This took a little longer than I expected, since there were a handful of last-minute additional posts for The Book of Rannells. But now that I’m caught up on Andrew Rannells’s work, A Little TLC(w) is moving up to a weekly feature as we dive into Tony Leung Chiu-wai’s early TV projects. Today, we’re embarking on our journey into The Duke of Mount Deer.
The Qing dynasty has just replaced the Ming dynasty, and there is unrest in the streets. The new emperor’s men work to root out Ming loyalists and quash rumblings of dissent. When a book is printed still recognizing the Ming dynasty, it causes a political firestorm. Caught in the crossfire between the two sides is Wai Siu-bo, a hapless young “rascal” constantly running from his mother’s expectations for him. Siu-bo’s encounter with the Ming book forces him to grow up quickly, setting his life on a new path.
I’ll be honest, I’m still in the process of figuring things out. It can be tricky at the start of a new series with a bunch of characters, especially in a period piece where everyone’s costumes and hairstyles are pretty similar. However, this series ran for a solid 40 episodes, so I’m more than confident that I’ll have time to get it all straight.
In the meantime, I easily follow the basics of the opposing Qing/Ming camps and the fracas kicked up over the book, but some of the particulars are eluding me, and I can’t keep track of all the characters yet. Embarrassingly, I briefly thought that this was set around the Three Kingdoms era, because characters reference folks like Cao Cao and Guan Yu, but since the Qing dynasty began over 1500 years after that period, this is decidedly not the case (while I accept responsibility for this ignorance, I also want to place a lot of blame on my Eurocentric social studies education.) Rather, these figures are invoked much like people today would talk about George Washington, or Plato, or Moses.
But even if I’m still catching up, I am enjoying the show. It has fun martial-arts action, and I like the political-intrigue angle. I don’t know all the characters’ names yet, but several are quickly emerging as ones to watch, in either a heroic or villainous way.
My favorite part, though, is easily Tony Leung Chiu-wai as Wai Siu-bo. He looks like he may be a prototype of Leung’s “charming scoundrel” character, with a big helping of “likable screw-up” in there as well. Siu-bo is eternally getting into trouble, whether through his misguided attempts to fish for live chickens at a market stall or listening in on the wrong conversation. He’s no stranger to smacks and canings from his mother and various aunties, but none of that has instilled any sense of responsibility in him. It’s not until he gets embroiled in the fight over the Ming book that he has to really take something seriously.
This show came out a mere year after Crossroads, back when Leung was still in his very early days acting in Hong Kong TV. I’ve talked before about how much Leung has obviously grown as an actor over the decades of his career, but I’ve also noted that he simply had something from a very young age. Siu-bo is so much fun while also being really endearing. He has a smart mouth that he’ll gladly employ in most situations. I love the moment where he specifies to a new acquaintance that he wouldn’t sell the guy out for a silver mine—“If it is a gold mine, I have to think about it.” He’s cocky and hot-tempered, but he’s also more than a bit of a scaredy cat, and he flails when he’s in over his head. He has enough street smarts to duck and weave his way out of a heavy situation, and for all his flippancy, he shows his loyalty quickly. Also, when he’s on the road and steps into the brush to pee, he mutters to himself, “No snake, please, no snake!” Seriously, I get such a kick out of this character!
First impressions:
Recommend?
In General – Too early to tell, but I’ll start us out on a strong maybe.
Tony Leung Chiu-wai – I would. Leung is so much fun here, and Siu-bo is kind of a delightful part for him. I’m excited to see more.
Warnings
Violence, sexual references, drinking/smoking, and thematic elements.
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