Wu 1×06 Review: Episode 6

Everyone is forced to confront their greatest fears. The sealing ceremony does not go the way anyone expected.

We pick up where the previous episode left off. Qi Rong has separated and isolated our group (except for Jack, Thua, and Tao, which is honestly hilarious – they canonically are one person) to make them face their inner demons. Literally, in Pete’s case, as he now has to once again do battle with the Six-Eared Macaque, as well as Niran, who comes face-to-face (figuratively speaking, since the demonic entity does not have an actual face) with Qi Rong.

Jack, Thua, and Tao meet with an apparition of Pete, who tries to claim that one of them needs to die in order for the ritual to be successful. Fei has to march through a crowd of angry protesters like a way cooler Cersei Lannister while also facing the other Wu, including Sira. Jia Hao is subdued by his alcoholism. Tong is challenged by, presumably, his feelings of inadequacy for being very, very bad at prognosticating. (Said feelings stab him in the eye and the leg, so I am very thankful mine just make me want to lie on the couch forever.)

The only one who is not confronted by her greatest fear is Yok – unless we’re to assume that her stick breaking is representative of something deeper. I suppose it could be viewed that way; if you’re known for being good at one particular thing, and suddenly you can no longer do the thing, it does make you feel some kind of way. No matter, she soldiers on, using her fists to keep the rhythm going.

Everyone else is likewise able to overcome their challenges. Jack volunteers to be the sacrifice, only to stab the apparition of Pete, which dissolves into smoke. Fei activates her bracelet, which contains the powers of the elemental yao, to push back against the mob of protesters. Jia Hao fights back against the otherworldly arms holding him down. Tong makes a successful prediction. Pete wins his fight against the Macaque… again.

(Quickly, I just want to mention how much I love that it is Fei who wields such a powerful artifact, given as she is part of a community that is still seriously marginalized across the globe. But also, I love this take on yao, especially given what we’ve seen so far on this show. The idea that they are not unnatural is fascinating, and I hope that this comes back later and wasn’t just a McGuffin to get Fei out of danger. And it’s hard not to read that as a metaphor for queerness. Nature is on her side, at least.

Oh, can I also just say that I’m a wee bit disappointed that we didn’t get more of an explanation about why Tong’s inadequacies decided to present itself the way it did? I had so many good theories about that, and in the end, it was just, like, “let’s make Great even more attractive than usual”. I’m not opposed to that, but still.)

Only Niran is lost to Qi Rong’s influence. Finding himself once again in the honeycomb of mirrors we saw back in episode 2, Niran is only saved by his connection with Pete, who is able to guide him back to the others using the golden thread. Niran seems surprised that Pete can do this, which makes me wonder if he fully expected to get sealed in the vessel alongside Qi Rong. Pete takes that opportunity to vow to Niran that he will never leave him, and remind him that he is not alone.

I didn’t really talk about the mirrors the last time we saw them, but knowing what we now know about Niran, they just make me sad. He has such a complicated relationship with who he is, and being repeatedly confronted with that has clearly been detrimental to his well-being. He’s a Wu who doesn’t like to be called a Wu, who is ostracized by his own people for wanting to fix the root cause rather than simply treat the symptom. And despite being good at what he does, he doesn’t seem to take any pride in his work.

Now let’s talk about the golden thread, because Niran and Pete’s connection is the greatest thing about this show. Niran’s suggestion that Pete look at the Macaque as a blessing and not a curse is advice that ultimately helped Pete win his battle against the demon. (We’re not even going to talk about that nonsense conversation, because what even is that?) And I’m not saying that Pete’s tears are what prompted Niran to abandon the ritual to save Ploy… but I’m not not saying that, either.

Well, I suppose “abandon” isn’t the proper term. The ritual is successful, and they are able to trap Qi Rong in the vessel. Unfortunately, Li Puo becomes aware of what was happening and sends his familiar (?) to investigate. (I don’t think familiar is accurate either; it was more like a warg.) Li Puo, predictably, offers everyone a bunch of money to stop what they’re doing, and I’m honestly very impressed that absolutely no one took him up on it. (It was a lot of money, OK? Four of the five people there are delivery boys.)

When Pete shouts that all he wants is his sister back, Li Puo reveals that the sealing ritual will also seal all of the souls that Qi Rong has absorbed – including Ploy’s. Pete immediately confronts Niran, who is still in the middle of trying to seal a demon, to demand the truth. This scene was a masterclass in acting, primarily from Nani, who really excels at these kinds of emotional, over-the-top moments.

What Pete is mad about is not that his sister will die. (Well, not entirely.) He seems to be most angry about the fact that Niran lied to him in order to get him to comply with the ritual. Given everything that’s happened between the two of them at this point, this is a betrayal that Pete has difficulty facing. His repeated cries of, “Did you lie to me?” are heartbreaking, as are his sobs when he eventually collapses.

In the end, Niran smashes the vessel containing Qi Rong, releasing him – and the stolen souls – back into the world. Because what Niran cannot face is Pete’s pain, let alone being the cause of it. (Later, Fei and Jia Hao tell Pete that Niran lied to them and not Pete, and so now I’m curious, was that Niran’s plan all along?)

The scene where Pete finds Niran after visiting Ploy (alive and awake – do we think she’ll be able to see yao now?) at the hospital was extremely touching. Niran says very little, clearly expecting Pete to still be furious about what happened. (He withdraws into himself a lot, particularly when it comes to big decisions that he makes without consulting Pete. He did the same thing after performing the soul bond ritual. It’s like he’s waiting to see if Pete will leave him the same way everyone else has.) But Pete practically launches himself at Niran and hugs him as thanks for saving his sister and reiterates that he would, quite literally, die for him.

Before Niran can return the hug, he collapses. (And the fangirls crashed out.) Because it turns out that he cut his hand on the vessel when he smashed it, and Li Puo uses his blood to sever Niran’s soul from his body. And the only one who can save him is Pete. (Question: Do we think that Niran would have been protected by the amulet he gave to Pete – the one Pete is still wearing?)

Next week’s episode looks like it’s going to be intense, which will be a welcome break from all the fluff and fun we’ve been having so far. With only three episodes left, time is running out to save the world, and now Niran is out of commission. I can’t wait to see what happens.

P.S. I know everyone is talking about that Lactasoy product placement, but, like, it was funny? Also, it seems well within Yok’s character to be having a drink during a super intense, very important demonic sealing ritual.

Author: Jamie Sugah

Jamie has a BA in English with a focus in creative writing from The Ohio State University. She self-published her first novel, The Perils of Long Hair on a Windy Day, which is available through Amazon. She is currently an archivist and lives in New York City with her demon ninja vampire cat. She covers television, books, movies, anime, and conventions in the NYC area.

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