Great Acting But w/a Too Busy Script & Unnecessary Characters

Watched this for XZ and yet a new storyline that was in the slice of life section. I've only seen two other actors before in different series and genres as support; otherwise I'm new to most of these people. I strongly feel that after reading the article the screenwriter wrote about the characters, she meant well, but it just didn't translate on screen as it was way too busy though the acting was for the most part appropriate and the situations were somewhat realistic.

Pros: I like slice of life stories and favorite characters included the ML or SY and FL or JB. I liked his stubbornness and bright attitude. I also liked how XZ could use his previous life experiences in design as well as film in his hometown. JB was mature but she was able to evolve out of her divorce to accept SY into her heart. The only thing I would change about her is that, I would have loved to see her actually take a stand for herself and not just listen while people spoke condescendingly to her and about her. Other awesome characters were dad and mom (though there was a moment there where I thought mom was a bit harsh, but she came around), SC and PR, who made the right kind of sense together and apart and I liked that they got together at the end. LSS was great but where the heck did she go for most of the second half of the series? The OSTs were nice and the fact that they essentially filmed in a city made sense too.

Cons: Busy script, way too busy. Three plus unnecessary characters were the hockey twins aka JB's sister and her crush/later boyfriend and his obnoxious uncle. I fast-forwarded them for most of the show. What was their purpose? JB's sister; I couldn't take at all. She was a college student but couldn't speak normally to save her life. She was either irritated or yelling or just acting like a 12 year old constantly. Then throw in their father in the last like 5 episodes just to show why they're so dysfunctional when it could have been explained in maybe a 10 minute scene and it still didn't explain why the sister was so ridiculous. JB's ex hubby deserved to be hit with a brick for his possessive, condescending attitude but though I can understand he was in there, his then disappearance and reappearance much like LSS was disjointed and jarring.

While I understand there were life lessons in there, if you got rid of at least three of those characters, this show would have had been better flushed out and given the main characters a more realistic portrayal and screen time.

Would I recommend it? If you like slice of life dramas, then yes I would. Overall it was a good watch, just make sure you know how to use the ffw button.

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80K Di Troops + 30K Naval Forces + "You're the Crown Prince" = Messy Script w/Plot Holes

I go into each drama I watch without any expectations and that makes for shows like this to be a wise decision because then I'm not surprised or disappointed when things go south. In this case the people I watched for were Reba and LYN both of whom did good jobs in their roles as well as some of the side characters which I'll list below. But the storyline was just a mess in a dress; this series is best watched for entertainment purposes only and to suspend all logic possible. Because it's literally 80K Di Troops + 30K Naval Forces + "You're the Crown Prince" on constant repeat.

Pros: The revenge plot made the most sense and they should have just stuck with that. As mentioned up top FL and SML were convincing in their characters and as were a few of the side characters like LL, An Ning, and WS. But even with them, this wasn't their strongest drama. I really feel the script failed everyone. Both the empress dowager and the emperor were the best villains given their circumstances with this script. Costumes, sets, OSTs were beautiful. CGI was ok, could have been better.

Cons: The script was just ridiculous, you had the FL for about a dozen episodes act like fake gorilla glue towards ML. People surviving things they could only do in Xianxias; like being pierced with a ton of arrows and sail off a cliff. Cliff diving seemed to be a favorite sport of a lot of the characters because 3 did it after being mortally wounded and survived, ML did it twice. The show dragged a lot for only being 39 episodes and many scenes were very anticlimactic. You were just watching going "that's it?"

This was the first time I had ever seen GJ act in anything and I have to say that HY seemed to have facial paralysis. He said his lines but there was no emotion even when it came to sarcasm or announcing something. I don't know if that's how he always acts or they edited him that way because BTS and interviews, it was like a totally different person. I understand playing aloof characters but you need to be able to emote with your eyes at least and I didn't see any of that. It came off as largely robotic to me. Hopefully it's just because of this drama as even those that I listed in the pros, their characters weren't the strongest they've played or were edited weirdly and if I see him in the future, it'll be different and better. There are extra little clips on Youku of the ML and FL's life together that wasn't shown in the show that seems like a different drama. Their interactions there are way better than in the show. They could have put those clips into the last episode instead of keeping the ML on the mountain for 1.5 episodes refusing to go down without any rhyme or real reason.

MB or LB whatever his name was who also played an antagonist was so much of an afterthought that the character went from loyal to who he really was plus they made him randomly weirdly stalkerish when he revealed his "real self" just made no sense. It felt like that whole war plot was created just to kill off AN and send ML off the cliff going blind. What was the purpose of fake DZY and all of her bathing scenes? To make us roll our eyes more? The revenge plot and war/aftermath plots seemed like they belonged to different shows. And how did DZY's hair turn black again? I can't even count the amount of plot holes; I know I forgot most of them. I'll just say, it had a lot of potential considering what novel readers said, but came up ridiculously short.

Would I recommend it? I'll divide this one; if you're looking at this from a good storyline perspective, then no. But if you're just wanting to be entertained and not think, then sure go for it. Anyways, the choice is yours.

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Real Feminist Drama with Mature Romantic Comedy

When I first heard about this drama, it didn't speak to me in the slightest but the more trusted people recommended it and the more clips I saw of it, I started to change my mind. I'm actually really glad I watched it. It was very well, for the most part, executed.

Pros: Our leads; ZPE, GQF, SSN, and SYZ all came together in a story very uncommon in c-drama land because it was one of real feminism of bringing each other up not vice versa while understanding though being in love and loved is wonderful, one doesn't need a man to be happy and successful. This message was brought front and center repeatedly in the drama. Many people only watched for the romance and felt that when the main couple weren't on screen, what was the point? But the truth of the matter is that though yes while the main leads' romance was important to the storyline, it wasn't the main point. And personally for me that was refreshing to see.

I'm not going to rehash the synopsis nor what others wrote. Other then the very mature and adult chemistry on screen between ZPE and GQF, the ever evolving relationship between the three women was so important because though this was a costume drama, it brought home many modern points of how life will repeatedly knock you down to the point of giving up or even wanting to harm yourself but, you must get up and take a step at a time to move forward. And when you have 3 great friends (well two as one was sheltered and protected for most of it until some fame turned her into a spoiled brat that only another hard life lesson made her finally break the mold and grow a backbone), who can lift each other out of misery to move forward, it's truly touching and inspiring.

The romance of it was also totally different that what we're used to seeing in c-dramas because the two leads were mature adults and not scared kids; both were older and therefore the communication, flirtation, admiration, and passion were on a much more adult and much needed level. It brought the drama to an older audience too. No one waited until marriage to be intimate. And though the drama focused a bit too much on the "pariah" status, it ultimately still didn't overshadow the strength of love between the leads or the bond and drive to succeed by the three women.

