Missed the first 10 minutes, found out Susanna was beaten severely to the point she can's sit properly but she's not angry with Siu Shun. Anyway some good news first; Michelle finally smartens up. Some bad news; Kam Ling is becoming rather stupid.
Continue...
This is one series I can never remember where I stopped or started or whatever. Where was it...
Yeah, Michelle is still pissed Susanna isn't dead. Eventhough Susanna could hardly sit, she completed her tasks and gave to Michelle who at first sneered "Just because you're sick doesn't mean you don't finish your task" and Susanna gently said "I know my duties. You're the top madam, not an easy job and my job as overseeing 2 depts is to assist you and I will not use sickness or our rivalry as a reason to be negligent in my job. Here they're, the completed tasks ..." which I suppose is for the foreign emissaries from a country called "Tou Buo" which I really don't know where even if I kept saying Tibet. I will just stick to foreign vessel state. I think that's what you call those under a pact with the empire. Anyway Michelle looked genuinely surprised Susanna didn't use this opportunity to make her look bad.
Meanwhile Hin Yeung was in contact with loyal rebels out of the palace and had a list of names with him that General Ma knew he had. General Ma used this opportunity to arrest Hin Yeung for liasing with rebels and General Man was there and fought with Hin Yeung. I think Hin Yeung was searched and a note was found and it was a list of items to buy by Sam Hou. So General Ma again embarrassed himself as a top notch failed villain. In the forest Hin Yeung was walking and was stopped by General Man. Suddenly General Man gave Hin Yeung a book and said "Here, I return to you your item" and Hin Yeung smiled and said "If not for you, General Ma would have discovered this book" and flashback we see when they fought General Ma took the book from Hin Yeung's pocket and hid in his own. General Man said "This list is very important. Guard it well as the survival of this empire depends on this list". Basically the list is those so called rebels who are still loyal with the emperor and willing to fight General Ma. Hin Yeung asked "General Man, when did you realise General Ma is not that man you think he is?" and General Man said "I was blinded by my loyalty and my gratitude, I should have seen through him earlier. I sent my men to check on his assets at his hometown and he has amassed such a vast fortune that someone of his salary could never have amassed. So I came to the conclusion he was as corrupt as you all said he is. I cannot let him usurp the dynasty" and Hin Yeung happily said "With you on our side, he never will. Let us fight him together to assist his majesty in purging such corrupt official!" and General Man agreed.
Somewhere along the way it is known that General Ma will mount a rebellion and install Po Yin's soon to be born son as emperor and then install himself as defacto emperor.
Hin Yeung was very happy to see Sam Hou waiting for him with dinner. They chatted of their dreams outside the palace as Sam Hou said "I am so happy Kam Ling has changed for the better. If she continues to be good to Concubine Yin, I think I can leave this palace without worries"
Sam Hou, dream on... Anyway just a reminder; they're married. But did they consummate the marriage?
Susanna alone making red dyed eggs and Sam Hou happily said "The Empress Dowager is very pleased with what Madam Chung did! Her first task done to her satisfaction, this is good news" and Susanna happily said "Indeed" and Sam Hou said "For Siu Shun?" and Susanna said "Yes. All these years I have been making red dyed eggs not knowing where he was or if he was alive, this year I could finally give him these"
Siu Shun with Michelle and said "The Empress Dowager loved your work! See! You can do this without that woman's help!" and Michelle looked somewhat perplexed and said "Well she is on sick leave but she is still working hard..." and Siu Shun surprised said "Still working despite sick leave? What is she trying to prove? What a dumb woman, doesn't even know when to rest. She made me some red dyed eggs you know for my birthday. Trying to buy my silence I see. Well I threw back the shoes, I beat the crap out of her and you know what? I am going to throw the eggs back at her, and I will add rat poison in it first!" and interestingly Michelle looked disturbed. Siu Shun is rather dumb isn't he? Why would anyone who killed someone knowingly and tried to cover her tracks would then feel so guilty that she is willing to be insulted and degraded that way? Guilty people run, they don't stay and give people a chance to hurt them.
