Episode 41: Imitation is the Insincerest Form of Flattery

Zhanalytics

Brooding Stare: 8

INtense Eye Contact:

Facial Twitch: 1

Fist Clench:

 

Okay, first things first: Butts, redux. The astoundingly talented Alyc Helms illustrated my epic rant from back in Episode 23. You can see it here at The Untamed Assessment. With bonus Lan Wangji. It is a thing of beauty. Or a succession of pairs of things of beauty, really. Go, read, enjoy, share. My random meanderings about Episode 41 of The Untamed will keep. 

 

Hold onto the joy of all those butts, 'cause this is going to get rough. 

 

Little Paper Man activates Empathy on Nie Mingjue's severed head. 

 

We flash back to Jin Guangyao back when he was just Meng Yao. And everybody picked on him. He looks so young here. So innocent. 

 

In the cave, the other disciples are talking shit about Meng Yao. Does Nie Mingjue shut them up? No, not right away. He gives Meng Yao time to really soak in the humiliation. 10/10 for giving these guys enough rope to hand themselves, but it would have been kinder to everyone involved to shut this all down faster. Well, there's a reason why he's Red Blade Master and not People Skills Master. 

 

See what you made Red Blade Master do? He broke the cave wall. I know the cave wall is styrofoam anyway, but that looked quite impressive. Nie Mingjue promotes Meng Yao to Vice General. 

 

Unfortunately, his Vice General is also a frigging psychopath. Who is talking to Xue Yang. Yeah, I didn't see this coming, but Meng Yao and Xue Yang are like two peas in a pod. They've both grown up being denied what they feel they deserve from the world. Xue Yang just did it with more squalor and poverty. 

 

Nie Mingjue is so badass. Surprisingly ineffectual, but badass. 

 

And see, Nie Mingjue gets mad when another man handles his sword. "How many times will Clan Leader Wen spank it until it's broken?" Uh, something got lost in translation there. 

 

I still think the sworn brother thing was a bad idea. If I had to guess, I'd bet it was Zewu Jun playing peacemaker, trying to smooth things over between Jin Guangyao and his former patron. It's like when geek social fallacies meet cultivation. 

 

Zewu Jun and Jin Guangyao are playing a duet together for Nie Mingjue. Guangyao! Stop undressing Zewu Jun with your eyes! We all do it, but we try to be discreet. 

 

Also, that cloud brocade pattern on Zewu Jun's outfit is so gorgeous that I nearly called Daniel into the room to see it. And to verify that I'm correct in calling it brocade. 

 

"What would you like to teach me then?" Dude, stop.

 

Ah, the Song of Clarity. Also known as the mating song of the Lan Clan. 

 

Wait, I think that's a different melody. What are you up to, Guangyao? Unless I'm greatly mistaken, he's playing the Song of Fucking Shit Up. 

 

"Nie Mingjue's temperament is getting worse. If you hadn't been playing the Song of Clarity for him every day..." Oh, Zewu Jun. 

 

Confrontation between Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao. Oh, Jin Guangyao is laying it all on the table now. This is totally his version of Xue Yang's speech about how his fingers got crushed while trying to get some candy, just several rungs up the socio-economic ladder. Also, Jin Guangyao is not the one who's going to die here. 

 

That was some kick. Nie Mingjue. Still badass. Still ineffective. 

 

Guangyao straightens that stupid hat. "It's time for the Song of Clarity."

 

"Didn't you notice any difference in the Song of Clarity played by me and that played by Lan Xichen?" Clearly, Nie Mingjue is not deeply musical. You could never pull that trick on Lan Zhan - he'd pull all the strings off your giqun. 

 

Mingjue is literally exploding in little gouts of blood. That is some serious qi disruption. 

 

Back in the present: The little paper man has been spotted. Oh no!

 

What's that the little paper man has found? That would be Suibian, wouldn't it? Little paper man manages to draw the sword! And then escapes! 

 

It's showdown time!

 

And Su She arrives. 

Episode 42: Nothing Good Ever Happens When It Rains

 Zhanalytics

Brooding Stares: 18

Intense Eye Contact: 5

Facial Twitch: 3

Fist Clench:

 

Jin Guangyao finally agrees to let our heroes into the secret chamber. "It's not as though there are some disreputable things in it." Uh, apart from the severed head and the imprisoned wife. 

 

Su She gets in a smirky comment about Master Mo's interest in Madam Jin. 

 

The severed head appears to be missing. There is a creepy-ass dagger that used to belong to Wen Ruohan. 

 

Oh, shit! Qin Su grabs the dagger and stabs herself. I don't think anyone was expecting that. Unless, Jin Guangyao was expecting that. Oh crap. That's a very convenient way of disposing of her without making him look culpable, isn't it? 

 

Jiang Cheng shows up and Zewu Jun explains the plot up to this point. 

 

Poor Nie Huaisang passes out. 

 

Jin Guangyao is shocked, shocked that Nie Mingjue's head was cut off. "Who in this world could have done such an insane act?" That would be...you? Or I guess that Xue Yang actually did the decapitation. 

 

Jin Guangyao wants to know how they knew about the secret chamber. Zewu Jun looks right at WWX. Don't take up poker, dude. 

 

Swords come out! And Wei Wuxian draws Suibian. Which kind of gives him away. 

 

Jin Ling doesn't want to believe it at first. Poor Jin Ling - one of the few people in the world to actually be nice to him is one of the people he's been brought up from birth to hate. 

 

And Wei Wuxian and Lan Zhan are running away. Holding hands. Well, Lan Zhan is holding Wei Wuxian's wrist. Right where he still has the scar from the fourth person Mo Xuanyu wanted him to kill. Ouchie. 

 

"Huanguang Jun was also fooled by you."

"Yes he was." Wei Wuxian's trying to give Lan Zhan a convenient out. 

"No, I knew he was Wei Ying all along"

 

Oh, that little smile on Lan Zhan's face. Huangang Jun is out of fucks. 

 

Lan Zhan: Shut up, babe, it's fighting time. 

 

And Jin Ling stabs Wei Wuxian. Not immediately fatally, apparently. However, it is now pouring rain, so it's bad. 

 

Blood splash on the camera lens!

 

Wei Wuxian wakes up in Cloud Recesses. 

 

Lan Zhan sees the open wound from the Sacrifice Summon. I bet it's Jin Guangyao who is the fourth person who needs to be killed. Yep, Lan Zhan confirms it. 

 

But who is their mysterious ally? "Do you think this person will be Jin Guangyao's lover?" Lan Zhan's like, "Nope!" He knows his big brother has no clue. 

 

Lan Zhan can't draw Suibian. It can really only be drawn by Wei Wuxian. 

 

Wei Wuxian finally realizes where he is. "What if your brother finds out?" Zewu Jun, "I found out already!" Zewu Jun has it all figured out, except for the most crucial part. 

 

Jin Guangyao has promised a full account. A truthful account would be nice, but I'm not betting on it. 

 

"Did you know that (Jin Guangyao's) Song of Clarity was taught by me personally?" Yes we know. So Wei Wuxian plays the melody for him. And Zewu Jun and Haunguang Jun tell him that one passage is wrong. Now, Zewu Jun is convinced that something is up. 

 

Oh, they're going to the Forbidden Chamber! Where they find that passage in the Collection of Turmoil.