sid_guardian | Guardian Episode by Episode: 13

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Guardian Episode by Episode: 13

Welcome to the rewatchalong! We are now at episode 13. The Imgur screencap album has 82 images. The 520 Exchange's deadline has passed, so hopefully more of you can attend this episode!

Previously on:
Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8, Episode 9, Episode 10, Episode 11, Episode 12

This week, we have the mind control girl plot in full swing and A Reveal.

Introductions
Two introductions! After a lot of crow-related foreshadowing, we finally meet Ya Qing.

Filmed from beneath, given authority.

She turns up to criticize Zhu Jiu's manner of handling things. Turns out she's the source of information for Zhu Jiu's plots like the Hanga one. She has a bunch of disagreements with Zhu Jiu, calls him a psycho, and sends a box flying his way. They also disagree re: the status of the Yashou. Ya Qing is in this for the betterment of her peoples, while Zhu Jiu (and The Boss by extension?) considers the Yashou to be beneath Dixingians, though maybe above humans, since he has yet to advocate Yashou genocide.

The other person we meet is the third Yashou leader, Ying Chun.

Her name means "to joyously greet spring".

She proactively seeks out Shen Wei when a plant learns of Ya Qing and Zhu Jiu's collaboration, then tries to stop her "Qing-jie" from erring further.

This is also the first time we see dark energy vision!

It made Shen Wei cough up blood.

Characterization
Our mind controlled Da Qing is lured over by Zhao Yunlan tskking at him, then calmed by lao-Li's fish, which can apparently cure mind control. :P Interestingly, he doesn't remember the time he spent mind controlled – unlike maybe Minister Gao and the rest of the humans.

The fish of curing mind control.

Wang Zheng also knows how to use Lin Jing's dark energy tracking device!

Chu Shuzhi's rescue of Guo Changcheng is also super late! (I think he just doesn't really know where the snakes live and is too proud to ask for directions, so he wanders in the general vicinity until he comes across the place.) Then, when he is informed that his rescue was actually unneeded due to Guo Changcheng's superb skills at speech-giving, he threatens to lop off some limbs. Very proud, not at all afraid of having his bonus cancelled permanently.

Saved first by himself, then by Zhao Yunlan's phone call.

While the rest of the team is fussing over Da Qing, Zhao Yunlan arranges to pay for all the produce destroyed. Responsible cat ownership!

The SID is a step too late at the wedding, and Zhao Yunlan immediately identifies that this is all Shen Wei's fault and goes to be angry at him – but at a headjerk from Shen Wei, he can put all that aside and butter up Minister Gao instead! The conversation they had where Zhao Yunlan first claimed he doesn't actually know Shen Wei, then swore his innocence, was hilarious.

"Oh hi Minister Gao, I didn't expect to meet you here!"

Shen Wei's area of effect anti-mind control power worked (why didn't he use it later?), but he still screwed up. There was one death that could've been prevented if he'd just taken away Zheng Yi like he should have, and lots of emotional and physical damage. From this point on, he spends basically the whole episode with his head bowed.

The conversation Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei have in the wedding party room is very emotionally intense, and has Zhao Yunlan give Shen Wei yet another chance to explain. (Shen Wei: "I exercise.") It's also the one place where Shen Wei truly appears humble and apologizes for causing the SID trouble. (Zhao Yunlan: "If you were trouble, I'd take you by the dozens to last the rest of my life.") Zhao Yunlan also declares that since he's decided to figure Shen Wei out, he won't play dumb. Shen Wei on his side is utterly and completely dejected by how Zhao Yunlan is pissed off with him in a completely justified way, and he is pissed off with himself as well. The only thing he can offer is "I didn't mean to trick you."

This scene is full of excellent Shen Wei sadface and Zhao Yunlan frustration.

qikiqtarjuaq has a series of gif meta about Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei's relationship, which included the note that they walk in lockstep a lot of the time. After the argument in the room of wedding decorations, they don't quite walk in lockstep – they do the "three-legged race" variant.