Michelle was at Bo's place, cleaning up as she wondered about Susanna; "Gut Cheong, I just don't understand her. If she is your murderer, why would she be willing to withstand so much insults? Why would she help me when she had the chance to do me in? Gut Cheong, if you could hear me, tell me, am I wrong about Yuen Chui Wan? Could you tell me in my dreams?" when a voice said "Lady Chung..." and I thought this series turning to supernatural issit when we saw it was an old coughing eunuch. Michelle knew him and said kindly "Oh hello, I haven't see you around for so long!" and the old eunuch coughing said "I have been sick for a very long time, that was why I was unable to pay my respect to Eunuch Bo earlier" and Michelle said "Don't rush yourself. There's plenty of opportunities. Do rest well" and suddenly the old eunuch cried and said "I..I can't.. rest well...people say sometimes karma gets to you eventually when you have sinned and I have sinned against Eunuch Bo" and Michelle shocked said "What do you mean?" and he cried "I was the cause of his death!" and Michelle face went WHAT?!
and then commercial!
I was like come on! What? How? Huh? Ah?
5 minutes later after the usual commercials, back to old dude and I was thinking dude, don't simply confess. This woman WILL do you in!
Michelle asked "What did you say?" and old eunuch cried as he said "I saw Eunuch Bo rushing to see General Man to give him something" and Michelle asked "Was it some *** (can't remember what but the thing Susanna mentioned she asked Gut Cheong to give General Man)?" and old eunuch said "I didn't see the item, but he was holding a box and General Man was leaving the palace with his dead wife's body very soon. So I told Eunuch Bo to take a shortcut through the gardens, that way he can catch up faster. And he did and then... he.. he.. died... it was my fault! If I didn't tell him to go through the shortcut, that quiet path that no one usually passes, he wouldn't have stumbled and hurt himself and was unable to cry for help and then died!"
Someone please tell this old man it isn't his fault!! Maybe it is but well.. poor dude.
Michelle walked and thought hard, very very hard about the sudden turn of events and sort of smarten up a bit. Then an eunuch chased after her to return her dropped handkerchief and she asked "Have you seen Siu Shun?" and the eunuch said "Yes I did. I saw him with some rat poison, rushing somewhere" and Michelle shocked ran to see Susanna who was about to eat a red dyed egg, she pushed the egg away and Susanna confused asked "What on earth are you doing?" and Michelle said "Don't eat those! They're by Siu Shun isn't it?" and Susanna said "No. I made those myself. You said by Siu Shun?" and Michelle said "Oh forget it. I just... didn't want you to eat so much until you can't eat anything tonight at the banquet. That will look badly on me if the empress dowager is displeased" and Susanna now very confused said "First of, it was only an egg. That doesn't mean I will be so full that I can't eat at the banquet. Secondly and more importantly, the empress dowager is not that petty so she won't be displeased with such minor issues" and Michelle said "Well.. just so you know it isn't easy being the top madam!" and she walked out and Susanna was left standing and shaking her head in confusion.
Pause here.
A rather funny scene about the egg. Susanna was rightly confused and Michelle knew she made a huge mistake.
Michelle saw Siu Shun crouching by the said saying "Finally! Got you! Poisoned! Yeah!" and Michelle asked "What are you doing?" and Siu Shun said "Poisoning this pesky rat!" and Michelle looked relieved and Siu Shun remembered what he said earlier and said "You didn't think I would poison that woman? Not worth it! I wouldn't risk my life for her! But I will make life difficult for her!" and Michelle said "Siu Shun, don't do anything anymore. I don't think she was the reason for your godfather's death" and Siu Shun suddenly also smarten up.
Susanna was sitting painfully at her desk when she saw Siu Shun walked in. She was very happy, walked to him and Siu Shun said "Why are there no one here to assist you?" and Susanna said "They all have classes with the chess master" and Siu Shun said "And you? Aren't you on sick leave?" and Susanna smiled and said "I have things to do. Why are you here?" and Siu Shun said "Well.. ermm I am here to collect the *** (didn't catch what item), so I can just change it earlier than later" and Susanna said "I thought the deadline is the day after tomorrow?" and Siu Shun said "Well I just wanted to check if it is ok sooner" and Susanna said "I will rush it then and deliver it personally to you once it is completed" and Siu Shun said "No no, you can send someone. You're already inconvenienced. Anyway, I got this balm. Godfather used to beat me like that too when I was a boy and then he would apply this balm for me and I could run around again in a matter of days. Here, take it" and Susanna was very touched and then Siu Shun left and Susanna smiled happily even if she was in pain.
