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! *___*
no subject
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! *___*