The end of the episode is one long reveal-confrontation between Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan. Zhao Yunlan turns up where Shen Wei stashed Tan Xiao (the research center?), sends him to SID, waits at the center for Shen Wei, plays him a violin serenade when he arrives, again asks him if he has anything to admit, then takes a brief break to call out Shen Wei about not telling them Tan Xiao was from Haixing (and thus clearly telling Shen Wei he knows he's the Envoy), and when that doesn't work, he pretends Zheng Yi's mind control powers worked on him so he could spend a while listening in on Zhu Jiu's plans at Villain HQ and force Shen Wei into revealing his identity. (Though in his defense, Shen Wei did sort of confess to it by saying that he thought he could handle the Tan Xiao + Zheng Yi situation and wanted to protect the SID.) Then comes the final dramatic scene at the SID where Zhao Yunlan reveals that actually, he had earplugs on the whole time.

When his violin serenade wasn't romantic enough, Zhao Yunlan went to instead observe upon the villains' planning to plan himself.

In all of this, Shen Wei starts out sad and dejected, since he just screwed up majorly and stares at Zhao Yunlan's shoes until he hears Zhao Yunlan say "I thought we were friends", at which point he lifts his gaze and looks even sadder. Then it's panic mode for a bit while Zhao Yunlan pretends to be mind controlled, and when he sees through the faking he can immediately come up with enough planning to grab Zhao Yunlan's collar to let them talk in private-ish and discover enough acting skills to not blow it. However, he's still annoyed that Zhao Yunlan DECEIVED HIM and pretended to be mind controlled.

"Not funny, Yunlan."

Zhao Yunlan, OTOH, shows a lot of improv planning on his feet skills, and also excellent marksmanship, since he knew he could shoot the gun steadily enough to only graze Zhu Hong, and quickly snap around and wound Zhu Jiu with a bullet. Such self-confidence, especially since not so long ago he was having trauma flashbacks related to the gun that prevented him from shooting it. (Do we know how long it's been since we got back from the mountains? Not that long, but a week? Two?)

Zhu Jiu has been learning from the Zhao Yunlan school of shoulder claps.

Also, have a bonus Shen Wei coughing blood.

Canon details

The SID's age is measured in decades (so 20 to 100 years).
The first time we see Shen Wei cough blood!
We also see Zhu Jiu's cheek scar.

Canon detail!

Cinematography
Dramatic shots from above!

Shots through framing devices!

Shots from below!

A whole load of collar-grabbing!

Plants!

Zhao Yunlan jacket watch
All during one day, so only one jacket: the leather one.

Shen Wei shoe watch
The slightly-larger-than-average-heeled dress shoes.

Did Shen Wei remove his glasses?
No.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Zhao Yunlan has many skills, but his violin-playing hurts my SOUL because the bow is on the wrong side of the bridge. Did no-one on set notice?!? Or did they do it that way deliberately, because that way the instrument makes no noise?

Edited 2019-05-17 19:11 (UTC)

They don't notice that half the books in the professors' offices are called 'Cinderella'. I cut them slack on violin bows *g*

You know, I forget that this is when we meet Ya Qing! I love her outfit and her general style, and her arc. Even if she makes some very poor choices. She's my fav of the villains, I think. (It might help that she has no time for small time wig wearing villains going emo, too.)

You've just answered my question that I had after re-watching this yesterday of whether this is the first time we meet the the flower woman as a woman. I seem to recall previously we only saw her as the CGI tree, and where she runs into Shen Wei is also where the CGI tree was previously, so now I actually wonder if this could be when they ran out of money...

I find Zhao Yunlan super adorable trying to calm down Da Qing when Da Qing has his little possessed meltdown. It's so matter-of-fact and he's not fazed having to calm down his freaking-out cat...

Then, when he is informed that his rescue was actually unneeded due to Guo Changcheng's superb skills at speech-giving, he threatens to lop off some limbs.

I love me some Chu in general, but the limbs thing was SO FUNNY. He already cares about Guo but I love that he sells that joke super convincingly. <3

The conversation they had where Zhao Yunlan first claimed he doesn't actually know Shen Wei, then swore his innocence, was hilarious.

Zhao Yunlan tries to so hard! I love his totally stressed reaction here, and there's a bit of 'I get to chew out this lying fucker, but, erm, please treat him well, he is lovely, Minister'.

There was one death that could've been prevented if he'd just taken away Zheng Yi like he should have, and lots of emotional and physical damage. From this point on, he spends basically the whole episode with his head bowed.

The fact that he made a wrong call here - not necessarily to let the girl go, but to lie to the SID about it - really bugged me when it happened, but I loved that the canon actually followed up on it and there were a) consequences and b) Zhao Yunlan called him out on it. We don't know what would have happened in the other leg of the trousers of time where he hadn't lied about this, and I know he tries hard to do this Envoy business right. But I still loved that it was addressed.

