Woohoo! I have finally completed [Beyond the Realm of Conscience]! I just sat through the 90 minute long finale thinking “Woah, so much happens- how am I going to write all of this up??” lol. I worry sometimes, too.
I’ve decided to truncate this synopsis as much as I can and focus more on my thoughts. (I know, it’s still very long but I hope you find it a good read :))Â ENJOY!!
Susanna, Vin, Michelle- The Resolution
Through the blood test, Susanna realised Vin is not her biological son….My heart skipped a beat. When Michelle suggested for them to do a blood test, I had a moment of doubt and wondered if she really betrays her! It came as a real shocker.. but when I thought about it longer, it became quite apparent that Vin was simply not her real son. It just doesn’t make sense for Michelle to harm Susanna now that they are best friends, and even stops her from “admitting” the truth before it was proven. While it was a REALLY big relief she was able to overcome this pinch, I can’t help but find the whole “lie” a bit disappointing. I mean really- all the pain and torture Susanna went through for someone who’s unrelated. She did take the whole truth quite well, surprisingly, but I guess she’s understanding and knows that Michelle lied to her not when she was at her best.
Michelle admits she had lied to Susanna about Vin
Back then, Michelle saw it as a way of getting back at her for killing Ram. However, this mistake has brought upon some happy times… Susanna was hopeful, she had a good connection with Vin and showed him much love he was lacking all his life. Susanna also felt better for herself thinking she was giving him what she didn’t all those years of neglect. It’s a bittersweet moment. At least Vin was a good and filial (to her at the end anyway).
This reminds me of the scene in episode 27 where Vin was beating up Susanna. Back then I had hoped lightning would strike him for beating his poor mother! HAHA, obviously that couldn’t happen if Vin wasn’t even related to her XD
Now looking back at episode 30, Michelle did show a few signs of guilt when Susanna told her how happy she is to have Vin as her adopted son. When Susanna was saddened that Vin will never know she is his real mother, Michelle tells her finding out the truth isn’t the most important part. What’s important is that she’s happy and there’s no harm in a lie like that. Now we really know what she meant!
There was another subtle hint when Kwok Keung took Vin for lunch. He notices that Vin likes to eat hot/chilli food, something different to his own tastes. Wow, all these little details used throughout the drama that I didn’t pick-up- I’m amused 🙂
There’s only one good thing that came out of this… at least her real son is alive somewhere, probably with kids (something Vin wasn’t able to have as an eunuch) 🙂
I have really come to admire Michelle, ever since she turned back “good”, realising Susanna did not kill Ram. I just wish she didn’t have to put us through all the pain in watching her be a complete annoying bitch. How is it that she (who isn’t considered really ‘evil’) was able to annoy us more than Tavia, hm? She was without a doubt the most irritating character of Beyond. Thank goodness she is reverted in the end.
Tactics and Power
Moses pretends to commit homicide
Meanwhile Moses was able to trick Kwok Lun (and the audience!) into thinking that he wanted to commit homicide but failed, only killing himself in the process. Very smart move on Mose’s part! Kwok Lun’s guard lowers drastically thinking his victory was on the horizon. Moses actually ceases this opportunity to find help from a blood-related Prince to assist him in fighting against Kwok Lun. It turns out Kwok Keung is also alive (yay :D!) Unfortunately, the young Prince wasn’t very interested in helping out and still seemed to have some grudge against him.
I was quite relieved Moses was portrayed as someone intelligent from the beginning to end. In episode 1 when it showed the scene above, I thought Moses was dumb and actually trusted Kwok Lun, unaware of his evil motives. However, I was quickly proven wrong when we saw the constant power-play between the two through the entire drama. Did you guys enjoy watching all the politics? Or did you feel it was just a side-story?
During his absence, Kwok Lun pretends Moses is planning to stay at a Temple indefinitely, claiming Moses has given him power and authority over all Palace matters!
Tavia Allies with Kwok Lun
Finally..Tavia allies with the demon. About time, don’t you think? When Kwok Lun realised Tavia’s intention of poisoning Mary, she is left crying and begging for him not to tell. To her surprise, he lets her off, wanting her to help him gain power in exchange. Blackmail? Not quite.. Tavia seemed to really enjoy the idea. Her tears turned into laughter within seconds! What do they both have in common? They both want Charmaine dead.
Kwok Lun and Tavia has a evil laugh competition 😀
Anyone else amused by their evil laughing session? XD XD XD Tavia sure is simple minded, it seems her only goal in life now is to see Charmaine dead.. She doesn’t care about Moses or the Country at all…
Charmaine’s Rise in Power
Charmaine challenges Kwok Lun
I really admire Charmaine’s strong and brave character in the finale. She is so courageous facing off with Kwok Lun and Tavia all on her own. It was quite impressive when she interrupted Kwok Lun, walking in with the Emperor’s official seal! She portrays herself as someone who is confident and strong- not backing down or letting others tread on her. It was probably the most enjoyable part of watching her character, since for once she wasn’t supported by Moses, Kevin, Mary, Susanna or Michelle. She was on her own in a one woman army. During most of the drama Charmaine seemed to get through many obstacles through luck and help from others. This was also one of the reasons Tavia despised Charmaine so much, why everyone just loves and favours her. This factor annoyed me a lot too, which made me really feel for Tavia for quite some time.
Mary’s Death
I really feel sorry for her. I’m actually not sure WHY Tavia hated her so much.. Mary has always treated Tavia well and favoured her over Selena. For some odd unexplainable reason, Tavia suddenly hates her guts and wants her dead. She deliberately feeds her poison, disguised as medicine which only makes her feel worse overtime. (Boy, doesn’t this tactic sound familiar? XD) There was only one time where she directly told Tavia off, and it was when she gave her the phoenix hair piece Krystal created. Other than that, Mary seemed quite fond of Tavia and treated her well. Is it because she’s nice to Charmaine? It sounds like a Tavia logic to me.
Tavia kills Mary
I thought Mary’s death was also rather pitiful. Tavia is just ridiculously scary and good at killing people.. She blabs out all her evil plot like most villains, telling her Moses is actually dead and kills her. Due to all the poison she has been fed, Mary easily falls especially when her servants have also been killed 🙁 This goes without saying that Tavia looks extremely bitchy and hateful… nothing new there either, hehe.
I gotta say though.. at which point did Mary realise Tavia was evil? How come all of a sudden, she is really scared of her? When Tavia walks into her room at night, Mary says “Why are you here?! Charmaine forbids you to enter!!” Does this indicate Charmaine has told her about Tavia’s evil heart? If so, why was she so surprised finding out Tavia was feeding her poison? Shouldn’t she already know?
Falling Charmaine
Charmaine is blamed for Mary’s death
Charmaine looks for Mary the next morning and finds everyone missing. She wonders into Mary’s room and finds her dead! Just as she cries, Tavia knocks her unconscious from the back. Hastily setting her up to make it look like she had killed Mary- Tavia and Kwok Lun were quick to point fingers at her. Wow, it’s so obvious how can anyone not think she killed her? lol. -Note the sarcasm- It’s quite silly.. for onlookers, it just doesn’t make sense for Charmaine to kill Mary. Kwok Lun and Tavia alternates and takes turn accusing Charmaine, as though they are 100% positive it cannot be anything else. How stupid! Nevertheless, Charmaine stays strong and says they cannot kill her because she has the Emperor’s baby. This alone leaves Kwok Lun and Tavia rather speechless, hahah!! Gooo Charmaine!
Soon, Kwok Lun’s army falls when Moses successfully gains the respect and trust from the young Prince. Moses had promised him he would give up his Emperor title to him if he promises to aid him against Kwok Lun! Wow, Moses sure is a righteous hero 🙂
Tavia gets desperate and Kills Kwok Lun
I loved this scene. How funny is this, really? I didn’t see this coming at all and it makes me proud of Tavia XD Yeah you go girl. Kwok Lun was the big bad villain and you out of all people killed him. lol It’s pretty ironic yet believable seeing as Tavia has killed many others without hesitation. Moses had returned with the army and Kwok Lun was ready to make a quick getaway. Tavia was again pushed to her limits when Kwok Lun decided to abandon her, leaving her desperate and helpless.
Tavia kills Kwok Lun after he slaps her twice
It was also in this scene that Tavia reveals he had forced her to kill Mary, and all the other horrible things she did. Had she known Moses was not dead she would not go to such extremes.. do you think Tavia was being honest here? Did she really get blackmailed or is she once again just blaming others for her failures and bad decisions? Either way, Tavia needs to start taking responsibility for her own actions.
Yoyo saves Charmaine
I wondered during the whole drama if Yoyo was going to turn “good” and in the end, she somewhat redeemed herself for betraying Tavia. This doesn’t make her a genuinely good person, she just fears for her own safety. Seeing as Tavia was heading to a dead-end road, what better way to escape than to back stab her plan? During the later part of the drama, we see Yoyo really fearing Tavia’s ways, sometimes even wondering if what she’s doing is wrong (especially after Ram’s death). However, very quickly we see her being bad ass again and assisting Tavia in killing many people. Gotta give credit to her in terms of “loyalty” it lasted quite a bit- didn’t think Tavia was able to keep her till the end. Somewhere along the episodes I was hoping Tavia would dispose of her. That means when Tavia took Yoyo as her servant, she really didn’t have any grudge against her ? o_o Oh well.
Yoyo backstabs Tavia
The End
For someone who didn’t care much for this couple, I thought the ending was predictable and a bit boring, too. I laughed when I saw that Charmaine’s daughter was the same actress as when she was young. From beginning to end, I still rooted for Moses and Charmaine.. they by far surpasses Charvin in terms of chemistry and compatibility.
Charmaine reunites with Kevin
To get straight to the point, Kevin started off boring, and ended off quite boring. When Charmaine rejects Moses, I just pity Moses so much…because you know, we all love Moses XD I have never heard of a Emperor that sweet and devoted to one lady before, and yet so selfless … To him, Charmaine has always been his everything. That’s where Tavia loses. She failed to realise that the only reason she became the concubine was because Charmaine NOMINATED her to Moses, and because Moses couldn’t have Charmaine. She obliviously thought she became the concubine using her own tactics and charm… How could she expect real love and passion from someone who never truly loved her to begin with?
