The Double

#HottiesForGoodGovernance

I love bad boys. I especially love bad boys with sharp wit, dressed in black, and adorned with a fan to show that fragile masculinity is a foreign concept to them.

What I don't love is when a bad boy turns out to be not a bad boy at all.

Before I go any further, I'm setting PeachBlossomGoddess' review as pre-requisite reading because their review matches exactly my thoughts and feelings on The Double. The point on which I will extrapolate is why I think the drama ultimately undermines itself.

For me, The Double fails to follow through on what is a very powerful swing during the first half of the series. And this is for two reasons. The first, as PeachBlossomGoddess describes, is weak plot lines echoing those of other dramas of this genre.

The second reason, I argue, is the second half kills a boner. No, seriously, bear with me here. This drama is horny AF. In the first half, you have a FL and a ML equal in terms of looks and wit dancing around each other as they glide from suspicion to mutual trust to deep thirsting for one another.

The appeal of the ML derives partly from mystique. He has a sharp mind and, as explicitly stated, he is projecting himself in a similar direction to the FL. Although he doesn't ultimately give up his dom position, there's enough switching between the two to keep the power dynamic infused with sexual tension. At the initial stages of the drama, we don't know the ML's background nor his intentions. The fact he appears to be a bit of a lone wolf lends him an even sexier air; the idea that he isn't at someone else's beck and call.

Or is he?

It was a disappointment to find out that the ML, all this time, has been in cahoots with the emperor. I feel like you'd be disappointed too if you were crushing on a silver-tongued, hot and brooding colleague at work only to find out they're actually the boss' right-hand man. idk about you, but that gives me the ick.

Sorry but maintaining the status quo isn't sexy. I'm not saying everyone has to be a rebel or underdog in order to be attractive. However, if you're going for the Bad Boy Hottie approach, supporting the vanilla and (assumedly?) benevolent monarch kinda takes the edge off.

Honestly, this isn't an issue unique to The Double. It's probably safe to say that, to get government approval at all, the good governance narrative must endure in these historical C-dramas. As I've mentioned in other reviews, it's a common trope to have the FL and ML protect the emperor's power (or help the 'rightful' emperor ascend), even though at no point do we see proof that the emperor actually does anything beneficial for his people.

Which is why, by the end of the series, there's not much substance to the political plot. Oh goodie, #HottiesForGoodGovernance win again. I'm shocked. How grand, the ML and FL have mellowed and now have domestic bliss. Sly smiles and black coats be damned.

And y'know what? If it wasn't for Shen Yurong losing his cool right at the end, he could've been a great Bad Boy Hottie. Uxoricide aside, I'd personally love for a morally ambivalent (and conveniently good looking) scholar to come brood in my corner. Let's hang out, shall we? I know a great graveyard.

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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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A new favorite!

Wow what a masterpiece!!!!!! I started binging and couldn't stop, even pulled an all nighters. That's how good this drama is, Everything about it is just top notch that I don't even know where to start. Huge shout out to the cinematography and the beautiful coloring the emphasises the actors natural beauty. Every single actor in this drama looks amazing even the elders look graceful.. The men with their impeccable subtle eyeliner look stunning!! You get me right they all are gorgeous men and women, especially Duke su with his beautiful doe eyes enhanced by the eyeliner wings that give him a cunning but mature look and our stunning female lead with her big eyes. The acting is also superb while watching the drama I got totally immersed that I forgot that this is acting and combined with great directing that didn't prolong a scene unnecessarly but we had everything just the right amount, there were no side characters that weren't important to the plot and the chemistry between the lead oh God!! They are one of my favorite all couple, I loved their banter and how equally matched they are. That scene in the rain I literally screamed like I love them so much. Lastly I want to talk about the beautiful music played from the zitter and the flaute those pieces were so good, I don't remember how much I rewinded the entry exam music competition. It gave me the same feelings of excitement that I had when I watched alchemy of souls season 1. A 10/10 but if I could give it a 10000 I would, it's one of my all time favorite dramas ever

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I was just about to stop binge watching & here comes temptation!

Okay, I have been binge-watching cdramas for a while now & I was about to break out of this habit, but they have done such a good job with characters & finding the right cast, that I gave into this temptation. Here's to hoping that this drama continues being so intriguing & I won't regret spending my time on it.

