ARCANE's Vi and Jinx: Grief, Guilt, and Psychosis

Jinx: Are we still sisters? Vi: Nothing is going to change that. Jono: With

psychosis

, you're always dealing with just this person, but they're dealing with everyone else inside of them. The idea that the person you knew is gone. Mourn them, let them go. Alan: Yes. Jono: It's true that they're not going to go back like before. Our experiences change us. They shape us. They shape us. You can't put the genie back in the bottle. Alan: She won't be returning as 9-year-old Powder. Jono: Yes, but she can find that decency again. Do you really get into Vi's head about what she's capable of doing my sister?

There is real fear there. Alan: Yes. Jono: And Vi is not a character who gets scared. My opinion, my main weapon, is that it started as an act and became something she believed in. Jinx: Now it's Jinx. The dust fell into a pit. Jono: True affection is buried there and comes to the surface every time he is around her sister. People change and evolve over time. And when you choose to love someone, you're choosing to love a different version every day, every month, every year, because if you just love the original... Alan: You're in love with someone who doesn't exist. not anymore.

Hello and welcome to Cine Terapia. I'm Alan Seawright, professional filmmaker in need of therapy and that guy is... Jono: Jonathan Decker, licensed therapist who loves movies... ...as well as the occasional Netflix series. What are we going to do today? Alan: Well, the cat is out of the bag. This is just our most requested episode. Let's talk about Arcanum. Jono: Oh my god. We love you... Alan: League of Legends: Arcane. Jono: ...so we're going to do it. But let's talk about Vi and Jinx. Jono: Is that what I'm focusing on? Alan: Let's talk about Vi and Jinx.

Because it is the central relationship of the entire series. Jono: So I don't know much about the world or where or when this happens, but we have a city that's up and a city that's down, and it's very class warfare, and Vi and Jinx come from there. below. His parents die in a civil war. Jono: They are adopted by... Alan: Vander. Jono: Vander, who was... Alan: Fantastic character. Love him to death. We lost you too soon, Vander. ♬♬ In the arms of the angel ♬♬ Jono: It was great from the beginning. Jinx calls himself Jinx because he ruins things.

He is very clumsy and tries to help. Jono: And his attempt to help results in the death of his friends. Alan: Right. Jono: I was surprised. I was like... Alan: They hit me like an exploding door. Jono: Holy shit. Oh wow... This girl just accidentally killed her friends trying to help, and now her sister hates her and blames her for it. And her dad is... her adoptive father is also dead. Alan: After becoming a strange, giant drug monster. Jono: And now, years later, the sisters are separated. And Jinx thinks Vi hates her and Vi immediately regrets lashing out.

But here we are. Alan: Well, I love it... Jono: This is where the sisters... Alan: ...like film scratches... Alan: ...and drawings on the film. Jono: Yes. Alan: To represent her mental state. Jono: But her sister used to go after this machine, and now she's venting her anger on it. Oh man... Alan: He still came in second place. Jono: Yeah. Jono: Oh, man. Alan: That's where her mental state is. I just... love that scene for so many cinematic reasons. But let's talk first about... what we're learning about her. Jono: She carries a lot of pain and a lot of

guilt

, and also a lot of anger towards her sister for abandoning her.

And her sister almost immediately tried to return. Alan: Yes, her sister abandoned her, but she immediately regretted it and... Jono: she tried to return, but then they imprisoned her. Alan: Right. Jono: Right? And so there are layers here. But she feels that her sister left her, and she left her when she was a child, so she carries a lot of

guilt

, a lot of anger, a lot of anger and feelings of abandonment. So this is catharsis. I mean, this is... we talk about this a lot, about releasing your anger in a way that doesn't hurt anyone.

This is one of the rare times that Jinx releases her anger in a way that doesn't hurt anyone. Alan: This episode is brought to you by Valencia Home Theater Seating. Jono: This is great. Alan: It's what we're sitting on right now. Jono: We have our own personally made luxury theater chairs. Alan: Check out the embroidered characters on our Heroes website. Jono: First of all, the chairs we sat in at the old place weren't particularly comfortable. Alan: They caused me back pain. Jono: And they look like butts. Everyone said it, we never acknowledged it. Jono: Now it's done.

