Guardian Episode by Episode: 10

[extrapenguin]

Welcome to the rewatchalong! We have now reached episode 10, i.e. we are a quarter of the way through the series! The Imgur screencap album has 51 images.


Previously on:
Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8, Episode 9

This week, we are in the Hanga arc proper, and learn Wang Zheng's backstory.

Introductions/the Hanga story
We get our proper introduction to Sang Zan. He was born a slave, and the Hanga Patriarch killed his sister. When his brother went to ask for justice, the Patriarch's son killed him. This left only Sang Zan to poach birds to get medicine for his sick mother. As luck would have it, he met the Patriarch's daughter, Ge Lan (Wang Zheng), who found him cute, and then he used that relationship and her naïve encouragement of his ideals of everyone being equal to stage a slave rebellion, assassinate the Patriarch and his son, and become the next Patriarch himself.


He kept Wang Zheng by his side, the only person who could protect her from the hatred of the rest of the Hanga.

He tried to rule with Wang Zheng as his ... queen, I guess, and I supposed he loved her, since he was going to abdicate responsibility and run away with her when they were captured and Wang Zheng executed. He also tried to bring her back with the Awl, then buried her with it when he failed. (We're also told he changed after that. We'll find out more next episode.)


This was my favorite Wang Zheng moment.

Characterization
Zhao Yunlan rebuffs Shen Wei's information-gathering attempt, then when Shen Wei tries to accompany them on the way, he asks Zhu Hong (who is also suspicious of Shen Wei) to keep Shen Wei in place, all while playing with social niceties/pretending he doesn't suspect Shen Wei.


Nothing to see here, Professor!

After Wang Zheng's infodump on the Hanga story, Zhao Yunlan has formed an insight on Sang Zan's character – "A man's most basic dignity is to let his loved ones be safe." When the Envoy agrees with this, Zhao Yunlan looks at him as if in surprise. Shocked that the Envoy is so human?

I love how Shen Wei keeps wearing Zhao Yunlan's jacket very possessively. It also guards us viewers from the very STEM Prof fashion choice of detachable plaid sleeves, so go ahead, Shen Wei.

As the Envoy, Shen Wei teleports between Zhao Yunlan's gun (which is likely the only thing in this place that can seriously hurt him, WTF was this choice, Shen Wei) and the ghost beasts, then kills the ghost beast that was trying to hut Zhao Yunlan. Maybe he noticed Zhao Yunlan's hesitation on using the gun?

In any case, the separation is slipping – Zhao Yunlan already remarked that the Envoy resembles Shen Wei, and some of Shen Wei's remarks about how Zhao Yunlan should turn back and go make much more sense as a continuation of the conversation he had with Professor Shen than as something the Envoy would spontaneously say.

Shen Wei as the Envoy is "limited to half his powers" and can't stay too long on the surface. Even now, he aches – what is it about Haixing that oppresses him?


Either that, or it was just a convenient excuse for the heartache he has from liking Chief Zhao so much.

We also get some nice grabbing from the Envoy, who doesn't immediately release Zhao Yunlan's arm afterwards.


Pls no rushing into danger.

Zhu Hong obeys Zhao Yunlan's instructions and stays to take care of Professor Shen, even if she'd love to be charging into danger with Zhao Yunlan.


The power of politeness confines Shen Wei to this social engagement he would rather not be a part of.

Another bit I liked was Chu Shuzhi! He was the one who used literature review and geometry to figure out where Wang Zheng was likely going/the location of the third Hanga holy site. Just because he's the field team and the muscle doesn't mean he's dumb.

Then there's the bit where Guo Changcheng successfully uses his "fear to electricity" shock rod ... to shock Zhao Yunlan in the back. Chu Shuzhi finds this hilarious. This is likely another indication of Chu Shuzhi not respecting Zhao Yunlan's leadership, but let's be real, it works just as well as Chu Shuzhi feeling like this is vicarious justice for all the years Zhao Yunlan was an asshole towards Dixingians.


Chu Shuzhi approves.

Zhu Jiu has lines he won't cross, whether for moral or pragmatic reasons. He outright reassures Wang Zheng that rape is not on the menu, only torture.


Don't worry, I prefer to keep my pants on.

Canon notes

• Snakes have different (more drug-resistant?) metabolisms to humans, but cats don't.
• This is the first occasion Zhao Yunlan has been betrayed by a team member.
• Zhu Jiu says to Sang Zan, "Trapped here for so many years without dying – which of us is the real monster?" Given that Sang Zan has been empillared for a century, this would imply that Dixingians' lifespans are less than a century (or that, at least, they would show significant signs of age at that point).
• The Awl was on the surface a century ago. No evidence on the other Hallows' disappearance – same time vs different time – or whether the disappearance was noticed immediately or only after delay.

