Beyond The Realm Of Conscience [TVB][E]

I didn't know this was to be broadcast today and I almost missed it thinking it was still that abysmal Born Rich. When I saw the next to be broadcast was this series, I was excited because finally, something to blog about. I have been itching to do another episodic thoughts and what better than this one? Frankly by the end of episode 1 I sort of regretted wanting to do one because I don't think I can last long. I hope I can. In case you're wondering; "Funn, why watch if you're so tortured by it?" and my only reply I can think of is "TVB... damn TVB... it's their fault!". Yeah, I am a TVB addict. What more can I do about it? No amount of MBC, KBS, Fuji TV and what nots could cure me.

So let's begin with my kinda muddy recap because I wasn't paying attention to the story. Again not my fault because there wasn't much to pay attention to.

Ok, the themesong and the opening sequence. Who are we kidding here? THIS IS JEWEL IN THE PALACE CIPLAK SERIES. Even the font, the background red with (JITP had fiery fonts) golden fonts. So darn familiar. In fact it was my sister who said the last word "Gai" is written in a Korean sort of way as in font. I had to agree. The song is different, of course. For a moment I thought Kelly Chan was gonna come on and sing "Oh! Na ra..."

And so it begins with the present. Voiceover says palace is in turmoil (I added that for dramatic reason because it was dramatic). The evil eunuch (I thought he was a general but a quick check says he is Head Eunuch who also oversees the imperial guards - isn't that like JITP also?) whose name I didn't catch has usurped power in the palace and one evil concubine, Kam Ling (eh! JITP! Kam YING!) has aligned herself with the general and another concubine, Sam Ho was very angry with Kam Ling saying "I regretted letting you off the last time! How can you betray us?" and Kam Ling angrily retorted "I have sacrificed so much for you, I have done so much for you! But no more!" and so we have 2 women facing off and for a moment I thought "Is this my lucky day? Is this like a summarised version so we have the beginning and the ending all in ep 1? Nope! and so... FLASHBACK!

20 years ago... I believe Kam Ling and Sam Ho are both 6 or 5 or 7 meaning very young. Both are as close as sisters but the truth is Kam Ling is Sam Ho's family servant but her mother treats Kam Ling like her own. Sam Ho's mother, whose name I didn't catch looks morose. In fact I thought she is mentally ill or unwell but the truth is she is deeply unhappy. Apparently she carries with her a burden in the form of having done some offense we are never told of. Father is not there but not dead since there's no mention of her being a widow. Anyway I was hoping she is mentally unstable because it would be more dramatic. She is just morose. She seems to be from the palace but what offense did she do? Why is she so morose? No idea and by the end of this episode, still no idea.

Anyway she urges the 2 children to treat each other like sisters and she loves them both, singing them the lullaby, Red Windmill as they slept. Unfortunately happiness is short when Sam Ho was out picking oranges, the mother and Kam Ling were both arrested by some officer. Sam Ho saw them being led away but her mother shook her head, silently telling her to not make a sound.

In the palace, we see a very very very short intro on those bunch of women dressed to the highest form of oppulence and who they are. Tell me this is not JITP with each rank ends with what "Seung Gung" or something. Anyway they're palace maids, to put it mildly. I thought they were concubines with the way they dress. I didn't catch what each dept does but I can see Michelle Yim is the head of the I suppose Fashion dept or Attire dept and Susanna Kwan is a rank lower, the assistant to the head of jewelry dept. Kara Wai is there but I am not sure what she does at this moment. The Empress is I believe having her birthday soon so the palace is buzzing with not excitement but work to complete several tasks. Susanna Kwan's dept was to design a headpin, which Michelle complains her dress is incomplete since the jewelry dept has yet to forward to her what's the design of the headpin look like so as to complement the attire. The head of palace maids said "We have with us someone whose skill is undoubted.." and she was referring to Sam Ho's mother but we didn't know that at that time. Susanna interrupts and said excitedly "Her skills at jewelry making is reputedly unmatched. Her expertise will greatly assist us at the jewelry dept" and Michelle interjects "Her skills in embrodery is also unmatched. She will do even better with the attire dept!" and so they bicker, or rather Michelle talks non stop, giving snide remarks and Michelle says "My my my, isn't it interesting that one junior is allowed to interrupt that of a senior ..." and Susanna quietly said "I was merely explaining the lady's background".

Pause here.

I was thinking is Michelle from some powerful background? If not why the head of palace maids sitting in the middle didn't tell her to "Oi! Shut up!" when she went on and on and on and on. That was like the longest scene ever.

