Slo-Mo Rewatch: Guardian episode 1, part 1

[china_shop]

Hi, and welcome to the Guardian drama Slo-Mo Rewatch! Join us to watch half an episode a week (at your leisure) and then come and chat about it here in comments. If you already know the drama, of course you can jump in without rewatching if you prefer!

Episode 1, up to 22:28

Summary
The prologue explains Haixing's history. Professor Shen Wei presents a public lecture and turns down a job offer. Guo Changcheng reports to the SID in the middle of the night, where Zhao Yunlan is outrageous and the rest of the team scares Changcheng into fainting. Twice. An unseen threat chases Li Qian through the night. Zhao Yunlan investigates a murder at the university, where he and Da Qing dangle Guo Changcheng out a window while they discuss the case. Guo Changcheng's cries draw Shen Wei's attention. Cat!Da Qing gets strokes. Shen Wei is very intense, and Zhao Yunlan notices. Afterwards, Zhao Yunlan interrogates Li Qian about the murder; Shen Wei comes to pick her up for class and further arouses Zhao Yunlan's suspicions in the process. Zhao Yunlan sends Guo Changcheng to tail Shen Wei.



Quote
ZYL: By the way, I'm Zhao. I'm handling this case. What's your name, sir?
SW: No "sir". I'm Shen. Shen Wei. I teach here.
ZYL: Shen Wei? A good name.

Detail
I love the contrast between:

Zhao Yunlan: Damn Fatty.
Li Qian: What a fat black cat!
Guo Changcheng: It can speak?! *faints*
Shen Wei: *strokes* This is a very intelligent cat.

:D :D :D

Questions
Do you have any thoughts or feelings about the prologue? What was your first impression of Shen Wei -- good guy or bad guy? First impression of Zhao Yunlan -- would you trust him? Do you empathise with Guo Changcheng's fear? (If someone turned into a cat in front of you, would you be terrified, delighted, or both?) When Guo Changcheng falls from the window, is he unhurt or does Shen Wei surreptitiously heal his ankle? From Zhao Yunlan's POV, what is the most suspicious thing about Shen Wei at this point?

Do you have a favourite scene or quote? If you're familiar with the novel, any thoughts about how the drama adaptation starts? The absolute perfection of the casting? :D :D :D Anything else?

(These are all just conversation starters - feel free to answer all, some, or none, and to say as much or as little as you like! You don't have to be keeping up with the rewatch to join in!)

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Comments

[china_shop]

I assume Professor Ouyang and Professor Zhou know everything the Inspectorate knows, since the lab they're working at is the Inspectorate's. And they know Shen Wei knows at least about the existence of mutants and mutant powers, if perhaps not about Dixing. I think "people with weird powers exist" has to be MUCH more widely known than where they're coming from, and the scientific community - at least within this specialised field - is definitely aware of that much.

Yes, agreed! I think, because the original subs (which I generally use) say, "You and I both got the information first-hand." I'd been assuming it was a reference to personally seeing/experiencing dark energy, not just getting classified intel. But it's more ambiguous in the VIKI subs.

LOL, I love how you put that!

:D :D :D :D :D

After that (and after ZYL declaring them all family), he's totally fine with the team. It's only corpses and unexpected "horrors" that scare him after that. He's not even truly scared of the Envoy.

Ooh! Good luck with that!

Thanks! I actually read the first half twice, once before watching and once after. :D

[trobadora]

I think, because the original subs (which I generally use) say, "You and I both got the information first-hand." I'd been assuming it was a reference to personally seeing/experiencing dark energy, not just getting classified intel. But it's more ambiguous in the VIKI subs.

FWIW, I looked at the Chinese and it says they both have 第一手资料, "first-hand information", which is not clarifying anything, LOL. I figure they have seen proof of mutant powers, probably supplied by the Inspectorate. If Professor Zhou was doing classified research and brought Shen Wei in, that would make sense.

[china_shop]

Oh cool, thanks! Yeah, I assumed they'd seen proof, too. I supposed they couldn't have had a volunteer test subject, but... something. *handwaves*