Zobe101

Requirements: This is a casting for the teams. Not all the special, just those who would play the games. So, in this case, both the character's narrative needs and their aptitude for sports will be assessed. Furthermore, teams must consist of four people + Snow/Evil. So the lineup that featured nine players instead of eight has been cut, but there's an in-universe explanation for this!

Remain from the old cast:

Apple, Raven, and Darling are the three characters from the old cast who absolutely remain because they are fundamental to the plot, and it makes sense that they are there because they are either sports fans or emotionally attached to Evil and Snow.

Maddie is the cut character! The in-universe explanation is that, as in canon, Raven didn't want to participate, but when she saw that Snow recruited Maddie, she stepped in and took her place. Maddie is Raven's best friend and has major trauma related to EQ, so it makes sense that Raven decides to replace her to spare her any more pain.

Hot take: Lizzie could actually stay on the team, in my opinion. Both because it creates a nice contrast with Maddie, where she's overcome her trauma and is ready for revenge, and because Lizzie in the books canonically has military training and knows how to use a sword. So she's a useful asset.

As for the actual lineup changes:

Melody is replaced by Briar: Briar is an adrenaline junkie, so she definitely wants to participate. She's also involved in both sides because she knows Snow well from her friendship with Apple, but at the same time, she knows Evil's secrets well and has acted like her (Thornecoming). So it would make perfect sense for her to join Evil Queen's team.

Holly is replaced by Hunter: Here me out - Hunter is the jock of the group and is good with beasts, so he definitely wants to participate. Plus, his role in Snow White is literally balancing his loyalty to Snow White and the Evil Queen. So Snow would definitely want it, but he, as a rebel (like Raven), wouldn't be thrilled.

Poppy is replaced by Cerise: Here me out 2 - Cerise is canonically a great athlete. But most importantly: She's the daughter of Evil Queen's two school friends!! She probably knows who Cerise really is! So it makes sense for him to take her on the team. So there's drama because she's in conflict with Raven and Hunter, who she's friends with.

I'd probably replace Ashlynn with Daring. Both because he's the most qualified person for this situation, but also because this way the break in the games is more significant, because it happens when (during the break) Faybelle sends Daring into the mirror prison.

That whole Adrien would be alone without his father and Nathalie line of thought drove me crazy too because no he wouldn't. He has his bodyguard, his friends, his bodyguard, his aunt and cousin, his bodyguard, and most importantly HIS BODYGUARD. The gorilla, who's more attentive to Adrien than his father ever was. Who actively helps him do what brings him freedom and happiness even when he's disobeying his father(who really doesn't deserve to be obeyed). Who is the only person in Agreste Mansion not leading a double life. That guy?? Way more qualified to take care of Adrien. Gabriel just doesn't want to trust his son to someone who doesn't know his secrets.

I'm guessing not, and that is fine. She's the protagonist. She gets the perks, but then she also has to do the work. In this case the work is being the hero not just punching but *doing the right thing*. Gabriel was Hawkmoth. Gabriel is dead. Gabriel was Adrien's father. Adrien is a sentimonster. Marinette is one of a select few who know all these things. Among them she is the only primary character. so the duty falls to her, narratively. She is Ladybug. Nathalie spoke against the lie. Ladybug overrode her. Kagami spoke against the lie. Ladybug overrode her.

Marinette makes the statement of complete ownership of this plot in the London Special:

Bug Noire: Ladybug knows. Ladybug holds the truth. The whole world will know only what Ladybug will tell it. Her words will be the truth.

There's no gray area there. This is *her* lie to carry out or correct. Narratively there are two ways this goes down:

1)She confesses and faces some sort of minor blowback(because it has been so long)

2)She doesn't confess, but because others(including Lila) know aspects of the truth someone else uses her failure to do so as a weapon against her. Most likely Lila if they go that route.

There's no other remotely satisfying narrative outcome at this point. That's just how stories work. There's no need to wonder. It's writing.

