Even if she survives, she runs away and leave Vi and Ekko to suffer and mourn, still believing they’d be better off without her. I love what you say about how she WAS breaking the cycle in Act 2 and then falls back into it in Act 3. When Silco talks about breaking the cycle, he’s saying that we can escape the prison cell of our identity, we can change. Do not fight those who say you can’t change, simply walk away from them and go change. And Jinx IS changing in Act 2 but by Act 3 she’s acting like she’s a jinx and can never do good. She doesn’t find the strength to walk away from her identity, but instead runs away from the very people who believe she can change, Vi and Ekko. They spent so many hours setting up this theme of change and this character who believes she can’t and then they end it with her Killing herself. it’s so disappointing

[@NeroTheAngel]

I love the episodes when Vi and Jinx finally get along with each other to save vander in season 2. This was a really perfect version of Jinx

[@MaximusOfTheMeadow]

1:41 I Just had a talk about that with some friends, about we see ourselves as a different person then how others see us I see myself as a dangerous guy, I'm scared to sit next to a girl despite never having hit a girl before. But a friend told me she'd feel safer if I'd walk next to her in the dark That was an exhausting conversation, I'm glad to relax with a good video tonight, you make really good ones

[@Yeneney]

you're doing great, chuck :)

[@MaximusOfTheMeadow]

@@Yeneney I don't know what chuck is, except to throw or drink.... it sound's like an insult? I'm not English so your swearwords are child splay

[@ulamgexe7442]

He's referring to Chuck Norris ^^

[@MaximusOfTheMeadow]

​@@ulamgexe7442 Ooooooooohhh😅 I'm sorry I know him only form an old World of warcraft ad, a shaving ad and form the Expendable movies

[@MaximusOfTheMeadow]

@@ulamgexe7442 Ooooooooooooh😅I'm sorry Thanks. I only know Chuck Noriss form an old World of Warcraft ad, a shaving and and the Expendables movies

[@katcrow]

Also Isha doing the finger guns, alongside the happy sounding song, makes me think of how Jinx tells Isha when they first meet about that "feeling behind your eyes", when anything could end in an instant. Maybe something about the idea that Isha is focusing on that feeling Jinx talked about because she knows she's about to die anyway. So she looks at her hero and thinks of one of the first things her hero told her - and channeling that into her mindset right at the end. She KNEW what was going to happen, and it almost felt like she wanted jinx to know she had that "feeling behind your eyes" before she died, instead of being afraid. It's heart breaking that she died, watching a child go from panicked and searching for some kind of help, to slowly seeing there is no one left to come help, and accepting her own death. Watching a small child fully understand that she is running to her death and keep going because she thought it was a worthy sacrifice - one of the most heart wrenching things I've watched in a show or movie ever

[@Crimsonking120]

i feel like if jinx didnt faked her death and told vi she was just leaving, it wouldnt have worked. Mostly because piltover wont let her walk away like that or vi will try to go with her (which jinx doesn't wants)

[@jcm2606]

Vi would 100% want to go with her. Vi's just as traumatised due to her time in Stillwater alone with her thoughts during arguably her lowest point mentally, so she would 100% want to go with Jinx just so that she can protect her.

[@mrbushido56]

I strongly believe jinx will be in 1 of the sequels. Either ionia or demacia. I think the scene with cait n the blueprints is set up for her to track jinx down. N we get a storyline where jinx will be forced to work with cait while also trying to get away from her but failing. Eventually I think jinx will accept who she is and allow herself to be happy

[@mrbushido56]

If this is their ending it's not a happy one. Vi n jinx still have character development

[@mylittlethoughttree]

Oh hey, thanks for the support, that means so much! In honesty, I didn't even know they were making other shows (I live under a rock with most things) that's good to hear, I really, really want more of these characters

[@Telrob]

@@mrbushido56 Agree wholeheartedly.

[@feduckil9238]

@@mylittlethoughttree I would be really afraid to see Jinx in any of the Arcane sequels, with how tragic the story turns out for most of the characters… She’s had enough tragedy, let her heal in peace, let her walk away from her role as “Jinx”.

[@Simon-A.-Tan]

@@feduckil9238 Nah, let her team up with Lux.

