Guardian Episode by Episode: 07

[extrapenguin]

Welcome to episode 7 of the Guardian rewatchalong! The imgur screencap album has 63 images. In this week's episode, we move forwards into another arc of Hallows plus cat and mouse games setup.

Previously on:
Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6
(By the way, does anyone have a preference for this grid? I was thinking 8 a row with 5 rows to make a compact rectangle wider than it's tall, but am willing to be talked into other configurations.)

This episode contains the webnovel murder case in its entirety. It also sets up the core intrigue of the next arc of Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan's relationship.

Introductions
We get our first ominous shot of a crow above Lai Su's house.

Also, we've seen Shen Wei's necklace before, but it is very appealingly presented here:

No-one's collar actually opens when grabbed, but whatever, they wanted to show Shen Wei flashing some throat.

Additionally, we're introduced to the shield around the SID when Zhu Jiu tries to teleport in through an opened door and gets tossed back. This'll come up again much, much later.

Characterization
We return to the scene where thugs accost Shen Wei. He was willing to part with absolutely everything but his emotionally significant necklace with its lollipop wrapper, Shen Wei, why are you so pathetic? Only here does he start using any kind of force, and it's to pin the thug. A soft technique rather than a hard one, in martial arts terminology. Now, this might just be wanting to maintain the Professor disguise – or it might be Shen Wei, the Black-Cloaked Envoy, wanting to be an exemplar of the Treaty and not harm a human. Then Zhao Yunlan comes and saves him, if not from the thugs, then at least this dilemma.


Zhao Yunlan turns a shoulder pat into a gentle shove out of the way. He didn't hire the thugs just to see how Shen Wei would react to them, but he must've been discreetly following.

Afterwards, we have Shen Wei invite Zhao Yunlan into his house to be fussed over with medicine, and in what is no doubt a calculated move invite Zhao Yunlan to interrogate him. It seems hilariously like a "no homo", but Shen Wei knows Zhao Yunlan broke into his house (and thus must have suspicions). He also let Zhao Yunlan know that he knows Zhao Yunlan broke into his house.


Look at that smile.

Zhao Yunlan's perspective is more interesting. He's been suspicious about the guy, and installed a spycam in his office, but now he ... asks him to join the SID. I'm 100% sure that he knows Shen Wei is from Dixing at this point, and I guess Shen Wei's reaction to the alley thugs (didn't beat them up, obeyed the treaty) was a mark for him? Perhaps he wants to recruit someone new whom Chu Shuzhi can boggle about the sunlight with? Shen Wei demurred, but: Zhao Yunlan asked the guy he was very suspicious about even last episode to join him.

We also got a remark about "intellectuals learning faster than us". I am sure this foreshadows Shen Wei's Dixing power of learning.

This is also the BEARS episode. Shen Wei shows his sly, trollish sense of humor for the first(?) time towards Zhao Yunlan, and apparently Zhao Yunlan lets him continue listing bear species for a longish while before telling him to stop wasting both their time. The only reason I can come up with for this is that Zhao Yunlan really likes hearing Shen Wei speak, no matter the topic. (Also, did Shen Wei have those bear pictures ready at hand? What is he, a bear geneticist? Usually they're into things like lab mice and fruit flies...)


Bears.

We also restate Zhao Yunlan's newfound commitment to viewing Dixingians as people: "Most are evil, few are kind, but I won't lump them all into one." (This was in response to Shen Wei commenting that the thugs didn't have the qualities of Dixing people. Cue Zhao Yunlan asking "What are the qualities of a Dixing person?" and then backing off on the question when it was clear Shen Wei didn't want to answer.)

Lin Jing is a very big webnovel fanboy! (Meanwhile, Da Qing has also read the webnovel in question but is not a superfan, and Chu Shuzhi thought it was shit.) He absolutely loves the chance to infodump about his very favorite webnovel. He's the leader of the fanclub! He's memorized the plot! He stands on chairs while praising it! Really, he becomes so animated, it's adorable.


Meanwhile, Zhao Yunlan laments ever asking Lin Jing about his fannish obsession.


Lin Jing has a life energy detector. Based on this technology (3D projection!!!!) alone, I'd say Guardian is near-future SF, rather than contemporary.

Then, Lin Jing finds his idol fall from grace. If Lai Su knew what he wrote would come true, Lin Jing thinks he should've quit the horror/crime/etc genre (and maybe written maximally uplifting works where lots of good things happen).

