Communion (TV series)

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Communion
A television series poster features a collage of the lead actors and cityscapes against a soft, sunset-colored sky, with the title centered in the lower half.
Also known as回歸
Genre
Written byCheung Sai-cheung
Directed by
  • Wong Chi-wah
  • Leung Kai-ching
  • Chan Kong-hung
  • Ng Chiu-wing
Starring
Opening theme
"One Water Two Ways (一水兩方)"
by Gigi Yim
Country of originHong Kong
Original languageCantonese
No. of episodes15
Production
ProducerLam Chi-wah
Production locationHong Kong
Running time43 minutes
Production companyTVB
Original release
Network
Release11 July (2022-07-11) –
29 July 2022 (2022-07-29)

Communion (Chinese: 回歸) is a Hong Kong family drama television series produced by TVB to mark the 25th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong. Airing in July 2022, the 15-episode series stars Roger Kwok and Alice Chan, alongside Ricco Ng and Kalok Chow. The plot centers on a divorced couple and their two sons, as they navigate a trademark dispute over their family restaurant business while the sons compete in a technology entrepreneurship competition. Produced by Lam Chi-wah, the series explores themes of intergenerational cooperation and family reconciliation, highlighting the tension between traditional practices and contemporary innovation. The narrative is complemented by a one-episode prequel, Silver Lining, featuring Matthew Ho and Hera Chan as the younger versions of the protagonists.

Cast

The Au Family

  • Roger Kwok as Au Yiu-cho: The owner and head chef of Yuet Tak House in Hong Kong.
    • Matthew Ho as young Yiu-cho. Both actors trained under a traditional master to learn wok-tossing for their chef roles.[1]
  • Alice Chan as Tang Lai-kuen: Yiu-cho's ex-wife and a successful entrepreneur who founded a mainland Chinese restaurant chain. Chan described her character as having "significant emotional baggage" requiring a nuanced performance.[2]
  • Ricco Ng as Au Ka-him: The elder son and an IT business owner who was raised by Lai-kuen in mainland China.
  • Kalok Chow as Au Ka-kin: The younger son and an aspiring app developer raised by Yiu-cho in Hong Kong.
  • Erica Chan as Ling Hau-yiu: Yiu-cho's adopted daughter.

Business and Technology Associates

  • Kayan Au as On Yeuk-tung: Ka-him's personal assistant.
  • Joey Thye as Cheung Loi: An app developer and competitor to Ka-kin.
  • Tsui Wing as Ma Chi-to: A shareholder in Lai-kuen's company.
  • Shek Sau as Cheng Chi-ho: The chairman and majority shareholder of Lai-kuen's company.

Staff at Yiu-cho's Yuet Tak House

  • Mark Ma as Lo Fung-nin
  • Jason Lau as Lui Tin
  • Lee Shing-cheong as Gam Zin-fai
  • Strawberry Yeung as Yim Wai-mui
  • Man Yeung as Sung Yan-biu
  • Ngai Wai-man as Yeung Kwok-keung
  • Vincent Cheung as Chau Yat-ting

Plot

The series centers on Au Yiu-cho (Roger Kwok) and Tang Lai-kuen (Alice Chan), a divorced couple living in Hong Kong and mainland China, respectively. Yiu-cho operates the traditional Cantonese restaurant Yuet Tak House, while Lai-kuen has established a large-scale business empire under the same brand name. Their sons are also separated by the divorce; the elder, IT expert Ka-him (Ricco Ng), lives with Lai-kuen, while the younger, aspiring developer Ka-kin (Kalok Chow), remains with Yiu-cho.

Conflict begins when Lai-kuen returns to Hong Kong to expand her franchise, triggering a legal battle over the Yuet Tak House trademark. This rivalry coincides with a technology entrepreneurship competition in which Ka-him mentors Ka-kin, forcing the family to balance professional competition with personal grievances.

During the litigation, Yiu-cho's original restaurant faces temporary closure due to shareholder interference. The conflict culminates when a money-laundering scheme is discovered within Lai-kuen's company involving Ka-kin's metaverse project. Working together, the family exposes the corporate corruption, allowing Lai-kuen to regain control of her company. Following the resolution of the criminal case, the sons use their virtual reality platform to help their parents revisit shared memories and facilitate a reconciliation, resulting in the merger of the two restaurant brands.

Production and theme

The series, produced by Lam Chi-wah with scripts supervised by Cheung Sai-cheung and a rotating team of directors, was created to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hong Kong handover.[3][4] According to Lam, it depicts a fictional family saga to illustrate the "diligence and resilience" of the Hong Kong people, integrating events such as the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the development of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area. The production aimed to balance historical context and emotional depth with dramatic appeal.

