Until the final second of The Emperor's finale, slimy advertising executive Christian Savard (Jean-Philippe Perras) almost avoided trial by fleeing to Panama with the complicity of a local doctor who was as corrupt as he was irresponsible.
Published at 1:24 am. Updated at 7:15 a.m.
Honestly, if Christian the snake's escape plan had worked, I would have screamed like Martin Matte when he set up a frame in “The Beautiful Discontents.” Holy beep of the Tabar beep of the damn beep of the Cali beep!
We'll give him that, Christian: he always recovers. He constantly charms, pulls the last string or threatens an acquaintance to get out of trouble. He is a skilled and twisted narcissistic pervert who is never at the end of his rope.
But now it's over for this playboy with an inflated ego. Six years in prison for sexual assault, false imprisonment and administering a harmful substance. At the end of his cell, our snake man will have enough time to read “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu over and over again. Because surviving in prison, bearing the labels of pedophilia and predator, requires diabolically effective military strategies.
All winter, hundreds of thousands of us were angry and hoping for the worst for Christian Savard, one of the most hateful characters on the Quebec screen. We enjoyed watching the noose tighten around this Teflon attacker who defied all complaints and all statements from his victims.
We were happy when the polite Christian's armor shattered. We seethed as he bounced back with his divisive smile and confidence as a Bitcoin seller for the 27th time.
Screenwriter Michelle Allen has created a perfect character for Noovo to serve as a collectible release. A real villain with just enough nuance to play in our heads.
Yes, Christian was a sex maniac, there is no debate about that. But he was also a good family man who adored his two children, a talented publicist and a charismatic man. It is this duplicity worthy of the greatest psychopath that allowed him to operate for a very, very long time without anyone catching him.
The former boss of the Primal.e agency, Allison (Shoshana Wilder), played a less aggressive version of Christian Savard, but also out of place. Originally it was believed that Allison was living under the influence of the magnetic Christian who had bewitched her. With director Laurier (Gabriel Lemire), we quickly saw that Shoshana slips when she tastes power.
This finale of The Emperor, which aired on Wednesday night, was very satisfying and I don't think it would have been relevant to show the second trial of Christian Savard. It would have been a repeat of the intrigue surrounding Manuela Suárez (Noé Lira), who was the first to file a police report against the expert in credible lies.
On the other hand, why not have opened the door for a rapprochement between Manuela and Laurier? Over two busy seasons, “The Emperor” has shown that many romantic or sexual relationships in the office turn into nightmares. However, it is still possible to build healthy relationships between consenting adults in the workplace.
What stands out most in the second and final chapter of The Emperor is the extent to which the actions of a criminal like Christian Savard send a powerful shockwave through those around him – and even beyond.
Poor Audrey (Madeleine Péloquin) naively swallowed her manipulative brother's words and her own daughter Rosie (Léa Roy) fell into Christian's clutches. Audrey's relationship exploded.
Then Léa's grandfather Lionel (Jean L'Italien) probably committed suicide behind the wheel of his car. As for Lionel, the revelation of his pedophilia in no way excused the behavior of his son Christian, who was attacked by his own father at the age of 10. I think this information was revealed not to justify Christian's actions, but to show the twisted family context that also affected Audrey, her daughter Rosie and Christian's children, the eldest of whom was photographed by Lionel without his swimsuit top.
I also liked that Christian received the final slap (metaphorically) from Antoine (David Boutin), who thereby achieved his redemption.
When it comes to denunciations and the #metoo movement in the media, there is a lot of talk about gaslighting and grooming. The emperor specifically explains the complexity and impact of these terms. Cognitive embezzlement and manipulation of minors, you need to know how to recognize the signs.
I'm floating
With Paul in STAT
We want more animals in our series, please, as long as no one tortures them like they did in Beating Heart. The patient's assistance dog Didier Péloquin (Greg Beaudin), who injects himself with the arsenic-laced Ozempic, steals the show in several episodes of STAT. Even the most anti-animal surgeon Isabelle Granger (Geneviève Schmidt) succumbed to the canine charm of the handsome Paul, the most charming and lovable animal on screen. Long live pet therapy.
I avoid it
Cora’s “rebellious” side
For her dark-eyed customers (LOL!), Cora represents the enveloping grandma cake, handing us a sunny menu drawn by a 7-year-old child, filled with colorful fruits and mountains of sweet pancakes. In its new ads, the breakfast restaurant chain shows off its rebellious side with dishes such as Grilled Cheese Pizza, General Tao Putin and Chicken Gyros. This “queen and ox” type move doesn’t work. And a jaded TikToker would definitely say it's prison.