[@JinxxSphinxx]

Yes!! I was wishing for a good Arcane video and I see thiss 🎉 I agree with you, while it makes some type of a poetic narrative, I also really dislike the sacriface, even if faked. She progresses, thanks to Ekko mostly, to a will to continue living and to choose her own way, away from the ties of the past. Prior to that ending she did everything symbolically to cut those ties - the hair, the burning of Silco's office/apartment, her newfound will to live and help everyone, her mish mashed style with Ekko, all pointed to a Jinx that moved from the past to the present finally and who wished to better herself instead of ending herself, to forgive herself. So for her to die with and while killing the literal husk of their first adopted father.... Yikes.

[@Telrob]

It's even worse than that because it's largely Vi's fault that Jinx HAD to sacrifice herself in the first place and now she has to live with that which basically puts Vi back in the position she was in when Marcus dragged her off to jail, at least regarding her sister.

[@DLxxx]

@@Telrob True. And the cherry on top is the lyrics that play over Vi wailing. "I know it's my fault that I'm here all alone." It implies that this newfound grief has burdened and reawakened the same guilt she's wrongly been holding onto all season. Which means they both relapsed here. Or at least, that's the less charitable interpretation.

[@Telrob]

@@DLxxx Can only hope they did it this way because they arent done with the characters. We know one of the creators has said Cait and Vi will be back, and by how the cast reacted in the afterglow i think it possible Jinx returns too. Or I'm just high on copium because i can't cope with this being the ending of them.

[@feduckil9238]

I highly recommend listening to the full version of Roal & the Serpent - Wasteland, the lyrics for the second part of the song are different. We are never able to hear the 2nd part in the background when Ekko talks Jinx out of killing herself, but even if barely audible and illegible, it’s still there.

[@feduckil9238]

Here it is, if you don’t want to go searching yourself: I'm not ready to face it Don't go saying goodbye There's a beauty in changes And I wanna try This world is a wasteland where nothing can grow If it weren't for you, I'd be here all alone I know in my heart this is where we belong This world is a wasteland Don't let me go, go, go, go, go, go, go Don't let me go

[@RED_XLR]

@@feduckil9238 The song has an optimistic ending, even though it's depressing throughout most of it. Some people don't bother listening to OSTs, they give up too easily, too fast, so they'll never know unless you spell it out for them. The lyrics means that she didn't give up and was willing to try and not let go in the end. According to the song she also didn't want to say goodbye. So she didn't say goodbye, but she left without saying anything, without saying goodbye, which is melancholic, but accurate to the song.

[@feduckil9238]

@@RED_XLR I think Arcane intentionally makes it so you have to go out of your way searching for shreds of confirmation that the ending is not as bleak as it seems. It’s like an exercise in hopefulness, the show asks you to play along, to step into the shoes of the characters, who also need to find strength in spite of all the tragedies. So it urges you to believe that there is a possibility for a different outcome, and to seek it out. And like in the real world, there is no firm proof that the hope will ever pay off, you have to stake your own heart and soul on your beliefs and keep going.

[@Yeneney]

@@feduckil9238 okay that was deep but I buy it, wow

[@BlinkyTheSpaceCadet]

A lot of trauma sufferers need a change of environments to really allow themselves to try new things and change. I think Jinx has to leave before she can ever value herself enough to understand that Vi and her can co-exist not as opposites but as equals. That's why it shocks her so much when Vi asks her her opinion at Viktor's commune. The idea that this was possible never even occurred to her. Just like you said - but the grief is far too heavy for her and she needs time to process that before she can allow her sense of self-identity to change.

[@OutroJ040]

Well i think that jynx not making excatly the "right" choice in the ending, choosing to "die" either way, makes sense with how the show portraits that emotions conflicts with reason and make us do the wrong choices sometimes. She tought that she needed to step away in order do set vi free to be able to be happy, shes wrong yeah, but at least she has done it for the right reasons, not for ego, not for guilty but for love, to see the ones that she love able to start over without having to take care for her, she now is the one who will take care of her self. And the ending is open, that for itself makes that is possible for her to show up again sometime, you never know. I think it beautiful, resonates with the themes of the show and shows that in the end she learned that there were both the good and bad in her, she just wants to discover them by herself a part from everything that she has done in the past and move on.

