The Eternal Love Season 3 Review

The Eternal Love Season 3 (双世宠妃 Ⅲ) is my second Liang Jie drama in a row after having just completed Time Flies And You Are Here. Many people actually looked forward to this because the Liang Jie and Xing Zhao Lin pairing simply oozes chemistry to most. They are certainly a very marketable couple. Otherwise, this series wouldn’t have gone into its third season with some still clamoring for more. But is this season as good as the previous two? The Eternal Love Season 3 review below will discuss a bit more about this time travel drama.

My rating: 7/10
Episodes: 30
Type: Historical Romance, Time Travel
Aired: June 2021
Images Credit: Tencent

The Cast Of The Eternal Love Season 3

• Liang Jie as Qu Xiao Tan / Qu Tan Eer / Empress
• Xing Zhao Lin as Mo Lian Cheng / Cheng Cheng
• Alen Fang Yi Lun as Mo Yan Chen
• Amy Sun Yi Ning as Jing Xin
• Wang Hao Ge as Mo Jing Xuan
• Zhang Tian Ai as Mo Feng Yang
• Zhou Zi Xin as Qu Mei Er
• Ni Han Jin as Pugu Yun Xiu
• Chen Jing Ke as Xiao Zhen
• Lai Xi as Liu Bai Shui
• Zhang Zheng Yang as Lord Mo Yuan Long
• Liu Luo Xi as Su Yue La

Main Characters

Qu Xiao Tan / Qu Tan Eer

Xiao Tan has taken over Tan Er’s body and is the Second Princess of the alternate Dong Yue kingdom. She is still as brash and direct as before which is in direct contrast to Tan Er’s personality. Xiao Tan bears a very close resemblance to her aunt who is the Empress.

Mo Lian Cheng / Cheng Cheng

Cheng Cheng has taken over the body of Lian Cheng who is the 8th son of Lord Mo and was gravely ill in the alternate universe. He lost his memory after recovering. The Mo clan is a noble family with strong influence which causes the Empress to be wary. Cheng Cheng is a smart and quick-thinking man who appears cold and aloof to outsiders. He has a loyal assistant in Yu Hao.

Mo Yan Chen

Yan Chen is the eldest son of Lord Mo and Lian Cheng’s brother. He is a very considerate and patient man who always tries to think from the other person’s point of view. Yan Chen is deeply in love with Tan Er and they were childhood lovers. It never crosses his mind that it is Xiao Tan in Tan Er’s body despite the vast personality change.

Supporting Characters

Empress

The Empress of Dong Yue kingdom is Tan Er and Mei Er’s aunt. She looks not much different from Tan Er. The Empress is sickly but still sharp and shrewd. She has her own personal agenda and is suspicious of both her nieces and the Mo family. The Empress is keen to have Lian Cheng as part of her harem.

Jing Xin

Jing Xin is Xiao Tan’s personal assistant and best friend. She is very loyal to Xiao Tan.

Mo Jing Xuan

Jing Xuan is the 14th son of Lord Mo and Lian Cheng’s younger brother. He is more of a follower rather than a leader which causes his father to see him as weak.

Mo Feng Yang

Feng Yang is the only daughter of the Mo family. She is an army general who has just returned from a border war. Feng Yang is a serious and no-nonsense lady.

Qu Mei Er

Mei Er is Tan Er’s elder sister and the Dong Yue kingdom’s Eldest Princess. Both the sisters don’t get along which means Xiao Tan and Mei Er are bitter rivals. This is especially so because Mei Er is in love with Yan Chen who only has eyes for Tan Er.

Pugu Yun Xiu

Yun Xiu is a general from Xi Yue kingdom. He is sent to Dong Yue for a diplomatic marriage. But he loves Feng Yang whom he came across during their border battles.

Xiao Zhen

Xiao Zhen is the Empress’ loyal aide. He knows all her secrets and has been serving her since he was young. Xiao Zhen has feelings for the Empress but keeps it hidden.

Liu Bai Shui

Liu Bai Shui is a conman masquerading as a healer. However, he has great knowledge in astrology.

Lord Mo Yuan Long

Lord Mo is Yan Chen, Lian Cheng, Jing Xuan, and Feng Yang’s father. He is an ambitious man who wants the throne for the Mo family.

Su Yue La / Official Su

Official Su is a high ranking officer in the royal court. She is a corrupt official who is helping the Eldest Princess to bring down Xiao Tan.

Synopsis

Qu Xiao Tan and Mo Lian Cheng are married with a young son. When the Soul Guarding Orb exploded, the couple is transported to a parallel universe. They are in another Dong Yue Kingdom whereby females have higher status over males for a change. Xiao Tan has again taken over Tan Er’s body and she is the Second Princess while her aunt who looks like her is the Empress.

