sid_guardian | Guardian Episode by Episode: 40

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type: episode discussion

Guardian Episode by Episode: 40

Welcome to the rewatchalong! Today we watch the final episode, 40! The Imgur screencap album has 66 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
Episode 31, Episode 32, Episode 33, Episode 34, Episode 35
Episode 36, Episode 37, Episode 38, Episode 39

This episode, it all comes to a close.

-but first, let me thank all of you for the interesting conversations and company on this months-long journey. Give yourselves a big round of applause and a hug if you'd like.

The kaboom
Ye Zun's downward spiral continues. Shen Wei claims he's addicted to devouring, but doesn't specify whether it's psychological (Ye Zun's only way of dealing with stuff is eating people), physiological (his powers literally mean eating stuff), or both. He also just really wanted someone to ask him why he's doing all this eating – turns out the answer is that people suck, and Ye Zun wants to reform this filthy world by killing everyone he deems evil.

"No, no, hear me out! Instead of tidying up people's houses with Marie Kondo, it would be a TV show about tidying up politics with me! All the politicians that do not bring me joy would be KonMari'd straight into my stomach!"

Then, in the Hallows space, he finally gets to sort out his misunderstanding with Shen Wei. (Like, of the villains, so many of them were motivated by misplaced revenge. So many. The SID should just start issuing questionnaires about "who are you getting revenge on and why" to all prospective villains to cut down on this shit.) And says that ever since Shen Wei left him when they were small, he hasn't had a home. (Someone time travel to steal him off to therapy. Please.)

On the one hand, gege didn't leave him. On the other hand, he screwed up so much. So, so much.

We see Zhao Yunlan completely give up hope/the will to live when Ye Zun coughs up a set of people that doesn't include Shen Wei. When he realizes just what Shen Wei did, he's sad and perversely happy about the fact that they do have a way to defeat Ye Zun. Then, after the probably-Hallows-enabled post-death vision thing, he goes to follow his dear Shen Wei into death in a manner that outdoes blowing oneself up to defeat the supervillain and sacrifices himself to become the wick of the Guardian Lantern.

One defeats evil, the other brings good. Maybe he told the barkeep to stock up on sunglasses?

Shen Wei, never one for words, tosses the pendant to Zhao Yunlan because that was the easiest way to communicate his feelings – namely, that he'd happily carry Zhao Yunlan's trash with him forever. Then he figures out how to wait for Zhao Yunlan in Hallows space (for a year???) only to have to leave just as Zhao Yunlan arrived. And they didn't even hug! WHY.

Xiao-Wei reconnects with his past as someone who was so expressive he needed to hide his face all the time. Now he's trying to not hide, though Zhao Yunlan probably wouldn't object to hiding his face in Zhao Yunlan's neck and cuddling.

One year later
The Haixing Department of Supervision crowd has rearranged itself so that Minister Gao is now the secretary and Vice-Minister Guo has been promoted to Minister. Zhao Xinci visits them every day (because he ... has a crush on someone?). Meanwhile, Li Qian has found satisfaction as the director of the Institute.

The SID is still trucking along and they've even hired more people, so either the SID's mandate has changed, the Yashou are acting up a lot (unlikely), or the portals have reopened. (Though the SID's duties have likely increased even then, since there's no Ye Zun stirring the pot and sending people up to cause problems.)

We see Zhu Hong open up a Yashou convention on internal reform and idea exchange as the High Chief. She specifically mentions she's here on her day off, so she might be still working for the SID?

Also she got a wardrobe upgrade. Mm, yes, swish that cape!

Guo Changcheng and Chu Shuzhi are still with the SID and have adopted a dog called Xiaomi. Guo Changcheng's also being set up on dates by his family, and Chu Shuzhi is 100% willing to stalk him there and drag him off if he's being too self-deprecating or the blind date girl wants him to quit the SID.

Berating people into self-confidence isn't something I expected to see.

Zhao Yunlan's apartment still has the cat and now a Lin Jing to go with it. Their social life consists of looking at photographs of Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan sadly. Lin Jing might still be with the Institute – I didn't quite catch whether he was talking about the past or the present as well.

