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sid_guardian2025-09-20 06:06 pm
china_shop) wrote in sid_guardian2025-09-20 06:06 pm
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Slo-Mo Rewatch: Guardian episode 2, part 1
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!)
And here is our schedule, where you can sign up to host a post!
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LOL! I always figure it's just doing things with framing, background and foreground, like so many other places in the drama.
and then Shen Wei plain-clothes Envoys the attacker out of the ward just as Zhao Yunlan arrives
SUCH a delight, that scene! :D
Zhao Yunlan: I'll treat you to lunch once this case is solved.
Shen Wei: No need... When that happens, it should be my treat.
I love that moment so much. Mutual pursuit! :D
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.
Oh! I totally missed that. You're right, it's exactly the same except that he originally says "we" (我们与你同在) and at the hospital it's "I" (我与你同在). And he does look tense - no more flippancy now; things are serious and he's starting to realise quite how much so.
Do you have a favourite scene or quote from the first half of episode 2?
You quoted my favourite lines!
What is Shen Wei thinking when he sees Zhao Yunlan's graze?
*clenches hand into fist* MUST NOT REACH OUT TO HEAL, MUST NOT REACH OUT TO HEAL ... *g*
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)?
A little, because I didn't remember it in detail, but I feel like it makes sense for there to be a bit of a break between the two cases. (I think the time skip happens in between Shen Wei's self-healing and Zhao Yunlan returning to the university, so, right where Zhu Jiu's scene is, with his plotting. Presumably it took him a little time at least to arrange for a new recruit, since he must have thought the Shadow Man was plenty enough?
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?
I think both. (And Zhao Yunlan gets flustered at it, which must confirm her in her suspicions, hee!)
Do you think Xiao-Guo manages to be successfully supportive at Li Qian's bedside?
It does seem to be cathartic for her. I know people have said that Guo Changcheng makes it all about himself, but I feel like it's validating to hear from someone with similar feelings. And of course he inadvertently hits on her Sundial trauma when he talks about exchanging his life for his grandma's, which makes it really spot on! (I always forget that Xiao-Guo says it first ...)
What's your impression of the hospital attacker, Gao Tianyu? Do you find him sympathetic?
We know so little about him, but his whole attitude makes me think Zhu Jiu may have recruited him at the underground fight club, which does make him sympathetic to me since none of the people there seem to have great circumstances.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how hot is plain-clothes Envoy!Shen Wei?
Very! The only thing that could make it hotter would be if he took off his glasses. *g*
On to my notes:
The whole gossiping scene is a delight. And Chu Shuzhi so cranky, complaining about everything. *pets him* And Zhu Hong has no idea how true her words about Chu Shuzhi coming to appreciate the newbie are going to be!
(Zhu Hong's teasing is a bit too mocking for my tastes, but then this is early on and Lao-Chu isn't fully part of the group yet. Lin Jing, Zhu Hong and Wang Zheng definitely are, though!)
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Yes, but sometimes when they pull back to a plant or something, it's actually one of Ying Chun's spies. ;-p
And he does look tense - no more flippancy now; things are serious and he's starting to realise quite how much so.
Yess! Time to step up! :D
You quoted my favourite lines!
:D :D :D
(I think the time skip happens in between Shen Wei's self-healing and Zhao Yunlan returning to the university, so, right where Zhu Jiu's scene is, with his plotting.
That makes sense!
We know so little about him, but his whole attitude makes me think Zhu Jiu may have recruited him at the underground fight club
Oh, great point! I wonder how Zhu Jiu knew Gao Tianyu was Dixingren, though. (And how many other Dixingren are hanging around there?)
Aha, that two-moons shot is awesome! I've never noticed that before!! :D
But Zhu Jiu might have recruited both of them at the underground fight club, in which case they might have known each other?
Do you think the Shadow Man could have been at the fight club? I feel like he'd have been too conspicuous. I assumed Zhu Jiu or Ye Zun had brought him up from Dixing.
I wonder what Zhao Yunlan would have done if Li Qian hadn't been on the roof. Some days have passed; what is he doing at the university? Presumably going to poke either Shen Wei or Li Qian or both of them some more.
Ooh, good question. Maybe he was supposed to debrief the Chancellor. /o\
But from Zhao Yunlan's POV, his sudden appearance must be suspicious, too. Not that it seems nefarious, but that it's just a bit too convenient to be true?
Shen Wei is always there when there's trouble. I think that part is definitely suspicious!
Such a great teamwork shot, Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan pulling Li Qian up together!
Iconic!! I love it so much!! :D
I always feel extra vindicated when Zhao Yunlan is being demanding and abrasive with the doctor, and Shen Wei steps in to smooth things over. You don't see it as much nowadays, but it used to be very common for fandom to treat Shen Wei as socially inept, but he really isn't.
