The Double
Let me try to catch up on my drama reviews:
The Double is about revenge. It does feel like as soon as there's one type of drama out, a bunch of similar ones follow. The general gist feels like a similar drama I started but dropped (I already forgot its name). Anyways, I don't know any of the actors in this beside Joe Chen, so I won't bother with the cast and characters section. Instead, I'll jump right to:
Pros and Cons:
Pro: Strong start
The story starts out in media res. FL's in-laws find her in bed with not-her-husband and soon she's taken to some remote location by her husband despite her protests of innocence. Her husband digs a pretty deep grave but does a shit job of "killing" and burying her.
He knows he should have buried her entire body...including her head, right?
Was FL framed? Why would anyone do that? Who does such a shit job of burying someone? Who are these people?
I enjoy this type of drama beginnings so much better than the typical Chinese drama beginning, which is a long narration by a boring narrator that lays out all the plot backgrounds in the first five minutes. Like, dude, this drama is going to be 40 episodes. You don't think there's enough time to develop plot background?
Con: A quick drop-off to boredomville
After the first 10 episodes or so, the boredom starts. FL can do no wrong and she's a step ahead of everyone. Same with ML. They're both so clever and plotty. The initial suspense of how FL will take over her double's identity wears off really fast. After that, it's just...court intrigue? Boring.
Pro: 1/2 Joe Chen
Why half? Because she's dubbed, of course. But the half of her acting I can see is excellent. And since I like her, I'm glad she's still getting work.
Pretty, even with these crazy contouring pearls.
I also like Leanne Liu, who plays FL's double's grandmother.
I used to watch her in those Judge Bao episodes from the 90's. So again, glad people I like are still getting work.
Con: Everyone else
To be fair, they're not terrible. But they're just kind of there. I don't find the comic relief characters particularly good, probably because I don't care for China's style of comedy. So no one really stands out...except maybe Exceptionally Thick-Necked Lady
I think it's because her chin is so amazingly pointed? It makes her look like her neck is as wide as her face. And that's not a good look. Her wide neck is all I can see whenever she's on screen.
Con: The romance???
The FL and ML start off with a relationship where neither trusts the other. And I can see that. They're both hiding various things from each other as well as other people. So I'm actually fine with how they were in the beginning, which is enemies that have to use each other in order to further their personal goals.
But somewhere along the way, drama rule dictates that they have to pair up and become an actual couple with a loving relationship. This drama does it so unconvincingly that I have no clue what was the turning point in their relationship. So at no time did I think they were a convincing couple or that there's anything romantic about anything about them.
Con: The ending
I have to start off by saying that I'm not against unhappy endings.
But this drama seems to create an unhappy ending out of nowhere. FL and ML manage to stop a rebellion and everything seems to be going well for them. Then lo and behold! The emperor needs to send ML off to quash the remaining rebellion somewhere far off from the capital. For some reason, only ML and his meager group of soldiers can go. And predictably, everyone dies (I assume, off screen). That's the only logical conclusion given that all of ML's subordinates die and the last shot of the ML is of him facing an advancing army all by himself. The next shot is of the ML returning to the FL and them having a happy reunion. The end. How does he return? Did he single-handedly defeat an entire army? Did reinforcements arrive? Like, what the hell? At least have a narrator tell us what happened!
Reading comments on the internet, it sounds like the sad ending is the original ending. But producers got cold feet and tacked on the happy ending. Well, that's half-assed!
Misc
The drama has pretty, lush colors.
But it's dubbed, so it's crap.
Those close-up camera shots are a choice. But at least the director is trying something new, I guess.
Why is there a petty school part to this drama?
Can't they come up with better wigs for men?
He looks sad about it too.
Good god, the fight choreography. Qinggong doesn't mean people can ascend straight up into the sky like Superman (I would gif, but I'm tired now).
The end
This drama got a lot of hype. But honestly, it's pretty below average if not for the strong start.
