The Double (2024)

Once in awhile, you just succumb …

You know that feeling of “just 1 more episode”…, if that’s what you are craving for recently, you’ve come to the right story.

The Double has 2 things done right. Pacing in the first part of the story, where it matters more to hook the audience in; and casting a strong CP for a 爽文 “shuang wen” - loosely translated as pleasurable novel. Once you are able to suspend logic, you will be able to ride onto the main characters’ wave for the tide is always on their side, like all 爽文 stories go.

What works well is having Wu Jin Yan casted as Xue Fang Fei - she has this aura about her where you’d want to root for her revenge journeys. Similar to her prior portrayal of Wei Ying Luo in Story of Yanxi Palace, it’s enjoyable watching how Xue Fang Fei in The Double toed the line on not being a pushover, yet still maintain her own principles when fighting against the villains, which were practically everyone except for her lover and chosen allies.

Wang Xingyue also interestingly found his own niche in idol romance show - the dude who love / covet other’s wives. Good thing he is the Duke Su and main lead in the Double this time. (no, I refuse to acknowledge the last part of the show. This show ends with a happy ending as far as I am concern.) I love the slow burn push and pull, the double entendre laced dialogues, as well as the build up chemistry between Duke Su and Xue Fang Fei - such that I am able to ignore the plot logic and some… questionable cut scenes.

Another 2 people who caught my attention was Ji Shuran and Princess Wanning. As the director for this show likes to do close up shots, I feel Chen Qiao En’s portrayal as the evil stepmother who maintain a kind facade and Li Meng’s portrayal of a pitiful bully hit the best mark. These 2 characters have lots of nuanced conflicting emotions that may not hold up as well with less competent actresses. And thus, I am grateful for Chen Qiao En and Li Meng, having managed to express these multi layered emotions on screen for the most part, questionable morals of their characters aside.

Alas, I don’t have much else to say for the plot. Though what I can say is if you are in the mood for a fast paced, addictive story where the smart leads can subvert all sorts of crisis, I’d recommend checking out The Double. Quoting Duke Su, “It sounds like a great show, watch it.”

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could've should've ending ruined the last episodes of the series

i had to narrow down my ratings after seeing the last few episodes but overall it was an enjoyable watch. let me start with the strong suits of the drama that kept me watching:
- good acting by everyone from the main cast
- great cinematography
- interesting plot
- lovely support characters (i really liked that all characters had their own ambitions in this story . we even got flashbacks of their past which added a lot to the story)
- chemistry is out of this world
- moral of the story: don't trust men
- women were portrayed as smart people, especially XFF
now the things i didn't like that much:
- at some parts downplaying SA
- promoting it as an angsty romance (there was no angst since the beginning, only yearning)
- cheap cgi effects (but it's slowly becoming a trademark of a popular drama)
the biggest mistake writers ever made the messy ending of the show. they were trying to please core audience the book lovers and viewers at the same time. it ended up blowing up to their face
- SYR just offing himself after writers portrayed him as the obstacle
- WN's forced ab*rtion
- don't get me started on the battle scene where everyone got offed followed by peaceful epilogue of the leads

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Even if people are powerless, justice always prevails unjustness.

The Double (墨雨云间) is a compelling tale that revolves around Xue Fang Fei, who was buried alive by her own husband but miraculously survives, and Xiao Heng, who investigates to unveil the corruption in the imperial court. Together, they embarked on a journey of revenge in the rightful/moralistic way and uphold justice to avenge their loved ones and protect the people.

The main story's pacing is well-balanced, it did not start off too soon and ended too late which makes sense because of specific circumstances, and the side stories were explored and wrapped up just in time. The drama also have fascinating cinematography, clever dialogues, and well-matched OSTs. The production team also gave attention and put effort even to the smallest details. It kept me on my seat as I got invested right from the beginning 'til the end. It was also too unpredictable, I enjoyed the twists and turns which made me and most of the viewers patiently wait on how the story will unravel.

