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sid_guardian2019-10-18 11:01 pm
extrapenguin) wrote in sid_guardian2019-10-18 11:01 pm
Entry tags:
Guardian Episode by Episode: 31
Welcome to the rewatchalong! This week we watch episode 31. The Imgur screencap album has 64 images.
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, Episode 13, Episode 14, Episode 15, Episode 16, Episode 17, Episode 18, Episode 19, Episode 20, Episode 21, Episode 22, Episode 23, Episode 24, Episode 25, Episode 26, Episode 27, Episode 28, Episode 29, Episode 30
This week, Zhao Yunlan discovers he had two dads all along, Zhu Hong fantasizes, and Shen Wei is woken from an unergonomic nap.
Characterization
This episode basically has two main threads. Let's tackle them chronologically!
The first one is Zhao Yunlan's conversation with his dad in his apartment. Zhao Yunlan spots that there is another person in his dad's body and has a conversation with Zhang Shi. Re: differences, Zhao Yunlan says that Zhao Xinci is unscrupulous and would never say things like "universal good", and the expressions and mannerisms are different.
Zhang Shi calls Yunlan "bold but cautious" due to the threaten-with-gun thing and basically spills the beans. Zhao Xinci killed his prior host, and Zhang Shi slipped into him after hearing about the higher-ups wanting to set up some sort of thing to deal with Dixingians. So: the SID didn't exist yet 20 years ago, and Zhang Shi hopped into Zhao Xinci only after he heard it might be set up (and Zhao Xinci was at least somewhat in the vicinity of running for the inaugural Chief). (Based on what Fourth Uncle says of the SID's age – 20+ years – I suppose the SID is just about 20 years old.) (Zhao Yunlan already existed and was old enough to call on a phone.) There are a bunch of other interesting things brought up – Zhang Shi says it would be possible to forcibly eject him, but it might harm the host. He also seems to be able to stay in a corpse for at least some time.
"Don't worry, Yunlan, your dad hasn't been left alone even though you've avoided him as best you can."
Zhao Yunlan is not that thrilled at the "actually, you had two dads all this time!" revelation and rejects Zhang Shi's fatherhood overture of shoulder patting. Instead, he wants to talk to his father.
"I wish to talk tothe manager my real dad."
Zhao Xinci, too, is pleased that Zhao Yunlan figured out the double personality, and now wants to extract his son from the SID, which will make a convenient scapegoat. He's very different in morality from Zhang Shi – "there's no absolute good or evil" – and says that if working with a Dixingian would help, of course he'd do so. (Zhang Shi was a big help and showed in Zhao Xinci's arrest stats; Yunlan remembers this. There was also the better part of a decade of nice time between Zhang Shi moving in and Shen Xi dying, which intensified Zhao Xinci's dislike of Dixingians into hatred.) In further proof that Zhao Xinci is willing to compromise every moral of his, he says he thinks different species shouldn't work together and that the Dixingians and Yashou will inevitably just return home. (Zhao Yunlan storms out at his father wanting to throw the SID to the wolves. So upset that he forgets his gun on the table.) In the privacy of silence, he says that he'll take the blame, and then sets up an out for Yunlan, which Yunlan doesn't take. My impression is that he really does love his son, but doesn't understand him, and because he didn't understand him, couldn't be an effective parent.
"Why are you so unlike a perfect copy of me?!"
The other big thread is (are) Zhao Yunlan's conversation(s) with Zhu Hong. Zhu Hong decides this is the very best time to confront him with her feelings! This goes predictably badly. She really wants him to beg her to stay and wants to be needed. She calls him out on his self-sacrificialness to no avail.
"Look, I suck, okay? The only good thing about me is my taste in jackets."
Zhu Hong reformed her entire self around Zhao Yunlan's offhand remarks, for instance about her looking good in heels. That's really fucking sad.
Zhu Hong trying to learn how to walk in heels is us all.
