A dramatic twist in a historical drama that presents its women as intelligent beings – that’s the Chinese drama ‘The Double’ for you. It’s everything you’re looking for in a historical drama that presents its subjects (literally and figuratively) as real beings, without compromising on the fictional aspect of the storytelling. It has enough intrigue, politics and romance to keep you hooked.

‘The Double’ is the story of Xu Feng Fei (Wu Jin Yan), the daughter of a magistrate, who assumes the identity of Jiang Li, the daughter of a secretariat director, after losing everything in politics. She is aided by Duke Xiao Heng (Wang Xiang Yu) to avenge both herself and the real Jiang Li, who died a tragic death. Feng Fei’s journey to overcome the many obstacles she faces in her fight against injustice forms the core of ‘The Double’.

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Perhaps the best thing about ‘The Double’ is that Wang Xiang Yu does most of the heavy lifting. The story stays true to her journey and doesn’t stray from its theme. Xiao Heng is the catalyst in the story and the writers haven’t underwritten Feng Fei’s character to create a larger-than-life image of Heng.

Another bonus point for the show is that the writers don’t underestimate the intelligence of the audience and the people involved in the story. Her identity is always a topic of ambiguity for those around her, given that Fang Fei and Jiang Li aren’t identical twins, and this forces you to root for her despite all the odds.

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‘The Double’ also has interesting cinematography that highlights the actors’ beauty and action scenes with magnetic charm. However, if you are a fan of Chinese dramas, the innovative and clean action choreography will not surprise you.

Both Wu Jin Yan and Wang Xiang Yu are charismatic on screen. They have a restrained chemistry and they complement each other’s strengths as actors. Their characters are so vibrant together and individually that you are drawn to rooting for them. While it helps that their romantic relationship is mostly left to one’s imagination, the show could have benefited from clearer writing about their relationship.

The perfect balance of drama and politics is the biggest strength of ‘The Double’. However, its runtime is quite long and could have easily been contained in a 30-episode series.

If you want to watch a great historical drama that is emotionally moving, then ‘The Double’ is for you. It is available on Netflix.