Episodic Thoughts: Ghetto Justice (Episode 19)

Ghetto Justice <怒火街頭>
TVB Series 2011

Cast: Kevin Cheng, Myolie Wu, Sharon Chan, Sam Lee, Eddie Kwan, Mandy Wong, Jazz Lam, Joyce Tang, Shek Shau, and others.

EPISODE 19

Remarks : This is a watch-as-I-write-from-memory episodic thought (a combination of episode summaries, reviews & critical analysis episode per episode) and therefore please take note that this write-up will contain MAJOR SPOILERS for this particular episode and some creative license was used when recreating certain scenes or dialogue. Please refrain from revealing future SPOILERS in this episode.

Still on…

The Prosecutor vs Ho Tai Keung, Yau Man Lai, Law Bing Hei, Yan Chau & Yan Yu

The case : Mob killing, beating to death the victim, Wong Chi Kin

Counsel for the state : The prosecutor, name unknown (Either Russell Cheung or David Do – can’t remember the face)

Defense : Ho Tai Keung – Unknown, Kris Wong (Lead) & Law Ba (Second chair) for Law Bing Hei the rest each individually by Cheung Pak Kei, Victor Ching & one more unknown working for PK

Finally found out Kris and Law Ba acted for Law Bing Hei, the least involved guy. Anyway a very very very tragic episode tonight, almost funnily tragic because it is like those wuxia series where heroine hell bent on revenge, at least that’s what I think she is thinking of doing. A very short recap as well since a lot of things happened emotionally but physically not much.

Jing has saved enough to go ahead with her restaurant and found a small place to do her business. Her friends congratulated her and Chik told Teng she still has feelings for him. So Teng decided to meet with his parents and quite simply told them he loved her, he would die for her, that was how much he loved her, they can choose to ignore him or they can choose to gain a daughter so to speak. His father of course said “BUT SHE IS A PROSTITUTE!! SHE IS DIRTY!!” and all Teng asked was for his father’s blessing that he does not stop him, just let him be and he said “Father, she has had a hard life but she worked and earned her own money and now has realised her dream. There is nothing illegal or bad about that. Why can’t you see that?” and his mother softened and said “Well, she did become a prostitute because of her mother…” and the father snapped “Are you on his side or on my side?” and the mother said “I am on the side to bring our son back!” and finally the father relented and said “French restaurant? Highly specialised, very difficult to do!” and stalked away and Teng knew his father has at least agreed not to butt into his affairs with Jing.

Kris was working late, having fever as Silvia tried to talk sense into her about Law Ba’s gesture; that by so openly dumping the case, he has caused his own reputation to nose dive since no one will hire him anymore. Silvia thought that was utterly romantic, since he was trying to help Kris.

Pause.

What nose dive? I mean Law Ba can always go back to SSP. Do they care in SSP who Law Ba is? Or reputation? Of course not! So what nose dive???

Continue.

Kris angrily refused, and said “I will show him, I will show PK, I will show them all!!!”

Yeap, like a kid having a tantrum. And suddenly she figured out a point she can use to help Law Bing Hei. What point we will never know since next day Law’s parents dumped her, saying her reputation is over, the judge and jury is doubting her and so on and so forth. Kris lamented “I have lost my career, I have lost my love and now I have lost my reputation. I am officially over.”

Fishing, in open sea, Victor was frustrated that he couldn’t catch any fish but truth is he was angry ever since Kris got booted out the judge has been favouring the prosecution since even the judge noticed every accused is represented by PK’s men. But PK assured him not to worry, they will win. And then the most embarrassing moment in this episode or this series; PK hissing YESSSSSS when he netted a fish. Sorry but I just find it so darn pretentious. And it was funny.

Jing at the restaurant, taking measurements in the kitchen, PK went in to collect his bottles of wine since the owner of that place sells wine. He thought no one was there, and in walked Ho Tai Keung’s father, a triad member. Basically PK showed Ho some pictures and said “Hmmm… dealing with drugs…” and he got pictures of Ho selling drugs and Ho is trapped and PK said “Get your son to admit to the murder and I will make sure these… go away…” and Ho agreed. Meaning he is using downright illegal methods to fix the trial. Jing heard everything, recorded everything, quickly left and Pk heard some noise and followed. And what happens next is to me rather illogical; how can a guy who walks with a limp using a crane walk so much or as fast as a healthy bodied young woman? Because he soon caught up with her and Jing called Teng who was buying flowers and Teng said “I will be there soon!” and Jing said “No no, there is something illegal going on. I heard that Cheung Pak Kei doing something illegal and I recorded it all. Wait! I will send to you!” and she stopped to send email when KNOCK! and PK knocked her heard and twice on the head with the bird head of his cane. She was bleeding and disoriented when Teng heard a Jing said “No no no” as PK grabbed the phone from her and then the line went dead. PK left, and Jing’s hand got one of his sleeve button or something.