Other favorite characters; I have to say CL was the MVP of the show. This guy was the best wing man ever! He was the matchmaker/go-between/Cupid between ZPE and GQF. He could also protect everyone he cared about with his own martial arts skills, was very intelligent, and always knew how to get his boss aka GQF out of an ill state. No matter what, he could be counted on 150%! The guy was a gem! Z girl as I called her that joined their rag-tag family later on was whip smart, loyal, and a wonderful character. When she said YZ was actually dumber then CL it made me crack up. DCF who started off as a loser but then became humane and even quite likable after falling for SSN and always being there to help the women as best he could; their wedding at the end was awesome as well as how he handled SSN's spoiled brat of a son. The fat guy working under the annoying as nails CP was also awesome along with the two male regulars of the women's tea shop and later restaurant and later on the emperor. Though he was as a bit of a prick, younger bro of GQF ultimately did redeem himself by saving ZPE. Even though he was jealous of his brother, he never wanted their despicable father to kill her.

The costumes and scenery were quite beautiful though the only OST I really liked was the one sung by LYN. His deep, soothing tones, and inflection always gives each song he sings added nuisances. I loved the rawness of different portions of the story which all of the music illustrated.

Lastly, villains/characters I loved to hate were CP and OX but for totally different reasons. CP started off as a diaper baby with a ratty annoying voice that I just wanted to shove off a cliff but when he got a taste of his own medicine dished out by ZPE as well as made to feel inferior--quite effectively I might add--it was comical and seemed to make him grow a new portion of a brain. Of course he then very quickly fell for ZPE but at least the comedic relief that he was supposed to offer from the get go, was finally realized when they opened the restaurant together. Though I still found him ridiculously annoying, at least now he was more likable when he stood up for and helped them and each time they laughed at him for acting a plum fool was the comedic relief necessary.

As for OX, he was the real villain in this piece but a haphazard one. And the longer the series went on, the crazier he got. Everything he did was only for himself, he claimed he loved ZPE and than GH but he was only ever capable of loving himself. I would best describe him as a delusional narcissistic psychopath that on top of everyone else he killed or tried to also murdered a child. I was very glad that he was handed off to GQF for "a proper investigation" in the last episode, though like many others, I wish we got to see him get tortured and killed. He deserved everything he got and more.

Cons: The fact this very adult and mature thinking drama took 11 episodes for a really ridiculous misunderstanding/miscommunication trope between the leads, was beyond unnecessary. It essentially did what most of these dramas do when this trope is thrown in. Honestly expected more from the screenwriter. Breakups or separations occur but when a drama is this smart and you write something so idiotic, it will break down and make us question the intelligence of the leads up to this point. It essentially dumbs the characters down. Why couldn't another situation be used instead?

Even the blood feud angle was haphazardly thrown in 1 minute before they got back together because she had only learned about it and decided it had nothing to do with them while he didn't know she never got the bank note (who leaves that much money just lying around?) in the first place and thought he abandoned her. It was very messy and in-cohesive to the rest of the plot and pace device. Also why did it take 11 episodes to fix it? With only 40 episodes in the show, you waste 11 of them on this mess. And yes, the women were going through a hard time and they wanted to focus on the feminism aspect, which is great but that doesn't mean you need to compromise the rest of the integrity of the plot to get there.

Furthermore, though I thought the tea challenge was beautiful and well done, it didn't need to take the entire episode. Just like the trial of OX at the end didn't need to take up two; by doing that the ending was literally a mad rush into the last like 10 minutes of SSN's wedding and the leads walking hand in hand on the bridge while flashbacks of their times together flashed across the screen. It was that gallop to the end that wasn't needed and wasn't satisfying enough. By wasting something like 13 or 14 episodes on things that could have been done in literally half that time, the ending could have been done more appropriately and had two weddings maybe instead of one and not done at the speed of sound.

Many fishy characters that never really had particularly any closure though QM was sent to some outpost, but what about LJ or GQF's father, they went from being on screen a lot with motives and agendas to just basically disappearing into thin air. Another plot hole.

Would I recommend it? Yes, I would very much. This is a real feminist drama with mature romantic comedy. Despite it having some of the usual tropes, loopholes, and rushed ending; I still feel the pros outweighed the cons and I'm glad I gave it a try after all.

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Spliced Jigsaw Puzzle

This spliced jigsaw puzzle drama was originally only picked up to see Jing Boran in costume as I'd seen him in a modern and he did a great job here. I liked the overall mystery and intrigue. But it definitely had a bunch of flaws.

Pros: Peizhi which was Lan Jue's (JBR's beautiful portrayal) courtesy name was all around favorite character from his line delivery, to his expressive eyes, and as many have mentioned almost effervescent long locks of hair and ethereal clothing. He carried the charm, grace, and elegance of a man more worthy of the nobleman position than those around him. JBR did a fantastic job playing the hallucinations bit, it was very believable and authentic. The only really noticeable bromance in this series was between him and Mowen (an actor who redeemed himself tenfold for me after a drama a few years back that I dropped because of his insanely stalkerish vibes). Here the long, almost like drinking from a waterfall looks between these two characters, the not so subtle backup and care was very good to witness. Even though Mowen went off to fight and disappeared from the story until the ending, he made a huge impression as a man that would have Peizhi's back through thick and thin.

Zhang Ping was like-able though he was just a bit too forceful until faced with adult personal trauma. Mr. Lan as he called Peizhi, would always fuss over him like a mother hen. It felt more like a teacher/student relationship than anything else or an uncle and nephew growing together. Other favorite characters included Chen Chou the best friend of ZP who was literally like a leash to a constantly runaway puppy, Shifu, the emperor who was probably the most forthright and intelligent unlike his ruthless adoptive mother. The empress dowager was a very convincing and great antagonist who you wanted to put out of her misery the moment you met her. The aides of Peizhi were great men too.

The cases started off as open and shut or leading to a greater conspiracy which Peizhi, Mowen, and then ZP as well were trying to solve; absolve Peizhi's father of erroneous treason charges and learn more about ZP's own humble beginnings. However, the deeper into it we got, there were more questions than answers. The jigsaw puzzle grew instead of shrank.

Cons: ZP really had to constantly wear pajamas and walk around like he was either pissed off or stoned. Other emotions didn't exist or couldn't manifest until much later. What was the deal with Shulin? He came out of nowhere and already knew how to find Peizhi. He kept saying he'd been planning his revenge for 10 years. So what about the other 10? His whereabouts were never explained. Where did he get so much money to pull off everything he did. Bringing him into literally the last 8 or 9 episodes with totally new information then had previously been known was a whiplash. Even his supposed shared affinity with Peizhi just seemed off. The man was as ruthless and insane as his biological mother. He turned this mystery drama into essentially a silly Halloween movie.