They even kept it clean as a living monument to Shen Wei's ability to clean the place up.

Zhao Yunlan's flesh vessel is still alive and kicking due to Zhang Shi moving in. Turns out Zhao Yunlan is very much into recycling and told him to take his place and live his life well.

Given that his age is over nine thousand, moving into his son's body might not even be the weirdest thing he's done.

As for Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan's ending – I think they intentionally left it a bit open-ended. One can go very many places by choosing one's fannish spackle correctly. No doubt you all have your favorite pieces of meta on it.

Canon details

Dixing has its own energy (and Ye Zun ate all of it?)
The Guardian Lantern is about defeating evil through sacrifice, as per Zhang Shi

Cinematography
Some pretty dramatic shots from above:

Ye Zun discovers the taste of failure. Zhao Yunlan despairquits the world. I Can't Believe It's Not Zhao Yunlan(TM)! The new SID, less empty than it could be.

as well as from below:

Smol Shen Wei just wants didi back. Father-son cuddle.

Also, I really liked this effect:

Doubts, failure, defeat.

And I think I better break your heart:

The only scene that was actually hard to watch for reasons unrelated to embarrassment squick.

Let's finish off with some men crying!

Ye Zun, Zhao Yunlan, Shen Wei.

Zhao Yunlan jacket watch
Still that same one. Zhang Shi uses a different one.

Dapper jacket with a side of emotional pain. Leather jacket with some more emotional pain.

Did Shen Wei take off his glasses?
There are no glasses in the afterlife.

Though after this, he did put them back on for the swirly Hallows space meeting.

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*sobs*

That is a common reaction, yes. Have a bts hug!

All the politicians that do not bring me joy would be KonMari'd straight into my stomach! Hysterically laughing at this because this ep is heartbreaking but you make it better!The part where they find Zhao Yunlan and the SID members are around him will never make me not cry. I LOVE ZHU HONG'S CAPE!
I also really like that Zhao Yunlan doesn't even look like Zhao Yunlan once Zhang Shi moves in,like,hoooow!O_o
Chu Shuzhi dragging away his boyfriend from blind dates is hilarious,like just tell him you want him already,but then where's the fun in that. XD

Edited 2019-12-13 09:57 (UTC)

this ep is heartbreaking but you make it better!
*bows* Ty! That is my greatest aim.

Zhu Hong's cape is the best! I wish we got more shots of her wearing a cape. I wonder if it's some sort of Yashou leadership thing?

I'm sure there are many cogent and thoughtful responses possible to your excellent post...but...
oh Shen Wei...

Oh Shen Wei indeed! Everyone here deserves a hug.

Thanks for doing these, been a lot of fun :D

Shen Wei, never one for words, tosses the pendant to Zhao Yunlan because that was the easiest way to communicate his feelings – namely, that he'd happily carry Zhao Yunlan's trash with him forever

Confession time: if fandom had not told me that was a lollipop wrapper in there, I would never have figured that out.

Thanks for doing these, been a lot of fun :D
<3

if fandom had not told me that was a lollipop wrapper in there, I would never have figured that out.
I actually had a bit of trouble with it, too - it's just a swirly swirl thing, and it's not like I consume lollipops regularly.

All the politicians that do not bring me joy would be KonMari'd straight into my stomach!"

Today, this seems particularly relevant.

The SID should just start issuing questionnaires about "who are you getting revenge on and why"

Ain't that the truth. But also, maybe Ye Zun could have engaged his common sense when he still had some.

Then he figures out how to wait for Zhao Yunlan in Hallows space (for a year???)

Why a year? I assumed he waited until Zhao Yunlan had 'wicked' himself, which didn't take a year to happen.

I really love that Li Qian gets to run the resarch institute. Her arc is one of the best!

The SID is still trucking along and they've even hired more people, so either the SID's mandate has changed, the Yashou are acting up a lot (unlikely), or the portals have reopened.

It would be nice to think the portals have reopened, but the problem could also be Dixingren stuck in Haixing with no way of getting back now.

I didn't notice Zhu Hong was talking about her day off - I love the idea that she's still working for the SID.

