A TV Queen Indicator?

Is this the best predictor of who will win TV Queen?

 
2011 - Myolie Wu won TV Queen and Wish and Switch aired.


 
2012 - Tavia Yeung won TV Queen and Friendly Fire aired.


 
2013 - Kristal Tin won TV Queen and Return of the Silver Tongue aired.


 
2014 - The trend was officially broken when Charmaine Sheh won TV Queen, but Officer Geomancer, starring Joey Meng, was aired after the awards ceremony.


Another predictor for award winners: TVB vs Astro Awards
Nomination List & Predictions for TVB Awards 2014

Michael Tse - 狙擊王

Whenever TVB releases a drama with the words "狙擊" in the title, there's one thing you can be sure of: Michael Tse will be in it.


1. E.U. (學警狙擊)




2. Lives of Omission (潛行狙擊)





3. Friendly Fire (法網狙擊)




4. Sniper Standoff (神槍狙擊)

Friendly Fire Review

Producer: Man Wai Hung

Genre: Legal

Cast: Michael Tse, Tavia Yeung, Sammy Leung, Sharon Chan, Alice Chan, Derek Kwok, Samantha Ko, Oscar Leung

Plot: Crime happens and the prosecutors from the Department of Justice need to make sure justice is served. But we all know justice will always be served in the end anyways because it’s a TVB drama. (Actual overview is here)

Review:

If there’s one word to describe Friendly Fire, it’s “predictable”. From the romantic story lines to the cases, nothing ever jumps out as a surprise. Yet the way in which things were woven together breathed some life into the series. There was a right balance of cases, romance, comedy and touching scenes to keep everything moving along. It also helps to have a refreshing cast, with new faces such as Sammy Leung, Alice Chan and the trainees.

There have been a lot of legal dramas in recent memory, so what makes Friendly Fire different? Perhaps it’s all the legal flaws. Netizens actually discovered an instance where they were citing a law that didn’t exist. Although I don’t want to be nit-picky, it highlights the lack of research effort. Minor details aside, the series ignored some obvious legal procedures. For example, one cannot introduce new evidence in their closing arguments, but this drama allows that anyways. Lawyers cannot propose random theories in court (at least not without the objections of the opposition), but the prosecutors will only lament about Derek Kwok’s “dirty” tactics but never yell out "Objection" in court when he offers fabricated, unsupported theories to the jury. In certain cases, there was only flimsy evidence supporting a conviction, but the bad guy goes to jail anyways. Anyone who’s watched enough legal dramas should know that the standard of proof for criminal cases is beyond a reasonable doubt. All in all, if you want to be a lawyer, don’t rely on any of the legal advice shown here. 

There weren’t any breakout performances here. Michael’s character is witty, intelligent and driven by the sense of justice. Yep, sounds exactly like Laughing Gor, except in a three-piece suit. The only difference would probably be that he is slightly less arrogant and shows some vulnerability (like the rooftop crying scene). Tavia’s character was essentially the same as her role in The Other Truth, but there was more time devoted to her personal life, allowing her to show a more relaxed, friendly side. I actually enjoyed the relationship scenes between Michael and Tavia at the beginning when they were a sweet couple. They were loving, but not in the mushy way that would make you want to barf. They enjoyed teasing each other and pulling surprises, like when Tavia arranged for Michael’s ex to seduce him (what kind of girlfriend does that??). But then it got to the part where Tavia rejected Michael’s proposal because of the risk of a hereditary illness, and I let out a big groan. That has got to be the lamest, most overused way to break up a couple.

The second main pairing was Sammy and Sharon, which follows the typical “bickering to mutually supportive to lovers” pattern. Their scenes together often had comical results. This was Sammy’s first time in a TVB drama, and he was natural and humorous. (To be fair, it's not exactly his first acting stint either.) There was no challenge for Sharon to play the easygoing, kind-hearted girl. I felt her real purpose in the drama was to pull in audience with her body, whether it’s the wet-bra scene or flaunting her long legs. By the way, TVB tried way too hard to use sex appeal in this series. Sammy threw in his own soapy nakedness scene and there was also Alice, Grace and Samantha showing off their sexiness in various ways.

The main villains were Alice Chan and Derek Kwok. Alice performed admirably. She is the “stop-at-nothing” type that I love to watch because of the intrigue factor. Derek, on the other hand, was edging towards exaggeration with his wide hand gestures in court. Despite that, I feel he is the only good lawyer in this series, because he objects or intervenes at appropriate times and is able to point out reasonable flaws in the opposition’s arguments.

As for the other characters: Louis Yuen didn’t really add much to the story. It’s funny how his name is a play on Louis Koo’s name. The trainees didn’t get that much screen time. Their existence was just to make a greater emotional impact for the rape case. In the end, I still couldn’t put name to face, except for Oscar Leung and Samantha Ko’s characters. Half of Oscar’s screen-time was to look angry. Meanwhile, Samantha seemed too cheerful for someone who just suffered through such a traumatic event. Also, when she has a long set of dialogue, it sounds flat, as if she’s reading from a book. Her English pronunciation needs work, like when she said “Department of Jus-tick”. There were some notable guest stars for individual cases. Mandy Wong was playing a Mainland version of “Kwan Yi So” (from L’Escargot) and she is still as good. I thought Christine Kuo actually had a role in the drama, but it was only a guest appearance. Hey, I’m not complaining though. And whatever happened to Vincent Wong’s fraud case?

