TVB: Ghetto Justice (怒火街頭) 2011

Year Produced: 2011
Created by: Terry Tong Kei Ming
Language: Cantonese
No. of episodes: 20


Opening theme: No Time to Regret by Hanjin Tan and M.C. Jin

Main Cast:
Kevin Cheng Ka Weng - L.A Law/Law Lik Ah
Myolie Wu - Kris Wong Si Fu
Alex Lam - George Mike Jr./ Mai Cho Chi
Sam Lee - Tin Ka Fu
Sharon Chan - Ho Lee Ching
Joyce Tang Lai Meng - Tai Ng Ting

Supporting Cast:
Mandy Wong - Silvia Cheung Chi Sum
Shek Sau - Spencer Cheung Pak Kei
Ching Hor Wai - Poon Siu King
Kwok Fung - Mai Bo (George's father)
Chun Wong - Ting Fook Yuen (Fu's father)
Ting Chu Wai - Tam Wing Chau (Fu's mother)

Storyline/Plot/Synopsis:
A story about the thin line between the law and ethics and whether the two can align with each other to uphold social justice.


Kris Wong Si Fu (Myolie Wu) is an aspiring barrister whose ultimate aim is to create a name for herself in the legal department; setting her idol, Spencer Cheung Pak Kei (Shek Sau) as her motivation, she sets to win as many cases as possible.

She met the unkept and slacker of Law Lik Ah (Kevin Cheng), whom she develops a bad first impression of and was in utter disdain at his sight. Battling him in court, she learns that Law is not as simple as he seems as he holds a rather profound influence over his witnesses and defendants in court.


Law was just as unimpressed with the unethical Kris who seemed to be more interested in the victory of the case than the interests of the causes of justice. However, Kris soon learns, through her various cases that the powerful affluent people are using their wealth to get away with their own heinous crimes thus changing her own direction and perception in law and upholding justice through the truth.

Collaborating with Law, she learns much more than just winning her cases and even befriends the rest of Law's friends, George Mike Jr. (Alex Lam) and Tin Ka Fu (Sam Lee); both of whom were sons of rich families but yet works alongside Law to help the financially incapable in fighting for their rights and for justice.
Law reopens his office which is started to serve the community in Sham Shui Po, and to help the people in need; much to Kris's admiration.

Though initially still fighting for her own ambitions, Kris soon learns that Law's background was more astounding than his appearance, or her perception of him as he was the long lost famous barrister, L.A Law, who was as popular and admired as her idol, Spencer Cheung in the past.

He had fought and won several cases, but had disappeared for years after his last case in which he felt guilty for causing the death of a witness whom he forced to suicide to free his client of the conviction. Unable to bear with his own guilt, Law could not bring himself to court anymore.

As Law and Kris spend more time with each other, they develop feelings for each other but Kris was too proud to admit her growing affections for him. At the same time, Kris bumps into her old friend, Ho Lee Ching (Sharon Chan) who turned up and then surprised Kris with the newfound fact that she is now a prostitute by profession.

Disappointed with Ching, Kris turns away from her old friend although she needs her in a sexual harassment case. However, Kris soon found out Ching's sad story which led to her being a part of prostitution following her rape by her own mother's debtors. Tin Ka Fu, falls for Ching, but was being rejected by him again and again, as she was ashamed of her own background while Fu persuaded his own discriminating parents to accept her.

When Fu and Ching could finally start their own French restaurant; which was Ching's lifelong dream, she stumbled upon Spencer's illegal doings and ended up being murdered.

Although they suspected Spencer, there was no proof to bring him to justice. Angered by that fact, Kris then made everyone, including her own mother as she offered to join Spencer's defense team to help defend him from law. Unknown to them, Kris was just acting indifferent to find the incriminating evidence to nail Spencer on his heinous crime and she finally succeeded in doing so; although unethically and unlawfully. Law realized Kris's intentions and changed her video, sending the evidence of him tapering with the evidence; causing him to be jailed and disbarred from practising law ever again in the future.

At the end of the drama, Kris visits Law in prison and even told her that she will wait for him to return to help her with her practice and decides to reopen Law's office on his behalf, to the delight of the Sham Shui Po's residents.

Christy's Review:
An interesting drama; which takes a different turn from the typical courtroom drama of the likes of Files of Justice and Survivors Law, and focusing instead on the interests of social justice of the lower class people. I find it a fresh portrayal on depicting the interests of ethics in affecting the decisions of justice and that law knows no boundaries in the ones practising and those who are accused behind the bars.

