Some Mysteries Are Better Left Unsolved
In the aftermath of the explosion that set off Vi and Powder’s hurried departure, we follow Jayce as he returns to his workshop. Moments after the blast, Jayce is working on a new invention. ..
Grayson shows up to the workshop and checks the destruction. Now, Jayce’s research was an independent study but unfortunately, after this explosion, Jayce is locked up on orders of the Council, claiming he’s dangerous.
Jayce appears to be working on harnessing the Arcane, using science to control magic. In his cell, he feeds this back to Professor Heimerdinger, the 307 year old creature that implores him not to talk about magic to the Council. If he can do that, and stay quiet about what he’s been doing, he’ll be let free.
Meanwhile, Vi and the gang take Vander’s advice and lay low. Tensions are still high between Powder and Craggor though, but the real danger here comes from the enforcers. ..
The police show up to investigate the blast, but they quickly realize that the blast was caused by a group of people looking for someone responsible. The police then track down the people responsible and close off an alleyway in order to keep them from harming anyone else.
Ekko, the boy from Benzo’s last episode, saves the group by throwing down a ladder and letting them scramble up to safety. ..
Vander is facing a dilemma after the inspection; the crowd are rowdy and want to get revenge and hit back. Vander though, encourages them to let this blow over. His apathy to fighting the Enforcers could be his undoing, especially as his loyalty and leadership are called into question. He also struck a deal with Grayson, which Ekko tells the kids that evening. ..
Councilor Medarda oversees Jayce’s trial in Piltover. Jayce plays his part well, at least to begin with, and asks for forgiveness. He apologizes about the explosion and promises to do better. ..
The Academy is divided on what to do about Jayce, with some believing that he is just playing with dangerous tools and others believing that he may be onto something with his Arcane research. After hearing enough, Jayce snaps and speaks up himself, telling them all that he is trying to harness magic - and in particular the Arcane. ..
Piltover’s leaders are discussing the possibility of exiling the Arcane. If it falls into the wrong hands, it could consume and destroy the city. Jayce is walking a fine line here, as he is trying to keep Piltover from messing around with something that could be dangerous. ..
Jayce’s mother makes an impassioned plea to the academy to let her son off lightly after he’s caught stealing. The academy agrees and allows him to stay with his parents for the time being.
Grayson is concerned about how hard the Enforcers are pushing the Zaunians in their search for the perpetrators. The Council doesn’t care, and continues to send legions into the city to find the kids. The more they push, the more people will want to fight back – including Vi.
Jayce, meanwhile, returns to his workshop and decides to give up. He stands precariously on the edge and prepares to jump to his doom. Only, just before he does, a scholar called Viktor shows up. Viktor is intrigued by Jayce’s ideas and shares his hope for a better future. He wants to help Jayce complete his research, knowing what it’s like not to be understood. ..
As the episode comes to a close, Enforcers close in on Vi’s location. When Vander realizes what she’s doing, it’s too late.
The Episode Review
In the second chapter of Arcane, we deepen our understanding of the characters we’ll be following across the season. This helps to give a more rounded perspective from both sides of this growing conflict.
It’s clear that the more these Enforcers push, the more there’s going to be a big fight on their hands. Grayson knows this, but the Council seem too blinded by their power to realize – or care.
With Deckard as the wildcard, the show has the potential to be one of the most exciting and suspenseful in recent years. If Silco is able to keep him under control, then he could prove to be a crucial component of this show and could make for some amazing storylines.
Arcane is a good value for its runtime and the gorgeous animation works well to really help this stand out. Let’s hope the next episode delivers too! ..