It’s a shame that Tavia wasn’t able to really “wake-up”, and her ending really made me laugh out loud. What the heck…? She becomes somewhat crazy and thinks she’s Lau Sam Ho?? XD XD That’s fuuuunnnneeeeehhhhh..and weird. I don’t know if I really liked this ending for her… mainly because it references Lau Sam Ho again and her motto which I’m pretty tired of by now. The good thing is that she is alive, and appears to be genuinely happy. It’s been so long since we saw Tavia being that happy so it was a nice change. Her ending is sort of bittersweet. I hoped she would turn good in the end..but not like this XD She needs her real conscience! This seems like TVB’s way of saying “You have to be like Lau Sam Ho to get a good ending!” =__= Oh dear.
Tavia believes she is Lau Sam Ho
By the way.. did any of you hate Tavia so much you preferred her to be killed in the end?
Loading ...And of course, Susanna and Kwok get their happy ending, but Kwok Keung remains disabled.
Susanna and Kwok Keung live a peaceful life outside the Palace. They also find their real son 🙂
And that concludes the entire [Beyond the Realm of Conscience] episode synopsis and thoughts! I know- their length and detail suggests it’s more than a synopsis, but I hope you all enjoyed what I had to say 🙂 Thanks very much to everyone who has been following these posts and leaving comments along the way! It was a lot of fun discussing the drama with you lot, and your encouraging feedback has been appreciated. Please drop a comment and tell me what you thought of the ending! What was your favourite scene? Post as many spoilers as you wish here! 😀 Yay, that’s new.
(Oh, I’ll let you on a little secret..there’s going to be 1 more related post on Beyond the Realm of Conscience coming up.. Wonder what they could be?? Well, check back soon and find out :D)
Ok, At the end … It barely made sense how Kevin and Charmine met at the end and just started to remember making us hanging there!!!! I bet you Kevin was like WTF when Charmine was talking to him! Kevin: WTF What is this crazy woman talking about is she talking to me?
Lols and her little daughter is just staring Daughter: Um mom, who is this dude?
It was a bit strange.. If he got amnesia how was he able to remember her so quickly and easily..? xD
well i guess they hella loved each other bfore kevin “died” and those words charmaine said was their dream(like their house in charmaine’s hometown and stuff) so yeah….. CHARVIN 4EVER!!!!
i love the moses-kwok lun power play.
love how he outits Kwok lun, and the exasperated face… eg . Saving Kevin’s dad from jail,.. saving charmaine from death.
it’s something that honestly kept me watching..
Kudos to the end. it was an enjoyable experience following ur synopsis and thoughts
Thanks for reading iamthetvbholic ^_^
love how he outits Kwok lun, and the exasperated face… eg . Saving Kevin’s dad from jail,.. saving charmaine from death.
Indeed it was very interesting 🙂 Their actions reminded me of a chess game.
wow! speechless! That was indeed a great review! I finished watching this a while back but you really did give a complete review with your thoughts in it…I was with you, I was hoping to see that charmaine and mosses could be together in the end. throughout the whole series, i could there is more chemistry between both of them compared to with Kevin…I cannot imagine that Moses (as an emperor) did so much for her (as a servant back then) but at the end she still leaves the palace, looking for Kevin whom might be dead.
However, at least i think the ending is not that bad; good people got happy ending (not sure if this speaks for the emperor) and Tavia, not dead but gone crazy and completely forget her evil past.
I am really looking forward to your last post on this series. Can’t wait to see what it is.. 🙂
Thanks faithict 😀
…I cannot imagine that Moses (as an emperor) did so much for her (as a servant back then) but at the end she still leaves the palace, looking for Kevin whom might be dead.
Yeah..that’s a nasty rejection to Moses..the EMPEROR! Why is she so stubborn and damn righteous? It’s kinda annoying.. he did so much for her, but rejects him time and time again.. she won’t even give him a chance.
When though Kevin is likely dead she continues to wait for him. So sad seeing Moses cry when he watches Charmaine leave… nothing can keep her heart..
good people got happy ending
Kind..of…. Many good characters died though, and poor Kwok Keung stayed disabled 🙁 Totally undeserving.. Moses is left all alone with no one..Charmaine his only love, Kevin his best friend, his mother, Selena and his 2 unborn >.<
I am really looking forward to your last post on this series. Can’t wait to see what it is..
Thanks for anticipating 😀 Hope it will meet your expectation ^_^
I really enjoyed your recaps. 😀
I’d say that some of the plot twists are really quite illogical and somewhat stupid, lol, but most TVB dramas have them. XD
Not being such a big fan of Kevin (found his character quite dull), the ending was a bit ‘blah’ to me, but then again, it’s a happy ending, so I don’t quite mind it. As for Tavia going nuts… I’m not quite sure I’ll be able to buy it. She killed countless people without mercy and didn’t really seem to have real, believable motives apart from her irrational hatred for Charmaine’s character. Nevertheless, Moses ends up alone. I’m sure he’ll have other concubines, but I still feel sad for him. Kwok Lun’s death was a bit abrupt, lmao. I mean, he’s the all powerful guy in this series etc etc and then, all of sudden, he’s dead? So fast! Sort of an anti-climax actually. xD
I’m really glad Susanna and Kwok Keung found their son! Even though he’s disabled, they get to leave the palace and live a normal and a less stressful life on the outside. It’s really nice of Michelle to help Susanna find her son too. I really like her character (except when the scriptwriters made her irrationally pissed at Susanna; honestly, how much can you twist out of a Michelle/Susanna rivalry before the audiences get bored and annoyed?) and felt sad that she’s still in the palace (I doubt you can live a really free and happy life in the palace) and relatively alone (why did Ram have to die? T.T). 🙁
Apart from the plot, I enjoyed watching the elaborate sets and costumes as well! I especially loved Selena’s costume, she looked really pretty, IMO. Tavia’s was slightly garish and I didn’t like her hairstyle. I loved one costume of Michelle’s though, a pink/orange/apple green one which she wore with delicate flower ornaments in her hair. That one was really pretty! <3
Thank you Cara! ^__^
As for Tavia going nuts… I’m not quite sure I’ll be able to buy it. She killed countless people without mercy and didn’t really seem to have real, believable motives apart from her irrational hatred for Charmaine’s character.
I don’t quite buy it either.. I thought she was always realistic about things, and probably expected this to come (after she killed Kwok Lun and had nothing left). Yet even after killing so many people, and feeling defeat after Moses returns, she STILL had enough conscious to plot against killing Charmaine. Surely if you can have that kind of mindset, nothing can really make you go ‘mad’?
I would have much preferred Tavia realised that goodness and love existed and that she had misunderstood Charmaine all this time. If only she had known Charmaine never slept with Moses behind her back, and that she was always in love with Kevin, wanting nothing more but a peaceful ordinary life outside the palace.. perhaps she wouldn’t have seen her as a rival. They both wanted different things..
Kwok Lun’s death was a bit abrupt, lmao. I mean, he’s the all powerful guy in this series etc etc and then, all of sudden, he’s dead? So fast! Sort of an anti-climax actually. xD
He died pretty easily aye? lol.. killed by a woman with no fighting skills, ehehehehee… Doesn’t he wear armor?
felt sad that she’s still in the palace (I doubt you can live a really free and happy life in the palace) and relatively alone
But the very least she achieved her dreams 🙂 If there was a sequel, she still has a lot of obstacles ahead of her (Many servants are still eying on her position) At least she still has Vin 🙂 She will also probably help Charmaine give offerings to her mother in the well..
I enjoyed watching the elaborate sets and costumes as well!
I thought it was amusing they were recycling costumes and wearing the outfit of their successor. XD
Good job chibi! I really enjoyed reading your summaries and thoughts 😀 Really think you did a fantastically wonderful job ^^
1. I have something to admit, i watched the ending of beyond without even knowing that moses supposedly committed homocide. I only knew that tavia killed mary and tavia killed kwok lun when he refused to bring her with him.
2. I didn’t want mary to die. And as with selena’s death, she went on about how charmaine didn’t let her come in (not like tavia cared) and tavia blabbed all the bad stuff that she did. When she was blabbing, i was “oh, crap. no!”. But mary died and i fail to understand the necessity of that.
3. Yoyo turning good is different from selena turning good. I wouldn’t even say she was turning good. She could see that tavia was going to lose power and her own life was going to be intertwined with that of tavia’s. Since she had no more power, it made no sense for her to stick to tavia. Was surprised that her loyalty to tavia lasted that long. I was waiting for yoyo to sabotage tavia or tavia to get rid of yoyo. Yoyo knows too many secrets, for tavia to keep her around is not very smart.
4. Tavia is so simple minded for a villian. She doesn’t care about the country and moses. And also, she wants charmaine dead. (If i were tavia, just knife her, like what she did to kwok lun. Fast and easy. Results 100% guaranteed) Oh and she expected moses to love her, please!
5. the death of kwok lun, was so simple and easy. Like all it took was for tavia to knife him. though i liked the fact that he died.
6. Actually i was glad to see charmaine standing up against kwok lun and tavia. Though if i were the two evil ones, i would just kill her in her sleep. I fail to understand why they didn’t do that. Seriously.
7. I would rather tavia be crazy, but not the happy type of crazy, I want her to be the mad type of crazy, behind bars, without luxuries. WIth a bowl of porridge everyday. With people beating her. (You know, like susanna and michelle’s treatment when they were locked up by tavia) the same thing, and more. Letting her go crazy like that is letting her off too lightly. Way to lightly
8. the charmaine-kevin ending was boring and bland. I can’t even tell if they were together in the end or not. Kevin falls off a cliff and miraculously survives (without a scratch) and after that still can get back together with charmaine. Fantastic. They why did *takes a breath* mary, selena, kwok lun etcetera have to die and kwok keung paralyzed. Stupidity.
Now we get to the part that i’m actually more concerned about.
