Square Pegs [TVB]

Written by Adelyn Lim

"I'm an ardent Jessica fan. Really. Truly. Honestly. No doubt she's a great actress. But her role as Choi Fung simply cannot bring out her true potential."

SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!

Chinese Title

Wong Fu Shing Lung



Genre

Early republican days



Released In

2003



Who's Who?

Ah Wong/ Lei Kai Chung - Roger Kwok

Ling Choi Fung - Jessica Hester Hsuan

Ling Choi Dip - Leila Tong

Bao Kai Chung - Raymond Cho

Yeung Pui Kwan - Winnie Yeung

Old Master Bao Hing Fung - Yuen Wah

Bao Tai Fu - Lee Shing Chung

Ah Wong's Father - Hui Chiu Hung

Ah Wong's Mother - Mi Chu Lin - Lo Yuen Yen

Choi Fung's father - Bowie Lam's father in Untraceable Evidence

Lau Seung Seung - Rebecca Chan

Bao Tai Fu's sister - Natalie Wong

Mi Chu Lin's biscuit helper - John Tan





Plot

A case of identity-swap and two cases of swapped marriages.





A Detailed Summary

Its rather complicated so don't blame me if you can't catch what I'm trying to tell you...here goes...





The time line of this story is around the 1920s. okay, let's start with the background first. There are basically two families involved at first. Firstly in Wu Lung village, there is a very rich and powerful family. You know.. in every show within the 1920s time frame. .there will always be one rich family in the show.. look at Plain Love 2 or country spirit and you'll know what i mean. Hmmm.. i wonder why...Anyway, Old Master Bao (Yuen Wah) of the Bao family's first wife kicked a woman out of the house some twenty years back. Anyway, this woman, or should I say this pregnant woman left and went to the next village to live and gave birth to a son named Lei Kai Chung. Well, around those few years, there was also this middle income family who had a Chinese biscuit shop. Anyway, this family had a son named Ah Wong whom they lost one fine day.



Anyway, when the show started, both families had already found their respective sons (or so they thought...) after 20 years or so. It happened that the old master Bao needed a son to take over his business or something and so had people to investigate and bring his son, whom was borne by that very woman he kicked out some 20 years ago, back. His son, was thus called Bao Kai Cheung. Bao Kai Chung learned to run the family business with the help of Bao Tai Fu, his "cousin". It also happened that Ah Wong (Roger) happened to come back "home" one fine rainy night around the same time. Apparently he was badly injured and was lying at their doorstep. Ah Wong's mother, Mi Chu Lin (Lo Yuen Yen) having the motherly instincts that all mothers' have, immediately swore that that was her long lost son.



Of course here comes the main part of the story. Being badly injured, Ah Wong lost his memory and became retarded and so you can guess what it was like... so naive.. kind of like a little kid and often bullied by people, young and old. Which is why he stuck on to Choi Fung (Jessica) when she treated him well. Its true Choi Fung saved Ah Wong from some kids but she certainly didn't appreciate him tagging along behind her all the time.



Well, Choi Fung had a father, step-mother and a half younger sister. Her sister (Leila Tong) was nice...to her and to everyone else. But her step-mother? Stereotypical step mother... treating her own daughter like a jewel and her step daughter like grass(if you know what i mean). AND what's worse than having gambling as a bad habit? Habitual gambler that steals her own husband's antiques to pawn. She was indeed the most hated character at the beginning. I mean, how lousy can a mother get if she has to pawn her own daughter for gambling sake?? Yeah, she did. When her daughter, Choi Dip was young, she actually arranged with Ah Wong's mother to betroth her to ah Wong in order to pay off her gambling debt.



