Arcane Season 2 Episode 8 Review

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Season 2 of Arcane: League of Legends.

Key Takeaways

• Mel makes a deal with the Black Rose after her magical powers are revealed.
• A brewing war threatens Piltover as Viktor’s army evolves under Ambessa’s command.
• Vi and Caitlyn reconcile while Jinx struggles with her cycle of violence.

After burning questions were answered in Episode 7 of Arcane Season 2, the next episode paves the path towards an all-out war in Piltover as new allegiances are formed, and old bonds are broken.

The eighth episode, “Killing is a Cycle”, presents all the major characters with a chance to break their own cycles and evolve into new versions of themselves that will be put to the test in a coming war that is brewing between two unexpected forces. Arcane continues to cleverly integrate League of Legends lore in Episode 8 and confirms some long-held fan theories that many have been waiting for years to see unfold.

A New Champion Rises

Since the beginning of the season, Arcane has been hinting that Mel may be harboring a secret about how she and Jayce survived Jinx’s rocket. This secret is revealed when she breaks free of the Black Rose’s spell by using magic powers of her own that confirm her as a mage. The powers also give her a slick new look and prime her for a crossover appearance in League of Legends. Mel is approached by the Black Rose’s leader, a shapeshifter who is more than likely LeBlanc. LeBlanc warns Mel that a calamity that rivals the ancient Rune Wars is coming for Piltover with Ambessa leading the charge. Mel resists being used as a pawn in someone else’s scheme to kill her mother, but eventually, she accepts LeBlanc’s offer of sisterhood.

The arcane is waking up. A calamity is approaching, rivaling even the ancient Rune Wars.

The Threat of War Looms

Meanwhile, in Piltover, Ambessa puts her deadly plan in motion. After suffering the loss of soldiers, including her right-hand man, Rictus, Ambessa demands from Singed the cure for death that he promised her. The scientist gets to work fusing the blood of Warwick with Viktor. This gives Viktor a boost for long enough to allow him to speak through the bodies of his followers, where he promises Ambessa her immortal army if they can get him to Piltover’s Hexgates.

Jayce and Mel Get A Taste of Viktor’s New Army

These two storylines come together when Mel returns to Piltover and reunites with Jayce. They’re soon interrupted by one of Viktor’s gloriously evolved followers, who is an emotionless and robotic-human husk, similar to those Jayce encountered in Episode 7. Viktor possesses the robot, offering Jayce a chance for them to be partners again, lest they go to war. Jayce refuses, resulting in a brutal fight between the three of them that shows off just how capable Viktor’s new army is. Later, Jayce gathers the leaders from topside and the undercity to warn them of the threat they face. This is what finally tears down the walls between Piltover and Zaun, unifying them against the incoming threat of Viktor and the Noxians. The relationship between Piltover and Zaun is something that’s formed the heart of Arcane throughout both its seasons and it’s incredibly gratifying to finally see the two communities come together.

Jinx, Vi, and Caitlyn Make Amends

Episode 8 also answers what happened to the main characters after the battle with Warwick in Act 2. Vi suffered major injuries which meant she was unconscious when they arrested Jinx and locked her in the council’s bunker. Knowing that Caitlyn still hates Jinx for killing her mother, Vi tries to reason with her that Jinx has changed. Caitlyn tests this theory, visiting Jinx personally in her cell and giving her a chance to account for her past. Jinx is despondent after losing Isha, and no longer has the will to defend herself, but Caitlyn doesn’t have the energy to hate her anymore either.

Trapped in her own grief, Jinx is visited by a vision of Silco who tells her that killing is a cycle and that it will only end if she walks away. Vi arrives to break her out or prison, confident that Jinx’s assistance in the coming war will help her clear her name in Piltover. Jinx realizes that Vi will never give up on her, so she forces her hand, pulling a bait-and-switch, that ends with her escaping the cell and Vi being locked inside. Jinx believes there’s no good version of herself, and that Vi shouldn’t have to worry about that anymore. She deserves to be happy without Jinx. That happiness arrives pretty quickly as Caitlyn shows up to free Vi, revealing she left the place unguarded, knowing that Vi would try and help her sister. Now that Caitlyn’s resolved her desire for vengeance, it frees the pair from their past relationship issues and allows them to finally be together. This results in a passionate sex scene between them right there in the prison cell, which is symbolic considering the pair’s first meeting also occurred in a prison. The culmination of Vi and Cait’s romantic tension is something many fans have been waiting for, and it’s safe to say Arcane more than delivers.

Viktor’s Glorious Evolution Begins

Arcane Sets Things Up For A Climactic Final Episode

Things end in Arcane’s eighth episode with a setup for the war to come. Mel meets with her mother in an attempt to broker peace, offering her the chance to leave Piltover where they can face the Black Rose together. But war is the Noxian way, and soon Viktor’s final evolution is activated, which sees him emerge from his Hextech cocoon in an imposing new form.

Episode 8 marked a shift for all of Arcane’s major characters. It cemented relationships, broke friendships, and moved all the key players into place for the coming battle. It was definitely an episode that felt heavy with setup for the final act, but it never felt wasted thanks to the stunning visuals and soundtrack which never fail to make Arcane’s scenes engaging.

Arcane Season 2 is available to stream on Netflix.