Season 4, Episode 16 - Hack-san
Okay, I haven't given up on the show, but that doesn't mean I feel any better about it. My crisis is not over yet and I don't think it will be anytime soon.
I haven't been willing to watch this episode. Not at all. My only motivation was the fact that's the next one will be aired soon. And that I just wanted to get it done and not need to worry about this terrible episode anymore. It helped that I've read and seen some spoilers, so I knew what to expect. I knew all its worst. But watching it was still a pain for me.
Hack-san officially becomes a symbol of what's wrong with season 4 in my opinion and why the creators destroyed this lovely show to me. So this post is another one about why I don't enjoy it and at this point I even started being convinced that it's much worse than season 1. And S1 was just an okay children show to me, nice enough to see casually with kids, but nothing I would watch "seriously". So if the whole show was like S1, I would never became a fan in the first place. But now I think it's better, if only because it's more consistent . And I believe in the Love Square watching it. And the characters aren't that much dumbed-down. And Marinette is a better protagonist and hero.
The episode itself is full of illogical nonsense, definitely top 5 the worst ones in the whole history of this show. Even worse than any other Alya-centric ones from 13-17. I probably dislike more only Gang of Secrets from this season, and just because I hate how much melodramatic, emotionally forced and unsubtle it was. This one is more idiotic, but not cheaply dramatic.
There's one thing that payed much attention: Tom said they visit that aunt every year, is that means that it still hasn't been a year since Marinette and Adrien got their Miraculous? Is the whole show (or Gabriel-saga) going to happen in a year only?
It's so ridiculous that Marinette panicks so much that she needs to leave Paris for a while in the middle of season 4. Like it's the first time. She has done it before three times already, she should have been aware what to do. Another time when the writers make her impossibly stupid. And Tikki as well, if her wielder has memory lapse, she should have reminded her what she has done in such situations before. But no, they need to dumb down the characters to poorly excuse why she is giving the ladybug Miraculous to Alya. They need to try to make us convinced that's the only option. Alya is the only hope for the whole world. The horse Miraculous, space power potions? Who's ever heard of them? Definitely not Marinette. She can't leave her family for some time? She has been able to do that many times before, she would be once more and she is going to continue doing that as long as she's Ladybug. I don't buy the whole thing at all. They just wanted to make another Alya fanservive episode, that's all. There's no logic behind it. Because there's still no enough Alya favouritism this season. She needs to get absolutely every type of favouritism that's any possible.
They also needed absolutely kill the uniqueness of Marinette and Adrien and their relationship. I can't treat the ying-yang Miraculous as the special ones in comparison to others anymore if non-main character (good or bad one) is using any of them. I don't think it's good for narration. In my opinion the ladybug and cat Miraculous and the whole Miraculous secrets thing should be shared only between heroes choosen by Fu at the start of the story. I hate that Alya is involved in everything all of sudden and out of nowhere. If she was the main character from the start, it would be different, but now it feels just wrong to me. Like she's interrupting. Especially that since it's happening, Adrien is kept completely in the dark. She is ignored not only by Marinette and also by the narration. And I know I need to keep to explain once more: that's not problem with Alya herself, I don't want anyone to be favoured as much as she is, even if it was a character I love like Kagami or Alix.
That's of course not objectively wrong thing, that's just my personal preference. In my own ideal scenario no one should be favoured by Marinette and the narration as a hero from all the back-up holders. No one should be permanent Miraculous wielder or everyone should be. Adrien and Marinette should be only ones keepers of the Miraculous lore in the heroes team. It seems the creators have different opinion, that's their show, but I'm sad that because of that I won't be able to like it as much as I was used to before. I don't feel that Adrien, Marinette and relationship between them is any special anymore. There's nothing left unique shared only between them two. Alya has just got the last thing: one of the ying-yang Miraculous. And I would always hate it.
How could Trixx sounds reasonably all of sudden though he wasn't before? This is why I'm keeping saying that this season is extremely inconsistent. This show's never really been completely, but this season it's turned up to the eleven. It's like the characters don't have constant personalities anymore, they can do anything, no matter if it fits them or not, when it's needed for the plot. If Trixx was supposed to be completely reckless, just like Alya, it's okay, but be consistent! If he is aware that she is not responsible enough, he should warn her much before and point out her selfish actions like taking the Miraculous without asking the guardian.