Then we get the things Zhao Yunlan said to her. Some of this is probably part of the "no really, even my dad hates me, go get a crush on anyone else" schtick, but he does say, "From the moment I took up the post of Chief, I never expected to have a good end. The only question is: Is it worth dying for?" which I expect is part of his actual mentality deep down. I suppose this is a reaction to what he saw happen to his parents – he took the posting out of filial loyalty, but he does his best to keep others away lest they end up hostages like his mother. Thus the armor of "I have a foul mouth, bad temper, can only playact nice and kind for three days, and even my dad dislikes me" to keep all potential significant others away.
"Why is my plan not working? Shen Wei, help, please come establish your territory!"
He's also morally far away from Zhao Xinci. He wants all of his subordinates safe and protected (unlike Zhao Xinci, unlike Ye Zun) and is willing to sacrifice himself to that end. I wonder where he got that: Zhang Shi, Shen Xi, reaction to trauma, or some pre-SID workplace? Anyway, his protection of subordinates includes emotional health, c.f. his literally kicking Guo Changcheng out of Zhu Hong's dream to give Zhu Hong some privacy for her feelings.
He even withstands the love confession out of a sake of duty.
Then we get the first more minor thing: Chu Shuzhi is the only competent employee at the SID. (Zhu Hong dropped an inconveniently timed feelingsbomb, Guo Changcheng is useless as usual, Lin Jing was fired, Da Qing is AWOL, and Wang Zheng and Sang Zan spent the entire episode fucking in the library or something.) Chu Shuzhi immediately sees that the wound was done by a member of the crow tribe, checks for poisons or curses, splats Zhao Yunlan over Zhu Hong to see how unconscious she really is, removes himself and Guo Changcheng from the situation to give Zhao Yunlan space to deal with the emotional issue, and holds the fort when Zhao Yunlan is in the dream. He even solves the problem via his puppet by forcing Zhu Hong to confront the stuff she's brought herself to forget!
"Thou shalt not pass, and neither shalt thou."
He does get yelled at for that, though; Zhao Yunlan is understandably pissed that Zhu Hong (a team member!) could've gotten hurt. Because Chu Shuzhi is an ex-con edgelord in addition to being the only competent person in the building, he yells back at Zhao Yunlan for being too soft-hearted and says that sometimes you need to be ruthless or you'll miss the big picture and be consumed by eternal regret. We'll get more of his psyche next episode.
Boss status: Pissed.
The other more minor thing is Shen Wei being tied to the pillar. He drowsed until Zhu Hong zapped Zhao Yunlan in the dream and then utterly lost his cool at the suggestion that Zhao Yunlan might've been harmed in some way. Then Ye Zun turns up to taunt him (and call him "gege" like he's five and/or daydreams of twincest) and says he'll sic the Nightmare Master on him. Shen Wei says he doesn't dream because he doesn't need to. (Subtext: he has Zhao Yunlan already, unlike poor Zhu Hong.)
"Didi, you really should visit a tailor. That outfit doesn't suit you at all."
We also have Zhao Yunlan experience what I can only describe as his own personal #metoo moment:
Really, Guo Changcheng, the waist?
Canon notes
Cinematography
This episode doesn't really go for any super fancy techniques, but I just greatly appreciate how a lot of the shots are framed. The grading of the dream – slightly yellowish but not as much so as the flashbacks, plus a vignette effect – also works really well.
Zhu Hong and Zhao Yunlan, in the dreamworld, with the vignette really pulling the eye to the center.
This episode also had a bunch of face close-ups, so let me pick my fave:
Father and son.
Oh, and the shots of Zhao Yunlan's incense call being unanswered were very nicely shot.
The sad bit is, there is no cell reception in Dixing, so this couldn't even have been avoided by getting Shen Wei a mobile phone.
This one has nice lines formed by Zhao Yunlan's body and legs:
Also, nice boots.
Zhao Yunlan jacket watch
Just the one, but he wears it for two days in a row. Plus the shirt dream Zhao Yunlan wears.
We see a glimpse of the lining! Oh, and spot the old hairstyle.
Did Shen Wei take off his glasses?
