Arcane Episode 9 | Silco's deal for independent Zaun with Jayce

[Argos-xbek]

Ironic how Silco did the exact thing he condemned Vander for

[fockingreat]

1:44 Silco poking his tongue into his cheek is such a neat little animation detail.

[kira-dkmx]

I love the subtle expression change in Silco's face when Jinx is mentioned.

[Deagnetic]

This is a masterful scene between two characters who hardly ever interact.

[JDWalker]

Funny how Jayce quickly became a politician with bark AND bite

[anope]

"The boy didn't even haggle"

[xxwalesxx]

"We cant make a deal with a snake and cut off it's head"
Such an awesome line

[tu]

"your people wouldn't stand a chance" such a badass line

[ivegotchu]

Silco's face changed a bit when jayce mentioned he needed jinx

[AlwaysSomeone]

Jayce: "Jinx must pay."
Silco: "What part of 'blanket amnesty' did you not hear? No."
Jayce: "Fiiiine."
*Credits*

[slenderminion]

Silco was _so incredibly close_ to total victory, only to be faced with a price he couldn't bear to pay.
Just an amazingly written villain.

[FallenOne]

I love how the camera lingers on Silco when Jayce says, "your people wouldn't stand a chance."
He tells Vander that he needs to scare Piltover, not beat them.
He gets what he wants, but it's not fear of him or Zaun; it's fear of themselves.

[Ricardo]

The fact that Jayce got his hands dirty is exactly the reason he was able to bully Silco in the negotiation. Anyone else in the council would have been scared to impose any terms and Silco would have exploited their refusal to leave their alleged moral high ground.

[FiryaFYI]

“I was reminded recently of what brought us together in the first place. The threats beyond our walls.”

[davidc.]

Jayce is really cool here. Probably my favorite character in the show

[Deadlydoom]

When Jayce mentioned Jinx, Silco immediately became protective of Jinx and tried to own up to the blame like how Vander did for VI to enforcer. This and the Silco and Vander statue follow-up scene is one of my favorite moments and made me like Silco.

[blacBroly]

Truth be told, if it wasn't for that Jinx Ultimatum, things may not have ended the way they did. things may have had a better chance at working out in the end, with Jinx not needing to see the upper city as the enemy Silco said he'd destroy rather than sacrifice her for.

[DeathMessenger]

What I love about this conversation is that it's a meeting not between the founders and rulers of two nations, sworn enemies in a holy war... but two men who were born and shaped by their nations' mistakes and mishaps, now having to deal with that for better or worse.

Jayce and Silco weren't responsible for Piltover and Zaun's war, they were merely born to it. Jayce's not Superman come to save the day because Justice Prevails, and Silco isn't Lex Luthor seeking to destroy the city for shits and giggles.
Jayce is from a lower house, who was nearly ruined by the Council's politicking and stern traditions, which means he has nothing to do with Zaun's miseries. Jayce wants to help people, and is doing the best he can with what he has. Jayce knows that Piltover doesn't have the moral high ground, and doesn't even argue from that standpoint. He doesn't know a lot about Silco, but just what he learned from Viktor, Caitlyn and Vi, what he saw in Zaun and his combing through Piltover's corruption and complacency was enough for him to understand HOW Silco became what he is and where he's coming from. He despises him for his crimes, but also deep down sympathizes with his plights. And, as Jayce puts it, there are greater things to worry about, which is why he wants to negotiate.
Silco was born in the gutter and nearly killed by his own best friend Vander, and that hardship shaped him into a crime lord with a vendetta. All Silco wants is to make Zaun better, whether by waging war on Piltover or forcing them to grant them the rights and resources that were denied them... Yet he has nothing personal against Jayce, because he's simply a "newcomer" to the political conflict. But he also respects that Jayce isn't some petty bureaucrat or weakling scholar; kid declared a one-man war on crime and corruption, built a magic hammer and went Rambo on his Shimmer factory, which shows he has guts and valor. He agrees with Jayce that there are greater things to worry about, and laments that Piltover and Zaun have short memories; Jayce has to deal with the Council's foolish politics and greed, Silco has to deal with the Chem-Barons' petty power-playing and greed, and both factions refuse to learn from the past and respect the efforts of those trying to improve the situation (save for Mel and Sevika, both of whom admonish Jayce and Silco yet also sincerely support them).

In this quiet moment, without all the drama of conspiracy, guns and violence, Silco and Jayce are at their most honest and open... and they're not so different, after all. Jayce wants to act humble yet brave, but Silco immediately realizes he does not want war and takes advantage of it; he doesn't even taunt or mock Jayce for being a pacifist or "weak". He just acknowledges it, mildly curious. Jayce then openly admits he doesn't want to slaughter Zaun and that he despises the Council's apathy, and Silco's subtle expression shows he is somewhat surprised AND touched. He's somewhat dismissive (because Jayce thinks Zaun can't fight back), but what matters is getting peace on Zaun's terms.

They can't QUITE sympathize with one another, but there's the sense that they "get" that their conflict wasn't each other's fault and that both want things to be better. Jayce's only mistake was not realizing Jinx was like a daughter to Silco, not just some "useful but replaceable thug".

[SRFriso]

I love how even in this short scene, there is character development. Silco comes in thinking of Jayce as just another Piltie, born with a silver spoon up his ass. He calls him boy, implies that he's a bad negotiator, and just shows him no respect in general. But after Jayce mentions how a war would play out, Silco finds a little bit of respect for him. He knows Jayce is right, he just doesn't care about the human cost - that's what makes him the villain of this story. After that, Silco doesn't snipe at him again, even though he easily could. Growth, it's what makes characters interesting, even in this tiny scene.

[Mediados]

Composers are certainly among the most underappreciated people in the industry. Their work goes unseen, and is never the focus of a scene, but the right tone to underline the actor's work is imperative.