REVIEW: Arcane – Season 2, Episodes 1, 2, and 3, “Heavy Is the Crown,” “Watch It All Burn,” and “Finally Got the Name Right”

"Our paths diverged long ago. It was affection that held us together."

Television Reviews

In 2021, Arcane became one of the best TV shows I’ve ever seen, and for me, it came out of nowhere. This League of Legends adaptation sports gorgeous animation, a versatile, star-studded soundtrack, and some of the best-realized characters you can find on TV. I didn’t know anything about League of Legends, and that hasn’t changed much. But a combination of Arcane’s art style, drama, and masterful vocal performances drew me in, and many other people, too. Where most video game adaptations have historically alienated their fans and become a joke, Arcane pleased League fans and still built a fandom of its own, apart from the game. I’ve talked about this show a lot, so I won’t harp on about how incredible season 1 is too much. But suffice it to say, I was beyond hyped for the second and final season; I only wish the show could go on for longer. But I would take a good show ending on its own terms over dragging the ending out any day. This is also the rare case where I fully expect and believe a follow-up will match its predecessor’s quality.

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“Heavy Is the Crown”

Season 2 of Arcane picks up in the wake of Jinx’s assault on the council building in Piltover. Councillors Bolbok, Kiramman (Caitlyn’s mother), and Hoskel are dead. Jayce and Mel survive, but Viktor is left fatally wounded. This leaves relations between Piltover and Zaun icier than ever, and Ambessa is taking full advantage, manipulating Councilor Salo. Things only get worse when Renni and some other Zaunite goons attack a memorial service for the fallen Councilors. Caitlyn wants Jinx’s head, and Vi offers to help, but they have different ideas about what that help looks like. Jayce tinkers with the Hexcore in an attempt to save Viktor as well as making Caitlyn’s enforcers some new weapons. These include gauntlets for Vi, who decides to join after all. 

“Watch It All Burn”

A turf war brews between remaining Chem-Barons Margot, Smeech, and Chross as Jinx tries to evade the bounty on her head. Jinx befriends a little girl named Isha, saving her from snatchers. Viktor emerges from his Hexcore shell, alive but transformed, somehow more and less than human. He leaves Jayce and their research behind. The Firelight’s tree begins shedding diseased leaves, sending Ekko and Heimerdinger into Jayce’s office for his research. To their initial dismay and eventual delight, Jayce is sleeping there. Smeech and his men accost Jinx, hoping to hand her off to the authorities for a reward and some reprieve from Piltovan oversight. This goes south when Sevika arrives, using her mechanical arm (repaired by Jinx) to end Smeech’s attack. A group of urchins led by Huck approach Viktor to rob him, but he heals them with his newfound power instead. 

“Finally Got the Name Right”

Vi and Caitlyn kiss at last. Caitlyn sends the other enforcers back topside with a prisoner. She and Vi finally locate Jinx, facing off with her, Sevika, and to their shock and chagrin, Isha. Ambessa meets with Amara and learns who she really is. Ambessa kills Amara, but not before she can curse Mel. Jayce, Heimerdinger, and Ekko discover the source of the changes in the Lanes: a wild rune that influences everything from the enforcer’s weapons to Viktor himself. Vi hesitates to kill Jinx and misses her shot. Worse, Caitlyn has the shot again, and Vi stops her from shooting because Isha could be shot. Caitlyn hits Vi in the gut, leaving her in a sobbing heap as she heads back to Piltover. Ambessa proposes a general to the Council and nominates Caitlyn, who accepts, much to Councilor Salo’s irritation. We learn that Ambessa hired Renni and the others to attack the memorial service. It has literally been her game all along. Mel and her assistant, Elora, are whisked away by Amara’s curse. Each episode ends with a final scene of Singed hunting, killing, and finally experimenting on a two-headed wolf. This will presumably be Warwick, AKA Vander, resurrected as a character from the game. 