[@WhiteMists]

i think jinxs final suicide was because of ekko essentially shower her that there is still good in her. id like to believe he told her about his alternate world experience and that they can still build that happy ending. while doing so he convinces her to help save vi and they prep and build her weapon in the same way ekko did in the alternate world. Then when the end comes, jinx sees this as her attempt to finally be the saviour she always wanted to be as a kid. to finally do something right for once

[@Venator-711]

The conclusion IS positive for Jinx. She breaks free from the cycle, just like her inner self (or her image of Silco) was telling her to. She is alive in the airship in the end. One of if not the first jinx's line in the show is "One day, I'm gonna ride in one of those things." While looking at an airship and this happens in the first scene, and then we get an airship in the last scene with Jinx's theme (dear friend across the river) in the background.

[@Espo2]

schnee the goat fr, amazing dlc analysis

[@luthert657]

I believe it's challenging to understand anyone's thoughts, let alone someone struggling with mental instability and a history of suicidal ideation. While Ekko might change her mind, the unpredictability of her mental state makes her decision plausible. We simply can't know what she'll do or how her thoughts might shift afterward.

[@fab_u_lissa]

I totally agree about the problems with Jinx’s ending. For a show about growth and metamorphosis of characters, it made no sense to me why they would let Jinx go out like that in the same mindset she had at the start of the season. I saw a theory that when the writers killed Isha they didn’t know what to do with Jinx’s character- I think that’s true. Her depression makes sense in the end but it was a detriment to the overall story.

[@nicolaspleasuregalani2115]

What stood out for me right before Jinx 'killing' herself and (probably really) killing Warwick/Vander is how Vi behaves in relation to Warwick. The way they show her behaviour as well as how she is visually beneath Jinx (and on shaky ground) signified sth. for me I couldn't explain while watching, but after thinking a bit about it feels to make sense psychologically: I think Jinx, with Ekko's help, actually managed to (at least temporarily) overcome her deepest self-hate and by that her image of what she is able to be and do. She's able to move on from Isha's death - which revitalised her most negative ideas about herself - and do sth. good, which she does by joining the fight. Now, "glorious evolved Warwick" is there too and has to be fought (incidentally the single "evolved" being still alive after Viktor's end). And while Vi and Jinx fight him together for the whole time, after the fight and before he wakes up again, Jinx is not really focused on him, while Vi IS. As soon as there is breathing room and no fighting, Vi immediately reaches out to him because she still wants = needs him to be Vander. Jinx on the other hand doesn't. I feel like what all that tries to convey is that through Jinx overcoming her suicidality and experiencing herself do sth. good, she manages to not only see herself clearer than before, but also Vi. And Vi is much more stuck in the past than Jinx/Powder is actually. Vi never evolved from a parentified child left with her little sister who she always wanted to protect. Vi tried to protect Powder as well as Milo and Claggor, and after the talk with Vander in S1 (when she tries to turn herself in), she tried to protect Vander and the whole undercity. She also wants to protect Caitlyn (calling her cupcake, underestimating her abilites as a shooter, ...) which is why she is so afraid for Cait to change (even though Cait does actually change for the worse in the beginning, it nevertheless fulfills Vi's psychological pattern wanting her to stay "soft" and good in a harmless way). All that said, Vi doesn't really get a deeper personality development during season 2. Which is why she has a complete breakdown after Cait leaves her alone. Without having someone to protect, she's kind of clueless as what to do (in a meaningful relationship). Vander/Warwick is both someone to look up to who protected her (or at least tried to) as well as someone in need for protection (in this state). He's a strong symbol for the past which she, after all this, after Jinx joined her and fought with her, still can't let go. Now back to Jinx. I feel like she, on some level at least, realises that Vi is stuck in a past that doesn't exist anymore. Much more stuck than her in a deep way. She actually glimpsed new possibilites by meeting Isha and also now by remeeting Ekko and probably hearing from him about her positive potentials. I think THIS in COMBINATION with everything you pointed out in the video let's her make the decision to save Vi from Warwick, fake her death practically, but dying spiritually FOR VI. I think in her mind, this could help Vi to overcome the past to which she is tied too strongly. Losing Powder/Jinx and Vander makes room in Vi's heart that otherwise would always be filled with an idea of the past that can never return. It can't return because Powder in this pure, innocent version that Vi kept in her head for the whole first season truly doesn't exist anymore (just as Vander doesn't). Powder and Jinx are one person, complex and messy, and Jinx never got any strong indication that her sister understands this. First Vi wouldn't cope with Powder having turned into Jinx (S1) and when she accepted Jinx, it was JUST Jinx and no Powder left (S2 Arc 1). Jinx can't give Vi what she needs and Vi can't give Jinx what SHE needs. So, I don't directly agree with Jinx's decision here. She could just save Vi, then return to her and talk with her about all that. But well, it's Arcane and those people are all really not good at lengthy talks about how they actually feel and what's going on. And even if they were, Jinx is probably in no state to be able to do that ... yet. While it's obvious that Ekko was able to spark positive energy in her, she still has all her trauma and the issues of dealing with it. It seems to me that she probably decided quite spontaneously to disappear after saving Vi. By staying alive, she gives the good in her a chance, and by staying away from Vi, she can move on from a sister that isn't suited for her anymore AND by staying away from Ekko, who possibly is suited for her actual, present self, she doesn't have to challenge herself too much too fast with all the good he might want to fill her darkened mind with. Who knows, she might want to come back at some point when she she feels more secure to confront the difficulty of reconciling past and present. Before that, why not have some well deserved esacpism and fly far away? And just to briefly mention Caitlyn. I feel like she agrees with Jinx on this idea (or at least she feels like Jinx's death does open room for her to move in in Vi's heart). Because she very obviously contemplates the idea of Jinx having escaped, but doesn't tell Vi about it (at least we aren't shown that) and rather seeks confirmation whether Vi wants to truly stay at her side.

