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I was rewatching some of Nirvana in Fire in the laziest way, on Youtube, just snacking on half an episode (and I really really miss being able to rewatch Guardian in the same way), and good grief I don't think I've ever seen another show where a quiet conversation between two people has me on the edge of my seat this much.
Right now I watched the conversation between the Emperor and Consort Jing where he's almost falling asleep on his big bed and she's seated beside him, gently holding his hand. He looks sleepy and their voices never go much above a murmur, but when he asks her 'do you ever dream about her?' and she deflects because she knows he means Consort Chen, but still doesn't dare mention her--it's riveting, and she also knows the perils of lying to this man.
Every single thing he says to her, even seemingly kind things like 'Don't let the Empress bully you' is lined with rusty nails and boobytraps, and she navigates every single hazard with such skill. It's the equivalent of an especially vicious tomb in Lost Tomb Reboot, but here none of the hazards are visible, it's all in the character work.
And after she deflects, and he says "You know I wasn't talking about the Grand Empress" she does give him his answer, that she dreams of Consort Chen (though I don't think her name is ever mentioned by either of them?) and the emotional tension gets more intense, even as the actual 'will he murder her for saying this' tension eases up a bit. Seeing Consort Jing wince and get tense and visibly react to what he's asking of her is such a moment, because she hardly ever lets anything unbalance her.
In short: Consort Jing 💕
Right now I watched the conversation between the Emperor and Consort Jing where he's almost falling asleep on his big bed and she's seated beside him, gently holding his hand. He looks sleepy and their voices never go much above a murmur, but when he asks her 'do you ever dream about her?' and she deflects because she knows he means Consort Chen, but still doesn't dare mention her--it's riveting, and she also knows the perils of lying to this man.
Every single thing he says to her, even seemingly kind things like 'Don't let the Empress bully you' is lined with rusty nails and boobytraps, and she navigates every single hazard with such skill. It's the equivalent of an especially vicious tomb in Lost Tomb Reboot, but here none of the hazards are visible, it's all in the character work.
And after she deflects, and he says "You know I wasn't talking about the Grand Empress" she does give him his answer, that she dreams of Consort Chen (though I don't think her name is ever mentioned by either of them?) and the emotional tension gets more intense, even as the actual 'will he murder her for saying this' tension eases up a bit. Seeing Consort Jing wince and get tense and visibly react to what he's asking of her is such a moment, because she hardly ever lets anything unbalance her.
In short: Consort Jing 💕