A procurator and a lawyer team up in a crime thriller.
Notable Actors/Actresses
Notable Actors/Actresses
Xia Yu: Lu Nan
Luo Jin: Qiao Shao Ting
Director
Part 1 盲區 Blind Spot
Part 2 落水者 The One Who Drowned
Network: Youku
Part 1 [1 -6]
Part 2 [7-20]
Recap Grade: B/C
First Impression: 3.8/5
Mini Recaps
Part 1
盲區
[Ep1] Lu Nan is a judge (not a police officer, I swear) who just arrived in the new city. In the opening scene, he gets into a serial car accident. He’s fine, except a cut to his forehead. Since episode 1-6 takes place in 16 hours drama-time, you will notice the bandaid on his forehead the entire time. Drama poster is provoking me. How can you get the injury on the wrong eyebrow! The question you should be asking (from someone who knows the answer, *flips hair*): How does this car accident connect to the case he’s solving?
Ran Sen is a lawyer, representing the defendant, Tian Yan. So what’s the case? Tian Yan is the suspect in the homicide (and dismemberment) of Liu Feng Jun (F). Ran Sen argues that his client is only the accessory in the murder of Liu Feng Fun. Li Meng Qi (F) is the mastermind. Li Meng Qi and Tian Yan have an affair. Tian Yan's company helps Li Meng Qi smuggle. Currently, her whereabouts are unknown. Ran Sen believes his client would die to protect Li Meng Qi.
Qiao Shao Yan, a police officer, hints to Lu Nan that Li Meng Qi underwent plastic surgery. Currently, Li Meng Qi is Chen Man, the leader of a crime syndicate.
Lu Nan investigates the dock (smuggling location) for information on Chen Man. He’s caught by Jiang Xiao, who's part of the smugglers. But Jiang Xiao saves Lu Nan?!
[Ep2] Jiang Xiao is Wu Han’s undercover agent. He risked exposing his identity to save Lu Nan. Wu Han is furious at Lu Han for poking around. Her mission was to catch Chen Man who was going to arrive in Nanjing today.
...except he had no idea he could die without knowing why he died. Tension! (He’s being strangled.) And yes, that driver is that short.
Chen Man doesn’t trust anyone easily. She won’t stop testing Qiao Shao Ting and that keeps us on the edge of our seats. Will our lawyer be exposed? How will Lu Nan help him? How will these men communicate under her strict surveillance?
Xu Hui Wen is the defendant's (Tian Yan) wife. She suddenly has a mouthwash as potential evidence. She gives it to Ran Sen (lawyer). Qiao Shao Yan (officer) also finds Xu Hui Wen suspicious. Her and Tian Yan sleep in separate rooms. She also uses two phones, one of which is a Blackberry (Oh my, Hello Blackberry! How are you?). It’s known for its privacy features. Could she be Li Meng Qi instead?!
In the prologues and epilogues, drama covers another incident from some years ago. It’s Lu Nan escorting a criminal (Shen Qing). After a mudslide, their vehicle is washed away. Colleague Xiao Long died on the scene. Colleague Liu Bai is injured and unconscious. Headquarters ordered Lu Nan to abandon the criminal (Shen Qing) and save Liu Bai. Lu Nan rejected the order. His comrades died in order to arrest Shen Qing. Using his gun, he orders Shen Qing to help carry Liu Bai to safety. [In Ep4, you will learn that Liu Bai, whom Lu Nan saved, is Wu Han’s husband, other than that, I don’t know what’s the importance of this prologue. I feel like there will be more to this case in Part 2. Maybe.]
[Ep4] Qiao Shao Ting (lawyer) and Qiao Shao Yan (officer) are siblings. There’s a bit of strife between them, but clearly they care for each other. Thanks to their ability to act (har har), they manage to fool Chen Man to let her guard down against Qiao Shao Ting.
Xu Hui Wen (wife) dies!
[Ep5] Suddenly the lady officers are very suspicious in Xu Hui Wen’s death. Qiao Shao Yan was at the crime scene. Her DNA is also extracted from the mouthwash. As for Wu Han, Xu Hui Wen’s car keys were found in her (Wu) car.
