Arcane has ended, and with that cemented itself in the history of television. It was no secret that this show was something special in the making after its 1st season, but after hearing it would conclude with season 2 I was sad yet exhilarated. The creators could've easily dragged this series on to make more money but decided to stick with their guns and end it on the terms they set.
I wanted Arcane to be around 3-4 seasons long so the announcement of 2 was shocking to me given how much it took the world by storm in 2021. But it gave the creators the freedom to go all out with its final season and hold no punches, and I'm so glad to say it lived up to the hype.
Season 1 of Arcane shattered boundaries by setting the stage perfectly with only 3 episodes, then proceeding to commit and deliver one of the best 1st seasons in TV history along with the likes of GOT, AOT and True Detective. The final season kept up the consistency, but did have more bumps than season 1. Despite that I still think it was a great experience that left me satisfied and happy once the story concluded.
One of the best aspects of arcane is its animation. Studio Fortiche brought a whole new level of animation that can't be boxed into any category. It's a breath of fresh air and adds a unique look into this story. But I'd argue the the writing is what makes this show what it is. The writers can intertwine all of these different characters into the grand scheme of the story effortlessly, and despite it being the lesser of the 2 seasons I think the final season knocks down certain dominoes perfectly and adds genius parallels that I never expected. Alex Yee and Christian Linke deserve massive credit for being able to write these strong motivations and flesh them out for each character.
While there are some all time great female characters in TV like Kim Wexler & Annalise Keating to name my favorites, it's not often when both leads of a show are female characters and are also written to near perfection. The dynamic of Violet & Powder is one of the best I've seen in television, and the performances of Hailee Steinfeld & Ella Purnell / Mia Sinclair Jenness only further invoke the emotional appeal of these characters that have so much depth in that regard. The execution from beginning to end with these two is great and is one of the many highlights of this series.
If you're recommending a show to anyone, this has to be near the top of the list. Not because it's the best ever (even though the argument could be entertained) but due to the fact that it hooks you with an all time great TV episode just a couple of episodes in, and only has 2 seasons that give you little to no room to breathe. That along with the obvious facts of how well executed, acted and animated this show is. As much as I love Dark and BoJack Horseman, Arcane reigns supreme as Netflix's best show in my eyes and deserves to be talked about amongst the best tv series ever.
