So, if you haven't heard: Joanne Peh shot her first nude scene for her English period drama, The Last Madame.

It follows a similar format to the Little Nyonya, which Peh was in as well, of cutting back-and-forth from the past to the present.

And for the most part, the set design and the 40s look were captured really well.

The season is made up of 12 30-minute episodes, and it honestly looks like a well put-together series.

But for this review, we will just focus on the much-hyped scene, but do catch it if you are into that kind of drama.

*Some spoilers ahead*

The scene

The scene in question takes place in episode 9.

For some context, Joanne Peh (Fung Lan) and her male love interest had passionately made out in the last two episodes, but were interrupted by, among other things, masked hooligans.

So, this scene is like a culmination of that sexual tension, as well as what Peh described as her "character learning to love and trust again, and a transitional milestone for both our characters".

To start off on a real romantic note, the two indulge in a bit of a drink, and a real flirty conversation about the impending threat of the Japanese invasion.

Continuing on with that bristling sexual tension, Fung and Inspector Mak discuss the possibility of a Japanese spy hidden within the brothel.

The potential information leak, which might pose a threat to Fung, Mak, and perhaps Singapore as a whole, however, is pushed aside as Mak mak-es his move.

He grabs Fung's waist, but is soon countered by Fung who pushes him on a chair, and proceeds to mount him, cheongsam and all.

She then asks if he would rather her be in charge.

The inspector, who could have rightfully pointed out that she wasn't even in the force, let alone his superior officer, decides to let this point slide.

Fung takes off his suspenders, and eventually the top two buttons.

Mak, however, informs her that she doesn't have to play games with him.

The scene does not shift to an earnest conversation about solid plans to weed out potential spies, but rather, a cut right to the bed.

After some kissing, assurance of mutual consent (quite progressive for the 40s), and a camera that keeps panning in relentlessly for some reason, they quickly get down to it.

The scene itself is accompanied by a faint piano score, and we kid you not, eight fade-to-black transitions within 70 seconds.

Some of the scenes include four seconds of Fung on top of Mak, with Fung's back in focus, and two seconds of Fung on the side, in this position shown on Peh's Instagram page.

After that, they talk a bit about the spy, and part ways, the piano score gets a bit louder, now unafraid of interrupting all that sexy sex.

So, all in all, yeah, doesn't seem a stark departure from how love scenes are played out in standard free-to-air broadcast Mediacorp dramas, with no real full-frontal nudity shown, although kudos to Peh for having the bravery to bare it all in the name of art.

And professionalism.

Perhaps the scene could have been as brave as her though, with maybe a little less fade-to-blacks and a little more concrete ideas about how to stop the Japanese.

Perhaps it can be repackaged with scenes picked up from the cutting room floor and slapped together in a box set as The Director's Cut.

You can watch Last Madame here, but heads up, you have to sign up for an account.

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