Line #8 Recap/ArcaneS1E2SomeMysteriesAreBetterLeftUnsolved


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/arcane2.png]]
2
3	->''"If dangerous ideas didn't excite the imagination, we would never wander astray."''
4	-->-- '''Heimerdinger'''
5
6	The lab blown up in the previous episode turns out to belong to Jayce, a young student at the Academy, who now has to answer to the Council for the explosion. Jayce has been researching crystals in order to master magic, to the disapproval of his mentor and the Council leader, Heimerdinger. He is expelled from the Academy and loses the favor of his patrons, the Kiramanns. However, Viktor, a Zaunite research assistant, approaches him in the aftermath and offers to help him continue his research.
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8	Meanwhile, the Enforcers continue to investigate Zaun to find the robbers. On one hand, Grayson asks Vander to give the culprits up; on the other hand, the residents of the undercity despise the Enforcers' meddling and want to rise up against them. Vander refuses either option and plans to ride out the conflict.
9	----
10	!! Tropes in this episode include:
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12	* ArtShift: Heimerdinger's traumatic flashback to the abuse of magic is done in absolutely gorgeous classical painting form.
13	* BigShadowLittleCreature: Heimerdinger's introduction. Before he's seen, it's established that he's the head of the Council which will decide Jayce's fate with his looming shadow making him look like an intimidating figure. And then he pops through the door frame headfirst, looking like an adorable little old grandpa.
14	* CallForward:
15	** After getting discovered at the arcade, Vi throws the face target plate of the robot boxing game at an Enforcer, knocking him out. It's shown landing and spinning for a bit before coming to a rest on the floor. In the "A Score To Settle" preview, Jinx finds this plate in seemingly the exact same position years later.
16	** Caitlyn is seen briefly playing with a hat while talking with her parents, the same hat that would become an iconic part of her ensemble.
17	* CannotKeepASecret: Heimerdinger warns Jayce to keep quiet about his pursuit of the Arcane during his trial. When he is ridiculed after losing his research, he loses his cool and explains his actions. To save him from banishment of Pilover, Heimerdinger offers that Jayce is to be expelled from the academy.
18	* CeilingCling: The gang and Ekko hide from the Enforcer looking for them by clinging to the pipes on the ceiling of their basement hangout. Powder barely holds on, falling just as he leaves.
19	* CymbalBangingMonkey: Such a toy gets remotely activated by Vander to warn the kids about the Enforcers having entered the Last Drop.
20	* {{Cliffhanger}}: The episode ends before the Enforcers can take away Vi.
21	* DramaticSpotlight: Jayce is put under a spotlight in the dark during his hearing at the Council.
22	* GangstaStyle: Mylo's style of shooting at the arcade. He doesn't hit a damn thing doing it.
23	* GiftGivingGaffe: Salo, seeing Mel give Hoskel a birthday gift hastily attempts to gift the ginko nuts he was eating. Unfortunately, Hoskel is allergic.
24	* GrayRainOfDepression: When Jayce goes to the Kiramman's house to explain himself, he's locked out and dismissed with contempt by Cassandra Kiramman, Caitlyn's mother. He and Caitlyn's brief interaction makes him realize he can't be happy working at his family factory and he's planning suicide in the next scene.
25	* HeroicSacrifice: At the end of the episode, Vi intends to turn herself in to spare everyone else.
26	* ImprobableAimingSkills: Powder is established to be exceptionally good with handguns when she aces the shooting game.
27	* InternalReveal: The kids learn about Vander's deal with the Enforcers.
28	* InterruptedSuicide: Jayce almost jumps to his death before Viktor interrupts him. He even asks "Am I interrupting something?"
29	* LadderTipping: A ChaseScene ensues wherein the kids try to flee the Enforcers. They climb up a fire ladder and Vi tips it over with Enforcers on it.
30	* LoveRuinsTheRealm: The more belligerent members of Zaun complain that Vander is willing to let the Enforcers push them around because he's just trying to keep his kids safe.
31	* MythologyGag: [[Characters/LeagueOfLegendsBToC Camille's]] family, Clan Ferros, is briefly mentioned during a council session.
32	* NoManShouldHaveThisPower: Piltover's stance on magic, as the city was founded explicitly to avoid "the warmongering of mages".
33	* PerspectiveFlip: The opening scene reveals Jayce's perspective of Vi's gang breaking into his lab.
34	* PsychoSerum: Silco's drug, Shimmer, is revealed to transform the user into a hulking monster, complete with bulging muscles and TaintedVeins.
35	* RewatchBonus: Caitlyn actually has a somewhat important impact on Vi years before they ever meet. In hindsight, it's her dropping a piece of equipment that alerted Vi to pay attention to the door and thus hear Jayce approaching and lock him out.
36	* ScienceVsMagic: Piltover has a stance against using magic, even saying their city was founded to defend themselves from the tyranny of mages. While Heimerdinger understands Jayce wanting to research magic for the city's betterment, he lived centuries with the dark history it brought and tries to talk him out of it.
37	* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: Inverted. Rather than wanting to avoid a conflict, a Zaunite named Sevika leads a small walkout at The Last Drop of those who want to ally with Silco and fight Piltover, finding Vander's calls of pacifism weak.
38	* SecondEpisodeIntroduction: With the first episode focusing entirely on Vi, Powder and their family in Zaun, it's up to this episode to introduce major characters in Piltover like Jayce, Viktor, Caitlyn, or Heimerdinger.
39	* SourceMusic: The jukebox in The Last Drop plays "Our Love" while Powder mopes.
40	* SpitefulSpit: One of the Undercity inhabitants who is captured and questioned by Marcus spits on his boot indicating that he won't rat out who did the break-in.
41	* StealthInsult: Mel chooses a child's toy over more complex puzzles to give to Hoskel, clearly (and correctly) viewing him as unintelligent.
42	* TalkingDownTheSuicidal: Viktor talks down a suicidal Jayce by telling him believes in his vision of Hextech and offering to help him complete it. Viktor's offering to Jayce his [[MementoMacGuffin childhood crystal]] and Jayce's acceptance visibly see Jayce deciding to live on.
43	* {{Teleportation}}: Jayce and his mother are saved from freezing to death when an unknown mage uses the magic of a crystal to teleport them to a green sunny field.
44	* TitleDrop: Heimerdinger does this when warning Jayce that researching Arcane magic through science is dangerous in the eyes of the Council.
45	* WarIsHell: Briefly discussed when Vander tries to dissuade Vi from fighting Piltover:
46	-->'''Vander:''' Nobody wins in war, Vi.

Context Recap / ArcaneS1E2SomeMysteriesAreBetterLeftUnsolved