*Spoilers for the end of episode 15.*
We’re mostly just following Zhang Wuji again today, although we take a brief detour away from his story at the end of the episode. This one takes him to some wild places.
Since Zhang Wuji has been staying with Zhu Jiuzhen and her father, he hasn’t told them who he really is, even after learning how devoted they were to his late father. But when they reveal that Xie Xun, Wuji’s beloved godfather, has apparently returned to the mainland, he debates telling them everything. This decision has far-reaching consequences.
Before we get to the Zhang Wuji stuff, I’ll briefly mention the secondary plot that comes up at the end of the episode, which looks poised to be an ongoing storyline. The various “righteous” sects are discussing teaming up to take out Ming, the Demon sect. By the time we drop into this story, several sects have already come together and are trying to convince Ermei and Wudang to join them.
But again, this is mostly the Zhang Wuji show right now. Previously, Wuji kept his parentage from his hosts because he’s learned a thing or two about discretion at this point in his adventures—he’s found himself in danger often enough to be cautious at the outset. But once he hears how much Zhu Jiuzhen’s father loved his, he feels torn. Since his own father is dead, it might be a comfort to Zhu to learn that he’s been looking after Fifth Brother’s son. On the other hand, he feels that if he tells Zhu now, the man will think he’s telling a convenient lie to cement his favor. The prospect of Xie Xun’s return only further complicates things.
Matters get pretty hairy here. We get scenes of crucial eavesdropping, a harrowing encounter on a cliff’s edge, and a wild turn of events that culminates in Zhang Wuji making a great discovery in the anatomy of a monkey. Said monkey, by the way, is 100% played by a human in a big monkey suit. It’s utterly ridiculous, and I appreciate how Tony Leung Chiu-wai plays these scenes with absolute sincerity.
As for other memorable moments from Leung, we get more of Zhang Wuji’s attempts to form a bond with Zhu Jiuzhen. And listen, the boy has many talents, but he doesn’t exactly have game. He tells Miss Zhu, “No one has treated me so well besides my mother,” to which she promptly responds, “You think of me as your mother?” Great facial acting from Leung as Wuji realizes he’s put his foot in it. I also love his wordless reactions as he prepares himself to see his godfather again, and there’s a sweet, quintessentially Wuji moment where he refuses to help someone who’s wronged him, then almost immediately relents, admitting, “I can’t bring myself to be nasty.” That’s our boy, all right!
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