REVIEW: ‘LINK CLICK,’ Season 2 Episode 3 — “Two Funerals”

It has been an incredible start to the season so far for LINK CLICK and LINK CLICK Season 2 Episode 3 “Two Funerals” keeps the intensity at an all-time high. The hit donghua (Chinese animation) series from Studio LAN and BilliBilli has slowly been unraveling a mystery far bigger than anyone could have imagined. While Lu Guang (Yang Tianxiang) is still recovering from his wounds, Cheng Xiaoshi (Su Shangqing) and Qiao Ling (Li Shimeng) deal with the aftermath of Officer Chen Bin‘s death.

Just when it looks like Cheng and Qiao are trapped with no means of escape, three mysterious figures arrive to save the day. They show up in 3-Star Warriors masks, a callback to one of the crew’s cases in season 1. The frontman of the group is referred to as “dad” by the other two and looks suspiciously like Lu Guang from behind, something the trio is all too aware of. I was at first put off by the decision to use a significant chunk of time in LINK CLICK Season 2 Episode 3 to explain how the trio ended up arriving to save the day. However, The dad’s reactions to being called dad as well as LINK CLICK‘s habit of twisting time around creates so many possibilities about who this group might be and I have faith that it will pay off in a satisfying way.

In the aftermath of Officer Chen’s death, police chief Xiao Li learns that Chen is being set up to throw anyone off the scent of the main villain and their accomplices. The way it’s handled was really interesting, watching Xiao learn about the potential framing both from the captured villains as well as in a confrontation with Liu Min’s parents. The latter scene also gives a closer look at the mysterious Qian Jin, a former police officer turned lawyer working for Lui Min’s father. What role Lui Min’s parents and Qian Jin play in all of this is still to be determined, but it’s clear they are more than just passersby.

While all of the unraveling mystery and new developments were greatly appreciated in LINK CLICK Season 2 Episode 3, the real highlight revolves around Officer Chen’s funeral. Left alone with an unborn child and having never had their wedding, Chen’s wife arrives and delivers an exceptionally emotional scene. Her hurt at the loss of her husband is so visceral that the entire crowd in attendance is brought to tears. It also leads Cheng to decide to use his abilities to do something kind for the couple. It is a moment that genuinely moved me and the fact that Lu went along with it helped show some of his character growth as well.

Finally, right after battering viewers emotionally, LINK CLICK Season 2 Episode 3 ends with another bombshell that will be rattling around in my head for the next week. The yet unnamed villain arrives at Lu’s hospital room and gives him a picture with words written on the back that have set all sorts of theories in motion. Just who is in the picture or what it means have not been revealed, but given how the rest of the series has panned out I expect it to find new ways to surprise me.

LINK CLICK Season 2 Episode 3 is another excellent episode in an incredible series that perfectly balances mystery and emotion. The twists and turns keep you coming back for more and the emotional highs are delivered with a resounding punch. There aren’t many series that can do what LINK CLINK manages to do week in and week out.

LINK CLICK Season 2 Episode 3 is streaming on Crunchyroll, with new episodes every Friday.