You all were right! This episode WAS an emotional rollercoaster 😫 What questions do you have for me about the topics covered in this video? Also should I keep reacting to Arcane? I am LOVING this series.
Please continue reacting! There's LOADS more to analyze. Plus the rest of it is awesome, too. Also, this episode makes me tear up just about every dang time, no matter how many reactions I watch.
Yes please keep reacting to arcane. It gets better and better + the characters and storylines get even more complex and interesting. I can't wait to see your reaction and opinion on powder in the next few episodes 🙏🏻
I have a question (or topic) for the next episode (without spoilers): What do you think all the characters did in the timeframe between episode 3 and 4? It would be awesome if you could adress the topic in your next video! 😁
Of course we had a clue during Powder’s panic attack but I really felt Powder’s abandonment pain when Vi slaps her and she totally ignored the physical aggression by screaming “why did you leave me?” That was all what mattered to her.
I liked that you were rooting for Powder right before she blew everything up - the writers really hooked you. The movie trope would be for Powder to finally step up and save her family, and we wanted to see that happen, but if you imagine reading a news article titled "11-year old tries to rescue family with homemade bomb", the scene actually played out about like it realistically should. It's easy to get caught up with Powder's dreams of how that was going to turn out, but instead of doing what Powder need emotionally, the scene plays out logically and brutally.
Indeed >> but if you imagine reading a news article titled "11-year old tries to rescue family with homemade bomb", and she's probably not even 11 given she's prepubescent. If I was to geuss her age, 9 or 10 tops.
Mel Medarda is an amazing character. When Vi was staring at her hands, she was remembering what Vander said about violence. I don't think she intended to leave Powder, I think she needed to step away to avoid more violence.
Yeah, normally when you're aware that you're not thinking rationally or reacting properly (especially if it's violent) the best thing to do is to step away until you're able to return & resolve things without causing more harm.
I'm glad you took time to break down how important breathing control is for dealing with panic. Controlled breathing not only had the physical effects you talk about, but its something you can focus on and control when your mind is chaotic and you feel out of control.
I'm completely fine now. But I used to have major panic attacks. Simple breathing control didnt help one bit. The best thing you can do is to feel the fear and let it reside. And take a moment to realise that its okay.
I still can't get over how well constructed this confrontation is story wise. You have characters with believable weaknesses which have been explored in the last two episodes. Then they're thrown into an Impossible Situation that throws them not one, but a whole salvo of curve balls. And they do admirably while still inevitably failing; and you cannot help but root for them despite their obvious flaws. It's like a crash course in emphathy.
It is, by far, one of the best examples you can provide anyone when trying to understand Empathy. From a narative prespective especially. My mentor told me once that if I could not express the right emotion at the right time to the audiance, regardless of medium, then I had failed as a writer. Though, I am not so sure I see where you are coming from about it being a "crash course" in empathy. These first three episodes (Act 1) is, by far, baked in Empathy through every passing moment. Not a single minute of time on screen is waisted for pointless conversations or debates or leasure time. This can, in fact, be said about the whole series thus far. If Arcane has done one thing right, it is how well the writing evokes Empathy. But, there is nothing to show "How" it is done, as your commment suggests. I just want to be sure I understood that right though, because it was confusing to read.
After all good scenes in Arcane - Powder breakdown scene is one of very uncomfortably best. It captures that cascade perfectly, where she overwhelmed, trying to hide in only distraction/safe space activity she has, but being overwhelmed everything falls from hands making her even more frustrated, till feedback loop eventually breaks into emotional explosion. And those strikes to head, whoever directed scene to be like that in detail known it, were here.
No matter how many times I watch Arcane (and it has been a lot), I am amazed by how the animation style allows for subtle facial expressions. The writing, voice acting, animation, and visual style all combine to make Arcane something very special.
I've watched this scene dozens of times and it never fails to touch my heart. I cry every single time. Mia Sinclair Jenness, Powders voice actress, knocked this ball so far out of the park that it hasn't even landed yet.
Feel like I have wrote this for the millionth time now xD But this comes naturally when you have watched this show so many times. Vi didn't really figure that it was Powder who did it. It is a bit misleading, since the Key information about the crystals wasn't known for any other character. Powder just figured out when she had that flashback that those crystals were responsible for the big detonation. Only we as the Viewer knew it to this point. What Vi is thinking at this Moment is more or less "Powder came after us and was caught in the explosion. She thought her whole family had died at this point. That's why she asked in disbelief "You did this?" Btw Powders Voice actress Mia Sinclair Jenness doesn't get enough credit for her performance. She was like...12 or smth when she recorded those lines
I agree It makes sense to watch each character in the Arcane series from their own perspective. The characters don't know what we know. They just go on with their lives before their eyes. Every person has flaws and mistakes. There are many details to be analyzed in certain scenes about violet and powder in the first 3 episodes. For instance. Even the opening scene of Episode 1 is the scene that tells the most about the series.
A lot of this stuff is confusing on a first watch. Like, it took me a bit to realize the monkey wasn't exploding multiple times. Now that seems obvious, but man, a lot of stuff happens fast.
@@wtimmins yep I also thought that thing has gone off 3 times at first LOL. I guess it was because she put 3 inside, so I catched that and thought "Well yeah, 2 were fine, but the third one was too much"....well, past me was too overwhelmed with everything happening at once :D
@@the.truth.doctor Yeah, but I was also thinking that when I watched it for the first time. So much stuff happening at once. You really need to watch the whole show for a few times, so you can see more. Heck, I still found new stuff after I watched it for like 20 times xD
Silco and Powder's pseudo father-daughter relationship is really interesting and a lot of people miss the connections that made him sympathize with her.
I wish you had also focused on the effect of Vi's physical trauma and overall condition on her decision-making. She had just fought a dozen people to the point of exhaustion, been injured from the explosion, and had the large steel door knocked onto her (her arm is obviously messed up). All this in addition to the emotional trauma of the loss of 80% of her family and having experienced her father-figure becoming a monster to save her. One of Vi's defining traits is that she only seems to know how to interact with things that hurt or scare her by punching them. Her problem-solving skills seem underdeveloped and her fallback to any problem is punching (the one thing she excels at and has confidence in). I believe she wanted space because she didn't know how to cope with the flood of emotions she was feeling and Powder made herself a target by allowing blame to be shifted to her. I feel like the only way she had to interact with Powder at that point in time, was to punch her, which she desperately didn't want to do, so she took some space to cool off. There was plenty of blame to go around, not just with Powder. 1) If Vi had let Powder tell Vander, about the Crystals, he might have been able to return them to prevent the escalation which caused Marcus to make a deal with Silko. 2) If Ekko hadn't told them about the heist location in the first place, this might have been averted. 3) If Vi had left Powder with Ekko, she wouldn't have melted down from being abandoned.
I read Vi's examination of her hand after slapping Powder this way too. There is a subtle through-line between Vander and Vi about violence not being the right answer for everything. (He says something akin to that in the 1st episode, and tries to further impress the lesson on her in the 2nd episode when he is talking with her at the bridge where he parents died.) Vi walking away from Powder was her only option at that point. She was FURIOUS and in horrible pain so she did what she knew and lashed out. I think she shocked herself when she realized what she had done. This was a no-win situation, because what Vi needed was to LEAVE the situation to recollect herself, but what Powder needed was for Vi to STAY.
this is it! vi's way of problem-solving is either 1. punching 2. push people away so she can protect them she's a very emotional person, so the actions she does reflects on it, very much reminds me of jayce. the two similarities are quite uncanny, and they both had partners in which, are opposite. caitlyn and mel solves problems in a very different way, wise and cognitive. weighing the pros and cons and looking the box in another point of view. it becomes much more apparent in ep 8 (no spoilers), vi does wears her heart on sleeve. we can't really blame her tho since she's stuck without a social interaction for god knows how long?
You're missing the biggest blame of all, Vander. 1. Vander started a rebellion, either it was righteous or not so: 1a. If the rebellion was righteous, Vander betrayed the righteous fight which only caused the anger to fester, putting the responsibility for another rebellion onto future generations. Vander had an ally, Silco, someone willing and able to do amazing and horrific things who he could have guided towards properly using Shimmer or other methods to do what was needed to get the redress that was righteously needed. He threw away that opportunity out of fear to "protect" the children which did NOTHING OF THE SORT and never does. True oppressor/subjugated scenarios that have come to a head like theirs had NEVER just smooth over. 1b. If the rebellion wasn't righteous, Vander stoked power dreams in Silco, and gave him a vision of Zaun when it wasn't needed. Vander pushed a psychopath into a wartime mentality and then tried to kill him only to let him live. He never should've started the war, but at the very least he should've cleaned up the mess he made by getting Silco out of the picture. 2. Vander ignored Powder's needs. How many conversations did Vander have with Powder? How many times did he hug her? How many times did he even run his finger in her hair. Vander was an AWFUL father to Powder for her to be that young and get none of the attention that we clearly see Vander give Violet. She was the younger, more impressionable child, less capable, more needy, yet Vander practically ignores her whilst spending time with Violet and Claggor giving them advice, fathering them, etc. 3. Vander refused to "turn one of his in" by working with the sheriff to have Violet incarcerated for what were clearly her crimes. If you had someone break into YOUR house and take YOUR things and blow up half of it, would you say it's "justice" to have the jerk that did it get off because their dad said "take me instead"? Violet had abused another person, she had initiated violence against an innocent. She needed to take accountability and Vander wouldn't let her. Even she knew she had to turn herself in and he screwed that up. 4. Vander, having seen the way his family was treated, the way Violet was growing up with hate in her heart chooses to make "the lanes" and a bar IN THAT VERY WORLD. Know what it takes to set up a bar? Money. Vander had enough money that he could've protected his family by moving somewhere else, but he chose to keep them in the oppressive environment. I don't know exactly what the topsiders did that is worse than all of that. I'm sure there's stuff that would push Vander down the list of "most to blame" but for me, with the information I have, Vander's the worst of the lot.
