The Problem With Canon CaitVi Isn't That It's 'toxic'. Plenty Of The Relationships In Arcane Are Unhealthy

The problem with canon CaitVi isn't that it's 'toxic'. Plenty of the relationships in Arcane are unhealthy and yet remain compelling. Silco and Jinx undoubtedly have an unhealthy parent/child relationship but it's still interesting. JayVik and Timebomb have unhealthy aspects to some degree. (Most relationships in the show are lime this, lbr.)

The problem is that the way CaitVi is unhealthy comes off as either clunky or unintentional. Like, the dirt under your nails line could be interesting as a line halfway through the series to show Vi's codependence and attachment toward Caitlyn to the point where she undervalues herself, but instead it comes at the end, and it feels like the vibe is supposed to be romantic, but instead it comes across as self-demeaning, and as the final conclusion of their relationship... a little unsatisfying.

That, and I ship Vi and Jinx in a very platonic sense; all of season one was the tale of two sisters, and I think Jinx was more important to Vi than Caitlyn ever was, and the fact that she now thinks Jinx is dead... The last scene should be her mourning with Ekko, the only other person who might understand what Jinx meant to her.

You might say this would make her 'bad rep' or something because the lesbian ship doesn't become endgame or whatever, but the thing is: representation isn't necessarily about ships. Vi would still be a lesbian or bisexual if her and Caitlyn broke up forever (and so would Caitlyn). They've already very firmly established that throughout the series.

Keep in mind I'm not anti-CaitVi at all and I still think they could have become endgame, but like... As it is in the show, they haven't really convinced me it's a viable long-term relationship and I can see them easily breaking up at some point after the credits roll, and the most important thing to note is that if that was intentional I don't think it would be as bad, but I don't think it WAS intentional.

Essentially, what this reads to me is the writers attempting to tell a certain type of story in which Vi and Caitlyn getting together is positive for the series, the sweet in the bittersweet ending of Arcane and Vi's arc, and failing to communicate that effectively.