It is a rather fresh idea; and welcomed too, with the rise of social issues and crimes in the society and having normal people and their mentality, gave a different insight into the perspectives of law and in becoming a lawyer. It shows that being a lawyer does not mean that one needs to only dress smart and win cases to be defined as one of potential, but that a lawyer should also uphold ethics and justice at the same time to be able to understand the law.
One of the first courtroom drama with a new take and appeal to true justice.

Characters Analysis:
Myolie Wu as Kris Wong Si Fu

Nothing less than what I would expect of Myolie, as she is just so extremely at ease in her character and her expressions were typical of most of the characters she had portrayed in the past. Initially unscrupulous, Kris Wong was only interested in her own ambitions and could care less about the reality of justice but when she realized, to her disgust, that the rich were using their wealth to evade the consequences of law, she was torn between her own desires and the truth until she met the sleazy Law Lik Ah from whom she learns the true meaning of justice.
Although she was impressed with him, she was at the same time also dealing with her feelings of admiration or disrespect for him until he sacrificed himself for her towards the end. She had finally redeemed herself when she learnt to sacrifice her own career for justice in her best friend's case at the end. It was the turning point; the change of the selfish character Myolie portrayed from the beginning of the series, and for that, she has done a great job.
Myolie's hairstyle was a little weird in the series though.

Kevin Cheng as Law Lik Ah

Sleazy and looking unkept, Law was not as bad as he seems as he helps people in need for the sake of justice and also for a charitable cause. Kevin Cheng played his character naturally as the laid back guy who was actually hiding his own past behind his character. Hiding his pain and grief from the stories haunting him from the past, Law had to act cool and nonchalant in front of everyone and Kevin was just dashing to play this happy go lucky character of Law who was confident and yet ridden with guilt.

Alex Lam as George Mike Jr/Mai Cho Chi

It was refreshing to see this comical guy playing a serious role for once as he settles in his character as a nervous yet helpful son of an ex famous justice, Mai Bo. Alex Lam is a face one would tend to associate with comedy but his expressions and portrayal of a serious character here is simply astonishing, was extremely believable.
Best scenes was when he liked Tai Ng Ting, and yet hid his feelings for the married woman at the same time. A good job done by this actor.

Sam Lee as Tin Ka Fu

Treading on the same nature as Alex Lam, Sam Lee is often seen in comical and supporting roles in movies and this is probably one of the rare times seeing him in a serious and awfully just character that it was initially a little weird watching him in his role. However, his facial expressions was rather natural as shown on his face that it becomes more believable as the show progresses. A fresh and interesting take of a role played by Sam and hope to see more series with him in the future.

Sharon Chan as Ho Lee Ching

Another natural role for Sharon, who never failed to impress with her skills in portraying a difficult and stubborn lady in most of her typical roles. Her indignant facial expressions when facing difficult situations in the drama, just makes her believable in the roles she play. However, Sharon has been underrated in her acting most of the time, given her minor roles and I hope to see her in more major roles soon.

Shek Sau as Spencer Cheung Pak Kei

Although a veteran actor, I never really did like Shek Sau's acting as I find his expressions a little exaggerated at times and it is typical in all his roles over the years. Nothing astounding as he plays yet another despicable character in this drama; one who is just too proud of himself most of the time and will never concede defeat.

Couples' Chemistry:
Myolie Wu and Kevin Cheng as Kris Wong and Law Lik Ah

Nothing much from this bickering couple; and although they were both adorable at times, I just could not feel the sparks from this combination. Individually they are great actors, but when it comes to inserting romance between them, it did not seem to fit their impressions, in my opinion. Well, there is not much romantic scenes between them anyway, which was not too bad.

Sam Lee and Sharon Chan as Tin Ka Fu and Ho Lee Ching

Alright, this may be the most believable couple in the entire series; possibly due to their heights? Chemistry was obviously lacking in them as well, although I can see that both were trying to fit in very hard to play a couple but it just did not seem to bring out the feelings they were both said to have in the series.

Alex Lam and Joyce Tang as George Mike Jr and Tai Ng Ting

This is the least compatible couple, and it was a good thing that they did not develop much on their scenes as well. It was totally weird, and unbelievable and they are definitely the oddest couple in the whole series. It was evident that the relationship was one-sided although towards the end of the series, there was an indication that Ting may accept George eventually.
Well, I hope there will be a change in the sequel which was said to be coming up soon.

