My main draw in this show was Zhang Mingen, of course, so for me, the drama was at its best when it was about Guo Deyou & Ding Mao fighting side by side, them against the world.

Which is why I liked the first half best. When the Preacher then arrived and Guo Deyou & Ding Mao were split, each following his own storyline and with a heavy focus on Guo Deyou - who was the lead, so no wonder - I admit I started to lose interest a bit. Still, Ding Mao’s endless trust in Guo Deyou, even when everyone else turned against him, that was a thing to behold, really. And the ending, the last moments of the final ep, made me very emotional.

Guo Deyou, Ding Mao, Gu Ying & Xiao Lanlan, their friendship, the way they went through thick and thin together, the way they supported each other and had each other’s back, that neither Ding Mao, nor Xiao Lanlan, both born into wealth, were ashamed of their working class friends, that they all as a group respected each other’s… well, idiosyncrasies… that gave me much feels.

Also, I wish I could get my hands on the OST. The instrumental tracks, so very similar to Sherlock Holmes’ - both Ritchie’s and Moffat’s - they just hit the right spot for me. Alas, it’s not available anywhere. Pah, humbug!