Episodic Thoughts: “Silver Spoon, Sterling Shackles” (Episode 4)

Silver Spoon, Sterling Shackles <名媛望族>
TVB Series 2012

Cast: Damien Lau, Kenneth Ma, Tavia Yeung, Idy Chan, Ron Ng, Rebecca Zhu, JJ Jia, Elena Kong, Mary Hon, Sire Ma, and Vincent Wong.

Disclaimer

This is a watch as I write episodic thoughts and some information may not be accurate since this is memory based. Certain dialogue is reproduced with some creative license adopted. I apologise if there is any mistake. All opinion remains my own.

EPISODE 4

*SPOILERS ALERT*

“When I expected help, he abandoned me. But when I needed his help the most, he gave it without question. One chess piece caught his attention. Sister, from the first moment I laid eyes on him, I know I have found the man I can rely on for the rest of my life. He is Chung Cheuk Man. ”

My daily S.S.S.S variation;

Splitter Splatter Silly Shatter

Oh it’s getting harder to make sense!

Ok before the recap, I have a confession to make.

I did not truly recap scene per scene, word for word. Many artistic license used for most dialogue since translation is subjective, memory even more. Some scenes I did not recap, sometimes because I can’t remember, sometimes because I feel unnecessary, mostly because if you’re not watching I may encourage you to watch with me, so that together we enjoy, if must, together we suffer.

Ok, again the editing is top notch the worst, and I have decided to add an Episodic Report Card at the end of my recap so that I need not repeat my comments about the performances. If Wiki is right (and they have been wrong), I can’t possibly repeat 40 times the same thing. So my daily report card will compensate for any lack of comments where I shall adopt Harry Potter’s O.W.L and N.E.W.T grading but tweaked such as;

E = Exceed expectations meaning truly awesome
A = Acceptable
B = Boleh lar (in Malay for Ok lar or can do lar)
C = Ceh! (in ordinary speak, you can say same as meh! or just so-so which is lesser than boleh lar)
D = Dreadful meaning terrible
F = Fail, worse than dreadful but nowhere near…
EF = EPIC FAIL which is worse than F by the way, so worse it is the pinnacle of worse as in worst.

Ok? You may ask why so many gradings, simply because I can be a bit more flexible.

Now the recap.

And the editing in this episode being so darn consistent will earn the very first EF for EPIC FAIL in my report card for this episode. Why? Remember episode 3? It ended with what? Kwan doing opera and looking darn jealous at Arthur and Yee Yin? At the start of episode 4, what we get? Since it is an EF grading, clearly it started not from that jealous stare but straight to Shui. Yeap, absolutely no connection whatsoever.

By the way fans of Rebecca “I ain’t Fala but I look like Fala” Zhu please take note; she is not in this episode.

Anyway on Shui I will just summarise because I find his story having no connection with the rest of everything except everyone from Chung family seems to know him well.

Shui works for Lau Hai but he is also stealing money from this Lau Hai as well but he doesn’t care. He meets a gambler who tells him he has some good deal going on and he makes the guy talk. Next scene we know, there is Charles having tea at the awesome Shanghai looking movie set and there’s Shui opposite him.

Pause.

Kenneth’s hairstyle also gets as EF from me. It is just so silly for the twirl and all. Can’t they just comb it up, give him that Shanghai Bund look? Because he just looks silly.

Continue.

Shui tells him “I am here to offer you a tip as apologies for all the troubles. I am sure you will be interested”

And next thing we know, Charles is with Arthur and Charles says “I have a reliable tip, that Tung Ting Hang is smuggling cigarettes illegally, tax avoidance stuff. I am not sure how reliable, whether it is true or not” and Arthur, with that same self satisfying smug smile says “Does it matter?” and here is a trend between father and son; son says something, father asks a questions, son asks a question, father follows up with a question, then with a confused look son asks some more, father with a smug smile finally answers and son goes “Oh”.

Charles says “It matters because we wouldn’t want to simply accuse him of breaking the law and be accused of slander” and Arthur smiles and says “He is as we say he is, it doesn’t matter if it is the truth or just slander. As long as there is such news, and it is of use, then it doesn’t matter. What matters is it is to our advantage, to solve the rice price issue. I have been looking for ways to counter that Tung on this issue, you know I am never the sort to sit around and let ordinary folks to suffer because of the folly of a bully” and again that self satisfied smile.