Anyway, Ah Wong's mother met her on the road one day and demanded that she fulfill her obligations.. On the other hand, Choi Dip had this major crush on the rich boy Kai Cheung who had an equally major crush on Choi Fung. (TVB really has nothing better that huh...sister likes guy likes sister like guy...duh duh duh duh)





So as they say love is blind and of course those in LOVE would be hallucinating and stuff...and Choi Dip thought that she was the one that our richie rich liked and all the misunderstanding came...together with a marriage proposal. In fact there was two of them. The other was from Ah Wong's family because they thought that Choi Fung was Choi Dip and anyway, Ah Wong liked Choi Fung...so....



It was only the day before both bridal sedans came that they all came to find out that Choi Fung was the lucky one. So the wicked step mother and the poor helpless little young daughter thought up of a wicked plan to swap the brides. So Ah Fung would end up with Ah Wong and ah dip, with Kai Cheung.



Choi Dip, feeling guilty, decided to slip a note informing her sister about the swap into a bun, which Choi Fung was suppose to eat in the sedan, but for some reason or other, she didn't eat it and they both ended up marrying the wrong guy.



Choi Fung locked herself up in the room the whole night while Choi Dip and Kai Cheung did what they were supposed to do, solely because he was to drunk to know the difference.



And so because of all twist of fate, both families had to live with it. Choi Fung wasn't that easy to live with. Her main goal was to make her in-laws' lives miserable and get them to sign the divorce papers. There were plenty of conflicts between Choi Fung and her parents-in-law; and between Choi Dip and Kai Chung, mainly because Kai Chung still like Choi Fung.



Just as all this conflicts were still present, there came a woman. Yeung Pui Kwan (Winnie Yeung). She happened to be looking for her fiancé, Lei Kai Chung and by chance, came to know Choi Fung and later worked at Choi Fung's parents' tea house which was financed by BAO Kai Chung, the 2nd son-in-law.



Pui Kwan was shocked to find that Ah Wong resembled her fiancé, so she decided to get close to him to test him. Knowing that Ah Wong likes to attend school and study, she offered to be Ah Wong's private tutor and secretly performed tests to convince herself that this was the man of her dreams. It was a matter of time before Choi Fung got suspicious and finally found out the truth that Ah Wong was actually Pui Kwan's fiancé. Choi Fung confessed to Pui Kwan that Ah Wong and her are only husband and wife by name and she will help Ah Wong regain his memory so that he will divorce her then.



Anyway, things got really suspicious because Lei Kai Chung (Roger) and Bao Kai Chung were actually found by their respective families around the same time. They both share the same name and as Pui Kwan found out, the woman whom was kicked out of the

Bao family was named Lei Shao Qun, Which was also the same name as LEI kai Chung (Roger)'s mother.



Well it was because of this, that Pui Kwan and Choi Fung became "female detectives" and decided to find the truth of Ah Wong's parentage. Ah Wong's father revealed that the real Ah Wong actually died of illness about 20 years back but could not bear to tell his wife so he told her their son was lost. The reason he accepted the fake Ah Wong as his son was because he did not want his wife to go crazy again. Meanwhile, Ah Wong became friends with old master Bao and soon found out that they both have a similar peculiar craving for a kind of green bean soup with some added ingredient. So they would both hide out in the forest everyday to experiment it. (Obviously they are father and son, lar!)



As the story progresses, things get better. Relationships between everybody are not that strained anymore. Kai Chung slowly accepted Choi Dip. Choi Fung began to like Ah Wong, first as a friend and then slowly began to fall for him. He was like an ideal husband. He would never forget her birthdays and would come up with wonderful surprises just to see her smile.



Ah Wong, although retarded, turned out to have potential in baking Chinese Biscuits because he was creative.



So anyway, it turned out that the Bao Tai Fu was the ultimate baddie of the show. He was the one that found Lei Kai Chung first. Killed his mother, then tried to kill him and later found a poor orphan to replace him. So in the whole show, he's the only bad guy. Everyone else is good. Which means all the confusion was caused solely by him. Because he wanted the inheritance. What else?



The fake Kai Chung found out about it and was forced to keep quiet and it was not so much of money but more of the love he felt for his newly found father and wife.