No, he was too busy being Ye Zun's bondage centerpiece.
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, Episode 13, Episode 14, Episode 15, Episode 16, Episode 17, Episode 18, Episode 19, Episode 20, Episode 21, Episode 22, Episode 23, Episode 24, Episode 25, Episode 26, Episode 27, Episode 28, Episode 29, Episode 30
This week, Zhao Yunlan discovers he had two dads all along, Zhu Hong fantasizes, and Shen Wei is woken from an unergonomic nap.
Characterization
This episode basically has two main threads. Let's tackle them chronologically!
The first one is Zhao Yunlan's conversation with his dad in his apartment. Zhao Yunlan spots that there is another person in his dad's body and has a conversation with Zhang Shi. Re: differences, Zhao Yunlan says that Zhao Xinci is unscrupulous and would never say things like "universal good", and the expressions and mannerisms are different.
Zhang Shi calls Yunlan "bold but cautious" due to the threaten-with-gun thing and basically spills the beans. Zhao Xinci killed his prior host, and Zhang Shi slipped into him after hearing about the higher-ups wanting to set up some sort of thing to deal with Dixingians. So: the SID didn't exist yet 20 years ago, and Zhang Shi hopped into Zhao Xinci only after he heard it might be set up (and Zhao Xinci was at least somewhat in the vicinity of running for the inaugural Chief). (Based on what Fourth Uncle says of the SID's age – 20+ years – I suppose the SID is just about 20 years old.) (Zhao Yunlan already existed and was old enough to call on a phone.) There are a bunch of other interesting things brought up – Zhang Shi says it would be possible to forcibly eject him, but it might harm the host. He also seems to be able to stay in a corpse for at least some time.
"Don't worry, Yunlan, your dad hasn't been left alone even though you've avoided him as best you can."
Zhao Yunlan is not that thrilled at the "actually, you had two dads all this time!" revelation and rejects Zhang Shi's fatherhood overture of shoulder patting. Instead, he wants to talk to his father.
"I wish to talk to
Zhao Xinci, too, is pleased that Zhao Yunlan figured out the double personality, and now wants to extract his son from the SID, which will make a convenient scapegoat. He's very different in morality from Zhang Shi – "there's no absolute good or evil" – and says that if working with a Dixingian would help, of course he'd do so. (Zhang Shi was a big help and showed in Zhao Xinci's arrest stats; Yunlan remembers this. There was also the better part of a decade of nice time between Zhang Shi moving in and Shen Xi dying, which intensified Zhao Xinci's dislike of Dixingians into hatred.) In further proof that Zhao Xinci is willing to compromise every moral of his, he says he thinks different species shouldn't work together and that the Dixingians and Yashou will inevitably just return home. (Zhao Yunlan storms out at his father wanting to throw the SID to the wolves. So upset that he forgets his gun on the table.) In the privacy of silence, he says that he'll take the blame, and then sets up an out for Yunlan, which Yunlan doesn't take. My impression is that he really does love his son, but doesn't understand him, and because he didn't understand him, couldn't be an effective parent.
"Why are you so unlike a perfect copy of me?!"
The other big thread is (are) Zhao Yunlan's conversation(s) with Zhu Hong. Zhu Hong decides this is the very best time to confront him with her feelings! This goes predictably badly. She really wants him to beg her to stay and wants to be needed. She calls him out on his self-sacrificialness to no avail.
"Look, I suck, okay? The only good thing about me is my taste in jackets."
Zhu Hong reformed her entire self around Zhao Yunlan's offhand remarks, for instance about her looking good in heels. That's really fucking sad.
Zhu Hong trying to learn how to walk in heels is us all.
Then we get the things Zhao Yunlan said to her. Some of this is probably part of the "no really, even my dad hates me, go get a crush on anyone else" schtick, but he does say, "From the moment I took up the post of Chief, I never expected to have a good end. The only question is: Is it worth dying for?" which I expect is part of his actual mentality deep down. I suppose this is a reaction to what he saw happen to his parents – he took the posting out of filial loyalty, but he does his best to keep others away lest they end up hostages like his mother. Thus the armor of "I have a foul mouth, bad temper, can only playact nice and kind for three days, and even my dad dislikes me" to keep all potential significant others away.
