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Thursday, March 05, 2015
Wednesday, March 04, 2015
The Election Episode 15 Recap [END]
Politics is like the entertainment circle, where politicians are the actors, each playing out their character's personality, image, background and motto. The television debate is a stage for them to perform. Every word or action can influence the voters. In the 1992 U.S. presidential election, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton had equal performances during the debate, but in the end, a simple action by Bush changed the voters' impression of him – he checked his watch.
The Chief Executive debate is about to start, yet Yip Ching (Angelica Lee) is nowhere to be found. The debate begins without her. Gei Man Wai (Isabel Chan) and Song Man San (Liu Kai-chi) take turns criticizing her no-show. Meanwhile, Yip Ching is rushing out of the venue to see the tape of her husband's car crash. She hears Song's speech in the background. Suddenly, she stops and turns back.
Song's speech outlines his political experience and ability to maintain Hong Kong's stability. As he finishes speaking, Yip Ching walks in. She takes her spot on the stage and explains that she was late because she had just discovered that her late husband had left something behind. But she ultimately realized that he would have rather she accomplish what he could not finish.
Yip Ching proceeds to give her speech:
Song blasts Yip Ching for using Wai Man Hin's name while allegedly being involved in a relationship with Cheung Kwai Lung (Gregory Wong). He says that someone with such a devious character is not suitable to be Chief Executive.
Cheung suddenly appears from the back. He poses a question to Song: Can someone with a mental illness be suitable for Chief Executive? He tells the audience that he has a video clip that will explain the relevance of this question. Gei is pressured by the media members in the audience to allow Cheung to play the clip.
The clip shows Song throwing things at "Luk Wai To". Song claims that the clip is fake, but Cheung argues that everyone can clearly see that it is Song in the video. However, he acknowledges the video is fake, and if he can create such a sophisticated video of Song, then how easy is it for someone to create a fake audio clip of him and Yip Ching?
After the debate, Sum Suet Lai (Violet Li) is furious at her staff for allowing Cheung to play the video and speak for so long. She is informed about the post-debate polling results: 70% of people thought Yip Ching did better. However, she directs her staff to report on the news that 70% of people thought Song did better instead.
Cheung waits for Sum outside HKMG. He advises her not to place all her bets on Song given the latest polls. If Yip Ching manages to pull off a win, then her son will face extradition. But Cheung offers her a reprieve: if HKMG can report neutrally for the remainder of the campaign and Yip Ching does end up victorious, he promises to convince her to help Sum's son. It is a win-win situation for Sum since her son will be saved no matter who wins.
Cheung leaves instructions for the team to continue campaigning while he goes away for a few days. Yip Ching is worried about Cheung and goes to his house. She sees him struggling to pick up something from the ground and confronts him about his eyesight. He finally admits that his vision was damaged by the car crash. However, he refuses to rest because he needs to go to Taiwan to find Song's doctor.
Song tells his team that they must grab as many votes as they can now. Kong Yat Dong (Samson Yeung) interrupts the meeting with a message from Mr. Wong. Mr. Wong has said that with the threat of Song's illness hanging over their heads, he will arrange for Song to step down in a respectable fashion and have someone else take his place. This does not sit well with Song, who grabs Kong by his genitals and tells him to let Mr. Wong know that he is perfectly healthy.
A second debate between the candidates is set to occur. Supporters from both sides protest loudly in the audience. In Yip Ching's speech, she says that the true spirit of democracy is to promote one's views through peaceful and rational means while respecting other people's views.
Next, it is Song's turn to speak. In the middle of his speech, he feels very sick and rushes off the stage. Later on, he spins it to say that it was because he was extremely saddened to see the supporters from both sides fighting against each other.
Kong visits the Labour Association with a suitcase of cash. He pays them $1000 per guaranteed vote, but tells them to say that the money came from Yip Ching. Afterwards, Yip Ching is investigated by the ICAC on allegations of vote-buying. She tells the media that her financial records will show that she cannot afford to buy any votes.
Cheung calls Yip Ching from Taiwan. He has good news as he has found Song's doctor and is confident that he can persuade the doctor to talk about Song's illness. The doorbell rings in his hotel room. He opens the door to a man who asks if he is Cheung Kwai Lung. Cheung senses something is wrong and immediately tries to close to door, but the man forces his way in. Yip Ching hears the commotion on the other end of phone.
The next day, Yip Ching storms into Song's office, demanding to know where Cheung is. Song denies having knowledge of Cheung's whereabouts, but says that there is a price to pay for becoming Chief Executive. Yip Ching vows to have Song investigated for the disappearance of Cheung.
