MAJOR SPOILERS
Oh yeah, forgot to mention this first time I posted this. I read in a review that the next glamour disease got well major highlight in here, cancer. 2 major character will get cancer and don't worry, neither died. I read Sonija will get Ovarian cancer and she survived. I also read Ovarian cancer can be cured if discovered early? Anyway I also read a few female stars getting ovarian cancer, beat it and died a year later. As far as I am concerned, Ovarian cancer is deadly. Sonija was supposed to be pregnant then? Why not leaukemia? Something believably dramatic and somewhat curable?

4. What else? Oh yeah, what else? Oh yes, we have a nurse who perpetually abandons her post for her sickly but doesn't look sickly younger brother who can pass off as her son. Of course we pity poor Sonija, with her wrinkles and all but really, nurses work on a very tight and organised schedule. Why not give her another occupation? Like cleaning lady? Like tea lady? Can a nurse just run off like that and expect what? Awwww poor poor girl, having to juggle between irresponsible mom, sickly brother and her demanding job. Awwww. Doesn't help that Sonija Kwok was god awful in this role that is so bloody not so easy to do anyway so why her in the first place? Why stretch her acting abilities when it is concrete? Why not Tavia Yeung? Oh, too young for Nick Cheung.

5. Something else. That scene where Sonija's mom ran away and Nick let her go and Sonija was scolding Nick like "Why? Why you let her go? How could you let her go? Why can't you do something for once????" and her wrinkles bulging and freaky lips just twisted itself into one awful mess of non-lip whatever. And he just stood there and let her scream at him. Now scream is just my interpretation of her talking slightly in higher tone than usual. We all know Sonija is incapable of shouting. She is after all a programmed automaton that does not have an emotional output and a good quality voice box. TVB, she needs an upgrade to Pentium 10000 XXX. Oh wait, that's a robot and that's Shirley Yeung! Hypnotise her! Anyway, I was thinking "Hey man! Why is she scolding you man? That's her mom, that's her brother, that's her problem, why pile her problems on you man?" and why is she so freaked out? She has been dealing with her not so there mom for years since she has been through the same situation before. Why panic? She knows the drill, she knows how to handle the situation. Cry yeah but go berserk on a man with problems that aren't his? I thought maybe he is her GF but nope. Not yet anyway. So unrealistic.

6. One surgery, THREE people inside the OR. Wow....why not employ the Africans and just you know pretend to be doctors and nurses?

7. I tell you, the Africans can act so much better than the HK counterparts. Especially that poor woman with AIDS.

8. I missed the one where Leila again goes preachy on Ray for doing something foolish, like helping that poor woman dying of AIDS. I thought that's the point of Life Force? To help? Oh yeah, must not disturb the majority. I understand but must it be a NURSE to tell him that? I have nothing against nurses but I have something against smart aleck I am so bloody noble nurses.

9. And what are these nurses and doctors like chums. When Nick dismissed Sonija from hos OR, she went berserk and accused him of prejudice which is true. So Nick is nice so he just stood there and let her pour her misery on him. Hmmmm when exactly can I see a more realistic scene like "I am the doctor, I call the shots. I can't help but hear the rumours. Prove it that you belong in the OR". Have they watch Grey's Anatomy? Oh must not quote that. Too much sex between seniors and juniors.

10. I must reach a no. 10 so as to make this a top 10 kinda thing. Nick Cheung is a miscast. He doesn't look educated, eventhough he is a fantastic actor. Why not Bowie Lam? At least he can speak English. Was I shocked to hear Raymond speak English. Shocked because he spoke so badly! I expected him to speak better.

11. Oh yes there is an 11. Isn't it a waste of Ray's talent to go all the way to Africa or whatever to inject some kids with penisilin or whatever? He is supposed to be a cardiosurgeon. Why not show him involved in Life Force's surgery division. I was told there are medical organisation that organises a series of surgery at one particular place. Why not show that aspect? Oh yes, must not overload a series since well it will in the degenerate into one long bore of a love story. Like do we care? Of course, we are talking Raymond and Leila here! Wow! Nick and Sonija here! Wow! Ghost of Gigi here! Wow! Wow! I am like so thrilled!