Tung comes into his favourite restaurant and finds Arthur sitting at his favourite table. Angrily he scolded the waiter but Arthur smiles (smug smile again!) as he welcomes Tung to sit and Tung sneered “I never knew a pretend westerner like you knows how to enjoy Chinese tea!” and Arthur smiles and says in a very friendly manner “I have a proposition for you Master Tung” and Tung sits and listens as Arthur says “I heard a rumour, that you are smuggling cigarettes in avoidance of tax” and Tung looks at him and says “Prove it if you can” and Arthur smiles “Oh come on, I wouldn’t want to expose all that! It never happened if of course you may help out with the price of rice, none of these will matter” and Tung outright challenges Arthur to show proof and Arthur smiles “I need not prove anything. I need only contest your position as chairman of the chamber of commerce. I mean imagine what our fellow esteemed colleagues will think of their chairman using the lorries of the chamber of commerce to smuggle illegal items for tax avoidance? I wonder what their reaction will be? Since you refuse to extend your hand in help, I will contest the seat, as you said, whoever is the Chairman controls the price of rice” and he walks away.

Tung seeks advice from Mr Plastic Face… sorry, Shek Sau whose name I did not catch and whose acting is something I wish I did not notice because if there is a trick question; what is there but can’t be seen, it may exist but is invisible to the eye? and the answer is Shek Sau’s acting. Anyway he is Tung’s lawyer and he advises Tung (who has already made friends with some gwailos in his attempt to win votes and by that he had to lower the price of rice) to take this opportunity to socialise a bit more with the gwailos so that not only Arthur will have that advantage and Tung happily agrees.

At the Chamber of Commerce and voting time, 7 votes in and all 7 votes voted for Tung as the chairman. Arthur smiles all the time, he smiles a lot and Tung looks at him and says “7 votes? Should be 6 votes, because the 7th is Mister Chung and your vote is for me?” and Tung smiles and Arthur smiles and says “You have been a great leader, of course the seat is yours for the taking” and Tung smiles “Didn’t you want to contest for the seat?” and Arthur smiles and says “Master Tung, my purpose is simply to have you to lower the price of rice and since you have done so, the chairman seat is of no interest to me” and each I think shakes hand or nod or something and walk away. They were rather friendly with one another.

Kwan having lunch with the Chung family and to cut the long story short, Arthur offers to pay Kwan 3 times her asking price for her to stay in HK and perform 1 year and Kwan says she will consider. Later she goes to the theatre hall where she performed and there she sees Arthur looking at the hall from upstairs and she asks what is he doing and he says “Appreciating your fine performance” and damn, that hotel lobby music again. Anyway Kwan teases “Well, if every patron is like you admiring me in their memory, I will be out of work” and Arthur smiles and says “Some things should be appreciated that way” and he gives her a box as a gift and she opens it and she sees a jade set of chess pieces and she smiles at the memory of it and they chatted some more and then she discovers there is a secret compartment in the box and she pushes it and in it a diamond necklace. You can’t deny this man has got style!

Back at home, Arthur was walking into 3rd wife, Yvonne’s room and there she was, on the bed lying suggestively and blah blah blah, she says she is like little girl and he is her daddy and he says he can’t believe she still needs him to tuck her into bed and she is like a little girl (ewwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!) and they kissed as she tries to talk him into taking her to see his newly refurbished and will soon reopened hotel in Shanghai so that they can dance at the dance hall and mind you, lip stick smearing all over his lips …

Pause.

It would have been sexy if it has been Kenneth instead of Damien, no offense but I like the fact of lip stick smearing, it is authentic even if the kissing is not passionate but rather kiss-chat-kiss-chat. The smearing reminds me of Qing Shi Huang Fei which was to great effect in showing passion. Here, I see a bit of reservation from Elena, somehow I feel she should have kissed him deeper each time rather than a peck on the lips. It isn’t sexy at all.

Continue.

