The Double

Duke Su~CHARISMA

This is one of those dramas you just know you will rewatch. It is that good!
Wang Xing Yue....need I say more? I cannot get enough of him as Duke Su. He is everything. I have been in a slump looking for something new to watch and here comes The Double.

The Double has many aspects I love in a drama: smart and strong female lead, strong and intelligent male lead, amazing chemistry, humor, compelling plot and story, visuals....and visuals.
Wang Xing Yue exhibits charisma in his role as Duke Su. There is just not enough of him. Every time he appears I smile. Every nuance of his behavior makes me smile: the way he sits, smiles, moves, talks, his expressions....

And yes there is more to it than Duke Su...I think...But seriously...yes... there is more. It is fascinating to watch the plot unfold and frustrating to wait for new episodes. I find myself riveted to the screen and waiting for midnight for the new releases. I can only describe my feelings right now watching The Double. I will be back when all episodes are out to give my final review. This is without a doubt a 10+!

EDITED TO ADD AT THE END:


Let me start part 2 of my review by saying, I am in love with Duke Su. I know I said this before. I know he is fictional. But I cannot help myself. WXY's charisma shines through every pore of Duke Su. The drama itself was an incredible journey and there was never a single moment when I wanted to fast forward. But Duke Su made it extra special. For me anyway.


The plot twists...you are in for some surprises. I am leaving out the details so as not to add spoilers. The plot execution moves logically from one episode to the next. This is a revenge plot done right!


This is a story of two people who aimed to seek revenge and justice. The relationship started with both using each other to accomplish their goals but turned into mutual trust and love. The plot unfolds in a way that will keep you watching especially with a smart FL lead and a strong and strategic ML.

The couple's chemistry has me missing them. The flirtations between these two were delightful to watch and will have you smiling and laughing joyfully. The leads’ chemistry is a huge positive for The Double. There is an age gap between Wu Jin Yan and Wang Xing Yue which I didn't notice due to WXY's charisma and because they worked well together acting out the flirting game. Don't expect too much skinship. Any kisses in The Double are in danger of the dreaded candlelight or screen, but the couple's chemistry makes it so satisfying, that you will not mind. Their interactions will more than makeup for the lack of kisses and skinship.

And of course, WXY's performance had much to do with my joy and the reason I am so in love with him. Sigh.... Wang Xing Yue is a young actor but his charisma and handsome face made him perfect for the powerful and confident Duke Su. and is charismatic. Watch him in Amidst A Snowstorm of Love and you will see this same charisma. His acting feels natural and you will swoon just watching his facial expressions!

Every character here was amazing. Regardless of any event that might seem illogical or impossible in this drama, the incredible performances from the cast will make it a favorite. I would be surprised if The Double does not win some awards.

At the end of this incredible journey, I feel lost without Duke Su! I will rewatch soon 💗💗💗

Be sure to watch the extra episode after episode 40.

SPOILER:

To me , it was a happy ending if not satisfying in the sense I feel there should have been more. But the extra episode will take care of that. The Double is worth the watch regardless of some drawbacks.

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Good, but easily could have been better.

Oh boy, there's a lot to unpack here, so bear with me.

I'll preface this review by mentioning that I don't typically watch wuxias and don't normally reach for them. I have always wanted to love them because of the commotion they usually cause on the feeds lol. Anyhow, this is the first time that I felt "called" to watch this show and surprisingly stuck around because it was thoroughly enjoyable. At first.

If I were to rate the first half of the series, I would give it an 8.5 at least. The intro is fast-paced, we meet Fang Fei who's framed for seemingly having an affair, thinking she'll find solace from her husband, she's instead taken to be buried alive. Somehow, she survives and meets Jiang Li on the mountain as she's about to drown herself. Jiang Li on the one hand is certainly not in a better position than Fang Fei as she was sent to live in a convent from a young age having been accused of causing her pregnant stepmother to lose the child she was carrying. She suffers at the hands of the mistresses who for one reason or another seem to have it out for her. Still, she stops Fang Fei from *unaliving* herself and begins taking care of her although it ends up costing her her life.

This is when we enter the juicy part where Fang Fei takes on Jiang Li's identity. Up until that point, the writing is quite intricate. There's a motive behind every single one of the FL's actions, she's about one trillion steps ahead of everyone and through her wits, she is able to get the exact outcome she wishes for. With revenge now fueling her will to live, she rebirths into this strong, clever, and capable Jiang Li. She's not afraid to take on a challenge and is set on seeing her revenge through until the very end (even if she needs to sacrifice herself). Seeing such a driven character was so refreshing.

Now, when we meet the members of the Jiang family, the energy becomes increasingly interesting. I loved the diplomatic dynamic between Ji Shuran and JL/FF. The tension was palpable, the stakes were high, and the plot was plotting. The introduction to JL’s family members through Tong (JL’s maid) was a clever touch since we got to learn about who they were at the same time as FF.

Early on, it became very obvious to me that the *real* Jiang Li could never survive the cut-throat atmosphere that is the Jiang family's house. This is because it takes someone with experience, who is shrewd and quick on their toes to deal with the thoughtfully crafted crap that JS comes up with.

