awanderingcoyote (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
awanderingcoyote) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
sid_guardian2021-12-18 07:47 pm
awanderingcoyote) wrote in sid_guardian2021-12-18 07:47 pm
Entry tags:
Focus on: Episode 12: Zhao Yunlan & Shen Wei talk and have two different conversations
Location of the scene: Episode 12, 4:41 to 7:48
I sourced the screencaps from sid_guardian | Guardian Screencaps, Episodes 12-19 (dreamwidth.org) :heartheart:
Special Note: For this episode, there is a TW for mention of suicide. Also of note, I’m using Viki’s translations of the dialogue. Last note, my thoughts at the time of writing the screencaps up are in ()'s.
Context: In episode 11, SID is called into a research institute/lab because of three apparent suicides of three scientists. It’s found that one of the scientists called Shen Wei’s several times before his death. When we meet up with Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan in episode 12, Shen Wei is talking about his colleague and how it couldn’t be suicide while Zhao Yunlan is talking about something else altogether, mostly.
The scene opens with Shen Wei making/pouring tea for Zhao Yunlan and Zhao Yunlan sitting on the couch in Shen Wei’s spacious office. Zhao Yunlan sits and watches Shen Wei.
There’s a moment when Shen Wei turns around and looks at Zhao Yunlan and then the camera shows the perspective of Zhao Yunlan looking back at him. (To me ZYL’s face is very serious here. No laughter, no gregarious expressions, very serious, which isn’t how we see it often, this sets such a tone for ZYL)
Shen Wei comes around and places the teacup on the table between the two of them. To note, as Shen Wei walked around Zhao Yunlan definitely followed his movements the whole time. As Shen Wei begins to sit the camera pans over SW’s shoulder to give a glimpse of ZYL’s face. (It is such seriousness. SUCH seriousness)
When the camera pans back to SW his expression is quite blank/neutral. (To me this reads as SW putting a wall of ‘don’t look at me’, though not in the actual sense, more like the please don’t see beneath my very professor-ly glasses and soft sweater vest)
Eventually, SW looks to ZYL and the two have a staring moment where SW shifts several times in his seat (nerves? I read this as nerves. I also like how the camera angle showed it over ZYL’s shoulder/perspective this time.)
SW only starts talking once he’s looked away from ZYL (SW looks so dedicated with all the words he's about to say in the next two minutes LOL)
The next bit is dialogue-heavy so I’m going to condense the picture spam a little bit and just fangirl over the parts that made me really go OMG. Though this whole scene really did just make me go OMG for the whole four-ish minutes.
SW opens with: Correct Zheng ZhongYuan was one of my upperclassmen in university. He majored in sonar. Which is the transmission of sound waves underwater. We always communicated in our fields of research. Last night at 11 he even called me to discuss new results from his research claiming he achieved oscillation of sound waves but out of water.
(It’s interesting to note that at the beginning of what SW said ZYL was looking at him, but as he continued to speak ZYL’s gaze dropped down. SW pretty much keeps his gaze down for the majority of this conversation. ZYL only looked back up at SW with his next line.)
ZYL: Professor Shen, your body sure recovered fast (obviously not referencing anything in what SW just said)
SW: It’s impossible he committed suicide. He was very competitive, a scholar with great ambitions. He was deeply passionate and eager about his research in sound waves. So, unless he was bewitched into delusion, I can’t imagine any other possibility. (clearly he was all: I shall ignore what ZYL just said and add more words to keep him at arm’s length)
ZYL: I’ve been thinking, since Professor Shen never drinks and is cut-off from all electronics, you’re pretty much a living fossil. Seeing things now my intuition is actually useful sometimes. (ZYL is just like: I’m gonna keep pushing, yup!)
SW has something of a frowny face: Are you even listening to me? (I just about died here just pls SW pls)
ZYL leans in: I only want to hear you tell the truth (I’m dying even more here)
(The staring. STARING. Also, SW swallows audibly as the two stare at each other. I can just hear the aw snap in my head with that, but SW is SW and so he continues onward!)
SW: Sound manipulation isn’t my field of expertise. Regarding this case I want to help but I don’t have the capability.
As soon as SW speaks ZYL drops his head and clasps his hands together. (pls SW pls)
ZYL: You damn well know this isn’t what I’m talking about. (I believe ZYL is hitting the table with his hands - because he is done. DONE. Also, he doesn't look up at SW until the very end of what he has to say)
SW just looks down his expression that of a kicked puppy.
They share another look (my heart *wheeze* I’m dying again)
SW leans back and then further forward: It seems that Chief Zhao still hasn’t given up suspecting me.
ZYL: Not suspicion but lack of understanding.
ZYL gets up and grabs a chair and continues to speak: It’s strange long-lived sundial, mountain river awl, even though we’ve gone through so much together still, I realized you’re becoming more and more perplexing to me.
SW, while not looking at ZYL once again: Sometimes when you think too deeply your perception becomes clouded instead. To be honest I’m just a normal person who happens to be unlucky.