Likes about the series:
The touch towards society; especially the sensitivity towards the middle class society. Also, the differences shown between the higher class and middle class and how sometimes perception can be too generalized by the society.

Dislikes about the series:
Maybe the theme song, I just find it a little weird, but that's just me.
Also, the chemistry between all the couples portrayed did not seem very believable and was evidently lacking in their portrayal.

Verdict:
Good watch, definitely worth the 20 episodes and not draggy at all.

Rating: 4/5

TVB: The Mysteries of Love (談情說案) 2010

Year Produced: 2010
Producer: Lau Kar Ho


Opening/Ending Theme: 直到你不找我 by Raymond Lam


No. of episodes: 25
Language: Cantonese

Main Cast:
Raymond Lam Fung - Kingsley King Pok/Professor King
Tavia Yeung Yi - Chui Siu Lai/Sai Lei Mui
Kenneth Ma - Gordon Lo Tin Hang
Bernice Liu - Nicole Ling Man Ka

Supporting Cast:
Chui Family
Cheung Kwok Keung - Ancestor (Appearance in Episode 1 and in picture)
Law Lok Lam - Chui Sir/Chui Hon Fei (Dad)
Fung So Bor - Leung Sau Ngo (Mum)
Evergreen Mak - Chui Kwok On (Eldest Brother)
Ng Wai Shan - Tai Chui Sheung (Sister-in-Law)
Alex Lam - Chui Kwok Leung (2nd Brother)
Lawrence Ng Lok Wang - Chui Ka Hei (Nephew)

King Family
Ram Chiang - Ancestor
Lee Kwok Lun - Philip King Yin (Dad)
Mary Hon Ma Lei - Victoria Cheung Wai Chu (Mum)
Candy Chiu - Anastasia King Chi
Yu Tze Ming - Uncle George/King Chuk

Police Department
Astrid Chan - Madam Koo
Jack Wu - Chim Chi Ko

Others
Leanne Li - Bowie Choi Bo Yi
Stephen Huynh - Adrian

Synopsis/Plot/Storyline:

Taking crime solving dramas to a different notch, this is one which includes the study and application of physics and science in the cases.
Kingsley (Raymond Lam) is the youngest physics expert and his intelligence even garnered him as a genius in his own field. Recognized for his exceptional skills and capabilities, Kingsley was invited to be an associate professor in the local Hong Kong University.
His knowledge and skills also led him to be sought after by his best friend, Gordon (Kenneth Ma), who heads the crime investigation unit in the police department.


Under the wing of Gordon is a dedicated and promising policewoman, Sai Lei Mui/Chui Siu Lai (Tavia Yeung) who works hard at her job and gets along well with everyone around her due to her easy going skills. Her cheerful outlook in life made her liked by her co-workers and even Kingsley found himself attracted to her; something which he deciphered to be a work of science as he explains the stirring sense of affection in his heart for her.

However, the romance between Lai and Kingsley was doomed from the start as they soon realized that their ancestors had crossed paths in the past and they were even sworn enemies following an incident. To add fuel to the fire, Kingsley's family; being a prominent one in the society were displeased with Lai's family background and also their social status as compared to themselves.

The history of their ancestors and a small feud over a painting were just contributing factors to ruining their relationship, and Kingsley well-educated Uncle George's distaste in Lai's education level and also culture just makes it worse.

As Kingsley's parents pressured him on their perceived incompatibility with Lai, he decided to back out of the relationship and broke up with Lai in haste. Lai was devastated with the breakup as she had gone through hardships and was even willing to sacrifice her job to maintain the relationship with Kingsley. Angered and disappointed in Kingsley, Lai then returned to her job as an armed policewoman (she had earlier requested to transfer to the administration department which is more of an office job nature to please Kingsley's family.
Her family supported her, although her father was upset with her decision initially when she sacrificed so much for her love for Kingsley. After the break up, her loving family was behind her and though her father was happy that she was finally doing what she liked at work, he worried for her emotions and mental health as she buries herself in her work to get over the breakup with Kingsley.


Gordon(Kenneth Ma), is the other lead character alongside Kingsley; being his best friend and the police inspector who was in charge of solving all the cases in the drama. At work, Gordon is a serious and committed person who runs the whole crime investigation team with discipline.


