Slo-Mo Rewatch: Guardian episode 2, part 2

[trobadora]

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

Here is last week's half-episode. On to the second half!

Episode 2, from 22:11

Summary: Zhao Yunlan puts some puzzle pieces together and confronts Li Qian, accusing her of killing her grandma. She doesn't deny it. Gao Tianyu intercepts Zhao Yunlan's car, drags Li Qian out of it and attacks her. Li Qian's grandma's spirit comes out of the Sundial to protect her (and to scold her for admitting to what she didn't do). The Envoy takes Gao Tianyu away. Zhao Yunlan and Professor Shen have a moment at Li Yufen's grave. At the SID, Zhao Yunlan summons the Envoy, and they talk about the Sundial. Chu Shuzhi meets up with the Envoy and draws some parallels between him and Zhao Yunlan. Meanwhile Zhu Jiu plans his next move.



Quote:

Li Qian: When someone you cherish is dying in front of your eyes, what would be the main thought in your mind?"
Shen Wei: "I'm willing to exchange my life for his."

(Yes, I know this is iconic and maybe doesn't need quoting again, but it gets me every time!)

Detail:

One of my favourite details that I only noticed during the last rewatch: Shen Wei interfering with Gao Tianyu's attack on Li Qian from inside the car! There's a moment when it cuts to Shen Wei very conspicuously and intently narrowing his eyes - and then suddenly there's a brief blue shield effect flash, Gao Tianyu's hold on Li Qian breaks, and he's thrown back.

Questions:

What's your favourite moment in this half-episode? How much are you feeling for Li Qian? Do you think Zhao Yunlan had sufficient reason to accuse her of murder? Any thoughts about how this compares to the novel? Which of the many things Li Qian says on the rooftop resonates the most with Shen Wei? What does Zhao Yunlan think about the Envoy at this time?

(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!)

And here is our schedule - please do sign up to host a post if you can!

Comments

[facethestrange]

(I haven't read any comments yet, but here I am, not actually behind on the rewatch, hah. :D)

This half of the episode apparently has fewer of my favorite scenes, but soooooo many of them were packed into the first half that I guess it's statistically unlikely that it would keep happening. ;D

STILL, it's not like there isn't enough of them, and a lot of random out-of-order notes too. :D

- The Envoy arriving with all the cold around him and on the windows, like in the novel! :D (How does the incense notify him, btw? :P Since it's not supernatural in the drama?)

- "You're very lucky that you don't have this." *SOBS* OH, HE WILL.

- Btw, "it's an old object that can manifest spirits" - what exactly did the Dial do to make Li Yufen say that?

- And "she'd never call my name" is really heartbreaking considering Li Qian's name is basically all her grandma says to Xiao Guo? OUCH.

- I always have a lot of feelings about Li Qian being told that she's basically better off living her own life, it's so pragmatic and heartbreaking and true. And I love how this entire story was changed from the novel version, and that drama Li Qian doesn't disappear from the narrative and does make a life for herself later. :)

- The entire SID has adopted Li Qian and went with her to the funeral. ♡♡♡ (And it's not fair to Xiao Guo to be called out for crying - his grandmother also died, just not right now. But obviously it's not like CSZ can know that.)

- IS Xiao Guo actually telling Shen Wei things? :D Like, obviously this is not why Shen Wei knows things, so it's probably just what Zhao Yunlan assumes and nothing to do with the truth, but damn, I would love if they had a background friendship. :D

- Shen Wei's adorable face when he gets out of the car! :D

- Btw, what is happening with Shen Wei's hands at 29:33? I even watched frame by frame but I still can't figure out why the close-up is there? :P Is it related to him using his powers a moment later? (As you mentioned in the post, hah! :D)

- Gratuituous low-quality screencaps of Shen Wei watching Zhao Yunlan eat a lollipop :D

- Da Qing and Zhu Hong bickering adorably! :D And Zhao Yunlan's pose on the couch is perfection asdghfdjskfhjkl;; what the hell. :D I end up staring at it every single time. :D

- "Normal people have to be cautious about even looking at it" - Zhao Yunlan, you ARE normal people. :P

- "We'll meet again." "We will." :D AW!!

- I don't think I've ever noticed that every time Zhao Yunlan talks to Li Qian, there's someone else with him (to make her feel more at ease, I'm assuming) - first Zhu Hong, then Shen Wei.

- I managed to completely forget what is up with Lin Jing's 'allergies'?? Is it like the 'fish!' realization, where it was going to go somewhere and then it didn't, or am I actually forgetting something? xD

Questions! :D

"What's your favourite moment in this half-episode?"

The scene with Zhao Yunlan lounging on the couch, and Da Qing and Zhu Hong being ridiculous. :D But also "You're very lucky that you don't have this", what a gut-punching foreshadowing!

"How much are you feeling for Li Qian?"

Things are so fucked up in her life, ahh. :( I'm so proud of her for how her story continues later. (And again, I'm so glad that the drama included that!)

"Do you think Zhao Yunlan had sufficient reason to accuse her of murder?"

Well, he just asked a pointed question and Li Qian went ahead and admitted to it immediately. An 'official' accusation without more proof would be a bit much, but this was totally fine imo. (And btw what gets me is that he calls her a good child while he's sure that she killed her grandmother. I'm pretty sure he at least partially means it too.)

"Any thoughts about how this compares to the novel?"

Changing Li Qian's story and not ending it here is an A+++ choice. ♡ And the Envoy's dramatic entrance is very novel-like this time, while still fitting well with the 'stopping time to make an impression' thing and not implying that he's naturally surrounded by cold. :D (Oh hey, I literally just realized that the 'dramatic Envoy on the roof' thing was also a nod to the novel - the roof of Li Qian's house is where Zhao Yunlan found him killing youchu, iirc.)

