Arcane: Analysing a Masterpiece - Part 2
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- Опубликовано: 14 июн 2024
- Episodes 4-6 of Arcane continue to be excellent, further developing the fantastic characters and narratives that were set up in act 1.
But why is it so good, and what problems are present? Tune in to find out.
Characters
00:00 - Heimerdinger
26:22 - Jayce
47:11 - Viktor
1:01:10 - Caitlyn
1:17:13 - Cassandra
1:22:46 - Sevika
1:27:00 - Silco
1:45:49 - Jinx
2:15:59 - Marcus
2:29:57 - Mel
2:41:34 - Vi
Worldbuilding
3:04:28 - How has the World Changed?
3:14:02 - The Ethos
3:16:59 - The Hex Core
3:26:04 - Huck and Shimmer
3:31:24 - The Council of Piltover
Plot
3:33:55 - Caitlyn's Investigation
3:44:07 - Still Water Hold
3:55:15 - Jinx Weaponising Hextech
3:56:59 - Why Didn't Sevika Kill Vi
3:59:01 - Why Did Caitlyn Let Sevika Get Away
4:00:38 - The Water Tower
Storytelling
4:03:51 - General Storytelling
4:04:52 - You Expect Everyone To Give You What You Want
4:07:51 - Juxtaposition
4:11:08 - Multiple Misunderstandings
4:20:04 - Consequences
Wrapping Up
4:22:10 - Conclusion
4:23:44 - Outro
4:24:19 - Bonus Content
Thank you to HP Lefty for creating the pixel art character.
Second Channel - / @randomft2
Rando Discord - / discord
Patreon - / randomfilmtalk
Twitter - / randomfilmtalk 
Кино
You may have noticed, part 1 of this series is no longer on RUclips. This is because Netflix, in their infinite wisdom, decided to nuke the video. I am in the process of resolving this, but it may take a couple of weeks.
As part 1 was not removed until shortly after it broke 100k views, I fully expect the same to happen with this video.
Stay tuned, it will be back soon.
"But when I engage maximum autism.." let's be honest, that's what we're all here for.
Another fantastic review sir!
"Maximum autism" indeed. Heimer is a so subtle manipulator that Random is forced at the end of his head canon about Stanwick to admit he is reading to much into this. That however doesn't dissuade him to pursue with his head canon in the next scene, stating in the same sentence that Heimer is awful at politics schemes but is really calculated with his manipulation of Jayce and Viktor until he is not anymore, and so on and on.
All of this leading to nothing more than what we are shown on the screen without whatever ulterior scheming motives Heimer could have.
For example, I am sure Heimerdinger is Leblanc in disguise when he is doing his super machiavelians speeches, while the real Heimer is in the opera all this time. Nothing explicitely says it's not the case, so I will state this at a fact, but maybe not because it's not 100% established but the show is too clever not to take my head canon into account so I will continue to elaborate on this basis.
I like shiting on media as much as the next guy, but sometimes a massive deep dive into why something is good is so refreshing
If only he wasn't so unbearably wrong.
@@AndrewFrancisIlyrian What's he wrong about?.
@@drakenfist Arcane being good when its in fact garbage, obviously
@@AndrewFrancisIlyrian and what makes it garbage?. Pray tell.
@@drakenfist One example: Jayce's actions in the finale are the epytome of bad writing. He makes a unilateral deal with a terrorist, without even consulting anyone else on the council. Then he accepts extremely unfavorable terms for the council which may soothe his conscience, but will destroy Piltover's economy. Then he presents this to the council in the most undiplomatic way, he insults them, demeans their positions and demands they aquisce to the deal which was already pointless due to Silco's refusal to surrender Jinx. And as soon as Mel votes yes to independence (a woman in a not so subtle romantic relationship with Jayce so y'know, biased), they all fold and vote yes on the peace treaty that would cost them and the city millions. These greedy businessmen, after being demeaned and insulted, agree to an economically catastrophic peace deal whose details they aren't privy to (Jayce never actually tells them about Silco's demand for the Hexgate), which was made without their knowledge by a petulant idealist and a murderous terrorist who hates them. That is as out of character as Forrest Gump killing people while drunk driving. It's bad writing done to make Jinx's massacre of the council more tragic because it made it the murder of peace treaty...which never would have happened anyway since Silco was dead a he wouldn't have agreed to Jinx's imprisonment.
Satisfied?
talking about hiemer not thinking about his own mortality while you face check a bush at half health is a really good joke
Heimerdinger isnt thinking about his mortality cuz he doesnt have mortality.
Yordles are immortal.
If they "die" the respawn back in Bandle City.
...
Unless they changed the lore again ofc 🤔
@@F1rstWorldNomaD In that case, I don't think Heimerdinger can _ever_ be in the position to truly judge the feelings someone has regarding their own mortality, let alone try and give "wisdom" to them about it.
If he wants to be able to connect with his students and peers, he has to learn to view life from their perspective. With that in mind, it makes sense that he'd eventually be led to the Firelights, since he'll realize that people don't just care about survival, but also want to live happy and fulfilling lives (hence why the council would be willing to "losen their morals in favor of comfort and prestige," and why Victor wants to make something meaningful to leave behind before he dies). Once he's able to recognize that, he'll be of better service to his city and his friends.
@@F1rstWorldNomaD Pretty sure yordles' immortality is kinda the whole point of Vex's character so it'd be a weird thing to retcon, but hey, at this point you can't put retconning anything past Riot
@@F1rstWorldNomaDI think they might've changed Yordle lore in arcane, because we see how old the pimp yordle is, and I don't think they age in league lore right? Unless she's mixed race or something, maybe they made yordles live for so long that they might as well be immortal but they do age or something idk.
“The spirit is willing but THE FLESH IS WEAK” I see what you did there.
And spongy!
Once I understood the weakness of my flesh, it disgusted me.
3:29:00
There are indeed different strains of Shimmer, it is confirmed in the show.
When Viktor goes to Singed and gets a vial he asks "is this Shimmer" and Singed replies "one variant", confirming that there are more than one.
I dont think Jayce offers Cait the job on his staff because he think she needs to be protected.
Its because he already knows she was fired as an enforcer due to her parents meddling.
Cait says "I already have a job"
Jayce says "No you dont" explains what her parents did and follows up with "This is the best I could do".
