#ml pretension

[buggachat]

if she needed someone who'd protect her, she'd just date chat noir

[ijustliketoreadstuff]

How did Gabriel end up being so corrupt?

In "Pretension", as Gabriel and Marinette explained their views over what fashion is, they set out their morals in front of each other, each viewing the others with just as much ridicule and disapproval. While Marinette focused more on being empathetic in viewing fashion as a means to take inspiration from people and create clothes that would benefit them as they make their choices throughout their life's journey, Gabriel focused on viewing fashion as a marketing strategy he could control to decide for others what their choices in life should be.

The sad thing is Gabriel was not always the corrupt man we see now. Back in "Style Queen", when Audrey was introduced, she explained that Gabriel was once a man living in a studio she considered dismal(gloomy), making designs she viewed as "unworldly", in other words, they were primitive and unsophisticated in her eyes before she gave him his big break and he started making designs fit for marketing, so needless to say, Gabriel used to be a man with no cultural relevance and no money or status tied to his name, being every bit the fashion designer he now ridiculed Marinette for being, but somewhere along the way, Gabriel began to lose himself.

Emelie obviously would not have approved of the choices Gabriel made as time went on in his life as a famous fashion designer, her being someone who was originally born into high society, Emelie would have been used to seeing many people put their love in the wrong place and change their sense of right and wrong the more they learned to value privilege. However, Gabriel was one such person she must have viewed at a time as someone who would not fall into such a way of life. But then again, more often than not, its typical to think that only those of high status and power are capable of corrupt acts, and yet we see people like Emelie and Amelie, both woman of high nobility, be everything they could to be a good person and a good mother, upholding honesty and love and willingly showing just how much they disapproved of the lack of compassion and understanding Gabriel and all those at the diamonds dance had towards others who needed help. Which goes to show that most corrupt acts are not committed by those we would stereotypically picture as bad people, its a story of someone, anyone, taking just one small step to rationalize why they cheat, lie and hurt those around them as they hardly consider the long term consequences of their actions.

Back in "Evolution" alone, when Gabriel saw his past with Emelie, we see that even after succeeding in obtaining his fortune, Gabriel was still genuinely kind and loving, that was the man Emelie fell in love with. But for a poor man like Gabriel, who rose to fame in the world, it must have been quite the sight the more he saw a side of society that rewarded power over principles, success over sincerity, wealth over wisdom, and it all quickly became a lifestyle for him too the more those things allowed him a shortcut through all his problems. However, what truly began to change everything, change him, was the one problem in his life he could not fix, Emelie's health.

As Emelie's health began to suffer from the broken peacock miraculous throughout the years, Gabriel started taking step after step to do things the good part of him would never do, becoming a slightly different person along the way who began to view situations much differently, until eventually even he took on a different opinion of dishonesty and would only continue to spiral the closer he came to the realization that the good man he was could not help Emelie. Emelie was Gabriel's weakness, he loved her so much that she was ultimately the one part of his life that would be enough to push him to keep falling deeper with the idea that any line was worth crossing if it meant he could protect her.

But for Gabriel to draw his own line the deeper he let himself fall into that corrupt way of life, the more he convinced himself he was the one standing on the right side. Those like Marinette, Nathalie, Emelie, Amelie etc. who tried to reason with him about what was right and wrong, well, he saw no reason to take their word if they were only going against what he now believed in, which was that every short cut he took, every cruel act he carried out, every lie he spoke was perfectly rational, if what he was doing was for the better interest of his family. That stubbornness alone to not see his actions were destroying him and his family was the result of his pride being too great for him to set aside and admit he had to stop, and he didn't, it grew into a habit, the behavior of which we saw time and time again was progressively getting worse.

(Throughout the seasons, Gabriel falls into a state of denial, refusing to accept others attempts to reason with him as he focuses on maintaining control, all the while trying to rationalize that everything he does, is for the happiness of his family)

He tried to rationalize why it was for Adrien's best interest to keep him locked away indoors rather than go out in public and interact with friends and see the world, he tried to rationalize why it was for Emelie's best interest that he ignore her videos where she spoke her final please to stop searching for a way to revive her and instead began a life as a supervillain to terrorize civilians as a means to find and take the miraculous, he tried to rationalize why it was for the best interest of both Kagami and Adrien's perfectly planned future as well as their families that they date again despite them trying to speak out about not wanting to, after their breakup made them realize they were not right for each another etc. etc. No matter what he said or did, everything always boiled down to one thing, a desperation to control everything he could with the position of power no one but him could have.

Gabriel, who once was a man who would have bonded with Marinette over what it truly meant to use his skill to make clothes for others, changed the day he used his position of power as a means to control the one thing in his life he couldn't prevent, Emelie's death. But of course, the more that didn't turn out the way he had hoped, what more could a person in his position want than to have something in their lives they could control, and for Gabriel, it was fashion and family.