Ep 1 to Ep 5: The beginning of the ep 1 starts with betrayal, the guts of the guy to do her so wrong and still have the balls to pretend like he cares about her! I care about you but I don't have a choice so I'll frame you parent, get your brother killed, & one more, kill you myself. The tears are the worst, how meaningless. Man the kindness at that Zhenvv Hall, here's to hoping the head of the hall receives the same kindness. Poor Jiang Li, Fang Fei is so right, the wicked go unpunished & take pleasure in punishing the kind. I'm of two minds about Fang Fei taking over Jiang Li's identity. One one hand I can see her conviction about making Jiang Li's family suffer for the neglect & abuse she received at the hall. At the same time, it also feels like Fang Fei did it not because of Jiang Li but because she want to get her own revenge. Ep 4 clears that up, she is doing it for both and man is she brilliant! She told the Duke to scold her back for calling him brainless & he come back with her original identity.

Ep 6 to Ep 10: I get that the stepmother is evil, but the father is worse. His daughter is dead because of the both of them. She died without having her name cleared. This is the time, I wish this was a horror story & she would haunt their ass. Still not sure what's going on between princess & the murderer, but I don't feel sorry for the guy at all. Every time he is confronted with what he did to his loyal wife, he has tears in his eyes. Honestly, what good are those tears? That guy had no care for her. I don't know if the romance between the Duke & Li will go anywhere or if they will even get to be together without any issues. I hope it works out well for both of them though.

Ep 10 to Ep 15: I was so excited to see the competition between the two sisters, knowing that our double would win. But I must say that Rua Yao gave a terrific performance, I didn't think that Jiang Li would have been able to top that. But she won for a reason, the emotions she put in her song made it seem so real. I didn't much care for the graphics because for some reason they didn't properly convey her feelings. They were good but I wish they have come up with a better idea. We finally have a little hint of romance popping up, with Li being jealous about the Duke being at the brothel. I like the drama as it is, but I wish the leads had more screentime together, they are beautiful to watch. The Jiang family is so messed up, Jing Rui is the only person I like so far. Ruo Yao & Yu'e deserve each other, but I can see that being married to Yan Ban will not meet Yu'e expectation. What's more, it looks like both the cousins might end up being married to the same guy and none of them are his first choice. He has such a wandering eye.

Ep 16 to 27: I can't believe how good this show is. I messed up my sleep schedule again to catch up on all the episodes! I don't want to wait so long for the rest to come out. I love the progression of relationship between Duke & Li. It is so good to see such well-written characters with minds that gel well. I also feel a certain level of dread that either the Duke or Li might not make it till the end. That would be heartbreaking, but it wouldn't negate the bond they shared. Yu'e marriage ended up as predicted, I'm surprised that Ruo Yao actually did something right for once. I'm sure Jian Li's father suspects Jian Li's identity. I wonder how everyone is going to react once they find out that Jiang Li was murdered by the members of the Hall where she was supposed to be well cared for. I want them to be devastated! Jiang Li deserves that at least. Here's the hoping both Fang Fie & Jang Li get to clear their names & people who murdered them & plotted against them suffer. For a main character, Ye Shi Ji has very little screen time & I wonder how his feelings for Jiang Li will change things. I saw video on Youkou's international page which included a scene that suggested that Li & Duke might have happy ending. However, they were both standing in front of two graves, if one of them was Jiang Li's whose was the other? Here's to hoping Tong Er survives.

Ep 28 to 31: I had hoped that Tong Er would make it! But now she is gone to go be with her lady. I wonder what's gonna happen to Ji Shu Ran now. Was glad to see her maid being dragged away. I do not like waiting for each episode. It was soo good to watch the first 26 one after the other. I must say, this drama is gonna be one more addition to my favs list. For a moment their Fang Fie had me worried that she had really forgiven Jiang Yuan Bai on behalf of Jiang Li. Thank goodness, Jiang Li deserves better. There should be no redemption of any kind for Ji Shu Ran, for all her claims of she was forced to do things, she is the one who reveled in being cruel. She caused the death of little Yue and covered it up. I don't know if she was really pregnant at the time, but if she was, she killed her own unborn baby to frame a little girl who loved her. Framing that little girl led to her death as well. She is the reason so many people have died. I do think the diviner arc was a bit pointless. They sacrificed Tong Er for that arc. Here's to hoping that the Shen Yu Rong meets the same fate as Fang Fie who was buried alive. Okay this drama just makes me scared for everyone's life in there. I kept wondering who's gonna die next, will it be Fang Fie's father, the poison princess, or Wen Ji. Now, I wonder if Zhao prince might ask Duke to marry his sister. Then where would our Fang Fie be? Living Tong Er's dream probably. Poor Shi Jie probably wondering what's happening around him.