He tried to remedy what he knew would be devestating to her by keeping her in a similar career.
It also sounds like he is well aware that its not really the same thing.
Despite Jayce's good intentions, Cait also sees his offer as yet another instance of her being given something she hasn't earned, simply because she knows the right person.
@@KingKamor2 Yeah, that was my take away too. Doesn't she say something like: "I don't need your charity, _councilor._ Yours or my parents."
I absolutely agree with that interpretation.
Sky is, bar none, the most impressive "non-character" ive ever seen.
Ive never cared so much and felt so bad for a character thats not even a character.
She has what? Barely a minute of screen time total, yet it feels like she belonged and as if she had always been there.
Very impressive writing.
[[spoilers for the last 3 episodes]]
Same here. I think that I like Sky so much because her story was so simple, as well as similar to Viktor's own story. Like him, she grew up in the Undercity and was likely self-taught on many subjects. Like him, she used her intelligence to make it all the way to the Piltover Academy. Like him, she became assistant to one of the greatest scientists in the city. It's only ever implied, but she very likely did all of this for the sole purpose of getting close to Viktor, but he had no time left to be distracted. She only ever saw his admirable human qualities, but he met her advances as a cold machine. Her death is so tragic because she had no idea what was happening, because Viktor was so hyper-focused on his research that he didn't even tell his assistant what he was up to or how the Hex Core worked, and she only ever tried to help.
RIP, Sky best girl.
I thought she changed her name to Ash?
Tasteless joke… I couldn’t resist.
@@brentpnw9091quite a hearty chuckle from me 😂
@@brentpnw9091 sky made sure that no matter what happens with jinx, there will always be powder
taste is for the weak
Re: Cassandra allowing Caitlyn to train with weapons. I consider this as a "high class" pastime, akin to fox-hunting or similarly "posh" activities. IIRC, Caitlyn even poses with guns in family pictures, and we know that Cassandra herself knows her way around a firearm. I find it likely that it is simply family tradition to know your way around a gun and is taught from a young age. As for the competition, Caitlyn was young and competitive: it would make sense that she would wish to be in a shooting competition to measure herself against others.
I agree. It seems more akin to upper class British gun club culture than American 2nd amendment gun culture. The rich have time and resources for sporting. The poor can’t be trusted with weapons.
When I initially watched Arcane, completely unfamiliar with the game(still am), I thought the exact same thing. Hunting, Horseback Riding, Hosting Costumed Orgies and whatever other things rich people do.
I think there's also some very minor character building for Cassandra in the flashback. We see Caitlyn's dad talking with other people, laughing and holding a gun. Then it cuts to Cassandra cringing slightly but trying to laugh along with what's being said. Then in Act 3 we see that Cassandra comes in with a gun when she thinks that someone has broken into their home. Possibly, she herself enjoys shooting beyond the pure aesthetic or high class passtime.
Do we know what business their family is in? Could be that firearms are a big deal for them beyond being a hobby.
@@CrustlessKing bedroom toy manufacturers
Very surprised the arcane videos are getting less attention than the other series. While it is very entertaining to see you rip apart problems in terrible media in the way you do, I find that these are much better for (to vastly oversimplify) understanding what makes writing as good or as bad as it is. Pointing out flaws can be easy, understanding the reasons something is good is demonstrably more difficult. I feel that a lot of bad writing comes from misunderstanding what makes something like Arcane so good, leading to poor emulation. Videos like this are incredibly helpful to anyone looking to create. A lot of dismissal of criticism stems takes the form of saying "Well, this other thing did it and people loved it" and having absolutely no idea how night and day the two examples are.
I am more likely to rewatch the other series as "background noise" entertainment whereas this will be rewatched to take additional notes. Undeniably of higher value. So thank you. I hope the series is as fun for you to make as it is for us to consume.
This is the only series I've watched from RFT, because I'm a fan of the show. If I haven't watched a bad show/movie, I don't have much reason to look at videos ripping them apart. And even with ones I have seen, I prefer that the criticism be used as comparison points in good media (such as the Twilight or Rings of Power comparisons in this video), as it is more informative that way.
Yeah it's true negative entertainment gets more views. but this sort of thing would be good references for when he rips apart other shows. also no one can say "he only shits on other shows". He can point to this work and laugh. This is mostly for us true fans of RFT and some Arcane fans.
But people generally don't need to justify their love for something. So Arcane fans will need the interest of the deep intricate workings of how and why a show works.
While hatred NEEDS to be justified. Otherwise, it just becomes indifference.
Excellent take on Sevika.
Soooo many times I hear people refere to her as disloyal when she is THE most loyal character in the entire show.
People are just to short sighted to realize _where_ her loyalties lies.
Not with any person but with the cause.
Shes consistend, resolute and never once waver in her loylaties.
Even when she do "betray" Vander and considers leaving Silco, shes up front about it, she tells them.
There is no betrayal.
The bad guys in this show is fakking top tier.
Exactly, for a side character she actually gets a lot of characterization. Not to mention that I can't help but feel that her and Vi would get along really well if the whole Vander thing didn't happen.
You people are so stupid.
That's how I saw it. She didn't backstab, she didn't betray anyone by her standards; Vander did. And when she challenged him, and he challenged her back, she got right up in his face despite being half his size, and then left. I fully understand Vi's characterization of her, but I seem to have liked her character a lot more than a lot of people. She could have been a cackling psycho henchman, and she isn't. And that whole advising Silco on giving Jinx some time was a brilliantly subtle bit of characterization.
It's wild that I would rather watch a 4 hour analysis of a show I've already watched than anything new.
Glad to see your work lad
RFT’s analysis videos are always fascinating. I often find he picks up on/explains elements I’d missed on first watch. Although at this point he might have to steal the Longman crown from Mauler 🤣
@@someoneelse1904
I appreciate the character breakdowns and tracking the plot threads from start to finish in particular. A show like Arcane that does great character work shines under careful/thoughtful scrutinization. A show like RoP falls apart under even minor attention.
His analysis and emphasis on why some character moments are so powerful resonate emotionally every bit as watching the show itself.
I disagree on Jayce not blaming Mel. I think it's consistent with him always blaming himself for everything. He seems to take full responsibility for whatever he does no matter if he was manipulated into it or not. It is also a part of him being perceived as quite arrogant.
