REVIEW: Arcane – Season 2, Episodes 7, 8, and 9, “Pretend Like It’s the First Time,” “Killing is a Cycle,” and “The Dirt Under Your Nails”

“Sometimes taking a leap forward means leaving a few things behind.”

Television Reviews

***SPOILERS***

“Pretend Like It’s the First Time” finds Ekko, and later Heimerdinger, in a timeline where Hextech was never invented. For his part, Jayce is sent to a future where Viktor’s evolution overtakes the Earth, wiping out humanity. Ekko encounters an alternate version of Powder, who grew up in a loving environment. Vander, Silco, and Benzo are alive in this timeline. Things aren’t as nice for Jayce, who must battle the elements and sentient robots. Ekko creates the Z-Drive, his time travel device from the games, with the help of Powder and Heimerdinger. But does he really want to leave such a perfect place? Jayce is given a gruesome but necessary task.

In “Killing is a Cycle,” Jinx is imprisoned by her own choice. Mel’s magical powers fully manifest, freeing her from the Black Rose’s prison, and she is introduced to a shadowy figure within the organization. Singed revives Viktor and Warwick, but they’re not what they used to be. Vi wakes up and Loris tells her about Jinx’s detainment, spurring a fight with Caitlyn. Mel approaches Jayce, who is weary of her new arcane powers. However, they both take down one of Viktor’s drones and reluctantly (on Jayce’s part) reconcile. Jinx sees Silco, who encourages her to escape the cycle of violence. Vi frees Jinx, hoping she’ll help in the coming battle, but Jinx pushes Vi into her cell and escapes. Caitlyn goes to Vi, and they fully embrace. Mel tries to make peace with her mother, but Ambessa isn’t open to it and reveals her plans. 

“The Dirt Under Your Nails” finds Jinx destroying the vestiges of her old life and preparing to blow herself up. However, Ekko returns from paradise to save her… if she’ll listen. Cait, Mel, Jayce, and Vi make ready to face Viktor. This goes poorly until Jinx and Ekko crash the party on an airship aided by Sevika and various Zaunite factions. Ambessa sets Viktor’s undying masses on the Piltovan and Zaunite forces, including Warwick, who Jinx and Vi must face one final time. Caitlyn fights Ambessa with Mel for backup, channeling her newfound powers to protect Cait from her mom. Jayce tries to talk Viktor out of the “glorious evolution,” inadvertently (but thankfully) distracting him while Ekko uses the Z-drive to undo it. Jayce shows Viktor what he saw in the other dimension: an older Viktor who wants to stop his own actions from coming to fruition. This finally convinces Viktor, and he and Jayce disappear to places unknown. Mel brings Ambessa to the Black Rose, and she is killed, but not before telling Mel, “You ARE the wolf,” after all.  Vi desperately tries to save Vander, believing he still exists in Warwick. Jinx saves Vi, plunging herself and Warwick down the shaft and detonating one of her grenades. Zaun and Piltover grieve their loss, and Sevika joins the Council, representing the Undercity. We see Singed’s daughter in a synthetic body, not unlike Viktor’s followers. Mel leaves for Noxus with her mother’s forces, as Vi promises to stay with Caitlyn and keep up the fight.

Usually, I would talk about the music now, and I will get there. But “Pretend Like It’s the First Time” is the best thing I’ve seen in a while. It is definitely my favorite episode of season 2 and maybe my favorite episode of Arcane. To an extent, I’m disappointed in the second and third arcs of this season, but in both cases, the first of three episodes is the best. “Pretend Like It’s the First Time” isn’t what I expected at the end of the season, right before the big battles and character deaths. It’s a slow moment to catch your breath, a vision of what Piltover and Zaun would look like if everything didn’t constantly go wrong. Perhaps this is what Viktor thinks he can achieve, but we’ll get to that in a bit. This episode contains all the elements of a great story and character journey, with or without the rest of the show. I find this so impressive from a writing standpoint, but it also hit me personally so intensely. I love this show, and it was great even if it ended with one season. In some ways, it would be better without season 2, but I’m so glad we got some of the episodes, especially this one. 

Ekko finds himself in an uncanny situation with a Powder who never became Jinx. You can see that he doesn’t feel safe even in his body language and microexpressions. To Powder’s confusion and shock, Ekko winces or becomes aggressive whenever she touches him. In this timeline, they appear to be in a romantic relationship, so this is probably quite hurtful to her. But the Jinx Ekko knows would blow him up before offering him a hug. However, my favorite moment in this scene before the credits has nothing to do with Powder. Ekko’s wonder at seeing Benzo alive and how he rushes to hug him hit me right in the gut. We’ve all wanted to see a loved one at least one more time, and this is Ekko’s chance, at least in a way. He even knocks Benzo’s packages out of his hands because that doesn’t matter. Ekko’s father is alive, and his first instinct is to embrace him. Benzo didn’t have much screen time in season 1, as he dies in the third episode, “The Base Violence Necessary For Change.” But I always liked him, and the parental concern for Ekko was evident. This scene is so moving, a perfect example of how well-crafted small character interactions are in Arcane. 