I know some people didn’t like the side plots much but I enjoyed them mainly because I love FF and everything that does. She stands for everything I love in female leads. She’s dependable, smart, trustworthy and most importantly she is kind but not soft. She always has her priorities in check and doesn’t need no man… Which is what ends up making her relationship with Xiao Heng/Duke Su so authentic. It is because she chooses to be with him, not because she needs his help or because she’s lonely, but because she loves him. It’s cute. However, XH’s character is all talk and no game (not necessarily as it relates to his relationship with FF but rather as an individual).

The intro to XH’s character makes it seem as though he is this mysterious man who’s always talking about situations as though they were chess matches. It’s cool at first. He’s always composed, level-headed, and seems to always have the upper hand however after a while it becomes difficult to hide the fact that his character lacks depth. The effort that was dedicated to writing the elaborate character of FF was clearly not the same for XH. Heck! His subordinates have more personality than he does. In crucial times, he’s absent which is understandable when they’re showcasing that FF is capable of handling herself. However, when she survives to tell the tale, this man is not all over her, he doesn’t even acknowledge the trauma or the hurt that she’s been through. He’s just out here talking about some “You’re my pawn.” After hearing that phrase a hundred times, it becomes obnoxious. My annoyance reached its peak when Tong died. Mans offered no comfort. He didn’t even talk about it!

Where The Double messed up was in the details. Because the reality is this: you cannot have a thoughtfully crafted character who interacts with characters in a world that is not as carefully crafted. Why? Because it is inconsistent. And there’s nothing worse than inconsistencies in a drama where you have a character as remarkable as FF.

Still, the slow burn between XH and FF was wonderfully done in the first half. Their interactions were few yet very significant because every one of them seemed to further their relationship. When it came down to their chemistry, sparks were FLYING. I mean just take the rain scene in ep. 17 for example. This is the best romantic scene of the year for me, hands down. In the second half, however, those rooting for XH and FF are treated like beggars. Here’s the thing, making a successful slowburn is tricky but a general rule of thumb is that intimacy needs to grow within every scene. The moment there becomes stagnation, the momentum in chemistry is lost and your die-hard shippers end up losing a certain level of interest because they’re not being fed properly. This is exactly what happened for The Double. The remedy to this would have been to have an impactful confession or a steamy kiss because you have to show your audience that their waiting has its perks. We ended up having neither. The confession fell flat to me and their wedding kiss was forgettable. Especially since the camera was all over the place with a veil covering most angles LOL.

OK, now for the second/later half, we hone into the plot a bit deeper where FF is now focused on bringing down the “real” villains in her story, Princess Wanning and Shen Yu Rong as well as the plot around the rebel guy (don’t remember his name) that has more to do with XH and his father’s death. Listen, the issue here entirely has to do with the execution and pacing. The Ji Shuran plot ends in ep 29. So all loose ends must be tied in 11 eps at this point and must cover the relationship between XH and FF + their marriage, the rebellion, Princess Wanning, SYR, as well as the final retribution.

Although they succeeded in fitting most things into the remaining eps, some things obviously felt rushed and the sequence felt off. Putting that final battle where XH has to go to fight off the Dai country peeps in the very last ep is delinquent work. Why the sudden need for this battle?? Had they put it near the middle, they would have had more time to develop this very sudden need for battle. Mind you, we also never see that dumb emperor at work. This was the perfect opportunity to bring him into the picture to settle political matters as he ought to but nope. Battle time it is! Also, bringing this storyline earlier on would have made some things so much more impactful because we would see the aftermath. The death of XH’s subordinates for example. That would have hit so much harder if we had seen him come back from battle having to deal with his losses. This would have opened the door to creating more depth to his character and to see how FF comforts him.

Overall, The Double was a very enjoyable watch. The FL is strong, the ML is dreamy, the supporting cast is great, the villains are decent and the plot is interesting and pretty fast-paced for the most part.

The last things I’ll address:

- Why is XH heading into a serious rebellion with no armour? Especially one that he foresaw?
- Why did XH not have other military corps when he gave the fish to Princess Wanning? Why was he unable to foresee that reinforcement could come late?
- The whole fish object to control the military is juvenile and dumb
- The revenge was unsatisfying
- The reveal of FF’s real identity was unsatisfying
- The extra “ep” was bad
- Needed more of the villains because they were great within themselves. They just didn’t have the chance to shine because of the writing.

Ok, now quick shoutout:
- The star of the show Jiang Jing Rui. Love him through and through and I wished we would have seen an ep when FF showed up for him.
- Ye Shi Jie, certified loverboooyy! Don’t usually love love triangles but would have wanted to see more of him. Overall, I feel like his facial expressions were much better than XH’s. The look of longing and affection for FF was so clear (JJR even pointed this out).
- Wen Ji + Lu Ji
- The cinematography, the costumes (NOT the cakey makeup, however)
- Acting chops: Li Meng, Wu Jin Yan, Liang Yong Qi and Wang Xin Yue. In that order.

Last shoutout to the watchers because y’all made this so much fun!! Especially when there was the infamous candle scene lol!

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"Evil Always has its Retribution"!! A Drama about Justice. Happy Ending!!

This is already the third time I'm rewriting my review on this drama, I wrote one when I reached episode 20, but just wasn't satisfy with it, then I wrote another when I completed episode 40, but upon watching the extra episode of "The Double", I decided to rewrite it one last time.

"The Double" is a wonderfully written and executed drama. Its captivating plot shouldn't go unmentioned. Plus, "The Double" is a drama that proves, "evil will always have its retribution".

