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sid_guardian2026-02-23 11:47 am
Slo-Mo Rewatch: Guardian episode 12, 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 12, up to 22:18
Summary
Fourth Uncle drugs Zhu Hong; Guo Changcheng zaps himself unconscious. Wang Zheng is teaching Sang Zan to write (but hasn't shown him how to hold a pen). Zhao Yunlan confronts Shen Wei in his university office, ostensibly about the case but in fact seeking confirmation of Shen Wei's other identity. Tan Xiao breaks into the SID to steal the Hallows but is thwarted by Sang Zan's trap, followed by Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei's arrival. Zhao Yunlan catches the Awl, has visions and falls unconscious (feat. some lovely manhandling by Shen Wei); Da Qing wakes him by being catlike. Lin Jing wants to run some tests on a human; Zhao Yunlan fakes a headache, so Shen Wei volunteers. Shen Wei lies on the evidence bed in his undershirt. Fourth Uncle talks to tied-up!Zhu Hong, only it's actually Guo Changcheng in a skirt and wig. Zhu Hong drugs her uncle. (So much drugging!) Zhu Jiu is angry at Tan Xiao's failure to retrieve the Hallows; he's holding Zheng Yi hostage, promising to cure her. Zhao Yunlan doodles Shen Wei and the Envoy in his notebook. Tan Xiao and Zheng Yi ambush and hypnotise Zhu Hong as she returns from the Snake Village. She fights Chu Shuzhi, and Lin Jing has to sedate her. Zhao Yunlan tells Tan Xiao and Zheng Yi that they can't trust Zhu Jiu.
Quote
Shen Wei: Are you even listening to me?
Zhao Yunlan: I only want to hear you tell the truth.
Detail
Presumably Zhao Yunlan is already wearing protective earplugs when he apprehends Tan Xiao and Zheng Yi on his own.
Questions
Do you have a stand-out favourite scene or quote from the first half of episode 12? How is Zhao Yunlan hoping that the conversation in Shen Wei's office will go? Does Sang Zan have any other booby traps set up around the SID (and how many times has Guo Changcheng set them off)? Did Shen Wei put himself in a trance/stasis during Lin Jing's experiment? Any theories about what happened to Tan Xiao's sister? What's with all the drugging??
How many times has Guo Changcheng zapped himself unconscious before?
once
0 (0.0%)
a couple of times
1 (20.0%)
truly an alarming number of times
2 (40.0%)
Lin Jing is ~this close~ to confiscating the baton
0 (0.0%)
Chu Shuzhi bought a portable defibrillator to take to training practice
3 (60.0%)
other
0 (0.0%)
Does Shen Wei expect Zhao Yunlan to take him literally when he says, "To be honest, I'm just a normal person who happens to be unlucky"?
yes, he's determined to stuff the cat back into the bag
1 (20.0%)
he doesn't *expect*, exactly; but he hopes!
3 (60.0%)
no, he's implicitly asking Zhao Yunlan to play along
3 (60.0%)
other
1 (20.0%)
Why does Shen Wei volunteer to be a test subject?
he thinks he can fake a human field of consciousness
2 (40.0%)
he's no longer really hiding his identity; he just doesn't want to admit the truth in so many words
3 (60.0%)
other
0 (0.0%)
Did you see any parallels in these scenes with other parts of the drama? If you're familiar with the novel, any thoughts about how the drama adaptation compares, if at all?
(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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no subject
Fourth Uncle says, "You can't protect [the Hallows]," and ultimately, he's not wrong. They do end up in Ye Zun's hands by the end. But it's still important to try. (Ahhh, Zhu Hong says, "I live and die with the SID," and I'm sure that's not the last time she says it. *hearts her*)
Guo Changcheng goes against Fourth Uncle's wishes to tell Zhu Hong he'll get her out of there. Kudos to him for respecting her choices, rather than bending to filial piety. (And then he zaps himself unconscious, lol.)
Sang Zan seems almost childlike sometimes. I wonder if having been empillared is like having a head injury. He used to be so politically sharp and full of rhetoric.
Wang Zheng says, "I've dreamed of this a thousand times." When, exactly??
Zhao Yunlan silently challenges Shen Wei to admit the truth. He's so serious and combative -- I think his feelings are genuinely hurt, and he feels a bit stupid about things like the mugging. Shen Wei makes one cup of tea, no saucer -- not even trying to meet ZYL halfway.
"Last night at 11:00, he even called me to discuss the new results from his research, claiming he achieved oscillation of sound waves out of water." -- That bears no relation to the in-water experiment we saw! Oh hey, I think ZZY was stealing Tan Xiao's research.
When Shen Wei says, "Are you even listening to me?" is he more concerned about the case, or by ZYL's refusal to play along with his compartmentalisation? I love that ZYL moves to sit at his side, to illustrate that this doesn't have to be a point of division between them. And then Shen Wei gives again the cover story he wants ZYL to accept, and ZYL just cannot. *pets him* (So interesting comparing this to ZYL-as-Kunlun, where he just knew and accepted Shen Wei as he was. Otoh, even then, he snatched the mask from Shen Wei's face...)
Quoting myself from the comments on
Sang Zan fights the sonic attack so hard. *hearts him*
Shen Wei catching ZYL like a rag doll is always a delight! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 As is Da Qing waking unconscious ZYL by miaowing. And hee, DQ's face where ZYL's flail knocks him over.
CSZ unilaterally decided to go after ZH and GCC. *hearts*
The hypothesising about Tan Xiao's powers conversation: ZYL is back to his jokes and clowning here ("buy one, get one free"). Being serious and intense at Shen Wei didn't work; time to use his usual manipulation and fronting M.O. instead.
Da Qing tells them off for flirting when they're really not flirting. (I wonder if the writers wanted that line, but knew it wouldn't pass the censors if it was when they were actually being flirty.) And Shen Wei doesn't call ZYL on his patently fake headache -- instead, demonstrating the complicity that he wants in return.
Changcheng (in Zhu Hong's clothes and a wig) cries at Fourth Uncle's protectiveness, even while he's presumably not at all on board with the isolationism. Aww! He always sees the good in people.
Zhu Jiu smacking Tan Xiao around in front of Zheng Yi must be so upsetting to the girl. Tan Xiao is being protective, but is 100% out of his depth. *pets* (I wonder what happened to his sister.)
ZYL doodling Shen Wei: "What really is your purpose for coming here?" He seems so stuck on the why of it -- I guess at this point he doesn't know that Dixing doesn't have much of an academic system. ;-p Or maybe it's actually "What is your real purpose for
flirting withhelping me/moving in across the hall?" but he can't even get as far as thinking that out loud? (Da Qing is watching him worriedly. *skritches*)"Near Zhu Hong's house" looks pretty agricultural to me, going by the satellite image on Lin Jing's computer.
The questions:
My favourite scene is ZYL in Shen Wei's office. I love that he's not playing any of his usual games; he's being completely upfront about his frustration and need to know. <3 And I love that Shen Wei is strong enough to withstand that, to hold firm to his principles and chosen course, and to keep trying to obliquely/implicitly bring ZYL around to join in on the act. <3
Did Shen Wei put himself in a trance/stasis during Lin Jing's experiment?
I think he must have.
In conclusion: drugging people is clearly not an issue for the censors.