12. The latest edition. Preachy preachy preachy to the corniest most corny preachiness. I distinctly remember one episode where Ray became a broken man because he felt responsible for one patient's death and this was in Life Force at Africa. He was of course consoled and the conversation went from consoling Raymond to asking for donations for Life Force saying "We have limited funds. Which is why it is very important for us to get donation. The patient died not because you failed but because this place lacks medical facility that could have saved this patient and we need public donations for that". See the trend here? As far as I am concerned of course AFRICA in those areas lack medical facilities and need donation. Even Tung Wah Hospital or something like that needs to have donation drive every year and that hospital is in HK! I was like so bored with the preachiness. But Raymond didn't believe all that so he continued to mourn for his apparent bad doctorship for like another 5 min when he was greeted by a young African boy hugging him and conveniently a white man in a very nice dragon t-shirt saying "Oh this boy is healthy because of Life Force. Without Life Force he wouldn't have been alive" and 1 min later Raymond was all smiling again, reassured that Life Force indeed saved the day. Crap! I know I know but must you draw until the intestines? Can we just leave it at the stomach contents and nothing else? Wait! Wait! Some more! Africa is so bloody big, I am not sure which part they're at but hear this! Ray's dad and stepmom bumped into him when he was down! BUMPED INTO HIM! I can't even bump into my friend at Cheras when we were living 15 min apart! And I thought Life Force has this policy of saving petrol because of the cost so how come Ray can drive one Life Force car out to sulk?

13. Last but not least and I swear I shall stop after this. At first Ray hated his father and step mom thinking the father cheated on the mom when she was still alive and that the mom gave up fighting a life threatening disease because father was having an affair with the stepmom. So Ray was very rude to them both and hated the woman for touching his mom's things. Then we finds out ala Shine On You that the father did nothing wrong. The mother had an affair FIRST so the father wanted to leave the mother and then started a relationship with fellow colleague and the mom gave up fighting because she felt guilty, that she cheated on her husband and father said nothing all these years because he promised mom in law that he will never reveal the truth as that will defame the mother whom in Ray's eyes was perfect and blameless. Ray then realised he wrong his father and accepted his dad. I have problem with this storyline as I had the same problem with Kenix's relationship with her dead husband and dead husband's teenaged son in Shine On You. Why must blame be shifted just so that the son accepts the father as in Shine On You where blame shifted to the mother who was the one having an affair so that the young man will feel ok calling Kenix the other woman mom despite all that she has done for him that he should have accepted her whatever the circumstances? Why must Ray's mom be the villain so as to justify Ray being chummy with dad and step mom again? Why can't circumstances be as they were and Ray actually decided to forgive his father and accept the step mom because after all, the step mom was good to him despite what had happened? After all mom died 9 long years ago and dad refused to marry the woman for 9 years because of his son? Why? Why? Tell me why!

One redeeming factor? That handsome actor who can't seem to speak good Cantonese. Cute.

I must note a cute factor. Did you notice how nice the tribes people dress everytime they appear in a scene? I mean their costumes are colourful already but so colourful, so ornate, so clean? They do dress up! It was cute though. I tell you, fire Sonija Kwok, and get a pretty African lady to pretend to be Chinese and speak African translated into Cantonese and THAT would even be more of a convincing performance than Sonija Kwok herself. To think that this is one of her better ones. We shall all lower our standards...expect little, get little in return... let me re-tune myself..Oh Sonija, what a GREAT performance of EPIC proportion! Wow!!

Verdict
Give this preachy draggy unbelievably corny crap a miss. One episode of Save Afric or something like that in your National Geographic Channel or similar is even more rewarding than this one.