The first three episodes of Black & White threw us immediately into the Dreamer case. Characters were not introduced so much as we got to know them through their words and actions associated with solving this case. This drama has almost no exposition so far, and yet I feel like the main characters are already so vividly sketched out, even if all the details aren’t fully revealed to us yet.

Episode 4 will take a giant step forward in flushing out the characters, both for the viewer and for the characters themselves in the show. Pi Zi will seem oddly heroic at times, almost forcing himself to maintain the sleazy façade. Ying Xiong will discover that he’s not as pristine as he believes himself to be. And the insanely complicated love aspect of the drama will take the first steps forward. 

Action 4 recap:

Turns out that before going to terrorize the train passengers, Gao Yi first disables the train’s braking system and then installs a device in the conductor’s booth. Insane drug lord does not mess around when he decides to take everyone to Heaven.

Gao Yi freaks out the passengers in the train compartment wielding a gun and wearing a mask. He sees a girl walking towards him, and he takes off his mask to look more carefully, recognizing that it’s Chen Ling, daughter of the biggest mob boss in town. He laughs and says “this is the captain speaking”.

Pi Zi and Ying Xiong demand the ground conductor to stop that train. He is initially suspicious until suddenly he gets a electronic notification that the train is unable to stop at any of the upcoming stops.

Gao Yi moves to parry with Chen Ling, but she easily tosses him around. Ying Xiong gets frustrated that the ground conductor doesn’t have any clues on how to stop the train. They are at the final stop and find out that if the train passes this stop, what’s ahead is just a brick wall.

Chen Ling picks up Gao Yi’s dropped automatic weapon. They look at each other. Gao Yi takes out a remote control and says “welcome to Heaven” before pressing a button. The device he installed contained a bottle of Dreamer, and he just released it into the train’s air vents.

Dreamer passes through the train immediately and all the passengers are stricken. Ying Xiong is raging in the conductor’s room and demanding to know if they can cut the electricity to stop the train. Chen Ling is tripping around the train and hallucinating sights and sounds. Gao Yi, much more accustomed to the effects of Dreamer, is still functional.

A young engineer says there is a fail safe box at the end of the tracks that can shut off the train, but it hasn’t been used before. Ying Xiong tells Pi Zi to go trigger the fail safe box while he attempts to board the speeding train. Pi Zi can’t believe that Ying Xiong wants him to stand on the tracks and wait for an oncoming train.

Pi Zi goes to look for the fail safe box while Ying Xiong runs towards the train. Pi Zi warns Ying Xiong not to get himself run over by a train in the process.

The cops of the South Precinct are all over the shopping mall, which they have completely shut down. Captain Chen gets a report that all the air vents are clear and there is no suspicious package. Suddenly the Captain gets a call and looks shocked.

Ying Xiong is on the platform and running as the train is passing. The doors on the platform are opened for him, but the doors on the passing train remain closed. On the final door before the end of the platform, Ying Xiong takes a flying leap out of the door and manages to grab on to the back of the train. WOW. Ying Xiong is about a hair shy of being Superman.

Ying Xiong climbs on top of the speeding train and slowing crawls his way towards the front of the train. He has to be careful and duck whenever the train goes under a particular low ceiling around. Yes, try not to get decapitated, Ying Xiong.

Ying Xiong finally manages to climb down next to one train door and pry it open. Ying Xiong enters the train but he’s lost his weapon during the process. He calls out for Chen Ling and finds her laying on a train seat completely passed out.

Ying Xiong tries to open the door to the conductor’s booth but it’s jammed. Gao Yi laughs at him and tells him the door won’t open and the train can’t be stopped. Ying Xiong fights with Gao Yi, but the man is high on Dreamer and a formidable opponent. Plus Ying Xiong is starting to feel the effects of Dreamer and losing his ability to focus.

Pi Zi runs down an empty subway tunnel, stopping to catch his breath. He looks up and realizes that he’s almost at the fail safe box. But then he looks back as he hears the train coming. He starts booking it, screaming that Ying Xiong better not be screwing with him about this fail safe lever working.