9. When i watched susanna and kwok keung outside the palace, having found their real son. I wasn’t sure if that was an ending that i wanted. Really. I wonder if susanna and kwok keung’s ending was actually happy, given the fact that kwok keung was paralyzed from head to toe. I actually wondered if he was better off dead. And i figure that they’re not going to tell the son that they’re his parents, and see the pain in kwok keung’s eyes. It hurts. Frankly, i was far from satisfied with this ending. Far from it… (if kwok keung wasn’t paralyzed i would be satisfied, but since he is…)
10. I was disappointed with the vin-susanna-kwok keung ending too, actually. Yeah, she went through so much crap for someone unrelated. I just feel kind of sorry for her. I don’t know if having susanna as vin’s mom would have been a good thing for michelle. But looking at it from susanna’s and vin’s point of view, it was disappointing. ><
Obviously, that said, I pity the dead ram very badly too.
16. I can't get over the fact that kevin could come back alive and kwok keung is paralyzed! And ram is dead. He fell off a cliff versus a hit on the head! And he comes back unscathed. What on earth?! So annoying! If kevin can make a miraculous recovery from amnesia, why can't kwok keung make a miraculous recovery back from paralysis. I don't doubt that in this show, susanna loves kwok keung more than charmaine loves kevin. And, they share more chemistry and they are nicer to watch.
17. Therefore I was disappointed with the endings of susanna, kwok keung, michelle and ram. I was expecting the michelle-ram one since he died in episode 22, and I knew that they would not do a miraculous recovery for ram (even though I really wanted it. That’s what I call fan-service ^^) But the susanna-kwok keung was unexpected, and I was really disappointed.
So I did not like the ending of beyond.
P.S.
18. Susanna & Kwok Keung, Michelle & Ram beats Charmaine, Kevin, tavia and Moses hands down. I've not enjoyed watching a romantic relationship (which actually wasn't even romantic, in that sense) in a long long long time. And the shocking thing is, it's acted by two couples who are not young… The thing that i'll miss most about beyond is these two relationships.<3 Seriously, not the fighting, not the politics, not the younger generation. I think this is *the* best part of beyond. And it's one of the few things that they did fabulously (though it was so wasted, it could have been so much more developed).
19. I would have given up on beyond at episode 5 if not for michelle and ram. Episode 22 if not for kwok keung and susanna, michelle and susanna. Beyond, for me, was saved by these 4 veterans 😀
Yeah, I admit that I’m crazy and alone in my state of craziness. I still find that Michelle and ram are hopelessly cute ^^ Even though michelle really looked as if she was taking advantage of ram, but whatever. I loved their chemistry and they were like chocolate coated sugar cubes. <3
P.P.S.
20. Looking forward to your final post <3
Thanks so much *xueling*! Your long comments always gets me excited XD XD ehehee..
But mary died and i fail to understand the necessity of that.
It was all part of Tavia and Kwok Lun’s plan to rid Charmaine of her powers, blaming her of Mary’s death.. What confused me though is why Tavia (when acting on her own) decided to feed Mary with poison? WHY would she do that?? Tavia doesn’t hate Mary this much…
Plus, it’s not a very smart move since all it takes is for someone to realise the drink is poison and she’s GONE. Really, it isn’t that hard to figure out if Mary only gets worse. It would become so obvious the medicine is suspicious… (This a repeated failure like when she put on aroma to harm Selena’s baby) This ultimately caused her downfall, giving Kwok Lun a chance to manipulate and use her..
Yoyo knows too many secrets, for tavia to keep her around is not very smart.
lol, we have so much evidence pointing to Tavia not being smart XD She has made many mistakes.. Tavia is a unusual villain. She doesn’t treat her servants that badly, the most she did to Yoyo was scream at her and slap her.. I’m surprised Tavia kept Yoyo by her side..
(If i were tavia, just knife her, like what she did to kwok lun. Fast and easy. Results 100% guaranteed)
Now.. why couldn’t they kill her off like every other person? LOL. They killed Edwin, Susan, Mandy, Mary all quite easily and discreetly..but not Charmaine? HMM. XD
the death of kwok lun, was so simple and easy. Like all it took was for tavia to knife him. though i liked the fact that he died.
He died without much pain. xD
I want her to be the mad type of crazy, behind bars, without luxuries. WIth a bowl of porridge everyday. With people beating her. (You know, like susanna and michelle’s treatment when they were locked up by tavia) the same thing, and more. Letting her go crazy like that is letting her off too lightly. Way to lightly
True, they couldn’t kill her, but they could still lock her up.. but I also fail to understand why Moses didn’t kill her? She killed HIS MOTHER and Selena and his child and Ram… that’s pretty crazy.. Unless he didn’t know Tavia killed them all..? I don’t think it’s really stated..
I can’t even tell if they were together in the end or not. Kevin falls off a cliff and miraculously survives (without a scratch)
haha, I was just thinking about this. It looks like several years have passed, and since he lost his memory..I think it’s very likely that Kevin may have either 1- turned into a completely different person 2- Already has a lover. It’s QUITE POSSIBLE!!! Surely he wouldn’t still be single at this age after all these years…? xD I know, this is a random thought.
why can’t kwok keung make a miraculous recovery back from paralysis.
Yeah..very sad..he won’t even be able to speak again =( But who knows..? Maybe his son can treat him one day 😀 He is a doctor.. (even though the Palace doctors couldn’t help him..)
Looking forward to your final post <3
yay, thanks 😀 😀
Kindly enlighten me, if tavia can kill kwok lun with a snap of her finger, why can’t she kill (sickly) mary, without feeding her poison? Maybe she just wanted to show mary that she was boss… But her overall goal was to get back at charmaine. I fail to understand what is stopping her from knifing her, seriously! Why go through all the hassle? Knifing her would actually leave less evidence, and less people would know what she did. Like what she did to Ram, people didn’t figure that she was the one behind it…Poor michelle.
Tavia is not very smart. What sort of villain is she? If I were her, I would get rid of Yoyo after Ram’s death, because it really made Yoyo fear her and stuff, and doubt whether it was the right thing to do. In a sense, at that point in time, her loyalty was questionable. Kill her.
Frankly, due to Charmaine’s trust in Tavia, especially at the start, killing her would have been a simple task. A really simple task.
If moses didn’t find out that tavia was the one who killed his MOM, his other concubine, and a whole lot of servants (mary+tavia), I wonder what on earth is he doing! He didn’t kill her, like he wasn’t affected by Mary’s passing or something. To me, he could have locked her up and don’t give her food. Killing her would be taking a knife and stabbing her. Letting her die, is a different story. So we could let her die!
Yeah, true, Kevin could have hooked up with another girl or changed completely! But we all know that Kevin is an “angelâ€, just like Charmaine. Everyone who was killed, died. Except him! If Kevin did die/ severely injured, I would have been so much more comforted with the ending, given that I hated the fact that Kwok Keung was paralyzed at the end. At least, I’d think that the scriptwriters were consistent and there is some “fairness†in the show. Alas, no there isn’t such a thing.
Oh yes! His son is a doctor, but from the looks of it, I doubt that they’ll actually reveal the truth. Maybe, just maybe, that is supposed to give a ray of hope. But I think that’s because Ram took him to a clinic, so he was taken in by the doctor there, so he’s also a doctor.
A random thought from me: The imperial bureau has no one left to take care of it. We started with ching hor wai, Rosanne, Kara, Susanna and Michelle. Ching Hor Wai left, Rosanne committed suicide, Susanna left the palace. Charmaine went in and out. Left with: Kara and michelle. And already they had no one to take over the position when Rosanne left, so someone had to double up. That implies that there are no talents left in the bureau. Which is fantastic, because no one can double up anymore! So who’s heading the Jewellery, Embroidery and Furnishings department? No one? Hahahaha. I know, since michelle has nothing better to do (humph), she could just take charge of everything.
If I were her, I would get rid of Yoyo after Ram’s death, because it really made Yoyo fear her and stuff, and doubt whether it was the right thing to do. In a sense, at that point in time, her loyalty was questionable. Kill her.
Yeah, Yoyo started getting pretty scared at that point, but she has always been very useful to Tavia. Getting rid of her would also seem a bit suspicious to other people- like, what happened to her? Surprisingly, Yoyo helped Tavia A LOT through the whole series, so it was pretty smart of Tavia to recruit her as her servant XD I guess Tavia should have just added the poison to Charmaine’s food by herself (In the end, you can only trust yourself).. Tavia should have seen it coming from Yoyo..seeing as just the scene before that, Yoyo was so scared and suggested just to runaway.
For Tavia, Charmain’es death before her own seems worth it, but not to Yoyo- she has NOTHING to gain from seeing Charmaine die.
He didn’t kill her, like he wasn’t affected by Mary’s passing or something.
hmm yeah.. it didn’t show his reaction towards his mother’s death.. but its probably predictable how he would feel. Just like how it didn’t show Kwok Keung find out about Selena’s death.. actually, he never realised how his wife died either (Yi Kei)- nor the fact Kwok Lun let her die just to get back at him.
His son is a doctor, but from the looks of it, I doubt that they’ll actually reveal the truth.
hmm..don’t think it will be revealed either. To them, they’re just happy knowing he’s alive living a happy life with a wife and child on its way 🙂 I’m sure Kwok Keung would be proud of him too, seeing as he’s a doctor which is quite ambitious. Something Vin had lacked.. the ability to give back to society 🙂
I know, since michelle has nothing better to do (humph), she could just take charge of everything.
lol.. The palace feels pretty empty..
Haha, if Yoyo wasn’t her servant, I think tavia wouldn’t have come as far as a villain. Given that she wasn’t exactly the brightest of villains. Yeah, she should have added poison to charmaine’s food herself, because charmaine’s death didn’t benefit Yoyo in anyway, like you said. I think she should have seen it coming though, from the running away, kwok lun’s death (which is like a replay of ram’s death, so she would have a similar reaction)
They didn’t show the reactions to all the deaths at the end though. Kwok lun was so evil to let Yikei die to get back at Kwok Keung, even though I never liked Yi Kei’s character. Kwok Keung’s sadness also wasn’t developed on, as was everyone’s sadness on character’s death.
Yups, I thought that Kwok Keung and Susanna were just happy to know that their son is alive, and living a good life. He’s a doctor, compared to like Vin, who’s a servant. (Personally don’t blame vin on his lack of ability to contribute back to society though, suppose it’s his upbringing and his situation…)
With so many deaths and many others leaving, it’s no wonder that the palace feels empty. Moses needs to go and get another bunch of new generals, and new concubines!
