Now that we’ve caught up with what Ekko (Shannon Reed), Heimerdinger (Mick Wingert) and Jayce (Kevin Alejandro) have been up to in the Arcane’s alternate timelines, the question left is, “What about Mel (Toks Olagundoye)?” When last we saw her, she’d seen through the Black Rose’s false Kino (Keston John) and been drawn into the black and red thorn dimension where she’d blown apart her bonds with innate power.
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We pick up in Arcane Season 2 Episode 8, “Killing is a Cycle,” just before her light show when the Black Rose’s thorny vines have restrained her in tight binding. Breaking out causes mage markings to appear all over her face and body, with gold designs on her skin. Enveloped in golden light, she burns away the briars wrapped around her. She lands on a stone floor, eyes glowing with a solid light, and stands up, examining her new mage markings.
Arcane, “Killing is a Cycle”
A sorceress addresses her from a nearby seat. They explain that Mel’s magical expression is rare, empathic powers attuned to the ethereal. Mel’s ability to sense others’ inner selves and bend their magic is a sought-after weapon. Mel accuses the sorceress of being afraid of her and her ability to see through the illusions the Black Rose uses. The sorceress morphs into Kino (Keston John) and comments that although Mel’s power is formidable, she could be easily killed as it is no defense against a blade.
Mel asks what really happened to Kino. The Black Rose tells her Ambessa (Ellen Thomas) chose pride over progeny. Kino is dead. Mel realizes the Black Rose is trying to recruit her. The sorceress observes that Mel’s powers have developed quickly and credits the awakening Arcane and the approaching calamity with quickening that ability. The Black Rose warns that Ambessa pilots the world towards its demise.
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They want her to stop Ambessa and save the world. Ambessa’s plan for Mel has been to use her as a weapon. The sorceress offers Mel a necklace as a symbol of the new family that claims her. As a mage, she cannot return to her previous life. Mel accepts the necklace and puts it on. It disappears into her skin with a flash. Accompanied by a raven, Mel begins her journey back to Piltover.
A Conduit and a Mirror
In the ruins of Viktor’s (Harry Lloyd) compound, Singed (Brett Tucker) offers regrets to Ambessa that he could not save Rictus (Stewart Scudamore). She swears to avenge him and asks about Viktor. Singed has hooked Viktor up to one of his machines to keep him alive.
Viktor’s voice resonates through the bodies of his followers, addressing Singed. Viktor’s consciousness exists in the Arcane dimension. He tells Singed his vision is more clear than before. Sky (Kimberly Brooks) is with Viktor. Ambessa wonders at Viktor inhabiting his followers to communicate. Viktor, speaking through his followers, informs her they are one, the endgame of the Glorious Evolution.
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He tells them of the anomaly beneath the Hexgates. He believes it’s the final piece needed to complete the transformation. Ambessa promises to deliver him past Jayce’s defenses to the anomaly. In exchange, he must evolve all the soldiers she brings to him. He vows to evolve all those willing.
A Waking Nightmare
Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) wakes up from nightmares of Vander/Warwick (JB Blanc), Isha (Lucy Lowe) and Jinx (Ella Purnell). Loris (Earl Baylon) is sitting vigil by her bed. She asks about Caitlin (Katie Leung) and Jinx. Loris shakes his head about Jinx and sighs.
Caitlyn and Maddie (Katy Townsend) are discussing strategy in the study when Vi bursts in, upset that they arrested Jinx. Maddie moves to intercede, but Caitlyn dismisses her. Vi and Caitlyn have it out, with Caitlyn accusing Vi of not trusting her to follow through on their plan while Vi throws Ambessa’s influence in her face.
Caitlyn tells Vi that Jinx surrendered once Vi was safe. The others hauled her down to a cell before Caitlyn could say anything. She was waiting for Vi to recover. Vi insists that Jinx has changed. Caitlyn points out that some mistakes can’t be erased. “Who decides who gets a second chance?” asks Vi as she leaves.