Xue Fang Fei was framed and killed by her husband "Shen Yu Rong, on the eldest princess order. Xue Fang Fei suffered such great injustice. Duke Su's (Xiao Heng) father was set up by eldest princess "Wanning" brother "king Cheng", thus, leading to his wrongful death. While they're doing all these despicable acts, they must have forgotten about retribution.

They've forgotten, but their victims still remembers. As heaven would have it, Xue Fang Fei was given a second chance with a new identity "Jiang Li". Thus, she embarked on the journey of justice with Xiao Heng. Those two, eventually maneuvered their way through many dangers and life threatening situations, and was finally able to seek justice.

What I loved the most about this drama is that, every evil doers and villain of this drama got their rightful punishments and retribution. Wanning was killed by the one man she loved "Shen Yu Rong" , it's indeed karma. Shen Yu Rong commited suicide when he lost terribly. With those two dead and maimed as traitors, Xue Fang Fei, now Jiang Li finally got her long awaited justice. King Cheng who betrayed his master, Xiao Heng's father finally got his retribution by dying at the hands of the son of the one he betrayed.
Ji Shu Ran who framed the real Jiang Li for matricide, killed her mother, also got her own retribution.

What I loved even more about "The Double" is the happy ending. Although many died, and many blood were spilled in the quest of justice, its pleasing to see Xiao Heng and Xue Fang Fei, now Jiang Li have a happy ending.
The screenwriters of this drama did an excellent job in penning this drama premise and ending so well. The directors also did a good job in directing the drama excellently.
'The Double" is undoubtedly, one of the best drama of all time, and one of my favorite drama.

Also, Xiao Heng and Xue Fang Fei/Jiang Li's chemistry was exploding. They sticked with each other through thick and thin without letting each other down.

Overall, "The Double" is a drama that's worth every hour, every minutes, and every seconds. It's a must watch for fans of historical drama. The cinematography, visuals, character development, and most importantly, the acting are top notch.
Its a drama I'd call a "Masterpiece".

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Fun But Illogical Guilty Pleasure

Xue Fangfei was murdered by her husband and assumes the identity of a noble girl. Using her new identity, she executes a plan to avenge herself and her family. Acting is top notch, especially by the villains. You have to throw logic out the window quite often, but it's a very addictive and enjoyable show. Despite the real life age gap between the leads, they have great chemistry. Highly recommend you watch for yourself and make your own assessment.

What I loved:
- Main character chemistry was fire. I love that male lead knows who she was and embraces her for it despite more patriarchal values in the past. The romance is slow burn, but I don't mind that at all.
- Villains were layered and weren't evil for the sake of being evil (except for some side ones). While despicable and you want them to get what's coming to them, you still felt a sense of sympathy. The actors casted were also exceptional in their roles.
- Lovable side characters. I love her maid, cousins, friends, maternal family, and the male lead's sidekicks a lot.
- Storyline was well paced and kept audiences engaged (the last 5 episodes were too fast, more on that later)
- The drama balances horror, comedy, and thriller elements very well.
- Directing and cinematography were quite beautiful 90% of the time.

What I hated [SPOILERS AHEAD]:
- It's like the scriptwriter finally remembered they still needed to explore the male lead's arc in the last 4-5 episodes, and basically rushed the entire background story around him, included a rebellion, and a final battle. I felt I needed more time in this arc, more scenes to understand the turmoil he went through without his parents. His resentment against his grandfather was basically resolved with one little chat after the female lead put them in a room together. It's like they never had the opportunity to talk before? I felt like Xiao Heng didn't get the time and development it needed to push the character farther. He's almost relegated to being supporting eye candy that conveniently saves our heroine when she needs it. Even though it was supposed to be a relationship with mutual benefits, she definitely came out on top.
- After the court scene where she pleads the case for Xue Fangfei's dad, I felt no real resolution. Xiao Heng was in charge of investigating it, but I didn't see a clear conclusion on the case, and whether she truly cleared her name after her ex muddied it.
- I absolutely hated the last 15 minutes of the drama with a passion. The unnecessary deaths of his two trusted sidekicks did nothing to drive the plot except to create shock value. Producer Yu Zheng said it's a happy ending, and it undoubtedly is. But is it logical writing to make the male lead survive an incoming onslaught of enemy troops when he is heavily injured, his side kicks are dead, one of which was shot to death by a group of archers? Typical Yu Zheng. He never knows when less is more. He should've just ended it after they got married or just showed him winning the battle, but the troll is an attention seeker.
- There were a lot of instances where you just had to throw logic out the window. How did Xue Fangfei end up by the river when she was buried alive? How can no one notice she was missing from her room? Why would a special army let rebel troops in through the gates just because some random scholar had the military emblem? Why would they continue to try to kill their former commander just because the same crazy scholar ordered them to when he is obviously off the rails?
- There were an incredible amount of close ups to people's faces. Sometimes it enhances the moment, creates tension, etc. Sometimes it's confusing. In the final battle, they kept closing up on the enemy commander's face, and I kept thinking I should know who he is, but I don't. He's just a rando.

All in all, one of the most fun watches in the year, but far from perfect. First 30-35 episodes were at least an 8.5 for me, but the last 5 episodes were a train wreck closer to a 5.

