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sid_guardian2019-04-17 08:31 pm
extrapenguin) wrote in sid_guardian2019-04-17 08:31 pm
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Guardian Episode by Episode: 09
Welcome to episode 9 of the Guardian rewatchalong! Due to Easter, this one is early and the next one will be late (~Saturday). The imgur screencap album has 75 images.
Previously on:
Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8
This week, we start the Hanga arc properly, and drive to the mountains. We end with Wang Zheng walking into the cave.
Introductions
In flashbacks, we get our first glimpses of Zhao Yunlan's parents and Wang Zheng's fiancé (husband?).
Zhao Xinci, shooting the gun. Shen Xi, being held hostage and then dying.
Sang Zan, introduced as the Patriarch, bewitched by the daughter of the previous Patriarch.
Characterization
A bunch of interesting stuff!
We see Zhao Yunlan be a responsible team leader who brings them all on a road trip for Wang Zheng's personal mission, and doesn't press her to tell too much (just like he later won't press Shen Wei too much). He's also genuinely sorry for her about the sex doll Guo Changcheng purchased.
On the road, when he discovered the suspicious Professor Shen (who had taken up an interest in ... archaeology???), he very successfully got all the information out of Jiajia while Shen Wei facepalmed in the background, then got Shen Wei and his students into the SID convoy with his manipulation skills and charmed Shen Wei's students. Shen Wei never stood a chance.
When in doubt, ask the children.
He also says one very thematic thing to Shen Wei: "Our destination is the same, would it not be better if we could look after each other?" Like episode 3's case, this line encapsulates a thing about their relationship. Cat and mouse has partially turned into seduction, and this is Zhao Yunlan seducing Shen Wei into becoming a consultant for the SID.
We get more about Zhao Yunlan's backstory here – when he's shooting the Dixing Revolver, he gets a flashback to his mom dying and loses his nerve, either as nerve-losing (or "What if I shoot at these evil things in between my people and me and my people die like my mom did?"), or being distracted by the flashback.
There's two pieces of interaction between Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan I'd like to highlight. The first one is when Zhao Yunlan walks up the slope and interrupts Shen Wei's usage of dark energy to peek, then fusses over him and gives him his jacket. Shen Wei protests, but later puts the jacket on properly and doesn't take it off. He's also very visibly shocked at someone taking care of him, and extremely touched.
Shen Wei's beating heart is not staying still.
The other is when the village leader comes to apologize for the attempted spooking. Zhao Yunlan says a few very plain words then lets the weight of his disapproving gaze do the rest, and Shen Wei joins in with more condemnation. Teamwork!
"We are both very disappointed in you."
Another relationship we see here is Zhu Hong taking care of Wang Zheng. She practices her hypnotism to make the delivery guy forget he brought the package – and then declares she'll take care of Wang Zheng, dresses her in a way so that she doesn't have to use the sex doll as a transport device, and holds on to her during the way to the hotel.
Hold on to the energy being so she doesn't float off!
We also see Zhu Hong grab the gun from Zhao Yunlan's hands and shoot when he is frozen in place by the flashback.
Wang Zheng is sad at the SID office, is sad in a car, and then does Hanga-style prayer for the dead in the village yard. When the ghosts come, she (accurately) says that they're out for her, and wishes to sacrifice herself to atone for her mistakes. Then she goes out to the cave – I wonder how she knew the cave was significant; did it call out to her, or do we see it in the flashbacks?
Wang Zheng does things, goes off to disappear into the mountain.
Guo Changcheng is this episode's butt monkey. First he screws up by buying Wang Zheng a sex doll (though I wonder why the doll thing didn't go to puppetmaster Chu – office politics?), then he spends the entire car ride being sick and having his snacks stolen, and finally he discovers his true calling of "alarm siren".
Meanwhile, Lin Jing wonders why he drew the short straw in car allocations.
For a moment I thought Zhu Jiu had in a fit of jealousy acquired his own bush friend, but it turned out he was only using it to spy on xiao-Quan pissing. He's also recruited the Hanga slaves' ghosts and the ghost-beasts to go after Wang Zheng to get at the Mountain-river Awl.
Zhu Jiu has zero plant friends. His only friends are the ghosts and ghost beasts.
Canon notes
Cinematography
Please notice how Zhao Yunlan stands on the downslope side for this whole conversation:
This one is just beautiful. The mist is very nice.
Zhao Yunlan watches Shen Wei listen to the Hanga story.
