noor1234

Yeah, I've never seen a desert as a character & used without CGI in C-drama this year. Shots were beautiful.

ok!

Ep. 18: Is beautiful. The nicest 5 year time jump that could've been filmed. I'll miss cute Sen, adult Sen doesn't talk to ML either! I was surprised he didn't tell FL. I like the sense of purpose in both ML & FL. I like FL being in charge. Her scene with mom was nicely managed. I miss FL+ML reunification scene, couldn't he have sent a secret letter? She never found out he got injured getting the most innocuous of gifts ever (biscuits!), & I wondered whether fireworks were from him, and not even a glimpse! Their eventual meetup better live up to expectations. I'm not minding anything, just it was a beautiful episode. Wistful. Songs sound better now.

I also like the subtle contrast that the drama showed in FL & SFL: FL is 24-yo-unmarried woman (hence, past her prime in a way, in this kind of world) but has 3 county merits, established school, restored dead soldiers sticks, uniforms, etc. and doesn't need ML's name to get through a door or get respect in a social setting. Plus, the education & grace shows as confidence & self-worth. Then there is SFL who looks and acts pedantic, is consumed with putting people down, currying favors from shallow upper class women who don't even respect her renowned scholarly dad & instead of listening attentively, ask her about her husband instead! What is special in her is her dad & her husband & his family. What is special in FL is entirely of her own making, without being aggressive, loud or b*tchy (like other dramaland heroines).

Oooh, ok. Let's see.

'or face a situation where fulfilling 孝 is impossible (I suspect this is the direction the plot will take)' - how? Do tell your theory.

Uncle even has grandma's big mural on his wall....

Yeah and I'm glad they showed the inner struggle & then the pressure to do wrong thing just because everyone does it, & actually doing the wrong thing. It shows ML as a human being who can trip, rather than a goody-two-shoes 'hero' who can never do any wrong. I couldn't believe he did it, but it made him very real.

Btw, I've run out of the number of times ML has nearly been killed / sentenced to death in this drama - it started from Ep. 1 & we are only at Ep.18 in a 36 ep. drama!

Thanks for the explanation - I still don't like it but ok, what can I do about it!

Ep. 17: Extremely intense, very cold ep. Very good acting by ML & others.

Ep. 21-22 trailer: I don't like that ML has to lower himself just to get accepted by FL's family / uncle / administrator to get approval for marriage. It's unfair to show FL again in the clutches of yet another family who decide who she ends up with. I thought family register allowed her to be free of maternal or paternal male members. I see this in nearly every C-drama, greedy relatives of women, a guy has everything & still the female lead's family throws hoops for him to climb & has all kinds of 'requirements.' I thought this couple would have a different route & make their own decisions.

That scene has 2 meanings IMO: 1) to show how much she actually loves ML, that she's willing to let bygones be bygones & remove the one proof that exonerated her & could threaten Shameless SML & Yu. 2) It's to show she wants a fresh start with ML without the past hanging over their lives - she doesn't want to wallow in self-pity or anger that anyone exploited her whether it was grandma/SML/Yu/Zuo etc. It's time to move on with new life & build new memories. She literally burnt her past in that move.

Yeah, I rewinded it just to see the maid's reaction! He had said 'is it wrong to ask for someone to understand me?' - that's when she gave that incredulous AYFR expression.

No, FL would've fared better. Having such a controlling narcissistic m-i-l rooting for you & liking you would've been a benefit to FL. SFL does not have m-i-l's support, that is part of reason why her husband has grown distant, m-i-l is further playing games to isolate her, even her housemaid has changed in behavior. SFL's mom wanted FL, so she would've treated her better.

Plus, FL would've handled the cards differently - she would've known how to be around m-i-l, how to 'bow' & not 'usurp' m-i-l's position, how to support SML's career, she most certainly would not have looked down upon old books!!!! In fact she would've bought old books for him to study!!!

BUT I believe she would've been extremely lonely & unloved & unhappy in that house, inspite of doing her duty, to SML, to m-i-l, f-i-l and the society. There is NO WARMTH, NO GENUINE CARE in SML's house. His mother treats everyone like a piece of property to be cashed & taken advantage of or put into place where she wants people to be. The husband does not live with wife. The son is also selfish & self-serving - and has complete disregard for people's lives btw.