It was Choi Fung's birthday and Ah Wong invented a new Chinese biscuit called "lou po peng" (wife biscuits) for her. But later he and old master Bao got kidnapped. Bao Kai Chung wanted to pay the ransom but Ah Wong and Old Master Bao escaped. So anyway, Pui Kwan and Choi Fung tried to tell old master Bao the truth but the latter didn't believe them. Fu knew about it and tried to silence Ah Wong but the plan was thwarted by Kai Chung who had a conscience and managed to tell Choi Fung in time.



So Ah Wong was saved but nearly drowned in the water and he regained his memory. So he went on to declare his love for his wife only to remember that he was still suppose to love his fiancée too.



Okay.. now to Bao Tai Fu. Well, Fu was on the verge on shooting old master Bao's brains out when he was shot, I think I don't really remember. Sorry. But anyway, he got his just ending.



So who did Ah Wong choose in the end? And what happened to the fake Bao Kai Chung and his wife?



THE ENDING

SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!



Bao Kai Chung and his wife were accepted by old Master Bao as his son and daughter-in-law. So which means he has two sons now.





Did Ah Wong choose Choi Fung in the end? Well.. its not really made known though.. All three of them decided to back out and they all left town. Then it was a few years later that all three of them met each other.



Character Analysis

Ah Wong/Lei Kai Chung

Ah Wong or Lei Kai Chung was a rather smart guy at first when he wasn't retarded yet. I think he used to attend school or something. Had a rather compatible girlfriend and a caring mother but his mother was killed and he was injured by a masked man. He turned up at Wu Lung Village, right at the doorstep of Mi Chu Lin who immediately took him in as her long lost son Ah Wong. Kai Chung woke up with amnesia and became retarded. Ah Wong was rather cute. He was very sweet to Choi Fung, his "lou po jai". Look at all the ways he tried to make her happy. I would say he was good at coaxing girls even though he's not really bright in other areas. Maybe except for making biscuits. In here, he was suppose to be the inventor of "lou Po Peng" (wife biscuits). I bet now you can guess how it got its name.. Yes. Ah Wong made it for Choi Fung. In fact, Ah Wong is so sweet, he could just melt your heart. He was also rather naive to the point that its rather comical. I personally liked the way he listened to Choi Fung, like the way she tricked him into thinking that "Dong Fung" (consummation of marriage) is like a game where two people stand on stilts. I mean, its totally hilarious. Especially when he told people out loud that his hobby was to "Dong Fung" with his wife...Also, I liked the way he protected the "lou po peng" when he and old Master Bao got kidnapped.



Roger looked like he kind of enjoyed playing this role. Bet he had loads of fun. I think Roger did quite a good job acting retarded. He's much better than Swet Lei who acted as Ah Soon's mother. That woman can't act. But Roger can. I was never a Roger fan but after watching Square Pegs, I would say he has the potential.



Choi Fung

Choi Fung grew up with a father, step-mother Lau Seung Seung and half sister Choi Dip. Although her step-mother didn't treat her all that well, she still had the love of her sister and father nevertheless. Her fate came to a drastic change when she was tricked Seung Seung and Choi Dip into marrying Ah Wong. She could not believe that her sister actually betrayed her. Later she tried her best to get Ah Wong's family to divorce her, but later grew to like them.

Choi Fung's character gave me the impression that she was a rather serious character. She was almost a motherly figure to everyone. She had to think of ways to stop her step mother from gambling, and gave both Choi Dip and Kai Chung advice on a happy marriage, and not to mention she had to take care of Ah Wong. Although she fell for Ah Wong, she still insisted on backing out of the love triangle. I sat there watching her and wondering if such a person really existed in actual life.



Here's one thing I don't get though… Choi Fung has always the understanding, giving and serious one in the entire show, yet she suddenly became so childish when she was "fighting" with her mother-in-law in order to get them to write her a divorce letter. The way both women tried to provoke each other was absolutely annoying. Its like two kids playing 'lets-see-who-can-tahan(Malay for tolerate)-the-longest' or something.