In addition to being the team's fieldwork agent and the one investigating the corpses, Chu Shuzhi has absolutely terrible bedside manner. No-one's going to cooperate with you and tell you stuff if you just yell at them, lao-Chu! His treatment of the second thug was disgraceful.

We might've had Chu Shuzhi use the Dixing Power Vision technique offscreen – he was the one who spotted that there was a secret passage in Lai Su's mansion.


He also sits with his feet on the table. Copied from Chief Zhao?

Again we see the team being unwise. Lai Su should not have been allowed to use his computer! The computer is his murder weapon! Da Qing, you're the Vice Chief, you're in charge, what the hell gives???

Zhu Jiu's involvement: enticing Lai Su into starting his chaos-wreaking. I know his mission is getting the Hallows, but he must have a secondary mission as well – "make the Haixingians hate us so we can radicalize all the Dixingians into warring with them and then kill them all"? I see definite parallels with e.g. ISIS and its strategy re: the refugee crisis, but as this show was produced in a completely different cultural environment, I don't know whether they're anything more than happenstance.


Zhu Jiu can use a phone, unlike certain other Dixingians I shall not mention.

We close with Zhao Yunlan chatting about the resolution with Shen Wei. It features him being surprised that he'd ever empathize with the struggles of the Dixing people, Shen Wei's happy face, and Zhao Yunlan declaring that the times they are a-changin' (for the worse).

Canon details
Okay, we're told that Lai Su might've had "Dixing genes" – does this mean Dixingians and Haixingians are cross-fertile and thus members of the same species? (For animals, inability to produce fertile offspring is the definition of being different species. For plants, OTOH, it's a bit more complicated IIRC, as they're slutting up the place making offspring with anything even vaguely related, so I suppose that the aliens could've originally been idk ferns, and the Flower Tribe Yashou the most ancestral form.) Did the aliens hybridize themselves with the local populace, so that all the Dixingians and Yashou are half-human hybrids? Inquiring minds want to know about the worldbuilding!

Additionally, we're told that there were ghost beast sightings in the cities around Dragon City, where they hurt people. (So: ghost beasts are rural creatures? Do the satellite cities have SID-equivalents who deal with such things?) Then the Envoy, who was Dixing's administrator (管理者) at the time drove them back to Dixing, which makes no sense. Are ghost beasts the Dixing equivalent of dogs, except they go mad with sunlight??? Why would Shen Wei subject his people to such creatures who enjoy mauling people?

Cinematography
They pull out from the characters to show the vastness of Lai Su's truly excessive mansion:

Seriously, he lives here alone???


Family Skype session!

The rest of the time, the camera is at eye height, a bit above it, or a bit below it, fluidly getting everyone and everything into the same frame with any trick necessary.



Also, the requisite shot through blinds to show that there are still secrets between these two.

Zhao Yunlan jacket watch
We continue with last episode's vest thing, and then the next day Zhao Yunlan wears a dark cloth jacket, and the episode ends. (Shen Wei, though, changed shirts. Did Zhao Yunlan wear the same jacket two days in a row, or did Shen Wei spill something on his shirt and have to teleport home to change?)


Shen Wei shoe watch
No clear shots this episode!

Did Shen Wei take off his glasses?
No.

Comments

[jo_lasalle]

This is a really oddly divided episode for me. The bookends are great - in fact the episode 6 / episode 7 transition mugging event were my big 'oh god they've got me' moment for this show - but the actual plot is probably my least favourite of the one-off plots. It's not even offensive or anything, it's just thoroughly meh, to me. I don't know what wigboy was really doing there, the author isn't that interesting as a character, the monster isn't that interesting as a monster, the resolution is a heart attack from fright... And yet I fondly remember all the trolling and chest touching and pining and omg the mugging...

Now, this might just be wanting to maintain the Professor disguise

I've somewhat changed my interpretation of the ratio of the various things going on with Shen Wei in this scene - I initially read it about him being primarily scared that these guys were going to make him blow his cover. I do think he's more actively in control there than I originally thought, but I still see that he is also at the back of his mind quite worried this is going to go wrong and he'll have to explain to Zhao Yunlan that he's from Dixing, which, given the ongoing issue he has worrying about what Zhao Yunlan makes of Dixing people, is still very awwww to me.

