This moment just breaks my heart. The way Viktor pulls Sky’s notes to his chest in such a delicate, reverential way, like he’s trying to keep her close, desperately clinging to this last piece of her, and then he looks down at his now magically altered hand and leg - a painful, permanent reminder of the life lost trying to save his own - and it’s too much for him to bear and he just breaks down, curling into himself and sobbing in almost a childlike way as he sits among the ashes of the woman who loved him…
I’m not going to go too deep into it because it’s worthy of its own post, but it goes without saying that choosing to end the season with another of Jinx’s hextech explosions to parallel her previous one was brilliant on so many levels, not only to showcase the evolution of her character (the first one was a major catalyst for Powder becoming Jinx and now the repeated act solidifies this identity) but for the story as well. The first time was a big turning point at the end of Act 1, ushering in major change for the characters and a new trajectory for the plot and this explosion will no doubt do the same, launching the story and the characters into a new direction.
The paralleled event also plays on the audience’s memory of what came before. We don’t have to assume that this rocket will be devastating, we’ve already seen what this kind of power can do and we know that it will be on an even larger scale now and this adds another layer of dread to an already shocking turn of events. We know how ferocious that magic-induced fire can be. How it rages and races and incinerates flesh. We already know everyone in that council chamber is going to die instantly without some kind of magical intervention.
We know Viktor and Mel both potentially have built-in magical reasons for survival e.g. Viktor’s connection to the Hexcore and Mel’s tattoos/armor, but what about Jayce?
I feel like the hammer could maybehave been used to protect him (we see the gauntlets shield Vi in her fight with Sevika) but he didn’t have it with him in the council chamber and I don’t think he’d even consider grabbing it not knowing that it can shield him anyway, so I assume either Mel or Viktor will have to protect him, but which one and how?
Though Viktor would know his little body wouldn’t be enough to truly shield Jayce nor would he be able to move in front of him fast enough, I do believe he would sacrifice himself in a heartbeat to try to save him if he could, especially knowing he’s dying anyway. That being said, it’s just as likely that Jayce would try and do the same for Viktor and is the more likely candidate to be able to run to Viktor and tackle him to the ground to try and shield him. The act would still be futile but, in each other’s arms, Viktor’s magic could activate and, in protecting him, save Jayce as well.
If this doesn’t happen however and Jayce instead runs to Mel or doesn’t get the chance to make any decision at all, Viktor’s magic could still involuntarily shield him and he’ll come out mostly unscathed (which will out him) or the magic won’t help him and he could get seriously hurt (which could jumpstart more augmentation).
We don’t know what kind of power Mel has yet but emphasizing her and her armor was no accident and she could very well be the key to saving everyone in that room. If she’s somehow able to hold the rocket at bay while everyone tries to escape (an action that could be extremely taxing and she perhaps can’t hold for very long) she lets it go when everyone is a safe distance away, sacrificing herself to save everyone else (though I do genuinely believe most of the council members will die or at least be seriously injured so I’d hate to see Mel sacrifice herself just for it to be in vain).
Or, if Mel is somehow able to protect one other person besides or instead of herself, she chooses Jayce. Not only because she loves him but because she believes in him as their best choice of leadership for Piltover. This sacrifice to save him would deepen the pain he would already feel from losing her and it could inspire him to continue being on the council to honor her memory despite his previous wishes to leave so he can continue to be in a position to be able to do the things he thinks she would have wanted.
Again though, I genuinely don’t want Mel to die by the way and I’m not saying she’s absolutely going to. I’m still 50/50 on her survival as I can see the storytelling potential in both options honestly, but these are just wild theories and, as of now, I still have hope she’ll live.
As a sidenote, I’m also curious as to the potential radius of this explosion and how many more innocents could potentially be at risk beyond the council. The rocket was aimed at the council chamber, but could the fallout be larger than expected? Could the explosion seriously destabilize that building and cave in other nearby rooms or potentially have debris fall to the streets and harm others perhaps?
Anyway, those are just some scattered thoughts. I know there’s already been a lot of conversation on who will survive and how, but it’s all very interesting to speculate on.
I would very much like to see some interaction between Viktor and Caitlyn. Their two characters are ostensibly singled out within the series in that both are a bridge between Piltover and Zaun. Viktor, a Zaunite established within the utopian society that is Piltover. Caitlyn, a wealthy house member in the heart of Piltover seeking exposure to the dystopia that is Zaun. Furthermore, they share very corresponding ideals. Both are focused on the common good of the people, completely impervious to politics and of their own sound mind. They are the two characters who have successfully been integrated into both ends of the societal spectrum and therefore bring to the table invaluable insight. Viktor and Caitlyn are each a pillar to bridge two worlds.
