Episodic Thoughts: Ghetto Justice (Episode 16)

Ghetto Justice <怒火街頭>
TVB Series 2011

Cast: Kevin Cheng, Myolie Wu, Sharon Chan, Sam Lee, Eddie Kwan, Mandy Wong, Jazz Lam, Joyce Tang, Shek Shau, and others.

EPISODE 16

Remarks : This is a watch-as-I-write-from-memory episodic thought (a combination of episode summaries, reviews & critical analysis episode per episode) and therefore please take note that this write-up will contain MAJOR SPOILERS for this particular episode and some creative license was used when recreating certain scenes or dialogue. Please refrain from revealing future SPOILERS in this episode.

New case, sort of…

The Prostitute Robber of Shum Shui Po

Kinda of, since there’s no court case for this one. I am not even sure who is the actor as that robber or all the prostitutes’ names but I do know Jing Jing is a lesson as to when you stick by your principle and as to when you should just abandon it. I am sorry to say I am beginning to find this series descending into the usual fare, even Law Ba seems so ordinary by this episode. Maybe a 12 episodes series ala Japanese style would have retained Law Ba’s charm and the quaintness of this series.

First the recap.

Kris was upset she lost the Yeung Kok Kui case, she wanted murder and he got manslaughter when everyone knew he was guilty as hell and Law Ba whom I remember smiling when PK delivered his summation indeed knew what was going on as he said “You didn’t lose on principle; you lost on technicalities. You seriously think our accused didn’t consult someone right after he killed Miu Yeuk Lai?” and Kris realised and said “That dirty bastard!! He used dirty tactics to win!!” and Law Ba said “Exactly, but you can only blame your inexperience” and Kris said “That’s not fair! How can that wife murderer walk away with manslaughter?! How can PK sleep at night?” and Law Ba said “That is why I had to leave HK. My conscience couldn’t take it. Surprising that there exists people in this world without a conscience. Never be like PK, don’t you dare to be like him” and Kris said “You really think I will stoop so low? I won’t, I promise but I am still upset… he should have gone in for murder!” and Law Ba smiled and said “I can give you a reward…” and she asked “Which is…” and he kissed her on the lips, proceeded to his office and basically had sex.

Pause here.

Pk’s was dirty tactics? I am sorry Law Ba and Kris you both got it wrong. That is NOT dirty tactic, that is direct perversion of justice! Dirty tactics is delay in calling witnesses, filing papers late, taking your time, delaying matters but to teach someone how to go to see licensed doctor lar, take pills lar, etc, that is perversion of justice and these 2 righteous ones should have been MORE upset and TRIED to complain to the bar council. I swear these 2 has got their priorities wrong!

Continue.

Morning after the sex, or whatever, Law Ba was very shy as he said “You will bear responsibility won’t you?” and Kris smiled and said “Don’t be silly, we are adults” and poor Law Ba cried. Anyway just a silly scene.

Brushing teeth, Kris realised she has scratched Law Ba’s back during sex, meaning they were very passionate and if you’re counting, YES, KEVIN IS HALF NAKED ONCE AGAIN. So stop counting. He will bare his chest in EVERY SINGLE SERIES he is in, even if he plays a eunuch. So anyway, he carried her off for another exercise session.

At somewhere, the centre people are very happy Grandma Yim was settling well. But no news on Wai Chai eh? What happened to that poor boy?

The rest of the series is about Jing and her friends being robbed by a “customer” and setting up cameras to ensure protection and Jing helping her friend and ended up being held and told to strip naked and she ran naked (albeit wearing a hot pants underwear) through several streets and no one helped and 2 police dudes finally stopped the robber and arrested him. Unfortunately, Teng saw what happened, the SSP people insulted Jing and guess what? It was the police dude who insulted her now defended her, scolding the people which includes the SSP centre’s worker (Teng oh Teng, how will you ever face these people again?!); “Shame on all of you! You (the men), did you help her when she cried for help? You (the women), how can you insult a fellow woman? All of you are prejudiced! Shame on all of you!!” …

Now I finally knew why she had to be a prostitute in SSP. Because of her badly scarred stomach, she was considered damaged goods and so had to charge cheap and in SSP.

