*Spoilers for a previous arc, involving Wai Siu-bo’s first quest at the emperor’s command.*
We’re at the halfway point now on The Duke of Mount Deer. When I only do one episode a week for review, it can seem daunting at the start, but the series is moving along. This is an exciting episode where some big things happen.
The reason Wai Siu-bo had to become a monk is because the emperor’s father is one himself, and he’s been concealed in Purity Temple for years. Now, though, enemies of the crown are moving, and having learned the secret, they’re after the old emperor to force his son’s hand. When a gang of mercenary lamas descend on the temple, Siu-bo has to use all his cunning to save the day.
I had a “putting the pieces together” moment in this episode, sorting out some of the plot threads. I’ve been focusing on the empress dowager as the major threat, and she remains a force to be reckoned with, but the outer regions can’t be ruled out either. The ambitious lord Ng Sam-kwai is looking to overthrow the emperor, and he’s brought together nobles from a few different houses to unite in this bloody goal. This just means that the various people who are after Wai Siu-bo at any given moment might be allied to a few different baddies.
Of chief concern today is the lamas. While Wai Siu-bo is initially jealous of them, because lamas live less restrictive lives than monks (“Then I could go to the brothel!” he laments more than once,) it quickly becomes clear that their intentions aren’t exactly holy. Combating them, however, becomes as much about convincing the monks to save themselves. Siu-bo has his hands full trying to deal with their talk of destiny, vows of peace, and noble sacrifices for the greater good. He employs his patented “start talking and hope there’s a plan by the end of it” strategy, with plenty of exasperation mixed in.
I never get tired of watching Tony Leung Chiu-wai play these scenes. I love Wai Siu-bo’s sly cleverness. He knows just when to throw his weight around, when to play the clueless fool, and when to fall into hysterics for dramatic effect. It’s so fun to watch his wheels turning as he bullshits his way through another deadly encounter.
Some good humorous bits too. Wai Siu-bo has found a way to incorporate one of his vices into life at the temple, throwing dice with the other monks to let the “will of the heavens” decide who’s assigned which duty. He has a delightfully petty reaction to learning about some of the emperor’s enemies, and he remains the guy who brings a dagger to a swordfight. And for those little bits of physical business Leung throws in, I especially like a moment where, waiting for a very important meeting, he lies down on a bench and reaches up to play with some objects sitting on the altar. So long embroiled in imperial matters, so many attempts on his life, and he still just gets up to dumb stuff when he’s bored—never change, Wai Siu-bo.
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