However, after work, Gordon is a frolicking playboy who constantly pursues girls for pleasure and sex and his casual partner whom he shares that basis of relationship is air stewardess Nicole (Bernice Liu).

Gordon never put much thought into a serious relationship with Nicole until she announced that she has started seeing a pilot, Adrian (Stephen Huynh), after she returns from a trip. Realizing that he was jealous, Gordon looked forward to them breaking up and when he witnessed Adrian with other women, he told Nicole with the hope of them ending their relationship. However, Nicole was adamant to continue dating Adrian and even wants to marry him. Gordon went to all sorts of extent to prove his love and finally confronted his true feelings to win Nicole back to his side.


The two romantic plots probably dominated a part of the drama, which was filled with a set of interesting murder crimes with evidences and the use of science knowledge in deciphering the incidents which could possibly take place in the event of the occurrence of the crime.
Most of the cases combined the analytical skills of the police force and also the logical reasoning of science in affecting certain aspects of a case, and the lead characters just added the drama and social aspects to completing the series.

Happy ending prevails after all the cases; with Kingsley finally realizing his love for Lai and tries to win her back along with Gordon's efforts to keep Nicole by his side.

Characters Analysis/Review:
Raymond Lam as Kingsley King Pok/Professor King

I consider myself not a devoted fan nor someone who is anti Raymond, but somehow, I just felt like he was just so wrong in this role. Seriously, to have Raymond playing a solid character with vast knowledge in science and be extremely confident in his skills is totally unbelievable. Kingsley may be a young genius, but Raymond just did not seem to fit the description and I can see that even Raymond had a hard time to comprehend that fact as he struggles to play the cool and poised expert in physics field; wearing that same bored and wooden expression for all 25 episodes. He is not a bad actor really, but this role is just not for him. I cannot even imagine him with a name Kingsley, it just seems so out of the world.
Anyway, despite the misfit of Raymond in this role, the character Kingsley himself just annoys me and I don't care whether he is a smart professor or a genius, he is definitely lousy in handling matters of the heart and everything about him just screams weak to me.

Tavia Yeung Yi as Chui Siu Lai/Sai Lei Mui

A great actress really, she just plays this role to near perfection. I love her character, and somehow Tavia always just seems to be at ease in all her roles; whether it was sweet next-door girl or a cool professional, and even in her breakthrough role as an evil villain in another series. She was a little tomboyish in here, but yet she shared that feminine side like a little cute puppy in love when the charming eligible bachelor professes his love for her. The best performance came when she had that emotional outburst in public when Kingsley breaks up with her; one could truly felt the pain and despair she had at that point, with her screaming and tears flowing down her cheeks. I was a little surprised and annoyed with the ending though; as she seemed to be able to forget the weakness in Kingsley and still accepted his proposal which I felt was just a hasty way to end the drama and to give their romance a conclusion.

Kenneth Ma as Gordon Lo Tin Hang

A very convincing performance by Kenneth Ma; and I just feel that this rather stiff actor in the beginning is improving so much in all his roles and it was evident in this drama. I find him funny and more believable in his outward charm which camouflaged his flaws deep inside; insecurity and lack of confidence sometimes. A down-to-earth guy who separates his personalities from his work and home, but that just depicts the realistic average being out there in the world.

Bernice Liu as Nicole Ling Man Ka

I find this character a little annoying to a certain extent as she tries to play a casual dater; and a woman who just seemed too cool for us to believe in. Nothing exceptional as this is just a role that suits Bernice who has that realistic English accent, although it's just frustrating to hear how the others in the drama just pronounced Nicole in a very weird way.

Christy's Review:
A very interesting profile to take the typical TVB crime/police dramas to a new level, and a fresh breath with the inclusion of science; particularly physics. However, I find this drama just disturbingly similar to the nature of an earlier Japanese drama; Galileo, to which Mysteries of Love was compared and also accused of plagiarizing.
Despite this being a new breed of drama, I was still disappointed that TVB had to stoop to copying ideas from their Japanese counterparts and I think this is not the first drama to do so. An earlier drama; Every Move You Make was also accused to copy the notion of popular American drama, Lie To Me.
I do hope that TVB reprise their own creativity; and take a step back to relish and relive the memories of their own Hall of Fame with all the great series in the past? There is definitely much more in TVB than needing story inspirations from others.

It is hard not to compare Mysteries of Love to Galileo; as the character of Kingsley just sticks out like a sore thumb to constantly remind of the exact same character in the Japanese series.
However, I find this drama still enjoyable, or maybe I just like the nature of both dramas which revolves around crime solving.