So who murdered Xu Hui Wen? It’s neither ladies. It’s Ran Sen. Lu Nan based his deduction on an “earring”. Seven years ago, Li Meng Qi had already died. She isn’t Chen Man or Xu Hui Wen. Aw. When she was killed by Ran Sen and Tian Yan, she had worn the ring as an earring, which is why only they would call it an earring when it’s clearly a ring. Ran Sen has been protecting Tian Yan in order to protect himself. The psychopathic relationship between the two men is beyond my conception of life.
[Ep6] Evil evil evil Ran Sen deciphers the police are onto him. Before he ditches the city, he retrieves Tian Yan's trophies from his car, a mobile safe. It’s not uncommon for serial killers to keep tokens from their victims. FYI, I googled that. In the process, Ran Sen stabs Jiang Xiao in the neck because he was driving the car. Ran Sen flees in the mustang.
While Lu Nan drives Jiang Xiao to the hospital, he spots a flashy car on the highway. Life Pro Tip: if you ever need to flee, don’t do it in a half a million dollar red mustang with two white race stripes that’s luminescent. What a coincidence, Lu Nan needs to merge onto the highway to get to the hospital anyway. And so the car chase is on! That pursuit was hot. The unhurried music vs. the speed of the pursuit. Lu Nan’s smirk. The confidence! The way he swerved out of sight into Ran Sen’s “blindspots” *fans myself* Ran Sen is shoulder checking but Lu Nan’s too fast in his sleek sedan. Left and right. But omg! Jiang Xiao has a life-threatening injury in the backseat. Stabilize his head!! AH. Lu Nan takes out the gun. Bam! One wheel is flat. Bam! The other wheel is deflated. The final crash sends Ran Sen’s car rolling over. Lu Nan is back on route to the hospital (by the way, Jiang Xiao was in full support of the pursuit). Jiang Xiao will survive! Phew.
I’m a bit confused how Lu Nan phoned Ran Sen when he threw away his phone.
Lu Nan checks on Ran Sen, who’s still dangling in his car. There’s blood dripping everywhere. He smirks as he shows Lu Nan his necklace with Li Meng Qi’s (other) ring as a pendant. So Ran Sen is the psychopath who carries his trophies everyday. I think it’s also meant to be a couple item with Tian Yan’s ‘earring’, y’know, they’re just using the jewellery of the woman they dismembered.... Okay, now my joints are disturbed.
Conclusion. Li Meng Qi’s murderers and Chen Man are simultaneously caught. The Qiao siblings also make up thanks to Lu Nan, the five-minute-brother-in-law. I’m a little disappointed that I don’t see Chen Man in the final scene. She was cool.
Part 2
落水者
Part 2 is so complicated D: There’s too many faces, and even more names (without faces) to recognize and all in the pilot episode. Show, you’re not being very nice to your audience.
Part 2 happens before Part 1.
[Ep7] Overarching case. Qiao Shao Ting refuses to give up on Wang Bo and Lei Shao Kun lawsuit. They’re accused of murdering Zhu Hong, but there is no corpse. Zhu Hong might not have died, he could have just drowned (Hence the title: The One Who Drowned).
Qiao Shao Ting is on a hot streak. He’s the best lawyer in the city. He hasn't lost a case and is currently juggling at least three in the first ten minutes of the show. Dude just walked out of court, winning a lawsuit, and as he’s stopped at the parking lot by another lawyer, settling another case, all the while he’s on the phone, giving advice on how to win a third case. However, behind every successful man there is a wife (Tang Chu) who wants to divorce him, and there are enemies who want to take him down. Kuang Bei Ping hates Qiao Shao Ting (because Qiao voted him out of the director position, hence Kuang is in a new firm). Xue Dong is helping Kuang Bei Ping take down Qiao. Zhang Zheng looks like he’s on Qiao's side but his expressions are so grave which confuses me. Xue Dong was lecturing Zhang Zheng that if he really treats Qiao as a buddy, and not a dog, then Zhang should do the biting instead. Hong Tu was Qiao's disciple who now defies him because she’s sick of living in his shadows. Is no one on Qiao Shao Tang's side?