But Tikki is not any better. She has been established as very careful Kwami in previous seasons, who's scolding/warning Marinette when she's doing/planning wrong things. It's not the case anymore this season. Marinette is doing the most stupid and irresponsible things since she's Ladybug, but Tikki doesn't react at all. And if, she only supports her at doing those idiotic things. How stupid do the writers think we are? That no one would even notice how much Tikki (and not only her) is out of character this season?
Or maybe it's not that Trixx is not that much written inconsistent (still it's true that Tikki is completely out of character). I've been writing this post while watching the episode (also because it's easier to handle when I'm taking breaks), but I started this paragraph before seeing the whole scene and at the end it looks like Trixx hasn't became careful out of nowhere, he is just jealous that Alya will transform into a ladybug-themed heroine if a villain appears on the weekend, not Rena Rouge. But that speaks very poorly about him. How could a Kwami be aware that's something wrong with his wielder attitude but doing nothing about that? That's potentially dangerous (there are unsubtle signs that Alya attitude could bring very bad consequences!!!) and the Kwamis should try to help their wielder to be better heroes and persons. That's what Tikki and Plagg have been doing in previous seasons, criticising them when it was needed.
They've made all the effort to design and model ladybug-themed suit for Alya, but they haven't composed an unique music theme for her transformation? If they just reusing something, why not one of Ladybug's themes (for Mr. Bug they used an alternative version of it, Lady Noire exactly the same like Chat Noir was using in seasons 1-3), but Pigella's one? It doesn't make sense at all. Like season 4 generally. ;)
And personally I'm not a fan of Scarabella desing. It's not awfully bad, but Alya looks a bit weird wearing it for my taste (I have a feeling she's somewhat unnatural), and the other ones from this season were better, especially Pigella and Purple Tigress. Rena Rouge's suit fits Alya much better in my opinion.
I've seen a post in which someone said that Marinette could not warn Chat Noir that there will be a replacement for her, because she had no time to meet with him in person. That's true, but that's still not a justification. There's no justification. Because you know, their magical phones exist, right? No matter what, she should have been find a bit time to transform into Ladybug and send him a message. That could take no more than a minute.
But no, Marinette has done the worst thing possible. Even the writers doesn't respect their own main character making her that much extremely dumb in that moment. Marinette is supposed to be smart and she has tendency to overthinking about the worst scenarios, there's no way she could believe everything will be good if the new ladybug wielder will appear out of nowhere without warning Chat Noir about a such possibility. That's not only stupid for her, it's also completely out of character.
More, she should have not been glad with him automatically trusting her without asking for any evidence she isn't another Shadow Moth's trap. That would mean he is completely irresponsible and stupid. But he still is, because he started to trust Scarabella way too easily. She hasn't shown him any hard evidence that's not a trap. Anyone could say she's trusted by Ladybug.
And that thing could be easily fixed: for example she might have hide somewhere and detransform to release Tikki from her Miraculous, who would show to Chat and explain that Scarabella is really someone who wears the earrings at Ladybug request. That's simple like that, but no, it's better to ruin the main characters even more. They were even detransformed close to each other, so why Tikki hasn't shown to him to make it sure?
Trying to Cataclysm Scarabella was not a wise and right thing to do. Yes, but still Chat doesn't deserve as much hate for doing it. He has full rights to think she's a villain. From his point of view that was the most logical reaction. I don't get why some people say he thought she's a villain wearing the real ladybug Miraculous, so he should be aware that using Cataclysm would destroy it. Hawk Moth has done a fake superhero at in season 1. Don't forget about Volpina. What she has done in the S1 finale? She has been trying to win the trust of real heroes and she had the same power like real a real fox-themed Miraculous hero. That's not hard to assume that's similar case. And that's previously happened to him, Ladybug sentimonster has tricked him, no wonder his first reaction was thinking Shadow Moth is trying the same thing again.
