A Fistful Of Stances [2010][TVB][E]

The writing is still weird, some acting still painful BUT at least this episode is showing some promise of things will get better even as they get weirder! Possibly the best episode thus far even if some acting is like more miss than hit. But surprise surprise, someone did very well!!

Anyway recap first...

Present time. Wai Lan prepped for surgery, feeling anxious and scared but Dr Weng assured her everything will be fine. And so one injection and she was in deep deep sleep.

Pause here.

I don't know much about medicine but surely back in 1935 anesthetic was not administered with one tiny small syringe? I mean shouldn't it be some huge tank next to her, with something to cover her mouth and she breathing and then knocked out like the way it was with dental surgery?? And I mean HUGE tank? Scary looking ones? Is it called chlorofome or something?

Ahhh never mind, let TVB rewrite history.

She survived, no suspense on that. But when she came back into the room, her noisy children surrounding her and Dr Weng looking and uncle standing nearby, she suddenly said to Ming "Who are you?" and I remember Ming felt upset when Wai Lan said something about her being adopted. Tong said "Mother..." and she said "Cheung?" and Tong said "No I am your son Tong!" and Uncle Cheung said "I am Cheung!" and she said "You are Jeung" and Tong said "No mother, that is uncle, not older brother" and uncle panicked and said "I heard after surgery some patients woke up without memory" and Dr Weng laughed very hard and said "Auntie, please stop! This is too funny!" and everybody knew she played a trick on them and all was relieved but Ming cried as she said "You said I was adopted, not your daughter" and Wai Lan hugged her and said "Of course you're my daughter!".

Pause here.

Is it necessary to have this scene? No. Because it will only work if the cast has chemistry and this cast has no chemistry. And why Selena Li always looked like she was on the verge of tears? And if Ming falls for Jeung later, wouldn't that be incest since Wai Lan now proclaims she is HER daughter, even if adopted?

This scene is setting itself to be dismissed as fluff! Absolutely unnecessary. Can we have less Moonlight Resonance and more Safe Guard, please?

Anyway mom was leaving hospital when we found out Dr Wing is the elder sister of the young girl Leung liked. No suspense there.

They cycled home happily, in a very excruitiating scene of happy family time as again Wai Lan speaks to herself about something I can't remember.

Back to 1912, which has a better story arc.

Tak became grand champion, now respected and money rolling in as he prepares to open his pharmaceutical company.

Somehow between yesterday and today, Wai Lan and Shing suddenly suspected foul play by Tak so they tested him. Wai Lan invited Tak for tea, Pai Jeung was hidden from view and looking at Tak intently as Wai Lan said "Brother, I had a dream. Father came to me and said his death was caused by someone he knew!" and Tak immediately looked panic and then he asked "Did he say who?" and Wai Lan said "No, he didn't" and he looked relaxed and insisted on leaving because he had to meet with the police chief. Wai Lan stopped him as he was leaving when Shing arrived and urgently told Wai Lan "Wai Lan! There is hope in catching the murderer. A friend told me there is a new technology that can lift fingerprints from crime scene and identify the murderer!" and Tak looked panicked and Wai Lan said "But.. I already cleaned the store room! I cleaned everything!" and Shing said "No...." and Tak looked relaxed and said "I really have to go" and he left. Wai Lan and Shing sat down as Pai Jeung came running out and said "When you mentioned about the dream , he looked panicked, when you said you weren't told a name, he relaxed. The same with the fingerprints, he looked worried but when you said you cleaned the place, he relaxed!" Shing frowned and said "I hope I am wrong but all seems to point to him..."

At night, they discussed Tak and Shing said "Wai Lan, I suspected something when I heard him say he will produce medicine with his father's formula. But I remember he said he was in the army, there was no mention of a father who practiced medicine. What am I to believe anymore? Wai Lan, my heart is feeling the chill. My heart tells me he did it. And if he did, I was the cause. I brought him home, I led a tiger into our home!" and Wai Lan almost crying said "No, don't think that way first. Let's investigate, let's be sure first, don't jump to conclusions"

Pause here.

So I was wrong. Tak wasn't brought up by Biu, so Fa was right. Tak was an outsider when Shing found him and offered him a place. Biu treated him well, despite the insults.

So Shing set a trap for Tak. Tak came by for a visit, as he saw Shing removing a kite from the roof and Tak said "I will be leaving for a few days. My pharmaceutical company is getting established!" and Shing looked worried and said "Brother, I found this note" and Tak read it and it says "I was a witness that night. I saw a young man killing a woman and an older man. I saw everything. Meet me tonight by the bridge and I will tell you everything". Shing said "I found this in the kite. It looks credible. I will go and find out more!" and Tak looked rather panicking.

