*This is turning out to be a fairly serialized show, and Wai Siu-bo is in a very different position now than he was in episode 1. As such, there will be some spoilers for the previous episodes in setting up the current state of affairs, including an identity reveal for one character.*
I’m less into this episode than I was the first two, largely because there’s not as much Wai Siu-bo/Tony Leung Chi-wai. Still, there’s some good stuff going on here and I continue to have a good time.
After his misadventures in the last episode, Wai Siu-bo is now thoroughly entrenched as the coerced servant of the ailing but sly martial arts adept Hoi Goong-goong. Posing as a eunuch in the Imperial Palace, he tries to balance doing his new master’s bidding with helping out his fugitive friend Fatso. Meanwhile, the young emperor attempts to deal with a treacherous imperial guardian, but maneuvering the traitor out of his position is easier said than done.
First things first: it’s revealed at the end of episode 2 that Little Yuen, who’s adopted Wai Siu-bo as a sparring partner, is actually the emperor. Up until now, despite multiple plots going on, Siu-bo has definitely felt like the main character, but here, the emperor steps forward as a dual protagonist. There’s all kinds of court intrigue going on, and even though the emperor isn’t thrilled about being tied down to all this responsibility on his plate—not identifying himself to Siu-bo is a classic royal-posing-as-a-commoner move, Princess Jasmine would be proud—he does seem like a smart, capable young man who wants to do this right. He’s been guided by regents thus far, but as the shady Imperial Guardian Ngo Bye reaches for ever greater power, his regents urge the emperor to take more control for himself.
We also get a little more on the Ming loyalist movement. Fatso, who’s pro-Ming and knows how to throw down but isn’t an actual revolutionary, makes contact here with the elusive Heaven and Earth Society. The society’s goals align with his, and he considers making a move from being a lone wolf to joining up.
Caught in the middle between everything happening with the emperor, the jockeying for power at court, and the exploits of the rebels, we have Wai Siu-bo, who is just trying to keep his plates in the air. I’m still enjoying this character a lot. He’s kind of a selfish guy, generally looking out for number one above all else and not overburdened with scruples. And yet, he’s personable enough to make friends easily and is pretty loyal to those he meets. Now that he’s quasi-safe at court, albeit still in a precarious position, he tries to offer Fatso what cover/help he can, but he’s at the beck and call of Master Hoi too.
The “clever fool” characterization I noted in the pilot is turning out to be an apt one. Wai Siu-bo is a bit of a trouble magnet, and he can appear hapless and a little flailing as he careens from one sticky situation to another. But whenever the shit hits the fan, he’s incredibly light on his feet, launching into action to talk his way out of anything. What he lacks in book knowledge (in fact, he’s illiterate) and martial arts training, he makes up in street smarts and a refined talent for BSing on the fly. I love the little touches in Leung’s performance, like when he makes a face at Master Hoi’s orders (bold only because he knows Hoi is blind and can’t see it,) or the way he fumbles when he’s being genuine but is smooth and confident when he’s lying.
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