I just finished watching Beyond the Realm of Conscience episodes 4- 6 and I’m happy to say- wow! It is completely mind blowing!!
After completing episode 6, I’m not surprised it peaked at 41 points in HK. This episode rivaled many TVB finales! There were many moments which left me teary, in suspense, and extremely touched. I owe this all to Susanna and Michelle. Their relationship, conflict and resolution was very well put together. I loved watching them so so much! I remember thinking during episode 4-5 that they were a bit bland and Michelle was even on the brink of being annoying. My views have since completely changed.
Thanks to those reading/following my episode summaries and thoughts so far 🙂 In this post, I will go over specific scenes which left an impression on me, as well as my thoughts on the various characters. These thoughts may change as the story progresses. Well, let’s get started!
Charmaine as 劉三好 Lau Sam-ho
I watched Charmaine a little skeptical; thinking, how can she be so optimistic? Does her motto ring true in life? Can you really just do your part, help everyone you can and everything will be fine? Surely she has it better than Tavia, right? She has two handsome young men head over heels in love with her- who always come to her rescue. (Okay, maybe they’re not in love with her yet so to speak, but I think you get the general idea XD) I wondered, if she experienced the same things Tavia did, will she feel the same way? Would she still always act on good intentions? Upon looking closely, she doesn’t have it all that easy either. She’s made enemy with The head of army…and that in itself is pretty nasty! If it wasn’t for her gracious nature, she wouldn’t have people wanting to help her in the first place. I guess she deserves all the attention she does. It will be interesting watching her deal with obstacles and how she uses her head to overcome them.
Charmaine helps Moses in a pinch, and Moses saving Charmaine from the Head of Army’s evil doing.
Kevin as é«˜é¡¯æš Go Hin-yeung
I haven’t watched many TVB series with Kevin in it, and where he was, I admit I was never a fan of him. His characters seemed rather bland or they forcefully try to make him “coolâ€. However, I tried to look at his character in a fresh, unbiased view. I don’t really mind him too much at the moment. He’s pleasant to look at and has done his part of helping Charmaine in times of need. He seems to be your typical sensible good guy. This quality in itself instantly makes him compatible with Charmaine. I hope there will be more chemistry though.. I don’t understand the hype between Kevin and Charmaine, but maybe there will be more focus on them in the future. Why do people ship this pairing so much? o_o;? I really don’t know..XD
Charmaine & Kevin develop a friendship with Ben- a Japanese chess player after gaining his respect.
Moses as æŽæ€¡ Lee Yi
Moses is still lovingly adorable since episode 2. I’m glad Moses gets to play such a fun character since he pulls it off so well. I can’t think of any reason to dislike him. We really start to see the advantages he has being “dumbâ€. He doesn’t need to make excuses for doing the things he does. He can safely move around the palace and be unsuspecting. It’s quite a relief, really! He has helped out both Charmaine and Tavia time and time again.
Tavia as 姚金鈴 Yiu Kam-ling
She reminds me of Ah Yuet in Moonlight Resonance. She is open, honest but can be rather rash, which causes conflict with the people around her. There were many instances where it really looks like she’s asking for trouble. I found myself thinking “Uh-Oh..shouldn’t say that so loud†and then wham someone overhears! Nevertheless, I think many people can relate to her because of her sincerity. Most people in the palace put on a fake face, which puts her in a vulnerable position. She feels like a real person with emotions. I really feel for her, always getting picked on and used.
Tavia, who is upset after being scolded by Susanna, accidentally stacks it on the ground where Moses was nearby. He attends to her and she expresses her frustration about being bullied all the time. Thinking Moses was still “dumb”, she asks him if he thought she was beautiful enough to be a concubine. Being a concubine meant she wouldn’t have to be a victim of people’s bad temper. He agrees and says she’s really pretty. She pushes her luck and blurts out if he will marry her. Moses is reluctant to reply and slightly hesitates. Tavia becomes disappointed and says he could have said yes just to comfort her. To make her smile, he says yes! Tavia instantly brightens up and becomes cheerful. This scene was really cute and it was quite freshening to finally see the two interact! However, what looks like completely harmless fun turns out rather disastrous. å¾åª½åª½ Chui Ma Ma overhears the conversation and dobs her into the Grand Empress!
Shortly after, everyone gathers in front of Susan (Grand Empress) who reveals Tavia’s crime. She also uses this chance to hurt and humiliate Mary, blaming her for possibly being Tavia’s role model. It is revealed Mary’s background was a servant as well. Moses is extremely angry seeing his mother insulted but keeps it in. For Tavia’s crime, Susanna was ordered to smack Tavia’s lips. It was such an awful and painful scene to watch. You could see that everyone from the palace proceedings found it unbearable (including the bitches). It was exceptionally hard for Susanna who was told to “keep hitting” as Tavia was told “No crying“. Awww…poor Tavia :'( Moses puts a stop to it by saying Tavia looks ugly. Susan then asks Moses if he will still marry her, and he shakes his head in disgust (Mean, but necessary). This is definitely a sad scene, but a real reality check. One wrong word spoken could cost someone’s life.
