riventhorn | Shen Wei's decision not to tell Zhao Yunlan

I'm putting this discussion behind the cut because it contains spoilers for Episodes 38 through 40.

I'm interested in how others feel about Shen Wei's decision not to tell Zhao Yunlan about his end-game plan for stopping Ye Zun, i.e. turning himself into a bomb.

Personally, I think it was the right decision--or perhaps it is more accurate to say, the best choice of many bad options. Regardless of whether he told Zhao Yunlan or not, I don't think Shen Wei would have changed his decision to sacrifice himself to stop Ye Zun. If he had told ZYL much earlier, say when he first conceived of the plan or during the famous kitchen scene, it would only have resulted in a lot of fighting, anger, and sorrow, because ZYL would certainly have tried to stop Shen Wei or done something drastic himself to try and stop Ye Zun. I mean, just look at ZYL's face in these moments in Ep 38 when Shen Wei is hurt and how absolutely devastated he is: https://youtu.be/V2dUtbSz4hQ?t=1823

By not telling ZYL, Shen Wei is able to be with him without Shen Wei's looming death hanging over them. Shen Wei, of course, knows what is coming and has to bear that, but I consider it more an act of kindness and love not to tell ZYL as opposed to looking at it as a selfish act.

Beyond this moment, it raises the interesting question of when it is appropriate to keep secrets, to keep people in the dark, to hide bad news, etc. I know I've read this somewhere, although I can't remember where, but it was something to the effect of how a strong and lasting relationship may not necessarily depend on the parties involved sharing everything with each other.

Threaded | Flat

From:

lynndyre

I... genuinely don't know. I'd like him to talk to Zhao Yunlan before that final mission, but it's just not how Shen Wei operates. (and I just want all the options for fixits. Including post-canon Zhao Yunlan pinning Shen Wei down and finding the Guardian equivalent of veritaserum)

I think it was the right call not to mention it earlier though, because Zhao Yunlan could not have been Kunlun effectively with that in his head.

From:

asya_ana

I don't know, but I do think it's very much in keeping with Shen Wei's characterization throughout. So it's character consistent, which is the important thing, and I do like me a flaw, if you think it is one.

I've generally seen SW's consistent decisions to act on his own as objectionable but not *bad* for the show. I'm in favor of him learning to trust ZYL and work with him. It's just something I'll have to struggle with in the fic. :D

I may have clearer feelings on this after my rewatch.

From:

galaxysoup

I'm honestly not sure whether I agree with Shen Wei's decision or just understand it? Zhao Yunlan would have fought him on that decision so hard, and Shen Wei was barely managing to stay above water with the battles he was already fighting without having to contingency-plan for ZYL's contingency plans as well, so on that level I think it was the right decision. And, as someone else pointed out, even a kind one - they got to have their last times together without that doom hanging over both of them.

On the other hand, the fic writer in me wants to think that maybe ZYL and the SID would have been able to figure out some kind of workaround that would have saved the day for both of them. But given what we have in canon, I think I'm on Team Shen Wei's Sacrifice.

From:

zairaa

"The best choice of many bad options" puts it pretty well, I think. Is there a possible AU where Shen Wei tells ZYL and they talk about it and agree on a plan of action? Maybe. But there are many where it would not go over well and ZYL would try to interfere and save Shen Wei by putting himself in danger, and that of course would be unacceptable to Shen Wei.

I also do think it is a kind decision in a way. That doesn't mean it can't be both, kind and selfish, because I think Shen Wei also wants to have these last moments with ZYL to not be spoiled by the coming doom.

The question about keeping secrets is an interesting one. I think I tend to answer that differently in fiction and RL. I like characters in fiction who are a bit fucked-up and definitely flawed, and so I don't usually view the actions of these characters through the lens of "would I want my own partner to behave like that?" but more a "is it relatable and in character for this person?", which in the case of Shen Wei I so think it is. I also think in regards to secret keeping it depends a lot on whose shoes you put yourself into, the one who keeps the secret to protect the one they love, or the one who gets lied to and doesn't get the chance to do the same. In a way, it's a fight about who gets to protect who. :)

From:

solo

That particular decision, I think that for one thing it's in character, and it makes sense, and it's kindness so I'm totally A-OK with that.

Some of Shen Wei's other secret-keeping seems less appropriate, and there's at least one time when Zhao Yunlan calls him out on it and basically says, 'you could have prevented deaths here if you'd only talked'. I think it's the goldfish girl ep, when Shen Wei allowed the SID to think the guy and not the girl was Dixingren.

From:

xparrot

Hmmm, I'm torn about this. On the one hand, I think Shen Wei not telling Zhao Yunlan is a big mistake on his part -- because I think if he had told him, they could've worked out a better plan, one that maybe they could both survive. (I know the show couldn't actually have allowed that, but I have faith in them and their strength together!)

On the other, I understand why Shen Wei doesn't tell him, with all his issues and guilt and responsibilities and fear and everything else. And I think that Shen Wei could honestly have meant it to be a kindness. Especially believing as he did that his demise was inevitable and necessary -- and also that Zhao Yunlan was related to how he made himself into a bomb, and Zhao Yunlan was so upset by what he knew about that already.

I'm really curious about how Zhao Yunlan might feel about it. He definitely understands why Shen Wei did it, at the end there, but I'm not sure if that's understanding with forgiveness, or understanding with gratitude. Because yeah, if it was inevitable, maybe Zhao Yunlan wouldn't have wanted to know? Would've wanted to enjoy their time together?

(But I refuse to believe it was inevitable, so! :P)

From:

trobadora

Personally, I think it was the right decision--or perhaps it is more accurate to say, the best choice of many bad options.

That's how I look at it, too. There wasn't any other way to stop Ye Zun (and I feel pretending there was does a disservice to the characers), so what good could have come from telling ZYL? It would just have made everything even more painful.

something to the effect of how a strong and lasting relationship may not necessarily depend on the parties involved sharing everything with each other

That's interesting! And also, I feel that when the literal fate of the world hangs in the balance, the standards of normal relationships don't quite apply.

From:

goodgriefcharlie

I also think it's possible that in the early days Shen Wei kept quiet about his energy-exchange/eventual-bomb plan because he wasn't certain he'd actually need to follow through with it. With the SID working hard to find the Hallows themselves, there was no guarantee that Ye Zun's plan would come to fruition. Why cause Zhao Yunlan pain over something that was just a hypothetical? If everything worked out and they found four functioning Hallows and were able to seal Ye Zun solidly back in his pillar, Shen Wei could just stop exchanging his energy and allow himself to heal and all would be fine.

Then Ye Zun did escape from his pillar and at this point, I agree with you -- SW's options were very limited and he chose the one he could live with, which of course was the one that spared ZYL as much pain as possible for as long as possible. I'd argue it was also a strategic choice on SW's part: with Ye Zun walking free and causing havoc, it was not the time for ZYL to be distracted or to divide the SID team's efforts--which ZYL absolutely would be and do if he knew SW was going to sacrifice himself. It would pull attention and resources and time away from the hunt for the Hallows and countering Ye Zun's plans and at that point, they really couldn't afford it. I also think SW would worry that a distracted ZYL would be a more vulnerable ZYL; he'd risk getting hurt either because he wasn't paying enough attention to Ye Zun/YZ's minions or because he'd willingly do dangerous things if he thought it'd save SW. (And the thought that ZYL could possibly get hurt because of him is probably the fuel of SW's nightmares, to be honest.)