Be forewarned, spoilers abound herein. And I am tipsy on a large glass of wine. Ah-hem. :) Some of this is pretty well lifted from twitter earlier tonight, so if you're seeing its wording twice, oops? :) The later musing is so very not anything I've been tweeting, though. If the showrunners ever see the way I characterize Émilie, I think I'll die.
Regarding Félix: Wow, that boy is truly a match for Lila, to agree with one youtube commenter. And I don't think much of Émilie's sister and her dedication to the trappings of her family name. Yeesh. Has anybody got a definite spelling for Émilie and Amélie's shared unmarried surname? I know it's a pun on Milli frakking Vanilli (bleh), especially with the similar appearance thing that nearly fooled even Adrien, but at least now I don't have to try and come up with a surname for Émilie before she became Agreste? ... Who am I kidding, I was kind of enjoying that. ETA: Cheers, Alexseanchai. I wonder if there's fairly distant English in their line, seeing as Graham gets in there?
Regarding Chat Blanc: ... Ouch. Seriously, ouch. It's a very good thing Ladybug's magic wiped the memory of that entire averted situation from everyone's minds but Bunnyx and, presumably, Fluff, and neither of them are telling. Poor wibbling Adrien, paralyzed with the shock of all the revelations--ow ow ow!
Regarding the season finale, parts one and two: Oh wow. So much for *that* redemption arc there, Chloé! Was the 'I'm still a queen' line from "Miraculer" forgotten entirely, or could Chloé take only so much of being left out before forgetting that she was willing to give Ladybug a chance, or what? Or is she truly just that shallow? Her shallowness really does seem to come and go - hi, video evidence in Félix - but should I pin that all on the writers being sloppy, or is it intentional? She did, after all, turn remarkably quickly back on Aurore with that "once a villain, always a villain" line earlier in the season. Maybe the axiom holds? But I was truly hoping it wouldn't. I see you there, Pollen, objecting to your wielder's idea. Go, bee queen. As opposed to Queen Bee.
And oh, wow. I do not think whatever repairs have been made to the peafowl miraculous are going to help with past or present damage, even if future damage is averted. And somehow, I don't see the avoidance of future damage as a given here. Poor Nathalie. She deserves better, and preferably without either a broken heart or a shattered reality tunnel to show for it. ... Who am I kidding, I just want to see brightly redeemed!Mayura, kickass competent serious hera. Given her singular devotion, I doubt that's ever going to happen. Poor Duusu! Poor Nooroo. And I have to say, Nathalie defending Adrien in Félix? Is awesome. <3
I think, maybe, the Émilie in my head had relatives in Paris when it was occupied during the war. I think maybe the Émilie in my head had relatives in Paris when it was liberated. I think she had great-uncles who were taken by the work details and came home later, half their usual size and bowed in the shoulders, to say nothing of their eyes. I think the Émilie in my head had a wealthy family back then too, but if any of them collaborated, there were others who very much did not. Others who, in fact, did quite the opposite. I think the Émilie in my head had Résistance stories in her family history, safe houses, clandestine boats to England, saved lives, revolvers under pillows and windows with locks. The Émilie in my head knows the locations of air raid shelters in the city, over and beyond Métro platforms, and I can pretty distinctly hear her saying 'It was strong enough to keep Jerry out' about one of them, with the implication being that someone will be fine hiding from ordinary villainy in one. The Émilie in my head is an old world sort of a woman in a lot of ways; she knows music from that era, keeps it among the records she's collected, sings it while she plays piano or just on her own. I think Émilie in my head is the odd girl out in her biological family, used to a certain amount of the finer things in life but not pretentious or arrogant about any of it, and never comfortable with casual snobbery or conspicuous wealth signaling. I think Émilie got the conscience that Amélie did not, the interest in the stories beneath the superficial; the sentimental value of a fine wedding ring is what would matter to her, and if it happens to be a family antique, that's all the better. It's history, alive, continuously sprouting leaves and feathers.
I think Émilie's never cared about protecting her family's name in the same way that her sister does. For one, the name is what's important, for the other, the name is the means to wider benefit where it isn't a source of quietly biased pride - Émilie does love her family, after all.
I think Émilie was the odd girl out, at least among Amélie's peers and quite possibly among her own. I think Émilie has always been a free spirit with an obvious heart, an ingenue who is absolutely not putting on an act, except when she is putting on an act, but that's behind the camera. I think Émilie means everything she says, where Amélie never could fathom her sister's artless honesty. The two of them match for elegance, but barely.
