The Long Season

Every dust of the times falls on a person as a mountain.

I didn't really understand this sentence until I watched this TV series. This masterpiece, which I think is the best Chinese TV series I have seen, tells an absolute tragedy. A lost father, a frustrated husband and a retired policeman attempted to solve a mystery which had lasted for nearly 20 years. They were all trapped in the autumn in 1998. All the roles in it tried to fight against their fates, but found in vain eventually. When the mystery is solved, fate still remains in the Man chang de ji jie, which means a long season in English. This sense of powerlessness makes each of us relate it to ourselves.

I know many people like watching a nobody finally turn to a successful man through his hard-working and insistence. But most of the time it's not the reality. And most of us, the ordinary people, can't overcome this mountain of the times. We are trapped in this long autumn, until our faiths break down. However, we still see someone go forward.

Life is difficult. Sometimes it's like a elegy of fate. But never forget to sing a hymn to ordinary people. In the end of the series, a snow falls, declaring the approaching of winter. What a beautiful scene! We all like spring because it's the beginning of a new year, also the beginning of life. But not everyone is so fortunate to see it. So when the long autumn finally ends, when the first winter snow falls, why can't it be a new beginning for us? Eyes towards front, move forward, and do not look back. Sometimes the meaning of life is not break through our fates, but choose hope in the suffering of life.

We can all find ourselves in this TV series. It's more like a documentary about ordinary people, and also inspires them to move forward.

For those of you reading this epitaph, we don't know at this point that this is the whispering train whistling through the Möbius Ring rising and sinking after generations of crushing Then let's give a resonant ring. If there is no echo, the season will continue to be long, but be sure to turn back before moving forward.

I admire and marvel at the director's ability for pacing, and his artistic standards are amazingly high. I love his camera angles and techniques, and I love the soundtrack in this drama. The plot is well thought out and interesting in many places. The natural human condition of the Chinese people is captured with ease. And, of course, it's all thanks to the superbly cast actors and actresses. Except for Shen Mo, whose acting sometimes lacks an explosive power and seems a bit stilted compared to the rest of the cast.

Why is this season so long? Maybe this is the season of life.

It is not only the suspense story itself, but also the beautiful work that presents the truth of life with a mixture of joy and sorrow through the description of life and people. The suspense is part of the story, and the core is life and destiny.

At the first few episodes, it starts out a bit slow. I also confuse by the different time narratives. When it comes to build up more characters likes Wang Yang, Shen Mo and brother, as compared to the suspenseful dismemberment case, it is more attractive about the fate of these people. The more I feel empathy for the murder, the more I sense about impermanence of life.

The success of the TV drama is not only reflected in the restoration of the sense of time in the props and scenery, but also the character creation and the actors' subtle performance. Though I'm not a native Putonghua speaker, I can still understand their effort in picking up a perfect Northeastern Chinese accents. Wang Xiang and Gong Biao in the play, regardless of their accents or demeanor, are exactly like our uncles and fathers in real life! Plus, the lighting and music are exceptional good.

This TV show triggered self-compassion for my own midlife crisis.

Yes, you may not encounter the sad life in this series, but you will definitely get older. Even the most powerful people will get old, and when that time comes, how to live decently?

It does suck to have your wife and children die abnormally and your best friend die in a car accident like Wang Xiang in this title, but it's even worse to face your own old age. The good thing is that the screenwriter gives a more positive and optimistic attitude, which seems to encourage us viewers not to be afraid of getting old. But specifically for each individual, it may not always be that easy.

Frankly, I've started to have to face some of the signs of aging, my mind gets older sometimes, and trying to act young seems to make me cringe because appearances can't hide it.

Let's hope I get the same optimistic ending, like the ending line: look forward, don't look back!

Snapping my fingers once in a while, shattering the distance between the distant past and reality.

Quite easily the best, most well made Mainland Chinese drama I have ever seen. A true crime story that goes way beyond the crime itself, as it touches on society, human nature and so much more. Everything from the cinematography to details of every character and scene is carefully constructed. The setting is distinctively Northeastern China and China during that time. Not everything should or needed to be painted roses, and I believe The Long Season could serve as a vital lesson to those in charge of this department in China in determining what makes a good TV show. The leads, especially Fan Wei delivers a performance of the ages. The characters are so well sculpted and their relationship with each other are so authentic and true. This is one powerful drama that uniquely celebrates character development and character faults and hits hard long after the end credits. Oh yes, and the end credit, each one featuring a different song to reflect the mood of the episode, is the cherry on top.