Arcane cements its status as a singular masterpiece with transcendent Act III series finale (Episode 7-9 review)

Today, Fortiche Productions and Netflix debuted the final three episodes of their animated series Arcane, based on the League of Legends video game by Riot Games. Arcane has had an incredible run so far, winning numerous awards including the first-ever Emmy for an animated streaming series for its breakout first season. The wait for season 2 was a long one, but the series has proven beyond a doubt that the wait was worth it.

Arcane's second and final season released in three acts, with each surpassing what came before. Act I brought us back into the twin cities of Piltover and Zaun, bringing the fight between the estranged sisters Jinx (Ella Purnell) and Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) to a head. Act II brought back a character believed dead, Vi and Jinx's father Vander (JB Blanc), who returned as the bestial monster Warwick. It culminated with a devastating battle at the commune of Viktor (Harry Lloyd), a scientist who has been possessed by the power of the Arcane, healing people at the cost of making them part of his magical hive mind.

Now, in Act III, Arcane brings all its long-standing plot threads together for the epic finale. I went into these episodes with high expectations, but as has been the case throughout its entire run, Arcane exceeded them. Its final three episodes are an emotional tour de force, capping off the story beautifully. With these episodes, the series cements its place as a new masterpiece of modern storytelling, which stands apart for its artistic vision, insanely ambitious production values, and understanding of what makes its story and characters resonate so deeply with audiences. I'll miss this show, but am so glad it went out on its own terms by wrapping up with a fitting finale.

Read on for our review of Arcane season 2 Act III. There will be SPOILERS.

Arcane Episode 207: "Pretend Like It's the First Time"

Throughout Arcane's second season, my one consistent complaint has been that I wish the show occasionally slowed down a little bit more. There have been multiple time jumps, and at times that means that Arcane has barreled through events at a breakneck pace. It was a welcome surprise then that the first episode of Act III, "Pretend Like It's the First Time," gives us that much-needed breather before the end.

"Pretend Like It's the First Time" is set entirely in two parallel universes, and shows us at last what happened to Ekko (Reed Shannon), Heimerdinger (Mick Wingert), and Jayce (Kevin Alejandro) after they were sucked through the anomaly at the base of the Hexgates back in Episode 203. The result is a powerhouse of an episode that is among the best of the entire series.

The first plotline centers Ekko, which I thought was an excellent decision; he's a great character, but has featured very little in season 2. That changes in a big way here, as Ekko wakes up in an alternate universe where the dream of a prosperous, peaceful Zaun has been realized. Everything about this storyline hits the heartstrings. Jinx still goes by the name of Powder, and is a fun-loving nerd who loves hanging around Vander's bar and is in a relationship with Ekko's alternate universe self. Vander is still alive, and gets to see his dream of a better Zaun realized. Even the bridge between Zaun and Piltover, a site of much drama and bloodshed — including the stand-out duel between Ekko and Jinx during the first season — has been transformed into a gorgeous marketplace, symbolizing the unity between the cities.

The one snag in this seemingly perfect reality is Vi. It turns out that the thing which resulted in this vastly different timeline is that she died during the events of the show's premiere episode, when her and Powder's heist went awry, resulting in the discovery of the magical shards that led to the development of Hextech. In this reality, the heist still went awry, but this time Vi died in the resulting explosion, and this tragedy changed the course of events.

"Pretend Like It's the First Time" is all about Ekko's struggle to get back to his own reality so that he can help those he left behind. But the way it weaves that together with giving him a glimpse of a more peaceful world is incredible. It also features some beautiful moments for Heimerdinger, who spent 3 extra years in this alternate reality waiting for Ekko to surface there. He's taken up the guitar, and gets a wonderfully moving song that's actually sung by actor Mick Wingert. At the end, he sacrifices himself to help get Ekko back to their own reality, the first major casualty of Act III.

