Back at work after over a month of sick leave. Surprisingly I managed to get caught up with most of it in a few hours – it was nice that several people said they were glad I was back. It’d be a bad sign if I wasn’t missed, after all. 🙂
In Basel it’s carnival, so it was relatively quiet, and I even managed to work on my Jalec round robin chapter, which is due this Thursday.
And now for some Guardian – episode 27 from yesterday, and a rewatch of episode 1. 😉
Episode 27
Can get in one episode before the weekly Shadowhunters rewatch with my Discord chat. 🙂
Who loses their memory from a hit to the back? Da Qing is so adorable, though. And I really like his relationship with Shen Wei. (Although, shouldn’t he wonder why they’re both wearing such old-fashioned clothes in his memory?)
Big showdown. Merit Brush Guy is such a drama queen. I mean, it’s sad that he lost his wife, but grief doesn’t turn most people into killers.
What *is” going on with Lin Jing?
Heh, did Sha Ya really think she could just waltz in? And that mask really doesn’t hide much, what with her unique hair.
Guo’s uncle is really bad at whispering. 🙂
And what’s with all the lying. I wonder if there’s a real, logical reason for the secrecy against the SID or just Plot Device(TM) to make things more complicated.
How can a lab be too clean, though? But I very much approve of them being careful of the broken vial.
I do enjoy watching Shen Wei in professor mode. (So does ZYL, I’m sure. *g*)
Oh, Lin Jing, your gf just hinted so hard that she’s Dixing…
Food sharing is so important in all Asian shows I’ve seen. After all SW is constantly feeding ZYL. 🙂
Oooh, is Lin Jing working for the HDS? But is it willingly? There’s definitely sth weird about him. And his gf isn’t gonna be happy about this; he stole her earring!
Aww, Chu and Guo walking arm in arm! *hearteyes*
Yeah, she really shouldn’t try to hurt Guo, Chu doesn’t like that. 🙂
Ah, okay, so the missing earring in the scene before was a glitch, or they moved scenes around.
Oh, ZYL, what he must be thinking, seeing SW and his dad… He’s definitely not happy.
(Fuck, that car is BIG. *g*)
Gah, seeing them like this physically hurts me. It also hurts ZYL, so much, it’s heartbreaking. He even sprawls halfheartedly back at the office. 🙁
Wow, Guo saw right through Lin Jing!
Aww, she actually likes him. And he’s actually prepared.
Okay, so this scene actually worked for me, in all its melodrama.
Also, I appreciate Da Qing in all-black leather. 😉
And the episode ends right in time for my Shadowhunters watch!
Episode 1
I won’t rewatch the whole thing. I just need to witness Shen Wei seeing Zhao Yunlan again. (SPOILER: I watched the whole thing. *g*)
But it’s utterly fascinating to see the way the show frames SW at the very beginning, after the info dump. It almost feels as if they want us to mistrust him, from the way the show us his strange little half-smiles that tell us immediately that this guy is hiding *something*.
Contrast this with ZYL’s first appearance on his bike with clueless Guo & the quick intro to the SID crew.
ZYL is 100% the cool dude, with his motorcycle, his confidence and his quips.
Guo has grown on me, but oh wow, he annoyed me in the beginning!
And then. Shen Wei hears the voice first, then he sees him, and the look on his face. Oh wow.
I wasn’t sure at first watch, but he really seems to not have seen ZYL before. Which is kind of strange.
Oh, the meet-cute over the cat, and SW’s helpless smile when he looks at ZYL, the way he can’t let go of his hand. Disbelieving.
Huh, Da Qing’s reaction to SW is so interesting right from the start, now that I know more about their backstory.
And SW has himself under tight control, but he’s so reluctant to look at ZAL, as if he’s afraid he won’t be able to lie if he meets his eyes. And when he does, he can’t help but smile, so close to his Kunlun again after so long…
What was ZYL thinking, though, sending Guo after him?
Heh, ep 1 was where they spent the special effects budget, what with Zhu Hong’s tail and Chu actually getting to fight with his puppet… 🙂
At the office, ZYL is sprawling. Not just sprawling, flat out lying down. With his lollipop. Iconic.
And SW staring at his personnel file and remembering. Has he really never looked into whose running the SID these days? I haven’t reached the flashback episodes yet, so I don’t know yet what the thing about meeting again means.
Bai Yu plays ZYL so incredibly well. He’s lounging on his bike, but you can see his sensitivity, his soft heart while he’s watching the girl. And then SW joins her, and he sits up, already intrigued.
And SW is completely aware of ZYL’s presence. He’s obviously decided on a strategy to deal with him, he’s in control, all “harmless professor”. Except ZYL gets right under his skin by plainly admitting the sense of recognition.
Does SW know the Dial for what it is or just sense that it’s something special? And then of course he reveals his special powers, if only to us.
Again, you can tell they spent money on this ep, the shadow Dixing is actually kinda scary, unlike… most later monsters.
SW doesn’t blink, he’s ready to go BCE right there – except he feels SID approaching and immediately changes his strategy. That’s some impressive quick thinking!
And the Big Entrance. Drama queen! 😉
So are we to assume that there simply haven’t been many Dixing incursions since ZYL became Chief?
I love the interplay with ZYL and the BCE. He’s intrigued & he knows how powerful/dangerous the BCE is, but he talks to him like I assume few people dare.
But wow, on 2nd viewing the dubbing becomes so much more obvious.
Overall, it’s a pretty good opener – I didn’t even mind the info dump at the beginning. And it immediately focuses on the SW/ZYL relationship, as it should.