Slo-Mo Rewatch: Guardian episode 14, 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 14, up to 21:05

Summary
Zhu Jiu escapes out the SID window. Zhao Yunlan picks up the Hallows and collapses again. When he wakes, the whole SID (except for Wang Zheng and Sang Zan) is there, as well as the Envoy, Tan Xiao and Zheng Yi. Changcheng intercedes on Zheng Yi's behalf, but the Envoy is seemingly determined to hold her responsible for her crimes. Zhao Yunlan doesn't try to interfere. The Envoy takes her away. When Zhao Yunlan later leaves the SID, he sees Zheng Yi and Tan Xiao together in the street, happily waving at him.

The post-reveal tea scene!! Zhao Yunlan refuses to pretend nothing happened, and at last Shen Wei concedes, saying it's tiring to lie all the time, and that they've always been friends -- which raises more questions for Zhao Yunlan. Changcheng writes in his diary that the Envoy let Zheng Yi go; the whole SID knows. Ya Qing checks up on Zhu Jiu and scornfully eats an apple; Zhu Jiu is furious and humiliated at being hurt by a mere human. Changcheng unknowingly meets the Merit Brush and writes a new sign for Wang Xiangyang's fruit stand. (At the SID, the other Hallows get all excited.) A serious, reserved Shen Wei and an irrepressible Zhao Yunlan meet in the hallway between their apartments and drive to the Department of Supervision.



Zhao Yunlan sings and asks questions, but Shen Wei doesn't want to talk. When they arrive, they meet Changcheng's uncle. Shen Wei has done Zhao Yunlan's homework for him written a self-criticism on Zhao Yunlan's behalf. In the Department of Supervision's lab, an experiment fails, and Professor Zhou sighs that Shen Wei would do better, which annoys his colleague Professor Ouyang. In the hallway outside Minister Gao's office, Shen Wei backs into a corner, out of sight of a CCTV camera, and uses his dark energy vision. Then Zhao Yunlan comes to get him, to meet the minister.

Quote
Zhao Yunlan: Okay, fine, I’ll let you choose a topic.
Shen Wei: We can just not talk.
Zhao Yunlan: Dun-dun dun-dun-dun-dun dun-dun... Well, you didn't say I couldn't sing!

Detail
I'm going to cheat and mention two details:

1. When Zhao Yunlan wakes up in the SID, Da Qing says, "So capable. On your own, you were able to take back the Sacred Items?" and Zhu Hong says, "Zhao Yunlan, you are something! How dare you shoot me!" They're both using the same word, 可以, one approvingly, one sarcastically. *pets Zhu Hong*


2. The morning after, Shen Wei is quiet and reserved. This is a Shen Wei who’s been up half the night writing a probably quite cathartic account of things Zhao Yunlan did wrong -- the self-criticism -- on Zhao Yunlan’s behalf. I like to think he wrote a blistering twenty-page version to get the worst of it out of his system, then threw or tucked that away and wrote the official/helpful one, partly in an attempt to control the narrative about the part he himself played, as far as the Department of Supervision is concerned. (Quoting myself here from the "singing in the car scene" discussion post. I really love that scene.)

Questions
When Tan Xiao staggers back from Zheng Yi, is that the girl pushing him away with her power, or the Envoy with his? Did the Envoy tell Zheng Yi and Tan Xiao to wait in the street to wave their thanks at Zhao Yunlan, or was it coincidence that he saw them? (How long were they waiting there?) Do you like Shen Wei's choice of sweater for the post-reveal tea-drinking scene? The original subs say, "I was cheated by you for so long, and my heart hurts. I will feel so upset unless I get my compensations," while the VIKI/Solo subs say, "But I was cheated by you for so long and my heart suffered great trauma. You can't just brush me off with a few words. Right? It's not appropriate." Which version do you prefer? Changcheng writes in his diary about the Envoy letting Tan Xiao and Zheng Yi stay in Haixing -- do you think Shen Wei intended the rest of the SID to know, too, or just Zhao Yunlan? How did Chu Shuzhi react when he heard? What's with all the manikins with missing body parts in the Haixing lab? When Shen Wei uses his dark energy vision in the hallway outside Minister Gao's office, what is he looking for?

