Plot thesis for Jayce Mel and Viktor (character analyses)
When I think about what I would like to see in Season 2 of Arcane when it comes to the dynamics of Jayce, Mel and Viktor, regardless of the obvious (that Viktor will leave and become The Machine Herald and Jayce will get more involved in the war between Piltover and Zaun and will most likely deal more with the aftermath of Jinx' actions), I wish for a more Jayvik centric plot but not in the romantic way (even tho I would love that) but more in a way that Jayce will struggle with Viktor leaving, his actions will revolve more around the current threat coming from Zaun and what that means for his dying relationship with Viktor.
And I say that because I do believe (and I will just throw this into the room now) that Mel and Jayce's shared plot is close to being resolved. They started out as pushing and pulling forces for each other. Jayce being her ticket to putting Piltover on the map, bringing innovation and glory to her city while for Jayce Mel is this inspiring icon of power. Schnee said in his last video about why Caitvi didn't get a kissing scene, that Mel seduced Jayce with power and I would agree to that. To a degree. She gave him the means and freedom to realize his dreams and pushed him to become stronger and more independant.
Yet he awakened the softness and this caring side of her, she had burried under the pain of being cast out years ago.
His soft spirit and need for closure and quite shared moments reestablished the empathy that made her so different from her family, from everyone but her brother Kino.
And as Schnee already predicted, her plot of Season 2 will most likely revolve around Kino and her trying to fight for her old strong believes, against the war Piltover starts with Zaun. This is where she looses this connection with Jayce, I predict, since she would become this kind woman again. She doesn't need his soft side anymore to remind her. Their shared plot is resolved there.
Now out of totally analytic reasons I was wondering if Viktor could also be secuded by the concept of power. And my thought is: No.
Viktor does not seek power, he never wished to be seen as better, stronger or smarter than anyone. Yes, part of his plot in Season 1 is that he fears to be forgotten but I believe this doesn't come from the need to be somone great but by the experiences he made since he is disabled and was always a cast-out.
He wants to be recognized for what he is: A smart, humble man that is ready to change the conditions he himself had to grow up in.
But what would or did seduce Viktor is the question. And I say, it's innovation. He was seduced by what Jayce said at the trial, the sheer possibilities he himself had not been able to think of. This solution that is so different from anything anyone has ever dared to think of. Jayce thinking out of the box. It intrigued him as he said himself and it's also what seduced Mel in the first place (if we don't count her hungry look when Jayce simply walks in, that woman didn't know sht about his research lmao)
Both seeked his innovative mind, but for totally different reasons.
Mel saw the opportunities of her own growth in it while Viktor saw hope for himself and his people in it. And while Viktor helped Jayce to complete his research and bring him closer to his dream of helping people like he was being helped as a kid, Mel gave Jayce the opportunity to grow himself, gave him a glimps of what it meant to be in a ruling position.
But now you maybe wonder: Is Jayce power-hungry?
Was he so easily seduced by power because he seeked it, because this is who he is and that is why Mel became a part of him in Season 1?
At no point did Jayce ask to be in power or a leader, he himself said it in Episode 5 and you see him struggling with his decisions and feel the anxiety and stress he goes through because of this responsibility that was pushed on him.
I would argue that yes, he was more easily intigued by the idea of being in a position of power than Viktor would ever be but that is because he only and exclusively seeked self determination and the freedom to realize his dreams without any barriers or restrictions. Mel offered him that and that's what secuded him into a relationship. And that is also what made Viktor so appealing. This risktaker, fearless and eager to break any rule the academy and the council had set for Jayce, inspired him. I think, "If you're going to change the world, don't ask for permission." was the line that threw him over the edge, made Jayce not only trust and get him inspired by Viktor, it was the moment he devoted himself to the man.
Now to the part of where Jayce's plot revolving around Mel resolves in Season 1 and why they won't depend on each other anymore so much in the next Season. With Mel giving him all the means to realize his dreams and visions, pushing him to think of his peoples' needs first and protect his city, she not only spoil and overwhelm him but also made him believe that whatever decision he made was going to help as long as it was for his people, right? Pushing him into building HexTech weapons when all he wanted was to build helpful tools. Row back with her demands when she realized war was no option but forgetting that Jayce by all means was no capable leader. She manipulated him enough to be able to know that others could do the same and they did. So he build his own weapons, feeling that high of power in the factory fight scene but also feeling the desperation of guilt when his pretention cost a child its life.
Here, there is a moment of branching off. On the one hand, Jayce feels more seperated from anyone that had him make these decisions that led him to this low point, drawing him closer to Viktor.
And on the other hand it made him understand why after all Mel did choose peace over war. It all collapses in the moment his own invention, that was supposed to help people and make the world a better place, is used to harm and maybe even kill his loved ones in a big final explosion that will bring his arc revolding around Mel in Season 1 to an end.
It's a symbol for the chaotic path his trust in Mel has taken him down to and we will only be able to know where it takes him in Season 2 when it finally airs.
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Thank you very much for reading!
If you have any thoughts or opinions on this topic, please let me know. This is just my sponatanious rambling, so if you disagree with anything or have any additions, I'm eager to learn. This is just a thesis and I respect any view you have on the characters and ships.