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Like an exhausting staircase that leads nowhere

The Double is a story of Xue FangFei, a noblewoman whose husband attempts to murder her & leaves her for dead, buried on a remote mountainside. She, however, survives & is rescued by Jiang Li, an inhabitant of a nearby womens refuge. FengFei discovers Li is also a noblewoman of similar age & similarly betrayed by her family, banished for 10 long years. Li suffers horrendous abuse at the refuge & unfortunately dies from a brutal beating ordered by the refuge director. Fangfei takes advantage of a coverup of the death & manages to escape the refuge, returning to society by assuming the identity of Li & infiltrating the Jiang family.

Thus begins a very very complex tale of XFF embarking on dual missions of uncovering corruption & wrongdoings to exact justice not only for herself & the Xue family, but also Jiang Li & her family. Watching her actions closely is Duke Su, a close advisor to the Emperor, and one who is charged with rooting out corrupt officials. He sees through her ruse but uses her in his own pursuit of justice in the imperial court, & picks up a revenge mission of his own.

As the show progresses, layer after layer of crimes committed are uncovered, & XFF/JL picks up new people to avenge as the body count rises. In fact, she's so bent on avenging the dead, I started wondering if she really cared about anyone living. Her bitterness wouldn't be a surprise, but there wasn't much hint of a love of life that would've been necessary for her to hold a relationship. Thus I felt her relationship with Duke Su wasn't really believeable. They actually don't spend that much time together. It was a bit of a stretch to see how their relationship manages to develop when they worked in parallel, not together, & cross paths so briefly. They hardly get to know each other at all.

Fangfei picks up many enemies along the way but so many of the female antagonists end up being annoyingly hysterical. By the final episode, she doesn't wind up much different than when she started, so what, then, was the point of all that she went through?

The revenge theme has such a dark basis & yet the earlier episodes managed to infuse silly comic moments. Along with the Tang dynasty styled costuming, I was suddenly reminded of the show Court Lady. Sure enough, one of the directors of the Double was also the director for Court Lady. I described Court Lady as also starting light & silly, but then turning into "a dark & sordid speeding train with a full buffet of back stabbing politics, debauchery & revenge... only to run over the cliff with half the characters being killed off". My view of the Double isn't far off from this. The cast is huge but the multiple story arcs are more depressing than hopeful.

This show started off with such a great hook but unfortunately the plot got very complicated & heavy. With so much trajedy happening you'd hope for a better outcome, but instead the ending was rather unsatisfactory.

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Being obsessed by this drama is the only correct answer

This is one of the dramas until now that I found myself most anxiously awaiting the episodes on a weekly basis. The story captivates you from the beginning and the characters are super interesting, in addition to an excellent performance by the main actors. The female lead of this drama is incredible and it’s very easy to sympathize, root and adore her during the drama. We crave for her revenge and gosh it’s amazing seeing the characters paying for their wrongdoings. The male lead is also not far behind and both characters exude strength, intelligence and respect, both with each other but also with the people around them. Fang Fei and Duke su were an iconic couple for me. Also Duke Su OMG this character made me go insane a lot of times like…he just has this sensuality that is crazy. On the other hand, the antagonists are selfish, annoying and unable to see others being happy. But the story does try to show us that besides all of that, these characters also had/have feelings and were destroyed by someone or something.

The main couple has incredible chemistry and we could see the romantic and sexual tension between both characters. I felt that their relationship was very mature and neither of them dragged the other, on the contrary. Duke Su was an ideal male lead for someone like Fang Fei and I didn't feel like he judged her even when he suspected her identity. And when he finds out more about her, he embraces her story and her way of dealing with things. One of my favorite phrases of his was "In the past life and the present life, live to the fullest. Never compromise yourself to become someone else just to please others, including me”, this made me 100% sure that the character was incredible and deserving of her love.

I need to point out that despite the relationship between Wanning and Yurong being really toxic, I found their scenes super engaging and the actors gave a great performance, especially in the final episodes.

For me, this drama had a good story, incredible characters and excellent chemistry between them. The story progress quite well too and I didn’t feel like it was draggy. Besides, the direction also caught my attention in a positive way, although some people may find the close-ups scenes a bit cringe (I thought it was a bit cringeworthy at times too, but in general I thought it made the drama and the characters more immersive). But in so many positive points, if I had to pick out some flaws it would be that I found the last episodes were a bit rushed, everything practically happens in episode 40. Also, some deaths in episode 40 was kind unnecessary to me. Finally, I do wish we had more scenes of the main couple because I felt that when both of them were finally in love we had too little scenes of them together.

So yeah in general I really recommend this drama. It was my obsession and for sure it’s going to be in my list of one of the best dramas of the year!

PS: I’m totally in love with Xing Yue like GOSH why he is so attractive? I don’t know if I will find another character that attractive this year lol

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First Ever Review For a Drama well deserved

This drama came out of the blue for me. I was on a drama drought and randomly clicked on this not really expecting anything.
However, after the first episode, I was hooked. Despite initial annoyance with the constant close-ups and weird directing, I gradually adapted, and it became a unique signature of the show. Now, let's delve into the details.