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

[china_shop]

I love this whole sequence/stage of the Weilan relationship so very much, ahhhhhhhhhh!

My notes:

<shallow> The thing ZYL does with his tongue after grinning at Shen Wei at 2:21!!! And the way his shoulders move when he says, "So fast." asdlfkajs;dflkjasd;flkajfd;a </shallow>

Zhao Yunlan is not on top form when he wakes up; it takes him a minute to remember Shen Wei's identity is still secret from everyone else, and to start conspiring. Then he starts openly flirting with the Envoy. What must everyone else think?? :D

At 3:54, the subs have (original) "you have good lucks." or (VIKI) "Lucky people are really blessed people." According to the yabla pinyin dictionary, it's a chengyu: Heaven helps the worthy. Which I think implies more of a compliment than either of the translations?

The Envoy is stern ("We live in this chaotic world; everyone is poor and pitiful. If I reserve the judgement which against the discipline,[sic] people will no longer follow the rules and policies."), and Zhao Yunlan overtly doesn't argue. <3 I wonder if that (ZYL not arguing) is what gives Shen Wei space to be lenient, because it means he's not letting the SID chief dictate Envoy Policy.

Flashback: I'm so curious when Tan Xiao and Zheng Yi got to bake together, with her being so playful and animated. It seems incongruous with what we know, but otoh, the backstory Tan Xiao gave at the hospital was probably deliberately focused on how miserable Zheng Yi has been.

There must be a time-jump after the Envoy leaves with Zheng Yi, because Tan Xiao had to go off and somehow meet up with the others. I wonder if the SID was busy wrapping up the paperwork during that time.

I always notice Tan Xiao and Zheng Yi literally skipping off into the night together, hee!

TEA SCENE!!!! Shen Wei is so serious and withdrawn here. He seems very old to me, not at all Professor Shen-like, and not really the Envoy either, as we've seen him previously. Maybe this is a different Envoy mode -- not dispensing justice, just calm, backstage Envoy. (He must be exhausted, too; he maxed out his powers hours ago!) Tea for two (vs the scene in ep 12 when Shen Wei only made a cup for Zhao Yunlan), and ahh, ZYL's crossed legs. <3 <3 <3

LOL, Zhao Yunlan receives his tea and immediately unwraps a lollipop. That seems so rude, like an insult to the tea's flavour! I guess he needs something sweet / something in his mouth. *noogies him*

<shallow> The thing Shen Wei does with his chin after he says, "Who told you I can't [erase your memories]?" The subtle challenge, the assertion of power, the hint of playfulness!! :D :D :D </shallow> And then he accepts the new status quo, and admits he's been lying. (I really like that he doesn't apologise for it. <3)

I wonder if he's being deliberately mysterious with "We've always been friends." Is the subtext "you have found out I'm the Envoy, but don't think you know everything about me"? Is it a test, to see if ZYL will accept his non-answer about this, at least? Or was it a slip, because Shen Wei is too caught up in the parallels between past and present? If it was a slip, he doesn't try to cover or excuse it.

Zhao Yunlan is still framing Shen Wei's actions as trying to protect Dragon City and Haixing. He hasn't considered that Shen Wei might be acting in Dixing's best interests, too. Trying to protect everyone. I bet Shen Wei is super aware of that obliviousness.

In Shen Wei's flashback, he's sitting higher than Kunlun, with Kunlun looking up at him. That's appropriate for present day, but it's not how I remember most of their YOHE conversation. I think Zhao Yunlan must move from the rock beside Shen Wei, to a lower rock/the cliff edge on his other side. Either that was during their convo, or there's more than one occasion cut together in ep 34/35.

I watched with VIKI subs this time, and I really missed the "compensation" translation from the original subs. There are some turns of phrase I'm really wedded to.

