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

[lynndyre]

Those detachable plaid sleeves are hilarious, I love them. (Shen Wei's fashion sense is proof he's an alien)

I keep trying to figure out exactly how the aboveground thing works. Shen Wei and the Regent seem to be constrained but all the people they arrest... don't seem restricted at all. In 15 Shen Wei says he's limited by "the ZhenHun token and black power", so I'm wondering if the Guardian token effect only happens if you're traveling legally, as it were. Unauthorized border crossings don't get the regulation imposed power-limitation and are then more dangerous. idk.

[solo]

I'm wondering if the Guardian token effect only happens if you're traveling legally, as it were. Unauthorized border crossings don't get the regulation imposed power-limitation and are then more dangerous.

That's an interesting theory! I could buy that, but if it's something that only gets conditionally imposed and not automatically, I then wonder why in moments of crisis (like...Ye Zun!) they can't to go to whoever controls this and say hey, can we maybe let the Envoy have his full powers for a bit to help with this problem?

[jo_lasalle]

I then wonder why in moments of crisis (like...Ye Zun!) they can't to go to whoever controls this and say hey, can we maybe let the Envoy have his full powers for a bit to help with this problem?

Another point in favour of sweeping administrative reform in Dixing!

[solo]

I'd have put that on Haixing, though. Clearly the limitation is there to make them feel safer from woo-woo Dixing powers, so logically Xingdu Bureau would be in control?

[jo_lasalle]

Oh. Of course. The forms for the Black Cloaked Envoy's exemption from the Haixing Power Limitiation a.k.a. Recharge Required Visa were mislaid in department 3b when the case worker was out for two weeks with the flu and her replacement mistakenly sent the forms back to Shen Wei's Dixing address because Shen Wei hadn't filled in the line with his mobile phone number, but they changed the house number on Dixing Palace and it couldn't be delivered so now the letter is sitting in a Haixing post office and Shen Wei can't claim it without his exemption from the Haixing Power Limitation, which he can't get because he doesn't have a mobile phone number, which he doesn't know because the letter is sitting in the post office...

[extrapenguin]

LOL!

Or, even more hilariously, the form Shen Wei needs to fill in is online-only. Yunlan, please fill it in for him!

[lynndyre]

Technically it sounds like the Guardian Token *ought* to be under Zhao Yunlan's control, or at least he'd know whose it was, but it's just.... never mentioned again as far as I can remember?

[jo_lasalle]

It's in one of many boxes labelled "random crap" somewhere in SID and now and again people pretend Zhao Yunlan would remember where it is, but everyone prefers not to draw attention to it in case he doesn't...

Just a theory!

[extrapenguin]

Zhao Xinci charred it, thinking that burning a corner would ignite the Guardian Lantern! Then he hid them both in shame.

[jo_lasalle]

It would be a little weird if legal travel was more of a hindrance to powers than illegal travel, but it is a thing that IMO really needs some fanwank, because, as you say, it's not like we hear this about the 'bad' Dixingians that come to the surface.

(Maybe it's a comment on how bureaucracy and the proper forms make everything harder, including use of your power. *g*)

On the other hand, maybe the 'bad' Dixingians are also constrained, or they wouldn't have a super long lifespan on the surface because they burn through their energy too fast... On the other hand, there's butler Wu, who's been around for a long time... IDK, IDK!

[extrapenguin]

The other possibility is that it's related to Shen Wei's Hallows nap, but he hasn't quite connected the dots yet and thinks it's about being on the surface in the modern era. Because as mentioned, the baddies seem to have no limitations. Or maybe they're just burning their candles from both ends, unlike Butler Wu.

[jo_lasalle]

It really is one of those... mildly vexing but also potentially very useful gaps / floofy bits of canon. I mean, you can do stuff with that in fanfic, both in terms of 'I need a limit of Shen Wei's powers' and 'I need some reason why Shen needs to... go somewhere to do something' (like, recharge, or sleep, or engage in a sexual ritual to stabilize his powers).

And, yes, connecting it to the Hallows could be an interesting fanwank too.

(If it's really that the baddies are burning the candle from both ends, and Shen Wei is being responsible and watching his energy levels so he doesn't burn out prematurely or at an inconvenient moment, that would also be a very very interesting point on the Shen Wei characterisation scale, given some other questions about how reckless or not he is with his own safety / expendability...)

[extrapenguin]

engage in a sexual ritual to stabilize his powers
Is it wrong that I now want fic where Shen Wei needs to do it with another Dixingian? I don't have a netorare kink and neither would Zhao Yunlan, but the angst would be so delicious... (As would the porn of "Chief Zhao, as Master of the Guardian Order, you need to do a sex ritual with me for reasons.")

[jo_lasalle]

I would be there for that!

[solo]

We don't realy know that Butler Wu uses his powers much, so if it's a trade off, maybe he went for the lifespan door.

[lynndyre]

Yeah, I haven't yet found a theory that fits everything? Especially Chu- his age, lack of power drain, everything???

[extrapenguin]

Obviously Chu is so old because Dixingians are like mice! Caloric restriction causes them to be longer-lived and more youthful. Alternatively, the Regent tossed him into Hallows prison.

[extrapenguin]

Shen Wei just went around the department one day with a notebook to copy what others were wearing so he could fit in better! It's not his fault Engineering folks have terrible fashion sense. He has merely succumbed to peer pressure.

(Then he'll go on a several-month research jaunt to Europe and return in jeans and a hoodie. Zhao Yunlan will explode.)

[lynndyre]

That would be fantastic and Zhao Yunlan would definitely explode.

[extrapenguin]

Hot professor in jeans and a hoodie that says "University of Dragon City"! Then Shen Wei accidentally puts the black hood on and Zhao Yunlan has an epiphany not related to Shen Wei's sexiness quotient...

[mecurtin]

It had to be pointed out for me to notice that the sleeves are actually detachable: I saw him as wearing a T-shirt over a plaid shirt, a fashion choice I have seen scientists make IRL.

The only way that shirt doesn't look like the kind of thing biologists, geologists, etc., wear into the field is that there are no pockets. Otherwise, seems pretty typical to me.

[extrapenguin]

The only way that shirt doesn't look like the kind of thing biologists, geologists, etc., wear into the field is that there are no pockets. Otherwise, seems pretty typical to me.
Yup. The ensemble is clearly missing a fanny pack and a vest made out of pockets. Shen Wei forgot to pack them because he uses Dixing powers to make himself a bag of holding.