[@Sergioshi_]

9:38 I love love love this segment, her seeing how it not only confirms that she's a jinx that deserves no sympathy or "a second chance" (s2ep8), but how it also affects Vi becoming a worse version. That causes a mindset shift and I now realize that "to finish what's left of my family" meant she wanted both Vi and Jinx to reach their ends, not just Vi. However, I don't fully agree with focusing her loss of hope on CaitVi. Jinx considers herself a burden, independently of Caitlyn, and just wants to force Vi to move on by trying two ways of walking away: dying first, and faking it later. She spent the whole pitfighter Vi timeframe on the shadows, and only Vander was a true reason to talk to her sister again.

[@rinyunis3629]

yes as someone with friends who have depression and have committed suicide it bothered me so much that the onscreen obvious ending for jinx was a suicide! that cut deep as an ending for this character, especially showing how much pain it put her sister in. it seems likely that theres more jinx in the future of whatever shows are next in this universe but it felt like to add tragedy they cut scenes that could have shown growth and made that ending from feeling so hopeless, like jinx and ekko after he stops her, or vi processing jinx's apparent death.

[@GK-dc2oe]

One of the writers said that Jinx and Vi are basically 'destined' to be like this no matter the timeline/universe and I really, really dislike that way of thinking. It goes against the very real and human feel of the characters to shove in some 'destiny' contrivance. The sisters have had mere days together again after multiple failed attempts to reunite and almost everything that prevents them from making up is external causes, every time. It feels like tragedy for tragedy's sake if they say 'oh but it's destiny'... As if Vi could never learn to let Jinx go off on her own for a few years to heal because 'that's her character', or bad sfuff always happens around jinx because 'that's her character'. I really liked season 2 still, but character writing did suffer and I hope they address that in their next shows.

[@DLxxx]

Oof.. Yeah, the notion that they're fated to never be able to live together in peace is.. Well.. it doesn't feel healthy or realistic. They have agency, and they're human beings capable of growth and change. Why couldn't they figure it out?

[@derekmarshman6154]

What a great video! Love it!

[@NoMustang273]

I personally was happy with Jinx's ending because it was a realistic way to redeem her without making light of her actions. Jinx staying means continued tensions b/w Zaun and Piltover and Cait will never just be able to live alongside her like nothing's happened. She can let Jinx have a second chance but it'd be a shadow on her relationship with Vi and Vi herself is someon who will never give up on those she loves. She'd never be happy with Jinx in prison and she'd probably go after he if she tried to leave. So Jinx forces Vi's hand (heh) and makes the choice for her and she herself has the opportunity to make a new life free from her burdens and her past and form new relationships and heal and make up for the mistakes she's made as a new person. The fact that it was Ekko who saved her was key I think. She knows Vi would always try to save her and she blames herself for Vi's suffering but Ekko someone she's tried to kill multiple times and vice versa genuinely believing that she can change is what she needed.

[@Malevolent_bacon]

5:58 the ekko cycle is rough in shorts, but the blueberry cupcake surprise and firework reminders were nice 😊

[@al_eggs]

Arcane Season 2 has such a good story and it hurts to see the final product be as rushed as it is. We see the beginnings and ends of every arc, but there wasn’t any time for the connective tissue, and the story suffered for it. I have faith that they could have concluded everything in a much more satisfying way if given more time.