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| He’s got three heads!!! |
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| We’ve watched QST be the ceiling of all lawyers and now he’s on the other side, behind the bars. |
Qiao Shao Tang is arrested (which was mentioned in Part 1). He’s the prime suspect in the death of Zou Liang, who died from a drug overdose. After gruelling interrogations, Qiao Shao Tang is finally released. Xiao Zhen, a new lawyer at the firm, picks him up. Note: Xue Dong is also the first one to call him. But how did Xue know Qiao was released? Who sent him that picture of Qiao? It could only be Xiao Zhen.
[Ep8] Rewind. Xiao Zhen was interviewed by Xue Dong on the day Qiao Shao Ting was arrested. I like the continuity of this scene. Xue Dong was on a call with Zhang Zheng, agreeing to meet at their usual place (which happened in Ep7). Xiao Zhen made an alliance with Xue Dong to knock down Qiao Shao Ting from his throne Hah?!?! As she left her interview with Xue Dong, she saw Qiao, who was cuffed away, and then quickly made a call. To whom?
Current. Qiao Shao Ting hits rock bottom. His license is suspended (for a privacy breach). He lost his partnership. His credit cards are frozen. He’s still in the middle of a divorce. The wife was kind enough to delay the application but he wants it processed (to not harm her). He’s determined to take Wang Bo and Lei Shao Kun’s case, even if it means being enemies with Kuang Bei Ping.
Overarching case. Qiao Shao Ting wants to appeal for Wang Bo and Lei Shao Kun who are sentenced for murder. Right now, we have Zhu Hong, who we don’t know if he’s dead, and Zou Liang, who we don’t know who killed him. Zou Liang is involved with Zhu Hong because Qiao Shao Ting had asked Zou to investigate Zhu’s bank account. While Qiao Shao Ting was detained, Zou Liang had sent him a parcel with a note: “After hitting the south wall, you still won't turn around*. From a young age, you have never changed.” (*An idiom that means to stubbornly insist on one idea). Qiao Shao Ting will not back down, and he keeps pushing forward, he will be declaring war with Kuang Bei Ping because he’s close friends with Zhu Hong’s father-in-law (Yan Pei Xu).
The current question. Could it have been Kuang Bei Ping who arranged Qiao Shao Ting’s arrest? Xue Dong might think so.
[Ep9] Xiao Zhen asks Qiao Shao Ting on how to be a good lawyer. Here’s Qiao's answer:
你是想“做好”律師 還是做 “好律師”
Do you want to be a good lawyer or do you want to be a good lawyer?
Brilliant line. It sounds exactly the same but has two very different meanings because of how Qiao Shao Ting emphasized the break between certain words. The proper translation: “Do you want to be good at being a lawyer or do you want to be a good lawyer?”
It seems that Xiao Zhen chose to “做好”律師 and 做 “好律師”. This woman confuses me. I don’t know what’s on her agenda. On the other hand, it seems Xue Dong is helping Qiao Shao Ting, as well as Zhang Zheng. He has friends! As for Hong Tu, there’s a possibility that she will be bribed by Kuang Bei Ping. I personally think it’s a red herring.
Overarching case: There’s no way Zhu Hong isn’t dead. All circumstantial evidence says so. He was tied up, locked in a cage, and thrown off the cliff. The cage was found but the body wasn’t. The lock was broken from erosion (?) and not from physical force. To Qiao Shao Ting, the problem is how do you charge murder when there’s no corpse?
[Ep10] Lu Nan (long time no type!) meets Qiao Shao Ting for the first time. Lu Nan is the prosecutor overseeing Wang Bo and Lei Shao Kun’s (WB & LSK) file. Lu Nan is also intrigued that Xiao Zhen is the (step-)sister of Xiao Chuan (Zhen is adopted; Chuan is a police officer) and is actually working with Qiao Shao Ting.
Random bits:
→ Lu Nan wants to drive, but Fang Yuan (junior) says he drives too slow. Are you kidding me! (Ep6).
→ Drama’s weibo has a picture asking us why Xiao Zhen likes spicy food. Turns out it’s because she’s missing family warmth?? Is that really it? Okay. What about her hand gloves?
