????

"There is a place that waits for a force to hold it. There is a place where the Inquisition can build--grow. Skyhold."

My headcanon :)

Bad English version (warning)

Godfather

Inspo: XOXO

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I think it's an absurd question? These are fictional characters navigating a narrative.

But the question really has two answers:

Doylist / Out of Universe - Yes, Jayce needed some sort of humbling moment. He made a lot of mistakes in S1 and arguably going into Act 3 where the main villain of the whole show was the result of his innovation of Hextech, which he was told repeatedly not to do by wiser characters, he needed something dramatic going into that act to justify him turning against it.

The way Jayce was forced to face his past mistakes, grow, have a long night of the soul, and return reforged to face the final challenge could have taken many forms, sure, but this one was very effective. He's also, like, not a real person so it's not like a real person was getting hurt here, bruh. A principle of screen writing is tearing characters down to their bare essence before building them back up again, which that stint in the cave did expertly for Jayce.

Watsonian / In-Universe - If we pose Wizard Viktor as the author of Jayce's suffering and that after seeing all timelines and all possibilities, he knew this was the only way for him to stop Viktor, then Jayce needed to be able to tell Viktor:

"You're perfect as you are, and I choose you, not out of a rosy view of you but out of as full an understanding as a person who loves you possibly can if they come into this knowledge as an adult, after undergoing 3-6 months of absolute Hell in which I gained a limp and need for a leg brace, gained what is possibly a terminal illness, and had to both literally and symbolically climb my way out of the depths of the undercity, alone, in order to reach the highest point of Piltover and my own salvation."

Without that suffering, Jayce's words would have rang hollow. I'm sure in every other universe, we can assume Wizard Viktor tried to spare Jayce going through that and as a result, Jayce couldn't really get through to his Viktor because he couldn't truly understand him and everything he's been through, all the suffering he's endured.

I get that the writers wanted to give Ekko one last Boy Saviour moment (and he totally deserved the W) but imo it retroactively makes Jayce’s time in the Torment Nexus narratively pointless.

And I'd argue that the reason it didn't work at first isn't because Jayce's words were ineffective, or not heartfelt enough, it's because Viktor is literally encased in the Hexcore. Nothing is getting through to him. Not until Ekko blasts a hole in the Hexcore (aka, the Machine Herald) can Jayce's actual effective move, embracing Viktor, actually work.

I think the speech itself is less to "get through" to Viktor and more to make Viktor question, after he's had the hole blasted into his mask/Hexcore shell, why Jayce is being so persistent. Why does he seem to have such a positive view of Viktor. Why didn't he just give up if he disagrees with what Viktor is doing so stridently? So the speech is still important, but it's more to give Viktor a reason to open a dialogue with Jayce.

But no amount of speeches or questioning or, in my opinion, even touching or embracing Viktor (a lot of people ask why Jayce didn't embrace Viktor in the commune well, this is my answer: he was still encased in the Hexcore shell) would have worked until Ekko blasts a hole in that shell. That allows the tiniest little crack of light in so we can actually, literally and figuratively, see a glimpse of the real Viktor.

The real Viktor, who now has a tiny crack through which to see actual reality, not just the reality crafted for him by the Hexcore since he was assimilated first, then uses the power of the Anomaly and the rest of the revelation about the future Jayce saw, and the importance of stepping aside from this path, to finally tear away the rest o the Hexcore.

(Slight tangent, but I'd argue that the reason this moment couldn't happen until after Viktor reaches the Hexgates is twofold 1) Because it would create a paradox if Wizard Viktor never got access to the Anomaly to later use to send Jayce back if they lose but 2) Because it gives Viktor the power of the Anomaly, which he uses to tear away the Hexcore. Before he has it, he would not have the power to tear it off the rest of the way after Ekko makes a crack in it.)

Anyway, I think Arcane is operating off of Avengers: Endgame logic, which is to say, Wizard Viktor is effectively Doctor Strange. He's seen every possible variation of how to win against the absurd odds they're up against, the fact it would take an almost inconceivable coincidence (ie, it specifically needs to be the Acceleration rune he gifts to Child Jayce so that that particular rune can inspire Ekko someday when he goes to Powder's universe and comes back).

From the logic of that trope, we can also determine that nothing Jayce or anyone else does is pointless. Everything needed to converge in this exact path for the good guys to win. Jayce's speech needed to be that heartfelt and convincing, Ekko needed to break Viktor's Hexcore shell exactly as it happened, Viktor needed to inquire into Jayce's motives because of that speech, which prompts Jayce to embrace him at just the right time, so that Viktor can see the future that awaits them if he doesn't stop and he actively chooses to use his powers to wrest himself free of the Hexcore and undo the damage, with Jayce's help.

This is a very rough and lazy sketch before going to bed but it comforts me much, thank you for the request!!😊

Being in the hospital is hell for Viktor, I guess, because he mostly has nothing to do there. This useless wasting of time is killing him, so Jayce is always there to read something unrealistically boring to him.

They both enjoy it tho. The nurses are in shock.