Alan: They did. These are much more ergonomic full grain leather. Jono: I don't feel tired at the end of our shoots because of the core strength needed to stay upright like the last few. Here, the chair keeps me upright. Alan: Go to ValenciaTheaterSeating.com. We are currently sitting on the Syracuse model. They light up and have individual recliners that are very comfortable. They are all automatic. They have models with headrests inclined forward. Jono: In the last session I thought: Oh, I'm tired. I need to take a nap. Where should I take a nap? And I thought, I'm sitting on it and...

Alan: I'm sitting on it. Jono: The Valencia Home Theater seats come with a USB port right here. Alan: Every seat can charge your phone. Jono: The cup... Alan: I'll wait. Jono: The cup holders are super cute. Alan: Thank you, Valencia Home Theater Seating for sponsoring Movie Cave. Jono: We lost our minds when they said: We want... we want to give you seats in the theater. We were very excited. Honestly, if you're building a home theater, these are the best seats you can get. Alan: Click the link in our description below or visit ValenciaTheaterSeating.com to get your amazing custom home theater or stylish in-room seating.

Jono: Elegant nonsense. It feels revolutionary when you look at it. It seems like you haven't seen things like this. Alan: It is. And not in the way you might expect. Jono: How so? Alan: A lot of the animation, like the first step for a lot of things, was done with a game engine. Jono: Really? Alan: Yes. Alan: And then the animators did a lot of other things. So, like... I don't know if you noticed, but most of the effects, smoke, flames, water splashes, things like that, are all hand-animated. So it's like something cell shaded. The characters are CG with hand drawn textures.

The lighting is painted on rather than being actual interactive lighting, which is what is typically done in a CG environment. A lot of the storytelling is influenced by the art design, and it's just... Kudos to everyone who worked on this. You obviously worked. Jono: There's a surprising amount of emotional variety in animation. The vocal work is fantastic. And then the fights are some of the coolest I've ever seen. Alan: Some of the best animated fights ever filmed. Jono: Yeah, just... Alan: Really good. Jono: Because you talk a lot about weight in animation and if it doesn't have weight, if it doesn't... and you feel every hit in the show.

It's rare that you see something animated where you feel like the characters are in danger and you care about it. Alan: Yes. And in this he is constant. It's just that things feel like they hurt, of all kinds... Alan: These are things that don't come out of animation very often. Jono: Yes. Vi: Dust? Jinx: Did I see...? I saw: Oh, dust! Alan: She looks like a little girl with her expression in those shots. Jono: Yes. Vi: I'm so sorry, dust. I... tried to go back. I promise, I did it, but they arrested me. Jinx: Marcus... Vi: I don't know.

It doesn't matter. I just... never thought I'd see you again. Jinx: are you real? VI: Yes, of course. Jono: Part of the reason you ask that is because you experience psychotic symptoms. Alan: Yes. I really want to talk to you about that. Jinx: Things changed when you left. I changed. Vi: I know, Pow-Pow. I know. You did what you had to do to survive. Me too. Alright. What matters is that we are together. Jono: That's a really beautiful exchange. Alan: Yeah. Then Caitlyn has to come ruin it. Jono: There's definitely PTSD here. Alan: Yes. Jono: And there is...

With... with a touch of

psychosis

. Now, when I say the word psychosis... When you hear the word psychopath... The audience hears the word psychopath and thinks... Alan: Waaah, waaah, waah! Jono: ...dangerous and crazy. Jono: What psychotic really means is that there is a break with reality. They could be delusions where you believe things are happening that aren't actually happening. Jono: Which happens a lot with Jinx. Alan: Sure. Yes. Jinx: Everyone, shut up! I need to think. Do you hear that? Jono: Or where... or where she suspects things about people or that this person is going to betray her, or this is going to happen.

