NOTE
If you see the term sunflowers, it is actually chrysanthemum. Thanks to JJ for clarifying that.
Sam Hou met with Susanna and begged her to convince Madam Choi to reconsider when Susanna reminded her "The decision was made by the empress dowager herself, no one can change that" and Sam Hou said "But Kam Ling is my teacher, her skills are more superior than mine, she deserves this position, not me" and Susanna said "Maybe that is true. However..." and she took out a small box and Sam Hou's eyes widened as she saw the contents; a few hairpins all made by Sam Hou. Susanna took each one and said gently "This was made when you were 15 and you have already showed great promise. This was even better. And this when you were 20, and at such an age you have already shown you possessed the skill to intergrate 3 different elements into the hairpin's design, such a skill not even my best student has. You have great talent Sam Hou" and Sam Hou very moved by what Susanna said replied "You were the one who bought my hairpins all these years?" and Susanna smiled and said "Well someone needs to give you money so that you can buy wire and thread materials of superior quality for practice, this is one encouragement I could give you" and Sam Hou smiled and said "Thank you for your encouragement" and Susanna said "You are more than qualified for this position, so say no more".
If you see the term sunflowers, it is actually chrysanthemum. Thanks to JJ for clarifying that.
Sam Hou met with Susanna and begged her to convince Madam Choi to reconsider when Susanna reminded her "The decision was made by the empress dowager herself, no one can change that" and Sam Hou said "But Kam Ling is my teacher, her skills are more superior than mine, she deserves this position, not me" and Susanna said "Maybe that is true. However..." and she took out a small box and Sam Hou's eyes widened as she saw the contents; a few hairpins all made by Sam Hou. Susanna took each one and said gently "This was made when you were 15 and you have already showed great promise. This was even better. And this when you were 20, and at such an age you have already shown you possessed the skill to intergrate 3 different elements into the hairpin's design, such a skill not even my best student has. You have great talent Sam Hou" and Sam Hou very moved by what Susanna said replied "You were the one who bought my hairpins all these years?" and Susanna smiled and said "Well someone needs to give you money so that you can buy wire and thread materials of superior quality for practice, this is one encouragement I could give you" and Sam Hou smiled and said "Thank you for your encouragement" and Susanna said "You are more than qualified for this position, so say no more".
Susanna then met with Kam Ling as they paid respect to Lady Kong at the well of death. Anyway Susanna said "When Lady Kong died, you and Sam Hou were both just 6 years old. What a time that was...Kam Ling, do not despair over the empress dowager's decision. Who can work and contribute, who has talent, who is not, who is good and who plots I know very well and sooner or later, good efforts will be rewarded" as she turned her back on Kam Ling who was near tears when Susanna continued "Your efforts with June was rewarded wasn't it?" and Kam Ling's head shot up, shocked as Susanna said "I know what you did, I know how you repaid what she did to you, I know who you are Kam Ling and heed my advice; let this be" and Kam Ling knew Susanna knew that Kam Ling knew that Susanna knew. No typo there!
Pause here.
I sort of suspected Susanna knew. Now to the more bigger conspiracy; their ages. I am confused!
So if they were in the palace at 6, and no indication some years passed between 6 and when duke left, so assume sayyyy 7 years old, Duke left and returned 10 years later and not much time passed between his return and when this was said, so all in all shouldn't they be at max 17 or 18? But with the hairpin scene, Sam Hou is at least 20 years old and the way she said it, I would suppose she is older than 20 years old so give it 21 years old. So there is at least 4 to 5 years unaccounted for. So that would when either when the duke left (at the age of 10), he left the palace for at least 15 years or when he came back, another 4 to 5 years have passed. Because the duke by my calculation had to be about 20, but by that scene, he would be at least min 24 or 25? The maths does not add up. And for me Sam Hou and Kam Ling to be more than 20 at this stage is a bit too old for palace maids even in such exclusive depts. And the duke should have been married by now even if he's 24 or 25 even if he was in exile, has a mentality of 10. And he has a mentality of 10 means 4 or 5 years can't have passed from his supposed fall and his exile! Oh I give up!
