Arcane’ Season 2 Episode 1 Review

One of Netflix’s best shows is back, and the first episode of ‘Arcane’ season two gets things off to a strong start.

There’s been a lot of hype about how good this show is, and truly, it’s one of the best things on Netflix. There’s not much you can criticise about ‘Arcane’, except the four year long wait between seasons. It’s been worth it though, as the time has been well spent, ensuring this is one show that will stay with you for a long time.

Based on ‘League of Legends’, the video game franchise from Riot Games, the show follows the conflict between a society divided into two halves: the rich city of Piltover, and the dark undercity of Zaun. While the former is prosperous and advanced, populated by wealthy families, the latter is grim, dirty, and ruled by gang bosses. Into this mix are thrown the characters who drive every part of the plot, especially with the conflict between sisters Vi and Jinx.

At the end of last season, Jinx launched an attack on the governing council of Piltover, and we jump right back in where we left off, with the survivors emerging from the wreckage. Several councillors have been killed, and the city is thrown into shock that such a violent act could have happened.

With the way this show has killed off leading characters in the past, I wasn’t sure after season one if anyone would survive, so was surprised to see that none of the really important ones have been harmed. Nevertheless, the show still makes it work to its advantage, with the attack being used to justify a more aggressive approach toward Zaun and its inhabitants.

There’s also the death of Caitlyn’s mother, which becomes her central driving force going forward, as she looks for revenge, and struggles with the fact that she could have prevented all of this if she’d killed Jinx when she had the chance. It’s an interesting parallel to the first season, where the death of Vi and Jinx’s adoptive father was an important turning point in the show.

Being completely honest, while this episode was a great start to the season, I felt it was a little underwhelming in a few ways. Maybe it’s because I was expecting the show to keep driving ahead at the same pace as season one’s finale. What happened instead was that the show took a moment to catch its breath, taking a step back as the characters tried to come to terms with their new situation. The action was certainly there, for sure, with an attack on a memorial service for the dead councilors providing an opportunity for some of the highly-stylized fight scenes the show is so good at. But there didn’t seem to be quite the same level of laser-focused plot driving it all.

However, having watched all three of the episodes in this first arc, you can start to see what this episode was doing in terms of set up. Not so much laying a breadcrumb trail as baking the loaf that will be scattered as crumbs later. Things like Viktor being placed in the Hex core to keep him alive, or Ambessa Medarda making her grab for power, all come into focus more in episodes two and three. There’s also the fact that Jinx was absent from this episode, despite her being central to the story, and having plenty to deal with after season one, something that episode two fixes.

In every other way, the show continues to deliver. The characters are engaging, the writing is tight, and the animation is top notch. There are some excellently handled moments of hyper-stylized shots sprinkled throughout, that only complement the story, rather than distracting you from it.

Looking forward, it’s likely Caitlyn will have a central role here, and other characters will have to move forward to take the place of those no longer around, and certainly I think a big focus on action as Piltover moves closer to war with the undercity. But considering how this show can throw curveballs, nothing is off the table.