→ Qiao Shao Ting might have picked up on Xiao Zhen and Xue Dong’s alliance. I really don’t know. It’s just from the way Qiao Shao Ting is looking at those two. He’s also giving the female paralegal (who works at the office) weird glances.
[Ep11] Qiao Shao Ting gets Wang Bo's wife to sign the power of attorney. He paid a high price for it. He’s all beaten up! He’s taken to the hospital where his wife, Tang Chu works. I’m smirking at her. The wife clearly still loves Qiao Shao Ting. She may be a doctor, but she also passed the bar examination!! She actualy calls Qiao Shao Ting stupid!
Overarching case. Tang Chu tells Xiao Zhen the relationship between Qiao Shao Ting and Zou Liang. They were close friends in school. They liked the same girl (Yan Qiu), the goddess (the wife emphasizes this), but she liked Zou Liang. It gets even more dog-blooded. The one who got her is Zhu Hong because he impregnated her.
Xue Dong and Xiao Zhen’s “alliance”. Hong Tu and Zhang Zheng learn of it. Or maybe Zhang Zheng was in this alliance all along?? Maybe it was actually a Xue Dong and Zhang Zheng alliance all along! I like all the rendezvous between ZZ and XD. It’s like the two guys are having an affair. They technically are. Xue Dong is “betraying” Kuang Bei Ping. Xiao Zhen is someone that they can sacrifice. o.o At night Xue Dong phones her to split their profit, but she doesn’t care about the amount (which counters the frugal image she was trying to sell). She also tells Xue Dong that she has a new “partner”.
The alliances are complex. Xue Dong and Xiao Zhen are only what we see. In actuality it was XD and ZZ using Xiao Zhen. Now Xiao Zhen is abandoning Xue Dong for the good lawyer she admires: Qiao Shao Ting.
[Ep12] Zhang Zheng realizes Qiao Shao Ting was right: Kuang Bei Ping isn’t only after Qiao, but the entire law firm. Qiao Shao Ting believes that as long as he can investigate WB & LSK’s case, there will be a breakthrough in dealing with Kuang Bei Ping. Qiao Shao Ting is doing his best to take on Kuang Bei Ping alone without implicating anyone else. This is why he won't let Xiao Zhen sign the papers to represent WB & LSK. He’s willing to sacrifice himself to protect everyone.
Jin Yi, the guy who lent Qiao Shao Ting the car (that is now pawned, and he doesn’t tell Jin Yi, lol), informs Qiao Shao Ting that Zou Liang is a drug addict. His supplier is Zong Fei. Before Zou Liang was murdered, he bought insurance.
Qiao Shao Ting is looking for the moon after his wife said she saw one. She didn’t see it. She just wanted to be romantic and the man blew his chance. When Qiao Xiao Ting offhandedly asks Xue Dong if he can see the moon from where he is, he actually looks around, lol. This guy’s funny.
The next day, Xue Dong seriously investigates the moon business (lunar calendar, the weather forecast) and asserts there couldn’t have been a moon last night. He pesters and pesters Qiao Shao Ting until he’s red with annoyance if there’s an innuendo that he missed. Then he refuses to believe Qiao Shao Ting when he says it was nothing. To Xue Dong, Qiao Shao Ting does not talk about the moon. LOL. Xue Dong is also very upset that Qiao Shao Ting didn’t update him on changing his cars. Xue Dong, I like this guy now! The third day, Xue Dong is still obsessed about the moon!! Anyway, enough moon. Let’s talk about morals. Qiao Shao Ting compliments Xue Dong that he, out of the three of them (including Zhang Zheng) has the highest morals.
Zhang Zheng plans to sacrifice Xiao Zhen for Qiao Shao Ting. Xue Dong (who Qiao Shao Ting was right about) is upset that Zhang Zheng could do that, but for Zhang Zheng, he’s making a choice between an intern and his buddy. Hands down, he’d choose his buddy.
The Hotpot Story. Qiao Shao Ting, Xue Dong, and Zhang Zheng were university dormmates. They were starving one night and Zhang Zheng had packs of hotpot meat. They borrowed a pot and were ready to eat, but there wasn’t any sauce! Xue Dong will make do with anything. Zhang Zheng has his principles and will not eat without the right condiments. Rest assured. Qiao Shao Ting bikes home 20km (x2?) to bring back condiments!! From this story, it’s obvious what kind of person they each are. Xue Dong will make peace. Zhang Zheng will stick to his principles. Qiao Shao Ting will sacrifice himself for everyone.