@@NativeNewMexican ooof... 1. it's not about vander being in the right or not, but about his insight that he can't win by force. he instead chose cooperation of sorts. silko did not subscribe to this and would've kept the violence going, endangering all of them. also mind you, silko only became silko after nearly being drowned by vander. we don't know why exactly that happened, but it is stated that this happened before vander made peace with piltover. at this point silko didn't have the insight that he had to do anything possible even if immoral to overcome a superior enemy, that he gained during the drowning. 2. agreed, additionally he pushes vi into a parental role. but then again we don't know what obligations he has. 3. not as clear cut as you make it out to be. clearly she initiated the heist, but she didn't know about the explosives nor did she trigger the explosion. 4. once again speculation. you assume they have a property system, but it might simply be squatters rights and he possibly build the bar out of scrap. also you don't know if somewhere else is an option, since your knowledge of runeterra is limited. you can't just pick up your stuff and move into a rural area and live off the land if you never did that. well, piltover caused the natural disaster that plagues zaun by diverting some river, themselves gaining prosperity. so it's not just that they are more wealthy but that they directly caused the toxic air and suffering. all in all I don't know how you can weigh the stuff vander does against actions or inactions of others. making a moral judgement seems very hard with such a complex situation.
I will never NOT cry about Vander. He was such a good dad. A good man. He absolutely made his mistakes, did not good things, but he admitted to them and tried to grow, tried to be better. The fact that he only raised his fits once more after putting down the gauntlets was to save his babies breaks me every time. 😭
I think what made me realize this show was something else in regards to emotion was the way they animated Powder crying. If you've seen a child REALLY cry or you remember it yourself, it's really intense, it's ugly and raw. I don't remember ever seeing it portrayed in that way in any other animated work and when seeing it in Arcane it was truly heartbreaking and conveys the emotion in a way that "pretty" crying other studios may have used could never reach Really like the analysis and reactions to the series, nice work! 🙌
After watching the first two reactions, I couldn't help but enjoy watching you trying to maintain a clinical, observational distance from the show's events as it began to claim more and more of your emotions. It got us all, a true masterpiece of an episode in a masterpiece of show.
It always makes me emotional that Vi just needed a moment to herself after everything that had happened - all the violence and loss and death - but that she was going to come back to Powder afterwards once she had more time to think everything through, but she never got the chance and Powder will never know that.
Yes. She wanted to take a moment to process so she could deal with Powder without being violent again. On one hand I’m furious with Marcus for taking her away right then but on the other hand maybe he saved their lives. If Vi came back she would have fought and Powder wouldn’t have connected with Silco.
You said early in the video how Silko was looking for something, a familial bond like he had before, and Jinx lost everything in one single abrupt moment. So the two of them connecting at the end felt like a million circumstances coming together for this one perfect moment when they found each other.
Love this show, and there are parallels within parallels in it. Silco having a ton of course, like Vi he wants to fight against topside for what they have done to the underground, I believe his "Kill them!" was done in a moment of stress, but once he was able to calm down he told Deckard to "Find the girl. ", I think he was actually impressed with Vi's ability to fight. and if things went a different way, could have been allies in his cause for his revolution. Vander's assault of Silco, perhaps initially made him feel weak, but we see he took a very empowering lesson from it, like he told Deckard, it isn't about being born strongest or smartest, it's about being willing to do anything to win, it was Vanders act that showed him that, there was no way he could have survived the drowning unless he was wrong to do anything and everything, kicking, biting, clawing and then feeling that knife, taking it and stabbing the man he saw as his brother. In that minute he was the embodiment of the underground, struggling against the oppression of Piltover, he learned what it was going to take for their cause to be successful.. a cause that Vander eventually walked away from.. he has others though clearly that are for the revolution though, he's not alone on that front clearly, but I think you are definitely right, he does still have an emptiness, I think he wanted Vander to be that neither again and join him, though most likely knowing that wasn't to happen, and proceed with doing what he felt was needed to find his path to victory.. though it seems a lot of that just went up in smoke
I really don't blame Vi for hitting Powder, at the moment powder decided to "help" everything was going well, Claggor had made a way for them to get out, Mylo had freed Vander and Vi had safely made it inside. Vi must've fell hopeful and then to suddenly see everyone she loved getting killed in front of her and then to find out it was her sister who was the cause of it, must've taken such a big toll on her mind. We also need to understand that while Vi acts mature and leads everyone, she is still a teen in this instance. We also know that Vi handles her problems head on, and Vander also said something about her taking her problems on with her fist. So hitting Powder was probably an instinctive and in built reaction becoz of the frustration and shock she must've felt. She also is quick to realize that she didn't actually ever really want to hurt Powder, when she looks down at her hand in disbelief. The hurt that she felt was taken out on Powder, and we see her walking to an alley nearby. I don't think she wanted to abandon Powder at all, she just wanted a moment alone to take a breath bcoz she realizes she's clearly not in the right state of mindset. That's why she doesn't go far, and is standing where she can keep an eye on Powder. This signifies she means to come back and we see her start to run to protect Powder the moment Silco shows up when she's stopped by someone. It's obvious she loves Powder still, even despite what she did and would never abandon her. I wrote this long ass comment bcoz I see a lot of people completely blame everything on Vi when it's obviously not her fault but rather the circumstances that unfortunately unfolded.
I think that people go through this show a lot looking for "fault." They're trying to find out who is ultimately to blame. In the end, I think it's honestly NONE of the people involved in this scene at all - it's upper Piltover. Piltover put all of them in a situation that was untenable. They created a powder keg (no pun intended) that was bound to blow up at some point. People are desperate and looking for ways to escape, all of them through different means. When it comes to who is to blame, it's society, systemic inequality that is the culprit. Greed is the purest form of hatred, I think. To have "enough" and decide you want more *at the expense of others* to the point of forcing others into desperation mode - it takes a special kind of hatred for your fellow human that goes beyond apathy. So while there are plenty of places that these people could've ultimately made better decisions than they did, the circumstances they were put in caused them to make the decisions they made. In then end, Silco was right. Vi was right.
Vi hitting Powder wasn't the problem, if you see the animation that's not what hurts her, the words that followed is what hurt Powder more deeply than a punch and it haunts her for the rest of her life, because those words coming from anybody else only bother her, but from her own sister it hurt her and no matter what Vi does during the rest of the series, that it's one thing she would never be able to fix.
@@nightnaughty You could say the same for what Powder ended up doing as well, it will haunt Vi for the rest of her life. But like Vi, Powder/Jinx needs to grow into a better person an acknowledge her mistakes and reconcile with her sister. We've yet to see that so far and I hope it does happen. PS: Nice flag. Cool to see lesbians who aren't ashamed of using the OG labrys flag.
One additional point to Vi’s reaction - Vander is the _second_ father figure she’s lost to extreme violence, and she’s barely sixteen. No, I’m not crying, _you’re_ crying! SHUT UP!
I didn't notice this until now, but the way they drew Vi's facial expression when shes face to face with Vander is so well done. All the distress and worry on her face is realistic as hell.
I loved hearing your breakdowns and all of your analysis involving Powder and all of her unhealed trauma. I am so so SO excited to see you react to the rest of the series
Absolutely loving this series. It’s a nice blend of reaction and education. I think across the three episodes you have done so far, this is the best ratio of reaction to education. I only wish it was longer! Also your insights make me wonder: do shows or films ever hire pysch consultants?
I remember suicide squad was in the news for hiring psychologists for the mental health of their actors. That whole movie turned out to be a dumpster fire, but they did hire some!
Just a thought. If you don't want to do episode by episode (which don't get me wrong, I'm here for as well,) the episodes can be split into 3's as well. Each 3 episodes are a 3 act structure individually, combining for a 3 act structure for the season on top of that. Loved it, and hope to see more soon!
++ Yes, they aired it on netflix as 3 episodes every week. The creators of the series probably made it like a movie trilogy, so watching it one by one can make you forget the stories and scenes that may refer to later episodes. I'm totally making it up. A scene that will happen in episode 8 may be related to episode 2 so you may forget and not understand certain things. That's why I'm making it up, you can watch every act 2 days apart in a week, you can leave a gap of 1 week when act 2 or act 3 is passed. But I'm not the one to decide that, just a suggestion.