Characters: 10/10
- Xue Fang Fei/Jiang Li (FL) - This is a female-centric revenge drama centered around Xue Fang Fei. I had seen the FL in "Yanxi Palace" and thought she did a wonderful job there, but her acting has improved significantly in this drama. Her crying scenes are especially moving. Xue Fang Fei, known as a "Chai Nui," is clever and talented in literature, arts, and crafts. She proves her title throughout the show. Despite her intelligence, she has flaws, notably being overly emotional, especially when dealing with her trauma. Considering her experiences—betrayal by her lover, false accusations, family deaths, and near-death—it’s understandable that she would be emotional. Ignoring this would strip her of her humanity and turn her into a Mary Sue, which thankfully, the show avoids. I appreciate that she knows she's not perfect and is open to feedback. For example, when the ML tells her she’s been too emotional lately, she agrees and tries to improve, yet she stands her ground and fights for what matters.

- Duke Su/Xiao heng (ML) - Wang Xing Yue’s portrayal of Duke Su is a pleasant surprise. Duke Su is charismatic, charming, stylish, mysterious, and has a way with words. Despite having less screen time than the FL, every scene with him is impactful. He initially seems cold and nonchalant, but soon reveals a gentle and considerate side. Unlike many dramas where the ML is only kind to the FL, Duke Su shows kindness to everyone he cares about, including his sidekicks and the emperor. This adds depth to his character and makes him refreshing. He is, without a doubt, the green-ist walking red flag there is.

Antagonists: The show features some of the most intriguing antagonists, each with depth and well-written backstories. They are not evil for the sake of being evil. Here are the main three:
- Princess WangNing: She probably has the saddest backstory of all the villains. She was sent as a hostage, and the trauma from that experience turned her into the unstable princess we see in the show. Despite her cruel actions and seeing others' lives as beneath her, deep down, she just wants to be loved wholeheartedly and live a normal life. However, she knows she'll never have that, so she sabotages other people's lives to cope with her own pain. Li Meng played this role brilliantly, making her a villain that you can't help but appreciate, despite hating her actions.

- Stepmother Ji ShuRan: Imagine the typical evil stepmother character, but played by a veteran actress who brings this trope to life. Joe Chen did an outstanding job in this role, making you despise Ji ShuRan for all the evil things she does. Although she was a victim herself, she chose a destructive path, causing immense pain to the real Jiang Li and ruining the happiness of the Jiang family.

- Ex-Husband Shen Yu Rong: Wow. I've never seen a more complicated antagonist. Throughout the show, there were moments I was unsure if he was a villain or just a cowardly man acting as the princess' puppet. His character is complex, ridden with guilt, and a brilliant mind wasted on cowardice. He constantly deflects responsibility, blaming his choices on his rough upbringing, and refuses to acknowledge his wrongdoings. Once a righteous man, he has now turned evil.
We also have interesting and fun support characters in the show, but too many to get into details.

Chemistry: 1000/10
The chemistry between the leads, WJY and WXY, is phenomenal. Despite minimal physical contact, their interactions are electric. The push and pull, eye contact, wordplay, and mutual understanding create an intense and palpable connection. They exhibit one of the healthiest relationships I’ve seen in a couple. There are no misunderstandings; both the ML and FL are intelligent and communicate effectively, showing a tactical understanding of each other. They are strong characters who complement each other without overshadowing one another. Discussions about the actors' real-life age gap are irrelevant, as they convincingly portray their characters' love.

OST: 10/10
The soundtrack is superb, fitting the drama's theme perfectly. I'm waiting for the full sound track to get released in spotify.

Cinematography/ Directing: 8/10
The beautiful sets and backgrounds sometimes suffer from awkward camera angles. Abrupt cut scenes and black fade-outs can be jarring. The director's fondness for close-ups took time to get used to, but it eventually became a distinctive feature. The artistic approach to intimate scenes, though unconventional, worked well due to the leads' chemistry.

Overall enjoyment: 1000/10
This show definitely quenched my drama drought, but now I am left wanting more. The development between our leads was the highlight for me. The revenge storyline was also satisfying, especially seeing the villains get their deserved retribution. Despite its flaws, the fast pace, well-written dialogues, incredible chemistry, intriguing villains, enjoyable side characters, and engaging plot make this a definite rewatch in my book.

Ending: ITS A HAPPY ENDING.
I know people are debating the ending of this show, but even before the extra episode content, the FL mentioned in an interview that it’s a happy ending. Since the story is from her perspective, it’s clear that the ending aligns with her view. Additionally, the drama is based on a novel that ended with the FL reuniting with the ML and having a daughter, making the extra content canon even if it was a last-minute decision to film. Even if we ignore the extra - The drama follows the FL's point of view, showing that she achieved her's and JL's revenge. Her family is alive and well. Her father recovered, her brother is with JiuYue, and her best friends are happy. She not only restored her original family but also gained a new one. She found the true love of her life and married him. So, even if XH had died (which he didn't), the main plot revolves around revenge and retribution. XH also got his revenge and reconciled with his grandfather. Apart from his two sidekicks dying in the last scene, this ending is undeniably a happy one from the story’s perspective.

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Tremendous Improvement in the ML's Acting!

I'm really excited watching the ML in this drama!

In his previous work, 'Snowstorm of Love', filmed the same year as this drama, his acting was unimpressive. In my ranking, he was the second worst. But in this one, despite the similar character personalities, his performance is much improved!

