Kwai Chang Caine - Love Life

Love Life

As Caine explained to his brother in the last episode of the Kung Fu series, "Full Circle", the Shaolin life "is not one of restriction". As a matter of fact, Caine frequently had love relationships with women and even contemplated marriage on at least two occasions.

In the first episode, "King of the Mountain", Lara Parker plays a widowed ranch owner with whom Caine finds employment. She offers him money for his labors, but he refuses saying that all he needs is food and place to sleep. She presses him and insists there must be more he needs (i.e., sex). It is subtly implied that she eventually supplies what he needs. It is also implied that she is attracted by the "tattoos" on his forearms.

In the episode "The Tide", Caine falls in love with Su Yen, played by Tina Chen, the daughter of a philosopher and author with whom Caine is familiar. It turns out that Su Yen, however, seeks to trade Caine to the Emperor in exchange for her father who is imprisoned in China.

It is hard to say if Mayli, played by Nancy Kwan, really loved Caine, or if she was just using him to fight her battles, but it is clear that she took his virginity in the two-part second season episode, "Cenotaph". It would be many years before Caine discovered that the union resulted in the conception of his son, Chung Wang, who was played by Brandon Lee (Bruce Lee's son) in the 1986 spin-off movie, Kung Fu: The Movie.

In the waning days of her relationship with David Carradine, Barbara Hershey appeared in a two part, season three episode called "Besieged". She played the role of Nan Chi, a half-Chinese, half-Caucasian woman who wanted to become a disciple of the Shaolin. She and Kwai Chang clearly fall in love, but the relationship is never consummated as Kwai Chang, still a disciple in this flashback episode, did not lose his virginity until after he had left the monastery, as previously depicted in the second season. Nan Chi is mortally wounded while saving Kwai Chang's life. As she lies dying, she asks Caine to pretend with her that they are married and have a child. He says, "Only live, Nan Chi, and it will be true."

Reverting to a familiar pattern, Caine once again takes employment from a widowed ranch owner who doesn't feel that food and a place to sleep is enough compensation for all that Caine has done for her. Thus, Caine has no choice but to have a little roll in the hay with her. In this third season episode, "A Small Beheading", Ellie is played by Rosemary Forsyth.