GUARDIAN REWATCH - Episode 3

[trobadora]

Beginning of episode: At the university, Zhang Ruonan comes to Shen Wei's office.
Ending of episode: Shen Wei is caught at a crime scene in the alleys of Dragon City.

Content warning: featuring one rape victim, three rapists, and one avenging girlfriend who ends up harming the woman she meant to protect.



Important scenes/developments:

• Lin Jing investigates the Longevity Dial (so far it only responds to Zhao Yunlan)
• Zhao Yunlan visits Shen Wei, sneezes all over his office and eats his cake
• Zhao Yunlan introduces himself to Zhang Ruonan as "Professor Shen's ... good friend", significant pause included
• Shen Wei secretly saves Zhang Ruonan's life
• first instance of the Black-Cloaked Envoy letting a Dixingren go free
• Zhu Jiu realises Shen Wei isn't what he seems
• Shen Wei and Zhu Jiu are both looking for the Hallows
• Zhao Yunlan finds Shen Wei at the next crime scene in an alley

Visit count: Zhao Yunlan visits Shen Wei's office no less than three times!

( Thoughts )

Discussion starters:

• What's your favourite moment in this episode?


• Anything you didn't remember or noticed for the first time during this rewatch? I had totally forgotten that Zhang Ruonan is a teaching assistant, for example!


• When Zhang Ruonan comes to Shen Wei's office at the start, do you think she was considering talking to him? (Instead, she brings up Li Qian, making for a lovely bit of continuity. ♥) She does approach him multiple times in this episode, and she always has other reasons, but I wonder how close she was to telling him what happened ...


• About Zhao Yunlan's cold: I always thought it was at least partially due to the Sundial's effects on him. (He's holding it multiple times this episode, and Lin Jing points out that it only responded to him. The second time we see in the Hanga arc, he's also carrying the Sundial around on his body. And Li Qian is coughing in one of her flashbacks (episode 1, 29:47, don't ask how long I just spent tracking that down ...). What do you think?
  
  


• When Zhao Yunlan aims all his provocative sneezing and cake-eating at Shen Wei, what reaction is he looking for? What do you think he gets out of Shen Wei's (non-)reaction?
  
  And what do you think he thinks about Shen Wei refusing to give him full attention in the next office scene?


• Two questions about medicine:
  
  Wang Yike gets meds for congenital anaemia, but has never had a physical exam. I keep wondering how that works - who prescribed it for her?
  
  And Zhu Hong brings Zhao Yunlan medicine - is that Snake Tribe medicine? (Lin Jing makes a face when Zhao Yunlan drinks it.


• Regarding Da Qing falling asleep on duty: does Zhao Yunlan putting him on this job mean he doesn't usually fail, or simply that the stakes have never before been high enough for it to matter?


• Shen Wei asks him if seeing through people would make things less painful and disappointing, and tells him that "Many tragedies were destined from the beginning." I'm never sure what exactly is on his mind here, but this time round, it struck me that Zhang Ruonan had said earlier (with regard to Professor Shen having his students' best interest at heart), "good intentions may not always be rewarded", and these statements feel related to me ...
  
  What do you think he's thinking of when he talks about tragedies?


• Zhang Ruonan says she knows Wang Yike is from Dixing, and has a special power. She doesn't seem surprised by either, even in her flashbacks, so she must have known before meeting Wang Yike. Any thoughts about how?
  
  (I do find it kind of conspicuous how many people in Shen Wei's or an adjacent field know something: Professor Ouyang is working on that very topic at the lab; Professor Zhou is working with him; Professor Shen himself knows - and in Professor Ouyang's eyes that isn't a sign of him not being Haixingren -, and now Zhang Ruonan ...)


• Why do you think Wang Yike goes after Shen Wei? She calls him a hypocrite, and says he was so close to Zhang Ruonan, he must be planning something. Is she just jealous?


• When Zhang Ruonan's life is drained, Zhao Yunlan tells Xiao-Guo to call Wang Zheng; he says there's information at the department. Xiao-Guo says he's seen it; he'll find it. And he starts leafing through his notebook. What the hell are they talking about?! (I didn't remember this at all!)


• Regarding the alleys at the end of the episode: why is everyone here? The SID seems to have some sort of lead on the face stealer case - and a correct one, since Zhang Danni is also there, but why is Shen Wei looking for the Hallows in this place? And why is Zhu Jiu there to find him?


• What do you think about how this episode treats the lesbian couple, overall? I know opinions vary, but personally I always thought the episode was 100% on their side, and the tragedy doesn't take away from that - romantic tragedy is perhaps the quintessential cdrama trope, after all. And the het couples get no better fate. At least Wang Yike and Zhang Ruonan get to stay together.


• And since the plot of the week is rather heavy, let's end with something more light-hearted:
  
  
  Poll #28354

  Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 13

  
  

  View Respondents

  
  

  What's your favourite comedy moment in this episode?

  View Answers
  

  Lin Jing mockingly imitating Zhao Yunlan's grandiose statement about being extra-special
  4 (30.8%)

  Xiao-Guo jumping into Lao-Chu's arms
  5 (38.5%)

  Xiao-Guo telling Zhao Yunlan that "we do all the work, you just give orders"
  3 (23.1%)

  something else (see comments)!
  1 (7.7%)

Let's talk about episode 3!
Come and talk about this episode - anything from favourite scenes or lines of dialogue to notes/questions about continuity or translation, most gorgeous (or angsty) smile, or anything else that strikes your fancy! And share links to your own and/or others' episode-related meta, picspams, and fanworks, new or old!