"Why is my plan not working? Shen Wei, help, please come establish your territory!"
He's also morally far away from Zhao Xinci. He wants all of his subordinates safe and protected (unlike Zhao Xinci, unlike Ye Zun) and is willing to sacrifice himself to that end. I wonder where he got that: Zhang Shi, Shen Xi, reaction to trauma, or some pre-SID workplace? Anyway, his protection of subordinates includes emotional health, c.f. his literally kicking Guo Changcheng out of Zhu Hong's dream to give Zhu Hong some privacy for her feelings.
He even withstands the love confession out of a sake of duty.
Then we get the first more minor thing: Chu Shuzhi is the only competent employee at the SID. (Zhu Hong dropped an inconveniently timed feelingsbomb, Guo Changcheng is useless as usual, Lin Jing was fired, Da Qing is AWOL, and Wang Zheng and Sang Zan spent the entire episode fucking in the library or something.) Chu Shuzhi immediately sees that the wound was done by a member of the crow tribe, checks for poisons or curses, splats Zhao Yunlan over Zhu Hong to see how unconscious she really is, removes himself and Guo Changcheng from the situation to give Zhao Yunlan space to deal with the emotional issue, and holds the fort when Zhao Yunlan is in the dream. He even solves the problem via his puppet by forcing Zhu Hong to confront the stuff she's brought herself to forget!
"Thou shalt not pass, and neither shalt thou."
He does get yelled at for that, though; Zhao Yunlan is understandably pissed that Zhu Hong (a team member!) could've gotten hurt. Because Chu Shuzhi is an ex-con edgelord in addition to being the only competent person in the building, he yells back at Zhao Yunlan for being too soft-hearted and says that sometimes you need to be ruthless or you'll miss the big picture and be consumed by eternal regret. We'll get more of his psyche next episode.
Boss status: Pissed.
The other more minor thing is Shen Wei being tied to the pillar. He drowsed until Zhu Hong zapped Zhao Yunlan in the dream and then utterly lost his cool at the suggestion that Zhao Yunlan might've been harmed in some way. Then Ye Zun turns up to taunt him (and call him "gege" like he's five and/or daydreams of twincest) and says he'll sic the Nightmare Master on him. Shen Wei says he doesn't dream because he doesn't need to. (Subtext: he has Zhao Yunlan already, unlike poor Zhu Hong.)
"Didi, you really should visit a tailor. That outfit doesn't suit you at all."
We also have Zhao Yunlan experience what I can only describe as his own personal #metoo moment:
Really, Guo Changcheng, the waist?
Canon notes
- Zhang Shi and Zhao Xinci have been sharing a body for 20 years, since just before the SID was founded (Shen Xi still alive, Zhao Yunlan old enough to use a cellphone)
- Ya Qing can't get through the SID shield, so it must block Yashou as well
Cinematography
This episode doesn't really go for any super fancy techniques, but I just greatly appreciate how a lot of the shots are framed. The grading of the dream – slightly yellowish but not as much so as the flashbacks, plus a vignette effect – also works really well.
Zhu Hong and Zhao Yunlan, in the dreamworld, with the vignette really pulling the eye to the center.
This episode also had a bunch of face close-ups, so let me pick my fave:
Father and son.
Oh, and the shots of Zhao Yunlan's incense call being unanswered were very nicely shot.
The sad bit is, there is no cell reception in Dixing, so this couldn't even have been avoided by getting Shen Wei a mobile phone.
This one has nice lines formed by Zhao Yunlan's body and legs:
Also, nice boots.
Zhao Yunlan jacket watch
Just the one, but he wears it for two days in a row. Plus the shirt dream Zhao Yunlan wears.
We see a glimpse of the lining! Oh, and spot the old hairstyle.
Did Shen Wei take off his glasses?