Look at FL's life right now, she is surrounded by strangers from the maid to ML & his buddies, to even army wives, but ALL of them genuinely care & respect each other. There's togetherness & ML is a gem really, a very good human being. She didn't have that in her family nor would she have had that in SML's house.

Lady Yu is not a classy anything - she's a vicious self-serving woman who only wants power & wants to hold on to power - her husband & son are the same. They are clout-chasers. I have not liked that woman since Ep. 1, a person who thinks she's better than the rest, can pick anyone up, can destroy anyone - she is no.1 reason why her son is detached from his wife - she is further isolating his wife - what kind of mother plays these sort of petty games just to maintain her ego & control? She is not a smart woman either, making your entire family miserable - son & d-i-l - is not smartness. She doesn't even live with the husband. Her son & husband are just like her. They are not good people either.

I think everyone incl. sidekick could see that taking merit for civilian kills by a ruthless dead officer (whom he had seen being bad btw) and putting it on ML would lead to disaster for ML & his 3 friends in army. This was a weak plot point. The sidekick was too intelligent & not really that desperate to fall for this kind of fakery. I don't see how that sidekick makes it out alive from this 'confession.'

The bottom line is they are on their own, no one will come rescue them, no one is asking about them, no one cares - king & his secretary don't.

That's a nice line: best revenge is a life well-lived. Okay!

T.S., I hate to break this to you but ML is NOT being 'personally groomed' for anything. Prince's secretary gave him an LoR, that's it. It's the equivalent of modern 'To Whom It May Concern' letter. Have you seen anyone inquiring about ML from the capital? No, right? He had that LoR with him the first day he waited 4 hours to just be introduced to head of camp. It was a 'calling card' even then - it only got him a job, that's it. That is what that card was for anyways. ML/FL are alone & fighting for their lives every single day.

He is not the only guy that Prince 'rewarded' - I am sure prince routinely gets helped by plenty of people & gets his secretary to arrange appropriate rewards. You are making this couple sound like something special, that prince - now king - would remember them from today to next week.

Prince-now-king needs men in his corner, but he is not going to call ML or FL. They are nobodies he met along the way. They may come in handy IF their paths cross again OR IF they are needed for an assignment. The secret letter FL got was most probably from her uncle in capital OR her mom OR some other connection - it said prince is now king & she should get ML in capital asap. It most certainly was not from king's secretary or king. King & his secretary don't have time for people sitting in border towns. They have courtiers to manage.

As for ignoring ML's connection / LoR from prince-now-king, yes, everyone has ignored it. That LoR was only good to get him through the door - to get a job - not a guarantee for safety or advancement. Head of camp had prepared his name for promotion - BUT son of a sitting minister - who himself is a 3-exam topper/ scholar in imperial exams - came & took an issue with ML. Head of camp is not going to pick a fight with or go against the son of a sitting minister just for ML - ML has no backing - everyone looks at their own self-interest. You say ML has prince-now-king as a connection - no, he does not. Prince-now-king has not deputed anyone to ask / inquire about this couple. They are alone. And it is entirely up to them to get out of this town in one piece alive! No king or secretary is going to come rescue them.

I'll give you another example: remember Shameless/ SML said to ML that if king finds out FL is actually Fu & ran away with a smuggler while betrothed to a minister's son, it will damage FL & ML - he was right. It can damage their rep because king is not going to take their side in a court full of 'honorable' men who look up to king to uphold customs. It's another story that this will never be revealed (king only knows that this couple 'were in love,' he doesn't know she eloped/arches stuff, lady Yu was a would-be M-I-L). ML & FL's position is very weak, socially, status-wise, in food chain & even as man & woman.

Shameless SML & SFL don't deserve death - they deserve ruin, at least Shameless does. SFL is digging problems for her own self, so she is punishment for her own self.

Ok, but I wanted her to suffer. I didn't mean FL should take revenge, I just wanted to see her suffer.

? He didn't get to Zuo widow's bro in these episodes, it was Zuo herself who first threw him in jail & then killed him.