Spoiler warnings for season six’s finale.
The wait is almost over for audiences following the chronicles of Ladybug and Cat Noir, as we now have our first look at the first episode of the seventh season, “Replay Value (The Right Time Part 1).”
Two-part episodes are nothing new for “Miraculous,” but opening the season with one says a lot. Given everything that came out of the season six finale, it feels right that there is already so much to unpack before the story goes even deeper.
And based on the teaser, it looks like there are a lot of emotional punches ahead for our characters.
There is no clear confirmation of any type of time skip, but it is very clear that the impact of Lila’s last move, along with Marinette’s struggles and confession, is weighing heavily on her, Adrien and even Alya.
“Miraculous” does many things extremely well, including focusing on character emotions and relationship dynamics, and this episode leans into that heavily.
The teaser starts off with Marinette clearly upset and crying as she looks at Adrien’s contact on her phone. We know Alya remained persistent after discovering the partial truth about Gabriel being Hawk Moth, leading her to insist that Marinette tell Adrien. That’s incredibly complicated, given that Marinette’s dual lives, deep care for Adrien and fear of losing him are all working against what she knows deep down is right. But sometimes, like in this case, doing the right thing isn’t easy, and there’s no way to address it without major costs.
Adrien deserves to know the truth, but it could shatter his already fractured state. He’s only now able to live freely, and losing his father has damaged him, even though Gabriel was no parent of the year. Learning that Gabriel was Hawk Moth could be enough not only to break him, but to get him akumatized himself. That would break Marinette all over again.
We quickly see a scene of Adrien alone in his room, looking up at the night sky and appearing upset as well, so it’s clear his own emotions aren’t settled either.
It’s little wonder we see scenes of the two, together and apart, looking upset as they try to reach each other. The teaser ends with Marinette rushing back to Adrien, umbrella in hand, in a scene that recalls how they first connected: during a rainstorm. The emotions are already building, and tissues may be required viewing.
At the same time, something is going on within their extended friend group. While that will likely play a role in this episode, the key thing is Lila. We see her in her lair with Nooroo, growing angrier and more fixated on what we can assume is Marinette’s identity as Ladybug. And sadly, our poor kwami is her punching bag. Poor guy.
Since this is a two-parter, and “Miraculous” has a reputation for major impacts coming out of those entries specifically, this feels big. The series’ new tagline is that the world is changing, and it looks like those changes start here. How big will the first shifts be? Will the long-awaited, seemingly endgame couple split after only one season together?
Those are answers we can’t wait to uncover this season.