The song that plays over Zheng Yi and Tan Xiao's flashbacks sounds to me like a Chinese-language version of the opening theme song, which conveys hopefulness (even if it probably isn't).
You mean the song in the opening credits? It doesn't sound anything like it to me. (It's an acoustic version of Chu Xin.)
Ahhhhh! *screams* The tea scene!! I can't get over how uncomfortable Shen Wei is -- it's such a stark contrast with the easy friendliness he's been showing Zhao Yunlan as Professor Shen. All the ease between them has vanished. And he's literally flashing back to Kunlun. It must hurt so much that present-day Zhao Yunlan knows him now, but their relationship is still nothing like his time with Kunlun. Zhao Yunlan is still glib about things that are intensely deep and personal to Shen Wei.
Yeah, it has to be so hard for him. In a way, I think the separate roles gave him some of the distance he needed - not because he wanted any distance between him and Zhao Yunlan, but because Zhao Yunlan was (and still is) so far from being Kunlun. And Zhao Yunlan is still not ready to be sincere and earnest when he can be joking, teasing and/or glib instead. *g*
I wonder how much Shen Wei is cross about/shaken by the kidnapping deception, how much terrified by the risks ZYL is willing to take, and how much it's just the discomfort of being seen as the Envoy and the potential dangers ahead.
I think a lot of it is that he's not sure Zhao Yunlan is taking any of it sufficiently seriously. And the discomfort you mention, yeah.
FWIW, I think some of Zhao Yunlan's glibness is bravado, some is trying to reassure Shen Wei that he can handle it, nothing's changed, and of course, some is gloating.
Oh yeah, all of that! And Shen Wei surely knows it, but it doesn't help at all. *g*
(What does the alarm mean? Dark energy leak? Failed experiments don't usually set off a siren!)
Oooh, good question! Yeah, possibly some unwanted manifestation of black energy ... that would make sense, given what they're working on.
Ah, I just got tripped up by different subtitles. I'm still using the original ones (see my change resistance in action), and in those, in the flashback to the compensation/recruitment, Zhao Yunlan says, "As long as we work together, we will be able to keep our city a peaceful and stabilised one." And I always wince a bit at "our city", because it's so presumptuous to think the Envoy shares his priorities like that. But it's not in either the Viki subs or Solo's.
I just checked the Chinese, and what he actually says is 可以守护现在的安定和和平, "we can protect the current stability and peace". No mention of the city!
(Similarly, I never got the impression from the original subs that Zhao Yunlan had asked Shen Wei to write the self-criticism, but it's very clear in both the Viki and Solo subs. Hmph.)
Checking the Chinese, it's 你托我帮你写, "you asked me to help you write". (Though the dictionary says 托 is more "entrust" than "ask".)
I really love that Shen Wei doesn't answer Minister Gao's "How did Chief Zhao persuade you?" question, and instead passes it to Zhao Yunlan like, your problem, you fix it!
Hee, yes, I love that too. That pointed look at Zhao Yunlan! Excellent! :D
(Because I'm pretty sure Minister Gao doesn't know Shen Wei is the Envoy, right??)
Yeah, he clearly has no idea. All he knows about Shen Wei is what he saw at the wedding, and his Haixing identity.
"[ZXC] is so serious, even at home." Does Minister Gao think that Zhao Yunlan still lives with his father (not an unreasonable assumption given Zhao Yunlan is single), or is this a figure of speech to mean "among family"?
I was wondering the same thing! No idea, but either would make sense.
I think it's very telling that the first threat we see Minister Gao take seriously is about public perception. ;-p
Ha, good point!
I don't think it's that he wants to get rid of him; I think it's that this is clearly a matter between family, and also he wants Vice-Minister Guo on side.
And also he probably (rightly) thinks that Xiao-Guo has a better chance of convincing his uncle! Because the uncle clearly does want what's best for Xiao-Guo. (LOL @ your parallel with Zhu Hong's uncle, great point!)
Where did Da Qing hear the name Kunlun? Did it just come to him? (Idk why Cong Bo thinks talking to cats is strange or noteworthy. That is perfectly normal behaviour!)
I thought it just came to him with the Kunlun flashback he had when he was hypnotised - that he woke up remembering that little fragment, and the name of the person in it.
Agreed on talking to cats being normal! Cong Bo is the strange one for finding it weird!
Zhu Hong is so pouty. I always love who does and doesn't applaud Shen Wei's appointment. *g*
The non-applauders are Zhu Hong, Chu Shuzhi and Lin Jing, right? What's your theory about Lin Jing?
And then in the hallway, Zhao Yunlan saying to Shen Wei, "Hei-laoge, we're family now." This is what he's wanted, and why he's so damn happy: the SID is family, and Shen Wei is part of it!