And in her case, she is based on a very real experience. You hear voices that no one else hears. You see things that no one else sees. And she has these interactions with these other beings. Jinx: I'm not in the mood. Caitlyn: We didn't say anything. Jono: And it is not the same as dissociative identity disorder, because in those cases, they are different personalities that live in the same person, and one comes out at a time. With psychosis, you're always... if you're on the outside, you're always dealing with just this one person, Jono, but they're dealing with everyone else on the inside.

Alan: Yes. Jono: So that's... that's the biggest difference. But a lot of this is due to trauma. And in his case, it is very true. I love it. We did what we had to survive. We both did it. It really stands out here. Both have become somewhat violent. Do what you have to do to survive the monsters. And yet, when they see each other and they get emotional, you know, I think it's... shocking. Hit very hard. Alan: It's very, very well done. Jinx: I didn't lose it. They took her. Alan: Going even deeper into her psychosis.

Jinx: She was there for me. Not the executor. Jinx: But why would she remember her name? Jinx: Well, she's just a stupid topsider. Jono: What is she doing? I never understood this. Alan: She's stapling her leg. Jono: Is that it? That's what I thought it was. But I wasn't sure. Jinx: Caitlyn. Jono: Yeah, she's tough. Jinx: Jono: Oh my god... That would be exhausting. Alan: And here are your iconic photos times 1000, Alex. Well, that scene literally had no impact. That's all. They fired the whole gun... Jono: From the movies? Alan: ...possible. Here's how to prove someone is psychotic.

We make scratches on the film and then scratch patterns on the film. Alan: All that white stuff. Jono: Yeah. Alan: They're doing speed ramps, so things are getting slower and slower and faster. There's a surround sound that's like traveling around you, Alan: ...and the little giggles and everything. Jono: Yes. Alan: We're getting it in the sound, we're getting it in the visuals, in many different ways. The mirror is broken and has a hole in it, and his eye always lines up with the hole, except at the end, when it doesn't. And her eye is just off center, and you see nine of her eyes around her in each of the fragments.

She is fracturing and disintegrating more and more and getting worse and worse. And it's... I mean, they gave him both barrels, like, that's it. I saw: she should have been there. For you. For everyone. Ekko: That's a good way to drive yourself crazy. Jono: This was a boy. Ekko: Maybe none of this would have happened. Jono: He's older now. Alan: Yes. Vi: Or... changed. Ekko: The dust is over, Vi. All that's left is Jinx. Ekko: And she belongs to... Vi: You're wrong. Vi: She's still there. I can reach it. Ekko: You can't. Vi: I know my sister.

Ekko: I have one more thing to show you. Alan: So I want to talk to you about what VI is experiencing, because she's not having the obvious psychological breakdown. Jinx is, but obviously he's dealing with some too. Ekko: These are all the ones we've lost. The price of our freedom. Some of them were executors. The majority was Silco. Your sister works for him. Not because she has to, but because she wants to. I'm sorry, but that's how she is now. Jono: The idea of... Jono: The person you knew is gone. Mourn them. Let them go. Alan: Yes.

Jono: Sometimes it's a really healthy idea. You know, your grandfather has Alzheimer's and he is here in the body, but otherwise he is not here. They don't remember anything. Against... You have a person who carries a lot of guilt and a lot of shame. A lot of anger, sadness and

grief

, and they are not making good decisions in life. You know, I'd actually side with Vi here. I always think there is hope for someone like that. Jono: That's why I do what I do. Alan: Yes. Jono: You know, it's true that they're not going to go back to the way they were before.

Our experiences change us. They shape us, they shape us. You can't put the genie back in the bottle. Alan: She won't come back as 9-year-old Powder. Jono: Yes. This is completely unpredictable, at least it is for me. Alan: In a very good way. Jono: Yeah. There's so much going on, that even though I thought it was going in this direction and it turns sharply to the left and... And usually in a way that's exciting or stimulating or shocking or disturbing, but not in a... Alan: But always satisfactory. Jono: But always satisfying. Even the things that annoy us aren't a stupid narrative decision.

