The Untamed episodes 48 to 50
Sep. 7th, 2020 05:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenayIt's the morning (er, afternoon) after the night before, and I still don't think I'm entirely coherent. OMG, that ending.
But not the post-Guardian sort of mess! This was a massive tangle of feelings but most of them were happy!
Shocked happiness. Unexpected happiness. THEY DIDN'T DIE AT THE END.
(OK, I knew that, but there was a sneaky part of me that wondered if everyone had lied to me.)
THEY DIDN'T DIE AT THE END AND THERE WAS MORE THAN A STRONG HINT THAT WWX AND LWJ LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER TOGETHER.
Ahem. Yes. I think that final "Wei Ying" moment was as close as they could get given the censorship but it was enough for me. As they parted on the mountain, I was quietly adding "And WWX turned around five minutes after the cameras panned away and followed LWJ back to the Cloud Recesses" but I didn't even have to do that! OMG!
(Also, I'm sure fandom has a variety of interpretations of how long they were apart for, but I'm going with no more than a day or two. Maybe only ten minutes. Because I'm a sap.)
How good is it to watch something I became completely over-invested in and not have to headcanon my way out of the ending? It was so good! So hopeful! I'm going to be stuck on how great this is for a long time.
Also, the Sizhui reunion was so good! So wonderful! Sizhui had figured it out (watching him do that while WWX played Old Flame and saved everyone from the saber spirit was lovely) and he told WWX just as LWJ was about to and it was SO GREAT. With WWX valiantly Not Crying and hugs and banter and memories and LWJ and WWX disagreeing and agreeing over who was the good influence on their kid and...I may also be stuck on this for a long time.
I'm probably going to be writing many reaction posts because I have SO MANY FEELINGS.
I also have some sad feelings, because I really didn't want LXC to be the one who ended up killing JGY (OMG, the guilt and horror in his eyes) but I also knew JGY needed to die. Not just because he'd done so many terrible things (JGY, none of your excuses actually excused anything you did, just so you know), but because WWX needed him to die so that the curse that resurrected him could be resolved.
(Yes, a part of me had been quietly worrying that the end would be WWX dying anyway because someone showed mercy to JGY. So sue me, Guardian scarred me a bit.)
I'm also not getting over Nie Huaisang being the secret actor leading WWX and LWJ towards all of this. NHS! Mr "I have a pretty fan and I don't know anything" NHS! Seriously. Back when I started watching (and right up until around...episode 49?), he was the last character I would have picked for that. Gosh damn it, that was brilliant. I love him.
Also, he's terrifying and should definitely not be Chief Cultivator, but I love him. Hopefully LWJ is going to be keeping an eye on him, because now that he's pulled this off, I do not trust him not to manipulate a lot more behind the scenes stuff.
Except I don't think he'd be doing it for selfish or self-promoting reasons. Revenge, yes, but he doesn't want to lead the cultivation world, so as long as we don't have another Wens/JGY situation, he'll leave things alone. That moment beside the Lan Clan rules was slightly chilling (but also great) because everyone was acknowledging a ton of things about NHS and his sneaky ways and there was a strong hint of "NHS will fuck shit up if he needs to, nobody can stop him" about the exchange.
NHS, my darling, you are superb.
HB and I had an intense discussion about JGY and LXC, where we concluded that although JGY lied and manipulated everyone around him, his feelings for LXC were genuine. I do remember the hearts-eyes when they first met and I don't think that was fake. I even think he was trying not to actually do things that would hurt LXC. The problem was that lying, manipulating, hurting, and killing were so much a part of his entire survival mechanism and personality that he couldn't switch them off even around LXC.
That relationship is so fucked up and so fascinating.
I felt so badly for Jin Ling throughout these episodes. He really did go through a lot and when JGY finally started using him as a pawn (complete with zither string to the throat) I was worrying and texting ðŸ˜because oh, Jin Ling!
(And then WWX was the one to pull him out and they had a brief almost hug and I had a moment over that, too. OK, Jin Ling had three uncles in the room and none of them were stable (HB quote), but WWX was probably the most stable.
Which is a bit of a commentary on everything happening in that temple, frankly.)