With so many deaths and many others leaving, it’s no wonder that the palace feels empty. Moses needs to go and get another bunch of new generals, and new concubines!
Moses did intend to give up his Emperor position to the young Prince.. I wonder what would have happened if Moses really did get demoted..what would he do? Would he leave the Palace as well? :/ Would he leave with Charmaine or would he stay in the Palace as a ‘nobody’? ._. Just a random thought ^^;
Omg, he did? Let me just say that the whole empire is going to collapse if the young prince has a bad advisor! If moses really got demoted, I think…I think he would leave the palace to put all the unhappy things behind him, like charmaine’s rejection, and his mom’s death, and all the fights/politics. I suppose he would start a new life of sorts?
Yup, that was the only reason why the young Prince agreed to help him. He promised his thrown to him and even wrote it down on his “will” to prove he won’t back down on his words.
In the end, when Moses was giving up his place, the young Prince said he admired Moses’s dignity and gained his respect, saying he can continue being the Emperor.
I wonder if it’s easy or not for him to leave the Palace..hmm.
Oh yeah, i forgot about that part. Although i think that that was not a very smart move, but when you’re in desperate straits. I suppose, you would do anything. Prince saying that he respected Moses is an easy way out of the problem, actually. But okay, i can accept that.
I suppose it’s easier than staying in the palace and being a nobody?
Prince saying that he respected Moses is an easy way out of the problem, actually. But okay, i can accept that.
LOL..yeah..TOO EASY. I mean, what person would turn down the offer of being the EMPEROR??
If i were the young prince, i would have taken the offer to be the emperor, but then get him as my advisor. Works out fine right?
wow, you finished the entire series, and i thank you for writing down each and every single one of the episodes, must have been quite exhausting. there’s so much stuff that you covered, i don’t even know what to comment on, but since i just finished reading and saw your question about tavia, i’ll answer that. No, i never really hated her enough to want her dead, honestly, i was hoping she’ll turn good again and become gam ling again. but i guess i may be a bit biased because from all of this BRTOC hype about tavia’s first villain role. i was more lenient with her evil actions. i actually feared for her each time i see someone confront her about her evil intentions. i would think, oh no! tavia! think of something, get yourself out of the mess! i think i just wanted to see tavia safe and away from harm. hahaha i’m too big of a tavia fan to hate her.
you bought a lot of attention to certain details and now looking back on it, it really makes sense lol like the whole mary thing being scared even though she seemed like she was scared in the first place and some other details that didn’t make quite sense.
but i think my favorite scene was the charmaine scene with her sudden boldness. i guess i never really liked charmaine’s character because she was just too good to be true a dn i didnt’ like the fact she always had someone backing her. but in that scene, she was on her own even though technically she had moses’ authority with that…thing lol…but she seemed stronger and no so much portraying a little woman who always needs a man
overall i though brtoc wasn’t as good as it could have been, but unlike some people i find the whole series enjoyable. thanks again for writing so extensively about each episode
Thank you so much for your positive feedback rachel 🙂 Really appreciate you taking the time to read and comment 😀
but i guess i may be a bit biased because from all of this BRTOC hype about tavia’s first villain role.
I actually feel that Tavia is the main character (moreso than Charmaine), since she is the one who really pushes the story forward. I agree with you, it’s hard to hate her since we’ve watched her from the beginning.. and always knew what she thought about people and her ideal/morals. Most of us can relate to her, so we feel some kind of connection..and naturally root for her to succeed.. Not sure about the very end though when the directors just made her MAD and unjustifiably evil..but you get the point XD
but she seemed stronger and no so much portraying a little woman who always needs a man
I agree!! It’s about time.. they really should have brought this up a bit earlier instead of making her like this right at the last 2 episodes or so.
good job chibi!
i’m kind of disappointed at the ending. i just wish that charmaine just stay with moses. kevin is just not worth it.It’s even sadder that all of moses concubines and his mother left him and he’s all alone in the palace… well guess they had to have charmaine and kevin reunite so they can get the ratings up to 50 pts lol
Thanks Jellybean ^_^
well guess they had to have charmaine and kevin reunite so they can get the ratings up to 50 pts lol
lol..you think so? I didn’t think the audience would even care too much for them.. is the Charvin fanbase really that big in HK? @_@
i’m not sure i don’t live in HK but i guess so… this does kind of seem familiar..like FH2 now that someone else mentioned it. where kevin wakes up and charmaine runs to see him. The ending seemed rushed. I can’t wait until your next “secret” post!
Thanks Jellybean ^_^ The post is now up!
Charmaine & Kevin in the end? No. I didn’t like it at all. D< It's so obvious that they would get back together… why couldn't TVB surprise with something?!!!
Very predictable indeed.. but this is Charmaine we’re talking about – it’s obvious a good person like her would get a happy ending XD Plus, this is Chravin we’re talking about *cough* LOL TVB favours them so much because they think fans love them together. Poor Moses.
They should have surprised me with kevin NOT coming back, and Kwok Keung NOT being paralyzed.
Are we saying that good people like charmaine should get good endings? Implies that Kwok keung, susanna, michelle, ram, mary, selena, moses, etcetera, are not good people. Smart right? I was pissed off when kwok keung was paralyzed, but i was even more pissed off when kevin came back. Zzz
It looked too suspicious though..when Kevin jumped off, I’m pretty sure most of us knew he didn’t die and would come back in the end. XD It would feel like a loose end if Kevin never came back… and Charmaine would still have left the palace in search for him. The ending would be pretty sad that way XD
Are we saying that good people like charmaine should get good endings?
Tavia was bad but she got a semi-good ending too. lol
When Kevin jumped off the cliff, i thought he would die. I forgot for a spilt second, that it’s charvin we are talking about. I would rather there be a loose end, or we could just find his body=no loose ends. Though, it would be pretty sad, but never as sad as the other two!
Yeah, tavia had a semi good ending (probably to cater to all the tavia fans!) fan service, which i do not benefit from.
somehow i think it might be a better ending if when after Kevin jump off from the cliff, and then if he comes back towards the end to help Moses in handling Kwok lun, i think the ending of him and charmaine would be much more better compared to him just showing up during the last few minutes of the episode….what do you think?
But he jumped off a mountain..he would be severely injured and I think if he came back in one piece without a scratch, it would feel even MORE unrealistic XD XD I wouldn’t be convinced.. ^^;
A way i would be convinced was that if it was all a trap for kwok lun to follow him, and then kevin can pretend to die. But i have no idea how this would work, maybe like if he knows qingong or something, or maybe if there was a giant trampoline!
lol, I dunno.. Moses doing the whole act seems enough.. if they made Kevin jump off as an act as well..I think it could be worse XD
Because I was kind of thinking that IF they were so SMART to have moses kill himself as an act, then we could stretch it further (tvb scriptwriters have wonderful imagination) and make the whole thing an act. I think I would have bought it if it was done well, but maybe it’s just that i can’t get over the fact that he falls off a cliff and gets off without a scratch, and bumps into her and is not married and has not changed and starts to remember.
(note the generous usage of ands)
good series.overall, this series really a worth-watching. to honestly, uncomparable with War and beauty: Beyond had their own plot related between lau sam ho and conscience. Tavia is the girl who want to be the best, she possibly not that like to Sam ho, just to made her own fresh and happy but when it on time, she will do something against sam ho. I more logical here to her charactor remind me of the story written by allan. I don’t want her to be death due to her muder of excessive people. tavia meet her own ending with insane. It would more realistic that tavia done bad deed because of her mental problem as they should explain with some scence tavia had problem with head. The ending of sam ho and kevin more predictable, it will be better if replace by Kevin never return and then Moses meet Charmine again. however, the last screenshot is beautifully and their finale eye facing is touching, give some memorable.
Mary’s death define so pitiful and cruel; i also thought that mary already know about tavia’s badie and tried to be with Charmaine with safe. That’s why Tavia killed her off for treat charmine. Yes, Mary also care her as a daughter but possible tavia’s charactor written to be careless for good and begin pessimism. It made her charactor not that extreme and really exist. See thoes genocide’s leader which killed everyone. Pot pot is example. He is male version of tavia. Before he is a simple child, study alot but just can be better than other. then when he on power, he hate richies and killed off everyone without reason. His goal just killed rich peoples and educated people because he’s stupid. Tavia is not good as tavia, so she killed off charmaine who better than her. tavia just a small part of pol pot evilness which really exist in our world.
to sum up, tavia acting is awsame.
Yoyo charactor is well organized and develop unlike 280 degree selena. She know tavia power and less and less, possible to get out the problem and afraid of the death. she that clever to get out of it on time. She more clever villian i think.
Hey, Chibi i will write a review on beyond the realm of conscience in my new blog: dramaofasia.wordpress.com. be the first guest to visit.
however, the last screenshot is beautifully and their finale eye facing is touching, give some memorable.
I actually thought the shot was a bit strange.. if you watch closely, in one shot Charmaine is in tears and looks rather sad when she’s saying things that are making Kevin remember. Then we get a wider shot with the both of them, but suddenly they’re both seen smiling and happy O_o I think there’s some continuity problem there ^^;
Finally, thanks for reading and commenting engsamnang 🙂
I was pretty sad the gd ppl could be together with some1 they loved eg: Susanna w Kwok keung,charmaine and Kevin except Moses and Michelle,so sad:( I was hoping all the gd ppl will have a happy ending. *sigh* Thks 4 the synopsis and pics, I really enjoyed them. I will be looking 4ward to ”The Season of Fate” Synopsis. Thanks:)
Glad you enjoyed them Jujek Phoenix 🙂
Oh, and I won’t be watching The Season of Fate, but KTVB has been watching it (I’m a guest blogger here)
Feel free to join in the discussions here: http://k-tvb.net/new-series-the-season-of-fate/ 🙂
Haha, well done Chibi! Congratulations for finishing this…even though it means now I won’t be able to binge on your summaries.
I think this whole post will be about Tavia. I have too much to say about her to fit anything else in.
Well, anyway. I strongly agree that the drama just exaggerates too things too much. I mean, I can see where everything comes from, but I highly doubt they’d go as far as the drama made it.
