The Untamed, Episodes 21-25

[galaxysoup]

So armed with the knowledge that the massive flashback had an end point, I went on a bit of a binge watch. Binge watching the absolutely most tragic and upsetting part of the show, you say? Not my most perfect plan! I may have also taken a break to read a bunch of funny Untamed AU stories, too, and may or may not have accidentally spoiled myself for one or two upcoming plot points. Only time will tell!

I decided to keep these posts to five-episode chunks, reasoning that they would be easier to read, but I have a few of them that I'll space out over the next few days. I haven't finished the series yet but I am ahead of myself at this point.


Episode 21

• I like the subtle ways they’re showing Wei Wuxian’s massive fucking trauma


• So... did the creepy turtle sword turn into the flute? And what’s the significance of the name Chenqing?


• Jiang Yanli is an angelic cinnamon roll


• ”Scorching Sun Palace” okay whatever Goth Clan


• Lan Big Bro!! Welcome back, Lan Big Bro!!


• What exactly is the significance of the Jin clan red forehead dot? Is it reserved for leader people?


• Wei Wuxian, you are just... so dramatic and angsty and cryptic


• You know, for someone so good at manipulation and trickery, he really should have thought up some actual responses to ‘where have you been’ and ‘why aren’t you carrying your sword’, since that’s practically the only dialogue he’s taken part in for this entire episode


• OHHH duh Wei Wuxian HAS THE FOURTH YIN IRON, doesn’t he??? That’s why he keeps coming over all smoky and thinks he can counter the Wen Iron

Episode 22

• AUGH their talk on the ROOF... Lan Zhan’s all worried and Wei Wuxian KNOWS what danger he’s risking and he’s like ‘I promise not to be evil’ and Lan Wangji’s like “Ok” AUGH


• Okay hang on, in the first two episodes Wei Wuxian made himself a fast flute out of available materials and was still able to do his thing, so obviously he doesn’t need the evil flute? Or doesn’t need the evil flute by the time he comes back?


• Who names their home the Unclean Realm. Just. Who does that. “Hey, welcome to the Unclean Realm! Tea?”


• Oh shit lava demons?????


• Ngl I would punch anyone who made Jiang Yanli cry too


• Do people ship Lan Big Bro and Nie Angry Sword? I think Lan Big Bro deserves better but I can kind of see it.


• Okay, so... if they know that the lava demons can turn the good guys into mindless zombies, why do they keep attacking using the same strategies? Who signs up for these missions??? I mean, at this point the good guys are basically just running recruitment drives for the bad guy’s army.


• In my head I had really pictured Nightless City as underground like Dixing, not just... sitting there, in a field, surrounded by inexplicable lava, under constant brooding cloudcover but technically still in actual daylight.


• It’s a little confusing to have the score of the show contain instruments that are important plot device sound cues as well. I keep thinking that Wei Wuxian is playing what turns out to be soundtrack music.


• MENG KID I KNEW I DIDN’T TRUST YOU


• This is a really bad episode to be an extra.


• CALLED IT! I CALLED IT! WEI WUXIAN HAS THE YIN IRON! Ooooh Dad Lan would be so pissed if he was still alive...

Episode 23

• ”I’ve been dead once. We, of course, came from hell.” That is a badass goddamn line, Wei Wuxian, even if I already know you’re going to die at least one more time.


• Aw, it’s not actually the Yin Iron? Cool reveal, but dangit, I wanted to be right.


• I’m still reserving judgment on Meng Kid’s good guy/bad guy-ness. He sends a lot of mixed signals.


• Lan Wangji sneaking in to play guqing next to his boyfriend Wei Wuxian’s sickbed while he’s unconscious and won’t know about it ;___;


• Are there Lan Wangji/Jiang Yanli BFF fics? Please tell me there are Lan Wangji/Jiang Yanli BFF fics.


• Jfc is Meng Kid going to join every clan in this drama


• The Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian duet while surrounded by corpses ;__;


• I don’t know what that whole interchange between Meng Kid and Wei Wuxian about his sword meant, but I’m pretty sure it was significant


• Jin Dad. Dude. Putting everyone on the spot like that with a surprise engagement is NOT COOL. Also, who voted you onto the high table??


• I am no longer certain whether Wei Wuxian has the Yin Iron or not.

Episode 24

• I wonder what the Jin Bros think about their new brother. That must be hella weird.


• Did Lan Wangji really name his room ‘The Silence Room”? Oh, Lan Wangji...


• Dad Lan’s alive?????


