(492-word review) The majority of this episode was mild development with plotlines that were also the least interesting, which is essentially every other plotline besides the central ones concerning Hop Wei's counterfeiting operation, its offshoot of Ah Sahm and Yan Mi's budding romance/developing relationship, and Mai Ling's business endeavors, making this episode less engaging (but still enjoyable/serviceable enough) for me.
Hong and Leary are enjoyable enough characters, but their subplots have yet to become compelling. I don't have an engagement in Hong's ongoing fling with Marcel: whatever its purpose is, whether it's to depict hopefulness for the future and the possibility of happiness amid racist hatred toward you by almost everyone for your Chinese race/ethnicity (and the extra facet of being gay), which could also relate to a respite for us from everything else because of such, or something else; wherever it's going likely won't be worth it - and Leary's in-circles, stagnant but superficially progressing interactions with Douglas is meandering. These characters are deserving of more. I'll keep hoping that both subplots, particularly Hong's, will become compelling at some time: hopefully not at the end.
I'm also not captivated by the political election campaign insertions; nonetheless, those scenes are required because that component of this season must have an essential conclusion planned, coming to an impactful head, so that's fine. My problem is that Buckley's character, another deserving of more, is subjected to a possible love plot thread with Catherine Archer that feels disconnected and there for filler. That, too, has the potential to redeem itself. This is simply a personal observation.
Only near the end did things pick up, going slightly beyond mild development with the key two plots - the meat, not regarding one or the other but BOTH tongs, which solidified my prior episode prediction into a reality, one that was laid out to have by how the season is playing out and unraveling, of how certain people will fall hard and their acts will blow up in their faces; that was good and the undisputed highlight, though the ending/final scene came off as a touch theatrical - from a different show where that's the norm, therefore sticking out here; even Dianne Doan's performance conveyed that sense of overdramatization.
Given that the Hop Wei and Long Zii are now without their leaders, who are both heading to jail, all signs point to the likelihood that they'll encounter each other - maybe a little too obvious, making me think that won't happen. If it does, I figure that interaction/those interactions may lead to an indefinite alliance between the tongs; more specifically and intimately, it could develop a deeper relationship between Young Jun and Mai Ling. Each thing would be interesting to see, so that's something to look forward to. That element of simultaneous leadership vacancy and the subsequent impact that will follow lays out a decent set-up for various avenues to take those tong-related stories - most are likely good ones.
Hong and Leary are enjoyable enough characters, but their subplots have yet to become compelling. I don't have an engagement in Hong's ongoing fling with Marcel: whatever its purpose is, whether it's to depict hopefulness for the future and the possibility of happiness amid racist hatred toward you by almost everyone for your Chinese race/ethnicity (and the extra facet of being gay), which could also relate to a respite for us from everything else because of such, or something else; wherever it's going likely won't be worth it - and Leary's in-circles, stagnant but superficially progressing interactions with Douglas is meandering. These characters are deserving of more. I'll keep hoping that both subplots, particularly Hong's, will become compelling at some time: hopefully not at the end.
I'm also not captivated by the political election campaign insertions; nonetheless, those scenes are required because that component of this season must have an essential conclusion planned, coming to an impactful head, so that's fine. My problem is that Buckley's character, another deserving of more, is subjected to a possible love plot thread with Catherine Archer that feels disconnected and there for filler. That, too, has the potential to redeem itself. This is simply a personal observation.
Only near the end did things pick up, going slightly beyond mild development with the key two plots - the meat, not regarding one or the other but BOTH tongs, which solidified my prior episode prediction into a reality, one that was laid out to have by how the season is playing out and unraveling, of how certain people will fall hard and their acts will blow up in their faces; that was good and the undisputed highlight, though the ending/final scene came off as a touch theatrical - from a different show where that's the norm, therefore sticking out here; even Dianne Doan's performance conveyed that sense of overdramatization.
Given that the Hop Wei and Long Zii are now without their leaders, who are both heading to jail, all signs point to the likelihood that they'll encounter each other - maybe a little too obvious, making me think that won't happen. If it does, I figure that interaction/those interactions may lead to an indefinite alliance between the tongs; more specifically and intimately, it could develop a deeper relationship between Young Jun and Mai Ling. Each thing would be interesting to see, so that's something to look forward to. That element of simultaneous leadership vacancy and the subsequent impact that will follow lays out a decent set-up for various avenues to take those tong-related stories - most are likely good ones.
