Setting the Stage

I will try to be short.

So essentially this episode begins with Fu Yao and Zhang Sun confronting this monster buffalo.  Zhang Sun is able to stun the creature before he and Fu Yao part ways on what I would say are neutral notes, since he helped her but she certainly wasn't feeling anything for him beyond simple politeness.

Jing, Fu Yao's childhood friend, we all know, was engaged to Pei, the niece of the primary antagonist up to this point (the prime minister) during episode 2.  Pei is overjoyed and has very girlish fantasies of couple moments with Jing.  And Pei has some good qualities--she is smart, capable, and clearly a romantic at heart--but she is in possession of some BIG feelings, feelings that lead to spontaneous outbursts of anger and rage that hurt those around her, because her idea of love is extremely narrow and defined by her vision of what it should be--anything that goes against her 'dream' she can't handle and so she is willing to force others to conform.

An example of Pei's obsessive love is very clearly showcased to the viewer when she catches Jing meeting up with Fu Yao for a secret chat.  Her servant girl suggests that they kill Fu Yao, and Pei explodes, attacks her servant, nearly killing her (the servant yells her name at her to break her out of this trance) and Pei snaps that she 'always get what she wants' and 'even if it means [Jing] will suffer and hate her she will have him'.  This lacks subtlety.  

Will Pei inspire any empathy from the audience? I hope she is more dynamic later.  Eternal Love did a great job in making the villains somewhat empathetic.  The only empathy that Pei can stir is 1)she is in love with someone who does not love her back and 2)she feels obligated to conform to the image of a woman i.e. she doesn't kill Fu Yao because she knows this will make Pei dislike her.  She instead sets her up in a situation that will lead to her death [likely] and perhaps create drama between the two.

But that's enough about Pei.

The interlude Pei observes, between Fu Yao and Jing is important because it highlights a problem that I think a lot of couples experience. Jing wants to marry Pei and have Fu Yao as a concubine.

  Jing believes he knows what is best for Fu Yao, and if she would just listen to him, then everything will be fine. This tells us that Jing is a very rational person.  He is a romantic, in so far as falling in love outside of his class, and as the man he feels he must protect the woman he loves.  He does not like to stir up trouble if he can help it, and in his mind, everything will be great--he will marry Pei to protect his clan but he will make Fu Yao his concubine.  

Now relationships are complicated, and communication is probably the biggest issue most of us may face.  Fu Yao loves Jing.  Fu Yao is a romantic, a direct and headstrong girl with her sense of value and pride and she does not want this future because she is a 'all in' kind of girl and that means no sharing.  Worse, Jing presented his plan in a way that would make Fu Yao look bad.  Now some people wouldn't care about this, but Fu Yao has her pride too, and she wants love on her terms or not at all.  It is a high bar, and she doesn't want to compromise.  This shows us that she is very stubborn, very determined, and in her own way, a little annoying.

Our episode ends with the plot constructed by Pei to kill Fu Yao--she enters her into the tournament without her consent, and even though it is not allowed and she lacks the skill, Fu Yao must participate or be executed.  Jing's father hopes she is killed and he does not hear about this anymore.  He also threatened Jing to not mess up with this marriage, showing that Jing is under a lot of pressure to do what his father wants.  Fu Yao is mocked and ridiculed and ultimately Jing steps in to defend her--again not acknowledging that MAYBE Fu Yao has her own skill if she was just given the chance but...well. that's it.

-This episode gets a 9 because it flew by.  I have a feeling I will be impressed with the show.

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