The Problematic of the Unproblematic

kakashi: Another recapping project ends! Many people were quite dissatisfied with the final episode - or rather, the very ending of the ending. Yes, it is not perfect. But don't let this otherwise excellent drama be spoilt by it! Eleanor: I wonder sometimes what happens with the editing process at the end of something. Do they sort of mess it up a little because they also don't really want it to end? Do they get tired? All in all though, I wasn't too bothered by the ending (and I'll just hope that at some future time there might be a second season or at least some extra scenes released) Trotwood: I have been putting this off forever because I think I wanted to pretend that this episode didn't happen. I made up my own ending in my mind. I was more than "dissatisfied" with this ending. This ending made me screech and toss whole tables out of the window. Then it made me concerned that the original writers and director and editor had been kidnapped and some ...

kakashi: Xu Xu takes on the Golden Python. Be careful, brave snail, the snake is deadly! Sadly, it's our valiant Lion who suffers the most in this episode. One episode before the end, we do not know ... will he make it? Eleanor: The closer we get to the end, the more I'm terrified the Lion will die T____T noooooo!!! Wang Kai looks soooooooo attractive in this screenshot.  Trotwood: I feel like it is so long since I've thought about the show. I know I've been in denial about tour squeecaps ending, so I've taken a long time to do my part. However, I saw a guy who looked like Husband at the PriceRite today (same flat head in back, too very similar face but way too short), and I remembered my obligation. JoAnne: Was he buying Bisquick? Syrup?

kakashi: Gestures of love are made and one of the main villains is identified. We are close to the end, but everything seems open. It's a nailbiter. Eleanor: Wait, wow it really is close to the end and yeah, so many loose ends. But I'm going to take a minute here and just pretend that's me with Ji Bai.  Trotwood: I'll pretend, too, with me taking the picture. JoAnne: As long as you're already set up with the camera, will you pretend one of me too? With Ji Bai, I mean.

kakashi: Xu Xu goes in frantic search of Ji Bai who, I may as well tell you, isn't dead but alive and kicking. Kicking bad guys. Trotwood: Umm. Were you talking? I think I cut myself on that jawline. Eleanor: That jawline makes me think all sorts of thoughts. And those lips, don't get me started... JoAnne: Imagine a historical drama where we have Wang Kai and Mark Chao competing for the lady. *backs away slowly from the carnage about to ensue*

kakashi: Our team is still hunting down the human trafficking ring. They find a witness, but protecting him is more of a challenge than they thought. Ji Bai may or may not have paid for this knowledge with his life. I vote for not. JoAnne: If Ji Bai goes, so do I. Sorry, Husband. No, I kid. I could never leave him. Eleanor: Ji Bai, do you wanna come and do laundry with me please? Sorry, I got distracted. I doubt they'd kill Ji Bai off, at least not this early on.  Trotwood: I could see his character dying but only in the last or penultimate episodes. But look at those cheekbones and that jaw and those tendons in hs neck. Yowza.

kakashi: It's the start of the Myanmar mission! It's also one of my favorite episodes in terms of couple development. We cut back and forth between the two as both pairs grow closer and closer. JoAnne: Have you noticed that when they're together they're generally lit as if they were watching the sun come up? Very pinkish. Eleanor: Some very beautiful golden hour lighting for our beautiful couple 😍 Trotwood: I'm in a very mellow mood. I have been away from Husband for so long. I don't even know where my glitter is. I've lost the research file I have for international advertising costs and aerial banners). I'm going to be a regular commentator now. Just watch and see. 

kakashi: Life-lessons need to be learned in this episode. And Xu Xu shows everyone just how incredibly tough she is. Respect. JoAnne: Wow, I completely forgot about this... I'm sorry Husband! I'm sorry Ji Bai! I'm sorry XuXu and Yao Meng! Trotwood: I'm going to admit that the first time I watched this I fastforwarded because I could not concentrate until I found out what happened to Husband. Thus, I am giving permission to people to scroll down without reading first. Eleanor: So many good things in this episode! 