Final note: I still don’t understand the meaning of the English title in the context of this series.

Conclusion: Same old story with new faces.

Rating: 3.5/5

Related posts:

Inaccuracies in Legal Dramas

Overview and Preview of Cases

The Trainees - with their rendition of "Be True"

Theme Song

TVB's Lawyers - plus description of court system & role of legal professionals

TVB's Lawyers

To all aspiring lawyers: Do you know what it takes to be a lawyer? Don’t worry, TVB has your back. There is no shortage of legal dramas, with more to come.

(scroll down for descriptions of the court system and the roles of different legal professionals)

Ghetto Justice I & II

The Other Truth


Friendly Fire
  

*See Friendly Fire Trainees


Survivor's Law I & II
  



When Rules Turn Loose



Bar Bender



Legal Entanglement




Upcoming...

Will Power


Arrogant Man of Justice



Lawyers in Non-Legal Dramas

Moses Chan - (advertisement) & Back to Square One
 

Kate Tsui - Lives of Omission


Nancy Wu - Forensic Heroes III


Linda Chung & Raymond Lam - Heart of Greed
 

Steven Ma - Brink of Law & Links to Temptation

Damien Lau & Kenneth Ma - Silver Spoon Sterling Shackles




Types of Legal Professionals

Solicitor
A solicitor’s job is not primarily focused on litigation. They oversee the transfer of assets, inheritances, employment, marriage, contracts and establishment of corporations, among many other things. In terms of litigation, they deal most directly with the client. In general, a solicitor’s job can be divided into four categories:

a)      Litigation

Solicitors have the right of audience (ie. they may speak on behalf of their client) in the lower courts, such as the District or Magistrates’ courts. However, in the higher courts, such as the High Court or Court of Final Appeal, solicitors must retain the services of a barrister to represent their client. The solicitor is still responsible for making trial preparations, such as sorting through the evidence, contacting witnesses, drafting statements and conducting preliminary hearings.

b)   Transfer of Assets

Whenever a house or other property is sold, a solicitor will need to draft the relevant documents and then have it signed and sealed before the transfer of ownership is complete.

c)   Consultation

Solicitors spend the majority of their time providing legal guidance for their clients. Almost any matter can become a subject of inquiry. The solicitor’s job is to acquaint the client with the legal issues of that particular subject area.  

d)   Other Legal Matters

Solicitors are involved in everything from corporations, products and trademarks to wills, trusts and inheritances to divorces, alimony, and other walks of life.

Barrister

A barrister’s main job is to represent their client in court. In their representation, they are expected to consider only their client’s best interests and ignore personal interests or consequences to other people. Barristers will also advise solicitors on complex cases or legal perspectives, thus they are often regarded as legal consultants. Their work includes:

a)   Consultation

Once they have been retained by a solicitor for a civil or criminal case, the barrister will give their opinion on whether to proceed with litigation or persuade alternative resolutions. They will make an evaluation based on their knowledge of legal procedures and remedies.

b)   Preparation

For civil cases, barristers must outline the arguments in the claim or defence statement. They will also need to instruct the solicitor on what evidence to bring to court. For criminal cases, barristers will prepare in advance the arguments, questions and tactics for the trial.

c)   Trial

The barrister will appear in court and make statements on behalf of the client. They will analyze the validity of the evidence and cross-examine witnesses in order to bring out the truth. Finally, they will summarize the case in the closing statements. After the trial, the barrister may have to represent the client in bail or sentencing hearings and guide them through the remaining legal procedures.

Legal Executives

Legal executives can be found in law firms, corporations and various government agencies, such as the Department of Justice and Correctional Services. Their job is to provide assistance to solicitors and barristers. They handle many different tasks for the lawyers, such as meeting with clients and witnesses, drafting documents, attending basic hearings and doing the preparatory work. They may also advise clients while giving police statements and assist them in applying for bail.

Legal Clerk

Legal clerks are responsible for the secretarial functions. Their main duties usually include handling the paperwork, such as mail, forms, court filings and other documents. They may also need to make inquiries to the Companies or Land Registries. Within government agencies, legal clerks will act as law enforcement in cases with set fines, which sometimes requires them to appear before the Small Claims Tribunal. 

(Adapted from source)

Court System

In accordance to British tradition, judges will wigs and robes. Symbolically, it is to disguise the judge’s own identity so that the judge can make impartial decisions.

Hong Kong’s court system is divided into four levels:

The Magistrates’ Court and special tribunals
There are currently seven Magistrates’ courts in different regions, presided over by magistrates (not judges). Magistrates are qualified lawyers or experienced legal personnel. They hear ~90% of criminal cases and can impose a maximum sentence of 2 years imprisonment or $100,000 fine. (In some circumstances, the limit can be increased to 3 years imprisonment and $5 million fine.)

