The drama is painfully slow. At times, it feels as if the screenwriter was half asleep while writing—or perhaps…
I disagree. 1. Whoever wrote this (original) drama is a pro in story-telling. There's a great balance between its multiple genres. The core plot - consisting of actions related to the investigation of a cold case and progression of a pivotal relationship between the leads - is masterfully fragmented into parts and filled with twists and subplots: ML's amnesia, toxic family and power dynamics, tea plantation business, selection-competition of a husband in a matriarchal environment, investigation of a fresh murder case, local authority corruption and related entanglements...Each subplot contains smth original, refreshing and functional to explain and deepen the (mainly grey) characters, including the side characters, making Glory an ensemble drama, too. What you feel as "nobody stands out" is a normal effect of the ensemble genre drama with a focus on dynamics and interconnections between multiple characters, multiple perspectives and multiple arcs. Don't worry, someone will stand out in the end, we've seen only 1/3 of the story. 2. I don't know what do you mean with "slow". If it is a pacing... the fault is with the director, not the screenwriter. I don't feel anything wrong with the pacing, I'm watching it at normal speed. If it is a slow solution of an issue, it is called: suspense. Normal in investigation genre dramas and Glory can be counted as such, too. 3. I agree that the backstage, music and props are great and the costumes are stunning, but where you don't see any flaw, an eye distinguishing different dynasties' fashion styles is pierced each time a vest, a coat and decoration from Qing period appears on the screen and it didn't occur once. Even the overall aesthetics is tendentially mixing the Ming style with Tingqua 19th century style (even the poster is more Tingqua than Ming) 4. ML. I don't see any difference in his beahviour before and druing the amnesia: he was smart and cunning before and is smart and cunning during his amnesia. 5. I wonder which narrative choices would you have made to tell this story. I think we are all here inpatiently awaiting for ep 13 to air because the narrative choice here totally hooked us.
did it get any better from ep 18? i stopped After 17 & hesitating to drop
I've endured till the mid ep 22. Really can't take any more. I won't downrate this drama, there were interesting things in the story which... isn't written properly. The FL is written fine, and even performed better, the SML is also written as an interesting character (and performed by an outstanding actor), ML is written so, so, but all the support characters are written badly or hm, except the Cat demon. The plot also has its high and low peaks, but at this point, the lows outnumber the highs, so I'll drop it here
Mrs Yang, "Lan", is Yang DC's relative, probably his aunt. She was probably abused by her husband (surnamed Wei), but she wasn't killed by him. Someone fabricated that story she was killed showing (false, male) bones as a proof. Highly probably the Yangs, bc they could have legitimately claim Wei's tea plantation as a compensation for the crime. Mrs Yang was more useful to them dead than alive, so that's probably the reason why she hid elsewhere. This false-murder story could have not been fabricated without the help of the authorities (the fatty prefect and maybe even the governor). As Wei committed suicide in jail stating his innocence, the emperor ordered a retrial and the case was assigned to Lu.
