Arcane (2021) s01e08 Episode Script
Oil and Water
When I was ten,
your grandfather brought me
to the aftermath
of the Battle of Hildenard.
He offered me a gold coin for every blade I retrieved from the fallen.
Said we needed the steel.
But I knew it was a lie.
He wanted me to know death.
Kino says war is a failure of statecraft.
Your brother thinks he can talk his way out of anything.
He fancies himself a fox among the wolves.
But mark me, child, if you want to last in this world, you must learn to be both the fox and the wolf.
We'll paint the walls in gold.
Import crystal chandeliers.
Advisors will enter here, but the regent will have her own, secret entrance.
She should have a kind, fat face.
Clever, to charm her subjects, but pliable so we can mold her.
Perhaps, she could be my daughter.
You'd give me a throne? I will give you the world, child, if you prove you can take it.
What should we do with her? She won't make trouble for us.
Strip her of her possessions and send her to the far colonies.
-She's a symbol of the old regime.
Kill her now, and only one must die.
Let her live and you may need to kill thousands.
We can show the people we are merciful.
A wolf has no mercy.
-Will you be okay? -I'll be right back.
-Okay.
Jinx! It's gone.
What? It was all for nothing.
Sir, we've secured the area.
I've got orders to escort you back into the city.
Sir? Are you all right? Who lives here? Another Councilor friend of yours? Caitlyn! Oh.
We were so worried.
Thank goodness you're safe! And you found a stray.
This is Vi.
She's from the undercity.
So I see.
Could we have a word, Caitlyn? In private.
You have to speak to the Council.
Speak to the Council? You understand you've broken several laws? She was doing what she thought was right.
I'll take responsibility.
You're a Councilor's daughter.
Your actions reflect on the entire body.
My actions? You know what else reflects on the Council? Its citizens living on the streets.
Being poisoned.
Having to choose between a kingpin who wants to exploit them and a government that doesn't give a shit.
-Caitlyn! I'm sure our daughter could use some rest after her adventures.
-I'll schedule an audience.
Thank you.
You and your friend can address the Council yourselves.
I'd suggest you prepare accordingly.
-Her injuries are severe.
-You think I can't see that? Huh.
I believe I can save her, but the process will be demanding.
-Sometimes death is a mercy.
She can take it.
And before I begin, I must know⦠Are you prepared to lose her? -Jinx? -Jinx! She won't die, Doctor.
She can't.
I understand.
Please understand, this is for your own sanity.
I, too, once had a daughter.
Silco isn't taking guests.
Not a problem.
Wasn't here for him.
Thought I might bend your ear.
You know when I ask my mates what Silco's up to, your name's first out of their mouths.
"Sevika's out in the harbor," or "Sevika paid the knuckleheads a visit.
" You're a scary lady.
Get to your point.
Run a tight ship, don't you? Except it's not your ship.
It's his and Jinx's.
This is your plan? Undermine Silco by making a half-assed play at my ego? Gotta hand it to you, Finn.
Every time I think you can't get dumber, you dig a new low.
Let's be plain, then.
He's slipping.
The undercity's devolving to chaos.
And somehow, I get the feeling he isn't up there balancing booksheets.
Jinx gets a whim, suddenly his spine's made of jelly.
And here you are, shoveling his shit.
Ego is one thing, brain's another.
You aren't the only one dissatisfied with his performance.
There's bigger fish than Silco.
Mel.
Elora.
You didn't have to come out to meet me.
-What are you doing here, Mother? -Can I not visit? I've heard stories of Piltover's hospitality.
You didn't sail halfway across the continent to sample the local cuisine.
-It's been over a decade, Mel.
-Since you banished me? Such drama.
I sent you here to oversee our family's interests and grow yourself.
Which you have.
You said, "Perhaps, your sentimentality will be more at home with those soft-spined idealists overseas.
" You have your father's memory.
Don't try to ingratiate yourself with me.
-Mel.
-Or that.
Your brother's gone.
What happened? He crossed the wrong man.
I was distracted.
That's a mistake I can't take back.
Your Jayce Talis has turned his eye to Hextech weaponry.
I knew it.
War is coming.
You've let the problems of your undercity fester too long.
Piltover isn't like Noxus.
War isn't our first and every recourse.
I sponsored Hextech to protect the city, not burn it to the ground.
It's not conjecture, it's a fact.
Weapons can't be unmade and they are always used.
I'm here to help guide you to the right decisions.
-I don't need your guidance.
-We'll see.
Miss Medarda? -Yes? -Yes? He's for me, dear.