And so Sam Hou got the supervisory job in the jewelry dept and she also got a new set of clothes to go with it. Kam Ling helped Sam Hou to dress up, pretending all is ok when in fact it is not. Sam Hou didn't look too happy herself as she said to Kam Ling "I am sorry Kam Ling, I never wanted this"..Sam Hou rub it in!! Kam Ling said jovially "I am glad it is you as the new supervisor, at least I won't be bullied and moreover we can now meet openly, without having to meet in secret like before. Your room is so big, I think sometimes I can even come and sleep with you here!" and Sam Hou smiled and said "Of course you can!" and Kam Ling said she wanted to fetch something for Sam Hou but Sam Hou said she will do it herself but Kam Ling said "You're the supervisor now, I am the maid, let me get it for you" which Sam Hou stopped Kam Ling and said "Why are you talking like that? I am still me, let me get it" and she left. Kam Ling alone in the big room she wanted looked around the room and began to cry and she tried to stop crying and wiping her tears but the tears continued to flow and she tearfully said "I should be happy... I should be happy for Sam Hou, Sam Hou is my sister, I should be happy for her... but why am I not happy for her..." as she cried hard.
Another one not too happy is of course Michelle whom I can't remember how but she stumbled into Susanna's box of Sam Hou's hairpins and oh start the bickering again. To cut the long story short, she blamed Susanna for stealing her star student and for secretly planning that for years as she bought Sam Hou's stuff and Susanna retorted Sam Hou's talent lies in jewelry making and moreover "Yes I have always wished for Sam Hou to be in my dept and guess what? She is! If you're not happy with the Empress Dowager's decision, go to talk to her personally" and so she left. Michelle also found out Bo Gut Cheong was the middleman selling the hairpins and so became angry with him and refused to acknowledge him as she scolded him for selling the hairpins but Bo Gut Cheong, a fair man himself said "But Sam Hou is more suitable in the jewelry dept, that I must agree. Her talent lies in there, and not in embroidery" and Michelle just stood there in silence. Sam Hou was there if I remembered correctly, stuck between the 2 and she interjected "Please don't find over me, I thank Lady Yuen for your encouragement and Lady Chung for your tutorship. I am forever indebted to you both, please don't fight". Well, that shut them up.
Duke was walking in the park/jungle/somewhere when suddenly he heard something, and saw who else but Sam Hou behind the bushes, her foot caught in those animal trap and was bleeding.
Pause here.
I actually thought "RUN DUKE! THAT'S FAKE SAM HOU!!" because the way he found her is exactly the way a lost scholar finds a fox devil disguised as a human being. But it turns out that's really really really Sam Hou. I mean this scene came out of nowhere!
Sam Hou said "I was walking when I saw a rabbit trapped in the trap. I tried to help but instead of fell into the trap myself" and I was like rabbits? Well... we are talking about Sam Hou. Why not something less romantic like a huge rat?
Duke said he was walking when he saw trails of blood and followed and was surprised to see Sam Hou. Now the way he said it he was talking normally. Then he squat down next to her and as Sam Hou said "Be careful my lord, don't hurt yourself" as she thought this was 10 year old Duke but the Duke told her to stay still and then used some twigs or something to work the trap and released her foot. And then he used cloth to bandage her foot and all these while Sam Hou stared at him wide eyed because she realised that the Duke wasn't the same one she saw in the palace but someone wiser, more knowlegeable and something the way she looked at him probably made her realise something is not right here. The Duke looked at her, dropped all pretension of being 10 year old and smiled and said he will carry her but she said "No my lord, I am just a maid" but the duke said "Please don't talk that way" and then carried her. She continued to stare at him wide eyed when of all people Hin Yeung appeared. THIS IS NOT A MANSION; THIS IS A SHACK! So darn small place! Anyway he let her down and then spoke like the 10 year old duke and Sam Hou stared at him with even wider eyes and Hin Yeung grabbed Sam Hou and said he will take her to the doctor and the Duke noticed the way she grabbed onto him, and hugged him closely as he carried her piggyback style (with him she was about 1 cm apart, with Hin Yeung she was 1mm apart - not much difference, just how she grabbed him that's the difference) he knew they were a couple.