Pause here.
Bo Gut Cheong was really a good guy wasn't he? What a pity he died so tragically!
Foreign king is there and everybody greeted him and had good drinks as he enjoyed super sexy performance by super sexy dancers (the emperor should choose another wife amongst them, to heat up the competition) and Po Yin and a sneering looking Kam Ling was there. The foreign king complimented the emperor's wives and gave good wishes to Po Yin for soon to have a SON and General Ma was so happy he stood up and greeted the foreign king like an emperor himself and said "Here's a toast to the soon to be born crown prince!" and laughed heartily as Emperor and Hin Yeung eyed each other. Yeah lor, boss haven't said anything, assistant stood up and acted like a boss. The Emperor has so many chances to get him killed but never.
Pause here for a moment.
Remember General Man can so easily investigate and discover the truth? Why can't the emperor arrest General Ma suddenly with no warning but beforehand send Hin Yeung to discover his assets. That alone which is corruption charges can be mounted against General Ma and had him beheaded since he flaunts his wealth. Why not? That's part of the way how Kangxi got rid of Aobai!
Anyway General Ma told Po Yin to organise some more dances for that lusty foreign king and the emperor agreed and Kam Ling sneered, yet again.
Kam Ling and Po Yin walking with respective maids, Po Yin chatty with Kam Ling about her plans with the dancers...
Pause here.
I know Po Yin has changed to a gentler person but surely her brain can't be that much affected? Because she should be wary of Kam Ling and yet she wasn't. What a lousy character development. No need to fight yes but at least wary and she wasn't, at all.
Suddenly Po Yin suffered leg cramps and cried out in pain and Kam Ling and Fei Yin weren't rushing to help and Kam Ling sneered but saw Empress Dowager walking past and quickly rushed to Po Yin, took off her shoes and even massaged her feet and ordered a surprised Fei Yin to get the doctor and Empress Dowager was impressed by their care for one another as Kam Ling said "I have learned such techniques in the hope of being of service to sister" and again no wariness on the part of Po Yin. I think some people just deserved to be made a fool and then killed, and Po Yin is one. Empress Dowager happily said "I am so happy at your closeness. I am so lucky to have both of you as my daughters. Concubine Yin, since this is your first child, it will be difficult, as it was also difficult for me. That is the price of being a mother. With Concubine Lai taking care of you, I feel very assured" and Kam Ling smiled gently and said "Sister's son is also my son"
Puke! I wanna puke at her fakeness!
Back at her own place, Kam Ling was hard at washing her hands in the golden bowl as she disgustedly said "Oh I can still smell her smelly feet on my hands! Get me more soap! I need to wash off her smelly scent!" and Fei Yin suggested another item when Emperor suddenly arrived and Kam Ling rushed to him and said "What brings your majesty to this place?" and emperor said "I was with mother and she told me how you took very good care of Concubine Yin. I can see you're resting your tired hands in warm water..." and Kam Ling in utter fakeness said "I was just softening my hands in warm water so that I can later go back to massage sister's feet some more" and Emperor sorta looked happy and said "I am very happy you are treating Concubine Yin as such. May I stay with you tonight, for dinner?" and Kam Ling was very happy and said "Certainly!"
Pause here.
I don't understand Kam Ling. She thinks palace scheming and all but so far, everyone has been treating her very well. She has the most understanding mother in law, a very fair husband, a good "sister" in the form of Concubine Yin who seems to have no wariness against her anymore, she has her money, her dresses, her maids, emperor's attention, friends in the 4 depts, what more does she want? She should have been satisfied. But she wants to be empress? Silly isn't it. What a stupid girl. If she lived her life knowing her own limitations she would have been such a happy person. Now, her only road is either death or as we all already know, insanity. To me she is already showing signs of delusional behaviour. She should be less petty, be more open minded. Perhaps Sam Hou should have come and accompany more instead of imposing her own 3 moral principles against Kam Ling and hoping she would follow. In fact Sam Hou should have throw away that 3 principles and be a more understanding friend in the sense by consoling her emotionally, assuring her. To me Kam Ling as security issues, self esteem issues and personality issues. Lots of issues. And if this is TVB's way of building up a super villain, let me say it clearly now once and for all; Kam Ling is a failed character as a villain. She simply has no reason to be a villain in the first place. I see her as petty, as delusional and no more. And perhaps the scariest people are those who thinks the world is against them when the world only wants to continue spinning as it should be and would be. In real life, Kam Ling may look manipulative but she is extremely stupid. Likewise in real life Sam Hou would be too harsh, too high up in her moral high ground but with Sam Hou at least she is reasonable. Kam Ling just lost her ability to reason and be reasoned with.