Jessica got nominated for "Best Actress" for her role as Choi Fung right? Was she that good in this series? Ask for my personal opinion? I guess not. I'm an ardent Jessica fan. Really. Truly. Honestly. No doubt she's a great actress. But her role as Choi Fung simply cannot bring out her true potential. Choi Fung is significant in the play because she's the main character but Jessica doesn't. One simply CANNOT sit there and go "WOW! Great actress!" In every scene, Roger grabs all attention. One can only go "Orrrrhhhhh!!! Look at that couple..so funny…"



Pui Kwan

I didn't want to do her character profile. I absolutely hate her character and I just don't know why. But I decided that I'd do it anyway. Yeung Pui Kwan was the fiancée of the real Lei Kai Chung. But they were separated because Fu sent a masked man to murder him and his mother. His Lei Kai Chung's mother died but he survived though he suffered major injuries on the head. Pui Kwan never gave up hope as she went from one village to another in search of him, only to find that Kai Chung had became Ah Wong, a retarded guy who lost his memory. She later became good friends with Ah Wong's wife Choi Fung and together they decided to find truth of Ah Wong/Kai Chung's parentage.



She's not the ultimate baddie in here. She's just the third party...well she's not really the third party even. Cannot deny the fact that she was the fiancée of Ah Wong/Lei Kai Chung. But what does she expect really? She goes to find him and finally finds him. Sees him retarded and married. Some might say that she is too deeply in love with Ah Wong, which is why she had to try means and ways to get close to him in order to help him gain his memory. But had she thought about Choi Fung? Choi Fung was her friend… had she ever thought about what Choi Fung was going to do if one day Ah Wong and her actually got together??? No. She seemed relieved when Choi Fung told her that she and Ah Wong are only man and wife by name. Yet doesn't she realize that Ah Wong seemed to like only Choi Fung? True, he may have lost his memory but that does not mean that he will choose her after he regains it back. In this love triangle, Choi Fung seemed to have the sense to back out later on even when she knew she loved Ah Wong., What about Pui Kwan?? I think she's just hypocritical.



Oh, and a very important point. I honestly think she's a little mentally unstable or something. I really don't know. After being frustrated with Ah Wong for forgetting her, and also because she was jealous of Choi Fung, she seemed to be a little crazy… like pricking Ah Wong in the neck and chopping an origami grasshopper into little pieces. Choi Fung was shocked for a moment but later said she understood her predicament. But I don't. One moment she could be angrily chopping the grasshopper with a kitchen knife and when someone comes in, she could be perfectly fine the next moment. Scary. Yet they never focused on that point anymore. Why? I really didn't think she was perfectly fine or just merely jealous. I really did think she was a little sick in the head.



Bao Kai Chung

Bao Kai Chung grew up as a poor orphan only to be told one day that he was the son of a rich man. Poor Kai Chung was made use of throughout the series. He was tricked by Fu to enter the Bao Family only to find out later that he was not the real descendent. Then he was tricked by Choi Dip into marrying her. Poor Kai Chung only knew about the swap of brides after consummating the marriage. At the beginning, you may have the impression that he is a bad guy, but later you will realize that he's not evil at all. He's just a poor boy who lacked parental love and so even when he realized that he was merely Fu's tool to success, he continued to love his family. especially his wife, Choi Dip and Old Master Bao Hing Fung. I think he didn't like Ah Wong at first, because he was jealous of him for marrying Choi Fung



Raymond Cho was a good choice for the role. He has always had these kind of characters. Quiet, timid and always the good guy…Hmm…he does not have the makings of a bad guy.





The Best Artiste

Obviously Roger. He looks natural acting as Ah Wong. One can really see the cuteness in him. That's an important factor, you know… if a lousy actor (I won't mention names) acts this one out…it will probably turn out rather stupid..