This episode has, of course, the power couple badass shot at the end that cannot be topped, but it also has one of my favourite Shen Wei badass moments, which is when he freezes the mayhem at the wedding - it's one of my favourite beats in the opening credits, too. I love it.

The confrontation post-wedding is so amazing and so full of MOMENTS, I can't even. Shen Wei is being a terrible liar, and Zhao Yunlan is pissed off, but on the big questions he's mature and fair, and, like, reassuring Shen Wei that he wants him around and values him even as he's pissed off. I love it.

(Shen Wei looks like he thinks he's going to be shot the entire time. It's heartbreaking.)

I also find it very awwww that they have that big confrontation and the end of that actually looks pretty high conflict, for those two, with Zhao Yunlan really very much over all the lying (the exercise lie, omg! it doesn't even qualify as a lie anymore!), and then Zhao Yunlan gets called on a case and the next scene we see, it's in the street with Cong Bo and Shen Wei totally tagged along.

That being said, the way Zhao Yunlan waves him off after the Cong Bo interlude is probably the closest Zhao Yunlan comes to 'Fuck off, I can't talk to you right now'.

Zhao Yunlan turns up where Shen Wei stashed Tan Xiao

Is it actually explained how Zhao Yunlan knew to go to the lab when he finds Tan Xiao? I mean, he's surprised to find Tan Xiao there, but why is he going there right then and there? Plot convenience, or did I miss something?

Though speaking of the lab confrontation, one thing I absolutely loved is that Zhao Yunlan basically gets ahead of the one lie Shen Wei might still be able to spin about this (that he somehow got the Black Cloaked Envoy to let Tan Xiao go) - he's really, really had it, and cuts that right off.

Though in his defense, Shen Wei did sort of confess to it by saying that he thought he could handle the Tan Xiao + Zheng Yi situation and wanted to protect the SID.

I do actually think Shen Wei was about to come clean. In a way, it's the show having its cake and eating it too, but I don't mind. I really think Shen Wei was ready to throw in the towel, and finally realising he can't come up with another stupid lie.

I actually find it super noteable just HOW freaked out Shen Wei looks through all of this. There's a sequence of shots where the camera cuts to Zhao Yunlan being Zhao Yunlan THREE TIMES and when it cuts back to Shen Wei, Shen Wei is still sitting there like the bunny in front of the snake, terrified it's all about to come crashing down on him. I totally empathize with Zhao Yunlan's frustration with the lying, but Shen Wei's utter terror that (as I read it) Zhao Yunlan might not like him anymore is heart-turning.

Then it's panic mode for a bit while Zhao Yunlan pretends to be mind controlled

The scene when Zhu Jiu has Zhao Yunlan (apparently) under control is quite heartbreaking too. Shen Wei is really trying not to panic and trying to bluff Zhao Yunlan to safety, and it's... heartbreaking to watch.

Also, um. When he really tries to play the bluff smooth... is there a bit of Ye Zun visual there, or is that just me?

All the collar grabbing!!!

I love that Zhao Yunlan solved the problem with team work and tech geekery, and I went LOL at Shen Wei - even as he already knows Zhao Yunlan got around the mind control somehow and is really really glad for it - looking utterly befuddled at the idea that they could solve this with technology. *g*

I said this to you recently elsewhere; I think the blood-coughing is an interesting moment that I read as Shen Wei overextending himself - he's panicking, trying to Envoy-sonar where Zhao Yunlan is, and overstretches his abilities. Panicked!Shen Wei is a very heartbreaking Shen Wei.

Some random observations on my side, including a question:

Speaking of (maybe!!) money issues. One thing I wonder every time I watch this ep (heightened by having watched in in HD for the first time but I was baffled by this pretty much from the start): why did the bride not get her roots touched up for her wedding? I mean, I realise this is totally unimportant, but it fascinates me. Shen Wei's roots are actually also showing - he has some brown/auburn dye going on where it had been a while when the drama starts, I noticed this before, but the bride at her own wedding is one step up from that. So I ended up wondering if either their budget issues were so glaring they couldn't afford people getting their hair kept up to date, or if maybe as a fashion/styling thing, roots showing is so normal that it's not weird for brides at their wedding? Or that dye jobs actually intentionally don't go all the way to the roots? (Neither the bride nor Shen Wei have highlights, there's a pretty clear line.)

