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TV Series Genre: Modern/ Drama/ Cop/ Action/ Gang-related
Stars: 4/5
Characters/Cast List & Analysis:
Alex Fong Man Chung - Phung Chi Vi/ Chin Gia
His character seems good and quite smart at the beginning, but through trials of misfortune brought by Yoyo's character towards his life, he turns into a quite different guy. His world tumbles and he becomes aggressive and doesn't seem to care for anyone anymore.
Yoyo Mung - Banh Hue
I really like Yoyo after watching Good Against Evil and The W Files, but this is one of my least favorite character of her. Her character in here just kills it. But I have to give some credits to her for portraying such an annoying character so well. I will talk about her character later in other sections since I don't want to over-lap between topics much.
Kevin Cheng - Huynh Gia Huy/ Vincent
Besides from Moses, he's the other reason I actually want to watch this series. (Yes, obsessed with him around that time so had to watch most of the series he's in.) His character is really hard-working and self-driven. He rather use his time to solve crimes than stay out of the game, wondering what will happen next. He knows that he has brain cancer but is still stubborn to follow through with the case because he has been on it for so long that he doesn't want to let it go. Many could see that he's so into his work and not care about people around him, but he's the kind of guy that cares more about the bigger picture - like stopping crime so citizens could live in peace - than just making himself happy. It's like if other people are happy and living their life, he sees it that his mission is fulfilled and feels good about himself too. At the beginning, he told Mandy's character, Maggie, that he has his own rule in love and when Fiona (Vicky) broke it, she's out of the game. He seems tough and not really care about others enough or deserves them, but later on we know that he does care more than he meant. His feelings towards Mandy later reveals more about his love for others. There's a definite change when he feels that there's hope for other things because he told Mandy to wait, etc. He also cares about his co-workers, like the part Chris is stuck with the bomb and he goes right in and sit next to Chris while others are trying to get it off. There's no doubt about his bravery either.
Mandy Cho - Maggie
Mandy's first series and she gets bashes like crazy. Typical enough since every Miss HK will get it since they always get to be in series which pisses everyone off immensively. However, I thought she wasn't that bad. It's her first series after all. Just 'cause she looks plain and doesn't stand out like Bernice Liu (and she didn't improve until like recent series and no one complained), she gets the blame. To look at it in a different way, her character has limited appearance and all the time that she appears, it doesn't give much chance for her to do the acting, except for the part where she went into Kevin's cell to see him. I think the script-writer put her character in the background on purpose because everyone else was considered the "mole", except her because her character seem so subtle and unimportant.
Patrick Tam - Duong Khoi Dong
His character has a multi-layer aspect to it since he is tore between friendships with Johnson Lee (Panda) and the duty he has to fulfill for Moses (at the beginning) and Kevin (later on). He seems least convncing than Sam when going undercover since he's easily affected by his emotions rather than focusing on the goal like Sam. He feels guilty everytime a cop was killed or when a gang member is caught. He can't seem to make up his mind because he has been in this too deep. I like his friendship between him and Moses though because at first he doesn't really trust Moses but later he feels that he can risk his life for a person like Moses going undercover. One of the saddest and memorable moments is when he found out Moses is dead and he has a little memorial service for Moses, thinking back when they first met and how they worked together. I never doubted his acting and thought that he did a great job also in here since I watched him a long time ago with Noel Leung in various series.
Claire Yiu - Ky
Can't really say much about her character although she appears a lot in this series. I can't say I like or hate her. But I think her character is essential to the plot, making Patrick's character even more convincing. She can't be categorizes as good or bad because she's just doing everything she can to protect the ones she loves, Patrick and her daughter.
Johnson Lee - Panda Bear
His character is very brave and loyal to his friends. He's willing to stand up for his friends and isn't afraid of getting beat up. He's very determined in his goal and won't change his mind about his decisions. He takes it into his own hand to bring Patrick back to Claire. His acts are sefless and very memorable. His strong urge to defend Patrick and helps Patrick reunites with Claire causes his death, but he has no regret of what he did. Johnson is a very good actor. It's known that he's being promoted by TVB and one of their smart decisions because he really has potential. His roles are - fortunately - far different from one to the next than most actors and actresses, which gives him plenty of opportunity to try on new roles.
Moses Chan - Luc Vu Quoc
He only appears first couple tapes in the series but I really like his character. He could be serious, really into his work, and shows his care for the society by putting bad guys away. On the other hand he could be funny and laid back too. Moses did a good despite the limited time he had for this role. He was the one of the main reasons that I actually rented this series but couldn't believe that he died so fast. I think that even though he & Marco's character are regarded as "enemies" due to their standing point in society but he really treats Marco as his best friend. He was really lenient on Marco and his father due to their friendship. If it were for Moses' boss and other police officers' pressures, he wouldn't have confronted Marco, leading to his death.
