Let's Discuss My LEAST FAVORITE Scene... | ARCANE

#LeagueOfLegends #Netflix #Writing

The most "meh" scene in this great series, this Chem Baron meeting sequence needs some work, and really the whole arc could do with a big tweak. Though it does lead up to a great moment with Sevika choosing between Finn and Silco, the lackluster scene that introduces the plot is not only boring for us, Silco even implies that it boring for him! The arc is literally skippable (a new viewer wouldn't notice that it was edited out), and the characters themselves lack any development, even the minimal amount necessary for bit characters. There are good aspects to the scene, and it's not terrible by any means, but in comparison to the rest of the show, it's noticeably lacking. Let's see if we can fix it...

Thanks to AG_NONSUCH for the Young Finn/FinnDad art!

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0:00 - Intro
0:20 - the BAD
3:33 - the GOOD
6:01- AWKWARD
6:45 - Fix #1
9:53 - Fix #2
12:54 - Fix #3 (FINNDAD)

[schnee]

Very interesting seeing the responses of everyone who liked the scene. Seems like a lot of the positive judgments comes from Silco doing badass underworld boss things in the scene, which I totally get. But the sentiment I cannot get behind, but DO find really fascinating, is the justifications for the scene based on what it accomplished for LATER -- ie what it achieved for Silco's character or the worldbuilding or themes relevant for OTHER scenes after this, but not in this one. It takes a lot for a scene to NOT NEED the essentials (eg relevance, stakes, nuance, dynamics, etc) in the moment the viewer experiences it, and purely stand on what it accomplishes later. When the Force Awakens came out, I encountered the same sentiment. I seriously disliked the movie and half the positive arguments I heard for it focused on what it set up for in future movies, and I was again bewildered by that kind of justification when the movie itself couldn't stand on its own.

Arcane is FILLED with scenes that carry HUGE significance for future scenes, but the writers always gave more than enough attention to the scene in its own right that it pulls its own weight. This chem baron scene does well in what it accomplishes outside itself, but my criticisms are about this aspect: that it's weak in its own right. Even my disconnection critique isn't about the audience's experience of the surrounding scenes, but the impact of the disconnection as this scene happens.

Ofc, in a cursory way, I feel like I'm in the right here. But the more I see this sentiment, the more I wonder if it's just a way of taking in stories that's completely different from my own current experience. My theory is that a certain kind of immersion fully takes the story's word on whatever happens, almost like watching history unfold. So with a high level of immersion going into a scene, even scenes that don't necessarily measure up to "writing rules" carry the weight of "being what's REALLY happening NOW in this world I'm immersed in", which make things interesting even if (and especially) they diverge wildly from patterns/expectations. But then in contrast, the way I take in fiction is maybe less immersive compared to this, and aspects I find weak or random or undeveloped I just don't "accept", because I have a preoccupation with all the options of how to change every story aspect I'm seeing. I also sensed this with the later seasons of Game of Thrones. For some fans, the ending for example was too much, but for so many people I talked to, the ending was just "what really happened", and since they were never thinking of how to change things, that actually made the experience more exciting and dramatic for them.

Anyway, I'm more and more intrigued each time this comes up. Love reading all the comments as always! Keep it up! (Especially if you disagree with me!)

[Spiceodog]

You know that the series is earth shatteringly good when a scene like this, one that could be a highlight for many series, is considered it’s weakest scene

[valmiro]

It's supposed to tell the viewers he's still the same brutal crime lord that he was in the first episode, that Jinx didn't make him soft like everyone seems to think she did. It's to reaffirm the idea that he's still very much in control and quell the doubts people may have. If we didn't have this, seeing him come to the realization that he lost control the moment he hugged Powder would not have hit as hard as it did in episode 9 when he was talking to Vander's statue.

[Creaform]

One thing I think was missed about this scene.

Silco's inspiration for gassing them came from Jynx. She gassed Sevika and immediately following that he uses the same strategy on the chem barrons.

[georgespiggott]

The scene was supposed to emphasize that, despite all Silco's power and privilege, he's still immersed in the undercity. These other crime lords got a taste of power from him and immediately started living like topsiders in an ivory tower, but Silco genuinely loves the undercity and never left, to the point that he's the only one in the room who can breathe its air. It emphasizes that he's not just another crime lord, but a man wholly dedicated to his hometown and his aspirations for an independent Zaun.

[GiRR]

I actually really liked this scene with silco showing how far theve come and how complacent everyone but him seemingly has become. Deepens his character even more than it was already.

[sakurap]

I would argue that the fact that Silco is *annoyed* with meeting the chem barons made me intrigued for the meeting. His interaction with Sevika with their tone of voice changing added a bit of seriousness. Because until now, he seemed to have a grasp on controlling the undercity. This is a side of Silco we hadn’t seen yet, and it spirals for him from there, trying to regain control, and deal with Jinx, and deal with catching Vi and Caitlyn, and deal with Marcus slipping, etc.