Which begged another question; when they switched babies; who did the baby that would become the emperor belong to? Was he just kidnapped from somewhere? Why the need for the last minute fake empress gab? Back and forth. They rushed so many things, that it felt like you were running to catch up with a new and confusing development. Not to mention the opening credits were just stuck in wherever without a solid beginning. Though many questions were haphazardly answered, many things were not or forgotten altogether. It did seem like the latter half of the series was more or less just spliced together to find some form of ending balance.

Would I recommend it? Actually depends on how you feel about the genre. I liked the majority of it and it always kept me guessing especially when I was tremendously confused. So try it for yourselves and see what conclusion you reach. Perhaps you can solve this puzzle on your own.

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Man in White Seemed 1 Step Ahead but YM was A Master GO Player

I added to my watchlist after I saw TJC in UTS before his breakout role in LYF. I didn't know he had a comedy background so was very interested to see how that would play to his versatility. Also him being a professional ballroom dancer helped in the last episode. I was only familiar with certain supporting characters including the main antagonists from other roles. Man in White for a good chunk of was one step ahead of everyone and killed more people than we could count. But he didn't count on the brain power of YM or ML.

Pros: I liked most of the comedy and the friendships amongst the two couples as they got together. Yes, YM was my favorite but I also really liked WKW and the antagonist. The best part about this show was that they didn't reveal who the antagonist was other than a vicious predator who killed everyone and everything standing in his way. Had us guessing though most guessed right as even netizens dug into things like the ear and mole similarities lol. The Faceless as these assassins called themselves which had to be one of the cheesiest names ever but whatever, their ruthlessness was obvious. The MVP of this show hands down was Envoy Kang or Uncle Kang that raised both AS and "Fatty" to assist them in bringing all of the people down even though he didn't get to see that day himself. YM's parents, WKW's friends, and for AS to avenge Uncle Kang each delivering a blow to MIW who turned out to be AS's prince brother but just from a different mother. Bastard was power hungry and would kill literally anyone standing in his way.

I really liked how the East and West Court went from hating each other to being a family and winning the alliance with the other states as well as standing up for one another. YM went from an immature money grabber to someone who his parents would be very proud of. It wasn't until AXY lost SS to MIW that he realized what real priorities were and who and what was important in life. His father was absent but cared in his own way; still I don't care about that relationship. Mr. Yu was essentially YM's adoptive father and I loved their relationship. Other great characters were all the envoys, Duomi, his bodyguard, the ministers too, Ji and Shen, YCH with WKW best 2nd couple!

The story moved along quite well and I liked how they were able to work once they understood Sifang Pavillion was a family. Comedy always ensued when alcohol and even a pet snake was present. Or just general tomfoolery. Costumes especially from the different states, OSTs, were done very well. Some of the sets were nice.

Cons: What I didn't like about the series is that it AS started as a squatter in YM's home and ordered him around like she owned the place. Who does that? Only because he had a good heart did he allow that, had it been anyone else, she would been drop kicked into another location. She was really ungrateful, even landing him in prison for her own misconduct. But it was how quickly their feelings developed that was really a bit whiplash-ish. From all that, to fine roommates and then beds together and smooches.

I also feel that YM got bullied a lot by her and then later her royal maids. Like the man loves her and sacrifices a lot for her and she doesn't even tell him her plans and throws her weight around just because she was the recognized princess by Yong but from Yanle. I'm not a fan of those kinds of tactics. Making the woman seem stronger by bullying isn't the right way to do it.

The CGI, costumes on guards appeared very cheap. Also I saw someone mention it in the comments but the bad guys aka Mutu, LTQ, and even big bad himself MIW got a lot dumber. Maybe because he was on home turf and he didn't think YM could find connections to take him out. The other two were never smart to begin with and so everyone of the good guys working together and even using MIW, took them out, though as mentioned above, the last and much deserved assassination was the most deserved and done by the 3 people he harmed and thought he got away with it. Just shows to never let your guard down no matter what. Also the ending was rushed with the wedding, pregnancy, etc and the 7 minute little extra, tying some loose ends could have been better incorporated into the last episode. But it did show proper humor because comedy was ever present in this show.

Would I recommend it? I would. It was very entertaining and funny. There were some misses and a lower budget but worth for all those moments even the tear jerking ones. I say, it's worth it.

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A Little Bit of Everything on a Robust Menu

This drama didn't look like much from the get go; in fact they wrapped filming this year so was very surprised when it popped out. I was only watching because BJT is one of the people I follow and wanted to see how he fared in a costume drama. He definitely delivered the goods and so did the rest of the cast. This drama had literally a little bit of everything on a robust menu.

Pros: First time I saw BJT was in YAMH last year so I knew he could play fierce and comical characters; I wasn't sure if he could handle a costume drama where some mild fighting was needed. He very pleasantly surprised me though and his character YZ was my favorite. The facial expressions, in between lips talking, loyalty, drunk kissing etc made his character really stand out amongst the plethora of princes.

This is the second costume drama I've seen this year that very heavily focused on sisterhood and made even the most annoying female evolve into someone likable. The outstanding bonds that were grown between all of the women thanks primarily to the FL's ingenuity and grace, was quite beautiful to see. There was very little pettiness and infighting which is so common when there are multiple women involved in these dramas, that it made it very much like a breath of fresh air as there were a lot of women in this one. Same went with the men; though they divided themselves into two factions of good vs evil, the brotherhood of good was full of kind and talented men.

The comedy was the best part of the series. You were constantly laughing at the antics of literally everyone. The 3 antagonists were all handled appropriately and when the time came though at the beginning it did feel like the 2nd Prince got away with murder while YZ was either ignored or punished. What I liked was that every single character except him evolved during the duration of this series. Even the Emperor understood when he was wrong (though it took a bit of time) and grew to make his kingdom the most modern. Not a single character was without flaws and that made them even more realistic. But there were almost no cliches or tropes and misunderstandings were cleared up very quickly and in a smart manner where each character grew from their mistakes even the 2 last antagonists where it didn't feel like a redemption arc but actual evolution. The romance was subtle until the end and it made the right kind of sense for the leads.

The costumes, scenery, sets, OSTs were all stunning and fit what was needed. It was very obvious that this production team was in the upper tiers and knew what they were doing.

Cons: You'd think with so much positivity how could this drama not get a perfect score but it did have a few cons though they were minor. What I wish they didn't do was focus on the side couples so much, for starters. There were episodes in the beginning and middle that barely had the leads have onscreen time or together. One of the strangest was Song Wu, who I legit fast forwarded in the beginning because she was a spoiled annoying brat, but the way she got with her husband was way too fast. Here you had an entire show filled with princes and their wives slowly getting to know each other and deciding whether to stay together or not and she meets him in the street one day because they share a name and she's magically in love and so is he and after just two more episodes of them barely seeing each other, they're ready to get hitched. It just didn't fit the speed of the rest of the drama. Her evolution was the fastest out of the entire cast and also could have been slowed accordingly. It was like they spent so much time on the other side couples, they had no time left for her.

