Gallen Lo and Fred Cheng Promote “Provocateur”

New TVB crime drama Provocateur <與諜同謀>, starring Gallen Lo (羅嘉良), Fred Cheng (鄭俊弘), Ali Lee (李佳芯), and Jacqueline Wong (黃心穎), will be premiering on Monday, March 6. On Sunday, the cast appeared at an event to promote the drama at a shopping mall, playing games while they introduce the drama’s cast and characters. After losing a game, Gallen was punished to wear red lipstick, which reminded fans of Gallen’s iconic role as “Diana” in the 1999 drama Mr. Diana <先生貴姓>.

Provocateur is Gallen’s first TVB comeback drama in eight years. It stars Gallen as a powerful cosmetics mogul, co-starring Fred as a corporate spy. Ali plays Gallen’s secretary, and Jacqueline plays Gallen’s stepdaughter.

Many viewers have expressed their anticipation for Gallen’s return, but the actor himself said he doesn’t feel the pressure, and has confidence in the drama. “I’ve done my best, so there’s no pressure. This drama, Provocateur, has quality. It is a thriller and very chase-worthy.”

Acknowledging that most of his costars in the drama are junior actors, Ali said, “He keeps telling us that he’s still young. In group photos, he’d be the first one to squat down in the first row.”

“They wouldn’t let me squat,” said Gallen.

Meghan Markle faces fresh blow afte...
Meghan Markle faces fresh blow after surprising Instagram return

“That’s because you’re our big senior,” said Ali. “We can’t let you do that.”

“I actually have a very young mindset,” said Gallen, defending himself. “I like to say jokes!” Gallen then said that he knew his costars felt a lot of pressure working with him, but that quickly fizzled out.

“He’s the first senior actor I’ve worked with who would approach the juniors to just chat,” said Ali. “He’s very friendly and he makes the filming environment very comfortable.”

Asking if Gallen would be returning for Threshold Again <再創世紀>, TVB’s sequel for At the Threshold of an Era <創世紀>, Gallen humbly said, “TVB has talked to me about it, but there’s a schedule clash. However, I am honored that I had the chance to be part of the first one.”

Mentioning that most of the fans who attended the event were Fred’s fans, Gallen said, “He’s amazing. There are so many fans here! I would have to start singing again. Good thing I won the theme song so I haven’t completely lost!”

Fred, who provides the voice for Provocateur’s ending theme, said, “Gallen and I always talk about singing and recording. After recording the ending theme I immediately sent it to Gallen, and he offered me a lot of his opinions. I would love to sing a duet with him if the opportunity comes up.”

Source: Mingpao

This article is written by Addy for JayneStars.com.

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Responses

  1. When Ali said Gallen is the first senior actor that she has worked with who would approach the juniors to just chat… I feel happy to have idolize a friendly and humble great actor.

    Although Gallen is getting old now, but i enjoy watching his acting…not so much on his look. So as long as the storyline of this new series is ok…i’ll watch it to the end as a support for Gallen.

    Too bad Gallen could not return for Threshold Again. He did great for the prequel. Anyway, if Gallen could not make it, i hope TVB will cast Roger or Wayne instead because i look forward to watch this sequel and hope it will be lead by great actor.

  2. I watched the first episode last night and so far, the series definitely has potential. It was great to see Gallen back and he definitely didn’t miss a beat. It’s already a given that he will do well, so with this series, it’s really the supporting cast that I’m trying to pay more attention to. Fred was ok so far – not impressive but not horrible either, though I’m honestly not convinced that he can pull off the role of an evil gang leader. As it stands so far, Fred’s team overshadows him in the acting department – Jack Wu pretty much stole the show alongside Jonathan Cheung, with Roxanne Tong being the one to watch on the female side. This is the first time I’ve seen Roxanne in anything and her acting comes off quite natural. I have a feeling she is going to overshadow Ali Lee in this series because so far, Ali’s performance is unimpressive and borderline boring. This is actually the first time that I’ve really “watched” Ali’s performance and I can tell you that I really don’t see her as that much better than Grace Chan and Sisley Choi. Ali’s acting isn’t natural and she comes across to me like a schoolteacher reciting her lines, making sure to enunciate and pronounce every single word perfectly – unfortunately, this is done at the expense of actual acting. She basically has no charisma on screen and very little emotion. That one scene outside Gallen’s office, when that fat guy calls Ali’s character a “mad dog with a sharp bite”, I was thinking to myself either the dialogue is screwed up or Ali is totally off on her acting….I will give her the benefit of the doubt, since it’s only the first episode, but I am praying that she doesn’t ruin the series for me.

    Also, love see Lee Sing Cheong (one of my favorite veteran supporting actors) in this and looking forward to a showdown between him and Gallen. Lastly, I sincerely hope that Jimmy Au has a bigger role in this series than just the “silent bodyguard”…..

    1. @llwy12
      A good start which is normal for TVB series these days. Hope it continues! The only thing that bothers me a little is that when Gallen cracks a smile it seems tense. Not sure if it is the age or Botox. Fred has already exceeded my expectations so far. Maybe this guy can produce when given the chance.

