Episode Summary
The episode opens with the brutal murder of auto shop owner Zhang Xiaochuan by a masked assailant, moments after a tryst with his mistress, Gu Nan. The investigation reveals a crime of intense personal hatred. As the police struggle for leads, suspicion falls on Gu Nan's husband, Lin Yi, who chillingly implies his guilt to her. The narrative also introduces a struggling mother and daughter, Li Xiulan and Li Yan, whose lives are fraught with hardship, including a conflict with their lecherous landlord. The episode ends on a surreal cliffhanger when a mysterious young girl appears in their hallway at night and calls Li Xiulan "Mom."
Spoiler Alert
Fancy Land Episode 1 Recap: A Bloody Wrench and a Phantom Mother
A tangled web of secrets, violence, and the seemingly supernatural begins to unravel in a grim, rain-slicked city. The premiere episode wastes no time plunging into darkness, starting with a crime of passion and ending with a question that defies reality.
A Tryst Turned Tragic
The episode opens on a clandestine meeting in a dark parking lot. Zhang Xiaochuan, a local auto repair shop owner, is in his car with his mistress, Gu Nan. Their affair is cut short when Gu Nan shrieks, having seen a shadowy figure loom just outside the window. Annoyed but unnerved, Zhang Xiaochuan gets out to investigate, chasing the figure into the cavernous darkness of his own repair shop.
The pursuit ends in horror. A car suspended on a lift suddenly crashes down, pinning him. Before he can process what's happened, a masked assailant appears, wielding a heavy wrench. The figure brings the tool down on Zhang’s head again and again, the brutal, repetitive blows splattering blood across the attacker's expressionless mask. It’s a murder fueled by a cold, personal rage.
The Fishmonger's Daughter
As morning breaks, we meet a mother and daughter whose lives are about to intersect with this violence. Li Xiulan and her teenage daughter, Li Yan, run a fish stall at the local market. The scene is one of weary struggle. When a customer harasses Li Yan, a distracted Li Xiulan slices her own finger while chopping fish. She dismisses the injury, refusing to see a doctor and instead harshly reminding her daughter to focus on her studies. Her fierce protection of Li Yan is palpable. On their way home, they pass the now cordoned-off repair shop. Li Yan’s curiosity about the police presence is met with a sharp tug from her mother, who forcefully pulls her away from the crime scene.
A Baffling Crime Scene
The police are on site, piecing together the savage attack. The lead detective determines that Zhang Xiaochuan had been dead for over eight hours. The medical examiner confirms the brutality: while the falling car injured him, it didn't kill him. The fatal wounds were inflicted by the wrench, indicating the killer's profound hatred for the victim.The investigation hits an immediate wall—the security cameras at the shop were damaged, forcing the police to widen their search and canvass the surrounding area.
A Husband's Chilling Confession
Meanwhile, Gu Nan is in a state of terror. The image of the masked killer is seared into her mind as she frantically packs a bag, desperate to flee. Her escape is thwarted by the arrival of her husband, Lin Yi, and their young daughter. Later, in a moment of chilling calm, Lin Yi recounts the gruesome details of Zhang Xiaochuan’s death with unnerving accuracy. He looks directly into his wife’s eyes and asks a question that is both a confession and a threat: "Did I kill him because of our investment in the repair shop? Or was it because he was sleeping with my wife?" Gu Nan is frozen in silent fear.
The Landlord and the Leering Gaze
The tension follows Li Xiulan and Li Yan home. They are confronted by their landlord, who demands they pay the electricity bill. Li Xiulan, already on edge, accuses him of rigging their meter and stealing their electricity. The landlord retorts with a sneer, complaining about her "sour face," before his eyes settle on Li Yan with a lecherous gaze. "If it weren't for your pretty daughter," he says, "I would have kicked you out long ago." Li Xiulan grabs her daughter and slams the door in his face, their home offering little sanctuary from the world's ugliness.
A Knock in the Night
The episode culminates in a deeply unsettling and surreal final scene. Later that night, Li Xiulan watches Li Yan take a pill, waiting to ensure she has swallowed it. The nature of the medication is a mystery, another secret held within their small, tense apartment. After Li Yan is in bed, a sound from the hallway draws Li Xiulan to the door. She opens it to find a young girl with a ponytail standing in the dim, empty corridor. The girl looks at her and speaks a single, impossible word: "Mom." The foundation of reality cracks, leaving a haunting question hanging in the air as the screen cuts to black.
