QAS

Qi Ming did not look remotely like a villain.

Kim Sang Ho is a legend in the K-entertainment industry.

I am wondering if Situ deduced Mo Wan was raised by Oracle. She was vague about her life after she ran away from the Aunt. She might have said she was an orphan. Qiming might also have said he was an orphan. It looked like Oracle was recounting orphans to be spies over the years. Situ said that X or Oracle knew all about him, as if he was very close to Situ. The only one closer to him was Mo Wan, besides Mrs Shen.

I loved Situ's fashions. He wore a different outift in almost every scene. He must have travelled with a few trunks packed with suits and coats from Beijing. He used a lot of hair spray in some scenes. 🤭🤭🤭

I liked that drama.

I was getting bored by the time episode 23 came around. Very glad it's over.

X's big reveal was convenient witing. I thought X was the ringleader of the Oracle, but he was a pawn with connections.

I was a little disappointed in the writing and flashback filler in the final two episodes, that slowed down the conclusion. The ending signalled a potential future Situ-Luo collaboration. Sorry that the Situ Yan Detective Agency in Harbin shut down.

Jin Qiming gave himself away from episode 1. He seemed to have answers at his fingertips. Only Mr X would be this polished. Mo Wan was also shadowing Situ, so it was no surprise that she was also a member of the secret society.

I suspected it was him, and went searching on You Tube. I am able recognize his singing voice, for an odd reason. His Guardian song was amazing.

Xueran Chen, who sang the theme song of Guardian, sings the theme song of Checkmate.

https://youtu.be/xQCPqksSH-Y

Ep 10; the University Principal is overacting. Her interview with Situ and Luo is very suspicious.

I don't think they will kill off the the MLs. If the drama is successful, they might make another season.

I also find the editing to be sub par, and very typical for the Asian drama genre. The director and editor should look at a few British dramas, to see how the plot is formatted.

I haven't reached that far in the drama to know about Mr X, but he's hyperactive, and full of knowledge, past and present. Did Situ and Luo ask him why he knows so much?

Newspaper Reporter Jin Qi Ming is one of the smartest characters, but he has a very annoying habit of trotting into, and out of scenes, like the eunuchs of the historical costume dramas. Since this story is set the 20th century, didn't he learn how to walk normally?

I am watching episode 7 now. I started yesterday. It's like watching a British detective drama, except there are 24 continuous episodes unlike the British dramas that released three or four episodes per year. It's not bad. A little slow paced, but the dialog weaves the story and the mystery. I am admiring the architecture and the waedrobe choices. The hairstyles not as much!

There was more interaction in the comments than the drama plot. 🤣🤣🤣

Even if they made a season 2, it would get censored. If the producers lost money with the 25% cut, they would not want to waste more money on a sequel, that would also get cut.

The dream sequence seems very plausible, but the bit about YunSong and San joining the army to fight the Japanese seemed too specific.

One should consider that the drama is written for Chinese audiences, who might not be familiar with the Agatha Christie novels. Western audiences are fringe viewers.