As I mentioned before, I really enjoyed Queen's Battle and Queen Bee. They were two episodes jam-packed with a lot of interesting revelations, new characters, and, of course, action! But there are a few things that I wanted to shed some light on that I did not shed in the previous entry for personal reasons.
First off, can we please talk about the revelation of Mrs. Agreste's whereabouts? This really needs to be addressed because after seeing this episode, you'll realize that Gabriel's devotion to his wife is on a whole other level of creepiness. For years now, fans have known, thanks to Adrien's mini-episodes, that his mother, Emilie Agreste, went missing some time before the start of the series. We've also known that ever since Emilie's disappearance Gabriel Agreste, according to Adrien, "hasn't been the same", indicating a change from a happier person to the more stern and somber disposition he has now.
Even though Gabriel loves his son very much, he never shows in his behavior towards his son and is rather overprotective of the child, going so far as to not even let the child attend school. From Gabriel's perspective, however, we can see that he's just a grieving father who greatly misses his wife and desperately wants to protect his child, and the only family he has left. For a while, ever since the first time we saw that picture of Emilie in Gabriel's locket, while he was in his lair, I've theorized that the only reason he wanted Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculouses was because he was trying to see if he could combine the powers of the items to bring back his wife. As of recently, we've found out that that theory is correct.
We've also found out that Emilie technically never "left" Gabriel. She's been preserved in a glass coffin in a hidden room under the house, unbeknownst to Adrien and everyone else. Gabriel really never let Emilie go. He wanted to keep her so close to his heart that he made sure her body was kept somewhere secret in the house, so he could talk to her every day and promise her something he often fails to accomplish. How...romantic?
My gosh! Gabriel puts Marinette's creepy stalker tendencies to shame! Anyway, throughout the episode, Queen's Battle, we see Gabriel in constant frustration over the fact that he has not been able to get his wife back despite his many earnest attempts. Style Queen was supposed to be the one villain that would finally defeat Paris' most beloved superheroes and take away their own power. But once she failed, like all the rest, Gabriel was at wits end and, for the first time ever, actually considered giving up trying to get their miraculouses.
But he ultimately decides at the end of the episode to continue trying to attain them and not give up. What follows in the next episode, Queen Wasp, is us seeing Gabriel talk to Emilie again, then going into his lobby to sulk in his chair. His assistant, Nathalie does something we never thought we'd see her do to...anyone, really: Hug him from behind in order to comfort him while he cries. I loved that scene so much, because not only does it show a side of the two that we don't often see, but it really stands as one of the most poignant scenes in the series. Nathalie is rarely ever behaving compassionately to any person in the series. So, the fact that she attempts to console her own boss in his time of anguish is so touching. And I'm not a Nathalie x Gabriel shipper (well, not entirely), but I know this was one of the scenes of this episode that spawned a new ship for the fandom, in general.
All in all, I'm happy that we are finally getting a build up to the issues that will occur in the finale and the events that might take place in season 3. It's only a matter of time before we see Adrien finding out that his dad is Hawkmoth.
Now it's time to discuss everything I hated in this episode. Let's start of with Paris' favorite news reporter, Nadja Chamack, who really got on my nerves in Queen Wasp. We all know that news reporters can practically act like vultures when it comes to finding the latest scoop and finding the dirt on a public figure. But Nadja really took it too far in this episode.
Now Chloe is generally regarded as a spoiled brat and a nuisance by almost everyone in the series and within the fandom. I say "almost" because we know that her friend Sabrina and her father still like her, and now her mom does, too. But most people greatly dislike her because of her stank attitude and horrid actions. The stunt she pulled with the train was definitely reprehensible and warranted her being scolded.
But even in spite of the stunt she pulled, I couldn't help but feel annoyed at the fact that Nadja chose to rub salt on the wound by broadcasting Chloe's humiliation twice in one episode. She pulled up Audrey Bourgeois on her tablet and gives her a good minute to publicly denounce her daughter while also having the cameraman film it.
A news story about a runaway train and the culprit behind the crime is totally warranted, but what she does after made me cringe and actually feel even more sorry for Chloe than I did before. Chloe is a spoiled brat, we know. But, it's a little harsh to broadcast someone's mom harshly insulting her when it wasn't necessary. Even if Audrey needed to say a few words, Nadja could have just had the cameraman turn off the camera for one moment instead of having a personal family issue aired live for everyone in Paris to see.
Mean as she may be, Chloe is just a kid, who's still young and still maturing. Nadja knows what it's like to be humiliated on live television. Anyone remember Prime Queen? I'm just saying a little humanity on her part would have be better than that.
Well, that's all I have for now. Even though, I had an issue with one thing in that particular episode, the good outways the bad by a large amount. This was still a wonderful episode, and one that only gets me more excited for the big finale and events that will happen in season 3!
Next I'll be reviewing Malediktor, Frozer, and Heroes Day, Part 1 & 2! Until then, don't forget to enjoy life and stay animated!
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