The Si character, male lead, is much too dark and broken in the beginning. It was a little had to get to like him, but he got better as the show progressed. Shan Cai, female lead, starts strong but becomes weaker and dependent in middle. That aside the first half of the show excels. The second half repels, and that is based sole on the script. The first half was great, action, interest, humor were all outstanding. Then it got into a stupid, unbelievable plot line with Si's mother. It got more and more bizarre and melodramatic in each episode, unbelievably so. We talking Perils of Pauline, tied to the log in the saw mill melodrama that cost the show heavily in my eyes. It's watchable and truly enjoyable until it gets to half way through, the down hill fast and never comes back. The last episode is especially painful. 45 minutes, mostly with idiotic padding to sort of provide a happy ending and tie up lose ends (unsuccessfully). I don't know what happened to the writers. It felt like they replaced the A team with the D team. The acting and chemistry of the lead actors and supporting actors were top shelf all the way.
Review of Meteor Garden