The illusion of choice Gabriel built revolved around one major lie where he was convinced that everyone's livelihood depended on fitting into a world where the perfection he advertised had to be upheld, and for years, Gabriel remained in a position where he maintained that illusion, because everything had to be as perfect as he remembered things were from a time when Emelie was still around. His son was perfect in his eyes, his wife was perfect, their lives were perfect, and the whole world could be that way too, but the more Gabriel failed to defeat Ladybug to obtain the miraculous, and the more Marinette involved herself in the Agreste family, was all the more reason why Gabriel spiraled into madness as he realized the control he would normally have over others began to slip away from his grasp. What he did out of love for Emelie and Adrien was now nothing more than an excuse to hide his obsession and his madness.

Sure, Marinette knew Gabriel was strict, but she had always admired and respected him as a fashion designer and believed that no matter the circumstances, he would be willing to do what was right for Adrien. However, it was there in "Pretension" that she finally saw Gabriel was far from the man she thought he was, he was a man desperate to maintain control, living a way of life where he loved to see just how powerless people were in comparison to him as he saw it right to force his idyllic vision of perfection, to include only those he deemed perfect into the world he would create with a wish from using the miraculous once Emelie came back, and Marinette was not one of them.

In Gabriel's eyes, what Marinette had to say in the kitchen didn't matter in the slightest, and neither did her love for Adrien, because to him, Marinette's love was just a sign that his years of control in the world was working. Gabriel advertised Adrien as an image of perfection he decided the public had to love, so of course Marinette was just someone he succeeded in convincing to think the way he wanted, there was no real love, there was no future either. Worst of all, Gabriel confidently said all these things while trying to force a bribe onto Marinette so she could break up with Adrien.

Gabriel was not afraid of being judged for trying to break up Marinette and Adrien and neither was he afraid of being punished for it, because there was no punishment for him to think about no matter what anyone decided. For years now, Gabriel had now lived in a world where he hadn't faced consequences in a long time, and when that kind of opportunity is readily available for him, or anyone for that matter, of course the mask of being a good person begins to slip. Gabriel had the opportunity to cross the line and be cruel towards someone like Marinette and he took it. At the end of that conversation, when Marinette decided to leave without giving Gabriel an answer to the choices he was offering her, which was to accept the bribe of having a prosperous future without Adrien as a fashion designer or having no future at all, she didn't tell anyone or Adrien what went on in that kitchen, because no matter what she said against Gabriel, Marinette knew Gabriel was the one who had the position of power to buy anyone's silence, to bend the truth and just walk away free.

Now, Marinette may not have had the means to convince Gabriel that she was not some fan of Adrien's who got lucky and that the love they shared was genuine and would last a lifetime, but she did have the means to do what no one dared to do, she went against Gabriel and tore down his illusion by giving him one cold harsh truth no one ever had the courage to tell him, not Adrien, not Nathalie, and maybe not even Emelie either, that his way of thinking was outdated and tasteless just like his pancakes, no one liked it. And for someone like Gabriel to hear those words was interesting, him being someone who quietly allowed himself to do certain things, have habits he excused, make choices he tried justifying no matter how wrong they were, all the while continuing to carry flaws he decided were acceptable to carry out because they were his, all led up to one moment near the end of "Pretension". Given the choice between considering Marinette's words to see that his way of thinking was wrong or continue to live dishonestly to maintain control, he chose control.

To no ones surprise, Gabriel chose to keep beleiving there was no wrong in his logic and reason and instead decided to cross the line again, turning a blind eye to the consequences. If he couldn't bribe Marinette to break up with Adrien, then at the very least he could ensure Marinette would fail in her promise to always be there for him, by keeping Adrien as far away as possible, in London. What's terrifying about this whole situation with Gabriel and how he turned into such a dishonest person, is just how easily someone with even the most noble intentions can fall into this way of thinking, and all it takes is one moment of opportunity for someone, anyone, to step away from their moral compass and find reason to excuse just one act, rationalize one choice, maintain one lie.

[bittersweetresilience]

sentitwins for the sentitwin lovers

BONUS

[nyanms]

I love them too🥰

[alenachelk]

I want him to look even more pathetic in this moment than he already is.

[geekgirles]

Me when Marinette roasted Gabriel's baking skills after he spent the whole episode putting her down:

[purrincess-chat]

At this rate Adrien is on his way to one day being the author of "I'm Glad My Dad Died" in his late 20s.

[fortuna-et-cataclysmos]

Season 5 and the symbolism of pancakes

Guys, I swear I have a life outside of speculating the meaning behind pancakes in Miraculous...

But seriously, they're important. They symbolise the future (as made explicit in Pretention).

[Small note: they look like pancakes, they're called "pancakes" in the French dub, I don't know if they taste like pancakes, but I do know that they are not "French toasts" as the English dub claims. So I'll stick to "pancakes"]

Illusion

So we are introduced to the pancakes in Illusion, where for the first time Adrien sees his father in the kitchen, preparing breakfast.

Seems benign enough. Gabriel is even considered enough to ask Adrien how he likes his pancakes. He likes them "well-toasted."