I love how The Double stayed true to what it promised (the synopsis), and never took a 180° when the romance partakes the plot (unlike other revenge dramas), showing its consistency.

While the drama is executed almost perfectly, flaws are still inevitable. I could scarcely fathom some things about the plot, like how she dug herself out of her own grave and teleport beside the river, or how the people she convinced to speak up for her father did not agree at night, but suddenly all of them agreed the day after. I think it would be best to think that everything in this drama does not have to be taken under realistic circumstances, but rather on the creative writing style and entertainment value. Moreover, it would be better if the ending was also wrapped up better. Even if I am used to rushed endings, I still had high hopes in this drama, which therefore made me feel quite a sense of incompleteness (and the extra episode still was not able to fill in the gap in me). However, I can overlook the minor flaws because of how well this drama has been made. I am satisfied with the overall outcome!

The cast did exceptionally well in portraying their well-crafted characters. Wang Xing Yue undoubtedly excelled in portraying Duke Su / Xiao Heng, from his glare and stance to his bearing and articulation, perfectly delineating the ruthless (who uses others as a pawn) yet humane side (who cares for the well-being of the people) of his character. On the other hand, Wu Jin Yan's performance as Xue Fang Fei / Jiang Li is truly remarkable. Her facial expressions, especially her eyes, conveys diverse emotions which shows how her character was grappling with conflicting emotions inside while restraining herself to be overwhelmed by abhorrence. Liang Yong Qi as Shen Yu Rong and Li Meng as Princess Wan Ning also have impressive wide range of emotions in depicting the different sides of their multi-faceted characters. They managed to evoke mixed emotions within the audience and feel what their characters feel (without necessarily feel pity to them). Chen Xin Hai as Ye Shi Jie is an intelligent and righteous character, though his character was not much explored in the drama as much as the first four that I mentioned above.

The characters, especially the protagonists and antagonists, were three-dimensional and each have their own complexities. They were intelligently created and explored in-depth. Their backstories are also well-built, allowing us to understand the motivations behind the decisions and choices that they made, making us either sympathize with them or not. Even some supporting characters have their own related arcs that were not related to the main plot but surely worth it to see.

I love the supporting characters who served as the great support systems of the leads, whom they went through the mill with. These includes XFF's friends Jiang Jing Rui and Liu Xiu (together with Ye Shi Jie), and XH's comrades Wen Ji, Lu Ji, Situ Jiu Ye and Emperor Zhao Ye, who surely made them feel the true essence of companionship.

One of the most substantial part of this show, in my opinion, was how the leads' relationship gradually developed. Their bond went through many stages, from being a pawn and a master, to being a secret holder and a secret keeper, to being allies who have each other's back, forming a sacred bond that transcended the mundane. Also, their fervent and palpable chemistry had us giggling and tickling as they flirt in their own poetic ways. As a couple, I also love how they are on equal footing — they trust and respect each other as individuals, which is crystal clear in the drama. Their slow-burn romance has a perfect blend of all its ingredients, just up to my taste.

All in all, it was a well-written drama that is worth it to give a try, then see for yourself whether it is up to your taste or not.

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meh start, meh story

only started watching this drama because of the edits I've been seeing on tiktok for this drama but I'm not sure wether to continue this drama or not. hear me out, I was hooked on the episode where ML stepped in for FL to continue the drinking game with the general BUT.. it literally fell short next episode, as if nothing had happened earlier on. I've seen many dramas with similar plots like this, FL gets trauma and wants to get stronger, then coincidentally meet a cold Duke /Emperor/Idk ( As long as they have high ranks ) Then, in the end they slowly fall in love. I didn't had anything against this drama except for the fact that the teasing seemed so invisible and light. In order to attract an audience especially ppl in their youth (13-21) most dramas have these scenes included but for some reason it just feels like nothing. Because FL is so strong (?), independent, perfect, she doesn't have much challenges ( so far ) and is able to solve any challenges that is in her way without much complicity. AND.. apparently the teasing and joking doesn't affect her either, her expressions are always so dull, stale or just slightly angry ( glare, stare, blank ) like what?! After the rain scene I was shooked and thought I might give this drama a second chance, but damn they just returned to their usual lives and ML just flirts. That's it.