Both characters are solemn and calm, but in 'Amidst a Snowstorm of Love', he was so stiff it hurt my eyes. It was annoying watching him try to be cool and unnatural. But in 'The Double', wow! I have to use the Chinese proverb 刮目相看 to praise him! He's made such progress that I can no longer see him the same way. He is charismatic in 'The Double' and I can't get enough of his screen time. I can watch him endlessly, always excited to see what his role will do next, without getting bored. It's amazing how my feelings toward him changed so drastically! (I finished 'Snowstorm of Love' less than a month before starting 'The Double'.)

I think I have to praise the director the most for the ML's performance. There's no way he could improve this much in such a short time between the two dramas without great directing and guidance!

('Snowstorm of Love' was filmed from Jan-May 2023, and 'The Double' from May-Sep 2023. This also reflects poorly on the director of 'Snowstorm of Love.' Remember, this ML was second to last in that drama, and the last was the ML himself in his own drama.)

Apart from the director, I have to praise the plot. The story is great and complex, and it unfolds logically without recklessness.

To be honest, the ML and the director's work aren't perfect, but their flaws are minor compared to the ML's tremendous improvement.

One obvious flaw is that the ML looks much younger than the FL. His acting is on par with hers, but his appearance is obviously younger, even though he plays a role much older than hers.

For the director, I love how he dares to use a lot of subjective shots where actors make direct eye contact with the audience while delivering their lines. However, there are also instances where the director overdoes it with the visual art, making scenes feel forced. For example, in certain dignified scenes, the director's visual art overshadows the natural flow, making the scenes laughable instead. An example is the student competition scene where the FL and her three friends put their hands on their waists and walk intimidatingly toward their opponents. While the FL's friend and her brother effectively convey pride, the FL and her cousin look more like they're on a catwalk, which feels out of place and out of character. This scene comes across as ridiculous instead of impressive.

Moreover, many scenes aim for beautiful visuals without any meaning. For example, the cast would flick their robes into the camera while the camera moves backward, creating a grandiose sense, but it's actually a scene without any grandiose point. This exaggeration makes me feel their art direction is empty and meaningless. Another example is a scene where two rival characters accidentally meet on the way home without any other meaning for the story. The scene is just for the visual of them walking away from each other in opposite directions under a rainstorm to symbolize their rivalry. There are a lot of forced scenes like this scattered throughout the drama, which annoy me more and more as time passes.

By the way, the FL has also done a great job with her acting, but it's not perfect either. Sometimes, you can tell her facial expressions are choreographed and not genuinely felt. For example, when she tries to look femininely cute with the ML, it looks so fake -_- Since her personality is wise, experienced, and dignified (and her mature face can't hide that she's already a mature woman), when she shows a naive/innocent expression, it comes across as fake.

As for the ending... I have to deduct 0.5 points after the last episode. I don't like when a series uses the trick of unnecessary death to play with the audience's feelings. It's always ok if the death is reasonable, but the unnecessary one is unforgivable. And this series uses that lame trick.

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Personal Enjoyment [+]
Anyway, I have no boredom watching each episode. I really enjoy it. It reminds me of how I felt about 'Nirvana in Fire'. Although I really like this drama, it hasn't reached the same level that 'Nirvana in Fire' made me crazy about it. That story was very dignified, wise, logical and heart-wrenching. All the cast also made their characters perfect.

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A STAND OUT DRAMA IN 2024

Just finished all 40 episodes!

This drama was such a breath of fresh air. It puts the female lead front and center, which was a really nice surprise since I expected a drama all about the ML. I went in expecting a typical romance where the ML takes charge all the time, but The Double totally defied my expectations.

The FL’s revenge plot drives the whole story, and she’s far from a helpless damsel in distress. She’s sharp, resourceful, and takes control of her own fate, with the ML stepping in to support her only when necessary. Honestly, I was surprised by how little screen time he gets, just a few minutes per episode (always elegantly waving that red and gold fan of his!)

I really liked the chemistry between the leads (even with all the talk about their age gap). Their relationship develops slowly but is full of heart-fluttering moments that make their growing feelings feel so natural. The ML actually reminds me a lot of Ling Buyi (LLTG) and Xie Wei (Kunning Palace), though he’s more refined and calculated, less impulsive. Wang Ying Yue carries a mature presence despite being so young, and his acting is seriously impressive.

The whole cast is great, but a real standout for me was Liang Yong Qi as Shen Yurong. His performance, especially his eye acting, was incredible! He gave his character so much depth; he balanced the dark and intense moments with just the right amount of restraint. Some of his scenes were actually chilling. I’d love to see him take on a leading role in the future.

As for the story, it’s engaging and suspenseful. There are some plot holes and over-the-top moments, but they didn’t take away from my enjoyment at all. The Double is easily one of the best dramas of 2024.

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How could the white pear blossoms be so hauntingly beautiful?

The Double is a lamentable tale of love, betrayal and revenge that’s wrapped in countless layers of intrigues. Each character carries an unspeakable fate of their own making.

PLOT & CAST:

Xue Fang Fei lives a humble yet blissful marriage life until she’s framed and buried alive by her own husband. She somehow survives and assumes the identity of Jiang Li who died of an equally wretched fate. What ensues is an intricate revenge plot as Xue Fang Fei seeks justice for both her and Jiang Li. I fell in love with Wu Jin Yan’s exquisite portrayal of the femme fatale FL. Given her experience with palace political dramas like Story of Yanxi Palace, she’s able to deliver the intensity of Xue Fang Fei’s resentment, grief and desperation as well as expressing her grace and elegance. While not having read the novel, I know Xue Fang Fei is supposed to die and reincarnate into Jiang Li’s body. However, the drama has decided to go with an identity swap instead, possibly due to censorship. I quite like it this way since it makes the machinations more interesting and thrilling to watch. Yang Chao Yue is also a perfect fit for the old Jiang Li. Her innocent and lonely image under the pear blossoms leaves a haunting yet unforgettable impression in my mind.