Marco Ngai - The leader of the most powerful gang in Hong Kong
Marco seem to be everyone's favorite person despite the fact that he is the bad guy. I think that I sympathize with him that he really have no choice but follow his father's wish and it's the only way to go in order to survive, but there's some other side I don't really like about him. I totally dis-like when he killed Moses. I know people are jumping up and saying that, "Well, he had to do it because Moses threatened to go after his father!" but was their friendship nothing? At least he can throw Moses off the lead to where his father is or do other things to prevent it from happening. Probably their friendship meant nothing to him at all, that was why it was easy for him to just shoot Moses after his father gave him the command. He just went "bang", no regret or whatesoever. About the issue with Yoyo's character - everyone blames Yoyo for the whole thing - but I think that it's his choice to choose her, not totally her fault (although I don't like her character either). He did chose to keep her although she wants to kill him. Hello! He has to live with the consequences or die is more like the ending for him.
Luu Giang - Marco's dad & Chatchai's godfather
My first image of him was again he's playing the bad guy, nothing special. But what I like the most was that near the end when he's turning good again, his face actually showed regret and peace that he finally got it. It was a strong point for him since he failed to look like the "good guy" image although he played good guys before. Talking about his character, he doesn't seem to care about anyone and is hateful towards Cao Hung, although the man didn't do anything to him. However, it was very touching that he actually went back to Hong Kong because he thought they were going to kill Sam. It seems at times that he loves Sam as a son more than Marco's character.
Sririta Jensen - Rita
She's ok for her role since she's a guest star? But her character is quite likeable in general. I like it that she wears the white outfit for the majority of the show and then later the light blue one - it sorta give her the "angelic" appearance.
Chatchai Plengpanich - Sam
He's one of my favorite characters in here even though he seems so mean and cruel but his other side is so good. He has to do whatever to secure his position in the undercover position. However, he has a good heart to help his fellow police officer when he can, especially with Alex's character - although it seems a mistake. I thought that it's really cute that he kept eating at this one little shop out in the street because he likes this girl.
Fiona Yuen - Luong Tuyet Linh/ Vicky
I think she's pretty good. Her character seemed strong and tough, but she has a soft side, like the part where Kevin asked her to help him. She was really determined and didn't want to break the rules, but she considered later and actually came back to help him.
Cao Hung - Vuong Chan Duong
He was presented as the model of police for all the younger generation of cops in this series. It seemed too good to be true and there were some doubts about him later as the series progress, but he holds out true that he's really good. No doubt about Cao Hung's acting since he's a senior actor.
Miki Yeung - Phung My Han
She's cute in here. Too bad she died. Probably it was essential in order for Alex's character to go crazy later. Since he has no one else to take care of or keep him down from doing other dangerous stuffs, he became ruthless and uncontrollable.
Mark Kwok - One of the departments' head person
Just a minor character but his acting isn't much different from previous.
Hui Siu Hung - Alex's cop friend in the beginning
Can't believe he's the inside guy in here. Watching him play good guy for quite a time now that I forget he used to play bad guys. (lol)
Summary:
A police unit is given 30 days to solve a case that involves finding enough evidence to arrest a major gang in Hong Kong. During those 30 days, some cops work hard to get the criminals, but others have other problems to take care of. The undercover cops are having doubts with their purpose and are tore between their duty and friendship with the people they come into contact with in the gang, causing it harder because they risk betrayal of both sides. This series also brought out what a cop could go through when he lost everything he has and what he would do, even killing friends.
Opinions:
I thought this series was very good overall. I know a lot of you probably are dropping your jaws down or wondering if I'm crazy. Yes, there are annoying parts in the series and people wonder why TVB go ahead and made this series in the first place. I think it brought up some good points and the cruel world itself revolving around the gangs.
I want to add that I really like the music for this series also, both the main theme and the subthemes. I like how they didn't have a vocal song like other series, but just have the instrumental for the opening, making the series more intense and complex. I like the Thai background music too. It's so good. What's so funny is that I don't like Alex or Yoyo's character, but I like the song that was playing throughout the series when they're missing each other or thinking about each other or something. I think it's called Heaven Knows by Rick Price. I also like Moon River by Andy Williams.
