![Hosting the SCLA Casptone Mentor Dinner outside allowed for more attendees on September 27, 2021 at Silver Creek. This event would’ve usually been held inside. According to Lauren Kohn, a SCLA 12 teacher, “If we have a higher number of people, as long as we can host the event outside, then that seems to be keeping every[one] safe”.](https://schsnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/sxMAIGbSYGodZkqmrvTi5YWcJ1ssWA08ApkeMLpp-900x675.jpeg)
Season 2 of Netflix’s 2021 Emmy award-winning animated drama, Arcane, has finally arrived on screen after a three-year-long wait. Even with a lot of anticipation and hype building—as this is the grand finale of the whole series— the second season meets and sometimes surpasses expectations. Arcane Season 2 firmly states its intention from the very beginning: to raise the bar of animation even higher than before.
The first season set the scene and introduced audiences to the twin cities of Piltover and Zaun, showing viewers how sisters Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Jinx (Ella Purnell) turned into bitter enemies. Arcane Season 2 picks up directly where the last season left off, at a turning point cliffhanger, taking time to build on the blueprint left by the first season and continue the overarching story, bringing even more drama.
In Zaun, viewers bear witness to Jinx’s (Purnell) reluctant rise to power, gaining newfound followers while taking down the old guard in the city who seeks to exploit the populace. However, within Piltover lies an even more dangerous threat seeding herself within the council: Ambessa Medarda (Ellen Thomas). After being introduced in the final hours of the first season, Ambessa takes center stage in the second season. Thomas’ nuanced performance steals the show in every one of her scenes, bringing a unique presence that elevates her character.
Season 2 of Arcane continues to bring the spectacle and drama that audiences have come to expect from the show; intertwining multiple, complex storylines to create a surprisingly competent story. Revelations come about every second, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats.
The show’s biggest flaw is the feeling that if it stops the breakneck pace for even a second, its heart will stop. While the pacing allows the show to stay engaging during 40-minute episodes, it leads to character arcs that unfortunately fall into the show’s peripheral. It is particularly unfortunate when entire characters drop off the face of the story as the pace moves forward, being sidelined when the show seems to have lost interest in them. Arcane’s approach to pacing results in a constantly exciting narrative, but it’s sure to disappoint some fans, as their favorite characters are left behind for the final chapter of the show.
In the end, Arcane brings social commentary to the table to convince the audience it’s more than just a pretty face (or pretty animation). This season returns to the themes of oppression and prejudice that were common in the first season, with even more political drama and intrigue. Every single episode makes it clear that showrunners Christian Linke and Alex Yee pulled all the stops to give audiences their uncompromised vision, with the reported $250 million budget being nothing to scoff at either. Fortiche Studios delivers on this budget, making sure that from the subtlest character expressions to the biggest, most explosive musical sequence, every second of animation is beautiful.
Overall, no matter its flaws, Season 2 of Arcane has firmly proven that it’s a worthwhile follow-up to the first season of the show. Reaching the highest highs of its past, and even surpassing them in many ways, if you’re a fan of Arcane, the second season is sure not to disappoint.
(All three acts of Arcane are available to watch on Netflix as of November 23rd, 2024.)