Alan: No, it's great. Jono: You were trying to hurt me and make me angry because I'm invested in these characters. Alan: And you did! Jono: And you did. Alan: Thanks, Riot! Silco: Marcus never told me she was in Stillwater. Jinx: But you found out that she came back. You lied. Alan: She loves to lie. Let's talk about. Silco: She and the executioner havereturned by the glass. Not for you. Have you forgotten how she left you? Who found you? Who cared about you? Did she give you a house? I am your family. Everyone else betrays us. I need you.

Now more than ever. Alan: A fascinating character who. Really very good. Jono: But in your case the problem is lying. Jinx: You lied. Alan: What's wrong with her lying? Tell me about this. Why is this a trigger for her? Jono: Yes, I look at her again, because at first Vi was direct with her when they were kids. Vi told him what was happening and so did Vander. So there wasn't a lot... there's not a lot of trauma centralized around the lie. I would say it's secondary, like, it's... it's related to abandonment. That is, if...if I...she felt that her sister betrayed her.

And then... Alan: Her sister promised him he would stay with her and then he didn't. Jono: Yeah. Alan: I guess that's... Alan: Is that the lying trauma we're dealing with? Jono: That's probably ground zero. Jono: Especially because... I need to be able to trust to feel safe. My parents died. I had my sister, I had this group of friends, but the group of friends didn't want me around. And my sister defended me. And then she was gone. Dust: Please, Violet, I need you, please! Jono: Vander died. Jono: I think for her lying is linked to trust.

Alan: Okay. Jono: I don't feel safe without trust. And if there is no honesty, there is no trust. You say you'll always be there for me. Jono: But if you lie about other things, are you lying about that? Alan: Right. Jono: And that's why you need honesty. I mean we all do it. But for her, it's a real... Alan: It's like a necessity, like oxygen. Jono: Yes, yes. Jono: Yes. I want to see season 2. What's going on there? Jinx: Shut up. It's just a goodbye hug. Alan: Yeah. There's not much to do with Caitlyn this season, but there's plenty of material for mixed loyalties.

Jono: Yes, seeds are being planted. There is planting of seeds. Alan: Yes. Jono: Right now we're focused on Vi and Jinx, and that's true for much of the season. I mean, there are subplots, but this is the plot. Jono: Oh, Marcus... Alan: Damn Marcus. Jono: Look, I know you want to take care of your son, but come on... Alan: Yeah. Don't humanize the corrupt cop. Just let it be corrupt. Jinx: Liar. Jono: Liar. Alan: Liar. There it is again. Jono: Well, that's... I don't know if that's a weakness of the series, but it refuses to have one-dimensional characters.

Alan: Yes, I honestly think it's a weakness because there are some secondary characters that may just be secondary. Just let them support you. We don't need a five-minute explanation. No, but they are actually three-dimensional. It's great. I'm sure the guy in the background is too. Come on... Oh, there's an episode about him. Excellent. Jono: That's right. That is too much. But, but I... but I appreciate if they're wrong... if they're wrong about making everyone three-dimensional. Alan: Oh, definitely lean more toward that side than the other. Jono: It's a refreshing change. Alan: Everyone is a stock character.

Jono: Yes. Caitlyn: What happened to her, it's not your fault. Vi: When my parents were still alive... Powder and I used to share a bed like this. Except maybe half the size. We played a game in which we pretended to be bigger and bigger monsters. Then she said: I am a slimy monster with poison instead of exudate. And I would say I'm a slug-eating crab with sharp quills. Sometimes I... got carried away and she got scared. She didn't want me to start crying and wake up my parents, so... I pretended to scare away my own monsters.