Anyway finally she summoned this lady whose name I just googled and is Kong Choi King or I shall call her Sam Ho's mother. She looks demure and mentally ill (sorry but that's the impression I got from the actress!) and the head of palace maids said "You carry with you an offense but if you serve us well, all will be forgive" and I was like "WHAT OFFENSE?!" and she demurely agreed and Michelle rushed to go forward to give her her design when Susanna was faster and gave Sam Ho's mother the plan for the headpin, that is that of a pheonix I think. Susanna explained the concept and Sam Ho's mother agreed it was a beautiful design and then she said "But..." and Michelle said "Lady Kong, just say what's on your mind. Surely our junior will learn well from your expertise" which Susanna looked sortof pissed and Lady Kong said "The design is beautiful but to put so many jewels on it will only dim the beauty of the design. I would suggest ..." and she suggested something but I didn't catch what she said. I think it was Susanna or someone said "But that can't be done, not with so little time" and Sam Ho's mother said "I can do it" and so it was settled.

As Susanna led Sam Ho's mom out and excitedly chatted about her design, Michelle walked by and spitefully said "Lady Kong, do be careful. This junior is probably using your expertise so that she can garner praise to get ahead!" or something like that and Susanna retorted "As far as I know, you were promoted because your head of dept was sick (or died, not sure which is which)!" and so the bickering continues. I didn't catch what was said, I just wished they stopped bickering.

Meanwhile Sam Ho successfully entered the palace with the help of a eunuch whose name I didn't catch. But he was punished due to her so again I didn't catch that part. Kam Ling was happy to see her. Her mother held them closely and saw a tree with beautiful white flowers and sadly said "Maybe we can stay here and treat this as our home". Later the children saw a creepy scene of a maid throwing some white stuff down a well and I believe Sam Ho asked the eunuch "How can anyone drink from the well like that?" and the eunuch sadly said "There is no water in it. It is a burial ground for all palace maids who died, cremated and their ashes thrown in. That's the life of a palace maid" and the children became scared but Sam Ho's mother said "As long as we follow orders and do our work diligently we will be fine"

And so she worked hard to rush the phoenix jewelry and one night Sam Ho and Kam Ling went to see their mother and saw a shadow lifting something, putting something down and then left the room with the children looking surprised because that's not the mother.

Next day the palace is buzzing again with busy busy work and we see a woman being dressed with the beautiful black attire designed by Michelle's dept and then her head affixed with the phoenix headpin.

Pause here. I knew that was the empress but I couldn't remember who played her. And I did mention if the maids are all dressed to the nines, imagine the empress. And she turned and it was Susan Tse and her entire outfit, head gear and all didn't disappoint. Whilst the rest looked silly or stupid or OTT, I felt this was one empress who looked like an empress. Her dress is amazingly detailed and her hair is oppulent enough for an empress. Anyway she was very happy with her dress and headpin and went to the gardens surrounded by the maids where she sat down and the head eunuch arrived and she said "Place a chair here, and please do sit" and a scared looking woman walked forward to sit when the other eunuch that Sam Ho earlier befriended slowly shook his head and she backed away because quite obvious she's the concubine bullied by the empress. Is every woman in this show a bully or being bullied? Anyway the head eunuch sat down and the empress said grandly "You have greatly assisted this empire with your deeds and I am immensely grateful!" and..

wait! is he a eunuch? A general? A eunuch general? I am confused.

Anyway I didn't catch what's said next but all I know from this scene is this guy is given more prominence and respect than that scared looking concubine played by Mary Hon. And not much later we know why when the empress shivered in cold and immediately a few palace maids walked over and held portable stoves next to her to warm her whilst poor Mary shivered in cold. Someone said something about the kind eunuch walking with a limp and I believe someone explained he smuggled a little girl in or something and the empress sarcastically remarked "Why is it always the servants act beyond that what is acceptable" and immediately the kind eunuch fell to the ground begging for forgiveness and the Empress said "Well... what say you Concubine Zheng (googled the name and found out, again didn't catch her name)? As you all know Concubine Zheng once spent her days looking after my needs and look where she is now? A concubine... but one that wouldn't dare sit when I say stand... isn't that right?" and Concubine Zheng timidly curtsied to her and the Empress said "Well, get Concubine Zheng a chair.." and when a maid walked in front to put the chair she saw the pheonix hardpin's eyes were like crying tears of red (actually the paint around the gems for eyes were bleeding) and that stupid girl was so shocked and said "The pheonix! It is crying tears of red!!!" and of course everybody noticed and the empress took hold of the headpin and threw it onto the floor and angrily stood up and said "Drag this imbecile away!" and poor stupid palace maid was dragged away. I don't suppose she will survive that. Then the empress said "I want this matter investigated and the imbeciles who did this punished!" and everybody fell to the knees, scared.