With two days left until the election, a heavy storm hits Hong Kong. Yip Ching is invited to meet with the outgoing Chief Executive, Kwok Yat Choi (Leung Kin Pin). It turns out that prior to going to Taiwan, Cheung had asked Kwok to find out about the video of Wai Man Hin's car crash. In the clip, a sound resembling a gunshot can be heard moments before the car crashed. Kwok admits that the government had deliberately kept this fact from the public to maintain the political stability of Hong Kong.
On election day, the voter turnout reaches 80%. The votes are being tabulated at the convention centre, though neither candidate has arrived yet. Song is shown struggling to get up from the floor of his bathroom with a pool of blood underneath him. Yip Ching is giving a final speech on the radio. She promises to commence a new round of political reforms if elected. It will include a open nomination process for Chief Executive so that every single person, rich or poor, will have an equal opportunity to choose their own future.
With only one more region to account for, Song leads by about 3000 votes. An election official announces that the final votes have been counted. Outside, a few homeless people gather by the radio to listen to the final results. The official declares that by a margin of 2200 votes, the new Chief Executive of Hong Kong is... (static).
The Chief Executive debate is about to start, yet Yip Ching (Angelica Lee) is nowhere to be found. The debate begins without her. Gei Man Wai (Isabel Chan) and Song Man San (Liu Kai-chi) take turns criticizing her no-show. Meanwhile, Yip Ching is rushing out of the venue to see the tape of her husband's car crash. She hears Song's speech in the background. Suddenly, she stops and turns back.
Song's speech outlines his political experience and ability to maintain Hong Kong's stability. As he finishes speaking, Yip Ching walks in. She takes her spot on the stage and explains that she was late because she had just discovered that her late husband had left something behind. But she ultimately realized that he would have rather she accomplish what he could not finish.
Yip Ching proceeds to give her speech:
"Fairness" is my campaign slogan and at the centre of my platform. Some people may think this word is very simple or even vague, but it is most directly related to today's societal issues. The business sector might think that if I become Chief Executive, for me to create fairness, I will do anything it takes to close the wealth gap. But let me clarify, I am no Robin Hood. I talk about fairness because in the last 20 years, our society has become increasingly twisted and in need of change. There have been well-known people who have urged our youth to protest less and work harder and they will be able to change their living standards one day. It sounds reasonable, but when I pass by construction sites and see the workers working hard every day, I ask myself how many of them can actually afford to buy the homes that they are constructing? When I visit low-income families, the parents tell me that there are many extra-curricular activities for their kids at school, but they cannot even afford to pay the basic registration fees. In a city where people's livelihoods only get harder, where most people do not share in the fruits of prosperity, where even the most prepared people are deprived of opportunities because of the established beneficial relationships between politics and business. These are like ticking bombs, and regardless of the efforts of those in power, even if they resort to violence, they cannot maintain true stability.
I am a political rookie. I do not know how to use political tactics or spin my words. But let me ask you, do you really need this kind of Chief Executive? You should still remember the empty promises from past Chief Executives. Is that the kind of Chief Executive you need? To me, the most important thing for a Chief Executive is to put the interests of all 8 million Hong Kong citizens as their first priority, to give each and every hard-working citizen the chance that they deserve. This is the fairness that I am talking about. This idea does not come from me, it comes from my late husband Wai Man Hin. Five years ago, Hong Kong had the opportunity for change, but unfortunately, a tragedy forced us to remain in the same place. I really hope everyone can cherish the next opportunity for change.
Song blasts Yip Ching for using Wai Man Hin's name while allegedly being involved in a relationship with Cheung Kwai Lung (Gregory Wong). He says that someone with such a devious character is not suitable to be Chief Executive.
Cheung suddenly appears from the back. He poses a question to Song: Can someone with a mental illness be suitable for Chief Executive? He tells the audience that he has a video clip that will explain the relevance of this question. Gei is pressured by the media members in the audience to allow Cheung to play the clip.
The clip shows Song throwing things at "Luk Wai To". Song claims that the clip is fake, but Cheung argues that everyone can clearly see that it is Song in the video. However, he acknowledges the video is fake, and if he can create such a sophisticated video of Song, then how easy is it for someone to create a fake audio clip of him and Yip Ching?
After the debate, Sum Suet Lai (Violet Li) is furious at her staff for allowing Cheung to play the video and speak for so long. She is informed about the post-debate polling results: 70% of people thought Yip Ching did better. However, she directs her staff to report on the news that 70% of people thought Song did better instead.