Thank you for doing what you do and sharing your experience as a mental health professional with these video essay breakdowns! It has meant a lot to me just to see a normalization and acknowledgement of the invisible wounds that are trauma.
Pausing and commenting has helped a lot! The analysis is so much more detailed Thanks! Edit: also, I think ppl don't talk about it enough but Powder has signs that even her base mental state is a little unstable as when she was falling after the explosion the look on her face was not of shock of how big the explosion was, or worry about what happens to her family members or Vi But almost like a look of awe at how beautiful the scale of destruction caused by the bomb Tying with her crying breakdown it seems to suggest a little of that Ofc with the right support systems and healthy loving ppl and environment her talents could be used for good But unchecked she rly does seem a little unwired
Wow! Your breakdown of powder makes a ton of sense. I didn't realize powder felt like that and why she is how she is in later episodes. It makes sense looking back at it now.
"Because you're a Jynx, Mylo was right!" Never forget what you are, the rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor and it can never be used to hurt you.
Damn, I watched a few reaction from different experts and this is probably the one I like the most. Great breakdown and analysis! About Vi and Powder, I think It's also important the age at which they lost their parents. Vi was older, and was able to understand why they died: the war against topside. So it became part of her purpose and one of the main reasons why she's so focused on fighting for a change. Powder was too little, and at that age you don't really understand what happens: one day they're there and the next they're gone. They're the first people who left her, because unconsciously that's how it feels, and why she's so scared to be left behind (again).
0:42 - 1:18 Thank you for saying that, I'm really going through it right now. Still gonna be alive until nature decides I'm not but I am feeling pretty isolated, cut off, and in a society that doesn't reflect my personal values at all and it's nice to hear that acknowledged even if you can't see me face to face.
Someone pointed out in another video that it sounds like Powder mumbles "mom" when Vai is holding her by the face telling her she's a Jinx. It does sound kind of like that. Pretty deep emotional issues if that's the case.
@@XiaoyuuuYT I never thought that until someone said it so I had to go to Netflix right now and see if subtitles would clear it up. You are correct. She mumbles no, no, no, violet according to subtitles.
I really love your reactions and analysis of this show and the big scene in this episode in particular!! One thing that I wanna add tho that I feel like adds to vi's perspective is that she was trying to go back to powder. As soon as she saw that powder could be in danger she tried to go back to her before being stopped by Marcus! I just wanted to point that out as I feel like it adds more to the scene and was one of the first things I noticed when I watched
I am watching u to prepare for season 2 and I love how you dig into vis trauma not just powders. So many people focus on powder and justify her actions do to her trauma while also blaming vi and crucifying her while not taking into account how big is feeling and what she went through.
i love listening to you going into detail with these breakdowns not only does it allow me to compare how much ive noticed with your perspective but its also extremely interesting to hear about it from the psychological side, please react to the rest of the episodes! it only gets better also somehow analyses like this often help me and make me think about my mental health and my relationship with my parents, maybe ill be able to fix it sometime
I'm SO glad you're enjoying Arcane! I'm so so happy you decided to take a shot at it, and got hooked :) I could feel the pure emotion rolling off of you during the warehouse scene, and I can't wait to see your reaction to episode 4 in particular! Thank you so much for reacting to Arcane
15:57 we can want to make them feel the way that they have made us feel "I want you to hurt like you hurt me today and I want you to lose like I lose when I play..." (What could have been) 😯
I just need to express how much I appreciate these reactions you do. I'm someone who loves to learn and having struggled with mental illnesses as a young adult and had so much therapy I love being educated on this topic. But even more than that I love television and shows that address and depict mental health so this hybrid of learning from you and something I love to watch is super fulfilling. You do a wonderful job on this channel and I'd love to see you do even more show reactions in the future beyond Arcane (which I'm loving). Thank you thank you thank you!
ooohh the parallels between Jayce being abandoned by his mother and Powder by Vi was something I haven´t connected until now :O I know this show is riddled with lots of parallels but how could this fly over my head? xD thanks for pointing this out! Okay, so Silco still tried to reconnect with Vander because he hasn´t found anyone else to share his vision with? I mean the betrayal clearly stung more than the injury, so would he have ever forgiven him? Also Silco´s quote "I´ll show you what you really are" still feels like he doesn´t believe that Vander isn´t that kind of monster anymore that used violence on a regular basis^^ And the validation he seemingly got when Vander finally snapped - like you just gotta push someone far enough and they´ll revert back to their old selves but Vander clearly chose protecting Vi over attacking Silco in the end^^ I think they always missunderstood each other a bit..
still feels like the important aspect of silcos hard won lesson was overlooked which is that to overcome impossible odds one is allowed any means necessary. and also that he doesn't have to defeat the topsiders but only to "scare them".
I really appreciate the change in format; I much more get the impression that you're taking in every single thing and responding to it. And yeah, Arcane is a wild ride. I'm looking forward to you're breakdown of the Piltover characters.
Vi punching powder in the face rly shows how fighting is her defence mekanism. She is so focused and concetrated when fighting but can get carried away even if she is not up against an direct opponent. She can't handle words or fighting the same in this scene.
I relate to what you were saying at the end. I went to my mom about everything pretty much my whole life, but when I was discovering something about my mental health, a potential diagnosis I have, I told her about it, and she told me I didn't, that it must be something else. After that happened, I never saw my mom the same way again. I still love her, but I have a hard time opening up to her any more, it completely changed our relationship.
your reactions to this show are some of my favorites, i love hearing your thoughts on why the characters do what they do. there’s plenty more in the coming episodes, keep going 💗
I think the most important thing this series teaches about mental health is that its not just a diagnosis, its in a way how our mind copes with events, this series did a good job showing how mental illness is usually inter-twined with peoples personalities and lifestyles
I felt guilty when you talked about a "support system" leaving. I recently cut ties with a friend whom I am very closed with. We are both mentally unstable and I am one of the few people he considers as friends. Even knowing this, I still left him. I got worried when you talked about harming oneself.
I just found your channel and it is amazing. So cool that someone like you can reach out to the world and use your knowledge to talk about shows we all like. Especially this one. Hearing you give incites into the characters minds makes the show even better.
I'm absolutely loving your analysis and your expertise when it comes to what the characters are going through! Can't wait for more reactions, this show just keeps getting better and better as you watch more :)
Wow one of the best Arcane reaction videos I've seen! 🙌 I love getting this therapist point of view of Arcane. Your breakdowns are very insightful, I wish they were a little longer though since they are so well done. I also think that for the best scene like this iconic ending(Vander dying onward), people would like to see your full reaction throughout and without less editing. I can give recommendations on how other reactors did it if you want some references. Best part of reaction videos is feeling a connection with the reactors because you had the same emotional reaction. I understand Vi thought it was too dangerous to bring Powder to rescue Vander but could she have handled it differently so Powder didn't feel abandoned by her family? How should Vi have acted toward Powder after Vander died instead of slapping her and calling her a Jinx? Looking forward to the next reaction and I hope you continue for all the episodes! Keep up the great work!
I'm not a therapist, but as a veteran I can tell you that Vi couldn't have handled things differently with powder because she didn't have access to her emotions or empathy at that time - she was in a prolonged state of "fight or flight" which didn't start to end until she was screaming over Vander's body. We see her break down in grief and fear at the beginning when she sees Grayson and Benzo murdered, and thinks Vander was murdered too, but she turns it around when Ekko comes in. If Vi was a 2D action hero, it would be normal for her to shake it off, rub some dirt in it, man up, and bravely sally forth to make the script happen, but courage does not exist when you are really in those moments. In reality, extreme trauma shuts down major portions of your brain, while focussing more energy on others, and Vi would have been shutting down when Ekko walked in, but protecting someone weaker is one of her coping mechanisms (shown in the very first scene of the series), so she focussed on Ekko as a way of pushing aside her own fear, grief, and impotence. We also saw in the first episode that when Vi is in a stressful situation, she plans (which is a way to cope with fear or uncertainty), so when Ekko mentioned that Vander was alive, that gave her another way to shove her emotions to the side. Finally, when Vi doesn't know what to do, she askes herself "What would Vander do". Be clear: at no point did she actually process everything she saw, she just found ways to take the "fight" option instead of "flee" or "freeze". When a person is in that headspace, we don't really have a full set of emotions or the ability to empathize with others. The way Vi told Powder to stay was more or less what Vander would have said to Vi, but Vi probably couldn't process anything about emotions at the time, and was only concerned about death or dismemberment. Vi's action is her way of putting aside emotional trauma until later, and it's the reason that the "P" in "PTSD" stands for "Post". As soon as Vi is pinned down and unable to act we see tears streaming down her face, and as soon as she's "safe" we see her freaking explode. I'm sure there are things which would have been healthier for Powder to hear, but whatever Vi "should" have done, I don't think she had the ability to make an emotional connection at that moment, and could only give very patterned responses ("what would Vander do?). It's easy to miss that Vi is just as traumatized as Powder (maybe more, since she tried to keep Powder from seeing the worst) because Vi's ways of dealing with it are seen as "brave" and are pretty standard for movies and TV, but Vi is supressing a lot through most of this episode. Vi's way might even be "healthy" (she is using her stress system for the sort of life-or-death threats it's designed to help us through), but she's still shutting down extraneous emotions until she overcomes danger. Vi shouldn't have slapped Powder, but at that point Vi was okay to finally start feeling things, so she felt all of episode 3 in about 20 seconds leading up to that slap. I can't tell you how many times I've seen soldier lash out right after a period of prolonged stress; when people try to kill a teenager for 3 hours straight, basically anything that teenager does right after is "normal". I'm not trying to be dismissive, just pointing out that realistically, Vi would have been incapable of healthy emotion for most of the episode.