1. it seems we can rule out only the leads (they've got better things to do that night, like sleeping in the same…
No, Yang suitor was Yang the bull, considered "outstanding". His younger twin bro, YY, adopted by his uncle, just wanted him dead as he can prove he's outstanding. He has a chance for that now, as he (and probably his "father", too) know RSB hid their relative, her top secret discovered by the "bull" and the reason why he blackmailed her to marry him. His exact appearence as his twin bro may have smth to do with the murder (the exact hour and the way how he was murdered), but we still don't have details about it
1. it seems we can rule out only the leads (they've got better things to do that night, like sleeping in the same…
well, we suppose it was Uncle Yang who called the official. Alternatively, the authority could have been early called even by some of the sisters/suitors, people from B) option, who happened to discover the murder while plotting smth else, thinking it was RBS who ordered his killing or, even if she didn't, she'll get into trouble because of it. If it was Uncle Yang, then their collusion with the prefect is the only logical explanation. What they've got from the "cold case" was a material interest: Wei's tea plantations (supposedly as a form of compensation for the death of Mrs Yang). Wei probably abused his wife (the reason why RSB gave her shelter giving her an identity of Yanwan's nanny , they've both lived in her courtyard and were totally ignored by the rest of the household), but he didn't kill her. So, they've fabricated the corpse/bones (which belonged to a male) and the entire story having the prefect and his corrupted underlings as their backing. As Lu was reinvestigating the whole thing, the prefect ought to liquidate him, hiding the fact he was killed under their territorial competence and stating he was urgently called in the capital with the help of Lu's sidekick who entered the new role and approached the prefect who didn't know this guy was instructed to do so by Lu. Now, when the Yang family knows it was RSB who sheltered Mrs Yang (and who probably asked the only reliable person for help, bc maybe even the members of her own family were after her life, given the fact she was more useful to them dead than alive), they can wrap up the whole thing
I also suspect Yangs the most. But if they did it, why would they call the public authority so soon? Unless they are in some sort of collusion with the prefect, the risk of revealing the secret is very high.
1. it seems we can rule out only the leads (they've got better things to do that night, like sleeping in the same…
It could be C) case, indeed. But there's a problem with this hypothesis, bc. the person who killed kim most likely took the beads bracelet. RSB's person didn't find the bracelet. That's why I suspect people around Yang (servants or family) the most (A case). Ofc., even this hypothesis has a problem: people who called the authority were the Yangs. Unless they are in a collusion with the fatty prefect, would they dare to risk the truth about the cold case being exposed with the intervention of public authority?
Lets' try to delude ourselves thinking Mango left us with no eps tomorrow in order to process what we've seen…
1. it seems we can rule out only the leads (they've got better things to do that night, like sleeping in the same bed, lol). The Yang bull seems to be still alive when Shanbao returned to her chamber, he seemed to be standing alive behind the door, when she changed her mind and decided to go to LJL's chamber 2. The target. A) If the killer's target was Yang, than he/she must have known he was alone in the chamber. This hypothesis restricts the range of killers to those who have known she wasn't in the room. B) If the killer hasn't known this fact, then the target could have been: both Yang and Shanbao. Among all the suitors, as far as we know, only He freak had a motivation (=personal hatred) to kill them both. He could have had an accomplice among the sisters: either the 2nd (with whom he met privately in a coach) or the "blind" sister (and they've faked the scene in which he was insulting her). C) Murder wasn't premeditated but an accident. 3. The reason why Shanbao decided not to enter the chamber may be she had already instructed someone to take away the bead-bracelet belonging to Yanwan's nanny which proves she's Mrs Yang from the cold wife-murder case Lu was investigating. From RSB's talk with her maid, we know this bracelet was not found. Meaning: someone of RSB's people was looking for them. It could have been Yanwan's nanny, who entered the chamber trying to reason with her relative (probably her nephew or smth like that), he was drunk, they've fought and he ended up killed by accident. Yanwan saw her nanny entering the chamber, went into it and left her footprint in a pool of blood. In that case, the murder was C). Another option are people around Yang, they've also known RSB wasn't in the room. And as they've known about the bracelet, they could have taken it. Eg. the Yang's servant, who was order by Yang to take the bracelet "to his family" in order to confirm it belonged to Mrs. Yang. It means his family knew their wanted relative was sheltered in the Rong mansion. Either his uncle or his twin bro could have ordered this servant to kill him or to let them in to commit the murder in order to obtain the bracelet, as the exposure of the nanny's secret would damage more the Yangs than the Rongs (the Yangs namely took over the plantations of Mrs Yang's husband, Wei). That would explain also the fact how fast they've appeared at the Rong's mansion. In that case, the murder would be A).