I’ll get the obvious out of the way first: the animation in Arcane has somehow leveled up. The first season was already some of the most gorgeous, detailed, fluid animation I’ve ever seen. But they inject new styles here, like the way everything is drained of life during Caitlyn’s mom’s funeral. And there’s a scene at the beginning of “Finally Got the Name Right” with the enforcers that looks like something out of a video game. It’s really cool and absolutely gets you ready for the imminent carnage. Smoke effects, character animation, and detail work remain incredible. Tell me why a relatively small French animation studio like Fortiche can do this while Disney vomits up something like Wish? I’ll wait. It almost makes me sad this will be the last season, but there have been rumblings of more League-inspired series. I’ll be first in line for anything like Arcane. I especially love little touches, like how Vi’s new friend who enlists with her looks like Vander. This could subtly encourage her to trust him. Likewise, I appreciate Heimerdinger and Ekko’s opposing reactions to Jayce’s tea. These moments make the characters feel genuine. This is less of a small detail, but Jinx and Caitlyn are both blue-haired expert marksmen, and I never put that together before. Their personalities couldn’t be more different, but I can’t help thinking this superficial similarity means something. 

The songs are also just as good as expected, although it’s hardly surprising. “I Can’t Hear It Now” by Freya Ridings plays at Cassandra Kiramann’s funeral. It’s beautiful and fittingly sad, a perfect eulogy. I love the loss evident in Caitlyn’s body language and expressions, but I also noted Tobias, Caitlyn’s dad and Cassandra’s widower. He looks even worse than Cait, utterly crushed. From his brief appearance so far, I take it Cassandra was his strength. The Kiramman clan is also evidently matrilineal, with Caitlyn inheriting her mother’s key and special privileges rather than Tobias holding them. This doesn’t have much to do with the story, I just found it interesting. It’s starkly contrasted with how things run in the Lanes. They constantly put this level of detail into this show; if you really watch, there’s always a little something extra going on in the background.  I love it. “Heavy Is the Crown” fittingly ends with a song of the same name by Mike Shinoda and Emily Armstrong of Linkin Park. I know there has been some controversy about Emily joining the band in the wake of Chester Bennington’s passing, but I’m not an expert or even a fan myself. I tried not to think about this regarding “Heavy Is the Crown.” I like this song, and it works very well at the end of the episode. You can literally feel the stakes go up as Vi and the others step out in full enforcer gear with new weapons, courtesy of Jayce. He’s a far cry from the man who turned his back on Vi after they accidentally killed a child. Where are his scruples now? It makes sense, though, after everything that has happened. Again, it’s just very interesting. “Sucker” by Marcus King plays in the opening fight of “Watch It All Burn,” as Jinx beats some goons off of Isha. This isn’t my favorite song to listen to outside the show, but it melds with the action perfectly. I also like how he says “dirty little animals” at one point; this was the name of another song in season 1.

“Renegade (We Never Run)” by Raja Kumari, Stefflon Don, and Jarina De Marco similarly adds to the episode’s climactic battle between Smeech and Sevika. This song is just badass. The scene also plays bits of “Get Jinxed” by Djerv, a now-iconic song from Jinx’s League of Legends champion music video. I found this to be charming, a fun reference. “Hellfire” by FEVER 333 scores the gorgeous scene I referenced with the enforcers. It’s really cool, although another one I probably wouldn’t listen to in the car, for example. “To Ashes and Blood” is the standout here, absolutely gorgeous and just ethereal. Woodkid absolutely nailed it in “Guns For Hire” in season 1, and I can see why they wanted to work with him again. His voice is haunting and soothing at the same time. However, the mysterious choir is the real highlight for me. This song plays during the most pivotal moment of this three-episode arc, in “Finally Got the Name Right,” when Jayce learns what’s causing the destruction in Zaun. I don’t know how better to explain why this show is amazing than to show someone this scene. How they weave Jayce, Heimerdinger, and Ekko’s mission with Vi and Jinx’s fight is brilliant and satisfying. 

