Season 2, Episode 5, titled “Blisters and Bedrock,” of the Netflix series, Arcane, is directed by Arnaud Delord and Bart Maunoury, with writing by Kristina Felske and Giovanna Sarquis. This deeply emotional episode delves into the unspoken trauma of Vander, hinted at but never revealed in Season 1. The revelation of Vander’s survival—albeit as Warwick—not only sheds light on his past but serves as the catalyst for Vi and Jinx to reunite as sisters. For the first time, they have someone to fight for together: their adoptive father. Though flawed, Vander has always been a source of love and protection for his daughters, and now it is their turn to protect him, despite his irreversible transformation into a monster.

The episode’s central theme is family. Vander, Ambessa, and Singed have all suffered the loss of loved ones, and their battles to protect their families have driven them to commit unimaginable acts, often at the cost of their humanity. These choices have had ripple effects, leaving young people like Vi, Jinx, Mel, and Kino divided and isolated in a world that refuses to accept them.

Vander’s sacrifices were made to keep Vi and Jinx safe, but his sins eventually caught up to him, resulting in the catastrophic events that turned him into Warwick. Without him, his daughters were left vulnerable to Silco’s manipulations and the chaos of Zaun. Ambessa, driven by her thirst for power and her war against the Black Rose, lost her son Kino and her daughter Mel to forces beyond her control. No matter how hard she fights, the Black Rose remains an insurmountable foe.

Lastly, Singed’s obsession with saving his daughter from death led him to sacrifice Vander’s humanity and the lives of countless others in his experiments. His relentless pursuit of this goal has caused untold suffering, as he attempts to resurrect what has already been lost. These intertwined stories highlight the devastating cost of protecting family at all costs, and the scars—both physical and emotional—that such sacrifices leave behind.

Vander Embraces his Daughters

During the one-year time skip, Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) spirals into depression once again, becoming an alcoholic pit fighter. The only person who looks out for her is (Wrong name; Rictus is Ambessa’s bodyguard) Rictus (Stewart Scudamore), an enforcer from her former squad. Vi’s downward spiral is interrupted when her sister, Jinx (Ella Purnell), pays her a visit. However, their reunion is far from peaceful—Vi immediately tries to kill Jinx upon seeing her. Jinx manages to calm her sister by revealing a shocking truth: their adoptive father, Vander (JB Blanc), is alive and desperately needs their help.

Reluctantly, Vi agrees to accompany Jinx, and the two head to the mines where Vander has been hiding. The location holds deep significance, as it’s the very place where Vander, Silco (Jason Spisak), Felicia (Jeannie Tirado), and others of their generation toiled before rising as revolutionaries against Piltover. When Vi finally sees Vander, now transformed into the monstrous Warwick, she is overcome with shock and denial, unable to reconcile the beast before her with the man who raised her and Jinx.

Vander struggles with his beastly nature, his mind consumed by the trauma of his past. Memories of losing Silco to darkness and Felicia, Vi and Jinx’s biological mother, to her death on the bridge haunt him. These events, which shaped his life and the lives of his daughters, left scars that festered in his psyche. As his trauma overwhelms him, Warwick lashes out at Vi in an uncontrollable fit of animalistic savagery.

Despite the chaos, the fight serves as a turning point for Vander. Vi’s presence and fierce determination remind him of who he is and the love he has for his daughters. Summoning his remaining humanity, Vander overcomes his inner turmoil and wolfish instincts. In a moment of clarity, he embraces Vi and Jinx, finding a fragile sense of peace in his monstrous state, and reaffirming the bond that holds them together as a family.

The Black Rose torments Mel

In an unknown cell, the Black Rose holds Mel Medarda (Toks Olagundoye) in isolation as their captive. During her imprisonment, she is visited by someone claiming to be her deceased brother, Kino Medarda (Keston John). “Kino” recounts a dark family secret: Ambessa once had an affair with a man, resulting in the birth of an illegitimate child. This child, he claims, possessed a unique power coveted by the Black Rose. As “Kino” presses Mel for information, her suspicions grow.

Mel sees through the deception and realizes the figure before her is not her brother but LeBlanc in disguise—or perhaps an agent of the Black Rose under LeBlanc’s influence. When Mel refuses to cooperate, the Black Rose intensifies their torture in an attempt to break her. However, in a dramatic twist, Mel unlocks her own innate powers, shattering her bonds and revealing the truth: she is the illegitimate child Ambessa’s affair produced, and the very power the Black Rose sought was within her all along.

