Subscribe
Arcane Season 1 Episode 1 Recap – Welcome to the Playground
BY Harris
Published 3 years ago
Years ago, there was a battle in the bridge bordering Piltover and Zaun. The air is thick with smoke; debris and dead bodies are all over. Vi and Powder meet Vander, the sole survivor of the rebels. The siblings see their parents among the dead; they break down. Vander takes them back to safety as Vi looks at the jutting buildings.
A Real Job
In the present day, we see Vi leading a heist on the rooftops of Piltover along with Powder, Mylo, and Claggor. Vi is brave and headstrong, while little Powder is slow and reluctant. She drags the group down, but her sister encourages her.
They move through the rooftops to find the penthouse balcony Little Man told them. Vi kicks the door open; they are greeted by a room full of gadgets and trinkets: an inventor’s lab. They scour the place for valuable loot. In another room, Powder finds a suitcase filled with glowing magical orbs.
The gang hears footsteps approaching, so they hurriedly bar the door. Rushing, Powder drops one of the orbs. It hums with energy as it bounces around the floor then creates a massive explosion of blue light — a huge part of the building shatters. Tons of debris fall to the street, where enforces are patrolling.
The enforcers discover Vi’s gang and sound the alarm. A chase ensues around the streets of Piltover. They head towards the bridge as it is being raised, leaping through in the nick of time. Vi leads them to a set of narrow alleyways while distracting the pursuing enforcers. She opens up a sewer tunnel where they all slip through, falling into a pile of garbage and gunk.
Mylo and Claggor are upset about their botched job, eager to know what made it all go wrong. They look at Powder, who denies any fault. Vi tells them to relax and be thankful they made it out alive.
Rats
While approaching Zaun with their haul, they are greeted by a group of street rats where their leader Deckard complains they are making so much noise and hauling stolen goods in their territory. He asks for a share of the loot. Vi smacks him in the head with her backpack, and a fistfight ensues except for Powder, who was handed the pack of their loot.
One of the street rats notices Powder. She runs away as her friends are busy fighting. Vi gets the upper hand against Deckard and defeats the others to submission. Deckard pulls a knife. Vi looks him in the eye and dares him to do something, but he hesitates and cowers away. They notice Powder missing and rushes in to find her.
Powder runs through the docks, clutching the pack for dear life. Caught in a pinch, she pulls out one of her explosive inventions: Mouser, then throws it to her enemy. The canister opens with a puff of pink smoke. The street rat laughs at the failed device and approaches Powder. In her panic, she throws away the loot bag to the river. The enemy is distracted, and she flees.
Mylo is upset by what she’s done. Claggor regrets the whole heist, but Vi comforts her sister. At least they’re all okay. They head back into the undercity of Zaun. Mylo keeps complaining about Powder, saying that she jinxes every job they’re in.
Undercity
Piltover is the complete opposite of Zaun, a crowded underworld slum where the poor and undesirable make their living.
In Vander’s bar, shady businesses are conducted while patrons drink their fill. Vander is the barman and de-facto leader of the city known as the Hound of the Underground. He helps keep things in order, and the people trust him.
Vander spots Vi and the gang as they make their way back to their room. He enters while they’re in the middle of an argument and asks them about their involvement in the explosion and foot chase on the topside — nothing escapes him. Vi insists they only wanted to do a real job. She gets the brunt of the lecture, but she accepts responsibility.
Vander reminds them Piltover is off-limits. Vi argues the topside folks have so many while they’re all down there grasping for coins. She challenges Vander’s adherence to them. Vander lets everyone out for a one-on-one talk with Vi.
Tough Lessons
He tells her the kids look up to her, and if something goes wrong, she should take responsibility. The same is true for him and the citizens of Zaun. They can’t risk being seen as a problem for Piltover, as their enforcers will not hesitate to come down and fight them.
Vi questions Piltover’s authority over their streets, but Vander tells her what she’s done is not the answer to their problems; it just makes more of them. Vander is relieved the stolen loot is gone and asks Vi to lay low for a bit. Vi asks him if they’re going to be fine; Vander assures her he’ll take care of it.
Outside, Vander takes Claggor as they head to their informant. Powder realizes she still has some of the glowing gems from earlier. She came down to show it to them but overhears Mylo complaining about her incompetence to Vi instead. Vi tells Mylo to shut up, but Powder has already left.
Vander arrives at the craftsman Benzo’s shop, concerned that someone else besides the enforcers is following the kids. Outside the shop, Claggor asks Ekko the Little Man about the tip. It turns out Ekko followed a customer who bought some of Benzo’s wares for double the price. Two enforcers approach from afar. Claggor runs away while Ekko acts casual as the enforcers come inside the shop.
Complications
The enforcers ask Vander and Benzo about what transpired earlier. Marcus, the younger enforcer, presses them for information, but he is sent outside by his superior, Grayson. Grayson is Vander’s contact from the topside. She tells Vander about the gravity of the incident — the Council needs to find someone to point a finger to. They had a deal: Vander keeps his people off Piltover’s streets, and Grayson is hands-off from his business, but now she is forced to ask Vander for a suspect.
Vander refuses. Grayson explains the situation is dire, and they need to have someone behind bars, or the enforcers will come in full force. Vander stands his ground. Grayson gives him a device to contact him if he changes his mind.
Outside, Ekko eavesdrops on the whole conversation.
New Strength
Back in their room, Powder is making a new contraption: Whisker. Powder opens up to her insecurities with Vi. Vi tells her that her strength lies with her creations — even though they don’t work yet, they will someday.
They head to the rooftop, where Vi tells Powder of the times she and their friends had experienced bad days — saying how they can make up for it if they stick together. Powder shows her the glowing orbs from her pockets. Vi tells her to keep it secret. She tells Powder she’s stronger than Mylo thinks, and one day the city will respect them.
In another part of the undercity, crime lord Silco punishes Deckard and presses him for information. His team tests a new mutagen known as Shimmer on a rat.
Our Thoughts
This pilot episode has everything: a large cast of remarkable characters with great designs and motivations, fantastic worldbuilding, and an excellent steampunk location in Piltover and Zaun with so many different factions at play. Even non-League of Legends fans will find this show enjoyable. I rate this episode a 4.5 out of 5.
Record of Ragnarok Season 1 Episode 11 Recap - The Swallow Gazes into the Abyss
READ NEXT 
