Arcane has a lot of ground to cover in its final trio of episodes, which are tasked with concluding an ambitious origin story while carving a path forward for the future. Vi and Jinx’s ha🍎rrowing journey is filled with violence and bloodshed, with the previous episode seeing the older sister kidnapped alongside Caitlyn as they’re dragged further into a conspiracy there is seemingly no escape from. The stakes are high, and Arcane does a commendable job of executing upon them even if it feels rushed or inconsequential at times.
The show is clearly gearing up for a second season, so it’s a shame more focus is placed on laying the groundwork for its arrival instead of weaving a meaningful narrative that can stand on its own. Major moments are over in a quiet flash, while confrontations that should carry weight often fall flat. Yet the animation, dialogue, and chemistry between all of its characters remain excellent, pulling you into the League of Legends world and refusing to let go in a way that few adaptations have managed to achieve. It’s also very, very gay - and not in the queerbaity kinda way.
Arcane’s final act is a prologue to Jinx’s inevitably fractured mind, an eventual surrender to the trauma that has clung to her since Vi’s abandonment. We catch a deeper glimpse into her troubled relationship with Silco, and how the corrupt mꦜobster has morphed this young girl into a surrogate daughter he can bend to his whims. But in moments of tragedy there is a genuine bond to be found between them, that despite all of his ill intentions, Silco does see Jinx as a person to be cared for and will do anything to save her.
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He’s still the show’s big bad, but in a more nuanced way. At times, he’s even one we can sympathise with. The same can be said for Jinx, a fantastic heroine who is a victim of her own twisted circumstances. She doesn’t deserve any of this, but she absorbs events in a way where she always feels betrayed, like the world is toying with her at every turn and nobody can be trusted. She comes so close𓂃 to reuniting with Vi, only to be stopped each time by her own broken mind, or an irrational jealousy of Caitlyn as she grows closer and closer to those she once called family. Arcane understands that villains are complicated, and behind each evil scheme sits an emotionally distraught person believing they’re doing the right thing.
Vi and Caitlyn’s romantic experience hasn’t faded away after the last act’s flirtatious interactions - to my surprise it is even gayer. The two women grow closer as the world threatens to swallow them whole, meeting up with a resistance movement as they seek to address the council and put a stop to Silco’s underground movement for good. With allies and support now on their side, Vi and Caitlyn hope to change Piltover for the better while conquering their own personal demons. This is where some of the final act’s shortcomings become clear. So much is happening - whether it be Jace’s ambitions on the council or the arrival of Mel’s family onto the city’s shores - Arcane is tackling far more threads than its runtime has the room to accommodate. I admire the ambition, but the execution isn&rsqꦰuo;t quite there.
Some arcs are never resolved, leaving us with a cliffhanger where the consequences of the fallout will be explored in a potential second season. The final moments are breathtaking, awash with a resonant musical swell and character revelations that deliver on so many of Arcane’s lofty promises. It’s a bold, beautiful, and unexpected twist that’s sadly diluted by all of the questions I was left without answers. Those will come, I just wish the show was confident enough to tell a standalone tale before committing itself to another. ಌThis is especially true for Jinx’s transformation into her beloved persona, which isn’t given quite enough room to shine. It’s messy, violent, and defined by trauma like much of her arc, but her unwillingness to trust Vi doesn’t always feel logical, nor does her sudden jealousy of Caitlyn. She’s lost her sister, not her partner, so it feels weird the two can’t smooch without the younger sibling’s consent. Like okay, Jinx - please go to therapy.
Vi and Caitlyn’s queer relationship is also further cemented, and wasn’t just a brief moment of flirtaton only to be abandoned as a cheap piece of queerbaiting. While there’s never a confession of love, there are so many instances where it’s clear these two women are more than friends. Upon returning to the surface they take shelter in Caitlyn’s home, the two laying in bed together as Vi recounts childhood memories and her failure to protect Jinx. She fಌeels like a failure, and in a moment of comfort Caitlyn reaches forward and runs a delicate finger across her bloody cheek, Vi reaching forward to grasp her hand in hers as they embrace. It’s ado🎶rable and real, even if some of their more concrete romantic feelings lack the development they need to feel convincing. Jinx even refers to Caitlyn as Vi’s girlfriend at one point, so Arcane is abundantly clear in its intentions.
We g♒et a needless sex scene between two straight characters but it often feels like the same-sex relationship is beating around the bush in ways that are teetering on the edge of committing to something more. I’m just saying you don’t chase a girl through the pouring rain and scream “What about us?!” without some form of romantic intention, you are a fruity little lesbian and there’s no denying it. Vi and Caitlyn’s relationship is the crux of this show alongside Jinx’s transformation, and I feel a sole focus on them during the final act instead of haphazardly hopping between other characters would have done the show infinitely more justice. Instead we’re pulled away from fantastic scenes to learn about council members and Heindegger as he explores the slums without direction. These moments are necessary and will need to be expanded upon in the episodes to𒅌 come, but interrupting the big finish to provide a few extra nuggets of exposition is just mediocre pacing, and something the first two acts never suffered from. Maybe I’m just bitter about the lack of lesbians.
Luckily, this inconsistent pacing doesn’t take away from Arcane🐠’s many triumphs. Action scenes remain some of the bes༒t I’ve ever seen in the medium. They’re bloody, kinetic, and filled with movement that perfectly fit the personality of each character. Vi finally acquiring her iconic gauntlets as she waltzes into an underground mine alongside Jace only to wipe the floor with absolutely everyone is a delight, with a backing track adding a level of pumping tension to proceedings that I couldn’t help but smile at. I’ve said previously that I’d happily let Vi beat the shit out of me, and after seeing her clean house again and again throughout these three episodes, that sentiment is stronger than ever.
This is a story about trauma, identity, loss, and the messy world of magical politics. It’s all explored to wondrous effect despite an approach to storytelling that often doesn’t give the greater moments enough time to breathe. As Netflix and Riot Games’ first foray into the League of Legends un🦄iverse through the vein of animation, this is a triumphant debut with only a smattering of shortcomings. It’s smart, gorgeous, sexy, and acts as a perfect entry point for those who’ve never heard of the franchise before. Its reputation doesn’t matter, what does is how it crafts a compelling narrative that invites anyone to lose themselv🌳es in its brilliance. Season 2 is going to be so sapphic and I cannot wait.
