Jabbing the competition
A political and social drama disguised as a crime/cop series or whatever label is usually slapped onto police and gangster shows.
The initial plot seems, at first glance, quite simple: the young and honest police officer An Xin, and Gao Qiqiang, a man battered by life and seemingly destined to become a crime boss. One chases, the other escapes in countless ways while doing terrible things. It looks like that’s all there is, but it isn’t. The true strength of the story lies in the fact that it is not, in essence or exclusively, about gathering clues and unmasking a shadowy big bad.
Rather, it is about how society as a whole shapes, and is shaped by, the crucial roles played by those in power, both in the micro and macro environments they orbit. A simple and noble gesture, like reaching out a hand to someone at rock bottom, can end up triggering the downfall of one’s own life, while for someone else, a single “yes” at the wrong moment turns into countless “no’s” in the future.
It is remarkable to watch the almost unhinged, barely restrained An Xin transform from an honest and optimistic police officer (and person) into a melancholic and lonely man, forged by guilt and hopelessness hammered into his mind by the rise of Gao Qiqiang as an underworld kingpin. Gao, once a victim rescued by An Xin, with whom he shared an initial bond of friendship and complicity, inevitably becomes the source of bitterness and rivalry between what we are tempted to call the good guys and the bad guys.
If only it were that simple.
The journey is far more complex, with multiple themes introduced in such a natural and believable way that we are easily transported into the small world of Jinghai City, populated by its many players, politicians, the corrupt, the wealthy, and good old bureaucracy acting in ways that consistently benefit those pursuing their own self-interest.
Roughly divided into three acts (almost like three seasons, and the ending of season 1 and 2 are peak), each stage of the series covers a different period of time without ever underestimating the viewer’s intelligence. The information is all there; the characters and their relationships evolve over time, and there is no wasted effort on hand-holding or self-explanation. The characters’ actions and constant forward momentum are more than enough to keep us glued to the screen.
This is the kind of series that is hard to talk about, because it feels more like a long, well-written novel: countless characters enter our lives, and the overarching plot gradually becomes secondary. What truly matters is witnessing the characters’ development and the organic way they interact with, and are affected by, the prevailing social order of their time.
A proper drama, something increasingly rare in today’s fast-food entertainment.
The initial plot seems, at first glance, quite simple: the young and honest police officer An Xin, and Gao Qiqiang, a man battered by life and seemingly destined to become a crime boss. One chases, the other escapes in countless ways while doing terrible things. It looks like that’s all there is, but it isn’t. The true strength of the story lies in the fact that it is not, in essence or exclusively, about gathering clues and unmasking a shadowy big bad.
Rather, it is about how society as a whole shapes, and is shaped by, the crucial roles played by those in power, both in the micro and macro environments they orbit. A simple and noble gesture, like reaching out a hand to someone at rock bottom, can end up triggering the downfall of one’s own life, while for someone else, a single “yes” at the wrong moment turns into countless “no’s” in the future.
It is remarkable to watch the almost unhinged, barely restrained An Xin transform from an honest and optimistic police officer (and person) into a melancholic and lonely man, forged by guilt and hopelessness hammered into his mind by the rise of Gao Qiqiang as an underworld kingpin. Gao, once a victim rescued by An Xin, with whom he shared an initial bond of friendship and complicity, inevitably becomes the source of bitterness and rivalry between what we are tempted to call the good guys and the bad guys.
If only it were that simple.
The journey is far more complex, with multiple themes introduced in such a natural and believable way that we are easily transported into the small world of Jinghai City, populated by its many players, politicians, the corrupt, the wealthy, and good old bureaucracy acting in ways that consistently benefit those pursuing their own self-interest.
Roughly divided into three acts (almost like three seasons, and the ending of season 1 and 2 are peak), each stage of the series covers a different period of time without ever underestimating the viewer’s intelligence. The information is all there; the characters and their relationships evolve over time, and there is no wasted effort on hand-holding or self-explanation. The characters’ actions and constant forward momentum are more than enough to keep us glued to the screen.
This is the kind of series that is hard to talk about, because it feels more like a long, well-written novel: countless characters enter our lives, and the overarching plot gradually becomes secondary. What truly matters is witnessing the characters’ development and the organic way they interact with, and are affected by, the prevailing social order of their time.
A proper drama, something increasingly rare in today’s fast-food entertainment.
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