With all the talk and addition of food, this show needed a new title at first. In the beginning it was very annoying that the FL spent most of her time talking, working on, doing things with food. Like it didn't seem that there was more to her but thankfully as more palace intrigue took over, all of that was tapered and moderated. For many episodes, she was the human talking menu and it got old quick. Was very glad the character of Yuan Ying was brought in when she was because she was the perfect addition to the household and leveling that portion out. That's it. No more cons.

Would I recommend it? Do you even have to ask lol! 100% would. It's a feel good drama bringing comedy and modern thinking into ancient times. So if you want to laugh a lot, love great sisterhoods, brotherhoods, and strong family bonds (be they immediate or cultivated), this is the show for you!

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Calories Not Required--Good Youth Drama

Wish this had a different title because that was only the starting portion of the series. This was a good youth drama; I've only seen the ML in one other drama as a supporting character but have never seen the rest of the cast, however I was interested in the plot and for the most part it didn't disappoint.

Pros: Great storyline overall with characters lives interweaving between school and home. Everything was believable and each character evolved properly. Not one was perfect, they were flawed human beings but it wouldn't have been believable otherwise. I really liked both ML and FL's bond as well as their unwavering belief in each other and their friends. How their little group formed, started with 2 girls liking the same completely oblivious to the female population guy and the way that turned around. Also really liked that the parents of the little group were just as flawed in their decisions if not psychotic (XJJ x2's mom with the knife incident; no idea why she wasn't shown seeking out mental treatment for that). Teachers were shown to be just as human with faults like their students. Everything from eating disorders, depression, one track minded parents, quitting school to help family, bullying, sabotage, cramming for exams, cheating; standing up for themselves, each other, and their teachers. It was basically normal high school with a few extra things.

Whether hard times or not, they banded together and helped one another even if it was in a backwards way. But that's what made it so believable and funny, because it was real teenage lives as they moved from 11th grade through 12th grade and into taking their college entrance exams to decide what they wanted to do with their lives. Parents and their relationships plus fights, parties, togetherness. This series had it all. It's an underrated little gem that should be watched. The OSTs fit exactly as they should.

Cons: Mainly, I had problems with the editing. Especially towards the end, it really wasn't believable to me that the trope they used to separate the leads would start with all parents of ML and FL making FL keep that secret about his dad being sick. Here they're preaching that kids need to relax before the college entrance exams and you saddle her with this? She's not an adult; I'm surprised she didn't have a breakdown. That was the most unrealistic.

Also, a bit too much propaganda was chucked in rather randomly and was very unnecessary. Like let's not shove the indoctrination of youth in this nice and easy series.

Lastly, the last episode was beyond bizarre. How does that time lapse happen without any warning? At least write it on the screen that XYZ years have passed; instead it went from her getting her score from the exam and yelling on a bridge to waking up in her own apartment with a job at a design firm; it was a total whiplash. No smooth transition whatsoever. And the reason they had to keep the leads arguing for more then half of the episode is over an internet misunderstanding that he thought she was dating someone else while in college and so he blocked her? What even? HE happened in the last 3 minutes but so much was missing; many scenes including both of them in college, the painting she made for him that she never gave him. In the beginning of the series she did a lot of shrieking instead of talking that it made me almost drop the series but I'm glad I didn't. They need to stop writing FL's as these shrill voiced kids. In any case, editing in the final 3 episodes seemed to be really poorly executed and that's what I had the largest problem with.

Would I recommend it? Yes, it's really a great youth drama. Take away from the editing at the end and I would definitely still watch this again.

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A Dark and Gritty Drama; Worth It.

This was my first ever Light On series to watch because though I do like the whodunnits and CSI type series, they never spoke to me before. But because I follow and highly respect Zhao Liying, plus this was such a different role for her from what she'd previously done, it intrigued me even more. The only other actor I have seen previously was Geng Le (Li Lan) but he only had a bit part and was killed off in the first episode.

Pros: I knew this was only a 16 episode series though these Light On ones were usually 12, so I felt that 4 extra episodes were a bonus. I loved the richness of the actual story and how within the first 3 or 4 episodes, all 3 characters had come into there own. I think this genre really suits ZLY because she fits the creepy sociopath very well. She was so convincing at times that, it honestly almost made your skin crawl. I've done my share of research (close to a decade) on serial killers, their psychopathy, and crimes and each had different Modus Operandi. I was very interested in which angle they would take with this one.

Episode 12 gave a serious shock but a very, appropriate cliffhanger that shifted the entire case and story in a completely different and unexpected direction. I think that was my favorite part. As a novelist, I've written many cliffhangers, so getting one that was that well written and executed was rare in cdramas.

I loved the interconnections with the leads and those in their everyday lives. They were all portrayed as very flawed and at times quite selfish individuals. It spoke of the rawness of humanity at our bad or worst times and yet at some moments they showed the best of us. Every emotion from fear, anger, sadness, despair, obsession, helplessness, determination, and so forth was shown in nearly every episode. Even if all three were in a sense going towards the same goal; finding the truth, they still managed to do it separately which many a time worked and other times seemed a bit off.

One thing that the series never lacked was just rawness; whether it was in emotion, action, or dialogue. The simplest "how are you" like when XM visits SY in jail in the last episode carried with it a seemingly 17 year burden of truth both characters must forever carry, though they both found out their own versions of truth. The series was powerful and nothing could be taken away from that.

Cons: For starters, there were several inconsistencies and disconnections that were never answered or corrected. Like why did SY's father get so angry at Hu that he beat him up, making the latter leave the hospital and than when little SY asked her father who Hu was in the library, her father was very angry that she asked and that was just left alone. SY's friend in the wheelchair seems to be important but he appears and disappears without fanfare and we literally know nothing about him, which is quite odd considering how SY literally had no other friends.

Both SY and XM seemed to have very lackadaisical schedules where they could walk in and out of their respective places of employment whenever and do whatever they wanted. It was rather strange how much a rookie cop was able to get away with during his own private detective work. Why had SY been able to get away with everything else she had done aside from sending the poor man falsely accused into a coma? Also, the very much unneeded psychological warfare on XM and how doctors just handed out patient information without notifying the patient for consent. Another point, how did SY's father know where the murderer was during the XJ murder? Out of the entire city he just happened to walk by him there and recognized him in a mask and cap after not seeing him for many years? Zilch cohesion.

The reveal of the actual murderer was a bit underwhelming because there was this huge lead up after the bombshell at the end of 12 but it didn't deliver the wham of the killer. His confession was typical obsessed psychopath with a one sided relationship with his victims story; a rookie profiler fresh out of Quantico (school for future FBI agents) could have done better. Even his reasoning wasn't imaginative, though he made it sound very sinister (hats off to the actor). Now I'm not saying all serial killers look like monsters; as a matter fact more often then not, they look like your next door neighbor. It wasn't about the looks, but about how he was cornered, in a restaurant that allowed a random stranger who'd slept amongst their trash the night before cook dishes in their kitchen? Come on now, that's not even soap opera writing. It felt like the writers were just tired of this story and wanted to add just random components into it and hope something clicked. It could have been done so much better to make for a satisfactory ending.