Yesss! (And it's not that ZYL is inept -- he just doesn't care. *g*)
(Is she really still unconscious at that point? I figure if Zhao Yunlan thought she wasn't, he'd push her.)
I thought she was unconscious and responding subconsciously to what she hears.
And the way Shen Wei redirects Zhao Yunlan from Dixingren biology (which is actually a reasonable thing to ask of Professor Shen!) to their future.
Yes, I love that! <3 <3 <3
LOL @ Lin Jing wondering why the Envoy was so lenient with Zhao Yunlan!
Ha, yes. The Envoy's reputation is STERN! :D (And agreed about Zhu Hong's teasing. But it makes their later teaminess so much sweeter that they're starting from this point. :D)
Zhao Yunlan is still messing with Guo Changcheng, telling him he'll have to improvise if there's an attack, and not-very-seriously saying they'll have his back. Only to then be almost too late to really have his back!
Yes! I think that's a bit of a (much-needed) wake-up call for him.
Every time I wonder where the schematics of the Hallows come from, and how Lin Jing knows about them when Zhao Yunlan doesn't.
Ooh yes, I have a poll question about that which I mean to recycle. Note to self!
I want to know what "abnormal vital signs" are, and how Lin Jing can measure them over a surveillance camera! (And also why no other Dixingren are detectable like that!)
Right??
I'm also fascinated by Chu Shuzhi's energy barrier, which (like the puppet fight) we don't see in the rest of the series. Gao Tianyu recognises it as puppet strings
I can't remember who is was who first theorised that the barrier might be a string stretched wide, but it's slipped irrevocably into my headcanon. :D
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Haha, point!
Do you think the Shadow Man could have been at the fight club? I feel like he'd have been too conspicuous. I assumed Zhu Jiu or Ye Zun had brought him up from Dixing.
Do you think the Shadow Man is always in shadow-form? He does have a human form, which we see when he dies - I assumed it was his choice to appear as a shadow whenever the situation is dangerous.
And agreed about Zhu Hong's teasing. But it makes their later teaminess so much sweeter that they're starting from this point. :D
Good point! But I'm glad it's not just me. *g*
I think that's a bit of a (much-needed) wake-up call for him.
Yeah, agreed. Until this he hasn't really caught on to just how dangerous things are getting. They handled the Shadow Man well enough, but Gao Tianyu is more resourceful apparently.
I have a poll question about that which I mean to recycle. Note to self!
Ooh, yes please! :D
I can't remember who is was who first theorised that the barrier might be a string stretched wide, but it's slipped irrevocably into my headcanon. :D
It was
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I'd been assuming it was an uncontrolled power, and his human form only appears as he's dying. I don't think we have enough info to say either way, though.
They handled the Shadow Man well enough, but Gao Tianyu is more resourceful apparently.
And so far, ZYL hasn't been present while any Dixingren are attacking: Chu Shuzhi restrained the Shadow Man before ZYL arrived, and Gao Tianyu runs off when ZYL gets there. *waits for the second half of ep 2* :D
It was [personal profile] awanderingcoyote, here.
Ah, thank youu! *is once again in awe of your ability to find stuff* :D
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And good point about ZYL not being present for any actual fighting yet!
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Yes! That's what hit me during the rewatch, too! He's sweating through his clothes, clearly in so much pain and it takes quite some effort to heal the injury. After the fall he's behaving as if nothing happened, you can see nothing in his face nor in his body language which tempts me now to let my brain default to "Shen Wei is in company + he's been previously hurt = he's in pain at any given moment and just not showing it". This makes the fact that he rubs at his shoulder (subconsciously?) when he's around just Zhao Yunlan all the more interesting. Does he have some intention behind it or is the memory of "you're not alone anymore (you've got me now)" Kunlun told him 10,000 years ago playing in his mind rn? I'm leaning toward the latter, I like that he has that little moment of slipping and showing he's not as unhurt as he pretends to be.
And! That gesture leads to Zhao Yunlan asking whether he's married. We have the progression of: [Li Qian and her grandmother were all the family each other had] > [this strikes a chord with Shen Wei (because of Ye Zun? because of Kunlun?)] > [Shen Wei rubs at his (hurt) shoulder and Zhao Yunlan notices.] > (ZYL's possible thoughts: "oh. he did get hurt.", "we're at the hospital and he's not getting it treated - is there somebody at home to help him with it?", "that would get me some clues on Shen Wei's situation") > ["Are you married?" :D]
I've watched that episode several times by now but because of this rewatch I'm paying extra attention and!!! I never thought much of this exchange beyond "aww, he's trying to defend Zhao Yunlan's image 😌 best PR agent for real" but now I can't stop and realise—he's speaking from experience. We learn much much later that Shen Wei is stuck in the position of a leader who's respected and looked up to, yes, but ultimately held on a pedestal, and that position has always been Shen Wei's loneliest. "That's right; it's not easy being a leader," Guo Changcheng says, and Shen Way looks down with a smile.