There Are No Happy Endings
Caitlyn brings Jinx a plate of food. Jinx asks her to finish the job if she’s there to kill her. Caitlyn tells her about Vi’s belief in her. Jinx rejects that, insisting her sister’s not realistic about the world. Caitlyn demands Jinx account for her actions. The best Jinx can do, huddled in the corner of the cell with her hair in disarray around her, is claim she didn’t know Cassandra (Abigail Marlowe) was in the Council Chamber when she blew it up. She admits it wouldn’t have made a difference.
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A raven screeches from a ship in the harbor as a white hooded figure disembarks. In the rebuilt Council Chamber, Jayce walks around the inner space of the table with his hammer. Looking at the repairs, he recalls the aftermath of Jinx’s attack. The hammer glimmers, warning him someone with power approaches. He sees the white hooded figure enter the chamber. Mel takes down her hood and asks him what happened to him.
He says it doesn’t matter. She confesses she’s changed too. He realizes that her power saved them from the attack. He demands to know why she didn’t save all of them. She points out she didn’t know about her powers, and that saving the two of them was instinct, not a decision.
Reunited
He accuses her of using him and Viktor for HexTech. As she explains why she saw potential in them, he is distracted by flashes of the Arcane and his experiences in the other timeline. Suddenly, he directs his Arcane-warped hammer at the top of a chamber pillar and blasts it. A HexTech human simulacrum leaps down to the floor. It addresses Jayce with Viktor’s voice.
Jayce attacks but the simulacrum leaps out of the way, evading the hammer’s blasts. Viktor senses that Jayce understands what Viktor’s endgame is. He tells Jayce and Mel that he hoped to achieve it peacefully, but Ambessa has other plans. He flashes to Mel’s side. She throws up an Arcane shield. Viktor recognizes the source of her power and reaches through the shield. Jayce knocks him back with a hammer blast.
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Viktor grabs Jayce and offers him the chance to be partners again. Jayce refuses. They fight. Viktor easily disarms Jayce and is about to choke him to death when Mel hits them with a magical attack that forces him to let go of Jayce. Jayce grabs his hammer and jams it into the simulacrum, overwhelming its systems and melting out all the Hex gems embedded in it.
In the Arcane dimension, Sky looks concerned as Viktor’s consciousness crouches in a defensive pose, looking injured. She kneels next to him. Viktor addresses Singed, telling him to begin the process.
Killing Isn’t Mercy
Jinx rolls a Hex gem in her cell. She hears footsteps and tells the visitor to go away. Silco (Jason Spisak) replies, “It’s a helluva place,” and comments on how Enforcers think imprisonment is more merciful than killing criminals.
Jinx replies that killing isn’t mercy, and Silco agrees. “Killing is a cycle,” he states. He points out that it existed before him and Vander and will continue long after Jinx and Vi. She says she’s done running in circles. He tells her he believes the only way to end it is to walk away.
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Vi calls Jinx’s name. She’s stolen the keys and tells Jinx they can rewrite her story if she’s willing to use her skill with explosives and weapons to save the city. Half-heartedly, Jinx agrees. Vi rushes into the cell and embraces her, sobbing. Jinx says, “You’re never going to give up on me, are you?” and punches Vi in her wound. She flashes out of the cell and locks the door, trapping Vi inside. Jinx leaves, telling Vi she doesn’t need to worry about her anymore. She tells her to go be with Caitlyn and stop feeling guilty about being happy. She fades into the shadows, promising to break the cycle. Vi screams and punches the wall.
Channeling the Pain
Jayce and Mel stroll together along the outer walkways. Jayce apologizes for being an idiotic ass. Mel confesses she’s spent her life trying to live up to the Medarda name. Now that she realizes it was a lie, she’s at a loss as to her true identity. She feels like a passenger without agency. Jayce replies that he isn’t certain of much, but he knows there is nothing that can control Mel.