I’d love to see that too. Both being so close to Jayce, I can’t imagine a reality where they haven’t met and interacted at least a few times over the years. Being curious about the Undercity, I can imagine that Caitlyn was interested in Viktor’s backstory and probably asked him a lot of questions about life there (and they also have a lot of fun talking about Jayce). As you said, they both care about people and have similar ideals so I’d love to think that they would get along well even if they don’t see each other often. Would love to see even just a minor interaction between them next season.
I have some cluttered thoughts about Viktor’s inspiration to creating the Hexcore, specifically when he gets his first vision.
Did the Arcane call out to him due to his illness? His vision happened immediately after we first see him cough up blood.
Is Viktor a latent mage? Even with his illness, the Arcane gave him visions before the Hexcore was even conceived and directly inspired him to create it. Does he have a natural predisposition or connection with magic?
Or, did sickness-ridden hallucinations/“visions” just blur the mental border between himself and the Arcane?
I have many questions.
I’ve thought about this too but know nothing about how magic and mages work in LOL and didn’t feel equipped to really address it.
Shoola: “Arcane talents are something you’re born with, they can’t be fabricated.”
(A line that comes immediately after a shot of Viktor’s face btw)
Jayce: “Actually, I believe it is possible.”
Did Viktor find the way to manufacture real magic in himself or, like you suggested, was he simply born with a predisposition to it somehow? Is that why he has the vision when his nose bleeds? Viktor’s theory after this is that this magic reacts to organic matter e.g. blood but if, say, Jayce were to have a random nosebleed or get cut in that scene, would he have had a similar vision or is Viktor just special in another way?
Can’t wait for season 2 to answer these questions!
idk. the way Sky sounds here leads me to think this is not in the norm for Viktor’s day-to-day behavior. If he constantly slept in the lab, the almost surprised “again” shouldn’t be necessary.
Jayce has been working with Viktor essentially day-to-day for the entire timeskip. He knows his behavior. He knows how he handles himself. And… he looks genuinely concerned here. Almost as if it’s an indication that THIS level of recklessness is not normal for Viktor.
Aaand this one speaks for itself.
CONCLUSION: The Viktor we see post-vision on the Hexgate bridge is not the “normal” Viktor. His terminal illness and desperation absolutely plays a role. But this seemed to trigger before he knew for sure he had an expiration date. Something in the Hexcore vision contributed to a noticeable shift in behavior that the people around him picked up on. Goodnight!
the fact that this absolute angel immediately wants to help is just… i’ll never be okay i’ll never recover i’m–
I just…this child must have come straight out of the womb trying to help people. It’s such a huge part of his motivation as an adult but like even as a kid!! He sees Rio sick and his immediate question is “can I help?” It isn’t “what is wrong with her/why is she sick?” He isn’t trying to figure out why (as you’d expect from a scientist) he’s trying to figure out how he can help, how he can fix it; he’s immediately empathetic. And that is not a realization I was ready for this early in the morning
I know we all want to see Viktor and Jayce eventually fight (and I’m so ready for that angst!) but I’d also kind of love to see a scenario where they’re forced to work together against a larger threat at some point and we get to see them fight side by side, combining the full power of their magic and hextech together and, despite their recent differences and newness to combat, are able to sync together well which reminds each other once more of the friendship they once had… and could maybe have again?
One of my hcs is that when Viktor becomes the machine herald, his face fills out a bit and he does look healthier under the mask. His body is no longer dying in the same way it was before, and Viktor’s augmentations really HAVE helped him in some ways.
The first time Jayce sees Viktor without the mask… despite the anger and the frustration and the hurt and the guilt, he also wants to cry because he can’t remember the last time Viktor looked so okay, and Viktor is so beautiful, and most importantly, Viktor is alive.
I’ve been thinking about this as well. Viktor isn’t going to be dying forever and I’d love to see him actually look healthy again after he ‘cures’ himself - perhaps even better than he did even in Act 1. He looks so sick at the end of Act 3 and if he’s not saved soon, I’m scared of seeing just how much worse he can get. I just want my boy to be healthy (and happy)
Listen, I know The Machine Herald is supposed to have a full metal helmet but I’d be totally fine with Viktor just having a metal mask on the lower part of his face so we can still see his expressive, golden eyes and hot, messy hair similar to the Winter Soldier… at least initially before he upgrades his look to a full helmet or something.
Thinking about how much Harry had to straight up scream into a mic to do some of Viktor’s scenes and how much more he’ll probably have to do it next season too…