This is also a nice shot – I like the diagonal.
The lab around the Hallows has some very odd lighting.
Obligatory shot through framing device.
Zhao Yunlan jacket watch
He starts off in the same denim jacket we saw him in last episode, then sets out in a North Face jacket he gives to Shen Wei, under which is another under-jacket. Bonus: Shen Wei in Zhao Yunlan's jacket, looking happy.
Shen Wei shoe watch
No clear shots of the shoes.
Did Shen Wei take off his glasses?
Yes, when at home with his ridiculous hairstyle.
Previously on:
Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8
This week, we start the Hanga arc properly, and drive to the mountains. We end with Wang Zheng walking into the cave.
Introductions
In flashbacks, we get our first glimpses of Zhao Yunlan's parents and Wang Zheng's fiancé (husband?).
Zhao Xinci, shooting the gun. Shen Xi, being held hostage and then dying.
Sang Zan, introduced as the Patriarch, bewitched by the daughter of the previous Patriarch.
Characterization
A bunch of interesting stuff!
We see Zhao Yunlan be a responsible team leader who brings them all on a road trip for Wang Zheng's personal mission, and doesn't press her to tell too much (just like he later won't press Shen Wei too much). He's also genuinely sorry for her about the sex doll Guo Changcheng purchased.
On the road, when he discovered the suspicious Professor Shen (who had taken up an interest in ... archaeology???), he very successfully got all the information out of Jiajia while Shen Wei facepalmed in the background, then got Shen Wei and his students into the SID convoy with his manipulation skills and charmed Shen Wei's students. Shen Wei never stood a chance.
When in doubt, ask the children.
He also says one very thematic thing to Shen Wei: "Our destination is the same, would it not be better if we could look after each other?" Like episode 3's case, this line encapsulates a thing about their relationship. Cat and mouse has partially turned into seduction, and this is Zhao Yunlan seducing Shen Wei into becoming a consultant for the SID.
We get more about Zhao Yunlan's backstory here – when he's shooting the Dixing Revolver, he gets a flashback to his mom dying and loses his nerve, either as nerve-losing (or "What if I shoot at these evil things in between my people and me and my people die like my mom did?"), or being distracted by the flashback.
There's two pieces of interaction between Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan I'd like to highlight. The first one is when Zhao Yunlan walks up the slope and interrupts Shen Wei's usage of dark energy to peek, then fusses over him and gives him his jacket. Shen Wei protests, but later puts the jacket on properly and doesn't take it off. He's also very visibly shocked at someone taking care of him, and extremely touched.
Shen Wei's beating heart is not staying still.
The other is when the village leader comes to apologize for the attempted spooking. Zhao Yunlan says a few very plain words then lets the weight of his disapproving gaze do the rest, and Shen Wei joins in with more condemnation. Teamwork!
"We are both very disappointed in you."
Another relationship we see here is Zhu Hong taking care of Wang Zheng. She practices her hypnotism to make the delivery guy forget he brought the package – and then declares she'll take care of Wang Zheng, dresses her in a way so that she doesn't have to use the sex doll as a transport device, and holds on to her during the way to the hotel.
Hold on to the energy being so she doesn't float off!
We also see Zhu Hong grab the gun from Zhao Yunlan's hands and shoot when he is frozen in place by the flashback.
Wang Zheng is sad at the SID office, is sad in a car, and then does Hanga-style prayer for the dead in the village yard. When the ghosts come, she (accurately) says that they're out for her, and wishes to sacrifice herself to atone for her mistakes. Then she goes out to the cave – I wonder how she knew the cave was significant; did it call out to her, or do we see it in the flashbacks?
Wang Zheng does things, goes off to disappear into the mountain.
Guo Changcheng is this episode's butt monkey. First he screws up by buying Wang Zheng a sex doll (though I wonder why the doll thing didn't go to puppetmaster Chu – office politics?), then he spends the entire car ride being sick and having his snacks stolen, and finally he discovers his true calling of "alarm siren".
Meanwhile, Lin Jing wonders why he drew the short straw in car allocations.
For a moment I thought Zhu Jiu had in a fit of jealousy acquired his own bush friend, but it turned out he was only using it to spy on xiao-Quan pissing. He's also recruited the Hanga slaves' ghosts and the ghost-beasts to go after Wang Zheng to get at the Mountain-river Awl.
Zhu Jiu has zero plant friends. His only friends are the ghosts and ghost beasts.