Sorry not sorry, but if you're into those dull and boring kinda dramas I'd recommend this for you because this just ain't it. The only thing keeping me going is the antagonists, they seem pretty evil and dumb/stupid which is why im staying, to see their downfall. The wanning princess has potential to be a real villian and I'm interested for what she'll do in future. I can already predict that when she meets her downfall, there's going to be someone helping her and thus it will lead to angst
or miscommunication or problems in between MLs relationship in general Boring show, predictable style type of drama, NEXT PLEASE.

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Perhaps the Best Wuxia of 2024.

Wow what an amazing wuxia drama-- loved how it was on Netflix and I really took my time with it, trying not to rush through it too fast. The last three episodes were really so heavy but I think everything (besides our two sidekicks dying at the last minute-- like WHY) was executed really well.

Shen Yurong and Wanning had such a complex relationship and character development. I really love when dramas show perspectives from the villains because the empathy we start to feel has our emotions all crazy.
~~With ShenYurong, it doesn't really make sense that he was capable of giving everything up for XueFangFei when it was him who literally buried her alive, after knocking her out with a shovel. But I guess that was his arc-- his realization of his love for her and his decision to not make the same mistake again. Again, he is a perfect example of someone blinded by toxic love, who uses "love" as the reasoning for every evil doing. And then in the end takes his own life rather than facing the consequences.
~~Princess Wanning seemed like just a selfish princess who had no empathy for others, but her character became interesting when we saw her struggles from her previous forced marriage, with the SA and forced miscarriage. Though that doesn't really justify someone to use violence and threats with power, I think I personally learned to sympathize with her-- especially when she died. A part of her probably knew that the man she loved didn't love her back, and her making ShenYurong stab her seemed kind of like a "you may want me dead but you killed me with your own hands so you'll never be able to forget me". Gotta give her props though-- accepting her fate in the end but refusing to die in anybody else's hands but hers shows her stubbornness in the highest until the end.

Our main couple was phenomenal.
~~XueFangFei was a bit easy to read, as her eyes gave away her emotions, but her way of executing her plans and avenging JiangLi little by little was refreshing to see especially with her outsmarting everyone. She had to balance keeping her identity a secret, fixing the wrongdoings against JiangLi, redeeming her Xue family, outsmarting all the villains. She must've been so exhausted, but at least she had someone going through just as much.
~~Duke Su was always confident and his growing affection for her was so sweet, albeit we could've used some more expression (though I just found out he is 12 years younger! so makes sense I guess). I love how they always trusted each other, each one willing to sacrifice themself but also trusting the other to carry out their plan without too much interference. He is officially on my top five Chinese actors list now, hope to see more of him!

Side characters like the friend group, JiangLi's father/grandmother, even Consort Li were all so well thought-out. The friend group was sadly not as big of a role after she won the Annual Exam, but the fact that they supported her til the end was so heartwarming. YeShiJie in particular had so little scenes, though I thought they would show more of his planning for the final battle and his interactions with DukeSu. Papa Jiang knew of his daughter's death already but when they actually talk it out loudly and he still accepts XueFangFei as her replacement, I was so sad. His love for someone he thought was his daughter he could make amends with, along with his love for his biological daughter whom he never got to see again, was portrayed so well but I'm glad he's alive at least (and Grandma). Consort Li was a bit harder to read, and I was surprised she actually loved the Emperor to the point where she'd be willing to give up her life for him. I remember being confused in the beginning because she looked old enough to be his mother.

The flow of the story was pretty structured, which helped so I don't get bored over one issue prevalent and stretched out for too long. Now time to watch the special!

