The W Files

*Some Spoilers*

I must say, The W Files have been a true delight to watch. I can honestly say that this series is by far one of my favorites this year and can possibly rank along the lines of my all time favorites as well. With an enjoyable cast and unusual plot, it makes it much more interesting to watch.

Settings/costumes:

This series takes place in a beautiful setting in the streets of Shanghai in the mid 1930s. Great sets and settings that looks real and authentic. The clothes beautifully fit each character and provide a different sense for us to derive. Gallen with his superhero look in earth tones that remind us of Indiana Jones and The Mummy. Evergreen was funny-looking with his Sherlock Holmes apparel. Yoyo with her graceful white clothes that resembles an angel of the matrix. Matt and Tavia wore their preppy outfits to represent pre-adults of that age. All in all, the wardrobe matched perfectly along with the setting and the cast members.

Cast:

Gallen: Despite negativities and comparisons, I truly enjoyed Gallen as Wisely. His bold and valiant character makes him a hero in cases. His constant pursuit of answers keeps things lively. His desires for Yoyo give him a slightly passionate edge towards his personality away from his work at the detective agency. Gallen's feelings and emotions are expressed through his fanatical daydreams of Yoyo. At times his daydreams can be a bit repetitive and redundant, but it adds a touch of human emotions aside from the cases. It's quite humorous at times as well. Throughout the series, we see Gallen transform in many ways: as the boss, the detective, the companion, the childhood friend, the cousin, and of course, the lover. I feel his character has matured greatly as the series progresses. Towards the end of the series, he's more decisive and firm about things. He seems more focused and happier all in regards of Yoyo. I feel his love for Yoyo. It's very sweet and persistent. It's not your typical love story where boy and girl hate one another then fall in love. But his love is evident through time which makes it more meaningful. I'll go more into this in the relationship portion later on.

Yoyo: She probably ranks as one of my favorite top 3 characters in the series. Her attitude is what keeps me intrigued. She's very mysterious. It's hard to comprehend what she thinks and feels. It's a never ending guessing game as to what she truly desires. She's a very rational girl who bases everything on reasoning that science has to offer. She's a strong willed individual who works hard. She's also very family oriented and independent in a sense she's a good doctor. Her constant denial of feelings for Gallen is what keeps the series interesting. At what point will she give in to Gallen? At what point will she put aside her fears and pride and just be happy with him? These invariable questions keep me watching with thoughts in my head. She's the epitome of cold on the outside but warm on the inside. Yoyo has great inner conflictions and contrasting feelings that keep viewers guessing.

Tavia: A true delight to watch! I truly became a total fan after watching her in this series. Her character is full of life. She's very spunky and energetic. Her words and actions are very blunt and to the point. She makes interesting comments and plays an indirect piece to solving the cases. At times, she can be very rowdy and childish through her displays of whining or yelling. It's very playful in a sense she's the youngest and she's loved by everyone. Her character adds a lively onscreen presence for viewers. Tavia's pairing with Matt makes things more worth the while to watch. I love her direct attitudes towards everything. She doesn't overcomplicate the matter but act upon her feelings and emotions. She enjoys seeking the truth even in high octane danger. Her relationship with Matt gives her a more feminine mystique and focuses on her personal feelings other than her character traits.

Matt: He's SUCH a cutie. I love Matt's witty and charming personality. He's very straight forward. Although his comments can be ridicule at times, he's still an important factor to the supporting cast. I love the fact he does anything and everything if he loves it. His constant pursuit of happiness and the things he love is what makes him intriguing. His conflicting interest as a reporter and the heir of his family is what makes Matt's character stand out. He loves his mom but he also loves his passion. At one point, this conflict is solved but it goes to show that both play a crucial part in his life. He's very sarcastic and humorous. He tries to keep things upbeat and lively along with Tavia. Their little bickerings takes away the seriousness and the mixed emotions from Gallen and Yoyo. They provide of a sense of young love through a mutual understanding and quality time together. They also give a humorous and lighter aspect of the show.

Supporting Cast:

Evergreen: He didn't play a huge part but he was still Gallen's partner in crime. He's a loyal friend who's there when they need him. He's very sincere and true to heart. His only flaw is not being able to speak of his feelings only when it's too late. He's the rational one in the group. He likes to think things through before proceeding with it.

Power: I love his character. He is soft spoken but highly intelligent. He's a true blue child hood friend. He's the knowledgeable one in the supporting cast. In this series, he provides a lot of wisdom and support. He's very understanding and sympathizes with Gallen. He's very passionate and buries his feelings. He is a truly sentimental character.

Fiona: She's the beauty within. Although she didn't have a big part whatsoever. But her organization and mommy like gestures add maturity to the group. She prepares the little things. After all, the little things are what matters most. Her admiration for Gallen is cute because she does what she can but he treats her only as friend. Sometimes the right person is in front of us but we fail to see it. And that's exactly what it is for her.

