The Double (2024)

Such chemistry!

I needed to take time out to give this masterpiece a review. From the story to the cast, to the ost even the ending was satisfying . So i'm not usually a simp, but for this drama, i simped hard! A revenge troupe, a smart female lead, a hot male lead and good cinematography, what more could we possibly ask for. I liked how revenge was the main goal and only after revenge was accomplished did they end up delving into romance but then the chemistry would leave you chanting ; KISS ! KISS! KISS! well at least that's what i was going most of the time. A masterpiece that deserves an applause. But now that i'm done with The Double, what do i do with myself?

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The best historical Drama I have seen in Cdramaland

Edit: I finished it and loved it. I must appreciate the villains of this drama. They did such a great job at playing those characters.
I am compelled to write this review because I want to document my excitement. This isn't the best of historical drama of 2024, its just the best historical cdrama. Few more episodes till it ends! I am scared to finish the show and I am scared that once I finish it, I wouldn't get to watch this kind of masterpiece again in a sea of mediocrity.

Story- The story isn't just about revenge but is also about redemption of the male leads. Its about childhood traumas, sacrifice, empathy, kindness and love. The two leads navigate a cruel word by adopting shrewd tactics. They aren't living. They are surviving and tolerating the world to seek justice for themselvesand their loved ones. Every little thing they do take is a strategic step towards the bigger goal. I thought the revenge, sadness and the serious tone would drown my spirit in sorrow but I was wrong. ITS INCREDIBLY THRILLING. If you know a little bit about chinese culture and history, you will enjoy it even more.
There are many small storylines weaved into the story but all of them are connected very well and the story never deviates from the main plot.

Actors - very talented. They do not sell eccentricism and loud acting as good acting which I greatly admire in drama actors. They have an amazing chemistry. Its hard to maintain the intensity and angst in a slow burn romance but they have done a great job. The male lead is going to be in my favorite list now. The female lead, supporting cast as well as the villains are worth admiring.

Direction - The casting is well done. It took a while for me to adjust to the style of direction in the first episode (very short cdrama type of direction). I am not too fond of that style. The slight discomfort immediately ended with the first episode and I was hooked. The way the director has executed the whole drama is what I expect from all historical drama directors...Almost all of them fall short of that expectation. This did not!

The flying of the robes was so cool. The set design is visually appealing and suits the tone of the drama. It isn't too bright or too dark. The clothes look gorgeous. Kudos.

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Revenge and GOOD Chemistry between the Leads

The double was such an emotional ride, I've watched all the episodes while it was airing and I'm so glad I did it. The story is really good, the characters are 3D, also the villains (maybe even too much). The dramatic scenes and the comical reliefs were well balanced and ofc, there're flaws, there're some plot holes... but all the actors did such an amazing job that every mistake goes into the background.

Both ML and FL were wonderful, the chemistry was on fire even without having properly called "romantic scenes". They managed to create an amazing relationship and they both gave life to their characters. They showed the flirting, the warmth, the support, the absolute trust in one another and all of this to me it's even more powerful than just a kiss. If it wasn't for them I'm not sure I would have been here till the end. The Duke and Ali are now one of my favorite couple! I'd rewatch this show just too see again their conversations, the communication was so good!

What about the villains? Well they were also protagonists here. They were not just "the bad guys", it was far more than that. Their actions were explained also from their point of view. In particular the Princess Wanning and Shen did great. Shen showed his personality so well. They have been that good that you're gonna hate them for real :) Even tho someone could actually empathize with them in certain moments.

The end was a bit rushed as often happens, but it was so emotional and I liked, if only they would add 10 more seconds at the end LOL

With all the flaws and little bitter elements, I'd recomend to watch this 100 times. If you like revenge, fight for justice, a FL really great who doesn't"forgive" (like often happens with FLs) and fight back! A ML that knows how to trust and support and love without being acting like a macho, but also being a loser (with style A LOT of STYLE! :D), if you like to see a lot of flirting moments between the leads and if you like complex characters, then this is the drama for you!

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Truly a Masterpiece!!

The double really is a masterpiece. Character development is built not only for main character but side characters as well.

Like for the main character ex-husband, you could see how he evolved from someone righteous to having to do the right thing to save his family, (i.e. he kill his wife to save his family), and throughout the show you could see his denial and justification of his actions, before eventually reconciling with the regret and agony it caused him and his ex-wife. You could watch the guilt, and pain, the agony and regret, the anger and manipulation in incremental phases. And you could also see his values shift from having to place filial piety above all else, to letting that go and embracing his need for trying to get back to his wife (who apparently didn't die), but by then she had already moved on, and as much as he tried to compensate, she was resolute in not going back to him. It sounds lame when I type it out like this, but when you watch the double, you can see that when he knew it was the time of his demise as he was fully defeated, he played the flute song that was something they both cherished from the happiest times of their lives, but as he continued to play, she continued to walk away. She didn't hate or love him, and was indifferent as she wished for him the things he wanted for his next life with genuineness. The indifference meant that she had truly moved on and harboured no more feelings for him. And that is what hurts the most as someone he loved and wanted her forgiveness now only saw him as a stranger. She didn't even have hate for him, as hate comes as there was love. But there was no hate or love anymore and pure serenity.

