Healing Hands II

No. Of Episodes: 40, 20 tapes.

Cast:
Lawrence Ng Kai Wah- Paul Cheng Zhi Mei
Bowie Lam Poh Yee- Henry Lai Kwok Zhu
Ada Choi Siu Fun- Jackie Tong Zhi Lai
Flora Chan Wai Shan- Annie Kong San Yuet
Maggie Shu Mei Kei- Anson Man On Sang
Yoyo Mung Kar Wai- Tracy Ho Sam Yin
Chan Kit Yee- Dorothy
Chan Hou- MC
Tong Man Long- Edmund
Yuen Choi Wan- Sukie

Foreword:

Do not read to avoid spoilers. I focused more on Jackie and Paul since that's the best couple in my opinion (well, they are the main cast from Healing Hands I.) Due to several reasons, (especially Jackie's death) my family didn't want to continue the serials. I agreed and we watched only the first 15 episodes and the last 5 episodes for the ending so I'm not going very detailed with the plot, as I didn't 'finish' this serial. I managed to get other information from friends and other synopsis. I'll concentrate more on parts that I like and dislike. For a more detailed review, I recommend Sukting's review. Seriously, I decided to watch Healing Hands II (HHII) because of HHI, but I'm really disappointed with HHII. There are just too many flaws that made me angry and dissatisfied.

Characters:

I. Paul Cheng Zhi Mei (Lawrence Ng)

The same old doctor portrayed in HHI. Paul is now a successful brain surgeon famous in Asia. He changed his look with a new crew cut hairstyle, which I find nice and refreshing together with rimmed glasses (though I prefer his old glasses). However, he is still really super-retarded in relationships. I think the only times where he made the first move was to save his marriage with Rebecca and trying to court Annie. Maybe it's just me, but I find that Paul looks very tired and haggard here. Nevertheless, he's still the cool main doctor in Healing Hands.

II. Jackie Tong Zhi Lai (Ada Choi)

Jackie played a minor role in here so I can't comment much about her. Jackie is still nosy and a busybody, but she matures a lot, probably after wasting 2 years in a coma (you can see that when she told Paul that he shouldn't had sacrificed so much just for her). She's more lovable here as she has long hair now, which I find very nice and she looks more beautiful than ever! Her death is very saddening because she couldn't get treatment for saving others! Apparently she spent more time with her father rather than with Paul throughout the 3 episodes. They really should have kept her in HHII as I believe she will shine throughout the series.

(A) Paul with Jackie:

They look really cute and compatible together. Paul never gave up on Jackie after she fell into a coma when he failed on the operation he did on her. He still regrets for wasting the extra 2 minutes on the operation and stays by her side for 2 years while looking for any relevant information on coma patients and cases. He visits her everyday and talks to her. He reminds her not to give up because he did not give up all this while. The way he holds Jackie's hand and hopes for a miracle is really a sad scene.

Later on, he hears the bad news- Jackie has infection in the stomach. In the meeting, he suggests that he does an operation for her but is rejected as Jackie agreed not to receive any treatment and is willing to donate her organs if she dies (DNR) before her brain operation. Other doctors told that they have patients waiting for the organs and Paul rushed out of the room after he couldn't control himself. He visits her again in the hospital and thought she woke up. He grips her hand tightly while gently touches her and weeps. The scene where he shows his grief and sadness is really touching! At last, he finds Henry and decides to do the operation on Jackie. Both wanted to resign but Steven forgave them.

After the operation, Jackie miraculously woke up. He was overjoyed and joins every therapy session with her. He brings her back to his apartment and said that they could move to somewhere more quiet or near the sea. She asks him who is most important to him and he quickly replies that she's the most important one to him. She then advises him to place his patients as his priority because he had sacrificed too much for her.

Jackie cleans up the apartment and finds the magic box she gave him. Tears form in her eyes as she sees the snacks not touched. That scene is a memorable one. Another nice scene was where Paul asked her what she seen when she was in a coma. She said that she saw a lot of shoes, shoelaces and a pair of clean glasses, and she put on the glasses for Paul.

Jackie sneaks into Paul's office and fills up Paul's magic box. The same thing happens again- Paul steps into the office. She was shocked and embarrassed so she scolded him for not knocking on the door first. He told her that the office belongs to him but she says that he destroyed the romantic moment. Paul quickly turned away and said he didn't see anything! Jackie got angry and called out his name. She said that he doesn't have any good points, not even praising others. He said that he'll book an operation room and asked her to operate on him to see what's in his brain. The part where he turned back to Jackie was just so cute!!