Now all of them gathered again at the hall minus the foreign king, watching the rehearsals and Emperor was very happy with the super sexy dancers as in the routine as he said "Perfect! I am sure nothing will go wrong on the night of the banquet!" General Ma stood up immediately and said "Concubine Yin has done so well! Since she is about to give birth to a crown prince, your majesty, this is the time to appoint Concubine Yin as the empress!" and Emperor and Hin Yeung both eyed each other again (oh come on emperor, Hin Yeung is your true love with the amount of eyeing they're doing!) and Hin Yeung quickly said "Or it could be a princess" and the emperor added "Whether it is a prince or a princess, I will love my child just as much".
Meanwhile Kam Ling was sneering so obviously, surprisingly anyone looking towards Po Yin where Kam Ling was just right behind never saw a thing! Tavia, that is a bit of overacting!
Where got emperor wishes for a daughter and not a son?! Just knife General Ma, that will solve the problem!
General Ma wasn't happy and said "Concubine Yin is blessed with looks and talent and intellect and is a perfect candidate to be an empress. Don't you agree Concubine Lai?" and suddenly Kam Ling stopped sneering and stuttered "Sister is very gentle and blessed with intellect" but Po Yin humbly said "This is much too soon to discuss General Ma" but General Ma insisted "Never too soon!" and then Sam Hou appeared carrying a tray and Kam Ling eagerly said "Lady Lau, is the item I asked for prepared?" and Sam Hou said "Yes" and Kam Ling said "Sister, I was walking past the garden when I saw a butterfly fluttering past and I was very inspired and designed this hair ornament for you and I asked Lady Lau to make it" and Po Yin took the butterfly themed hair ornament and was very pleased with it and said "The artistry is exceptional. Thank you sister, thank you Lady Lau". Emperor was very pleased with what Kam Ling did but one wasn't and that was General Ma who sneered "Butterfly? Concubine Lai, how dare you suggest the child in Concubine Yin's womb is a princess instead of a prince?" and Kam Ling shocked said "No, I didn't mean that! I just meant well!" and General Ma said "Butterfly is a female symbol, on a hair ornament for a woman is also a female symbol! How dare you?" and the emperor said "Perhaps General Ma you have been thinking too much. All themes for hair ornaments for women are either flowers or butterflies or nature, Concubine Lai did not mean what you said" but General Ma wasn't happy and openly insulted Kam Ling and said "I already said this former maid does not fit to be a concubine. To be of such a concubine rank and yet with such ambition to be more, you're an ungrateful nobody!" and Kam Ling was certainly shocked and Sam Hou, biting her lips angrily said "The butterfly symbolises the beauty and grace of Concubine Yin and that was what Concubine Lai meant with that and nothing more" and General Ma... you're in deep trouble because Sam Hou has spoken! General Ma very angry pointed at Sam Hou and shouted "You're just a maid, here to serve your masters! Who are you to speak when you're not given permission to speak?!"
Pause here. Eh, General Ma, YOU ARE ALSO A SERVANT HERE TO SERVE YOU MASTERS AND HERE YOU ARE TALKING NON STOP! Emperor, say something. Say "And so are you General Ma" or something as wise instead of standing there like a statue!
Sam Hou now very angry retorted "I know I am just a lowly maid here to serve my masters, and what I explained is doing exactly my duty; I am explaining Concubine Lai's intentions and no more" and General Ma now very angry said "You insolent fool! I must teach you a lesson!" and raised his hand, ready to slap Sam Hou hard. Reactions here are expected but weird, when it comes to Kam Ling. Immediately Po Yin rushed to Sam Hou and protected her by pushing her a bit back, Emperor and Hin Yeung both shouted NO!!! at the same time shocking even General Ma and his hand was midway and Kam Ling... Kam Ling...
