So, the brilliant @avelera has been waxing rhapsodic about Arcane for ages. Finally got to watch the pilot yesterday and HOLY SHIT alskdjfjdfjdfs what EVEN so good! My feels, they are many. Watching completely unspoiled, except there are characters named Viktor and Jayce and Maggie ships it.
That opening sequence MY GOD what a visual storytelling masterclass and my god what a relief to have Netflix audio description!
Vi and Powder holding hands, their bond the show's beating heart right from the jump yessssss.
Vander being as deep in the fighting as _anyone and then seeing the kids. Throwing down the gauntlets, soul just _recoiling at the senseless toll of also it all GODDAMN what a gut punch.
Those violins and the children's eerie singing undergirding the prologue. GENIUS.
Vi not! being able to register her mother? sister? friend? 'So, death until Vander sees it, despite standing by the body this whole time. The way someone _else seeing it makes it true, and she finally starts to silent-cry? Fuck.
Vander carrying one girl in each arm!!!!
It is so! hard to sell charisma, but damn does Vi have it in spades with the job.
Coaxing Powder to jump _absolutely, but even more when she keeps her head and gets them out, while the boys and Powder are panicking.
"Wanna see how that turns out?" after Decker has absolutely beaten the living shit out of her, but that easy deadpan delivery of Steinfeld's? Doesn't matter _he's the one holding the knife you've got no doubt she will kick his ass* swoons* GODDAMN exquisite character work.
Especially because it's a PERFECT mirror of Vander's tone when breaking up the bar fight someone's a daddy's girl, aren't they?
VANDER!!!! Defusing a bar fight with words, a smile, and his sheer fucking REP fuck I'm here for this shit. I'm weak for genuine kindness warring with ruthless determination to keep their little slice of world safe.
The whole speech to Vi hit like a ton of bricks cause he's dead on. "Whatever happens, it's on you" what a line.
So much talent, but she's so, so young and wild.
"This look on my face. That will always mean you need to shut up." God, Steinfeld has the best lines! and delivery.
Powder not hearing the rest of what she says oh, that's not ominous at _all! even with their later scene. And ahhhhh what a scene! You can see Vi looking at her "What Would Vander Do?" bracelet so hard.
One second, you're cackling over Milo falling ass-first into paint, and then Vi's toy story the ACTUAL FUCK show? Their pacing is sublime.
Well, that ending scene wasn't terrifying why do you ask? Only a mouse becoming a super-killing machine. The little confused, terrified kitty meow when hunter became hunted and the world was suddenly very not NORMAL showrunners you are VERY lucky you waited till the show's conclusion when I'm invested in these characters I do not like kitty murder.
Ok, random gang-lord "Vander's in trouble" I guess Christmas and your birthday just came early; your vindictive ex vibes are _strong my dude.
Well, shit, never expected to feel sorry for you, Decker but think maybe I do?
The show's whole aesthetic is just GENIUS. Some blend of scifi and fantasy, with that real steampunk flare. The elevator into the Undercity. The gems, which I have no! idea what's going on with but yeah, very very intrigued. The animals that aren't quite animals of our world, ala the thing in the crate the homeless city dweller was sitting on. That whole web of live and let live alliances, between Vander and Grayson, Vander and the rest of the undercity. The luxury and squalor contrasts DAMN, the world-building is EXCELLENT.