Cinematography
Lots of shots of our characters from afar and/or slightly above.




I also like this shot:


The Hanga costumes look a bit East European to me, at least Wang Zheng/Ge Lan's dress. I suppose it's an amalgam of stuff that read as non-Han?


Zhao Yunlan jacket watch
Only the one jacket he wore yesterday as well. Notorious jacket thief Shen Wei has yet to return that North Face jacket.


Shen Wei shoes watch
No shots of Shen Wei's footwear.

Did Shen Wei take off his glasses?
Not on screen.

Comments

[fangirlishness]

I can comment just fine. *g*

I am just at that exact point in the novel, where Wang Zheng tells them her story, and I always liked how parallel the show is to the novel this early on.

The fire rod thing is very similar in the novel, too.

[extrapenguin]

Has everyone decamped for the weekend, then? *g*

Huh, interesting. Is Sang Zan/Wang Zheng supposed to be a wholesome ship we're meant to cheer for there as well? I must confess it's a NOTP based on the pieces of Sang Zan characterization we get here.

...what's the fire rod?

[fangirlishness]

I got a few comments on my wiki promo here, but no reaction on the discord. Looks like people are away (which is... unusual. Normally, Saturdays are the best days for everything.)

Yes, the way I understood it, Sang Zan and Wang Zheng are definitely supposed to be a wholesome couple we're meant to ship. He used to be a really nice guy in the novel, but then the village decided to kill Wang Zheng and he snapped? Or something? (I have to reread the chapters around 35-45, I forgot some of it.) There are some parallels to Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan there, also in the drama when Zhao Yunlan mentions that he completely understands his actions.

...what's the fire rod?

The thing Lin Jing made for Guo Changcheng. In the novel, Zhao Yunlan makes it for Guo Changcheng, and it spits fire instead of... what is it supposed to be on the show, electricity? But the rest is pretty much exactly the same. Zhao Yunlan gives it to him, then scolds him, and then Guo Changcheng gets so afraid of Zhao Yunlan that he almost roasts him with it. (And Chu Shuzhi loves all of it.)

[extrapenguin]

I am sad about the lack of reaction. Sniff.

Zhao Yunlan mentions that he completely understands his actions
I read that as Zhao Yunlan going "Yeah, I know the type" and commenting on Sang Zan being the possessive type. I am ... baffled at the backstory being something meant to be attached to a wholesome couple we're meant to ship, versus a "dump that motherfucker already" type deal.

[fangirlishness]

But... but... Sang Zan gets re-corpore-ated (whatever) and then they're the cutest couple ever. How are we not meant to ship them?

Also, ZYL is the most possessive guy ever when it comes to Shen Wei - in the novel even more than on the show, where we don't really see as much of it (but I'm sure it's still there).

But I could be totally wrong, it's not like I have watched it more than once or paid particular attention to anything but Weilan.

[extrapenguin]

Basically the backstory (which is supposed to be what makes us ship them!) we get as ship introduction is a rolicking tale of why the ship is a terrible idea and Wang Zheng deserves better. Like someone who has murdered zero of her relatives. All that left such a bad taste in my mouth that I could by approximately zero of their cute moments and acquired a lasting dislike of Sang Zan.

in the novel even more than on the show, where we don't really see as much of it (but I'm sure it's still there).
My approach to canon is that if we didn't see it onscreen on the drama, it is not canon. Zhao Yunlan doesn't come across as particularly possessive, just very appreciative of his Shen Wei and super in love.

[fangirlishness]

Like someone who has murdered zero of her relatives.

The show does a terrible job adapting the novel sometimes. Her father is supposed to be the worst person ever, raped Sang Zan's mother and killed his... sister? I forget. Anyway, everyone, including Wang Zheng, was glad that he killed him. Also, Sang Zan led the slave rebellion and freed all the slaves. So... um.

Same in the first ep - there was a reason Zhao Yunlan let Xiao Guo up on that window ledge, but in the drama it's just wtf are you suddenly doing out there Guo?

I feel like the Pillar backstory is the same amount of cobbled together novel pieces that make no sense anymore if you don't know what they made them out of.

But I understand the approach to not consider anything from the novel and view the drama on its own. Of course then you end up with wtf nonsense sometimes.

I can't blame you for disliking Sang Zan, either. :) I don't like him either (or the way Wang Zheng is portrayed as pretty much a useless secretary). I was just saying that the show obviously wants us to ship them. I didn't care and skipped most of their romantic stuff.

