Season 2, Episode 2, titled “Watch It All Burn,” of the Netflix series, Arcane, is directed by Arnaud Delord, Bart Maunoury, and Marietta Ren and written by Nick Luddington. The episode shifts focus to Zaun and follows Jinx as she struggles to find peace after Silco’s death, descending into apathy and recklessness. With little regard for her own survival, Jinx has become a figure of chaos, seemingly “dead inside” from the loss of her father figure.
The episode’s theme revolves around loneliness. In Zaun, a city where survival is paramount, love and support are rare commodities. The streets are ruled by crime lords, mercenaries, and criminals, with strength and ruthlessness as currency. Yet, for characters like Jinx and Singed, survival means harnessing their intelligence to create weapons and defenses. Jinx, Sevika, and Isha embody this theme of isolation. Jinx, left without Silco, has no one to protect her. Sevika, formerly loyal to Silco’s cause, is now surrounded by self-serving chem-barons with little interest in Zaun’s independence. Isha, a young orphan, represents the toll Zaun’s harsh conditions take on its people, developing their violent instincts as a defense mechanism.
The Chem-Barons Meet
Zaun, now fractured after Silco’s death, faces internal strife as chem-barons Smeech (Lenny Citrano), Chross (Lex Lang), and Margot (Kimberly Brooks) vie for control. These crime lords convene to discuss the fallout of Jinx’s (Ella Purnell) attack on the Piltover Council, realizing it could ignite a war between the two cities. Sevika (Amirah Vann), acting as mediator, urges the chem-barons to unite their resources and prepare to defend Zaun, pointing out that the toxic atmosphere of Zaun could hinder Piltover’s forces.
While Sevika pushes for solidarity, Smeech suggests handing Jinx over to Piltover as a peace offering, hoping to avoid further conflict. Sevika rejects this notion, arguing that it would make Zaun look subservient to Piltover. Despite her efforts, the meeting deteriorates. The chem-barons’ deep-seated mistrust and animosity prove too great to overcome, leaving Zaun divided and vulnerable.
Sevika Saves Jinx
Later, Jinx meets Sevika in Silco’s former office. They bond over their shared frustration: Jinx’s feeling of abandonment and Sevika’s anger at Zaun’s fractured state. This rekindles their friendship, with Jinx even repairing Sevika’s mechanical arm. Though Jinx initially hides in her safe house, she is forced to flee when Caitlyn, Vi, and a Piltover strike team close in on her location.
During her escape, Jinx encounters Smeech, who tries to capture her in hopes of trading her to Piltover. However, Sevika, along with a young girl named Isha—whom Jinx had previously saved from Chross’s men—intervene and kill Smeech. Grateful, Jinx confides in them her next dark intention: to “finish the family” by confronting Vi.
Viktor and his “Glorious Evolution”
After emerging from a chrysalis state, Viktor (Harry Lloyd) awakens as a cyborg, his face the only remnant of his humanity. Jayce (Kevin Alejandro) is initially relieved to see Viktor alive but is met with Viktor’s resentment for using the Hexcore, breaking their mutual promise. Viktor had been ready to die as a human and now struggles to reconcile his new identity.
Disillusioned, Viktor returns to Zaun, where he witnesses the city’s chaotic state firsthand. He encounters shimmer-addicted and infected individuals, including Huck (Bill Lobley), who try to rob him, mistaking him for a stranger. However, Viktor uses his newfound abilities to heal Huck, winning over the infected residents, who become his first followers in his vision of a “Glorious Evolution.”
Ekko and Heimerdinger with Jayce
Meanwhile, Ekko (Reed Shannon) and his Firelights shelter many Zaunite refugees in their sanctuary, a haven centered around a large, life-giving tree. However, as more refugees arrive, resources grow scarce, and signs of corruption appear on the tree, threatening the sanctuary’s sustainability.
Ekko and Heimerdinger (Mick Wingert) secretly travel to Piltover’s Academy to request Jayce’s help. In his lab, Jayce examines a sample from the tree and discovers it matches the corruption seen in Hextech experiments on plant life. Their research is cut short when Heimerdinger finds Viktor’s chrysalis and is horrified by what it represents.
Rating: 9/10