Arcane S01 E09 Full Length Reaction

Now that season one is over for me and some days passed by, I still don't get my head around how perfect this show is. There are almost now flaws, only one tiny thing I did not like, but more on that later. The animation, the sounddesign, the music, the score, the editing, the voice cast, the worldbuilding and most important of all, characterdesign and story, everything 👌😍. The heartbraking bridge scene in the beginning set the tone for whole show, with only some light moments here and there. I never saw a show that challenged as well my intellect and my emotional perseverance this much. The writing was fantastic, everything makes sense, nothing was random or forced, the characters decisions where always understandable and had consequences. The writers found the perfect pacing for the show. Fast enough to keep you on your toes and slow in the right moments to bond with the characters or to let the full emotional impact of a scene play out. The worldbuilding was out of this world. Every shot, every scene was meticulously planned, every drawing, every item had it's meaning. It either foreshadowed something or told you something about a character or you learned a little more about the world they live in. So I, who never played LoL or one the many spin-offs, got pretty fast a pretty good feeling for the world, this story takes place in. As a result of the amazing writing you get very involved emotionally with the two sisters right from the beginning. At it's core, this is a villain origin story, told in the style of a greek tragedy, as Imossibly Cautious said. He is on point there. And it is so believable, so gripping, so heartfelt, so realistic (psychologically), you just can't help rooting for Powder/Jinx, even when she turns to the bad side. Because you see a very lovable, very intelligent and sensitive girl getting hit in the face by life so hard and so often, until she breaks. And that breakes your heart. 😭💔 The beauty of the story for me is, that it doesn't stop there. It shows the consequences her downfall has for those who are around her and how it changes - or ends - their lives. It shows parallel the world where they grow up in and why it is, like it is. Oh yeah, the one thing I did like the least, was the scene with the chembarons. Storywise it was Silcos powerplay, to keep his fellow mobsters in line. The characters assembled around the table though felt like caricatures (a herman munster, an irish goblin, a harley quinn - only Finn and Renni get some depth), not like real characters, unlike the rest of even the minor characters shown in the show. They where just filling up Silcos council and overall the writers are far better than that. But that is complaining on a very high level and doesn't diminsh the experience the tiniest bit. 😅 I want to finnish this comment in a questionnaire style - of course totally subjective: (I'm not limiting to the one best of something, because there where to many bests of everything😅🙈) - Most loved main characters (my personal favourites): Caitlyn, Powder, Vi, Vander, Viktor - Most loved supporting characters: Ekko, Sevika, Caitlyns mother, Grayson - Most fascinating characters (from a storytelling point of view): Jinx, Silco, Mel, Viktor - Best episodes: 3, 9, 6, 7 - Best scenes: The bridge at the beginning; The end of episode three; The whole tea party; Silco sitting at Vanders statue; The bridge fight between Jinx and Ekko; Caitlyn and Vi in the brothel; Caitlyn investigating at the ship; Jinx fighting against Vis highscore; and so many more. 😍 - Best moments: Vi jumping infront of the beautiful portrait of a woman; Ekko showing the mural; Young Vi breaking down and cry when she sees her dead mother and Powder hugs her; once again - there are so many more. 😍🙈 - Best lines: "You're hot, cupcake!"; "In the pursuit of great, we failed to do good."; "It's not enough to give the people what they need to survive, you have to give them something to live."; "I only wanted to help, I only wanted to help, I only wanted to help!"; "Violet please come back! Please Violet, I need you!"; "Are you real?"; "Are we still sisters?" (The last ones from Powder/Jinx still make me cry 😭) - Best songs: Our love; What could have been; Enemy; - Best music: The Bridge; The Hexgates launch; The violin concert; The shower scene; - My special prize goes to the beautiful love story of Caitlyn and Violet. I so hope they get some kind of happy end at the next season. 😨🙏💔 I recently started to watch random youtube reactions to arcane. The first one suggested to me by the almighty algorithm was a girl who watched episode eight. When Vi compares her and Caitlyn to oil and water, she called: "Nooo, you're not oil and water, you're oil and ... baguette! Something delicious and beautiful when put together!" 🤣😍💖 I couldn't have said it better. 😊 On the IMDB scale I would give the show a 12/10! 😍 That wraps it pretty much up. Now that I got it all out I have some closure and can wait patiently for Alycias reaction to "Bridging the rift" and the launch of season two. 😍🙋🏻‍♂️

silverarrow06

I might have been wrong ... you might enjoy where my fanfic goes.