Ep 32 to Ep 35: Wow, the brains on Wanning! She thought she might be able to use Xue Zhao in some way so she kept him alive without anyone knowing. Fang Fie's whole plan centered around exposing Wanning & Shen Yu Rong's relationship. Recanting the testimony might again put Jiang Li in the way of rumors. And it looks like Duke Su will be coming to the rescue. (Maybe their marriage begins with this) Well, it is hard not to like Duke Su & Fang Fie being together, especially since both have such a keen understanding of each other. And the trust in each other is so overwhelming, you rarely get to see such a couple in dramas. I can't wait to see the moment where Fang Fie gives him the jade pendant. Shen Yu Rong has gone mad for sure but he clearly has different goals from the wanning & he is willing to even sacrifice his own child.

Ep 36 to Ep 40: I admit like everyone else, I felt for wanning. Had she only taken revenge on people who did her wrong, I would have liked her as a character her, but she forgot that there was a line she wasn't supposed to cross. I wonder if she ever knew that such a line exist. What she did to Fang Fie and countless other innocent people stops me from feeling anything for her now. I felt for the princess who was treated as an object & violated, but not for the one who decided to the same in return and not to the people who deserved it. You gotta hand it to Duke Su, even with the tempting made by Zhao he still rejected the marriage proposal because in his heart he has already made a commitment. So, that's how Wanning & Shen Yu Rong met their end. I'm sad about Wen Ji & Lu Ji, when I first saw them on screen I had a thought that one of them is gonna die. I didn't expect that both would. I think the ending needed to be better planned. It is a happy ending but still it does not do justice to the entire drama.

I did see Ep 40.5: It was kinda okay. It would have been better if there were other characters in it.

One of the weirdest parts about the drama were the closeups when the characters were supposed to be looking at each other, but it seemed as if they were looking at a camera. It especially happened when the communication was supposed to be between Xiao Heng and Jiang Li. This happened far too many times with this drama and never with other dramas.

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A bit far fetched

Can not see how jiang xuanbao ever got to be a left or right chancellor, he is too gullible and stupid, believes anything almost anyone says especially his wife. Since there are so many incidents in his family occurring and he doesn’t question anything. Obviously really doesn’t care about his daughter(s) just his reputation and how he looks to others. The grandmother is too passive and must not feel she has any real power either. Pretty much the same with the emperor, doesn’t may sense how she betrayed her brother to help the present emperor ascend to the throne, so she can have a lot of power in the palace
Lastly the ex-husband is probably more unscrupulous than Princess Wanning once he learnt to deal with her, had the nerve to be jealous of his former wife, after the other things he did, he just as crazy as the princess they deserved each other

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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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Pretty graphically violent, but good for web novel enthusiasts who like revenge plots.

When I say this one is violent, I mean VIOLENT. The introduction is extremely dark right off the bat, and there are unsettling scenes scattered throughout the drama afterwards.
Of course it's not uncommon for a drama to have many supporting and minor characters killed off in a high stakes plot, but this drama tends toward some pretty graphic and brutal ones. I don't generally mind violence, but there were a few times with this one where I had to stop and go do something else for a few days.

(minor spoiler; one character is fed to starving dogs while still alive and another is essentially SA-ed to death)

It's much more in line with the pace and tropes of a web novel than your standard drama adaptation. It tends toward an extended build-up of tension before you get any kind of catharsis. For revenge stories that means that the antagonists are low on iq and high on power while the female lead is somehow always both the underdog and untouchable (unless the male lead is there, in which case she is of course outmatched).

The logic can get a little crazy straw from time to time. There's one scene where one of the minor villain girls gets caught in bed someone else's fiancé and they very nearly manage to somehow pin the fault of it on the female lead.
Essentially if over plot armor (for villains or leads) doesn't bother you, you'll be good but if it does you'll end up very frustrated before you make it even half way.

Honestly though, the thing that frustrated me the most was the main character.