Good outfit day all around (except Shen Wei's highwater pants, which I continue to be offended by) - I liked Lin Jing's robe, and Zhu Hong's knit outfit is great. (I also very much enjoyed Zhu Hong knocking Tan Xiao out. I probably shouldn't but Zhu Hong Having No Time For Your Psychological Drama is one of my favourite things. <3)

The age of the actress vs. the stated 15 years has already been discussed last post, but I found it noticeable all over again that her behaviour (like how she searches for Tan Xiao at the wedding, or also how she believes Zhu Jiu) makes no sense for a 15-year-old (and in places reads a little young even for ten).

The dubbed voice of the girl in the street that Da Qing and Lin Jing run into creeps me out every. time. Why did that have to be so bad?? They couldn't use the voice of the girl actress? (Or is that just me?)

Love the cinematography highlights, as always! *___*

Yup, Ya Qing is the best! I really like her, even if her clothes look a bit silly and her life choices could be better thought out.

You've just answered my question that I had after re-watching this yesterday of whether this is the first time we meet the the flower woman as a woman. I seem to recall previously we only saw her as the CGI tree, and where she runs into Shen Wei is also where the CGI tree was previously, so now I actually wonder if this could be when they ran out of money...
I always thought they were different plants. CGI tree lady sodded off but tipped off Ying Chun about mysterious activities and also the Envoy, and also treated the Envoy with much more respect than Ying Chun does. IIRC they also spoke very differently?

but on the big questions he's mature and fair, and, like, reassuring Shen Wei that he wants him around and values him even as he's pissed off. I love it.
I know! Zhao Yunlan is so good at communicating. He really does like his Dixingian, even if said Dixingian is making life really hard.

(And on Shen Wei looking like he's about to be shot ... I doubt even Zhao Xinci would shoot the Envoy, but I can see the thought crossing his mind.)

Is it actually explained how Zhao Yunlan knew to go to the lab when he finds Tan Xiao? I mean, he's surprised to find Tan Xiao there, but why is he going there right then and there? Plot convenience, or did I miss something?
It's not explained, but I suppose he had a mental list of places the Envoy might've stashed Tan Xiao/where Zheng Yi might try to search for Tan Xiao, and was going through all of them?

I do actually think Shen Wei was about to come clean. In a way, it's the show having its cake and eating it too, but I don't mind. I really think Shen Wei was ready to throw in the towel, and finally realising he can't come up with another stupid lie.
I, too, think that was Shen Wei coming clean. I doubt he'd actually have admitted outright to what Zhao Yunlan wanted him to admit, since he's so used to living in secrecy, telling the truth and decompartmentalizing must be very hard for him.

I actually find it super noteable just HOW freaked out Shen Wei looks through all of this. There's a sequence of shots where the camera cuts to Zhao Yunlan being Zhao Yunlan THREE TIMES and when it cuts back to Shen Wei, Shen Wei is still sitting there like the bunny in front of the snake, terrified it's all about to come crashing down on him. I totally empathize with Zhao Yunlan's frustration with the lying, but Shen Wei's utter terror that (as I read it) Zhao Yunlan might not like him anymore is heart-turning.
Y'know, Shen Wei likely has a bunch of abandonment issues from his childhood (orphaned at a young age) and also from Kunlun. This is probably causing them to come to the surface. Poor thing, he really deserves a better support network and also a hug. (Thankfully, Zhao Yunlan will provide.)

Re: Ye Zun – now that I watch it with that in mind, yeah, a bit? There's still that Professor Shen head movement thing "mixed to the foreground", though.

I said this to you recently elsewhere; I think the blood-coughing is an interesting moment that I read as Shen Wei overextending himself - he's panicking, trying to Envoy-sonar where Zhao Yunlan is, and overstretches his abilities. Panicked!Shen Wei is a very heartbreaking Shen Wei.
Oh, yeah, it's Shen Wei overextending himself, though we've also been told that he can only uphold his "true form" on the surface for a limited time, and there's the drama llama-ing about "but how much time is there left for me?" and all the hints that Haixing is bad for Dixingians in the long term. It's interesting and fuzzy, and has the potential for meaty fic interpretations.

One thing I wonder every time I watch this ep (heightened by having watched in in HD for the first time but I was baffled by this pretty much from the start): why did the bride not get her roots touched up for her wedding?
I actually didn't even notice? The whole "let the roots show" thing has been a trend in recent years ime, so maybe that's what's up with the bride? (As for Shen Wei, I just thought it was the bright sunlight making him look more auburn.)

