Tuesday, February 18, 2014

snapshot thoughts on episode 2

The core of this 2nd episode is of course the unexpected 'suicide' of Hau Yee. The highlight of this episode is the different reactions towards Hau Yee's sudden death -shock, disbelief, tears to stupefied and numbed calmness, and of course fainting in different ways. How does one react to a loved one's sudden and unexpected death? Won't know until it actually happens. And so the story begins with the mysterious death of Hau Yee, she who in life was so strong, so competent and so superior in every aspect and bigger than life that most people around her feel inferior, and intimidated by her domineering personality; some even hated her with a passion, but enough to kill her? And of course some also loved her.

Unsurprisingly, guilt without exception tormented the surviving family members of a suicide victim -- pondering the 'why' and 'if only'. In addition to his immense guilt and the 'evidence of her suicide' notwithstanding  Ka Yeung has this overwhelming gut feeling that Hau Yee did not kill herself.  He knew her too well through her letters to him over five years.  Is his gut feeling right or is he just in denial of her suicide? His beautiful strong, competent and proud sister - would someone of her superior caliber and strong personality take her own life over a scum of a philandering husband just because she could not face public shame over her husband divorcing her - a husband she had every intention of kicking out of her family?

Ka Hin is guilt ridden too but not as broken up as Ka Yeung. But it is suspicious that it's him who planted the seed of guilt into Ka Yeung's mind that his homecoming is what pushed Hau Yee to finally take her life because now she had him to take over the reins of the family business from her so she could die with a clear conscience.  However, before the seed takes root, plucky Bing Bing plucks that idea right out of Ka Yeung's mind, so sure is she that Hau Yee's death is no suicide but foul play. Putting together what Bing Bing tells him of Hau Yee's relationship with her husband, plus Hau Yee's letters plus his own medical knowledge, Ka Yeung now dismisses Hau Yee's death as suicide and begins to stealthily investigate the cause of her death.

Obviously youngest brother, Ka Sheng is also guilt ridden plus he has this inexplicable fear in him over Hau Yee's death - why? Did he have something to do with her death?

And then there are the heartbroken parents -- seeing their black-haired child preceding them to pass over to the netherworld.

The two men who have loved her deal with their sorrow differently.
Lover: distant relative-her aunt's nephew (Kwok Leong)
Childhood friend -- Bing Bing's older brother (Cin Gan)

And for Bing Bing she is filled with a deep sorrow but her sadness quickly turns to anger when she finds out that the Pang family's cover up of her benefactress' death.

In contrast to sorrow there is elation from the 2nd Uncle -- he is poised to grab power spot left vacant by Hau Yee's death.

In the face of sudden death -- people's reactions are the most real - or is it? Is her murderer among these people?

Suspects:
Her missing husband
Her elder brother
Her 2nd uncle
Her lover Kwok Leong
Sin Bik Wan
Cin Gan

Business rival Cheng Lo Ban

The long anticipated interaction between Bing Bing and Ka Yeung -- Bing Bing is an 1950s atypical female worker in that she is very blunt in how she speaks to Ka Yeung -- displaying none of the female or subordinate subservience to the young master.  In this one chance encounter she is absolutely insolent toward Ka Yeung when she snorts at him and flounces out of the room when he orders her out of the room.

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