I admire Tavia’s strong character though. Although it seemed like a life scarring moment, she is able to cope with it (more well than I thought).
At a later stage, Chui Ma Ma tries to sew her lips together! (Very disturbing!!) It was again, Moses who steps in and saves her. Both these scenes were quickly shown in a flashback in episode 1, and I recall Tavia blaming Charmaine for these mishaps. Is it really related to Charmaine at all though? I hope when Tavia turns evil, it’s clearly justifiable. Charmaine has been nothing less than her best friend who has always wholeheartedly cared for her.
Although it was all quite exciting to watch, I thought Susanna and Michelle really stole the spotlight in the 6th Episode.
Michelle as é¾é›ªéœž Chung Suet-ha & Susanna as é˜®ç¿ é›² Yuen Chiu-wan
From episode 1, Michelle was always the one blaming, bringing up the past and hinting the terrible things Susanna has done. Susanna holds her tongue and keeps it to herself, but we can tell there’s a lot going in her mind. It’s as though the two of them have so many issues unresolved, words left unspoken…unable to forgive.
A turn of events occur when Chui Ma Ma deliberately sets up Michelle to cover up for her own evil-doing. Susanna discovers the piece of evidence pointing to Michelle and immediately confronts her. However, Michelle instantly bites back, claiming Susanna is the one intentionally trying to set her up! They both claim to be innocent while pointing fingers at the other. When Hor Wai, the Head of Proceedings finds out, she immediately tries to keep it low key until further investigation. Chui Ma Ma of course, overhears and dobs all three of them into Susan.
Consequently, both Susanna and Michelle get locked up in prison! The two sit inside the prison cell, and start questioning each others honesty. They start to figure out that someone else was behind this, using them to cover up.
Michelle: “Why out of all people, do they put the blame on me?!”
Susanna: “Probably because you make so many enemies, and not enough friends. Why don’t you think about who is your worst enemy instead?”
Michelle: “You’re my biggest enemy!” (lol, I found that so funny)
The two of them start bickering in the prison cell, but are suddenly interrupted..
Chui Ma Ma, being the bitch she is, acted on her own and tortures the two of them by crushing all their fingers! She was about to pull off their fingernails when Hor Wai interferes. Unfortunately, dobbing her into Susan for acting without permission; did her no good. Chui Ma Ma actually had Tracy (the concubine) backing her up and consequently, she also gets locked up! Looks like Tracy isn’t one simple women..
I really like how Michelle and Susanna are suddenly on the same boat and they are forced to feel each others pain. Blaming each other becomes meaningless. There’s no point in fighting if you’re about to die. We see a side of Susanna, Michelle never thought she’d witness. When Michelle suddenly passes out, Susanna did everything she could for her, even if it meant enduring hunger. It’s at these life-death situations when it’s time to put down your pride, differences and show the real side of you.
The bond between the two, as well as Hor Wai was very warm and touching. I really like Hor Wai! From episode 1, she was always the most reasonable, she would listen to her staff, maintain her judgment often with reason. I admire characters like that. The fact she put her life in danger to defend and help Michelle and Susanna really wins me over.
Villains? Rosanna as èƒ¡ç´ æ© and Kara as èšè‰·è£³
I have to admit, I was always a bit unsure whether the 4 heads of proceedings had good intention or not (especially Rosanna and Kara). A little while ago as I was surfing the net, I stumbled upon wikipedia, and- accidentally- saw that they were labeled as “villains”. I wish I hadn’t seen that, but tried to ignore that knowledge and watched them in an unbiased manner. I mean, what’s the point labeling them as villains before we even see them do something bad, right? Surely we can come to our own conclusions based on what we see. I personally thought they were going to be really annoying and nasty, but surprisingly they weren’t. I didn’t mind them very much. They did gossip here and there, and seemed to add fuel to fire- but it didn’t seem too harmful. There was one specific scene where I thought they were pushing it a little but I soon dismissed the idea. They really do care for each other!
Rosanne and Kara lead the group of girls, all determined with one heart to save Michelle, Susanna and the Hor Wai from the death penalty. They went into great lengths, kneeing on the ground for an excessive period of time, and didn’t give up. This was truly a remarkable scene!
You could say they feared for their own lives, but I’d like to think of them genuinely believing in working in unity. Rosanne and Kara did a great job!