Thank you for all these posts, I really enjoyed them!

After Ye Zun's done eating the Regent and a variety of Haixing politicians, he would no doubt be happy to gobble up half of Westminster! (...hmm, that would be quite a fic.)

But also, maybe Ye Zun could have engaged his common sense when he still had some.
I'm inclined to cut him a small amount of slack due to the cruel, unusual, and no doubt sanity-eroding punishment that was empillarment, but yeah, he probably should've told Shen Wei about it. Even if only to deliver a Reason You Suck Speech.

I assumed he waited until Zhao Yunlan had 'wicked' himself, which didn't take a year to happen.
Huh! Given the place in the episode, I assumed it wasn't immediately after the wicking, but rather some time after. Though time canonically doesn't work the same in the Hallows dimension.

the problem could also be Dixingren stuck in Haixing with no way of getting back now.
But how many of them are there, and would they really cause that much trouble? The SID could've done with that amount of staff during Zhu Jiu/Ye Zun stirring up shit, but if stuff's calmed down with no big influxes of Dixingians, I wouldn't have expected so many people present at the HQ.

Thank you for all these posts, I really enjoyed them!
<3

After Ye Zun's done eating the Regent and a variety of Haixing politicians, he would no doubt be happy to gobble up half of Westminster! (...hmm, that would be quite a fic.)

It would be a redemption arc I could finally be on board with. :)

He also just really wanted someone to ask him why he's doing all this eating – turns out the answer is that people suck
#relatable. But eating people is NOT the solution! It hardly ever is, really.

he goes to follow his dear Shen Wei into death in a manner that outdoes blowing oneself up to defeat the supervillain and sacrifices himself to become the wick of the Guardian Lantern.
I know people have a lot of different feelings about this, and that's totally fair, but I love it. As a resolution to the narrative. It still stabs me in all the soft parts and makes me want fix-its. With a big caveat that this is all just my perspective: Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan make commensurate noble self-sacrifices. Zhao Yunlan has little interest in surviving without Shen Wei (which he pretty much told Shen Wei in the hospital bomb scene). But more than either of those, Zhao Yunlan's last act is to finish Shen Wei's work. Shen Wei gives his life to protect -- well, everyone, but Zhao Yunlan most directly. He effectively leaves the fate of his people in Zhao Yunlan's hands. Zhao Yunlan vindicates Shen Wei's faith in him by finishing the bloody business of bringing light to Dixing. It's a mic drop on the themes of giving of oneself to protect others, and of different kinds of people being better together, and it's just fucking beautiful. (Now, Dixing's problems are far from completely solved at the end, and the whole "cutting off Dixing from Haixing" thing is widely acknowledged to be dumb and bad, but this specific thing, from a character perspective, is just pure gold IMO.)

Now he's trying to not hide, though Zhao Yunlan probably wouldn't object to hiding his face in Zhao Yunlan's neck and cuddling.
P-PLEASE. (I got all my coherence out in the last bit, now for the crying.) PLEASE JUST HUG.

So I kind of hate the "one year later" epilogue, but that might be because the major trio are dead and the show expects me to keep watching for multiple minutes like this is fine and okay more than because of the contents. The Zhu Hong and Li Qian bits are especially satisfying, in isolation.

Given that his age is over nine thousand, moving into his son's body might not even be the weirdest thing he's done.
You've committed several word crimes here, but I think the most egregious is bringing back that prehistoric meme.

Hey you -- thank you so much for all the hard work you've put into the rewatchalong! It has been useful and funny and brilliant (and, um, I was reading it before I became Ratbones *blush*). The posts and comments have been a rich vein of meta and ideas all along. I know I'll be referring back often. <3

But eating people is NOT the solution! It hardly ever is, really.
If only eating people were the solution, a lot of problems would be easier to deal with!