      1. @jimmyszeto Yea, I hope it continues too!

        Gallen has aged and it definitely shows, though I also partially blame TVB’s makeup and costumes department, as I’ve noticed that, in general, the aesthetics with a lot of TVB’s series the past couple years have been horrible. They need to invest more in the actual production process itself (makeup, costumes, props, filming equipment, etc.) rather than spend billions on buying rights to sports programs and such. Bringing back “big name” veterans is not going to help TVB any if everything those stars have to work with (from props to scripts) are crappy.

  3. Watched the first 25 mins and gave up on this piece of crap. The gang of thieves idea reminds me of Burning Hands which was just so bad that the only reason i continued watching was only for ruco and i dont forsee rewatching it anytime soon. Fred as the bad guy was just overacting with his evil smirk. What was that garbage i just watched about using a cancer patient as a beauty product spokesperson ? This looks like another series that tries to be hi tech and sophisticated but flops miserably. Im currently watching Destination Nowhere which is turning out to be really suspenseful and keeps me hooked. Give me kevin any day over Gallen.

      1. @jimmyszeto jimmy Jimmy I used to think you’re a sensible poster till for some reason your taste seems a bit off lately. What is wrong if i prefer kevin over Gallen? That makes me a fangirl? You prefer Gallen so that makes you a fan boy? No? You and your double standards again. Get it in yr head man that we dont all like the same things. You are entitled to your esteemed opinion and so am i, just dont make it seem that i am wrong. Btw I think pal sin is a horrible actor who acts like he’s reciting his lines yet you said he acted well in BH! Clearly we hv very different taste.

    1. @isay Not sure what series you were watching but sure doesn’t sound like the same one we saw! As critical as I always am of TVB, I have no problem giving credit where it’s due and in this case, the first episode of Provocateur was actually quite good (minus a few exceptions of course). And no offense, but I have to disagree about Kevin over Gallen – as someone who values talent and substance over “eye candy”, hands down I would take Gallen any day over Kevin.

      1. @llwy12 I assure you that i double checked and it was indeed this Provocateur (note the very pretentious title) which i watched. I dont understand why you fans of Gallen the great can’t accept that others hv their preferences without being shot down and accused of preferring form over substance. Im sure all the kevin cheng fans out there would be indignant. FYI and Jimmy’s i am a fan of neither. As i told jimmy you’re entitled to yr opinion and so am i. Just don’t make it seem like you’re right and I’m wrong. I would appreciate that very much. To each his own and yeah for ageing uncles i much prefer kevin in his latest drama over Gallen the great. Any problem with that?

      2. @isay Nope, no problem with that at all. Just like you have the right to state your opinion, I have the right to state mine. Just because I don’t agree with your opinion doesn’t mean you’re wrong and I’m right (or vice versa). You can interpret it however you wish but with my reference of Kevin vs Gallen specifically, that is my opinion of those artists, not necessarily of those who support them. You may have your reasons for preferring Kevin’s acting and that’s fine but by the same token, I have my reasons for NOT liking his acting. And yes, I feel that Kevin is lacking in the acting department but has the looks and that is one of the reasons why he has been successful versus Gallen who has the acting (though not when he started out back in the day) but I’ve never felt that he is particularly good-looking. Also, saying that I prefer talent and substance over looks means exactly what it says – my preference….nowhere in there does it say that you prefer the opposite. Again, this is purely my opinion of those 2 artists however if you want to extend that to me saying you’re shallow for liking Kevin’s acting when I didn’t say that, it is your prerogative and there is nothing I can do about it. Lastly, for the record, I am not a “fan” of Gallen’s. As I’ve said before, just because I put in a good word for a particular artist does not mean I am a fan. One thing I do agree with you on is that there are people out there who are quick to label people “fans” or “haters” based on one positive or negative comment, which is annoying, but not much we can do about that.

      3. @llwy12 hands down Gallen wins over Kevin in the acting dept. Like I always say about Kevin. Good looking guy. Acting is good but he can only do certain role well. Can’t pull off dramatic scene. Crying scene is bad…and when he tries to look serious, he always have this stiff look to his face. But in comedy he does well… But hey just my opinion. Great to see Gallen back to tvb!

      4. @happybi Points noted but i thought he did ok in the crying scene in the first ep when his bro and sis-in-law died in the car crash.

      5. @happybi Gallen was once a log of wood worse than Kevin. But I do agree on Kevin. I am loving him in Destination Nowhere. He suits that kinda of easy going character. Not really comedy. He is not funny but he can do funny scenes.

      6. @funnlim

        I would say both actors are doing good in their respective series…each suits their role.

        But in my opinion…Gallen was never worse than Kevin…probably equal (if we compare the performance of both during their early days as actor). However, Gallen’s acting has been improving and becoming better day by day ever since his acting was recongnized when he achieved his first TV King award back in 1997.

        Meanwhile, i agree with @happybi that Kevin’s acting is good but he can only perform well in certain roles. His role in Destination Nowhere is the kind of role that suits him…therefore he’s entertaining in the series.