I also think that Jayce hasn't engaged with the politicing side for all that long, Mel has been supporting Jayce for the past 7 years with hextech, and he only was appointed to the council for the last like week. Missing Viktor's deteriorating condition due to politics is just wrong.
I think I'd call him idealistic more than anything. It's fascinating watching his ideals being challenged throughout the show by the cynical world of politics. He also recognizes his "shitty role to play" at the end while also still trying to do good. Jayce is a great character. Well, everyone is in this show tbh but I don't think he's talked about enough.
Sir! You're achieving unprecedented levels of LONG and I am here for it!
Pause
"The Incredible Huck" was the best part of this video
Sneaking in "whoredle" was a close second for me.
I think what Heimerdinger was saying when he said he had seen a seed destroy entire civilizations before was more along the lines of "I've seen civilizations make technological breakthroughs of such a substantial and dangerous level that it destroyed them". I never took it as he saw that exact thing. He's talking about SEEDs of destruction, of corrupting power. In my opinion.
That, or he recognized the "magical effect" produced by the Hex Core as something dangerous, even if the Hex Core itself was new to him.
Its unlikely that anyone used technology to create magic before.
Heimerdinger is talking about mages destroying civilizations using magic that at its core is similar to whatever Jayce and Viktor are doing.
If they continue using the established lore he is talking specifically about the rune wars that quite literally destroyed a civilization with essentially a magic nuke, you can still see the crater on the Runeterra map.
@@soeintyp9393 I thought he was talking about the configuration of the runic symbols, or how they moved around or something, basically that it was similar to the way runes move around a very powerful mage and that he recognizes that this has enough power to potentially destroy the city.
He keeps seeing flashbacks to the rune wars, which involved the world runes. I assumed the hexcore reminded him of a world rune, which has the power to reshape the land, or destroy it, and was also very sought after for the power they provided, as well as their capability as a mass weapon
I don't understand why you don't have more subs, seriously impressive video. Keep up the great work I love the long form content!
I'm pretty bumpned you haven't touched on Jinx's line "Are you real?"when the sisters reunite at the end of ep 6
He does acknowledge it at 2:15:11 , just in a more general sense. Because if not for the cut on her leg, Jinx probably WOULD have questioned if Vi was truly there, or if her desire to see her in that moment caused her to hallucinate their whole reunion.
@DLxxx Agreed, but the line says a lot in that moment too, that she enviosioned that moment so many times, that she wanted to many times to be reunited with Vi
@@absoluteirony9461 True! I hadn't considered that.
If Jinx has been hallucinating that kind of reunion so many times that she needs Vi to tell her, then that confirms that she really was aching to see her sister again. The flare wasn't just a simple momento of Vi, it was symbolic of her desire to reach out to her and make peace.
Its a really cool detail, because it means Jinx understood that she has just as much of a responsibility to mend their relationship as Vi does (even if she ultimately can't bring herself to meet her halfway).
@DLxxx The flare is the pinacle of that want. With all that she knows by now, she puts all the trust in that flare, the trust that Vi is really out there and that Vi wants to meet her as well. She trusts that she forgave her for that night, that is not mad anymore. She shows to her and to the entire world that she wants Vi back. And this is why she is so mad at the end of it. The dissapointed in her eyes, dissapointed directed at her is immense, she's mad at herself that she belived even for a little bit that Vi "forgave" her for that night, she's mad that she lost focus with this stupid wants and refocuses when she looks at the stone.
From the moment she opens the flare till the end of the ep is the best of Arcane.
1:59:53 Hahaha yes, I was waiting for your comparison of Thorin and Jinx and how their mental illnesses were handled. The Arcane writers did such a good job of making Jinx so incredibly unhinged while also getting the audience to completely understand and sympathize with her point of view.
I like the way her mental illness wasn't portrayed as quirky or uwu or whatever. it genuinely messes up her life and gets in the way of her ability to make and keep bonds with people. feels like so much media portrays mental illness as a personality trait while everyone is still drawn to this person and wants to hang out with them all the time bc they're a Main Character
When I saw it was 4 and a half hours I thought you would do the second and third act and the final breakdown in one. But nope, it’s just part 2 lmao. Amazing dedication
38:05 Correction: Mel *polished* Jayce's gemstones
Sextech
Note: Jinx's calling card is a doodle of Milo specifically. In her hallucinations, imaginary Milo is explicitly hostile to her, insulting her, blaming her for his death. This can mean one of two things. The doodles could mean that she perceives Milo as judging the actions for which she is leaving the calling card as some expression of guilt for those actions or they are a repudiation of his (her own) insults to her as being useless. Either way, I don't think they have some externally directed motivation like recognition.
Jinx's calling card is actually the head of her monkey bomb, lol. Vi could recognize it because she saw it lying on the ground after seeing Milo and Claggor's bodies.
Milo's face IS, however, painted on the head plate of Vi's punching machine. She did that prior to Act one, which was clearly her way of getting back at Milo for how often he judged her.
I just finished your Final Autopsy on The Hobbit, saw a link to Arcane pt 2 at the end, and immediately clicked thinking I’d missed its upload. Excited to continue with this series.
2:25:32 I strongly agree with this sentiment. Which made me all the more shocked when I went online and figured out he was by far the most hated character in the series. Like in every fan poll to reaction content I've engaged with Marcus is seen as the worst scum of the show, even when directly compared to druglord kingpins and Imperialistic warmongers. I get it's understandable, I mean he has next to no redeeming qualities to speak for, but it always seemed strange how a show based off of grey morally conflicted characters and how we can end up empathizing with them had a notable exception in the form of Marcus.
My crackpot theory is that he is too relatable, that he embodies the deepest aspects that we as a general audience despise in ourselves. We always believe that if we were born into the world of arcane we might be like Vi, someone abused by an uncaring system but still valiantly does the heroic thing of trying to save her little sister all the while being a badass who could beat the shit out of any bad guy. In reality, I think 99% of us would end up like Marcus. Someone who thought they were doing the "right thing" and ended up failing miserably at it, and is now stuck between doing what's right and doing what will actually keep the people we love safe.