In court, Kris waiting for Silvia saw how PK came out and announced Ho Tai Keung has admitted guilt and so the implication is the others should be let go. Kris very bitter as she saw Law Ba walked by and she said “See? Why someone had to be so damn nosy to destroy own case; when in the end that one guy admitted guilt. How stupid of that nosy idiot!” and as she was about to drive away Law Ba said “You really think it is that simple? don’t you think PK would have fixed the trial? And then you will have no choice but to be part of the scheme. Consider yourself lucky that you got out” but I don’t suppose she was listening.

Teng and Chik searching for Jing, all the way to the big drain with locked gate and they couldn’t find Jing and Chik said “Cheung Pak Kei is a barrister, I don’t suppose he will kill. I mean he worked hard for his reputation! Maybe she just went home or maybe the phone ran out of battery. Don’t worry, let’s look at the other side” and so they went but all these while, Jing was right beneath them in the big drain,she could see them, hear them, her body was bound, she was gagged and alert but she couldn’t call out.

What a horrible way to die!!!

Next day, still no sign of Jing. This time everyone is looking and at the back alley they saw the crazy woman who said she saw a 3 legged man following Jing and they went the other way. They saw blood, followed the trail and to the drain, Teng like crazy broke open the gate, rushed in and saw Jing on the floor. He rushed to her, I think George was following close by, Mrs Leung was there. Teng rushed to her, held her as she weakly passed him a piece of paper, on it the logo and the name of her would be restaurant adopted from Teng’s tattoo as logo and she looked at him for one tiniest moment and then her hand fell, the paper fell, she closed her eyes and died. Teng cried and cried “No NO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please nooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know you don’t ever want to see me again, you want to avoid me, but you don’t have to die to avoid me!!! Please wake up! Please! Please wake up! Jinggggggg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” but she was very dead. George cried, Mrs Leung cried and Teng was shaking Jing but she was very very very dead.

Pause here.

What a horrible way to die!!! Imagine, whole night, under there… what a horrible way to dieeeee!!!!!!!!!!!! I was sad but I was also thinking how the hell a crippled man can carry her there and even locked the gates?

Answer is up next…

Pk was walking into his office as he was calling someone and said to unknown person “You can release the girl now. I just want to keep her quiet until I get the case done and since I erased all evidence, no one will believe her anyway, you can release her. I am not a murderer, I don’t wish her to be dead” and then he saw the news of Jing’s body and all and he said “Ignore my instruction. Clean all traces” and he calmly put the bird head of his cane to the top of his ermmm.. those stand where you hang your clothes.

Teng knew it was PK, he reported to the police, the police immediately invited PK back and they even found PK’s button thing and so they charged him as Teng rushed in to beat the crap out of PK but was stopped. Meanwhile without PK that beating case became messy and now every testimony is not consistent and everyone may be in for manslaughter. Law Ba was invited to be the prosecutor since no one dared to take the case against PK in case Pk wins and PK has long memory and someone said “Why are they so afraid of that monster?!” and Law Ba agreed to take the case even if he was pariah in the legal world now since I don’t know, maybe HK has no prosecution department because why don’t they themselves prosecute?!?!? and he vowed to bring down PK as Teng said “That monster probably killed Jing because she heard something to do with him fixing the case!” as Law Ba said to his friends “Whether they intended to kill or not, those boys did wrong and they deserve their punishment. I don’t care about the reason, same goes for PK and I will make sure Jing gets justice and PK gets his due punishment.”

Kris went to Jing’s place, looked around and remembered their good times as she saw the table lamp she gave Jing and said “Let this lamp be your consoling friend until you achieve your ambition. If you’re unhappy, switch it on and the light will shine over you, like me there, comforting you”. Kris began to cry as Law Ba walked in and Law Ba gently said “I have been asked to be the prosecutor in Jing’s case. Speculation is she died because she overheard Cheung Pak Kei doing something illegal with that beating case. Do you still think it is good to join into his clique? Consider yourself lucky to have left or you will turn out to be like that man. Jing would have been very disappointed if you have. Her death whilst tragic revealed the true nature of Cheung Pak Kei and the way he is handling that case, without him, true justice is being seen to be done. Don’t let her death be a total waste, let her be proud of you” and he left and Kris cried very very hard as she hugged the lamp.

What happened next is of course I feel just a diversion.

Kris went to PK and offered to be his lawyer. He reluctantly agreed since Kris said Jing was just another person, she wanted to win this case to regain her reputation. PK knew she was Jing’s best friend but he also knew Kris knew all of Law Ba’s emotional side so there would be an advantage. Victor promised to look after her to ensure no hanky panky.