The Émilie in my head would absolutely sneak tiny Adrien out into the city under pretexts enough to content a small child, and if the phrase 'Don't tell your papa' got in there, some sacrifices are unavoidable. I think Émilie and Gabriel had blazing arguments about Adrien's early schooling, and that Gabriel's cold fury really started to show itself when - not if, when - Émilie objected to his high hand. I think Émilie tried for subtle subversion however she could, after that, because some things sweetly complicated cannot mask, and her son--their son, their Adrien--deserved to see the outside world as often as any other child. Security is all well and good, but there are limits, and this is not a war zone, Gabriel. I can just hear her saying exactly that to him. I can picture his reaction, and it is not pretty.
Regarding Félix: Wow, that boy is truly a match for Lila, to agree with one youtube commenter. And I don't think much of Émilie's sister and her dedication to the trappings of her family name. Yeesh. Has anybody got a definite spelling for Émilie and Amélie's shared unmarried surname? I know it's a pun on Milli frakking Vanilli (bleh), especially with the similar appearance thing that nearly fooled even Adrien, but at least now I don't have to try and come up with a surname for Émilie before she became Agreste? ... Who am I kidding, I was kind of enjoying that. ETA: Cheers, Alexseanchai. I wonder if there's fairly distant English in their line, seeing as Graham gets in there?
Regarding Chat Blanc: ... Ouch. Seriously, ouch. It's a very good thing Ladybug's magic wiped the memory of that entire averted situation from everyone's minds but Bunnyx and, presumably, Fluff, and neither of them are telling. Poor wibbling Adrien, paralyzed with the shock of all the revelations--ow ow ow!
Regarding the season finale, parts one and two: Oh wow. So much for *that* redemption arc there, Chloé! Was the 'I'm still a queen' line from "Miraculer" forgotten entirely, or could Chloé take only so much of being left out before forgetting that she was willing to give Ladybug a chance, or what? Or is she truly just that shallow? Her shallowness really does seem to come and go - hi, video evidence in Félix - but should I pin that all on the writers being sloppy, or is it intentional? She did, after all, turn remarkably quickly back on Aurore with that "once a villain, always a villain" line earlier in the season. Maybe the axiom holds? But I was truly hoping it wouldn't. I see you there, Pollen, objecting to your wielder's idea. Go, bee queen. As opposed to Queen Bee.
And oh, wow. I do not think whatever repairs have been made to the peafowl miraculous are going to help with past or present damage, even if future damage is averted. And somehow, I don't see the avoidance of future damage as a given here. Poor Nathalie. She deserves better, and preferably without either a broken heart or a shattered reality tunnel to show for it. ... Who am I kidding, I just want to see brightly redeemed!Mayura, kickass competent serious hera. Given her singular devotion, I doubt that's ever going to happen. Poor Duusu! Poor Nooroo. And I have to say, Nathalie defending Adrien in Félix? Is awesome. <3
I think, maybe, the Émilie in my head had relatives in Paris when it was occupied during the war. I think maybe the Émilie in my head had relatives in Paris when it was liberated. I think she had great-uncles who were taken by the work details and came home later, half their usual size and bowed in the shoulders, to say nothing of their eyes. I think the Émilie in my head had a wealthy family back then too, but if any of them collaborated, there were others who very much did not. Others who, in fact, did quite the opposite. I think the Émilie in my head had Résistance stories in her family history, safe houses, clandestine boats to England, saved lives, revolvers under pillows and windows with locks. The Émilie in my head knows the locations of air raid shelters in the city, over and beyond Métro platforms, and I can pretty distinctly hear her saying 'It was strong enough to keep Jerry out' about one of them, with the implication being that someone will be fine hiding from ordinary villainy in one. The Émilie in my head is an old world sort of a woman in a lot of ways; she knows music from that era, keeps it among the records she's collected, sings it while she plays piano or just on her own. I think Émilie in my head is the odd girl out in her biological family, used to a certain amount of the finer things in life but not pretentious or arrogant about any of it, and never comfortable with casual snobbery or conspicuous wealth signaling. I think Émilie got the conscience that Amélie did not, the interest in the stories beneath the superficial; the sentimental value of a fine wedding ring is what would matter to her, and if it happens to be a family antique, that's all the better. It's history, alive, continuously sprouting leaves and feathers.
I think Émilie's never cared about protecting her family's name in the same way that her sister does. For one, the name is what's important, for the other, the name is the means to wider benefit where it isn't a source of quietly biased pride - Émilie does love her family, after all.
I think Émilie was the odd girl out, at least among Amélie's peers and quite possibly among her own. I think Émilie has always been a free spirit with an obvious heart, an ingenue who is absolutely not putting on an act, except when she is putting on an act, but that's behind the camera. I think Émilie means everything she says, where Amélie never could fathom her sister's artless honesty. The two of them match for elegance, but barely.