I would say... No monster will catch you when I'm here. Then a real monster appeared. And I just ran away. I left her. Jono: I mean, I would say that what Vi needs here is the recognition of: You were a girl. Your friends literally died in front of you. Your surrogate father died to protect you. And your sister... ...didn't cause it intentionally. Alan: She was to blame. You weren't wrong. Jono: It wasn't murder, but it's definitely manslaughter of all these people you cared about. And when she was a child, you attacked her and ran away. And the fact that you were so quick to turn around, it was in a couple of minutes.

Alan: Within a couple of minutes, you changed your mind about it. She is a remarkably good person. Vi: I tried to come back, I promise, I did. Jono: And say: It was an accident and she is little and she needs me. And then they took you and put you in jail. I mean... I come back to this a lot. The concept of guilt, what is it for? Her guilt is of no use here. Her guilt doesn't help her reconcile. Her guilt doesn't help her change behavior that hasn't changed yet. She literally she's just consuming her. And so, of course, her mission to redeem her sister, save her and help her.

She should get on with it. Jono: But she can let go of the baggage she carries. Alan: Right. Jono: And I think we all can. Does your guilt have... some purpose? Alan: Initially, yeah, sure. Jono: If it's a behavior you chose and can change, it has a purpose. Use it and then release it. And if it's neither of those things, Jono: ...she shouldn't even be there in the first place. Alan: Yes. Jono: You just have to leave it aside because it's of no use here. Jinx: I really thought she buried this place. But... I should have known better.

Jono: Yellow eyes like a predator at night. Alan: Those cat eyes. Jinx: Nothing stays dead. Jono: Now he's on the hunt. Vi: Are we alone? Alan: Well, she's been repaired with the juice. Jinx: Maybe forever. Jono: With... Alan: What is this called? Jinx: Do you want to know a secret? Silco believes that he created Jinx. With all his rants and hard-earned lessons "Eliminate your doubts, Jinx" "I know what they fear, Jinx" As if everything was the same as when Vander left him. But he didn't create Jinx. You did it. Vi: Sorry, dust. I never wanted to leave you.

Jinx: You never left. I always listened to you. Shadows in the streets. Tingling in the back of the neck. Your voice. Pushing me. Picking me up when all the colors were black. You are the reason I am still alive. Vi: I spent so many nights in that prison on that cold floor. Hungry. Jono: What Jinx needs to do is acknowledge: Yes, I feel very guilty about this, but my sister had a very human moment and she lashed out at me. And when she tells me that she came back for me, I can choose to believe it.

Even if that scares me. Jinx: Are we still sisters? Vi: Nothing is going to change that. Jinx: I always knew you'd come back. VI: What is happening? Jono: What do you think of the phrase: Are we still sisters? Alan: I mean, it's really good writing. It's evocative. Strong line, having it on black. And then she turns the thing on. Jono: Yes. What's up with that? Alan: It's... The thing is, they have some talented writers and directors working on this. Jono: Because you really get into Vi's head: What is my sister capable of and why am I here?

And when you're black and suddenly there's light. And then she says, you know? What's going on? There is real fear there. VI: What did you do? Alan: Yes. Jono: And Vi isn't a character who gets scared? Alan: Not much. Jono: But Jinx is scaring the hell out of her. Alan: Yeah, well, that's understandable. It's... And that's one of the things I love about Jinx here, especially the further we get into the series, where she's really losing control. But characters like that remind me a lot of Heath Ledger's Joker. Jono: Mmmm. How is that? Alan: There's a kind of animal... like she doesn't have a fundamental reason behind a lot of her actions.

It's just...chaos is fun. Jono: Yes, I'm like a dog chasing cars. Alan: She cares so much that now she just has impulses. Jono: Yeah. Alan: And anything right now that says, This seems crazy and weird and fun, it's like, I'm going to do that. Jono: Yeah. Well, and I think when you say she doesn't care that much, I think she doesn't care about what's right and what's wrong, what's acceptable or not. She obviously still cares about her sister. Alan: Yes, obviously. Jono: There is... the pain that is born from affection. Alan: Right. Jono: He tries to hide it by getting into this chaotic apathy.

