I see posts go by periodically about how modern audiences are impatient or unwilling to trust the creator. And I agree that that's true. What the posts almost never mention, though, is that this didn't happen in a vacuum. Audiences have had their patience and trust beaten out of them by the popular media of the past few decades.

J J Abrams is famous for making stories that raise questions he never figures out how to answer. He's also the guy with some weird story about a present he never opened and how that's better than presents you open--failing to see that there's a difference between choosing not to open a present and being forbidden from opening one.

You've got lengthy media franchises where installments undo character development or satisfying resolutions from previous installments. Worse, there are media franchises with "trilogies" that are weird slap fights between the makers of each installment.

You've got wildly popular TV shows that end so poorly and unsatisfyingly that no one speaks of them again.

On top of that, a lot of the media actively punishes people for engaging thoughtfully with it. Creators panic and change their stories if the audience properly reacts to foreshadowing. Emotional parts of storytelling are trampled by jokes. Shocking the audience has become the go to, rather than providing a solid story.

Of course audiences have gotten cynical and untrusting! Of course they're unwilling to form their own expectations of what's coming! Of course they make the worst assumptions based on what's in front of them! The media they've been consuming has trained them well.

Plus the good, old show/story/etc. was discontinued halfway through by the publisher.

Arcane framing / When you set out to find the middle ground where there's none

I'm just really liking the parallels between Piltover's Jayce and Caitlyn, and Vi and Viktor from the undercity. Because while not one of them on personal level is right or wrong, on the issue of "who understands how the power relation between Piltover and undercity works" there is clear pair of winners.

Imo. Arcane asks if people that come from a position of privilege, even with best intentions, can understand how the system works without going out and gaining first hand experience of the other side.

For Act 2 and part of Act 3 the question is left up in the air, when both Caitlyn and Jayce assert their perspective on relationship between Piltover power system and undercity.

Setup aka do listen to person from the undercity:

But what about the other side...

Payoff:

I actually do like the decision that the moment of realisation, for Caitlyn and Jayce, that they did not actually understand how Piltover works happens with a character they don't have that much screen-time with beforehand. Because it shifts the focus from personal relations they have, to the question about their wider assumptions about the system.

Yeah, if it was Caitlyn and Vi against Marcus on the bridge it'd be more dramatic but it'd be about Caitlyn and Vi not about Caitlyn realising she was wrong about the enforcers. Same with Jayce's idea to build weapons just in case... just in case, since there are scary people in the undercity. Arcane could be preachy who is right and wrong, but instead goes 'stick around and find out'.

Answering to the tags, I don't really think the writers are going to end a 'both sides were a fault in the end' message since nothing is building up to it in the story. Especially not with Vi - or with Caitlyn tbh - instead it'll be that even 'good apples' that work for the power system won't fix it by becoming part of it. In the end this is a subversion of typical trope where the justice/good hearted oriented character finally gets to the top of corrupt organisation/system and reforms the system because they're just that good and full of justice that the bad system crumbles before their good and just nature. I mean the authors pretty much establish what happens when you try influence the system by becoming part of it - we've seen that ride already with Jayce for all act 2 and 3, and the only step remotely towards his narrative established goal to 'save lives with magic' is when he goes to have a talk with Silco behind councils (aka the system) back.

And Jayce is not the only character this rule holds true, Greyson (sheriff no. 1) has truce with Vander behind councils back - even if what she does is good, her hands are still tied to truly fix situation/the system. And as far as Greyson is good for trying to shield undercity in that arrangement, I think it's pretty sure to guess she was on the bridge in the opening scene killing civilians. Probably got cold feet/remorse later but it was too late to escape 'the system' for her, so she does the best she can but it's too little, too late. I think Caitlyn will have a "great day" when that comes to light since she idolizes her. Same with Vi and Vander. And then we have Marcus (sheriff no. 2) who also does good thing behind councils back - saves Vi even if imperfectly and still somewhat keeps peace with the undercity with Silco. And then we have upcoming sheriff no. 3, Caitlyn, who gets thrown out of the system and ONLY THEN by going behind everyone's back saves Vi from Stillwater.

There's a pattern here for doing good thing or getting positive results... and it ain't becoming enforcer or becoming part of established power structure. Enforcers aren't even the cause, they're the symptom of Piltover government since they answer to the council.

