#but I think it's meant to be that way to keep us on our toes

[trrenchertrash]

lotsss of rambling here but in the same vein as this post I think there are a lot of elements in s2 that are facing the same issue with audience perception, especially surrounding vi. arcane is not a melodrama that is meant to spend episodes and episodes dwelling on any one character’s feelings or trauma and trying to heal it all while the larger plot is hurtling towards war. It’s not realistic to expect this show to spend 3 episodes dealing with vi’s feelings during her pitfighter stint and learning that she has value outside of being a protector through a relationship with someone like loris. she pushes him away because she’s not in a place to accept that kind of relationship, and a stranger isn’t going to be able to heal or help her in this state. she was never going to learn anything while she was “passed out at the bottom of a mug” because that isn’t a productive or enlightening place to be. the show establishes where she is, shows us how far she’s spiraled, and then it takes her out of that situation and places her in one where she has the opportunity to discover something that will change that. I keep seeing people say that vi needs to realize that she’s worth more than what she can provide for others, and they’re right — but she was never going to learn that from a stranger, because what she needs is to heal the relationships with the loved ones she already has. the show addresses this when vi asks jinx why she came to get her even though she didn’t really need her help. vi’s perspective and position begin to change as soon as she joins jinx and isha because her relationship with them is the catalyst for the realizations her character needs to have. by contrast ,the imagined scenarios where vi gets taken care of by a stranger are not what she needs, in large part because she as a character would never allow that, which is the point of showing her pushing loris away. he’s trying to help her, but she’s not in a place to be helped by him. what does help her is hearing that jinx came after her despite believing that she didn’t truly need her help. what helps her is being in a position where she does ultimately get to help protect jinx and isha despite that, because it reminds her who she is (hello loss of identity arc) and because it makes her realize that she DOES love jinx and she IS still her sister in spite of everything that has happened. what helps her is being in a position where she has a chance at a do over, being in a position where she gets to choose to trust jinx enough to lower her fists and take a chance on the monster who turns out to be her father. being in a position where she gets her family back. THAT'S the healing vi needs.

something something about how vi is angry enough to punch a hallucination of caitlyn in ep 5, but by the time she actually sees her again in ep 6, all that anger is gone. why? what changed? the answer is everything. during her time as a pitfighter vi has nothing. of course she’s lingering on the loss of the last thing she had to hold on to. but between then and when she actually does see caitlyn again, she’s gone from having nothing to having everything. she has her family back. she has a sense of peace we haven’t seen her have maybe ever before. what happened with caitlyn went from being the center of her world to being nearly inconsequential. that doesn’t mean that caitlyn shouldn’t be held accountable or make amends. she should and I think she will. but it’s also understandable that vi is no longer holding on to those volatile feelings in that moment. because what matters is saving vander and her family and that’s what she’s focused on.

meanwhile jinx gets the focus and development she gets because she’s the character that needs it. she’s the character who is occupying a position that is not sustainable, who still needs to make peace with who she is and the role she wants to have. vi doesn’t get that same kind of development because she doesn’t need it. yes, she doesn’t change much and that’s because she’s the constant, the control in a cast of characters who are pushed to change beyond recognition. but what does change for vi is that by the end of arc 2, she's positioned once more as the hero. and she is a hero. arc 1 has vi in a very passive role for the first time. she's always been a character who makes decisions that push the narrative forward for better or worse, but in arc 1 she doesn't actually make a single decision that truly impacts the story until she stops cait from shooting at jinx and isha. she's vulnerable and scared and sad and she lets herself be led around by cait because she's lost. in arc 2 that isn't the case anymore. she's back to making decisions and she's back to doing what she thinks is right. she defends jinx and isha, she seeks help for vander, she wants to stay and help the commune with jinx, to help heal people from the devastation that's been caused. she bests ambessa because she's able to set her anger aside and collaborate with caitlyn. once again she picks herself up and she keeps trying. of all the characters in the show, vi has done the best job of holding onto her "good heart" despite everything she has endured, which is more than most. there's a reason both vander and caitlyn point this out when no other character is ever assessed in such a way. it doesn't mean that vi never makes mistakes. she does. but she never loses sight of the fact that she's trying to do the right thing while others are consumed by hate or vengeance or fear or confusion. vi is the strongest character in the show; even ambessa points out her resilience. no, i don't mean physically. the fact that vi continues to get up, continues to do what she thinks is right, and is able to let go and forgive after everything she's been through — that's real strength.

one thing I will say is that this show is wholly unpredictable, and I think that's part of the audience response. but the arc is there. the development is there. it may not be the arc the audience was expecting, but honestly? I think it's better.