GUARDIAN REWATCH - Episode 10

[trobadora]

Beginning of episode: Zhu Hong wakes Zhao Yunlan: everyone has been drugged
Ending of episode: Hei Pao Shi and Zhao Yunlan empathise with Sang Zan

Important scenes/developments:

• Wang Zheng has drugged everyone!
• Zhao Yunlan asks Zhu Hong to keep an eye on Shen Wei
• Zhu Hong uses her hypnotism on Shen Wei to keep him from going out
• Guo Changcheng electrocutes Zhao Yunlan, to Chu Shuzhi's great amusement
• the Black-Cloaked Envoy sends a warning to Zhao Yunlan and saves him from a youchu
• Zhao Yunlan and the Envoy team up to look for Wang Zheng
• the Envoy warns Zhao Yunlan again about the Hallows; Zhao Yunlan compares him to Shen Wei
• Ge Lan/Sang Zan flashbacks and backstory
• Sang Zan tried to revive Ge Lan with the Mountain-River Awl, but only succeeded in disembodying her
• Zhao Yunlan and the Envoy empathise with Sang Zan's hatred of those who caused Ge Lan's death

( thoughts )

( parallels and foreshadowing )

Discussion starters:

• What's your favourite bit in this episode? I'm trying to decide between Zhao Yunlan's "you sound exactly like a friend of mine", and Chu Shuzhi laughing at Zhao Yunlan getting electrocuted. Very differet vibes, both awesome. :D


• This time round, it really stuck out at me that we keep seeing Sang Zan inside the pillar, human face and all, but we never do with Ye Zun. Are they imprisoned in the same way? I always assumed Ye Zun was disembodied entirely, not even an energy body until he manages to break free, but rewatching this is making me wonder.


• When Shen Wei warns Zhao Yunlan not to believe what Wang Zheng says, he says the place blocks his powers to some extent, so he can't tell what's true or not. On discord shadaras pointed out that that implies he usually can tell - he has a lie-detection power available! Do we ever see him use that?


• Shen Wei gives a partial explanation of the limits of his powers: "Chief Zhao should know that on the surface, I can't chase escaped Dixingren by myself. First, the the burden of gravity is too heavy; I can't stay for long. Second, I can only use half of my strength here."
  
  I've always been particularly fascinated by the idea of gravity having an influence on black energy. What's your take on this? What's the effect of gravity?
  
  And is Shen Wei telling the truth here? Are all the limits on his power externally imposed, or is he limiting himself too?
  
  (Regarding the the question of whether the gravity on the surface being more of a burden makes sense: from some googling, I gather that gravity is actually highest at sea level, and decreases both at higher altitudes and underground. And since Dixing seems to be be deep underground, and the Hanga mountains don't look that tall, that would check out.)


• Just prior to Shen Wei's explanation above, he clutches his chest, and it looks like he's faltering for a moment. But the chest-touching gesture is also reminiscent of his pendant. Is he actually physically affected, or is he just emotionally overcome?


• Zhao Yunlan knows Sang Zan changed, because not being able to protect the one he loved would do that. "If my love was killed by their hand, killed under a system I established myself, I would hate them more than even the patriarch."
  
  And Shen Wei agrees: "Even if they were cut into a thousand pieces, it could not assuage such hatred."
  
  Is this just both of them feeling strongly about a hypothetical, or is there more in this - is there foreshadowing in this? Does it hint at something terrible happening to Zhao Yunlan and/or Shen Wei? Is it related to what happened to Ye Zun? On discord, bladedweapons wondered if it might be referring to something that was supposed to happen in YOHE, that was afterwards changed (perhaps when their budget got cut). And in the 2019 rewatch, mekare suggested Zhao Yunlan talking about people changing after a loss might be referring to his father.
  
  I've been trying to work it out but haven't quite been able to put it together. Anyone have thoughts?


• This also came up on discord: The Hanga arc is the only place where Wang Zheng gets a larger role. What do you think she could have done if she'd been given more to do in the rest of the drama? Surveillance, waking through walls, being generally spooky? :D

Let's talk about episode 10!
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!