At night, Shing said to Wai Lan "Don't worry, I will be back soon. I will get him this time" and Wai Lan said "Be careful, please" and Shing said goodbye and cycled into the dark foggy night. That was the last time Wai Lan ever saw him, dead or alive.

At the bridge, some mysterious man appeared and he said to Shing "I knew who killed your father and mother in law. I saw everything" and Shing said "How can you be sure who it was?" and he said "I wasn't, but I suppose fate has it that way. My son is a big fan of the martial arts competition and I saw his face on the newspaper. I am sure the murderer was the grand champion" and Shing said "No, not him!" and suddenly Tak appeared and said "Shing, I think of you as my sworn brother, I even wanted to share my company's profit with you and here you are, not believing me and believing that stranger?" and stranger revealed himself and he was Pai Jeung holding a gun pointing at Tak and cried "Why? Why did you kill sifu and simou? WHY?!" and Shing too became emotional and said "Why?" and Tak angrily said "Why? She deserved to die. Did you not hear her insults? Everybody gets 20 cents for their work and I get 15 cents. I was the idiot. I, a former grand champion can't even laugh at a joke when I called her Hau Po Fa!!! She deserved to die!"

Mental.

Shing said "Then what about sifu? What did he do to deserve that? He treated you well!" and Tak sneered and said "Treated me well? The moment I walked into the house I was told to kneel before him and call him sifu. Me, a grand champion, call that useless old fool sifu?"

Pai Jeung was very angry and pointed the gun at him but Tak cooly said "Shoot if you dare! You will be arrested. You will have to explain why you shot a grand champion! The police chief will be after you for life!!" and Pai Jeung couldn't do it but Shing grabbed the gun, pushed Tak to the floor and said "I CAN!! AND I WILL!!!" and Tak said "You want to be dead like me then?" and Shing said "Why not? I AM ALREADY DEAD! I DESERVE DEATH! I BROUGHT YOU INTO OUR HOME! I WAS THE REASON WHY SIFU AND SIMOU DIED! I LET YOUR INTO OUR LIVES!!!"

Zoom out and we hear a single gunshot but we won't know what happened until maybe the last episode.

Pause here.

This is a good scene to show how remorseless Tak is. And now I understood why he was remorseless; he wasn't brought up by Biu. His arrogance meant he felt insulted by everyone and he waited for his time to exact revenge. A very calculative petty villain. Kevin did extremely well in this scene, considering his track record. Yes, he still shouts and all and this man can't shout but there was something raw, the way he felt betrayed and in tears and blamed himself. Compared to better actors, he falters but compared to himself and say a log a wood, this is Kevin at his most emotional and somewhat most convincing. And this was his last scene as Shing I suppose. Which means when he comes back as Jeung, I shall have to start all over again with this guy. Sigh...

Wai Lan waited, but Shing didn't come home. We see a repeat of how she went to Tak asking about Shing and someone I forgot to mention, Pai Jeung. Even Pai Jeung is missing? Then her sons got kidnapped, she saved one. Then she went into labour and gave birth to twins. Meanwhile she wrote many letters appealing for justice.

One day she returned home from administering medicine and there was a bunch of rednecks and the leader said "Your husband treated my brother but he has been walking funny scene. i demand compensation!" and Wai Lan knew who sent her and shouted "My husband is missing! Did Wing Tak sent you?" and the mean woman's looks faltered a bit but then resumed "Well, you will compensate me?" and Wai Lan said "Get out of my house!" and the woman made a ruckus, destroyed things as Wai Lan tried to fight them off when they threated to get her kids but she was overpowered and was beaten and she cried as she saw them destroying her father's favourite poems hung on the wall. When they left, she quickly rushed in to see her children when she heard Tak has arrived. She told Tong "Take care of your siblings for me, and no matter what you heard, don't come out!"

She went on, Tak was there with doctor, nurses, police chief and with fake concern he asked "Are you ok sister?" and Wai Lan said "Leave! Get out!" and Tak said "I was concerned for your mental health" and Wai Lan said "How generous of you when you sent people to destroy my place, destroyed my father's favourite poem!!" but Tak said "You were being delusional. You probably did these yourself" and the police chief said "All these letters you sent me and everyone, you kept saying there was a conspiracy by Wing Tak!" and Wai Lan cried "It is the truth!" but the police read one and he said "You even alleged that Wing Tak together with your father's followers killed your father" and Wai Lan was shocked and said "WHAT? I didn't write that! I didn't!" and Tak said "I am concerned for your welfare. For your children. I think you are mentally fragile. Take her.." and a doctor gently said "Madam, let us help you. Come with me to the hospital" and Wai Lan knew what was happening and said "Mental institution? I am not crazy! I am not!" but she was overpowered and dragged out as she said "I am not crazy! I am not crazy!". Her father's followers arrived but was stopped from taking any action and Wai Lan knew she was stuck. She was desperate and quickly kneeled down and cried "Sir, please give me a chance! Please! I swear I will not make any trouble any more, no more letters, no more complaints! Brother Wing, please forgive me, please!!" and Tak said "Well, if that is the case...remember my sister, don't make trouble for yourself" and they left and Wai Lan cried hard as she knew she had to gulp down this injustice.

