Finally, I get to say something good about The Ultimatum because The Ultimatum finally delivers something good–an emotional scene where there are no flared nostrils:

In a series where almost everyone is histrionic, where shouting is passed off as drama and theatrics are mistaken for acting, this scene is a veritable sight for sore eyes. Tay Ping Hui and Fann Wong are just about the only 2 people in The Ultimatum who aren’t over the top. This doesn’t mean that they are monotonous and boring (like the pale-faced Cake Prince). It doesn’t mean that they are incapable of large gestures and broader strokes. It just means that Tay Ping Hui and Fann Wong understand tone and pitch, and how to use them. It means that shouting isn’t the only weapon in their arsenal (unlike the Blistering Barnacle Elvin Ng. See previous post). It means that they understand that character is not the same as caricature. Unfortunately they seem to be the only 2 who know this because their Sun Jie and Songqiao are just about the only interesting characters in a series where there are virtually no compelling or even likeable characters.

Of course, it helps that Tay Ping Hui and Fann Wong actually have chemistry–just compare their earlier banter with the bland conversations (I wouldn’t call that bantering) she has with Terence Cao. Isn’t it obvious that she ought to be with Tay Ping Hui and not the lackluster did-he-have-a-facelift Terence Cao? Or better still, compare them with Zoe Tay and Li Nanxing whose chemistry is as sizzling as a flatline and whose relationship is as painful and contrived as their acting.

But wait, there’s more.

Apparently, the scene was not a fluke. It was not a one-hit wonder. A few scenes later, Tay Ping Hui and Fann Wong deliver again!:

Could it be that Tay Ping Hui and Fann Wong are the only 2 actors in a cast of artistes? Could it be that after all these years and so many upstarts, there’s really nothing like experience and the good ol’ A-list when it comes to acting chops?

But wait. Wouldn’t that mean that Li Nanxing SHOULD be able to act as well since he’s been around a lot longer than Tay Ping Hui or Fann Wong? Well, that’s a stretch isn’t it? Because if it were true, why do you think the little boy oh so subtlely moves away from him at the end of this clip?

Could it be that Li Nanxing was a little…oh I don’t know…LOUD?