Maid/butler: The adult figures around the clan. They blend in to make the story more believable. The mother/father figure to everyone since they all lack a background that was elaborate upon. They are ABSOLUTELY hilarious! Especially Foon Jer

Yoyo's dad: I enjoyed watching him in this movie. He holds the tough gangster leader face and personality. But he's also a loving father to his kids. He has great wisdom. The older you get, the wiser you are. He doesn't speak much but when he does, the things he says makes great sense and holds many meanings to absorb.

Michael: Starts out tough and cruel. One who goes out of his way to get what he wants. Then later changes to someone who is simple and more family oriented. He is a man of great martial arts skills with a great mind and thirst for power. I really liked to watch the change in him. It seems as though the 'village years' has helped him to realize that there is more important things in life than money and thirst for power.

There was a great bond amongst the cast. I seriously wouldn't re-cast anyone. It was great portrayals by great actors/actresses.

Relationships:

Gallen & Yoyo: Intense feelings that are hard to decode. He wears his heart on his sleeve. She hides her feelings. It's a constant battle of assurance of one another's love. When Gallen first met Yoyo, it's inevitable that he fell head over heels for her. Without a doubt, Gallen's feelings were displayed through his daydreams and obvious actions. On the flip side, Yoyo's feelings have always been there, just not shown. She likes to with hold/deny her feelings for Gallen due to the lost of her brother and fears that she possessed. She had many doubts and uncertainties towards this man that she loves. Throughout the series, we see this relationship dragging on in the sense that he's totally persistent of his love where she coldheartedly rejects him each time. But towards the end, she realizes that she can't live without him. Ultimately, Yoyo slowly overcomes all the uncertainties and realizes that when there's love, there's a way. Their romance turns from bitter to oh so sweet. It goes to show that relationships strengthen through time. With actions justifying for the words, it makes it a sweet romance. This isn't your typical TVB relationship because the relationship found problems through other factors rather than a 3rd person. It's portrayed in a sense of conflicting inner feelings that one needs to overcome if one desires of truly being in love. The smart but yet witty remarks keeps their relationship intriguing. I loved watching it.

Matt & Tavia: Many have said that the more you bicker with someone; you'll more than likely end up with this person. This holds true in the instances of Matt and Tavia. They are SO cute together when they bicker. We see them having this fun and playful relationship. They are always making sarcastic comments towards one another. But when things happen, you can see their care towards one another. When all doubted Matt for writing the stories about Anne, Tavia was there to talk to him and believe in him. Then we see their relationship strengthening towards the end especially when Matt was in jail. But in other occurrences, when Matt has problems about his family and work, he'd come to Tavia and she would assist him. For example, lying saying they slept together to piss off his mom. But through these actions and events, there are real feelings that are overshadowed. While Matt was in jail, you can see how she truly cared and loved Matt by taking care of him and his mom by cooking for them. Their relationship developed by being there for one another through the good times and more importantly the bad. I need you because I love you sort of ordeal. They are simply cute and truly romantic. Their relationship is pure and not overly complicated with feelings compared to Gallen and Yoyo. This is a very nice supporting and more youthful relationship.

Cases:

First Episode: Pre-alien attack then opening credits/previews. Spaceship attack and then introduction to Wisely. Then the series opens with the first case.

Paper Monkey: This is a good case to start the series. It provides character introductions to further the developments as the series progress. It introduces Gallen's emotions for Yoyo from their first acquaintance. It also gives a background of her family as well. This case is very adventurous. It also explores the greed of man. The power to go after what we want to the extreme even if it costs one's life. This case also is the central conflictions that Yoyo endures towards Gallen and the lost of her family.

Changing Corpse: This case was freaky! The old man being chained to his mansion gives me the creeps. This case explores the humanity one has. There is a conspiracy theory that there are aliens that linger amongst us in human bodies. It's a good case that questions other beings in this universe aside from humans. What happens if one of our close ones happens to be part alien? How do we acquire that into our daily life? Do we tell others or keep it to ourselves? How will this affect us mentally and emotionally in regards to dealing with this idea? These are the constant questions with held in this case. It's also in suspense with Gallen's jealousy of Yoyo spending time with another guy. Keep in mind, aside from the cases; we are faced with romances intertwined in the series.

Wood Coal: This case was a bit humorous at first. However, I felt as if this case was highly developed and I was intrigued. Tavia was AMAZINGLY cute in this case! Ellesmere seemed like a maniac when he found the wood. However, this case was just witness by Gallen and his 'crew' it was not like an actually mystery that he had to 'SOLVE' but nonetheless it was a good case. It was not the best, but it was good.

Searching Dreams: This is one of the most boring cases in the series. Even though the theme was pretty interesting, it explores the boundaries of reincarnations and haunting dreams of past lives. Dreams are a crucial part of our lives. Is there such thing as reincarnation? Do dreams reoccurring dreams reflect debts of past lives that weren't fulfilled? This case is bittersweet in a sense that two people love each other but can't be together due to debts of past lives. These reoccurring events are acts of relinquish revenge. It was boring because it kept playing the SAME dream over and over again. This case has an unexpected twist towards Roger and Anne's fate. And even though the end of this case was touching, it was rather boring as a whole.