Lastly, there were times in the middle that the episodes did get draggy but then they righted themselves. This series could have stood to explore the pathology of criminals a bit more to make up for the inconsistencies and lack of cohesion in many places.

Still though, I think this is a very strong series and I would recommend it to both people who enjoy crime dramas and fans of ZLY who want to see her do really well in this dark and gritty role.

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Life Imitating Art In Amazingly Realistic Detail

Tissues, tissues, and more tissues. This show absolutely blew my mind. I knew the premise but still the acting and accuracy were unforgettable. I wasn't familiar with the leads, just a few of the support but they took this show to a whole other level. For me it was life imitating art in amazingly realistic detail.

Pros: I know ALS well as one of my great aunt's had it and ironically I diagnosed her a day before her doctor did at the nursing home. But she was in her early 80s and it was her leg for 4 out of the 5 years. We lived in different countries so by the time she was diagnosed, she only lived several more months. But here was different; you had a young guy and taking on something so devastating just absolutely broke my heart. I love how they handled it with professionalism and grace. Both lead actors did a superb job as did most of their loved ones and coworkers. Plus bringing in an actual ALS specialist as opposed to just an actor to play the part was very smart.

Where I said life imitated art was because I've got a chronic illness though without an expiration date; when LT's disease was getting bad I felt like he was living my life. I was bedridden for 2 years, it nearly killed me, I know wheelchairs, ambulance trips to the ER 6 times a month, crawling on your hands and knees to the bathroom, falling, tremors, all of that. Even now when I've had a setback and when he had given up all hope and rolled into the river and AZQ stopped him, it was like my mom and me. Her yelling at me not to give up and me saying I want to meet my grandfather in heaven because like LT, I lost my grandfather over 3 years ago but to a tragic accident that every first responder in my city still remembers; it was the catalyst for this setback. Like LT, my grandfather raised me so he was a father and grandfather though I have a great mom unlike LT who's mom needed tweaking. So many similarities, you can imagine how hard watching this was but at the same time, it was too beautiful not to. When the setback occurred I had just finished all of my classes in my PhD program, was/am an honor student and was set to start my dissertation; now I've spent 4 years nearly trying to get back to school to finish my degree without success...yet. Just like LT having to see his dreams go down the drain; it's too much. In case people are interested, the illness I have is called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or ME for short; I've got a slew of others but this one is the life/death sentence without treatment or a cure and affects 20 million people worldwide (for further information please visit www.MEadvocacy.org). Enough about me.

It was refreshing to see how LT's company and boss stood behind him and with him every step of the way. The OSTs were wonderful and LY's perfect portrayal of LT especially towards the end as I saw a lot of Stephen Hawking's mannerisms in his performance. I would absolutely give him some best actor award. LLY (AZQ) was super woman; her quiet grace was so poignant even when she was constantly quietly crying; she would be the voice of reason even towards adults. Wise beyond her years. I'm so glad how parents evolved and understood their negligence or their children's strength. Also CGP, I mean my lord, this man had to shoulder his best friend's secret for so long, I was afraid he was going to have a mental breakdown. He shouldn't have ever been given this burden, which I'll talk about in the cons.

Cons: This story would have gotten a rare 10 from me though I wouldn't be able to rewatch it, but a few things I feel just could have been changed. For starters, I understand not wanting to be a burden to your loved ones probably better than many but when you're living on borrowed time and you can see things getting worse, those loved ones like your girlfriend deserve the choice of staying with you or not. That breakup was so unnecessary and than the best friend has to shoulder it all, isn't fair to people. LT wasn't given a choice with ALS but then he turns around and shuts out the one he loves the most? Is there a difference? Everyone in his life was devastated when they found out and angry and they deserved to be. He should have said something. Because they could have mitigated things 6 months earlier. He wouldn't have worsened so fast as the doctor said, mental stability is everything in these kinds of situations. I don't agree with his choices then. If it was an illness like mine, ok sure, time is all we have even when our bodies spiral out of control but ALS is a ticking clock, no luxury of time.

Secondly, I'm sorry but I couldn't take XHD. She never spoke normally, not once. She was either whining, yelling, or acting like a self righteous know it all; that time she blamed LT for cheating and CGP threw her out of the restaurant and told her to get lost was the best thing he did. She was out of line and just a mess. Than throwing them together romantically was unnecessary and zilch chemistry between the two to boot. They made her character way too over the top and it was jarring. Couldn't our FL have a sane friend?

Lastly, this was small but it would have been less confusing if they posted the time jumps on the screen. No need to make a big deal out of it but just subtly noted because it was confusing where we were especially once LT was diagnosed.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely; just with a whole stock of tissues. It's like one of those artistic films that just takes a place in your heart forever. I know it did in mine.

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Enemies, Lies, Amnesia Bring Forth A Formidable Power Couple with Great Tacit Fighting Skills

This went into my Watchlist because of ZWY; after seeing him in LYF, I was wondering if he could be versatile. I was pleasantly surprised here. I know WCR from various other series and this was such a great character for her as well. I knew some of the other CP's and supporting characters from other shows. But though according to novel readers, it deviated significantly from the novel, I still found it a good watch. It had a little bit of everything; enemies, lies, amnesia, fake identities, palace intrigue, that ultimately brought forth a formidable power couple with nearly psychic tacit understanding and fighting skills.

Pros: I gotta say, that fight sequence in episode 40 with the leads in the jail against the antagonist's goons was my favorite part in the whole show. It showed that both flowed as one unit, uniting and parting; almost dancing together as they annihilated the enemy. The show originally stemmed from CXZ finding LMT who he thought was the leader enemy's concubine but in reality she was the actual leader of the enemy. But because after suffering a betrayal and severe injuries that left her with amnesia of her past 3 years of life, ML decided to use her as bait to draw out the rest of the enemy. This first arc, though it seemed to have gone on for far too long, was the calm before the storm and comedic at times. It made CXZ essentially and for real fall in love with her but each time he wanted to tell her the truth something got in the way. When her memories did return she of course was angry and betrayed and took it out on him. Though what he did wasn't right, who she really was and did before all that was worse so it made them even.