Back at her room I think Susanna rushed to her and Kam Ling was there who immediately went to take medicine for her (Susanna was eyeing Kam Ling in this scene) and Sam Hou explained she fell into the trap, she got herself out of the trap, thus avoiding telling them what the duke did and he looked grateful.
Pause here.
I want to talk a bit about Kam Ling here. I really believe that she may not be happy about Sam Hou getting the position but because it was Sam Hou she was ready to give in thinking better Sam Hou than someone else. When she ran to get the medicine, it was out of genuine concern so I didn't like how Susanna was eyeing her. I believe it is such suspiscion that may have pushed Kam Ling to do what she will do later.
Anyway Sam Hou is out of action. Michelle knew that and moreover some big function is coming up, all depts have to do something special and each was asked to come up with a theme but Michelle admitted she had no idea. But again they bickered, this time Michelle said "What bad luck for your dept; you thought you got yourself a great opportunity when Sam Hou came into your dept but look at what happened; with her hurting her leg, she is out of service for you" and Susanna retorted "Well, her leg is hurt, not her hand. Moreover, Sam Hou and I are like mother and daughter relationship, I often visit her and discuss our plans for this function" and Michelle said "Sam Hou is like my daughter too, I have lived with her for so many years, I am concerned about her" and Susanna said "I treat Sam Hou like my daughter, so do not be concerned with her"
Pause here.
What's with this mother-daughter concern thing about? Nothing to bicker now they bicker over that?! When did Michelle had such a relationship with Sam Hou anyway. And is Sam Hou so darn great that these 2 adults must bicker that way? Especially Michelle? I just got this impressed Michelle just bicker about Sam Hou just because she lost Sam Hou, that's all.
Anyway Michelle visited Sam Hou who was still hurt and she was with Fei Yin who sniggered throughout. Michelle brought Sam Hou medicine and as Sam Hou drank Michelle slyly tried to get information by saying "Lady Yuen said she is always in discussion with you long into the night about the event. Is that true?" and Sam Hou smiled and said "Yes" and she said how nice Susanna was and all and Michelle tried to extract the design and theme from Sam Hou but Sam Hou said nothing and so Michelle left, turned her back, fuming. I think Sam Hou knows her intention.
Michelle walked away angry and Fei Yin suggested some designs and Michelle said those designs were done in past years so "Don't make useless suggestions even if you want to make yourself useful. Go back to the dept and finish your job there" and so Fei Yin skulked away, sulking. Bo Gut Cheong saw Michelle as he carried some books but Michelle walked away until she overheard him saying to I believe Fei Yin or someone that he was delivering pattern books to Sam Hou as requested and Michelle suddenly turned and played nice to have a look at the books. As Bo Gut Cheont talked about maybe going for dinner with her, Michelle looked through the books and realised what was Sam Hou and Susanna's theme for the coming event.
During the meeting, Madam Choi asked for ideas and Susanna wanted to say hers when Michelle interrupted and said "I have a suggestion. chrysanthemum" and Susanna looked at her shocked as she said "Spring is here, the designs with the theme chrysanthemum will compliment the flowers in full bloom surrounding the place where the event will be. I even suggest food, furnishings and jewelry with the common theme of chrysanthemum" and Lui Shan asked "Wouldn't that be a bit too boring, with just 1 theme?" and Michelle said "No, because chrysanthemum can be potted or single stalks, can be in full bloom or not, can be in all rainbow of colours, the possibility is endless and the smell with the sight will be impressive" and Susanna said "I too was going to suggest sunflowers as a theme" and Michelle teased "You too? What a coincidence!" and Madam Choi liked the idea and accepted that.