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What do you prefer? Style or substance

Within minutes of watching this show you should realise that this is a different beast from the usual idol costume dramas. There is a rawness and stylistic flair that is missing from many mainstream productions. This drama does not hold back on challenging themes. Confronting acts are on full display and it made no apologies.

This is a double-edged sword. No doubt the director has an unique style. Some scenes are rigged for maximum visual impact. There are bold contrasting colours, dramatic weather effects, poetic imageries and big close-ups of the leads. Get used to it.

This can be polarising. You will either be hooked by impactful scenes or be put off by the over-the-top theatrics. This show is not about finding a comfortable middle ground. For me, it was quite a ride and I was loving it! To be fair, the story does settle into a more comfortable pace towards the middle of the run.

I won't lie, the storyline is fundamentally tropey. The overarching A-plot is a classic revenge tale with a side order of the Cinderella trope and an extra large helping of palace intrigue. The writer is clever enough to mix up the plots and kept the pace fast so that we have little time to examine the plot holes. The production team is also a daft hand in hitting us in the feels which further distracts us.

It is obvious that the show is being manipulative. So much of the pain and suffering is purely there to pull at our heartstrings and to remind us that no character is safe from harm. Even a well-loved character can be killed off to get a rise out of us. It works but it is exhausting.

To wit, the FL is in no position to fight back at the start of the show. We watch and cheer on the FL as she gains strength, made new friends and plan the ultimate revenge. It is very gratifying to watch and there are certainly many bittersweet moments.

This is further aided and abetted by the ML. He might be in his early 20's but he acted well beyond his age. I am most impressed by him. I can't fault the pairing of our leads either. There is always tension between them, but it is the delicious kind. You know they are attracted to each other, but they must play by the rules. Their interactions will get the heart fluttering. While sparks fly between them, there is not a lot of actual skinship until the end of the show. It is poor reward for fans who are shipping the OTP hard.

A fundamental problem with this type of drama is that it is usually fanciful. The FL was a meek wife one minute and the next moment she is full of fight and steely determination. There are also conflicting views on societal values such as a woman's reputation. We must switch off our analytical mind to truly enjoy this show. There are just too many lucky escapes and fortuitous coincidences. It keeps us in our happy place, but it doesn't really stand up to scrutiny. It is very entertaining but a pair of industrial strength rose tinted glasses helps.

Speaking of the ending, it is both satisfying and ambiguous. All the antagonists got their just deserts. The OTP is allowed moments of bliss but then the production team went gaga on us.

It would have been a no-brainer for the story to end on a high. I'd paid to see the OTP ride off into a glorious sunset to live happily ever after. They have certainly earned it. So why was the ML shipped off to the furthest corner of the kingdom to fight a never-ending war? cliché? Yes. Dramatic? Yes. Necessary? NO!

This is not helped by the last scenes of the show which is beautifully staged but so ambiguous. Is it a dream sequence?

Acting wise, it is fairly solid but there are moments when it feels like characters changed tracks as the script shifted in a different direction but the subtle change was not communicated to the audience. The impact is not significant but can be a little disconcerting.

Overall, I enjoyed the show very much. It is impactful and engaging. The production team certainly knows how to keep our attention even if the plot itself might not stand up to close scrutiny. Some might find it too stylistic, shallow and tropey. It will be a love/hate thing. Caveat emptor, my friends.

*** SPOILER ***
There is a 5 mins postscript ep that confirmed a HEA ending but why is that even necessary?

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perfect story ..great acting .. wasted chemistry

let me begin of i didn't like:
- lack of intimacy .. its dry like a stone in the desert..
- the over pushing of the ex-husband character (i think the actor hold something against the producers) .
- the father must be punished too.

Other than that i enjoyed every minute of this drama. it has the perfect blend of satisfying revenge plot ..great chemistry and perfect acting. And i think their decision of not making it transmigration but impersonation story is a master stroke.. and they done it splendidly.

now i just wish the producers make the princess story .. her story was very compelling and angsty but of course they must add redemption and true love arc to it (with the same actress she was alluring).. and i cant wait to see it ..

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