[E] OUTBOUND LOVE / 單戀雙城 [2014][TVB]

Why so happy? Because the story is now in Penang = storyline moving on = more Ruco = more Malaysian scenery!! Yeah! Finally, some breakthrough and easily the best episode in 4 episode thus far. Not that it was that great but at least finally something good.

Anyway before I start recap proper, in case you're wondering ...

Ok, recap. 

Woahhhhh major man!! MA-JOR!

Engagement day (like 1 month after proposal day) and happily Sik Sik declared to all she was soooooo lucky to have met Nic and  Nic declared he loved her very much and Kei Ying declared"Nic you better not lie to Sik Sik!" and Nic promised and Chin Jun looked sheepish and not too happy (since he had the hots for Sik Sik) and  suddenly everyone's What's App like ding ding ding and suddenly Sik Sik's dad shouted "You bastard! You don't deserve my daughter!!" and everyone was cursing Nic and Kei Ying looked might embarrassed and Nic wondered what happened and coldly Chun Chun said "Here, you have a look yourself" and it was a clip of Nic kissing Kei Ying in the car (remember?). And Nic looked at Sik Sik with a small degree of horror (oi Matt! You dreaming ah? Reaction so slow one?!) and Sik Sik suddenly shaking and her eyes rolling like I thought she was gonna faint but she was actually having a mental breakdown and she screamed and ran away and Nic ran after her but not before Sik Sik's dad slapped him.

Pause.

That was very embarrassing and hurtful but all undone by Aimee's seriously awful moment in acting history. Her reaction was so very funny and therefore shouldn't be funny but it was. I thought if she was having an epic meltdown which her Sik Sik was, her interpretation was epicly bad. 

Continue.

Nic rushed to her and she tearfully and angrily asked when they started, etc and Nic confessed to what we already know in Episode 3. Then Sik Sik suddenly remembered and asked was he the guy in episode 1 with Kei Ying's snapped bra strap and he admitted he was that guy and suddenly the realisation was that he has been cheating on her since DAY ONE and what's more? With her BFF right under her nose! She felt so disgusted and wanted to run but Nic held onto her and Mr Busybody Who Is In Love With Sik Sik But Will Never Get Her arrived and punched Nic and all that and Sik Sik ran to a taxi and he followed and basically she cried her heart out in the taxi and then spent whole day by the seaside, sitting, staring in silent and removed her ring whilst Jun looked on.

Pause.

As for Aimee's crying, I can see distorted face and tears so they were real tears but problem is she didn't cry big enough. The tears were not big enough, her eyes not red enough, etc. For someone dealt with such  a huge blow and a low blow with double betrayal (BF cheated on her, and he cheated on her with her BFF!!) and for crying so pitifully and so hard, her eyes wasn't red at all. I thought another epic fail.

Continue.

Anyway reached home and there was Kei Ying who was better at epic meltdown but also not enough red eyes. What is it with actresses these days that cry without investing emotional, like red eyes and all? Is it too much to ask for? Epic meltdowns should be like Linda Chung but at appropriate time in appropriate measure. Linda Chung's fault is always too much and Aimee's now is too little.

Anyway Kei Ying tried to explain she and Nic were just for sex and she should forgive Nic or in so much words that was what she meant but Sik Sik rightfully felt very betrayed and scolded Kei Ying that she should have known better but Kei Ying said "You don't get it! You and I are not the same. Nic and I, I invested my feelings too but I knew he was not that sort of guy I can tie down. With you he was serious. I was heartbroken too but I knew he was not into me" and this made Sik Sik even angrier and Sik Sik left but before that she angrily said "I never ever want to see you ever again!" and to me that was pretty final in any finality and Jun, not pitying Kei Ying left as well. Kei Ying was teary eyed when that sneering guy in Episode 3 appeared and I was wrong. He wasn't Sue's anybody. He was I think the guy Kei Ying rejected in Episode 1 and he bore a grudge, hired a private detective to investigate, joined her What's App and basically told the world what a good friend Kei Ying was. Kei Ying angrily said "You're insane!!" but the guy coolly retorted "So? But you, you will never be able to lift your head again when everyone now knows you are the slut who seduced your best friend's fiance" and he left happily and Kei Ying devastated.

Sik Sik arrived home and pretended to be just fine. Back at work, she decided to go on  to lead the first tour group for that super high class deal she brokered previously.

Meanwhile Nic was drowning himself in alcohol when he woke up and saw the message from Chun  Chun who decided to leave for Malaysia because she was so disappointed with her brother she'd rather not face him at all. Nic looked... troubled.

Pause.

Matt Yeung, seriously, is that all the regret you can muster?

Continue.

Sik Sik with her quirky group who probably were extras from Malaysia arrived in Penang and the local tour guide was Ruco!! Sik Sik didn't like seeing him since she never knew when he was telling the truth and when he was lying so she decided that everything he said must be a lie. Sik Sik looked mournful alone and Ruco didn't know why and tried to cheer her up but she refused his help. The tour went well, everyone was happy and satisfied with Ruco who wasn't too happy with Sik Sik who was looking mournful and wandered off and Ruco said "I am a professional tour guide too and I had to fight to get this job so please don't ruin it for me because I can complain about you too" but he didn't say it harshly, just like you know bantering.