The other 2 heads walked with Susanna and weren't too happy Michelle got the glory again and stiffled their imagination by imposing the common theme and then they realised maybe Michelle stole the idea from Susanna and wondered "Could it be Sam Hou? After all Sam Hou was her star student, they having such a close relationship so as for Sam Hou to betray you with such information is possible" and Susanna looked dead serious.
Susanna went to see Sam Hou who was walking with a limp in her room and she asked eagerly "So did Madam Choi liked the idea?" and Susanna said "Yes she liked it very much and using it as a common theme" and Sam Hou was very happy but then Susanna said "But it wasn't me who suggested it, it was Lady Chung" and Sam Hou was shocked as Susanna asked "Did Lady Chung came by to see you?" and Sam Hou said "Yes she brought me some medicine and... Lady Yuen, you don't think I revealed to her the secret? I didn't! I wouldn't dare, I know how important and confidential this is and I didn't reveal anything" and Kam Ling was walking to Sam Hou's room with her meds and overheard what Susanna said "You're Sam Hou, you I trust. After all you live by your 3 precepts, do good deeds, say good words, show good will... if it was Kam Ling, I wouldn't be too sure" and Kam Ling was hurt by those words as Sam Hou said "Kam Ling? Never! She knows about confidentiality too, she will never reveal such secrets!" and Susanna said "Sam Hou, you're too innocent. Sometimes you have to be careful who you associate yourself with, people are not as simple as you think they're" and Kam Ling looked away, tears in eyes and looking rather pissed.
Pause here.
I am Team Kam Ling here. Susanna was being biased, of course due to that earlier incident but Kam Ling wasn't the one who revealed anything of that sort. I kinda of understand why Kam Ling had to claw her way up with all sorts of evil doings; her credibility is gone and she will never measure up to Sam Hou or anyone else in Susanna's eyes. So that will be why Kam Ling had to set her sights on a new career; you know instead of head of dept now she has to set her ambition to "tyrant".
Continue..
Duke was paying his respects to his dead turtle when Sam Hou walked by and said "My Lord" and he immediately checked if no one else was nearby and said "Sam Hou, I am happy to see you here, and thank you for not revealing my secret" and Sam Hou said "But why my lord?" and he explained "To save my own life and that of my mother, I had to pretend to have the mentality of a 10 year old. No one will understand my feelings during these years of exile.." and Sam Hou said quietly "I do my lord. My father was sent to serve hard labour and my mother and I had to hide, afraid we will be taken back to the palace, I know how you feel my lord but even if you're unhappy, you will still have to live and so why not live your life happily?" and duke said "I am not like you Sam Hou" and Sam Hou smilingly said "Do you know how I got my name my lord?" and he shook his head and she said "Before I was born, my mother was very sick. One day a monk healed her and ask only of 3 things from my father and mother as repayment for his kindness; Speak good words, do good deeds and show good will. That was how my name came about, these three goodness (Sam Hou) and I lived by these 3 goodness since then and I am a far happier person because of" and duke smiled and said "That's why you're called Sam Hou. Alright, I too shall live by your 3 goodness and I too shall be happier" and Sam Hou smiled.
Pause here.
Sam Hou was smiling too much in this scene. And all I can see is Charmaine's dark rings around her eyes, her wrinkles, etc. She looks haggard and very tired in this scene as opposed to earlier or later scenes. Must be late night filming and hectic schedule. She looks in all honesty terrible. And I still don't like the curly hairdo for Moses' Duke.
Duke came back to his mom's place and found his mom under the blanket, shaking and refusing to let him see her. He tugged on the blanket and she turned her face away. He forced her to look at him and she turned and he was shocked to see her bleeding from the mouth, obviously having been punched and when he tried to touch her she was in pain and he pushed her sleeves up and saw her hands and all covered in deep dark bruises, obviously being savagely beaten. He knew who did it or at least who ordered that and Concubine Zheng tearfully cried and explained "She was having one of her bad moods again and blamed me for seducing your father with my looks. She still feels angry with me for denying her the Empress position, even after all these years"
Pause here.