I'm off to sample the local cuisine.
We'll present our case to the Council tonight.
You did all this yourself? Without even going down there? And I thought Powder could get obsessed.
What happened to her, it's not your fault.
When my parents were still alive⦠me and Powder used to share a bed like this.
Except, maybe, half the size.
We played a game where we pretended to be bigger and bigger monsters.
So she would say, "I'm a slug monster with venom for ooze.
" And I'd say, "Well, I'm a slug-eating crab with razor spikes.
" Sometimes, I⦠I'd get carried away and she'd get scared.
I didn't want her to start crying and wake my parents up, so⦠I pretended to chase my own monsters away.
I'd say⦠"No monster's gonna get you when I'm here.
" Then a real monster showed up.
And I just ran away.
I left her.
You know, Powder, you're stronger than you think.
Vi? I'm so sorry, Powder.
-Your sister is jinx.
-No! Jinx.
No, no.
No! I understand this must be painful.
No! -I'm afraid it will only get worse.
-Wait! No! What have you done? I saved her life.
Hey, watch it, furball.
Move.
Oh.
Hmm.
-Hmm.
Huh? Hmm⦠Like this.
Get away from her.
Bye⦠Oh, ingenious.
Though these blades seem improperly pitched.
You're wrong.
It's designed for the fissures.
The air is denser.
Oh.
-Are you all right, lad? Yeah, I'm fine, I just sprained my ankle.
Are you Councilor Heimerdinger? It's just Heimerdinger now.
What are you doing on this side of the river? I wanted to offer my assistance to the citizens of the undercity, but⦠it seems I'm unwelcome.
-What is it? -We're having the exact same day.
That looks like more than a sprain.
You need medical attention.
I have to get home.
It isn't safe for me here.
I don't know how I'm gonna get there with my leg busted, and, well⦠you're holding my ride.
Do they teach military history at your Academy, Mr.
Talis? It's, um, Councilor Talis.
And I'm not sure.
The Alornian General Sonnem Parlec used to find ways to meet his enemies blindfolded.
He said a man's mind hides behind his body.
Somehow, I doubt he ever tried this.
You're Mel's mom.
Among other things.
Squeeze, child.
You won't break it.
I do have other matters, so if you'll excuse me⦠The threat of the undercity is real.
-Your leadership is impotent.
We may not be Noxus, but Piltover isn't as helpless as you think.
Who said anything about Piltover? The Council is the problem.
The mind hiding behind the body.
Navigating your current crisis requires expertise you lack.
Do you know what the success rate for senior Academy inventors is? Three percent.
We're no strangers to failure.
What makes this the City of Progress is that we keep trying until we get it right.
So thank you for your advice, Mrs.
Medarda, but I have a city to run.
Wait.
I see why this province and my daughter have fallen for you.
You have the passion of youth.
I have experience.
I want you to succeed here, Jayce, to grace the world with Hextech.
But if you don't accept certain realities, I fear you'll end up like General Parlec.
Slaughtered with your eyes closed.
Three of my suppliers have said they intend to delay shipments until fall to give things "time to cool off.
" We have greater concerns than a dip in profits.
The Sheriff betrayed us.
We need better information.
We need to act.
Before anyone else gets killed.
Perhaps Marcus was operating independently.
What could anyone in the undercity offer him that he didn't have up here? It's not what they offered him, it's what he had to lose.
Councilors, my daughter has a unique insight into our situation.
Thank you.
Councilors, this is Vi.
She was born in the undercity.
Even though we failed her in countless ways, she risked everything to show me what life is really like down there.
People are starving, sick, ravaged by Shimmer.
They live in constant fear of the coordinated efforts of violent crime lords.
One man leads these efforts.
Silco.
We've done investigations of Silco.
They yielded no such level of organization.
And who led these investigations? What does this Silco even want from us? He believes the undercity should be independent.
He calls it the Nation of Zaun.
What about these? Do you know who made them? No, well⦠-Uh⦠-Her name is Jinx.
This Jinx has the Gemstone? -Then we have to go in by force.
-That could trigger war.
-There are good people down there.
-Hmph.
Bad ones too.
Even if we wanted to invade, they have Shimmer.
We have Hextech.
What happened to you? We've been talking about talking for weeks now.
They're still cleaning the blood off the bridge.
-When do we say enough is enough? -Jayce, you don't know war.
I do.
It must be our last resort.
There may be a diplomatic solution.
She's right.
What? You want to negotiate with him? It may be the only way to avoid further bloodshed.