It seems hilariously like a "no homo", but Shen Wei knows Zhao Yunlan broke into his house (and thus must have suspicions). He also let Zhao Yunlan know that he knows Zhao Yunlan broke into his house.

I absolutely adore the push and pull in this scene. And it's such a great scene for Shen Wei and all his fucking layers. He's genuinely startled when Zhao Yunlan pretends his fee-fees are hurt that he didn't get invited over, but then also enough of a boss to troll Zhao Yunlan right back when he first kind of lets it stand in the room that he knows Zhao Yunlan must have been in his apartment, then lets him off the hook about it, and then pushes again, and then lets him off the hook again. I love it.

And then there is the pining necklace / chest touching! Which tbh I read for a while as Shen Wei being turned on and not knowing what to do with it, because the same ep shows the necklace being in a very different place, but then it turns out in other episodes the necklace apparently is the katana space of necklaces and is whichever length you need it to be. But I still just love this turn after the trolling and when this scene is basically already over, we get the googly eyes and Shen Wei being, like, super out of his emotional depth.



... as I made this for myself to have handy, I felt like including the documentation. *g*

BEARS! The bears are paramount.

I also love Zhu Hong's utter disgust at Shen Wei needing a laptop brought to him. I know it's probably largely about her jealousy towards Shen Wei, but I think the 'this guy can't even open fucking SKYPE' element must really add to her ire, as she's hilariously rude here. I <3 Zhu Hong.

Despite me not loving the webnovel plot, Lin Jing is very adorable in this. He is such a fanboy.

Seriously, he lives here alone???

Maybe he'd hoped to make more friends now that he's rich and famous and have huge sleepovers, but it was all a little too creepy for the people he tried to invite... (No, IDK either. That is one huge-ass house.)

That family Skype session shot is lovely!

In terms of jackets, I would like to give special mention to Shen Wei's gym jacket, which is a crime. No crime is the black cloth jacket, which is brooding and shiny. <3

(I'm really enjoying your rewatch series and the work you put into it - I would never be consistent about a rewatch commentary of my own but I really enjoy having half an excuse to natter on about All The Things about these episodes!)

[mecurtin]

Thank you so much for making that gif! *snags* So many feelings, right there.

[jo_lasalle]

So, so many feelings! You're welcome, enjoy! ^_^

[solo]

I know how this is probably the least relevant thing to comment on here but I don't want to help myself. :)

because the same ep shows the necklace being in a very different place, but then it turns out in other episodes the necklace apparently is the katana space of necklaces and is whichever length you need it to be.

Maori necklaces have sliding adjustable knots. I even know how to tie them so there needs to be no great mystery behind this.

[jo_lasalle]

No, no, never help yourself. *g*

Could be that, yes. I do think there is some katana space around the necklace, as it's also pretty bulky for where it's supposed to be, whether that's behind the knot of his tie or over his sternum as in the chest-touching moment.

[extrapenguin]

the actual plot is probably my least favourite of the one-off plots. It's not even offensive or anything, it's just thoroughly meh, to me. I don't know what wigboy was really doing there, the author isn't that interesting as a character, the monster isn't that interesting as a monster, the resolution is a heart attack from fright...
The case plot is probably one that'd work better in a book, as a sort of meta commentary about not idolizing authors, and also idk about authors' moral responsibility. It might've been better if they'd have had the time and money to replace it with a webseries scriptwriter murderer...

The bookends and the SID interaction are great, agreed.

I still see that he is also at the back of his mind quite worried this is going to go wrong and he'll have to explain to Zhao Yunlan that he's from Dixing, which, given the ongoing issue he has worrying about what Zhao Yunlan makes of Dixing people, is still very awwww to me.
Aww Shen Wei! Yeah, he's balancing a lot of things at the back of his mind, and it's just a single scene of what he has to go through daily. In this threatening situation, will he reveal himself as nonhuman, or let himself be potentially harmed, and what about the Treaty?
...it actually works as a metaphor for being closeted, sort of.

And then there is the pining necklace / chest touching! Which tbh I read for a while as Shen Wei being turned on and not knowing what to do with it, because the same ep shows the necklace being in a very different place, but then it turns out in other episodes the necklace apparently is the katana space of necklaces and is whichever length you need it to be. But I still just love this turn after the trolling and when this scene is basically already over, we get the googly eyes and Shen Wei being, like, super out of his emotional depth.
I didn't actually see that as him touching his necklace! Instead, I thought it was a generic "be still, my beating heart" thing. Those touches are often more generically somewhere on the midline rather than over the left breast.

