Arcane
Overthinking the first season of a random show on Netflix based on a video game I've never played.
Silco
- It is important to remember that Silco is not just a crime lord: he's an separatist revolutionary. This is what draws people to him, and what maintains such strong loyalty. Both to himself and his compatriots.
- It is also important to remember that Shimmer is not just a drug, it is also a weapon.
- Silco is trapped in an arms race with Piltover maintained by the existence of Shimmer which was demonstrated to Marco and Vander before the time skip.
- Vander negotiates a peace of pacifistic martyrdom: perpetual subjugation in return for some level of self rule. Once this cooperation is uncovered by Silco, Vi, and Jinx all three disagree with this decision.
- Silco could march across the bridges, but is set back by the destruction of
the cannery and his adoption of Jinx. He delays this conquest for six years,
instead focusing on corrupting the enforcers and council while exporting
shimmer (most likely, I assume to cooperating revolutionary groups).
- It seems evident that Marco and some members of the counsel are aware that Silco has the advantage. They are biding their time for Hex Tech to be weaponized before crushing the Undercity.
- I would also say that Ekko's community is also primarily made possibly by the Silco's defensive posture. Enforcers are not marching down the gray streets, because of the threat of shimmer enhanced militants. After all, an shimmer enhanced child is capable of giving Jayce and Vi difficulty.
- It is also supported that the Undercity Council is also compromised as they are focused on the profitability of shimmer and not revolutionary action, as is Silco.
- The terms that Jayce gives Silco are at a huge disadvantage and not unlike the terms given to the Palestinians by Israel: Independence, but disarm. While reminded them that mutual external threats exists. Silco would be a fool to accept these terms: once the external threats are dealt with and Hex Tech sufficiently weaponized, Enforcers would once again be on Undercity streets.
- Furthermore, Silco realizes that, in delaying the invasion of Piltover and delaying to create a six year period of peace, he has made the same trade off as Vander. And that he did it for the same reason: to give his adopted daughter time to grow up.
Jinx
- It is important to remember that Jinx believes that she is responsible for the death of her adopted family, and by the end of Season 1, the death of her adopted father.
- Furthermore, the last real conversation she had with Vi was one in which Vi spouted revolutionary rhetoric. Rhetoric that Jinx has internalized and made actionable.
- Therefore, Jinx does not harbor the same animosity for Silco. And indeed, idolizes his unwavering commitment to the cause. A cause that Vander, and eventually Vi abandon.
- And furthermore, when she sees Vi after their separation, she expects Vi to ally herself with their cause.
- I would also add, that it is interesting that Jinx chooses to kidnap Caite before bombing Piltover. This suggests to me that, despite all the taunting: she does care for Vi and does not want Caite harmed in the potential destruction of the city, if only for her sister's sake (I am disappointed to see from the Season 2 trailer, that the missile appears to be no more powerful than a Stinger. Whereas the warnings of Heimerdinger make it sound like we should be expecting a nuclear blast that decimates either the whole or a large portion of the city.)
Vi
- It is important to remember that Vi blames Silco for the death of Vander and her adopted family. This hatred is a driving motivator for Vi after the time skip and appears to supersede her hatred of the Enforcers who she comes to work alongside.
- Vi, unlike Jinx, is all bluster. She talks a tough stance on the Enforcers and revolutionary rhetoric but ultimately backs down. Submits herself for arrest. And even support Caite in her investigation.
- Vi's main hubris is that she is hot headed. She charges into situations
without fully assessing the information. And when given new information, she
fails to incorporate it into her assessments.
- The initial botched robbery occurs due to Vi failing to fully assess the target and it's potential dangers
- The botched rescue of Vander also occurs by running into the situation and never fully assessing the Silco/Vander relationship. Which has nothing to do with her. I don't really think Silco was going to kill Vander. Just get him out of the way so he wouldn't prevent his shimmer invasion.
- When she gets out of Jail she immediately runs off to find Powder. But despite several characters pointing out that Powder now works for Silco, that Silco adopted Powder as Jinx and they have a strong mutual bond: Vi continues to fight Silco's thugs and never gives Jinx a chance to explain.
- Vi fails to understand that she made Jinx. That Jinx is drawn to Silco because
Silco aligns with her -- that Vi has instrumentalized the rhetoric that Vi
spouted when she was younger, and has merely worked to build bigger bombs.
- After all, we see Vi encouraging young Powder to manufacture scrap metal explosives and deploy them. Weapons that could easily kill or mutilate their opponents.
- Vi thinks that it is Silco's rhetoric that has twisted Powder into Jinx, not realizing that it is her own rhetoric that did so.
External References
- Linke, Christiand and Yee, Alex. Arcane. Fortiche/Riot-Games. Netflix, 2021.