Canon notes
- Based on some of Shen Wei's comments, his teleportation has a distance limit, since he noted that if trouble struck in Dragon City while he was in the Northwest, he wouldn't be able to help. (There goes the plan to turn him into an environmentally friendly alternative to budget airlines...)
- Chu Shuzhi can drive a car. Despite the copious switching around of drivers, we never see Shen Wei drive a car.
- Shen Wei visited a hairdresser (see evidence below), decided he didn't like it, and banished the hairstyle before he next appears on screen, never to be seen again.
- The Hallows seem to be giving Zhao Yunlan colds?
- Dragon City has long roots, and has been there for hundreds of years. Perhaps even before the Hanga tribe formed?
- Either the SID or Guo Changcheng now owns a sex doll.
Cinematography
Please notice how Zhao Yunlan stands on the downslope side for this whole conversation:
This one is just beautiful. The mist is very nice.
Zhao Yunlan watches Shen Wei listen to the Hanga story.
This is also a nice shot – I like the diagonal.
The lab around the Hallows has some very odd lighting.
Obligatory shot through framing device.
Zhao Yunlan jacket watch
He starts off in the same denim jacket we saw him in last episode, then sets out in a North Face jacket he gives to Shen Wei, under which is another under-jacket. Bonus: Shen Wei in Zhao Yunlan's jacket, looking happy.
Shen Wei shoe watch
No clear shots of the shoes.
Did Shen Wei take off his glasses?
Yes, when at home with his ridiculous hairstyle.
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I love love love Shen Wei's surprise over Zhao Yunlan fussing over him. It is the BEST.
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MY HEART
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Sorry, I just did a picspam for Zhao Yunlan's apartment and have been trying to talk myself out of doing one for Shen Wei!
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PS Please succumb, covering both his apartment and his office.
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I am no help whatsoever in talking people out of things, sorry.
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Like. You are not even dating yet. XD
The pillar in the cave is supposed to be right under where Wang Zheng was originally buried, right? But the ground levels have shifted with earthquakes? Maybe she's going back to her grave, or to where she first woke up and ZYL and Da Qing found her?
I really love some of the cinematography here. There are so many gorgeous shots.
Please notice how Zhao Yunlan stands on the downslope side for this whole conversation
this is because Zhao Yunlan, unlike other ZYLs I could name, does not have a height complex :D
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Well, technically, while they did meet a month (maybe two?) ago on the one hand, on the other hand they might've been married for 10k years already, which maths out to an average of married for 5k years, which is a pretty long time! :P
I'll have to pay attention to it in the next episodes! To me, this is just the place where the Alliance was headquartered 10k years ago, but obviously Wang Zheng wouldn't know that.
Indeed! In fact, he is very courteous about Shen Wei's height complex and lets him stand on the curb/uphill side/a box so he can feel better about himself.
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psst the link to the imgur album doesn't work.
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I didn't remember that and it's such a great detail and so useful to know for writing, thanks for noting it!
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I don't have time to rewatch right now, so I'll just ask: is it definitely a teleportation problem, or might it also be that he couldn't help because he wouldn't know it was happening?
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It might be just the latter, but if it were, surely he could just fabricate some sort of engagement that took all of Professor Shen's weekend and then portal in as the Envoy and punch Zhu Jiu's face without the need for a road trip? (Since it seems he was forced to make it into a research trip because he needed someone to drive him there, and xiao-Quan had a driver's licence.) The subs at least didn't state explicitly.
(How does Shen Wei figure out when to appear, anyway? It's not like the SID lights up a batsignal...)
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Is that how you took it? Huh. That never occurred to me. And wasn't the trip already happening, and he only stepped in for another professor? (Damn, I really need to rewatch.)
How Shen Wei knows when and where to appear is a very good question! I don't have a definitive answer either.
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The way he brought it up last episode was quite suspicious – it seemed like he'd at the very least altered all the details to suit, even if a research trip might've been happening – and his explanation was basically "we're here to do archaeology" when both he and Teacher Zhang were from Bioengineering (or adjacent fields, of which archaeology is not one). We also don't see him drive a car, despite us seeing them swap drivers a lot, so I guess he doesn't have a driver's licence.
Maybe he has limited mind-reading powers and can know when Chu Shuzhi is in excessive amounts of distress? *g*
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This:
(I pretty much love it when ZYL gets flustered, he does it so rarely and it's almost always due to SW, lol)
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The Hallows seem to be giving Zhao Yunlan colds?