[VxiceheartxV]

One of the things I liked about this scene is showing the similarities between the other barons and Piltovers leaders, it shows me that Silco IS Zaun, maybe he doesn't look it like Snake Boy does, but he shows us here that he lives it, literally BREATHS it, none of Zauns other so-called leaders do. This scene made me feel more connected to Silcos goals in fighting for Zaun

[insectostrich]

Your forgetting how Silco, as he chokes the Chem barons, monologues about how they came from a world where there was never go around and how the Barons have become fat and complacent implied to be like the council of Piltover, which adds to his persona as a complex villain . Just saying, i think you make somewhat valid points, but I think the Chem Barons will be more developed in season 2.

[ribottostudio]

I actually really like this scene it's just such a total power move.
And to end it with "Good meeting." GOD DAMN Silco is just a class act. You hate him, but you love him cause he takes care of Jinx, but you hate him cause what he did to her family, but you like him cause HE GOT THE POWER MOVES MAN. He is the embodiment of "a villain who doesn't need to yell, is scarier than ones who feel the need to yell." It's why villains like Scar, Darth Vader are PETRIFYING because they are scary with just their mere presence. I also like Silco's reaction when she sliced up Finn. He doesn't just act like nothing happened. He has a very human reaction to almost being murdered. Again.

[gustavakerman]

This scene:
-Shows Silco as a genuine Zaunite in touch with his roots
-Shows Silco as a ruthless crime boss who doesn’t let Jinx make him soft
-Shows Silco “playing with his food” like any good villain should
-Shows Silco in a genuine leadership role and convinces us that his “Nation of Zaun” could actually work
-Makes a connection to the Enforcers through the breathing metaphor
-Sets up Sevika’s big slash

[chrishaven]

I actually loved this scene.

"The arc is literally skippable"
Yeah. For the first season. Chem-barons play a significant role in the political landscape of Zaun. And with Silco out of the picture, the chem-barons are gonna fight over the power vaccuum left behind, on top of Piltover getting ready to move against the undercity.
The scene not only introduces the chem-barons but also expands on the world-building surrounding them and their relationship with the undercity.

But personally, the reason why I loved this scene is because Silco's decisions made absoulte sense. The chem-barons were becoming unruly. If he didn't address it, Finn would've gained major influence on the chem-barons, and with it the undercity as a whole. So Silco does what he has to do. Gassing the room up serves triply as a power-move, a threat and a reminder of what life used to be like before Silco elevated them into their current positions and the role Piltover played in their previous struggles before Silco came along

[KingOpenReview]

First of all, I reject the premise that a central character's reaction to a scene necessarily means you feel the same emotion in the same way. Annoyance, boredom, or disinterest can motivate interesting behavior and consequences. Sometimes you have a "wait. What?" moment where the emotion seems strange, and the question of why they're like that is dramatic.

As for Silco choking the chem barons, that wasn't uncomplicated villainy any less interesting than the rest of his character. At least it was more complex than you made it seem because he was trying to make a point about the disconnect between the chem baron's mentality and his. He just did it with a cartoonish villain aesthetic, adding a new layer to the trope in a way that's in character, which is exactly the right way to use a trope.

[masiosare_caníbal]

i find very interesting in terms or character what the scene portrayed, that silco can still breathe contamined air without a cough and how it represents his direct conection to the working and lower class, like a leader humble enough to understand his people

[princesssparrow]

I love everything about arcane, but I felt kinda jebaited that the "enemy" music video showed powder and Ekko being friends, but we didn't get that in the show. Young Ekko and Powder never even interact, which is a shame since the things we got from the music video look so sweet and it would have set the scene on the bridge up way better

[mathies]

The chambaron meeting is a reaction to the border shutdown. The shimmer factory gets destroyed and the chembarons are right there again, saying: now we lose shimmer? Jinx gonna fix this issue aswell? I think that part was well done.

[digitaldevil]

I liked that scene, because, at least for me, the tropey villainness was actually a good touch in order to remind the audience that Silco isn't just a dad for Jinx, he's an actual mobster with a twisted worldview who have done and will do terrible things, sometimes just for the sake of exercising cruelty.

[hartssquire]

I want more videos about things that aren't positive or negative like this, it helps a lot at the point I'm at in my writing. I know how to avoid the mistakes, I know what I'm aiming for and how to structure but I don't know how to make those things engaging.

I think we need to talk more about the scenes and movies that are just "fine" and how to make them better not as a criticism of the original but a tutorial for the writers that are stuck at just "fine"

[prophetisaiah]

I like the idea of showing young Fin in Act 1, but I disagree to an extent with your analysis of the scene. Silco's annoyance doesn't set me up to be annoyed with the scene, but intrigued. What could annoy a character that's as cool, collected, and ruthless as Silco? Also, I don't see Silco's handling of the Chem Barons as any kind of character regression, because the show has made it clear that when it comes to Silco's relationship to power, he hasn't progressed at all. It's not a regression because there's nowhere to regress to. Silco may love Jinx and treat her as his daughter, but he's still the same man who holds power through manipulation and threats that he always was.

To me, Silco is a character who doesn't really grow throughout the series as much as his largely static character gets revealed as events happen around him and he responds to them.

[coreyholt]

I took it as they were showing that even silco has to answer to someone. "there are bigger fish than silco". the sequence of scenes also set up Sevika's finale. it shows that everyone respects her and in the finale song, she's seen recovering in the office by the empty throne.

either she becomes the bigger fish or she chooses the next ruler. without those scenes, she might have less clout.