In the end, it was because of Charmaine, Tavia, Kevin and Moses’s help that Chui Ma Ma’s evil plot was unveiled! Gotta say..the method of pretending to be ghosts seem to work in every TVB drama XD The method is always a little questionable, but oh wells.. XD (I mean, how did they get all the lighting and wind coming in? O_o?)
Susan furious after hearing Chui Ma Ma blurt out her evil intentions while being frightened by the “Ghosts”
Bye Bye Chui Ma Ma! At least that’s one devil out of the way. Oh how we’ve hated her for so long! XD
The three are finally released, who are accompanied by both Tavia and Charmaine by their sides. The group are reunited once again. Seeing how happy everyone was to find them freed was very heart-warming. For a moment, Michelle loses her stance but Susanna catches her. The two smile, acknowledging each other as friends who have finally come to accept each others differences. So so sweet!!
Susan as éƒçš‡å¤ªåŽ Grand Empress
I also wanted to give Susan a mention. She is great! Watching her in Rosy Business drove me crazy (she was extremely annoying). Her face, eyes, and mostly that voice… I dreaded seeing her every time. Watching her in [Beyond the Realm of Conscience] felt different though. She plays the villain damn well and I don’t mind! Can’t wait to watch more of her.
I hope this series will only get better! Just a thought though.. if none of the Palace proceedings people are really evil, then who is? o_o?
I guess I’ll have to watch more to find out!
Click here to read Episode 7 Synopsis >>
Phew, that took up many hours to write up. Hope you enjoyed reading it 🙂 Once again, comments on Episode 4-6 are very welcome!
Hi Chibi! The series sure is getting more and more interesting!! I am also loving it! =) I am so glad they finally got rid of Chui ma ma, she was really annoying (I guess the actress played it well, cos she successfully made me dislike her! lol)
Seeing Michelle and Susanna break the ice (for the first time and for now) was great to watch!! I was kinda wondering in the beginning “do they ever stop getting onto each other?” Cos if they dun, it’ll get pretty boring and annoying.
I found the end of ep 6 very touching with the release of Michelle, Susanna and the Head of the Proceedings,along with every members of the proceedings waiting outside welcoming them.
Also, on your point as to who’s the ‘villains’? I think it’s hard to really say which particular characters are the villains. For instance, many characters, ie. the head of the proceedings all seem to be good and considering people when they are in trouble and they unite to fight and depend themselves. But they also look out for themselves and becomes jealous at each other. I guess we judge them as to how far they’d go to get what they want.
=)
Hi Kinki 🙂 Thanks for your comment! Glad you enjoyed reading the entry ^_^
And you make a very good point about the villains… I’m probably being too optimistic about them too early in the story aye? XD haha. I will probably regret thinking that!
hahahahah so i was reading and i was like when are you going to start tlking about susane and finally you did so yay for that……and there was a lot of thing i wanted to agree with you on this post but everytime i start scrolling i just forget so sorry if this isnt going to be a long comment……oh nd in my opion i though this was your best post yet………….and i absolutly love the ending for episode six i thought it felt very warm and reliev(idk how to spell it)…but yea……………………oh yeah i really like hor wai character too she’s really resonable and understanding. i cnt believe michelle is going to take over her position though
Hor Wai may appear to be a great “Seung Gong” but she has also done some evil deeds in the past which will be revealed in the later episodes…
hey really, i’m on episode 12 to and i didnt remember seeing anything bad on hor wai….???
I have seen the previews for the later episodes, from 15-20 and a long time secret is revealed about the most loved “Seung Gong” by Kara Hui, but honestly speaking, in order to climb higher, of course she must have done things in order to take top position…
Let’s..try keep spoilers to a minimum ^^;; Especially seeing this blog post is only up to episode 6. XD
Thank you, I’m glad you think so :)! This is the longest post I’ve written so far because it’s so detailed… I would be disappointed if people didn’t read it because of it’s length.
I just had so much to say because of much happens in episode 6 (plus this entry covers 3 episodes)
I’ll try keep future posts shorter and “summarized” 🙂
I was kind of put off with the length of it since i have 3 exams to go, so i’ve just skimmed through it but don’t worry once the exams are out of the way I’ll read every single word of this review =D
Once again, thanks chibi for the wonderful work!
Hi huongsta, thanks for your comment! Don’t worry, the next few post should be shorter and contain more eye candy ^_^
Thanks for reading! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
hey there chibi!!! nice summary of episodes 4-6… I have finished up to 12 episodes and am loving every bit… there will be more villians arising when Tsui Ma Ma is gone don’t you worry!!! lol!
