The Gem of Life

I finally finished this mega drama, and am quite disappointed. For such a big production, surely the producers can do better? In the first place, for a series with 82 episodes, the ending is not even properly done; it just seemed so rushed and ambiguous. In the second place, there were some ambiguous parts too, as if the film was edited in a rush so some scenes jumped without giving a clear answer to what happened previously.

Let me start from the beginning. Initially, when I first saw the title and the poster, I thought the drama would be centred on the rich and famous, and the family owns a big jewellery business, hence everything would be rather glittery and bling-bling. However, it was not the case. It involves the rich and famous, yes, but that was only the power struggle between the rich tycoons and businessmen who could swallow up each other's business entities.

As for the jewellery part, the patriach of the main family (John Chiang) only worked as a jeweller supervisor, then he ventured out into his own business later on, but it was just a small-scale business. The family is definitely not rich, but they are generally about middle-class, since they have domestic help and the mother (Louise Lee) can afford to be a housewife and bring up three daughters.

The eldest daughter Sylvia (Maggie Siu) loves power and is very driven and career-minded, so much so that she only puts herself first, until the end, when she can even backstab her own sisters just to save her company and the man she loves (Bowie Lam). I already do not like her self-centred character, but I grew to detest her around the end due to her underhanded ways. It became a big shock to her when she realised her own sister double-crossed her too.

The second daughter Constance (Gigi Lai) is the naive and simple one, who just wants to have a good family and to have her loved ones around her. She always tried to be the peacemaker, but in the end, even she threatened to give her sisters an ultimatum if they did not stop plotting against each other. I like this character, but find her unbelievable, because if such a character really exists, how could she really survive in the real world?

The youngest daughter Jessica (Ada Choi) is the materialistic one. After having been left bankrupt by her first husband, she used her smarts and beauty to manipulate a tycoon Martin Ko (Elliott Yue), a widower twice her age with a grown son Terrence (Moses Chan) to fall for her. She always liked the rich and lavish lifestyle, and later on became the chairwoman of some association for rich and famous wives, but she is also smart in handling the business for her husband.

I totally detest her character! She thinks about nothing except herself and how to keep her own riches! She could even lie and cheat to her parents and sisters just to save her own skin and continue being rich. But for such a character, Ada played it pretty well, although she sounded too breathy at times.

I do not like the mother either. She is more shrewd and astute than the father, but due to that, she tends to manipulate her family members into doing what she likes. I do not like her blatant favouritism to the youngest girl, just because she married a rich man and able to let her step up into society. I also do not like the way she manipulates her second daughter into giving up her happiness for the youngest child. Both are her daughters, how can she be so unfair to one?

In the end, she got senile dementia, just when the show was reaching a climax. Perhaps it was just as well she did since she would then forget all the unpleasantness in the family. Her daughters continued quarrelling, and it was a video she made in the end and a reprimand from the father before the three daughters came to their senses and stopped plotting against each other.

There were some parts where the scenes jumped so it was rather ambiguous. For instance, was it Ada or Maggie who dug out Bowie's truth that he had been hiding for those few years? Ada because she wanted to use that against Maggie to win some business deal, and Maggie because she wanted to do the same thing to harm Terrence who was also vying for the same business deal?

And who really kidnapped Martin? Was it a plot by the Sung family? Or was it by his own wife Jessica so as to keep him under her control and to turn everything to her? It was rather confusing.

And did Terrence have any affairs while he was still married to Gigi? Was he drugged by Elise (Linda Chung), did she make him drunk, or did he sleep with her willingly? And Elise is such a confusing character! I really have no idea when she was being truthful and when she was not, but perhaps that was what made the character stand out.

Also, I have no idea when Elise was being sincere to the Shek brothers, or when she was manipulating them. And is there really such a character like Tai-Wo (Wong Hei), who, despite being cheated by the same person, still did so much for her and allowed her to cheat him again?

For all the hype, this show is quite a disappointment. All the glitter is nice since half the show is about high society, with nice parties, dresses and diamonds, but the storyline and character portrayals are a let-down. Hence only three and a half stars.