Sam Ho and Kam Ling heard Sam Ho's mother being beaten brutally and Sam Ho cried to the kind eunuch "Please, please save my mother. She wouldn't dare do what the empress said she did! Please" but the eunuch said sadly "There is nothing much I can do, she has offended the empress. At least she is only punished to beatings" and then we saw Sam Ho's mother dragged out, looking half dead and the girls rushed to her.

Meanwhile Susanna's boss got fired and Susanna was the natural successor. Susanna asked someone about Sam Ho's mother whose condition was worsening and Susanna being concerned asked further on her current condition which was no better and Michelle passed by and was pissed and she angrily said to Susanna "Well well well, why show of such fake concern? Now you're going to be promoted. What wouldn't you do for your own personal gain? Including betraying your own boss and putting the blame on others?" and Susanna sarcastically curtsied and said "Do remember I curtsied will you? Because that will be the last time I shall need to curtsy to you" and Michelle looked pissed.

She asked her assistant "Who did it? Who was it?!" and as she walked past she heard Kam Ling and Sam Ho discussing about their mother's predicament and overheard I believe Sam Ho saying she saw someone else in the room that night and immediately Michelle rushed over and said "What did you see?!"

Promotion time, Susanna now dressed a bit more oppulent and a symbol of her rank which is the head pin was to be put on her hair when Michelle said "Stop! She should not be promoted! She had no right to this promotion!" and of course the head of palace maids asked why and Michelle said "She was the one who did something to the headpin, she was the one who put the red dye in!" and Susanna angrily said "Don't you dare accuse me of such things! Where is your proof?!" and Michelle smiled and said "I have proof, in fact I have 2 witnesses!" and Sam Ho and Kam Ling entered and Michelle said "Is this woman the one you saw that night?" and FLASHBACK we see indeed it was and Sam Ho said "Yes" and Michelle triumphantly said "See!" and Susanna said "Yes, I was there but just to bring Lady Kong her food and we discussed about the design. And then I did have a look at the headpin and that was all! You can ask Lady Kong" and Michelle retorted "Ask her? She is barely alive!" and Sam Ho said "But... but..." and Michelle asked "What is it? You have something to add?" and Sam Ho said "But I didn't see her put the red dye, I just saw her in the room, that's all" and Michelle angrily said "What are you saying? Don't say such things you don't know of!" and Sam Ho said "But it's the truth. I can't say something that isn't there" and head of palace maid said "That is enough. She admitted she was in the room but there is no proof to say she was the one who sabotaged the headpin. So that is quite enough!" and so she continued with the promotion proceedings as Michelle looked at Sam Ho with laser eyes sort of stare. Sam Ho and Kam Ling looked scared.

At home, Sam Ho and Kam Ling were crying hard as her mother was dying. Her mother sadly said "I wish I could have seen those white flowers at our village with your father for one last time, but that is not possible..." and I remember Sam Ho said "I will get it for you mother! I will..." and she ran out to the tree and saw a fallen white flower and took it when an evil adult (I believe the empress' nanny or someone) said "How dare you take this flower you insolent child!" and Sam Ho cried "It is for my mother..." and the woman threw the flower down and stepped on it, destroying it when a young boy's voice was heard and he said "Well if her fault lies in picking up the flower, what then of you?" and the maid looked at the child, called him some duke or something (he will be Moses Chan later on) and said "I will personally apologise to the empress right now" but sarcastically and she left. The young boy looked at Sam Ho and asked "That is for your mother?" and Sam Ho nodded and I think he then went on to take a new one and give it to her. What a gentleman.

Sam Ho rushed  back and held the flower to her mother and her mother sadly said " Sam Ho, always remember to live by the 3 deeds of your name; speak good of others, do good deeds and show to others kindness. Remember that. And Kam Ling, you and Sam Ho must always care for each other, love each other like sisters. Promise me.. promise me.." and the crying children nodded and as she laid dying she said "Sing me that lullaby my children, sing to me.." and they sang Red Windmill as she died.