At this, ZYL looks to roll his eyes and head before he closes his eyes (I read this as ZYL not wanting to look at SW as he tries to pull this act again)
Poor SW tries to smile/laugh it off and here he looks at ZYL again. (I feel like there's a fragility to SW's demeanor in this moment)
SW: I don’t know why somehow I became involved in these strange cases and that’s all there is to it. ZYL rolls his eyes and head again and actually lifts his hand in frustration. (ZYL's expression read a cross between frustration and FFS. Also, I think Shen Wei’s theme song plays in the background when he speaks.)
(The head roll from ZYL. He is like: I am done. Pls dear god I’m done.)
ZYL: Fine. Forget it. Gonna make a call.
SW looks away (the sadness in those eyes)
My Favorites of this Scene:
There are many things that hit me as my favorites in this scene, but I would have to say the amount of intense stares between the two and all the emotion that Zhao Yunlan puts out there by being quiet and serious and frustrated, versus flippant.
Sure, Zhao Yunlan is seemingly 'free' with his emotions, but really he hides behind his over-the-top flirty, go-happy-lucky-guy, but in this scene, the emotions are honest to gosh real. There’s no hiding behind teases, no hiding behind playfulness, Zhao Yunlan has stripped that all away and has basically offered it to Shen Wei.
And while Shen Wei sees this and understands this for this moment (or so I think with all those STARES and swallows) he can’t quite yet give Zhao Yunlan the truth of the whole situation.
Which is sad. SO SAD. Because Zhao Yunlan wears that upbeat attitude of himself like armor and here, he’s taken that armor off and has been rebuffed by SW.
It makes me feel bad for the two of them. ZYL trying so hard to get SW to be honest with him and SW trying just as hard to protect ZYL by keeping him in the dark. Even if that tactic rarely ever works out for SW.
The tension with the back and forth was really great. The camera work was likewise really great giving glimpses of each as they react to one another and all the unsaid things that are flying quickly in the undercurrent.
Pondering Points & Questions:
* I love how in quite a few episodes with big emotions it always seems to happen around a couch LOL. Whether it’s ZYL’s apartment couch, SW’s office/apartment couch, or the SID bullpen couch, but if there’s a moment it’s probably near a couch.
* Did anyone else feel like when SW paused before bringing the tea over to the table that there was just a sense of trepidation from him? To me, it felt like when he looked at ZYL that he knew this wouldn’t necessarily be a normal (as normal as one can get) conversation. Especially with ZYL so serious. So. Serious.
* It’s pretty clear what ZYL is feeling in this scene, but what thoughts do you think are going through SW’s head as they speak? Especially when he wouldn’t look at ZYL as he talked about his colleague.
Any other thoughts, comments, or questions are most welcome! Thank you for taking the time to read my spammy spammy post. :heartheart:
I sourced the screencaps from sid_guardian | Guardian Screencaps, Episodes 12-19 (dreamwidth.org) :heartheart:
Special Note: For this episode, there is a TW for mention of suicide. Also of note, I’m using Viki’s translations of the dialogue. Last note, my thoughts at the time of writing the screencaps up are in ()'s.
Context: In episode 11, SID is called into a research institute/lab because of three apparent suicides of three scientists. It’s found that one of the scientists called Shen Wei’s several times before his death. When we meet up with Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan in episode 12, Shen Wei is talking about his colleague and how it couldn’t be suicide while Zhao Yunlan is talking about something else altogether, mostly.
The scene opens with Shen Wei making/pouring tea for Zhao Yunlan and Zhao Yunlan sitting on the couch in Shen Wei’s spacious office. Zhao Yunlan sits and watches Shen Wei.
There’s a moment when Shen Wei turns around and looks at Zhao Yunlan and then the camera shows the perspective of Zhao Yunlan looking back at him. (To me ZYL’s face is very serious here. No laughter, no gregarious expressions, very serious, which isn’t how we see it often, this sets such a tone for ZYL)
Shen Wei comes around and places the teacup on the table between the two of them. To note, as Shen Wei walked around Zhao Yunlan definitely followed his movements the whole time. As Shen Wei begins to sit the camera pans over SW’s shoulder to give a glimpse of ZYL’s face. (It is such seriousness. SUCH seriousness)
When the camera pans back to SW his expression is quite blank/neutral. (To me this reads as SW putting a wall of ‘don’t look at me’, though not in the actual sense, more like the please don’t see beneath my very professor-ly glasses and soft sweater vest)
Eventually, SW looks to ZYL and the two have a staring moment where SW shifts several times in his seat (nerves? I read this as nerves. I also like how the camera angle showed it over ZYL’s shoulder/perspective this time.)
SW only starts talking once he’s looked away from ZYL (SW looks so dedicated with all the words he's about to say in the next two minutes LOL)
The next bit is dialogue-heavy so I’m going to condense the picture spam a little bit and just fangirl over the parts that made me really go OMG. Though this whole scene really did just make me go OMG for the whole four-ish minutes.
SW opens with: Correct Zheng ZhongYuan was one of my upperclassmen in university. He majored in sonar. Which is the transmission of sound waves underwater. We always communicated in our fields of research. Last night at 11 he even called me to discuss new results from his research claiming he achieved oscillation of sound waves but out of water.