      7. @diana80 Exactly! Gallen started out as a block of wood, but he improved vastly over the years and evolved into a versatile actor who can take on any role. Kevin, on the other hand, can only do certain roles convincingly. THAT’s where the difference is. Gallen’s acting actually started improving when he started taking on villain roles in the early 90s, which was a wise decision on his part because he was so heavily typecast in those “goody-goody block of wood” type roles prior to that (i.e. City Japes in 1986, where he was more wooden than a real block of wood but that was his debut series so I cut him some slack for it, The Final Verdict in 1987, The Seasons in 1988, Yankee Boy in 1987….the list goes on and on). The key to being successful at TVB (from an acting standpoint that is) is being able to “break through the mold,” which is twice as difficult in a lead role because TVB is guaranteed to typecast you (they don’t know any other way to do it). Gallen was able to break through and that’s why he’s in the position he is today.

      8. @funnlim I agree on that. Gallen was pretty bad in the beginning but he has improve tremendously and can pull off different character. Dramatic or comedy. That’s the word for Kevin! He really does do well as an “easy going” character. I also do like him playing those roles.

      9. @llwy12 well, pardon me for misinterpreting your intention but you specifically replied under my thread and used a very condescending sarcastic tone “not sure what series you were watching”. A friendly discussion would have been appreciated instead of yr sarcasm. Note that i specifically posted under a new thread and not as a reply to yours though i disagreed with yr review. It was you who replied under my thread practically telling me to my face that i preferred form over substance…. quote:”as someone who values talent and substance over “eye candy”, hands down I would take Gallen any day over Kevin” which made me particularly annoyed. Until the day comes when someone can calibrate good acting, let’s not turn this into an argument as to whether kevin or gallen is a better actor. They each have their own supporters. And i do like Kevin in his latest drama….wink.

      10. @isay
        And you tend to mention Ruco whenever you can. I’m glad Burning Hands was so bad it shut you up for a bit. People enjoy reasonable discussions in these forums and not comments such as ‘quitting after watching 25min’ because the main actor isn’t Ruco. You didnt watch the first episode with any intent to be neutral and tried to find any excuse to drop it. The ‘eye candy’ comment by @llwy12 hits the spot.Your posts are better for social media or fan club pages I have to admit.

      11. @jimmyszeto Jimmy jimmy surely you have a comprehension problem or you like to jump to conclusions. Did i say or even imply that I quit after 25 mins cos ruco wasnt in this? Read it again slowly. I said i quit cos this drama reminded me of BH which was so bad that the only reason i watched it was for ruco. I don’t know how you jumped to your conclusion. You really ought to stop calling people names just becos they said something which doesn’t agree with you. There’s no need for that unless you happen to be eight years old. So what if i like eye candy and I’m shallow? I dont need your approval. And what makes you think your opinion is always right and superior to others? You can disagree but there’s no need to be rude.

      12. @isay
        Errr hmm Burning Hands -‘it was so bad but watched it because of Ruco’. Provocateur- Stopped watching after 25 mins and it was bad and it happens that ‘Ruco isn’t in it’. 1+1=2 Not so hard to add up is it? And you are calling your own preference ‘opinions’ but liking someone acting because they are ‘eye candy’ is not an opinion on their acting I’m afraid. Maybe you should stop contradicting yourself first.

      13. @jimmyszeto you not only fail comprehension but your maths too. They don’t add up. What are you? Shrink? Psychologist? Detective? Or just an overly suspicious person? My main purpose in my statement abt BH was to emphasise how bad it was, that’s all, no sinister deeper implication intended. Why would i want ruco in another (bad) drama similar to BH? I just pray he wont be in another stinker like that. You not only put words in my mouth, you try to read my mind too lol. Kevin may be eye candy to you but he isn’t to me. I like him in his latest drama cos he delivers in his role. Perhaps you haven’t watched it or you gave up after a few episodes. In any case my choice of kevin over Gallen, be it an opinion or a preference, lies with me so it really makes no difference. Im not contradicting myself. Don’t try to twist the issue. You were downright rude in the first place. An apology would be in order but i don’t think you’re man enough to do that.

      14. @isay2
        You know what is rude? Making statements like ‘Give me Kevin any day over Gallen’. You literally dismissed Gallen’s acting dominance at TVB and career without a reason. In an era where there were actors around such as Louis Koo, Bowie Lam, Roger Kwok, Sunny Chan.Fair enough if you prefer other actors or that you haven’t watched his past series but no need for that.

      15. @jimmyszeto now you’re a really funny guy. Why can’t i state my preference or opinion? Does stating my preference or opinion mean that I’m disrespecting the other? What about you who unceremoniously dismissed kevin as eye candy? That’s an insult to Kevin and all his fans. Btw some eye candy can act, just saying. Don’t be a bully jimmy. If you disagree, learn to do so nicely without resorting to name calling or insults. That isn’t necessary unless you’re so insecure you think that trying to make yourself seem smarter makes you feel great.