@@cavalryscout9519 That was an excellent post. I’ve always wondered why Vi didn’t think to give Powder something to do (lookout, or go to alert help, anything except leaving her behind) but your analysis really showed me the headspace Vi was in. Vi’s lashing out is shocking, but there’s another factor at work - Vander is the _second_ father she’s lost to violence, and she’s barely sixteen. Jesus would probably lash out after that. And by Jesus, I mean Caitlyn, of course.
@@cavalryscout9519 That was an amazing post and excellent explanation! Thank you so much for sharing your experience as a veteran and spending so much time in answering my question. I understand Vi's headspace much better now and why she lashed out. I don't blame Vi for behaving that way, I probably would have done the same.
I am absolutely loving all the extra input you give us about these characters. It never occured to me that Silco was feeling lonely inside on some level. But the moment you mentioned it, it makes so much sense for me in my head. And I know a lot more about this series than you, so hats off
15:20 on vi prespective, many people dont like her. but im with her 100% on this. she realize she dont wanna hurt powder anymore when she sees powder blood on her hand. she need a space, to cooldown for a moment before saying or doing too much. but at that fraction of a moment can ruin the whole thing. she even try to fight silco again to save powder risking her own life. but she got kidnapped and Powder think she left her. and yes she should have bring powder along, and yes she should not have said those word. but put yourself in her shoes. i bet even adult cant take those kind of traumatic experience and still be a cool head. especially a child.
Everything you said before was so true. Powder didn't feel she belonged with anyone and when the last person she felt accepted her "left" her, she was given a new person who is ready to accept her and let her belong. Someone who is not particularly good for her and her future, but someone nonetheless that is giving her something she is crying out to receive
Awesome reaction and interesting insights! Question: Powder seemed quite detached from the deaths of Vander and the boys, even after knowing them for years. She was less "What have I done?" and more "Oh, Vi will never forgive me for this". Is this detachment a common trait for people in Powders position? Is there anything Vander could have done to forge a closer bond to Powder similar to what he had with Vi?
I insta clicked your video when I saw it, this episode is the tone change of this series, arcane is a Masterpeace Drama with a dark tone, I really enjoying to see your analysis and reactions of the show!!
My gosh. I think it says something very interesting about this show that one of the best reaction analyses I've seen comes not from literary academia, but from the medical world. It also says something about the analyst, because you are clearly very good at what you do!
This show is really a masterclass in storytelling. Great art connects people and has potencial to change the Truth and the world with it. Now you need watch the rest... not for us, not for youtube, for you
Ty ty ty. I love arcane. I Love reactions. Especially thoughtfully ones. I don't want to miss arcane or your reaction! Pausing allows me to enjoy both. Thans again.
Mentioning this cause I didn't see anyone else say it for this episode or the previous ones, but the proper term for those "iron hands" that Vander and Vi use would be gauntlets; metal gloves (sometimes but not always part of a full set of armor) that in fantasy fiction are often more weapon than protection.
One thing I’d like to note about when Vi hits Powder and walks away is that she isn’t really leaving her, she’s trying to find a place to process what just happened and to cool down so she doesn’t hurt her sister anymore. Vi is still a child (around 15 I think) who has gone through loosing most of her family not once but twice and it seems like from these episodes and some context later on that she only knows how to solve her issues with violence due to how her world works. Her reaction isn’t justified but is understandable because of the situation, and she really didn’t mean to just leave Powder or cut ties, she stepped back to help herself and her sister but unfortunately she didn’t have the time to do so before Silco arrived
Pretty interesting hearing you describe your impressions of Powder's needs from what you've seen in the first three episodes, cause you are pretty much spot on
A very neat detail at 13:47 when Vi stands up, Powder cowers, because she thinks Vi is gonna hit her again. Such a magnificent "show don't tell" detail of how shattered their relationship is in that moment, because now Powder is scared of Vi.
love watching therapists breaking down my favorite shows. another therapist said that Powder ripped her toy and hit her head because her and her creations were useless, which is why they didnt take her along. They were useless, therefore she was useless
so thats why i've been breathing in and then out a lot longer and with my mouth barely open when I've been stressing out or when my anxiety is kicking in, i've seen some breathing techniques randomly on youtube or ticktok but the one you explained came naturally to me and actually made me feel better so do it most of the time now when im anxious or nervous
I have been waiting for you to get to this episode. It would be cool if you did like a person by person breakdown of the main characters and their particular traits after the series is over. Or even relationship breakdowns between characters
Currently working on a video of my own that refers to the recurring relationship dynamics of isolation/abandonment to validation/empowerment. We see it with Silco and Vander/Powder Vi and Cait Jayce and Viktor/Mel Etc. so interesting how Arcane uses these crazy complex foils to give the plot/characters so much depth. This video touches on this theme really well.
It's possible to say, based on that talk between Silco and Vander, that Silco started to think that the Vander's violence against him in the river was somehow a confirmation that violence can change things (as it changed himself), while at the same time Vander started to thougth that violence was just destroying everyone whom he loved? This could explain why Silco was dissapointed or inconformed with Vander avoiding fight, like he was missing this way the opportunity to change more things.
I'd maybe add that when we feel abandoned, we latch unto the first thing we see. In Powder's case, the first thing she sees is Silco so she latched unto him. And him having been through the same situation feels the same. So Poweders support was taken away and she quickly found someone else
"You'd die for a cause, but you won't fight for one?" really hits me as one of Silco's greatest lines (and he has some very good ones). Because, to Silco, those options are equal. At this point in the story he only cares about himself, so it's either "Die for sure" or "Maybe die, maybe win" in his mind. He doesn't have anything or anyone worth protecting like Vander does.
I know that a lot of people have probably said this, but I still would like to add that I don't believe Vi ever had any intention to leave Powder. I think she was taking a moment to collect herself and calm down away from Powder. This makes sense given that she just hit powder and likely felt she wasn't in control of her emotions and didn't trust herself to be around her sister.
Welcome to the episode that both broke and hooked fans. I would definitely like to see you keep reacting to this show. Things get even more interesting from this point forward.
I found you analyzing Wednesday so I looked up your work and saw you had arcane and decided to subscribe. My common foresight ment I knew what was coming with the monkey bomb, but like so many disastrous predictions they end up happening anyway.
the scene where vi "leaves" powder after the terrible incident, she didn't mean to abandon powder, she just needed some time to herself to cool off and calm down before she could do anything worse to powder. but in powder's perspective, it did look like vi abandoned her.
You all were right! This episode WAS an emotional rollercoaster 😫
What questions do you have for me about the topics covered in this video? Also should I keep reacting to Arcane? I am LOVING this series.
Please do. Powder's story gets even more interesting from a psychological standpoint, I would love to see you react to it!
Please continue reacting! There's LOADS more to analyze. Plus the rest of it is awesome, too.
Also, this episode makes me tear up just about every dang time, no matter how many reactions I watch.
Yes please keep reacting to arcane. It gets better and better + the characters and storylines get even more complex and interesting. I can't wait to see your reaction and opinion on powder in the next few episodes 🙏🏻
If you could sweep up Powder and Vi right now, how would you handle their situation?
I have a question (or topic) for the next episode (without spoilers):
What do you think all the characters did in the timeframe between episode 3 and 4?
It would be awesome if you could adress the topic in your next video!
😁
Of course we had a clue during Powder’s panic attack but I really felt Powder’s abandonment pain when Vi slaps her and she totally ignored the physical aggression by screaming “why did you leave me?” That was all what mattered to her.
“Ohh, Silco happened”
Basically explains Arcane
“Oh, Singed happened” basically explain all Runeterra lore 😂
@@scott8934actually, Vi's mother saying to Silco and Vander that Zaun must be achieved "no matter what" for Vi, is the real culprit.
I liked that you were rooting for Powder right before she blew everything up - the writers really hooked you. The movie trope would be for Powder to finally step up and save her family, and we wanted to see that happen, but if you imagine reading a news article titled "11-year old tries to rescue family with homemade bomb", the scene actually played out about like it realistically should. It's easy to get caught up with Powder's dreams of how that was going to turn out, but instead of doing what Powder need emotionally, the scene plays out logically and brutally.
Indeed
>> but if you imagine reading a news article titled "11-year old tries to rescue family with homemade bomb",
and she's probably not even 11 given she's prepubescent. If I was to geuss her age, 9 or 10 tops.
Mel Medarda is an amazing character.
When Vi was staring at her hands, she was remembering what Vander said about violence. I don't think she intended to leave Powder, I think she needed to step away to avoid more violence.