This is yet another episode where Xue Dong is obsessed with the moon.
Did someone run away on Kuang Bei Ping’s end? Is it Zhu Hong?
[Ep16] Lu Nan and Qiao Shao Ting meet! I was waiting for this! It was not cool enough. Hmph. Both of them have the same doubts on WB & LSK’s case.
Qiao Shao Ting beats up Zhang Zheng for Xiao Zhen! Soon Qiao feels slightly guilty when he hears it was Zhang Zheng who asked Xue Dong to find someone courageous and capable for Qiao Shao Ting (= Xiao Zhen). Everything Zhang Zheng is doing is for his buddies and the firm, and he will sacrifice a soldier to protect a general.
Qiao Shao Ting reminds Zhang Zheng they promised not to be a second Kuang Bei Ping. Qiao Shao Ting will shield Xiao Zhen. He will take the complaint for her even if it’s suicidal for his career. The guy who won’t let anyone else sink but him.
Qiao Shao Ting lets Xiao Zhen sign her name for the power of attorney over WB & LSK’s case. She’s not his pawn. She is his partner. Even if this path they're walking on is hard, it’s worth it. Qiao Shao Ting (and Zhang Zheng and Xue Dong) found the right person. At this point, Xiao Zhen still hasn’t told Qiao Shao Ting about the complaint. She was going to face it alone not knowing that Qiao Shao Ting already solved it by sacrificing himself.
[Ep17] Xue Dong helps Qiao Shao Ting find a key witness who can prove that Zou Liang had met Kuang Bei Ping. Our Xue Dong is actually so kind! He just looks like a slimy bootlicker xD. I’m sorry I doubted you! The witness is an influencer who is Zou Liang’s mistress. In Part 2, I love Qiao Shao Ting’s interaction with Xue Dong the most, more than with Lu Nan. While Xue Dong is flirting(!!) with an influencer (for info), Qiao Shao Ting receives a phone call from Lu Nan. Aha, this is the scene from Part 1 with Chen Man.
After going through life and death (Part 1), Qiao Shao Ting has a breakthrough in his own case. The influencer has a recording of Kuang Bei Ping asking Zou Liang to forge bank records. However, she wants her 15 gold bars that Zou Liang bought for her. It can’t be any 15 gold bars (which Qiao Shao Ting was willing to pay for), it has to be those specific bars with those specific serial numbers to prove that her love was beautiful while it lasted. I think. So boys, how do we break into a safe now?
I like the scene at the end when Xiao Zhen pretends to run and kick Qiao Shao Ting at the cliff. Instead of dodging her, he opened his arms to protect in case she ran and fell off. So considerate, this guy.
[Ep18] Zhang Zheng and Qiao Shao Ting may have beaten each other, but there is no grudge between them. I love guy friendships!!!! Oh also, Xiao Zhen redeems the old car Qiao Shao Ting sold. We got a car again!
Investigation of the case has led us to Yan Pei Xu’s suspicious capital flow. (He needs money to bribe and silence people, like Zou Liang’s drug dealer, Zhou Fei.)
Han Bin is arrested and charged for selling drugs at the bar. It’s Kuang Bei Ping who set him up. It’s weird though, why is he not targeting Qiao Shao Ting? Anyway, Xiao Zhen chases down a key suspect. He’s a thug, and she’s tailing him alone, which freaks out Qiao Shao Ting. How is she so courageous? It’s because Xiao Zhen can’t feel pain, which makes her know no fear. This is why she wears her gloves. If she injures herself, she doesn’t know. It’s a condition called Congenital Insensitivity to Pain with Anhidrosis (CIPA). Sweating is also decreased. This is why there was that close up of her sweating in court (for Wang Ming’s case). She was nervous and excited, and I believe that was when she started enjoying working with Qiao Shao Ting. Xiao Zhen is exhilarated as she admits to Qiao Shao Ting that she was afraid. She's rarely afraid. She yearns to feel something, which is why she adds so much hot sauce to her food until she can feel something.