I hate that Ekko’s character arc took so long to get started in season 2, and what he finds in this alternate reality doesn’t tie back in with the corruption of the Firelights’ tree from what I can tell. But his arc in “Pretend Like It’s the First Time” that extends into “The Dirt Under Your Nails” is so good, unexpected, and satisfying that I almost don’t mind. Ekko has been Jinx’s most ardent adversary, the first to tell Vi that Powder was gone and to move on. His fight scene with Jinx is by far the most famous and discussed scene in season 1. Ekko forced to face an uncorrupted version of Powder isn’t something I expected to see, but it’s so well done and their date is especially moving. The dance scene set to “Ma Meilleure Ennemie” by Stromae is beautiful, provocative, and serves as the emotional climax of the episode. This is the most Ekko is tempted to stay, as he falls in love with what Jinx could have been. It’s like the creators knew they couldn’t outdo the best action sequence in season 1, so they went in a completely different direction with the same characters. Amazing. The bond Ekko forms with alternate universe Powder pays dividends in the finale. In “Killing Is a Cycle,” Jinx tells Vi there’s no good version of her. Then, in “The Dirt Under Your Nails,” Ekko takes up the task of talking Jinx out of suicide. This is so satisfying because he knows there is a good version of her; he saw it! I also love the scene where Ekko paints the mural of Vi for alternate universe Powder, and later when he lights a candle for her Vi. 

Shockingly, another big story thread in this episode belongs to Heimerdinger, although it doesn’t get enough screen time to strike the appropriate emotional chords. When Ekko leaves his notes sitting, Heimerdinger reveals that he is also from Ekko’s home timeline. He arrived much earlier than Ekko and has made himself at home with his new surroundings. I wish we could have seen this and his time with the Firelights. Heimerdinger concludes that he has truly lived in his time with Ekko, referencing what Ekko told him at the end of season 1: “It’s not enough to give people what they need to survive; you have to give ’em what they need to live.” Heimerdinger also encourages Ekko to go to the party with Powder, asking him, “What’s the point of a device like this if you don’t enjoy the time you have?” These moments are great in isolation, and they should be impactful and feed into Heimerdinger’s choice to sacrifice himself so Ekko can go home. But this season feels so rushed at the end. We’ve barely seen Ekko and Heimerdinger, and this episode can’t provide enough buildup for such a huge payoff. “I’ve been able to accomplish wonderful things in this world” is another great line from the Professor, but what exactly has he accomplished? Judging by “Spin the Wheel,” Heimerdinger’s song in this episode, he has been forging human (well, humanoid) connections rather than his usual tinkering and scientific discoveries. “Spin the Wheel” is the only song in Arcane performed by a character, unless you count background characters like Ray Chen’s stand-in or the Imagine Dragons lookalikes in season 1. It’s lovely, simple, and I love how it contrasts with the imagery of the living hell in which Jayce finds himself. In short, I absolutely love what they do with Ekko and Heimerdinger in concept. I just wish they both got more screen time to build up to it and that Ekko’s discoveries here connected more to what was happening at home. Ekko’s goal went from saving the tree to saving Jinx, and the two seem unrelated. 

Jayce and Mel’s journeys feel extremely rushed, too, especially in retrospect. I think Ekko comes out the best, especially if you take “Pretend Like It’s the First Time” on its own merits. But the payoff of him saving Jinx is incredible, even if it feels like this thread came out of nowhere in arc 3. All of this leaves me thinking Netflix or the show’s producers gave the writers an order to end the show with season 2 when more was planned. Season 1 is fast-paced but flows very well, and everything is clear and feels earned. I have enjoyed this season immensely, but it troubles me how some of the stories and character arcs were speed-run to reach their endgame goals and match up with the game. It doesn’t feel as natural and satisfying as season 1 did. I like Jayce’s part of “Pretend Like It’s the First Time,” especially in its juxtaposition to the relative paradise Ekko and Heimerdinger find themselves in. The revelation that Viktor was the wizard who saved Jayce as a child feels forced to me; it smells like a retcon. I do like the visual of Jayce having to brave his leg; it reminds me of Viktor’s problems in season 1, and this is likely intentional. Mel gets it the worst, even worse than Caitlyn becoming a dictator and regretting it all off-screen. Mel’s magic powers hardly feel set up at all. Mel saving herself and Jayce during the explosion isn’t enough; one more clue or hint would have made this flow better. Mel doesn’t get enough time for this to develop organically when major characters are vying for focus. 