The Amish Electrician

"What could have been."

The Amish Electrician

Rich it’s been wonderful to have you here for this experience! I hope you’ll enjoy Amphibia but like I said- there’s never any hard feelings if a particular show is not your jam ❤️ I honestly would not be mad if this was the end of Arcane. I’m happy from a consumer perspective that there’s more, but from a story-telling perspective it would have been beautiful to have it end like a greek tragedy (as others have compared it to). I think if it were to end, the only thing I would change would be to have Jinx fade/blow away by the backfire of the explosion or something. I would want to know that she’s finally at peace from her tortured mind. Everyone else I think can rebuild eventually, despite the horror and heartbreak. But I would want that confirmation of resolution for Jinx’s character arc. Everything else- as is- perfection. Wouldn’t touch it. And it would be an ending I’d be tragically satisfied with. I’ll have to check out Georgia Dows! Thanks for the recommendation! And yeah I won’t lie, I think Schnee big-time spoiled a season 2 reveal for me 😅 Which is obviously not his fault at all- it’s mine for watching the video- but I’ve been staying away from any season 2 prediction videos ever since lol! So good to know that Georgia’s don’t involve anything like that :) SilverArrow was talking about how much they loved this moment with Jinx’s eyes as well! So subtle and so well- done, like everything in this show, I swear. I am absolutely going to do a BTR reaction but my gosh you’re a sweetheart for just wanting me to enjoy it regardless 🥺 How did I get so lucky with the best darn patrons? And happy to hear your enjoyed Jennifer’s cameo in this finale review 🤣🤣

No, my friend, thank YOU. Your perceptive, detailed comments were the highlight of my week while watching this show. I feel so grateful to have experienced this show with someone who was as enthralled by it as I was. The pleasure was genuinely all mine. And thank you for those truly kind words. I just screenshotted this comment to save for a rainy day :’) That really means more to me than you know. Thank you. Looking forward to seeing you for Bridging the Rift and for season 2 of Arcane 😍 Till next time ❤️

-Their reunion was so different to what I had imagined as well. I love that they didn’t take the literal approach of them physically fighting, instead hitting us with that Arcane nuance/script writing that we love so much. -I had forgotten about the Valdiani! Another video I watched pointed this out and once again, I am just floored by the details put into this show. -I absolutely agree that Powder made Jinx. But, as you said, there were just many, many unfortunate incidents in her life that contributed to Jinx’s growth. -I was SO relieved that Caitlin’s head wasn’t under there! I swear I blacked out during that scene I was so nervous 🤣 -Silver, my jaw just DROPPED over your place-setting comment! I CAN’T BELIEVE SHE PUT VANDER’S CHAIR AT THE TABLE Omg I’m geeking & freaking out rn lol Okay it’s official- I gotta watch this episode again asap. -Oh I love thinking about Vi having memorized Caitlin as that version of her lying in bed with her 🥺 That’s beautiful. Also looove that Jinx called her her “girlfriend” 😍😍😍 -I wholeheartedly agree that I was on Silco’s side when Vi was referring to her as Powder. You could see how much that was triggering her :( And Silco could too. -Oof that moment of resolution in Jinx’s eyes is so powerful. I get goosebumps even just thinking about it while writing this. I also get goosebumps thinking about how quickly Jinx moves with Shimmer! Those frames were equal parts cool and terrifying. -!!! I missed that Singed was looking at a photo of someone! I wanna go back and look at that too! Ooooh season 2 is gonna bring us so much new amazing stuff- I already know it :D -I really assumed that everyone in the council chamber was dead but after reading everyone’s comments and watching others’ videos I’m not so convinced anymore! I think if anyone does survive, it will be Viktor because of his connection to the hexcore. And I agree-whoever manages to survive is coming after Jinx with a vengeance in season 2. -That final song will forever represent heartbreak to me. In the best possible way.