[Ep19] The influencer/lover lied about owning the recording, but it does exist.
Qiao Shao Ting confronts Han Bin. He deliberately took the drug dealer to a blindspot (Part 1 Title). It’s implied that Han Bin made his attack look like self-defence when it was actually attempted murder?! The drug dealer is in a coma, right? Wow. But why would Han Bin provoke the drug dealer? He doesn’t like it when others mess with his turf? Or he knew Kuang Bei Ping was on edge and decided to give him a freebie?! .....If he’s in jail, then Qiao Shao Ting would feel pressured and bring down KBP faster??
Xiao Zhen finds Zhu Hong’s corpse! He died.
[Ep20] Xiao Zhen, Qiao Shao Ting, and Fang Yuan are caught by the drug dealers. Xiao Zhen dislocates her hand (omg, the benefits of not feeling pain...) to save Qiao Shao Tan before he’s injected with the drug. Superhero Lu Nan flies in with a turbo kick and takes the gang out. The police also arrive in time. Xiao Zhen cracks her hand and straightens it up. Oh My Joints.
The overarching case. Qiao Shao Ting confronts Yan Pei Xu. The daughter glances at her father rather eerily like she knows something. He murdered Zhu Hong and Zou Liang via drug overdose by withholding information on the drug route. The dose wasn’t lethal had they not injected it. The reason: Zhu Hong was like a parasite who sucked him dry of money; Zou Liang coerced him for money after he helped him fake his bank records. Yan Pei Xu however, denies Kuang Bei Ping’s involvement. The next day, Yan Pei Xu got into a “car accident”. This means his grandson gets insurance. He committed suicide.
But what about Kuang Bei Ping? There’s no testimony from Yan Pei Xu or the recording. Lu Nan shares an experience that people (/criminals) keep their valuables separately. Eureka! It’s at another bank (safe). The name of the bank was already mentioned in Ep1 (P2) and multiple times in flashback! The recording pen is recovered! But the battery leaked. The recording is ruined. But there’s still a way to catch Kuang Bei Ping. They manipulate his spy, the front desk receptionist. Everyone in the office already knew of the front desk. It was so obvious, the drama didn’t even bother giving her a ton of screen time. It really is easiest to manipulate a spy who thinks they’re safe.
Kuang Bei Ping is arrested. Although he had ensured Xiao Zhen was free of recorders, she picked one up from the cash (which the police had access to at the bank). Then she slipped the recorder into her gloves. Her inability to feel pain and her gloves all come in handy this episode.
Here is where I think drama is laying the foundation for a possible season 2: Xiao Zhen teases Qiao Shao Ting that they took down the big baddie, but there’s still Zhang Zheng. There may be a day in the (near) future where Zhang Zheng cannot tolerate Qiao Shao Ting. If that ever happens, Xiao Zhen happily offers her alliance to abolish him! It’s meant to be a joke, but it makes you think.
[Special Episode] Qiao Shao Ting worries about his license, which is still being reviewed. Tang Chu had said he was the outlier. With his less than prestigious education, he made it to the top and is bound to be an eyesore. If he’s suspended, then it might just be time to leave. Han Bin glances downward as he hears this. Why so ominous.
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| Find “The Last Supper” |
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| The drama’s caricature of “The Last Supper”. It’s confirmed that the main characters (QST, XD, ZZ, HB) are in the caricature. The rest are from Day and Night (2017) and Reborn (2020) |
Tang Chu. Maybe we won’t be getting a divorce? In the middle of the day, Qiao Shao Ting confesses to Tang Chu, “The moon is beautiful” (I love you). She also doesn’t want Qiao Shao Ting to change. Not that he’ll ever change. Or more like no one will believe he can change.
Yan Qiu. Qiao Shao Ting attends Yan Pei Xu’s funeral. Yan Qiu (the daughter) is embittered but reposed. She tells him she didn’t take any of her father’s insurance. He asks her if she really knew nothing at all (from the death of her ex-husband to the death of her father). She says she doesn’t. When the doors close, she smirks. o.o. The one who got away? Her and Han Bin.
