Maddie Being Introduced As This Literal Ray Of Sunshine And Then Being The First To Beat Along To Piltovers

Maddie being introduced as this literal ray of sunshine and then being the first to beat along to Piltovers turn to martial law.

Maddie mentions to Vi that Caitlyn told the enforcers that Vi went after Silco and his gang on her own when the council wouldn’t back her. I think from this line it’s clear that Maddie (and Caitlyn too) is othering Vi from her identity as a Zaunite. Because she chose to go after Silco that mist mean she’s willing to align herself with Piltover as opposed to Zaun.

She was always discriminatory toward Zaunites, they just didn’t make it overt at her introduction. The turn to fascism and discrimination can start with anyone. Including a literal ray of sunshine.

EDIT: my original take: “Her interactions with Vi mystifying her as ‘one of the good ones.’ One of the good Zaunites.” Was a misinterpretation on my part. I had only watched the episode once at that point so I am correcting myself and instead adding a new take I could infer from the scene that you can read above.