Armed Reaction III - comments on ending 2
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Re: Comments on ending BEWARE CONTAINS SPOILER INFO.
Posted By: just me <sharonapple@mail.com>
Date: Monday, 10 September 2001, at 9:54 p.m.
In Response To: Re: Comments on ending BEWARE CONTAINS SPOILER INFO. (Nghi)
BEWARE SPOILER INFORMATION...
> Well, they did give Ada 6 months to get over Winson.
> Not like they were deeply in love.
Actually, I think that she was really in love with Winson, at least enough to agree to the marriage the first time round, enough to be heartbroken about his lies and enough to agree to the marriage even after that. Her feelings for him have become very complex and confused after she discovers his infidelity but I still believe that she loves him. Since marriage is a long-term commitment I don't believe that she would have agreed to the marriage even if it was for her family's and his father's sake if she still didn't retain love for him. She was very adamant about going through with the marriage and even Siu Sang couldn't change her mind or even waver her resolve.
In the park just before her marriage, I feel she avoids Bobby's character's question not because her answer is "no, I don't love him" but because she doesn't know the answer to that question so she concentrates on an answer she can understand and articulate.
After Winson's arrest, Joyce Tang's and her character talk and instead of saying "I no longer love Winson," she says that she can't figure out what her feelings for him are. It is not unreasonable to think that she still loves him but is unable to reconcile that feeling with his crimes.
And when Bobby's character makes his move, she tells him, "I've just broken up with Winson's character, I need time."
Six months isn't a lot of time to get over someone you love enough to marry and yet cheat or lies to you. Some of my friends who have been unfortunate enough to face these problems take years before they are able to forgive and move on. Even if it's not the "love" part you have to work on, there is still the "forgiveness" and "feelings of betrayal" part that needs getting over. I'm not saying six months isn't possible, some people may be able to do it but given the way the script has been progressing it was rushed.
The Siu Sang-Ah Jee relationship progressed nicely and slowly and they themselves don't even discover their growing fondness till way late in the series. And even then they still needed to discover that their fondness for each other was more than platonic.
ALSO, the way the timeline is isn't very clear on how much time there is between Winson's arrest and the scene in the lift lobby when she tells Siu Sang that she likes him. Maybe there was a long time frame but the script isn't very clear about that. We only know that Siu Sang's marriage proposal is six months from the scene in the lift lobby when she tells him she likes him. But we are not clear on how much time has past between her breakup with Winson and the scene in the lift lobbby.
I much rather see Siu Sang and Ah Jee re-discover the trusting and tender friendship they had before he boldly proclaimed his love for her. In fact, if AR3 ended on that note without even the suggestion of an AR4, I think that it would be a rather nice and gentle ending.
> Actually, like this type of open-ended, but
> non-cliffhanger ending. It isn't completely resolved
> because they did not show Bobby catching the whistle.
> This style goes back to the semi-open ending in AR2.
> TVB did anticipate an AR4, and it has annouced plans
> to start at the end of this year when they were
> promoting AR3.
Indeed, still to me there is a feeling of finality because even if he doesn't manage to catch the whistle, he's still got the girl. The happy happy semi-open ending feels more like a final ending for many HK film comedies and there are no real sequels to those.
I still believe that if the relationships aren't completely resolved that there could be a finality. It doesn't need to be a cliff-hanger it could be semi-open ending or even an ending. I don't particularly like cliff-hanger endings in HK tv series either. I like it that there usually is a finality but sometimes the finality is too neat, too perfect or too rushed which is what I feel is the case in AR3.
I know that TVB announced that they are going to make AR4 after the opening week of AR3 did really, really well. However, by that time AR3's shooting and post have already been completed. What I'm interested to know is if TVB was interested in making an AR4 in pre-production because they need to have that decision made in pre-production or at the very latest in production, not after the fact. Basically, it's usually too late to make decisions like that after the series starts airing. If they did not have an intention to make AR4 in pre-production or if their decision was to wait to see how the ratings are before they decide on the sequel then we know that they shot AR3 to end on a greater note of finality which means tying up all loose ends neatly. And that to me is a pity because it would be nice to continue some of the story arcs over into AR4.
enjoy