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history3_trapped2020-01-18 03:05 pm
yantantether) wrote in history3_trapped2020-01-18 03:05 pm
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Discussion post - episode 5
The episode begins with Meng Shao Fei and Ah-De busting in on Andy and Tang Yi. In the scene that follows Meng Shao Fei is mildly obnoxious, Andy is brilliantly sarcastic, and a bit of (a lot of) Tang Yi is clearly loving being fought over. Next we see Meng Shao Fei angrily eating lunch with Tang Yi and Ah-De, and the atmosphere is so tense that it even gets through to Ah-De - he makes his excuses and goes to wait outside.
Meng Shao Fei is acting VERY jealous of Andy (and to be fair, that's exactly what Tang Yi was going for all along.) I love the way the moment is punctured by Tang Yi calling him on it and Meng Shao Fei just admitting that, yes, he is jealous, before unconvincingly trying to take it back. And then Tang Yi diverts him from his obsessive ramblings by taking a drink of his coke (the Coke of Symbolism.) Meng Shao Fei points out that his saliva is in it and Tang Yi LICKS HIS LIPS and drinks some more and it's, uh. Yep, that's VERY intimate and emblematic of just how happy he'd be to get a taste of Meng Shao Fei (in a NUMBER of ways) for real.
Zhao Zi comes over to Tang Yi's house to install the new security cameras and starts feeling up the chest of one of Tang Yi's minions. Jack CANNOT BELIEVE his luck.
"Are you one of those guys who looks skinny with their clothes on and muscular when naked?" ZHAO!! ZI!! (Side note: I wonder how much we're meant to take Zhao Zi's flirting with Jack as conscious and intentional? I feel like maybe not so much, though I prefer to lean towards interpreting it that way.)
Jack guides Zhao Zi's hand to his chest and Zhao Zi gets *right* in there.
And knowing the groping was Kenny's idea makes this scene even better. Zhao Zi talks about how he took up the dangerous job of being a cop because tuition was free at the police academy and his grandma didn't have much money, and it is just so sweet and heart-breaking and entirely him. You can see Jack MELTING as he speaks.
And then! Zhao Zi falls from the ladder and he and Jack plummet into the pool. Zhao Zi then gets a little distracted.
Zuo Hong Ye arrives and looks understandably annoyed to find Henchman Number Two cuddling a random boy in the swimming pool.
Concerned about the number of cops there are now cluttering up the place while flirting madly, she vents to Gu Dao Yi. Then she comes onto him but he lets her down gently (while looking extremely tempted) and escapes to make coffee.
Tang Yi goes to the hospital for a very suggestive-sounding massage from Dr Jiang, while Meng Shao Fei goes loopy with jealousy outside. Back at the house, there's a nice moment where Meng Shao Fei acknowledges that he's angry at himself for being jealous of other people getting to touch Tang Yi. Tang Yi responds by simply offering himself up to be touched.
This is a super sexy moment because... he's putting himself on a plate for you right there, Meng Shao Fei! But Meng Shao Fei can't quite let himself do it, not yet.
Later, Ah-De tries to warn Tang Yi about Meng Shao Fei's feelings for him (which is OBVIOUSLY not going to go well) and Tang Yi threatens to transfer him if he doesn't drop it. The next day, Zuo Hong Ye steals Meng Shao Fei from Tang Yi to be her shopping escort. There follows a pretty cute scene of her making him give his opinions on her purchases and running him ragged around the mall. If it wasn't for what follows, you could start to get such a clear picture of a future where they're bickering in-laws who actually really care about each other underneath. Obviously, that's the moment someone starts shooting at them.
At the hospital, Tang Yi cradles Zuo Hong Ye and looks utterly devastated when he learns Meng Shao Fei is badly injured. Captain Shi bulldozes up to him and starts shaking him by the lapels and Tang Yi just lets him do it. Then he goes to town with a knuckleduster on the shooter, one of Chen Wen Hao's minions, and it's honestly pretty scary.
But THEN we find out that Zuo Hong Ye and Ah-De have been conspiring to get rid of Meng Shao Fei (although Ah-De was just meant to have him beaten up, and the would-be assassin got there first.) Zuo Hong Ye makes it clear their conspiracy is at an end (we've seen previously that Jack is clearly suspicious of Ah-De, and Gu Dao Yi is obviously also clued into what's going on.) Then Zuo Hong Ye tearfully confesses her feelings to Gu Dao Yi, while he looks quietly devastated.
