THE DOUBLE (2024)

THE DOUBLE 墨雨云间 (2024)

The double eps. 33-34

I am curious what the original 40 eps would have been like. I do think what Yu Zheng and Guo Jingming tend to have in common (well, other than the plagiarism scandals badum bum tsssh) is that both tend to do a lot of dramatic build up and then it fizzes out.

But the good, because I am still thoroughly enjoying watching each episode: (1) the revenge plot against SYR-Princess remains fascinating - because it is THE revenge plot, isn’t it. Like the Ji Shuran stuff was for Jiang Li, but the SYR-princess was for Xue Fangfei. I’m not sure how I feel about the fact that it turned out that both her brother and father whom she thought was dead was alive, but small details. (2) OTP interaction is delightful, even if they admittedly do not quite trigger my lizard brain.

The bad, and I think both @dangermousie and @dreamyklutzsblog has heard me talk about it non-stop. I think Yu Zheng (yes, there’s a screenwriter and director, but this is a very Yu Zheng project) is very good at creating dramatic moments within an episode. That is why I am very entertained and have seen an abnormal amount of Yu Zheng work. But that man has never met a side plot rabbit hole he didn’t want to go down, and then resolving them with a deux ex machine, which is a bit of a bummer to me.

I really do think for me at least, I would have been more rabid about the OTP (rather than just enjoying them) if (1) Duke Su was on screen a little bit more, and (2) if they intertwined whatever Duke Su’s side plots more with the main. They were hinting at it, but again, back to the YZ critique, the plot always got distracted by some other side drama.

Quick thoughts about The Double Ep. 28

This was a WILD episode. I loved this exchange between Fangfei and the Duke:

Fangfei: I've been panicking trying to figure out how to pay you back so I tried to find an excuse. I used to think I would pay you back everything I owed you. Now that I've done the math, I don't think I can. Duke Su: Don't pay me back then. Fangfei: You'll suffer losses. Duke Su: I can afford it.

Kyaaaaaa. So we've entered the "what's mine is yours and what's yours is mine" phase of the relationship. She's stayed the night at his place, he's dug up a body for her, and now they're sharing bank accounts before even one kiss? I love this couple.

Also, those adorable smiles!

I knew some shit was about to go down and spoil the mood before the end of the episode. Soft hours never last in a Cdrama.

I always suspected Tong-er would die sometime during the show because she'd been such a constant presence on screen and there's often a break in gothic stories where the heroine has to "go about her quest alone" but I wasn't expecting it so soon. She never got her life of peace and luxury and damn that hits hard. My eyes got misty at the haircutting scene.

But it was this subtle use of visual parallelism in the framing and camera movement that truly hurt me. I love the show's melodramatic flare but it's the quiet moments like these that hit harder.

Someone will escort me.

THE DOUBLE 墨雨云间 (2024)

The Double (Ep. 32): You reap what you sow

I'm always riveted when I watch a Shen Yurong scene because not only does Liang Yongqi have electrifying chemistry with the actresses around him but my goodness do I LOVE how the show's visual storytelling reinforces what a pitiful man he is.

Framing, Blocking, Lighting

For example, this episode makes fantastic use of doors and other forms of architectural framing to show Yurong's fundamental flaw: his cowardice.

At the beginning of the episode, we see Fangfei gaze at two doorways, one that could lead to her future (Duke Su) and the other a painful reminder of the trauma Yurong has caused her. It's only when she recalls Duke Su's reassurance ("A'Li, from today onwards, there's no need to be afraid of anyone") that she's able to step forward and face her memories.

But when Yurong enters the hall and offers to open the door for her, suggesting he knows her true identity, Fangfei side-steps him and their blocking slowly changes. Fangfei now faces the light, her back to the door of their past.

They've never been quite aligned as husband and wife, and in this moment the gulf between them is even clearer.

Unlike Fangfei, who fights for survival and will no longer compromise what she believes in, Yurong refuses to see that he has always had a choice to fight for his conscience, regardless of how difficult it might be. His constant need to pass blame instead of choosing the path he knows is right has left him a pitiful shell of the vibrant scholar he once was and so he remains shrouded in the darkness of the hall.

SIDE NOTE #1: I love the parallels between Fangfei's argument with Yurong ("So, in your opinion, the crimes of your mother and sister don't need to be atoned for, while my innocence and grievances don't need to be compensated") and Grandmother Jiang's admonishment of Minister Jiang ("Can you really let this go?...You haven't fulfilled your responsibilities as a father for all these years"). Both are men who have failed their families--my heart broke when Yurong distinguished between Fangfei and his "family"--by choosing who they decide to protect.

Camera Angles

Ok, this scene has GOT to be one of my favorites from the whole show and so much of that is due to the way it plays with camera angles and the visual language of power.

In cinematography, low-angle and high-angle shots are often paired to visually enhance the power imbalance between characters. Low-angle shots make the subject look more powerful and threatening while high-angle shots make the subject look weaker and more vulnerable.

But in this particular scene, that visual relationship is subverted.

The scene starts with Yurong taunting Princess Wanning.

He is at such a low point after being accused of assaulting Fangfei that he embraces the idea of banishment or death. He is shot at a high angle with the Princess looming over him as usual but it's clear that at this moment he has reclaimed some power now that his all-consuming despair has liberated him from his fear.

When she tries to attack him, he pushes her back and then gets up to bow mockingly. It is he who is now shot from a low angle, signifying his dominance.

But then Princess Wanning seductively leans back in the straw. As they trade barbs, she is shot from a high angle but it's clear there has been another shift in power:

Yurong: Your highness, you don't have to save me. You've fooled me for so long, I'm sure you're bored of it. Princess Wanning: I'm not bored. Shen Yurong, in this world, I'm the only one who can decide how you die. Your life is in my hands.

As noted by @dangermousie, Yurong's lack of self-interest just "makes her more interested again, because someone broken is not her thing but someone who she can potentially break more?" And we can see the fear creep over his face again once he realizes that.

Regardless of the temporary relief he might have felt challenging her, it was all an illusion, as demonstrated by the constantly shifting meaning of the scene's camera angles to maintain her power within the scene. He is completely trapped now.

SIDE NOTE #2: The fact that Princess Wanning always finds a way to make a crop out of anything even a piece of straw and bring a man to his knees (literally or metaphorically) cracks me up.

SIDE NOTE #3: This moment? Hot. Am eagerly waiting for the fanfic.