Slo-Mo Rewatch: Guardian episode 13, 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 13, up to 21:44

Summary
Zhao Yunlan & co. break Da Qing out of his frenzy with the help of Lao Li's dried fish. Looking for Tan Xiao, Zheng Yi causes mayhem at the wedding, and Shen Wei arrives and stops it. Zhao Yunlan arrives and intervenes before Minister Gao can blame Shen Wei for any of it, but in fact, Minister Gao is grateful. Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei go head-to-head about Shen Wei's secrets again, neither able to concede. They're called out to the street, where Da Qing and Lin Jing are trying to calm a frenzied Cong Bo. From him, they learn Zhu Jiu and the Crow Yashou have a boss. Zhao Yunlan hints again that he wants to work with Shen Wei, but Shen Wei leaves. Human-form Ya Qing and Zhu Jiu fight in front of Zheng Yi, who just wants her Tan Xiao. Chu Shuzhi stomps through the Snake forest and rescues Guo Changcheng. Tan Xiao has a nightmare and wakes up in the lab, where Zhao Yunlan finds him.



Quote
Shen Wei: Did I bring you trouble?
Zhao Yunlan: If you are the trouble, I'll take it by the dozen to bother my whole life.

Detail
Ya Qing delivers a message from Ye Zun to Zhu Jiu. Does that mean she's travelled to Dixing as their go-between?

Questions
Dried fish brings Da Qing back to his senses: what would work for some of the other characters? During Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei's standoff in the parlour, who do you sympathise with the most? Is Zhao Yunlan demanding answers in his capacity as chief of the SID or on the basis of their personal relationship? Is it okay for the SID to go around sedating members of the public without first checking their medical histories? What is Zhao Yunlan thinking as he watches Shen Wei leave the alley? (He looks so serious!)

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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Comments

[trobadora]

Maybe it's just easier? The only communication we see between Haixing and Dixing is via smoke messenger, right, and who knows if Ye Zun could do that from inside his pillar?

Yeah, good point, that could be true! Ye Zun seems to be able to bypass any permissions for the Dixing-Haixing passage easily enough, so maybe that is the best way for him to communicate until he frees himself enough to be able to project himself into Haixing.

Or maybe it was just this one time -- Ye Zun was talking to Ya Qing anyway, and he told her to pass on a message.

Yeah, that sounds more likely to me!

Which makes it interesting that this is the point where Minister Gao appears -- official Haixing oversight!

Ooh yes! And thereby foreshadowing the upcoming conflict between Zhao Yunlan's SID and the Inspectorate!

Yeah, and I suppose if they called an ambulance, they'd have to explain things to the paramedics

And also the paramedics couldn't do anything about anything black energy-related. I guess Da Qing and Lin Jing stay with Cong Bo long enough as they take his statement to be sure there's no lingering damage?

I thought Lin Jing and Da Qing were just using Lin Jing's black energy detector. The device back at the SID, I'd been assuming they were following the Hallows (because Lin Jing has had them around long enough to figure out how), but maybe it's Zheng Yi. But then wouldn't someone from the SID have rushed to the lab when ZYL was fake-abducted?

Yeah, good point! Okay, that makes a bit more sense about the black energy detector. I still think they're tracking sonic disruptions, because from everything else we see Lin Jing can only track the Hallows when they're actively resonating. As for Zhao Yunlan being abducted - I thought everything was happening so fast, the SID didn't know anything was happening until it was too late.

or if just having people move through it makes it inherently unstable...

Yeah, that might work too! Interesting that Zheng Yi and Zhu Jiu don't seem to be affected by it at all.

I'd forgotten about him saying he was trying to protect Tan Xiao -- does that mean that while ZYL thought Tan Xiao had kidnapped Zheng Yi, Shen Wei was making the reverse assumption? Or did SW just mean he was protecting Tan Xiao from the Dixing criminal justice system?

I think Shen Wei definitely originally thought Tan Xiao was exploiting Zheng Yi, but he must have later realised that wasn't the case. Presumably when he stashed him at the lab? Except I can't figure out how he didn't work out Zhu Jiu was behind the whole thing. Honestly, I have no idea.