Ambessa Recruits Singed

At Stillwater Hold, Ambessa Medarda (Ellen Thomas) and Caitlyn Kiramman (Katie Leung) interrogate Singed (Brett Tucker). They confront him about luring his monstrous creation, Warwick, to the facility. Despite their threats, Singed remains unfazed, exuding an eerie confidence. Caitlyn, seeing no hope for redemption in the mad scientist, orders him to be confined in isolation to rot. However, Ambessa sees potential in Singed. The creation of a literal werewolf monster out of a human being fascinates her, and she recognizes that Singed might be her only option to recruit a scientist capable of understanding Hextech.

It becomes increasingly clear that Singed likely orchestrated his own capture. By demonstrating Warwick’s beastly capabilities, Singed ensures that Ambessa witnesses his value firsthand. His ultimate goal seems to be making Ambessa a client, securing his position as an indispensable asset to her and Noxus.

This aligns with Singed’s known history in League of Legends lore, where he worked with the Noxian Empire, providing a toxic chemical weapon instrumental in their invasion of Ionia. If Arcane takes place before that invasion, this connection suggests that Singed’s machinations may have far-reaching implications, potentially foreshadowing Noxus’s brutal campaign that would later impact champions like Riven, Irelia, Karma, and Master Yi.

Singed’s Daughter

Ambessa recruits Singed as her personal scientist, binding him to serve her with absolute loyalty. She promises to fund his research in exchange for any weapons or morally dubious experiments he creates, all of which will belong exclusively to her. However, Ambessa’s primary interest lies in Warwick, whom she views as a powerful asset. Interestingly, when Ambessa refers to Warwick as a “monster,” Singed defends him, stating that Vander was once a respected man and a victim of tragedy.

While this may suggest that Singed harbors respect or regret for what Vander has become, the truth is far more clinical. Singed sees Vander as little more than a test subject—a stepping stone in his quest to create a creature of unmatched strength and aggression. While he did save Vander’s life, it was only to further his experiments. Singed gave Vander the physical strength to survive but at the cost of his mind. Ultimately, Singed’s interest in Vander is not personal; he needs Warwick to advance his ultimate goal: finding a way to resurrect his deceased daughter, Orianna Reveck.

In League of Legends lore, Orianna Reveck was the daughter of Corin Reveck, a renowned artificer and alchemist—better known as Singed. Orianna fell fatally ill after exposure to toxic gas, and in a desperate bid to save her, Corin replaced her failing body with a fully mechanical one, transforming her into a clockwork android. However, in the process, Corin himself became gravely ill due to prolonged exposure to the same toxins. Though father and daughter managed to save each other, it came at the cost of their humanity.

Arcane appears to take a different approach to Orianna’s story. Instead of clockwork, Singed’s efforts to revive her seem rooted in biological experimentation. With Ambessa funding his research in exchange for biological weapons and monstrous creations for the Noxian Empire, Singed’s path is one of increasingly dark compromises. This collaboration underscores the series’ themes of moral ambiguity and the devastating cost of ambition.

Jayce Awakens

At the Hex Vault, Salo (Josh Keaton) frees Jayce (Kevin Alejandro) from his captivity within the Wild Rune. Salo’s new attire and demeanor reveal a transformation—once a corrupt council leader, he has become a devoted follower of Viktor (Harry Lloyd). Viktor, who healed Salo’s legs and restored his health, is now revered by Salo as a savior. As a gesture of loyalty, Salo allows Viktor to temporarily take control of his body to communicate directly with Jayce. Through Salo, Viktor invites Jayce to visit his commune in Zaun, hoping to show his old friend the peace he has brought to countless Zaunites.

Jayce, however, is alarmed by what he has learned during his time at the Hex Vault. Drawing on his extensive knowledge of Hextech and the Wild Rune, he reveals a grim truth: Hextech is no longer the revolutionary tool they once believed it to be. The Hex Core, now a sentient and malevolent entity, has seized control of the technology. Jayce warns that unless Hextech is destroyed, the Hex Core will corrupt everyone in Piltover and Zaun, bending them to its will.

Viktor refuses to accept Jayce’s warnings, believing that the Hex Core is essential to the peace and progress he has achieved. He orders Salo to retrieve the Hextech energy from the vault, but Jayce, desperate to prevent further catastrophe, kills Salo to stop him. With no other option, Jayce resolves to find Viktor’s commune in Zaun. His mission is clear: to stop Viktor and the Hex Core, even if it means killing his former friend to prevent the Hex Core from evolving into an unstoppable force.

Rating: 9/10