With a big caveat that this is all just my perspective: Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan make commensurate noble self-sacrifices. Zhao Yunlan has little interest in surviving without Shen Wei (which he pretty much told Shen Wei in the hospital bomb scene). But more than either of those, Zhao Yunlan's last act is to finish Shen Wei's work. Shen Wei gives his life to protect -- well, everyone, but Zhao Yunlan most directly. He effectively leaves the fate of his people in Zhao Yunlan's hands. Zhao Yunlan vindicates Shen Wei's faith in him by finishing the bloody business of bringing light to Dixing. It's a mic drop on the themes of giving of oneself to protect others, and of different kinds of people being better together, and it's just fucking beautiful.
Yes! I mean, would I have preferred it if they all lived and peacefully brought light to Dixing via geothermal power and LED lamps? Yes. But since they died, I'm glad they died for each other/for each other's people.

PLEASE JUST HUG.
See icon!

I kind of hate the "one year later" epilogue, but that might be because the major trio are dead and the show expects me to keep watching for multiple minutes like this is fine and okay more than because of the contents. The Zhu Hong and Li Qian bits are especially satisfying, in isolation.
I do wish they'd done it a bit differently – show that Dixing is better off now, too, and there's a new Treaty being planned that'd allow free passage both ways, for instance! (I know they did major edits, but they could've dubbed in a reference to a new and more equitable Treaty being in the works during the Zhao Xinci-Guo Ying conversation.) Instead, we got Guo Changcheng on a blind date.

You've committed several word crimes here, but I think the most egregious is bringing back that prehistoric meme.
*bows*

Hey you -- thank you so much for all the hard work you've put into the rewatchalong! It has been useful and funny and brilliant (and, um, I was reading it before I became Ratbones *blush*). The posts and comments have been a rich vein of meta and ideas all along. I know I'll be referring back often. <3
<3 *blushes* Ahh thank you! I'm super glad to hear people found these useful. <3

Ahhh that hug in your icon really is good for my soul. I've got a gif of that somewhere that I should probably watch once a day, for medicinal purposes.

I do wish they'd done it a bit differently – show that Dixing is better off now, too, and there's a new Treaty being planned that'd allow free passage both ways, for instance!
This would have gone a long way to making the epilogue feel more satisfying! As it is, the entire thing feels a bit unnecessary to me. It doesn't do much to resolve the actual lingering questions. The interaction between Chu Shuzhi and Guo Changcheng is cute and funny and how am I supposed to stomach cute-and-funny during episode 40? I CANNOT.

Ahh thank you! I'm super glad to hear people found these useful.
Very much so! <3

I've got a gif of that somewhere that I should probably watch once a day, for medicinal purposes.
Yes, you should! (I understand why a hug wouldn't fit there, but I wish we'd gotten at least one instance of Shen Wei swooning into Zhao Yunlan's arms all "I am an FRAIL and INNOCENT and TOTES NOT INVOLVED IN THIS professor, please embrace me protectively" before the identity reveal. Alas.)

As it is, the entire thing feels a bit unnecessary to me. It doesn't do much to resolve the actual lingering questions. The interaction between Chu Shuzhi and Guo Changcheng is cute and funny and how am I supposed to stomach cute-and-funny during episode 40?
They set up Dixingians deserving to visit Haixing for 39 episodes and then just went "well I guess they're stuck, but at least there's a lamp so we can forget about it". And I mean literally forget about it! With not even an dub-over! They could even have Guo Changcheng mention it on the cute and funny blind date! (I guess that's what fanfic is for...)

But more than either of those, Zhao Yunlan's last act is to finish Shen Wei's work. Shen Wei gives his life to protect -- well, everyone, but Zhao Yunlan most directly. He effectively leaves the fate of his people in Zhao Yunlan's hands. Zhao Yunlan vindicates Shen Wei's faith in him by finishing the bloody business of bringing light to Dixing. It's a mic drop on the themes of giving of oneself to protect others, and of different kinds of people being better together, and it's just fucking beautiful.

THISSSSSSSSSSSS, exactly! I love it SO MUCH. ♥ ♥ ♥

<3 It's just masterful, as painful as it is to watch.

Thank you for all these discussion posts! I can't believe we've been at it for so long. I wish I'd managed to keep up better! But I always enjoyed reading them, and looking at your gorgeous screencaps.

Thank you for keeping up even a bit! It's sort of surreal to not have it part of my weekly routine anymore, tbh.

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Guardian Episode by Episode: 40

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