Recommendations:
If you are willing to watch this series without expecting it to be a happy ending with a "bow tie" like a gift waiting for someone to open it, then you can watch it. But if you expect it that way, then you can skip it. 'Cause this series it going to be one of those intense cop series where a lot of people die and harsh things happen, followed by consequences that could be predictable or not. If you don't like any of the main cast either, you shouldn't watch either. I don't think this series really have a main cast although they listed one to give the audience an answer. I think that these characters are just going into contact with each other due to their duties or by chance. It's also about cruel, harsh life of gang members and others who are changed when they come into contact with it. I really recommend also that you read d3bbie's review from SPCNET to see if you want to see the series since it's a very good review in that this person brought up a lot of good points and analyze it very thoroughly: http://www.spcnet.tv/reviews/review.php?rID=852.
Bonus Section:
Couples:
Alex Fong & Yoyo Mung
I haven't seen the other series that people were talking about where they're together like this one, but in this series - their charcters really matched since they both became so selfish and annoying. But as actors and actresses, I think they don't really match, she matches more with Gallen Lo or Deric Wan. Other than that, I think it's funny how they don't get along very much off-screen.
Kevin Cheng & Mandy Cho
Man, gotta give TVB credits for putting this two together in this series. They really match. I'm super biased and obsessed so I'll say that they match even more than he and Nikki because I couldn't imagine he and Nikki together. It's convincing how they went from co-workers to what seems to be enemies - since she's the mole - to lovers (figuratively most of the time 'cause they don't have much time together). This is one of those times I wish they have another series together.
Patrick Tam & Claire Yiu
Seriously, they don't really match but they could pass off as a couple in the stage he's in. But I have to clarify that he does love her but is afraid he won't bring her happiness or be back alive after the case so he doesn't want to give her false hope, etc. Sometimes I think that Claire adds to the burden of guilt that Patrick feels throughout the series, like the part where she knew he's a cop but framed two of the gang members, causing others to think that they're the mole. Although she's trying to protect him because she loves him, but it made him feel that he caused their death indirectly. It's such a tragic scene when he learns that he caused his own daughter's death.
Friendships:
Alex Fong & Hui Siu Hung
They seem to be good friends and Hui Siu Hung's the only one that Alex could trust in the beginning, but he was disappointed later and was betrayed.
Alex Fong & Chatchai Plengpanich
The ironic part of this friendship is that Alex's the betrayer party between the two of them. He betrayed his trust, thus ending the guy's life too. Sam is really nice to him and always manages to help him - indirectly - throughout the times that they came in contact with each other but Alex never thought of returning the guy a favor nor treat him like a real friend. Sam even told Alex about the girl he liked and Alex didn't think of the secrets they shared and that Sam would want to live with the girl he loves too. Probably Alex's way too far into his trance to realize who's friends and enemies but it seemed very frustrating.
Patrick Tam & Moses Chan
They shared a very strong bond although Moses died early in the series. Moses actually understands Patrick and his feelings throughout the time that he's undercover and encourages him to go on. Moses actually understands Patrick and cares for him like a friend, not acting like his superior. The scene where Patrick had a little memorial for Moses showed their friendship. Patrick was at lost and felt that he's on his own now, knowing that there won't be a friend like Moses ever again. At least not in the way of companionship between two cops in different positions such as them.
Patrick Tam & Kevin Cheng
At the beginning, they don't really get along since Kevin has a lot of rules and act like he's Patrick's superior. Patrick's still sad about Moses' death and feels that Kevin can't be in charge of him. However, as time progresses, they understand each other a bit more - through trials and errors, misunderstandings, etc. At the end where Kevin risks his life to go in and saves Patrick - unsucessfully - but it still shows that Kevin's brave enough to go into the house alone. Of course he's going to die soon because of his brain cancer, but I thought he's still brave that he won't be scared to lose couple days before his death time. The part where he helps Patrick out of the house, putting one of Patrick's hand over his shoulder and guiding him out, that's like their companionship at that time. They're like finally at the same level.
Patrick Tam & Johnson Lee
Their friendship is very solid and clear. There isn't doubt about this two. Betrayal is not a factor at all between them - but it does rise up during of Patrick's conflicting moments of thinking of himself as a cop or gang member. Their friendship is very strong, but Johnson sacrifies more for Patrick than Patrick does for him, which causes most of Patrick's guilt about his duty as a cop. Johnson's death creates even more guilt within Patrick, which is another factor playing into Patrick's death.