So is this palace a place where none of the emperors have empress? Anyway so now we know why the deep hatred. It goes beyond she is a maid, etc. She was never the empress. Why she is the empress dowager is because the emperor died probably young and her son became emperor so she became empress dowager. She was never the empress. I have a feeling the emperor wanted to make Concubine Zheng the empress and the Duke the emperor but he died young and the duke was too young.
Anyway the duke was very upset and in tears said "I can't let this happen anymore!" and he left and Concubine Zheng pleaded with him not to go but he went to the empress dowager who was cooly drinking and he put on the 10 year old disguise and said "YOU! YOU HURT MY MOTHER!" and the empress dowager angrily said "I AM YOUR MOTHER! NO ONE ELSE IS!" and duke said "I only know one mother and she is the one who gave birth to me! I warn you, don't you ever hurt her again or I will.. I will.." and the empress dowager angrily said "Or you will what? How dare you!" and then she noticed the duke's face covered in red dots and the maid cried "Oh madam! It's measles! It's a contagious disease!" and immediately the empress dowager moved away and no one dared touch the duke and so he left. The duke was then under house arrest with his mother as the palace figured out how to deal with this disease.
The palace maids were discussing about the duke and afraid they would die because of the contagious disease and itw as Fei Yin who said "Sam Hou, didn't you see him before that? You should be quarantined!" and the girls sat apart but Sam Hou said "That was before I hurt my leg" and Kam Ling defended Sam Hou as she said "aren't you on very good terms with him? Why not visit him? Afraid?" and Kam Ling said "Sam Hou is not that kind of person so shut your mouth!" but Sam Hou was in deep thought.
Pause here.
The Duke is cunning so obviously he didn't have measles but pretended to be so that he and his mom will be left alone.
At night the duke was with his mother, face covered in red dots when a young eunuch approached them and the duke said "Just put the food out there and you can leave" but the eunuch walked into the hall and said "My lord, it is I" and it was Sam Hou in disguise and the duke walked to her, very happy to see her but said "Everyone is afraid of getting the disease from us, aren' you afraid?" and Sam Hou said "No I am not. Moreover a lot of people do care about you, like Bo Gut Cheong who lent me this costume. He told me to send his regards" and Duke said "Thank you, when everybody is avoiding us, you have come to us. I don't actually have the disease, I learned to fake the symptoms from the medical books" and Sam Hou curious said "Why?"
Pause here.
So Sam Hou thought he had measles and still visited him. Very giving BUT very reckless since he may have measles and she will carry back that to her fellow colleagues. Anyway I can see why the duke loved and protected her so much later on; after all she was the only one who genuinely cared about him without any terms or conditions so to speak. And they're so much alike, thier years in exile, loneliness, etc so why does she not fall for him?? Hin Yeung didn't have that much in common with her, at all.
Anyway he answered "So that we will be left alone and then forced out of the palace. This is the only way I can think of to take my mother away from here and to be left in peace" and Sam Hou nodded in understanding and he said "I was worried about you though but when I saw how you cling onto Official Ko, I knew I shouldn't worry at all, he will take care of you" and Sam Hou again curious said "The way I cling onto him? Frankly at that moment I cling onto him because I was happy he was there to carry me, instead of you because then you wouldn't have to explain how you got me off the trap and carried me back, with Hin Yeung there, your secret is safe" and the Duke was touched by her actual concern and thanked her and he said "I will be leaving soon with my mother, thank you and good bye" and Sam Hou smiled "Take care my lord" and duke said "You too".
Next day, the empress dowager had other ideas. She will never let them leave and she said to the evil emperor "I found a medicine which might just work for that woman and her son but because it is basically poison, even those with measles may be poisoned to death" and the emperor asked "I don't understand why don't we just let them leave and we can all get rid of them" and the empress dowager said "Not so easy. If they do die from the poison, so be it, I don't have to explain much" and I suppose out of face she can't let others see her abandoning her "sister" and her "nephew" so to speak so the emperor smiled and said "That might just work".