The only thing that surprises me about the quality of the episodes is the humor; they’re pretty funny at times, though, granted, the jokes are used sparingly. Jinx calling Sevika crazy for talking to dead people made me laugh out loud, and the exchange between Jayce and Heimerdinger about the latter breaking into Jayce’s office is great stuff. Jinx asking Sevika, “Haven’t I done you enough favors?” was also funny. There are some lighter scenes in season 1, but I don’t remember laughing this much. Vi starts out this arc as somewhat standoffish, offering Caitlyn little comfort in the wake of such a tremendous loss. Given Vi has lost her birth parents as well as Vander, I almost couldn’t believe the way she spoke to Caitlyn here. If my sister murdered my significant other’s mom, I would at least be apologetic and empathetic. It’s a challenging situation, but this was not the way to go. I can’t help wondering if it factors into Cait’s decision-making at the end of the arc. The lovers have essentially switched places, with Vi reaching out to Caitlyn’s humanity as she single-mindedly hunts for Jinx, nevermind the consequences. Coming back to quieter character moments, I loved when Vi found Claggor’s old goggles in Jinx’s hideout and put them on. This is so touching without distracting or overwhelming the present story, and it is a reminder that the people you love never really leave you. I wonder if Caitlyn sent Maddie, or at least intentionally motivated her, to tell Vi all that stuff about her being a hero. This scene helps convince Vi to join the enforcers, though I’m not convinced Caitlyn is that manipulative. If the two didn’t break up at the end of the arc, I’m not sure I would have even thought of this. Eventually, I noticed that not being allowed to intervene in Renni’s attack could be another motivator for Vi to join. I was not surprised at all that Ambessa hired Renni. The timing of the attack is too convenient; neither Mel nor Jayce was killed (and Ambessa cares about them), and she IS that manipulative. It’s also clear Mel immediately suspected her mother of having a hand in this. I hate Ambessa so much, even if her music video got me even more excited for the season. 

I’ve gone on a lot here, but I want to mention Janna, the “wispy wind woman” Jinx mentions who is carved into the walls during the pivotal fight. I assume she’s from the game, but this setup is so cool. Stories and architecture like this help locations feel lived-in. These people believe in something; they have myths and morals they cling to. That’s excellent world-building. This brings me to Viktor, who essentially becomes a messiah figure following his melding with the Hexcore. My mind immediately went to Jesus, from his robe and staff to the needy Zaunites bowing at his feet seeking healing. I like how it’s a little unnatural and creepy, though. It hurts him to heal people; it drains his powers and physical strength. His voice sounds like him, but you can hear a robotic undercurrent from the Hexcore. And, of course, he sees and hears Sky, guided by her (imagined?) whims. I’m not sure if this is a corruption of Viktor’s mind or if Sky is literally in there with him; after all, the Hexcore killing her is part of what set him on his initial path. That changed when Jayce chose for him, taking away Viktor’s agency by saving his life with the Hexcore. Viktor explicitly did not want this and was prepared to face his fate and die at the end of season 1. I hate Jinx so much, and I hope Caitlyn kills her, even if Caitlyn becomes a tyrant. This essentially already happens in “Finally Got the Name Right,” when she accepts Ambessa’s offer to be a general. Yikes. Anyway, I should mention Jinx, as she has a lot going on in “Watch It All Burn;” heck, the episode is named after something she says. I’m beyond curious to see what happens with Isha, the young girl who has imprinted on Jinx. It’s understandable, if misguided; Isha was being hunted by what looked to be Chross’s men, and Jinx saved her. She’s likely an orphan who sees herself as an outsider, which would further encourage her to identify with Jinx. This could go a lot of ways.

Could Jinx follow the path of Silco and Vander before him in choosing the safety of a child(ren) over the rights and sovereignty of Zaun? Or will she double down on her callousness displayed when retorting to Vi’s remark about orphaning kids: “Why not? Done it to myself enough!” I’m also interested in the scene at the beginning of the episode, where she and Silco are both submerged. This is reminiscent of Silco’s backstory with Vander trying to drown him and the scene in season 1 where he baptized Jinx. She also remarks that it’s so quiet, presumably because he’s dead, and Vi isn’t around; the voices in her head are literally gone… for now. Jinx denies accountability for her choices, saying “someone” put all those holes in Silco. Regardless of how this all plays out, I hope someone ends her reign of terror because I’m so tired of her. I did feel sorry for Jinx/Powder for much of season 1, but those times are over. 

Season 2 of Arcane is off to a great start. The animation and music are worthy of the first season’s splendor, and the characters and story don’t slack. My favorite of the three has to be “Finally Got the Name Right” for the big scene with the wild rune and the ending with Cait’s big decision(s), but I enjoyed almost everything from all three episodes. Bring on the rest of season 2, although I’ll hate it when it’s over.

Let us know what you think of Arcane season 2 so far in the comments!

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