This post includes a brief plot summary and review of the 2024 Chinese drama “The Double”. Beware of mild spoilers.
“The Double” is a period drama directed by Yunmo Bai, Haozhe Lü, and Xiao Ma, starring Wu Jin Yan as Xue Fang Fei and Wang Xiang Yue as Duke Xiao Heng.
Genre: historical, mystery
Short Review: “The Double” is an entertaining revenge tale, but the Chinese drama doesn’t come without flaws. First of all, Wu Jin Yan is too old to pass as her “double”, Jiang Li. Second, the ending felt rushed and unsatisfying.
Continue reading for a more in-depth review.
“The Double” tells the story of Xue Fang Fei, the daughter of a fallen magistrate who, in order to survive, assumes the identity of another woman.
Our protagonist, Xue Fang Fei, falls victim to a machiavellic plot against her family. The drama opens with a rather dramatic scene where Xue Fang Fei wakes up next to a complete stranger, a man. Even though she didn’t do anything, Xue Fang Fei is in big trouble because she is a married lady, and now her husband’s family is trying to kill her.
When Shen Yu Rong, our girl’s husband, comes to her rescue, she feels relieved, but not for long, because he’s about to betray her. Shen Yu Rong is a respected scholar, and for reasons unbeknownst to Xue Fang Fei, he needs her dead.
Shen Yu Rong buries his wife while she is still alive. Luckily for Xue Fang Fei, her husband didn’t bury her deep enough, and she crawls back to the surface. While Xue Fang Fei tries to figure out what the hell happened to her, she crosses paths with Jiang Li, a kind young lady.
Just like Xue Fang Fei, Jiang Li was also a victim of a cruel scheme. Her stepmother accused Jiang Li of a crime she didn’t commit. As a punishment, Jiang Li was sent to live in a monastery with deplorable living conditions. Unfortunately, Jiang Li doesn’t make it through to the end and dies, leaving Xue Fang Fei a new chance in life.
During her quest for revenge, Xue Fang Fei makes new friends along the way. However, her most interesting acquaintance is definitely Duke Xiao Heng. He is the emperor’s right-hand man and best friend. Together they navigate through a dangerous world of power struggles and political schemes.
“The Double” is heavy on certain themes such as justice, revenge and female agency.
There is a lot of injustice and corruption going on in “The Double”. Almost every good character in the drama has felt or is going to fall victim to an unfortunate event. And not everyone will be as lucky as Xue Fang Fei when it comes to getting justice for themselves.
Revenge is also another major theme in “The Double”. Both Xue Fang Fei and Xiao Heng are trying to seek justice, although using very different methods. Their relationship dynamics reflect the desperation behind someone who seeks revenge. Despite not knowing nor trusting each other initially, they were willing to work together. They bonded through their desire to seek justice.
The visuals in the Chinese drama are functional but not remarkable.
Personally, I think “The Double” is visually “weak”. What I mean by that is the cinematography doesn’t stand out from the other period dramas. In terms of lighting and scene framing choices, everything felt a bit subpar if I’m being completely honest.
Also, the fighting scenes were kind of laughable. Everything felt a bit amateurish and not well thought out. There is a scene where Duke Xiao Heng is practising his “kung fu moves”, and I just couldn’t stop giggling because it was kinda bad.
I really appreciate the show’s effort to stay away from black-and-white characters.
Xue Fang Fei is not a flawless heroine. In order to get her revenge, Xue Fang Fei often uses manipulation and deceit in order to get what she wants. And her actions do not come without collateral damage; a couple of beloved characters die because of her. Yet, as viewers, we feel very empathetic to her cause and trauma, almost justifying her ruthlessness.
Duke Xiao Heng is equally complex. Though positioned as the noble hero, his willingness to enable Fang Fei’s schemes doesn’t come from altruistic motives. The same grey morality applies to Princess Wan Ning and Shen Yu Rong.
On the surface, Princess Wan Ning comes off as a “wacko” who takes great pleasure in scheming and others’ suffering. But in reality, this woman also went through a lot: sexual torture and betrayal in general.
Then, there is Shen Yu Rong, who I believe is the most complex character to judge. His last words to Xue Fang Fei summarize how I feel about this character. All his life, he only made one mistake, which was getting involved with Princess Wan Ning.
Unlike Xiao Heng, Shen Yu Rong doesn’t come from a rich or noble family, which means, during his entire life, he has been more vulnerable to social injustices than Xiao Heng or even Xue Fang Fei ever did. Associating himself with Wan Ning was the perfect opportunity to increase his status and power and thus, secure his own “place” in the world.
All that said, the majority of characters in “The Double” are not purely good or evil but a product of their circumstances. Most of all, they are often driven by the need for self-preservation.
The chemistry between Wu Jin Yan and Wang Xiang Yue is “lukewarm”, not electrifying.
In my opinion, Wu Jin Yan delivered a strong performance as Xue Fang Fei. It’s hard to balance vulnerability and determination together, and the actress did it well. However, there is one thing that bothered me: Wu Jin Yan is not convincing as Jiang Li, as she looks noticeably older than her “double”.
Wang Xiang Xue is a very promising young actor. When I went to “google” his real age, I was shocked because this man is far younger than he looks. Anyhow, the actor gives us a very charismatic “Xiao Heng”, while finding a sweet spot between restraint and power.
Note: The first time I noticed Wang Xiang Xue was in “Story of Kunning Palace”, in which he played the second male lead. I’m so glad Wang Xiang Xue is getting lead roles because I feel he has tremendous talent.
There is very little romance in “The Double”, I see it more as a revenge tale than a love story. Xue Fang Fei and Xiao Heng’s connection is more based on shared goals than passion. Nevertheless, there are some “sweet moments” between the leads.
Final Thoughts
As mentioned before, “The Double” is not perfect. Nevertheless, the intriguing plot paired with an adequate pacing is enough to keep the audience glued to the screen. The show is strong on “morally grey characters” and intense emotions (the feeling of injustice and desire to seek revenge).
In my opinion, the ending of “The Double” doesn’t do justice to the show. It almost felt like the production was running out of time and decided to stuff everything in the last episode, resulting in an unsatisfying and unpolished final result.
Overall, “The Double” is an entertaining watch. But do not expect amazing cinematography or a swoony love story, it’s all about political schemes and power.
Final Rating: 🍎- (Good, but Has Flaws)