On the other hand, Duke Su is more of a spectator to the tragic play. He likes to watch and manipulate his chess “pawns” from the background. However, as time passes, he can’t help but get involved in Xue Fang Fei’s quest for vengeance. Wang Xing Yue definitely has the charisma and finesse to play this ML. It’s a refreshing take from his goody-two-shoes roles in Story of Kunning Palace and Admist a Snowstorm of Love. Admittedly, it took me a few episodes to warm up with his character, especially the costume styling and eyeliner. I was genuinely surprised to see how young Wang Xing Yue is as well, given his mature and refined characterisation. I love the tension between Duke Su and Xue Fang Fei. Their scheming and banter have a certain rhythm to them, like a roundabout poem or tango. It’s enjoyable to see how the FL often outwits the ML.

The antagonists are portrayed very well too. I like how they have a certain level of complexity and duality to them. Princess Wan Ning, Ji Shu Ran and Jiang Ruo Yao (Jiang Li’s stepmother and step-sister) were, to a certain extent, the unfortunate products of the arranged marriages and restricted lifestyle faced by women in Ancient China. However, unlike Xue Fang Fei, they decided to materialise their own misery into a cascade of sufferings for others. Xue Fang Fei’s ex-husband, Shen Yurong, is also indulged a twisted love. He’s adamant on being righteous. But when split between his family and wife, he prioritises being filial over romance and justice. The villains are deplorable and loathsome yet somehow also pitiable.

PRODUCTION:

The cinematography is simply gorgeous. The experimentation of colour schemes, light and shadow really highlights the romantic versus tragic moments throughout the drama. The beautiful background gardens give a certain sense of serenity yet loneliness to the characters, especially when Xue Fang Fei is in the Jiang family.

The use of the white pear blossoms as a changing metaphor is genius. This is well complemented by the poignant soundtracks.

At the beginning, when Xue Fang Fei dances with Shen Yu Rong under the full blossoms, they express blissful and dream-like romance. The next time is when Xue Fang Fei being buried alive under the fallen blossoms, they signify the devastating end to the beautiful yet short-lived romance, truly fitting to the fleeting beauty of spring.

When Fragrance Falls, Pear Blossoms Turn White (芳菲落尽梨花白) by Mi Liang
“Pear blossoms shattered all over the ground…
Every word you’ve said is floating in the air, unable to withstand a single blow…
Even the moonlight can’t bear to be mischievous.
Watching me hopeless and miserable.
Who’s the one who’s giving up and making the story all sad?
When the flowers have fallen to become ripples, one blow dyes the entire world.”

Perhaps the most memorable is the young Jiang Li’s last scene under the falling white blossoms, symbolising the loss of innocence but also the freedom to travel in the wind beyond the Zhennv Hall where she’s been confined for most of her life. The blossoms are elegant and breathtakingly beautiful but also carry with them a sense of haunting loneliness.

Withered (凋零) by Huang Shifu
“Withered flowers are pure white and flawless.
Where does it want to go paint yearning.
Bid farewell to branches and cut off worries…
I want the sunset to help pass me a message.
If I meet a flower, then I tell the flower.
I’m willing to go home with it.”

When Xue Fang Fei beats the Dengwen Drum under the blossom-like snow, they represent the harsh injustice suffered by the people and the cold yet determined resolve of the FL.

Snow Watching (观雪) by Cyndi Wang
“The falling snow is bitter cold…
The snow falls eternally
Who can escape the humiliation of time.
My anger is hidden beneath the fallen blooms.
How can I stand against so many obstacles…
I accept all the gifts from sorrow.
I can’t let down my regrets.
I won’t admit defeat.
I slowly chew on the bitterness of life.
The fragrance remains the same after the bleak winter.
Awaiting spring to colour the way back home.”

FAVOURITE QUOTES:

“Just be happy no matter if it’s your [Xue Fang Fei’s] current life or the past. Never compromise to become another person for someone else’s sake. Including me.” Duke Su

“You [Duke Su] told me we would face the same end. On one hand, I know you are responsible for your kingdom and on the other hand, you care about my safety. Right now, I’m willing to enter this set-up of yours. I’m not a liability. I want to help you.” Xue Fang Fei

“You always like pushing all the blame to other people. Shen Yurong, You are used to being the perfect scholar. Everything you did was forced. You did nothing wrong. You are pititful. Even you believe that… Since you could mention your love, why couldn’t you express your guilt?” Xue Fang Fei

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Allow me to convince you to watch this!