The episode ends with Tang Yi at Meng Shao Fei's bedside, holding his hand.
♥♥♥
Meng Shao Fei is acting VERY jealous of Andy (and to be fair, that's exactly what Tang Yi was going for all along.) I love the way the moment is punctured by Tang Yi calling him on it and Meng Shao Fei just admitting that, yes, he is jealous, before unconvincingly trying to take it back. And then Tang Yi diverts him from his obsessive ramblings by taking a drink of his coke (the Coke of Symbolism.) Meng Shao Fei points out that his saliva is in it and Tang Yi LICKS HIS LIPS and drinks some more and it's, uh. Yep, that's VERY intimate and emblematic of just how happy he'd be to get a taste of Meng Shao Fei (in a NUMBER of ways) for real.
Zhao Zi comes over to Tang Yi's house to install the new security cameras and starts feeling up the chest of one of Tang Yi's minions. Jack CANNOT BELIEVE his luck.
"Are you one of those guys who looks skinny with their clothes on and muscular when naked?" ZHAO!! ZI!! (Side note: I wonder how much we're meant to take Zhao Zi's flirting with Jack as conscious and intentional? I feel like maybe not so much, though I prefer to lean towards interpreting it that way.)
Jack guides Zhao Zi's hand to his chest and Zhao Zi gets *right* in there.
And knowing the groping was Kenny's idea makes this scene even better. Zhao Zi talks about how he took up the dangerous job of being a cop because tuition was free at the police academy and his grandma didn't have much money, and it is just so sweet and heart-breaking and entirely him. You can see Jack MELTING as he speaks.
And then! Zhao Zi falls from the ladder and he and Jack plummet into the pool. Zhao Zi then gets a little distracted.
Zuo Hong Ye arrives and looks understandably annoyed to find Henchman Number Two cuddling a random boy in the swimming pool.
Concerned about the number of cops there are now cluttering up the place while flirting madly, she vents to Gu Dao Yi. Then she comes onto him but he lets her down gently (while looking extremely tempted) and escapes to make coffee.
Tang Yi goes to the hospital for a very suggestive-sounding massage from Dr Jiang, while Meng Shao Fei goes loopy with jealousy outside. Back at the house, there's a nice moment where Meng Shao Fei acknowledges that he's angry at himself for being jealous of other people getting to touch Tang Yi. Tang Yi responds by simply offering himself up to be touched.
This is a super sexy moment because... he's putting himself on a plate for you right there, Meng Shao Fei! But Meng Shao Fei can't quite let himself do it, not yet.
Later, Ah-De tries to warn Tang Yi about Meng Shao Fei's feelings for him (which is OBVIOUSLY not going to go well) and Tang Yi threatens to transfer him if he doesn't drop it. The next day, Zuo Hong Ye steals Meng Shao Fei from Tang Yi to be her shopping escort. There follows a pretty cute scene of her making him give his opinions on her purchases and running him ragged around the mall. If it wasn't for what follows, you could start to get such a clear picture of a future where they're bickering in-laws who actually really care about each other underneath. Obviously, that's the moment someone starts shooting at them.
At the hospital, Tang Yi cradles Zuo Hong Ye and looks utterly devastated when he learns Meng Shao Fei is badly injured. Captain Shi bulldozes up to him and starts shaking him by the lapels and Tang Yi just lets him do it. Then he goes to town with a knuckleduster on the shooter, one of Chen Wen Hao's minions, and it's honestly pretty scary.
But THEN we find out that Zuo Hong Ye and Ah-De have been conspiring to get rid of Meng Shao Fei (although Ah-De was just meant to have him beaten up, and the would-be assassin got there first.) Zuo Hong Ye makes it clear their conspiracy is at an end (we've seen previously that Jack is clearly suspicious of Ah-De, and Gu Dao Yi is obviously also clued into what's going on.) Then Zuo Hong Ye tearfully confesses her feelings to Gu Dao Yi, while he looks quietly devastated.
The episode ends with Tang Yi at Meng Shao Fei's bedside, holding his hand.
♥♥♥
no subject
In the scene that follows Meng Shao Fei is mildly obnoxious, Andy is brilliantly sarcastic, and a bit of (a lot of) Tang Yi is clearly loving being fought over.
I would absolutely love to see how MSF and Andy interact with each other some time post-canon. Whether it's an uneasy truce between them, given Andy and Tang Yi's history with each other, or whether it's still out and out barbs and TY's long-suffering sigh.