Maybe this theory is just a baseless projection on how I feel about myself. Maybe people just really dislike him because he's a coward(even tho you say he isn't) and hurts our much more likable main protagonists and antagonists in pretty equal measures. I don't know
I like your theory, and from the little I've learned of human psychology it seems to fit. I've heard the example used by Jordan Peterson in regards to the amount of people who claim; "I'd never side with the Nazis if I was in Germany, I would've voted against them and helped saving Jews during the war."
Long story short; that's just false. Most would do exactly what most Germans did back then, for various reasons. Heroism is rare, that's why it's praised.
Pride, cowardice and fear are common, which I think is because they're tightly connected to self preservation . And when mixed in with the kind of crap Marcus had to juggle with in Arcane - Few would likely done it differently. I doubt I'd had the strength to do better than he did if put into his shoes, especially at the point he was at in Act 2 & 3.
I agree with you and RFT that Marcus is deeper than most people give him credit for, but the supposed "good intentions" attributed to him in this video are quite a reach. In S1, Marcus is willing to hunt and attempt to kill children, and he regularly assaults and insults random people in Zaun. He is drunk with power, and he believes himself to be better than the people of Zaun. He shows absolutely no sympathy towards them, even though many of them are just people born into poverty doing the best they can.
In part 2, he does seem better composed, but he again has no problem with crimes happening to people in Zaun every day. He doesn't become angry at Silco until those crimes reach Piltover. And while his grief for the deaths of the enforcers is genuine, he never shows that his view of Zaunites has changed at all.
Marcus is an amazing character, and in many ways just a regular person, like you stated. But he is absolutely not a good person, and regularly shows that even if he could be free of Silco, he would be a monster in his own right. He is lawful, but he isn't good.
Remember that Marcus most likely was born and raised in Piltover. Not from a great or even minor House but by sheer determination he rose through the ranks of the Enforcers to become Grayson's second in command, who saw potential in him. But his upbringing in Piltover probably colored his perception of the people of The Lanes.
Piltover people generally seems to look down their noses on people from Zaun, usually while holding their breath. They're good as factory workers and miners with very little rights and living the in the chemicals that's a byproduct by those. But take one step over the bridge without a legitimate errand and your shiney hiney belongs to the Enforcers, little Zaunite scum. As we see in ep. 1 The Lanes are a very much a rather seedy, dark place where crime is prevalent and a lot of the richer from Piltover goes to get their "gemstones" tickled.
What also to consider is that it wasn't that long ago a mob of angry Zaunites try to storm Piltover, only being able to stop them at the bridge. This would probably not give the Piltovers any higher toughts of Zaunites in general.
The lower classes in Piltover probably saw themselves as the lowest in Piltover, but miles above "that riff-raff" that was cursed to survive in The Lanes. Seeing their lords and ladies attitude towards the Zaunites, many probably adapted that view themselves, but more into the blood and bone. So when his daughter is born he wants to keep her safe from the dangerous riff-raff of Zaun. Hence his attitude.
Towards Piltover he saw a place he needed to protect, even if it meant to close sleazy deals with Silco, a dreaded Zaunite of the worst sort (according to Marcus).
Like to be quite honest, I hate Marcus the most just because it was him who stopped Vi from going back for Powder. That scene in episode 3 is still I think THE most heartbreaking scene I've seen in media ever, and even if I logically understand most of the wider motivations and characteristics of Marcus I'll always despise him for that 1 moment. If he hadn't been there, Powder never would've become Jinx, things would've gone COMPLETELY differently if Vi had just been able to go back that night.
I read Silco giving Marcus the money as a direct reference to what Marcus did, and was paid for, back before the timeskip. Reminding him that Silco knows about the blood on his hands, and that there will be no backing out now.
I can totally see this being the case. Silco uses a LOT of subtle psychological warfare when it comes to Marcus, and he deliberately stokes his feelings of guilt & shame to make him fall in line.
The money is just yet another case of Silco taunting Marcus, and reminding him why he's in this position.
About Silcos part:
I feel like it is important to note that silco is desperately trying to keep his cool.
The animators took the care in showing that, not only there is a point where silcos composure breaks, but that he is first attempting to use his usual coping mechanisms and only lose it after he cant come up with a response to the worst case scenario.
Once again, thanks for not being a “hate bait” reviewer.
It’s so refreshing to see someone praise something instead of looking for ways to tear it down
3:24:36 On the subject of mages creating a device to cast magic for them, I could see it being done as a sort of labor saving tool. Or something to allow a certain amount of automation to casting by providing the control for the easier, but monotonous parts of a spell while the mage focuses on the more complex parts.
Excellent analysis.
If I can make just one (really minor) complaint.
In future videos, could you add maybe like 1 second screens with a character name when you are switching between analyzing them? I always find myself confused for a sec when you finish the last sentence about current character analysis and immediatelly start the next about another character.
I love your videos, will be still watching them anyway, just a little bit of constructive criticism :D
Timestamp
@@TheReaper569 Yes, but adding 45 seconds of total time to a video this long won't hurt it, and it reduces the need to keep my finger hovering on the screen to pause between "chapters" (as I dislike watching something this long in one go).
@@TheWickedWizardOfOz1 use the underbar in video informstion. İt s an easier scroll
@@TheReaper569 That doesn't change the core (and easy to fix) complaint of not having chapter breaks in the video so that we don't have to keep checking timestamps.
I have a small disagreement with your analysis at 38:50 when you say that you expected Jayce to be angry at Mel. I saw it more as it characterizing Jayce as the type of person that blames himself when things go wrong. I know of people that tend to blame themselves even when things go wrong even when it is someone else's fault. I think Jayce is that sort of person. If that is the case then you will want to look for any time that Jayce reflectively blames others for things going wrong. But I cannot think of any such situation in the show. For instance, when Jayce's place blows up in act 1, he does not blame the enforcers for not stopping the criminals; instead he blames the fact that he must not have been careful enough.
I agree. He takes the blame on himself when he knows he had the ability to act but didn't. It even extends to how he views (high-man-dinger???) His mentor when he realizes he was in a position do do things and didn't. He is a scientist, Mel is a politician. She wouldn't value the same things as he does because they are fundamentally different. Therefore he doesn't hold that against her.
Additionally, he is a fairly trusting person, and along with that, he has fallen in love with Mel. That alone will skew his perceptions regarding her. I love their relationships. I was expecting to hate Mel, but like everyone, she is so relatable and characterized so well.