Best Couple

Ah Wong - Choi Fung

No doubt Ah Wong and Choi Fung dominates the whole serial. Roger and Jessica have excellent chemistry. I kind of like the way they call each other "lou po jai"(little wife) and "lou gong jai"(little husband). I think they are rather sweet together. I hated them in the beginning because Ah Wong was a little annoying, trying to follow Choi Fung everywhere she goes and Choi Fung was a little cold and heartless towards Ah Wong but nevertheless, their chemistry was great. When they are together, apart from everybody else, they are rather nice towards each other.



Ah Wong - Pui Kwan

Not much was emphasized between them. Mostly, the romance between them were through Pui Kwan's memory. Even then, it was merely bits and pieces of it. I don't really see much chemistry between them, even after Ah Wong regained his memory. However, their love must have been deep, for Pui Kwan to move from village to village in search of Ah Wong. Also looking at how desperate she was around Ah Wong, I guess she really did love him.



Kai Chung - Choi Dip

Nothing really great from either party. Their love affair was overshadowed by Ah Wong and Choi Fung. Roger and Jessica have great chemistry together, so much so that it diminishes any feelings I felt for Raymond and Leila.



John Tang - Natalie Wong

I can't remember their names in the serial, therefore I have to use their real names. They are minor characters here in SP. John is a helper at Mi Chu Lin's biscuit's shop. He also lives with Ah Wong's family. Natalie is Bao Hing Fung's niece and Fu's sister. Their character is so minor, they do not even contribute to the main plot. Their love story is just a subplot by itself. They were a bickering couple, at first, then they became friends and fell in love. Then, Bao Hing Fung refused to let them be together because John was poor. I can't really remember what happened. But anyway, they got together in the end. I don't have much memory of them but I think their chemistry wasn't that great altogether. I feel John has that kiddie air in him that makes him an unsuitable partner for Natalie. I think Natalie looks too old for him.





The Hilarious Factor

Well, there was one scene where Choi Fung's father came home after a business trip only to find both his daughter's married… haha.. that was funny.



Father: Where's Choi Dip?

Mother: Oh… she married Bao Kai Chung yesterday…

Father: Eh?.........

…

…

…

Father: CHOOIIII FUNNGG… GET ME A CUPPA TEA!!!

Mother: Eh…. She got married yesterday tooooo…

Father: Haaaarrrrrhhh???







The I-Don't Get-It Factor

I don't get how everyone kept pushing Kai Chung to accept Choi Dip. I mean, come on, give this guy a break. You all tricked him into marrying the wrong girl and you expect him to like her the next day of the wedding? Who can blame the poor guy? I hate it when people go " She's a nice girl.. she's done so much for you…. Why can't you just accept her, you heartless creature".. So what if she's nice? So what if she's good to you? You don't like her means you don't like her… if visualizing her in bed makes you regurgitate your breakfast… its not your fault lar… This is exactly the same as "Doomed to Oblivion" where Ban Qiu ( Wong Hei) had the same reaction towards (Nnadia Chan) too.





The Hate Factor

I hate Pui Kwan. That's all that I can say….





AND I HATE THE ENDING OF THE SHOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



What a stupid way to end the show!



The love triangle between Choi Fung -Ah Wong - Pui Kwan could not be solved so all three of them decided to back out and leave town. A couple of years later…



I think it was like… Choi Fung went to work at a Japanese tea shop or something and wore a Japanese Kimono Ah Wong …I can't remember what…but he was in an English suit ...Pui Kwan went to be a teacher, I think… but wore those English dresses.



ARRRGGGHHHH… I simply couldn't bear to see them…. They looked simply horrible… I mean… look at Choi Fung (Jessica).. she simply looked hilarious and absurd in that Japanese thingy…so stupid…did she become a geisha or something? I really do not know.



Then the three of them coincidentally met at a field… and I simply can't remember what happened next because I had to cover my eyes in order to stop wincing. I think they did a dance or something. Can't remember.



Should I rent it?

Sure.. if you are a Roger and/or Jessica fan…and if you do not mind annoying and lousy endings.. Go ahead.



Rating

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