EPISODE 22

An interesting episode though a bit overloaded with illogical sequences, mostly thanks to Cheung Ping.



The war continues, and Sai Hin suddenly realised why for a few months the Manchurians did nothing. They were waiting for the more powerful and scary looking cannons made by westerners. It killed most of Sai Hin's troops, even Sai Hin himself was seriously injured. Because of this many people from the nearby towns were panicking and running away. Cheung Ping, Chi Chiu and some guards were on their way to visit Sai Hin and gang nearby but they were pursued by the Manchurians. Ended up Chi Chiu escaped and had to dress like a commoner to safely reach the palace whilst Cheung Ping was lost. She wandered off alone and was last scene trying desperately to climb a very low hill whilst we see scenes of Sai Hin bravely attacking the Qings, driving his men to what was a hopeless end. Sing Hing was leading the troops to safety when they were ambushed, all were killed except for Sing Hing who was missing. When Sai Hin reached the palace, the King welcomed him but had to tell him the sad news that neither Sing Hing nor Cheung Ping made it. He didn't know where they were. The last scene was Cheung Ping, now dressed like a beggar grabbing food to eat.



The first few scenes had Tin trying to convince Yuen Yuen to marry the King so that she can see her Sam Kwai. I made a mistake. She knew Sam Kwai and had met him later on. That was 3 years ago. Since then she lost all news of him and was desperately looking for him. Sam Kwai was impressed with her personality, you know those "though I am a prostitute I sell only my craft and not my body and moreover, look I am smart, beautiful and I know politics...I impressed you didn't I?" attitude. We also know the King treats Sam Kwai like his own brother, even taking a bowl of rice to him, so they were real close.



Now, this episode was touching at times, especially when the scenes shifted to brave Sai Hin, cool Shih Ho Fatt and all their men, and how they fought and fought. Of course they lost in the end but the spirit was there. I was though particularly annoyed with Sing Hing with his constant nagging and emotional outbursts. He should never be in the army! Worst was when Sai Hin said he will lead the troops to destroy the cannons himself and Sing Hing knew this would be a lost cause. So Sing Hing screamed that "You musn't go, leave with us, what about Cheung Ping? Let's go home and see Cheung Ping". Maybe he will never get this; in Cheung Ping's mind, there is only Sai Hin, so Sing Hing should never have bothered with whatever he was thinking. But Sai Hin was determined to put duty before love, something Sing Hing could never ever learn because he was far too preoccupied with that woman.



Now we come to the Queen who for once stood her ground and begged the king to find Cheung Ping, to search for Sai Hin when news of them missing were repeated to the King. The King looked at the queen sharply and she instantly shut up. Why couldn't I have seen such positive outbursts from the useless mother when Chiu Yan was used as a pawn? When Cheung Ping was falsely accused of the murder of Yoke Han? In fact what happened to Yoke Han's case? How can Yoke Han's father, Lee Kin Tai still serve the man who refused to give his daughter justice?



And then we have Cheung Ping. I can never understand her and I never will. One scene Sing Hing was describing his dream lover, that is Cheung Ping. He said she was "kind, compassionate, loves to help people, always thinking of others instead of herself", in other words a perfect saint and an angel. Then we have this one scene which I feel totally debunk this angel theory of this woman and convinced me that if such a person exists, she would be called a fake and a hypocrite. This scene was when he, Chi Chiu, two maids and a few guards were under attacked by Qing army who wanted to take the women away. Understandably she should be scared. She was not after superwoman. But then she fell down into a tiny house, and right before her eyes she saw her maid being slashed to death. What did she do?



a. Scream for Chi Chiu, asking him is he alright?



b. drag the injured maid (probably dead by then but she wouldn't have known since there was only chaos) into the tiny house with her and shut the door?



c. Run out, grab a knife and start slashing like a woman possessed, screaming Sai Hin's name so that his name could give her strength?



The answer is none of the above. Instead, she fell down, screamed her wimpish scream, PUSHED that dead girl away and quickly without much concern and much thought closed the door, hid for a while like a coward that she was and when everything was clear, she walked out, wandered off to a nearby cliff, climbed, fell, climbed and fell as we see scenes of Sai Hin being bombed and all. Am I supposed to feel for her love for Sai Hin as she walked desperately I think towards his direction? Or was she so stunned and shocked she didn't know where she was walking? Either way she was a total coward and unbefitting to be the wife of brave Sai Hin, daughter of super patient useless mom the Queen and sister of the evil conniving Superman. To me Cheung Ping was as despicable as Chiu Yan. Whilst Chiu Yan did bad things, Cheung Ping stood by whilst bad things were being perpetrated. You may ask what I expected her to do? I thought answer B would have shown how selfless and thoughtful she is. Instead she is one nonsense of a character.



Today there was no Chiu Yan. I wonder what happened to her, since in the thick of action and she was nowhere to be seen? Is her role only meant to provoke the viewers' sense without justification? Again another senseless character.



Thus far Marco Ngai had little to do but his presence in this series is reassuring. Moses Chan was quite ok as the emotional King, he was like a little boy who found a sweet when he saw Sai Hin coming home. But I still feel Moses is still too young for this very heavy role. Steven Ma gave a decent interpretation of a very brave Sai Hin and I definitely enjoyed his performance in here than in Where The Legend Begins, since he hardly read poems in here so I wasn't that annoyed with his passionless delivery of his lines. No Sonija Kwok so no comments. Maggie Siu is like a supporting actress so nothing for me to say. Micheal Tong should be gagged. Anne Heung looked good but the moment she opened her mouth, let's just say she should be gagged too. In fact she looked like she just stepped out from Legend Of Lady Yang. Don't they have new make up and costume? I still couldn't get the last episode why she had to dance naked before Buddha.



Charmaine Sheh, wimpish, pitiful, sick of her "Come on, pity me, pity me" look. I expect after so much horros Cheung Ping would be more braver, more thoughtless but in the end in that one scene, Charmaine gave her interpretation of a very cowardly Cheung Ping. I find her performance horrendous. In fact this series should not have a Best Actress category but a Worst Actress category. I personally nominate Charmaine Sheh, Sonija Kwok and Anne Heung. I can't decide the winner since I am too annoyed with each of them to give a definite answer. Sonija because of her wooden passionless acting, Anne because of the way she talks and Charmaine because she gave a totally embarrassing and totally horrendous interpretation of Cheung Ping. This is Cheung Ping, not Cheung Ling or Cheung Jing. The writer should be blamed but an actress like her, after so many series should be able to give her own interpretation. Again she was scene per scene. Her Cheung Ping gave me an impression that she is shallow, cares only for Sai Hin, an weak sister, an uncaring daughter and a totally useless coward.



Now I have one question. Why can't she walk to the palace like Chi Chiu? She lost her memory issit? This I will have to wait until tomorrow. I am glad this series is ending because this series at this moment of time is total nonsense.