sapphic-boyfriend

[sapphic-boyfriend]

Warwick in Arcane had the potential to be something beautiful, before the writers fridged him. Of course he would still have been tied up in several other things I took issue with but we'll come around to more of those at a later date.

s1ep3, Powder and Vi's surrogate father is supposedly killed in an explosion. Singed, the mad doctor, who barely survived that same explosion, finds Vander's shimmer-ravaged body and keeps him from dying. He performs some kind of wicked experiment, taking parts of Vander's body and parts of what I assume was a Greater Murk Wolf (pls kill me, I know too much LoL lore) and combining them with shimmertech to create the creature known as Warwick. According to Singed the beast is violent and responds only to blood.

And when it is released this is technically true. It follows the trail of Singed's blood, slaughtering enforcers on the way. And when it reaches Jinx, it stops. Because Vander still remembers Powder. Despite the change that's been forced on him. Despite the changes that have happened to her. He recognizes and remembers her. Family. An alternate meaning for the word "blood." (Even though Vander wasn't actually related to Powder and Vi by blood, ok, whatever.)

Fast forward a bit, Jinx gets Vi to come meet Warwick, forget all the other stuff that happens in this scene because I think half of it is meaningless and

beautiful, beautiful shot (it /is/ only a single shot we get, as far as I remember). A family reconciled and reunited, after all the change between them that the horrors they've endured have wrought - they still recognize each other, and maybe they can still be a family

except no, said the writers. No they can't

because that was the end of all the actual Warwick content in the show. and I will not forgive them for that

The sisters take Warwick to Arcane Herald Viktor, hoping that Viktor can bring back more of Vander. Couple of quips, lines between characters that turn out pointless in the end, pretty magical montage, Viktor fails to bring back Vander.

While this segment kind of made sense, I also didn't like it. Vander was in there. Obviously. He recognized you guys, he said Powder's name. You didn't need Viktor to try to... purge away the monstrous parts of him. The way he was purging the autonomy and personalities of everyone else he touched. (discussion for another time.) But it doesn't matter because we still lose Warwick here anyway.

I'd have liked this, if, after Viktor's failure, the sisters had to realize they couldn't have Vander back the way he was before, and accepted that Warwick still recognized, remembered, and loved them both. That would have been interesting and also a great comparison to their struggle with each other.

anyway Singed comes for Warwick, he wants to combine Warwick's blood with Viktor's psyche, for reasons irrelevant to Warwick's story. Viktor refuses at first because it would cost the existence of Vander, but like an episode later Viktor eventually gives in and does it (this is, what, two episodes after the hug scene?) At this point, the character Warwick is dead. All that's left is the bloodthirsty monster as Singed originally described it. And he only got like, 2 lines and maybe an episode of content.

They literally erased the character of Warwick like two episodes after they gave him to us. Literally deleted all personality and gave us another bloodthirsty wolf-man monster instead. This is not Warwick.

And we do not get Warwick back. The Warwick monster gets transformed into a golden body (which actually looked kind of cool/pretty) alongside Viktor's glorious transformation or whatever. When Viktor's control of everything/one is broken, I thought for a minute that maybe the writers would give us Warwick the character back, as at the moment that happens with Viktor, the Warwick monster is approaching Jinx and Vi. Buuut, no. Warwick monster remains Warwick monster despite the removal of Viktor, and it tries to kill Jinx and Vi instead. So Jinx and Vi have to kill the Warwick monster.

I was kinda done with season 2 about 2 minutes into the first episode of it but man, that finale especially just. eughhh I hated it

Every other version of Warwick that I'm familiar with was more interesting than the "scary monster aaahhh he wants to kill" thing that Arcane S2 gave us. Where is the tormented man transformed into a bloodthirsty creature who reserved his rage and pain for those who had spilt blood and deserved that vengeance? What about the manhunter who chose to become a monster that physically matched his choices, and risks losing his mind if he can't finally catch a Celestial and acquire their blood? just... -sigh-

I was excited for Warwick. They did not give me Warwick. Not in a way that mattered.