Pi Xi grabs the lever and pulls with all his might. Inside the train, Gao Yi screams that they are almost to Heaven. Ying Xiong shields Chen Ling from the impending collision. Awww, he’s so sweet on her.

The train starts to brake as Pi Xi pulls the lever in the fail safe box into the off position. Pi Zi is shaking as he finally looks up, and the train is inches from him. He’s stopped the train. Pi Zi boards the train and it’s completely dark inside.

Gao Yi takes off and Ying Xiong says that he can’t let Gao Yi get away. Pi Zi goes to piggyback Chen Ling out of the train, and Ying Xiong can only look on since he’s too disoriented to help her himself.

Pi Zi deposits Chen Ling on the train platform and take off after Gao Yi. Gao Yi is running out of the subway station when suddenly he sees a hallucination of his young self standing at the top of the subway escalators looking at him.

Gao Yi slows down and takes the escalator up without running. Pi Zi and Ying Xiong catch up to him. Ying Xiong takes an adjoining escalator up while Pi Zi runs up behind Gao Yi. Gao Yi turns around and asks why everyone is trying to stop him when he just wants to make people happy and take them to Heaven.

Gao Yi laughs manically and points his weapon at Pi Zi. He wonders why people think Dreamer is bad if they have never used it. Pi Zi tries to placate him by saying he’s used it which is why he knows its bad.

Gao Yi suddenly stares at Pi Zi and says “I remember now, I know you.” Buh? They arrive at the top of the escalators which is when Gao Yi turns to shoot Ying Xiong. Pi Zi draws his gun and wounds Gao Yi first.

Gao Yi is writhing on the ground in pain. He looks towards Pi Zi and says “I remember you, but you didn’t look like this before; how does it feel, changing a face, do you feel happy now?” Gao Yi laughs like the psycho he is. Pi Zi looks stunned.

The cops of the South Precinct have converged on scene. They find the bag containing the US $500K and the remaining bottles of Dreamer. Captain Chen is in high spirits cuz his ass is saved. Pi Zi stands in front of a police cruiser, zoning out.

Ying Xiong walks over to join his partner. The two of them stand without talking for awhile, before Ying Xiong mentions that Pi Zi’s aim is surprisingly accurate. Pi Zi confesses that he fired that shot at Gao Yi with his eyes closed. Ying Xiong gives Pi Zi a stare. LOL.

Ying Xiong gets uncomfortable and tries to make small talk about how they will have a million case files to write up for this matter. Pi Zi laughs and says Ying Xiong ought to be thrilled, because this means they can go their separate ways from now on. Ying Xiong won’t have to be pissed at Pi Zi all day long, and Pi Zi doesn’t have to worry about dying on the job every second of the day.

Pi Zi sighs that perhaps he’s just not meant to work at the South Precinct. He’s been exhausted since transferring there. Plus he almost died today. Such a handsome man like him, if he died, all his dongsaeng sisters would surely flood the city with tears over his demise.

Pi Zi walks away but Ying Xiong stops him, asking what Gao Yi meant when he said that Pi Zi didn’t used to look like this? Pi Zi says he went to Korea to get plastic surgery before, and offers to refer Ying Xiong to the same surgeon so he doesn’t have to keep looking so pissed from now on. Ying Xiong walks away, but turns back and finally says “today….thank you, for saving me, and saving all these people.”

Pi Zi suddenly hollers out loud and tells everyone to look at Wu Ying Xiong, who is blushing because he’s embarrassed. Captain Chen is preening with satisfaction when suddenly the North Precinct cops arrive on scene.

The two captains of the North and South Precinct face off and trade veiled pleasantries. Captain Huang of the North Precinct ask Captain Chen of the South Precinct for all the evidence collected at this scene, since this subway station is located within the jurisdiction of the North Precinct.