One thing; I do find it annoying that TVB constantly tries to force their actors to speak English to make viewers believe the part that the character returned from overseas. It sounds unnatural, and far from believing that part of the drama (and of the actor), I would strongly suggest to select actors who could truly speak native English and not some falsified accent which makes it even more unrealistic.

Likes about the series:
The cases and also the characters of Tavia and Kenneth; which somehow I felt was more suitable for each other compared to their alleged partners they were paired with.
Also, the supportive family of Tavia just adds the warmth of family love to the drama; and the enchanting and comical characters of her two elder brothers just add to the laughs and lightheartedness of the story.


Dislikes about the series:
Plagiarism, and some weird accents used in the drama.

Verdict:
Overall, I find it funny and confusing that I still like the drama nevertheless (but I hope something is done about the plagiarism in the future) as it is still an entertaining watch.

Rating: 3.5/5

Disclaimer: Photos are images of TVB.com and are only for illustration purposes.

TVB: Forensic Heroes 3 (法證先鋒III) 2011

Year Produced: 2011
Creator/Executive Producer: Mui Siu Ching
Written by: Choi Ting Ting, Leung Man Wah


Opening Theme Song: Ron Ng and Wayne Lai
Witness (目擊)


No. of Episodes: 30

Main Cast:
Wayne Lai - Jack Po Kwok Tung/ Pro Sir
Maggie Cheung - Mandy Chung Hok Sum
Ron Ng - Sergeant Lee Chin Fung/Wind
Kate Tsui - SIP Ada Ling Sin Yee
Nancy Wu - Eva Chow Yik Fei
Edwin Siu - Ken Ho Cheng Man
Aimee Chan - Angel Chiang Cheuk Kuan

Supporting Cast:
Ruco Chan - Jim Fong Sai Yau
Yuen Wah - Po Shun Hing
Ram Chiang - Paul Yau
Mary Hon - Cheung Fung Ping
Geoffrey Wong - Inspector Jason Ko
Jess Sum - Calorie

Synopsis/Plot/Storyline:

Taking on a new breath though under the same title, the third sequel in one of Hong Kong's favorite version of CSI boasts of a totally new cast although the focus of the plot centers on the involvement and technology of a team of forensic experts and pathologists in the police crime investigations; forming a combination to solve all the murder cases and bring the real murderers to justice.

Like the previous installations of Forensic Heroes, most of the main characters hail from the Forensics team and in this sequel, the main protagonist is in the form of a highly skilled and respected expert; Senior Forensic Chemist Pro Sir, or Po Kwok Tung, played by promising actor Wayne Lai. Along with his partner in crime, Mandy Chung (Maggie Cheung), who specializes in Pathology, both teams work with each other to assist the police in analyzing the evidence collected from the crime scenes.


The police team working closely with the forensic experts is from the crime investigation unit in West Kowloon; led by Jason Ko (Geoffrey Wong) under whose wing and working level is Senior Inspector Ada Ling (Kate Tsui), Sergeant Lee Chin Fung/Wind (Ron Ng) and their crime breaking team of dedicated policemen and women.

Besides the crime stories and murder cases; of which some even relate to the above protagonists, the series also focuses on the relationships of the main characters, bringing out that humanity side of the cool and much admired personalities of the highlighted heroes in the drama.



Despite his high profile and exceptional analytical skills in cracking the murder cases, Po, is struggling with the drama that is taking place in the sweet comforts of home. His seemingly perfect and happy family life is not so close to the physical reality, as his wife, Eva Chow (Nancy Wu) who is an ambitious barrister, seems to be treading the thin line between conscience and her own career, pitting her and Po's principles against each other at work.
Po tried to advise Eva to stay on the lines of ethics while performing her job, but ended up creating the rift between the husband and wife as Eva goes against Po's wishes in achieving her own ambitions. As Eva becomes obsessed in her pursuit for career success, she takes leave from the marriage and family to pursue her ambitions in The States; leaving Po to care for their only daughter, Man Man and his own father.

Po then found love in Mandy; whom he shares many similarities but they initially dismissed it as their mutual understanding which builds the foundation of their strong partnership in their jobs.