Xue Dong (and Zhang Zheng). There’s a new balance in the world of law, counterbalanced by Zhang Zheng and Xue Dong (who has taken Kuang Bei Ping’s position!). Xiao Zhen orders (!) Xue Dong to save a spot at his firm for Qiao Shao Ting. It's the least he owes Qiao. Xue Dong isn’t liking the threat and adds that they’re not even working at his firm.
Xiao Zhen: This alcohol, whether I drink it is my choice. But you, you must have my alcohol poured and ready for me. Phew.
Xue Dong tells Xiao Zhen to not treat herself like a saint, and don’t treat Qiao as a good person either. Hm? Xiao Zhen isn’t being greedy. She just wants what is fair. It’s what Qiao Shao Ting taught her. Xue Dong challenges her if she knows who taught Qiao that line in the first place.......Kuang Bei Ping? A foreshadow that Qiao Shao Ting will become a Kuang Bei Ping? No way! Show also sets up Xue Dong to be the next Kuang Bei Ping. Our Xue Dong!? Impossible! Right...?
Qiao Shao Yan visits her father! Aw, Show remembered the sister’s promise.
Han Bin. Xiao Zhen tells Qiao Shao Ting about Han Bin’s perception of life. I feel like Tang Chu is watching this exchange with jealousy. Humans are motivated by desire. Sometimes having one is just too boring. For Han Bin, he’s motivated by watching others chase their desires. Like his Fingerprint Cafe, he likes it when everyone is at his fingertips. Qiao Shao Ting pays a visit to Han Bin, who’s fixing the fingerprint lighting. He’s sitting so high up, Qiao Shao Ting has to tilt his head back and look up. He gives him a toast. Did Qiao Shao Ting just make a ‘Deal With the Devil’ (the name of their drink)? So is Qiao Shao Ting the “apostle” who betrays? You mean our Qiao Shao Ting changed? But Qiao Shao Ting can’t change!
Also if Han Bin is depicted as the ‘God of the Dead’, then he’s a Devil. And so if Qiao Shao Ting is the ‘traitor’, he’s still a good guy, making a deal with the devil to keep the balance of good and evil.
The end.
Remarks
[First Impression (Ep1-6)] Tense. Intellectual. Fast. Sensibly action-packed.
The title is precise. Our leads may be judges and lawyers, but everything happens outside the court. It’s just I don’t know what Lu Nan’s career entails. Everyone calls him judge (法官), but this guy's a cop. I’m sure. (Edit: Nope, this guy’s not even a judge. He’s a procurator and in Chinese, they address him as 法官. Alright).
If you only want the gist of Part 1, do not read Ep5 recap because the culprit is revealed. Ep6 is the conclusion to Lu Nan’s plot, but he will still be part of the story in the next section where Qiao Shao Ting (Luo Jin) is the main character. I don’t how interconnected the two sections will be, but I think it’ll be dumb to not interweave the stories (at a deeper level). It is one drama, right? Right?
Part 1: Blindspot. I love the complexity in the two cases. The teamwork between Lu Nan and Qiao Shao Ting is impeccable. It blows my mind how these two men never meet and can still display tacit understanding and chemistry (not BL). I found the phone call where Qiao Shao Ting yells at Lu Nan hilarious (Ep4). It's Luo Jin in anger mode, which is always funny and passionate. The girls are fantastic too. They’re either charismatically malicious or borderline suspicious. Six episodes to cover a thrilling case is the perfect length.
[Actors/Actresses] I think Xia Yu and Luo Jin are the same type of actors. Naturally compelling. The way they talk pulls me in. If they’re urgent, I’m urgent. If they’re nervous, I’m nervous.
[Glossary]
今晚月色真美 Jīn wǎn yuè sè zhēn měi – ’The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?’ (tsuki ga kirei desu ne?) is a phrase from a Japanese writer, Natsuke Soseki. It means “I love you” (Ep16)
[Ending] Happy. Motives are accomplished, but the ending teases for a Season 2.
[A Highlight] For whatever reason my memorable scene is..... Ep9 when Qiao Shao Ting asks Xiao Zhen, “你是想“做好”律師 還是做 “好律師”?
[Review & Rating]
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