The Émilie in my head would absolutely sneak tiny Adrien out into the city under pretexts enough to content a small child, and if the phrase 'Don't tell your papa' got in there, some sacrifices are unavoidable. I think Émilie and Gabriel had blazing arguments about Adrien's early schooling, and that Gabriel's cold fury really started to show itself when - not if, when - Émilie objected to his high hand. I think Émilie tried for subtle subversion however she could, after that, because some things sweetly complicated cannot mask, and her son--their son, their Adrien--deserved to see the outside world as often as any other child. Security is all well and good, but there are limits, and this is not a war zone, Gabriel. I can just hear her saying exactly that to him. I can picture his reaction, and it is not pretty.
no subject
Date: 2019-12-31 05:42 am (UTC)I really, really like your Émilie.
no subject
Date: 2019-12-31 07:07 pm (UTC)Re spellings: Thank you! I was going off Adrien's pronunciation of his aunt's name in Félix, but who knows who speaks what language among the voice actors anyway. As for that surname, hmmm. Grand vanity would fit Amélie, but, well. See above. I was figuring a Milli Vanilli pun due to the near-identical appearance thing, and given names+surname. It wouldn't be the first time somebody punned extensively on music or lyrics - "Desperada," anyone? Ehh, could be either or, honestly, both!
no subject
Date: 2019-12-31 08:10 pm (UTC)and it's altogether identical appearances. like, Émilie and Amélie are clearly identical twins, by which I mean the latter is animated to look exactly the former except with a black pantsuit instead of a white one.
and while Félix is visually distinct from Adrien in early and late parts of the episode? in the middle, when he's borrowing Adrien's clothing and restyled his hair to resemble Adrien's? if we discount differences in behavior—including but not limited to body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice—on the basis that each fakes the other's for at least a bit of the episode? the only visual cue of which is which is Adrien's ring.
(not that I think any of Alya, Rose, and Juleka have noted any significance to Adrien's ring to begin with? but if any of them knows he habitually wears one, and were to observe that one of these two isn't, that would be a better cue than either's behavior.)
also Astruc apparently said something at some point about "secret siblings", so one theory going around is Adrien and Félix are twins—presumably one of the sisters is infertile and the other is generous. another theory is they're genealogically half-brothers, presumably both Gabriel's sons rather than both Amélie's husband's sons. that would make them genetically full siblings, since their mothers are identical twins, and they happen to be a close-in-age pair of the sort of siblings who look fairly similar to begin with.
…honestly I prefer the theory that A. Bourgeois on the Solitude credits is neither André nor Audrey, it's Amélie, and Félix's father was André's brother, making Félix as closely related to Chloé as to Adrien. I mean, we already know Amélie and Félix no longer use Félix's father's surname, if indeed they ever did. like, it wouldn't make sense for Émilie to be involved At All in the Graham de Vanily family drama of the Twin Rings, and yes I heard the capital letters in the episode loud and clear, if Graham de Vanily weren't Émilie's maiden name—which rules out A. Bourgeois being Amélie's maiden name on account of she and Émilie are André's kid sisters, right?
no subject
Date: 2020-01-01 02:04 am (UTC)Aaaaanyway. The Milli Vanilli thing has everything to do with punning on names, similar to Penny Rolling and Jagged Stone, and possibly on the twins thing, since IIRC the two musicians were meant to look identical onstage?
I'm not entirely sold on the idea of Adrien and Félix as secret siblings, plausible though theories are (especially the one involving one infertile and one fertile sister). Connected, the A. Bourgeois on the Solitude credits might have been Amélie, but Chloé's never so much as hinted at even a tangential family connection between herself and the Agrestes, which she soooo would have done. I'm inclined to think the A. Bourgeois is Audrey, though fluttering, fussing director Andre might also suit. If it were Audrey as senior fashion consultant/costume expert in residence to the then junior Gabriel, I can just see her driving Émilie up the wall...!
I also hear the capital letters in the Twin Rings conversation, which all but makes it definite that Émilie was a Graham de Vanily before she became an Agreste, and Amélie ditto before she became... whatever she did, if she did. She may not have taken her husband's surname at all, and for all we know, Félix has a hyphenated surname, Graham de Vanily-Somethingorother. I can just *hear* Amélie sighing, much put upon and not at all ironic, "It's the *compromise* side of marriage, dear," when describing the necessary addition of her husband's surname to Félix's. I'm picturing her husband as Andre to her Audrey more and more.
no subject
Date: 2019-12-31 12:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-12-31 07:07 pm (UTC)