Mandy, after numerous attempts of being set up with eligible bachelors, finally started dating the stylishly charming Jim Fong (Ruco Chan), who was a clinical psychologist. However, despite their growing romance, their differences soon surfaced when Mandy and Jim worked together on a case which involved his long-lost younger brother who was found murdered in the woods. The two parted on amicable terms as Jim wished for Mandy to meet her own Mr Right, although hinting to her to look around her as he might already be present beside her all the while.
She finally realized her true feelings for Po when she encountered a life-threatening situation in a case and despite their reservations, they soon start their romantic relationship.
Predictably, Eva chose to return to Po at this time and tried to regain Po's trust in her and also her family as well but to no avail.
In one of the cases, Eva met her end and Po and Mandy, surviving the love test, worked together to nail the culprit to Eva's case.

Their co-workers; Ada Ling and Wind were another couple who found their love naturally despite their initial relationship which started off as close friendship and work partnership. When their superior, Jason Ko expresses his interest in Ada, she tagged Wind along to pretend as her boyfriend to keep Jason away and their little staged performance turned to reality as Wind realized he had romantic feelings for Ada. Their relationship was also not without their ups and downs as they had to endure trials such as Wind's family, and the rife between Ada and Wind's mothers.


Prolific supporting characters in the forensic team like Angel(Aimee Chan) and Ken(Edwin Siu) were also thrown in the sub light as they portray bickering co-workers in the same team but eventually ended up as a pair of sweet lovers although their romance was a little short-lived.


The overall profile and the relativity of the main characters in the story only added up to, if not balance the complexity of the crime cases projected in the drama.

Cases:
Case 1: Who Murdered the Bride? (Episodes 1-3)
Story: A bride was murdered on her wedding day; during the reception dinner in a shooting. Her newly wed husband becomes the prime suspect and it seems that all the evidences seem to be pointing to him being the main culprit.
Cast:
Chris Lai Lok Yi - Vic Mak Wing Fu
Lau Dan - Cho Wing Tim
Christine Kuo - Ann/Cho Lai Mei
Vin Choi - Vincent/ Choi Chun

Case 2: Mystery of the Girl with the Third Eye (Episodes 3-7)

Story: A young teenage girl was famous for her clairvoyant abilities in predicting future events; and was nicknamed the Third Eye girl or the one with the Heavenly Eye as she was said to be able to see future happenings through the prominent scar on her forehead. When she accurately predicted the death of a businessman, she was invited for questioning. However, her bizarre behavior soon spurred suspicions and a deeper investigation into the case and her background soon brought surprising revelations.
Cast:
Cilla Kung - Wong Ka Man/Third Eye Girl
Joseph Lee - Luk Chan Kwong
Cheung Kwok Keung - Feng Shui Master Eddie Cheung Kam Tai Yam

Case 3: Murder of the Flat Owner (Episodes 7-9)
Story: A flat owner who had disappeared for more than twenty years was found murdered in his flat, and there were three potential suspects who were found to be particularly interested in the ownership of possessing the flat.
Cast:
Samuel Kwok - Fung Chor Kau
Henry Lee - Koo Wing Keung
Au Oi Ling - Chan Yuk Ming
Chan Tik Hak - Tsui Sai Tat

Case 4: Murder of the Teenage Drug Addict Girl (Episodes 9-12)

Story: A young teenager whom Mandy and Ada saved from the roadside when she was drugged was found murdered in a hotel room, of what appears to be a case of drug overdose. The last man seen with her was an affluent and high profile businessman under whose name the hotel room was registered. It was obvious that he was the main culprit, however, evidence and witnesses seemed to disagree and there is messy entanglement in the solving as Po's wife, Eva serves as the defense attorney for the businessman.
Cast:
Cheung Tat Lun - Wilson Yu
Angel Chiang - Apple
Simon Lo - Wong Shek On

Case 5: Murder of a Misunderstood Youth (Episodes 13-16)
Story: A honest and diligent young boy was found dead in the lab. His background and reputation was studied for the purpose of solving the case where they found that the boy was famous for being touted for his video being posted on the Internet. Leads on the case point to his best friends and classmates; whom he was working with on a programming business.

