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]

Instead of finding my files of the episodes, I watched on YouTube with mismatched subtitles, which were delayed by several minutes

Ahaha, oh no. That would drive me nuts. I take it you remembered enough that it didn't interfere with your enjoyment too much?

It was Shen Wei’s intensity, longing, and general emoting/facial expressions that originally really pulled me in.

Aww! He is definitely wearing his heart on his sleeve. *pets him*

I did enjoy seeing the Ying Chun and SW as cartoon versions of themselves in the intro

Ha, I kept staring at that figure wondering if it was supposed to be Shen Wei. I'm still not sure! ;D

I really like how Guo Changcheng, even when he is being painfully awkward and silly, sees Li Qian’s grandma in need and becomes confident and caring and automatically helps her.

Yes, that's wonderful. He's very good when someone needs help or protection. (We're starting from there this coming weekend, jsyk. I should have said the end scene for this week in the post, doh!)

it’s really painful to see the lack of recognition ZYL has for him and the cockiness instead of the caring kindness SW experienced in the past.

Yes, so much. And ZYL has no way to know what's going on or what SW is thinking.

I figured he had a lucky fall! But now I'm suspicious.

:D

That SW is suspiciously attractive and intense! :) I don't get impression that he's suspecting SW yet.

He does send Changcheng to tail him, but yeah, it's not serious suspicion yet, I agree.

[trobadora]

Ha, I kept staring at that figure wondering if it was supposed to be Shen Wei. I'm still not sure! ;D

I know what you mean, but I think it's meant to be him.

[facethestrange]

Which figure? (At 3:03 I assumed it's Ma Gui or an OC just because the hair is not Shen Wei's. xD But otherwise idk either!)

[trobadora]

Yeah, that's a good point about the hair! But what he's wearing looks very like the Envoy's costume to me, right down to the black-and-white trim, so I thought it was meant to be him at 3:03 anyway. And the robed figure at 2:58 might be him as well? Idk ...

ETA: Compare with this screencap from episode 35!

[facethestrange]

OH this is so neat, yes, I can see that! Other than some weird extra layer on his shoulders (a different hood? more hair, in cartoon style?), it is very much the same! (And the hair is only missing the sideburns, the rest works too.) Wow, it's so bold of them to just plop super spoilery Shen Wei there, right at the beginning, before any reveals. :D

[trobadora]

I think what's on his shoulders is the hood lying flatter than usual, and the rest is the light reflecting weirdly. But now that you mentioned it, the missing sideburns are so strange!!!

As for spoilery - well, the opening credits are right before that, and they have Kunlun and Shen Wei, too.

[facethestrange]

Lol, that's so true, with these opening credits they really don't need to ration any spoilery images. :D