(It’s interesting to note that at the beginning of what SW said ZYL was looking at him, but as he continued to speak ZYL’s gaze dropped down. SW pretty much keeps his gaze down for the majority of this conversation. ZYL only looked back up at SW with his next line.)
ZYL: Professor Shen, your body sure recovered fast (obviously not referencing anything in what SW just said)
SW: It’s impossible he committed suicide. He was very competitive, a scholar with great ambitions. He was deeply passionate and eager about his research in sound waves. So, unless he was bewitched into delusion, I can’t imagine any other possibility. (clearly he was all: I shall ignore what ZYL just said and add more words to keep him at arm’s length)
ZYL: I’ve been thinking, since Professor Shen never drinks and is cut-off from all electronics, you’re pretty much a living fossil. Seeing things now my intuition is actually useful sometimes. (ZYL is just like: I’m gonna keep pushing, yup!)
SW has something of a frowny face: Are you even listening to me? (I just about died here just pls SW pls)
ZYL leans in: I only want to hear you tell the truth (I’m dying even more here)
(The staring. STARING. Also, SW swallows audibly as the two stare at each other. I can just hear the aw snap in my head with that, but SW is SW and so he continues onward!)
SW: Sound manipulation isn’t my field of expertise. Regarding this case I want to help but I don’t have the capability.
As soon as SW speaks ZYL drops his head and clasps his hands together. (pls SW pls)
ZYL: You damn well know this isn’t what I’m talking about. (I believe ZYL is hitting the table with his hands - because he is done. DONE
SW just looks down his expression that of a kicked puppy.
They share another look (my heart *wheeze* I’m dying again)
SW leans back and then further forward: It seems that Chief Zhao still hasn’t given up suspecting me.
ZYL: Not suspicion but lack of understanding.
ZYL gets up and grabs a chair and continues to speak: It’s strange long-lived sundial, mountain river awl, even though we’ve gone through so much together still, I realized you’re becoming more and more perplexing to me.
SW, while not looking at ZYL once again: Sometimes when you think too deeply your perception becomes clouded instead. To be honest I’m just a normal person who happens to be unlucky.
At this, ZYL looks to roll his eyes and head before he closes his eyes (I read this as ZYL not wanting to look at SW as he tries to pull this act again)
Poor SW tries to smile/laugh it off and here he looks at ZYL again. (I feel like there's a fragility to SW's demeanor in this moment)
SW: I don’t know why somehow I became involved in these strange cases and that’s all there is to it. ZYL rolls his eyes and head again and actually lifts his hand in frustration. (ZYL's expression read a cross between frustration and FFS. Also, I think Shen Wei’s theme song plays in the background when he speaks.)
(The head roll from ZYL. He is like: I am done. Pls dear god I’m done.)
ZYL: Fine. Forget it. Gonna make a call.
SW looks away (the sadness in those eyes)
My Favorites of this Scene:
There are many things that hit me as my favorites in this scene, but I would have to say the amount of intense stares between the two and all the emotion that Zhao Yunlan puts out there by being quiet and serious and frustrated, versus flippant.
Sure, Zhao Yunlan is seemingly 'free' with his emotions, but really he hides behind his over-the-top flirty, go-happy-lucky-guy, but in this scene, the emotions are honest to gosh real. There’s no hiding behind teases, no hiding behind playfulness, Zhao Yunlan has stripped that all away and has basically offered it to Shen Wei.
And while Shen Wei sees this and understands this for this moment (or so I think with all those STARES and swallows) he can’t quite yet give Zhao Yunlan the truth of the whole situation.
Which is sad. SO SAD. Because Zhao Yunlan wears that upbeat attitude of himself like armor and here, he’s taken that armor off and has been rebuffed by SW.
It makes me feel bad for the two of them. ZYL trying so hard to get SW to be honest with him and SW trying just as hard to protect ZYL by keeping him in the dark. Even if that tactic rarely ever works out for SW.
The tension with the back and forth was really great. The camera work was likewise really great giving glimpses of each as they react to one another and all the unsaid things that are flying quickly in the undercurrent.
Pondering Points & Questions:
* I love how in quite a few episodes with big emotions it always seems to happen around a couch LOL. Whether it’s ZYL’s apartment couch, SW’s office/apartment couch, or the SID bullpen couch, but if there’s a moment it’s probably near a couch.
* Did anyone else feel like when SW paused before bringing the tea over to the table that there was just a sense of trepidation from him? To me, it felt like when he looked at ZYL that he knew this wouldn’t necessarily be a normal (as normal as one can get) conversation. Especially with ZYL so serious. So. Serious.
* It’s pretty clear what ZYL is feeling in this scene, but what thoughts do you think are going through SW’s head as they speak? Especially when he wouldn’t look at ZYL as he talked about his colleague.
Any other thoughts, comments, or questions are most welcome! Thank you for taking the time to read my spammy spammy post. :heartheart:
no subject
AND WOO! Let me run over and sign up for the next realm. :D :D :D