Lost in Lualand

Hi, and welcome back to the Guardian drama Slo-Mo Rewatch. Watch half an episode a week, at your leisure, and then come and chat about it here in comments. Or you can just jump into the comments without rewatching, of course!

Here are the previous weeks' rewatch posts.

Episode 11, up to 22:22

Summary
In the flashbacks, Sang Zan becomes despotic and nihilistic after Ge Lan's death. Eventually the villagers turns on him, and he laughs bitterly as the Awl activates and empillars him. In the present-day caves, Zhao Yunlan and the Envoy try to free Wang Zheng, and Zhu Jiu appears. Fighty McFight. The pillar is split and Sang Zan comes out to fight when the Envoy is pushed back. Zhu Jiu disintegrates Sang Zan's energy body. Zhao Yunlan shoots Zhu Jiu. The Envoy draws the Awl out of the pillar, and Zhu Jiu flees, thwarted. Wang Zheng kneels to the Envoy, begging him to reconstitute Sang Zan. Meanwhile, outside, Chu Shuzhi and Guo Changcheng are fighting youchu. They go to find the others, and Zhao Yunlan introduces Sang Zan as the new SID archive manager. Back at the hotel, Zhao Yunlan finds Zhu Hong sleeping at the table. She seems disorientated and reacts strangely when Zhao Yunlan asks after Shen Wei. Shen Wei appears upstairs, smiling in apparent relief that Zhao Yunlan et al are back. After a moment's hesitation, Zhao Yunlan smiles back. The SID and the field trip party drink with the village head and Lang-ge. Shen Wei, seeing Zhao Yunlan's growing bodily discomfort, snatches the drink from his hand under the guise of making a toast. After Shen Wei drinks, he falls unconscious. Zhao Yunlan puts him to bed with an IV, stares at him for a while, and then notices the stinky youchu blood smell on his jacket and does the math. The next morning, Shen Wei wakes to a note saying that Zhao Yunlan et al have returned to the city. We get the events of yesterday from Shen Wei's POV -- venturing out, killing youchu, and saving Zhao Yunlan in the caves -- and then Jiajia and Xiao-Quan come in to check on their professor.



Quote
The Envoy: They held tightly to the person dearest to their heart, not abandoning each other whether in life or death.

Detail
I always forget about Sang Zan's energy body being disbursed by Zhu Jiu, maybe because we don't see his reconstitution on screen. I think this second death and resurrection only further emphasises that death isn't a permanent, insurmountable obstacle in the world of the show. ♥

Questions
Do you have a stand-out favourite scene or quote from the first half of episode 11?

ZYL: If my loved one was killed by those people, killed by the system that I had built, it's very likely I'd hate these people more than I would hate the former tribe leader.
Envoy: That's right. Even if they're cut into a myriad of pieces, the hatred would be hard to dissolve.

Any theories about what personal experience these two are drawing on when they say this? (Neither of them seem driven by hatred to me.)

How did Da Qing know about energy beings? Do you think Wang Zheng is really sure the Envoy can save Sang Zan, or is it just desperation that drives her to her knees? Does Guo Changcheng feel worse about zapping Zhao Yunlan last episode or Chu Shuzhi in this episode? What does Zhao Yunlan think when he finds Zhu Hong asleep at the hotel and she reacts so strongly to Shen Wei's name? How perfect is the drinking scene? And the putting-to-bed scene? ♥ ♥ ♥ In the flashbacks, how did Shen Wei know Zhao Yunlan was in danger in the caves? Do you have any theories about the power in his note that repelled the youchu?

Did you see any parallels in these scenes with other parts of the drama? If you're familiar with the novel, any thoughts about how the drama adaptation compares, if at all?

(As usual, these are all just conversation starters - feel free to answer all, some, or none, and to say as much or as little as you like! You don't have to be keeping up with the rewatch to join in. We'd love to hear your thoughts!)

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