-"It's not enough to give people what they need to survive, you have to give them what they need to live!" I never thought about that line pointing out what Heimerdinger and the council got wrong! Gosh Silver, you are a perceptive one. I really hope that Heimerdinger and Ekko can do some good together. It sure seemed hopeful by the image of them together in the tree at the end (like you said- our only shimmering hope of something positive in this episode 🤣) -Absolutely agree that the statue scene was one of the show’s strongest. OH MY GOSH and I didn’t even think about it mirroring her leaving in episode 1 before she could hear what Vi was really saying. So many problems in TV shows/movies could be solved by characters staying for just a moment longer 😭 -!!! I missed that you can see Jinx before you we actually “see” her in this scene! I can’t wait to go back and look for that! I missed the Ekko graffiti as well. I’ll be searching for that next time too 😎 You should seriously consider making a “Things You Missed In Arcane” video, SA! -Oh my god the Vander moment during the Vi x Sevika fight BROKE ME TO MY CORE. There have been a lot of comments about the dinner-table scene but I haven’t seen any about this, and it got me just as good! Glad to know I wasn’t the only one that felt so intensely in that moment 🥺 -OH!!! I didn’t realize that was a shield! Aaah, how cool 😍 Gonna pay attention to this detail next time too :D -Avoid. Big. Jumps. If I take nothing else from this show, I take that nugget of wisdom with me 🤣 -I LOVED the wine spilling/chairs falling during this council moment. I feel like it represented the many more people that will die because of their decision to not vote for peace.

- I didn’t notice the tock tock of his leg & hand 😱 I’m super curious to see where next season will take his character as well. I think if anyone has a chance of surviving that bomb, it’s him. Because of his merging with the hexcore. And I wouldn’t be surprised if he evolves/devolves into something or someone completely unrecognizable next season because of it. - Silco’s face of relief/disbelief is so good in that moment. Those animators are something else, I swear. The way they can emote through these digital characters is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I hear you on liking Sevika in a way. The only time I’m not rooting for her is when she’s up against Vi (although like you said, it’s also kind of cool that she’s even able to go head-to-head with her). But the rest of the time, I see where she’s coming from… Her frustration with Jinx. With Silco. I can even understand why she was getting fed up with Vander when the lanes kept getting shat on by the enforcers. As is true with most characters in this show, I don’t agree with all her actions. But as is ALSO true with most characters in this show, she sure is nuanced. - OOOH I love thinking about the sunset as symbolism! Beautiful interpretation :D I didn’t realize it at the time but you’re right- the Jinx move was Jayce’s checkmate.

Oh my gosh seeing the choices these characters had to face written out like this was so great. And I love what you said about choice. Sometimes there really is no good choice :( As proven a hundred times over in this episode. I never thought about Jayce’s decision making being representative of a scientist. But you’re totally right- he’s a trial and error kind of guy based on what move seems best in the moment. And yes you can tell the death of the boy effected Jayce more than Vi, who was used to seeing that kind of destruction.

Oh this is so cool!!! I'm still amazed that the writers were able to make something so individually great while managing to sneak in so many references for the og fans.

Been so enjoyable watching your journey through Arcane. I've not seen Amphibia but I'll give it a shot along with you and see if it's something I'll enjoy. I think my first time reaction to this finale was immediately looking up if there was going to be anymore episodes and desperately wanting a continuation. But after a few weeks my perspective shifted and I honestly think it's the perfect ending, the story really was about Powder/Jinx and her arc over the season is wrapped up so nicely here. It does feel like the stakes are very high for how season 2 moves on from that ending and what the outcome for all the characters in the council room are. But the creators have well and truly earned my trust so I'm not worrying about whether or not season 2 can be as good as the first. I've watched most of Schnees videos and he does a a fantastic job in his analysis, I also enjoy Georgia Dows videos on the characters, she is also completely unfamiliar with League lore so I don't think there is any chance of getting any unwanted information leading into season 2 from her. So many incredible quotes, shots, moments in this episode but one of the standouts for e that might fly under the radar is Jinxs face after Silco dies where she has this look of resignation. They do facial animation so well but that look is so subtle yet says soo much it really sticks out to me, on top of it just being incredibly sad. While I do hope you can find the time for doing reactions to Bridging the RIft, but if you can't I hope you still enjoy it on your own anyway and not end up depriving yourself waiting for a good time to be able to record it. Also that Jennifer Coolidge was immaculate.