Alternatively, there is also a pattern when characters try to drag another into power system to fix its wrongs and it progressively goes to shit with Caitlyn dragging Vi up all the way to the council meeting. Which accomplishes nothing aside from just reminding the audience that 'good/moral' cause will not make the system change.

I kind of like the continuous subversion of expectations of good people can fix bad systems by working within them. They can't, at least not in this show.

What's wrong with Heimerdinger? Like he is perfectly written:

Yk when Montesquieu proposed 'separation of powers' as grounds for a fairer political/state system he meant exactly opposite of Heimerdinger and the 3 positions he holds. And that's just his first episode introduction, it all grows funnier from there since we only get:

Also absolutely love Heimerdinger never talks about 'lives' when he says magic is dangerous, but always uses 'nations' or equivalent. It's NOT about lives, lives are fine to be sacrificed so nation - aka Piltover - is not destroyed. It's great writing because people fill in naturally that nation = citizens of a nation, but that's not necessarily the case just more wishful thinking. Since Jayce followed the logic 'nation = citizens of a nation' with Heimerdinger and well... that didn't work.

Vi is pissed at the council but Vi also has understanding of Piltover of 15 y/o. And people usually hate the people that enact orders of power more - the ones they can see - than people at the top. She never even seen the council do bad things, while she saw enforcers doing pleanty.

And as far as Ekko - and Firelights - they seem to be on side to give everyone 'a chance'. Ekko trusts Cait because Cait is a good person and promises him and Vi everything they hoped for - Cait is also deeply misguided about the system she lives in. That's the tragedy.

As for Ekko and Heimerdinger - well... anyone thinks this will work out well for the Firelights? Really? When we already have another undercity inventor in the show that Heimerdinger explicitly decided it's safer to let die than try to save his life. And Viktor is much nicer (aka isn't in a undercity gang) and contributed to Piltover more than Firelights. The moment Firelights stop appearing as harmless kids in a treehouse, I really can't phantom what other response there'll be from Heimerdinger but to destroy them. Like seriously, it's obvious that Viktor also had this kind of heartfelt moment with Heimer when he met him as a kid and was picked up by an esteemed inventor aas his student. Look at where that got him. Ekko when he meets Heimer even has issue with the same leg. There's never really a show Heimerdinger changed his stance on anything, he went to the undercity and decided that his help was unwanted so turned back to Piltover and met Ekko on the way.

Arcane framing / When you set out to find the middle ground where there's none

I'm just really liking the parallels between Piltover's Jayce and Caitlyn, and Vi and Viktor from the undercity. Because while not one of them on personal level is right or wrong, on the issue of "who understands how the power relation between Piltover and undercity works" there is clear pair of winners.

Imo. Arcane asks if people that come from a position of privilege, even with best intentions, can understand how the system works without going out and gaining first hand experience of the other side.

For Act 2 and part of Act 3 the question is left up in the air, when both Caitlyn and Jayce assert their perspective on relationship between Piltover power system and undercity.

Setup aka do listen to person from the undercity:

But what about the other side...

Payoff:

I actually do like the decision that the moment of realisation, for Caitlyn and Jayce, that they did not actually understand how Piltover works happens with a character they don't have that much screen-time with beforehand. Because it shifts the focus from personal relations they have, to the question about their wider assumptions about the system.

Yeah, if it was Caitlyn and Vi against Marcus on the bridge it'd be more dramatic but it'd be about Caitlyn and Vi not about Caitlyn realising she was wrong about the enforcers. Same with Jayce's idea to build weapons just in case... just in case, since there are scary people in the undercity. Arcane could be preachy who is right and wrong, but instead goes 'stick around and find out'.

Answering to the tags, I don't really think the writers are going to end a 'both sides were a fault in the end' message since nothing is building up to it in the story. Especially not with Vi - or with Caitlyn tbh - instead it'll be that even 'good apples' that work for the power system won't fix it by becoming part of it. In the end this is a subversion of typical trope where the justice/good hearted oriented character finally gets to the top of corrupt organisation/system and reforms the system because they're just that good and full of justice that the bad system crumbles before their good and just nature. I mean the authors pretty much establish what happens when you try influence the system by becoming part of it - we've seen that ride already with Jayce for all act 2 and 3, and the only step remotely towards his narrative established goal to 'save lives with magic' is when he goes to have a talk with Silco behind councils (aka the system) back.

