Arcane: The Problem With Caitlyn And Vi's Romance Happening In ...

Summary

• Season 1 of Arcane set the stage for a potential romance between Caitlyn and Vi, but Season 2 may not fully commit to it.
• The show's hesitancy to confirm LGBTQ+ relationships may hold Caitlyn and Vi back from the relationship fans want to see.
• Despite intimate moments, the possibility of a romantic relationship between Caitlyn and Vi in Arcane remains only implied.

Arcane season 1 laid the foundation for a romance between Caitlyn and Vi, but there's one potential problem with it actually happening in season 2. Ever since Caitlyn (Katie Leung) was introduced in Arcane, the debate about whether the show would commit to a romance between her and Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) has been raging. Despite the occasional odd pacing, Arcane's season 1 included many intimate moments between Caitlyn and Vi that appeared to be leading to a romantic relationship, but so far this remains only implied. Season 2 is due in late 2024, and with it the chance for Arcane to do something constructive with Caitlyn and Vi's relationship.

Based on the League of Legends video game, Netflix's Arcane show follows sisters Vi and Jinx (Ella Purnell) as they find themselves on opposite sides of a conflict between the wealthy city of Piltover and its poor undercity. When enforcer Caitlyn frees Vi from prison in exchange for her help, the two quickly develop a deep bond that ignites Jinx's jealousy. Season 1's cliffhanger ending provides numerous different directions in which Arcane season 2 can go, one of which involves confirming a relationship between Caitlyn and Vi.

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Arcane Season 2 Needs To Commit To Caitlyn And Vi’s Relationship

The Second Season Will Miss An Opportunity If It Glosses Over Their Romance

A romance between Caitlyn and Vi in Arcane season 2 would likely suffer from a common problem with fictional queer relationships. Like Arcane's source material, popular media has a tendency to only imply LGBTQ+ romances without ever committing to them in order to give a franchise enough plausible deniability that it can cater to as large an audience as possible.

With much less build-up, Netflix's animated Arcane show had no problem showing a sex scene between Mel (Toks Olagundoye) and Jayce (Kevin Alejandro), but Caitlyn and Vi's relationship was handled much more delicately — to the point that it might never be explicitly confirmed at all. While a clear romantic gesture like a kiss should not be necessary for a relationship to be considered canon, LGBTQ+ romances unfortunately often need much more obvious details to confirm them as such.

Of course, there's always a chance Arcane will take risks that the League of Legends game and many other franchises did not and let Caitlyn and Vi officially progress from friends to something more. In addition to the win that would provide for LGBTQ+ representation, it could also contrast Vi's missteps with her sister and provide a balance for the show's darker beats.

As Vi's relationship with Jinx likely continues to deteriorate in Arcane season 2's story, her relationship with another person important to her could continue developing in a more positive light. Following the show's solid success with season 1, Arcane's creators might be more willing to take these risks in the future and confirm what Jinx has already accused Caitlyn and Vi of being.

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Arcane Season 2 Survived The Netflix Animation Cuts

Animation Isn't The Netflix Staple It Was When Arcane Season 1 Arrived

With Netflix's subscriber numbers way down in the first half of 2022, a slew of animated projects in production were cut, but fortunately, Arcane has been spared. This means that Arcane season 2 should still be happening, which is hopeful news for Caitlyn and Vi. At the same time, however, now that Netflix is in a more precarious position trying to hold onto subscribers, the streamer may be less willing to take a "creative risk" with an LGBTQ+ romance for fear of alienating viewers.

The biggest potential problem with a Caitlyn and Vi romance in Arcane season 2 is the show's hesitancy to commit to it.

The biggest potential problem with a Caitlyn and Vi romance in Arcane season 2 is the show's hesitancy to commit to it. Sadly, ambiguous moments between the women might be all Arcaneis willing to do. Despite the evidence of a romance, or at least the foundation for one, Caitlyn and Vi will likely not get the kind of relationship they deserve.

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The Arcane Fandom Really Wants The Caitlyn & Vi Romance

Seeing The Couple Become Official Is Near The Top Of The Arcane Fandom's Wishlist

While there's worry and risk that Arcane season 2 will gloss over the relationship between Caitlyn and Vi, there is a key incentive for Netflix to give the LGBTQ+ love story the full attention it deserves — the Arcane fanbase has been incredibly vocal about wanting to see the romance unfold. The wishlist for Arcane season 2 is by no means small. Fans online have discussed the upcoming second installment of the show relentlessly, and there have been many things from League of Legends that they've expressed wanting to see in Arcane.

Among the fan wishes is a steady and consistent demand for the Caitlyn and Vi relationship to be fully explored in Arcane season 2.

For example, there's a strong contingent that want to see Vander become Warwick, something League of Legends has always implied, but Arcane has a chance to make canon. There's also the younger version of Viktor in Arcane, and there's a strong argument that seeing how he becomes the mostly-cybernetic Machine Herald would be a great direction for season 2 to take. Not all of these fan desires are massive story points, either. There's an incredibly vocal demand from many to — as trivial as it seems — see Caitlyn don her iconic top hat.

Among the fan wishes is a steady and consistent demand for the Caitlyn and Vi relationship to be fully explored in Arcane season 2. Whether or not the show actually will remains to be seen, as story details for the second season beyond what's been revealed in the teasers are still being kept a closely-guarded secret. However, if Caitlyn and Vi do become a fully fledged couple in Arcane season 2, it's safe to say a significant portion of the fanbase would be incredibly happy about the development.

240 9.3/10 9/10

Arcane

10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-14 Animation Drama Action Fantasy Release Date 2021 - 2024 Network Netflix Showrunner Christian Linke Directors Barth Maunoury, Marietta Ren, Christelle Abgrall Writers Amanda Overton, Nick Luddington, Mollie Bickley St. John, Ben St. John, Giovanna Sarquis, Henry G.M. Jones Franchise(s) League of Legends

Cast

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• Hailee Steinfeld Vi
• Ella Purnell Jinx

Seasons 2 Genres Animation, Drama, Action, Fantasy Streaming Service(s) Netflix Powered by

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