And he notices an invitation card on the side table and angrily he gently pushes her away and says “Didn’t I say don’t meddle with my work?” and Yvonne surprised says “But it is your hotel anyway. You should be there as a major shareholder, since you refused twice, I decided to agree on your behalf” and Arthur angrily chastises her “Didn’t I say I didn’t want to go? What makes you think you can agree on my behalf?!” and Yvonne pulled a face and starts to cry and pull a huge little girl tantrum (ewwwwwwwwwwww) as she says “I just wanted us to go there to dance in that great hall! I am your 3rd wife and I can’t even make such a small decision on your behalf! Already big sister is ruling this place..” and Arthur says “And she has never stepped out of line!” and she continues “And 2nd sister gets the good stuff and everything… and me? Nothing! I can’t even make such a small decision!” and Arthur tries to make her stop crying and she cries harder, stamping her feet, etc and finally he relents and says he will go and take her along and she stops crying and quite suddenly and again like a slight jump in editing or a sudden change in mood probably because it wasn’t a one continuously shot scene but rather 2 scenes edited together, she pulls him down to bed and she lies on top of him and yeah, kiss kiss kiss.

Pause.

It was a Grade A performance from Elena Kong and Damien Lau but somehow the entire scene is just weird with some Ewwwwwwwwwwwww dialogue but it shows Arthur rules the house meaning you don’t mess with his business stuff. And he does respect his wife no. 1 as we shall see later, gives the best to wife no. 2 who is his favourite and of course enjoys wife no. 3 sexually.

Continue.

Wife no. 1 playing mahjong I think when someone mentioned how good of Arthur to take her to Shanghai for the reopening of the hotel and she smiles. Later her maid says “How come master wants to take a Mrs Chung to the hotel and yet the real Mrs Chung doesn’t even know?” and 1st wife knows it is the 3rd wife’s deed since 2nd wife won’t overstep the line so obviously.

Pause.

Wife no. 1 like I said rules the house. She is what is BBJX’s Difujin. Wife no. 2 is the elegant one, the one above the fightings and so wife no. 1 and 3 hates her because she is classy. She is the Cefujin and the favourite one. Wife no 3 is the young sexy one who uses sex to retain husband’s attention and she is also the Cefujin albeit the not that favourite one.

Continue.

Wife no. 3 Yvonne goes to see wife no. 1 and Wife no.1 pretends to be sick and Yvonne fake her concern and blah blah blah, ended up with Yvonne pleading that 1st wife must go but then she has to dance and speak English and wife no. 1 panics and invites Yvonne to come along. And so Yvonne got what she wanted because wife no. 1 won’t go dancing, so she will get to dance with Arthur. And Yvonne knows Yee Yin never likes to go to Shanghai and she asks 1st wife if she knows why and 1st wife avoids the subject.

We see Yee Yin visiting her opium addict mom with a grade E performance by Bak Yan for the way she sits, talks, etc. Here is an obvious scene of an old woman still living in the bygone era where fujins instead of first wives exists. In fact like an old relic of the draconian past. Anyway Yee Yin said hi and blah blah blah. I can’t remember exact words but what we do know is her mom took Yee Yin and ran away from forbidden palace when the dynasty fell and Yee Yin is grateful for that. They ran to Shanghai where Yee Yin fell for a rickshaw puller but her mom arranged for Yee Yin to marry Arthur as 2nd wife and she doesn’t understand why Yee Yin is bitter when Arthur treats her well but to Yee Yin she has lost out of a chance to be with the man she loves and she is angry that her mom chose money and opium rather than her own daughter’s happiness. So she avoids Shanghai since he is there, presumably still pulling rickshaw? How old is Yee Yin? Anyway Yee Yin leaves after a slight argument with her mom.

Pause.

Ahhhh so Yee Yin doesn’t really love Arthur. She appreciates him but doesn’t love him. So let me guess! When Arthur reaches wife no. 5, the ending of this series is Yee Yin running away to be with her one true love. How cliche. Can’t they show she is devoted to him truly? Does Arthur know? Seems like 1st wife knows something so Arthur must know.

Continue.

Back at home, family time, it is decided entire family will go to Shanghai when Yee Yin suddenly says she wants to go. Yvonne is upset because surely Arthur will now dance with Yee Yin and not her.

Meanwhile, Charles found the living relatives of Kwan in San Francisco and located her parents’ grave at their old house. As they go there, Kwan tells Charles of her last time seeing her parents; luckily no flashback but just words. They were very poor, so I assume around 12 years of age she sold herself to Tung Ting Hang and her mother was crying hard whilst her father gave her a biscuit and said tearfully how sorry he was for being such a lousy father and she just left. She said if she knew that was the last time she would see them, she would have hugged them and tell them she loved them. Now it was too late, so it is important she pays respect at their graves. Charles said the relative said they were buried under a star fruit tree they planted and she knows which tree that was planted 20 years ago, same age as her.

Pause.