I actually really liked Tavia’s character in the drama. I guess the only thing I didn’t like about her was that I couldn’t really see her motivation causing her to take actions as drastic as the ones she took. But otherwise, it was cool how she was always the ‘inferior’, & wasn’t really as lucky as Charmaine, but was determined to make life better for herself anyway.
I think it was quite interesting how near the end, she was the ‘big sister’ whereas she was always the ‘little sister’ when they were friends. It seems to…say something about her & Charmaine’s relationship totally flipping & disappearing. & how even though they weren’t friends anymore they still had to call each other ‘siblings’.
Regarding her ending…it was actually quite fresh. Death might have been a stronger ending for her, considering that she was a strong character, but becoming what she has was…liberating in a different way, I guess? It’s also interesting how her social status & reputation is now far worse than what she began with, but she’s so much happier with her situation. & if you think about how her charater reacts to all her negative emotions & has such…(bad?) self control, she’s quite childlike in that sense.
So while I’d like to complain that she was evil but simple minded & not very smart (& hence the whole drama was made a lot less interesting than what it could have been), I guess that it makes sense in a way because she’s been driven by her instincts, & even at the start she was quite impulsive & didn’t think through her actions properly. (Sorry about that long sentence.) So even in the end when she supposedly had to plot & tolerate & hold in her true emotions, her driving force behind that was still her impulse.
Although as you mentioned, I would add that it was annoying how she thought she was Charmaine when seh went made. It seems to imply that she had always been & will always be inferior to Charmaine, which I don’t quite agree with. I guess it might have been better if she was just…nice & back to the kind of life she was in before the whole ordeal. Although in a way I guess it also alludes to her having always believed that Charmaine’s better than her (some sort of inferiority complex?), so that the whole deal was just some result of jealousy rather than having too much to do wtih her personal gain.
So…even she’s been evil & all, I think that sparing her life in such a way was justified. & plus, while it could be argued that doing such evil things should have come with a much greater punishment, in a way, she has died. Her punishment in the end with the whole world crashing down on her was probably decent & close enough to death.
Hm. I think I’ll stop there. Once again, great ‘synopsis’ writing, & I really enjoyed reading them! I hope you’ll continue to do them for other interesting series. 🙂
Hi there, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts 😀 Reading what you have to say about Tavia was really insightful 🙂 (Sorry, you didn’t leave a name so I don’t know who you are XD)
I wholeheartedly agree with everything you have said.
I guess the only thing I didn’t like about her was that I couldn’t really see her motivation causing her to take actions as drastic as the ones she took.
This made the story a bit weak in my opinion.. I didn’t see how/why Tavia just turned so dramatically evil without a strong driving force behind her :{ It can become a bit hard to believe..
it was cool how she was always the ‘inferior’, & wasn’t really as lucky as Charmaine, but was determined to make life better for herself anyway.
yea 🙂 Reminds me of her old self as a servant always grasping opportunity to stand out. Even after being smacked on the lips by Susanna she stayed positive and didn’t let it affect her too much..which was nice to see. Yet afterwards when she becomes the concubine she seems to crack over every little thing.. I guess she lost her patience and finds things simply unfair to her.
I guess that it makes sense in a way because she’s been driven by her instincts, & even at the start she was quite impulsive & didn’t think through her actions properly.
Very good point! Tavia was never really “smart” to begin with… (again inferior to Charmaine)- so it makes sense that the way she thinks of thinks can only be as cruel as ones conscience. Kwok Lun was totally bad ass and didn’t care if people died, but Tavia was still human. She’s just a simple girl if you think about it, growing up in a world as a servant (not knowing anything about her background/parents). She wasn’t accustomed to killing..not until she killed Ram protecting herself. Unfortunately, once exposed to ones death, it slowly became a normal thing to her and she kills without hesitation… It doesn’t make her smarter, though.
Although in a way I guess it also alludes to her having always believed that Charmaine’s better than her (some sort of inferiority complex?), so that the whole deal was just some result of jealousy rather than having too much to do wtih her personal gain.
You’ve made an interesting point there.. so, deep down Tavia wanted what Charmaine had? The qualities? The luck? The love and favoritism everyone showered her? It’s kinda possible… Time and again she constantly questions why everyone loves Charmaine, why she’s so lucky….something she had lacked. She feels ripped off, always working hard (like in the Jewelry proceeding) yet Charmaine seems to get everything the easy way. I felt so sorry for her when Charmaine got promoted and she was left crying in her room, trying to feel happy for her “sister”.
Charmaine can’t control that though..and Tavia should really see being angry at her isn’t going to change anything. Reality is, life isn’t always fair.
Once again, great ’synopsis’ writing, & I really enjoyed reading them! I hope you’ll continue to do them for other interesting series.
Thank you so much for your compliments 😀 I’ll probably come back some time when there’s a good TVB release ^_^
Heh, I didn’t know what name to leave. Not that it really matters 🙂
That’s one thing I like about Tavia – there’s stuff to think about & discuss. With Charmaine, there seems to be a lot less…
I think her main turning point was when she realised that she could make it to a concubine (despite Charmaine being the one behind it all). And then, with power comes corruption. All those negative feelings have been with her all along, but it was just she had nowhere to let them out. But being a concubine changed everything.
And it was a big jump for her. After all, she’s never really been anyone when she was a servant, and then suddenly she was a concubine, which to her meant that she was someone to the Emperor. And I guess that bit of attention set off everything she kept buried previously. And of course, being the impulsive person she was, doing things quickly had its attractions.
Her simple-mindedness was really nice in the beginning, when it had an innocent childish air to it (it was fresh compared to all the other smart people plotting against each other). I mean, Charmaine was innocent as well, but she was a lot more grown up. In a way, Tavia was a bit like a child in an adult body who was forced to grow up to adjust to the world which wasn’t so nice to her. And maybe, like children, she doesn’t fully understand how wrong she is when she does something, because a big part of her thinking is still devoted to ‘me’.
Yeah, that scene with Charmaine getting promoted to another department and Tavia trying to be happy was really nice, although I’ve only read about it (I missed that part when I watched Beyond T_T) is probably one of my favourite scenes storyline-wise. Probably this sounds sadistic, but I actually enjoyed the parts where Tavia was being treated unfairly, because in the end she always stood back up. Before she turned evil, I found a more admirable character than Charmaine was.
So I guess despite her simplicity, I’m glad TVB created such a villain. One day, I’d love to see Charmaine in the role of a villain, even though I guess she just doesn’t look the type.
The ending was a win-win-ish sort of situation, though. Tavia got what she wanted (well, she didn’t physically, but happiness is all in the mind, & now she’s obviously got all that), and she’ll not hurt people ever again, and people who don’t want to see her never will. Although all those who had died wouldn’t be avenged, they’re dead already.
wow. Great stuff you’ve written there ^_^
And maybe, like children, she doesn’t fully understand how wrong she is when she does something, because a big part of her thinking is still devoted to ‘me’.
Couldn’t agree more!!
Oh, by the way, on a completely unrelated note, Happy Chinese New Year 🙂
Thank you ^_^ Happy Chinese New Year to you too!
Yay!! Well done chibi!! Finally got through the synopsis!!
Now, back to the storyline, even as a Charvin fan, how much of a crappy ending could TVB think of? I mean, far out! When I saw the ending, I thought, this is the crappious ending ever (I’m sure there are crappier but at that point of time, I really couldn’t help but say that. They look at each other and the credits roll… I mean, the endings always disappoint me, and what is with Kevin always getting amnesia and Charmaine waiting for him? It happened here and in FH2. Very disappointing…
Now, I thought Tvia should’ve died, I don’t know why but the crazy ending for her was hideous! Yes, go around telling everyone ‘No i’m Sam Ho’. p.s. those two small girls are so cute when Tavia was saying she was Sam Ho.
I felt that the ending could’ve been more spread out cause I don’t remember seeing Moses be really sad about Mary dying, or maybe I just haven’t watched Beyond for a while…
I never took a liking for Yoyo so she is to me neutral. I think Tavia’s evilness has gotten into us so it’s kind of annoying and boring in a way to watch her at the end.
Last of all, I hate endings where the pllot strings are still loose, like how Kevin and Charmaine ended where Kevin just looked at Charmaine and where Susanna and Kwok Keung’s son was a maybe…
Anyway, another post? You’ve got me interested…
Thank you cooldudejohn ^^!~
I mean, the endings always disappoint me, and what is with Kevin always getting amnesia and Charmaine waiting for him? It happened here and in FH2. Very disappointing…
hehe..good point about the same thing in FH2.. @_@ What ending would you prefer them to have?
Now, I thought Tvia should’ve died, I don’t know why but the crazy ending for her was hideous! Yes, go around telling everyone ‘No i’m Sam Ho’. p.s. those two small girls are so cute when Tavia was saying she was Sam Ho.
Yes the girls were really cute, heheee.. but Tavia sure is crazy..since she calls them Sam Ho and Gam Ling.. but she claims she is Sam Ho o_o However at the same time, she speaks of her own experience as herself- Tavia- who used to work in the House of Proeeding and then because the Emperor liked her she became concubine..(or is she recounting Charmaine’s experience?)
I felt that the ending could’ve been more spread out cause I don’t remember seeing Moses be really sad about Mary dying, or maybe I just haven’t watched Beyond for a while…
You’re right, it didn’t show Moses crying over Mary’s death. I think they should have cut out that scene where Tavia and Charmaine confront (the part that was shown in episode 1). When I saw it in the last ep or so, I was actually quite bored. We already saw it in the first episode and there was no real twist in it when they showed the full thing. I don’t think it was necessary to have them confront time and again since it went nowhere. Then of course the conversation is replayed again in the final confrontation.
I hate endings where the pllot strings are still loose, like how Kevin and Charmaine ended
We can safely assume they get together XD
I would’ve at least wanted Kevin to something like ‘Sam Ho?”‘.
Just something to confirm he remembers, right?
I would find it a bit suspicious though..if he remembered that easily ^^;;
Yeah, but one thing I don’t get is how does jumping off a cliff make you get amnesia? I really can’t find the link there. I could imagine if Kevin was pretending to someone else and when he saw Charmaine he could be all like “I found you!!” But I just think at the end of the day, TVB could’ve done such a better ending for such a great series.
haha!! TVB loves that..they normally make them have amnesia instead of death, so they at least have some kind of injury but at least the come back.