Case 6: Mystery of a Body found in the Woods (Episodes 17-20)
Story: A dead body was uncovered in the woods on an island, and after analysis, the remains were found to be that of Jay Fong, the younger brother of Jim Fong; Mandy's psychologist boyfriend who had disappeared for a long time. To solve the case, the investigations need to reverse in time to the events on that fateful day when Jay left home.
Cast:
Calvin Chan - Jay Fong Sai Wing
Natalie Tong - Michelle Cheung Mei Yan
Stephen Huynh - Alex Wu Kai Yan
Matthew Ko - Bowie Chang Chi Wah

Case 7: Murder of the Mysterious Second Wife and Son-in-Law (Episodes 21-25)

Story: This story is one of the high profiles one as it involves the family of protagonist Wind. Wind's grandfather was a billionaire who was desperately trying to bring the family together; but his three children seemed to be more interested in his wealth and the division of his properties than family unity. When he brought a woman whom he claimed as his new wife home, the appearance of this young woman stirred suspicions and doubts of her real motives and forced the siblings to unite to protect the family wealth. The woman was found to be murdered, followed by Wind's uncle, who was the remaining son-in-law in the family, and there were missing links in the correlation which requires in-depth investigation into the complex relationships of the family.
Cast:
Wu Fung - Howard
Rosanne Lui - Ella Chin Mau Ying
Florence Kwok - Elaine Chin Mau Sum
Cheng Chi Seng - Hilbert Chin Mau Lam
Helina Tam - Bonnie Yew Lai Ping
Steven Ho - Paul

Case 8: Murder in the Toy Company (Episodes 26-28)
Story: A case of a woman running a toy company found murdered and leads trailed to her work environment and home to find the murderer.

Case 9: Murder of Mandy's Parents (Episdoes 28-30)
Story: The case which was the finale of the series, and involves another character, Mandy whose parents brutal murder during her childhood resurfaced as she relives the trauma to find the murderer when cases of similar nature take place. This case brings many drama with the involvement of the forensic team and police department.

Characters Analysis:
Wayne Lai as Jack Po Kwok Tung/Pro Sir

As a much respected Senior forensic chemist and one who is highly skilled in what he does, Po was envied by many as he paints the picture of perfection; a man with a happy family, a successful career and a great reputation. There is almost nothing wrong with him, and even Po himself was thankful for his great life. However, as he crosses line with his wife, Eva in various aspects of their work, Po observes his wife's working attitude and questions her ethics in her line of profession as she turns cold and vicious in achieving her ambition and no longer focus on the right and wrong. Disagreeing with his wife's perspectives, he tried many times to tell her that but met with disastrous results and Po was torn between distinguishing the line of justice and his love for his wife. When she takes leave as a step to advance her career, Po had to pick up his life from the pieces and works hard to establish the family harmony and at the same time, provides for his young daughter. Drowning himself in his work, Po soon found comfort in his friends who tried to cheer him up and he fostered a closer relationship with his work partner, Mandy. Po realized that she meant more to him than a friend when Mandy was facing a death threat in a case, and taking a second chance at love, Po began a relationship with her.
Po came across as a very calm man and one who is level-headed in his decisions; although his seemingly strong character did falter a little when he could not work things out with Eva. However, he gave an impression of a man who was just sure of what he wanted in life; and in fact, a little too calm which appeared unconvincing at times.
Taking centre stage as a lead character following years of hard work and proven performance, Wayne plays the prolific role of Senior Forensic Chemist Pro Sir. Honestly, I know Wayne is good in his acting but somehow, I find portrayal in this character a little unnatural for my belief. He may be good in his role in previous drama which shot him to stardom, but I find his expressions rather limited in this series; whether it was intentional or not. I can't say I am really impressed with someone who was once nominated for Best Male Actor in Leading Role.
I find Wayne's expressions a little forced and he just did not seem to be 'feeling' his character. In fact, making him into such a powerful and admired character did not seem to fit his profile, in my humble opinion.
I am not sure whether Wayne was unsuitable for this role, or Pro Sir was not right for Wayne, but I can say that they definitely do not agree with each other in this drama.

Maggie Cheung as Mandy Chung

Mandy is a rather eluded character, if you ask me, as like Pro Sir, she is just stylish and admirable in what she does and as viewed by others. Beneath that facade, Mandy was actually troubled woman haunted by her past which stemmed from her witnessing the murder of her own parents. Her fears resurfaced towards the end of the drama in the final case as she was forced to confront her own past in solving the murder case. Mandy strikes me as a determined and strong-willed career woman, but yet is still soft and feminine when it comes to matters close to the heart as she struggles through blind dates and meeting her Mr. Right. Her chemistry with Jim Fong was evidently wrong right from the start, but she took some time to realize it. Despite her limited experience, she had trouble accepting Pro Sir for fear of disrupting her own career, which to me, was a little weird in that aspect.
Maggie Cheung has certainly aged gracefully, and it was evident in this drama. Her awkwardness in acting since she returned to the industry seemed to be slowly diminishing as she exudes that certain confidence from her past glory in playing the role of Mandy Chung. However, her chemistry with Wayne did not fare off that well, in my opinion, as lovers as I feel they were more believable as colleagues and partners at work.