The age of the actress vs. the stated 15 years has already been discussed last post, but I found it noticeable all over again that her behaviour (like how she searches for Tan Xiao at the wedding, or also how she believes Zhu Jiu) makes no sense for a 15-year-old (and in places reads a little young even for ten).
Yeah, she makes much more sense as a 10-year-old raised in developmentally suboptimal conditions that'd make her be a bit delayed on social things than as a 15-year-old.

Love the cinematography highlights, as always! *___*
This show is just so pretty! I want to include pretty much every cap, lol.

I always thought they were different plants. CGI tree lady sodded off but tipped off Ying Chun about mysterious activities and also the Envoy, and also treated the Envoy with much more respect than Ying Chun does. IIRC they also spoke very differently?

I never made the connection either, until it was pointed out to me that this is basically shown in the intro section? And this is when the tree stops showing up and suddenly flower lady is very present.

And on Shen Wei looking like he's about to be shot ... I doubt even Zhao Xinci would shoot the Envoy, but I can see the thought crossing his mind

Not quite literally being shot, but like whatever might happen to him is about THAT BAD.

Y'know, Shen Wei likely has a bunch of abandonment issues from his childhood (orphaned at a young age) and also from Kunlun.

Hmmm. I was tempted to nod along, but I'm actually not sure I'd put it in the realm of 'issues'. It's more like, this was a big secret, and he knows Zhao Yunlan has been pissed off about the secrecy, and he's terrified he's going to lose Zhao Yunlan. As I'm thinking this through, I think this might be more related to his 'black-and-white/stark demarcations/once you're out you're out'** approach than abandonment issues. He doesn't have much of a framework to know that Zhao Yunlan could be pissed as hell at him, but the reason he's pissed in the first place is that he cares, and can get over it.

** I'm not saying Shen Wei doesn't have nuance or mercy. This is a shorthand.

It's interesting and fuzzy, and has the potential for meaty fic interpretations.

Indeed!

(As for Shen Wei, I just thought it was the bright sunlight making him look more auburn.)

No, I am really very sure there is a line you can see where he got a dye job. I mean, in-universe, it probably is supposed to mean that the bright sunlight makes his hair look more auburn (as I can't see Shen Wei going to the hairdresser's for colour), but I've found it very noticeable... though of course now that I'm actually looking for it, I can't find the scenes I found it strongest in. (How much you can see it also depends on the light.) A mild approximation here, but I do know this isn't the strongest example:

Jumping in to share evidence of Shen Wei's hair dye:

Shen Wei standing in alleyway with auburn streaks visible in his hair

The first time I watched the show, somehow I never noticed it at all? But this scene from Episode 5 caught my eye and now I can't unsee.

Thank you!! I noticed really early even on non-HD, LOL, but failed to take notes of where and when, of course. ^_^

I just assumed his hair was auburn-ish in the sunlight! I didn't even notice the boundary lines. :P The hair dye is interesting. I wonder what sort of production choice was behind it?

My guess is that it's to make him look non-Han, part of the "Europeanized" Haixing world-building.

At first I thought characters with hair that isn't solid black are always Dixingren, Yashou, and Hanga (note Flower Lady and Da Qing, above). It often goes along with earrings for men, elaborate earrings for women.

But Lin Jing *also* has lightened hair, so it can't be that.

Update: I asked the Discord and apparently Zhu Yilong had dyed his hair red for a romcom he filmed before Guardian, and red dye takes forever to get out. At least some of the other actors might have similar things going on.

(Of course, Han Chinese people can and do have brown hair that looks paler/reddish in bright sunlight due to this guy called Genghis Khan and his paler-haired-than-the-Han Mongols conquering all the places ever.)

I never made the connection either, until it was pointed out to me that this is basically shown in the intro section? And this is when the tree stops showing up and suddenly flower lady is very present.
But... but... it... they act like completely different people?! ~~Obviously the CGI plant is Ying Chun's twin sister, since twins seem to be going around a lot.~~

Hmmm. I was tempted to nod along, but I'm actually not sure I'd put it in the realm of 'issues'. It's more like, this was a big secret, and he knows Zhao Yunlan has been pissed off about the secrecy, and he's terrified he's going to lose Zhao Yunlan. As I'm thinking this through, I think this might be more related to his 'black-and-white/stark demarcations/once you're out you're out'** approach than abandonment issues. He doesn't have much of a framework to know that Zhao Yunlan could be pissed as hell at him, but the reason he's pissed in the first place is that he cares, and can get over it.
I ... guess? Tbh I think I file a large chunk of that under abandonment issues.