Lets' try to delude ourselves thinking Mango left us with no eps tomorrow in order to process what we've seen till this point. The main open issue at the moment is whodunit. Although we don't have forensic data like the exact time of the death, its cause etc, lets' analyse what we know...
when he got the ring back he remembered more details like how he killed the constable and all.. but about rest…
maybe he remembered he was imperial inspector investigating a cold case for which the emperor ordered a retrial. As for the tribute tea... I remember the old lady Rong commenting on governor's request for that very tea as a tribute to him as well and all others saying: "who does he think he is?"
Ok, crazy theory but! what if he's not amnesiac anymore? I recall a scene from the trailer where he grabs a branch…
Your theory is not crazy at all. Whether he remembers (fully or partiallt) or not, he'll end up solving that cold case mystery. He accidentaly ended up in the house he wanted to investigate in search of that Mrs Yang (and who's highly probably Yanwan's nanny). I think his memory is gradually recovering and is very eager to hide that fact from the FL to avoid being ousted from the mansion. Yes, he is an excellent pretender.
Can anyone tell me why yunwan's bracelet made her select Yang? It doesn't make sense to me why a bracelet is such…
I've rewatched the scene, The beads are not Yunwan's, they belong to the nanny. Who is highly probably Mrs Yang from the cold case Lu was investigating after the imperial order for its retrial (bc her husband died in prison and the Yangs took over his family plantations). A woman who wasn't murdered but sheltered in the Rong mansion. So, this Yang bull, as a member of the nanny's birth family, recognized her beads and by showing them to the FL, he said: you must marry bc I have smth on you. The owner of this beads is a researched person
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1. Whoever wrote this (original) drama is a pro in story-telling. There's a great balance between its multiple genres. The core plot - consisting of actions related to the investigation of a cold case and progression of a pivotal relationship between the leads - is masterfully fragmented into parts and filled with twists and subplots: ML's amnesia, toxic family and power dynamics, tea plantation business, selection-competition of a husband in a matriarchal environment, investigation of a fresh murder case, local authority corruption and related entanglements...Each subplot contains smth original, refreshing and functional to explain and deepen the (mainly grey) characters, including the side characters, making Glory an ensemble drama, too. What you feel as "nobody stands out" is a normal effect of the ensemble genre drama with a focus on dynamics and interconnections between multiple characters, multiple perspectives and multiple arcs. Don't worry, someone will stand out in the end, we've seen only 1/3 of the story.
2. I don't know what do you mean with "slow". If it is a pacing... the fault is with the director, not the screenwriter. I don't feel anything wrong with the pacing, I'm watching it at normal speed. If it is a slow solution of an issue, it is called: suspense. Normal in investigation genre dramas and Glory can be counted as such, too.
3. I agree that the backstage, music and props are great and the costumes are stunning, but where you don't see any flaw, an eye distinguishing different dynasties' fashion styles is pierced each time a vest, a coat and decoration from Qing period appears on the screen and it didn't occur once. Even the overall aesthetics is tendentially mixing the Ming style with Tingqua 19th century style (even the poster is more Tingqua than Ming)
4. ML. I don't see any difference in his beahviour before and druing the amnesia: he was smart and cunning before and is smart and cunning during his amnesia.
5. I wonder which narrative choices would you have made to tell this story. I think we are all here inpatiently awaiting for ep 13 to air because the narrative choice here totally hooked us.
I won't downrate this drama, there were interesting things in the story which... isn't written properly. The FL is written fine, and even performed better, the SML is also written as an interesting character (and performed by an outstanding actor), ML is written so, so, but all the support characters are written badly or hm, except the Cat demon.
The plot also has its high and low peaks, but at this point, the lows outnumber the highs, so I'll drop it here
She was probably abused by her husband (surnamed Wei), but she wasn't killed by him. Someone fabricated that story she was killed showing (false, male) bones as a proof. Highly probably the Yangs, bc they could have legitimately claim Wei's tea plantation as a compensation for the crime. Mrs Yang was more useful to them dead than alive, so that's probably the reason why she hid elsewhere.