In terms of jackets, I would like to give special mention to Shen Wei's gym jacket, which is a crime.
The shirt with stripey things on the sleeves? By Engineering Professor standards, Shen Wei is suspiciously well-dressed. He's made stylish by his ability to wear clean clothes daily.

(I'm really enjoying your rewatch series and the work you put into it - I would never be consistent about a rewatch commentary of my own but I really enjoy having half an excuse to natter on about All The Things about these episodes!)
♥ Keep on nattering! I love hearing people's miscellaneous thoughts. Especially at length.

[jo_lasalle]

...it actually works as a metaphor for being closeted, sort of.

Hmmm, the 'do I play along or not' does, yes. Whether there's an equivalent in the metaphor for Shen Wei's backup option being putting these guys through a wall, IDK...

I didn't actually see that as him touching his necklace! Instead, I thought it was a generic "be still, my beating heart" thing. Those touches are often more generically somewhere on the midline rather than over the left breast.

I read it like that too initially. Or, well, that, plus maybe turn-on, because he looks basically out of breath there. (And I'd thought about this for a while, because the necklace hadn't occured to me due to the length, so on a couple of rewatches I kept going, 'So WHAT is actually going on with him there?') But I had to concede that there's some thematic consistency with the necklace from earlier in the scene, with how the necklace sets him off towards the muggers, that it would make narrative sense for the scene to come back with that.

But I like the other reading too, I confess! They can exist in parallel as required!

The shirt with stripey things on the sleeves?

Yes, that! I'll give you that by professorial standards, this is fine, but if you compare it to the blue suit with all the fancy bells and whistles, this is... different. *g*

[extrapenguin]

Hmmm, the 'do I play along or not' does, yes. Whether there's an equivalent in the metaphor for Shen Wei's backup option being putting these guys through a wall, IDK...
The former, and also the asymmetric repercussions, in a way: the penalty for Shen Wei punching the guys is greater than the penalty for the thugs punching Shen Wei. (Well, assuming the Envoy doesn't get special treatment re: deportation decisions.) But in general more about the fact that Shen Wei has something to hide about himself, and he's dealing with potentially having to "come out" as Dixingian to Zhao Yunlan ahead of the time he'd rather do it at. (Sorry for the incoherence. I did not sleep well enough...)

But I had to concede that there's some thematic consistency with the necklace from earlier in the scene, with how the necklace sets him off towards the muggers, that it would make narrative sense for the scene to come back with that.
True! I shall declare that it's a superposition of touching his necklace and "stay still my beating heart", since he's a teensy bit off for both.

Yes, that! I'll give you that by professorial standards, this is fine, but if you compare it to the blue suit with all the fancy bells and whistles, this is... different. *g*
I actually am okay with the stripey one and wouldn't say no to it appearing in my wardrobe (spot the STEMlord, lol), but yes, the blue suit is a very good look on him.

[jo_lasalle]

The former, and also the asymmetric repercussions, in a way: the penalty for Shen Wei punching the guys is greater than the penalty for the thugs punching Shen Wei.

It's not a perfect parallel, but I still meant to say that this gave me a little 'oh' moment. Aww, Shen Wei. <3

[extrapenguin]

Shen Wei deserves a hug and at least one day off from the whole Marginalization Experience!

The situation also works as a parallel for the stakes being much higher for (illegal) immigrants, but the whole Dixing thing is an invisible marginalization and thus fits the queer thing very well. Also the Chinese internal-migrant hukou system, maybe, but I'm less knowledgeable on that.

[solo]

I initially read it about him being primarily scared that these guys were going to make him blow his cover.

I confess I never read it like that. It's late at night, empty streets, why would he assume anyone who cares is watching? To me, he just didn't want to have to hurt those jerks.

[jo_lasalle]

I think he looks too tense for that. And seriously, Shen Wei doesn't - as such - take shit or is a super pacifist. If really NOBODY could have seen him, he could have mind-dazzled them, or beat them up gently enough they might leave future professors alone.

[solo]

That's also true...

[firestar]

Also snagging the gif, because *pretty*.

Reposting because of accidental deleting fail. *facepalms*

[jo_lasalle]

LOL! I think the other day I accidentally double friended someone for a similar reason. *g*

[firestar]

Our brainspaces love us. Really. >.>