Putting aside the Clark Kent premise, where a woman who was apparently the widely renowned wife of a high profile official can apparently come back to town with just a name change, and no one seriously challenges her identity, I found I couldn't really enjoy Xue Fangfei's character because of Jiang Li.
Xue Fangfei's intentions toward her may be good, but in the end she uses her after her death just as much as her stepmother did in life. Even with the scenes of her smiling ghost, I still felt like her kindness ended up being repaid with an erased existence and an unmarked grave.

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Unsatisfactory, Traumatic and Boring

I wanted to love this drama, with its premise of a woman seeking out revenge/justice. But I hated it. The revenge/justice is unsatisfactory. There are traumatic scenes and themes that never get properly resolved. In typical c-drama style, there are too many fillers throughout the series, but a rushed ending that doesn’t give the viewers even 5 minutes to enjoy/understand how justice is being served.

I was hoping for something like The Glory, but with beautiful c-drama costumes, sets, and wuxia choreography. Please don't waste 40 hours of your life watching this. The eye candy actors aren't worth it.

Now that I’ve been vague, spoilers ahead.


********SPOILERS AHEAD*****


Please don’t kill me because these are my views and I’m not here to fight with anyone.

1) Unsatisfactory & Traumatic:

For a show that is all about getting justice/revenge against evildoers, too many culprits get away. I am most disturbed about the three men who gang rape the two courtesans, causing one of them to die. We never hear a peep about them again. Will they continue to kidnap women and sell them into prostitution, and gang rape? The show doesn’t give us anything to dispute this deduction. What type of justice/revenge show is this?

Unlike The Glory, we’re not given enough time to enjoy some of the revenge/justice being served. We get less than five minutes for some of the most important victories. The justice is illustrated through a voice-over and quickly mentions what happens to bad people. After 40 episodes, the viewers deserved a longer montage of watching the evildoers suffer. For example, the FL’s former mother-in-law and sister-in-law begging for food on the street or working terrible jobs.

The FL never gets justice in clearing her name of being an adulteress. The montage above mentions that her mother-in-law and sister-in-law are questioned, but the show doesn’t tell us if the questioning cleared the FL’s name of cheating. Were they questioned only about SYR’s treasonous acts, or also about setting up the FL? What they did was horrific–getting a family member raped and then saying it was a consensual affair. They should face bigger consequences.

Similarly, Jiang Li also isn’t vindicated of the accusation that she tried to kill her step mother and her unborn son. Or did I miss it because they were so stingy with the revenge/justice scenes?



2) Horrible people who are forgiven

I thought this was a revenge drama? Too many characters are forgiven.

Jiang Li suffered for 10 years and was tortured to death because her father and grandma wouldn’t protect her. They should have suffered more. I couldn’t buy Jiang Li’s dad suddenly becoming a good father after being terrible for a decade. He never even visited her during this time! The monastery nuns may have killed her physically, but they were successful only because he killed her emotionally a long time ago. Her grandma obviously had power as she threw out the treacherous son from the family in the end, but why didn’t she exercise that power to stand up for Jiang Li?



3) Duke Su:
Everyone is singing his praises for what? Passing the lowest bar on how a man and good partner should be? First, a woman is not “tainted” if a man rapes her. She is not a piece of furniture or fruit that goes from “pure” to “tainted.” The fact that Duke Su “still” loves the FL after knowing she is a sexual assault survivor doesn’t make him amazing. Any good man should do at least that. I understand the show is set in a different era, but women are still treated like this.

He is too cold. I understand why he became this way, but a rape survivor needs her partner to do more than just the bare minimum. He needs to validate her and comfort her based on her individual needs. He should be nurturing. Duke Su is none of these things.

I don’t like the way he treats the FL. He knows how much the FL has suffered when he starts using her, but he’s too ruthless to care.

I don’t know if it was the director’s decision or the actor’s choice, but his face/emotions didn’t have a lot of range. Too many times, I couldn’t tell if he was supposed to portray anger/joy/disgust/anything else. A character can be stoic on the outside, but that doesn’t mean the viewers shouldn’t feel emotions from the actor. A prime example is the FL from The Glory. She maintains a stoic persona, but the viewer can experience what she is feeling through her eyes. The majority of the time, Duke Su has only one expression, that of being suspicious/calculating.




I could keep going on about all the things I hated about this show, but I don’t want to waste any more time on it.

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