Weddings have different customs and traditions. In Chinese traditions, there is the tea ceremony and games are played for the groom to see the bride.
These games range from the groom singing in humiliation, paying everyone with money and doing a ridiculous dance. Having your groomsmen beat you up with bo staffs and your best man fight you is something I’ve not heard of.
The episode is written by Wang Chao himself: Hoon Lee and features no cold open.
The Hop Wei, Ah Toy, and Chao attend Mai Ling and Li Yong’s wedding while Buckley is officially sworn in as mayor. The Long Zii elders speak with Li Yong to keep an eye out on Mai Ling, making him question what actually happened to Long Zii himself.
Leary plans to get the Donahues out of jail but cannot avoid being arrested, the person he turns to is O’Hara. O’Hara goes to the police station, finally confronting Atwood.
Lee and Mosley scout out the wedding, noticing Yan Mi among the guests while Ah Toy is confronted again by Ming Yu. Ah Sahm comes to help out but Ah Toy has handled it.
During the wedding night, Mai Ling has the Long Zii elders murdered but Kong Pak survives, causing Li Yong to fight and kill his brother-in-arms.
Father Jun makes Young Jun try and see what Mai Ling and Ah Sahm are like, which Young Jun hopes he comes out of the delirium.
The episode is straight forward and doesn’t end up like a Red Wedding.
Li Yong and Kong Pak’s fight is an emotional one. Kong Pak had told Li Yong about Mai Ling and the elders’ suspicions. For Li Yong to stand by Mai Ling and kill his best friend, it mentally breaks him.
It is the first time we see Li Yong have an emotional arc along with conflict. There were moments in Season 2 where he questioned Mai Ling’s motives with working with Zing but here it finally breaks him.
The moment Kong Pak confronts Mai Ling, to the point Li Yong kills him, it breaks Li Yong in a way that he doesn’t know what is right or wrong anymore.
O’Hara going back to the police station. This one I wondered about and didn’t know it was going to play out. This subplot I would say is a bit messy, starting off with the Donahues robbing a Chinese grocer, leading to Zimo to beat on Irishmen and having Ah Sahm step up for Chinatown.
For Leary though, it is losing the workingmen’s faith in him and the person he turns to is O’Hara. Maybe messy is not the word, The way it connects with one end of the city and the other, it is surprising.
Especially leading to O’Hara fighting Atwood. A fight we have wanted to see when Atwood was appointed chief by Buckley. It is the first time we see O’Hara scrap. And it is glorious how his mannerisms peek out while slamming Atwood to the ground. The build up that O’Hara had from working with his brother-in-law, losing his position in the San Francisco police force and barely having his family back. It was bound to come out.
Samurai and I discussed this last night and I never saw it until now, Ah Sahm and Yan Mi’s relationship. I personally thought Yan Mi does genuine care for Ah Sahm but in actuality, she’s in it for herself. Ah Sahm is finally falling for someone and is believing who he’s supposed to be but Yan Mi only is worrying about herself.
Granted it is understandable but with Young Jun having his men learn from Yan Mi. Ah Sahm is thinking that Yan Mi should leave for her safety. How this relationship is being built up this season, it will be another harsh look of reality for Ah Sahm.
This episode felt quicker than the others along with certain plot points wrapped up, it is going to be interesting on where it will lead to next.
And Lai going against Strickland alone… we’re not ready for what’s coming.
Lead photo: David Bloomer/Max