No, he was too busy being Ye Zun's bondage centerpiece.
no subject
On the other hand, Zhu Hong's aggressive unrequited affections are very difficult to watch or sympathize with. He's not interested! Back off! But no, she keeps pushing, like if she just pushes hard enough he'll want her back. That's not how it works.
Chu Shuzhi deserves a big bonus after this episode. I hope he gets one eventually.
Also, pillar time! Always enjoyable. (I still wonder what Ye Zun was doing during the rescue, since he was still voring passersby nearby at the end of 33. Oh well.)
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YUP! It's a very good scene, and I greatly enjoy Zhao Xinci as a character, even if he's not the most heroic and agreeable of characters. There are layers! And reasons! And contradictions!
And she does it at such a crappy time, too! Like, episode 17, or the eternal Merit Brush arc? Eh, whatever, won't work but at least they're not in the middle of a crisis. Keep your heterosexuality in your pants for a bit longer, please!
Perhaps speaking to Ya Qing at the surface? (Imagine how incensed he'd be at gege escaping his grasp while he was instructing a minion!)
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I respect how the narrative handled it - explicitly pointing out that Shen Wei is the most important person to Zhao Yunlan, and Zhu Hong can't compete - but it did seem very out of place, like they were getting close to the end and went, "Oops, still gotta throw this in!" Maybe it could have gone in the Da Ji episode instead. (Then again, maybe Zhu Hong was simply waiting until Shen Wei was detained somewhere to strike... ... nah.)
Perhaps speaking to Ya Qing at the surface? (Imagine how incensed he'd be at gege escaping his grasp while he was instructing a minion!)
This would be interesting to play with! I will have to come up with a suitable freeform. "Villain Incensed That Sibling Escaped From Bondage During Routine Minion Update", perhaps.
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Yeah, they did sort of frame it as part of Ye Zun's ploys to bring down the SID, but ... hadn't we dealt with this exact same thing earlier on several occasions, where Zhu Hong cried into her cups that Zhao Yunlan went for someone else entirely?
Yes, please!
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My impression is that he really does love his son, but doesn't understand him, and because he didn't understand him, couldn't be an effective parent.
Yeah, I agree that he loves him, but it's not just that he doesn't understand, it's that he doesn't bother to try. He's very sure that he's right, and his son just needs to see that, and there's that. (Ugh.)
and call him "gege" like he's five
I mean, that is approximately Ye Zun's level of emotional maturity ... *g*
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I imagine that Zhao Xinci offered Zhang Shi the ultimatum of "don't interact with my family or I'll rip you out of my head if it's the last thing I do" and thus Zhang Shi was a silent observer of the family drama, with maybe occasional suggestions. I got the impression that Zhang Shi only takes control in extremis, never for the sake of it, and mostly just sits as a live-in advisor.
It's very "why are you not like me????" – I suspect he might not be able to truly comprehend Yunlan's viewpoint in some ways, irrespective of the parenthood thing.
Ha, true! We'll also at one point see Ye Zun be baffled why his Hallows mergeration won't work, only to discover that the Lantern is missing, so he can't even count to four. Very left behind in maturity! *g*
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That was kind of my impression too!
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Agree. Zhao Xinci seems like a very utilitarian, concrete guy, and Zhao Yunlan's hunches and abstractness and messy messy FEELINGS probably look to him like Zhao Yunlan being volatile and contrary for the sake of it. A better dad would've tried to listen to Zhao Yunlan and understand, but I honestly don't think Zhao Xinci could have.
he does his best to keep others away lest they end up hostages like his mother. Thus the armor of "I have a foul mouth, bad temper, can only playact nice and kind for three days, and even my dad dislikes me" to keep all potential significant others away.
I agree with this, but I also think a small part of his "I'm terrible and nobody should love me" is a niggling hint of self-loathing from being raised by Zhao Xinci. I think he'd like to think he doesn't believe the self-deprecation, but he maybe does just a little bit.
Really, Guo Changcheng, the waist?