When Changcheng is writing in his diary about TX & ZY, I always have a moment of "was it indiscreet of ZYL to tell the SID what happened??" I'm not sure what Shen Wei would have expected... but I suppose by letting TX & ZY stay in Dragon City, he's not trying to keep them hidden. (And oh, I wish we'd got to see the rest of the SID's reactions to the news, especially Chu Shuzhi!!!)

Zhu Jiu is so thin-skinned. And oh no, now he has a personal grudge against Zhao Yunlan. /o\

Zhao Yunlan wakes up alone. Da Qing is there. I don't know what the purpose of this scene is. Just to show that Shen Wei isn't there, for the censors' benefit??

Awww, Changcheng loves his job. Zhao Yunlan is his idol! (Good thing Chu Shuzhi didn't hear that, lol.) I wonder if that idolising works to make Changcheng even more self-sacrificing, or if his self-sacrificing streak is the reason for idolising Zhao Yunlan. Chicken or egg?

Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan meet up in the hallway between their flats, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! ;alksdjfa;skdlfja;skdlfjas;dklfjas;dlfk It's very easy to think Shen Wei just popped home to change. ;-p

The singing in the car scene!!!!!!!!!! I love this so much I did a scene discussion post on it. Even when their moods are mismatched, they still understand each other and get along well. <3 <3 <3

Minister Gao remembered Shen Wei (that must be so uncomfortable for SW, when he's still trying to contain his secret!!).

Every time ZYL says, "Does it mean i am the only one you are comfortable with, since you only told me your identity?" it strikes me how galling that must be for SW to hear, after the terror and fear that accompanied that reluctant revelation. I really don't think ZYL has the first clue how SW felt during ZYL's fake hypnosis. *pets SW*

But anyway, Zhao Yunlan is so happy, he can't keep it in. And in the end, it makes Shen Wei laugh. I LOVE THEM!

Aww, hi, Changcheng's uncle! Now we've got to know the core SID cast so well, it feels like they're introducing a whole swathe of new supporting characters in these few episodes: Fourth Uncle, Ya Qing and Ying Chun in their human forms, Cong Bo, Minister Gao, Vice Minister Guo, re-introducing Professor Ouyang and Professor Zhou in their lab -- anyone else? It's still a couple more episodes before we get the Regent again and Zhao Xinci, and then another couple before Ye Huo.

Zhao Yunlan doesn't have to take off his gun to get through security. I guess he's not carrying it. Maybe he has a lockbox in the car?

The slowest elevator in Haixing...

Yay, the self-criticism! I think Shen Wei must have found it so cathartic. (In the original subs, it's "Wait. I helped you write the self-criticism." In VIKI, it's "Wait. The self-criticism you asked me to write for you." Which made me go o.O!! Was Zhao Yunlan really so shameless?? (Can you tell I've only watched with original subs before?) The only way I can think to rationalise this is if Shen Wei was openly concerned about how he'd be represented in the SID's case reports, and Zhao Yunlan suggested he write the self-criticism to slant it to suit himself. I mean!

Shen Wei says, "Don't make jokes about your family," meaning "Don't joke about serious things" -- he's telling Zhao Yunlan outright why the teasing sometimes lands very poorly. <3 It just takes a while for Zhao Yunlan to join the dots.

When the lab experiment fails, a SIREN OF SHAME goes off. LOL!

Shen Wei in the hall outside Minister Gao's office -- I think he knows the ministry lab is doing dark energy experiments, and he's making sure there aren't any live test subjects involved? (I have a fic for that.) ;-p

A few other fics I've written inspired by this half episode:
- Alignment includes Zhao Yunlan apologising to Shen Wei for scaring him by pretending to be kidnapped
- Tactical Formation, is about Zhu Hong being shaken up, after Zhu Jiu invaded the SID
- Getting to Know You starts during the tea drinking scene and plays with the idea that Shen Wei can -- and does -- wipe Zhao Yunlan's memories
- every day closer is set after the team dinner at the end of the ep, but deals with Shen Wei's emotional response to the events in the tea-drinking scene.