Slo-Mo Rewatch: Guardian episode 2, part 1

[china_shop]

Hi, and welcome back to the Guardian drama Slo-Mo Rewatch. Watch half an episode a week, at your leisure, and then come and chat about it here in comments. Or you can just jump into the comments without rewatching, of course!

Here are the previous weeks' rewatch posts.

Episode 2, up to 22:11

Summary
Shen Wei heals his shoulder while the fish in his aquarium look on. Zhu Jiu plays chess and schemes to get the Sundial. Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei save Li Qian from falling off the building, then she faints. Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan take her to the hospital and discuss, among other things, Shen Wei's marital status. They make a lunch date. Lin Jing, Wang Zheng and Zhu Hong watch footage of the Envoy's appearance, until Chu Shuzhi makes them delete it. Guo Changcheng and cat!Da Qing stake out the hospital to protect Li Qian. Shen Wei shows up with food. Watching from the SID, Zhu Hong identifies Li Qian's necklace as the Longevity Dial, and Zhao Yunlan concludes Li Qian killed her grandmother. Changcheng tackles the hospital attacker, is knocked out, and then Shen Wei plain-clothes Envoys the attacker out of the ward just as Zhao Yunlan arrives. The hospital attacker and Chu Shuzhi fight in the street, and the attacker escapes.



Quote
ZYL: I'll treat you to lunch once this case is solved.
SW: No need... When that happens, it should be my treat.

Detail
I think this is the first time I've noticed that when Zhao Yunlan catches Xiao-Guo at the hospital, he repeats his "I've got your back" from earlier. Zhao Yunlan seems quite shaken, to me, realising he sent Xiao-Guo into genuine danger.

Questions
Do you have a favourite scene or quote from the first half of episode 2? What is Shen Wei thinking when he sees Zhao Yunlan's graze? On a scale of 1 to 10, how sorry do you feel for Li Qian? How much bandage does a person need for a grazed arm? What do you think of Zhao Yunlan's management style? Were you surprised by the passing of time in this half-episode (at the hospital, we learn Li Yufen died two days earlier; at the SID, Zhao Yunlan says Xiao-Guo has been there for a week)? When Zhu Hong warns Zhao Yunlan about Shen Wei, do you think that's genuine suspicion or can she already tell which way the wind is blowing? Do you think Xiao-Guo manages to be successfully supportive at Li Qian's bedside? What's your impression of the hospital attacker, Gao Tianyu? Do you find him sympathetic? On a scale of 1 to 10, how hot is plain-clothes Envoy!Shen Wei?

If you're familiar with the novel, any thoughts about how the drama adaptation compares? The novel!SID team versus the drama!SID team? Anything else?

(As usual, 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. We'd love to hear your thoughts!)

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Comments

[facethestrange]

"I hadn't noticed before how, in the beginning, after to explaining to Shen Wei it's all over, his face kind of falls with the innocuous smile dropping off the second no one's looking. Not sure if he's suspicious or confused (the next scene has him questioning where he'd seen Shen Wei before afterall) or what but it is some good acting."

Yessss, Zhao Yunlan narrowing his eyes in this scene is wonderful! I thought it was just suspicion (because Shen Wei is completely unharmed and even his hair/clothes aren't out of place?) but I could definitely also see confusion re: if/how they met before!

"Shen Wei's face though when he sees Zhao Yunlan's arm got all scraped up saving Li Qian is completely different. Definitely affected with a combo of concern and upseted-ness."

I love his reaction sfm. ♡♡♡ *stares at it some more*

"There are so many good Da Qing scenes in this bit, so many great faces captured and just general fed-up-catness, it's so great. That cat actor was so good."

Ikr, the cat is so expressive! :D :D

"Xiao-Guo trying to show his mettle, good job kid!"

He's SO BRAVE, I feel like this rewatch is making me realize that even more!

"Re: the bandage on the arm, I don't know, it made sense to me due to how long it was and the fact arms are hairy and the muscles move a lot so trying to tape on numerous small or a few long bandages would be annoying."

Yep, it definitely does make sense to me too, it looks like the most comfortable option (and also for the aesthetic :D). OH, and at work he clearly does a lot of physical stuff, so moving freely is very important.

"I hadn't noticed the 2 day/1 week comments, oopsies, that seems like a mistake on their part (probably due to the book -> drama changes?)"

Is it incorrect or are these just two different events?

"favorite scene? ooh hard one, probably hero!ZYL saving Li Qian, that took speed, strength and skill."

Ooooh, I had so many fav scenes that this one somehow didn't even make the list, but competent Zhao Yunlan = ♡♡♡!

[china_shop]

but I could definitely also see confusion re: if/how they met before!

I can't decide if he actually thinks they have, or if he just thinks Shen Wei believes they have and ZYL's trying to figure out why he might think that... /convoluted, courtesy of timeloops ;-D

it looks like the most comfortable option (and also for the aesthetic :D)

Aha, yes. Aesthetics are very important. I'm LOLing at him doing a lot of physical stuff at work, though. Does lying on the couch with a magazine over his face count? ;D :D :D

[trobadora]

I can't decide if he actually thinks they have, or if he just thinks Shen Wei believes they have and ZYL's trying to figure out why he might think that...

My theory (as you know, see this ficlet) is that there really is an unexpected sense of familiarity, and he can't quite decide how real it is, and where it might come from, so he's actually considering that they might have met before, but is (naturally) drawing a blank.

[china_shop]

I think that's a possible (and great) explanation -- and after all, ZYL has handled the Sundial at that point, when he gave it back to LQ on the roof -- but I think it's also possible ZYL is just being puzzled in an oblique way about Shen Wei acting so intensely. (And that it's a red herring for people who are expecting an amnesiac/reincarnation plot.)

[trobadora]

The red herring is a very plausible interpretation, and I think it absolutely is that, too, in a Doylist way! But for a Watsonian explanation, ZYL being not just confused by SW but genuinely feeling something makes more sense to me.

[facethestrange]

"I'm LOLing at him doing a lot of physical stuff at work, though. Does lying on the couch with a magazine over his face count? ;D :D :D"

Lolol. :D :D He may not do it often, but he did so well when he caught Li Qian that I feel like it has to be something he does at least most days. :D

[china_shop]

Ha, I'm the opposite. I think he looked like he had to work way too hard to rescue Li Qian, straining/grunting, complaining about it, and running entirely on adrenaline. He nearly fell over the parapet himself. And his giving her a fright was the reason Li Qian fell in the first place -- later-drama ZYL would have managed that much better! So I feel like all that was supposed to be symptomatic of not having taken himself or his job seriously up till now. :D

[trobadora]

Yeah, that's how I see it too.