Re: the hair color ... yeah, I can see that. It might be Zhu Yilong having dyed his hair for his last job and not dying over it with black? In-universe, we'll just have to decide that he accidentally bought the wrong hair care product instead of shampoo. Or that it was a prank/dare/department Christmas party thing. Or Shen Wei thinks it makes him look more human and relatable!

I always thought tree lady and Ying Chun are different people too.

I always thought they were different plants.

How strange! That never even occurred to me - I always thought they were the same person. It looked to me like it was the same relationship, changing slightly as Ying Chun got to know Shen Wei better.

I love Ya Qing, she's fabulous! I love that she's super not into all these emo boys and also isn't afraid to actually change her mind about some things - there's so many villains who would go down with a lost cause, and I love that she's not one of them.

I agree than the cgi-tree person and Ying Chun are the same person.

I haven't rewatched this episode yet but I remember my heart just breaking for poor Shen Wei. And I love that he gets to make mistakes and get called on them: it's such better story telling, and I love that it means there's actual STAKES to his decisions. We know he can get stuff wrong. He isn't the magic solution to all plot problems. He's a character, a person. I love it and him so much!

Edited 2019-05-18 21:21 (UTC)

Ya Qing's development at the end is wonderful and I was so excited she was able to change her mind! (The Zhu Hong twist is one of my favourite non-Weilan-related things anyway.)

We know he can get stuff wrong. He isn't the magic solution to all plot problems.

Yes! And just because he says a thing it doesn't mean it's automatically The Truth. I mean, I want to pet him because he's been making hard decisions for so long and with so little emotional support, but I also really like that he isn't always right and the narrative is aware of it.

IKR? I like how Ya Qing has her clear reasons for going into this, then realizes that no, her goals are better served otherwise, and changes her mind. She has her cause, but the cause is not villainy, unlike Zhu Jiu's.

Shen Wei. And I love that he gets to make mistakes and get called on them: it's such better story telling, and I love that it means there's actual STAKES to his decisions. We know he can get stuff wrong. He isn't the magic solution to all plot problems. He's a character, a person. I love it and him so much!
+1 to all this! He isn't perfect, he's a person. He makes mistakes and needs planning assistance.

Ya Qing is one of my favourite villains - so much style and poise, and even when she concedes defeat she still has so much style and poise.

(I think he just doesn't really know where the snakes live and is too proud to ask for directions, so he wanders in the general vicinity until he comes across the place.

I could totally see that. Chu is the ultimate 'guy who won't ask for directions'.
The conversation they had where Zhao Yunlan first claimed he doesn't actually know Shen Wei, then swore his innocence, was hilarious.

That TOTAL switch! Not even from just claiming he didn't know him, but from actively suspecting Shen Wei himself. It's like 'WTF are you doing here you suspicious son of a--- ah, Minister Gao, this person is totally innocent, I swear!'

I keep trying to figure out what Minister Gao knows. He seems totally unfazed by Shen Wei's display of power, but this scene (and a later one which I'm trying to place) makes me think he doesn't know Shen Wei is the Envoy. Maybe he's just really easygoing.

From this point on, he spends basically the whole episode with his head bowed.

And almost crying. And totally paralyzed. He's like, frozen, Zhao Yunlan throws stuff at him and he just... waits it out until it's (hopefully, soon...) over. :(

It's also one of those scenes where Shen Wei says a lot with his expressions but says almost nothing in words.

Zhao Yunlan, OTOH, shows a lot of improv planning on his feet skills, and also excellent marksmanship, since he knew he could shoot the gun steadily enough to only graze Zhu Hong, and quickly snap around and wound Zhu Jiu with a bullet.

I'm interested in the gun thing. It's a dark energy gun, so why did it even hurt Zhu Hong?

Edited 2019-05-17 20:54 (UTC)

Ya Qing is one of my favourite villains - so much style and poise, and even when she concedes defeat she still has so much style and poise.
Style and poise, and she's doing it for a clear reason! And when she realizes her aims are better achieved otherwise, she changes track!