There are special Tribunals for Lands, Labour, Small Claims and Obscene Articles, as well as the Coroner’s Court and Juvenile Court. Each tribunal is set up to quickly and effectively deal with a particular type of case. They are usually presided over by a magistrate or adjudicator. In some instances, legal representation is not allowed and the disputing parties must personally appear at the hearing.

The District Court
There is one amalgamated District Court in Hong Kong, presided over by judges (with no jury). They hear criminal cases passed on from the Magistrates’ Court, with a maximum sentence of 7 years imprisonment. They also hear civil cases with claims of up to $1 million. The District Court houses the Family Court, which handles divorce, alimony and child custody.

The High Court
The High Court is made up of the Court of First Instance and Court of Appeal. The Court of First Instance will hear the most serious criminal cases, such as murder or rape, as well as appeals from the Magistrates’ courts and tribunals. They have unlimited jurisdiction on criminal and civil cases. Criminal cases will be heard by a judge and 7 or 9 jurors.

The Court of Appeal will hear appeals from the District Courts, Lands Tribunal and Court of First Instance. Cases are generally tried by a panel of three judges (with no jury).

The Court of Final Appeal
The Court of Final Appeal is the highest court in Hong Kong. It will only hear cases that have be granted leave to appeal (ie. permission to appeal) by the Court of Appeal. Cases are decided by a five-judge panel. The court is headed by the Chief Justice of Hong Kong.

Related article: Inaccuracies in Legal Dramas

Friendly Fire Trainees

Samantha Ko was a Miss HK contestant in 2008. She has mostly hosted food & living variety shows, while having a few guest appearances in dramas. Recently, she is spending more time in the drama department with heavier supporting roles. Of the trainees in Friendly Fire, she's the one that gets time to shine with a much talked about rape scene.

Oscar Leung is on the rise after many years of being a kelefe. He used to play useless little brother roles or the younger version of actors. He had a breakout year in 2012 with memorable roles in L’Escargot, Tiger Cubs and The Confidant, allowing him to capture the Most Improved Award. He is also making a strong move into the movie industry after being cast in Young and Dangerous: Reloaded.

Bella Lam (on left, with glasses) actually entered the industry as a child star at age 11 in ATV’s Light of Million Hopes. Since joining TVB, she has participated in some large productions such as Lives of Omission (as a CIB trainee) and Silver Spoon Sterling Shackles (as Rebecca Zhu’s younger sister), giving the audience opportunities to recognize her.

Cindy Lee (on right) was formerly golf and tennis champion, even representing Hong Kong in competitions. She joined TVB after participating in the Miss HK Pageant 2005 and was given hosting gigs for sporting-related shows.





James Ng was a contestant of The Voice 2, which he finished fifth in. He is pursuing a music career in hopes of becoming a singer and songwriter. He is one of the hosts of the music programme 360°. Meanwhile, he has also expanded into acting with some small roles in dramas, such as Kenneth Ma’s nerdy brother in Three Kingdoms RPG.

Joey Law was the winner of the youth category in Mr. HK 2008. He is a talented dancer and fittingly, his first television role was of a shy dancer in Steps (watch his scene here). He had numerous walk-on roles until recently, where he was cast as a regular member in the sitcom Come Home Love.

The trainees sing "Be True" (originally sung by Joey Yung):

Source: Official TVB YouTube Channel

"Friendly Fire" Theme Song

The theme song is called 疑幻人生 (Imaginary Life), sung by the male leads of the series, Michael Tse and Sammy Leung.



See Overview and Preview of Cases

Friendly Fire - Preview of Cases

Case #1 - Romantic murder case
Penny Chan is charged with the murder of his girlfriend JJ Jia's husband. Michael Tse and Tavia Yeung face each other in court. Sammy Leung uses his sex appeal to investigate the suspect's background.



Case #2 - Mainland pregnant woman
Benz Hui rented his apartment to Mandy Wong, a pregnant woman from Mainland China. She gets into an argument with her agent and falls unconscious after rolling down the stairs. Benz is framed for this, while Mandy's husband tries to hide the truth.



Case #3 - Murder of police officer
Narcotics Bureau officer Patrick Tang has been investigating drug lord Sammy Shum for a long time, but has yet to find enough evidence. Patrick accuses Sammy Shum of killing a CID officer, but Michael discovers that Patrick may have framed the suspect, giving him the opportunity to walk free.



Case #4 - Wealthy heir rape case
Tavia's apprentice, Samantha Ko, is raped by wealthy heir Ronan Pak. Fellow prosecutor trainees Oscar Leung, Joey Law, Bella Lam and Jame Ng all stand up for her. They are challenged by Michael's main rival, Derek Kwok, who has been hired by Alice Chan (Ronan's sister) to do everything he can to get an acquittal.



Case #5 - Public corporation fraud
Vincent Wong, Sammy Leung's half-brother, is used by Alice Chan to be responsible for a shell corporation. The company's stocks are suddenly suspended from trading, causing investors, including Sharon Chan's family, to lose all their money. Benz Hui discovers the truth, leading Alice to exact revenge on him.



See Overview - Friendly Fire