Yes! From Zhao Yunlan's POV this is great! Except that they still have so far to go, and Shen Wei knows it. I just wish Zhao Yunlan picked up on Shen Wei's mood a little more ...
no subject
You mean the song in the opening credits? It doesn't sound anything like it to me. (It's an acoustic version of Chu Xin.)
Ahhhhh! *screams* The tea scene!! I can't get over how uncomfortable Shen Wei is -- it's such a stark contrast with the easy friendliness he's been showing Zhao Yunlan as Professor Shen. All the ease between them has vanished. And he's literally flashing back to Kunlun. It must hurt so much that present-day Zhao Yunlan knows him now, but their relationship is still nothing like his time with Kunlun. Zhao Yunlan is still glib about things that are intensely deep and personal to Shen Wei.
Yeah, it has to be so hard for him. In a way, I think the separate roles gave him some of the distance he needed - not because he wanted any distance between him and Zhao Yunlan, but because Zhao Yunlan was (and still is) so far from being Kunlun. And Zhao Yunlan is still not ready to be sincere and earnest when he can be joking, teasing and/or glib instead. *g*
I wonder how much Shen Wei is cross about/shaken by the kidnapping deception, how much terrified by the risks ZYL is willing to take, and how much it's just the discomfort of being seen as the Envoy and the potential dangers ahead.
I think a lot of it is that he's not sure Zhao Yunlan is taking any of it sufficiently seriously. And the discomfort you mention, yeah.
FWIW, I think some of Zhao Yunlan's glibness is bravado, some is trying to reassure Shen Wei that he can handle it, nothing's changed, and of course, some is gloating.
Oh yeah, all of that! And Shen Wei surely knows it, but it doesn't help at all. *g*
(What does the alarm mean? Dark energy leak? Failed experiments don't usually set off a siren!)
Oooh, good question! Yeah, possibly some unwanted manifestation of black energy ... that would make sense, given what they're working on.
Ah, I just got tripped up by different subtitles. I'm still using the original ones (see my change resistance in action), and in those, in the flashback to the compensation/recruitment, Zhao Yunlan says, "As long as we work together, we will be able to keep our city a peaceful and stabilised one." And I always wince a bit at "our city", because it's so presumptuous to think the Envoy shares his priorities like that. But it's not in either the Viki subs or Solo's.
I just checked the Chinese, and what he actually says is 可以守护现在的安定和和平, "we can protect the current stability and peace". No mention of the city!
(Similarly, I never got the impression from the original subs that Zhao Yunlan had asked Shen Wei to write the self-criticism, but it's very clear in both the Viki and Solo subs. Hmph.)
Checking the Chinese, it's 你托我帮你写, "you asked me to help you write". (Though the dictionary says 托 is more "entrust" than "ask".)
I really love that Shen Wei doesn't answer Minister Gao's "How did Chief Zhao persuade you?" question, and instead passes it to Zhao Yunlan like, your problem, you fix it!
Hee, yes, I love that too. That pointed look at Zhao Yunlan! Excellent! :D
(Because I'm pretty sure Minister Gao doesn't know Shen Wei is the Envoy, right??)
Yeah, he clearly has no idea. All he knows about Shen Wei is what he saw at the wedding, and his Haixing identity.
"[ZXC] is so serious, even at home." Does Minister Gao think that Zhao Yunlan still lives with his father (not an unreasonable assumption given Zhao Yunlan is single), or is this a figure of speech to mean "among family"?
I was wondering the same thing! No idea, but either would make sense.
I think it's very telling that the first threat we see Minister Gao take seriously is about public perception. ;-p
Ha, good point!
I don't think it's that he wants to get rid of him; I think it's that this is clearly a matter between family, and also he wants Vice-Minister Guo on side.
And also he probably (rightly) thinks that Xiao-Guo has a better chance of convincing his uncle! Because the uncle clearly does want what's best for Xiao-Guo. (LOL @ your parallel with Zhu Hong's uncle, great point!)
Where did Da Qing hear the name Kunlun? Did it just come to him? (Idk why Cong Bo thinks talking to cats is strange or noteworthy. That is perfectly normal behaviour!)
I thought it just came to him with the Kunlun flashback he had when he was hypnotised - that he woke up remembering that little fragment, and the name of the person in it.
Agreed on talking to cats being normal! Cong Bo is the strange one for finding it weird!
Zhu Hong is so pouty. I always love who does and doesn't applaud Shen Wei's appointment. *g*
The non-applauders are Zhu Hong, Chu Shuzhi and Lin Jing, right? What's your theory about Lin Jing?
And then in the hallway, Zhao Yunlan saying to Shen Wei, "Hei-laoge, we're family now." This is what he's wanted, and why he's so damn happy: the SID is family, and Shen Wei is part of it!
Yes! From Zhao Yunlan's POV this is great! Except that they still have so far to go, and Shen Wei knows it. I just wish Zhao Yunlan picked up on Shen Wei's mood a little more ...