I keep trying to figure out what Minister Gao knows. He seems totally unfazed by Shen Wei's display of power, but this scene (and a later one which I'm trying to place) makes me think he doesn't know Shen Wei is the Envoy. Maybe he's just really easygoing.
I suppose he might go ??? and then have the pieces click when he learns Shen Wei is a SID consultant. He was putting in a good word with the boss for a SID underling testing out a newfangled device yet causing a disruption! He probably felt so proud and magnanimous...

And almost crying. And totally paralyzed. He's like, frozen, Zhao Yunlan throws stuff at him and he just... waits it out until it's (hopefully, soon...) over. :(
Yeah. He has a very expressive paralysis and is full of panic. Poor dude. Some of it is justified, some of it ... is not.

I'm interested in the gun thing. It's a dark energy gun, so why did it even hurt Zhu Hong?
I always just assumed that it also worked on Yashou, since they and Dixingians are descended from the same race of aliens who came to Earth.

I always just assumed that it also worked on Yashou, since they and Dixingians are descended from the same race of aliens who came to Earth.

Yes, maybe that's what it is and I was focusing too much on the 'dark energy' part, which Yashou (afaik) don't have.

Does that mean the SID's shield should also work against Yashou, I wonder...

The crow transformation has a visible black energy effect, though?

Because of that, I always assumed Yashou transformations worked via dark energy.

Yep – and if Ya Qing could walk through the doors, she would, so she's likely blocked by the shield.

Ya Qing doesn't waltz into the SID, so I assume the shield works against the Yashou as well.

I keep trying to figure out what Minister Gao knows. He seems totally unfazed by Shen Wei's display of power, but this scene (and a later one which I'm trying to place) makes me think he doesn't know Shen Wei is the Envoy. Maybe he's just really easygoing.

Yeah, this scene both seems to suggest it, and it would make for a nice turn on the slightly awkward Minister if he actually knew the entire time. But I'm not sure either and confess it hadn't been a focus of mine on previous rewatches. I want to keep an eye out for this...

I'm interested in the gun thing. It's a dark energy gun, so why did it even hurt Zhu Hong?

A good question, I had that on my list too... But it does seem to indicate that Yashou can be hurt by it, when it's said later that humans can't?

I need to pay some more attention to that. If you mean the scene between ZYL and ZXC, I guess no Yashou would be mentioned because they're not relevant to the situation.

And given it's a 'dark energy gun'... Yashou don't have any dark energy that could be affected by it.

Definitely a case for re-watching (oh dear!)

Yashou are stopped by the SID shield, though (since otherwise Ya Qing could just do the Hallows stealing), so I assume they have dark energy in them for e.g. the animal transformations.

Shen Wei looks so elegant and pretty while spitting out blood. Yet another reason expert blood spitter Zhu Yilong was inspired casting.

And the whole last confrontation with so much trust between Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei! I loved it a lot.

expert blood spitter Zhu Yilong

LOL! Quite the thing to have under 'additional skills'...

I would like a gifset of that please. Just...putting that out into the universe.

Shen Wei's distress is so intense, and so utterly palpable by this point that I feel like that also helps Zhao Yunlan hold onto forebearance? That and the fact that he's pretty sure he knows the answer, he just needs concrete proof.

Did he break the mind control, or just knock everyone down/out and that broke it? Or did his pressure wave disrupt the sound? I'm not sure. I can't tell if he's doing something specific or just 'manipulating dark energy'.

I really love him spitting blood ♥ Overextended hurty angsty baby. I'm glad Zhao Yunlan caught him, there are certain things where Shen Wei just needs sitting on until he caves. XD

I also love Ying Chun - and Ya Qing, but her wardrobe keeps making me think of Live Action Sailor Moon villains. I want flower/crow friendship stuff. They'd be neat to draw.

I have no idea what Shen Wei did at the wedding and why he couldn't try to repeat it with Zhao Yunlan later.

there are certain things where Shen Wei just needs sitting on until he caves. XD
Indeed. He is a bit too used to not ever having any backup at all. Someone sit on him until he accepts that he deserves a team!

This is one of my favorite episodes. I especially love the post-wedding conversation for alllllllll the reasons already mentioned. Their faces! Zhao Yunlan's irritation and persistence! Shen Wei's shame and fear! But at the same time, their trust and hope in each other!

Never before have my emotional sadomasochist tendencies been so well- and consistently-served by a show. Just nggg *clenches fist* SO GOOD.

I know! They're very good at conversations that are emotionally complex, and loving each other even when they're super duper frustrated.

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Guardian Episode by Episode: 13

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