How old is Kwan? Early 20s? I thought maybe 32 until I remember tree was planted 20 years ago when she was born, as big as she is now? Only 20 or 20-ish?

Continue.

They see the tree but it is now inside a house compound and they knock on the gate to get permission to go inside but the servant refuses and it seems the house is occupied by westerners and we see a blond haired gwaipo with a German Sheperd dog chasing them away when she is told there are 2 dead bodies under the tree and with a grade E performance, the gwaipo declares “I BELIEVE IN JESUS!! I DON’T BELIEVE IN SUCH THINGS!!” and chased them away. I must say, I am charmed by this gwaipo actress.

Kwan almost in tears as she says “I found them, and yet I can’t pay my respect. I am such an unfilial daughter!” and Charles thinks of an idea and there they are burning hell money by the wall outside the compound and gwaipo rushes out and Charles says to gwaipo, disappointingly in Chinese “Madam, I see you dress like us and speaks like us, which shows of your respect and understanding of our culture and way of life. This young woman’s parents were buried underneath that tree, she did not have a chance to pay her last respect. I am sure you understand a Chinese saying, filial piety is above all. Please let her have that chance to be a filial daughter” and gwaipo looks touched and agrees.

Pause.

This woman can act very well I must say.

Continue.

And so Kwan says she owes Charles another thank you. But nope, she is not in love with him but I think Charles likes her.

Back at Chung mansion, Yvonne is not happy that she is not getting a chance to wear her dancing dress and dancing shoes since Yee Yin will get the glory. 1st wife walks in and basically demands Yvonne to teach her dancing, crammed herself into the dancing shoes, sprained her ankle and as she fell, Yvonne tried to get hold of her and fell heavily on her own arm. And so 1st wife twisted her ankle, Yvonne twisted or sprained her arm and Arthur wants to cancel the Shanghai trip (when in actual fact he doesn’t as he looks at Yee Yin who smiles and shook her head) and you will notice here how he defers to the 1st wife out of respect. The hierarchy system in Chung household is very very obvious; husband is the patriach, 1st wife is the matriach. He looks to her for approval of what he intends to do although I am sure if she disagrees he will find a way to get her to agree. Anyway here comes Jimmy to the rescue as he says “Father, you can’t cancel! You gave your word. You must be there. If not people will say you don’t honour your word!” and Charles agrees and finally everybody stays back including Yvonne as 1st wife demands she stays back to except for Charles, Yee Yin and Arthur and Arthur smiles and pats Jimmy’s arm as if to say “Well done son!” and he walks out with Yee Yin. Yvonne and 1st wife alone and Yvonne says “Sister, I only sprained my arm. Why won’t you let me go with husband? After all, I am on YOUR side” and 1st wife says “Exactly, and I expect my friend to accompany me” and both fret.

Ahhh simmering jealousy even amongst those with an uneasy pact of sisterhood.

SHANGHAI!

I think this scene was before the above.

Anyway Kwan is with Jess Sum’s Yee Lan, alternating between Shanghainese and Cantonese. Anyway Kwan happily tells Yee Lan what Arthur did and gave her and she says “When I expected help, he abandoned me. But when I needed his help the most, he gave it without question. One chess piece caught his attention. Sister, from the first moment I laid eyes on him, I know I have found the man I can rely on for the rest of my life. He is Chung Cheuk Man” and Yee Lan took a newspaper clipping with Arthur’s face on it and she asks “Him?” and Kwan says admiringly “Yes it is him. He gave me this present (the necklace) in a well thought out secret compartment of a gift box. But I never intended to keep this, I intend to return it. He is not an ordinary man. I must use different way to capture his heart, and keep it” and Yee Lan says “So you have decided to take up his offer” and Kwan says “Not without your blessing. I need you there too. The money will be enough for sifu and simou to retire but you’re my sister, we have sworn before the heavens, and so I must first have your blessing. Only if you agree to go to HK with me..” and Yee Lan smiles and says “Let’s pack for HK then” and Kwan smiles happily.

Pause.

