A decent episode overall, although the return of the benefactress means seeing more of Wai Siu-bo’s less-appealing qualities. Still, while the more romantic side of the plot goes in some unnecessary directions, I really enjoy the political intrigue/conspiracy stuff here.
Wai Siu-bo attempts various mental acrobatics to convince the reverend not to kill the emperor in her bid to restore the Ming dynasty. When he discovers the reverend also teaches his beloved benefactress, whose name he learns is Or, he has all the more reason to stick close to her side.
I enjoy getting to see more of the reverend here. Despite her being at odds with Wai Siu-bo over the emperor’s life, she’s less a villain and more of an antagonist with a legitimate grievance and misguided actions, which is subtler and more interesting than some of the outright baddies we’ve seen on the show. There’s a reason Siu-bo tries to negotiate with/convince her rather than enlist someone to fight her—he believes that she isn’t beyond reach. And they do cultivate a kind of respect for each other. Siu-bo is drawn to her strength and leadership, and she recognizes the value in his loyalty, remarking on how lucky the emperor is when Siu-bo goes to bat for him.
I also like seeing more of the benefactress/Or, even if Wai Siu-bo isn’t really at his best with her. Fortunately, we don’t really see him harassing her in this episode—he goes to the “persistent would-be suitor” well a few times, but her animosity toward him is mainly based on what happened between them before, not now. However, he displays some stunning lack of self-awareness in comparing his actions with others, and his treatment of a wealthy, aristocratic rival is awfully petty. As I said in the earlier episode with Or, it’s not so much that Siu-bo is being horrible here, or that he’s the first character to chase after women in a problematic way. But the issues with it stand out more in 2023 than in 1984, and it’s not great to see Or’s obvious resistance to Siu-bo’s charms being diminished.
That said, the dynamic between them feels a little more even here. She tosses out the legitimately awesome threat, “If you don’t want to become a ghost, get lost,” and he pesters more than he pursues. When he gets fresh, she comes at him with her kung fu, and after getting her in trouble once, he promises he won’t go to the reverend again. This leads to an amusing scene where Or watches as Wai Siu-bo counts his bruises. “Oh no,” he laments, “twelve bruises in one day. A few more months and I will be dead.”
Some other notable moments for Wai Siu-bo/Tony Leung Chiu-wai today. I love his transparent but determined efforts to sway the reverend, at one point crying like a teenage girl trying to dodge a speeding ticket. Whereas last week he tickled himself with his braid while he was bored, this episode finds him playing some sort of game with it to entertain himself. There’s a great moment where he makes an accusation of someone but is simultaneously so impressed with them that he gives this slight, amazed laugh. And I love the bit where, after getting tossed to ground by some ruffians, he puts on a total show of nonchalance, complete with crossing his legs in a casual stance and whistling to himself.
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