With Arcane Season 2 Act III fast approaching this weekend, Netflix and Riot Games have wasted no time dropping the second episode of AFTERGLOW, the official Arcane after-show featuring exclusive sit-downs with Ella Purnell (Jinx), Hailee Steinfeld (Vi) and co-creator & showrunner Christian Linke as they dive into the show’s most burning questions.
AFTERGLOW, the multi-part series, is released every Tuesday after each new act has dropped, giving fans plenty of time to watch, digest, and consider any major questions that remain unanswered. With the finale on the horizon, questions abound.
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In this week’s AFTERGLOW, Ella, Hailee, Christian, and special guest Reed Shannon (Ekko) are back in a Q&A with the creatives behind season two. Listen in as they discuss their character arcs, the animation process, and the deeper meanings in the newest chapter of Jinx and Vi’s story in the League of Legends universe.
Acts I & II are streaming now along with AFTERGLOW Episodes 1 and 2.
Arcane Season 2 Act III will be available on Netflix on November 23, 2024, and Episode 3 of AFTERGLOW will be released on November 26.
What is Arcane About?
Amidst the escalating unrest between the rich, utopian city of Piltover and its seedy, oppressed underbelly of Zaun, sisters Vi and Jinx find themselves on opposing sides of a brewing conflict over clashing convictions and arcane technologies.
In Act I, the aftermath of Jinx’s attack on the Council sets the stage for new leaders to emerge, new alliances to form, and a dire escalation of the conflict between Piltover and Zaun. Our critic praised Arcane Season 2 Act I, stating that it set the stage right for the series after such a long wait:
“From beginning to end, Season 2 Act 1 delivers more of everything fans of the series have been waiting for… [T]his opening act does all it can to reward fans for enduring the long three-year wait between seasons.”
Act II covers what happens once Singed’s experiment comes to life. Our critic states that “it delivers on the expected dark tones of the middle chapter of a trilogy, [but] also manages to create a fair amount of warmth while not undercutting the dire straights the characters face.”
Cast and Crew
- Hailee Steinfeld (Vi)
- Ella Purnell (Jinx)
- Katie Leung (Caitlyn)
- Kevin Alejandro (Jayce)
- Harry Lloyd (Viktor)
- Toks Olagundoye (Mel)
- Reed Shannon (Ekko)
- Amirah Vann (Sevika)
- Mick Wingert (Heimerdinger)
- Ellen Thomas (Ambessa)
- Brett Tucker (Singed)
Christian Linke and Alex Yee created the animated series, based on the League of Legends game and one of Netflix’s most successful animated series ever. Linke, Marc Merrill, and Brandon Beck are executive producers.
Fortiche Production directed and produced the animation under the direction of the founders Pascal Charrue and Arnaud Delord.
Arcane’s Success Keeps Growing
No one can deny that season one of Arcane did major business during awards season. Globally praised as one of the Best TV Shows of 2021, the adult animated series earned four Emmies, won in nine categories of the 2022 Annie Awards, and won Best Adaptation at the 2022 Game Awards. The show’s album was nominated, though it did not win Top Soundtrack at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards. With such a long wait between season one and season two, award talk is already buzzing.
One nomination committee has already beaten everyone to the punch. The Game Awards 2024 nominations have been released, and the series has once again been nominated for Best Adaptation. There are several strong contenders in this category, so we’ll see whether or not it comes out on top this year.
It’s too soon to know where else the series will be nominated. However, as we get closer to the end of the year when award season conversations kick into high gear, this beloved adaptation may quickly rise to the top of many award bodies’ lists.