Cheung waits for Sum outside HKMG. He advises her not to place all her bets on Song given the latest polls. If Yip Ching manages to pull off a win, then her son will face extradition. But Cheung offers her a reprieve: if HKMG can report neutrally for the remainder of the campaign and Yip Ching does end up victorious, he promises to convince her to help Sum's son. It is a win-win situation for Sum since her son will be saved no matter who wins.
Cheung leaves instructions for the team to continue campaigning while he goes away for a few days. Yip Ching is worried about Cheung and goes to his house. She sees him struggling to pick up something from the ground and confronts him about his eyesight. He finally admits that his vision was damaged by the car crash. However, he refuses to rest because he needs to go to Taiwan to find Song's doctor.
Song tells his team that they must grab as many votes as they can now. Kong Yat Dong (Samson Yeung) interrupts the meeting with a message from Mr. Wong. Mr. Wong has said that with the threat of Song's illness hanging over their heads, he will arrange for Song to step down in a respectable fashion and have someone else take his place. This does not sit well with Song, who grabs Kong by his genitals and tells him to let Mr. Wong know that he is perfectly healthy.
A second debate between the candidates is set to occur. Supporters from both sides protest loudly in the audience. In Yip Ching's speech, she says that the true spirit of democracy is to promote one's views through peaceful and rational means while respecting other people's views.
Next, it is Song's turn to speak. In the middle of his speech, he feels very sick and rushes off the stage. Later on, he spins it to say that it was because he was extremely saddened to see the supporters from both sides fighting against each other.
Kong visits the Labour Association with a suitcase of cash. He pays them $1000 per guaranteed vote, but tells them to say that the money came from Yip Ching. Afterwards, Yip Ching is investigated by the ICAC on allegations of vote-buying. She tells the media that her financial records will show that she cannot afford to buy any votes.
Cheung calls Yip Ching from Taiwan. He has good news as he has found Song's doctor and is confident that he can persuade the doctor to talk about Song's illness. The doorbell rings in his hotel room. He opens the door to a man who asks if he is Cheung Kwai Lung. Cheung senses something is wrong and immediately tries to close to door, but the man forces his way in. Yip Ching hears the commotion on the other end of phone.
The next day, Yip Ching storms into Song's office, demanding to know where Cheung is. Song denies having knowledge of Cheung's whereabouts, but says that there is a price to pay for becoming Chief Executive. Yip Ching vows to have Song investigated for the disappearance of Cheung.
With two days left until the election, a heavy storm hits Hong Kong. Yip Ching is invited to meet with the outgoing Chief Executive, Kwok Yat Choi (Leung Kin Pin). It turns out that prior to going to Taiwan, Cheung had asked Kwok to find out about the video of Wai Man Hin's car crash. In the clip, a sound resembling a gunshot can be heard moments before the car crashed. Kwok admits that the government had deliberately kept this fact from the public to maintain the political stability of Hong Kong.
On election day, the voter turnout reaches 80%. The votes are being tabulated at the convention centre, though neither candidate has arrived yet. Song is shown struggling to get up from the floor of his bathroom with a pool of blood underneath him. Yip Ching is giving a final speech on the radio. She promises to commence a new round of political reforms if elected. It will include a open nomination process for Chief Executive so that every single person, rich or poor, will have an equal opportunity to choose their own future.
With only one more region to account for, Song leads by about 3000 votes. An election official announces that the final votes have been counted. Outside, a few homeless people gather by the radio to listen to the final results. The official declares that by a margin of 2200 votes, the new Chief Executive of Hong Kong is... (static).
Thursday, February 26, 2015
The Election Episode 14 Recap
In the 1960 U.S. presidential election, the campaign between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy was very close. However, a knee injury to Nixon affected the voters' confidence in him and he was defeated. On the other hand, in 2008, the young and physically fit Barack Obama soundly defeated John McCain, who was rumoured to have cancer.
In Nixon's case, it was not the knee injury itself that hurt him; it was the fact that he appeared on the television debate looking sickly after his hospital stay.
The doctored audio clip of Yip Ching (Angelica Lee) and Cheung Kwai Lung (Gregory Wong) is released by HKMG. In it, Cheung pleads with Yip Ching to think about their relationship, but she tells him to wait until after the election because she must rely on Wai Man Hin's name to win. Gei Man Wai (Isabel Chan) personally vouches for the authenticity of the clip, saying that she recorded it a few months ago when she was still in a relationship with Cheung.