This is insane.
Did you learn nothing? You can't talk to him! He hates you.
Everything you stand for.
He will never back down.
-Enforcers, please escort them out.
-Forget it.
I remember where your fancy damn door is.
Vi! Wait! Wait! Where are you going? I don't know.
Back where I came from? Seems like that's what everyone up here wants.
-I can fix this.
-You can't! This is how things are.
How they've always been.
I was so stupid to think it could change.
There must be something else we can do.
Some other way.
We'll make a new plan.
We have to try.
We tried.
Okay? It wasn't enough.
Topside and bottom.
Oil and water.
That's all there is.
What about us? Oil and water.
Wasn't meant to be.
-You're just saying that.
-Do yourself a favor, Cupcake.
Go back to that big, shiny house of yours and just⦠forget me, okay? Viktor, I've been working on a private project for a couple weeks now.
No.
Viktor, I've been working on this for a year now and⦠Viktor.
Viktor, I was hoping you might take a look at something I've been working on.
Viktor⦠I was inspired by your⦠Everything you do inspires me.
Viktor! Viktor! Sky? Sky? No.
No! That⦠that can't⦠that can't⦠You want to make Silco pay for what he's done? I could have you arrested.
You guys really like to bandy that threat around.
You ever been to Stillwater? -No.
So you just wave an arm, have someone dragged off, don't bother to find out what it does to someone being stuffed in a stone box for weeks, or months, or even years? -Yeah.
I want to make Silco pay.
-I want in.
There is no in.
-You heard the Council.
-Fuck the Council.
You said you were tired of doing nothing.
That's the only sensible thing that came out of anyone's mouth tonight.
I'm not a vigilante.
No, you're a victim.
-Huh⦠This so people notice you when you raise your hand in the boardroom? -We built them for mining the fissures.
-Hmm.
Someone close to me had a pair of these.
You're the first person Caitlyn looked for when we made it to topside.
Of everyone up here, you're the one she trusted to do something.
What do you want me to do? Arrest him? Silco controls the undercity with Shimmer.
Shut down his supply, and it's only a matter of time before his own people turn on him.
And how do we do that? Take out his manufacturing facilities.
Hit them hard and fast, before he can react.
So⦠We got a deal, pretty boy? -Come on.
-Over the bridge.
Secured! Get back! You little punk.
Hey! -Hmm.
Hmm.
He offered me a gold coin for every blade I retrieved from the fallen.
Said we needed the steel.
But I knew it was a lie.
He wanted me to know death.
Kino says war is a failure of statecraft.
Your brother thinks he can talk his way out of anything.
He fancies himself a fox among the wolves.
But mark me, child, if you want to last in this world, you must learn to be both the fox and the wolf.
We'll paint the walls in gold.
Import crystal chandeliers.
Advisors will enter here, but the regent will have her own, secret entrance.
She should have a kind, fat face.
Clever, to charm her subjects, but pliable so we can mold her.
Perhaps, she could be my daughter.
You'd give me a throne? I will give you the world, child, if you prove you can take it.
What should we do with her? She won't make trouble for us.
Strip her of her possessions and send her to the far colonies.
-She's a symbol of the old regime.
Kill her now, and only one must die.
Let her live and you may need to kill thousands.
We can show the people we are merciful.
A wolf has no mercy.
-Will you be okay? -I'll be right back.
-Okay.
Jinx! It's gone.
What? It was all for nothing.
Sir, we've secured the area.
I've got orders to escort you back into the city.
Sir? Are you all right? Who lives here? Another Councilor friend of yours? Caitlyn! Oh.
We were so worried.
Thank goodness you're safe! And you found a stray.
This is Vi.
She's from the undercity.
So I see.
Could we have a word, Caitlyn? In private.
You have to speak to the Council.
Speak to the Council? You understand you've broken several laws? She was doing what she thought was right.
I'll take responsibility.
You're a Councilor's daughter.
Your actions reflect on the entire body.
My actions? You know what else reflects on the Council? Its citizens living on the streets.
Being poisoned.
Having to choose between a kingpin who wants to exploit them and a government that doesn't give a shit.
-Caitlyn! I'm sure our daughter could use some rest after her adventures.
-I'll schedule an audience.
Thank you.
You and your friend can address the Council yourselves.
I'd suggest you prepare accordingly.
-Her injuries are severe.
-You think I can't see that? Huh.
I believe I can save her, but the process will be demanding.
-Sometimes death is a mercy.
She can take it.
And before I begin, I must know⦠Are you prepared to lose her? -Jinx? -Jinx! She won't die, Doctor.
