Miraculous Ladybug Season 1 Episode 23 Simon Says
The episode begins with a live broadcast of the KIDZ+ competition program called Challenge in the TVi studio. Another candidate is Nino, his task is to make Mayor André Bourgeois dance.
At the bakery, Marinette learns that her parents are grounding her because of how often she misses school, including PE and social studies. Marinette tries to explain to her parents that Nino is counting on them to support him during the Challenge, but her father says that as long as her unexcused absences continue, she will stay home.
So Marinette accepts her punishment and goes to her room. Tikki tells Marinette that it’s not her parents’ fault because they don’t know she’s missing class to save the world. Marinette thinks this is unfair and Tikki agrees, but reminds her that if Nino wins, she can watch him on the show next week. Marinette turns on the computer and watches as Nino tries to complete his challenge.
In his lair, Hawk Moth finds the concept of the Challenge interesting because the TV show has the potential to evoke negative emotions.
Marinette tells Alya about her parents grounding her and Alya agrees much to Marinette’s surprise. Alya tells Marinette that she always shows up late and mysteriously disappears, and says that she almost suspects her of living a double life. Marinette jokingly tells Alya to give her a break.
Nino successfully gets the mayor to dance while Adrien watches for support and Alec calls in another contestant, a hypnotist named Simon Grimault. Alec tells Simon that his job is to hypnotize Gabriel Agreste into coming to the studio. But when Gabriel refuses to participate, Simon is automatically disqualified. Sensing Simon’s frustration at not even getting a chance to perform, Hawk Moth sends an akuma after him.
Akuma possesses Simon’s pack of hypnotic cards, and Hawk Moth offers Simon powers that make him a powerful hypnotist, so he is akumatized into Simon Says. He uses his cards to hypnotize Alec’s bodyguard and Adrien, who both become his servants.
Marinette is still watching the show and sees these events unfold. Despite mentioning to Tikki that she is still grounded, Tikki says she has no choice but to transform into Ladybug. Tikki then orders Marinette to put a pillow under the sheet to make her parents think she is asleep. Marinette transforms into Ladybug and heads to the studio.
In the studio, Adrien transforms into Cat Noir. Simon Says announces that since Gabriel refused his challenge, he will make him pay by entertaining the audience at the TV studio until midnight, much to Cat Noir’s shock. Hawk Moth hears Simon Says’ announcement and thinks that although it’s risky, it gave him an idea.
Cat Noir then jumps on Simon Says and demands that he give him his cards. Simon Says sends Adrien’s bodyguard to fight Cat Noir. As the two fight, Simon Says uses his powers to enslave the people in the building and sends them to find Gabriel Agreste. Ladybug arrives at the studio to find Nino hiding in the recording room. Nino explains that Adrien is somewhere in the studio, so they both start looking for him
After throwing his bodyguard into the elevator, Cat Noir uses his Cataclysm on the elevator’s control panel, causing it to fall down the shaft. Cat Noir then meets up with Ladybug and Nino and they conclude that Simon Says is after Gabriel. Cat Noir tells them that they have to get to the Agreste mansion before Simon Says, but they realize that he is about to detransform. Ladybug tells Cat Noir that she’s going to look for Nina’s friend, but Cat Noir tells her to forget it since he was probably hypnotized. Nino tells Cat Noir that Adrien is his buddy, so Cat Noir agrees to let him look for him and tells them to meet him at Gabriel Agreste’s mansion later. After Cat Noir escapes and detransforms, he meets up with Ladybug and Nino and they all head to the mansion.
At the mansion, Gabriel refuses to listen when Adrien tries to warn him about Simon Says and sends Adrien and Nino to Adrien’s room with Nathalie. Gabriel then apologizes to Ladybug for Adrien’s behavior, saying that he is just like his mother. When Ladybug tries to warn Gabriel about how dangerous Simon Says is, he replies that he trusts her to protect him.
Once Adrien gets to his room with Nino, he tells Nino that he needs to take a shower. He transforms into Cat Noir in the bathroom.
Meanwhile, Ladybug admires Gabriel’s photos of Adrien and agrees with Gabriel when he says that Adrien is perfect. Gabriel takes a particular interest in Ladybug’s earrings and reaches out to take a closer look, but before he does, Ladybug calls Cat Noir, who tells her that Simon Says is coming.
Cat Noir meets Ladybug and Gabriel in Gabriel’s office and warns them that Simon Says and his army have arrived and tells Gabriel to activate the mansion’s defense system. Afterwards, Gabriel asks Cat Noir how he knows so much about the system, to which Cat Noir replies that there will definitely be one in a house like his. Meanwhile, Simon Says’ minions begin breaking through the mansion’s defenses.
Ladybug and Nathalie go to Adrien’s room to make sure he and Nino are okay. Cat Noir tells Gabriel to hide in the atrium because it’s not safe where he is right now, but Gabriel refuses to listen to Cat Noir, saying that no one, not even a superhero, tells him what to do. Cat Noir gets angry and tells Gabriel that he is in danger like everyone else and to do as he is told, much to Gabriel’s surprise. He tells the superhero that he reminds him of someone. After Cat Noir leaves, Gabriel is faced with a portrait of his wife.
Simon Says is delighted as his army is about to break into the mansion. However, Hawk Moth strangely tells Simon Says that he doesn’t think what he’s doing is such a good idea and to remember their deal. Simon Says assures Hawk Moth that he will defeat Ladybug and Cat Noir.
Ladybug warns Nino what’s going on and he and Nathalie leave Adrien’s room as Ladybug calls Adrien to get out of the shower. Cat Noir climbs into the bathroom window and hears Ladybug calling for Adrien. It quickly detransforms when the shower is turned on. Ladybug opens the shower door and tells Adrien that she has to go, freaking out when she realizes that Adrien might not be wearing any clothes. Adrien says he needs to get dressed and then they can go.