He joins the Piltover elites and Zaun’s leaders in the Council Chamber. Addressing them in stern tones, he uncovers the inert simulacrum that Viktor inhabited and attacked them in. Jayce tells those gathered that hundreds more are on the way, led by Ambessa. He pleads with them to unite to stand against the forces coming for them.
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Jayce tells them they’ll abandon the outskirts and stage their final stand at the Hexgates. He warns them if they run, never to stop. The Piltover forces knock over the checkpoint barriers, but the Zaunites hesitate to join up. Families separate, some taking children to safety while others stay to fight. Lights are set up on the bridge to guide Zaunites across. No one comes, and the Enforcers shut the lights and prepare to return to the city. Just then, Gert (Ashley Holliday Tavares) leads some Zaunites over the bridge. The Enforcers step back to welcome them and allow them to pass. Jayce prepares to dismantle the Hexgates.
A Bit Predictable
Vi stands, panting, in the cell. Caitlyn arrives to let her out. Vi berates herself for believing Jinx had changed and would help them. She moans that she always makes the wrong choice, and now she’s lost everybody. Caitlyn walks over to her and asks if she thinks Jinx was left unguarded by accident.
Vi looks up at her and when Caitlyn teases that she’s grown predictable, she grabs Caitlyn and kisses her passionately. Before it gets too involved, Caitlyn tells Vi that she was with another person in her absence. Vi responds that she doesn’t care and resumes kissing her. They undress each other and make love in the cell.
Walking Into the Enemy’s Camp
With her hood drawn over her head, Mel approaches the guards at Ambessa’s camp. Inside the main tent, Ambessa activates protective Rune Stones in the brazier. When Mel enters the tent, she lowers the hood, and Ambessa gasps at the sight of her daughter. Mel confronts her mother about the Black Rose. She demands to know the truth of what happened to Kino. Ambessa tells her his curiosity led him to become entangled in the Black Rose’s web of lies. Mel accuses her of letting him die, and Ambessa strikes her across the face.
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Ambessa insists Kino’s death was to protect Mel. She doesn’t believe Mel could’ve made the choices necessary to protect the family. Mel tells her to leave Piltover out of her conflict with the Black Rose. She says if Ambessa takes her forces and leaves, she’ll join her. Together, they can avenge Kino. Ambessa replies that she’s not out for simple vengeance. She sees the mages as a violation of the core Noxian principle that everyone is equal on the battlefield. As she girds her gauntlets with the Rune Stones, she points to Mel’s sentimentality over her friends’ lives as proof she lacks the strength to defeat a great enemy.
She leads Mel out of the tent to the center of the camp, where Viktor’s sphere hovers, evolving the warriors Ambessa brought to him into HexTech simulacrums like the one that attacked Jayce and Mel. Ambessa tells her this is an army that does not fear death.
Flashback
At the moment Viktor told Singed to begin the process, the sphere was still sitting in the ruins of Viktor’s chamber. Bodies of his acolytes lie strewn on the surrounding area. Singed looks at Vander/Warwick’s unconscious form and sighs. He starts up the contraption, which runs many tubes into Viktor’s body within the sphere. Out in the Arcane cosmos, Sky bids Viktor goodbye. He thanks her for her company and says he’ll miss their talks. As she fades away to nothing, she replies, “No, you won’t.”
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Singed injects Vander/Warwick with a multi-needled device. He roars. In the cosmos, Viktor roars in an identical manner. The acolytes begin to rise. Vander/Warwick looks up as the Arcane takes hold of him, and we see vignettes of Vander’s memories disintegrate, one by one. As the last vestiges of Vander’s identity disappear, Warwick’s eyes go solid black, and he falls to his knees. In the cosmos, Viktor’s eyes open, shining solid white. All the acolytes rise off the ground.
The sphere begins levitating. In the Arcane dimension, Viktor hovers, surrounded by the glowing consciousnesses of his acolytes. In the real world, Warwick’s body begins to lift as well, the cables breaking away. Meanwhile, Viktor’s entire countenance hatches a new face.
Arcane: League of Legends is currently streaming on Netflix.
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