And then at the end, Jin Ling wanted to go after WWX but he seemed to understand that JC wasn't ready yet...but he would be eventually. That hint that JC and WWX might be able to repair their relationship, at least a bit, was lovely. I did have a bit of a moment when JC pointed out that WWX had broken a few promises, because he's right and neither of them were perfect in their history. It's not too late, though. And maybe WWX understands JC better than JC would like, which is uncomfortable but might make that repair a little easier?
I don't know.
There are definitely things I wanted to talk about that I've forgotten. That's what follow-up posts are for!
One thing I'm slightly confused about is what JGY was actually expecting to dig up in the temple. I don't think that was ever mentioned? Is it something that was in the novel and didn't make it into this? He definitely wasn't expecting Nie Mingjue's body to be there. I'm assuming that was NHS again, good grief that boy has stones we didn't know about.
OMG, Wen Ning! So terrifying when he was possessed by the saber spirit, so lovely at every other moment. The idea of him and Sizhui going home to raise a tomb for their family and then he'll figure out a path of his own was so lovely. I'm so glad he survived to the end credits and gets to find his own happy place.
I'm not actually surprised that a lot of the world-saving ended up being down to WWX and his flute, but the fact that LWJ helped him a bit with his zither was unexpected and lovely.
(I'm totally headcanon-ing that they regularly play together by that pretty waterfall, it's one of their things. Sometimes they're developing new ways to fit their magic together--which would make a lot of people raise eyebrows if they knew--but a lot of the time it's just them and the music, no wider world intruding.)
I'm slightly concerned that it appears they're just going to leave the Yin Tiger Seal in that temple and not destroy it, but that's a problem for another day. It may not be as functional as the original, but even a partially functional one seems pretty dangerous to just leave lying around!
I had a moment when JC produced Old Flame and threw it to WWX. Seriously, JC, you tried so hard to hate him and you were carrying his flute around all this time? Aw.
This whole ending arc just did so many things, and the final episode made me so unexpectedly happy. I really didn't expect to get all of this. It might take me a while to process and I'm definitely going to need to rewatch the entire thing at least once. But the key takeaway for me is…
WWX AND LWJ DIDN'T DIE AND THEY WENT HOME TO LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER.
I DON'T NEED TO FIX THE ENDING.
Yeah. I'm happy.
(And possibly also writing a tiny fic. Oops.)
no subject
Date: 2020-09-07 05:21 pm (UTC)NHS swapped it with NMJ's but the censors weren't down with him desecrating a corpse.
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Date: 2020-09-07 05:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-09-07 05:28 pm (UTC)I DON'T NEED TO FIX THE ENDING.
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY!!! \o/ I love this show SO HARD FOREVER OMG for giving me that ACTUAL happily-ever-after ending for our two boys. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Your episode reactions have been an absolute joy to read, and to relive all the ups and downs of this show, and all the big and little moments that I love so much. <3
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Date: 2020-09-07 05:32 pm (UTC)https://twitter.com/snakepollen/status/1302981444218822657?s=19
Also I can never remember the details but apparently different cuts of the final episode for different countries have some of those final scenes in a scrambled order making it look like they're apart for more or less time so.... pick whatever you like best but CLEARLY the actually live happily ever after whatever happens.
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Date: 2020-09-07 06:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-09-07 06:55 pm (UTC)I agree about NHS, I like him even though the implication IS Kind Of Concerning: I don't think he's out to rule everyone, and I didn't see it coming at all!
THEY'RE MARRIED AND THEY HAVE A SON AND IT IS BEAUTIFUL
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Date: 2020-09-07 07:49 pm (UTC)That is something I can understand, but it did make his motivation for that part difficult if you didn't know. Thank you!
(Hi Tora!)
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Date: 2020-09-07 07:52 pm (UTC)I seriously wasn't expecting that, not at all. and it made me so happy.
Your episode reactions have been an absolute joy to read, and to relive all the ups and downs of this show, and all the big and little moments that I love so much. <3
Aw, thank you! It's been such fun writing them and it really helped me work through so many of the thoughts I had as I went through.
no subject
Date: 2020-09-07 07:55 pm (UTC)pick whatever you like best but CLEARLY the actually live happily ever after whatever happens.