We could have had wolf-dad Vander grappling with his physical changes, as Vi also learns to live with the changes around her. We could have had Warwick, the monster that was a man, as a physical parallel to Jinx's mental issues, maybe. (then again the people who wrote this season might've fucked up that parallel real bad, since they kinda dropped the ball on Jinx and Vi as characters anyway). We got the one moment. Warwick recognizes Jinx as Powder, Jinx recognizes Warwick as Vander. That was the start of something that could have been beautiful. Each of them seeing what the other has become and loving them despite them not being the same as they were before? </3 Could have been amazing. Could have been wonderful. But the writers (literally) killed that idea.

I do not accept this as Warwick canon. Arcane S2 is a series of bad AU fics.

[sapphic-boyfriend]

Arcane Season 2 feels like the result of Season 1's success in the worst possible way

[sapphic-boyfriend]

How it feels like for an entire season 1 of Sisterhood reduced and wasted to this:

It's like Jinx and Vi are completely 2 different people. Even before S2 got released the fact that Linke kept calling Jinx a "monster" (his scripts for s1 were rejected, btw; but this seeped into s2ep1 when Vi just reduced her sis to a "monster she created" without finding out more about her sister's condition. Like after 7 years.) when the real talented writers spent all that effort to create characters that are truly beloved for their contradictory nature (in which Jinx is clearly not just a surface level understanding of a "monster"), his off description of their relationship ("in s2 Vi has always been telling Powder what to do, blabla).. just shows his misunderstanding. Christian, have you even understood S1??? It's like S2 is a sad fan fic..

Here's insights provided from an email reply by the season 1 story maker, Ash Brannon.

[sapphic-boyfriend]

i will never be able to stand the ppl who point out the fact that caitlyn was manipulated by ambessa somehow think it’s a complete excuse for all of caitlyn’s actions, as if she isn’t a grown woman who is capable of making her own decisions and knowing right from wrong, grieving or not.

nvm the fact that caitlyn decided to gas the undercity even before she sided w ambessa, rendering that exact argument of “but cait was manipulated !1!1!1!” even more meaningless to me.

[sapphic-boyfriend]

this is so dumb, but you can read the whole thing here (this is abt my post abt caitlyn hitting vi).

but, of course, because comparing caitlyn’s slap to a family dynamic makes so much sense. i mean, who wouldn’t think that a random act of violence from an enforcer of an oppressive system is just totally the same as a frustrated mom slapping her kid? it’s basically exactly the same thing, right? both have nothing to do with systemic power imbalances, trauma from being literally beaten by enforcers, or, you know, the fact that caitlyn represents the very institution that’s responsible for vi’s pain. but hey, let’s ignore all that, because clearly, your personal experience trumps the actual context of the show.

and the "one act of violence" argument? classic. i mean, sure, if you’re completely ignoring that caitlyn is not just some random person but part of a corrupt, violent system that’s actively destroyed vi’s life for years, then yeah, i guess it’s just a "one-off." totally. but maybe take a minute to consider the actual context of what that slap represents. oh wait, you’re too busy comparing caitlyn to your mom, because, obviously, it’s exactly the same dynamic.

[sapphic-boyfriend]

maturing is realizing that arcane has always been centrist, season 1 was just written much better and the copaganda bullshit was less shoved in ur face (but still there).

[sapphic-boyfriend]

vi becoming an enforcer doesn’t make any sense.

[sapphic-boyfriend]

I didn’t expect Arcane s2 to have a perfect answer about class oppression/inequality and what we are willing to do for change, but I did expect it to ask the question, instead of ignoring it.

[sapphic-boyfriend]

this is so dumb, but you can read the whole thing here (this is abt my post abt caitlyn hitting vi).

but, of course, because comparing caitlyn’s slap to a family dynamic makes so much sense. i mean, who wouldn’t think that a random act of violence from an enforcer of an oppressive system is just totally the same as a frustrated mom slapping her kid? it’s basically exactly the same thing, right? both have nothing to do with systemic power imbalances, trauma from being literally beaten by enforcers, or, you know, the fact that caitlyn represents the very institution that’s responsible for vi’s pain. but hey, let’s ignore all that, because clearly, your personal experience trumps the actual context of the show.

and the "one act of violence" argument? classic. i mean, sure, if you’re completely ignoring that caitlyn is not just some random person but part of a corrupt, violent system that’s actively destroyed vi’s life for years, then yeah, i guess it’s just a "one-off." totally. but maybe take a minute to consider the actual context of what that slap represents. oh wait, you’re too busy comparing caitlyn to your mom, because, obviously, it’s exactly the same dynamic.