I like the beach scene the best and it was pretty funny. Paul and Jackie had to stay in the restaurant while the others had fun since Paul didn't know how to play any sports. Later on, Henry asked her what she likes in Paul and she replied that she like him cause he doesn't know anything. They take a brief walk on the beach and she says that God is fair because everyone can see the sunrise and sunset. Paul continues by saying that no matter who you are, you have to go through birth, aging, sickness and death. Jackie then stares at him and asks him if there's anyone who ever told him that he's not romantic at all. He ignores her only after she says that she loves him very much because he's very smart. He smiles and says that he can understand that. Jackie then chases after him and grips his hands. She told him that he was her pillar of strength during her coma and that with him, miracles happen. Paul was so touched that they hug each other and gave a loving kiss. They both believe that miracles do happen because they are together.

Paul invites Jackie for lunch. She calls him and teases him whether he invited her for lunch or tea. Jackie denies hinting to Paul that she wants to marry him. He laughs and says that he changed his bad habits these 2 years and gave her a present. They ended up buying the same crystal and ordering the same meal! This part is also nicely done to show the special chemistry between them.

It is late in the night and Jackie wanted to help Paul with his work. She invites him for a car ride but he's too busy to respond. He joined her later and they tease each other. Jackie said that she'd have to see who'd live longer by the time Paul learns to play sports. They go back to the old place to view the sunrise. Jackie's very happy that she can come to this place again. She quickly calls Paul to watch sunrise with her but he's too tired and dose off in her arms. This is another special and memorable scene of Jackie and Paul.

III. Tracy Ho Sam Yin (Yoyo Mong)

Honestly, Tracy is the worst scumbag on earth. My blood just boils whenever I see her. Her acting skills are really bad, and her character here really makes her despicable. I don't understand how MC and Paul will like such an unreasonable pest like her. Well, it may be the script's fault, but I still think that she needs to improve her acting. Imagine speeding on the road for an operation. Worse, it's her fault that she forgot and couldn't wake up on time.

(B) Paul with Tracy:

Paul was really angry when she accuses him of neglecting her patient's feelings and only cares for Jackie. He looked really pissed and walked away. Tracy still followed him and continues scolding him for this and that. Paul can't take it anymore and tells her off. He also asks her to respect Jackie although she's still in a coma. Only then Tracy realized that they were in Jackie's room and apologizes. Her acting and expression when Jackie caught hold of her hand was really FAKE.

I really dislike the way she clings on to Paul wherever he goes. She thinks that Paul is forever there for her and expects a lot from Paul. No offence, I really can't stand her always wanting Paul to return her love compared to Jackie's unconditional love for Paul.

I guess Paul still holds on to Jackie's advice and cares for his patients more than Tracy. There she goes losing her temper again and throwing tantrums just because she doesn't gain any attention from Paul. I agree when Paul scolds her and tells her that she is not fit to be a doctor.

She's really unreasonable for wanting Paul to leave his patients just like that just for her stupid treatment. The more I look at her, the more I dislike Paul. How could he get with someone like her? It's so ridiculous when she goes overseas for her treatment and comes back to Paul in the end and wants Paul to operate on her. She changes every minute and bothers Paul at the end of the day. I really cannot understand how Paul can be with someone like her. I hated her even more when she didn't trust Paul with the operation unlike Jackie.

After the operation, he gives her a diamond necklace (whew) and a white pigeon (which I believe is Jackie). He goes out and buys for her food when he finds the white pigeon on his car. He has this weird feeling and wanted to approach the pigeon when Tracy calls him again. He was dumbstruck when Tracy repeats the words Jackie told him at the beach (just that Tracy talked much more).

I think that Paul decided to go with Tracy just because he was touched when Tracy waited for him, soaked in rain. But deep down inside, I can see that Paul misses Jackie very much. In the end, he would rather watch the sunrise alone. This proves that Tracy cannot replace Jackie in his heart.

(C) Paul with Annie:

Paul and Annie remain good friends these 2 years. I think that Annie is a good partner for Paul too besides Jackie. Don't get me wrong, Paul is best with Jackie, but since the producers want Jackie to die, Paul is quite ok with Annie. Paul cherishes friendship and is very loyal to relationships, unlike Henry. Paul receives Annie's postcards telling of her experience overseas. She asks Paul to keep this postcard for Jackie. Paul looks at the picture of Annie, Henry, and Zai Zai together with him and smiles.

Annie finds Paul in the bar and consoles him about Jackie's case. They drank till morning and Annie brought Paul to watch sunrise together. Annie feels sad that Henry have not watch the sunrise with her while Paul and Jackie had already watched it many times. Paul consoles Annie and asks her not to blame Henry. Paul watched the sunrise and was filled with hope that he can bring Jackie here once more.