They cried harder still as they threw her ashes down watched over by the kind eunuch as the children promised the mother they will be good and Kam Ling walked to Sam Ho and hugged her as they cried hard into each other's shoulders. Susanna was standing by the corner, quietly watching them as she herself was crying at what she saw.

Next episode, Susanna was ordered to destroy the headpin but she was reluctant since it was a beautiful piece of art. So the Empress had other better idea because destroying it is bad luck but wearing it is also bad luck. So she asked Concubine Zheng who is the mother of the young authoritative boy we saw earlier and said to her "Oh I don't want much from you. I just want your head..."

Oooohhhhh, your head!

What was my impression of episode 1? It is more Moonlight Resonance plus Heart Of Greed than Jewel In The Palace. Anything positive that should be adopted from JITP wasn't and we are left with bickering women. It does explain why the ratings is high; people just love a catfight. Admittedly, me too. But frankly will it be able to sustain the interest of the masses like JITP did and still do? I doubt it. After all the fighting is done with, all we are left with is an empty nothingness. I was almost bored with the constant bickering, first between Sam Ho and Kam Ling at the start, then Michelle and Susanna and then the Empress and Concubine Zheng. I believe as more women are introduced, we have more and more bickering from all ranks. It is like everybody bullies everybody and everybody is bullied by everybody else. Yes, I know palace is a place of scheming ambitious bitches but seriously, all that in Episode 1?

And the men? Oh even better. They're fools in love, I can bet that's the direction.

Acting wise, no comment since too early to tell. But it would have been better if Michelle and Susanna are both played by younger actors like those in Rosy Business because this is 2 decades ago. I kept looking at how old they're so 20 years on they must be really really old. Not to say Michelle and Susanna are not beautiful but younger actresses would have fitted the role. I am already bored looking at them two.

Sam Ho's mother, played by Crystal Tin is terrible. I thought she would die in episode 2 but well the writers killed her off in episode 1 and leaving all questions hanging; what's her offense? What did she do or not do? What was her background? None. I am hoping later episodes will explain her background but that will be too late. Why? Her death scene was supposed to evoke great sadness in us all, that she is a victim of a scheming palace and imagine leaving 2 young children in the care of such people in such a place. But I felt nothing. Unlike in JITP where my tears just flowed non stop as Janggeum fed her dying mother berries, here I felt nothing. The children cried really hard but nothing. Nothing at all. Because her story is not even developed. She is introduced so that she can be killed. Her existence nor her story assisted no part of this series and the only meaningful part of her entire character is her death because her death means the continuity of Sam Ho and Kam Ling's story. If that is not poor storytelling I don't know what is. So she is dead. Good riddance.

As for the children, they're not the best child actors. In fact if you want my honest opinion, they were terrible. But they're also very very young and poor children crying for all they're worth but then when they grow up, some would debate that their adult counterparts were no better at acting. Again I feel nothing for the children because first of, more should be shown of their normal outside palace life. Give it 2 episodes to show why their lives would change forever by the arrest of their mother. I am sure a few episodes will be dedicated to showing how they cope inside the palace but what I want is outside. In JITP Janggeum changed when she went into the palace. She was sort of reckless outside, but once inside she learned to be careful with what she says and what she does. There is a change, a maturity on her part. In this series, there is no change. In fact Sam Ho will continue to be kind, nice, polite and honest. The only change is Kam Ling and I suppose this series will probably explain why she changed and I can only think of one reason; jealousy. When one is eing constantly bullied and stepped on and no good things come to them, in the end they will either resign to their fate like Sam Ho's mother or they will fight back. Sam Ho doesn't need to. Why? She is the heroine in here so that's that. In JITP Kam Ying wasn't jealous of Janggeum because she was better. No, in fact she does recognise the fact that Janggeum is talented but we all know with her connections, Kam Ying will be the head of kitchen one day, her aunt will make sure of that but she hated Janggeum because in love, they're equal and Janngeum won the heart of Officer Min fair and square. That started the bickerings and all. This series, we will know why later but I wouldn't think it would be of any profound reason other than ambition. When the start showed Kam Ling retorting to whatever Sam Ho said, I was thinking is she angry, is she jealous, is she frustrated, etc? In JITP it was personal but I feel in this series, whatever Kam Ling did to Sam Ho was nothing personal. Sam Ho was just in the way.

Oh we shall see.

And I believe in the end the phoenix headpin will end up in Sam Ho's possession. After all that was what her mother last created. Again, we shall see. If this is not shown, it just shows that the writers of this series just meant to shock and be dramatic without the subtleties of a good well told story.

Frankly I am not excited about episode 2.