Illusion is an episode where Gabriel fakes having changed, and him giving Adrien a choice is in line what that change. Of course, he still manipulates him into making him think that he has the freedom to not be the face of the Alliance, by basically threatening to withhold his newly expressed fatherly love if Adrien refuses to agree with him (more on that in this post). Pancakes are just a device for Gabriel to add to his illusion of good parent, and the illusion that Adrien has a choice.

Passion

Adrien and Gabriel are in the kitchen. Adrien is looking at his extremely decorated pancakes.

As we learn from Nathalie a second later, he likes his pancakes plain. She tells him to not eat them "to please his father", while Gabriel seemingly naively points out that if Adrien didn't want bananas, he could have told him.

Sure he could tell him, except that the last time Adrien asked for something from Gabriel -to not be the face of Alliance-, he emotionally manipulated him to withdraw his request, and even made him wear the said Alliance.

The bananas and the fancy toppings are basically a metaphor for the fancy model life Gabriel wants to give Adrien, while Adrien really doesn't want any of it. And just as many people like toppings on their pancakes, they also would like to have a life of fame, hence think Adrien is lucky (as seen in the S4 Finale). Meanwhile, Adrien doesn't want any of it, he likes his pancakes and and his life plain and simple, "au naturel".

Nonetheless, Adrien still continues eating his father's pancakes, saying that he doesn't mind, that he likes them.

Pretension

This is where the pancake business gets serious.

First, we learn that indeed, Gabriel's pancakes taste bad. Plagg cheers for being saved from eating another serving of Gabriel's pancakes. This is bordering to over analysis but, given that Plagg couldn't eat them while Gabriel is in the kitchen, I assume that's Adrien's opinion which he must have confessed to Plagg at a more appropriate time. And still, Adrien keeps eating his father's pancakes.

Later in the episode, the pancake/future metaphor is expressed very clearly by Gabriel. He tells Marinette that she can have her pancake and life however she wants it, but the one thing she can't do is to share it with Adrien.

He says very clearly:

You think that you have a choice, but all you have is the illusion of a choice. And I decide which choices you get.

And where do we get this exact claim in practice? In the episode Illusion, where Gabriel manipulates Adrien into thinking that he has a say over his future, while Gabriel is the one making all the choices that matter.

And he gives two "choices" to Marinette:

To eat the pancake, receive Gabriel's backing and be a famous designer

To refuse the pancake and have nothing

Once more, the way he frames it, Gabriel gives the illusion that Marinette has a choice, while neither of the two choices includes being with Adrien. So he basically leaves her with no choice but to break up with him.

Now comes the breaking point. Marinette fully understands that the pancakes are a metaphor for her and Adrien's future, and she continues the same metaphor to get her message across to Gabriel (talk about power move).

First, she refuses to eat them. She has "lost her appetite."

This refusal is in contrast with Adrien who kept eating them even though he didn't like them. Unlike him, Marinette "doesn't even need to try them to know that they are bad."

Normally, this is to be understood as her making the choice no 2: refuse the pancake and have nothing.

As such, she is escorted out the kitchen. The scene composition clearly shows that she is stuck between Gabriel on the one side, and the Gorilla on the other.

Because, she refused the pancake. Per Gabriel's rules, she is supposed to have nothing.

But Marinette defies that. Not only she runs upstairs to hug and tell Adrien that she'll never abandon him, but she also gets back downstairs without needing to be restrained by the Gorilla, hence protecting her composture.

Look at how she goes down the stairs, having not only the physical but also the moral high-ground:

She looks so intimidating that in the next frame, even the Gorilla steps aside to let her pass. Both Gorilla and Gabriel are surprised by her move, if you zoom in you can see it in their faces. Gabriel did not expect her to do something outside the two "choices" he had given her.

And then comes the death blow, where Marinette tells Gabriel:

You know what's your pancakes problem? They have too much flour and not enough butter. You use an outdated recipe, no one likes them like that anymore.

Yup. She calls Gabriel's entire fashion, but also life practices, outdated with one simple metaphor. My girl slays.

At the end of Pretention, during dinner (no pancakes here sorry), we see that a parallelling breakthrough happens in Adrien's front.

Gabriel tells Adrien that he can spend as much as time as he wants with Marinette, for he will be in London next year. Again, Gabriel is creating the illusion that he is free to date Marinette, except that, as Adrien now realises, he is not. Adrien gets visibly furious at his father for the first time.

He does quickly calm down, but what is his reaction? He says that he has "lost his appetite," just like Marinette did. The boy who kept eating badly made pancakes with the toppings he didn't like finally refuses to eat the illusions his father is feeding him.

This, coupled with Adrien's terror at going to his room at the beginning of the episode, leaving Marinette alone despite himself, become a turning point for him: he finally acknowledges that he isn't free, and that his father keeps forcing his decisions onto him. Maybe also getting one step closer to discovering/accepting that he is a sentibeing.

All this story, told through pancakes.