The Dial affected Lin Jing, too, cf. that line in episode 2 where Lin Jing sneezes then says he doesn't have allergies.
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and then declares she'll take care of Wang Zheng, dresses her in a way so that she doesn't have to use the sex doll as a transport device, and holds on to her during the way to the hotel.
I'm not sure about this? During the car journey, GCC says, "Sister Wang Zheng, do you feel alright? Are you not satisfied with the doll......or" and she says, "I am fine." So I thought she was using the doll but still needed to be well-covered up (or Zhu Hong had covered her for propriety/to stop Lin Jing sniggering).
Another point: given that Zhu Jiu gives that rallying speech to the You Chu, does that mean they're sentient? I'm curious about the line between people and monsters and how blurry it gets.
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In ep 10, we see that there is a Wang Zheng look-alike doll! I had simply underestimated Zhu Hong's skills with make-up.
They can definitely listen to orders, so I think they're at least dog level, likely smarter. I'd actually be really interested in a fic investigating this/complicating the matter!
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Ha! Maybe Wang Zheng inhabiting it altered it somehow.
They can definitely listen to orders, so I think they're at least dog level, likely smarter.
It's not just orders. Zhu Jiu reminds them of their grievances ("Attacked by both human and undergroundians with no hiding place, you must feel angry"). But then, Zhu Jiu likes to think he's a mastermind, when mostly he's just a dick -- he might just have been speechifying for his own benefit. ;-P
Another random observation: Lin Jing tells GCC that he's bad luck. "We have lots of troubles since you joined us." And Zhu Hong overrides him and implies Shen Wei is the real problem. Heh.
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Zhu Hong *would* be inclined to consider Shen Wei the problem. He's been stealing all the Chief's attention!
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Shen Wei says that his powers are limited in Haixing so it's possible he could teleport greater distances in Dixing.
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I suppose he could teleport further in Dixing, but Dixing seems to be quite small, so I don't think he'd need to. (He also doesn't teleport much in Dixing, but that could just be preference/courtesy/wanting to remain incognito.)
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lololol; awwww, Zhu Jiu needs a bush friend!
The jacket scene alone makes this a wonderful episode.
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I know! Everyone else is gaga over the taxi scene, but this is my heart's episode. Zhao Yunlan has started taking care of Shen Wei like he takes care of his team members! And the bit where I was 100% sold on the ship was when Shen Wei looked so shocked that someone would take care of him. :3
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He's also genuinely sorry for her about the sex doll Guo Changcheng purchased.
ZYL's anger and upset here is just SO GOOD. I love that he realizes immediately that it isn't funny for WZ and stops the others from joking about it. (Although I do wonder what he thought he was asking GCC to buy? Are there plastic/vinyl dolls that an adult-sized person could adapt to wear over themselves that aren't sex dolls? I'm afraid to google to find out.)
The other is when the village leader comes to apologize for the attempted spooking. Zhao Yunlan says a few very plain words then lets the weight of his disapproving gaze do the rest, and Shen Wei joins in with more condemnation. Teamwork!
I love this a lot too. It's just so natural? Like the verbal equivalent of how they unerringly fall in step together. ♥
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Yes! He's such a good leader and good with people.
I suppose he was thinking there'd be some collectors' life-sized dolls? Apparently the doll community has some pretty dedicated people; he probably thought it was some overpriced imitation of a popular actress or something, on the basis of "there are lots of freaks on the internet" and thinking not even xiao-Guo would be so naïve as to not realize it was a sex doll.
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Also, additional nerdy detail for Jacket Watch: the crucial Northface jacket is actually a Northface X Supreme Steep Tech jacket, so a limited edition crossover between two popular streetwear brands. (I don't really think Zhao Yunlan is a hypebeast, I think he has a buddy who hooks him up, but I just love the mental image.)
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ETA: Only in Chinese! Here's the link.
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That link is great, even if I can't read Chinese, I can still admire the dedication (and note that Shen Wei wears a Ralph Lauren vest, and suchlike things.)
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BWAHAHAHAHAHA
Shen Wei protests, but later puts the jacket on properly and doesn't take it off. He's also very visibly shocked at someone taking care of him, and extremely touched.
One of my favourite moments in this entire arc. *hearteyes*
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Same! It's so aww-worthy. Quick, put more jackets on him, Yunlan!