This false-murder story could have not been fabricated without the help of the authorities (the fatty prefect and maybe even the governor).
As Wei committed suicide in jail stating his innocence, the emperor ordered a retrial and the case was assigned to Lu.
His exact appearence as his twin bro may have smth to do with the murder (the exact hour and the way how he was murdered), but we still don't have details about it
If it was Uncle Yang, then their collusion with the prefect is the only logical explanation. What they've got from the "cold case" was a material interest: Wei's tea plantations (supposedly as a form of compensation for the death of Mrs Yang). Wei probably abused his wife (the reason why RSB gave her shelter giving her an identity of Yanwan's nanny , they've both lived in her courtyard and were totally ignored by the rest of the household), but he didn't kill her. So, they've fabricated the corpse/bones (which belonged to a male) and the entire story having the prefect and his corrupted underlings as their backing. As Lu was reinvestigating the whole thing, the prefect ought to liquidate him, hiding the fact he was killed under their territorial competence and stating he was urgently called in the capital with the help of Lu's sidekick who entered the new role and approached the prefect who didn't know this guy was instructed to do so by Lu.
Now, when the Yang family knows it was RSB who sheltered Mrs Yang (and who probably asked the only reliable person for help, bc maybe even the members of her own family were after her life, given the fact she was more useful to them dead than alive), they can wrap up the whole thing
That's why I suspect people around Yang (servants or family) the most (A case). Ofc., even this hypothesis has a problem: people who called the authority were the Yangs. Unless they are in a collusion with the fatty prefect, would they dare to risk the truth about the cold case being exposed with the intervention of public authority?
2. The target. A) If the killer's target was Yang, than he/she must have known he was alone in the chamber. This hypothesis restricts the range of killers to those who have known she wasn't in the room. B) If the killer hasn't known this fact, then the target could have been: both Yang and Shanbao. Among all the suitors, as far as we know, only He freak had a motivation (=personal hatred) to kill them both. He could have had an accomplice among the sisters: either the 2nd (with whom he met privately in a coach) or the "blind" sister (and they've faked the scene in which he was insulting her). C) Murder wasn't premeditated but an accident.
3. The reason why Shanbao decided not to enter the chamber may be she had already instructed someone to take away the bead-bracelet belonging to Yanwan's nanny which proves she's Mrs Yang from the cold wife-murder case Lu was investigating. From RSB's talk with her maid, we know this bracelet was not found. Meaning: someone of RSB's people was looking for them. It could have been Yanwan's nanny, who entered the chamber trying to reason with her relative (probably her nephew or smth like that), he was drunk, they've fought and he ended up killed by accident. Yanwan saw her nanny entering the chamber, went into it and left her footprint in a pool of blood. In that case, the murder was C).
Another option are people around Yang, they've also known RSB wasn't in the room. And as they've known about the bracelet, they could have taken it. Eg. the Yang's servant, who was order by Yang to take the bracelet "to his family" in order to confirm it belonged to Mrs. Yang. It means his family knew their wanted relative was sheltered in the Rong mansion. Either his uncle or his twin bro could have ordered this servant to kill him or to let them in to commit the murder in order to obtain the bracelet, as the exposure of the nanny's secret would damage more the Yangs than the Rongs (the Yangs namely took over the plantations of Mrs Yang's husband, Wei). That would explain also the fact how fast they've appeared at the Rong's mansion. In that case, the murder would be A).
Did I miss smth important?
As for the tribute tea... I remember the old lady Rong commenting on governor's request for that very tea as a tribute to him as well and all others saying: "who does he think he is?"
I think his memory is gradually recovering and is very eager to hide that fact from the FL to avoid being ousted from the mansion. Yes, he is an excellent pretender.
So, this Yang bull, as a member of the nanny's birth family, recognized her beads and by showing them to the FL, he said: you must marry bc I have smth on you. The owner of this beads is a researched person