Edited 3/31/2014 thoughts on epi31-32

related post: real time reporting of epi 31-32

A hug would be good; but overall when I re-watched the dl video in its entirely I'm actually quite satisfied with this ending but I do understand the disgruntled pov for this non closure open ending to SSBB's story.  Also, who is the real property protector in the end?

Since Sun Dak is a water village, the river is an integral part of the villagers' lives. In the last scene just how significant the river affects the villagers' lives is dramatically shown. Because Sun Dak is Producer Leung's ancestral hometown, filming SIAC was very meaningful to him as evidenced by how much heart he had put into to make it his own and also as a tribute to his old hometown. Indeed SIAC was a labor of love for Producer Leung.

The flooding of the town is symbolic and full of imagery to me. In the beginning Ka Yeung is said to have being ‘initiated’ by the flames of war transforming him from a naïve and idealistic young man to a cynical, weary and worldly man who has been through hellish life and death situations, and has seen the dark side of humans. To avenge his father's death he betrayed the trust of his beloved wife – a trust once broken hard to repair to its original state - a foundation imperative for a successful marriage.  Given BB's stubbornness and sense of righteousness, SS's betrayal will be forever a thorn in her heart no matter how deep her love is for SS.  The fact that BB came back home despite the danger to herself says she has forgiven SS for his deception, but the thorn remained inside her, so without the flood there the lingering doubt and hurt stay, never going away completely.

But in an instant the flood washes all that doubt and betrayal hurt away when the waters washed SS away from her sight, not once but twice. Symbolically, can be said that Ka Yeung is being ‘baptized’, or cleansed if you will,  by the water. When next they meet, symbolically Ka Yeung starts afresh, his betrayal of trust completely and unconditionally forgiven by BB – a new chapter for BB and SS to start all over again because the BB now knows beyond doubt that nothing is more important than having SS back in her life again. Their song has jolted Ka Yeung’s memory, and I believe before too long SS’s stimulated memory will come back in full. SS’s fresh as spring quizzical smile promises it.


Most importantly, this ending confirmed that though BB's fate may be too strong for other men - be they husband or father, that's why they got annihilated by being with her, but not Ka Yeung -- like he said her fate may be strong but his is stronger because he has lived while others  became corpses.  And indeed, Ka Yeung not only survived but he comes home to BB - it is a miracle in itself and in totally breaking the 'curse' of BB bringing bad fortune/death to her men. 

How else for Ka Yeung to regain BB's trust?
How else to break BB's hard fate curse?
Of course, I wanted that hug --- darn it, so stingy!

EDITED: My above commentary is all well and good a pragmatic view of the ending but as an emotionally attached viewer, I find the ending felt short of of my emotional expectation. How hard was to give Stevia fans a concrete happy ending/closure? I'd rather have the alternative ending(s) proposed by the audience.  So there BBSS are on the rooftop, and the after their harrowing escape, fast forward to the 4 years with the Ka Yeung as the property protector with his happy family of 3, and his extended. Now how hard was that? 

ETA:  TC's  comment board March 31, 2014 at 12:24 PM

I also think it's fitting that SS returns in time for the "lui jo daan" celebration, which circles back to the very first episode when SS returns to the Poon village after leaving the army. It was that very celebration where SS first meets BB. I also like how BB discovers SS on the bridge that officially brought them together (in episode 21? and again in episode 24 where he found her on the boat). Did anyone noticed that it rains in EVERY episode (practically)? The rain is also symbolic to both SS and BB, as the rain brought them together as well (in addition to the "lok yu dai" song) - in a number of occasions they ran from the rain together, or have met up under some covering while escaping the rain, and they officially got together when they escaped the rain and sat on a boat under the bridge. While the rain and rushing waters parted them in the finale, the rain and the rain song helped SS to regain his memory. Even the song "Heaven's Will" talks about rain and weather. It all fits together in the end. I agree that it was the rain/waters that "cleansed" SS of all he has done (rightly or wrongly, depending on one's perception) and aids in bringing SS and BB together to begin a new relationship together.

ETA: Tamaya to TC

It truly echoes my own feeling too.  Yes, I caught that Lui Jo Daan festival coincidence too, and the rain and water. That was a bit of a comedic relief when Ka Yeung is about to jump off the bridge on the boat that he thought BB was in. lol! But yeah, the double hard knocks on the head is also an allegory that Ka Yeung's strong fate can withstand BB's hard fate .  Maybe all this stuff would translate better in a book than on tv where audiences just wanted Stevia to have their long deserving in-your-face-no doubt-about it happy ending. We don't want any second guesses as to whether Ka Yeung's full memory would return or not and for those of us who are certain Ka Yeung's full memory has return we want the concrete evidence of that -- yep we want the full visual imagery of him recognizing BB and calling her name loud and of hugging her and their son. In other words, audiences don't want to intellectually dissect the ending, we want our clear-cut emotional happy ending - for once.  From the first day of their on location filming in Shunde, Steven in his weibo had been bemoaning the constant raining for days greatly affecting the filming progress. 

Producer Leung’s news report on Steven.
“He has his own personal viewpoint and creativity. One day, when filming this series, the director, Ma Jai and I were watching the surging waters in the river, just within three minutes we conceived a seeking-refuge-in-a-raging-river vision. These shots, whether filming or acting, were extremely difficulty to do but Ma Jai without so much as a word jumped into the river. He and I were already on the same wavelength, as soon as we said it we could immediately visualize the scene. I like thespians who take their work seriously. I like that Ma Jai has fire in his belly; only then will there be a fighting spirit, only then will there be creativity.”

---- below are sreencaps of the flood- the top left is from Steven's weibo------