It's such a nice lil waist though? So grabbable? No, okay, but grabbing your boss is bad, even if he's Zhao Yunlan.
It's hilarious how stereotypically manly and gallant and completely unreflective of reality Zhu Hong's dream!ZYL is. It's like she's not even in love with Zhao Yunlan, but with an objectified idea of him, which...is absolutely a thing real people do, yeah. Really highlights that, on the other hand, Shen Wei loves Zhao Yunlan as he actually is, which is something Zhao Yunlan probably hasn't felt from anyone since his mom died.
Also, forgot how bad this episode sucks for Zhao Yunlan. Everything is terrible when Shen Wei is away.
no subject
There's also the question of intellect, I think – Zhao Xinci is smart enough but not stellar, and he gets places with sheer methodical plodding. Zhao Yunlan, OTOH, is utterly brilliant, and also driven by principles rather than ... I guess Zhao Xinci is in certain respects a pure utilitarian who'd be willing to kill groups of people for the greater good?
It's got a definite tinge of weaponized insecurity to it, definitely. The balance of lies and truth is interesting to think about.
I sort of got the idea that it was an edited version of how Zhu Hong saw an actual interaction of theirs? I mean, Zhao Yunlan is pretty gallant in a certain way. I would be interesting to see what Shen Wei's dreamworld version of Zhao Yunlan would be like.
no subject
Good point! Zhao Yunlan's intellect would be a challenge for just about any parent, probably, so I guess I give Zhao Xinci a little leeway on that.
I guess Zhao Xinci is in certain respects a pure utilitarian who'd be willing to kill groups of people for the greater good?
Possibly. I think he and Zhao Yunlan would have different answers to the trolley problem and variants, anyway.
I sort of got the idea that it was an edited version of how Zhu Hong saw an actual interaction of theirs?
I hadn't thought of it that way, but that makes a lot of sense! It's not like he hasn't caught/shielded/protected her before. Zhao Yunlan is gallant in his way -- he's definitely, what's the word, noble? With the self-sacrifice -- but I think if you were to swoon on him, and you weren't actually dying or anything, he might think it was funny to drop you.
I suspect Shen Wei's dream Zhao Yunlan might be a bit better at sitting still and doing what he's told :P
no subject
OT, but I'm now imagining Shen Wei's answer to the trolley problem. It would probably involve self-sacrificial dark energy kabooms and trolley derailment at a minimum.
He'd probably act a lot like Kunlun, i.e. smile and praise Shen Wei, maybe with added physical contact. Shen Wei would be thrilled at the appreciation.
no subject
He can stop time and teleport, so he should be able to save everyone with no fuss (okay, maybe some blood-spitting) but I suspect your dramatic version would be more likely to actually happen.
He'd probably act a lot like Kunlun, i.e. smile and praise Shen Wei, maybe with added physical contact. Shen Wei would be thrilled at the appreciation.
Oh awww oh that's too sweet. I'm sure real Zhao Yunlan would be delighted to cuddle Shen Wei and tell him how wonderful he is anytime; he really needs to get a peek into THAT dream.
no subject
Yup! The dream would probably be Shen Wei feeding an appreciative Zhao Yunlan, and then Shen Wei would be moderately embarrassed that Zhao Yunlan saw. (Zhao Yunlan would obviously go Awww and decide to enact it IRL. Shen Wei would be so pleased onnce he was done being embarrassed.)
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I thought it was a real occurrence too, slightly edited, yes.
no subject
I agree. He's got a massive ego, but that doesn't mean he necessarily has perfect self-esteem.
It's like she's not even in love with Zhao Yunlan, but with an objectified idea of him
Yes on this, too. For me, it's the one blemish on her otherwise perfect perfection. =D
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Shen Wei says he doesn't dream because he doesn't need to. (Subtext: he has Zhao Yunlan already, unlike poor Zhu Hong.)
*GASP* I never thought of that! Oh my goodness.
Also, this is my #1 fave jacket of ZYL's and it makes me so happy that it must've been the wardrobe boss's, too.
The old hairstyle! I never noticed! Brilliant.