What would be more believable (though very sad) is if Kevin got disabled..I mean broken bones and things would be much more realistic jumping off a cliff @___@ Did he really fall off and only get a bump in his head resulting memory loss?
Thanks for your episode summaries Chibi. It has helped me to understand the what was going on as the ancient style of language was hard to follow at times. 🙂
You’re very welcome Badger 🙂 Very glad it was useful to you ^_^
Hope you enjoy Born Rich Chibi. I think it could have been better if it was 30 or 35 episodes, but it really gets going from episode 26 onwards.
hehe thanks ^_^ I hope I’ll like it
Ooh, the finale synopsis is up! I can finally comment – was too busy with homework the past few days to XD
I seriously thought that Vin was Susanna’s son, so I didn’t expect that twist. But it was really sweet how their bond (as a result of a coincidence) still stayed strong~
As for the powerplay between Moses and Kwok Lun, it wasn’t as enjoyable to watch for me, because I hated how Kwok Lun kept getting away with everything when it was so obvious he was responsible for so much crap happening! And it’s like, Moses is the Emperor yet he seemed so powerless against him, practically. I mean, he might be matching his wit against Kwok Lun like they were playing an advanced chess game, but… ahh, he rarely did anything directly against KL. 🙁
Tavia teamed up with the other villain! Not much to say, but I found their laughing really funny to listen to.
Charmaine, finally, displaying some woman power! I never disliked her character, so it was really cool watching her challenge Kwok Lun, trying to instill some order into the Palace.
I don’t think Mary was aware of the bad deeds Tavia had done, or was aware that Tavia would be harming her, but just the fact that Tavia was ‘visiting’ her in the middle of the night when Charmaine had relocated her to some place quiet so that she would not be disturbed, was unnerving? So then she cautiously questioned Tavia’s reason for being there.
Poor Charmaine, getting such a crime blamed to her. She was pretty smart though, pulling out the ‘Emperor’s baby’ card. Very clever.
OMG That was one of my favourite scenes, when Tavia stabbed KL! It was like, “Take that!” Finally, he got what was coming. Stupid greedy corrupted general. XD And yeah, I felt proud of Tavia too. For all the wrong reasons. XD But yeah, it was interesting, showed what she was capable of. Well, she kind of did Moses a favour, hey? XD
And as for Yoyo turning against Tavia, that just goes to show she knew how to think for herself. And haha, she learnt off Tavia. Karma x)
The ending… Kevin didn’t ‘remember’, or at least, I don’t think that’s how it was meant to be interpreted? It was more… a hopeful sort of ending, where Charmaine meets Kevin again. Even though he’s lost his memory, she at least knows he’s alive, and she can reconnect with him and hope he regains his memory. So her smiling at the end wasn’t at him ‘remembering’, it was more of a hopeful smile? She’s met her lover again, she’d be happy 😀 And Kevin was just being gentlemanly, (“What is this woman doing talking to me? She looks nice enough.”) not *memories rushing back*
That’s how I saw it anyway. And the little girl was so cute.
I was actually satisfied with Tavia’s outcome. She looked so… lost-ly happy. If that makes sense. She really truly thought she was Charmaine, with all the love that Charmaine had… Charmaine really impacted her a lot. But yes, it was bittersweet. And even though Tavia’s hurt so many people and caused so much life less… having her die would kind of be sad… xD
Susanna and Kwok Keung get to have their peace outside of the palace, and they find their son, which is great. It’s sad that they obviously don’t plan to tell them his identity =\ But hey, they’re getting a grandson now x)
Can’t wait for that extra post~ (and LOL at ‘post all the spoilers you want’)
And if you ever guest-blog for another series, have fun with it 8D
I hated how Kwok Lun kept getting away with everything when it was so obvious he was responsible for so much crap happening! And it’s like, Moses is the Emperor yet he seemed so powerless against him, practically.
Oh yeah that part was nasty..Kwok Lun just killed people quite hastily without letting any of them say anything (or rather, point fingers at him). It makes me wonder though, since he is so powerful, would it really matter if everyone knew he was behind so much evil things? He still has a strong army/power behind him..so what’s he afraid of? To an extend, Kwok Lun still has to act like he’s a good guy in front of everyone as though everything is for the country. I guess that’s why their power play lasted for such a long time.
In the end, Moses came rushing in with an army.. but..who ever said there was war? @__@ I mean, people still thought Moses was in power, so I don’t see why they would be fighting themselves?
Tavia was ‘visiting’ her in the middle of the night when Charmaine had relocated her to some place quiet so that she would not be disturbed, was unnerving?
I thought about that, but then I re-watched it and it seemed like Mary’s reaction to Tavia being there wasn’t a good one already. If it was Sam Ho visiting her for example, I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t display such horror and annoyance.. Something just tells me she’s disturbed by Tavia..some sort of grudge or fear…
She was pretty smart though, pulling out the ‘Emperor’s baby’ card.
I thought that too when watching it: “Use your baby as an excuse!” hehehee.
Well, she kind of did Moses a favour, hey? XD
haha yes..and no one would really care that he died. XD
Can’t wait for that extra post~ (and LOL at ‘post all the spoilers you want’)
LOL. Yes, it’s kinda of an inside joke… I’ve been saying “NO SPOILERS” for 31 episodes..ahah! Finally reached the end ^_^
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and following my posts Muff 😀
the ending’s okay didnt want Kevin to be alive, sad because moses is a loner for now, felt sorry for tavia because i guess that she really wanted to be good in the en d but cant, happy for KK and susanna to find their child to find that their nearly grandmas and grampa, and a little disappointed because the palace is probably be empty since a lot of people has been killed and left.BTW who told moses about all of tavia’s evil deed cose he seems to know…
anyways you did a great job! waiting for your last post=)
Thank you Kayy LOVES RI ^_^
The final post is up!
Wow I just finished watching ep.33 and I cried so many times!!
This was such an emotional episode and the bestest & happiest episode of BTROC !!!
The part I liked (that made me cried the most) is when Tavia called the 2 little girls Sam-Ho & Kam-Ling..Omgggggg..thinking about it still make me sad :’)
Well its good that she’s not evil anymore..she kind of remind me of Crystal Tin aka Sam Ho’s mom when she called the 2 little girls that.
<3 Thanks for (all) the sypnosis!
You’re very welcome Kelly ^^ Glad you enjoyed the ending a lot :D!
I think the ending is purposely written in a manner which is open to interpretation.
Leaving a bit to the imagination isn’t a bad thing XD
why is everyone hating on Charvin … i mean its CHARVIN you gotta love these too but i hope they had made the ending more…unpredictable but somehow still accomplish to get Charvin together. but oh well the ending was allright lol…GO CHARVIN!!!
Well..the last few minutes did increase the ratings for the finale, so I guess they achieved their goal XD
I think writers of Beyond The Realm Of Conscience were right. Tavia shouldn’t die. First I think she’ll be die, because I’ve been watched many movies, bad person always die. But not for Tavia, I I like her. First she was so lovely, kind, good person, like Charmaine, but because of punishments, looking down, said she was just a maid. Back then, When she became Moses’Lady, she did all her best, but Selena first was looked down, and slipped her twice for unknown reasons.Tavia’s Evil-mind has appeared. She just wanna pay what people have done to her.
But she killed so many people in the process to protect herself. She became way too selfish and lost her own morals. Two wrongs don’t make a right, and just because others did bad things to her first- it doesn’t make her any better for getting back at them.
The sad thing is, innocent people died, like Ram and Mary, who did nothing to her.
yeah! you’re right. But she killed because she want to keep her secret. And Mary, Kwok Lun told she Moses never come back again. I think she shouldn’t kill Mary. She treat Tavia like an angle!
what’s going on!!!!!. Kwok Lun was killed by Tavia. It doesn’t make a scene, he was very powerful, know material art, Why die because of Tavia. Should die of other way. He should be killed by Moses or Kevin.
Yes, that is very amusing…lol..
what’s going on!!!!!. Kwok Lun was killed by Tavia. It doesn’t make a scene, he was very powerful, know material art, Why die because of Tavia. Should die of other way. He should be killed by Moses.
He needs a more painful death. lol
It did feel really unrealistic some girl can stab him to death :p
love Susanna and Kwok Keung in BTROC. in this show, Susanna has sacrified a lot for Kwok Keung. she even give birth. but too bad that Susanna has to abondend her son in order to keep Kwok Keung and her son alive. Susanna and Kwok Keung still love each other. but Susanna keep running away from this. in a episode where Susanna was tourture by Kwok Lun, forcing her to tell where Charmaine is. when Kwok Keung heard that Susanna is being torture, he quickly rush to save her. the feeling is his eyes, OMG. i love them. i thought that Kwok Keung will be able to recover, but…. so sad. if still got BTROC2, i wish that Kwok Keung will be able to recover, then he will live happily wif Susanna
haha yes, I really enjoyed watching these two too!
Hi thanks for posting this detailed sypnosis on this show and the pictures were excellent with your write up. Good for anyone that watches cable or satellite and missed an episode.
Re: Episode 33 (Ending) with Charmaine/Kevin
– I think if you want a bittersweet ending, consider this: everytime Sam Ho (Charmaine) sees these white flowers it seems to remind her of the pledge she and Hin Yeung (Kevin) and her discussion to grow some flowers outside their little house. Well if you think about it, Kevin is dead in the series because that explains why Charmaine looks like she sees him and then he turns around and smiles at her. She is talking to her own hallucination (seeing things). Sometimes people are so sad about something tragic it is possible in Psycholgy to explain they supress their brains to accept reality and thus creates this imaginary image of the person they love so much and start talking to them. Remember Flora Chan in Triumph in The Skies and how she went a bit weird talking to Joe Ma’s character, Vincent?
Hope this explains this and I think it serves as a bittersweet ending to the show. This makes the series more interesting because she wants to be with Kevin but did not get that chance but she can live on with her daughter. Drop me aline and let me know what you think everyone of this thought. It makes it more romantic and thus not so boring or predictable right?