Yeah, normally when you're aware that you're not thinking rationally or reacting properly (especially if it's violent) the best thing to do is to step away until you're able to return & resolve things without causing more harm.
@@0racle.sunrise3570 I mean, that's literally something told to parents. Never, ever act in anger to like, a 3 year old having a tantrum.
I'm glad you took time to break down how important breathing control is for dealing with panic. Controlled breathing not only had the physical effects you talk about, but its something you can focus on and control when your mind is chaotic and you feel out of control.
I'm completely fine now. But I used to have major panic attacks. Simple breathing control didnt help one bit. The best thing you can do is to feel the fear and let it reside. And take a moment to realise that its okay.
I still can't get over how well constructed this confrontation is story wise. You have characters with believable weaknesses which have been explored in the last two episodes. Then they're thrown into an Impossible Situation that throws them not one, but a whole salvo of curve balls. And they do admirably while still inevitably failing; and you cannot help but root for them despite their obvious flaws. It's like a crash course in emphathy.
every story by rito, basically
It is, by far, one of the best examples you can provide anyone when trying to understand Empathy. From a narative prespective especially.
My mentor told me once that if I could not express the right emotion at the right time to the audiance, regardless of medium, then I had failed as a writer.
Though, I am not so sure I see where you are coming from about it being a "crash course" in empathy. These first three episodes (Act 1) is, by far, baked in Empathy through every passing moment. Not a single minute of time on screen is waisted for pointless conversations or debates or leasure time. This can, in fact, be said about the whole series thus far. If Arcane has done one thing right, it is how well the writing evokes Empathy. But, there is nothing to show "How" it is done, as your commment suggests. I just want to be sure I understood that right though, because it was confusing to read.
After all good scenes in Arcane - Powder breakdown scene is one of very uncomfortably best. It captures that cascade perfectly, where she overwhelmed, trying to hide in only distraction/safe space activity she has, but being overwhelmed everything falls from hands making her even more frustrated, till feedback loop eventually breaks into emotional explosion. And those strikes to head, whoever directed scene to be like that in detail known it, were here.
No matter how many times I watch Arcane (and it has been a lot), I am amazed by how the animation style allows for subtle facial expressions. The writing, voice acting, animation, and visual style all combine to make Arcane something very special.
not only the animation, the voice acting for powder particularly in this episode during that critical scene is just superb.
I've watched this scene dozens of times and it never fails to touch my heart. I cry every single time. Mia Sinclair Jenness, Powders voice actress, knocked this ball so far out of the park that it hasn't even landed yet.
yes yes yes
Feel like I have wrote this for the millionth time now xD But this comes naturally when you have watched this show so many times.
Vi didn't really figure that it was Powder who did it. It is a bit misleading, since the Key information about the crystals wasn't known for any other character. Powder just figured out when she had that flashback that those crystals were responsible for the big detonation. Only we as the Viewer knew it to this point. What Vi is thinking at this Moment is more or less "Powder came after us and was caught in the explosion. She thought her whole family had died at this point.
That's why she asked in disbelief "You did this?"
Btw Powders Voice actress Mia Sinclair Jenness doesn't get enough credit for her performance. She was like...12 or smth when she recorded those lines
I agree
It makes sense to watch each character in the Arcane series from their own perspective.
The characters don't know what we know.
They just go on with their lives before their eyes.
Every person has flaws and mistakes.
There are many details to be analyzed in certain scenes about violet and powder in the first 3 episodes. For instance.
Even the opening scene of Episode 1 is the scene that tells the most about the series.
Love this! Yes, I was rewatching my reaction and I thought about this. How could Vi have known?! She couldn’t have. Thanks for sharing this!
A lot of this stuff is confusing on a first watch. Like, it took me a bit to realize the monkey wasn't exploding multiple times. Now that seems obvious, but man, a lot of stuff happens fast.
@@wtimmins yep I also thought that thing has gone off 3 times at first LOL. I guess it was because she put 3 inside, so I catched that and thought "Well yeah, 2 were fine, but the third one was too much"....well, past me was too overwhelmed with everything happening at once :D
@@the.truth.doctor Yeah, but I was also thinking that when I watched it for the first time. So much stuff happening at once. You really need to watch the whole show for a few times, so you can see more. Heck, I still found new stuff after I watched it for like 20 times xD
Silco and Powder's pseudo father-daughter relationship is really interesting and a lot of people miss the connections that made him sympathize with her.
I wish you had also focused on the effect of Vi's physical trauma and overall condition on her decision-making. She had just fought a dozen people to the point of exhaustion, been injured from the explosion, and had the large steel door knocked onto her (her arm is obviously messed up). All this in addition to the emotional trauma of the loss of 80% of her family and having experienced her father-figure becoming a monster to save her.
One of Vi's defining traits is that she only seems to know how to interact with things that hurt or scare her by punching them. Her problem-solving skills seem underdeveloped and her fallback to any problem is punching (the one thing she excels at and has confidence in).
I believe she wanted space because she didn't know how to cope with the flood of emotions she was feeling and Powder made herself a target by allowing blame to be shifted to her. I feel like the only way she had to interact with Powder at that point in time, was to punch her, which she desperately didn't want to do, so she took some space to cool off.
There was plenty of blame to go around, not just with Powder.
1) If Vi had let Powder tell Vander, about the Crystals, he might have been able to return them to prevent the escalation which caused Marcus to make a deal with Silko.
2) If Ekko hadn't told them about the heist location in the first place, this might have been averted.
3) If Vi had left Powder with Ekko, she wouldn't have melted down from being abandoned.
I read Vi's examination of her hand after slapping Powder this way too. There is a subtle through-line between Vander and Vi about violence not being the right answer for everything. (He says something akin to that in the 1st episode, and tries to further impress the lesson on her in the 2nd episode when he is talking with her at the bridge where he parents died.) Vi walking away from Powder was her only option at that point. She was FURIOUS and in horrible pain so she did what she knew and lashed out. I think she shocked herself when she realized what she had done.
This was a no-win situation, because what Vi needed was to LEAVE the situation to recollect herself, but what Powder needed was for Vi to STAY.
true, but in the end vi is just a teenager, even though she seems to be a parenting figure to "powder"
this is it! vi's way of problem-solving is either
1. punching
2. push people away so she can protect them
she's a very emotional person, so the actions she does reflects on it, very much reminds me of jayce. the two similarities are quite uncanny, and they both had partners in which, are opposite. caitlyn and mel solves problems in a very different way, wise and cognitive. weighing the pros and cons and looking the box in another point of view. it becomes much more apparent in ep 8 (no spoilers), vi does wears her heart on sleeve. we can't really blame her tho since she's stuck without a social interaction for god knows how long?
You're missing the biggest blame of all, Vander.
1. Vander started a rebellion, either it was righteous or not so:
1a. If the rebellion was righteous, Vander betrayed the righteous fight which only caused the anger to fester, putting the responsibility for another rebellion onto future generations. Vander had an ally, Silco, someone willing and able to do amazing and horrific things who he could have guided towards properly using Shimmer or other methods to do what was needed to get the redress that was righteously needed. He threw away that opportunity out of fear to "protect" the children which did NOTHING OF THE SORT and never does. True oppressor/subjugated scenarios that have come to a head like theirs had NEVER just smooth over.
1b. If the rebellion wasn't righteous, Vander stoked power dreams in Silco, and gave him a vision of Zaun when it wasn't needed. Vander pushed a psychopath into a wartime mentality and then tried to kill him only to let him live. He never should've started the war, but at the very least he should've cleaned up the mess he made by getting Silco out of the picture.
2. Vander ignored Powder's needs. How many conversations did Vander have with Powder? How many times did he hug her? How many times did he even run his finger in her hair. Vander was an AWFUL father to Powder for her to be that young and get none of the attention that we clearly see Vander give Violet. She was the younger, more impressionable child, less capable, more needy, yet Vander practically ignores her whilst spending time with Violet and Claggor giving them advice, fathering them, etc.
3. Vander refused to "turn one of his in" by working with the sheriff to have Violet incarcerated for what were clearly her crimes. If you had someone break into YOUR house and take YOUR things and blow up half of it, would you say it's "justice" to have the jerk that did it get off because their dad said "take me instead"? Violet had abused another person, she had initiated violence against an innocent. She needed to take accountability and Vander wouldn't let her. Even she knew she had to turn herself in and he screwed that up.
4. Vander, having seen the way his family was treated, the way Violet was growing up with hate in her heart chooses to make "the lanes" and a bar IN THAT VERY WORLD. Know what it takes to set up a bar? Money. Vander had enough money that he could've protected his family by moving somewhere else, but he chose to keep them in the oppressive environment.
I don't know exactly what the topsiders did that is worse than all of that. I'm sure there's stuff that would push Vander down the list of "most to blame" but for me, with the information I have, Vander's the worst of the lot.
@@NativeNewMexican ooof...
1. it's not about vander being in the right or not, but about his insight that he can't win by force. he instead chose cooperation of sorts.
silko did not subscribe to this and would've kept the violence going, endangering all of them.
also mind you, silko only became silko after nearly being drowned by vander. we don't know why exactly that happened, but it is stated that this happened before vander made peace with piltover. at this point silko didn't have the insight that he had to do anything possible even if immoral to overcome a superior enemy, that he gained during the drowning.
