What Happened in Arcane Season 2: Episode 7 “Pretend Like It's The First Time” – Episode Overview

On November 23, the final Act 3 of the animated series by Fortiche Studio x Riot Games – Arcane – premiered on Netflix. Act 3 marks the conclusion of Arcane’s second season and the series as a whole. Over the course of three episodes, we’ll witness the finale of the stories of Jinx, Vi, Caitlyn, Jayce, Viktor, Ambessa Medarda, and other beloved characters who have become close to our hearts across 18 episodes.

In this article, we recap the events of Arcane Season 2, Episode 7, “Pretend Like It's The First Time,” and share what’s next in the series. Spoiler alert: epicness awaits!

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Arcane Season 2 , Episode 7, “Pretend Like It's The First Time.” If you want to fully experience the artistic brilliance of Fortiche and Riot, it’s best to watch the series before reading further. Otherwise, proceed at your own risk!

Arcane Season 2 Episode 7 "Pretend Like It's The First Time" Highlights

The first episode of the final act begins with the reappearance of Ekko, who was absent throughout the second act. We learn that Ekko got caught in a time anomaly, possibly within a parallel reality.

After the opening of Arcane Season 2, Episode 7, the story follows Ekko’s journey in this parallel reality. Here, characters like Wander, Milo, Benzo, and others who had died are alive. Everything seems overly utopian, unsettling Ekko. It becomes evident that this reality is influenced by Arcane.

This dimension also includes Heimerdinger, who disappeared along with Ekko after interacting with the Hextech Gate in Arcane Season 2, Episode 3 aka Finally Got The Name Right. Heimerdinger reveals that he, too, understands they are in a parallel reality as a result of Arcane’s influence. He explains that in this dimension, Hextech was never invented, and they are trapped in a time loop.

Following a discussion between Ekko and Heimerdinger, we see Jayce, who is not yet under Arcane’s influence, unlike in Episode 6, where it drove him to kill Viktor. Jayce notices a figure resembling Viktor through dense fog and begins to pursue it. From a mountaintop, he witnesses a devastated world, which also exists in this parallel timeline.

Meanwhile, Ekko and Jinx visit Vi, who died due to a failed experiment by Jinx—a decision influenced by Ekko. This continues to unfold in the parallel reality. At the same time, Jayce continues his journey through the wastelands, once vibrant with life. Flashbacks to the original series show Vi’s “death,” which didn’t occur in the main timeline, and other past events. Jayce wanders through what used to be Zaun, encountering creatures corrupted by Arcane.

Ekko, desperate to escape the anomaly, seeks Heimerdinger's help. Meanwhile, Jayce struggles to survive in the harsh conditions, gradually transforming into the version of himself that killed Viktor in Episode 6. During one of his hallucinations, Jayce hears the phrase, "It's time for the age of magic," hinting at the involvement of the Black Rose order in these events.

Emerging from a cave, Jayce continues wandering the apocalyptic landscape, losing hope and purpose. Ekko, however, proposes to alternate-Jinx that they work together to escape the loop, to which she agrees. Together, they begin developing Hextech in this parallel reality. They manage to synthesize a Hextech core that allows Ekko to manipulate time, albeit only by 4 seconds—insufficient to return to the correct timeline.

At Wander’s bar, the “Innovator’s Games” begin. Ekko and Jinx share a moment of joy, dancing and bonding in ways they were deprived of in the “real timeline.” Their relationship deepens.

Jayce, still searching for answers, finally encounters the figure resembling Viktor. Meanwhile, Heimerdinger successfully constructs a portal to return to their original timeline. Jayce asks the Viktor-like figure for the same, and both manage to escape the parallel timeline.

Arcane S2 Episode 7 "Pretend Like It's The First Time" Explained

Episode 7, “Pretend Like It's The First Time,” kicks off the third and final act of Arcane Season 2. The episode is steeped in nostalgia and missed opportunities. It imagines how the story of Jinx and Ekko might have unfolded had events in Season 1 taken a different turn.

The pivotal moment of Episode 7 is Jayce’s encounter with the figure resembling Viktor. He witnesses Piltover’s downfall and realizes it is caused by Hextech. As mentioned in the Act 2 Ending Explained, Viktor sent Jayce to kill him to halt the destruction of Piltover, which began with the spread of Viktor’s Commune, seen in Episode 6, “The Message Hidden Within the Patern.” However, hidden motives remain, and Jayce might inadvertently hasten the apocalypse he saw in the time anomaly. The answers lie in Episode 8, “Kylling is a Cycle.”

Another key detail of Episode 7 is Ekko’s return to the “standard” timeline, leaving his alternate version behind in the parallel reality with Jinx. At least somewhere, Jinx finds a happy ending.

The third act of Arcane Season 2 is now available on Netflix.