I think the Minister is less bigoted than even ZYL. Later, he even describes Cong Bo as worse than a rogue Dixingren. *g*

Hee! Yeah, true. And I like that! He's not great, but he's got this one good point at least! *g*

And then he'd immediately panic and reverse course if something went wrong and the public got upset. ;-p

LOLOLOL, too true!

I love it so much! The silent communication and shared understanding a;dslkfjas;dlkfjas;dlfkjas;dflkjasd;flkda :D

YES!!!!!!!!!

Ha, yes. ZYL needs to learn to let people finish their sentences! ;-p

LOL, he really does! If only because I want to KNOOOOOWWW ... *g*

Or maybe "Are you actually sticking to that line/keeping up your pretence?" or something?

Yeah, that works!

We have heard SW thinking there must be someone behind them, though, right?

Yeah, during the Hanga arc.

Yeah, I think that only works because ZYL doesn't really see it as an arm of Haixing Administration, right?

Yeah, and I always wish he'd grapple with that a bit more!

Yes, the seeds of their coalition's downfall are right there from the start.

Yes! It's all set up really well. :D

Were you the first to notice this? Whoever it was completely incepted me with this reading. :D

Not as far as I remember! Tbh I thought it was you. *g*

[china_shop]

Ooh yes! And thereby foreshadowing the upcoming conflict between Zhao Yunlan's SID and the Inspectorate!

Yes!!

And also the paramedics couldn't do anything about anything black energy-related.

But doesn't Lin Jing just administer a sedative? Anyone could do that, and paramedics could probably do it more safely (like, if Cong Bo had a bad reaction to it, they could take further medical measures, hi, I may have been watching too many hospital shows).

I guess Da Qing and Lin Jing stay with Cong Bo long enough as they take his statement to be sure there's no lingering damage?

I imagine so.

Interesting that Zheng Yi and Zhu Jiu don't seem to be affected by it at all.

Maybe SW can decide who it affects? In ep 1, it didn't affect the SID, just everyone else on campus.

I think Shen Wei definitely originally thought Tan Xiao was exploiting Zheng Yi, but he must have later realised that wasn't the case. Presumably when he stashed him at the lab? Except I can't figure out how he didn't work out Zhu Jiu was behind the whole thing. Honestly, I have no idea.

Maybe he thought Zheng Yi was acting independently on Zhu Jiu's behalf, rather than "being controlled" by him? (I feel like there's a potential parallel here with YOHE!SW not knowing how aligned Ye Zun was with the Rebel Chief?)

And I like that! He's not great, but he's got this one good point at least! *g*

Yes, Minister Gao is fine when things are going okay. He just falls apart in a crisis.

> Yeah, I think that only works because ZYL doesn't really see it as an arm of Haixing Administration, right?

Yeah, and I always wish he'd grapple with that a bit more!

It would be super interesting, yeah.

> Were you the first to notice this? Whoever it was completely incepted me with this reading. :D

Not as far as I remember! Tbh I thought it was you. *g*

Ha! I thought it was someone in the comments here, but I can't remember who.

[trobadora]

But doesn't Lin Jing just administer a sedative?

I guess? Maybe it's a special black energy-countering sedative. *g* But you're right, and they do say the other wedding guests got medical attention, didn't they?

(Lin Jing does seem to be their medic as well, but, yeah.)

Maybe SW can decide who it affects? In ep 1, it didn't affect the SID, just everyone else on campus.

Yeah, true. Or possibly it doesn't affect high-powered Dixingren at all, which a) would be a good reason why Shen Wei doesn't use this power more frequently, and b) would be interesting for someone who was on campus that day ... *g*

I feel like there's a potential parallel here with YOHE!SW not knowing how aligned Ye Zun was with the Rebel Chief?

Oooh! Yes, that's an excellent point, that makes sense to me. Mirroring to the rescue!

It would be super interesting, yeah.

YES! There's so much potential in it! *flails*

I thought it was someone in the comments here, but I can't remember who.

It probably was someone in the comments, then! I just tried searching my inbox, but didn't turn anything up. I wish I knew!