Kate Tsui as Ada Ling

Ada is a feminine policewoman trying her hardest to act tough and failing miserably at it. It was probably realistic in that context as she plays that hide and seek game in her emotions and facial expressions. I am not a big fan of Kate Tsui, and I am not really convinced by her acting and expressions as well in this drama as I always felt that she always seems to be wearing that same old stony expressions in all the roles she played. Nothing remarkable or extraordinary from her performance in this drama as well.

Ron Ng as Wind Lee Chin Fung

To have Ron play the calm and soft policeman who kept his balance between romance, work and his background is a little understated for this actor. Again, I find that Ron could play a lot of roles very well, but as Wind who seemed oppressed by his own capability most of the time due to his position just did not seem to fit his looks and physical appearance. Ron always appears as one who is strong and outspoken and definitely not the timid or overshadowed character he played here. A new type of role, but seems like Ron has been fitted into roles like these lately?

Aimee Chan as Angel Chiang

Playing a character which is like her usual self, there is nothing which required much effort and I don't have much to comment since Aimee is used to playing roles like these anyway.

Edwin Siu as Ken

Making his rare appearance in drama, Edwin plays the confused yet brash forensic chemist Ken to a certain convincing level. He is good and focused on his work, yet at the same time, easily aggravated by the character of Aimee who carries that foreign accent with her all the time. Edwin was very believable as one who feigned indifference yet at the same time, unleashing his annoyance once in a while in the drama. He was quite good in playing a man who struggled with his true feelings when he fell for the girl, and also a rather great performance in playing a grieving man when the love of his life dies.

Nancy Wu as Eva Chow

Eva Chow is one of the most realistic characters; one who thrived only on love yet wants to realize her ambitions at the same time. Wanting to climb the ladder to success, Eva battled for a short while with doing the right thing but she was just too keen on victory to place importance on her conscience. She refused to be restricted to her married life and went to achieve her ambition even when it meant leaving her family. However, she realized her wrong decision and decided to come back and fought to have her husband and family back but it was already too late. Nancy was just excellent as the ambitious woman, and her expressions and portrayal of the aspiring yet unscrupulous lawyer very well; that it may be one of the best roles/characters in this whole drama.

Ruco Chan as Jim Fong
One of the rare times we see Ruco playing the good guy, and though his appearance was limited in this drama, Ruco did his job well, in pulling off that image of a collected clinical psychologist, who despite his usual cool exterior, can also turn berserk when his own loved one is involved in a case. Not a bad performance by this inspiring and upcoming actor.

Christy's Review:
If you are looking at a sequel to the much acclaimed second sequel, well, Forensic Heroes 3 is definitely not it. It is like a whole new drama, taking on the same title and popularity but with a fully revamped cast. I find this drama a little exaggerated in its demeanour; as TVB tends to overdo in depicting the style and appearance of the drama that sometimes it just seemed too far-fetched.
The overall drama was not too bad, as I have always enjoyed the crime investigations and mystery solving aspect of the drama. The storyline and flow of the story maintained its attraction, but I think the characters created should be of more believable nature; or simply realistic. There is not so much of reality when you have such capable and flawless skills of forensic experts, whose sharpness and intelligence helps to break cases and nail the culprit so easily. It seemed to come across as a very naive and off the edge idea of the experts. The characters would blend in better if they were to possess characteristics and edgy sides to them like that of Ken, Eva and Jim.

Likes about the drama:
The cases and the investigation portion; I prefer the serious drama part.

Dislikes about the drama:
The over exaggeration in the almost perfection of the experts and characters in the series.
I think the worst may be the final scene when such a HUGE team appears and seemed to be posing at a scene crime. I hardly think any criminal investigator had time to walk in such an obviously rehearsed and coordinated manner when crime happens. If so, I think they need to seriously look into their priorities.

Verdict:
Watch, if you are a fan of TVB crime dramas; or if you have been a fan of Forensic Heroes. Apart from the new cast and the above flaws, the whole series was quite interesting though some of the cases can be quite predictable.

Rating: 3.5/5