Teng was at the drains, crying very hard as he blamed himself for not looking at that place when he was there the 1st time and he cried “Why didn’t I look for you here at that night? Why did I stop? If I didn’t stop, I could have saved you! Why? Why didn’t I keep looking?”. This was because he found out she died not of loss of blood but rather the blood clot in her brain causing a stroke since she was conscious the whole night. This was due to the fact she was saved very late which meant she could have been saved if she had been discovered earlier. WHAT A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE!!!!

Kris went back to Auntie King as Auntie King called her and the moment she walked in, Auntie King and her siblings said “Why? Why are you representing that monster?! Have you no conscience?” and Jing didn’t want to explain much as she said “He too deserved legal representation, why not me?” as Teng and Law Ba walked in, Teng raised his hand about to slap a shocked looking Kris as he said “If you were a man I would not hesitate to slap you!!” and Kris looked away and Auntie King slapped her very hard. Kris was shocked, as were everyone else as Auntie King said “Is money and fame that important to you?! Jing was your best friend! She was murdered! Not only did you not seek justice for her, you’re acting for that… that monster!!” as Kris cried “Mother, why you too? Why you don’t understand? After being set up by my own friend, my career was down in the drains! I was at the top and I worked hard to reach that but then I rolled back down to the bottom. With this case, I can climb back up again!” and Teng angrily said “Be careful you will roll back down to the abyss!!” and Kris said to Auntie King “Here mother, the cheque for this month’s allowance” but Auntie King tore the cheque as she said “I don’t want your dirty money!!!!” and Kris angrily said “Mother, one day you will understand why I am doing this!!!” and she left as Auntie King shouted “Go! Go! Don’t ever come back!! I don’t have such an unfeeling daughter!!!!” and everyone looked at Kris left.

Next episode; Law Ba plants evidence and Kris exposes him. WHAT?! Why would Law Ba do that?!?!?? And it is the last episode by the way.

I do believe Kris is planning to avenge Jing’s death. It is inconsistent that one minute she is hugging the lamp crying hard and the next acting for the very same man who killed her best friend so I think she meant to find out what happened and do PK in. I mean get justice for Jing. I don’t believe Kris to be that unfeeling. But I also think anger may have clouded her judgment and she may end up doing something illegal, destroying her own career to seek vengeance for Jing in the process. So I suppose Law Ba will have to save her from going that route. I mean someone can twist facts to win a case and that is wrong (like how Law Ba was 7 years ago) or destroy a case illegally to uphold justice which is also sorta wrong (like how I think Jing is planning to do). Could be! I mean “Mother, one day you will understand why I am doing this!!!” is a huge clue. Kris is very annoying right now, this is one character I find myself not liking eventhough she is a good person and so she must do something huge to redeem herself.

Performance wise, no comment.

Ok, one and that is Sam Lee. He really plays Teng as someone very straightforward, at times I think he was inadequate emotionally, like he was forcing himself to cry and all and yet… I feel there is a certain sincerity in his performance when he is so “raw”. Heartbreaking scene when the moment he discovered Jing and she died in his arms.

Sharon Chan did very well as Jing. She brought Jing to life by playing her as a straightforward person, much like how Sam Lee did with his character. There is nothing complicated the way she interpreted Jing and I think there is sincerity in the way she portrayed Jing who appeared very sincere as well onscreen. I think she deserved her award at the TVB awards.

Myolie did ok. I find her grief, her crying, everything rather forced. Especially crying. Maybe too much makeup. I don’t know! I give up!

Next episode is the last episode. I feel the series is ending at a right note meaning any longer it would be draggy. Whilst I feel sad for Jing’s death, and I knew this spoiler, but even if I didn’t know, I was expecting that. Someone we know must die for drama sake. I just felt the reason for her death and PK’s involvement a bit cliche. Why cliche? I mean overhearing fixing of a trial yes of course but come on! That Ho was doing something illegal anyway! PK was threatening to expose Ho for doing something illegal, how illegal can that be? Maybe show PK fix the trial by pushing an innocent man towards something? Maybe that would be more appropriate? I just find Jing’s reason for death very insignificant plot wise. It should have been something grander, something worth killing for.

Anyway so the last case will be…

The Prosecutor vs Spencer Cheung Pak Kei

The case : For the murder of Ho Lei Jing

Counsel for the state : Law Ba

Defense : Victor Ching Pok Him & Kris Wong Si Fu

This Episodic Thoughts was written by Funn Lim, a Contributing Writer at JayneStars.com, and was originally posted at Point2e.com.