The script adopts a naturalistic approach, using collective memories of the handover as narrative drivers rather than overt exposition. It emphasizes intergenerational cooperation and the resolution of long-standing familial conflicts. Lam noted that the narrative reflects the complexities of human relationships, where external circumstances can prolong misunderstandings; some conflicts are resolved quickly, while others require sustained mutual understanding.[5]

The production team spent four months developing a digital recreation of the Yuet Tak House restaurant, incorporating detailed interior renderings and custom avatars for the cast. In the finale's metaverse reconciliation scene, virtual reality and motion capture technologies were employed to integrate the actors' performances into the virtual environment. Alice Chan discussed the technical challenges of the scene, noting that the actors relied heavily on their imagination while filming.[6][7]

Music

Track Listing
No.TitleLyricsMusicArtist(s)Length
1."One Water Two Ways (一水兩方)"Hayes YeungAlex LauGigi Yim3:57[8]

Ratings and reception

Writing for HK01, Lam Chun-king noted that the series benefited from a focused and "emotionally cohesive" narrative by stripping away unnecessary subplots. They praised the drama's exploration of "eight types of sentiment," highlighting the nuanced performances of veterans Roger Kwok and Alice Chan. The review added that while the drama may feel "old-fashioned" and lack excitement for younger viewers, its nostalgic portrayal of relationships resonates strongly with older audiences.[9] The series achieved a peak rating of 21 points, representing an audience of approximately 1.36 million viewers.[10]

Week Episodes Airing dates Ratings[a] Ref.
11 – 511–15 July 202217.2 points[12]
26 – 1018–22 July 202217.6 points[13]
311 – 1525–29 July 202221 points[10]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominated work Results Ref.
2022 55th TVB Anniversary Awards Best Television Series Communion Nominated [14]
Best Actress Alice Chan Nominated [15]
Best Supporting Actor Ricco Ng Nominated [16]
Best Television Theme song "One Water Two Ways" (by Gigi Yim) Nominated [17]
A television series poster shows a man and woman against a glowing city backdrop, with the title centered in the lower half and the producer, director, and cast listed at the bottom.
Promotional poster for the prequel, Silver Lining, featuring Matthew Ho and Hera Chan

Silver Lining (Chinese: 回歸光影頌：曙光) is a one-episode prequel special starring Matthew Ho and Hera Chan as the younger versions of Au Yiu-cho and Tang Lai-kuen. Set in 1997, the episode depicts the couple's early years as they assume control of the Cantonese restaurant Yuet Tak House. The narrative explores the impact of the Asian financial crisis on their business and the marital tensions that arise after Lai-kuen purchases a property without Yiu-cho's knowledge—an event established in the main series as the catalyst for their divorce.[18] To characterize the couple's relationship, the production incorporates George Lam's 1980 single "Every Minute I Need You" (分分鐘需要你) as a recurring musical motif.[19] Producer Lam Chi-wah commended Chan's performance, specifically citing her execution of complex emotional transitions during a high-conflict scene filmed in a single take.[5] The special was broadcast on 8 July 2022 and garnered 15 rating points, representing approximately 970,000 viewers.[20][21]

