Our story begins with Edgar as a poor hungry child wandering the streets of Paris. Bet you didn't think such an evil villain would have such sympathetic beginnings, did you? Well, that shows what you know. And what's this? The young Edgar is playing with an alley cat? How could that be? Isn't Edgar supposed to hate cats? Why did he change? Well, you're about to find out!

Anyway, Edgar arrived home at the small hovel where he lived with his equally poor mother, Jeanne Balthazar.

"I have a special treat for you today, Edgar," she said. "I decided to spend all our remaining money so that you could have a real dinner."

"Hourra, maman!" said Edgar. "I can't wait to eat real food for once!"

What's this? Are we feeling sorry for... Edgar? How could we feel sorry for such a terrible villain? It's really incredible how this background information changes your perception, isn't it?

No sooner had Edgar finished the first real meal he had had in days, the door of their little hovel burst open and in came... Georges Hautecourt? That funny little lawyer from the original movie? Could there also be more to his character than you remember?

"Where's my rent, Madame Balthazar?!" he demanded.

"I'm sorry, Monsieur Hautecourt," Jeanne pleaded. "I used all my money to buy my little boy a decent meal for once."

"Well, you should have let him starve if you wanted him to have a roof over his head!" Georges laughed evilly. "You're evicted!"

Now there's a side to Georges Hautecourt you haven't seen before, huh? Think of all the implications this has for Georges and Edgar's relationship. Aren't you glad this story is filling in all these details for you?

"I refuse to leave until you give me a way to pay my rent and feed my only son!" Jeanne proclaimed wokely, demonstrating that she was a strong independent woman. Happy now, feminists?

"Fine, we'll do it your way, Madame Balthazar," Georges replied with a wicked grin. "I'll teach you what happens to poor women who refuse to take orders from rich white men like me!"

With that, he gestured for his minions to enter the room. Yes, Georges Hautecourt has minions now. Isn't it amazing how your perception of the character is changed by these new details? Anyway, the minions started rubbing catnip all over Jeanne's body in what you can read as a rape metaphor if you want, but if you don't, we have plausible deniability.

"What are you doing to my mother?" Edgar demanded to know, but Georges just laughed as he gestured to his minions again. They threw Jeanne out into the street, where an entire army of feral alley cats was waiting. Smelling the catnip, they all pounced on her at once. Then the starving felines ate her right before Edgar's traumatized eyes, rendering the poor boy afraid of cats. Georges just laughed like a maniac at what he had done. This new information really makes you appreciate Edgar's point of view, doesn't it?

"You are now an orphan, little boy," Georges told Edgar. "If you know what's good for you, you will do whatever child labor I tell you to do!"

"I will, Monsieur Hautecourt!" said Edgar, tears streaming down his youthful face. "I promise!"

Yes, it turns out that nasty villain Edgar was once reduced to tears by the death of his poor mother. This gives you a whole new appreciation for his character, right?

Anyway, Georges brought Edgar to the fancy home of Adelaide Bonfamille. Yes, that's "Madame" from the original film, and now we're finding out how she and Edgar first met. Isn't this incredible? Can you not wait to find out new things about her and her relationship with Edgar?

"Get that dirty street urchin out of here!" she shrieked, wrinkling her nose snobbishly.

As she said this, Adelaide was petting her pet kitten Duchess, whom you may remember was some unimportant animal character in the original film. Edgar cringed at the sight of the feline. Isn't it interesting how our knowledge of the previous scene provides some context for Edgar's otherwise reprehensible hatred of cats? That's how you know this is well-written.

"He's going to be your new servant," said Georges. "That way you'll have more time to practice your singing."

"But I'm so good already!" Adelaide insisted. Then she started singing really badly, revealing that she had zero talent and had only ever achieved any success as an opera singer due to her and Georges' money. That really changes your perception of the character, doesn't it?

"Just keep practicing, my dear," said Georges, with a forced smile. "You can always be better."

"What exactly will I be doing for her?" asked Edgar nervously.

"You'll be taking care of her cat!" declared Georges, unable to keep a straight face as he said it. He then proceeded to laugh so hard at his evil cleverness that he started wheezing for breath.

Isn't it interesting how this added background changes your view of the characters?

Well, isn't it?