Trinity of Shadows (2021)

The ending is not as simple as it seems

When I initially finished this, I have rated it 7. Plot developed too slowly and that weird ending, is so laughable I was thinking there should be a season 2-- Trinity of Shadows: Revenge of the Ghost. And it can be supernatural horror..... ^^"

But now that I realized what the story is actually about, I increased my rating to 8.5

It is still not perfect becos 1) drama is too long, the pacing could have been tighter. 2) for a plot twist, this is so not obvious that about 50% of viewers would have missed it! In this age of instant gratifications and abundant dramas, a script that is too mind boggling.... few would take the time to ponder and understand that ending -_-"

----MAJOR SPOILERS----

Well, that ending stuck in my head... Felt like there were some details that I have missed. Is the ending really so stupid? So I went to Douban (I understand Chinese) to read what others wrote on the drama, and saw a post on the ending, a different point of view that made perfect sense!

I shan't say what it is but let's recap over the story--

At drama start, it had hinted at serial murders, that FL's father was not the actual murderer but covering for someone. And that the murderer was still free, and might be back to killing prostitutes in the same manner. Then as plot develops, we know that is not true....

Then in ep 13, Dong revealed who was the murderer. And becos of his words and the developments we thought, yes, that is the truth!! But think about it, Dong wasn't there when the murder happened, he had only assumed what had happened....

We, the viewers, are led on by Dong's assumption but what if he was wrong?

Think about it, if she was the murderer, there's some details that don't fit logical human behaviour:-

Why did he willingly sacrificed himself to cover up for her? And why did she run away? Since he sacrificed himself, shouldn't she had stayed back to take care of her?

The only rational reasoning is, both of them were not motivated to sacrifice or ran due to guilt, both their actions were in fact motivated out of fear. The shock and fear on what really happened....

Yang realized the truth at the end too. Which is why we saw that last scene, them moving back into the house.....

I thought I was watching an investigative mystery but it is actually a psychological thriller with a creepy, horrifying ending.

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"Hatred is a creature with sharp teeth that bites when you least expect it"

Trinity of Shadows is a misnomer. This drama was more shadow than light, with far more sides than three. Nearly everyone was walking around with their personal pain bubble eating away at them. Not your typical serial killer story, but not always coherently laid out either.

Hsu Tzu Wei is a no-nonsense squad captain with a dark past. She unleashes hell on any man that dares to bully or harm a woman. Chen Chia Hao has been on the force for three years, he harbors dark secrets that motivate him to investigate. Yang Chi Hsiao is a city councilor running for re-election. Despite his constant battle against corruption, he too, hides a painful secret. A closed case links the three with a dangerous presence who has plans for all of them.

This drama had plenty of twists and turns, slowly unfolded to keep the audience in the dark. All the major characters who graced the screen were in desperate need of therapy. There was no soft place for any of them to land, and instead of seeking out healthy relationships they were drawn to each other like a magnet to steel. Impulse control was in short supply to be sure. The bad guy pulling all the strings desperately wanted someone to blame but never looked inward to see his own role in his self-destruction.

I don’t want to go into the story or even my praise or concerns too much so as not to spoil anything. By the tenth episode it did feel like the script was running off the rails. The scenarios became more convoluted. Not that I’m against that, as the melodrama and pain levels were ramped up to impossible levels by the last shot. I would have preferred a few more questions answered and the ending to be clearer so that I didn’t have to go back and watch it twice. I don’t think I’ve ever watched a drama filled with so many overtly traumatized characters suffering from deeply festering hatred. Just like dead bodies-that hatred was bound to come to the surface just when they thought it was dead and buried.

22 June 2026
Trigger Warnings:
Sexual situations. A rather graphically implied sexual assault that was disturbing. Again, heavily suggested by word and camera angles--hacked up bodies. Smoking. Suicide. Torture. Drug use. Sex workers.

Major Spoiler Comments Below:



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Seriously, major spoilers below









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Abandon all hope if you have not watched this drama





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Finally warning----







Through the whole drama I really worried that Hsu would end up being the killer from 23 years ago. But even after the final scenes, Yang seemed convinced her mom did it. Hsu was willing to turn herself in for Dong’s death (why????? He was a murderer, stalker, and was threatening them) and have her mom turn herself in for the murder 23 years ago. The mom left after the murder instead of staying with Hsu or taking her to Hong Kong with her which would have seemed more logical if Hsu had been the killer.

Hsu and Yang had to move into the godforsaken house because the body was buried in the yard. Talk about eternal torment. I also wondered if her mom was underground as well, but guess she got an Uber out of the house before the cops arrived, or more likely Dong’s car. Whose pink purse did Hsu throw away? I didn’t see anyone carry it in the present or past. Who wants to bet that Hsu and Yang either end up a double suicide or a murder-suicide? Or she’s institutionalized because it looked like she C-r-a-c-k-e-d. Yang kept yammering on like nothing was wrong. These people were very good at burying bodies and feelings.

And finally, not sure Chen Chia Hao should have been listed as a main character since he was off-screen after episode 10. Talk about burying feelings and bodies! Liu Kuan Ting is only 2 years younger than Sandrine Pinna, why did she keep referring to him as a kid instead of just rookie? Everyone has their kink---Chen hooked up with sex workers, Hsu and Yang always seemed to do the deed in front of windows.

This was one dark, demented drama with several killers. Who could ever look at a suitcase the same way?

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