Episode 40 recap: They emerged from the flames.
Lin Lu Xiao rescued two more trapped individuals while trying to find a way to leave the scene. He had a conversation with Nan Chu to ensure each other's safety. Lin Lu Xiao led the rescued individuals away but unexpectedly became trapped by the forest fire. They couldn't cross the fire line and had to find a way around it.
Zhao Guo led the rescued civilians down the mountain but accidentally slipped and fell. Fortunately, Wang Ben caught him in time, preventing him from falling into the volcano. The fire in Lushan Forest grew increasingly fierce, and the news continuously reported on its progress. The families of the firefighters anxiously watched the news, hoping for their safe return.
Xia Wan rushed into the mountains for first aid and coincidentally encountered Liu Ru Yi, who was injured. She immediately went to dress Liu Ru Yi's wounds. However, before they could exchange a few words, she had to hurriedly leave to attend to someone else in need of urgent care. She could only instruct Liu Ru Yi to return safely.
As the fire grew larger, the second line of defense could no longer contain it. Meng Guo Hong had no choice but to order the activation of the third contingency plan and urged all comrades to defend the final line of defense, protecting their loved ones behind them. Upon receiving Meng Guo Hong's orders, Lou Ming Ye and his team disregarded rest and rushed to the front line of the fire, attempting to contain its spread.
Nan Chu and her team had not yet descended the mountain when the fire began encroaching upon them. At this time, their walkie-talkies lost signal, making it impossible for them to maintain contact with Lin Lu Xiao. Shen Guang Zong carried the injured Xi Gu and tried to escape, but when he could no longer move forward, he stumbled and fell. He could not get up and asked Nan Chu to take Xi Gu and leave first.
Nan Chu couldn't leave anyone behind and helped Shen Guang Zong and Xi Gu to their feet, determined to continue moving forward with them. As Lin Lu Xiao led the rescued individuals down the mountain, they encountered constant danger due to the spreading fire. They were repeatedly pinned down by burning branches and fought both to save lives and defend against the flames.
Lou Ming Ye and his comrades fought the fire in the mountains, but the fire was extremely fierce. Their firefighting speed couldn't keep up with the rate at which the fire was spreading. Firefighters took shelter within the inferno, but they never gave up. They fought until the very last moment, refusing to surrender.
Just as Meng Guo Hong was growing increasingly concerned about the spreading fire, a large group of volunteers arrived on the mountain. Meng Guo Hong divided them into groups, assigning those with repair skills to stay and perform maintenance while those with equipment capable of transportation were sent up the mountain to transport supplies.
When Qi Huo and his team realized they were unable to handle the massive fire, a large group of volunteers arrived on motorcycles to deliver equipment. This renewed their hope for victory, and they fought even harder to extinguish the flames. Nan Chu couldn't bring Shen Guang Zong and Xi Gu down the mountain alone, but fortunately, several villagers on horseback arrived and safely escorted them down the mountain.
While Xi Gu was being rescued, Nan Chu asked Meng Guo Hong about Lin Lu Xiao's situation. At that moment, Zhao Guo and his team also safely descended the mountain and provided information about Lin Lu Xiao's mission to search and rescue trapped individuals. Nan Chu didn't want to leave. She decided to stay as a volunteer and wait for Lin Lu Xiao's safe return.
Lin Lu Xiao led the survivors he rescued down the mountain but became trapped on the north side of Long Xu Gou. Unable to escape the sea of fire, Lin Lu Xiao had to call for help from the command center and then took shelter under a fireproof cover, keeping the survivors in the middle and waiting for the final rescue. Lou Ming Ye and his team had managed to contain the fire and started descending the mountain one by one, but nobody saw Lin Lu Xiao.
Nan Chu provided water to the firefighters coming down the mountain while asking about Lin Lu Xiao's situation. But nobody had seen him, which filled her with extreme fear. Anxiously waiting and searching for every person coming down the mountain, Nan Chu finally saw Lin Lu Xiao returning safely. Without hesitation, she rushed into his arms.