"Which of the many things Li Qian says on the rooftop resonates the most with Shen Wei?"

Probably the Ye Zun parallels - no parents, and Shen Wei was the one who promised to take care of him forever, and he wasn't there when Ye Zun was taken. *sob*

"What does Zhao Yunlan think about the Envoy at this time?"

Strictly canonically? Other than being completely not impressed with his 'authority', I don't actually know. xD

[trobadora]

(I haven't read any comments yet, but here I am, not actually behind on the rewatch, hah. :D)

Yay for keeping up with the rewatch! And the comments will still be here when you have time for them. ♥

The Envoy arriving with all the cold around him and on the windows, like in the novel! :D

Ooh, yes, excellent point!

How does the incense notify him, btw? :P Since it's not supernatural in the drama?

I figure it's black energy technology, and burning the incense sets free some pre-programmed black energy that's trapped in the cone. (I love speculating about this stuff, hee!)

"You're very lucky that you don't have this." *SOBS* OH, HE WILL.

VERY good foreshadowing!!!!!!!

Btw, "it's an old object that can manifest spirits" - what exactly did the Dial do to make Li Yufen say that?

I was wondering about that too! I want ALLLL of the backstory for this!

And "she'd never call my name" is really heartbreaking considering Li Qian's name is basically all her grandma says to Xiao Guo? OUCH.

Yeah, Li Qian also says she didn't recognise her - it must be even harder if her grandma is calling other people by her name, but not her! SO MUCH OUCH.

I love how this entire story was changed from the novel version, and that drama Li Qian doesn't disappear from the narrative and does make a life for herself later. :)

Yes, 10,000% agreed on that, especially that her story continues and we see her recover and grow beyond this!

IS Xiao Guo actually telling Shen Wei things? :D Like, obviously this is not why Shen Wei knows things, so it's probably just what Zhao Yunlan assumes and nothing to do with the truth, but damn, I would love if they had a background friendship. :D

Yeah, I figured it was just ZYL not realising SW had once again shown he knew more than he should, but it would be lovely if SW and GCC talked during the timeskip!

Btw, what is happening with Shen Wei's hands at 29:33? I even watched frame by frame but I still can't figure out why the close-up is there? :P

It shows him struggling with the car door. He's trying to open it and go outside, but it's locked - Gao Tianyu sent black energy towards it just a moment earlier. (And so he just interferes from inside the car instead of from outside. *g*)

Gratuituous low-quality screencaps of Shen Wei watching Zhao Yunlan eat a lollipop :D

:D :D :D

And Zhao Yunlan's pose on the couch is perfection asdghfdjskfhjkl;; what the hell. :D

RIGHT???? That is sure a position! WHAT ARE YOU DOING, ZHAO YUNLAN. :D :D :D

Zhao Yunlan, you ARE normal people. :P

Haha, you tell him!

I don't think I've ever noticed that every time Zhao Yunlan talks to Li Qian, there's someone else with him (to make her feel more at ease, I'm assuming) - first Zhu Hong, then Shen Wei.

Ooh, yes, that's an excellent point.

I managed to completely forget what is up with Lin Jing's 'allergies'?? Is it like the 'fish!' realization, where it was going to go somewhere and then it didn't, or am I actually forgetting something? xD

He's sneezing because someone's talking about him behind his back, that's all.

And btw what gets me is that he calls her a good child while he's sure that she killed her grandmother. I'm pretty sure he at least partially means it too.

Yeah, he can see that she's in a terrible situation and at the end of her rope.

Oh hey, I literally just realized that the 'dramatic Envoy on the roof' thing was also a nod to the novel - the roof of Li Qian's house is where Zhao Yunlan found him killing youchu, iirc.

Oh! You're totally right, that hadn't occurred to me, but the parallel is absolutely there!

[china_shop]

> It shows him struggling with the car door. He's trying to open it and go outside, but it's locked - Gao Tianyu sent black energy towards it just a moment earlier. (And so he just interferes from inside the car instead of from outside. *g*)

I wonder what he'd have done if he had been able to get out...

[trobadora]

Yeah, good question! He couldn't have appeared as the Envoy if he was in plain sight as Professor Shen.

[china_shop]

> And "she'd never call my name" is really heartbreaking considering Li Qian's name is basically all her grandma says to Xiao Guo? OUCH.

Oof, yes! I hadn't thought of that. /o\

> I always have a lot of feelings about Li Qian being told that she's basically better off living her own life, it's so pragmatic and heartbreaking and true.

What are you thinking of, here? *is unhelpfully vague about all the advice LQ gets*

> And it's not fair to Xiao Guo to be called out for crying - his grandmother also died, just not right now. But obviously it's not like CSZ can know that.

Yes, exactly! On both counts. :D

> Gratuituous low-quality screencaps of Shen Wei watching Zhao Yunlan eat a lollipop :D

Niiiice! :D

> "Normal people have to be cautious about even looking at it" - Zhao Yunlan, you ARE normal people. :P

LOL! He thinks being Lord of the Guardians makes him special. :D

> I don't think I've ever noticed that every time Zhao Yunlan talks to Li Qian, there's someone else with him (to make her feel more at ease, I'm assuming) - first Zhu Hong, then Shen Wei.

Oh, great point. Yeah. That suggests he brought SW to the rooftop deliberately.

> I managed to completely forget what is up with Lin Jing's 'allergies'?? Is it like the 'fish!' realization, where it was going to go somewhere and then it didn't, or am I actually forgetting something? xD

I believe it's a manga convention, when people are being gossiped about.