Worse thing, Teng’s parents saw the whole fiasco and openly forbade Teng from seeing her ever again and of course Teng refused.

But pause here.

It is darn stupid to have Jing delivering the following line when Teng told her to stop working as prostitute since so dangerous and all and he offered to help her to realise her dream to open a restaurant where she replied, “But I want to succeed by my own effort! If I accept your help, I will have to open that restaurant. If I do it on my own, I have a choice. I told myself I will stand on my own and no other…”

And so Jing, you mean you will continue to prostitute yourself? I mean I have nothing against prostitution but lady, do you even know what you’re saying? How can Teng sit aside whilst his lady is, sorry for the crude language; banging another guy for money which is in itself a business? How can the lady think the man can take it?! And what about his parents? His friends? There is still stigma in prostitution and will forever be. Her excuse is she can’t do anything else. Excuses! Did she ever ask Kris to help her and give her a job and train her as a legal assistant? No. Did she ever ask Teng to employ her as social worker? No. Did she ever at least try to open a small fish ball stall to earn a decent living? No. All she say is I can’t do anything else. It is such a stupid dialogue. I know, it is to reflect free choice, pro choice, independent, no biasness, no prejudice but look, do you want a former GRO to be your daughter in law if you’re from a good background? No. So do you think you can accept a 100% prostitute?? Of course not. Shouldn’t the series show how Jing tries to go away from this past, like money laundering, go away dirty and come back clean? Never and guess what? No spoilers since everyone knows, she will die. That’s just too easy isn’t it?

Anyway continue…

So Jing and Teng’s love affair hits a snag.

Meanwhile, Law Ba was asked by Kris to assist her, become her advisor and so she rented him a nice office next to hers in Central, where he was 7 years before. My question is why not ask him to be her partner? Is there a need to rent an office?! Anyway, he said no, gave excuses but later was persuaded by Kris and entire Auntie King’s shop and so he decided to return to Central BUT will use some of his earnings to help the SSP centre. I don’t get it. Is it in HK all law firms are in central? Why can’t he open a nicer looking one in SSP and still assist Kris in some of her cases? I don’t get it! Anyway Law Ba was allergic to the new office, scratching his entire body and even his secretary looks at him like he’s weird. Why is Mrs Leung not there with him? He is paying her salary isn’t it? Anyway Kris says to Law Ba “You’re no longer in SSP, you’re no longer Law Ba anymore”. How sad.

Anyway George was very upset to hear Law Ba was leaving but Law Ba promised if any big cases he will return. George was afraid he couldn’t manage but Law Ba said “You can do it! If you haven’t tried, how will you know? Cousin, this is the time to prove to your papa your capabilities. You can do it! And it’s not like I am dead and all. I am still here, just not HERE” and so George is now the senior advisor of the centre.

More bombshell.

Jing met with Teng’s parents and even Teng’s mom, so gentle, so gentile also couldn’t take it that Teng will be with a prostitute and basically insulted her with money, Teng arrived, Jing left, Teng left and Jing said “Let’s be realistic; this will never work! Let’s part ways” and they argued as Teng said why don’t they leave SSP and go somewhere else where no one knows them like some Jin Yong wuxia story and Jing cried “Can you really leave the centre? Can I be that selfish to ask you to leave everything you have worked for?” and angrily they parted ways. Jing cried as she left.

Pause here.

Jing oh Jing, when you started to date Teng you should have “laundered” yourself by making yourself legitimate. Move away from SSP and start anew!

Anyway Teng told everyone he too is leaving, to be with Jing in France for 6 months to a year.

Pause.

A social worker who can afford a 1 year vacation in Europe? Please tell me where is this centre and I shall volunteer myself!!!

Continue.

