The Scene In Netflix's Arcane That Had Fans In Tears
With "Arcane," Netflix's series based on characters from the popular e-sports phenomenon "League of Legends," game developer Riot Games finally proved that video game adaptations can be excellent if given the right attention to detail. From rich visuals that provide eye candy in every frame to deep characters brought to life by some serious voice talent, this is an animated show that everyone can love, regardless of their attachment to the video game or knowledge of the source material.
While the "League of Legends" game has a wide array of characters to choose from, Riot made the wise decision to pick a select few for audiences to follow in Season 1 of "Arcane," most notably sisters Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Jinx (Ella Purnell), and arcane scientists Jayce (Kevin Alejandro) and Viktor (Harry Lloyd). Focusing on these characters allows the show to weave a lush emotional tapestry that takes viewers on a journey into the steampunk utopia of Piltover and its neighboring underworld of Zaun.
Across the three-act structure of the series, there are a number of heartbreaking moments as the two cities draw nearer to outright war, pitting sister against sister and sorcerer against sorcerer. One moment, though, stood out to fans as particularly tear-inducing, and they took to social media to express their feelings.
These Jayce and Viktor scenes tugged at viewers' heartstrings
Early in the "Arcane" series, Jayce, a scientist, is working on technology that will bridge magic with science so that the people of Piltover can harness it for the betterment of society. The Council of Piltover — seemingly the city's sole ruling body — disallows him from his experiments, with Professor Heimerdinger (Mick Wingert) explaining that arcane energy is dangerous. However, Jayce continues his experiments in secrecy. Just as he is losing hope, he stands on a ledge and considers jumping. At that moment, Heimerdinger's disabled assistant, Viktor, walks into the room. "Am I interrupting?" he asks, and at that moment, he cannot possibly know he has saved Jayce's life.
Later on, in the season finale, it is Viktor standing on a ledge. His increasingly dangerous magical experiments to heal his terminal illness have failed and resulted in the death of his understudy. But as he is about to take a final leap, it is Jayce who appears to ask, "Am I interrupting?"
Fans of the show quickly noticed the symmetry of those two scenes and the powerful message of one life saving another. Taking to the subreddit r/arcane, Redditor u/Wyplosz posted a photo of the two moments side-by-side, captioning it with, "I bursted [sic] into tears." Commenters agreed, with u/Arlequinne writing, "The symmetry for this was so beautiful, I can't believe it," and u/Koobitz capping things off with, "The best video game adaptation I've seen to date ... They didn't just do good. They set a new standard to aim for."