IV. Henry Kwok Lai Zhu (Bowie Lam)

I don't really like Henry even in HHI. I have nothing against him; it's just that his character doesn't attract my attention compared to Paul. He's very flirtatious and irresponsible at times. He hates Zai Zai- the bulldog Gilbert left to Annie before he died and always finds ways to get rid of him. He looks worse in the second chapter with his new hairstyle. Henry is still very flirtatious in HHII. He doesn't lavish care for Annie and that is why Annie is sad. He even got into a relationship with Dorothy, which I find unforgivable. The only good point about him is that he's dedicated as an A&E head doctor.

V. Annie Kong San Yuet (Flora Chan)

Annie looks better here with long hair compared to her rather 'fake' hair in HHI. Her old hairstyle really doesn't suit her. Annie is sad with her unstable relationship with Henry. She seems to be close to Paul since all her friends are gone. She looks really tired, probably due to Henry's lack of concern towards her or her health because the producer had to make her 'leave' towards the end of the serial. She hopes that Henry will change for good but too bad; he doesn't, and even disappoints her with his relationship with Dorothy.

(D) Henry with Annie:

Their relationship progresses well these 2 years except for one thing- Henry cannot tolerate Zai Zai, who Gilbert left them to take care of, unlike Annie who simply adores it. Henry is always finding ways to get rid of the dog but to no avail. They have better chemistry here too compared to HHI. Somehow, Henry does not pays enough attention towards Annie-he even implied that marriage is no more important, which I think is very unfair to Annie. Well, serves him right when Annie didn't want to talk to him for 3 hours after he bullied Zai Zai. I wonder if he's loyal to relationships or he had simply changed. In HHI, he regrets for causing the death of his girlfriend, but here, he isn't a bit remorseful when he started with Dorothy and pushed all the blame to Paul having a one-night-stand with Annie. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I remember him bringing a girl up to Annie's house too when she was waiting for him! Why don't he blame himself for that? We finds out that he has a wife which he dumped her a few days after marriage. This reflects on his irresponsibility. Oh well, it's a wonder how Paul can be good friends with him.

VI. Dorothy Yuen Long Ping (Kit Chan)

This is another character that I dislike though I must praise her acting. She did well in acting as Dorothy. She is very flirtatious and a very misleading doctor because she smokes! She tend to have a mixture of Cantonese and English which makes her a little out of place with the others. She is unforgivable- going after her friend's boyfriend.

(E) Henry with Dorothy:

Another big fault thanks to the producers. They progressed too fast, especially when they couldn't get along well in the beginning. Henry keeps picking on her in the beginning because of her attitude, and she said that he only likes to compare her with Jackie. He blew up on her by saying that she has nothing to compare with Jackie. Look at the way she walked away! She looked as if she needs to get ready for some catwalk or model show! I can't really stand the sight of her!

Henry is angry with her when she helped them to get Zai Zai back. Annie invites her for lunch and he glares at Annie, hinting at her to get lost. They started to have sparks when Dorothy saved him after he got stabbed and finally started when he helped blew her eye. He even has the guts to have another one-night stand with her when both were drunk and brush it aside. He's just a coward in relationships.

I'm pretty confused if the child really belongs to Henry since Dorothy didn't clarify it. I guess they are both compatible since they are both so flirtatious, and Henry should be responsible for what happened to Dorothy.

VII. Anson Man On Sang (Maggie Shu)

I have nothing against this character, from ATE I & II to HHII. She didn't manage to attract me in this series either, probably because of her outlook and cool character. She is a dedicated doctor and has high expectations from her sister, Sukie. Many agree that she is a better pair for Paul compared to Tracy, but I don't think so. Both are quiet and cool, talks very little, so I don't know how are they going to communicate. At least Jackie always makes the first move and talks to Paul.

She has some feelings for him in the beginning but I guess she felt that she has no hope since Paul has Jackie. But later when they save a patient together on a plane, she starts to fall for him. She starts to attend Chinese medical classes just to be with Paul.

She has many complaints for poor Chris. She misunderstood Chris for bringing pornography materials to the hospital and blames him for being irresponsible. She even told him that no one would ever like someone like that!

Although she looks to be very cold towards Sukie, deep down inside she cares for her, especially after she was stabbed and died. The way she broke down and cried was pretty saddening.

VIII. MC (Chan Hou)

An arrogant and flirtatious guy, pretty similar to Henry. I disliked him already in the beginning, truly a flirtatious guy, even earlier than Henry. He tells Paul that the relationship between Tracy and himself is considered good compared to the youngsters out there. How can he compare himself to others like that? Come on, he's a doctor! I despise the way he concentrates on his investment during meetings instead of concentrating on the meeting. The only thing that made him better than Henry is that he is willing to admit about his relationships and does it very openly, unlike Henry.