The other characters to love though all were flawed in their own way were ZY (who had a yen for LMT) but he was a morally grey protagonist. His story with the empress was absolutely the best and I think by the end it was clear he had feelings for her and let go of the past aka LMT like the empress told him to do which was beneficial for him. I loved how she finally stood up to her bullying family and greedy father who was also put in place by the emperor. Just those two couples, would have been enough. The third couple I'll mention below, though I liked ZQ on his own because he provided comedic relief and he didn't need to be part of a couple. Also Li Mama, Moru, the two maids, the shadow guard leader and the rest of them, were the best little family. CXZ's brother in the wheelchair was a great support system (and I'm glad that they didn't make him into the evil guy like in the book), mom needed to endure hardship to open her eyes to the real world and truth about those around her. But she too was a kind soul. Grand Empress Dowager was also a big plus especially towards the end. As were LMT's family like grandpa, uncle, and others. Also the CXZ's main guard and everyone who supported LMT as the "madam" of the house.

We knew who the ultimate antagonist was and it was just about getting rid of him that took the time because he had a lot of backers and corrupt officials under him but he was a believable villain throughout. The wedding was fun but too short in my opinion given how long the previous arc was. Should have been grander. Costumes, locations, and OSTs were all very good.

Cons: This series had the fastest palace coup in history; literally a black screen with words saying it happened and a new ruler aka ZY (heir to the throne as the late crown prince was his father) had taken the throne. This was one of several whiplashes I got from this show. The 2nd couple was probably one of the most unnecessary in any series; they had zilch chemistry and it seemed like they were forced together. Furthermore, the actress was miscast because she always plays highly intelligent, kind, and gentle roles but is never a pushover. Here she barely spoke up, created misunderstandings from her own incorrect deductions, pouted a lot, always had a long face and was too pompous for her own good though she was insecure as hell. I fast forwarded her as much as I could. They even stuck that CP randomly at the end of the series even though the way it was done stuck out like a sore thumb because after this massive event at the palace, without warning it cut to a scene of them in the woods digging for special soil and they announce wedding plans; another whiplash. They should have closed them out before that whole capital thing ever took place. Totally lacking in cohesion.

Next was probably the draggiest portion of the entire series where LMT was holding on to her grudge for way too long while CXZ did everything in his power to win her back. That arc took forever and everyone was exasperated by it because LMT though supposedly "softened" still treated him in a very harsh and cold way that had many of us cringing. Like get over it already! He has told you on multiple occasions that he sees you as his equal and will only marry you in this lifetime; what more do you need? She only panicked when her grandfather committed a faux pas and declined the engagement on her behalf. Once it was ironed out and they signed the wedding certificate she went from an ice cube to melted butter in five minutes and again it was incohesive. These transitions need to be smoother not whiplashing the audience around. It honestly made her look like she had multiple personalities while CXZ was being turned into a simp as he even got himself hurt for her to break off a stupid engagement (x2 in this series). I have no qualms about the actors themselves as they acted their hearts out but this is where novel material comes in real handy and screenwriters need to have their heads examined.

Two of the most unnecessary characters were the old bat aunt and cousin that was originally meant to marry CXZ. Only good thing about that old bat was that she finally made the Consort Dowager open her eyes to reality and stand up for her son and daughter in law. That was a very well deserved slap. Otherwise, they were a waste of space and time. The obsessed with ZY daughter of the villain, I couldn't stand but in the end her own obsession was their downfall so kudos to her for being that blind and dumb as a brick!

Would I recommend it? Yes; the cons notwithstanding, the acting was awesome, comedy just right, real love and connections as well as the amazing tacit understanding of the leads. That ending fight was one of the best choreographed in a drama that's not a Wuxia, I've seen. There it is!

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Where Does the Ultimate Good Really Lie?

I had been looking forward to seeing this one as it promised to be something intriguing. While by far not my favorite costume drama of the year, it kept me coming back for each episode. It had its pluses and minuses; I do however want to say that nothing I write below is to reflect poorly on any actor. Actors work with what they are given both good and bad.

Pros: My two favorite characters of the entire series were Gao Bingzhu and 16th Night. Both actors did a superb job in their characters. Huang Xuan was brilliant in his portrayal of this rogue badass who was hellbent on avenging the deaths of his friends and taking care of all of the people in the Unwelcome Well. His evolution into a more refined badass, didn't take away from his almost psychic notion of who the bad guys were even when they counted in the double digits and could be your closest friends if not family. When meeting Wu Siye and Baili Erlang, these two characters only expanded his already unbelievable ability to digest information that seemed like something in passing to someone else. He also seemed to be extremely lucky in survival no matter how many times he was practically pin-cushioned by 16th Night and others. GBZ was in the thick of it from the moment we met him in the first episode to his absolute last second on screen in the very last episode. This man is absolutely a class act and I would look forward to seeing him in other dramas particularly gritty ones.

Then comes probably the greatest antagonist I've seen in a very long time; 16th Night was absolutely a soulless, brutal killer, who took out adults or kids alike with her creepy three-sided weapon of design, using alleyways and rooftops to showcase almost immortal martial art skills. What made her character particularly amazing was that it wasn't until the episode of her reveal that we even knew she was a woman! Furthermore, she was totally hiding in plain sight and a friend of GBZ, who saved his life on numerous occasions while putting both herself and her "regular" business at risk. Her complete and total double life immersion was very impressive. Sadly, when she killed herself once she was exposed to GBZ, no other antagonist in the show, even the higher ups of the Four Seasons cult were able to replace her brilliance and brutality. Zhang Li who played her was a pleasure to watch.

The two other leads held their own. Victoria Song as Wu Siye had really great martial arts skills and her unfailing loyalty to those who she cared about most was what made her a solid character and leading lady to GBZ. I watched this for Wang Yibo originally as he's the only one I knew in the cast and though Baili Hongyi/Erlang was in a way the brain of the 3 musketeers because he could decode things and figure out maps and plans, his character took a while to thaw out and was reminiscent of his break out role of Lan Zhan in CQL because of his tiny facial expressions even though he had a lot more lines here. However, I appreciated his smarts and solving puzzles and when working together with GBZ and WSY, he was an integral part of the team. Though he couldn't fight and would constantly need rescuing (as the other two would often say to each other "Baili Hongyi is in danger"), he figured ways out eventually to save himself for the short term if nothing else. His and GBZ's hinting towards each other to solve a problem or get someone out of danger was a nice added touch. Showed that they had developed a very good relationship of trust with each other.

Other characters that were notable in good ways were Master Chu, Shen Fei who sadly perished saving BH's life and the sacrificial lamb or scapegoat Li Beiqi. The last was murdered sadly and only at the very end did people find out that he was innocent of all of the crimes against him. And the first always had the best interests of the Empress and people at heart so was reinstated; I actually hope that GBZ returns working for him again.

The last pros were the OSTs, some of the costumes, badass fighting scenes, and the set designs, plus CGI which were simply gorgeous. It was quite obvious where the large budget went.

Cons: In the very first episode, you felt like you already landed into the middle of the series and had to run to catch up. Now some people might like that but to me that's a rather messy start to a series. Furthermore, the amount of characters that were introduced was done at the speed of light and many died before you even had time to blink. You didn't know who was good or bad or why certain ones were killed until maybe the 6th episode in. It was all too hasty and had little cohesion.

