‘Overdo’: everything you need to know about Zhang Linghe’s new TV show

According to early plot descriptions, Zhang Linghe stars as Murong Qingyi, the youngest son of a powerful warlord family in Republican-era Shanghai.

This already marks a noticeable pivot from the refined historical heroes he’s recently become associated with. Republican dramas tend to operate in morally murkier territory. They are less mythic destiny and more paranoia, corruption and social collapse.

Murong Qingyi reportedly falls for Ren Susu (rumoured to be played by Wang Churan), only for the relationship to implode after she disappears under circumstances suggesting betrayal.

Then comes the real melodramatic move.

Years later, she returns as his prospective sister-in-law.

Which means the emotional tension here is not exactly subtle.

The marketing language around Overdo has heavily leaned into the idea of fake love, resentment, obsession and emotional push-and-pull.

Translation: this could be a red-flag romance, not in the breezy Internet sense where someone forgets to text back, but more in the classic Republican-drama tradition, where people ruin each other psychologically while standing in beautifully lit rooms.

For fans who liked Zhang Linghe’s colder, darker edges in Story of Kunning Palace (2023), this is likely the biggest reason anticipation is already so high.

Forget flowing robes and fantasy lighting.

Overdo reportedly adopts a much moodier Republican-era noir aesthetic—sharp tailoring, qipaos, smoky interiors, shadow-heavy cinematography and enough emotional tension to power an entire streaming platform.

It’s the kind of visual style that tends to emphasise atmosphere over spectacle. Less epic fantasy, more “everyone in this room desperately needs therapy”.

Honestly? It suits him.

While not every casting detail has been formally finalised publicly, Wang Churan is widely rumoured to play Ren Susu. She is already in the poster, at least.

Visually, the pairing makes immediate sense. Both actors have the kind of highly stylised screen presence that Republican dramas tend to amplify particularly well: elegant, slightly severe, very good at looking emotionally exhausted in expensive clothing.

Early conference footage and promotional clips reportedly generated massive online engagement, especially scenes emphasising the leads’ volatile chemistry.

Which brings us back to the core appeal of this drama: suffering, but attractive.

One of the more interesting production details surrounding Overdo is its reported episode reduction.

Early listings suggested a longer format, but the licensed version has reportedly been trimmed down into the low-30-episode range, with some articles even going as low as the 20s. In the current C-drama landscape, that’s increasingly becoming a sign of confidence rather than limitation.

The industry has been moving away from bloated runtimes and toward tighter, faster-paced storytelling, especially for prestige-oriented dramas hoping to attract younger streaming audiences.

In theory, that means less filler and more emotional devastation per episode.

See more: Done with Korean shows? What you need to know before switching to C-dramas

A lot of Zhang Linghe’s recent performances have relied on subtlety—characters who hold themselves together even when everything around them collapses.

Overdo sounds different.

The role reportedly demands jealousy, bitterness, grief, obsession and unresolved anger all operating at once. Republican dramas rarely reward emotional stability, and Fei Wo Si Cun adaptations certainly don’t.

That’s part of what makes this project feel important. Not because it’s “bigger” than Pursuit of Jade, but because it appears willing to let Zhang play someone messier and harder to contain.

While Overdo leans into emotional intensity, Zhang Linghe’s other widely discussed project, The Road to Glory, also reported to air this year, appears to swing back toward large-scale production territory.

The drama is reportedly more physically demanding, with extensive action sequences and difficult shooting conditions already becoming part of the conversation online. Reports from the set claim Zhang continued filming despite a muscle strain and mild hypoglycemia during production.

In other words, one project tests emotional endurance. The other tests literal endurance.

Together, they paint a useful picture of where his career seems headed next—not toward a fixed image, but multiple lanes at once.

One important thing to remember: Chinese drama productions change constantly.

Titles shift. Episode counts change. Release windows move. Projects disappear and reappear under entirely different names. It’s part of the ecosystem. So while Overdo is already generating serious attention, many details remain subject to change until the actual drama arrives, which may be at the end of May or in June.

Still, the interest surrounding it says a lot.

After Pursuit of Jade, audiences aren’t just waiting for Zhang Linghe’s next drama. They’re watching to see whether he can sustain all this attention.

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