Arcane: The Problem With Caitlyn And Vi's Romance Happening In Season 2
Arcane season 1 has 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 the show, many fans have debated whether it would commit to a romance between her and Vi (Hailee Steinfeld). Despite the occasional odd pacing, Arcane's first season included many intimate moments between the two that appeared to be leading to a romantic relationship, but so far this remains only implied.
Based on the League of Legends video game, Netflix's Arcane show followed sisters Vi and Jinx (Ella Purnell) as they found themselves on opposite sides of a conflict between the wealthy city of Piltover and its poor undercity. When enforcer Caitlyn freed Vi from prison in exchange for her help, the two quickly developed a deep bond that ignited Jinx's jealousy. Arcane's cliffhanger ending provides numerous different directions in which season 2 can go, one of which involves confirming a relationship between 2 of its leads.
Yet, 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 of an audience as possible. With much less build-up, Netflix's 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, 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, the creators might be more willing to take these risks in the future and confirm what Jinx has already accused Caitlyn and Vi of being.
One 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 Arcane is 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. Yet, no one can know for certain until season 2 comes out and reveals what direction the story ends up taking them and other beloved characters for the upcoming season of Netflix's Arcane.
Source: Screenrant
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