The year 2026 has started with good dramas one after another. The previous period drama "Small Town" caused a stir, and then the long-backlogged period historical drama "The Peaceful Year" aired on the air, attracting unanimous praise from the audience.
I can't sit still anymore. CCTV's new drama "The Tree of Life", which has been honed for many years, has received good reviews. Binge-watching four episodes is not enough. I originally went for Yang Zi and Hu Ge, but I was attracted by the 50-year-old female co-star. Coupled with the brilliant plot, it is difficult not to stay up late to catch up on the drama. It is worth watching.
"The Tree of Life" is based on real deeds and adapted from the real deeds of the Hoh Xil Mountain Patrol. The opening scene exploded with a shootout in a no-man's land, which broke the desolation of the Qinghai Plateau in the 1990s. Racing on sand roads and yellow sand flying all over the sky. Just the opening scene made the audience's palms sweat and their hearts beat faster. It also filled the suspense of the story.
The ratings for the premiere of "The Tree of Life" directly exceeded 1. It seems that CCTV made the right bet this time. Seeing the five-star reviews all over the screen, people can't help but think of the huge ratings hit of "Love Between Mountains and Seas", with a Douban score of almost 9.2. It is also produced by Noon Sunshine, and it also brings together actors from the film and television industry. I wonder if it can recreate the classic this time.
After watching the 4 episodes of "The Tree of Life", the most surprising thing for me is Yang Zi. She has transformed from the sweet little girl in the past to a hot-blooded policewoman. Judging from the current broadcast of the drama, Yang Zi is bare-faced throughout the drama, with a plateau red makeup on her face. She looks like a person who has lived on the plateau for a long time. This time, Yang Zi disregards her image and shuttles through the desert. Her movements are crisp and neat, perfectly showing the aura of a policewoman on the mountain patrol.
The other is Hu Ge. In 2025, Hu Ge's "kissing cow dung" in "Miracle" won Hu Ge a lot of praise. But this time Hu Ge "will not rub cow dung". This time he plays the role of Deputy County Magistrate Duojie. In the play, Hu Ge has dark skin, a ring of beard, and even the gaps between his fingernails are covered with black mud. It is worth noting that Hu Ge himself is an environmentalist, and we look forward to him shining again in the play.
Compared to the two male and female protagonists, what attracts me more is the 50-year-old female supporting role Mei Ting. This time, Mei Ting will play the role of Zhang Qinqin, a doctor who aids Tibet. Although she does not have many roles in the drama, she steals the spotlight from the protagonist. She not only has the compassion of a doctor, but also can fight poachers with a gun in her hand. She can be said to be a combination of softness and strength. It seems that Mei Ting has won the pot again this time. With her outstanding acting skills, she is expected to become another classic screen role after An Jie.
So much so that after watching the first four episodes, many viewers said they originally went to see the show for Yang Zi and Hu Ge, but in the end they were attracted to Mei Ting. Of course, a drama cannot achieve such a dazzling result solely by the acting skills of the three of them. There are also passionate performances by many acting talents such as Li Guangjie, Yang Shuo, Zhou You, Feng Bing, etc.
In general, "The Tree of Life" is one of the few domestic dramas that focuses on the Hoh Xil banditry. The scarce theme of plateau ecological protection is even more eye-catching. In addition, the actors' acting skills have made great breakthroughs, and they have vividly portrayed the characters. Even the supporting actors' acting skills are online, the group portraits are vivid, and it is difficult to predict if it is not popular with central vision.
Are you all following the show? Do you have any other thoughts on the show? Everyone is welcome to leave a message to discuss together.