I feel very much for Tavia’s character “Yiu Gam Ling” because she always gets the short end of the stick whereas Charmaine’s “Lau Sam Ho” gets away from physical punishment as you will see in the later episodes…
I quite like the bickering between Michelle and Susanna but I feel that they are biased towards Charmaine and always use Tavia as a scapegoat…
really can’t wait for more from this already fantastic series!!!
Hi sandalls, thanks for reading 😀
I agree with you.. Charmaine is one lucky women! It’s usually the reason why good guys turn bad, it’s not because they want to, but because they think the world is unfair to them, and they have been pushed to their limits..
this drama is so interesting, just it good that it peak at 41 and the rating grown each week. unlike born rich, rating fall,i don’t the cast in born rich but story line ok . however, the storyline in born rich is simple and look like moonlight resonance at same acting and scene.
I hope BTROC will just get better and better 🙂 So far it seems like it’s doing a great job! I know I’m enjoying it 🙂
this series is getting more exciting every episode…they all play their characters so well…tavia with the way she slowly becomes evil with every little things she does…you can see it in her eyes…they are really expressive in this drama…moses plays the future king character well and especially when he pretends to be mentally challenged…kevin plays his character perfectly as he’s that sensible good guy that will always be there and that makes his pairing with charmaine perfect as she’s the good character that would like someone like kevin’s character…hopefully their chemistry develops more as the series goes on…i’ve always like them since yummy yummy…
also i love the costumes…
hopefully BTROC will continue to increase it’s ratings!!
Yes, let’s hope the rest of the drama will only get better.
Hope the ending doesn’t disappoint! (Pretty far from the end..but yeah XD)
Thanks for your comment 🙂
Thanks Chibi for the summary! I’m up to ep 10 but again, reading your summaries allows me to better understand whats going on in the drama.
1. Totally agree with the touching scenes yo mentioned.
2. Susan is soooo good at being evil! She just has that aura that makes people scared of her.
3. I’m not too fond of Charmaines character. I don’t understand how someone can think so naively…but whatever its still early days.
4. I still need to get used to the fact that Susanna isn’t a “villan” in the series. I’m so used to seeing her as the annoying auntie/mum in HOG and MR. LOL.
5. I wish Tavia had more scenes. Like “Jane” has said, you can tell that “evil thoughts” are starting to run through her mind.
Hi Rowena, thanks for reading 🙂 Glad you found it useful! I wish I could watch more, but it takes some time to write up entries, and I don’t feel like watching more eps until I’ve written about it XD
I also agree with you about Charmaine actually… read my thoughts on Episode 7, and you’ll see 🙂
And yes! ahaha..watching Susanna “good” is um, challenging 8D But I’m slowly getting used to it 🙂
I think we’ll see plenty of Tavia in the later episodes.
wow.. thanks for all the infos.. this drama is getting soo interesting.. i cant wait for more =)
You’re welcome! Thanks so much for reading it 😀
ahhh its too good!!!!
hahah yes! But so far episode 6 is still my favourite ^_^
Totally good review ! ;D
Keep up the good work.
Cheers.
Thanks so much for your comment! ^_^ Glad you enjoyed it 😀
man, I just loved the part when Michelle and Susanna were together in jail…I felt so sorry for their fingers 🙁 , but I was happy they were on good terms!!!!
haha yeah 🙂 It was also a good thing their fingers weren’t damaged permanently and that they heal afterward 😀
thanks chibi..
dun think i am going to watch all the episodes… read ur sypnosis write up is good enuf.. u are such a good writer.
Hi ana,
Thanks so so much for that positive comment! It means a lot to me as a blogger 😀
Hope you enjoy the rest of them!
What a AWESOME summary to go with awesome scenes and episodes!! XD
I really liked those Tavia scenes too- she was really cute in the scene where she made Moses say he would marry her XD Moses was cute and Tavia was so happy and cheered up.
The lip sewing would have been SO NASTY!! I was so relieved that Moses comes to save the day..LOVE dopey-acting Moses XD
I really like Tavia’s character because like you said, she seems most human and easy to relate too. At this point I quite like Charmaine’s character too. She doesn’t just have the looks (lol) and kind heart, but also quite intelligent with a mind of her own (e.g noticing the print on the back of the book) and really sticking up against the Head of Army.
very touching episodes! Love how united the 4 proceedings were- i was also quite surprised and touched by how persistent they remained- es Rosanna and Kara. After this episode- there is definitely hope amongst the servants in the kingdom!
I’m still here thinking “omg! Is Chui Ma Ma REALLY gone for real this time??” YAY!!!! Celebration time..man she is ANNOYING!! But I love Susan and wish I could continue to see more of her.
yay, glad you enjoyed the summaries!! 😀 😀 😀
So much happens in every episode xD Love the pace!