For all intents and purposes, Episode 3 is when Link Click 2 actually starts. Episodes 1 and 2 were just the closing on the cliff hangers of season 1 with a bit of transition to the stakes of season 2. Now that all the adrenaline is out of our bodies, after all the mystery and confusion, we finally have time to sit down and experience the aftermath of everything that’s happened.

I don’t want to go on too long about the comedic and fun intro to Episode 3 but there is one cool shot that looks like it implements some CGI which is nice as well as just stellar animation on the punches. It’s a fun little moment to deescalate everything as we get ready to be adults and understand the gravity of the situation.

I’m not gonna lie, If you asked me what Captain Xiao’s and Bin Chen’s names were after I hadn’t watched the show for a while I probably wouldn’t have been able to tell you. Bin Chen is ultimately a very inconsequential character that is unexplored and better off forgotten. Until this episode. You see, the team working on Link Click has this switch that they can flick to create incredibly beautiful and defined character moments for characters that we don’t care about or may never see again. And they make it seem so easy as well. It’s really just about having a fundamental understanding about the struggles and realities people face. While there aren’t many incredibly notable things about Bin Chen it was clear he was young, inexerpienced, but ultimately very kind. Captain Xiao’s reaction to his death cements that in us. He takes all the blame on himself, puts himself up for demotion, and would probably rather not continue on with the case if it weren’t for the fact that it would be what Bin Chen wanted. It’s nothing special, but it’s the character groundwork that needs to be done. Losing someone like Bin Chen just clarifies the risks that the gang is putting themselves at. They need to be cautious around each other, for the safety of themselves and those around them. Bin Chen just happens to be the painful lesson they and Captain Xiao will never forget.

The costume changes to funeral attire is really nice as well Captain Xiao’s bandage. I always like when story or character moments coincide with a costume change so it’s good to see Link Click following through with it. And ah yes, rude rich Chinese people, something I am very familiar with as a Chinese/Filipino American. This type of interaction isn’t very common but it also feels like I’ve seen it a billion times lol. Also there’s some CGI hidden here when they walk in but it looks fine (this is how Link Click’s budget can seem insane by sneaking in these shots).

Anyways it’s nice to have some conflict right now that isn’t life or death just to keep the stakes low and we also get some Captain Xiao/. Obviously Cheng Xiaoshi is gonna do something stupid like, that’s his fuckin brand. This is a sticky situation but nothing he can’t handle himse- A MUTHA FUCKIN BAM!

Qiao Ling continues to reign supreme.

The Language of Flowers:

A small thing that I am absolutely not an expert on but want to talk about is the flower that Cheng Xiaoshi places in front of the coffin appears to be a yellow Spider Lily. Spider Lillies are flowers associated with death and more importantly final goodbyes. They are typically red which makes me uncertain of if it’s a Spider Lily or not. It could be an azalea but that would make zero sense in the language of flowers as that’s typically associated with beauty. The yellow I believe is meant to serve as a softer, quainter goodbye as opposed to a red Spider Lily which is more intense and passionate. Again, I’m not an expert on these things but I like to keep an eye out for them and do my best to learn about it. I mean they give multiple close ups on it so it clearly matters. Also the white roses next to it gives a very conflicting feeling of whether or not this is a funeral or a wedding as those are typically related to youth/love but we will get to that shortly.

Also I started questioning where the wife was right when the characters did and sure enough it’s because the timing couldn’t be more perfect. Because there is nothing sadder than a widow in her wedding dress.

The music choice for this part, as per usual with Link Click, is no less than perfect. First of all, the music is diegetic in this situation and is given the faintest echoing/drowned out quality to seem like it’s coming from speakers. This makes it seem as if this is a surprise to everyone as the music suddenly comes on. It gives a gravity to Bin Chen’s wife’s entrance. Secondly, it has a balance of somberness, intensity, and emptiness that is matched by her face. Her expression changes from a slight grin, a slight disbelief, and a broken anger.

Loss:

I think something the experience of loss in a lot of media is often over simplified or truncated for the sake of making the narrative flow more smoothly. Link Click gives Bin Chen’s wife this time to properly grieve. And grieving isn’t just sadness and wallowing in depression. It’s anger at life for dealing you an unfair hand, nostalgic of times now long gone by, and confusion about what to do next or if you can ever go back to the way things once were. Bin Chen’s wife’s words are short but packed with emotion.

So fun fact, I don’t give a shit about my mom. Never have and probably never will. However, this show at the very least made me feel some level of empathy for her. You see, my dad’s a doctor, the kind that deals with the dead and dying. So it was often late nights, shifting schedules, and frequently being on call at least when I was younger. I was so used to it that holidays don’t really matter to me since it was just another day my dad would work. And yet, I can see all the pains a stay-at-home wife (soon to be mother) faces in this short excerpt. The fleeting time you have while you are young, the disappereances as you look away from him only for a moment, and the emptiness in your arms that starts to become familiar. Bin Chen wanted to keep all these promises, that he would be home, that this time he would finish the movie, and that they would have more time together to just stay at home. And she knows that Bin Chen is not the one breaking these promises. And yet, it’s hard for her not to feel angry about all of it. I teared up I won’t lie. This is such a wonderful display of honest human emotion that has just become the norm for the show but it’s always incredible to watch unfold. But then she gets one final ask. Something that is ridiculous but provides comfort in the most extreme of circumstances.

“Can you repay me in our next life”

If the Chinese wasn’t apparent by now somehow I hope this one gets it across. Religion and beliefs of the afterlife are something I find a bit much and maybe somewhat problematic each in their own ways. But in this moment, a widow making one final ask of her lover, I think that’s just fine. 

And his response was the only thing it could ever be.

As the music goes vocal and that moment begins to fade away as you wipe away the tears the scene cements itself as a certified classic in our hearts. Then, the next scene actually reminds us that yes this is in fact Link Click a show about going back in time into photos.

We get to see the meaning of why she was holding dandelion’s to Bin Chen’s coffin. Dandelions can mean a lot of things but do have some association relate to love, longevity, and perhaps a wish for one’s future. A reminder that the language of flowers vary from culture to culture but there are a lot of overlaps at least for certain flowers I just don’t think there’s a consensus on dandelions lol.

Also, the implications behind this jump are also quite sad. That Cheng Xiaoshi can so willingly change all of these things because ultimately, none of these actions will change the major node of Bin Chen’s death. But maybe at the very least, Bin Chen’s wife will be able to find some comfort in it. She may need to sleep on the couch for a while (I’ve heard at the very least that for some stay-at-home’s/widows that this is actually easier than feeling the emptiness in one’s bed) and she may not get more time with him in this life, but she hopes to meet him in the next. 

“Two Funerals”

And at the end of all of this we realize that we’ve only seen one funeral. And sure it’s implied that Min Liu’s funeral also occurred but I don’t think that’s the whole reason why this episode was titled that. There were two funerals in this episode. One for the kind, inexperienced police officer Bin Chen and Bin Chen, the absent lover who truly did love the woman of his dreams. It’s also apt to say it was the death of a man and a relationship. That it was both a funeral and wedding. Something that had more emotion than I was ready for, and something that reminds us what happens when human lives are on the line. I’m not like gonna pretend this was the most incredibly special unique thing ever, but it was something worth my time.

So let’s not be hasty folks, and let’s try to figure out how we can try and do this right with the next case.

– Jared/Zeph