Crime and Passion

How long
20 episodes

Foreword

This drama spells Lam Kit Ying’s comeback after a long disappearance from the tv screen in the early 90s. How does she fare as a cop here? It is also another drama that has To Dai Yu and Leung Yuen Jing together as a couple besides ‘Files of Justice’. Will they have a happy ending this time?

Story

It has 4 stories that span 5 episodes each. They comprises of a group rape case, a corpse dissolving case, a military gun case and a building’s illegal sex service case. Wai’s criminal investigation unit combines with Yuen Yee’s anti-illegal sex trade unit to crack them. I shall not elaborate on the cases as detective cases are supposed to keep viewers in suspense.

Introduction on characters

1. Ma Siu Kwan – Lam Kar Wah
He is a sergeant from the criminal investigation unit. He is dedicated but chauvinistic. He looks down on female cops but grumbles when Wai informs him that they have to combine forces with their female counterparts to crack the cases. He thinks that women should be stuck with clerical positions.

Soon, he respects them for their professionalism. He also starts a romance with Lan. But their wedding is ruined by an incident. She runs away on the eve. He was drunk 8 years ago after breaking up with his girlfriend. Lan was on her way home from school and was raped. He totally forgot the whole incident but this ordeal left scars on her.

When she admits this incident before their wedding, the whole matter occurs to him and he confesses to her in guilt. Although both patch up for a while, he soon realizes that he is unable to remove this thorn from her. Wai is pleased with his performance and sends him to go for an inspector promotion interview. He clears the first stage but decides to surrender himself to the police as conscience pricks him. Lan is touched by his gesture and offers to wait for his release.

Marvelous acting from Kar Wah to portray the inner struggles in Siu Kwan. He is at first egoistic but later becomes so tormented by his past that he turns into a better person.

2. Fong Wai – To Dai Yu
He is the chief inspector from the criminal investigation unit. He is an introvert and doesn’t know how to show his feelings. While working with Lan on a case, he starts to like her and wants to woo her. He doesn’t realize that Yuen Yee is in love with him. He gets drunk when Lan rejects him and has a one-night-stand with Yuen Yee by mistake. Both feel awkward when they face each other.

Upon knowing that Yuen Yee loses her job, he is beside her to give her support. Slowly, he discovers her merits and both get married. He is overjoyed when she is pregnant but is devastated when she has a miscarriage. Although grieving over it, he knows that Yuen Yee needs his support so he consoles her.

He becomes frantic upon knowing that the miscarriage is caused by leukemia. He searches around for a prospect donor with no result. Later, he is pleasantly surprised that he can save her. He donates his bone barrow to her but this doesn’t save her life. He is crestfallen when she dies in his arms.

Dai Yu looks no different from ‘Files of justice’ at first glance in his dressing. I have to take a long time to get convinced that he is a cop as he doesn’t act like one initially. I am only reminded by the police badge that he clips on his shirt pocket. But his chemistry with Yuen Jing is truly terrific – both are one of my favourite screen couples.

3. Nie Chi Wah – Cheung Kok Keung
He is a famous lawyer who doesn’t mind taking up sympathetic cases from the government bureau unit. It is then he befriends Lan to like her. Both date for a while and he even intends to propose to her. But knowing that Lan loves Siu Kwan, he backs out and persuades her to accept Siu Kwan. Oh – how I welcome this change! I have been sick of seeing him as a villain for so long!

4. Kok Shing Tin – Lee Shing Cheong
This villain causes Yuen Yee to lose her job. He sues her of assaulting him when he is being detained. The court orders Yuen Yee to pay a fine. Shing Cheong is really good as a villain and what a coincidence – he also costs Bao Mun Long (by Ekin) in ‘Instinct’ to lose his policeman job too!

5. Lau Yuen Yee – Leung Yuen Jing
She is the chief inspector from the anti-illegal sex trade unit. Her unit is proud of her as she is the only chief inspector in the station. She is firm and also vigilant. But her career is destroyed by Shing Tin and she is sad that she can no longer share on police information with her ex-colleagues. She ends up being a judo instructor after the occurrence of rape incidents.

She is hurt when Wai doesn’t accept her even after their one-night-stand. Unlike Lan, she is very demure outside work as she lets her hair down. She waits patiently for him to accept her. Her efforts are paid off when they get married. But their happiness is short-lived when she dies.

Yuen Yee puts up the most performance ever. She is natural as the chief inspector as she ties her long hair. She later projects Yeun Yee’s weakness when dealing with her sickness. She is outstanding in tragic scenes too – who can forget how hysterical she is upon learning that she has leukemia? Doctors have to pin her down on the bed to put her on drip while Wai covers his eyes to weep aside. That is really one of the best scenes – even better than the dying scene.

6. Ding Lan – Lam Kit Ying
She is also a sergeant but often wears long-checked blouses. This is to cover the scar caused by the rapist who left it on her 8 years ago. She can never forget the incident although she is too frightened to recall the attacker’s face as she looks at it daily.

She joins this unit to help the weak women to overcome their fear. She is undercover for many times as a hooker to nap the culprits successfully. Sadly, she never recovers from this. Still, 3 men are able to see her inner beauty to woo her despite her tomboyish looks.

She finds Wai unsuitable for her as she is outspoken while he is too quiet. She becomes a couple with Siu Kwan instead. The harsh truth hits her and she breaks up with Siu Kwan. She accepts Chi Wah but soon discovers that he is unsuitable for her too.

Knowing that Siu Kwan has given up his career for her sake, she decides to wait for his release. Kwan doesn’t need to do it as the criminal suing period has passed the 7 years but he knows that she will never be able to forget this incident even after their marriage if he doesn’t do this.

Kit Ying gives a remarkable performance as always. It is a big sacrifice for her to cut her hair so short! She is no longer the gentle woman as cast in other dramas.

7. Mrs Ding – Ma Ching Yee
She is protective towards her only daughter and can’t accept Siu Kwan as her son-in-law initially upon knowing what he has done to her in the past.

Song

The theme song is ‘Not Parting Till We Meet’ by Yip Sin Mun. A very wonderful song as she sings with her powerful vocal cords.

Conclusion

The criminal cases are well-done. This cast also gives a refreshing feel – I doubt they will work together again. I like the pairing of Kar Wah and Kit Ying. They might be working for the first time together but I don’t see any hiccup at all. We see a strong side from the actresses as they are often cast as damsels in distress in other dramas. The chemistry between the guys is lukewarm, though. It seems that they do not warm up enough as both hardly work with each other.

Another complaint too - Dai Yu and Yuen Jing are so similar to the tragic butterfly couple. Their romances end in tragedy in ‘Files of justice’ – the same thing happens here. How can they save her and later kill her again? Why a sad ending again although the characters are finally married?! Does the producer derive pleasure from separating them? Argh!

Sukting’s ratings :

On acting : *** (Scale of 5)

On story : *** (Scale of 5)

On song : **** (Scale of 5)