The Double

I really enjoy this genre of entertainment, so wholesome and tells a story. The story lines were top notch, the writers did an amazing job with the dialogue!!! You have to watch it... no spoiler alerts here.😂🤣. Will there be a season two? Will there be a season three? I am honestly really impressed with this storyline, I am really trying not to give anything away, so I'm really being careful with my words. How the writers show both sides and how each seem to know what the other side is thinking is an excellent plot and writing technique. Hopefully, there will be more to this amazing story, please!

Jinyan Wu plays Xue Fang Fei who is betrayed by her husband and loses everything and is believed murdered. She is in fact alive and through luck meets many people who are kind and allow her to assume the identity of an important figure and she then not only seeks justice for the people but also plots revenge against her and her friends enemies. On this journey she meets Duke Su a close ally of the Emperor played by Xingyue Wang who initially uses her as a pawn in his intrigue but eventually grows to have feelings for her. It starts slowly as there are many characters to be introduced but soon picks up and is well written and I quickly moved on to the next episode to find out what happens. Overall a very enjoyable palace plot drama with excellent acting from the entire cast, particularly the lead actress.

Overall this period piece well reflected my understanding of that time period. Some fantasy elements which took away from the story (like people flying). Otherwise a story akin to Count of Monte Cristo done at a much larger scale and with far more depth.

Pros: beautiful sets and direction, attractive caste, superb acting, witty dialogue, good character development, and the story line moves along at a rapid pace.

Cons: not all plausible (as with most revenge plots at that scale) and some places extended to include side characters which detracts from the main story.

Highly recommend for those that like this genre and want to follow a complex revenge plot.

Although this is 40 episodes. I binge watched this until the end. The costumes. The story. The development of the characters. The chemistry between the actors. The script. The scenery. Also very nice capturing of the landschap. Thats why I love these kind of Asian drama's. They have such attention for details. Hollywood needs to learn from this.

The FL did an amazing job. I loved her whole journey. And she did do as she promised. Very smart. I love a strong FM.

They have pretty dramatic scenes but often switched with some lighthearted scenes. Like with her dramatically nephew of her banter with the Duke Su. So funny. I wished for more funny scenes. But I guess this drama is to serious and the themes are to serious for a lot of banter.

The character of the husband Shen keeps you guessing. His character was the hardest to understand. Just the depth of his personality. Just the why? I still don't understand. Is he good? Has he become bad? Does he really love her? But very entertaining.

Duke Su had also great character development. From cold to hot for Jiang Li. Love their story. I hate that they send him off " to fight" He is way to cunning and important to go fighting.

The end could have been better. But after 40 episodes I can only hope that Duke Su 'like always' keeps his promises.

I can't accept any other truth.

"The Double" (2024), currently streaming on Netflix, is a Chinese historical drama about a path of double revenge. Xue Fang Fei, the daughter of a county magistrate, takes on the identity of her savior, Jiang Li, who suffered a painful death. Both lost everything to politics, one was buried alive by her husband and the other was abandoned. Shortly after Li's death, Fang Fei's mission becomes personal - aimed at double revenge for herself and Li. But over the course of 40-episodes, the series evolves into a much more selfless battle as Fang Fei slowly, and unwittingly, uncovers greater injustices through the silencing of communities, some by economic means and some through war. She then becomes the vehicle by which to challenge the political system, which she can now do because she's assumed the identity of a high-ranking official's daughter, and provide for them a better life. Besides being complex, the show is also brilliant in its storytelling and visually stunning, from its cinematography, to set design, to vibrant costumes and accessories. One of the coolest - and most unique aspects - of the series is its homage to ancient Chinese opera, integrated throughout the series as Fang Fei and her polished foil (and soon-to-be love interest) Duke Su Xiao Heng, reverse roles from participants to spectators.