Rich House

This is it for now, but I want to write a comment these days to wrap up the season as a whole. 😅 For now, let me say once again thank you! What a wonderful and unique experience it was to discover this show together with you. I watched some youtubers because they like what I like, some because they are perceptive, some because they are funny and/or emotional, some because I simply liked their personality. You are all that and more so, you are the only one I know who actually talks with their patreons. To loosely quote Finn: "The whole package you are." Please don't ever change. 😊 I will be back at least for "Bridging the Rift" and of course season two and who knows, maybe I tune in for one of your other reactions. Until then I wish you the best of luck and have fun with "Amphibia"! 😊👌✨🙋🏻‍♂️

silverarrow06

- The final confrontation of the sisters went so different from what I expected and it was so so heartbreaking. 💔😭 Once again - details: The little music box with the sparklers is the "real Valdiani" Powder stole from Jayce in episode one. She must have put it in one of the pockets on her belt, instead of the backpack with the rest of the haul. 😍 Jinx is wrong and right at the same time. Despite what she believes, Vi - and I can't emphasize this enough - did NOT make Jinx, Powder made Jinx. Jinx was born that fateful day when two little girls went on a battlefield to look for their parents, she was just kept at bay as long as there was someone there for Powder who loved and protected her. Vi layed the ground though for Jinx to grow, by reacting the wrong way in a key moment. Don't get me wrong, I don't blame Vi for reacting the way she did at that moment at all, it just had awful consequences. That and her "inner" Vi that helped Jinx to survive, lead her to the conclusion that Vi created her. 😨😭 The moment I still can't talk about without my pulse rising dramatically. One of my all time favourite movies is "Se7en" and when Jinx came back with the platter I was convinced that Caitlyns head would be on it. (I hope I didn't spoil the movie for anyone, but it is out for over twenty years and quite popular. 😅😉) I was so immensely relieved that it wasn't her. Details: Take your time and look at the decoration on the table for every "guest", you see so many hints and nods to the characters, it's worth to freeze the screen for a moment or two. For example Vanders place - The chair he was bound to by Silco in episode three, his gauntlets, his pipe, the picture of Vander and the kids you saw hanging in the basement of the "Last Drop" in the first three episodes. Jinx brought Vis gauntlets with her and painted them blue and purple, like her fingernails. For a split second we see Caitlyn like Vi memorized her, lying with her on the bed. Of course it is a cupcake... 😂 And did you notice (I did only the second time watching, cause I was too stressed out the first time), Jinx said: "I paid your GIRLFRIEND a visit this morning". The only time anyone ever called Caitlyn that. How both Silco and Vi pull on Jinx/Powder to get her on on their side. The one time I was on Silcos side is when he desperately tries to stop Vi from torturing her sister by calling the names of her past. Vi can't know, but she triggers trauma after trauma and it tortures Jinx so much. For Vi these names are mostly connected with positive memories, but for Jinx it is just painful. Thats why he tries to shoot Vi, because he sees the pain it causes Jinx. It had the desired effect though, it prevented Jinx from killing Caitlyn. 😱😭 After killing Silco, you can see the exact moment where Jinx chooses to embrace Jinx and let Powder go. You can see the lights go out in her eyes and hear the voices in her head vanish. Not only did she kill her second (and most important) fatherfigure, it was also because of her shooting at the Mylo mannequin, that the glass got in reach of Caitlyn and gave her the opportunity to free herself and let the situation escalate. She fully believes now, that she actually is... a jinx. 😭😨🙈 The Shimmer made Jinx freakishly fast though, Caitlyn didn't stand a chance. The shimmer tear when she launched the rocket... 🤯 Singed looks at a picture in a locket, that looks like the portrait of a blonde woman. Maybe the daughter he mentioned in the last episode? And yes, what creature was hanging from his ceiling? You could see part of a bearded face and a claw... 🤔 The agreement of the council to accept the negotiated conditions is too little, too late. Still it was a breakthrough for them, for once they didn't only decide for their own good. I fear for everyones life in the council, but I don't think all of them will die. The gold implants on Mels body lit up shortly before the impact, that could mean she had some kind of alert or protection. The cut from Caitlyns terrified and desperate face to her mother could mean that she is among the victims. From a storytelling viewpoint it would be the perfect motivation for Cait to go after Jinx, but please please don't destroy the only remaining functional, loving family in this show. 🙏😨 Viktor is half-hextech, maybe that will protect him and Jayce beside him somehow. For everyone who survives Jinx' attack it is full on war now. 🙈 - They got !Sting! to sing the final song and he did a marvelous job, like every singer on the soundtrack. Freaking legen- - wait for it - -dary Sting! Goosebumps, goosebumps all over! 🤯😁💖✨👌