Gabriel is of course dumbed down once more buying so easily Scarabella's plan. There's no way Chat would ever Cataclysm the earrings for real, if he did it, there would be no one who could fix the damage done during the fight with Robostus and purify the akuma. And why he wasn't any surprised seeing a new wielder of the ladybug Miraculous? It hasn't been clear, but I'm sure if he would ever assume that Alya was Scarabella, it would happen only if it's going to be necessary for the plot. While it should have been obvious for him. He is aware Alya is the only person who's very close to Ladybug and he should have now realized that they had tricked him in Sentibubbler. Alya could not be Rena Rouge anymore, but she is still close to Ladybug. There's nothing about it in the episode itself and I highly doubt it will be later.
The last scene feels completely wrong. Totally wrong. No one other the Love Square scene made me as much uncomfortable as this one. Just no. NO! NO! NO! I can't stand seeing it that they made the any "romantic" atmosphere there, not when Ladybug treats Chat Noir like a shit. No, you can't just add a scene in which she reminds herself that she should laughing when he makes a joke to make him happy and think everything is okay, you gave the evidence that she still cares about Chat's feelings. That's just a lie telling him she will never abandon him, she has already done it. She has no right to say that, since she has replaced him with Rena and she isn't trusting him with anything, any of her plans with her best friend. Marinette could say as many times she want that she cares about him, they are only words. Her actions say something completely opposite.
Maybe I would see this scene different, if it Hack-san was released before Rocketear. But I'm glad it wasn't. It's the first time when I'm happy about random release order. Thanks to it, I can't be fooled by Ladybug. Since the next episode in the production order made it clear: Marinette hasn't learnt any lesson, she is still not going to tell any secrets to Chat. Her attitude towards him is not any better. And the fact that Alya needed to tell her he should know there's someone she trusts much more than him, speaks volumes how much disrespectful (and stupid) she is.
Adrien, you should give up on her completely. It's not healthy for you anymore to excuse her treating you that poorly. She doesn't deserve your faith in her. I'm so sorry, but the faster you realise it, the better for you.
At this point I'm even glad that there's zero development in Adrienette, that they aren't building their friendship like I expected they should this season, there're very few their scenes together alone and no one really significant. Because seeing them hanging out together even if only purely platonic, would also feel so wrong, knowing how terrible Marinette treats Adrien as Ladybug.
Now I'm even wondering, what's the point of Chat Noir being a permanent Miraculous holder? Events of Sentibubbler and Hack-san are showing that the fact she isn't involving him in her plans with Alya at all, makes him potentially very dangerous. In Sentibubbler he could ruin their plan, in this episode he could kill Scarabella. If she isn't going to tell him anything more, she should take away his Miraculous. There are other things that could go wrong. Like what if he would see Rena Furtive? He could attack her, because she isn't supposed to be active anymore. What if Shadow Moth would discover that Chat is kept completely in the dark? He could take advantage of it to create a villian/sentimonster who would try to trick him that they is someone sent by Ladybug.
Hey, Marinette, take away the cat Miraculous and give it to Alya. It's an easy way to fix all your problems! There would be no problems caused by a permanent hero kept in the dark. Alya would be happier when she would not have to hide anymore, as if you think Shadow Moth is not going to discover that Scarabella is your best friend, he wouldn't discover who's the new cat wielder as well, and you could say out loud she's your new partner, you already treat her like one and ignore the current cat wielder. Only Trixx would not be content with it, but you could just find him another wielder and the problem solved! And the last but not least: Chat Blanc would not happen anymore, his civilian self can't be akumatised into him!
What's the problem? He has been chosen by Master Fu? What does it matter? You don't follow his rules, so you can try another, better partner for you. You're the guardian, you can do whatever you want, all the Kwamis think you're never wrong! What else? His feelings? Don't pretend you still care about them, you're clearly not. Your best friend's well-being is much more important to you than his. And why we're talking about the feelings? No one's feelings are more important than safety of Paris and the world. Hey, the show has done everything to convince us that Alya is much more trustworthy, much better hero and partner than he has ever been, so that's the most logical route for you! She was better ladybug hero than him, so she would be better cat one as well!!! Alya is just perfect, none her actions are wrong, unlike his! So what are you waiting for?
The thing I really liked in this episode? Nooroo and Duusu's interaction. And animation quality, it's maybe the best animated episode this season. That's all. Thank you.