The song was kinda like a final goodbye, his yearning and sorrow his regret and pain. Very beautifully captured, how the same memories can hold so much happiness and agony at the same time. Then as he suicide jumped off, she stopped for a brief moment, and then held her resolve to continue to live her life, and continued walking without turning. And his last view of her as he died, was of her moving on and walking away.

I had to pause the show to sit with my feelings and I had goosebumps.

This is just a snapshot of how much of a masterpiece this was, not just aesthetically, emotionally, intellectually. Everything from the mannerism of the characters, to the textures of the hardwood floor were so intricately and meticulously thought out.

My only wish is that I can forget the plot quickly so that I can rewatch it and relive the experience again.

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Everything about this drama is a masterpiece!

I’m a fan of WJY since Yanxi Palace and I always want her to have a costume drama. I waited so much for ZhaoGe since it’s a costume drama. However, it seems like it will not be aired. Thankfully, WJY got this drama(The Double). Gosh! I can’t recognize her since it’s really far from her previous modern drama. Everything about her acting here is superb! When I saw the casts, I was amazed that WXY is only 22. Despite of the age gap, they really pulled it off. They have chemistry.

As a cdrama fan, I’m not only watching for chemistry. Im more of the story, plot, scenes, and the total production. This drama serves it all. ? Every episodes is worth the wait. WJY and WXY nailed it.

Now, I can’t wait for the ep17. Also, I can’t wait for WJY Kill Me Love Me. She deserves this since she’s a great actress. I hope they can give her more drama like this and not waste her talent. She’s really the queen of revenge. Of all revenge drama I’ve watched, hers is so satisfying to watch. ❤️❤️

For WXY, ackk Im your fan now. What a hottie and seeing the bts of TD, I can say that he’s a gentleman towards WJY, and he’s comfortable.

Congrats team TD! ❤️?



EDITED: After Watching

OMG! I’m screaming right now?❤️❤️HOW CAN I FORGET THIS DRAMA? This is too good! This is an easy 10/10 drama. The plot, script, casting, and production is a masterpiece! I remember watching this on its premiere, there are only few watching. Even cdramas fb pages are not promoting this. I also remember other reviews saying the FL and ML have no chemistry. But now most of them swallowed their words. Apart from chemistry, what I like about this drama is their pacing. The script is not messy. For sure, thI’ll rewatch this multiple times. 100000000/10 Congrats, The Double!

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If you want to watch a drama with revenge, power and arrogant male lead this a good choice

17 episodes has been released and I have finished to watch all the 17 episodes and I'm in love with their slow burn romance, i didn't expect this drama to be this good, their acting skills is on top notch especially in the scene where the female lead played guqin , she wasn't only playing the guqin it was as if she was telling her story and she will definitely take revenge, the emotions on her face ... amazing that scene is amazing and in today's episode the scene where she gets drunk ? and her conversation with xiao heng , in that scene I was like kiss her ..kiss her ?? i will be looking forward for more new episodes and i highly recommend this drama

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Sympathique mais manque d'originalité et sur-évalué

Avant la fin de diffusion du drama, cette série bénéficiait déjà de commentaires dithyrambiques et d'une super note avoisinant les 9. C'est une des raisons qui m'a donné envie de le regarder mais j'avoue que le visionnage ne m'a pas laissée aussi enthousiaste qu'une partie de l'audience, peut-être justement parce que j'en attendais trop. Bon j'imagine qu'avec le temps, les choses vont se rééquilibrer et que ce drama atteindra une note plus en adéquation avec la réalité.

C'est vrai que l'histoire est sympathique, les intrigues de vengeance sont toujours agréables à suivre, mais j'ai trouvé qu'ici, le scénario manquait d'originalité. Le coup de la FL qui prend l'identité de la fille d'un officiel important à la Cour (celle-ci, comme par hasard, a été exilée depuis l'enfance loin de la famille donc on ne sait pas à quoi elle ressemble, et elle décède bien opportunément), on l'a déjà vu dans Princess Weiyoung, avec tout ce que ça comporte d'incohérences (l'héroïne n'a jamais eu d'amis capable de la reconnaître une fois revenue dans la capitale ?). Les intrigues politiques et luttes de pouvoir, les officiels corrompus, les magouilles visant à rassembler de l'argent pour soutenir un coup d'Etat, la mine secrètement exploitée par des intérêt privés, le casino dont le patron à "l'oreille divine" sait d'avance sur quel chiffre le dé va tomber, c'est vu et revu. Le scénario ne fait que recycler des passages convenus pour les agencer dans un autre ordre. La seule nouveauté c'est que l'héroïne est encore mariée au salopard qui a tenté de la tuer, même si elle est officiellement déclarée morte, donc ce n'est plus une jeune fille pure et vierge mais une femme trahie dans sa chair par celui qui était censé la protéger et la soutenir.