Thanks very much for sharing your insights 🙂 That’s an interesting way to look at it, though having watched many TVB series for years I kinda..doubt that was their intention. The HK audience simply love happy endings and so this is what they gave. I suppose if they wanted a sad ending they wouldn’t have let Tavia get away with everything and have Charmaine see Kevin again. If Charmaine sees Kevin smiling at her and then he vanishes, it would be more definite (or it looks like they’re smiling at each other, until a wide shot shows that Charmaine was smiling at no-one)- but that’s pretty creepy inself (which implies Charmaine has gone a bit…insane)
Haha… I actually thought they should make it more realistic. Here’s my humble suggestion…
Instead of losing his memory, Hin Yeung becomes blind and/or crippled (hey, don’t think I am cruel. Falling hundred meters down a cliff is no joke!) and begs people to help him save the Emperor but people think he’s a loony… Then when Sam-ho goes to the street years later with their child, she encounters a beggar and give him some money, only to realise he is her long lost lover.
haha, that’s so sad!!
But how would the holy-mighty-goddess Charmaine’s motto ring true? She’s ALWAYS right and never ever wrong. 😉
But its more realistic like that, right? Ok maybe not blind… but still able to walk normally without any disability from such a fall?!!! Good people without any real tragedy in their lives are too boring on TV. Which is why we like good ppl who become bad (Tavia), or bad people who become good (Selena) 🙂
PS: thks for yr humourous entries, chibi!
Hi, thanks so much for your episode synopses. Really detailed and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading them – along with your personal comments (wihch i often agree) :))) Thanks again!
Thanks Wendy, you’re really welcome 🙂
Glad you enjoyed what I had to say 😀
Nobody seems to realise Tavia became deeply evil and darker soon after losing her baby. She mistakenly believed her baby was killed by voodoo and from that point she realised, no matter how good she is, she will never be in control of her life unless she is the ultimate in power.
I feel sorry for her as she was a young woman who had a sense of justice, is jovial and cheeky and has that extra dash of impulsive childishness that most girls her age would have. Yet she became polluted by power, greed, discontentment and ultimately her own insecurity. I also like that she is quite opportunistic (as in she will only do bad things in defence or for benefit when people try to sabotage her or give her a chance to). It makes her character more realistic than the fairytale-like Sam Ho. Take the June incident for example; if June didn’t put poison in Tavia’s makeup powder in the first place, Tavia wouldn’t have had the chance to bite back by using June’s own trick against her. It is also the same for Selena, who insulted and bullied Tavia until she gave Tavia the chance to trick her back.
But the loss of the baby was too much for her. It made her realise she must be evil to protect herself from evil people and she also lost trust and faith in Charmaine’s “3 Goods” motto in life (because it didn’t work out for her). Her dream of just making some babies for the Emperor needs ruthlessness to maintain or achieve. After all, an Emperor can have many women. Surely the previous Empresses must have done things to maintain their positions? Haha… this also reminds me of Sheren Tang in War and Beauty, whose Lady Ru lost her baby due to the scheming Empress and she made herself become a powerful and shrewd concubine feared by many.
I believe Tavia feels insecure of Charmaine being so close to Moses which is why she hates Charmaine; remember she no longer believes people can be purely good, and that includes Charmaine her good sister. Perhaps she had always felt inferior or insecure about Charmaine because of her guilt for causing Krystal’s death and that she is jealous of Charmaine’s popularity and luck.
This whole thing sadly reeks of office politics; Imagine your boss favoring your more innocent and prettier colleague when you’re the one who has been working hard and wants to be promoted. Ouch.
Anyway, having watched the entire series, I find the plot a great failure given TVB’s 42 year history. I kinda expected a solid storyline and great characterizations but the whole thing seems to be a display of flamboyant costumes and rehashed plots mixed and matched from the plethora of period dramas TVB has produced in so many decades.
The main leads (Charmaine and Kevin) are not interesting enough to push the story forward. I wonder why are they the leads in the first place. They may have had done heroic deeds but there was no development in character. Given that this is loosely based on Dae Jang Geum (Jewel in the Palace), Jang Geum was not a perfect person and nearly killed her enemy Choi Sang-gong, but she overcame her carnal desire of revenge. She had a setback while learning accupuncture and overcame her own fears and regained confidence. Even though Charmaine and Kevin did heroic acts, such personal obstacles were seriously lacking given their one-dimension personalities and so there was lack of depth in them. While Charmaine finally steps up in the finale, Kevin fell off a cliff and simply lost his memory… why is TVB using such an old overused plot twist?! Even their romantic moments only serve to be an “interval break” from the witty political tug-of-war between Kwok Lun and Moses and Kwok Leung, which is sadly the most exciting part of the entire show. Moses’ love rivalry was also sidestepped and quickly replaced with the rivalry of Tavia and Selena.
Suzanna and Michelle’s constant bickering was also much more entertaining and their characters had more depth. Their friendship, just like reality, sours and sweetens in tune with the turbulent Tang era. The Bureau Chief’s character also deserves special mention; she’s a class act in political tactics – she sows discord between Suzanna and Michelle yet her motherly ways and tact earned her so much respect and love among everyone around her. She’s a really good strategist; imagine Kwok Lun and her teaming up! The political infighting of the 4 Depts were also entertaining but I pity them for ultimately using their talents to serve the court ladies instead of some greater purpose for the country.
Having watched TVB dramas for so long, I feel that BTROC had a strong cast, reputable story artists, great theme song, fantastic constumes… all the makings to be a royal queen but what we got was (as Selena said) a chicken dressed as a phoenix. All flash but lacking in substance. I really hope the next big production will be greater and better 🙂
Very good insight, I wholeheartedly agree with you =)
Thanks for leaving a comment and sharing your thoughts!
You’re welcome 🙂
I thank you too for your reviews. Writing for 33 eps is no joke! 😛
haha thanks 🙂
It was a lot of work… but it was fun 😀
Dear chibi, thanks you for your wonderful work!!! :))
I’d just finished BTROC for a couple days and I keep re-watching all the scenes of Susanna and Kwok Keung, Michelle and Ram!
Must say, I don’t like the story of Sam-ho – she’s a fairy!!! And I don’t like her affair with Kevin also! (so sorry! :” It’s just my opinion) But I like the strong side of her at the end.
One more think, I’m totally in love with Susanna and Michelle. I love their character both good and bad side.
Thankss you again, Chibi! Hope you continue your wonderful work!!! :))
I must say that: I’m sick of “3 good things” of Sam-ho. Just like a slogan! LOL
Thanks for reading, ad for sharing your thoughts :D!
I would rather have Charmaine die and Tavia not go crazy. I REALLY HATE HER CHARACTER!!! SUCH A MARY-SUE. My favourite is Tavia.
haha, you are not alone =)
All in all, this series was really a very good watch. I felt bad for Tavia at the end though, despite all she has done in her life. When she confessed to Charmaine that it was her who poured the wax on the phoenix hairpin and thus it was her fault Krystal was blamed, I felt bad for Charmaine because she really did believe in Tavia and that they were the ‘sisters’ for life.
It’s tragic when someone you trust and believe in so much turns and backstabs you. However, because Tavia was the one who sabotaged Krystal in the first episode, does this mean that Tavia always had an evil heart?
It makes me wonder, but I feel like Tavia is not as bad of a person as she tries to make herself seem. Personally, I think deep inside, somehwere very, very deep, she has a conscience, but she refuses to listen to it because no matter how hard she tries, people just keep stepping on her.
For example, remember Tracy? Tavia didn’t want to be involved, but at the same time was advising the concubine whether it was really safe to use the fragrance for Edwin or not. In the end, Tavia was to blame for not telling the royal court of her ‘discovery’.
I also have to admit, at the end of episode 33, when Tavia is seen talking to the two little girls and as they walk off, clearly freaked out by this weird woman, she’s calling after them as she’s talking to her and Charmaine as kids. When they don’t respond, you see the melancholic look on her face as she’s torn between being happy and feeling devestated. I don’t think the whole, Tavia going crazy and becoming Charmaine is really anything.
I think it’s more of the fact that Tavia is torn on the inside and her jealousy of Charmaine’s ‘good luck’ has gotten to her and so she had a mental breakdown, as we can clearly see. It’s just sad though, how TVB must have Tavia be the bad person. Personally, I believe every good person has a vengence within them, as every bad person has a kindred soul.
It’s only human and so portraying characters as ‘too good’ or ‘too evil’ is just ridiculous. Another way to look at it is that Charmaine had a family, Tavia did not. She was a servant of a servant. She was probably picked on more than Charmaine and Charmaine’s family, even though we don’t see it, most definitely cherished their own daughter over their servant.
Charmaine grew up with a good life and lived a very good life, it was only a matter of time that Tavia would break down. Who wouldn’t break down, after feeling so lonely and empty? After always being told you are no better than scum? In a sense, I get where Tavia’s coming from.
I’m not saying I am choosing Tavia over Charmaine, I like the both of them just the same. Charmaine is a good person and it never hurts to have good people in this world, especially when she’s so loyal and willing to stand up for herself and those around her. At least THERE, she’s no damsel in distress.
As for Tavia, I give her credit for wanting to climb the social ladder and becoming someone and proving to others that she can be better than what they accuse her of. Yes, she didn’t succeed and she made some very bad choices in the long run, but I think it wouldn’t have happened if Charmaine wasn’t portrayed as a ‘goddess’.
In the end, I think the whole portrayal of the palace is society itself. Tavia represents those who have walked down the wrong path, whereas Charmaine represents those who are optimistic and kind-hearted. Selena, I will say, died pitifully. She transformed into a better person and still died in the end.
My entry is biased, I think, because even though I like both, Charmaine and Tavia equally, I will be honest, my heart takes a liking to Tavia more because she is someone we can all relate to better. Who hasn’t gone through hardships in their life? Who hasn’t been told you can’t do sometime and been stomped on a few times?
In the end, you just have to prove to them you are who you are and you can do what you want. Of course, you never hurt anyone in the process, but when you believe in yourself, that’s when you succeed.
Very nicely written 😀 Thanks for dropping by and sharing your insights, especially on Tavia’s character which is undoubtedly the most interesting and talked about character in this drama (even though she has many flaws) I really like your analysis 🙂
🙂 No problem. I really enjoy your reviews, I look forward to reading more of them in the near future. 😀
Yeah, I was on Tavia’s side mostly XD
About the wax on the hairpin thing, Tavia didn’t do it on purpose; she wasn’t ‘evil’ then, and she wasn’t trying to sabotage. It was just an accident; at the time, she was a child, and it’s natural for a child to be curious. So she wanted to have a look at the hairpin, see what’s so special about it.