      16. @isay2
        i like ‘Kevin’s acting over gallens in certain areas because….’ is an opinion or preference. ‘I’ll take Kevin over Gallen any day’ is certainly disrespectful. I don’t know why you feel so offended being called a ‘fangirl’. There is nothing wrong with being a fangirl. Why are you trying to be something that you not?You seem the type that will go to Ruco or Kevin’s fan club with a cake to celebrate his birthday a month early.

      17. @jimmyszeto Hey fanboy of Gallen, why don’t you just lay it off? You’re really beginning to sound very unreasonable, telling me what i can or can’t say or how i should say it. My preference and how i word it is still my choice and none of your business. I wouldn’t have been offended if you had said something like ” Oh wow, kevin over Gallen? Interesting choice. Why is that so?”. It would have opened up room for a mature discussion (which i think i’m asking too much from you) rather than saying “EVERY TIME you post you sound like a deluded fangirl”. That was really downright rude and disrespectful and uncalled for. Anyways as i had expected, you’re just not man enough to apologise for your rudeness and are now desperately trying to put words in my mouth, read my mind and finally denying me the right to state my preference. You live in the West where they respect individual freedom and rights (more so than parts of Asia) don’t you? Go ahead, give Kevin a go. You’ll be surprised, you may just like him in DN. If you think Pal sin did a good job in BH, you’ll find Kevin Oscar-worthy in DN, I’ll put my head on the block for that. Give me Kevin any day over Pal Sin. Ooooooooppppsie, here i go again. I’m offending pal sin (and jimmy szeto), oh my lordy.

      18. @isay2
        I don’t think you get it at all. There are many people who give ‘opinions’ on actors or actresses which I don’t agree with but I have no problem with it at all. There’s also you and I think only you so far who will just stubbornly defend an actor.You have proven to be defensive and immature every time someone writes an opinion of slight criticism of your idols’ performances. Take for example. An in depth,frequent reviewer writes an article on ‘a fist within four walls’ with slight hint of criticism of Ruco’s role and the series. In a few sentences of incredible childish, immaturity you scream ‘ I have shown the series to people who don’t watch TVB and they loved the series and Ruco’s performance’. A couple of lazy, stubborn comments from dismisses someone’s effort in writing a long in-depth review. Now once again in the same manner,you dismiss Gallen’s long hardworking career. “I’ll choose Kevin over Gallen any day’. People might mistaken after reading this sort of bullish statement that Gallen has done an Edison or just had some horrible performances. I will be visiting Hong Kong in the next few days so if I run into Ruco or Jevin, I will definitely give you a mention since so that they know that you exist which will mean a lot to you.

      19. @jimmyszeto “In a few sentences of incredible childish, immaturity you scream ‘ I have shown the series to people who don’t watch TVB and they loved the series and Ruco’s performance’. A couple of lazy, stubborn comments from dismisses someone’s effort in writing a long in-depth review.”
        Let me refute this accusation. I did say that many people liked Fist including those who are non Ruco fans. We had a very in depth “discussion” prior to this review where we had stated each other’s arguments for and against . For that reason, since there was already so much debate that went on prior to this review, i saw no need to repeat my stand and readers who had been following our “discussion” would be spared from reading the same old arguments.

        “People might mistaken after reading this sort of bullish statement that Gallen has done an Edison or just had some horrible performances.”
        That is another lame attempt from you to try to justify your rudeness. People are more informed than you think and they don’t jump to conclusions like you do. Please give readers here more credit. They’re not dumb as you think and can be lead by the nose or have their opinions swayed by a mere statement of someone’s preference. Get it in yr head that you’re not the only smart person out here so there’s really no need to police the comments in JS.

        Likewise, i have no issue with people disagreeing with my preference or opinion as long as they’re not downright rude like you. Worse, you try to control what I say, how I say it, accused me of lots of things and basically made a mountain out of a molehill by my simple statement of preference. Just becos i prefer someone over the other doesn’t mean that the other is bad. You can also state your preference and i promise that I won’t accuse you of being rude or disrespectful to the other person or say that every time you post you sound like a deluded fanboy.

      20. @isay2 Bringing in friends,family and long distance relatives to protect your idol and justify your views against an experienced reviewer is really pathetic. Their opinions with your influence will carry as much weight as a weightless feather. Give the writer some respect for their time in breaking down the series and not just argue when things aren’t going your way. I admit I like Gallen’s acting over Kevin’s based on about 10 series I’ve seen from Kevin and over 20 years of Gallen series. I don’t go around saying ‘I prefer Gallen over Kevin any day’ because at the end of the day both actors are decent and the gap isn’t so enormous and neither has pissed me off for me to say ‘any day’.If it is not about acting and based on looks then you have a point and it’s your preference then I have nothing to say against it. I’m not controlling what you are going to say at all. Actually, i think your comments are really good for idol’s fanclub pages or on social media platforms.You are very protective of your idols which is also a good thing. It displays your loyalty and your passion towards them.

      21. @jimmyszeto hmmmm, we seem to be going around in circles with you repeating the same comments and accusation that you used previously.
        “If it is not about acting and based on looks then you have a point and it’s your preference then I have nothing to say against it.” Get real jimmy. Whether my preference is based on acting or looks is still MY preference and my choice.. Are you that bull-headed that you can’t see the point ie. individual freedom to choose (whether based on looks or acting)?