While Ekko and Heimerdinger are off in this idyllic version of Zaun, Jayce got sent to a much darker future reality, where he sees the ultimate end of humanity because of its use of Hextech. In this reality, both Piltover and Zaun have been annihilated, and are filled with mutated creatures and weird, robotic-looking Arcane puppets. This fills in the blanks for what happened to Jayce before his reappearance during Act II when he attacked Viktor's commune. It's haunting, and also filled with some truly stunning visuals as Jayce eventually climbs his way to the top of the highest tower in Piltover, only to find his own magically frozen remains there. A hooded figure gives him a new hammer and sends him back to his own reality; we learn more about them in the series finale.

"Pretend Like It's the First Time" is the sweet goodbye for Arcane. There will be bloodshed enough in the coming episodes, as foreshadowed by Jayce's dark journey here. But the heart of this episode is all Ekko and Powder, and their dance scene and the subsequent kiss from which this episode takes its name stand as a touching calm before the storm. Alas, the good times cannot last...

Arcane Episode 208: "Killing Is a Cycle"

Since "Pretend Like It's the First Time" was focused entirely on the alternate dimension adventures of Ekko, Heimerdinger, and Jayce, "Killing Is a Cycle" has a lot of work to do setting the board for the big finale by wrangling the rest of the cast. As you might guess, it does this admirably, starting with a big scene for Mel (Toks Olagundoye). She emerges from her encounter with the Black Rose as a fully fledged mage, with golden designs covering her body. This scene features an appearance from Minnie Driver, voicing the Illusionary Sorceress who welcomes Mel into their sisterhood.

Mel spent a lot of this season off the board after getting captured by the Black Rose, but in Act III she comes back in a big way to help with the final battle against Ambessa (Ellen Thomas) and Viktor's magical army. In a way, Mel is emblematic of one of my fears about Arcane season 2 being put to rest. With characters like her and Ekko spending lots of time off-screen, I wasn't sure that Arcane could bring its sprawling cast back together in a way that felt like it serviced them all. Suffice to say, that fear was laid firmly to rest by the end of Act III.

We also get plenty of focus on Vi, Jinx, and Caitlyn (Katie Leung) this episode. After the death of Isha and Vander in the battle at Viktor's commune, Jinx has seemingly given up. Vi is back with the enforcers, and thankfully, Caitlyn has come around and is ready to fight back against Ambessa's Noxian soldiers. And after a surprise meeting from Viktor controlling one of the same magical puppets Jayce saw in the future dimension, we find out that Viktor's ultimate goal will be to use Ambessa's forces as a way to reach the Hexgate beneath Piltover, using it to possess everyone and everything in its range.

"Killing Is a Cycle" feels like a good penultimate episode of a series, giving plenty of characters quiet moments to ponder the horrible battle ahead. A special shoutout goes to Jinx's conversation with the specter of Silco, who drops the episode title as he reflects on how sometimes, the only way to stop self-destructive cycles is to walk away from them. The irony here is that Jinx feels there's no "good version" of herself, meanwhile we just witnessed one in the previous alternate dimension episode with Ekko. She believes the worst in herself, no matter how much others tell her she can come back from her darker tendencies.

Another shout has to goes to Vi and Caitlyn, who finally get a romantic moment after Jinx traps Vi in her prison cell. Vi thinks Caitlyn will be furious with her for accidentally releasing Jinx, but Caitlyn reveals she actually expected Vi to free her sister, and called the prison guards away specifically to give her the opportunity to settle her business with Jinx. This leads into a passionate sex scene for the two as they finally get back together. This scene was done really well, not only delivering on the long-standing romantic tension between Caitlyn and Vi, but telling us things about their characters in the middle of it all. I imagine the Caitlyn and Vi stans will have plenty of rejoicing to do, both from this episode and the finale.

The end set up of "Killing Is a Cycle" sees Jayce put out a call to all the people of both Piltover and Zaun to stand with them against Ambessa and Viktor's forces. Not everyone joins, but the show does a great job of peppering in impactful minor characters as well, such as the waitress who appeared in Ekko's dimension the previous episode, who is a blue-haired Jinx supporter here that can't quite bring herself to flee the city and signs up to fight instead. Arcane gave itself a perfect set up for the big finish.