100% this. Jayce's only moment of accusation against someone else was when he blindsided Heimerdinger at the Tribal Council. And that has different circumstances surrounding it.
@@TheWickedWizardOfOz1 True. Like the video author said, there's no reason to think Jayce believed Heimerdinger, of all people, was deliberately disregarding the undercity and the increasingly dangerous crime there. He only accused him of being ignorant and not having a plan in order to sway the council against him (ultimately, with the goal of saving Victor). It was a means to an end, which makes it stand out as a unique example.
That said, I *still* think Jayce calling out Mel for her unintentional role in Victor's current state would've been acceptable (Victor is Jayce's surrogate brother figure, so it'd make sense for him to lash out after he wasn't able to be there for him in his hour of need), but I also understand how certain aspects of his characterization can be used to explain why he didn't in that moment. He desperately needed a shoulder to lean on, and even if part of him resented what Mel did, he still loved her.
The most logical way how VI would know about Silco but not about Jinx is that your idea of mainly Piltover citizens being in Stillwater is right, and they get Piltover Newspapers to still follow the news of the world. These would describe Silco as an ‘industrialist’, which Vi wouldn’t for a second believe, but mentions of Jinx would most likely be reduced to ‘mad bomber does so and so’.
Another thing: Marcus has an express interest in not letting Silco find out about Vi and as sheriff he has influence over the jail to the point where he can throw someone in jail without any record of her being sentenced. As such, it is entirely possible that she is mostly separated from any of Silco's men that do get locked up for whatever reason or even any undercity prisoners at all which would result in her getting info only secondhand which, in turn, would result in her information being incomplete and unreliable.
Additionally, the set-up is remarkably forgiving. She could have heard directly from one of Silco's men about "Silco's right-hand woman, the ingenious but crazy psycopathic blue-haired teenage bomber" and reasonably not connect it to being Powder. She's looking for a shy, clumsy, blue-haired girl that was kidnapped by Silco. Very different. Yes, she could connect these but as RFT said she wouldn't want to. She has no reason to believe that Powder would turn out like that. As for hearing about Silco, it is even easier. He seemingly has near complete control of the criminal organizations of the undercity and he seems to be a somewhat famous businessman from the straight and narrow side. Hearing just about anything about the drug epidemic could tip her off as well as any quite discussions amongst inmates. Inmates not on Silco's payroll will probably avoid getting on the bad side of Silco's men and spread word to each other especially if any of the inmates know that he has connections in the enforcers.
Unlike every other character, Jinx's motivations seem mostly negative. Like you said, "what she wants" is left vague, and most of her actions are instead motivated by avoiding her fears and trauma. She doesn't like memories of Vi. She has trust issues and needs to know what is being hidden from her. She absolutely hates when people lie to her. Even her desire to be seen as a competent adult shows most obviously when she's afraid that she _isn't_ going to be perceived that way.
"We never actually get the see the Incredible Huck" line broke me. Great video
Thank you so much for making these videos on Arcane! First of all, your analysis brought the series to my attention in the first place as it had entirely flown under my radar and after seeing part 1 of your breakdown and analysis, I had to investigate. Soon I had binged the entire 1st season and had to agree with you. It is a joy to see a rare modern series that is written and created with so much care for the plot, characters and themes. Everything feels so lovingly constructed in this story, with multilayered, relatable characters, highly well-written and economic scripts, intriguing stories and world and with such a beautiful and striking visual style in the animation and strong visual storytelling. It is mindboggling that this is based on a free-to-play online game but I guess inspiration sometimes comes from unexpected sources when you have passion for something.
After watching the show your analyses have made me appreciate this series even more! Can't wait for part 3!
It is EXTREMELY badly written.
While I do think you are correct on Heimerdinger's tendency to manipulate I honestly don't think he's doing it with a smile just for show or to lower the impact. I would guess that he honestly thinks that he's doing the right thing which is precisely why he does it with a smile. Given his much longer lifespan he thinks he knows better, because he has already seen the consequences once and that had others lived long enough to say it they would thank him for dissuading them. He is trying to do good for both Victor and Jace, the issue of his people skills however always back up.
He kind of takes on the role of a parent trying to lovingly manipulate a child into not being naughty.
A good analogy I think would be this: Stealing candy from the store is in a child's immediate best interest (because candy is yummy) but it has further consequences down line including the possibility of being caught, punished, embarrassed, being forced to pay for it, and the general downside that stealing hurts the business and thus reduces the amount of candy for everyone by more than one piece. However, the child isn't going to understand all this completely so the parent tries to make them apologize to the store owner to make them feel bad for doing it.
@@BobMcBobJr If your parents witnessed you as a child stealing candy and were thinking about the eventual punishment and economic repercussions without even thinking about moral, I am afraid they are psychopaths, and that indeed would explain why you see a straightforward teaching principle without hidden motives as manipulation.
Stealing is not bad first and foremost because whatever consequences it could have down the line, stealing, like all bad things, is bad because you don't want it to be applied to yourself. That's why it's something children understand way before the shame coming from having to apologize.
And Heimerdinger's tendancy to manipulate is inexistant. He tries to have someone lie by ommission once. In every other instance, he is blunt and honest about his intentions and opinions.And that's what leads him to be kicked out without mercy.
2:44:20 - 2:44:42 very interesting take on Vi and Caitlyn's first meeting. I've never heard anyone bring that point up before . Im surprised Ive never picked up on it on any of my rewatches
The reason no one mentions it is because its blindingly obvious to everyone (except you, obviously) that a police officer would release a violent convict because they need information. It is also clear to everyone (again, except you) that Violet hasn't been outside in some time and had no intention of actually helping the Enforcers, whom she hates
@@AndrewFrancisIlyrian ok, no need to be so mean? also i think what they were reffering to was the ”you have to make them think you have what they want” part which i also missed
@@Juppelijuu what HE was refering to is the entire course of their relationship. Its not some brilliant catch, its obvious to everyone
@@Juppelijuuthis guy's been a major dipshit all over the comment section, it's best to just ignore it
@@Juppelijuuyes, thank you!
