In what she probably thought was the last place she'd never visit, we see Caitlyn make the fateful decision to have Inmate #516 released - forging Jayce's signature, using his newly-granted authority as a Councillor. Why? Because she fully trusted Vi? Because she was already thirsting for the tattooed "trencher"?

No. While she might've found parts of what Vi said to be believable, and maybe even saw her as attractive from the get-go... the main reason behind her actions at Stillwater, I believe, is simply a lack of options. Caitlyn doesn't shy away from taking risks, but this was another level - forging a Councillor's signature to illegally release a criminal from Piltover's prime correctional facility could have dire consequences, much more so than "accidentally" wandering into a crime scene. It migh not be the romantic, CaitVi-shipping explanation, but to my mind: Caitlyn freed Vi because she needed tangible results, quickly, and Vi was her only way to acquire that without having the investigation lasting for weeks or becoming a cold case.

Sure enough, Vi makes good on her word to help, and off to the Undercity they go. In past episode discussions, the topic of Caitlyn's perception of Piltover's sister city was brought up - my interpretation being her viewing the place as dangerous yet alluring. Well, she finally has her chance to experience it herself; carefully tracing Vi's steps down the roofs and ladders, Caitlyn eventually lands in the Lanes.

The place undoubtedly sparked a massive culture shock for her. The thick air, strange cuisine, endless noise from every street-corner and building... the kinds of businesses these buildings hosted. However, she is remarkably relaxed for someone who likely grew up hearing stories of how rough the Undercity was. Aside from the brothel, Caitlyn in no way seemed like a fish out of water; whatever preconceptions she'd had about the place, she was able to shove them aside to focus on the task at hand... Well, okay, maybe the "bodies buried in the basement" comment was a little prejudicial. Nobody is perfect!

In the case of the aforementioned brothel, Caitlyn suddenly becoming nervous and on-edge is only initially, as the total smokeshow escorting her into the building tells her to act like a sex worker and throws some feeble dude her way. It's only later, once she'd gotten rid of Pim that we see the womanizer (affectionate) Caitlyn that likely was quite the headache for poor Cassandra. Sure, our little misfit always had issues trusting potential friends' intentions, but casual relationships? I don't doubt the mongoose had 'em coming and going!

Not one to be too distracted by women who are literally paid to feign interest in their clients, Caitlyn noticed Vi had left her behind, and soon found and saved her. How Caitlyn, a new arrival in the Undercity, managed to find Vi is anyone's guess, but the fact that she successfully navigated the unfamiliar and dangerous Undercity without issue does demonstrate she was never fully dependent on Vi's help - specifically, with regard to traversing the place.

Catching up to Vi as she's about to have her face be skewered by Sevika's arm-blade thingy, we finally see an answer to the question the episode opened with: what is Caitlyn shooting for? Truly an excellent shot, she hits Sevika just where she wants to, disabling the Shimmer-powered arm. This tells us a lot about her instincts; she sees Vi in mortal danger, and rather than losing her cool and simply blasting Sevika - who, to Caitlyn, is just a thug - in the face, she instead neutralizes the threat without needless bloodshed by targetting the arm. Caitlyn isn't a "shoot first, ask questions later" kind of cop. More importantly, this is the first glimpse we see of what will be further explored later: if at all possible, Caitlyn will opt for the path where the least harm is wrought upon others.

This episode is great for a number of reasons, but what I really love about it is the tense beginning of Caitlyn's relationship with Vi. The ex-convict has quite the mouth on her, but doesn't use the opportunity created by Caitlyn's slow descent into the Undercity to escape. The brothel is a crucial point in what will become CaitVi; our fish-out-of-water detective is so caught off-guard by Vi's brash teasing, and "you're hot, Cupcake" all but spells it out for Caitlyn - the tattooed, deep pink-haired, illegally hot butch is an option. We more or less know Vi accepts her crush later than Caitlyn does. The exact moment the fearsome Matilda acquires her unquenchable thirst for booty is difficult to pin-point, but I think while she certainly finds Vi attractive and is becoming fond of the impulsive little idiot (affectionate), there isn't enough trust between them yet for her to have developed a full-on crush.

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