2. agreed, additionally he pushes vi into a parental role. but then again we don't know what obligations he has.
3. not as clear cut as you make it out to be. clearly she initiated the heist, but she didn't know about the explosives nor did she trigger the explosion.
4. once again speculation. you assume they have a property system, but it might simply be squatters rights and he possibly build the bar out of scrap.
also you don't know if somewhere else is an option, since your knowledge of runeterra is limited. you can't just pick up your stuff and move into a rural area and live off the land if you never did that.
well, piltover caused the natural disaster that plagues zaun by diverting some river, themselves gaining prosperity. so it's not just that they are more wealthy but that they directly caused the toxic air and suffering.
all in all I don't know how you can weigh the stuff vander does against actions or inactions of others. making a moral judgement seems very hard with such a complex situation.
I will never NOT cry about Vander. He was such a good dad. A good man. He absolutely made his mistakes, did not good things, but he admitted to them and tried to grow, tried to be better. The fact that he only raised his fits once more after putting down the gauntlets was to save his babies breaks me every time. 😭
I think what made me realize this show was something else in regards to emotion was the way they animated Powder crying.
If you've seen a child REALLY cry or you remember it yourself, it's really intense, it's ugly and raw. I don't remember ever seeing it portrayed in that way in any other animated work and when seeing it in Arcane it was truly heartbreaking and conveys the emotion in a way that "pretty" crying other studios may have used could never reach
Really like the analysis and reactions to the series, nice work! 🙌
14:36 It still baffles my mind how an animated character can convey such a complex human emotion. They did spectacular on this.
I relate to Powder's breakdown scene. I often times feel like expressing my emotions like that, just screaming.
After watching the first two reactions, I couldn't help but enjoy watching you trying to maintain a clinical, observational distance from the show's events as it began to claim more and more of your emotions. It got us all, a true masterpiece of an episode in a masterpiece of show.
I major in psychology and you're one of my inspiration why I want to pursue clinical psych after my undergrad 👉👈💗
Thank you!
It always makes me emotional that Vi just needed a moment to herself after everything that had happened - all the violence and loss and death - but that she was going to come back to Powder afterwards once she had more time to think everything through, but she never got the chance and Powder will never know that.
Yes. She wanted to take a moment to process so she could deal with Powder without being violent again. On one hand I’m furious with Marcus for taking her away right then but on the other hand maybe he saved their lives. If Vi came back she would have fought and Powder wouldn’t have connected with Silco.
I really enjoyed listening to your breakdown! Silco and Powder and their connection is probably my favorite thing in this show, excited for more!
Yayy, a reaction to the next episode! Thanks for doing this, I love this series!
Thank you for watching! ❤
You said early in the video how Silko was looking for something, a familial bond like he had before, and Jinx lost everything in one single abrupt moment. So the two of them connecting at the end felt like a million circumstances coming together for this one perfect moment when they found each other.
Love this show, and there are parallels within parallels in it. Silco having a ton of course, like Vi he wants to fight against topside for what they have done to the underground, I believe his "Kill them!" was done in a moment of stress, but once he was able to calm down he told Deckard to "Find the girl. ", I think he was actually impressed with Vi's ability to fight. and if things went a different way, could have been allies in his cause for his revolution.
Vander's assault of Silco, perhaps initially made him feel weak, but we see he took a very empowering lesson from it, like he told Deckard, it isn't about being born strongest or smartest, it's about being willing to do anything to win, it was Vanders act that showed him that, there was no way he could have survived the drowning unless he was wrong to do anything and everything, kicking, biting, clawing and then feeling that knife, taking it and stabbing the man he saw as his brother. In that minute he was the embodiment of the underground, struggling against the oppression of Piltover, he learned what it was going to take for their cause to be successful.. a cause that Vander eventually walked away from.. he has others though clearly that are for the revolution though, he's not alone on that front clearly, but I think you are definitely right, he does still have an emptiness, I think he wanted Vander to be that neither again and join him, though most likely knowing that wasn't to happen, and proceed with doing what he felt was needed to find his path to victory.. though it seems a lot of that just went up in smoke
I really don't blame Vi for hitting Powder, at the moment powder decided to "help" everything was going well, Claggor had made a way for them to get out, Mylo had freed Vander and Vi had safely made it inside. Vi must've fell hopeful and then to suddenly see everyone she loved getting killed in front of her and then to find out it was her sister who was the cause of it, must've taken such a big toll on her mind. We also need to understand that while Vi acts mature and leads everyone, she is still a teen in this instance. We also know that Vi handles her problems head on, and Vander also said something about her taking her problems on with her fist. So hitting Powder was probably an instinctive and in built reaction becoz of the frustration and shock she must've felt. She also is quick to realize that she didn't actually ever really want to hurt Powder, when she looks down at her hand in disbelief. The hurt that she felt was taken out on Powder, and we see her walking to an alley nearby. I don't think she wanted to abandon Powder at all, she just wanted a moment alone to take a breath bcoz she realizes she's clearly not in the right state of mindset. That's why she doesn't go far, and is standing where she can keep an eye on Powder. This signifies she means to come back and we see her start to run to protect Powder the moment Silco shows up when she's stopped by someone. It's obvious she loves Powder still, even despite what she did and would never abandon her. I wrote this long ass comment bcoz I see a lot of people completely blame everything on Vi when it's obviously not her fault but rather the circumstances that unfortunately unfolded.
I think that people go through this show a lot looking for "fault." They're trying to find out who is ultimately to blame. In the end, I think it's honestly NONE of the people involved in this scene at all - it's upper Piltover. Piltover put all of them in a situation that was untenable. They created a powder keg (no pun intended) that was bound to blow up at some point. People are desperate and looking for ways to escape, all of them through different means. When it comes to who is to blame, it's society, systemic inequality that is the culprit.
Greed is the purest form of hatred, I think. To have "enough" and decide you want more *at the expense of others* to the point of forcing others into desperation mode - it takes a special kind of hatred for your fellow human that goes beyond apathy.
So while there are plenty of places that these people could've ultimately made better decisions than they did, the circumstances they were put in caused them to make the decisions they made.
In then end, Silco was right. Vi was right.
Vi hitting Powder wasn't the problem, if you see the animation that's not what hurts her, the words that followed is what hurt Powder more deeply than a punch and it haunts her for the rest of her life, because those words coming from anybody else only bother her, but from her own sister it hurt her and no matter what Vi does during the rest of the series, that it's one thing she would never be able to fix.
@@nightnaughty You could say the same for what Powder ended up doing as well, it will haunt Vi for the rest of her life. But like Vi, Powder/Jinx needs to grow into a better person an acknowledge her mistakes and reconcile with her sister. We've yet to see that so far and I hope it does happen.
PS: Nice flag. Cool to see lesbians who aren't ashamed of using the OG labrys flag.
One additional point to Vi’s reaction - Vander is the _second_ father figure she’s lost to extreme violence, and she’s barely sixteen.
No, I’m not crying, _you’re_ crying! SHUT UP!
Arcane is such a good series for therapists to dig into, because there's so much going on with all the characters. I really hope you continue with it!
I didn't notice this until now, but the way they drew Vi's facial expression when shes face to face with Vander is so well done. All the distress and worry on her face is realistic as hell.
I loved hearing your breakdowns and all of your analysis involving Powder and all of her unhealed trauma. I am so so SO excited to see you react to the rest of the series
Absolutely loving this series. It’s a nice blend of reaction and education. I think across the three episodes you have done so far, this is the best ratio of reaction to education. I only wish it was longer!
Also your insights make me wonder: do shows or films ever hire pysch consultants?
Thank you! I appreciate the feedback! I would think that they do. Honestly, I would love to be one if they do or don't!
I remember suicide squad was in the news for hiring psychologists for the mental health of their actors. That whole movie turned out to be a dumpster fire, but they did hire some!
Just a thought. If you don't want to do episode by episode (which don't get me wrong, I'm here for as well,) the episodes can be split into 3's as well. Each 3 episodes are a 3 act structure individually, combining for a 3 act structure for the season on top of that.
Loved it, and hope to see more soon!
++
Yes, they aired it on netflix as 3 episodes every week.
The creators of the series probably made it like a movie trilogy, so watching it one by one can make you forget the stories and scenes that may refer to later episodes.
I'm totally making it up. A scene that will happen in episode 8 may be related to episode 2 so you may forget and not understand certain things.
That's why I'm making it up, you can watch every act 2 days apart in a week, you can leave a gap of 1 week when act 2 or act 3 is passed.
But I'm not the one to decide that, just a suggestion.
Thank you for doing what you do and sharing your experience as a mental health professional with these video essay breakdowns! It has meant a lot to me just to see a normalization and acknowledgement of the invisible wounds that are trauma.
Im really loving these breakdowns and reactions. I’d love to see you react to the rest of the show
I think this is a trend in the show that Vi gets knocked the fuck out and kidnapped like every three episodes 💀
Please keep reacting to arcane. The characters are so complex all throughout and i love seeing a therapists reaction to it all
Pausing and commenting has helped a lot! The analysis is so much more detailed
Thanks!