The amount of bad guys was ridiculous, most didn't matter and who they actually were more often then not wasn't even properly explained but because there were so many bad guys, you eventually lost track of who the dead ones were. There simply shouldn't be that many completely useless characters running around.

Probably one of the most upsetting things for me was the killer who "replaced" 16th Night was probably the polar opposite of anything I would expect a savage killer to look/act like. Robot Barbie that didn't blink was beyond a cop out. They would have been better off not having another one, because even without the original 16th Night, this chick didn't scare anyone. Nothing about her said scary or killer; Robocop walked with more fluidity.

And how can anyone forget.....EERRRRRRLLLLAAAANNNNNGGG! Dear lord, hold the wheel! 30 out of 39 episodes of this ear bleeding, shriek that happened 76 times per episode. Liu Ran was the clingiest, most cringeworthy, annoying, and dumb as a brick character I've seen in a long time. She was like a pet chihuahua that wouldn't leave her husband alone and wouldn't stop nagging. I was actually amazed they evolved her in 9 episodes into a mature and emotionally stable woman who stood by her husband and trusted him as opposed to running after him and calling his name as she messed up his plans nearly getting them both killed a few times; because those first 30, I wasn't alone in wanting to send her character along with her brother, and maid out of town on the bro's camel!

Romance was the one genre that was not needed at all in this drama. When these kinds of scenes came, it was like throwing a well-oiled machine off kilter. It was unnecessary and extra. The mopey, clingy scenes just poured cold water on a hot detective drama where they just didn't belong. Not every drama needs to have romance because it just doesn't fit; it's like trying to jam a square peg through a circle.

The entire Liu family were either major jinxes or just plain evil. Her brother was another totally unnecessary character and his puppy love for someone who turned out to be also part of the cult, led him down the path of delusion and the even more inconsistent ending to the one character who shouldn't have died as it made zilch sense and made the ending of this series very confusing. Like how did he know where Lord Rodent w/rug would be exactly (a character that was so obviously the big bad since he first appeared on screen, that that revelation in the last episode was beyond underwhelming)? The 3 musketeers work together that one last time was impressive but they lost one. How does one get away with killing a leading inner guard of the Empress and not even get sentenced to prison but to go up a mountain and repent as a monk? That makes as much sense as only 10 days after her death, there was no real feeling of mourning amongst those people who cared about her the most. Again very inconsistent; because GBZ spent 5 years tracking down the murderer of his friends but he won't go up the mountain and take out the moron who killed the only woman he ever loved who actually loved him back w/out strings attached?

And lastly, what was the "greater good" that the cult was constantly yakking about? The massacre of an entire capital? Sounds very Jonestown to me, but it was never explained to the audience.

Would I recommend this drama? Yes, I would. It's a good detective costume drama, but it comes with many errors. So just be aware of that and decide for yourselves.

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An Academy Award deserving series!

This is the 4th Chinese drama that I’ve watched but it is by far the best. The professionalism and chemistry of all of the actors is hard to beat. Coming from the US, being a writer of fiction myself, I love the amazing character development. The directors and producers absolutely did a fantastic job with casting. I’m one of the few fans out there that do not view WYB and XZ or their characters as a couple though I understand that’s what the novel said. Instead, theirs is a brotherhood and bond rarely seen nowadays and brings memories of the 1940s and comrades in war (and I mean that for both the actors and their characters). The younger generations today aren’t used to this. I do wish there was better continuation within the series as many scenes were a bit out of whack. Thank you for a wonderful series Tencent that I can’t stop rewatching since mid-December! This series deserves an Oscar because it rivals many shows on TV from many countries especially here in the US. I can’t wait for Oath of Love, Legend of Fei, Doulou Continent, and every other production these young and talented young men will do. A million times thank you!

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Multi-Layered Characters

Originally this was added to the watchlist because I had heard that LYR was doing his first ML role and he'd done a good job playing supporting ones so was curious and I'd seen XRH once before though I wasn't very convinced back then; don't know why. Some of the supporting characters were familiar. But the story itself was interesting and all of the characters were multi-layered.

Pros: What set this show apart for me from others I've watched was the fact that this second chance romance brought in the past of the leads first to the episode, than present day including their and the other two couple's participation in the filming of the variety show, that way things were explained and you understood why certain things happened. It seemed to me that all three couples evolved both separately and together as the show wore on. At first you thought FL was a selfish brat because of her actions and in fact she did admit to most of the mistakes from the past as being hers but when you saw her layers of trauma, you understood that though this was a drama, she was still a human being. Favorite character was ML; I like how he was sure of himself, confident, independent and quite obvious that from the two of them he had grown and matured first.

The second couple was weird, toxic, and codependent and at the end she became pregnant and somehow you just prayed the child wouldn't become neurotic like his parents. They were my least favorite. The 3rd couple were called the healing couple in the comments and I agree; even though they were both ridiculously shy to the point of social anxiety; they were always a soothing balm to each other and their friends especially once they got together. I also liked that all 6 people even with all of their shortcomings, were such great friends and support systems to each other to the point that the show ended with the 6 traveling around together. Their friendship started in HS and progressed way into adulthood.

The 3.5 annoying people who played either rivals in love or just one completely unhinged chick all stayed as long as necessary and were then sent packing. Ironically even though YS seemed like the most annoying, when giving advice to the other two women during their "dates" set by production, gave the best advice. And really great way everyone took down the unhinged chick in the 2nd to last episode. Also how symbolic that it was SXR that proposed to LXY in the last episode as a close to the chapter; the marriage-phobe realized that's exactly what she wanted and that near death accident made her understand being next of kin is vital when you love someone.

Cons: Obviously this show was lower budget, but it didn't really hurt it. I do wish the SFL was less baby-voiced viper most of the series. Towards the end, I don't understand why the legal proceedings were published on screen. For starters this was fictional and secondly, the unhinged lawyer chick's crimes went beyond "intentional attempted vehicular homicide", yet she wasn't charged for those. Also none of the civil charges were made public. So either get all of the charges or none. Makes zero sense to do what they did. I think things could have been explained better about the show itself, as well as how SQ met her abusive ex husband. The show should have focused more proportionally on the third leads as we don't know much about TML's or TFL's backgrounds or their parents.

Would I recommend it? Yes. This was a different show that you had to watch to understand the multifaceted characters and how they got to where they were. It's a nice modern drama.

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Out Scheme the Schemers

Though I don't play chess, this series was essentially exactly that as the moves were strategized in people's heads and then we as the audience saw the results including flashbacks of how we got somewhere. In general I picked this up as I've seen and liked how Chen Xiao had previously done as well as some other actors. It was really a battle of the schemers in a wuxia-like environment.

