The effects of Jinx’s attack on the Council is devastating. There are only a few survivors: Jayce, Mel, Shoola, and Salo. However, Haskel, Bolbok, and Cassandra (Caitlyn’s mother) are dead. Seeing Victor in a critical condition, Jayce abandons his promise to destroy Hexcore to save his friend. After Cassandra’s funeral, Caitlyn joins the now cripple Salo, who’s supported by Ambessa. Mel, Caitlyn reject Salo;’s demand for retaliation with armed forces. Mel proposes pinning everything on Jinx and placing a massive bounty on her head. Shoola counters that it won’t ensure their safety and agrees with Salo. Mel is reluctant but agrees only if Hextech isn’t used.
The dynamic between Vi and Caitlyn was always going to be strained after Jinx’s (Vi’s sister) killed Caitlyn’s mother. While, Tobias (Caitlyn’s father) seems to blame Vi, Caitlyn doesn’t appear to. Vi offers to deal with Jinx alone, but Caitlyn doesn’t believe more “rouge missions,” are necessary. She tells Vi that she “plans to join the Enforcers for an invasion.” She as Vi to join her by becoming an Enforcer. Vi is disgusted as she considers the Enforces to be murders since they killed her parents. She leaves and get’s drunk with an Enforcer, Loris.
A frantic attack at a memorial
As Mel prepares to give a speech at the revealing of a monument honoring the dead, Vi notices some suspicious figures in cloaks. As the begin to move through the crowd and position themselves Vi tries and fails to intervene. One attacks Mel, while another, Chem-Baroness Renni, targets Jayce with a chainsaw. Chaos erupts, as Vi, Caitlyn, and the other Enforces try to survive. Maddie, Loris, Caitlyn, and Steb try to take on a Chem-tank.
Meanwhile, Jayce is overwhelmed and outmatched by Renni. She even takes a hammer to the face. Angered by the death of her son, Renni has it in for Jayce. She chases him down and slices his back open, forcing him to crawl. As Renni prepares to kill Jayce, Vi hits her with a blast from the Mercury Hammer. Elsewhere, the Chem-tanks surround, Caitlyn, Steb, Maddie, and Loris. Jayce and Vi use the Mercury Hammer together in order to save them, but they miss. Suddenly, a spear pierces the Chem-tank.
Ambessa and her Noxian guards finish off the Chem-tanks. They lead the effort to secure recovery operations. Inspired, Caitlyn uses the Kiramman key to unlock the knowledge of her family, while Jayce makes more Hextech weapons. The remaining council members meet underground but are interrupted by Caitlyn and her new strike team, featuring a new member Vi. They have three objectives: capture Jinx, dismantle Shimmer, and neutralize the remaining Silco loyalists.
Conclusion
Arcane continues to be phenomenal show, with it’s top tier animation, interesting characters, and action, I’m glad it has returned. This episode has many interesting moments. First Jinx doesn’t appear but her actions has cause the events of this episode. I was surprised Vi didn’t try to defend Jinx in anyway. Most of the time, a character like Vi would defend her sister at least in some way until it too late. Vi may find herself unable to strike the final blow if it came to that but I liked that she understood that her sister went too far.
I think Ambessa, Mel’s mother, is plotting in the background and is responsible for the Chem-tank’s getting into Piltover. She’s a war monger and wants nothing more than to escalate division. Despite this I kind like her characters no nonsense approach to things. She definitely gets results. Finally, I didn’t think Vi joining the Enforcers made sense for her characters but after seeing in uniform, I think it she’s a good fit.