The more I like a show, the harder I find it to talk about it. I just have so much to say! I'm gonna push through though. So my initial rating mark for this was 8. Then it was raised to 8.5 and I was worried that I would later lower it because so many shows lately start well but digress in abysmal ways until you end up hating them and reading everyone else's reactions, I was so scared that I would be bored by the last ten episodes and end up hating the show by its unsatisfying end. Thankfully that was not the case at all and I ended up finishing this show on a pleasant though super stressful (those last 10 minutes omg) note. I decided to give this a 9, instead.
This show is just really good in many ways. The plot is emotionally stimulating, the aesthetics are unique, dark, and mysterious. The acting is great by the principal cast and good enough by the supporting ones. The music is lovely and the show avoids a lot of tropes that are typical pet peeves. And when it plays into tropes, they do it in a way that isn't too offensive and manages to be dignified. There were some hiccups in the quality but nothing I couldn't look past.
So the plot follows Xue Fangfei, the talented wife of a simple official who is framed by her husband's family for adultery and buried alive by her husband. Confused and heartbroken, she comes back to seek revenge by pretending to be the daughter of some grand minister and whatnot. On her quest for justice, she meets the formidable Duke Su who is equal parts suspicious and fascinated by her.
I'll just list some of my favorite things about this show:
1. Unlike most shows, this is not about a virginal young girl, inexperienced and cute. The story follows a woman who has had a married life and that is already so fresh and liberating that I can't praise it enough. Moreover, the show doesn't shy away from expressing how happily in love she was in that relationship. This helps deepen the grief from the betrayal and fuels the motivation for revenge. It's also just refreshing to see a second-chance plot that is REALLY a second-chance plot.
2. The show has many instrument-playing scenes, in almost all of which sans one, the movement of the actors matches the music being "played". It's just deeply satisfying to see actors actually act as if they're playing an instrument instead of just moving their hands around wildly.
3. The plots don't get dragged out and although there's plenty of drama and petty acts of villainy, arcs wrap up nicely and the story moves at a good pace. I was never bored or utterly frustrated by the characters being obtuse just for the sake of dragging out misunderstandings and elongating the runtime of the show.
4. Though the villains are black-hearted and do many extremely evil things in the story, none are overpowered. It's common for dramas to have villains who achieve levels of villainy that should be out of their logical capacity and it's so frustrating as it almost seems like the villains are superhumans. Here, we had the grand princess who operated from a position of extreme power and yet, she was constantly held back by technicalities and thwarted at every turn. Similarly, the evil stepmother does evil things...but within the boundaries of a stepmother. She tries to ruin her stepdaughter's life in ways that a lady from a powerful family would think of and not as some freaky sadist god.
5. There's no unnecessary misunderstanding between the leads or unnecessary love triangles. With potential love rivals being treated as what they are: momentary obstacles. Where there was potential for unnecessary male rivalry, the trope is cleanly avoided in favor of giving us a supportive and lovely side character.
6. The story takes detours but ultimately stays on course and the revenge plot is delivered very satisfactorily.
7. This show also had an amazing darkening arc for its main villain. It was subtle and precise. So delicious! This show might just have one of my favorite villains of all time.
There's probably more stuff I liked but I'll cut it short.
The acting is of course amazing. Wu Jin Yan might not be the most ethereal Chinese beauty but her acting in my opinion outweighs almost all of the rest of the Chinese acting scene. She's always so natural and there's just something about her acting that makes you feel like she doesn't just do what she's told. She actually thinks about how she wants to deliver her characters. She manages to play an older, wiser woman pretending to be a young girl really well. You can tell she's not as young and inexperienced as she pretends to be but she's good enough at pretending that in-universe people fall for it just enough for her to get away with it. Her occasional emotional outbursts perfectly capture the trauma her character has experienced and that makes her performance that much more moving. I think this was Wang Xing Yue's best performance yet. He did a really good job in Kunning Palace too but I think this is the first time I believed he had what it takes to be a leading man. He just had such charisma and gravitas, he looked hot and it wasn't just because he's pretty. He managed to carry his character in a way that was dark and captivating and I loved that....he also looks hot but that's like a bonus. I would like to say that most actors did a great job here. Chen Chain En and Li Meng being standouts; with Li Meng starting sort of weak with overacting but then in the last 10 episodes she stepped up and her character was just so well-rounded by the end. But the award for best supporting role goes to Liang Yong Qi who was freaking brilliant! This man needs more roles. He was so subtle, so obsessive, so humiliated and yet you could practically feel the rage pulsing under his skin...man...he just knocked it out of the park! He really matched Wu Jin Yan step by step and I have to admit I liked watching them interact just because of how good he squirmed in an invisible way when his character was around hers. Just brilliant. Su Ke also had a standout moment by the end...had me sobbing.
Production, music, and set design all was so good. That's the thing about the evil who shall not be named. He may be a jerk but he knows how to make a good show, that's for sure.
Negatives: So, the show is not perfect. There's a very distinct aesthetic at the beginning of this show, very dark and moody. And it sort of holds onto it for the whole series but a lot of that also fades as the story changes locations to the capital city. Humor gets its pound of flesh and a lot of color interrupts the dark blues and browns of the beginning and it's not bad, I still like it but I also think they could've maintained the aesthetic a bit better with a bit more effort. There also seems to have been a budget issue...some of the fight scenes looked sparse? Like there weren't enough extras to fill up the scene. I also think the show (like many Cdramas) was written for a longer runtime but they had to cut it down to 40 episodes (for the better) but it does leave me wondering if some scenes...were shown at double speed?!
Overall: I recommend this. It was such a fun show and the first full-length Cdrama I could finish in a long long time. I appreciate this a lot and I think it's definitely one of the "worth watching" ones out there.

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