The faithful maid of Concubine Zheng carried 2 bowls of medicine to duke and Concubine Zheng and she tearfully said "My lady, my lord, the empress dowager has asked me to bring these 2 bowls of medicine for you to drink. But they're poison! You may die from drinking them!" and the duke talking as a 10 year old said to his alarmed mother "Well mother, then we don't drink!" and Concubine Zheng said "Bring them back to her!" but the maid kneels down and tearfully said "I am so sorry my lady, so sorry! But it is the empress dowager's order that I see that both of you finish these 2 bowls!"... and they looked at each other with alarm.
How now to escape this?
Next episode, they didn't die BUT the emperor was poisoned!!!! Huh?
That empress dowager is EVIL. Can't she just let them leave? Nope. She wants to save face and yet hate the sight of them and yet want them near and yet now want them dead. Crazy woman. Except for some strange scenes involving a hurt Sam Hou, this episode is an enjoyable one when it comes to how the duke tried to save his mother, best scene was when Concubine Zheng revealed her bruised body and bloody lip.
Performance wise, again Susan Tse and Mary Hon rules. These 2 really make this series enjoyable.
Susanna and Michelle, back to 1 dimensional character and bickering.
Tavia as Kam Ling is ok, and her best scene was when she cried and tried to stop crying whilst asking herself why she isn't happy for Sam Hou. I think she brought on Kam Ling's conflict very very well, and she did those silent scenes well like in contemplation, in conflict, etc. However she is still too loud in delivering her lines. So far still not much to do yet.
Moses is wonderful in the scenes of conflict and sadness. I think his performance here is really one of the better ones from his entire career.
Charmaine...I like Sam Hou, I do and her bravery is commendable but I can't stand her talking and smiling at the same time, like this world is such a joyous place and she is so darn happy all the time when the more she smiles, the more delusional she is. Being optimistic is one thing, being so darn optimistic is delusional and at times pretentious. I also can't stand how all the other characters kept talking about her Sam Hou. I get it! She is nice, she is well liked! Not Charmaine's fault, the character is just so poorly written that all she is is like some walking billboard for "Be excellent to each other" sort of philosophy. But Charmaine.. haggard in some scenes, overly wide eyed in other sometimes just overdoes it a bit in the wide eyed innocence scenes which made me believe in real life, Sam Hou will be termed as delusional. Some scenes she could have shown greater conflict, greater struggle or more disbelief or more questioning look so I find her expressions limited to smile, not smile, eyes big, eyes bigger, eyes even bigger. I just find her shocked look not shocked enough, sad look not sad enough but darn it, her happy look, too happy! Not a poor performance at any rate but definitely for someone her experience and her credentials and the amount of scenes in here, her performance is wholly inadequate. If you don't like her, you will find her Sam Hou exceedingly annoying and pretentious. If you like her, you will ignore that. I happen to like Charmaine but I still think as an actress she has lots to learn from the veterans, at least in emoting.
As for others, Edwin Siu is commendable, Ram Chiang is good also, Kevin Cheng is ermmm.. ke-le-fe today and I still don't get why Kara and Lui Shan is in this series. I hardly see their depts in action. In fact, I hardly see any depts in action.
Posts
December 10, 2010 at 4:08 PM
To continue our discussion from episode 7...I have to admit that I didn't consider the fact that the duke is a 10-yr-old in the emperor's eyes. That does make a big difference!!!
Kara and Rosanne don't really have much to do in this series...I guess to make the cast even more grand, they casted them. Their roles could easily be given to lesser known veterans.
Also you can't rationalize love...the duke and Sam Hou may share more similarites and have similar backgrounds, but I don't think that should make Sam Hou fall for him. Not to mention, all along until now he was a kid to her. Perhaps if there were no Hin Yeung, she might fall for him after knowing he faked his mentality, but she fell in love with Hin Yeung first. You can say a time issue.
PS. It's chrysanthemum, not sunflowers hehe