Lian Cheng is the 8th son of Lord Mo. His elder brother, Mo Yan Chen, is in love with Tan Er and they are close childhood friends. While Xiao Tan can remember everything that has happened, Lian Cheng has lost his memory. He would only temporarily revert to the old Lian Cheng when triggered. After the switch is over, he would not be able to remember what transpired.

In her quest to stop Lian Cheng from being married off to the Empress, Xiao Tan schemes to get him for herself. At the same time, Lian Cheng is conspiring with his father to obtain power. He plans to make use of Xiao Tan and cooperates with her to get married. However, the Empress is suspicious and Xiao Tan ends up marrying both Lian Cheng and Yan Chen.

The Eternal Love Season 3 Ending (Spoilers Alert!)

The Eternal Love Season 3 has a happy ending. Cheng Cheng and Xiao Tan manage to return to their Dong Yue kingdom to be with their son. In the last scene, their son seems to have extra ordinary powers that he might be the new host of the magical orb.

Who Is The Empress?

The Empress is actually Qu Xiang Tan from Xuan Ling Continent in the past. She and Lian Cheng were lovers then. But Xiang Tan and Mo Yi Cheng were enemies while Lian Cheng was Yi Cheng’s best friend. This caused a friction between the lovers. Xiang Tan was angry and pointed her sword at Lian Cheng who grabbed the blade and pierced his heart with it. Lian Cheng died as a result.

Xiang Tan was devastated and couldn’t let go of Lian Cheng. After her battle with the Demon King, she was severely injured. She came to Dong Yue with Xiao Zhen’s help to recuperate by harnessing the power of the Soul Guarding Orb. Xiang Tan thinks that the Lian Cheng in Dong Yue is her lover from Xuan Ling Continent. Cheng Cheng gets confirmation that the Empress is Xiang Tan in Episode 25. But he insists to the Empress that he is not her lover as the latter had died when he killed himself in Xuan Ling Continent.

The Empress then uses the orb’s powers to take control of Xiao Tan’s body as her own is failing with Xiao Zhen sacrificing his life to make it happen. Xiao Tan’s consciousness is suppressed. Cheng Cheng lures the Empress to the cliff where the previous Lian Cheng died. It is the day that would allow him and Xiao Tan to return to where they came from. He reenacts the scene. The Empress realizes that her Lian Cheng is really gone and drops herself off the cliff. Cheng Cheng grabs Xiao Tan from falling. They are then transported back to their alternate universe.

When Did Cheng Cheng Regain His Memory?

When Cheng Cheng took over Lord Mo’s 8th son’s body, he lost all his memory. But he will have flashes of his life with Xiao Tan when triggered. Cheng Cheng finally regains all his memories in Episode 22 after being hit with the Soul Guarding Orb’s powers while trying to save Xiao Tan.

Did Yan Chen Fall For Mei Er?

No, he didn’t. Yan Chen marries Mei Er on the rebound in Episode 17 after he requested Xiao Tan to divorce him. He was depressed that his Tan Er suddenly loves his brother. But after the marriage, Yan Chen learns that it was Mei Er that killed Tan Er that resulted in Xiao Tan taking over the latter’s body. This is in Episode 27. Yan Chen then becomes cold toward Mei Er who regrets her mistakes.

When the Empress takes over Xiao Tan’s body, she shows her true colors and becomes tyrannical. She wants Mei Er to bring down the Mo family but Mei Er informs Yan Chen instead. In the end, Lord Mo is forced to kill himself for rebelling. In return, Jing Xuan’s life will be spared. All of the Mo family’s servants are also killed. Yan Chen is angered and rebels together with his father’s associates. But he walks into a trap instead as the Empress has captured Mei Er.

While trying to escape, Mei Er shields Yan Chen from an arrow with her body. She dies as a result. Yan Chen is then killed by the Empress herself with a slash to his neck in Episode 29.

Feng Yang & Yun Xiu

When Xiao Tan was forced to marry Yun Xiu in Episode 19, they merely put on a show as both are in love with someone else. Yun Xiu confesses his feelings to Feng Yang in Episode 21 and proposes to her in Episode 23. He is helped by Xiao Tan and Cheng Cheng in his efforts to woo Feng Yang. When Feng Yang is demoted and sent to the border by the Empress to thwart Lord Mo’s attempt to seize power, Yun Xiu follows her. They have become a loving couple.