The angry eating scene is the cutest, mainly with how utterly amused TY is by MSF clearly falling for him, but not quite being ready to admit it to himself yet. And then he pours the Coke into his teacup, drinks it, and instead of interpreting that gesture as "I like you too" MSF's response is "I have successfully converted you to the church of Coke and Spicy Food." *facepalm*
And then the Jack and Zhao Zi scene! Hey, he called in a favor with MSF and ZZ shows up and feels up some other dude? THIS MUST BE FIXED.
(Side note: I wonder how much we're meant to take Zhao Zi's flirting with Jack as conscious and intentional? I feel like maybe not so much, though I prefer to lean towards interpreting it that way.)
I interpret it as totally unconscious flirting. I don't think at this point that ZZ realizes what he's doing, but he does definitely seem to have an impulse and an affinity for muscle. ...and Jack. It's clear that he likes Jack (as a friend, he tells himself), which is why he feels like...totally comfortable just digging his fingers into those pecs. He gives them a good SOLID squeeze or three.
And knowing the groping was Kenny's idea makes this scene even better.
*howls* It wasn't in the script! Kenny added it in, and Andy Bian just let Kenny touch him and grope him all over. Because Kenny's too cute. ...OH MY GOD. *dead*
You can see Jack MELTING as he speaks.
There's this little moment where you see Jack totally get it and empathize, but then he covers it up with a smile. AWWWW, JACK. <333333 This is totally moment #2 where Jack realizes he really genuinely likes ZZ.
And then the falling in the pool is so contrived and ridiculous, I love every second of it because THEY ARE HERE TO DELIVER ON THE TROPES.
This is the first time watching it that
Tang Yi goes to the hospital for a very suggestive-sounding massage from Dr Jiang, while Meng Shao Fei goes loopy with jealousy outside.
The innuendo in this scene is absolutely amazing, and had me in stitches on the floor the first time. Oh, Ah-Fei, you have it so bad.
you could start to get such a clear picture of a future where they're bickering in-laws who actually really care about each other underneath.
I can totally see this, and it warms my heart so much. She totally needles him and he needles right back, and that's just how they are. Hongye is unexpectedly one of my favorite characters to write.
Then he goes to town with a knuckleduster on the shooter, one of Chen Wen Hao's minions, and it's honestly pretty scary.
I honestly can't tell if the shooter is actually somebody that CWH sent to assassinate Hong Ye or if he's actually a low-level Xin Tian Meng minion who is from the pro-CWH faction that Ah-De thinks he has control of but actually doesn't. (I guess there's functionally no difference.)
I say this because Li Zhi De looks so worried, as Jack rightly points out. If it were really someone unknown from CWH's syndicate, wouldn't Ah-De be relieved that it wasn't his guy in there?
Then Zuo Hong Ye tearfully confesses her feelings to Gu Dao Yi, while he looks quietly devastated.
I actually really like their relationship for some reason, despite the MASSIVE age difference between them, and I think it's that Sphinx Ting is really good at that very placidly sad look.
The episode ends with Tang Yi at Meng Shao Fei's bedside, holding his hand.
MSF x Hospital x TY OT3!!
no subject
this entire scene is INCREDIBLE and kenny plays clueless-but-super-into-it comedy with such perfect innocence, i feel like andy's reactions - especially laughter - were probably quite genuine :)
I say this because Li Zhi De looks so worried, as Jack rightly points out. If it were really someone unknown from CWH's syndicate, wouldn't Ah-De be relieved that it wasn't his guy in there?
the gang politics plot makes my brain hurt :( but maybe ah-de was worried this was a case of minions outsourcing a hit to other minions, and somehow it might all still come back to him? idk. ouch!
Sphinx Ting is really good at that very placidly sad look.
ohh, he really is! what a good description.
no subject
Yeah, the gang politics...is definitely not the focus of this show. XDDDDD And it shows.
I like the theory that Ah-De was worried that the series of hitman sub-contracting would eventually come back, let's go with that. Actually plausible.
no subject
no subject
My read on this was that Li Zhi De had given out Hong Ye's schedule so some random flunky who wasn't as trustworthy as he'd thought and then the flunky had sold/given the info to Chen Wen Hao. So like, Ah-De can't be directly implicated (the hit genuinely was ordered by CWH) but it's his fault that the info was leaked.
Maybe that's overly convoluted? but it feels like the right amount of culpability for Ah-De to have at that point in the plot so *shrugs*
no subject
Oh, that's a good one too! I like it, it's definitely a good explanation for what might have been going on.