Poison Puzzle: GOO WAK. I like this case because it explores many issues. Do love spells/curses really exist? If we really love someone, do we take a risk and use this as an alternative? This case brought back Michael Tong and introduced us to Halina. Some parts were so boring I wanted to shoot myself. But this case was pretty interesting because of the love spells and the tribal spells. For all we know, there are many tribes who inhibit many spells upon their tribe members and those who trespass. But there are those in the village who uses spells towards one another in hopes of getting what they want. It's quite dangerous. Yoyo thought Michael and Gallen were intoxicated with spells thus showing her vulnerability towards Gallen. I liked the ending of this case and the flow of things afterwards.

Immortal/Ghosts: I put these cases together because it ran almost the same time and all. I think that this was one of my favorite cases. The whole Japanese curse, killing and sacrificing ordeal was captivating. Eileen sleeping with men and then having them die was pretty weird. The sacrificing ceremonies that were held with the skulls were gross. And the idea that the cupid statue can come alive and kill somewhat is preposterous. These cases brought 2 unexpected deaths. Even with all these weird points, I liked the way TVB could link it all together with the two main relationships. I liked the initial idea although how they died was pretty stupid. There's always that constant question do immortality really exists and do ghost linger without us knowing so? The overall visuals and concept of the cases were great. And this brought together Matt and Tavia so it was very good.

Tomb Raider: Great case to end the series. This lead back to the initial scene we saw in the opening credits. I knew it would end the whole series because we never really got substantial answers, reasoning for the attack of the aliens. This case questions aliens really existing with higher technology and having a better unification amongst one another. They come to accept one another and assist each other regardless of constant hating and bashing towards one another. Humans are faced with the idea of different ethnicities therefore having segregation but aliens are united with a much bigger heart and acceptance. The alien in this case is sought to be someone with higher thinking with great humane towards his fellow aliens. This isn't your stereotyped alien that's a little green Martian who wants to invade Earth but portrayed on a better level. I don't think any of us know for sure how to justify aliens. It's merely speculations that one makes with biased viewpoints but to support it with facts of science is quite hard. This case ends the series but it leads us to more questions, more thoughts, and definitely more possibilities.

Overall, the cases in The W Files are highly developed. It's meant for entertainment but also in the questioning of possibilities of science vs. nature. I watch each case with questions and thoughts in my head. That's what I like about this series. It isn't your typical murder case or investigating files, but it's a question of science fiction. Its theories made into a visual masterpiece. I like the concepts they chose ranging from dreams, ghosts, curses, immortality, aliens and more importantly, unexplainable human characters such as greed and the theories of love. After all, those are highly questionable and leave many in thinking. The W Files aimed at things we want to know but don't have distinct answers for. It presents questions but we conclude it with our own reasoning. That's what I call a great series.

Humorous scenes:

I think it was tape 3 or so when Matt and Gallen were in the library. When Matt was eating and then Gallen got caught with the food behind book.

When Matt and Tavia were with the mad scientists and her hair got burned.

When Matt's mom first appeared and non stop talking! Her constant bickering with Tavia.

Gallen's daydreams of Yoyo. My favorite daydream thus far was when they were on the train and he imagined that he'll save her and they'll kiss.

When Gallen was sick and he didn't want a woman white doctor so they got him a black male doctor.

When Matt and Tavia pretend to sleep together so that Matt can convince his mom to let him work at the newspaper again.

When they disguised themselves to get the coal.

When Matt and Tavia met for the first time in her boss' work place and she smack him with the book.

When Matt's mom went to Gallen's place looking for Wai See Lei and she thought it was Evergreen and yelled at him then it wasn't him then argued with Tavia and she threw food in her mouth to shut her up.

When Matt's mom went to jail and was talking to him and the guards came in and she yelled at them while whispering what she had to say to Matt.

When Tavia called Matt an ostrich

When the cast thought Gallen was dead and everyone thought his spirits came back.

When Tavia was talking to the cupid statue and everyone thought she was crazy.

Emotional/Meaningful scenes:

When Gallen gave Yoyo a present and it was her gun. He made the bullet into a necklace.

The song "It Had to Be You" playing constantly for Gallen and Yoyo especially when Gallen is distraught and Yoyo thinks to herself.

Anne saying that she'll keep killing Roger to pay the debts of past life and hopefully one day being able to be with him in a loving relationship.

At the bridge when Gallen tries to give Yoyo the watches and she gives him back the bullet necklace and throws it into the water and he jumps after it.

The scene where Gallen got stabbed by the old man rather than Yoyo.

Gallen being stuck in another dimension and Yoyo pounds on the rocks wanting him back

Then when Yoyo was at the restaurant/cafe listening to 'It Had To Be You' thinking about Gallen

When she thought it was just a vision of Gallen but it was really him and that instant hug and cries

When Evergreen was stricken by the death of Fiona and was deeply sadden by it.

When Matt brought flowers and got down on one knee to propose to Tavia

The ending scenes between Gallen and Yoyo on the lake. Their dialogue and overall meaningful end to the series.