The Eternal Love Season 3 Review – Role Reversal

The Eternal Love Season 3 comprises some elements of Season 1 and 2 but with the roles reversed. So, instead of Xiao Tan switching personalities as in Season 1 and losing her memory as in Season 2, it is now Cheng Cheng’s turn to do so. On one hand, these are old tricks but on the other, there is anticipation in the role reversal. Personally, it is getting jaded for me including the time travel aspect as they keep getting transported to alternate worlds which gives rise to plot holes or vague explanations.

This drama is not something that you would watch for a well-written plot like The Imperial Coroner or a compelling saga such as The Long Ballad. The whole series thrives more on the couple’s chemistry than a coherent story to me. There is nothing wrong with that as a lot of romance dramas are super sweet because of the excellent pairing of the leads. The Legend Of Yun Xi comes to mind which then spawned The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion all because of the matching couple. But after 3 seasons, the couple in The Eternal Love is losing their freshness to me. They have been in the same setting and facing more or less the same issues for 84 episodes now starting from the first season.

Can You Watch Season 3 Without Watching The Prequels?

Unfortunately, no. There are some characters and events that you need to get acquainted with in the first 2 seasons in order to understand the third. This is especially true for The Eternal Love Season 1 whereby viewers are told about Xiao Tan’s past life before her reincarnation and Lian Cheng’s relationship with her. This is linked to Season 3 and hence, I think one would not be able to truly understand the story if they have not watched the earliest drama in the series.

If you are not up to it, then my advice is to skip The Eternal Love Season 2. Just watch the first and then the third season. I think the story should still make enough sense that way as more background information is contained in Season 1 than Season 2.

Lots Of Kisses

The sweet moments and kisses are what viewers want to see between the leads given their strong chemistry. The Eternal Love Season 3 did not disappoint in this area. This couple is going strong from drama to drama and both of them would surely have struck up a deep understanding of each other’s way of acting after so many projects together including You Are My Destiny. This means they look natural as a pair of lovers and the intimate scenes don’t feel forced.

Liang Jie’s and Xing Zhao Lin’s acting is also better compared to the first season which tends to be stiffer with occasional over-acting in some scenes. In Season 3, their expressions are fitting and they are able to portray their characters with more maturity. Liang Jie’s portrayal of 2 different characters also deserves accolades for a job well done. The contrast in personality is distinct and yet, natural.

Lack Of Details In The Plot (Spoilers Alert!)

This drama with its sci-fi elements of time travel and alternate dimensions would naturally elicit questions over how and why events happened. But you won’t get detailed answers as they are usually glossed over. For instance, Cheng Cheng was supposedly infused with the spiritual will of Lian Cheng when he was born. Lian Cheng was Xiang Tan’s lover. This was explained in Season 1. But in the current season, Cheng Cheng insisted he has nothing to do with Lian Cheng as the latter is long dead. It is confusing and unclear but no details are offered to the viewers.

Neither does the story touch on the Demon King who contributed to all the mess. We don’t know what happened to him or are we being primed for a Season 4? No one knows. Basically, The Eternal Love Season 3 is short on details. The arrival to the alternate universe is just a conduit for another chapter in Xiao Tan and Cheng Cheng’s love story. So, watch it for the romance rather than looking forward to a well-written time travel plot.

There are also some filler scenes in between to stretch the drama to 30 episodes. I don’t think Feng Yang and Yun Xiu’s romance is necessary and the time spent with the wooing could have been better used to give viewers a more balanced pacing for the ending. As it is, the last 3 episodes feel like a rush which is part of the reason why I think the overall plot is lacking in details.

My Verdict – Time To Change The Setting

If there is going to be The Eternal Love Season 4, my wish would be for the setting to be changed. The Dong Yue kingdom setting is really getting old to me. And no more memory loss and taking over somebody else’s body. I would think it is hard to offer viewers something fresh with more excitement if the ideas keep getting recycled. The only changes are the different circumstances under which these same issues happen. This can’t continue on from one season to the next if the producers want to keep the series interesting and capture a larger fan base.

Frankly speaking, I watched Season 3 with a liberal dose of fast forward. I enjoyed the chemistry of the couple but I also needed something more than just lots of kisses and cuddles and lovers’ bickering. The overall story is okay but nothing great that will justify a rewatch for me. The romance is sweet but it is not one that moves you deeply. The gender role reversal is akin to The Romance Of Tiger And Rose which has its share of lighthearted moments. So, if you enjoy that, this would bear some resemblance in terms of the setting.

For the The Eternal Love Season 3 review, I would give it a score of 7/10. It is better than the first season which borders on the bizarre to me. This season is similar to the second in which you simply sit back to enjoy the romance and chemistry rather than dive into the nitty-gritty details. If this couple still can make you feel sweet all over, then this drama would still be a reasonably enjoyable one. But if you rather see them playing different roles with different partners, then Season 3 will just be another average historical romance drama.