Captain Chen laughs and then grows serious and says why should he? He explains that the Dreamer case is under the jurisdiction of the South Precinct so he can’t hand it over. Captain Huang remembers the last time when the North Precinct was chasing a perp into the South Precinct and Captain Chen refused to hand the guy over under the excuse that the guy was located in the South Precinct.

In fact, Captain Huang heard over the closed police radio that during the train raid, Captain Chen was at a mall following a false tip. So the information gathered here today wasn’t due to the efforts of the South Precinct. The North takes all the evidence and swans off. I love all the posturing in this drama.

Chen Ling wakes up in the hospital and turns around to see Ying Xiong sitting next to her. He tells her to be careful. Pi Zi walks into the hospital room just in time to hear Chen Ling asking Ying Xiong if he was the one who saved her? She remembers someone carrying her out of the subway car.

Pi Zi is behind a wall and can’t be seen, but he hears Ying Xiong not refuting Chen Ling’s question. He demurs by saying that a police saving someone is part of their job. Oh Ying Xiong, did you, Mr. high and mighty and righteous, just tell a lie of omission? For the girl you are crushing on to think you saved her? Oh you bad boy. I love it!

Chen Ling smiles and says no one has ever saved her before. A nurse walks in and forces Pi Zi to reveal himself. Pi Zi reverts to his usual smarmy ways and says a prayer that Chen Ling woke up, because otherwise Ying Xiong’s worried little heart might never be at peace. Ying Xiong looks embarrasses and tries to leave.

Pi Zi offers to throw a little celebratory party for everyone now that the case has been cracked. Ying Xiong says fine and leaves. Chen Ling smiles as she watches him leave. Pi Zi leans down over her really close, freaking her out. She asks why he’s hovering? Pi Zi says he’s mesmerized by her sweet and tender smile just now and wants to get closer to see what the meaning behind her smile is?

Chen Ling says that Pi Zi’s partner is already gone, shouldn’t he leave, too? Pi Zi warns Chen Ling that her background already is so daunting that most men wouldn’t dare get close to her. But coupled with her bad attitude, she’ll drive away every single male in her proximity.

Chen Ling sits up and yells that he shouldn’t care if she has a guy or not. Pi Zi thinks the only guy who can match up to Chen Ling is someone with extraordinary skills, muscular and a good fighter. Pi Zi then says “why does the man I’m describing sound more and more like Ying Xiong?”

Chen Ling says that she doesn’t need Pi Zi to pick a guy for her. Chen Ling says even if there is only one rooster left in the entire world that is of a male gender, she would never pick Pi Zi. He laughs and reminds her that he’s talking about Ying Xiong. Pi Zi tells her to stop being so shy and just confess to liking Ying Xiong.

Chen Ling yells that she likes Ying Xiong, okay, and she vows to get him. Pi Zi stands up and tells her “atta girl, that’s the spirit.” He likes her feistiness and tells her that oppa himself will make sure she lands Wu Ying Xiong. Pi Zi toddles off.

Ying Xiong sits in Lan Xi Ying’s lab and is pretty zoned out. Xi Ying asks what’s bothering him, as she senses he’s feeling conflicted. She asks if he regrets doing something? He laughs that even she notices. She says she’s a scientist and it’s her job to notice details.

Ying Xiong says that today, he saw the shadow within himself. He knows everyone has a dark side, but he’s always believed that he stood in the light without any darkness. But today is the first time he’s seen his own dark side.

Pi Zi is at a club flirting with the waitresses as he’s ordering for the table, with Ying Xiong sitting next to him and Chen Ling across the table. Chen Ling looks disgusted to see Pi Zi’s smarminess in action. He orders five cases of beer, in exchange for the waitresses phone number.

Afterwards Chen Ling asks why he bought so much alcohol since it’s just the three of them. Pi Zi says he’s always been an easy guy around girls. Pi Zi smiles and says it doesn’t matter, those chicks had a hot body, plus today it’s not just the three of them. Pi Zi laughs and says he surely has to treat the person who exonerated him, which is when we see Lan Xi Ying walk inside.

