Ah Bao’s (Hu Ge) is still feeling the effects of his fallout with his Ling Zi (Ma Yili), his business partner and friend. The same goes for his relationship with Miss Wang (Tang Yan), a major plot arc in Blossoms Shanghai. While stepping out of the office, Miss Wang runs into Mr. Fan (Dong Yong). During a lunch meeting, he gives her a business tip. She has the contract for manufacturing jeans for Walmart despite not having a factory near Shanghai. Helpful and harmful friends are a main theme in these episodes, the latter visiting Lu Meilin (Fan Tiantian). To be more accurate, a rich Taiwanese woman, Mrs. Lin, is looking for Lu Meilin’s husband Mr. Jin, collecting debts. One of her waitresses keeps lookout for Mr. Jin but she warns that the Taiwanese woman will return.

Other critics compare this show with Boardwalk Empire and Peaky Blinders and these episodes make those comparisons valid. Earlier episodes, as exciting as they are, seem frivolous because its main characters always escape consequences of their actions. They go through challenges unscathed, reserving the consequences for characters who are within the lower middle classes. It’s difficult to classify Mr. Jin within the grand scheme of things of the new world order in Shanghai. Characters can move up and down in the social ladder now, doing so through the volatile stock market. Another forum for social mobility is through affairs like the one Mr. Jin is having with Meilin Garden’s waitress. These episodes of Blossom Shanghai seem more blatant about characters’ romantic lives as well as the complexities within.

The romantic world and the business world intertwine in Blossoms Shanghai which is good for the most part. However, Wong Kar Wai is starting to play out some relationships and more specifically, the frustrating dynamics within them. Because of the earrings snafu, Ah Bao and Miss Wang went from being friends to rivals in business. Miss Wang got the contract with Walmart jeans from Ah Bao and the latter racks up factories in Shanghai. Doing so makes it harder for Miss Wang to fulfill her contract but he’s helping her out discreetly.  I don’t know, Ah Bao, just leave Miss Wang alone, even Uncle Ye (You Benchang) tells him so. But perhaps this plot arc is going this way to show how Miss Wang will get through all of this.

There are three episodes before Blossoms Shanghai‘s first season is over, a season that kills its few darlings. And watching the occasional death or banishment takes a toll on some of the more indestructible main characters. But even if some of these supposedly shocking moments feel low stakes, I like how some characters pull through. I probably wrote enough about Miss Wang as an Asian archetype, although a more prideful version of that. Light spoilers, perhaps, but her trip to Shenzhen is eventful to say the least, with someone stealing her purse. Mr. Fan comes to her rescue, even introducing her to a factory owner who doesn’t wholly pass her smell test. This show is worth watching simply to see whether or not her effervescent spirit remains despite hard times.

Blossoms Shanghai ‘s new episodes are available to stream in the Criterion Channel.