Episode 7 - Dark Cupid 2

Maybe Someday by The Cure is the song I chose for this episode. The Cure are one of my favourite bands and this track ties in with the sensations that Tangle and Queen Bee are going through, at least on the surface.

Stealing Attention

The over-the-top declaration that she and Tangle are in a relationship, despite what Ladybug and Nadja told Paris during The Maelstrom: Part 2, feels perfectly in character for Chloé. The difference is that now she has a more altruistic reason to lean into her ego; she’s still Chloé Bourgeois, but she’s channelling her powers for slightly better reasons now. I really wanted to establish that, against all odds, Chloé and Max are becoming friends, so she’s pulling the attention from him. I also wanted to show some of the issues that Maria and Chloé had because of Chloé’s impulsive decision during the Maelstrom.

It gave me a moment to show more about how the Rogues are integrating with Ladybug and the others, as well as the frustrations that Marinette is going through – although now, at least, she has Alya to help her.

Resisting an Akuma

When I first watched Miraculer I was so impressed with Chloé for resisting the Akuma (although I was obviously pretty annoyed with how she treated Sabrina in the episode). Given Papillon later in the show pushed Chloé again and she gave in, it made sense that he would want to try to create his own world’s version of Heart Hunter/Miracle Queen. Luckily, this version of Chloé has had the encouragement and support from Ladybug, allowing her to remain a hero.

Lila’s Influence

This was what I meant when I said that Lila would be significant for the rest of Season 2 – Up until the Gorilla made him promise to leave Adrien’s friends alone, Papillon Akumatised people from the school far more than was healthy. In Miraculous: Contingency, he’s got extra eyes in the school by working with Lila. He’s broken the Gorilla’s rules here by Akumatising Kim, but I don’t think he cares.

Forced Akumatisation

This was another moment where the show’s eventual direction mirrored something I’d come up with independently in Miraculous: Contingency. The show’s Papillon created Megakumas for a different reason, but there was a lot in common. It seemed to me to be a logical step for Papillon to take after Chloé demonstrated she had the ability to resist an Akuma. It’s one of the most unpleasant things in Miraculous: Contingency, so I wanted it to have side effects. The show has subsequently shown that using a Miraculous with evil intent has side effects, so that seems to track.

Dark Cupid 2

There’s one thing that annoys me about bringing this Akuma back, and that’s that I had no other choice – Papillon was supposed to be staying away from the school (although he considers Chloé fair game, despite the Gorilla’s warning)

It was a fun way to explore Ladyug and Chat Noir’s new relationship, now that both of them have partners and clearly they can’t be a couple anymore (you know what I mean…). It also helped me get to a point where, despite officially breaking up, Chloé and Maria now have a chance to explore something more real.