Alan: Yeah, that's... that's interesting. She hadn't actually read it that way, but it could be that... It's an act. Jono: Yeah, well... Alan: And it's hard to know. And that's really a really good performance by the animators and the voice actress for you to like it, I don't know. Jono: Well, you know how you can convince yourself of something. Oh, I think I can. I think I can. I think I can. You can also... my opinion, my main canon is that it started as an act and became something she believed in. Alan: Okay. Jono: But the real transport is buried there and surfaces whenever she's near her sister.

Vi: Oh, no, no. Alan: Caitlyn tries to make things better...she doesn't, as always. VI: Be careful! Jono: Ugh! Alan: Man, the glow when people move is super fun. Silco: Now finish it. Vi: Damn, dust. Wake up! Remember who you are! I know you remember! Image Mylo! Claggor! Dust: Stop... Vi: Vander! Silco: Shut up! Do not listen to her! Vi: Dad! Vi: Mom! Jono: These are not happy memories for her. These are demons right now. Damn people who died. Vi: Dust... Alan: Vi was good enough to get into her head and make her choose to save Vi from Silco.

Vi: I'll be fine. Alan: At the expense of... Jono: Yes, because she was going to sit in the chair that said powder or in the chair that said Jinx. What do you want it to be? Alan: And she saved Vi but she chose Jinx. That's very good filmmaking. What's wrong...ekhm...I don't know what she was going to say. Jinx: Maybe you can love me like you used to. Although I am... different. But you change too. So... Here's to the new United States. Jono: And that's true in the case of relationships. People change and evolve over time.

I know my brothers do. I know my spouse has done it. I know my children do. I know. Most of. All. And when you choose to love someone, you are choosing to love a different version every day, every month, every year. Because if you just love the original, like the one you first met or the one you met for the first time... Alan: You're in love with someone who no longer exists. Jono: Yeah, and that's... and that's very true. As we grow and evolve, and especially as traumatic experiences occur, hardships and losses can shape us in positive ways.

We can become more compassionate, we can become stronger, more resilient, or we can become jaded, cynical, violent and pessimistic. But we all still need love. ♬♬ All you need is love ♬♬ Jono: That's a good recommendation. Good call. Alan: It was. Alan: Thank you to everyone who bothered us for months and months and months to watch Arcane here on CINEMA Therapy, not on television or streaming animated series therapy. This... Jono: Animated streaming service therapy. O - ASST. Alan: HELP for that. You're done. You're done. Alan: I probably honestly wouldn't have seen it without that. And it's great. It is super cool.

Jono: Keep telling us what young people see. Alan: Stay tuned. There will be a Villain Therapy in Silco sometime in the next few months. And let us know if there are any other very limited series. Occasionally we can do it. Jono: Yes. Series that have like 100 episodes... Alan: We won't. Jono: Yeah, that's not going to happen. But this kind of thing... We'll start making room if enough of you raise your voice and say: This is worth it. Alan: So, you know, upvote Reddit or whatever. Jono: No, that will never reach us. Leave a comment below. Jono: Let me explain how the Internet works.

Alan: Huh? Jono: Comment on our YouTube video and we'll see. Alan: Are we on YouTube? Jono: Oh man... Alan: I'm a filmmaker. If it's not in a movie theater, I don't know what the hell it is. So until next time... Jono: There's a monster inside all of us. Alan: A little advice, don't threaten the guy serving the drinks. Internet Dads: And...he watches movies! Alan: Streaming series. Let them be encouraged. ♬♬ You should go and save yourself ♬♬ ♬♬ I thought you had my number, huh? ♬♬ ♬♬ Congratulations, you played yourself ♬♬ ♬♬ Underground utopian dynasties and dystopia ♬♬ ♬♬ Fear is never an option, so dying is not a real phobia ♬♬ ♬♬ I'm beating the odds ♬♬ ♬♬ Coming up every time as if he had defeated the gods ♬♬ ♬♬ Change the mod ♬♬ ♬♬ Nothing but champions that appear in a small squad ♬♬