They went to a famous Penang site called Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi  where you know you are Khoo you are in here and I went there a few years ago and pretty nice place to visit. Anyway Sik Sik wandered off and met with a mysterious old Chinese fortune teller (please don't run there to get your fortune told. No such thing there as far as I can remember) and he looked at her and said she have met with her true love and her romance will be good and Sik Sik was like "I just ended my engagement" and the guy rightly said what is the past is the past, that guy wasn't her true love, her true love is a man in white who rescued her and she must seek out this white knight, if not she will grow old alone and then she heard Ruco calling for her and she rushed out and Ruco sorta scolded her why she wandered off and he needed help with a lot of things when she forgot her bag and went back for her bag and ...drum roll.... old man was missing!! Oh the mystery!! She was shocked and felt pretty spooked.

Lunch, they were having kari ayam and Sik Sik wandered off and lo and behold, met Nic's friend from that night she was harassed by... and the guy said "yeung yan" if I remember correctly which is gwailo which means they too got it wrong so ain't my fault for saying gwailo!! Anyway  she knew he knew about Nic and all and he said he felt pretty bad for Sik Sik since Nic was such a jerk. Anyway he mentioned those foreigners were arrested I think but he couldn't find the white knight who was 1 guy fighting 4 guys. Sik Sik surprised said she thought he was Nic but guy said no, that wasn't Nic, Nic arrived later and Sik Sik asked him to describe the guy and he said about 30s, pretty tall, quite well built but anyway he had to leave. Sik Sik then did something rather shallow; she called her sis and complained that if she had known who was the white knight she might not have agreed to marry Nic! Kinda shallow thing to say. Even if she knew the white knight, surely if Nic was a good guy would she have been so easily persuaded by one moment of heroism? Again Ruco arrived at the wrong time and overheard and she angrily accused of listening in to her calls and he teased her "I thought you would be busy looking for your white knight?" and well, she will not know until sayyyy maybe 3 episodes later? Let's see.

At the hotel Ruco was very impressed when Sik Sik was very tender and attentive to her group and even massaged a woman's leg (with dirty socks) when she suffered cramps or something and Vivien (Yeo the actress) saw them and nodded and even the manager saw them and walked on. Ruco liked Sik Sik a lot but Sik Sik ignored her. 

Anyway Ruco was staying in the hotel and he seemed pretty cozy with the manager who seemed to know his yet to be seen mom. Step dad? Uncle? Who?!

Whilst Ruco walked out in white tower (don't get your hopes high - no half nudity at all) when there was a knock and he opened and a Chinese looking but Malay speaking girl was at the door (same one he saw arguing with another girl previously) and entire scene in Malay. I am sure there were Chinese subtitles? Anyway kudos to Ruco for speaking understandable Malay because we had no subtitles!! I could understand him, pretty good but the longer the words the more not accurate but hey, clap clap to Ruco!! Anyway he rejected her and tried to run away and sued the room card to opened the connecting door (I don't think it could be opened that way so easily) and out walked Sik Sik in bathroom and she shouted at the creep to leave her room when he said he just needed a moment. Anyway he left but the Chinese looking Malay speaking girl arrived and sneered at Sik Sik and said was she rejected for that girl and Ruco again in full Malay said yeah, he loved her, he was having a fun time being intimate with her and told the girl he chose Sik Sik and Sik Sik didn't know what were they saying when the girl sneered that he chose the ugly one over her? She left fuming and Ruco sighed a breath of relief when he explained to Sik Sik that was a creditor and he had to hide in a hotel and he told the creditor Sik Sik was the bigger creditor. Sik Sik was doubtful when she received a call and she went out to a bar to meet Sue and Sik Sik said she knew who Sue was aka ex girlfriend of Nic and Sue said "I wasn't his ex. We were still together" and explained what happened that night when she was harassed by foreigners and Sue advised her to forget about Nic and move on as he wasn't worth it.

Pause.

Ok he may be a douchebag but how much of what Sue said can you trust? After all she was jilted too and so she may not be telling the truth about not breaking up with Nic, etc. Nic could be telling the truth about Sue. But by now whatever negative thing said about Nic, Sik Sik will believe.

Continue.

Sik Sik rushed out and saw the 2 bickering girls of Ruco's and one said in Malay and one in Mandarin and one of them slapped Sik Sik and Ruco was there and Sik Sik was rightfully pissed off and stalked off whilst Ruco told the girls he never wanted her, he is not worth their attention and he ran away and after Sik Sik.

