Blossoms Shanghai‘s last few episodes have two main focal points, both involving Ah Bao’s (Hu Ge) business ventures. The first involves his dealings with Shanghai’s restaurant row, Huanghe Road and its newest restaurant, the Grand Lisbon. The second involves the garment business where, despite Mr. Fan’s (Dong Yong) doubts, everyone starts buying Sam Yang shirts. And in these new episodes, Sam Yang’s success has its drawbacks because Ling Zi (Ma Yili) starts selling counterfeits. Ah Bao and her fight about it, ending with her telling him which factory the counterfeits are coming from. The entire Huanghe Road, meanwhile, is facing drawbacks, like one madame causing the entire road to lose its electricity. She and the other Madames also conspire against Li Li (Xin Zhilei), but she has tricks up her sleeve.

These episodes, especially when it tackles Huanghe Road, tackle the volatile lives of people who rely on wealth. I probably wrote about these episodes using Ah Bao as a way of critiquing China’s transition towards hyper capitalism. Because of him and the system, the other characters feel consequential drawbacks, especially poor little Miss Wang (Tang Yan). Ah Bao, who means well, gives her earrings, which aren’t a good thing to wear out in public. And of course, she temporarily loses one doing the blackout and receives some unwanted sexual attention during the process. That alleged harasser, by the way, is Mr. Wei (Ryan Zheng), but of course no one knows what happened. And Blossoms Shanghai forgets that encounter for now as it turns Huanghe Road’s Wong-esque kaleidoscopic lights back on.

Blossoms Shanghai showcases Wong’s tendencies to build on top of his characters just like he does in films. Theoretically, there are tendencies for this to go unwieldy but Wong keeps it together in arguably the show’s better episodes. But that style has its benefits as it expands this fictionalized world, literally, as Ah Bao goes outside of Shanghai. Apparently, and believably, these suburbs have its share of thugs who may be too much for our lead to handle. So of course, Miss Wang takes it upon herself to rescue him despite the fact that he succeeds with the thugs. Just as one may think that Wong’s juggling act may bury him, he shows viewers that he can prioritize. And the counterfeit plot is just a way for Chinese viewers to like Miss Wang who likes Ah Bao.

Emotional highs are a cornerstone of melodrama and Blossoms Shanghai is no exception, this example being slightly more intimate. Ah Bao and Miss Wang’s bodies are close enough for viewers to feel what they’re feeling internally. And the same goes for more distant encounters where characters scream across the street for others to hear them. These characters, specifically, are chefs who are in the other Madames’ payola, trying to bring Li Li down. And yes, one of Li Li’s strategies to survive her chefs quitting on her is to go to Ah Bao, who bets on her losing. Some may call Li Li’s move a vulnerability or weakness, relearning things about her work. I may be reaching here but Wong may see himself in her as an underdog clawing back up.

Blossoms Shanghai‘s newest episodes are available to stream on the Criterion Channel.