The Double is about revenge. It does feel like as soon as there's one type of drama out, a bunch of similar ones follow. The general gist feels like a similar drama I started but dropped (I already forgot its name). Anyways, I don't know any of the actors in this beside Joe Chen, so I won't bother with the cast and characters section. Instead, I'll jump right to:
Pros and Cons:
Pro: Strong start
The story starts out in media res. FL's in-laws find her in bed with not-her-husband and soon she's taken to some remote location by her husband despite her protests of innocence. Her husband digs a pretty deep grave but does a shit job of "killing" and burying her.
He knows he should have buried her entire body...including her head, right?
Was FL framed? Why would anyone do that? Who does such a shit job of burying someone? Who are these people?
I enjoy this type of drama beginnings so much better than the typical Chinese drama beginning, which is a long narration by a boring narrator that lays out all the plot backgrounds in the first five minutes. Like, dude, this drama is going to be 40 episodes. You don't think there's enough time to develop plot background?
Con: A quick drop-off to boredomville
After the first 10 episodes or so, the boredom starts. FL can do no wrong and she's a step ahead of everyone. Same with ML. They're both so clever and plotty. The initial suspense of how FL will take over her double's identity wears off really fast. After that, it's just...court intrigue? Boring.
Pro: 1/2 Joe Chen
Why half? Because she's dubbed, of course. But the half of her acting I can see is excellent. And since I like her, I'm glad she's still getting work.
Pretty, even with these crazy contouring pearls.
I also like Leanne Liu, who plays FL's double's grandmother.
I used to watch her in those Judge Bao episodes from the 90's. So again, glad people I like are still getting work.
Con: Everyone else
To be fair, they're not terrible. But they're just kind of there. I don't find the comic relief characters particularly good, probably because I don't care for China's style of comedy. So no one really stands out...except maybe Exceptionally Thick-Necked Lady
I think it's because her chin is so amazingly pointed? It makes her look like her neck is as wide as her face. And that's not a good look. Her wide neck is all I can see whenever she's on screen.
Con: The romance???
The FL and ML start off with a relationship where neither trusts the other. And I can see that. They're both hiding various things from each other as well as other people. So I'm actually fine with how they were in the beginning, which is enemies that have to use each other in order to further their personal goals.
But somewhere along the way, drama rule dictates that they have to pair up and become an actual couple with a loving relationship. This drama does it so unconvincingly that I have no clue what was the turning point in their relationship. So at no time did I think they were a convincing couple or that there's anything romantic about anything about them.
Con: The ending
I have to start off by saying that I'm not against unhappy endings.
But this drama seems to create an unhappy ending out of nowhere. FL and ML manage to stop a rebellion and everything seems to be going well for them. Then lo and behold! The emperor needs to send ML off to quash the remaining rebellion somewhere far off from the capital. For some reason, only ML and his meager group of soldiers can go. And predictably, everyone dies (I assume, off screen). That's the only logical conclusion given that all of ML's subordinates die and the last shot of the ML is of him facing an advancing army all by himself. The next shot is of the ML returning to the FL and them having a happy reunion. The end. How does he return? Did he single-handedly defeat an entire army? Did reinforcements arrive? Like, what the hell? At least have a narrator tell us what happened!
Reading comments on the internet, it sounds like the sad ending is the original ending. But producers got cold feet and tacked on the happy ending. Well, that's half-assed!
Misc
The drama has pretty, lush colors.
But it's dubbed, so it's crap.
Those close-up camera shots are a choice. But at least the director is trying something new, I guess.
Why is there a petty school part to this drama?
Can't they come up with better wigs for men?
He looks sad about it too.
Good god, the fight choreography. Qinggong doesn't mean people can ascend straight up into the sky like Superman (I would gif, but I'm tired now).
The end
This drama got a lot of hype. But honestly, it's pretty below average if not for the strong start.