What I didn't notice was how Vi accidentally admitted that she manipulated Caitlyn into letting her out of prison when she said "you have to let them think you have what they want"
Obviously I've seen the scenes before and heard the dialogue, just never thought that Vi outed herself to Cait just then.👍 at least someone understood what I meant
Please, please, please have a joke in your act 3 review where Caitlyn uses a minecraft enchantment table to put blast protection on all her clothing
YES! This is the only correct way to describe her plot armor, lol.
It's genuinely baffling that she somehow survived a point blank explosion, while the two enforcers BEHIND her died instantly. Marcus gets his arm blown off, and Caitlyn just had shrapnel in her leg? It's insane, lol.
@@DLxxx exactly at least Ekko had option to jump of the bridge and brake his leg but Cupke's fine whe shed to tank the thing
You are quickly becoming my favorite youtuber. Your dedication to staying factual is admirable. Gronk being your avatar just makes everything better! Please do Emporors new groove at Some point!
How does this only have 12k views?! It's only been a day but still.
The "whordle who runs the brothel"? Riot defifntely should make this word canon!
Regarding Still Water Hold. This might be a bit of a stretch on my part, but one could assume that the prison has different blocks to keep various social groups of prisoners separated from each other to avoid problems if those groups have pronounced animosity between them. Maybe Undercity folks are kept separately from Piltoverites (or how one would call Piltover citizens?).
Marcus has both the power and incentive to keep Vi away from imprisoned Silco's goons (or anyone from Undercity, for that matter) so no one would learn that she's alive. And given that Silco's criminal empire isn't confined to the Undercity, but also seeps into the Piltover and corrupts its citizens, there would be opportunities for Vi to gain limited information about Silco's machinations, even if she is separated from convicts from Undercity.
In-game, a person from Piltover is called a Piltovan.
arcane creators watching this video: damn we are good
this got me to be more grateful to the show
there was a lot of stuff i missed in my 1st and only watch of the show
thank you for noticing what i missed
Been waiting for this one, loved arcane and im super hyped for season 2
We have a Longman over here
"This video is very long" is an understatement. You bet I'll watch all of it! (maybe over a few days though...)
"Zack Snyder school of character writing." I CACKLED 🤣
a 4 hour Arcane video?
I'm sat.
Enjoying the coverage of a fantastic series. Hope season 2 can live up to the first.
I really hope the Arcane videos do well. They are really interesting, and good storytelling deserves more attention
As a huge fan of the series, your analysis is perfect. Can’t wait for part 3👍
This one was so worth the wait! Stellar work!
I'm sure it'll be a while until we get Part 3, given the insane amount of work I imagine goes into such a long video - But man, I am just stoked there is another one coming! Keep up the fantastic work! :D
you deserve more audience man, it's really sad that 4 hour scene by scene video essays aren't that popular
This is top tier content and i watched it in full.
İ mostly like it when a bad show gets shit on and rarely do like a positive review. This however.. goes above and beyond. Excellent content. Good job.
You actually do see Huk one more time as Silco is handing out shimmer to the addicts at the base of the Neon Eye where Vi is recovering. He sheepishly takes a vial from Silco, presumably as payment for informing of Vi’s location, and slinks off without immediately consuming the shimmer like the others. His betrayal was honestly heartbreaking and also informs the audience of the true addictive nature of Shimmer. Even a good, weak man like Huk betrays the daughter of Vander, who he clearly respects, to get one more taste.
After that, you’re correct. He is never seen again and I’m certain his story doesn’t have a happy ending.
This detail and show in general affected me like few other entertainment experiences in years. I’m happy to add one further detail to the mix. 🤓
As a writer this hurts me. I'm so proud when my story both has character motivation and does some world building and then Arcane is over here doing 8 different things simultaneously and I'm like HOW!? I'm going back to the rings of power videos, those made me feel better.
Your summary of the story in part 1 of your arcane review was my favorite part of the video… the character breakdowns are good too. But please dont leave out your summary overview in part 3 like you did here
It’s super fucking cool hearing people talk thoroughly and insightfully about something they like for a change, even cooler when the subject is worthy of the praise, and even COOLER when it’s over 4 hours long, so…this a win-win-win for me. Thank you for your analysis and hark work here 💫
The scene between Marcus and Silco is a masterpiece in showing powerplay. Marcus is always shown with the camera looking down, while with Silco its looking up, even if when you see them both, they're at the same level. Even when Marcus tries to rise when berating Silco to show his power he's put in place by one of Silco's goons. Their body language is telling. Silco leans back comfortably, not moving a muscle unless he needs to, lounging in the large sofa, while Marcus is uncomfortable on a small stool. Like a child needing a sharp talk to. Then there's the small signs of Marcus discomfort. His legs twitch from time to time, to show his inner turmoil and unease about the discussion. When he talks he's jittery, not fully in control of either emotions or body, while Silco is the exact opposite.
This is how you show Powerplay with a camera!
Oh man i am so happy you mentioned that part about jayce not bringing up mel distracting him with politics, it was bothering me too but i couldn't formulate it and lucky is a fairly minor hang up
I finished watching this show a few days ago and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. It is a masterpiece and your videos have made me love the storytelling even more, while making me appreciate all the characters more, too- even those I initially didn't care for. I'm so excited for the final part. You have earned a subscriber.
Love your analyses and the way you present your thoughts. It's clearly visible how much heart and work you've put into this! Cannot wait for the next (last?) part! :D
I like your videos mostly because of how deep you're willing to dig into the story to find explanations, foreshadowings etc. I didn't really notice that in the "not very good" series because you couldn't find anything in those stories, but here it's evident. Not many other channels do that but in the case of arcane in particular there is the channel " schnee " that I feel like you'll really enjoy
Possible idea for subtopic for future video(s) from a nerd and LoL player like you: subtle fanservice.
One example that I noticed: Ekko was introduced into the game with another great short video called "Seconds", its idea being "If you do not live every moment of your life to its fullest, you don't deserve a single extra second". Literally the first words we hear from Ekko in Arcane are: "Give me a few seconds". While he is fixing a clock. Obviously.
I find myself constantly pausing the video and watching all the scenes you talk about XD
Very few things shiver me timbers as much as a great video essay. Especially a positive one...though I've run out of Random content to binge. Keen for the third chapter!