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*SOBS* Omg, I love absolutely everything about this observation, like, the first line already hit me right in the feels and then it kept getting even more heart-melting. ♡♡♡ This is beautiful and YES, yes please. ♡♡♡
"That gesture leads to Zhao Yunlan asking whether he's married. We have the progression of: [Li Qian and her grandmother were all the family each other had] > [this strikes a chord with Shen Wei (because of Ye Zun? because of Kunlun?)] > [Shen Wei rubs at his (hurt) shoulder and Zhao Yunlan notices.] > (ZYL's possible thoughts: "oh. he did get hurt.", "we're at the hospital and he's not getting it treated - is there somebody at home to help him with it?", "that would get me some clues on Shen Wei's situation") > ["Are you married?" :D]"
And this is now my favorite explanation for why he asks this question!! :D (I've been wondering about it for a while, and a lot of different explanations make a lot of sense, but tying it to the injury this way is both so plausible and so emotionally charged and SO SOFT and I love it so much!)
"We learn much much later that Shen Wei is stuck in the position of a leader who's respected and looked up to, yes, but ultimately held on a pedestal, and that position has always been Shen Wei's loneliest."
Yessss! ♡ And young, and no one cutting him any slack for being young - he doesn't want the same for Zhao Yunlan. ♡
(Also, hiiiii! *tackleglomps you gently* :D :D :D)
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YES!!!! ♥ ♥ ♥
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Trust me, I looked very very closely at that scene, frame by frame, and it really goes like this: SW rubs his arm, ZYL notices, looks at the arm, then at SW's face, then back at the arm, huffs a laugh, then asks the question. I am so convinced :D (I went looking for a gif of exactly what I mean but the closest one is the first in this set, it starts a little too late to properly catch what I mean but still good!)
And young, and no one cutting him any slack for being young - he doesn't want the same for Zhao Yunlan. ♡
You're right 😭 Wow. So one of the first thing they do upon meeting the young version of each other is make sure the other person doesn't go through the same brand of sadness (anymore) c':
(Also, hiiiii! *tackleglomps you gently* :D :D :D)
Hiiii <333 Thank you again for letting me know of the slo-mo rewatch, it's such a great idea and I'm already having so much fun with it 🥺
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Right? He's there all stern and calm as the Envoy, and then smiling as Professor Shen, giving zero sign that anything's wrong!
This makes the fact that he rubs at his shoulder (subconsciously?) when he's around just Zhao Yunlan all the more interesting. Does he have some intention behind it or is the memory of "you're not alone anymore (you've got me now)" Kunlun told him 10,000 years ago playing in his mind rn? I'm leaning toward the latter, I like that he has that little moment of slipping and showing he's not as unhurt as he pretends to be.
OHHH that is a sweet thought, I hadn't put it together with that specific line from his memory! But that has to be on his mind, yes. And he wants that back so badly, I could totally see it affecting him subconsciously that way.
And I like your proposed progression - you're right, Zhao Yunlan absolutely must notice it when Shen Wei rubs his shoulder like that, and since he's not aware of the claws of course he'd think it came from Gao Tianyu's attack!
I've watched that episode several times by now but because of this rewatch I'm paying extra attention and!!!
Hee! That's the best part about these rewatches, I love it when I suddenly notice something I didn't before. :D
(HI! Great to have you here!)
but now I can't stop and realise—he's speaking from experience. We learn much much later that Shen Wei is stuck in the position of a leader who's respected and looked up to, yes, but ultimately held on a pedestal, and that position has always been Shen Wei's loneliest.
YES! And he calls Zhao Yunlan young, the same way he himself was young back when he met Kunlun. :D
(I really love the way the time loop connects them together, with each of them already knowing who the other will become when they first meet them. ♥ ♥ ♥)
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Y e s 😭 (I'll cry about this more when we get to that episode, but he looked. so. young.) (Zhu Yilong must be a shapeshifter.)
(I really love the way the time loop connects them together, with each of them already knowing who the other will become when they first meet them. ♥ ♥ ♥)
Me too, me too, me too! It messes with my brain in the best possible way
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Except this is before that, so... lingering effects from falling off the building? That wouldn't be unreasonable!
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(Hi! Lovely to have you here! *waves* :D)
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Ohh, I love that. <3 <3 <3
And yesss to Shen Wei speaking about leadership from experience -- both from his own, and comparing present-day ZYL to Kunlun who was/seemed so much older and more capable. <3 <3 <3