silverarrow06

- The only positive thing happening in this episode is Heimerdingers arrival at the home of the firelights. "It's not enough to give people what they need to survive, you have to give them what they need to live!" - This wonderful quote pretty much sums up what Heimerdinger (and the council) did wrong all the time. They gave the undercity barely enough to survive, to be able to work in their mines and factorys, but ignored them otherwise. Getting kicked out of the council was the best thing that ever happened to Heimerdinger, not least because it saved his life. Him and Ekko as a duo like Victor and Jayce actually have the potential to change the world for the better. 💖😊 - Silcos monologue at Vanders statue is one of the strongest moments of the entire show. Finally he understood Vander and made peace with him. Oh the pain of Jinx hearing those words from her father, you can see it in her shimmer eyes. She didn't get that he does not want to give her up, she took his words literal. 🙈 It mirrors the scene from episode one, where she overhears Mylos and Vis conversation, but leaves hurt and sad, before she could hear that her sister was actually defending her. Once again she comes to the wrong conclusion. Then Vi could talk with her about it and repair the damage, now it has fatal consequences. 😭😭 - In the shot where the Vander statue is seen in full size and Silco sits in front of it, you can see a bit of Jinx' head behind Vanders shoulder, before it is revealed that she is there. It even moves slightly. In the close up, when Silco poors a drink for Vander, you can see that someone scratched Ekkos name into the base of the statue (my guess is, it was the young Ekko himself). They... I... I can not get over the perfect storytelling, the attention to tiny little details, it is so beautiful it makes me cry. 😭💖😊😍 - The second clash between Vi and Sevika was the definition of a cool fight. 🤯😱😎 It felt less "realistic" than their first brawl, but it was so spectacular. The way they directed it in a western-saloon-shootout-style gave me goosebumps and made my adrenaline go through the roof. The way Vis "inner" Vander got her back on her feet - everytime, everytime you think it can't get better...✨👌😍😭😍 - Did you see Vis surprise, when the gauntlet formed a protecting shield around her to block Sevikas attack? She had no idea that it can do this. In my eyes this confirms Viktors theory of a thinking, adapting hextech. You can see the ring of runes forming around Vi when she takes her defence up. The hextech adapted her needs and reacted on its own. 🤔 - The final scene of their fight mirrors the scene from the third episode, where Vi attacks the mutated Deckard from above with a big jump, only to get caught in his hand and get nearly choked to death. This time it is Sevika with the big jump from above who gets caught in the hextech shield of Vi and nearly dies. So if you ever get in a fight like this, avoid those big jumps at all costs...😅🤣 - Of course the council members would flip at the proposal of independence for Zaun. Their mines and I guess a big part of their factories are in the undercity, they don't want to lose their source of raw materials or their huge profit margin. 🤑🙁