She can't.
I understand.
Please understand, this is for your own sanity.
I, too, once had a daughter.
Silco isn't taking guests.
Not a problem.
Wasn't here for him.
Thought I might bend your ear.
You know when I ask my mates what Silco's up to, your name's first out of their mouths.
"Sevika's out in the harbor," or "Sevika paid the knuckleheads a visit.
" You're a scary lady.
Get to your point.
Run a tight ship, don't you? Except it's not your ship.
It's his and Jinx's.
This is your plan? Undermine Silco by making a half-assed play at my ego? Gotta hand it to you, Finn.
Every time I think you can't get dumber, you dig a new low.
Let's be plain, then.
He's slipping.
The undercity's devolving to chaos.
And somehow, I get the feeling he isn't up there balancing booksheets.
Jinx gets a whim, suddenly his spine's made of jelly.
And here you are, shoveling his shit.
Ego is one thing, brain's another.
You aren't the only one dissatisfied with his performance.
There's bigger fish than Silco.
Mel.
Elora.
You didn't have to come out to meet me.
-What are you doing here, Mother? -Can I not visit? I've heard stories of Piltover's hospitality.
You didn't sail halfway across the continent to sample the local cuisine.
-It's been over a decade, Mel.
-Since you banished me? Such drama.
I sent you here to oversee our family's interests and grow yourself.
Which you have.
You said, "Perhaps, your sentimentality will be more at home with those soft-spined idealists overseas.
" You have your father's memory.
Don't try to ingratiate yourself with me.
-Mel.
-Or that.
Your brother's gone.
What happened? He crossed the wrong man.
I was distracted.
That's a mistake I can't take back.
Your Jayce Talis has turned his eye to Hextech weaponry.
I knew it.
War is coming.
You've let the problems of your undercity fester too long.
Piltover isn't like Noxus.
War isn't our first and every recourse.
I sponsored Hextech to protect the city, not burn it to the ground.
It's not conjecture, it's a fact.
Weapons can't be unmade and they are always used.
I'm here to help guide you to the right decisions.
-I don't need your guidance.
-We'll see.
Miss Medarda? -Yes? -Yes? He's for me, dear.
I'm off to sample the local cuisine.
We'll present our case to the Council tonight.
You did all this yourself? Without even going down there? And I thought Powder could get obsessed.
What happened to her, it's not your fault.
When my parents were still alive⦠me and Powder used to share a bed like this.
Except, maybe, half the size.
We played a game where we pretended to be bigger and bigger monsters.
So she would say, "I'm a slug monster with venom for ooze.
" And I'd say, "Well, I'm a slug-eating crab with razor spikes.
" Sometimes, I⦠I'd get carried away and she'd get scared.
I didn't want her to start crying and wake my parents up, so⦠I pretended to chase my own monsters away.
I'd say⦠"No monster's gonna get you when I'm here.
" Then a real monster showed up.
And I just ran away.
I left her.
You know, Powder, you're stronger than you think.
Vi? I'm so sorry, Powder.
-Your sister is jinx.
-No! Jinx.
No, no.
No! I understand this must be painful.
No! -I'm afraid it will only get worse.
-Wait! No! What have you done? I saved her life.
Hey, watch it, furball.
Move.
Oh.
Hmm.
-Hmm.
Huh? Hmm⦠Like this.
Get away from her.
Bye⦠Oh, ingenious.
Though these blades seem improperly pitched.
You're wrong.
It's designed for the fissures.
The air is denser.
Oh.
-Are you all right, lad? Yeah, I'm fine, I just sprained my ankle.
Are you Councilor Heimerdinger? It's just Heimerdinger now.
What are you doing on this side of the river? I wanted to offer my assistance to the citizens of the undercity, but⦠it seems I'm unwelcome.
-What is it? -We're having the exact same day.
That looks like more than a sprain.
You need medical attention.
I have to get home.
It isn't safe for me here.
I don't know how I'm gonna get there with my leg busted, and, well⦠you're holding my ride.
Do they teach military history at your Academy, Mr.
Talis? It's, um, Councilor Talis.
And I'm not sure.
The Alornian General Sonnem Parlec used to find ways to meet his enemies blindfolded.
He said a man's mind hides behind his body.
Somehow, I doubt he ever tried this.
You're Mel's mom.
Among other things.
Squeeze, child.
You won't break it.
I do have other matters, so if you'll excuse me⦠The threat of the undercity is real.
-Your leadership is impotent.