Sik Sik arrived at some spot telling herself to be calm, to be calm when fireworks and lo and behold, she was at the same spot Nic proposed to her and same scene happening but with another couple. Wow, even proposals these days have package plans? Sik Sik was sullen again when Ruco arrived and tried to explain what was happening and Sik Sik basically cried that because Nic was not only cheated on her with one woman but 2 women AT THE SAME TIME (she didn't know about the 3rd girl on her pre-engagement party night because that would be THREE WOMEN in total but 2 at the same time .. this could be a good math question I tell you!) and she declared all men as lusty and could not be trusted. Ruco tried to counter her but she was angry and wanted to beat up someone and Ruco let her punch his back and after a while she was calm again and said she is ok and he can leave but before he did he gallantly covered her bare shoulders with his thin white t-shirt to a shocked Sik Sik and he said "You can't be sick. You still have 5 days to go to lead the group. Take good care of yourself" and he walked away as Sik Sik looked on.

Last part was Ruco briefly introduced  Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi.

I predict at some point he will introduce Twin Towers, Malaysia's most iconic building. But I wonder will he ever introduce the blue mansion of Penang aka Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion which to me is more awesome than Khoo Kongsi. A perfect example of a house built to specifics of Feng Shui and its epic failure to the family who owned it. Be sure to check it out when you are there. The guide in there if is still the same lady is very very good at explaining the place.

Anyway story wise, a huge leap! Story now begins and since this is a love story, be ready for being predictable. So the challenge now is how romantic will it be? So far, not quite. Hopefully it will be romantic.

Performance wise, Ruco is getting more comfortable. Whilst his BM wasn't great, I applaud him for trying to speak in full sentence. Every time I hear an actor speaking a foreign language badly, like Kenneth Ma in English I tend to mock them but then I feel guilty because at least they tried. Look at Joe Ma and his gibberish English who never tried, everyone else would be much better than that! So ok, just criticism, no mocking. Ruco wasn't great in BM (aka Bahasa Malaysia aka Malay language) but he did speak in like at least 20 lines or so in that 2 scenes or so. And some mandarin. So yes, kudos. His character is mysterious. My hope is for a successful guy in disguise but so far no indication at all. Acting wise, hey it is Ruco Chan! He can act, even if the tour guide part, he is still a miscast.

Aimee Chan is still limping in performance wise. Can't cry convincingly, can't play adorable gullible nice girl convincingly. She has a lovely smile though and she is competent but why I am harsh on her is because she is in the forefront. Her chemistry with Ruco and her interpretation of Sik Sik will make or break this series. If you don't adore and cheer on Sik Sik and if you wonder what does Luk Kung Tzi sees in here, then she failed. So far, I am wondering. But her worst was the supposed epic meltdown filled with rolling eyes and shaking body. Awful acting. Why not she just stand still, wide eyed, scream and run? I still feel she is a miscast. The more I see, the more I feel Samantha Ko should be Sik Sik and Selena Lee should be Kei Ying.

Samantha Ko did fine but her eyes not red enough.

Matt Yeung.. oi! Still asleep? Stoned? Zoned out? What the hell is wrong with him?

2 girls, one speaking Malay and the other Mandarin ... ok lar. But why speak Malay? Supposed to be a Malay girl? Why not speak Hokkien? Penang speaks Hokkien. By showing Malay speaking errrr Malay girl,  you do know the problems of khalwat right? Even if one is Chinese and the other Malay Muslim? Assuming Malay is Muslim?

Everybody else, no comments.

Episode 4 is moving in momentum and fans of Ruco, you can now switch on your TVs because there will be plenty of Ruco from now on. Storyline got to build up to justify his appearance. After all this IS Sik Sik's story hence why I said the actress playing Sik Sik has  a heavy duty. She could make Sik Sik memorable but Aimee ahhhhh ... not quite yet lar......

Thus far I am enjoying this series more than that rather insanely dumb and not funny CNY series, Queen Divas whose only few moments of funny was Ip Man 7 and those small movie scenes but even those were forced laughter. Right now I see those 2 stupid women bickering that way with equally dumb 2 husbands just looking troubled and I feel this series is just dumb. At least this one got scenery. And that one has 2 actresses not known as comediens doing insanely childish stuff. Wasn't laughing at all. In fact as much as I feel Angela Tong and Joyce Chan as beautiful women, I thought they looked pretty tired. Angela looked out of shape and Joyce looked like she slapped on too much of tanning spray or something. In fact even Pierre Ngo looked so dark. It wasn't funny., I am hoping Outbound Love will outromance Queen Diva's supposed comedy, which should prove easy because romance is easier than comedy with the right actors and situation. Give me a second viewing of Bounty Lady, please for comedy and a repeat of the last 30 minutes of No Regrets for romance please.

Problem with Outbound Love right now, apart from the actors is the fact that it is predictable despite the boast of this series being feel good series of the year or something fresh when everything is quite been there done that and tired. Please Aimee, for your sake, I hope you will do better in the next few episodes. Captivating charismatic leading lady, she is not. I know I know, Ruco fans will be crying why is he always cast opposite subpar leading ladies. Aimee is only subpar because the role is not hers to take. If this was some mournful love story in the 1900s, Aimee will be a right fit. Let's hope I am wrong about Aimee in here. I still maintain though that this episode is a good watch and a huge leap in terms of development.

By the way where is the subsong by Ruco? Still that awful nasal themesong x 2!!