Speaking to the press, Yip Ching firmly denies a romantic relationship with Cheung. Cheung rebukes Gei in front of the media for making up this story as revenge against him.
Meanwhile, Song Man San (Liu Kai-chi) has been having hallucinations of Luk Wai To because of the side effects of his medication. He asks his doctor to switch to another medication, albeit a less effective one.
With the latest news about Yip Ching and Cheung, Tsui Kam Chuen (Daniel Kwok) is willing to switch sides. He goes to Song with two different statements that he has prepared for his press conference – one that continues to support Yip Ching and one that criticizes her as untrustworthy. Tsui offers to let Song choose which statement he should give.
In Nixon's case, it was not the knee injury itself that hurt him; it was the fact that he appeared on the television debate looking sickly after his hospital stay.
The doctored audio clip of Yip Ching (Angelica Lee) and Cheung Kwai Lung (Gregory Wong) is released by HKMG. In it, Cheung pleads with Yip Ching to think about their relationship, but she tells him to wait until after the election because she must rely on Wai Man Hin's name to win. Gei Man Wai (Isabel Chan) personally vouches for the authenticity of the clip, saying that she recorded it a few months ago when she was still in a relationship with Cheung.
Speaking to the press, Yip Ching firmly denies a romantic relationship with Cheung. Cheung rebukes Gei in front of the media for making up this story as revenge against him.
With the latest news about Yip Ching and Cheung, Tsui Kam Chuen (Daniel Kwok) is willing to switch sides. He goes to Song with two different statements that he has prepared for his press conference – one that continues to support Yip Ching and one that criticizes her as untrustworthy. Tsui offers to let Song choose which statement he should give.
At Tsui's press conference, he says that neither Song nor Yip Ching are desirable candidates and urges citizens to cast a "blank vote". Song analyzes this situation and deems it favourable for his campaign because he has enough guaranteed votes from loyal supporters. The blank vote movement will only affect Yip Ching's supporters and undecided voters.
The blank vote is a proposal which would allow voters to vote for none of the candidates in the election – essentially, a "none of the above" option. If more than 50% of the votes cast are blank votes, then the election is declared void and the whole process is restarted. The idea is meant to be a "safeguard" in case the nomination committee puts forth a slate of undesirable candidates (see post on electoral reform).
Ho Chun Pak (Samuel Kwok) and other senior DALP members have a meeting to discuss Yip Ching's latest scandal. They draft a statement that effectively abandons her as the DALP candidate, but Fong Kai Chiu (Alan Luk) convinces them to give her a chance to speak directly to the membership.
The next day, Yip Ching arrives at the DALP headquarters. Before she gives her speech, she asks to have a word with Ho. She tells him that she has nothing to lose in this election, but what about him? If Song wins, he will surely use his power as Chief Executive to oppress the DALP. As leader of a marginalized party, Ho would have next to no influence. At least if Yip Ching wins, he still has a chance of yielding some influence. She leaves him to think about this.
Speaking to the membership via webcast, Yip Ching states that an audio forensic expert can prove that the audio clip of her and Cheung is fake. In addition, she shows evidence that Tsui is only advocating for the blank vote because he made a deal with Song to drop his assault charges stemming from the protest. Yip Ching urges the membership to go out to vote in order to counter the blank vote movement. Lastly, she calls on Ho to say a few words. This time, he gives her his full endorsement.
Cheung pays a visit to Song. He says a bunch of stuff while discreetly leaving a recording device in Song's office. After Cheung leaves, Song has another hallucination of Luk Wai To. He hurls things at Luk, which, in reality, is just an empty chair.
After watching Song's outburst, Cheung deduces that he must have some kind of illness. He asks Poon Tsz Wan (Eunice Ho) to investigate further. Then, as he walks outside, a car races towards him and knocks him out. He regains consciousness at the sound of his phone ringing and manages to get up and stagger away. Meanwhile, Yip Ching notices Song's hand shaking uncontrollably while watching one of his speeches. She tries to call Cheung, but cannot reach him.
Poon finds Lee Tsz Kwan (Mimi Kung) at the hospital and questions her about Song's health condition, but Lee refuses to disclose anything.
Song meets with Sum Suet Lai (Violet Li), whose HKMG will be setting up the official debate between the Chief Executive candidates. He hands her a set of questions that he wants asked to himself and Yip Ching during the Q&A session. Kong Yat Dong (Samson Yeung) interrupts their meeting to inform Song that Poon has spoken to his wife. Upon hearing this, Song rips up the list of questions. He says that it is no longer necessary because he predicts that Yip Ching will not show up for the debate tomorrow.