Pi Zi happily welcomes her and sits her down next to Chen Ling, who asks if they aren’t going to get introduced. Ying Xiong adorably starts coughing as both ladies stare at him. Oh baby, how awkward for you to be around two girls who have this nebulous attraction going on with you.

Pi Zi makes the introductions – Lan Xi Ying runs the South Precinct CSI lab, and Chen Ling is….the daughter of the top financier in the city. Everyone sits down to order and Pi Zi is just giggling like a loon because of how awkward the mood is around the table. Ying Xiong stares across the table at his two ladies and looks so insanely tense.

Pi Zi toasts Yi Xing on clearing his name and they drink. Finally Xi Ying makes the first move and apologizes to the table, but she’s needed back at the lab. Pi Zi tries to convince her to stay but she gets up and leaves. Ying Xiong offers to walk her out.

Xi Ying, wearing a lovely dress, walks out of the bar, with Ying Xiong following a few steps behind her. Finally she stops and takes a deep breath, before turning around to face Ying Xiong. She tells him this is fine, and to go back. She confirms that he didn’t know she was coming today. Ying Xiong’s silence speaks volumes.

Xi Ying asks if “she” is the person causing Ying Xiong to feel conflicted. Again his silence answer her question. She laughs wryly and tells him that she’ll see him at the station tomorrow. She shows off her dress that she bought this afternoon specifically to wear tonight, asking him if it looks pretty. She turns and walks away, swallowing her tears that threaten to break free. Ying Xiong just watches her leave with a frustrated expression.

Ying Xiong heads back to the bar to find Chen Ling sitting alone and drinking. She points to Pi Zi dancing with some skanky hoes on the dance floor. Ying Xiong wonders if Pi Zi should be behaving this way as a cop. Pi Zi is totally freaking these girls when suddenly he sees a sweet-looking girl peering into the club.

Pi Zi’s face freezes and then he books it out of the club and races after the girl. The girl gets into a taxi and Pi Zi keeps chasing the taxi. He calls out “He Xiao Me, wait!” Pi Zi runs and runs after that taxi until he finally collapses on the street. As he’s sprinting we sees flashes of Pi Zi’s memories, flashes of that girl’s face.

Thoughts of Mine:

So the Dreamer case is solved, or shall I say at least Gao Yi has been captured. It was an intense and riveting train standoff, with both Ying Xiong and Pi Zi having their equal share in heroics to stop that runaway train from a collision course with a brick wall. It’s nice to see Pi Zi in action, and to hear Ying Xiong acknowledge Pi Zi’s efforts in capturing Gao Yi.

I love how B&W doles out the clues, throws in things when you least expect it and might even overlook it if you look away for a second. Does Gao Yi really know Pi Zi, or is that the talk of a feverish and deranged mind? He says he recognizes Pi Zi, but that Pi Zi doesn’t have the same face he used to? I think there is some truth to it, since Pi Zi looked stunned to hear Gao Yi’s words, but not surprised.

A lot of dramas tell us all about the characters before throwing them into action, but B&W takes the opposite approach, and it’s very refreshing. Along the same lines, who is that girl He Xiao Mei that Pi Xi glimpsed from inside the club. She must be very important to him for someone who doesn’t give a shit about most anything to frantically chase after her.

As for how the hot foursome will shake out, this episode hinted at some things while adding other possibilities into the mix. Ying Xiong likes Chen Ling, and she likes him back. But does she like him because she thinks he saved her? Ying Xiong knows Xi Ling likes him, but he can’t reciprocate so that makes him feel awkward around her.

Normally I’d be for Pi Zi and Xi Ying to be an opposites attract kind of pairing, but the fact that Pi Zi was the one to save Chen Ling is obviously going to be important going forward. I felt a lot of tension at the table of unspoken emotions, which just means the emotional entanglements will surely get complicated. I can’t wait. Right now I can play musical OTP chairs and be happy with however the pairings shake out, which is a pretty nifty feat for a drama to pull off.