#anticat

First, no, I agree, he did not redeemed himself, I agree. However, in the finale, he himself stated that he crossed his own morality's line, in order to bring Emillie back. He was aware of his sctions, and somewhst of the consequences as well. It doesn't excuse it, I agree, but I would say, it's not madnes.

Secound; I think he did not "redeemed himself, but grow as a man. Minutes earlier, he was shouting about the only ones who are matters are him and his family, no matter, what the cost or who pays it. And yes, he could have brought back Emillie. Yes, he could have healed Nathalie. And yes, he could have saved himself. But at the end, HE paid the priece for his wish. My personal favorite thing was, he did not say the wish, but it was in his heart. So, yes, while I disagree with his actions and this being looked as a redemption, I rejoys he did what he did. Not because he becone a better person, but because he become a bigger one than he was before🙂

(well, it's just my oppinion, it's perfectly fine to think about this an other way, but I still like this ending very much 😊)

I kind of see what you mean, in the sense that it could have been way worse! He could have sacrified two random innocent people, or even two of his enemies (Ladybug and Chat Noir, Felix, maybe even Tomoe if he felt she was becoming a threat), healed himself, and brought Emilie back against her will.

But if you pay close attention to what Bug Noire says — this is not about sacrifice.

This is about not using magic as a way to solve your problems — the exact infraction that got us into this situation in the first place.

This is about facing the consequences of your actions, instead of running away from them.

But most importantly — this is about taking the chance, even if it is tiny, to live and make it up to Adrien.

@buggachat said it best in her Emilie VS Amelie post:

"He would rather be dead, with [Emilie], than alive and caring for his own son."

Because no one matters except them, and that sadly includes their child.

Being with his wife is what Gabriel always wanted. He won’t be around to experience the inevitable consequences of using black magic again. But Adrien will, as well as the other kids who are now forced to lie in an effort to maintain the illusion.

And you know what? This is what I like most about the finale — how unambiguous it is that Gabriel is still the bad guy, and that the choices he made, up until the very end, will continue to impact our heroes in this new era. So many abusers "see the error of their ways" on their deathbed — but it does little for their victims, who still have to live with the consequences.

Of course, I would have preferred to see Adrien confront him. He deserved it. But I absolutely see how this can lead to interesting conflict in the next season.