Pause here.

A good scene to show how desperate Wai Lan was and why over the years she became rather timid. For her children. She had to "YAN" for her children. However I thought if she really wanted justice, she should have sent her children away from harm and then just go all out against Tak. But her brother was nowhere to be seen and Wai Lan was all alone, so it was understandable for her to beg Tak to let her go. In fact what she actually said was "Bei ngor yat tiu sang lou ngor hang" which is more desperate sounding and more begging than just say give me chance but in English there is no words that is of similar gravity.

Present time.

Leung asked Yan to ask the younger Wing sister to a date. She agreed.

At home, Man Kwan wasn't pleased and told his father "Those pesky Koo family has been spreading lies again about father murdering their family! And I found out that two young sons dare to pursue my youngest sister! Father, what should we do?" and Tak said "You must do what a brother must do to protect his siblings" and Man Kwan said "If father agrees, then I shall go all out!"

Pause here. How come a scum like Tak can have 2 gentle daughters? How come?

And so history repeats itself.

A bunch of rednecks came to Koo place and not wanting to alarm their resting mother, everybody went out to see what was going on, sans mother. The guy said "Many years ago your mother beat the crap out of my sister. She recently died. I am here for compensation"

SERIOUSLY?

Tong said "Try if you dare" and he fought them all when suddenly someone threw some flour or whatever to his face and he started to go hiu hiu hiu.

Sigh, a hero with a defect. This is getting annoying.

So they were beaten, again those poems thing were threatened with destruction when Wai Lan walked out, angry. I don't understand why they all tried to stop her but she pushed them away and Cheung said "Don't! They're rich people! They can trample on us. Go back into your room!" but Wai Lan refused as Man Kwan walked in as if he owned that place as he said "I already said I have an offer to buy this place" but of course everyone refused and Wai Lan very angry stood with one left pointing to the sky (yeah! some real kung fu at last!) and then beat the crap out of everyone who ran away. Meanwhile Man Kwan made the uncle an irresistable offer and silly uncle looked tempted.

Then Wai Lan turned her attention to Man Kwan and angrily said "Decades ago your father sent his men to beat me up and destroy this place. Now you as the son is doing the same thing!" as she advanced towards him menacingly and he looked scared and said "Don't you dare touch me! You know who I am and who I know! I can make life hell for you!" and Wai Lan sneered and said "I may be afraid decades ago when your father dared threatened to shut me inside some mental institution! But now... I am no longer afraid of you and your father! My children are all grown up, they can take care of themselves, I am not afraid of your father anymore!" as she repeatedly beat him and finally as she finished her sentence she moved to strike him hard and then...

next episode, return of Jeung who became a rednack himself.

I suppose that is a contrast between gentle soft spoken father and redneck son. My fear is Kevin is never good with shouting. I shall be in for a ride I tell you!

Story wise, a huge improvement but some moments of sappiness killed off some potentially good scene. I like the dramatic scenes better, those without the sappiness. What happened to Shing and Pai Jeung was very sad. It just shows how petty Tak is. I am not liking this villain who lacks granduer, bigness. I hated what he did to Wai Lan and was cheering when Wai Lan was beating his son up.

A weird thing though. Was Tak already married then? I assume Dr Wing is 23? 24? 23 years to have such grown children? The timeline is a bit wrong in my opinion.

Tong was about 5 when his father disappeared. Jeung probably 6 or 7.

Performance wise, Tavia did very well with the desperation of Wai Lan although she really really needs to go to Charmaine Sheh's School Of Crying because Tavia looks terrible when she cries and I always have the feeling she never had tears when crying. Unlike Selena Li who perpetually looks on the verge of tears.

Kevin Cheng did very well for his own standard. For once I shall not criticise him.

However how they all suddenly suspected Tak was weird. Should have elaborated more yesterday and not in this episode. The continuity was missing.

Yuen Qiu did better when she is required to move around and her fighting scene was probably the highlight of this episode since hers is no aerobics!

Kenneth Ma, no comment. Still overact in some scenes, too eager.

The young ones, I have not much comment but I am impressed with the young Miss Wing, played by Angel Chiang. Who is she? She looks so pretty and I like the fact that she has great potential. She can act! Was very happy to discover her.

Shirley Yeung however sucks. Painful, painful to watch!

Anyway, a good episode and going somewhere good. I just wish there will be no more of those Moonlight Resonance moments. I really enjoyed the 1912 story rather than 1935 story.