We may not be Noxus, but Piltover isn't as helpless as you think.
Who said anything about Piltover? The Council is the problem.
The mind hiding behind the body.
Navigating your current crisis requires expertise you lack.
Do you know what the success rate for senior Academy inventors is? Three percent.
We're no strangers to failure.
What makes this the City of Progress is that we keep trying until we get it right.
So thank you for your advice, Mrs.
Medarda, but I have a city to run.
Wait.
I see why this province and my daughter have fallen for you.
You have the passion of youth.
I have experience.
I want you to succeed here, Jayce, to grace the world with Hextech.
But if you don't accept certain realities, I fear you'll end up like General Parlec.
Slaughtered with your eyes closed.
Three of my suppliers have said they intend to delay shipments until fall to give things "time to cool off.
" We have greater concerns than a dip in profits.
The Sheriff betrayed us.
We need better information.
We need to act.
Before anyone else gets killed.
Perhaps Marcus was operating independently.
What could anyone in the undercity offer him that he didn't have up here? It's not what they offered him, it's what he had to lose.
Councilors, my daughter has a unique insight into our situation.
Thank you.
Councilors, this is Vi.
She was born in the undercity.
Even though we failed her in countless ways, she risked everything to show me what life is really like down there.
People are starving, sick, ravaged by Shimmer.
They live in constant fear of the coordinated efforts of violent crime lords.
One man leads these efforts.
Silco.
We've done investigations of Silco.
They yielded no such level of organization.
And who led these investigations? What does this Silco even want from us? He believes the undercity should be independent.
He calls it the Nation of Zaun.
What about these? Do you know who made them? No, well⦠-Uh⦠-Her name is Jinx.
This Jinx has the Gemstone? -Then we have to go in by force.
-That could trigger war.
-There are good people down there.
-Hmph.
Bad ones too.
Even if we wanted to invade, they have Shimmer.
We have Hextech.
What happened to you? We've been talking about talking for weeks now.
They're still cleaning the blood off the bridge.
-When do we say enough is enough? -Jayce, you don't know war.
I do.
It must be our last resort.
There may be a diplomatic solution.
She's right.
What? You want to negotiate with him? It may be the only way to avoid further bloodshed.
This is insane.
Did you learn nothing? You can't talk to him! He hates you.
Everything you stand for.
He will never back down.
-Enforcers, please escort them out.
-Forget it.
I remember where your fancy damn door is.
Vi! Wait! Wait! Where are you going? I don't know.
Back where I came from? Seems like that's what everyone up here wants.
-I can fix this.
-You can't! This is how things are.
How they've always been.
I was so stupid to think it could change.
There must be something else we can do.
Some other way.
We'll make a new plan.
We have to try.
We tried.
Okay? It wasn't enough.
Topside and bottom.
Oil and water.
That's all there is.
What about us? Oil and water.
Wasn't meant to be.
-You're just saying that.
-Do yourself a favor, Cupcake.
Go back to that big, shiny house of yours and just⦠forget me, okay? Viktor, I've been working on a private project for a couple weeks now.
No.
Viktor, I've been working on this for a year now and⦠Viktor.
Viktor, I was hoping you might take a look at something I've been working on.
Viktor⦠I was inspired by your⦠Everything you do inspires me.
Viktor! Viktor! Sky? Sky? No.
No! That⦠that can't⦠that can't⦠You want to make Silco pay for what he's done? I could have you arrested.
You guys really like to bandy that threat around.
You ever been to Stillwater? -No.
So you just wave an arm, have someone dragged off, don't bother to find out what it does to someone being stuffed in a stone box for weeks, or months, or even years? -Yeah.
I want to make Silco pay.
-I want in.
There is no in.
-You heard the Council.
-Fuck the Council.
You said you were tired of doing nothing.
That's the only sensible thing that came out of anyone's mouth tonight.
I'm not a vigilante.
No, you're a victim.
-Huh⦠This so people notice you when you raise your hand in the boardroom? -We built them for mining the fissures.
-Hmm.
Someone close to me had a pair of these.
You're the first person Caitlyn looked for when we made it to topside.
Of everyone up here, you're the one she trusted to do something.
What do you want me to do? Arrest him? Silco controls the undercity with Shimmer.
Shut down his supply, and it's only a matter of time before his own people turn on him.
And how do we do that? Take out his manufacturing facilities.
Hit them hard and fast, before he can react.
So⦠We got a deal, pretty boy? -Come on.
-Over the bridge.
Secured! Get back! You little punk.
Hey! -Hmm.
Hmm.