        “I admit I like Gallen’s acting over Kevin’s based on about 10 series I’ve seen from Kevin and over 20 years of Gallen series. I don’t go around saying ‘I prefer Gallen over Kevin any day’ because at the end of the day both actors are decent.”
        Just becos you don’t doesn’t mean others can’t. Again, individual freedom of speech.

        “Bringing in friends,family and long distance relatives to protect your idol and justify your views against an experienced reviewer is really pathetic”
        I think you forgot that Fist was voted best drama in all 3 regions. Surely i don’t have that many “friends, family and long distance relatives” lmao. Ok let me guess, next argument from you will be that the results are rigged and that the majority of people here don’t like it. To that I say that majority here doesn’t represent the majority of the viewing public out there. In any case i didn’t say that the reviewer was wrong.

        “at the end of the day both actors are decent.”
        again hmmm………didn’t you previously unceremoniously dismiss Kevin as eye candy? Anyways, i agree with you that both are decent actors. Im not a fan of Gallen but i’ve watched some of his dramas and i really have nothing against him.

      22. @isay2
        You said ‘so what if I like eye candy?’ as a comeback phrase so he is eye candy to you but not necessarily eye candy to everyone. Like I say your comments are good but not for this type of platform. You are discussing/arguing with the wrong people because your comments are too biased and lack the depth of a neutral critique. Your comments are suitable for discussions on your idol fanclub pages or your idols rivals fanclub pages because you are passionate towards who you support. Take it as a compliment and try not to be so defensive and hurt every time. Ruco won’t be hurt and might be thankful if he reads comments from the likes of Funnlim so that he can think about choosing better roles or adjust his acting a bit to improve in the future.

      23. @jimmyszeto gosh there you go again! Putting words in my mouth. My comeback phrase was just a question to you, not an admission that KC is eye candy. I think you either easily misconstrue what others say or maybe just like to twist words around. Whatever it is, i will get off this endless merry-go-round and tell you once and for all that my choice merely reflects my preference and nothing else. Just like if i had 2 dramas of Kevin and Ruco side by side i would choose Ruco over kevin, not that i disrespect kevin in any way. This whole to-ing and fro-ing would not have happened if you had not taken the confrontational approach in the first place and dismissed EVERY one of my post as coming from a deluded fangirl. That was very offensive. I will be the better person and forgive you. I don’t see any need to justify any of what i said to you. Enjoy yr trip and make sure to send my regards to kevin, ruco and while you’re at it, to Gallen too.

      24. @isay2
        Yeh. Let’s stop! I recommend you ignore when people give valued opinions on your idols rather than contest them. At the end of the day, no performance is perfect however much you like it. Also try and watch more series from actors you don’t like as well to broaden your horizon and not just self award ‘best actor’ to your idol after watching his series only. You don’t have to listen to my recommendations but it will certainly help you make more valid points when you contest others opinions if you do.

  4. Oh My Buddha. Every single time when someone compares two artists and anyone opposes that, we have a thread explosion and the claws come out! Lol. You guys are silly, yet entertaining. I find it ironic when one claims they can post their opinion but then get bend out of shape when someone else posts their opinion. This is a generalized observation. IDC who or how they take/interpret this. It’s my god dam “opinion” and I’m sticking to it. ROFLMAO.

    Back to the series, I too think it’s so far so good. Gallen is stiff on the face but so are 99% of older actors/actresses now aday. We criticize their botox face but I’m certain we’ll scream bloody mary if their sag face shows on our screen. There’ll always be complaint no matter what. With that being said, Gallen still delivered so far. I particular think his eyes do speak volume (See the still from the other article here as an example.) He does have this charisma or on screen presence that the other youngins are lagging ATM. It’s still early to tell if others will perform or if the story will be good.

    I never thought much about Ali. She’s good looking, more plain Jane than sexy. She’s better than Sisley and Grace as far as being less annoying on the screen. Actually, would’ve like Grace Wong in her role. See her in a different light and I think she can pull it off. As for Fred, eh still meh. Not bad. Not great. Bland. Surely more of his characteristic will come out; hope so anyways. On a second thought, I like how he’s in the series. It’s a new face for a change and not the same ones over and over and over again. Now let’s hope he AND the script do deliver!

    I’ll give it a couple more episodes before jumping off any concluding-cliff.

    1. @jjwong “I find it ironic when one claims they can post their opinion but then get bend out of shape when someone else posts their opinion.”……..if your comment was directed at me, i would like to explain. I did not get “bent out of shape” when someone else posts their opinion. I only get “bent out of shape” when their response to me becomes a personal attack of my opinion as if they’re right and I’m wrong and that person starts calling me names. Get yr facts right.