C'est pourquoi, passé le 2ème tiers, j'ai commencé à m'ennuyer sévère. On passe beaucoup de temps à installer l'histoire et celle-ci fait beaucoup de détours pour arriver à sa conclusion, alors qu'elle aurait pu être davantage condensée. Par exemple, le fait que l'héroïne tente de passer un concours d'entrée dans une école renommée est sympathique mais ne sert pas à grand-chose, d'autant que le quatuor qu'elle forme avec d'autres étudiants avait tout pour être solide et intéressant, sauf que cette union aura peu d'importance sur le scénario vu qu'on ne s'intéressera plus trop à ses trois compagnons une fois ledit concours fini. C'est juste un passage obligé qui génère des attentes (une amitié indéfectible entre 4 personnes censées se soutenir et partager les hauts et les bas, ça produit toujours son effet dans les dramas) et finit par décevoir le public étant donné que c'est creux et mal exploité, et qu'on ne les voit plus vraiment ensemble par la suite à quelques exceptions près, qui durent à peine 30 secondes à l'écran. Même l'histoire d'amour entre le cousin et la copine d'école est mal fichue, on n'en verra pas grand chose. En tout cas vers le 30ème épisode ça a commencé à s'éterniser et à me gaver, au point que j'avais hâte que ça se termine.

Quant à la romance entre nos deux protagonistes, elle m'a accrochée au début mais mon intérêt a fini par diminuer au fur et à mesure des épisodes. D'une part parce que le ML n'a pas beaucoup de présence à l'écran comparé à la FL, d'autre part parce que malgré leur très bonne alchimie, la réalisation a osé couper leur 1er baiser tant attendu ! On nous chauffe à fond pendant une trentaine d'épisodes pour faire retomber le soufflé juste derrière, ce qui n'a aucun sens quand on sait qu'on a droit à deux autres scènes de baisers par la suite (certes sages, mais ils s'embrassent quand même... peut-être que c'était plus acceptable une fois le 1er époux disparu du paysage et leur mariage consommé ? Quoi qu'il en soit, plus je regarde des dramas chinois, moins j'ai de patience envers leur censure qui paraît ridicule à côté de ce qu'on trouve chez leurs voisins). Pour finir, je veux bien comprendre que la série a tenté d'être assez fidèle au roman (même s'ils ont changé certains trucs, apparemment) mais était-il nécessaire de nous gaver avec le dernier quart d'heure déconnecté du reste de l'intrigue ? On tremble inutilement pour le ML (va-t-il revenir de la guerre et retrouver sa femme ?), on est triste pour certains personnages ce qui gâche notre ressenti général qui était plutôt positif jusque-là, et on se fiche de nous avec la suggestion d'une romance entre deux personnages secondaires, simplement évoquée au détour d'une phrase dans l'épisode bonus alors que durant tout le drama ils ne se sont jamais rencontrés. Pour le coup ça m'a frustrée, j'aurais aimé voir cette romance secondaire se développer.

En conclusion, l'histoire reste agréable dans sa première moitié, elle nous happe assez rapidement, mais devient très vite convenue. Le casting joue bien, l'héroïne est forte et déterminée, le ML sexy en diable, la plupart des personnages sont suffisamment nuancés pour s'écarter des purs clichés, la photographie est belle et pour une fois j'ai apprécié l'OST, mais selon moi cela ne suffit pas à rattraper une intrigue qui finit par ressembler à ce qu'on a déjà vu et revu dans d'autres dramas. Les ingrédients sont les mêmes, on les a simplement mélangés autrement pour nous faire croire que la recette est différente. Au final, rien de nouveau sous le soleil.