Nan Chu entrusted Lin Lu Xiao to return safely, but before they could enjoy a moment of intimacy, Meng Guo Hong ordered a final assault. Lin Lu Xiao had no choice but to continue charging into the sea of fire until every flame was extinguished. Nan Chu finally succeeded. She led the Dream Dance Society onto the grand theater stage, completing a magnificent and unparalleled dance performance.
In this dance, Lin Lu Xiao was absent, but in Nan Chu's heart, she still protected him. (The End)
It's obvious that the male lead sacrificed himself. The final scene, every shot was a hint. I'll just mention three points: 1. The male lead's chair: Seat 34 (wildfire, deceased); 2.
The male lead's state: sadness, heartache, reluctance. If he came to watch the female lead's performance, he shouldn't be in this state. And the male lead's perspective shows the female lead's solo dance in the falling snow, while others' perspective shows a group dance.
It's clearly a fantasy scene, where a comrade sacrificed in the wildfire came to watch the performance of their beloved one, separated from them by life and death. Hence, the state is one of sadness and reluctance; 3.
The final empty shot: Although the male lead clearly entered earlier, in the last shot, there is no one in seat 34. As for the online speculation about an open-ended ending or the male lead going on a mission, those reasons don't hold up.
If it were an open-ended ending or a mission, the shots wouldn't be framed this way.
The explanations online are probably meant to comfort the audience. Personally, I accept this bittersweet ending, considering it as a form of "sublimation." The male lead doesn't have a protagonist's halo.
He doesn't end up "living happily ever after" with the female lead like in other dramas. Instead, he's just like thousands of ordinary firefighters, ready to make sacrifices.
Finally, I pay tribute to the firefighters who sacrificed themselves in the Tianjin Port explosion, the wildfires, and all frontline battles. I also hope everyone pays attention to fire prevention and does our best to protect and support our firefighters who protect us.
I think "34" refers to the age of the male lead, sacrificing himself at the age of 34. And all the subsequent implied scenes are quite obvious. Also, in the scene where they are making dumplings, the four people here are the opposite of reality.
The three who sacrifice themselves are firefighters, while Yang Zhi, because he lost a leg, specifically wears shorts, exposing his leg.
I totally agree with you. Plus, there's the scene where Lin Lu Xiao calls for reinforcements, seeking help from many places down the mountain. The manpower is simply not enough.
The shot of the fire shield being raised is just like Nan Chu's father's scene, but there's a detail you didn't notice. When Nan Chu was performing, Yijiu and Shiquan were also in the audience, but at that time, Yijiu and Shiquan were both inside the fire scene with Lin Lu Xiao.
However, the subsequent scenes are quite confusing and contradictory.
This drama is really good because it's not just about love stories or preachy educational content. It tells the story of a group of flesh-and-blood characters who may seem ordinary but are actually extraordinary heroes. They are afraid of death, pain, and fire, and they also experience anguish, helplessness, and tears in their lives.
But when they are truly needed, they never take a step back! That's what true heroes are made of!
After watching all 40 episodes, I gave it a rating of only 5 out of 10. Initially, this drama was rated 8.5 or higher in my mind. However, the last few episodes really left a bitter taste.
Although I understand the significance of Lao Yu's sacrifice, it was truly heartbreaking. But immediately after, the sudden sacrifice of Da Gang felt a bit excessive.
Da Gang had already started a new life, and the drama had already portrayed this aspect well. But to forcefully arrange his sacrifice, emphasizing his unwavering sense of responsibility as a firefighter, felt like an overly forced attempt at emotional manipulation.
While I believe such situations exist in reality, within the context of the drama and especially in the last few episodes, the combination of Lao Yu's sacrifice followed by Da Gang's sacrifice felt like an excessive attempt at emotional manipulation.
It left me feeling a bit annoyed and unnecessary. As a result, my overall impression dropped significantly. And then there's the ending, which seems to be an open-ended conclusion.
From the empty seat, the number 34, the Nan Chu stage where applause was given and turned back, with no one occupying the position marked 34, and the expressions of the team members at the He Ping Road station and Nan Chu—taking all these details into consideration, I interpreted it as Lin Lu Xiao's sacrifice.
All these factors combined made me feel that the last few episodes were forcefully trying to manipulate emotions, so I couldn't give it a high rating. Lastly, I have to mention, is the female lead a fire starter?