silverarrow06

- Viktor finally finding out about Skys feelings broke my heart. 💔😨 Once again the attention to details. When he holds her glasses, you can see her friendly smiling face behind them for a split second. There were lots of drawings of plants in her book, but nothing especially recognizable. 🤔 The sound design, you always hear the metallic *tock*, *tock* when his artificial leg or hand touches the floor. And he proved his theory, that hextech evolves. Not only merged the hextech with his body, the hexcore also has some kind of remote connection to him. I wonder if he will loose himself in this new creature in the next season and become a new kind of human being. That is, if he survives at all. 🙏🙈 - As I guessed, Madame Medarda has a serious war of her own coming and tries to get weaponized hextech from her daughter. Strange folk, those Noxians. She banished her daughter for being too human, for showing mercy and prefering to seek a diplomatic solution first and seeing war as a failure. The death of her son only seems to strengthen her conviction, that this is the wrong way. 🤔 - "In the pursuit of great, we failed to do good." 💖 What a great line and so true. When Viktor asked Jayce to destroy "it", Jayce looks at his hammer and nods - while Viktor was talking about the Hexcore. For the first time, seeing it's negative aspects, they get a feeling why Heimerdinger was so adamant about leaving the Arcane alone. Viktor by losing Sky and turning into some kind of hextech-human mixture, Jayce by seeing what harm an army with hextech weapons could cause to the people of the undercity. - Did you see the extreme relief on Silcos face? He wasn't sure whose side Sevika would take at all. Thats why he appealed to her. He may have looked at Finn, but his words about loyalty were clearly meant for Sevika. Her decision pro Silco was not that big surprise though. As Finn said, there are bigger fishes out there, but it was pretty clear he wasn't one of them. She told Silco as much when she said: "Not for a worm like him, but there will be others." She puts pressure on him to finally do what he promised or she will be gone. I can't exactly put a finger on it why I somehow like Sevika, but I actually do. Maybe it is her no-nonsense badass attitude. And she is the only one able to fight Vi at eye-level. 🤔😄 - The sunset behind Jayce and Silco negotiating was just beautiful and symbolic at the same time: The sun goes down on both leaders and the cities they reign as we knew them. First it seems that Silco has the upper hand and maintaines an aura of superiority, but you see his eye slide when Jayce mentions Jinx. From this moment on, the dominance changes to Jayce and when Jayce said: "Get me Jinx and I give you your nation of Zaun", I couldn't help but thinking that just like that, he checkmated Silco. No matter what Silco will do now, he will lose.

silverarrow06

Okay, let's go. I didn't have a good nights sleep, but at least the head is clear now and the pulse where it belongs. I'm writing this immediatly after the second viewing of the episode. Still not easy, but manageable if you know what will happen. I still haven't seen any analysis or background stuff for the show and will not for at least some days, to let it all sink in. 🙂 So, as someone once said, let's start at the beginning - Thoughts and observations: - All these (impossible) choices the characters had to face in this episode: Vi - Kill Caitlyn or you won't get Powder back. Silco - Protect Jinx or give her up and get the nation of Zaun. Viktor - Die or stay alive, but lose your soul. Mel Medarda - Let a war unfold and return to your family with a new weapon technology or stay loyal to Piltover (and Jayce) and try to save the cities. Jinx - Be Powder or be Jinx. Jayce - Negotiate peace with Silco or start a war and be responsible for everything that arises from the decision, including the deaths of lots of innocent people on both sides. - Viktor claimed that there is always a choice and technically he is right, but this episode showed that if the consequences of the given choices are too severe, than there is no real choice: Vi would never ever kill Caitlyn and even if she did, she never would have gotten Powder back. Silco likewise would never ever give Jinx up, the only thing he was always true about was his paternal love of Jinx. Jinx had locked what was left of Powder deep inside her. Even though she decided to embrace Jinx, there has never been a way for her to be Powder again. 😭 Viktor lost his will to fight for his life the moment he saw the prize others had to pay for it. Mel never forgot how her mother treated her and was hugely disappointed when she only reached out to benefit from her daughters success, not to mention Mels feelings for Jayce. Jayce saw first hand several times the costs of war and finally realised that would not be an option. - The shimmer factory and all the dead bodies. How can anything look so cool and so gut-wrenching sad at the same time? 😭 Jayce does a full turnaround from going all in on war to no war at all. I guess the impressions of the last days took their toll. And the scientist he is, he approaches his challenges this way: Trial and error. War didn't work (to high a prize to pay), so he tries negotiating peace next. No wonder Vi doesn't agree, she is much more used to this than Jayce. The death of the kid hit her hard (you can see it in her face and her body language after Jayce left), but she copes better with it than he is. It only strengthens her resolve to fight Silco. Like we guessed, these gauntlets were hers the moment she put them on. 😂

silverarrow06

the "super mega death rocket" is a rpg ultimate ability Jinx uses in game. im a past jinx main so finding out that all of her three weapons carries a complete backstory with the voices in her head makes all the more sense when the most impactful is Fishbones: the shark launcher she named in Silco's honor. If you hear all of the original voicelines for the characters in game, her conversations with fishbones are what some speculate what could bring her to redemption.