George was upset as he said “Did you ever ask Jing whether she will go with you?” but Teng was sure she will and he made arrangements for who to take over his job as he said “No worries, I will be back, probably a year later, I am not dying or anything” and George was very very upset, and Mrs Leung later found him crying in the kitchen as she said “You miss them don’t you?” and George said “It is nothing, just that… they have all left and …” and Mrs Leung said “It’s ok to cry. Don’t believe in the nonsense where men don’t cry, cry all you want, girls like sensitive men” and George curious said “Girls do?” and Mrs Leung said “You have no idea how many aunties and grandmas have been introducing their daughters and granddaughters in the hope to meet you! You’re quite a catch you know! What sort of girl you like?” and George without hesitation said “YOU!” and Mrs Leung looked at him as he stuttered “I mean someone like yourself who respects her elders, loves her children, works hard” and Mrs Leung smiled and said “What’s so good about all that?” and George was speechless as Mrs Leung said “Here, I remembered you wanted these” and he saw 2 heart shaped eggs and he was very touched by her gesture and in love with her whilst she remained duh-duh.

Pause.

Mrs Leung is a good woman. The way she treated her MIL so nice and the MIL just knew how to complain and complain, I would have loved that she just dropped the MIL down the stairs.

Continue.

Mrs Leung received a call and it was from a little boy saying his father locked his mom in a cupboard. They rushed to the place, oh authentic apartment looking rather small!! Anyway the poor boy was crying, took the keys to Mrs Leung, opened the door and repeated that his mom is locked in the cupboard. Mrs Leung was shocked to see a new wall to a room and the boy said his father built that to prevent his mom from leaving. The husband came out, drunk and George was so angry he marched up and said “YOU BETTER GIVE US THE KEY TO THE CUPBOARD” and the guy drunkenly said “OR ELSE WHAT? SHE IS MY WIFE, WHAT CAN YOU DO?!” and George said “I will call the police” and the drunkard said “Did I say I won’t do it?” and he gave George the key, opened the cupboard and what Mrs Leung saw shocked her as she cried “Madam!”.

Next episode; George kissed a sleeping Mrs Leung, Mr Leung beat up George, Mrs Leung is accused of adultery and in desperation hurt her useless husband.

I have said what I wanna say about the story for this episode. In fact for the entire Miu Yeuk Lai case. The last scene with the new abusive husband case is intriguing though. What a bastard, to lock his wife in the cupboard and the woman probably fainted from lack of oxygen. Poor kid and the boy acted rather well, the fear, the tears.

But the story proper for Jing is like some Greek tragedy or rather like Dream Of Red Mansion or something like that. I find her dialogue just so stupid. I understand Teng’s hurt and I also understand his parents’ objection. I am an open minded person and I think I will think twice before accepting Jing as my daughter in law. But Jing is a really nice girl, just stupid. Seriously, if you’re a prostitute, and you got a chance to start anew, beg for all the help you can to “launder” yourself clean again. Move away somewhere new, start anew, at least when accusations are hurled at you being a dirty whore, you can hurl back and say that was your past, can’t anyone have a past at all? But Jing is different. She is still a prostitute. Can any parents in law take that fact? I think not, not even a scholarly family, more so a rich family where the father in law is all about ego. Teng should have stop throwing Jing their way and slowly does it. And Law Ba and Kris’ love story is sorta lacking action. When they were teasing one another, that was great but now they had done the deed and true to form for any woman that is to change their man, poor Law Ba is being stuffed into a suit, pushed into a nice office and told to earn money from those he really has no passion to help. I think Kris is doing Law Ba a bad thing and hurting me in the progress; I want to see a different Law Ba and not the usual Law Lik Ah.

And where is Mr Ma? I would have forgotten Kris works for Mr Ma if she did not hand Law Ba a file and say “Did you read Mr Ma’s case?”.

I find this series is going downwards, like losing steam. Even Kevin seems to be losing steam. Myolie just overacts in courtroom scene and the rest no comment. Only Jazz Lam seems to be giving out something new, something different, and Joyce Tang as well.

No wonder this series has to be 20 episodes. Any longer it will just become the usual fare.

Where is the episode 1-10 of Ghetto Justice? WHERE?!

This Episodic Thoughts was written by Funn Lim, a Contributing Writer at JayneStars.com, and was originally posted at Point2e.com.