Edit: also, I think ppl don't talk about it enough but Powder has signs that even her base mental state is a little unstable as when she was falling after the explosion the look on her face was not of shock of how big the explosion was, or worry about what happens to her family members or Vi
But almost like a look of awe at how beautiful the scale of destruction caused by the bomb
Tying with her crying breakdown it seems to suggest a little of that
Ofc with the right support systems and healthy loving ppl and environment her talents could be used for good
But unchecked she rly does seem a little unwired
Wow! Your breakdown of powder makes a ton of sense. I didn't realize powder felt like that and why she is how she is in later episodes. It makes sense looking back at it now.
At 13:45 you can hear Powder call Vi or call out "mom" and I think that's a neat detail.
That part broke me because not only did Powder lose her sister but now her mother figure is gone too 😭
"Because you're a Jynx, Mylo was right!" Never forget what you are, the rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor and it can never be used to hurt you.
Ooo, the Tyrion quote! I'd never thought to apply that to Powder, that's amazing.
Wise words from a wise gno... Man :D
Nice reference! I can't help but feel it cuts a little every time she hears it though, Jinx doesn't accept herself like Tyrion has learned to.
Damn, I watched a few reaction from different experts and this is probably the one I like the most. Great breakdown and analysis!
About Vi and Powder, I think It's also important the age at which they lost their parents. Vi was older, and was able to understand why they died: the war against topside. So it became part of her purpose and one of the main reasons why she's so focused on fighting for a change.
Powder was too little, and at that age you don't really understand what happens: one day they're there and the next they're gone. They're the first people who left her, because unconsciously that's how it feels, and why she's so scared to be left behind (again).
0:42 - 1:18 Thank you for saying that, I'm really going through it right now. Still gonna be alive until nature decides I'm not but I am feeling pretty isolated, cut off, and in a society that doesn't reflect my personal values at all and it's nice to hear that acknowledged even if you can't see me face to face.
Someone pointed out in another video that it sounds like Powder mumbles "mom" when Vai is holding her by the face telling her she's a Jinx. It does sound kind of like that. Pretty deep emotional issues if that's the case.
Nah, she's just mumbling words.
@@XiaoyuuuYT I never thought that until someone said it so I had to go to Netflix right now and see if subtitles would clear it up. You are correct. She mumbles no, no, no, violet according to subtitles.
I also hear and see her lips say "mom", it's right before she cuts 13:43
I really love your reactions and analysis of this show and the big scene in this episode in particular!! One thing that I wanna add tho that I feel like adds to vi's perspective is that she was trying to go back to powder. As soon as she saw that powder could be in danger she tried to go back to her before being stopped by Marcus! I just wanted to point that out as I feel like it adds more to the scene and was one of the first things I noticed when I watched
I am watching u to prepare for season 2 and I love how you dig into vis trauma not just powders. So many people focus on powder and justify her actions do to her trauma while also blaming vi and crucifying her while not taking into account how big is feeling and what she went through.
It's 100% worth to finish this series. Also I really like your reactions.
i love listening to you going into detail with these breakdowns not only does it allow me to compare how much ive noticed with your perspective but its also extremely interesting to hear about it from the psychological side, please react to the rest of the episodes! it only gets better
also somehow analyses like this often help me and make me think about my mental health and my relationship with my parents, maybe ill be able to fix it sometime
I'm SO glad you're enjoying Arcane! I'm so so happy you decided to take a shot at it, and got hooked :) I could feel the pure emotion rolling off of you during the warehouse scene, and I can't wait to see your reaction to episode 4 in particular! Thank you so much for reacting to Arcane
Wow incredible how you break these episodes down!!! Thank You and please continue!!!
15:57 we can want to make them feel the way that they have made us feel
"I want you to hurt like you hurt me today and
I want you to lose like I lose when I play..." (What could have been) 😯
Please continue - this is not only fun to watch but I love hearing your input
I just need to express how much I appreciate these reactions you do. I'm someone who loves to learn and having struggled with mental illnesses as a young adult and had so much therapy I love being educated on this topic. But even more than that I love television and shows that address and depict mental health so this hybrid of learning from you and something I love to watch is super fulfilling. You do a wonderful job on this channel and I'd love to see you do even more show reactions in the future beyond Arcane (which I'm loving). Thank you thank you thank you!
Please please continue!!! I really need you to talk about the final episode of this season. These videos are so wonderful.
ooohh the parallels between Jayce being abandoned by his mother and Powder by Vi was something I haven´t connected until now :O I know this show is riddled with lots of parallels but how could this fly over my head? xD thanks for pointing this out!
Okay, so Silco still tried to reconnect with Vander because he hasn´t found anyone else to share his vision with? I mean the betrayal clearly stung more than the injury, so would he have ever forgiven him?
Also Silco´s quote "I´ll show you what you really are" still feels like he doesn´t believe that Vander isn´t that kind of monster anymore that used violence on a regular basis^^ And the validation he seemingly got when Vander finally snapped - like you just gotta push someone far enough and they´ll revert back to their old selves but Vander clearly chose protecting Vi over attacking Silco in the end^^ I think they always missunderstood each other a bit..
still feels like the important aspect of silcos hard won lesson was overlooked which is that to overcome impossible odds one is allowed any means necessary. and also that he doesn't have to defeat the topsiders but only to "scare them".
YES PLEASE CONTINUE THIS SERIES I LOVE HEARING YOU BREAK IT DOWNNN!!!!!
These videos are getting better and better! 👏😍 Please keep going
Yes! Thank you. We are learning slowly :)
Great reaction. It was fun seeing you get invested in the story between giving your takes as a mental health professional
I really appreciate the change in format; I much more get the impression that you're taking in every single thing and responding to it.
And yeah, Arcane is a wild ride. I'm looking forward to you're breakdown of the Piltover characters.
I'm so glad you're doing this series!
please continue and honestly i would love longer videos too
Vi punching powder in the face rly shows how fighting is her defence mekanism. She is so focused and concetrated when fighting but can get carried away even if she is not up against an direct opponent. She can't handle words or fighting the same in this scene.
Please don’t stop, we learn so much from u n this is a perfect show to have this discosions.
I relate to what you were saying at the end. I went to my mom about everything pretty much my whole life, but when I was discovering something about my mental health, a potential diagnosis I have, I told her about it, and she told me I didn't, that it must be something else.
After that happened, I never saw my mom the same way again. I still love her, but I have a hard time opening up to her any more, it completely changed our relationship.
your reactions to this show are some of my favorites, i love hearing your thoughts on why the characters do what they do. there’s plenty more in the coming episodes, keep going 💗
I think the most important thing this series teaches about mental health is that its not just a diagnosis, its in a way how our mind copes with events, this series did a good job showing how mental illness is usually inter-twined with peoples personalities and lifestyles
I felt guilty when you talked about a "support system" leaving. I recently cut ties with a friend whom I am very closed with. We are both mentally unstable and I am one of the few people he considers as friends. Even knowing this, I still left him. I got worried when you talked about harming oneself.
I just found your channel and it is amazing. So cool that someone like you can reach out to the world and use your knowledge to talk about shows we all like. Especially this one. Hearing you give incites into the characters minds makes the show even better.
I'm absolutely loving your analysis and your expertise when it comes to what the characters are going through! Can't wait for more reactions, this show just keeps getting better and better as you watch more :)
Arcane is broken down into 3 acts of three episodes each. I hope you continue with the second act because the finale is an emotional powerhouse!!
You hit the nail on the head with ALL your commentary. And this was only Act I 😫😫😫😭😭😭
I have never watched any of your content, but I'm loving this series.
Wow one of the best Arcane reaction videos I've seen! 🙌 I love getting this therapist point of view of Arcane. Your breakdowns are very insightful, I wish they were a little longer though since they are so well done.
I also think that for the best scene like this iconic ending(Vander dying onward), people would like to see your full reaction throughout and without less editing. I can give recommendations on how other reactors did it if you want some references. Best part of reaction videos is feeling a connection with the reactors because you had the same emotional reaction.
I understand Vi thought it was too dangerous to bring Powder to rescue Vander but could she have handled it differently so Powder didn't feel abandoned by her family? How should Vi have acted toward Powder after Vander died instead of slapping her and calling her a Jinx?
Looking forward to the next reaction and I hope you continue for all the episodes! Keep up the great work!
I'm not a therapist, but as a veteran I can tell you that Vi couldn't have handled things differently with powder because she didn't have access to her emotions or empathy at that time - she was in a prolonged state of "fight or flight" which didn't start to end until she was screaming over Vander's body. We see her break down in grief and fear at the beginning when she sees Grayson and Benzo murdered, and thinks Vander was murdered too, but she turns it around when Ekko comes in.