Poon continues her investigation and finds out the name of Song's doctor. She goes to the clinic to look for him, but he has just stepped out. He meets with Song outside, who has a plane ticket ready for the doctor to fly to Taiwan immediately, no questions asked. Song tells the doctor to stay there until after the election and promises to appoint him to the board of the Hospital Authority afterwards.
With half an hour before the debate, Yip Ching is prepping backstage. Song comes in and asks to speak with her. He offers her a deal: if she skips the debate, he will give her the missing page from Wai Man Hin's death report, along with a video of the car crash. Yip Ching has to make one choice...
Election countdown: 22 days
The blank vote is a proposal which would allow voters to vote for none of the candidates in the election – essentially, a "none of the above" option. If more than 50% of the votes cast are blank votes, then the election is declared void and the whole process is restarted. The idea is meant to be a "safeguard" in case the nomination committee puts forth a slate of undesirable candidates (see post on electoral reform).
Ho Chun Pak (Samuel Kwok) and other senior DALP members have a meeting to discuss Yip Ching's latest scandal. They draft a statement that effectively abandons her as the DALP candidate, but Fong Kai Chiu (Alan Luk) convinces them to give her a chance to speak directly to the membership.
The next day, Yip Ching arrives at the DALP headquarters. Before she gives her speech, she asks to have a word with Ho. She tells him that she has nothing to lose in this election, but what about him? If Song wins, he will surely use his power as Chief Executive to oppress the DALP. As leader of a marginalized party, Ho would have next to no influence. At least if Yip Ching wins, he still has a chance of yielding some influence. She leaves him to think about this.
Speaking to the membership via webcast, Yip Ching states that an audio forensic expert can prove that the audio clip of her and Cheung is fake. In addition, she shows evidence that Tsui is only advocating for the blank vote because he made a deal with Song to drop his assault charges stemming from the protest. Yip Ching urges the membership to go out to vote in order to counter the blank vote movement. Lastly, she calls on Ho to say a few words. This time, he gives her his full endorsement.
Cheung pays a visit to Song. He says a bunch of stuff while discreetly leaving a recording device in Song's office. After Cheung leaves, Song has another hallucination of Luk Wai To. He hurls things at Luk, which, in reality, is just an empty chair.
After watching Song's outburst, Cheung deduces that he must have some kind of illness. He asks Poon Tsz Wan (Eunice Ho) to investigate further. Then, as he walks outside, a car races towards him and knocks him out. He regains consciousness at the sound of his phone ringing and manages to get up and stagger away. Meanwhile, Yip Ching notices Song's hand shaking uncontrollably while watching one of his speeches. She tries to call Cheung, but cannot reach him.
Poon finds Lee Tsz Kwan (Mimi Kung) at the hospital and questions her about Song's health condition, but Lee refuses to disclose anything.
Song meets with Sum Suet Lai (Violet Li), whose HKMG will be setting up the official debate between the Chief Executive candidates. He hands her a set of questions that he wants asked to himself and Yip Ching during the Q&A session. Kong Yat Dong (Samson Yeung) interrupts their meeting to inform Song that Poon has spoken to his wife. Upon hearing this, Song rips up the list of questions. He says that it is no longer necessary because he predicts that Yip Ching will not show up for the debate tomorrow.
Poon continues her investigation and finds out the name of Song's doctor. She goes to the clinic to look for him, but he has just stepped out. He meets with Song outside, who has a plane ticket ready for the doctor to fly to Taiwan immediately, no questions asked. Song tells the doctor to stay there until after the election and promises to appoint him to the board of the Hospital Authority afterwards.
With half an hour before the debate, Yip Ching is prepping backstage. Song comes in and asks to speak with her. He offers her a deal: if she skips the debate, he will give her the missing page from Wai Man Hin's death report, along with a video of the car crash. Yip Ching has to make one choice...
Election countdown: 22 days
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Second Life Theme Song
The theme song for Second Life is "Let Me Sing Again" (再任我唱), by Wilfred Lau, Joey Tang, Patrick Lui and Terence Yin.
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The sub-theme song is "Accompany You For Life" (伴妳一生), by Terence Yin.
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Another sub-theme song, "Know Mistake" (知錯), by Wilfred.
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The sub-theme song is "Accompany You For Life" (伴妳一生), by Terence Yin.
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Another sub-theme song, "Know Mistake" (知錯), by Wilfred.
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