Pros: I personally like anything wuxia related so the fight scenes though there weren't a lot of them because that wasn't the premise of the series, were very well executed. From YX, our ML to every other "good" character, what I really enjoyed was that they were all morally gray. None of them were these goodie two shoes protagonists we see frequently on the screen. Each and everyone had secrets, lies, flaws, past experiences that shaped them into who they were and nothing was ever black and white. I'm also glad that the romance portion was profoundly tapered and didn't steal time from the main plots. Was YX really the ingenious one? That's hard to say, he certainly out-witted everyone in the end but he wasn't without flaws or mistakes he made which he did own up to. Originally everyone was a pawn to him, but gradually many became friends and even sworn brothers. He planned his revenge for 15 years but even then, there were many factors he couldn't count on like falling for SYN and even though she was the opposing sect's eldest child, they both broke many of their respective sects rules by having faith in each other and that ended up actually being their benefit in the end. Plus having and trusting friends as mentioned above.

Really liked the characters of SMY, KML, JB, LGC, MBF, and KQ even though we lost the latter two and that was just very sad. Another positive that just about every character stayed for as long as they needed to and then either bailed out or was killed off. Favorite antagonists both survived; one was half evil and half just grey and I feel like he should have returned to round out team good grey in the end. His leaving just seemed kind of odd and like it wasn't properly finished or balanced. NGF was the vicious, best evil schemer half to YX but he should have been offed properly not just had SYN cut off the family jewels (not that I didn't enjoy that very much), but I felt he was just given more of an opportunity to grow his evil, vicious side, with the pirates.

Costumes, scenery, and OSTs were great and on point. All quite appropriate and placed well.

Cons: Here I find that the plot strayed a bit and then took off like a galloping pony towards the end. Plot holes included who the real SYN was and where she was and why did KLY take that name? And the entire mystery surrounding WC; that was just left by the side of the road somewhere. The entire premise of this was for YX to find out who the mastermind and executioners were of his village but by the time that happened, it was kind of just put by the way side as other conspiracies took over. Again, he let NGF live! Though Prince Fu was the mastermind and died a totally copout death by suicide in flames; NGF did most of it, yet sans his meat and two veg he was allowed to live with pirates and grow strong again. A decision YX made! Made no sense to me. Most of this series was about revenge but when it was right in front of him, for a different purpose, he let it go. He was now no longer scheming but would live a peaceful life with his lady love and sworn brothers. That part I was fine with, but the rest was a bit of a let down. Most likely had a lot to do with that race to the finish line where the script took a hit.

The whole revelation of Prince Fu being the mysterious Master of the Yuntai sect was beyond lackluster because everyone knew it by the time it happened. They kept dragging it on for too long and others were ruled out and there was no one else left. SYN's bro was the stupidest, greediest, power hungry moron that killed his own mother and was ready to help NGF to rape his sister, should have been just discarded immediately. The only positive here was the actor that played him did so very convincingly. But glad SYN took him down finally.

Would I recommend it? I would; other when YX forgetting his scheming ways in the last 8 episodes but coming back strong along with everyone who mattered in the last two, the pros outweighed the cons. This is a good, engaging, and entertaining drama to watch.

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Republican Era Smorgasbord with a Macaroni Art Script

Can someone please explain to me what I just watched? Only picked it up because WRC aka SML is one of the people I follow and I've never seen him in this genre. This genre is always beautiful but this series had very few pros. It was literally a Republican era smorgasbord with a macaroni art script.

Pros: Obviously favorite character was the reason for watching in the first place and not dropping after the first 7 or 10 episodes. WRC or ZY can play an arrogant person with a gaze that describes "if looks could kill" to a T. I hope he gets the chance to play a serial killer someday, he'd nail it. Republican era genre actually suits him quite well. Here, I was very glad he challenged himself to actually cry in regret, sadness, and it was quite gut wrenching. Him being killed off in the last episode even though we knew somewhere by episode 18 that they were setting up for a second season, was also powerful. He was a tortured soul, hell bent on revenge and after losing his soulmate, that was the only way out for him. He was truly and finally free. Usually, I'm not a fan of SML's getting killed off but in his case plus how bad the script was, I was actually quite glad. His words that he got to reunite with his beloved just as he passed, was literally the perfect ending for him.

Republican era genre is always stunning in visuals, costumes, sets, and colors and this was no exception. All of the acting/actors were very much on point (save for a glaring issue with the leads that will be discussed below) even when everything else wasn't. OSTs were not memorable. That's it for pros.

Cons: I truly hope I can remember every problem with this Frankenstein script. Since I mentioned the leads, let's start there. They were good at their parts, I have no qualms with the actors themselves but why cast an ML that was nearly 20 years older in real life then the FL plus add aging makeup on him when you're claiming they're close in age. Since they met when they were kids and you're clearly showing two children several years apart and then as adults when they reunite, he's in his 40s while she looks barely 20. Because of this, there was no chemistry whatsoever and even when they kissed, it seemed like two friends who were dared to do it. Furthermore, men and women who were clearly younger than him portrayed themselves as teachers and older friends and it stood out like a sore thumb each and every single time.

The script was a choppy mess with loose ends that were forgotten two scenes later and never explained or finished up. This is what I managed to piece together about this series; the antagonists ultimate goal was to create a new world of slaves via a zombie apocalypse by releasing some mutated virus created 16 years ago off of actual doctors who were fighting the plague; all of those doctors and their families were set up to be the reasons the plague happened and massacred. The children that survived were either mercifully adopted or abducted by the very organization that was behind the massacre and turned into trained--in republican era version of Lord of the Flies--assassins through torture and other means with no memories of their lives or even if they had family in the world.

All of the actors were children from that street who were friends at the time grew up to reunite and try to take the organization down one block at a time. Problem was that you never knew whether you were coming or going. One scene had something about gangs and drugs, next scene forgot about the first one and was now looking at mysterious documents that everyone was looking for but what they were and why someone would have them, never explained. One moment a character appeared drugged next moment she was fine, never explained. How did two of the characters end up in the middle of the woods and where?

It literally looked like this as you were watching: Mysterious documents, random assassins, gangs, drugs, cage fights, equally mysterious and random massacre 16 years ago, revenge, partnerships and 3 couples that can’t figure Jack out. Though someone said it seemed like the script was created out of bullet points, to me it felt like when you fill a bathtub with water and then open the drain. You get that whirlpool tornado effect; well chuck all those plus a half dozen other things in that whirlpool and send it down the drain. 80% of what happened didn't make a lick of sense even with flashbacks of plans made. And they want a 2nd season? No thanks, hard pass!

Would I recommend it? No I wouldn't. If it wasn't for WRC and this being his first Republican era drama, it wouldn't have been on my list nor even get this high of a score. It was entertaining nothing else. It shouldn't be called "Wonderful Hand" because that's some twilight zone title; instead it should be called "Frankenstein's Macaroni Art Attempt." Stay far away from this.

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