Doesn't she realise Sam Hou was trying to protect her? And yet she looked like she wished General Ma did slap her. And she looked at the Emperor hard, with jealous disbelieving eyes that the emperor would shout NO and offend General Ma to protect Sam Hou. But how she got his attention was by using Sam Hou, so surely she already knows how he feels about Sam Hou. And moreover Sam Hou was in trouble because to protect her and yet she can't see beyond her own jealousy or whatever it was to recognise her best friend chose to be at risk of trouble to help her! All she can see at that moment was how the emperor reacted, how he was looking at Sam Hou. Kam Ling, don't take things too personally. If it has been any maid I am sure the emperor may not shout NO!! but will fight against General Ma since they're never on the same page. I am beginning to like Kam Ling less and less not because she did evil things or manipulative or villain but this girl has got all her priorities wrong! What a petty person.
Anyway next episode, Kam Ling did things to make foreign king to demand for Sam Hou's hand in marriage eventhough she knew she and Hin Yeung were in love and probably knew they were married and it backfired when the worst happened; Po Yin suggested a solution to the problem; foreign king can have any woman but not the emperor's woman so Po Yin said why not make Sam Hou a concubine?
Ooooooohhhhhh.... interesting turn of events. Again the solution would have been simple; a few episodes ago just award Hin Yeung with Sam Hou's hand in marriage. General Ma will cry and protest and all but in the end I am sure if the emperor wants, emperor gets.
Kam Ling is getting stupider and stupider.
If you notice my entire recap revolves around how Kam Ling is acting or reacting. If TVB wants me to believe Kam Ling will be a super villain, they must be insane. Give the viewers some credit and pay the scriptwriter more to come up with a more decent descent into villainhood for Kam Ling rather than this insipid half baked petty nobody.
Poor Sam Hou.
Performance wise, Yes Tavia can really sneer and she can act and to act with such fakeness means she is a capable actress because I find Kam Ling disgusting but not for reasons TVB wishes me to find her disgusting. Problem is Tavia in showing such fakeness with such open smirking and rolling of eyes and all in front of everybody tends to overact in such scenes to the point of disbelief. No one saw that smirk? They must be blind. Tavia should have adopted subtlety, since Kam Ling on paper is manipulative and persuasively domineering and determined in getting her own way but with Tavia, Kam Ling tonight became a caricature that I just can't take seriously, nor pitied or root for or even hate. I just feel disgust with the character and in some ways the over the top acting in most inappropriate times.
Moses Chan is now ONE expression only. Don't ask him to do more of his heavily made up face with thick powder might crack a little you know.
Kevin Cheng I have no comment. He is like the most prominent ke-le-fe in this show, apart from Sam Hou.
But Sam Hou got things to do, a function to fulfill and Charmaine Sheh is always best when she has a bit of a temper. I like how she retorted against General Ma and to me it was a good performance even if she may be scene per scene actress.
Lee Kwok Lun overacts but then General Ma is a caricature from day one. And someone so "hiu jeung" still can walk around like he's the king and still not dead is to me stupid storyline. Even Lee Lin Ying won't act like that in front of the Emperor even if he may garner support from the stupid Empress Dowager Cixi.
Selena Li on paper looks like a decent actress, she played the gentle kind softspoken and intelligent Concubine Yin well but to me it was a poor performance because she simply forget or rather the script seems to forget to be a little wary of Kam Ling. Why would she suddenly not be wary of Kam Ling? I know we are to cry for her when she dies and all but seriously, someone so darn intelligent would be wary of sudden changes in Kam Ling. Or did she think she was the reason Kam Ling changed when she first slapped her? So she decided to give Kam Ling a chance and be nice to her? Again a bit of doubtful eyes for that split second when looking at an ultra nice Kam Ling would have made Concubine Yin more believable.
Michelle and Susanna no comment since their characters are just waste of time. Vin Choi is a handsome boy but acting is limited and Siu Shun is just silly.
The rest no comment except this palace is seriously lacking maids. Same people in and out and the rest are so darn free.
Posts
January 6, 2011 at 2:22 PM
Problem is Tavia in showing such fakeness with such open smirking and rolling of eyes and all in front of everybody tends to overact in such scenes to the point of disbelief. No one saw that smirk? They must be blind.
Lol... I think I also point this out in AF thread. How come no one notice Kam Ling's expression ah?
You're right abt Emperor real lover... it's Hin Yeung!