*Episode premise spoilers.*
Forgot to put this post up this morning. It’s been a hell of a week. Here it is now.
The long-awaited “lion-killing event” has arrived, although things don’t seem to be going as planned—for anyone involved. We seem to be at the climax here, but it’s only just begun.
Sects from all over have answered Shaolin’s invitation to the lion-killing event. Some are eager for the chance to kill Xie Xun, while others, such Zhang Wuji and Ming sect, hope to save him. Still others remember the rumors that Xie Xun has the Dragon Sabre and want to claim the legendary sword for themselves. But the event is plagued by murder and in-fighting before it even begins, and no one seems any closer to the prize they may be seeking.
Xie Xun garnered plenty of enemies before his exile, but he has a number of allies as well. Throw in the renewed frenzy to acquire the Dragon Sabre, and pretty much everybody wants a piece of the action. Ming tries to rally sympathetic warriors to their side while strategizing to protect Xie Xun from those who wants to kill him.
Going into this episode, I was picturing a free-for-all. Maybe Xie Xun trapped in some kind of arena with warriors from various sects trying to kill him and his allies backing him up—all while assorted viewers look on. And from the way Zhang Wuji and Ming are working the room, trying to win as many to their side as possible, they seem to think the same thing.
But the lion-killing event is not as advertised. As the sects grow restless, Shaolin fails to produce Xie Xun or the Dragon Sabre. Instead, they propose a winner-take-all martial arts competition between the assembled sects. The victor will receive both the Dragon Sabre and the privilege of killing Xie Xun.
This is certainly a downgrade from what I expected, but it helps that many of the characters agree with me. A lot of people here are realizing that something hinky is going on with Shaolin, and while some are quick to put themselves forward for the competition, others are wary—especially after someone is poisoned before the competition even begins!
Oh, and this is such a metal way to say “we fight to the death,” courtesy of a member of Ermei sect: “The winner lives and the loser dies. Hades is a fair judge. There is no need to elect judges.”
Because this show is a martial arts epic and also a bit of a soap, there are more than just physical battles on the agenda today. It’s the first time Zhang Wuji has seen Zhou Zhiruo since he ran out of their wedding. She’s here leading Ermei with an icy air, and she has a new husband (in disguise!) in tow. Everything about this whole situation is throwing Wuji for a giant loop, and Zhao Min can very clearly see how rattled he is.
All this makes it difficult for Zhang Wuji to focus on the task at hand. While heart and strategy prevail in the end, he badly wants to do something ill-advised, either rushing too quickly into a fight or letting his guard down too much in the name of mending fences. Fortunately, Wuji has always led Ming with a pretty flat team structure—he’s able to take good counsel, which keeps him out of too much trouble.
One sweet moment I want to mention. When Zhang Wuji runs into the Wudang representatives at the lion-killing event, he comes forward eagerly saying, “Wuji greets his three uncles.” Immediately, they have to get him to be cool, pointing out, “Wuji, you are Ming sect leader and cannot kneel before anyone just like that.” It’s kind of lovely, that he automatically wants to show his uncles proper deference and they’re like, “Dude, you’re a sect leader! You outrank us here.” Tony Leung Chiu-wai can pull off this guileless side of him without it feeling corny.
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