Very clearly and I don't have to fix canon to make that happen. I am DELIGHTED by this :D
Apparently there's a version out there where the talk with NHS happens after "Wei Ying" and then the final scene is them playing music by the waterfall. It's a fan cut, but I love it.
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Date: 2020-09-07 07:59 pm (UTC)By the standards I was expecting, it was a very happy ending! :D
The bit with WWX trying not to cry everywhere and all the hugging just gets me.
That was where I started to tear up and I just kept going. It was so beautiful.
I don't think he's out to rule everyone, and I didn't see it coming at all!
Even after all this, ruling is definitely not something I see him wanting. Manipulating from the side-lines if things start getting weird? YES. And I love him for it. But what a brilliant twist :D
THEY'RE MARRIED AND THEY HAVE A SON AND IT IS BEAUTIFUL
YES, THIS, IT IS PERFECT AND BEAUTIFUL AND I AM SO HAPPY.
And weirdly, even though I'm entirely satisfied with canon, I also need AAAALLLLL the fic. Which never usually happens but there we go. This has broken me in good ways :D
no subject
Date: 2020-09-07 09:02 pm (UTC)Even after all this, ruling is definitely not something I see him wanting. Manipulating from the side-lines if things start getting weird? YES. And I love him for it. But what a brilliant twist :D
Yeah I agree! I think also he probably realised very early on that direct attack would be smacked down before it could be effective, that you're only gonna get one chance when you're trying to take down someone who's that smart, cunning, and prepared, AND who has the resources of the Chief Cultivator. So it does make sense! But I definitely saw WWX's "hmm" face as a bit of a "well that's a surprise and something to keep an eye on" moment.
I think the ALLLLL THE FICCCC NOWWWWW thing is because there's still so much to explore! There's hints of how many different elements (Jiang Cheng, the LWJ/WWX relationship, Sizhui remembering about his past) might continue to play out but we don't see it. I personally very much need LWJ and WWX to be in love forever and also for Jiang Cheng to get his brother back. Sizhui being happy and loved and probably ending up Chief Cultivator someday is assumed. :D
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Date: 2020-09-08 01:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-09-08 02:06 am (UTC)I think my favorite commentary on him was when someone said (on Twitter, I think) that somehow everyone, in and out of the show, underestimates him even though he casually smuggled a live songbird into class in Cloud Recesses. (Plus porn. But he didn't bring that to the lecture.)
And YES. HAPPY ENDING.
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Date: 2020-09-09 04:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-09-09 04:15 pm (UTC)This is what c-dramas have brought me to, lol
I think the ALLLLL THE FICCCC NOWWWWW thing is because there's still so much to explore!
I think it is! We got such a densely written and gorgeous thing on our screen, but it left so many gaps to explore and pull apart and rethink so now I just need to do that.
I personally very much need LWJ and WWX to be in love forever
I do need all the post-canon fics about them. So many of them. And also the get together fics and the canon-divergence fics and the AUs and all of the other iterations, but for once I also need all the established relationship post-canon fics where I can just enjoy them being in love and learning how to do that without the world trying to end around them?
and also for Jiang Cheng to get his brother back
Yes, this too! I've already been pointed at a couple of good fics along this line :D
Sizhui being happy and loved and probably ending up Chief Cultivator someday is assumed
I need all the Juniors fic, but particularly Sizhui being happy. And Sizhui having both his dads back. And Sizhui learning how to be happy and emotionally healthy so that his generation doesn't repeat the mistakes of all the previous generations.
And also Jin Ling learning how to be happy and reconcile what really happened with the stories he was told about his past and his family and become less of an angry brat.
I keep having thoughts about the way the Juniors seem the most well-adjusted characters in the show (even Jin Ling), because their parents were the generation who realised how fucked up their parents made them and they are determined that they're not going to pass this on and create yet another world-ending crisis due to A+ parenting issues.
no subject
Date: 2020-09-09 04:16 pm (UTC)somehow everyone, in and out of the show, underestimates him even though he casually smuggled a live songbird into class in Cloud Recesses. (Plus porn. But he didn't bring that to the lecture.)
...I had totally forgotten he did that, but now everything makes more sense :D
And YES. HAPPY ENDING.
They are MARRIED. And they HAVE A SON. I am so happy about that (and need all the fic about it).