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This drama is a masterpiece! It tells the story of Xue Fang Fei, a woman that, after undergoing betrayal at the hands of her beloved, gets a second chance in life as she is saved by Jiang Li, a woman who suffers a wrongful death after been abandoned by her family. After impersonating Jian Li, Xue Fei, together with Tong Er ([Jiang Li's maid), embarks on a journey towards revenge and seeks justice for her and Jian Li. This drama is a suspenseful story of second chances, revenge, justice, and a steadfast love that grows out of respect and mutual understanding. This is also a star studded drama in which the cast masterfully brings forward complex characters and situations. The leading lady, Wu Jin Yan as Jiang Li / Xue Fang Fei / Xue Li and the leading male, Wang Xing Yue as Xiao Heng / Duke Su, are a force to be reckoned with. Both have smart, powerful, passionate, and influential personalities that make this riveting drama so entertaining to watch. Although there are not many intimate romantic scenes between the leading couple, their romance and the way they interacted with each other was soulfully satisfying and mesmerizing as they teased each other and worked together to exact revenge, help stabilized their country, and find a great love at the end.
As mentioned before, the performances by the cast, main and supporting, was stellar. Apart from the leading couple, there is the flawless representation of the cold blooded, selfish, eccentric antagonist Princess Wan Ning adeptly played by Li Meng.
There are many lengthy and detailed reviews about this drama that could give away some details as spoilers. Read as many as you want but the viewers only need to know that this drama has it all, action, revenge, great costumes, beautiful cinematography, a well written story, and a love that will definitely leave the audience completely satisfied. Enjoy it!

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The Double is a captivating Chinese drama that stands out for its intriguing plot, strong performances, and excellent character development. The story keeps you hooked with its clever twists, suspense, and emotional depth. The chemistry between the lead characters is electric, adding a layer of intensity that draws you in from the start. The pacing is well-balanced, keeping you engaged throughout without feeling rushed or dragged. The drama beautifully blends mystery, romance, and action, making it an unforgettable viewing experience. The Double is truly one of my favorite dramas, offering both heart and excitement in every episode.

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“Love” and Ambition Brings out the Cunning and the Crazy

Xue Fang has what seems to be the perfect marriage to Shen Yu only for him to betray her in the worst way. This was one of the many interesting things about the series that Xue Fang and Shen Yu’s marriage was actually good. I think he even loved her, to a point, but he love himself and power more. Hence, the reprehensible decision he made.

This story has been done before. So overall the premise and even the execution wasn’t anything new. But that still didn’t make the story less intriguing. Though I enjoyed Xue Fang/ Jiang Li ,she was the typical and predictable heroine of the story. Superior intellect and always 10 steps ahead of her enemies. The Duke was the predictable male lead in being smart, tough and always there to get the heroine out jams she couldn’t get herself out of. Very predictable characters as was the love story but still entertaining to watch.

I found it interesting that many of the women featured on the show had been through some type of trauma or was heavily influenced by a parent, usually a father, which was a big part of why they were either kind or hateful. This was a nice touch by the writers which worked to give the villains some complexity rather than being one note evil.

The Princess was the perfect example of this. She’d been through hell and as a result had some interesting vulnerabilities , but she was a horrible person and quite mad. Shen Yu was similar in that he was put in a difficult situation beyond his control. Thus he at times generated some sympathy. However, he was a coward . Yet intelligent, cunning and ambitious. Both were vile characters whom I loathed but I found them compelling to watch because of their complexities.

The writing in this was generally good, but at times there were scenes that went on too long or too much unnecessary detail was provided. The show spent a lot of time showing backstories for supporting characters that wasn’t needed. The big battle with General Chen was anticlimactic. The Longwu “army” was only about enough soldiers to fill a courtyard. And the “face off” consisted of tender moments between Xue Fang/Jiang Li and the Duke. Xue Fang/Jiang Li was completely out of place here, and the Duke, General Chen and Shen Yu pontificating about their issues with each other. Very disappointing.

The last episode was way too long. It had about 5 different endings. They could’ve cut out most of those scenes and still tied up the series nicely. Honestly the last 8-10 episodes could’ve been compressed down to 3-5 episodes making the series 30-35 episodes rather than 40. The show lost momentum in the last several episodes and as a result dragged quite a bit. Again a lot of time was wasted on unnecessary backstories and such.

Despite all this , the acting was strong.. The leads had good chemistry. The love story was well done as was the conspiracies and treason. Overall it was a good series. The bonus “episode” was cute. I’m glad Xue Fang got her HEA with the Duke. Is this worth watching? Yes but just know it’s more about the conspiracies than the love story. Would I watch again? Probably not.

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Intense & Stunning

THE DOUBLE is an excellent revenge drama filled with memorable characters, fascinating storytelling, and beautiful costumes and visuals. This series was truly an amazing show and will stand out among the many wonderful Cdramas.

“A county magistrate's daughter loses everything but regains her life by masquerading as a minister's daughter, overcoming injustice with help from Duke Su Xiao Heng, rescuing her imprisoned father, and upholding justice.”

This series really shines, especially with Wu Jin Yan as our lead heroine (as Jiang Li / Xue Fang Fei / Xue Li). She is such a great actress. I’ve loved her in just about everything I’ve seen her in since far (Story of Yanxi Palace, Legend og Hao Lan, Royal Feast). She really brings some extra intensity to her dramas.

Overall, this was a really great series with so much to offer the drama world. Highly recommended for fans of Chinese dramas. A great show, with excellent plot and compelling story. Highly recommended!

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