Claire Yiu & Sririta Jensen
Although they're love rivals, but they get along pretty well. It's rare that love rivals get along like that. But I guess in a time when Patrick's trying to cope with his daughter's death, they couldn't argue. They're just there to help him whenever they can. It's also rare to see that Rita doesn't try to find a way to arrest Ky so she could have Patrick to herself. (Yea, those stuffs probably happened in other series but I guess Alex & Yoyo are enough already, they don't need more dramas.)
*Note*: I don't want to list all my favorite scenes in here like other reviews I did. One reason is because I no longer remember all my favorite parts. The other reason is because I like the series in general and thought each part was good in the way it was portrayed. But I'm going to put the Least Favorite Scenes section in since there are parts that ticks me off beyond livid. Other than that, most of the characters that I give positive comments to, I like to watch in general.
Least Favorite Scenes (Annoying/ Frustrating/ Dragging):
Debates:
Why did TVB chose such annoying and dumb main characters like Alex Fong and Yoyo Mung's characters?
Honestly, I don't think they're the main characters although TVB said so. I think this whole series' trying to reflect real life events and doesn't really focus on one character. That's why there are like other major characters like Kevin, Patrick, and many more. It shows that they're all in this together, not just one or two heroes. You can't really tell who's good for real or bad all the way. It's just life. You can never tell or put a label on anyone and expects them to stay that way forever. Life changes, things changes, people change also. But if they are the main characters like TVB said, it probably is intended to throw us off the trail, thinking that they're the good people.
Why didn't Chatchai (Sam) call anyone when he was shot by Alex?
Simple. Although Alex's character betrayed him but he still treats Alex as a friend and he really pity Alex for turning into such a man. He also feels that all the cops that he known or went undercover with has died and that he feels guilty for living like that. Although he's stronger than Patrick's character but it's hard after all the times seeing so much death. He also feels that he betrayed his godfather's trust, causing him to almost get caught - although that was the whole point of going undercover - but he feels wrong that his godfather has been so good to him. The only one thing that he really want to do at that time is to fulfill his wish in buying flower for the one he loves. It was a heart-breaking moment for him since he did confessed his love - only a bit, but it's there - but was unable to bring flowers to her.
Why didn't Patrick go to the hospital and get cure before he runs to Claire?
Again, his guilt was so strong that he didn't want to live anymore, after all the deaths he caused - directly and indirectly. The biggest guilt was his daughter's death. He gone through so much for the case, which broke him down completely. At the last moment, he knew that he lied or never really kept his promise to Claire everytime he said he would do it - so he tried to prove to Claire one last time that he really loves her and meant what he said.
It's a bad series because everyone dies at the end.
I disagree because duty of a cop isn't just easy and simple like most of us laugh about "cops and doughnut" or cops only think about themselves. The danger increases above normal level when there are undercover involved, especially in a gang. It's not unusual for a cop like Alex's character to turn bad either. Although I do agree that the killing of Kevin's character by giving him brain cancer is quite unreasonable. It explains the tragic part of it, but it doesn't seem reasonable to let his character die. I was very mad already that Moses died but it was reasonable enough since he was involved with a gang leader and that he died in honor because of his duty. But Kevin could have live in the end if it weren't for his brain cancer. However, it doesn't make this series suck. It just portrays the harsh, cold reality that every one of us wants to avoid as much as possible, especially in a series or movie. We all want happy endings but it's not always the case.
This series sucks because it's a cheap copy and/or rip-off of Infernal Affairs.
Wow! This is just childish. Sorry to those who really think it that way. If you think so, then every cop movies or series is just copying off other or something? 'Cause seriously, how else would you approach a cop drama? I never watched Infernal Affairs before but I just want to say it based on general series or movies that has to do with cops. If it's really like Infernal Affairs, then the movie must suck a lot. If it's just borrowing the idea and makes the whole story sucks, then ok - whatever. But in general, most cop dramas have the same pattern. It could go one way or the other way in the end. This series chose to approach it different and that's that. I heard someone said that it's a copy because of the "good cop/ bad cop" idea, then you people must not watch a lot of cop dramas. 'Cause cops use the good cop/ bad cop things all the time. Plus the theme about you don't really know who's really good or bad goes on forever so you can't just say who's copying who. I'm making a weak and hopeless argument? Then just leave it at that because this is just my own debate or understanding about this whole thing. You disagree, go ahead, I'm not controlling your life. I'm just making a point. Hard to say "Peace" to everyone now since the majority just hates this series too much to agree with me. But I just want to say it in support of peace that this is just a series and hope everyone doesn't take it as serious as it is. I want to make the last point before I end this review: You can run from a series that you don't like such as this one, but you can't run from reality.