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Indeed! :D
Same. I think he wears it all the way from 30 to 40? He takes up sleeping at the SID and doesn't really have any opportunities to change.
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❤️❤️❤️
I will be back tomorrow, just wanted to register my LOL at this!
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I so love how he figures that one out. It's smart and, um, HOT.
Just bringing some illustration!
Thanks for the write-up of that conversation with Zhang Shi. I find his role in the show really interesting, but also frequently get confused about what exactly is said about him.
"Don't worry, Yunlan, your dad hasn't been left alone even though you've avoided him as best you can."
LOL! Zhao Xinci is such a people person, good thing he always had a buddy wherever he went!
My impression is that he really does love his son, but doesn't understand him, and because he didn't understand him, couldn't be an effective parent.
I don't disagree with that, and I find these moments when Zhao Xinci does want to help Zhao Yunlan very interesting. But I think he's also just not a naturally kind person (or a person who values kindness), and his lack of understanding of Zhao Yunlan has a tinge of "not wanting to try" (maybe because he feels he shouldn't have to); I can believe Zhao Yunlan was a monster teenager and nothing would have made that work, but now that he's an adult, some of the things Zhao Xinci doesn't understand about his son, like his loyalty to the SID, are really not that hard to parse.
Zhu Hong decides this is the very best time to confront him with her feelings! This goes predictably badly.
I missed the last Rewatchalong for various reasons but this stretch of episodes is really one where the hits keep coming for Zhao Yunlan, and he's under sooooo much pressure, and Zhu Hong really picks the worst possible timing for this. I love how hard he tries to let her down gently; I think he fucks it up a bit by not being even clearer but I can totally understand why. And "my own father dislikes me" is still my favourite (ouch) Zhao Yunlan moment.
Zhu Hong reformed her entire self around Zhao Yunlan's offhand remarks, for instance about her looking good in heels. That's really fucking sad.
She also tries not to eat raw meat even though she gets cravings! That's one of my favourite details about her snake background, long after they no longer had the money to do anything with snake CGI.
I also found her dream!Zhao Yunlan quite interesting in that I think that that guy has a different way of moving and talking than real Zhao Yunlan - so it's set in her memories but also probably slightly edited / glowy-through-pining, and I liked how that was done.
Because Chu Shuzhi is an ex-con edgelord in addition to being the only competent person in the building
LOL! <3
Oh, and the shots of Zhao Yunlan's incense call being unanswered were very nicely shot.
AND HORRIBLE. T___T
no subject
Zhao Xinci is a bit "look, I'm halping!" about it all, yes. I suspect he's done the parental thing of not updating his mental model of Yunlan past the age he was when he moved out, too. And their moral bases are different enough that Zhao Xinci might truly be unable to see where Yunlan is coming from in some things, irrespective of the trying.
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Shen Wei says he doesn't dream because he doesn't need to.
This line always intrigues me, and I wonder how true it is (and if it's always been true).
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My personal headcanon is "Hallows fuckery means Shen Wei's sleep is dreamless" but I hadn't even thought that he might be lying! Oooohh, intriguing. In any case I think he was a normal Dixingian in the past (which includes dreaming, as we'll discover next episode), and any change to that is due to the Hallows-induced dirt nap and related effects.
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For me, it's not so much wondering if he's lying as wondering how...literal is it? Like, does he literally not dream at all, and if so, I wonder if it might be something he's trained himself not to do/learned not to need. And Shen Wei's ideas of what he "needs" are so very messed up and bare-survival that even if he really believes he doesn't need to dream, I'm not sure it's true beyond the fact that it evidently won't kill him if he doesn't.
It being a Hallows-related thing would also certainly make sense.
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His mom/trauma reaction? His dad didn't save his mom and so ZYL decided that in a situation like that, *he* should be the one to die, because that would save his mom/someone else. And he doesn't get along with his dad, so really, doing the opposite of that sounds great to him, he's already seen lots of ways his dad is wrong.
no subject
Yeah, that does sound very plausible.