I also don’t like how Jayce and Mel’s relationship is just hand-waved away after everything they’ve been through, both together and separately. I seem to be in the minority, but I’ve liked these two together since Mel started acting like she genuinely cared about Jayce. At the beginning of season 1, it seemed like she was manipulating him for personal gain. I think Jayce telling Mel, “You will never be a passenger,” in “Killing is a Cycle,” was intended to be some kind of break-up moment for them. Like he’s telling her goodbye, but she has nothing to worry about; she’s a force to be reckoned with. But it’s not satisfying after everything we’ve seen, especially one of the best scenes in season 1, their love scene that’s juxtaposed with Viktor’s chronic illness. Jayce and Mel’s storyline is just one of many factors that make this season feel like two or even three shoved together. 

Certain plot elements feel glossed over or barely mentioned, like the Black Rose and Singed’s daughter. By the way, it’s pretty messed up that Singed caused so much misery with Viktor and Warwick but ends up one of the only characters to get a happy ending. Mel ascends to power in Noxus but loses her mother and finds out her life has essentially been a lie. Vi finally gets to taste the cupcake but loses her sister, the last vestige of her old family and life. Speaking of Singed’s daughter, we learn that she is dead or dying (never clarified which), and then we briefly see her as a cyborg in the finale. I would love more context or for Singed to have talked more about her. Silco’s few appearances also give me the impression that this was meant to be more spaced out, perhaps over a few seasons. He appears a final time to Jinx, telling her that she can only end the cycle of killing by walking away. I enjoyed all of his scenes, especially the flashbacks with Vander and Felicia. But it feels a bit fan-servicey to have so much content involving a dead character in a relatively short period of time. I think it wouldn’t have been a problem if the cameos were spread out over several seasons. 

Secondary characters like Maddie and Loris are introduced in season 2 for ultimately no reason. Maddie was introduced as a sort of Vi fan, praising her for standing up to Jinx. Then, she supports Caitlyn’s rise to power (which we don’t see), has an affair with Caitlyn (which we barely see), and betrays her for Ambessa (which was not built up at all). This could have been interesting, whether Maddie was a Noxxian pawn the whole time or betrayed Caitlyn for reuniting with Vi. Either explanation could have been compelling if this girl got any screen time. There are also zero hints that she’s a spy, except for her listening to Vi and Cait argue. But I took this as the jealousy of a spurned lover instead of spying. This, too, could have been a really cool red herring if it all made sense in the end. And what about Cait always having Maddie check on Tobias, her father? Why did we only see him in the first arc? Why does he need to be checked on; is he ill?  Loris is an obvious Vander stand-in, and he disappears as soon as Vander is briefly back in the picture. Loris essentially supports Vi unconditionally, going from drinking buddy to comrade in arms to a sort of AA sponsor, trying to get her to clean up her act. Then, they just kill him like a chump, an instantaneous shot, and then he’s gone. This could work well as a reminder of the brutality of war, the finality of death, but it ends up rushed and leaving little impact, much like Heimerdinger’s sacrifice. Less than a minute after revealing she’s a spy, Maddie dies similarly quickly. It isn’t satisfying to end these characters like this; they’ve been in the whole season and seemed important initially. I just know more was planned for them if there had been more time. The revelation that Sky was real within Viktor’s mind/the Hexcore is just like this, brought up and barely explained. I wondered about her earlier in the season, whether she was trapped in the Hexcore, too, or just a figment of Viktor’s imagination. Rushing or glossing over these revelations robs them and the initial mystery of impact. It’s such a shame.

Overall, I can’t say I didn’t enjoy Arcane season 2, but I’m disappointed. “Pretend Like It’s the First Time” may be my favorite episode of the show, but otherwise, this arc left much to be desired. There’s too much story here, too many characters competing for focus, and with limited screen time. Season 1 juggled its ensemble cast much better, and I think it’s because season 2 was forced to drive the characters to their predetermined endpoints rather than letting the characters drive the story forward. I’m disappointed, but I don’t hate it. There are a lot of good details and character moments here. Now, we can definitively say season 1 was better, as it’s essentially perfect. But I’m glad I got to see something as well-written and concise as “Pretend Like It’s the First Time,” even if the other two episodes sucked, and they don’t, thankfully. They just could have been better.

Let us know what you thought about the final three episodes of Arcane in the comments!

***

If you want to know what kind of political leanings movies have or just talk about cinema, check out the movie ratings community Criticless.

Get Your Geeks + Gamers merch here!