And Jayce is not the only character this rule holds true, Greyson (sheriff no. 1) has truce with Vander behind councils back - even if what she does is good, her hands are still tied to truly fix situation/the system. And as far as Greyson is good for trying to shield undercity in that arrangement, I think it's pretty sure to guess she was on the bridge in the opening scene killing civilians. Probably got cold feet/remorse later but it was too late to escape 'the system' for her, so she does the best she can but it's too little, too late. I think Caitlyn will have a "great day" when that comes to light since she idolizes her. Same with Vi and Vander. And then we have Marcus (sheriff no. 2) who also does good thing behind councils back - saves Vi even if imperfectly and still somewhat keeps peace with the undercity with Silco. And then we have upcoming sheriff no. 3, Caitlyn, who gets thrown out of the system and ONLY THEN by going behind everyone's back saves Vi from Stillwater.

There's a pattern here for doing good thing or getting positive results... and it ain't becoming enforcer or becoming part of established power structure. Enforcers aren't even the cause, they're the symptom of Piltover government since they answer to the council.

Alternatively, there is also a pattern when characters try to drag another into power system to fix its wrongs and it progressively goes to shit with Caitlyn dragging Vi up all the way to the council meeting. Which accomplishes nothing aside from just reminding the audience that 'good/moral' cause will not make the system change.

I kind of like the continuous subversion of expectations of good people can fix bad systems by working within them. They can't, at least not in this show.

Look I see and understand the charm of Phillip as a jewel thief or gentleman criminal or what have you but for this I HAVE to defer to tradition re: how these detectives meet their "roommates" -

he's just some random guy

maybe a war vet if we want to follow the holmes/poirot path but that's not 100% necessary, but

he's just some dude

and when we get a scene of them together in a room, Benoit looks at him like he hung the damn moon and remembered to retrieve some pebbles from it just for his collections

Detective Blanc met Philip, a washed up 90's rom-com actor, on a set of hallmark movie where a murder was committed. I will not settle for anything less than that.

what's a book you read as a teenager that was so magical and personally profound to you it literally changed your life, doesnt matter if the book was actually well written or not. mine's probably the catcher in the rye

Obedience to Authority by Stanley Milgram is probably where any ethical bone in my body comes from (if there is any) and Aquarium by Viktor Suvorov helped me learn how to interact with humans.

In 2022 Riot ended their bias against m/m relationships for main continuity champion characters.

(they have always maintained that both f/f and m/m is completely accepted within their fictional universe, they had m/m for supporting charaters and in alt universes before)

I don't think that they deserve any special award or praise for it whatsoever, I just think that it's worth noting that:

1.) It's a thing that happened 2.) The fact that it happened means that there actually was either an explicit or invisible rule against it

And the fact that it resulted in an immediate mini-burst of m/m confirmations really makes one think of what that might mean for other simlarly structured properties (like comic books).

Granted I think structurally League is a bit different because the way designers work for League and the way identification with characters work and how minimal to the lore/storytelling is is pretty different from how more communal narrative properties work (ie like films or even comic books where multiple creators work in depth across multiple years), but it was still pretty interesting to see.

I think like most game companies, Riot alway tried to play it safe. But the target audience of games, or more like image of what average gamer is, has changed drastically over last decade. Like most game companies - Riot also 'grew up' so to speak over time. And yeah our society also drastically changed around LGBT+ topics in last decade. Even when one takes into account some more progressive studios like Supergiant Games - there's an upgrade between Transistor and Hades LGBT+ character incorporation into the plot.

And Riot was always kind of non-committal with best they did was Leona and Diana or Varus comic (they tried but most of it is well... A for effort), but at some point the time would come where they would have to either decide to completely ignore LGBT+ characters or actively pursue them. Like can't have middle ground here and neither choice is really safe - you really don't want to be Disney 'play it safe' with LGBT+ rep laughing stock. Since they decided to have main romantic pairing of their first TV show be two women - and the heavens didn't crash contrary to all the jokes about 'woke stories are bad because all they want to do is to make the lead a butch pink haired lesbian' and that would obviously never sell - I think that was kind of line has been crossed moment. Maybe for more than just Riot, but many narrative IPs in general. I assume Arcane sold pretty well so I guess it was just a matter of time before Riot would be start testing stuff with more LGBT+ characters. And heaven didn't crash either so... yeah, I assume it will be their trajectory going forward.

And I will defend to the death that Silco and Vander were written as divorced couple, no, can't change my mind.

I love his braided tail! Fashion boy!

Jinx braided his tail, that's canon now