Arcane Episode 209: "The Dirt Under Your Nails"

At long last, we arrive at the series finale for Arcane. "The Dirt Under Your Nails" is almost entirely about the battle in Piltover, as Ambessa brings a fleet of Noxian warriors into the city to try and secure the Hexgate for Viktor, believing he can empower her soldiers with his magic to make them impervious to death, thus fulfilling her bloodthirsty ambitions of leading a peerless army.

"The Dirt Under Your Nails" is, simply put, one of the finest hours of animated television I have ever seen. I can't think of a single bad thing to say about it, or Act III in general. Arcane is a confident production that has its creative priorities straight, and that all comes home to roost in a series finale which is sweeping, epic edge-of-your-seat viewing. I was left stunned by the end of the episode, for the sheer achievement of what this show has done with its characters, art direction, and storytelling.

The battle itself is thrilling, and filled with tons of standout moments. It goes straight for the throat right from the jump, showing Vi carry a wounded Piltover enforcer across the scenic bridges of the city as Ambessa's fleet launches its attack. It's visually stunning, and emotionally visceral, as we immediatley discover that the enforcer is actually that same undercity Jinx supporter who we saw join up at the end of the last episode. There are a lot of deaths in this finale, and it's a credit to Arcane that the minor characters hit just as hard as the major losses.

This is also a huge episode for Ambessa, who finally gets her comeuppance. After Caitlyn's former lover Maddie (Katy Townsend) betrays her to the Noxian warlord, Mel uses her magic to cause Maddie's death by forcing her own bullet to ricochet back on her. This eventually leads into a duel between Mel, Caitlyn, and Ambessa, where Ambessa is finally brought down by their combined efforts as well as a timely intervention by the Illusionary Sorceress. Ambessa has been a fantastic villain, and her send off is every bit as good as it should be. That she dies with a proud smile on her lips because Mel proved herself a "wolf" by having a hand in killing her was a hugely satisfying moment. Ambessa is a villain to her core, but she's far too cool to hate.

Jinx's arrival is another highlight, as is Ekko's return and the chaotic melee that ensues once the people of Zaun join the battle. And atop it all, we get an ideological debate between Jayce and Viktor, who was transformed with the aid of the scientist Singed into a powerful, eerie magical being with a mask splitting his face in half. For game fans, this is much closer to the Viktor who appears in League of Legends, but with Arcane's own twist on his visuals, similar to how it portrayed Warwick. We won't rehash every single plot point, but suffice to say, I don't think Arcane had a single miss in this finale. That includes the climactic sacrifice of Jinx, letting herself fall to her death so that Vi might not be killed with her.

It's a huge testament as well to this episode that it never felt like a foregone conclusion that the good guys would win. Yes, we expect them to, but there are enough moments where it feels like all hope is lost, and enough casualties, that it really does feel like the chips could have fallen in any number of ways. The most chilling for me was when Jayce collapsed to his knees at the top of the Piltover tower, in the exact same pose that we saw his frozen remains in the alternate universe in Episode 207. This victory for Piltover and Zaun came right down to the wire, and it was absolutely thrilling to watch.

Arcane has always had incredible artistry in its animation, soundtrack, writing, voice acting, and other aspects of production, but "The Dirt Under Your Nails" dials it all up to the max for the series finale. Some of the scenes in this episode are breathtaking. Parts of the dialogue sound like pure poetry, especially between Viktor and Jayce. The music is beautiful, and the big moments feel completely earned. This is the fitting ending this show deserves, and while I'm sad it's ending after two seasons, I don't think there's any doubt that it's going out on its own terms. This was clearly the ending that Fortiche and Riot wanted for the series, and they stuck the landing in a way that elevates the entire series. Arcane is one of my favorite fantasy or sci-fi shows to air this year, and it's leaving me with that deep exhaustion of the soul that all the best stories do once they're finally over.

