… and you’ll find a picture of Wei Ming.

(His parents deserve a footnote, too.)

“Alliance” is a story about unlikely friendships, perseverance, autonomy, and dysfunctional families. This drama is also a master class in show versus tell, making crystal clear which characters the viewers should like/despise via solid acting and in-depth looks into their lives. Li Zefeng plays Wei Ming--douchebag extraordinaire--a manipulative sleazebag without any redeeming qualities. Zhang Xiaofei plays Lin Shuang, a talented programmer turned mother/housewife who is forced to come to her senses, see his true colors, and subsequently redefine herself. Jenny Zhang plays Jiang Xi, a young woman dragged down by her family and seeks security and refuge from the wrong person: a married man.

The drama depicts its antagonists as exhaustively despicable and shameless. Wei Ming and his parents are hypocritical, greedy, and manipulative schemers. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Jiang Xi’s mother is another piece of work that deserves her fair share of karma. Does that make for compelling characters and good television? Depends on your taste and for me, at least, how well other elements are handled.

The alliance between Lin Shuang and Jiang Xi requires some initial suspension of disbelief. The writers do a great job of showing us how Lin Shuang realizes Wei Ming is the main problem and that she approaches Jiang Xi out of desperation to obtain leverage in a divorce. That said, it’s still a big ask for viewers to accept. It helps that viewers see Lin Shuang, through flashbacks to her past, as a pragmatic person with high standards who single-mindedly pursues and achieves her goals. More credibility is established when Jiang Xi wavers along the way and hiccups occur. The appearance of a new mistress also helps solidify their alliance. Once viewers move past that initial hurdle, their friendship, support, and positive influence on each other is a beautiful sight to behold.

I suspect many viewers will find their tolerance tested—as mine was—while waiting for Wei Ming’s comeuppance. The longer the wait, the bigger the payoff should be, and herein lies my main critique. Wei Ming’s downfall was disproportionate to the amount of his BS viewers had to stomach. That includes his parents, too. (Forgive me for thirsting for more schadenfreude.) That said, all story threads were resolved well—and that’s no easy feat, especially since so many shows mishandle endings. Lin Shuang took the high road, as befitting her character, to live her best life without him and her influence rubbed off on Jiang Xi, whose growth and transformation made her the show’s dark horse.

This drama offers insight and wisdom about women who persevere even when their families drag them down, the resilience it takes to overcome crises, the wonders of (unexpected) friendships, and the strength found in solidarity and sisterhood. Zhou Shen’s ending theme song—and especially the lyrics—deserves a special mention as well. (He rarely disappoints!)