"My goddess, her acting is truly amazing!"
"The elder madam is so adorable, so full of humor. Just reading the lines, I can picture her jealous face when Lin Xiaoniang gets her way, and it's utterly charming!"
"Goddess, have you been eating sweet treats three meals a day for these sixteen years? That's why the elder madam you portray is so cute."
"Before, in costume dramas, the protagonists' mothers, whether biological or not, were either scheming schemers or foolish and wicked. I've never encountered someone like the elder madam, who is adorably foolish with a comedic touch. I love her so much!"
"Every time I watch a film starring Jiang Ling, I'm deeply impressed by her acting. In the original novel, Madam Wang is a character who is foolish with a hint of slyness. Only a powerful actress like my goddess can bring such a thin character to life with such vividness and explosive humor!"
...
Not only did her fans praise her, but even some sharp-tongued drama critics lauded Jiang Ling's portrayal of the elder madam.
One particularly caustic critic had this to say: "Previously, middle-aged women in costume dramas were largely poisoned by feudal dregs. They were either constantly plotting wicked schemes against others, cruelly breaking up lovers, or were simply bizarre and dreadful mother-in-laws. In short, they were depicted as stiff, brooding, and malicious – the 'dead fish eyes' that Jia Baoyu spoke of, devoid of any feminine vivacity."
"Jiang Ling's elder madam, however, is a breath of fresh air. What moved me wasn't the humor, but her relatability. Through the elder madam, I see a long-lost sense of everyday life in middle-aged women – their laughter and scolding, their love and hate, their joy and anger. She is so alive no matter how you look at her."
"What touched me most was that, while living life on her own terms, her love for her children is equally moving. The most prominent example is when she discovered Mo Lan's affair. She went with Hong Lang to catch her in the act, and before they left, she specifically instructed Liu Ma to keep the matter confidential, to prevent any leaks. Liu Ma thought she was trying to prevent Mo Lan from escaping, but she replied that if the matter were to be leaked, the family's young ladies would be ruined and would have no choice but to drown themselves. The elder madam is indeed foolish, but when it comes to her children's vital interests, her intelligence instantly kicks in, and she becomes cautious and meticulous. This is a mother's love. A woman is inherently weak, but as a mother, she is strong!"
This commentary incisively pointed out the elder madam's greatest personal charm.
In past character portrayals, middle-aged women in ancient settings, as supporting characters, were often as thin as paper.
They were uniformly steeped in the poison of feudal etiquette, lacking selfhood and individuality, essentially high-end versions of the "Mie Jue Shi Tai" (Abbess Miejue) – stubbornly adhering to old ways.
In contrast, Jiang Ling's elder madam possesses the grandeur and authority of a matriarch, yet before her husband, she exhibits a charmingly childlike demeanor, her emotions openly displayed. She appears so real, so vibrant, so flesh-and-blood, that it naturally evokes a sense of closeness.
Many drama critics expressed the same sentiment.
Jiang Ling's elder madam is truly full of life and has completely reversed the audience's preconceived notions about middle-aged women in feudal societies.
It turns out that women of this age in ancient times could also live so true to themselves, so genuinely. This is what a living person is like.
Undoubtedly, under Jiang Ling's brilliant performance, the role of the elder madam has become the soul of the entire drama, overshadowing the lead character, Ming Lan.
What the audience most enjoys watching is her cat-and-mouse game of wits and schemes with Lin Xiaoniang. They feel restless if they don't see it for a day.