And she did own up to Krystal, which further shows she wasn’t doing it on purpose x)
So in reply to “However, because Tavia was the one who sabotaged Krystal in the first episode, does this mean that Tavia always had an evil heart?”, no, I don’t think she has always had an evil heart.
Except the sad thing is.. Tavia now makes it sound like she wasn’t grateful for what Krystal has done for her, instead calling her ‘stupid’ for doing so =(
Yeah D:
and she wanted so badly to make Charmaine feel bad she even brought that up and twisted it to make it sound like everyone was stupid for being nice to her and that she would’ve “always been against them” D:
Tavia probably said that because she wanted to seem evil in order to be the powerful empress she’s always wanted after Moses took her in as his concubine.
I can see where she’s coming from, too. When you’re powerful, you get respect regardless of who is around you. But when you’re nice, or even considered nice, earning respect is the hardest thing to do, especially in the royal court.
I don’t think my mind will change about Tavia. She is definitely a unique character and I don’t think her heart was dark at all. I think deep inside, she is still kind-hearted, but not as sweet as Charmaine. Call me crazy, but I have a feeling she’s not completely emotionally unstable as she seems in the last episode. I have a feeling it’s an act so she doesn’t have to face the consequences of what she’s done and as well, she is paying for it in a sense. Being locked away in the “cold” palace, that’s pretty harsh, if you ask me.
I have to admit, though. I felt Moses was kind of awful to just forgive Tavia because Charmaine asked him to. He seemed to hesitate, but the answer was already evident. He just said yes and that was that. Tavia was placed away and off the punishment because Charmaine requested that.
Even after all she’s been through, Tavia still can’t make a big enough impression, regardless of it being bad or good, since Charmaine will always get the last word. I find that really sad.
I have to admit, though. I felt Moses was kind of awful to just forgive Tavia because Charmaine asked him to. He seemed to hesitate, but the answer was already evident. He just said yes and that was that. Tavia was placed away and off the punishment because Charmaine requested that.
Yes, I found this really ridiculous..Moses is in love with Charmaine too much, it’s like he doesn’t have a mind of his own. Tavia’s argument of why Moses “cannot kill her” was really weak too. SHE KILLED HIS MOTHER. Even if Tavia wasn’t truly evil deep down, she did many many wrong things, taking the lives of many people- she really does deserve to be punished..
I agree. Perhaps not kill her, as I really like Tavia too much to see her die. But at least a punishment of some sort. I don’t think I would like to see a sequel to this series, as it was good just the way it is, but I would like to see a little more analysis on Tavia’s character.
I found the show was really good, but there wasn’t enough character development or analysis or even any real conflict or plot development. All the garments and costumes are fancy and the actresses and actors were great, but really, be a little more in depth?
Chibi,
Thanks for all your hard work! You summarized each episode very well and I easily identified with your commentary!
Keep up the good work!
p
Thanks for posting it, I very like to read the whole episodes from you.
You’re welcome 😀 Thanks for reading!
How About the Drama series “Can’t buy me love”,don you have a script?
I didn’t like “Can’t Buy Me Love” so I didn’t write anything up for it, and don’t intend to either.
Wooooooooooo I loved Charmaine in this episode I was rooting for her … other side I felt so sorry for all the dead people (and also susan) I don’t understand why Tavia killed Mary she always been favored to tavia and when u said for some odd unexplainable reasons I believe u lol… but I think anyway I wanted to say why can’t charmaine be with moses I mean he lost selena/mary now charmaine leaving him what the point lol don’t u think u feel sorry for him?
Chibi how come u didn’t like Can’t buy me love lol it’s so good anyway i felt sorry for Hor Wai too I thought she had intentions and always have a kind heart actually she had a scheme which was to keep talented people? god….. I also hated how Michelle and Susanna bickered in the drama just coz of what happen 20 yrs ago finally they reunited ahhh good! lol another point is that I liked how Mary stood up against Susan (forgot what ep it was tho lol) susan was so fed up lol….I liked that chopstick poisoning plot but I felt sorry for susanna she is a target and have been tortured alot btw I liked the wigs and the storyline woo!
I didn’t like the cheesiness of CBML. I’m not really a fan of Moses’s dotty acting either ^^;
hi! I know it’s kind of late now, but I just discovered this drama a while ago (was broadcast on local tv)and saw your site, so I decided to drop by.
First off, I really like reading your synopsis! It’s really nice and hilarious, and I always like to see what others thought of a drama. Admittedly though, I would have preferred you to use the character’s on-screen name. I got confused with a lot of the characters (am not the type to remember actors’ names) lol
I think the most annoying thing about this show, as with a lot of TVB drama, is the clear-cut good and bad bifurcation. Even when I was way younger, I was mad at all the ‘Mary-Sue’s and ended up rooting for the bad guy – except, of course, the drama makes the bad guys so extremely bad that it’s just not possible to sympathise with them. I mean, hello? What’s the reason behind your evil doings??? It’s like, they do bad simply for the sake of it. I prefer a show where the antagonist was forced into a position where being evil was the only way left for survival. It makes a character more believable. Like the way Shih Huang Ti became bad because he was abused by others and wanted to rise to the top for revenge in “A step into the past”(Chum Chun Gei).
Throughout the entire series, I must admit I never did see the Charmaine x Kevin chemistry. I thought that the part where Moses finally took Charmaine as his concubine was really sweet (Ep31, since I’m sure you must have forgotten by now). I was like, yeah! That’s the way to go, man!! Then I was heartbroken when Charmaine left Moses. He’s the emperor!!! You don’t just walk off on the emperor after he declared that the only person he’d ever loved is you (I do understand that with ancient Chinese emperors, promises like these usually don’t last long. Still!) It’s like I can literally feel his pain as he watched her leave. Mother dead, his trusted allies gone, no friends, all alone to face to politics by himself. If it was me, I would have a mental breakdown due to overstress. Or I might get sink into depression. It would be nice to have someone who know you as who you are and not “the almighty emperor” to talk to. At that moment, I really want to kill someone.
I mean, TVB always like to portray that the “good” characters always win, but why can’t they make Moses win just this once? Because obviously, the only reason Moses lost is because he is too nice. T__T But then again, after making the Charmaine character love Kevin so much, it would be unrealistic to make Moses a tyrant all of a sudden and force himself upon her, even though he can. However, it was quite refreshing to see the male protagonist not getting together with the female protagonist for once. (Though admittedly, I wouldn’t mind a cliche happily-ever-after ending here, after all the frustration) Also, at least it’s not like in K-dramas where the girl ends up loving a bad guy and being completely blind to a nice guy because Kevin is a decent guy ^_^
I thought that the reunion with Kevin ending was extremely fake. I mean, so somehow Kevin ends up in the same village, somehow he’s well-dressed (hello? Amnesiac who just fell off a mountain? Where did he get the money?), somehow he suddenly remembers Charmaine. I mean, amnesia doesn’t work like that. Most of the time, the patient will just come to terms with what you told them, and accept it as a fact since there’s no one else to say otherwise, and then the brain will just make up images and memories to fit in the missing gaps they have in memory to keep them happy (yes, the brain does do that. It was proven in an experiment where a girl was told that she was sexually abused by her parents as a child and she ended up believing it, even having vivid memories of the “incident” I thought it was pretty cruel, but the experiment proved a point. And they did tell her that it was all fake at the end. Still!!)
Oh yeah, and I pity the kid. She’s like, “Mum, who is this???” and Charmaine doesn’t even bother to explain. Ugh… I would have preferred it if they zoomed up much further into the future when Charmaine is an old woman and one day, when she’s sitting alone outside her house, someone (unshown on screen) shows up and asks her if she wants to join him on a trip to a faraway land, then she turns around to face the screen (and the unseen man), smiles and agrees. Kind of like hinting that she’s dying and Kevin’s spirit came back, or it can be that she found Kevin somehow and they lived a happy life together with their daughter. Definitely, that ending would produce more frustration, but at least it would have been better than the one we have.
P.S. I lol’ed at the reference to Moonlight Resonance. I thought the Tavia x Moses pairing there was weird too! I mean, you grew up with him as a child, calling him “brother”. Weirdness overload, anyone? At least it’s okay with “ah hou” and “sou chau” who always thought of each other as friends (sorry idk their names!! lol).
P.P.S. If you’re reading up to this point, I think you’re awesome for putting up with my rant lol Thank you and all the best!
Finally! A comment that isn’t by a spam bot!
XD
Hi 😀
Interesting alternative ending there 😀
Thanks for your lovely comments! ^_^
I just recently watched this drama. I think the couples with most chemistry in this drama were the older actors. Especially Ram and Michelle! They are so cute together!!! I hope that in the sequel of BTROC that Ram comes back and get paired up with Michelle’s character. Don’t call me crazy, I may be in denial about Ram’s death because it was so unnecessary, but hear me out. Ram’s character Bo Gong Gong didn’t know his parentage or anything, right? What if he had a twin that ended up at the palace as an official and ended up with Michelle’s character. At first she’d be so surprised and then falls in love with him. Then Michelle would have her happy ending with Ram!
wow i am blown away by the ending. the story dragged on so much but when the last couple of episodes came, it was worth the wait, just built up the anticipation. i was waiting for when samho became a lady. and my gosh, my favorite part when samho took authority. it was awesome! it showed everyone how great of a person she is. i was thinking, when the bad guys get caught, everyone will respect samho all the more for how she handled general ma. she’s so true and everybody knows she was innocent. i was just a bit frustrated about kam ling going crazy. i was like what the heck. this is bs, so weird. and also. i love ko and sam ho together. i say they have more chemistry even though i routed for the emperor to be with her in the beginning just because they helped each other when they were younger. i felt sad for lady yin because she died like that. and i adore the ending but i would’ve liked to see a little more after he remembers her.
its common for dramas to end in amnesia and suddenly remember their loved ones, it sort of like the asian version of “i woke up from a dream”. if you want to see moses and charmaine be together watch “can’t buy me love”. different plot but same genre.