• Dad Lan should go away and leave Lan Big Bro in charge until he’s done being a jerkface. Every book its reader, Lan Dad! Read banned books! Support freedom of information and your local public library!


• Ooooh, I think Lan Wangji just discovered his teenage rebel side...


• Awww, Wei Wuxian having a drink with his future brother-in-law!


• Wei Wuxiaaaaaaan let someone help yoooouuuuuu ;__;


• If Lan Big Bro had just said ‘actually you can’t come to Cloud Recesses’ Wei Wuxian would have gone there immediately


• Augh baby starving Wei Wuxian! I’m really curious about how exactly he ended up on his own.


• WEI WUXIAN: So let’s say, hypothetically, a person who isn’t me was in love with someone who definitely isn’t Lan Wangji... JIANG YANLI: o.o


• God I love the Lotus Pier sibling trio

Episode 25

• I really like that even though there are all sorts of political things going on and Wei Wuxian and Whatsisbro don’t like Jin Peacock (I have now changed his name), they’re also very stubborn about the fact that it’s Jiang Yanli’s choice to marry who she wants, in her own time.


• Dear Jin clan, putting Wen captives in front of the archery targets is a dick villain move, even if you’re just trying to provoke Wei Wuxian! And don’t think I don’t see you smirking about it, Meng Kid!!


• I am all for Wei Wuxian making the Jins eat humble pie by upstaging them completely at archery, but jfc that must have been a terrifying moment for all those captives. (Lan Wangji, despairing: my boyfriend is so hot and so dumb)


• LIFELONG CONFIDANT they totally did get married that time in the cold water cave


• Jin Mom best mom! Not. That she has much competition, of course.


• JIANG YANLI YES kick his ass baby I’ll hold your flower!!!!!!


• Jiang Cheng, rolling up fifteen minutes late with Starbucks: All right, what did my brother do


• WEN QING oh god I thought it was going to be another time where she and Wei Wuxian just barely missed seeing each other, my heart can’t take it


• ”I want to bring a man back to Cloud Recesses and hide him there” AUGH LAN WANGJI MY HEART

Comments

[frith_in_thorns]

The youtube subs I watched had the Yet Clean Realm rather than Unclean Realm which made a good deal more sense to me. And Nevernight which I liked! OTOH it tranlated what I've usually seen as "The Silent Chamber" into "The Frigid Chamber" which made me laugh inappropriately. (They also didn't translate titles/some other place names which mean I'm still sometimes unsure where people are talking about. I love that we have three versions of the show with at times wildly different subs in each place. And THANKFULLY the subs I watched did not translate Lan Wangji's sword name as "Dustproof". Which Viki did.)

I've seen the meaning of "Chenqing" translated as "to explain a situation or opinion in full detail".

[galaxysoup]

'Yet Clean Realm' makes SO MUCH MORE SENSE omg. And Nevernight has quite a ring to it. The Frigid Chamber, on the other hand... Oh, Lan Wangji :D

Of course his sword would be called 'Dustproof'. Properly dusting one's weapon is #1625 of the Lan precepts. :D

[dancing_serpent]

The question of Wei Wuxian and the Yin Iron is a thing that's keeping a lot of people awake at night. Especially Jin Dad. *g*

Maybe Wei Wuxian would have let people help him if they offered him the right help. Lan Xichen almost had him, but then he said "We can help you pick up your sword again" - and that's not going to work, and Wei Wuxian is not going to tell them why.

That moment when Wei Wuxian looks eyes with Wen Qing - such a beautiful, beautiful shot! The expression on his face, those strands of hair moving in the wind... *sighs softly*

[galaxysoup]

Lol, no kidding! I'm pretty sure Wei Wuxian + Yin Iron = nightmare for pretty much every patriarch and most of their followers, honestly.

That shot really was lovely. ;__;

[clevermanka]

Binge watching the absolutely most tragic and upsetting part of the show, you say? Not my most perfect plan!
I did the Exact Same Thing, so... *emoji shrug*

I interpreted Unclean Realm to refer to the fact that the Nie clan were descended from butchers.

I mean, at this point the good guys are basically just running recruitment drives for the bad guy’s army.
Yeah I never understood that, either. Just...run???

[galaxysoup]

I interpreted Unclean Realm to refer to the fact that the Nie clan were descended from butchers.

Yeah, that made a certain amount of sense once I got to that bit of backstory, but it's not exactly something they telegraph. And Unclean Realm would make sense if we were told that their hereditary purpose was to guard and cleanse an area of particularly dark or terrible negative energies, but when it's just dropped into the story it's mostly just funny! :D