      1. @isay ah, isay isay isay, as I said, the comment was in general. It could have been toward you who bent out of shape or jimmy or llwy or all of you (if you rly want to know, it’s all of you -thought that was clearly implied). Honestly saying or implying or whatever-ing you like “eye candy” over talents or substance is not rly name calling or necessary a bad thing. I admit, there are movies, games, books (esp ones with TV series accompanied) where I like only for the eye candy. There’s nothing wrong nor “lowly” about that. You took offense, over-think or over-weight their words. Just as Jimmy over-thought and over-bent about your comment that you quit watching 25 mins in bc there’s no Ruco. Or llwy misinterpreted your preference Kevin over Gallen as in you prefer looks over acting.

        Point trying to make is words are easily construed over the screen. The sarcasm, non-verbal queues aren’t there to help us interpret. So we just need to learn take written word with grain of salt and stop effing scream bloody mary. Let’s have conversation without having feelings hurt or calling names for a change.

        By the way there’s no fact here, everything had been said/written are all opinion; yes, mine included.

        *drops 2 pennies*

        Anyways, enjoy whatever series you’re chasing. They are dime in a dozen now aday. Ah, TVB when will you surprise (in a good way) me!? Lol.

      2. @jjwong hmm i think you missed the part where someone called me a deluded fangirl.
        Anyways i agree with you that we should have a more mature discussion without resorting to name calling or hurting feelings. Unfortunately a lot of commenters here seem incapable of disagreeing amicably. Perhaps they’re trying to make up for the insecurities in their daily lives by trying to act like they’re smarter than you or perhaps they’re just cyber bullies.
        P.s for some reason i can’t post under my old ac.

  5. I just saw the first episode and the first thing I thought was am I watching Burning Hands again? The scene when the gang were all together chatting looked so much like the place where Ruco’s gang hung out. Maybe it was the same setting? It seems like more of the same. Maybe Jonathan will end up being bad because he is avenging his poor life like Joel did in Burning Hands? Even if the case is different I already feel like I’m watching the same show, except it’s a cosmetic company and not the casino. Maybe Gallen’s son or daughter is part of the group too. I do hope TVB wrote a better script but they really like to copy old shows.

    1. @canadian rly? I didn’t watch BH, just clips. Though reading the synopsis, BH (I guess this one too) sounded like that one series with Joe Ma, Damien Lau and Fala Chen: Catch Me something. Damien & team were swindlers (stealing instead of gambling/cheating). All three do have similar feel. It’s just this one has no “big name” bad-bc-society-made-him villain.

      Ha, funny.

      1. @jjwong

        “It’s just this one has no “big name” bad-bc-society-made-him villain.”

        Actually, I think this one does, or is supposed to at least – that person is supposed to be Fred (at least based on what I’ve read so far)….which is why I have my reservations about the series, since on paper, it’s supposed to be a Gallen versus Fred showdown, but Fred is nowhere near Gallen’s level so it’s a mismatch from the start. Back when the cast was announced, I was hoping there would be at least one other veteran in the lead role so Gallen could battle acting chops with that person and everyone else can do whatever they do…but doesn’t look like that’s the case. I honestly don’t think Fred can pull off the “main villain” role, especially with his lack of experience in doing “meaty” roles – and he definitely doesn’t have the charisma or screen presence needed to successfully pull off such a role. I’m crossing my fingers that the series will at least be entertaining enough for me to keep watching. So far, I’m not impressed….

      2. @llwy12 What I meant by “no big name” as in no established or vet actor to play the villain. BH had Ruco. Catch Me had Damien. Both are already established actors. Fred is small potato. Though for sure him and Gallen will have a showdown like you said. That’s TVB M.O.

      3. @jjwong Ah, got it…read too fast and missed the “big name” part…sorry. We were essentially saying the same thing then. 🙂

        Yup, there will definitely be a showdown, though I read some spoilers that indicate there will probably be a twist thrown in somewhere along the line so not sure what impact that will have. Fred’s performance so far, though not as bad as expected, isn’t that good either so definitely not much confidence that he’ll be able to pull off the role in the end. I’m planning on giving the series a few more episodes before I decide whether to abandon it or not.

      4. @llwy12 How DARE you misread my words!?!? Haha, just playing. No worries. Yes, we’re saying the same thing indeed. One difference is that I’m talking myself to overlook the imbalance because TVB does need to give small potato new big roles. They’re so lacking people. For some reason if one starts as support actor, it’s nearly impossible for them to break that mold. At least Fred has a better start with being a lead now. Though I’m not impressed by him thus far either. He’s okay. He lacks that lead-feel for me.

        Maybe the twist is Gallen goes against Ali instead. Dun dun dun. Or Ali is Gallen’s neddle into Fred’s little gang. Or possibly a master of all master minds that’s so obvious but TVB thinks the audiences don’t know and believes they’re keeping everyone on the edge of the seat xD All I know is their twist is usually not all that twisty lol.

        Me too; giving a few more eps.

      5. @jjwong Haha! 🙂

        I’m fine with giving small potatoes big roles, just not necessarily lead roles, lol. Make them glorified supporting roles or whatever so the roles are still “meaty” and they get experience, just don’t jump them from kelefe to lead (or, in the case of all those MHKs, from pageant to lead). Looking at this series, all the main roles aside from Gallen are pretty much newbies while all the veterans (Lee Sing Cheong, Law Lok Lam, Jimmy Au, Dickson Lee, etc.) are all relegated to minor supporting roles. Even Raymond Cho, last year’s BSA, looks like he will only have a minor role in this series.