[sapphic-boyfriend]

Crazy that Christian Linke who’s scripts were fucking rejected, who openly admits to being bored with Vi, who said they didn’t like writing for her since they changed her outfit, who said they wanted to get arcane done with so they could move on.

How are you still sucking his dick. Some backbone, please, people.

[sapphic-boyfriend]

The intro for season 2 of Arcane feels like one of those in app mobile ads. It looks good but the actual product is shit

[sapphic-boyfriend]

nah, actually i can say that here. many people agreed with me.

but anyway, ekko is just a boundless well of compassion who exists solely to make vi look good, right? his entire life shaped by the violence, oppression and systemic cruelty of the enforcers is completely irrelevant when it comes to how he should feel about vi actively choosing to become one. because apparently, his trauma and lived experience just disappear when it’s about her. none of that matters when vi decides to throw on an enforcer uniform. he’s just here to be vi’s emotional support, right?

even if you want to use ekko to make vi look better with how he put everything aside for the greater good in the finale—fine (i'll go back to this tho). he can save her life. he can even work with her out of necessity. but let’s not pretend that means he agrees with her choice or respects it. his entire worldview is built around resisting piltover’s oppression, and the enforcers are literally a tool of that oppression. acting like he’d just set all of that aside for vi’s sake is incredibly stupid *cough* sorry, i meant reductive.

and don’t even get me started on the jinx argument. season 2, as plenty of people have pointed out, skips over a massive chunk of character development, and now you’re using their rushed resolution as some kind of "gotcha" moment to prove ... what, exactly? that because ekko forgave jinx off-screen, he’d do the same for vi? that logic is incredible. not in a good way. you’re actually using a literal writing flaw, one that leaves a major gap in ekko’s character arc to push your agenda. because yeah, let’s take a gaping hole in the show’s writing and use it as proof that ekko would just roll over and be totally fine with vi working for piltover. genius. but acknowledging that would require you to admit that season 2’s writing has issues, and unfortunately, i don’t think you’re there yet because that would require actual critical thinking.

i'm sure you’re fine with how ekko is abruptly removed from the storyline, how the oppressed are suddenly fighting alongside their oppressors, how the show prioritizes an alternate-universe ekko instead of developing the one we’re actually supposed to be following in his own universe, and how ekko and vi don’t exchange a single conversation—not even for him to confront her.

anyway, i recommend reading more about ekko’s actual lore. he’s so much more than what arcane shows you. hell, just listen to his LoL voice lines and then tell me if this boy "understands" vi becoming an enforcer. i’ll wait.

[sapphic-boyfriend]

Being unable to stop hyperfixating on the show with the worst drop in writing quality in the history of television is a nightmare designed especially for me.

[sapphic-boyfriend]

Remember when one of the things everyone loved about arcane was its female characters wearing comfortable clothes that didn't look like they were taken straight out of a porn cartoon?

Yeah.

[sapphic-boyfriend]

hey if you’re a federal worker you may want to use a vpn and check to see if the “american accountability foundation” (elon) doxxed you. suggesting a vpn bc there’s an IP logger on the domain.

[sapphic-boyfriend]

People don't understand that we criticize s2 because we genuinely love s1 and we were disappointed. basically what speaks to us is the grief of losing potential or “what could it be…” it's not the same as being a hater

[sapphic-boyfriend]

Thinking about how the design of female characters in arcane went from desexualised clothing that made sense and was a good response to their godawful league designs to... Whatever the fuck this is

How is Mel's outfit holding on her body? I get that she's magic now for whatever stupid reason but if that's an excuse for this stick-on swimsuit it gives the same energy as defending rpg bikini armour lolicon designs.

Don't get me fucking started on Jinx's leather strap. I've already talked about it before. Arcane S1 made a point to attract normal people and not just coomers to their show, and then went right back to their roots as a shitty male gazey league product. Fucking ew.