kakashi: A wrong judgment and things go to hell. We are reminded once again how dangerous the work is these people do. Death is always only one step away. Eleanor: This show. Such. Beautiful. Cinematography. And filters. Ah! I just love it! That shot says so much, doesn't it?!  JoAnne: She really just wants to give him comfort.  It seems like all she really thinks about, in retrospect, although I know it's not true. She's brave, and strong, and fiercely devoted. I like that this tiny woman is really a lioness, though she describes herself as a snail. Trotwood: Okay. I admit I have been dragging my feet on this one. Oh, Husband. This is a completely glitter free episode.

kakashi: The team moves against the human traffickers, and I want all of the criminals to BURN in the deepest depth of hell. Trotwood: Tell us how you really feel, Kakashi. Don't hold back. JoAnne: What's the opposite of glitter, Trot? Can we shoot them with a glitter can full of tiny burning nail points or something?  Little pieces of a black hole that, when it hits them, immediately shoots right through their bodies? Eleanor: What about burning hot nails? *tries to restrain myself* I guess though we have to treat criminals justly otherwise we're just as guilty *sigh* I really hate human traffickers. 

kakashi: Our team switches from Zishan to the human trafficking ring ... and finds out that they are closely connected. Yao Meng is put into danger and everyone is really tense. I hope nobody is hurt! It all seems so dangerous. Trotwood: Not Yao Meng! I'll be tossing tables if they do something to her. JoAnne: If you cover those tables with glitter first, you can kill two birds with one stone. Eleanor: Kakashi, I think I'm dead with that screencap (or maybe it's all the glitter I'm inhaling here ;))

kakashi: The real monster is revealed in this episode and yes, it's unexpected.  Trotwood: Most things are unexpected in this show except for how attractively shot everything is and how by the end of each episode I crave pancakes. JoAnne: Mmmm, pancakes. I like mine thinnish, and I don't mind the occasional crispy edge. Not crepe-thin, but thin. Shuk: [shaking her head at everyone's pancake obsession] So far I've really enjoyed the ride, whoever the villains turn out to be. Just give me more SnaiLion! Eleanor: I'm not sure if I found it completely unexpected, but the villain is much crueler and nastier than I supposed they could be. Ugh. People like that are so horrid. 

kakashi: New players and new leads. Is our team even one step closer to solving this? I'm not sure anymore. Trotwood: Usually, at this point in a drama, I want the good guys to be making more headway. Here I don't care because we are still learning even though the path towards truth seems to be making it harder and harder to get to it. It's like when you start to really clean, your place actually gets messier in the interim. That is what it's like. We are really doing a deep clean and sort and getting rid of the garbage both on the outside but within people as well. JoAnne: Sorry, say that again? I was looking at Ji Bai. Shuk: Things are getting complicated. But that's a good thing, I think. Eleanor: I think Jo is trying to steal my comments. 

kakashi: A confession is made, but doubt remains. Trotwood: I confess! I confess! I stockpiled pancake mix because of Husband. Oops. You weren't talking about my confession. Right. Nothing to see here, folks. Nothing to see. Just go below. JoAnne: I think XuXu is judging us. Eleanor: Pancakes do sound rather delicious, maybe XuXu is just thinking she might like to make pancakes with a certain Lion. 

kakashi: Step by step, Ji Bai and his team narrow the search for Ze Yixi's killer. Xu Xu observes ... mainly her shifu, determined to become his emotional support. Eleanor: Ji Bai! Ji Bai! Ji Bai! Xu Xu! Xu Xu! Xu Xu! I will gladly make cheerleader signs for them and the team. I think hanging out with Trot has definitely rubbed off on me. Of course we'll add some glitter to the signs too. Trotwood: It doesn't count if there is no glitter. JoAnne: I'm picturing edible glitter on Ji Bai's cheekbones, the tip of his nose, the edges of his ears, his Adam's apple... it's getting warm in here, isn't it? Shuk: [fans Jo and offers a tall frosty drink, reprenting our tall frosty man]

kakashi: Ye Zixi is dead and Ji Bai refuses to properly grieve for her. Instead, he wants to find her killer with such intensity, you can almost feel it through the screen. JoAnne: This works for me. Trotwood: Works for me, too (Getting heat protection for my computer by studying up on heat sink technology ) Eleanor: Works for me too, and well I'll be more than happy to be a shoulder to cry on Ji Bai. Shuk: I'm onboard as well. 