        LOL…well, if you want to know what the “twist” is going to be, then keep reading the spoiler below (though technically not really spoiler because it’s actually in the Chinese version of the summary and almost all other written stuff about the series, plus judging from the way episodes 4 and 5 went, sounds like it’s going to be revealed early on in the series anyway).

        *THOSE WHO DON’T WANT TO READ SPOILERS PLEASE STOP READING*

        Note: the below is based on the plot summaries and articles online and in various magazines, which may or may not be true…final cut of the series may end up being different so don’t hold me to it if the below doesn’t end up happening.

        Fred’s character Ringo is actually Gallen’s son from his marriage to his first wife many years ago. Gallen’s character has a dark past, as he was involved with some drug deals and other criminal activity back in the day and caused his wife’s death as a result of it. Fred grows up hating his dad for abandoning him and also causing his mother’s death so he returns to seek revenge. Ali’s character is primarily love interest for Fred, though she will play into the plot as well at some point, since her husband’s disappearance is linked to Gallen. Doesn’t sound like Gallen or Ali will have anything to do with Fred’s gang though so we can pretty much rule out the undercover and big boss/mastermind theories it looks like….

        *END SPOILER*

      6. @llwy12 The spoiler ain’t much of one since by eps 2 or 3 or whenever they revealed Gallen’s flashback, I’m like yup, father and son. More of a twist if like Fred is not his son but his son boyfriend xD Now TVB, that would be a surprissse lol. Doubtful. Or maybe Fred is the son’s neighbor who stole the identity, shout out to Gallen’s old series. Ha.

        So 5 eps in, I’m still meh. Fred is so dull. He can’t be savvy or cute. He doesn’t have the look or built. He really can’t carry. Then again, I’m still optimistic that TVB gave him a chance. LikeI said, if he starts as a supporting role, TVB will never turn him lead. Now that he snatched it, hopefully he’s smart and try to stay by improving and doing something wow-ing. Thus far, he suck. Ali is also meh. The two chics are meh too. I like Jacky (he seems buff-er?). Jonathon is eeeeh his same wanna-be-cool self with monotone (except when he’s mad). He needs more expressive scenes rather then the cool guy; frankly tired of that image of him. Jacqueline is also okay so far, didn’t have much to act yet.

        I really hope it’s true about no romance between Gallen and Ali. TVB would be doing something different for a change. I feel like Raymond Cho will come back toward the end and he’s the big boss somehow. Loke you said, he’s a BSA after all. And no death is final in TVB world. They always have a way to resurrect someone, lol.

        Eh, IDK if I’ll follow through. Probably let it all air then turn it on as background noise.

      7. @jjwong All valid points, lol. I’m still holding out hope that TVB will surprise me and throw in a twist that is truly a twist (like Fred not actually being Gallen’s son despite portraying himself to be), but I highly doubt it. I do think that the no romance thing between Gallen and Ali might be true though, since I read some stuff about the plot that seems to support this, but again, never know what made the final cut and what didn’t (plus TVB’s scripts are never complete when filming so some plot points could’ve changed during filming).

        Raymond will definitely come back, but doesn’t seem likely that he will be the big boss or whatever. But we’ll see once they start getting around to talking about his disappearance (which has only been hinted at up to this point).

        Ha..to be honest, I’m not sure if I’ll follow through either. Already started to lose interest, plus I think I already missed like an episode or two due to the 7 day airing thing that TVB does now (and I’m not motivated enough to go watch the episodes I missed on encoreTVB either — every time I go on there, I gravitate toward re-watching the old series from the 80s/90s that they have on there instead, lol).

      8. @llwy12 Yea, I basically stopped at eps 5. I’m busy with Tiger Mom Blues instead. You should give it a try if you haven’t seen it.

        It’s decent, slice of life, somewhat relatable and enjoyable plot. I’ve love/hate feel for both Ben and Elena characters; they’re both great, making me sympathized with their “hard neck” attitude. If someone else were in their shoes, I bet I would’ve hate the characters. (Just imagine Sharon as Elena *shudders*). I even don’t mind the youngins, except the guy (Hayden) needs to learn how to emote. Hayden would’ve been an “idol” character if the actor was better. (I think the guy who plays Hugo is much cuter btw xD) I even don’t mind their cutesy, teenage pooper love/crush thing. It’s the same “swan song” but it’s not done OTT and it’s relatable/realistic-ish. Koni is pretty good, a little cringe but not over the edge. The weakest link is Sharon. She seemed dull (not just because of her character) and bored; maybe she was tired from the baby. IDK, she’s like a Kate Tsui to me. Started out okay in their careers, but then went downhill overnight!