Arcane Bullet Points

• The poetic beauty of these final episodes really can't be understated. One little detail I loved in Episode 207 is that Jinx has led a happy life...but both Ekko and Vander comment on how she should be more than she is, considering her genius. By remaining Powder, she got to be happy, but she never soared to the same heights of inspiring others as in the main timeline, because she didn't live through the same adversity. Arcane handles these sorts of deeply introspective ideas so well in its final episodes.
• One character who survives the final battle is Singed. In a brief scene at the end of the show, we see that Viktor's magic brought his daughter back to life, infusing her with Arcane magic that makes her similar to the magical robots Viktor controlled. League of Legends players will probably recognize her as Orianna, a champion from the game.
• We find out in the finale that the person who sent Jayce back to his own world to stop Viktor is...Viktor. Yes, Viktor was the white-hooded person Jayce saw in the alternate dimension, the last person still living in a ruined Piltover. The bit where Jayce shows the villainous Viktor this truth is a highlight of the show.
• Caitlyn losing her eye was brutal. I like that Arcane didn't actually show Ambessa cutting it out, but rather just some blood hitting the ground as Caitlyn tore the runes off Ambessa's sleeve that protected her from Mel's magic. We only find out later in the heat of the battle that Caitlyn's eye is ruined and leaking blood.
• There are a ton of callbacks in this episode to earlier episodes in the show. For example, the final shot of the series is a blimp flying away from Piltover. In the opening minutes of the series premiere, young Vi and Powder watch a blimp fly over the city, with Powder proclaiming that one day she'll ride one.
• Related to that, Jinx does arrive to save the day on a hot air balloon. The full circle moments of the finale have me wanting to do a full rewatch!
• One of the more intriguing scenes of the finale was when Mel confronted the Illusionary Sorceress of the Black Rose, freeing her mother Ambessa before her death to keep this otherworldly figure from claiming her. Mel says she figured out the Illusionary Sorceress' true identity, but the show doesn't spell it out. However, there is a League of Legends champion who specializes in illusion magic and has strong ties to the Black Rose: LeBlanc. If an Arcane sequel series gets made, I imagine this is a storyline it will explore.
• Speaking of Ambessa, this finale has me even more excited for the upcoming novel Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf, which will presumably fill in a lot of the blanks about Ambessa's power struggle with the Black Rose.
• An aspect of Arcane that I find amazing is how it pays homage to the game without being overbearing about it. League of Legends is a PVP game where story elements are tertiary at best. Arcane is all about the story, but it does still manage to sneak in some clever nods to the feel of the game, such as the fact that Caitlyn fights Ambessa with Mel's support; in League of Legends, Caitlyn is a damage-dealing character who often needs a mage or tank to support her in order to fight at her best. There are a number of clever references like this in Arcane, and they always add to the drama rather than distract.
• These final three episodes had a pretty insane body count, making true on showrunner Christian Linke's tease that season 2 might have a comparable amount of deaths to Game of Thrones. Let's pour one out for: Heimerdinger, Viktor, Jayce, Ambessa, Maddie, Vander, and Jinx. It's a credit to Arcane that even though many of these characters are from the game and fans have expectations attached to them, the show didn't shy away from killing them off when it was right for the story.
• Sevika (Amirah Vann) now has a seat on the Piltover and Zaun ruling council. While the clash between the two cities took a back seat with the threat of Viktor looming large, Arcane still gave closure to that plotline by giving Zaun a voice on the council for the first time.
• The series ends with Vi and Caitlyn cuddling up in front of a fire. These two have had a tumultuous road, and I love that the show gave them a happy ending together, however bittersweetly it's tinged by their various losses.

Verdict

Arcane's final three episodes were incredible. From their ambitious animation to their sweeping storytelling, razor-sharp writing and character work, excellent soundtrack and unpredictable twists, the first League of Legends television show managed to stick the landing. We live in an era where there's an infinite amount of stories to consume, but it's rare to get one with the sort of obvious love and dedication to quality of Arcane. With Act III, Arcane cements itself as a singular masterpiece that can stand up to the best the fantasy and science fiction genres have to offer.

Episode grades: A+

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