Chasing Dramas

The Empress Nala takes a swing at the Empress Dowager by exposing to the Emperor that the Empress Dowager is not his actual birth mother, but instead the woman who killed his birth mother to claim him as her own. It doesn't look good for the Empress Dowager but then we are reminded that she is the cunning and intelligent Zhen Huan who won't be taken down so easily. Even Ying Luo has to learn a few things from the Empress Dowager.

In our latest In the Know podcast episode, Cathy congratulates Michelle Yeoh on her well deserved Oscar win. Fan Bing Bing also turned heads on the Oscar red carpet! Then we discuss the Top 20 apps in China to provide some context for the social media landscape in the country.

The Emperor is angry at Wei Ying Luo for killing Er Qing but was about to make amends with her until he learns another one of her hidden secrets. She has been taking a contraceptive tonic. Feeling betrayed, the Emperor concludes that the only reason why Wei Ying Luo entered the palace was to enact revenge for the late Empress. Wei Ying Luo does not deny this and essentially becomes forgotten in the palace. She rightly deduces that it was her adoptive brother Yuan Chun Wang who betrayed her and informed the Empress of her actions. With Wei Ying Luo forgotten, the Empress now successfully captures the attention of the Emperor. 

Chinese celebrities hit up Milan and Paris fashion week with Xiao Zhan gaining plenty of praise for his looks and marketability at various shows. Karen and Cathy discuss their favorite celebrity looks and those with fashion faux pas. Elsewhere, many eyebrows were raised after high quality behind the scenes video of Zhao Lu Si and Wu Lei's interaction on horseback during the filming of Love Like the Galaxy. Zhao Lu Si was heard cussing up a storm at Wu Lei and hitting him repeatedly after she was startled during filming. 

In episode 54, Wei Ying Luo finally discovers the full betrayal from Er Qing and the Emperor. Er Qing, trying to save herself from banishment from the Fucha family, tries to plead her case to the Emperor but to no avail. Wei Ying Luo decides to act enact revenge on Er Qing. During the Silkworm Ceremony, she summons Er Qing who confesses to all of her crimes. Wei Ying Luo orders the death of Er Qing, finally ridding us of one of the most despicable characters in the drama. However who was Er Qing in history and what about all the rumors with her and her son Fu Kang An? Listen to our latest podcast episode to find out!

Fantasy dramas The Starry Love and The Journey of Chong Zi are currently battling it out for viewership and ratings. Meanwhile Justice in the Dark drops 8 episodes and then goes silent. This raises questions as to whether or not similar themed dramas with primarily male centric leads and homosexual undertones will make a resurgence in the Chinese dramas.  Karen and Cathy discuss a few other additional Chinese dramas to have on your radar for March 2023

In episode 53, the Emperor and Wei Ying Luo must resolve their outstanding issues regarding the death of Noble Consort Chun. While the Emperor believes that Ying Luo played no part in her death, he nonetheless wishes that she showed more initiative. The Empress and Empress Dowager are locked in a power struggle on who will lead the silkworm ceremony. A role traditionally reserved for the Empress, the Empress Dowager wants to punish the Empress and her clan for their role in the Empress's father's death. The Empress comes out victorious and will lead to another death in the near future.

Karen and Cathy provide their review of the 14 episode Ming Dynasty era drama ,Under the Microscope - 显微镜下的大明之丝绢案 starring Zhang Ruo Yun, Qi Wei, Wang Yang and Fei Qi Ming. A fun and beautifully shot drama with superb acting, it does suffer from some pacing issues but is overall an entertaining watch. 

Ying Luo is accused of poisoning the 5th prince when in reality, it was another plot by both Consort Yu and Noble Consort Chun. The angered Emperor orders a thorough investigation only for the Empress Nala to uncover more disturbing news. The late Empress's son, the 7th prince, was killed by Noble Consort Chun.  She is demoted and banished to the Cold Palace but ultimately meets her end due to the Empress. Meanwhile, Ying Luo discovers that Noble Consort Chun's downfall was entirely orchestrated by Consort Yu as a way to repay her and the late Empress for their kindness in saving her son. She is banished from the palace but leaves the 5th prince in Ying Luo's care. 

Valentines Day was rocky for 2 celebrities. Arthur Chen had photos of him in bed with a social media influencer exposed by the paparazzi, fully destroying his innocent boy image and potentially destroying his career. His team is working overtime to save his image. Meanwhile, Johnny Huang's ex-wife exposed that he had an affair with another celebrity while they were married. Listen to our latest In the Know podcast episode for all the juicy gossip!