[@BEETSSOLO]

I think I read the ending more as Jinx deciding not to be a Jinx anymore. There is a good version of her somewhere but she wont be able to find that version in Zaun/Piltover anymore. So she leaves everything behind. Her sister, city, status and her name behind for a chance to be that good version she deep down wants to be.

[@Saberlena]

Ep 8 gets more shit than it deserves. It's the emotional culmination of the original story. Cait and Jinx come to an understanding that allows all three of the main characters to walk away. A very important thing is lacking in that conversation. Neither of them forgive each one another. They just agree to take ownership of the pain they've caused others, and resolve not to do it anymore. It takes place in a prison because it's just as Silco says - they're all chained in their codes and commitments, locked in by walls of self-doubt and accepted limitation. Jinx doesn't believe she can be good. Caitlyn doesn't know if she can live up to the responsibility that is literally draped over her shoulders. Vi can't let go. Ultimately Cait and Jinx have to choose for Vi because Vi's greatest strength - her unshakable love for her family - is going to kill her. It comes full circle (or just repeats itself) in Ep 9 when Vi literally can't let go and Jinx again has to choose for her sister. It's why I love Vi. She's ride or die. It just so happens Arcane rolls the 'die' more than the 'ride'.

[@mikaelaslaveykova2102]

I love this video, I think that in the end jinx knew she had to walk away from her sister so they can both start their new beginnings. I do feel that jinx developed the "my sister became like this because of me" mentality. She was watching Vis pitfights from the very start so she knew what her sister became as a consequence of choosing jinx over Caitlyn in episode 3. Then again because vi chose her in the 6th episode vi almost died by shielding her sister from the blast. Powered by ishas loss as well by episode 8 when her sister is again choosing her, something jinx yearned for for so long, now that is the one thing jinx doesn't want to happen. It pains her. Full circle moment

[@cwinchcarwash2629]

Okay so I actually made a different long ass comment, but ive reas even more and seen several people concluded the same things + MORE and articulated it all better and shorter haha Id LOVE to see another vid putting tigether all those interpretations specifically on the ending, to kinda heal the confusion and hurt left at the end of this video

[@1991Aski]

Everyone loves Jinx simply because redemption is often the deepest yearning of our hearts, be that for ourselves or someone else. We yearn to see kindness, compassion and love triumphing over insecurities, fear and hate. For, we all profoundly know that at the core of each and every one of us is a Powder looking to love and be loved.

[@iOfTheStormm]

Going back to the Wasteland song at the end I think is deliberate. Like the first time she's just done and ready to go, so the lyrics are literal. But the 2nd time, they aren't. Normal sleeping (i say normal deliberately, before people bring up sleep disorders and nightmares, etc.) is one of the most innocent and peaceful things one can do. So the way I interprate the lyrics the 2nd time is: "maybe if Vi thinks I'm dead, maybe she can finally feel peace" which i know isn't true, Vi will be crippled by the loss like you said in the video. But what happens AFTER Vi is finally able to come to terms with it and move on? That's what Jinx is sacrificing for. That's the "good" sacrifice that Jinx is making. And then she gets to just leave and start over (I feel like Jinx being alive is all but confirmed at this point so I'm running with it) but there will be a reunion between the sisters at some point within all these stories that the writers want to tell. I just hope it's not soon. For me, taking in what is generally believed to be Jinx's arc and how it relates to Isha, Vi, the undercity, and herself, it kinda just falls into place for me.

[@camilap.8096]

I don’t know why but i find comfort in tragic endings, specially in jinx’s. She’s my favorite character in the show, for many reasons. But listeninf to this sypnopsis and in turn learning about my feelings and why I should definitely seek a therapist makes me feel a stir of emotions. I feel sad, disappointed, comfort, guilt, and almost happiness? I don’t know, just the fact that in my head she got to run away alive, even with those misconceptions makes me feel comforted. It’s not the best option but it is an option. I don’t think I could work myself towards the best option and maybe that’s why I find comfort in that. Anyways awesome video, my stuffed penguin is now stuffed in tears lol

[@skydemon3423]

8:20 damn this hit me hard never realized thats EXACTLY what i used to do

[@reaperandyel]

10:06 That's a great take. Love it.