My best guess for the harpoon thingy is that it's some sort of tool, not a weapon. Harpoons aren't really a killing thing so much as they are tool for capture. The design looks Piltovian(?) with the wood, steel, and what I think is brass? If I had to come up with a possible use for them, there's probably some sort of creature that attaches to the bottom of air ships and they might use the harpoon gun to remove the creature without damaging the ship.
As a possible explanation for Vi not being recognized, I think there is another possibility. First being that a lot of Silco's operation and operatives got vaporized, so he needed to find new people. Second being that not everyone survives in the Undercity while Silco will have started pumping in Shimmer, which reduces the life expectancy in the city. Third being that Silco's rule combined with increased trade with Hex Gates drives in new people looking for new opportunities. Forth being that Vi sticks out to us, but doesn't seem to as much in the world to other people. Fifth being that prisoners probably don't want to tell their criminal bosses that some crazy girl kicked their backside in while they were in prison. Sixth being that she walks around the Undercity, is seen by a bunch of people, yet only a couple people who knew Vander directly seem to recognize her.
Don't forget that something like 5-7 years have passed. Vi has grown up and gotten tattoos. A lot of her former associates probably were either run out of town or offed by Silco's goons as he took over. Some of the random people might recognize her as a familiar face, but wouldn't think about it more than that.
Astounding work. Just tickled the acoustic part of my brain that loves analysis.
Hey! I really love your analysis for how deep you apprach all the individual pieces. Splitting up the storylines creates a really interesting analytical perspective because of how much of Arcane's vibe is from its interconnectedness and pacing.
I don't know if you'll see this, but if you do (for the part 3 video), I'd really appreciate hearing what you think about how the mechanical structure of the storytelling in Arcane effects everything in context! If not, I'm sure I'll still really enjoy hearing whatever you choose to talk about. Hopefully I can tune in for the watchalong for the next part whenever it comes out.
Thanks for the good and engaging content!!
Also note that; in Arc 1, Viktor uses a cane, but in Arcs 2 and 3, he uses a crutch. Though never mentioned, it's a neat little visual that let's us know how much his health has deteriorated in just a few years.
Love your videos. Cant wait for the next part of this series.
Silco and Victor are among my best characters ever, they're simply so well executed and intriguing
One of the most specific things that makes Mel more intelligent than even Silco is that he keeps her neck out of the sling, staying in the background while parading Jayce around.
Silco unfortunately suffers a little bit from that "Undercity Pride", which causes him to be in the forefront of his onslaught, making him an easy direct target.
Best breakdown of Arcane I've ever seen. Can't wait for part three!
I love your avatar off in the corner vibrating with excitement talking about the payoff to the foreshadowing of Heimerdinger getting kicked off the council.
Really excellent work! Please know that the difference between a video of this quality and the weekly videos for clicks by others are absolutely seen by those who pay attention. I couldn’t find a good review which actually goes over this show in depth until this.
Keep up the good work!
It's fucking wild how good this is. I genuinely appreaciate you and your work a ton. After I watched your breakdown of act 1 I binged the whole series. :D Also, doing a "positive review" is something I had kinda hoped youd do on this channell as well, after I had watched your other stuff. So this is cool. I'd love LOTR one as well.
Oddly enough, viktors' transformation in the lore doesn't corrupt his ideals or values but rather how Jayce veiws him. Alternatively, Jayce makes many choices as a politician that moraly degrades his character over time. One is veiwed as a hero and the other eventually a villain but both fall into heavily grey areas with how they operate. The voice lines in game dont really reflect viktor or his ideals all that clearly or accurately and i hope that they dont turn him into a monster in later seasons.
Unfortunately, since when Arcane (and, i assume, stuff related to Arcane) became canon, most (if not all) stories involving Arcane main characters became obsolete.
@@3timeszero but if the characters in arcane are still keeping in line with source material, using the voice lines in game that don't align with the character they represent is kind of silly. especially if you're using them to predict character arcs. vi enjoying police brutality, cait always going for the kill shot, viktor being a transhumanist that only believes in his viewpoint as the correct one.... the character voice lines in game have no connection to the lore of the characters, but arcane is still in a very grey area of lore, where most of it can still have a connected continuity to the actual character stories in universe.
@@apblolol There was Dev Update video from 5 month ago, i guess, where Riot stuff said that Arcane is officially canon (hence old lore of Arcane's characters is in weird state - some parts of their lore could be updated, some could still be canon and some will have no connection to canon at all) and everything they release after this Dev Update will be considered canon. So, i guess, old Jayce and Victor stories (including old version of Swanwick Padidly "stealing" the creation of Blitzcrank from Viktor), the whole Vi origin story etc aren't relevant anymore, they will be retconed or are already retconed by Arcane.
Anyway, consider checking Necrit's video about lore changes following Arcane becoming canon. If I am wrong here, Necrit's definitely not.
@@3timeszero all i mean by it is i hope that viktor isnt turned into some monster and that the line singed said to him where his peers would see him differently is more along the lines of what his established character had happen. viktors humanity isnt his body its his mind and soul. seeing as thats just about the only thing he never changed in the source material for his character i see no reason on why they would change his endpoint. altho in game his voice lines are, crazy robot man wants everyone to be a robot for a perfect society, his established lore before the show is more along the lines of, human bodies fail and robotic ones fail less. i feel like viktor losing his humanity is as far from his character as you could get, his main motivation is to preserve humanity and to help the human condition.
@@apblolol In Legends of Runeterra (which purpose is mostly to "push" lore, since the game doesn't make any significant money) Viktor is becoming kind of villain. Which is sad.
You miss one thing with Huck. He turned Vi in to Silco.
And if I dont remember wrong, the one being kicked by Silco after the tower collapsed
@@amw5288Nah, the one being kicked by Silco was a different guy. Huck left immediately after Silco appeared.
@@DLxxx Gotcha. Misremembered it then.
@@DLxxxI wish it was Huck lol, spineless traitor.
@@fearlessfailure2848 I feel you there, but it’s hard to resent him too much considering he helped save Vi's life (and said he was sorry about everything that happened to her, which I read as "I wish there was something I could've done to help you before now"). If anyone deserved to die in that sequence, it was Silco. Had he not shown up, Huck wouldn't have had his drug addiction exploited.
Thanks for the excellent content! I appreciate the vast amount of effort that goes into these, I'm sick today and this made my night much more enjoyable
ooh yes, im excited to hear what you have to talk about
24 hours to part 2! I’m looking forward to seeing the video!