        Anyways, there’s your unsolicited rundown of the series xD

      9. @jjwong LOL…thanks for the lowdown on Tiger Mom Blues….however that was a series that I actually did watch, albeit not in its entirety (gosh, can’t even remember the last time I watched a TVB series in its entirety — I think the last one was Bottled Passion back in 2011?). As I said elsewhere, Tiger Mom Blues was a pretty decent series and even though I only watched half of it, I enjoyed most of what I watched. Finally, after years of churning out mostly rubbish series, TVB comes out with a series that is realistic, relatable, and altogether worth watching despite the series’ many many flaws (though whether they will be able to keep up the momentum is doubtful).

      10. @llwy12 heh. I finished TMB. It’s a very decent series. Very under-rated. I did like Bottled Passion up until the end, which made absolutely no sense and very hair-pulling, wtf moment xD Side note: Raymond W. is really good at that kind of role: a righteous, love strucken, puppy xD

    2. @canadian That’s the first thing my mom said too when she watched the first episode – she kept asking me whether the opening sequence was the same as Burning Hands’ opening sequence (to which I replied, um, I didn’t watch BH’s opening sequence so how am I supposed to know, lol). Not surprised that TVB would copy previous series, since they have no originality and creativity nowadays.

      Ok, so I’m on episode 3 now and already feel like dropping the series. Episode 1 was good, episode 2 focused too much on Fred and Ali, and Episode 3 went the same direction as well save for the part about Jonathan and the friend who tried to dupe him. The 2 story arcs I want to see developed are the one involving Gallen and his company and also Fred’s gang and their “missions” (mostly because I want to see more of Jack and Jonathan, lol) – I don’t give a crud about Fred and Ali’s romance story line so TVB please stop focusing on that!

      1. @llwy12 //Not surprised that TVB would copy previous series, since they have no originality and creativity nowadays.//

        Lol. I agree. Even Korean dramas started to copy TVB’s old dramas, like W the Korean drama (Lee Jong-suk) – the part whereby the girl’s father lost his face. And since they are going to do a Signal 2 Korean drama, maybe they may follow TVB’s idea – Flora’s role in To Get Unstuck In Time. If everyone is copying the older scriptwriters’ ideas, then it must mean that they write better than the more recent ones.

      2. Nevermind. I found out the reason. It is because of one or two netizens that complained. To them, all I can say is that it is very bad luck to act all those types of roles that involve dying – every year got one such show or every year got 2 or 3 shows that way. So their complaints are invalid unless they want their favorite veteran actors to act such shows every year and not many actors will be willing to do so anyway.

      3. @kk12345 You mean the complaints about Elliot’s character always having to die in TVB series? Those complaints have been going on for at least 6 or 7 years already, plus I doubt Elliot even cares, so probably not the reason why he doesn’t film much anymore.

        Like most of the veteran and senior actors nowadays, Elliot doesn’t have a long-term contract with TVB anymore so he is free to do as he wishes. I’m pretty sure he hasn’t retired yet, as I had heard last year that he was doing a stage play so that has probably kept him busy. And since immigrating to Canada in the 90s, he spends alot of time there as well, since his wife (veteran actress Tien Ni) and daughter live there permanently. Not sure if he will film for TVB anymore to be honest, since he returned in 2006/2007 to film for them primarily because he still had a 10 year contract with them at that time and wanted to finish out the terms…with his contract up now, he’s no longer obligated to go back unless he really wants to.

  6. Fred – is TVB trying to push him as one of the new “siew sang”? I don’t think he can pull off as the lead actor. And I don’t like his smirk too. I feel he’s ok as supporting actor only.
    Ali – her acting is dull and no improvement. Very similar to her role in Law Disorder. Don’t know how she got the “Most Improved” award last year. I prefer her in villain or mistress role, hehe..
    Gallen – looks really old and tired now. But acting is still good.

  7. Haven’t seen Gallen’s acting for a very long time but my bet is on him to rise the platform for the current drama series. As for Fred, I always think his niche is in the singing arena. Will give some chances to showcase his acting forte if he has it.

    ‘Provocateur’ in similiar vein with ‘Burning Hands’…Like Korean dramas in their heydays of weaving in amnesia syndrome in drama plots!

      1. @canadian Your guess might be as good as mine.Gallen’s arch enemy is his own flesh and blood! Plausible. Make viewers cringe certainly.

  8. Gallen may be old but he still got the fire in him, good acting but Fred is wooden in his acting, not impressive.

    1. @yummysukiyaki
      Fred has been very unlucky over the years that even as support, he has been typecast in good boy roles.It wasn’t until recently that he was given a more demanding role in ‘Overachievers’. It’s new territory for him and he is trying his best. I think he needs to improve his physique though because the other guys such as Jonathan stand out more on screen.

    2. @yummysukiyaki
      Gallen prior to ‘Cold Blood Warm Heart’, was probably the worst and most wooden actor I had ever seen. Since then though, he has gone on to become the best TVB actor for modern series probably ever. He is at a level now where it would be a huge surprise if he has a poorly acted scene.

  9. I caught a glimpse of Provocateur’s encore on Youtube. Gallen has certainly aged, and without being biased, he has lost that cutting edge that I once saw him in his heydays.

  10. OMG…! Poor Fred!.Leave the critic, if don´t not like the drama or actors, just do not see it, that’s it.

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