Zhao Yunlan doesn't come across as particularly possessive

Yeah, the things that we see are mostly stalkery in nature, like him breaking in to Shen Wei's apartment and him installing a camera in his office. But the show is much cuter and makes them both into much nicer persons than the novel does, which definitely is a reason to love the show and prefer it over the novel.

[extrapenguin]

Her father is supposed to be the worst person ever, raped Sang Zan's mother and killed his... sister? I forget. Anyway, everyone, including Wang Zheng, was glad that he killed him. Also, Sang Zan led the slave rebellion and freed all the slaves. So... um.
Ah, in the show, there was zero mention of rape. I am all for slave rebellions, but the love story aspect of it falls flat. It would've been better as gen like 90%+ of het plots.

Of course then you end up with wtf nonsense sometimes.
I believe you mean "end up with fanfic fuel" :P

[fangirlishness]

It would've been better as gen like 90%+ of het plots.

Hmm.... I guess I agree with you there.

I believe you mean "end up with fanfic fuel" :P

LOL. I usually hate bad canons full of holes. I don't even know why I'm in this fandom. *sigh* (I know why. Their Love Is So Pure. *cries*)

[solo]

Well, show dad was also a bad person, wanting to rape Sang Zan's sister and then killing her and killing the brother. IMO a guy like that has it coming. Only they didn't show Wang Zheng actively happy that he was gone, which complicates the matter a bit.

[extrapenguin]

Wang Zheng was consistently shown as too naïve and sheltered (until Sang Zan kills her father, maybe, but then it's too late) to be able to have that sort of opinion. It was likely done to make her not look unfilial and also to make her not complicit in the oppression, but left some ... unfortunate bits.

[solo]

I agree with that: I thought he had it coming, she didn't. She was disbelieving when she heard what he'd done, and she clearly never reconciled the two accounts. This is why she grieves, this is why it's complicated.

[jo_lasalle]

(With the caveat that I really only cared about this subplot the first time I watched it and for about fifteen minutes...)

Only they didn't show Wang Zheng actively happy that he was gone, which complicates the matter a bit.

I actually liked that complication. I mean, I wouldn't want to be related to someone who is that much of an asshole, but I also find it realistic that if her dad was a decent dad to her, and her dad, that she'd not be happy he's gone. It's pretty realistic. If you look at RL and RL Terrible People, they are sometimes denounced by their kids, but also often... not, and not just when the kids are objectively Terrible People themselves.

Seriously, if I could get past the boredom issue, the fucked-up-ness of that whole thing and how nobody (not even the pretty princess) is entirely squeaky clean was totally up my street.

[solo]

Oh and actually, I never felt that Wang Zheng is "portrayed as pretty much a useless secretary". She keeps a tight ship and a precise count of Lin Jing's lazy absences. :)

And she's pretty cool when the Inspectorate guys show up to close the SID down. I like her.

[tinny]

She keeps a tight ship and a precise count of Lin Jing's lazy absences. :)

Lol, she does. :D I just... I am very very critical of portrayal of women in tv, and Chinese tv is even worse than the ... other crap I watch. :) I think Guardian is actually doing an okay job, especially with Zhu Hong. Not so much with Wang Zheng, but I am not actively raging at it, so... yeah.

I like Wang Zheng in fanfic a lot, where she is allowed to shine and be competent and smart. Here she's just "romantic side pairing" fodder, sadly.

[extrapenguin]

Yeah, Wang Zheng (and her friendship with Zhu Hong) is pretty interesting – but not her romance plot that took up so much screentime. I loved the popcorn bit and theorizing on the Hallows' sentience, and Zhu Hong taking care of her in getting her to the mountains, but like with most female characters, the love plot was uninteresting.

[solo]

There's another bit, right at the end of the episode, where Zhao Yunlan says he'd feel the same hatred that Sang Zan felt towards his people, and then Shen Wei pipes up and talks about stabbing people into tiny little bits. I have definitely always read that as them understanding Sang Zan's actions.

Edited to clarify: his actions after Ge Lan's death, not necessarily everything else.

[extrapenguin]

I think it was more "If the system I built came down on my loved ones, I'd also hate it" and then Shen Wei was all "If Zhao Yunlan were hurt, I would stab everyone into tiny little bits. >:(" except he couldn't name-drop Zhao Yunlan, so he just vagued. Next episode, we'll get Zhao Yunlan misunderstanding just whom the Envoy has affections for.

While Shen Wei probably occasionally fantasizes about stabbing Zhao Xinci, I doubt he'd ever do it, both for Yunlan's sake and for the stability of Haixing-Dixing relations.

[green]

except he couldn't name-drop Zhao Yunlan, so he just vagued

that is definitely how I viewed it.

Shen Wei probably occasionally fantasizes about stabbing Zhao Xinci

ugh yesssss