Kwan is a different person when she is with Yee Lan, more girlish, more honest, almost like that with Charles but with Charles more serious. With Arthur though, she has to pretend. What good can come out of a relationship that is built on pretension? Anyway Charles have no chance now. Kwan has already eyed on Arthur and Arthur on her. And I never knew she was already attracted to him from the get go.Never had a clue. You just have to take a pinch of salt that Arthur is such a charismatic man, such a desirable man that any woman will fall for him. I mean Damien can be sexy and all but only 1 man fits that description but he is a bit young for this role; Bowie Lam. He may be butt ugly to some, but when he is on screen, when he turns on his sex appeal, he is TVB’s sexiest actor and he can play this animalistic sexy guy that coud throttle you whilst he kisses you passionately. He radiates power and sex appeal, like Daniel Craig. Just imagine Arthur that way and I think that’s what the script wants to tell us. Damien can be an effective flirty when he wants to be, and since he has a hand in rewriting the script I will suppose he adds the seduction scene, etc but is he that sort that radiates such sexual power? I let you decide.

Continue,

SHANGHAI!!!

Kwan sees Arthur in a car with Yee Yin. At the hotel she dresses in western clothing and panics when a gwaipo approaches her to ask where is the toilet in English when Charles comes to the rescue.

Pause.

Is there a point in showing Charles rescuing her so many times? That she doesn’t see that Charles is her 1 true love? One gesture of help from Arthur she goes crazy and poor Charles, so many times and yet she doesn’t see him. So in the end she sees him but realises it is too late? Where is this series heading??

Continue.

Kwan wants to see Arthur to discuss his offer, Charles says he can discuss on Arthur’s behalf but she insists on seeing Arthur and so Charles says she can only see him tomorrow at breakfast since he is now busy. Kwan, disappointed, agrees.

She walks out to the lobby and hears music and walks towards it and stands on the balcony above a room and below, a big empty ballroom with music and she looks and narrows her eyes in jealousy as she sees a beaming Arthur ballroom dancing with a smiling elegant Yee Yin.

Seriously, she has marked Yee Yin as her enemy from the first moment she saw her.

Ok, performance wise, other than the sudden attraction of Kwan to Arthur, everything seems ok and logical in its own logic. I have no further comments except for…

FUNN’S DAILY REPORT CARD FOR EPISODE 4:

Remember,

E = Exceed expectations meaning truly awesome
A = Acceptable
B = Boleh lar (in Malay for Ok lar or can do lar)
C = Ceh! (in ordinary speak, you can say same as meh! or just so-so which is lesser than boleh lar)
D = Dreadful meaning terrible
F = Fail, worse than dreadful but nowhere near…
EF = EPIC FAIL which is worse than F by the way, so worse it is the pinnacle of worse as in worst.

PERFORMANCES

Mostly A with Idy Chan a B so far because she has yet to be tested, but she is by far the most elegant.

WARDROBE
E for Idy Chan’s cheongsam, Elena’s everyday wardrobe (the red one is gorgeous) and Tavia’s wardrobe as well.

MAKE UP
Mostly D because still too thick except for Idy Chan’s makeup getting an A because she is the only one who looks like she is wearing minimal make up when we all know, she probably has 10 layers of BB cream on her. E for Elena’s super red lipstick.

HAIR
Mostly C except for Tavia’s hair which is D because too big, too much but Kenneth’s hair with that stupid side sweep and yet not side sweep gets an EF.

STORY
B so far.

KISSING
For passion, C. For intensity, C. For who is delivering and accepting the kisses, D for the man, B for the woman. For the overall feel, F. Makes me feel cold. They can seduce, dance, whatever, I did not feel the passion at all. More like just acting.

SETS
E for the outdoors, A for the indoors

DIRECTING
C because I have no idea where this is heading and if by episode 5 I still don’t know where it is heading it means this series is up for anything and that is bad for consistency

PACING
A. Not too slow, not too fast

EDITING
Between scene and scene and other scenes, a huge big EF. This is this series’ WORST aspect.

THEMESONG
First 4 listening, still an F. But I am sure by 10th episode I will be brainwashed into loving it.

BACKGROUND MUSIC
Bottled Passion this is NOT. All round EF, especially that hotel lobby music for the seduction scenes.

OVERALL FOR THIS EPISODE
B. I did enjoy it but not awed by it. Episode 3 would have gotten an A from me. But not this one.

This Episodic Thoughts was written by Funn Lim, a Contributing Writer at JayneStars.com, and was originally posted at http://silverspoonsterlingschackles.blogspot.com. 

• Episodic Thoughts: Silver Spoon, Sterling Shackles (Episode 1) 
• Episodic Thoughts: Silver Spoon, Sterling Shackles (Episode 2) 
• Episodic Thoughts: Silver Spoon, Sterling Shackles (Episode 3)