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Sometimes I write things, but mostly I watch movies.
Is there anything so undoing as the wait for a second season of a critically acclaimed show? Perhaps there is, but the wait is finally over, and the premiere of Arcane Season 2 is finally here. Arcane Season 2 picks up in the immediate aftermath of the dramatic cliffhanger of Season 1. Season 2 Act 1 serves to briefly establish the characters and then sets up a new status quo.
Act 1 consists of three episodes: “Heavy Is The Crown”, “Watch It All Burn”, and “Finally Got The Name Right”. These three episodes are written by Amanda Overton, Nick Luddington, and Henry Jones, respectively. Additionally, Arnaud Delord, Bart Maunoury, Pascal Charrue, Etienne Mattera, Marietta Ren, and Christelle Abgrall serve as the directors across the Season 2 premiere.
Throughout these three episodes, the relationships between characters are established and changed in the wake of Jinx’s (voiced by Ella Purnell) deadly actions in the season 1 finale. The first two episodes smartly focus on just a few characters, slowly reacquainting the audience with them and introducing new plot threads. In the midseason finale, these characters and plots begin to collide. And it’s all very exciting. However, this last episode, “Finally Got The Name Right”, is fast-paced and doesn’t give much room to breathe for these dramatic events. It’s a little unsatisfying in that regard, but it does promise a wild and dramatic Act 2 and 3 for the Netflix series.
Power At Any Cost
Throughout all three episodes, there is a running theme of sacrificing values and principles in the name of safety, or perceived safety, vengeance, and desperation. Caitlyn Kiramman (voiced by Katie Leung) and Jayce Talis (voiced by Kevin Alejandro) are perhaps the clearest examples. They both start as idealists and slowly become more pragmatic or even just purely hateful to acquire some semblance of control in their own lives. Even that control comes with cataclysmic implications for the rest of the world. They also demonstrate how this lust for power can fracture what once were rock-solid relationships.
It’s a parallel that hits a little too close to home given the recent presidential election in the United States and the rising tide of fascism around the globe. Yet, that is what makes Arcane so compelling; it’s a fictional world that feels incredibly real despite all its fantastical elements. Both in the world of Piltover and ours, we all too often see people begin to trade their freedoms and so much more all in the name of power.
Peak Animation
As always, Arcane is superbly animated by Fortiche Production. Every single frame is gorgeous and no other show out today can compare to it. The quality and the attention to detail are just stunning and make the world so vibrant and so lived in. It helps that, like the previous season, Fortiche doesn’t restrict itself to one style. Each episode contains segments done in totally different styles. The comic book-esque one at the start of “Finally Got The Name Right” is a particular standout. These sequences can feel a little too much like music videos sometimes.
Music is very much ingrained into the Netflix show’s identity. However, it can be a bit irksome to have these music video-like sequences take away from time that could be better spent developing new characters. It’s a hard balance to find, and the show has always struggled with it. Ideally, it would have been sorted out by now, but it seems the show hasn’t figured it out quite yet.
Friends New and Old
Speaking of characters, there is quite a bit to do with characters in Arcane Season 2 Act I. First and foremost, the main characters from the first season are absolutely on point. They all feel recognizable but suitably changed given the events that transpire. Maybe the most drastic changes are from Caitlyn Kiramman and Viktor (voiced by Harry Lloyd). They become radically different but still feel in line with their characters at the start of Season 1. This is thanks in no small part to the great voice acting from Leung and Lloyd, respectively. Leung carries the heartbreak and pain in Caityln so well. Meanwhile, Lloyd creates a stoic yet deeply feeling messiah-like figure in Viktor.
Beyond that, all the characters, even the ones who do not change as much, are still intriguing to watch. Jayce Talis and Mel Medarda (voiced by Toks Olagundoye) are as electric as ever. Alejandro admirably performs the conflict in Jayce as he struggles with his responsibilities as a counselor and his role as a friend. Olagundoye gives Mel the grace she always has, but there is much vulnerability to her as she struggles with her mother Ambessa (voiced by Ellen Thomas) beginning to make power plays.
Jinx and Vi’s failing relationship still proves to be the engine that keeps this Netflix series running. Even when they are not on screen, their presence can still be felt. And when they are on screen, whether separate or together, it is riveting. Purnell and Steinfeld are incredible, and their performances are beautiful. Honestly, the show would not be half as good without them.
Characters Introduced in Arcane Season 2 Act I
While the old characters may still be in top form, the newer characters introduced leave something to be desired. The main ones are Maddie Nolen (voiced by Katy Townsend) and Isha (voiced by Lucy Lowe). Both are important to Vi and Jinx’s respective journeys but are more plot devices than characters. Obviously, there are still six episodes left to play so these characters could get more development. However, as of now, they are hollow.
The Verdict on Arcane Season 2 Act I
Overall, Arcane Season 2 Act 1 keeps up the high quality from Season 1 with incredible animation from Fortiche, great voice performances and characters, and engaging plotlines. However, Act 1 stumbles a bit regarding pacing, especially in its third episode, which covers a lot of ground and gives little room to breathe for some of the newer plots and characters introduced. Additionally, a handful of newer characters are introduced that feel rather underdeveloped. The core characters: Vi, Caitlyn, Jinx, Jace, etc. all get ample time to shine. Yet, when the characters and world around them feel less developed, it becomes harder to care.
Score: 4.5/5
Arcane Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix!
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Sometimes I write things, but mostly I watch movies.
This article was edited by John Tangalin.