kakashi: An arrest is made and a life is lost - but how are these things connected? The drama still leaves us in the dark about basically everything. It's in fact why I like it that much. Eleanor: Me too! Me too! Don't worry Ji Bai, we all look as confused and puzzled as you do.  JoAnne: Sadly, we do not look as hot as you do. Shuk: [sigh]

kakashi: The show turns considerably darker in this episode and the case evolves once again, into a direction we could not have foreseen. As things get much more serious, Ji Bai is finally ready to work with Xu Xu. He knows that she is talented and I think he knows exactly how to use her talents in the future. Eleanor: Can I just say that I love Wang Kai's little grey wingtips in his hair there. They are so distinguished. The case really is interesting and I do quite like that they aren't afraid to look at the darker aspects of crime.  JoAnne: He looks like a golfer lining up his putt :) Is that grey? I thought it was just thinner/shorter there, a very conservative fade . Shuk: I just want to smooth those forehead wrinkles...

kakashi: We meet more people and realize that this kidnapping case isn't really just a kidnapping case. And what is going on in that Ye Corporation?! At least, Ji Bai gives Xu Xu another chance and she takes it very seriously. She wants to stay in that Major Crime Investigation Unit. And she has determination.  Trotwood: I felt for her here. I trained for six months to do an 8K, 23 obstacle, obstacle course race and still couldn't do those damn monkey bars. I do weigh probably 4 times her weight but still.  Eleanor: Trot, you are impressive. I am so unfit. I used to be super fit, like as in my tricep stuck out without flexing and I had great knee definition (yay for rowing)...now...I am ashamed *starts thinking about exercise routines* JoAnne: Just call me Tudou. Shuk: I lettered in Track in high school, but that was a looooooong time ago. Nowadays it's once a week at the pool and once a week at the gym, on average.

kakashi: Ji Bai and Xu Xu meet, but if first impressions matter, then this is a rather ill-fated pairing. She does something really careless, which makes him very angry. That's not good, seeing how he doesn't want her to be there in the first place. JoAnne: Think how epic the romance will have to be then, to overcome TWO obstacles! Trotwood; I watched but did not enjoy this episode because it's the episode I hate: when one of the main leads makes a serious (but sorta dumb) mistake. I was cringing from the beginning because I had a bad feeling about the whole thing. Not because I'm smart and figured out the case, but because I know dramas, and it was time for this part of the the story. Shuk: I'm looking forward to the interactions! Oh and more Wang Kai in dark sunglasses . Eleanor: Wasn't it just a little while ago that you were telling me you didn't like Wang Kai Shuk? ;) Oh those lovely eyebrows of his!   

kakashi: In episode 2, we start to wonder what this drama is actually about. We meet more people from the Ye family - these ones are unhappy too - and realize that it might very well be about them. But pay attention, people, just like Xu Xu, who observes everything and everyone in her quiet, analytical way. Eleanor: I really liked these shots of her and her perceptive observation. The Ye family seems rather like your stereotypical, really sad, rich family. Are rich families really all that unhappy? It would be nice if I could be super rich, and I could see if I could be a happy family haha XD  JoAnne: Apply for a grant to study whether being rich and being happy are mutually exclusive! Trotwood: I get the feeling most rich families are happy or at least as happy. Dramas just show all these unhappy people to make us feel better that we aren't rich. Shuk: I agree with Trot, although if you look at the history of anyone who has won the really big lottery jackpots, not many of...