Side dish: Whatever Lin Heung’s mother-in-law was making in anticipation of her son’s arrival looked labour intensive. It might be Yunnan Steamed Chicken Soup, just based on the screen captures. The New York Times offers a recipe that reads short, but looks long.
Episode Recap
The housewives trio, Dan Dan (Mandy Wong), Fung Nei (Kaki Leung), and Lin Heung (Rachel Kan) are relieved to learn that loan shark, Wan is still in a coma. Just as they identify husband and wife, Tai Shu (Edwin Siu) and Apple (Priscilla Wong) as the source of the false rumour, the couple appear and parade estate security guard, Ga Lun as the culprit. Of course, it is all a ruse to keep the housewives unaware of the fact that Tai Shu, Apple and Ga Lun are all undercover cops.
After showering, Apple finds out that all of her clothing have been carted off to the precinct evidence room. She is left with nothing but dowdy duds to wear in order to make her more accessible to the other housewives. Tai Shu and Apple use a game to figure out who each of them will target; Tai Shu gets Lin Heung, and Apple gets her foe, Dan Dan.
Dan Dan is hoping to get her daughter into a primary feeder school, but finds herself stuck in a long line up with rapidly diminishing chances of getting an application form. Dan Dan runs into an acquaintance who is able to use her connections to get her the application form. Dan Dan returns the favour by giving her stock market advice, which she is widely known for.
The newly dowdy Apple is resigned to having to humble herself before Dan Dan, when Dan Dan apologizes first. They swap gifts, and appear to have reconciled.
Tai Shu is dismayed to learn how quickly Apple has managed to befriend Dan Dan. Fortunately, Tai Shu gets his chance at Lin Heung when he is called to fix her kitchen faucet. He offers to check her apartment’s circuits and wiring in order to do some snooping, then attempts to bond with her over a shared interest in feng shui. Before leaving, Tai Shu spots the radio control car that was in Wan’s apartment, and purposely leaves behind a pair of pliers.
Apple and Dan Dan visit Fung Nei at her beauty shop, and Fung Nei is taken aback to see the former rivals so friendly with each other. When Apple steps away, Dan Dan reveals to Fung Nei that her daughter did, indeed, steal Apple’s precious pillow. So, Dan Dan was compelled to reconcile with Apple out of guilt.
Back in their apartment, Apple and Tai Shu compare infiltration progress. Apple’s strategy is to ask Dan Dan for stock advice, then when she loses money, she will ask Dan Dan where to borrow money. Tai Shu compliments Apple on her good idea, but they still end up bickering.
Tai Shu has been neglecting his girlfriend, and his girlfriend has not been cooking and cleaning for his father. Tai Shu’s father orders him to check in on his girlfriend for his benefit. However, when Tai Shu and his girlfriend meet, they both appear preoccupied with their work, and have nothing to talk about.
Apple joins Dan Dan and Lin Heung for dim sum, and when the discounted dishes are released at 2:30 pm, it becomes a blood sport. The seasoned housewives are able to grab everything they want, and Apple has to pick herself up off the floor. Apple vows to do better next time, and regards the housewives with respect.
Fung Nei receives a call from the thug asking for protection money, and she informs Ga Lun, as he had directed. On the day that the thug is expected to visit, Fung Nei is a nervous wreck. A man marches into her store, but happily, it turns out to be her husband, back a day early from working at a factory in China.
The thug never shows up at Fung Nei’s store. After being set up by Ga Lun and Tai Shu’s father, he is caught by the police. Ga Lun decides to check in on Fung Nei anyway, and witnesses her handing over a wad of cash to an unfamiliar man. Ga Lun assumes that Fung Nei’s husband is another extortionist, and while trying to restrain her husband, he gets an elbow in the eye for his efforts. Afterwards, everyone is very genial as Fung Nei attempts to patch Ga Lun up.
Fung Nei’s mother-in-law hears that her son has returned, and goes into a meal preparation frenzy. However, the couple do not return until after watching a movie, and having a talk about how difficult his mother can be. Fung Nei and her husband return to a petulant mother-in-law, upset that she was forgotten and left out. The couple manage to win the older woman over with food, a gift, and compliments on her soup.
Tai Shu returns to Lin Heung’s apartment to retrieve his pliers, as planned. Lin Heung’s son is not home, and she disappears into the bathroom with an upset stomach. Tai Shu takes this opportunity to snoop around Lin Heung’s bedroom. He finds a notebook with a list of dates, names and monetary amounts, and wonders if it is a record of debt for loan sharks. Tai Shu is in the midst of taking photos of the records when Lin Heung rushes in, having found his pliers. Tai Shu sure looks suspicious as he turns suddenly to face her.
Comments
This was the first episode where Tai Shu and his boorish treatment of Apple were not the main attraction. Rather, the undercover couple were forced to turn their attention and energy toward the housewives, which meant an expansion of the field of view.
Obviously, Wu Sir and Tai Shu did Apple a favour by downgrading her wardrobe, because she ended up having that great bonding moment with Dan Dan and Lin Heung during dim sum blood sport. It is a relief to see Apple becoming one of the girls, and based on preview snippets played before and after commercials, it looks like she will eventually bring them up to her level of style.
I find Dan Dan’s relationship with her husband artificially sweet. One is always trying to relieve the other of responsibilities, complimenting each other on their hard work. It is all so saccharine that it feels like a massive bomb or betrayal is just around the corner. Perhaps, the release of Dan Dan’s incriminating photos?
Fung Nei and her husband come across as more believable, because absence can make the heart grow fonder. Their long periods apart, with her left to suffer his mother, can easily explain their lovey dovey ways. Plus, between her weird hair, and his distracting fur trimmed hood, it is clear they belong together.
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