Post by ajk on Aug 16, 2016 0:27:21 GMT -5
Some real good and real not-good in this one.
Parts of it were the best material in the series so far. Maybe it's just because we're the Chicago board, but the bribes and the public corruption, I enjoyed all that! And then out of nowhere, they set up their own little version of The Sting. When they summoned the "owner" and the blacksmith walked out, that was priceless. What a fun surprise. Master Jo thrashing the corrupt official at dominoes, that was fun and unexpected too. It all made for a clever storyline. We haven't gotten enough really clever material so far, so it was a welcome development.
That was the good part. The not-good was the stuff we keep getting over and over and over again. Start with the staring. Kind of appropriate timing for this episode because it had some Olympic-caliber staring. Sooooo much staring. And how many times has one of those three been in bed sick or hurt and another one of them is there tending to him/her? This has to be at least four. And once again, JB goes off by himself after dark to go stare at Jung-hwa, and gets himself in a big heap of trouble. File that one under the category of Even Monkeys Learn. Sheesh. Plus more of the absurd, unnecessary fight scenes, including more running up the side of a building and also JB defeating six swordsmen at close quarters single-handedly. Same old same old.
And then the one big problem I had with the storyline. There's no way that Madam Jami would just take over Yi's business. Yi's assets would be seized by the government and would be used to help Sul's group recoup their losses from their destroyed trade mission. Madam Jami just waltzing in and taking over, that was a piece of stupid, sloppy writing. And it's going to hang over the rest of the series unless they come up with a real good explanation for it, real fast.
I did like the ending, JB lowering his sword to return YM's favor that Jung-hwa revealed. Fair and proper.
Have to say, wherever that marketplace town is, it's a beautiful location. One thing this series consistently does well is look good.
Also we did get some very good incidental music in the middle of this episode. Hope that continues because the music has become very repetitive.
Okay, somebody please help me. The Chinese official in this episode, Wang Chang-ha...that guy looks very, very familiar. Was he the guy who played the Chinese scheming official Song Yingchang in Jingbirok? Maybe not but I know he's been in something we've watched here. Just can't place him for certain.
p.s. Square pillow?
Parts of it were the best material in the series so far. Maybe it's just because we're the Chicago board, but the bribes and the public corruption, I enjoyed all that! And then out of nowhere, they set up their own little version of The Sting. When they summoned the "owner" and the blacksmith walked out, that was priceless. What a fun surprise. Master Jo thrashing the corrupt official at dominoes, that was fun and unexpected too. It all made for a clever storyline. We haven't gotten enough really clever material so far, so it was a welcome development.
That was the good part. The not-good was the stuff we keep getting over and over and over again. Start with the staring. Kind of appropriate timing for this episode because it had some Olympic-caliber staring. Sooooo much staring. And how many times has one of those three been in bed sick or hurt and another one of them is there tending to him/her? This has to be at least four. And once again, JB goes off by himself after dark to go stare at Jung-hwa, and gets himself in a big heap of trouble. File that one under the category of Even Monkeys Learn. Sheesh. Plus more of the absurd, unnecessary fight scenes, including more running up the side of a building and also JB defeating six swordsmen at close quarters single-handedly. Same old same old.
And then the one big problem I had with the storyline. There's no way that Madam Jami would just take over Yi's business. Yi's assets would be seized by the government and would be used to help Sul's group recoup their losses from their destroyed trade mission. Madam Jami just waltzing in and taking over, that was a piece of stupid, sloppy writing. And it's going to hang over the rest of the series unless they come up with a real good explanation for it, real fast.
I did like the ending, JB lowering his sword to return YM's favor that Jung-hwa revealed. Fair and proper.
Have to say, wherever that marketplace town is, it's a beautiful location. One thing this series consistently does well is look good.
Also we did get some very good incidental music in the middle of this episode. Hope that continues because the music has become very repetitive.
Okay, somebody please help me. The Chinese official in this episode, Wang Chang-ha...that guy looks very, very familiar. Was he the guy who played the Chinese scheming official Song Yingchang in Jingbirok? Maybe not but I know he's been in something we've watched here. Just can't place him for certain.
p.s. Square pillow?