Notes

  1. According to Hong Kong's TV rating system, each rating point represents approximately 64,670 viewers.[11]

References

  1. 郭晉安新劇拋鑊煮餸 日練夜練導致手抽筋 [Roger Kwok Wok-tosses Dishes in New Drama; Day-and-night Practice Causes Hand Cramps]. Oriental Daily News (in Traditional Chinese). 15 July 2022. Archived from the original on 19 March 2026. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  2. 陳煒掀爭奪戰郭晉安出招手抽筋 《回歸》橫跨25年 引發觀眾共鳴 [Communion: A 25-Year Saga Focused on Family Conflict and Audience Resonance]. Oriental Daily News (in Traditional Chinese). 13 July 2022. Archived from the original on 19 March 2026. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  3. 《回歸》《曙光》慶祝香港回歸25年之作 [Communion and Silver Lining: Produced for the 25th Anniversary of the Hong Kong Handover]. TVB Weekly (in Traditional Chinese). 2 July 2022. Archived from the original on 26 March 2026. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  4. "Closing credits (Episodes 1–15)". Communion (in Cantonese). 2022. TVB Jade. TVB.
  5. 我們的25年 − 監製《回歸》呈現港人拚搏精神 林志華：前後輩攜手克難見曙光 [Our 25 Years: Producer Lam Chi-wah Highlights Hong Kongers' Fighting Spirit]. TKWW (Interview) (in Traditional Chinese). 8 July 2022. Archived from the original on 18 March 2026. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  6. 《回歸》大結局暗藏Big Boss 陳煒郭晉安大考演技置身「元宇宙」 [Communion Finale Reveals Big Boss; Alice Chan and Roger Kwok Face Acting Challenge in the "Metaverse"]. Oriental Daily News (in Traditional Chinese). 29 July 2022. Archived from the original on 19 March 2026. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  7. 回歸丨陳曉華戶外開工狂飲水免中暑 自認超大汗熱到吹風扇都冇意義 [Communion: Hera Chan Hydrates to Avoid Heatstroke, Says Even a Fan is Useless in the Heat]. Sing Tao Daily (in Traditional Chinese). 26 July 2022. Archived from the original on 18 March 2026. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  8. "One Water Two Ways 一水兩方 (Theme from TV Drama Communion) by Gigi Yim on Apple Music". Apple Music. Hong Kong. Archived from the original on 18 March 2026. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  9. 林迅景 (Lam Chun-king) (25 July 2022). 回歸．劇評｜故事簡單劇本搭救拍出細膩感覺 8種情懷變重要關鍵 [Communion Drama Review: Simple Story, Strong Script Creates Subtle Emotions; Eight Types of Sentiment Become the Key Element]. HK01 (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 19 March 2026. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  10. 【收視報告】《開心無敵獎門人》吸引159萬觀眾收看 《白色強人II》成功搶回收視 [TV Ratings: Super Trio Returns draws 1.59M viewers; Big While Duel II rebounds]. Hong Kong Economic Times (in Traditional Chinese). 1 August 2022. Archived from the original on 19 March 2026. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  11. "TVB Interim Report 2025" (PDF). TVB. 2025. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 February 2026. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  12. 《金像獎》收視10.4點 吸68萬觀眾 《通靈之王》接296宗投訴 [Hong Kong Film Awards ratings at 10.4 points, 680,000 viewers; Psychic King gets 296 complaints]. Ming Pao (in Traditional Chinese). 19 July 2022. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  13. 黃梓恒 (1 August 2022). TVB再出收視《獎門人》最高收24.5點 稱《白色強人II》救急成功 [TVB: Super Trio peaks at 24.5; Big White Duel II lifts ratings]. HK01 (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 18 March 2026. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  14. 【萬千星輝頒獎典禮2022】最佳劇集：下流上車族，今晚入圍十八項獎項十強，可謂實至名歸！｜最佳劇集｜下流上車族 [TVB Anniversary Awards 2022: Best Television Series] (Video) (in Cantonese). Hong Kong: TVB on Youtube / Google, Inc. 8 January 2023. Archived from the original on 18 March 2026. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  15. 羅志宏 (8 January 2023). 萬千星輝頒獎典禮2022｜江美儀大熱爆出首封視后贏最佳女主角 陳山聰贏最佳男主角力壓林敏驄 [TVB Anniversary Awards 2022: Elena Kong wins Best Actress; Joel Chan wins Best Actor, beating Andrew Lam]. ULifestyle (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 18 March 2026. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  16. 羅志宏 (8 January 2023). 萬千星輝頒獎典禮2022｜蔣家旻頂頭大熱首奪最佳女配角 鄧智堅入行首奪獎贏最佳男配角 [TVB Anniversary Awards 2022: Angel Chiang wins Best Supporting Actress; Eric Tang wins Best Supporting Actor]. ULifestyle (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 18 March 2026. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  17. 【萬千星輝頒獎典禮2022】最受歡迎電視歌曲：Wish 《 白色強人II 》，大家一齊恭喜JW王灝兒啦！｜JW王灝兒｜白色強人II ｜最受歡迎電視歌曲 [TVB Anniversary Awards 2022: Best Television Theme Song] (Video) (in Cantonese). Hong Kong: TVB on Youtube / Google, Inc. 8 January 2023. Archived from the original on 18 March 2026. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  18. 【曙光】何廣沛陳曉華再合作 廣華CP升呢由情侶變夫婦 [Silver Lining: Matthew Ho and Hera Chan Reunite as Onscreen Couple Turns Married]. Hong Kong Economic Times (in Traditional Chinese). 7 July 2022. Archived from the original on 15 March 2026. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  19. 卡琳 (7 July 2022). 回歸光影頌︳何廣沛爆陳曉華激心事「佢好多甩漏」 [Silver Lining: Matthew Ho Reveals Hera Chan's Frustrating Traits "She Makes a Lot of Blunders]. Ming Pao Weekly (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 19 March 2026. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  20. 三台收視報告｜《童時愛上你》力有不逮 《冥冥之中》30集太長? [TV Ratings Report: Childhood in a Capsule Struggles; Is Inevitable Too Long at 30 Episodes?]. HK01 (in Traditional Chinese). 11 July 2022. Archived from the original on 5 January 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  21. 《回歸光影頌》接棒創收視 龔嘉欣領軍單元成績最好 [Communion Anthology Boosts Ratings; Katy Kung Leads Top Segment]. Oriental Daily News (in Traditional Chinese). 11 July 2022. Archived from the original on 18 March 2026. Retrieved 18 March 2026.