[E] OUTBOUND LOVE / 單戀雙城 [2014][TVB]

FUNNLING METRE

Not much to add except poor poor Sekinchan is denied its rightful recognition for that love tree house at Pantai Redang I think. Never been there. If I didn't read the articles, I would have thought that was Penang. Seriously this geographical error which is deliberate is getting out of hand. At least, at the very least, do try to introduce its rightful place at the last brief intro scene. None whatsoever.

Anyway in this episode we are told Chun Chun likes Ruco and likes durian whilst Sik Sik has a moment of OTT reaction over durian. I hate stinky tofu too but I never do that in front of someone who eats stinky tofu. Sik Sik also finds out she wronged Ruco with regards to poor Elaine now working in a nightclub as a dancer/bar girl which of course exists in Malaysia. Won't deny that. Anyway Sik Sik did kicked poor Ruco on the leg. A lot of things ensued that involved a coconut gangster (yeah Penang very violent place on top of unhelpful, unfriendly and uncommunicative) which led to them running from Penang ALL THE WAY to Sekinchan which is in Selangor which is like 3 hours drive from Penang if you drive very very very fast. By the way Sekinchan is beautiful with paddy fields and what nots. Do visit AND it is NOT in Penang. For a series that promotes Penang as the focal point, all the beautiful places like cosmopoliton shopping place (KL), high rise buildings (KL), Indian temple/cave (Selangor), unique tree house (Selangor), paddy fields (Selangor), oil palm farms (usually along highways) and some more places ARE NOT IN PENANG! Get what I mean?

Anyway, in this episode Sik Sik never bothered to say sorry to Ruco when she found out he was Elaine's BF's BFF who had an accident and he was helping Elaine. Not once. The script is not realistic nor is our Sik Sik a likable heroine who to me has her nose up high instead of looking down and for once saying she's sorry. In fact in this episode she is super annoying, complains, cries, is violent and downright rude to Ruco. I can understand why she falls for him but why on earth he will fall for her? No other women? Last scene we will find out Ruco is the real "kung tzi" aka master of an oil palm farm!! WHAT? Well, next episode will explain that.

Anyway a note about Aimee Chan who said she didn't know she was pregnant when filming this series. I can see some really dangerous things she did like in this episode being pulled, pushed, ran, stumbling, etc. All quite dangerous for a pregnant woman. Unfortunately this episode annoyed me. Aimee Chan's the reason. Her Sik Sik is just... urghhhhhh!!!!

Brief  scene I think by Matt Yeung who comes alive when explaining things in person, about palm oil. 

Poor poor Sekinchan.

FUNNLING METRE

This episode explained a few things and is a big leap in terms of storyline except it concerns the supporting characters and is irrelevant to the main characters. In fact Sik Sik is the main character and looks more like a supporting character in here. She is just not as involved as she should be. She is kinda sidestepped and made into just an observer and an infuriating one. I know I may sound biased but I really dislike Sik Sik because she may seem like a nice girl but the way she treated Ruco was just so rude. Again no apologies except she liked him more. I hate how the guys had to earn her love but she did nothing to earn their love back.

Anyway Ruco's father owned a palm oil farm and died (Ruco doubled as the dad in the picture) and Ruco basically need not work and can still have money. He didn't feel like running the business and left it to his loyal servant. He said these lands are not worth much and so he kept the land so workers can keep their jobs. HUH? Lands worth a lot!! Palm Oil is huge business! Small business can't do Palm Oil! Anyway he is well off, not super rich but Sik Sik smiled more at him. No apologies for all the insults. Ughhhhhh!!!!!!!!!

Also Mary Hon is not his mom! So who's his mom he was always speaking to over the phone?!  Mary Hon is actually VP for some big hotel chain and her reasons for wanting Lassie was because she used to work there, got job offer in KL and wanted to ask her lover, Sky to join her but he refused. Huge argument and parted ways and for decades could not forget him and so hated Lassie. Sky in turn wasn't so bad. He actually wanted to train Yvonne and one time so infuriated her with talks about selling Lassie to Mary that she basically scolded him and promised everyone selling was the last thing she will do. Sky instead of being pissed off actually congratulated her and said he could finally let Yvonne take over the hotel and run things and Yvonne actually apologised to Sky. Sik Sik, hear that? Sorry? That's an apology to someone you have wronged AND slandered! Sik Sik was surprised but never once did she expressed to Ruco that she had mistaken Sky as some potential traitor. Never. Again no sorry, no humility. Sik Sik is like Bella from Twilight. I really hate Bella. But she wanted to do the good thing, that is to reunite Mary and Sky in the end. Meanwhile Ruco cleared Elaine's name and the one who destroyed the dress was actually Fanny the assistant manager who got fired by Sky for destroying a dress and blaming others for it AND spreading news about Sky selling the hotel to create a discord between Sky and Yvonne so in the new management she gets to be COO. Finally, some comeuppance. Chin Tsun got a big break in his career as Mary's opinion about food is highly regarded and after some insults and Chun Chun's encouragement, Chin Chun cooked something Mary loved.

By the way do check out the scene at the oil palm farm where Sik Sik aka Aimee ate some durian soup and was so shocked poured the soup on her lap (wearing her trademark short shorts) and see what Ruco did!! He wiped them, quickly but on her upper thighs!! To Aimee's credit, she did not flinch.

Brief intro scene is by Tony Hung about Penang bridge.

No comment on performance. Writing wise, Sik Sik is not getting the development she should be getting. A series about her and her love story is seriously undermining the character when the actual story is anything BUT her. There is no humility in her. That just can't be assumed. It would be a great connective story if there is a simple scene of Sik Sik saying sorry or saying something positive about Sky in a regretful way, that Sky was really a nice guy and misunderstood. It was Vivien Yeo who impresses me with her ladylike Yvonne forced to make a stand and made it well. Aimee meanwhile fared much better as someone who does the scolding, but not as Sik Sik. She is just not right for Sik Sik but she would be right for an older, more mature, not some cheerful bad luck happy go lucky girl but a practical woman sort of character. I notice the series is supposed to focus on her but somehow, when she was standing there at the background, she wasn't prominent. Charisma is the reason.