If you want to complain that it's bad writing, well, I won't argue with you there. I've said for a while the Big Lie should never have been done, or should have been a quick fix(like Truth/Lies) at the beginning of S6. Dragging it this long has only given it a lot of narrative weight and made Marinette look... awful. They're trying to draw parallels between Marinette and Gabriel because someone in the writing room read you do that somewhere. They're also re-enacting the Peter Parker/Harry Osborne arc from Spiderman, but without taking into account all the ways the two are VERY DIFFERENT that make it just not work.

Marinette does deserve better, but not in a 'Poor Teenager carrying the burden' way. She's a protagonist, that's what she does. She deserves better in a 'Let the protagonist be the protagonist, not the antagonist in her own show' way. S6 Chrysalis is barely a presence. The major tension is the Big Lie, and Marinette is *not* the hero in that story.

It's definitely not a narrative choice I would have made for her story.

That whole Adrien would be alone without his father and Nathalie line of thought drove me crazy too because no he wouldn't. He has his bodyguard, his friends, his bodyguard, his aunt and cousin, his bodyguard, and most importantly HIS BODYGUARD. The gorilla, who's more attentive to Adrien than his father ever was. Who actively helps him do what brings him freedom and happiness even when he's disobeying his father(who really doesn't deserve to be obeyed). Who is the only person in Agreste Mansion not leading a double life. That guy?? Way more qualified to take care of Adrien. Gabriel just doesn't want to trust his son to someone who doesn't know his secrets.

I'm guessing not, and that is fine. She's the protagonist. She gets the perks, but then she also has to do the work. In this case the work is being the hero not just punching but *doing the right thing*. Gabriel was Hawkmoth. Gabriel is dead. Gabriel was Adrien's father. Adrien is a sentimonster. Marinette is one of a select few who know all these things. Among them she is the only primary character. so the duty falls to her, narratively. She is Ladybug. Nathalie spoke against the lie. Ladybug overrode her. Kagami spoke against the lie. Ladybug overrode her.

Marinette makes the statement of complete ownership of this plot in the London Special:

Bug Noire: Ladybug knows. Ladybug holds the truth. The whole world will know only what Ladybug will tell it. Her words will be the truth.

There's no gray area there. This is *her* lie to carry out or correct. Narratively there are two ways this goes down:

1)She confesses and faces some sort of minor blowback(because it has been so long)

2)She doesn't confess, but because others(including Lila) know aspects of the truth someone else uses her failure to do so as a weapon against her. Most likely Lila if they go that route.

There's no other remotely satisfying narrative outcome at this point. That's just how stories work. There's no need to wonder. It's writing.

If you want to complain that it's bad writing, well, I won't argue with you there. I've said for a while the Big Lie should never have been done, or should have been a quick fix(like Truth/Lies) at the beginning of S6. Dragging it this long has only given it a lot of narrative weight and made Marinette look... awful. They're trying to draw parallels between Marinette and Gabriel because someone in the writing room read you do that somewhere. They're also re-enacting the Peter Parker/Harry Osborne arc from Spiderman, but without taking into account all the ways the two are VERY DIFFERENT that make it just not work.

Marinette does deserve better, but not in a 'Poor Teenager carrying the burden' way. She's a protagonist, that's what she does. She deserves better in a 'Let the protagonist be the protagonist, not the antagonist in her own show' way. S6 Chrysalis is barely a presence. The major tension is the Big Lie, and Marinette is *not* the hero in that story.

The one chosen will be the design I’ll build upon! (Which means I’ll make alterations to improve it but I’ll use the design as a base)

from Canticle – Daniel 3:57-88, 56

It is an interesting question. I think Ford knew about Stan's affinity for comics and comic making, but I don't think he knew that Stan wanted to publish. That seems like something Stan had wanted to surprise everyone with, especially because he thinks his dad hates him and could very well be afraid other people do, too.

When Filbrick is yelling at Stan and goes "all you've ever done is lie, and cheat, and ride on your brother's coattails," it sounds like this is not the first time he's expressed a sentiment like that. So if Filbrick had already told Stan that by the time that flashback takes place, it could very well have been Stan trying to prove himself to him. But it didn't work out. It never does.