Fires break out wherever she goes? Is she on par with Conan? It's too much, really. It's just too coincidental.
There's one possible explanation: Lin Zhan mentioned that he couldn't just leave Lu Mountain easily. The transition scene of Nan Chu's dance also supports this explanation. The background being on fire signifies that Lin Zhan is on duty at Lu Mountain and can't come down whenever he wants.
The reserved spot for Lin Zhan represents his exclusive position. Additionally, in the second transition scene with a snowy background, Lin Zhan appears, indicating that the snow dance is specifically for him. In the first scene, Lin Zhan couldn't come down to see it, so in the second scene, it's meant to make up for his absence.
This is my understanding: Lin Zhan didn't die; he's just on duty at Lu Mountain and unable to come down. The forest fire brigade doesn't have many people, so they couldn't all come down at once. Lin Zhan took over their duties while his two apprentices came.
Lin Zhan has always been a righteous person who upholds the greater good. I hope my interpretation can help clarify things and prevent people from guessing blindly without knowing the situation.
Actually, I want to say that this drama is different from others. It has a different message it wants to convey. I know everyone probably likes perfect endings, but don't you get tired of them after seeing too many? This drama, from beginning to end, mostly tells real firefighting stories.
From the moment I started watching it, I knew it would be different from other firefighting-themed dramas I've seen before because it wants to express something different. So, its ending would be different too. In the public's perception, dramas of this genre almost always have a happy ending.
If this drama had a different ending, it would be difficult for the public to accept. I guess that's why this drama didn't receive a high rating.
The portrayal of the firefighting storyline in the drama is done exceptionally well, and it feels very realistic and touching. The fire scenes are also incredibly realistic and grand, especially the final forest fire, which is heart-stopping.
The actors did a great job too. This drama truly highlights the challenges and greatness of firefighters. However, the development of the female lead's storyline is not very well-written. There are aspects of her character that are criticized, and her career trajectory is confusing and lacks logical coherence, making it difficult to continue watching.
Overall, as a drama centered around firefighters, it is very well-done, and the firefighting storyline is captivating.
Lin Lu Xiao suffered a severe injury in a forest fire and, while in a coma at the hospital, had a hallucination about their fallen teammate and the well-being of Yang Zhi. They even celebrated the Lunar New Year together, taking photos to capture the lively moments.
Due to their injuries, Lin Lu Xiao missed Nan Chu's performance, so everyone instinctively left seat number 34 vacant for them.
When Lin Lu Xiao recovered from their injuries, they didn't want to disturb Nan Chu and went to the theater alone.
They imagined Nan Chu dancing on stage, but in reality, there was no one on stage, and there were no spectators in the audience. Only Lin Lu Xiao sat in seat number 34, bidding farewell to the past and shedding tears of emotion.
There should be no sacrifice. He and 190 wore the fireproof hoods together, so there's no reason for 190 to be perfectly fine while Lin Lu Xiao sacrifices himself. Although I don't know what the intention behind this scene is, I want to believe that Lin is still alive.
The reaction of everyone when he emerged from the fire and kissed someone proves that he is not just Nan Chu's imagination. And if 1910 is alive, then Lin must have made it out as well. I refuse to believe that he sacrificed himself during the final assault.
Perhaps the director used Lin as a representation of all the firefighters, some of whom made it out alive and some who will forever remain inside. There is one Lin Lu Xiao who walked out, and there is one who didn't.
If you can't accept Lin's sacrifice, then let the final assault be the grand finale.
After watching it this morning, my mind has been replaying the ending the whole afternoon. In the end, I choose to believe that Lin Lu Xiao is alive. Even if he sacrificed himself, it must have been during the final assault, and with so many people during the assault, it shouldn't be that easy for something to go wrong.
The embrace and kiss between him and Nan Chu at the end were not Nan Chu's imagination because during the final musical performance, although there were empty seats, the number 190 appeared in its entirety. When they were searching for their fellow villagers, number 190 was with Lin Lu Xiao.
Therefore, the hero is still alive. Perhaps he didn't go to watch the play because he was injured or it wasn't convenient for him. The tears and sadness of Da Liu and the others might be triggered by the performance, reminding them of people or events from the past.