I am so glad this show exists and shows us how a great show can be done so damn well.
This is so good. Well done.
Great follow up to part one. Appreciate the all the effort you put into these videos 😃
Looking forward to part 3!
4 hours or analysis?
Man, I'm gonna write a lot of notes...
Kudos for the time, effort, care, and passion you put in your videos. I really keep your analytical and argumentation skills in very high regard and I feel like I can be more objective the more I watch your content.
i appreciate the parallels you found in the scene of viktor working on the hex core while jayce and mel get dirty. on first watch, that scene kind of felt like just an artsy way to show 2 things at once and keep the show on a fast pace. now i see the parallels.
That was probably the best sex scene I've seen in any media.
Tura’s pfp revolving is a nice touch 👍
Woohoo! Most likely got a chill night shift tomorrow, so this arrives at a perfect time!
I love your vids so much, its truly a refreshing level of competence. Keep up the wonderful work, thank you very much.
Just a little observation on the part about the shimmer fire: it might simply not be that hot and the show seems to indicate as much. Later in the episode we see the state the airship is in as Caitlyn inspects it, and while everything appears to be covered in soot, there's doesn't appear to be any major burn damage to the deck. Even the document on the clipboard looks to be completely fine.
A bit of a cop-out to have an artistic visual? Maybe. Plus it does raise some questions regarding the transportation and storage of shimmer if it ignites in sub-60 Celsius temperatures (as that's where first-degree burns begin to happen). Still, it's nice to be able to use a scene to defend a seeming issue in another scene, almost like someone in the staff was paying attention.
Probably also relevant that Singed tanks a massive shimmer explosion to the face in episode three and while he's not looking too hot the next time we see him, he also hasn't been, y'know, vaporised.
@@bleeters5984 I was wondering about this for a while. Singed was engulfed in flames and took a series of explosions point blank, yet he somehow survived? I know his face was half melted, but that didn't seem like a strong enough consequence.
Shimmer burning colder than normal fiee makes a lot of sense.
@@DLxxxTo be fair, main characters in this show survive massive explosions all the time, just look at how many Cat survived. Side characters and explosions however...Not so much.
I have a minor correction: You stated twice at around 1:20:00 during the Cassandra bit that Jayce is Cassandra's patron. It's the other way around, the patron is the person giving money to support someone else. (You may have this confused with the patron = customer in a restaurant etc)
I appreciate the liberal usage of Jace's in game lines as innuendo, it's a low-hanging fruit but hilarious nonetheless.
I am so ready to cry for Viktor in Season 2, as well as see Jinx & VI's reaction to a certain not-Werewolf.
Great video! When you pointed out the cause and effect from the airship fight I felt as if a new level of appreciation for the show was unlocked. All those dots connecting, making sense, and still being entertaining to watch is just incredible to me. Can't wait for part 3!
You know I'm very happy that after a certain fiasco with a certain channel making accusations has led me to this wonderful channel. I deeply enjoy your analysis videos and after watching your breakdown of ROP and now one of my favorite shows it has been a joy to be a viewer.
Thanks for doing these videos of Arcane, this is without a doubt one of my fav shows ever, dying for a season 2!!
When my criticism of Cassandra appears in this video, i like to think i helped. Good Analysis by the way.
You said at 2:14:59 that Jinx doesn't know who the firelights were. I think she does know. The firelights know who she is. I think it is save to assume that they met multiple times during the time jump. I think she does know the firleights leader is. It would further explain multiple things happening in episode 7. E.g. the usage of the actual firelight bugs or the fact that she is not surprised at all about the firelights leaders identity.
There's something about Jayce that I do not like, something that is touched on but I hope is addressed conclusively during Part 3. Every action that Jayce takes is either due to the manipulations of someone else, or a mistake barring someone else bailing him out. And this, as far as I can tell, is unique to Jayce in the story thus far. As likable a character as he might be, I can't help but find Jayce to be the worst of the central characters due to his status as a perpetual pawn that is always punished when it is set to be anything else.
Probably gonna do a couple of these for different characters and moments cause 1 comment would be too long lol.
I find our opposite opinions on Heimerdinger very interesting. My interpretation very heavily involves Heimer's obliviousness/peculiar perception of reality. Heimer not only doesn't understand time, but he also doesn't understand his role is not fundamental. It's hard to say if this is part of being a yorlde or just because of his age and role. Heimer genuinely hadn't even considered the idea that he could be taken off the council. At one point he likely had such leverage simply by being in the same role as Jayce. Piltover even before hextech is presented as technologically forward, likely at least some of this coming from heimer himself. The same way the council wants Jayce to head hextech, Heimer clearly had to have put some serious pieces into place. Even if the position is ceremonial now, Heimer had to earn it at the start.
When we have moments like Stanwick, I think heimer isn't even thinking about manipulating Jayce. If anything I take it as part of Heimer's development. Heimer is the one who is saying he needs to change course for his students. He's clearly trying to get used to all this new fangled change. The thing with the hex-core is what tips him back into his bad habits. The moment that he falls back to old habits IE his council speech is when he is punished. His lack of forward thinking and purpose puts him in the crosshairs of the councilers.
I'm not saying he's innocent or blameless for indirect slights. His constant casual mentions of time do still add up to him being rudely unkind to others in his obliviousness. I'm consistently convinced that Heimerdinger doesn't even realize there is a game to be played. He truly believes his position as the leader means people will do what he tells them and its just been this one weird moment that happened a couple years ago where people disobeyed. Then everything has worked out okay, so ever the optimist (at least in some ways) he starts moving on but things are just ramping up, and oh here's his trauma which triggers him to act how he did the last time: take charge, pull people together, build a utopia city. Except this time people don't want utopia, they want paradise (that is to say not a city good for everyone, but a place that pleases them).
Finally on heimerdinger, the show does distinctly play on game/lore knowledge, and yes its not mentioned in show, but I'm entirely certain the hex-core is a manmade world rune. It makes a lot of sense using the game as supplimentary material. The sigils for example are the same from the rune pages in game and the rune wars lore is likely the most defining tragedy involving magic which would be a logical cause for piltover's founding. I'm really curious to see if my logic is seen-through in S2.