Key Takeaways
- Arcane was always intended to end after 2 seasons to maintain narrative integrity, according to its showrunner.
- Christian Linke stressed that how they ended Arcane was exactly the story they had in mind.
- Linke added that it would be “irresponsible” to stretch the storyline to the point where they could not give it justice.
Arcane fans experienced mixed emotions after Netflix dropped its final season. They were happy that they finally saw the continuation of sisters Vi and Jinx’s adventures and sad that it was finally over, but that was always the plan, according to the Arcane showrunner.
The critically acclaimed animated series, Arcane, inspired by League of Legends debuted on Netflix on November 6, 2021. The show received such a positive reception that the streaming giant decided to renew it just weeks after its debut. The second season was released in November 2024, wrapping up Vi and Jinx’s storyline. Although fans want more after binge-watching the entire series, the people behind it had no plans to extend the show beyond two seasons.
Related
Arcane Star Defends Jinx From People Calling Her a Villain
One of the Arcane stars shared their personal take on Jinx, whom many consider a villain.
Showrunner Christian Linke spoke with CinemaBlend about the show before the second season premiered. While he understood the demand for more, he doubled down on their decision to end Arcane after Season 2, noting that they didn’t want to “stretch” the story like other shows. “We always had a specific story in mind. Look, you could have stretched it, I’m sure. But for us, it was always just like we started with this in mind,” Linke explained. He admitted that they considered the creatives’ perspective on how to handle the show. The showrunner didn’t want Arcane to end up like those shows where writers run out of creative juices for stretching a series so that it became challenging to stick to the intended plot.
“How inspired can you stay about the same thing, for how long? It’s been nine years for us, with these characters. I think there’s a responsibility aspect to this, also, where we’re like, this is what we had in mind,” he continued. Some shows that run for too long tend to introduce new characters, but the audience can sense poor writing and when there’s a loss of connection. Clearly, Linke didn’t want to encounter the same issue and decided to stick to their original plan. “This is the story that we had in our heads that we want to tell. It’s irresponsible to stretch this to a point where it feels like we can’t even really do it justice. I think that was a big part of it,” Linke continued. “We don’t want to overdo it.”
Linke’s decision to stick to the original story was impressive because many would exploit an opportunity to stretch a story due to fans’ demand. For instance, The Walking Dead, Lost, Supernatural, Prison Break, and Grey’s Anatomy were all extended, but many criticized them due to repetitive plots and dips in creativity. Supernatural was intended to air for only five seasons but was extended to 15. Grey’s Anatomy is still ongoing and currently in its 21st season, but some feel that the show has lost its emotional impact. It’s basically a choice between prioritizing demand and sticking to the original story. Linke chose narrative cohesion, which was great. Also, it might be reasonable to do so because he confirmed that they were working on three new League of Legends TV shows. So, while Vi and Jinx’s story is over, fans can expect to witness other characters’ storylines.
Arcane streams on Netflix.
More
Arcane Director Gets Candid About Season 2 Finale
Christian Linke, the co-creator of Arcane, is happy about the positive reception of the series and proud of what they did in the final act.
Source: CinemaBlend