If Vi was a 2D action hero, it would be normal for her to shake it off, rub some dirt in it, man up, and bravely sally forth to make the script happen, but courage does not exist when you are really in those moments. In reality, extreme trauma shuts down major portions of your brain, while focussing more energy on others, and Vi would have been shutting down when Ekko walked in, but protecting someone weaker is one of her coping mechanisms (shown in the very first scene of the series), so she focussed on Ekko as a way of pushing aside her own fear, grief, and impotence. We also saw in the first episode that when Vi is in a stressful situation, she plans (which is a way to cope with fear or uncertainty), so when Ekko mentioned that Vander was alive, that gave her another way to shove her emotions to the side. Finally, when Vi doesn't know what to do, she askes herself "What would Vander do".
Be clear: at no point did she actually process everything she saw, she just found ways to take the "fight" option instead of "flee" or "freeze".
When a person is in that headspace, we don't really have a full set of emotions or the ability to empathize with others. The way Vi told Powder to stay was more or less what Vander would have said to Vi, but Vi probably couldn't process anything about emotions at the time, and was only concerned about death or dismemberment.
Vi's action is her way of putting aside emotional trauma until later, and it's the reason that the "P" in "PTSD" stands for "Post".
As soon as Vi is pinned down and unable to act we see tears streaming down her face, and as soon as she's "safe" we see her freaking explode.
I'm sure there are things which would have been healthier for Powder to hear, but whatever Vi "should" have done, I don't think she had the ability to make an emotional connection at that moment, and could only give very patterned responses ("what would Vander do?).
It's easy to miss that Vi is just as traumatized as Powder (maybe more, since she tried to keep Powder from seeing the worst) because Vi's ways of dealing with it are seen as "brave" and are pretty standard for movies and TV, but Vi is supressing a lot through most of this episode. Vi's way might even be "healthy" (she is using her stress system for the sort of life-or-death threats it's designed to help us through), but she's still shutting down extraneous emotions until she overcomes danger.
Vi shouldn't have slapped Powder, but at that point Vi was okay to finally start feeling things, so she felt all of episode 3 in about 20 seconds leading up to that slap. I can't tell you how many times I've seen soldier lash out right after a period of prolonged stress; when people try to kill a teenager for 3 hours straight, basically anything that teenager does right after is "normal".
I'm not trying to be dismissive, just pointing out that realistically, Vi would have been incapable of healthy emotion for most of the episode.
@@cavalryscout9519 That was an excellent post. I’ve always wondered why Vi didn’t think to give Powder something to do (lookout, or go to alert help, anything except leaving her behind) but your analysis really showed me the headspace Vi was in. Vi’s lashing out is shocking, but there’s another factor at work - Vander is the _second_ father she’s lost to violence, and she’s barely sixteen. Jesus would probably lash out after that.
And by Jesus, I mean Caitlyn, of course.
@@cavalryscout9519 That was an amazing post and excellent explanation! Thank you so much for sharing your experience as a veteran and spending so much time in answering my question. I understand Vi's headspace much better now and why she lashed out. I don't blame Vi for behaving that way, I probably would have done the same.
Eagerly awaiting more! Theres lots more fantastic content in Arcane and I look forward to seeing your reactions to it!
I am absolutely loving all the extra input you give us about these characters. It never occured to me that Silco was feeling lonely inside on some level. But the moment you mentioned it, it makes so much sense for me in my head. And I know a lot more about this series than you, so hats off
15:20 on vi prespective, many people dont like her.
but im with her 100% on this.
she realize she dont wanna hurt powder anymore when she sees powder blood on her hand.
she need a space, to cooldown for a moment before saying or doing too much. but at that fraction of a moment can ruin the whole thing.
she even try to fight silco again to save powder risking her own life.
but she got kidnapped and Powder think she left her.
and yes she should have bring powder along,
and yes she should not have said those word.
but put yourself in her shoes. i bet even adult cant take those kind of traumatic experience and still be a cool head. especially a child.
Everything you said before was so true. Powder didn't feel she belonged with anyone and when the last person she felt accepted her "left" her, she was given a new person who is ready to accept her and let her belong. Someone who is not particularly good for her and her future, but someone nonetheless that is giving her something she is crying out to receive
Awesome reaction and interesting insights!
Question: Powder seemed quite detached from the deaths of Vander and the boys, even after knowing them for years. She was less "What have I done?" and more "Oh, Vi will never forgive me for this". Is this detachment a common trait for people in Powders position?
Is there anything Vander could have done to forge a closer bond to Powder similar to what he had with Vi?
I insta clicked your video when I saw it, this episode is the tone change of this series, arcane is a Masterpeace Drama with a dark tone, I really enjoying to see your analysis and reactions of the show!!
My gosh. I think it says something very interesting about this show that one of the best reaction analyses I've seen comes not from literary academia, but from the medical world.
It also says something about the analyst, because you are clearly very good at what you do!
This show is really a masterclass in storytelling. Great art connects people and has potencial to change the Truth and the world with it. Now you need watch the rest... not for us, not for youtube, for you
Ty ty ty. I love arcane. I Love reactions. Especially thoughtfully ones. I don't want to miss arcane or your reaction! Pausing allows me to enjoy both. Thans again.
Mentioning this cause I didn't see anyone else say it for this episode or the previous ones, but the proper term for those "iron hands" that Vander and Vi use would be gauntlets; metal gloves (sometimes but not always part of a full set of armor) that in fantasy fiction are often more weapon than protection.
One thing I’d like to note about when Vi hits Powder and walks away is that she isn’t really leaving her, she’s trying to find a place to process what just happened and to cool down so she doesn’t hurt her sister anymore.
Vi is still a child (around 15 I think) who has gone through loosing most of her family not once but twice and it seems like from these episodes and some context later on that she only knows how to solve her issues with violence due to how her world works.
Her reaction isn’t justified but is understandable because of the situation, and she really didn’t mean to just leave Powder or cut ties, she stepped back to help herself and her sister but unfortunately she didn’t have the time to do so before Silco arrived
Pretty interesting hearing you describe your impressions of Powder's needs from what you've seen in the first three episodes, cause you are pretty much spot on
A very neat detail at 13:47 when Vi stands up, Powder cowers, because she thinks Vi is gonna hit her again. Such a magnificent "show don't tell" detail of how shattered their relationship is in that moment, because now Powder is scared of Vi.
Nobody is ever ready for episode 3 lol. Also I really loved this reaction more than any other I've watched.
I know right?! There's nothing like it in any show I've ever seen 😢
Powder/Jinx is an incredibly interesting character
i can’t wait for your next episode you’ll definitely catch on to powder being bpd coded
I was getting so anxious watching you watch this
love watching therapists breaking down my favorite shows. another therapist said that Powder ripped her toy and hit her head because her and her creations were useless, which is why they didnt take her along. They were useless, therefore she was useless
so thats why i've been breathing in and then out a lot longer and with my mouth barely open when I've been stressing out or when my anxiety is kicking in, i've seen some breathing techniques randomly on youtube or ticktok but the one you explained came naturally to me and actually made me feel better so do it most of the time now when im anxious or nervous
I have been waiting for you to get to this episode. It would be cool if you did like a person by person breakdown of the main characters and their particular traits after the series is over. Or even relationship breakdowns between characters
Currently working on a video of my own that refers to the recurring relationship dynamics of isolation/abandonment to validation/empowerment. We see it with Silco and Vander/Powder
Vi and Cait
Jayce and Viktor/Mel
Etc. so interesting how Arcane uses these crazy complex foils to give the plot/characters so much depth.
This video touches on this theme really well.
It's possible to say, based on that talk between Silco and Vander, that Silco started to think that the Vander's violence against him in the river was somehow a confirmation that violence can change things (as it changed himself), while at the same time Vander started to thougth that violence was just destroying everyone whom he loved? This could explain why Silco was dissapointed or inconformed with Vander avoiding fight, like he was missing this way the opportunity to change more things.
I'd maybe add that when we feel abandoned, we latch unto the first thing we see. In Powder's case, the first thing she sees is Silco so she latched unto him. And him having been through the same situation feels the same. So Poweders support was taken away and she quickly found someone else
Yes continue this series :) ... and show us how strong your emotional health is afterwards :P
"You'd die for a cause, but you won't fight for one?" really hits me as one of Silco's greatest lines (and he has some very good ones). Because, to Silco, those options are equal. At this point in the story he only cares about himself, so it's either "Die for sure" or "Maybe die, maybe win" in his mind. He doesn't have anything or anyone worth protecting like Vander does.
I know that a lot of people have probably said this, but I still would like to add that I don't believe Vi ever had any intention to leave Powder. I think she was taking a moment to collect herself and calm down away from Powder. This makes sense given that she just hit powder and likely felt she wasn't in control of her emotions and didn't trust herself to be around her sister.
God damn that "silco is lonely" read at the start, good catch
Welcome to the episode that both broke and hooked fans.
I would definitely like to see you keep reacting to this show. Things get even more interesting from this point forward.
I love this. I just wish i could watch your next 6 breakdowns already :p
Got a new sub!
I found you analyzing Wednesday so I looked up your work and saw you had arcane and decided to subscribe. My common foresight ment I knew what was coming with the monkey bomb, but like so many disastrous predictions they end up happening anyway.
the scene where vi "leaves" powder after the terrible incident, she didn't mean to abandon powder, she just needed some time to herself to cool off and calm down before she could do anything worse to powder. but in powder's perspective, it did look like vi abandoned her.