IX. Sukie Man Ning Sang (Yuen Choi Wan)

She has pretty good chemistry with Edmund. Sukie is quite a likeable character, unlike the others. She is pressured because everyone keeps praising her sister's capability, when she just wants to enjoy her job and life. Nevertheless, she still respects Anson very much and treats her like an idol. It is a very sad ending for her though. :(

Best Performance:

The actors in HHII really don't attract my attention. If I really have to choose, I'd have to say Paul, Jackie and Annie. Too bad Jackie was only in 3 episodes and couldn't end up with Paul. Jackie made the effort and get to know everyone in the hospital, as cheeky and friendly as ever. I can guarantee that she'll do great if only she had time for this serial.

Actors that surprised me:

Dorothy and MC. Both were very convincing in portraying their characters. Too bad I still don't like them. Dorothy should concentrate more on singing though.

Refreshing looks:

Jackie and Annie with long hair, Anson with her boyish hair cut. I think Ada looks good in long hair and she should keep this hairstyle, although her short hair is nice too, but I think she's more feminine in long hair.

The hospital looks better than the old one too, with better facilities and all. Even the canteen gives you a comfortable feeling.

Best Couple:

Paul and Jackie. I really missed all their loving scenes together. Annie and Henry were good too, but Henry pays less attention to Annie compared to Paul. The others - well, all weren't very good to me.

HHI VS HHII:

I'm really, truly very disappointed with HHII. There are just too many flaws in this serial. It's a real pity that the old cast can't act together. I really miss those days where the old cast will hang around in the bar and the chemistry between all was really very good. William So was busy with his albums, Ada and Steven had no time due to their new serial, and I heard that a few others left TVB.

Apparently the new producer was too busy introducing brand new characters and in the end, everything was done in a rushing manner. HHI had 32 episodes while HHII has 40. HHI had 5 couples while HHII has 6-8 couples to talk about. Obviously 8 more episodes aren't enough for everyone which makes the whole serial lacking chemistry. For example, they failed to get Annie to visit Jackie in the hospital; there was only one pathetic scene later with the 2 of them. Another was that everyone seemed to get over Jackie's death so fast, isn't that a little ridiculous? I felt sorry for Paul and Jackie - I mean, at least Sukie got to talk to Edmund for the last time, but Jackie just went like that! The whole messy, unorganised party and the fast plot really disappoint me.

Songs:

This is the only element that didn't disappoint me. I like the new jazzy version of the theme melody and the sad song they play whenever Paul visits Jackie. Lawrence's song 'Falling in Love next time' is really good. Maybe they should have allowed Lawrence and Ada to sing another duet, this time not allowing Lawrence to overpower Ada's voice. I guess Ada is not really suitable for singing.

Bowie, Flora and Kit did a great job with the songs too. Bowie and Kit even had a duet and it's a good song. Too bad Flora and Bowie didn't have a chance to sing a duet.

If...

If I were the producer, this is what I will do-

Changes to the original Script:

Since the producer is so cruel making Jackie die, I'll retain the same script- but I'll make Paul die! *Grins* Well, maybe not die but just make him ALONE. Say whatever you like, I may be cruel, but I think that no one suits Paul better. Jackie has an everlasting memory for Paul; so let Jackie stay forever with him. Full Stop.

Script 1:

Since Jackie is busy with her new serial, let her retain in coma with Paul looking after her. Tracy keeps bothering Paul and tries to court him until he flares at her. At last Jackie wakes up and they have a happy ending.

Script 2:

If Ada really has to 'disappear', allow her to wake up from her coma, but disappears later when she knows about Paul's one-night-stand with Annie. Annie remains in HK to patch things up but Jackie really can't take it and leaves for a while. Well, a happy ending for all when she finally understands and come back to Paul.

I've read others saying that Paul could have fall in love with Tracy first after waiting for so long, but I think it's impossible since Paul is very loyal to Jackie.

Another was to have Jackie having another twin. I think it's another 'mission impossible' since we clearly know that Jackie doesn't have a twin...

Is HHII good?

Well, if you're not a fan of HHI, or you haven't watch HHI, this may be a refreshing serial for you. You might like it even if you watched HHI anyway. But for a die-hard HHI and Jackie-Paul fan, I really, truly am disappointed with this serial. I would have preferred if they didn't shoot this serial, at least I can have my own imagination of Paul together with Jackie, but now, everything's ruined.

Well...

This is strictly based on my personal opinion. I didn't mean to offend anyone. So, if you're a fan of HHII, I'm sorry if I offended you. While hoping no one will send me evil e-mails from HHII fans, maybe I should consider renting On the Track Or Off. At least I guess I won't be disappointed.