Oh, how this episode warmed the general areas of my heart. I laughed, I cried, I squeeee’d. Our group of newbie detectives and their crotchety caretaker gained a much needed mother tonight and, through song, and one awkward arm movement, we got to see just how much Dae Gu now cares for Soo Sun.
You know I’d forgotten how much I love stories with a slow simmering romance. Usually, Kdrama is rife with insta-love and we don’t get to see the evolution from adversarys (as they so often start out that way) to respect, to friendship, to love. With the insta-love, usually it’s the mere toss of the hair or a bite of the lip that makes the change–and while I know we’re a bit under a time crunch–I think we can all agree some things are worth the wait.
Like Soo Sun and Dae Gu.
I mean, come on–he ate vegetables for her–even Ji Kook was astounded.
Of course, slow moving doesn’t mean he needs to move like molasses. There were several points within this episode where I literally shouted at my screen “GO TO HER!” I think him comforting her either time when she cried would have been just enough to push her feelings over the edge for him.
But I wonder–are they putting it off just to be contrary? Or does it go deeper inside Dae Gu? His mother, his one source of love died pretty early, and while he landed at a nice orphanage, it was still an orphanage and couldn’t have been that caring of an upbringing. Could it be that he just doesn’t know how to express himself? Or how to react to interact with others?
My guess is no. Which just makes me like this writer all the more. And possibly excuse his lack of skinship.
It was, however, awkward in that last part, where he stood there in the park as she cried and held his hand out to her. Was he trying to simulate patting her back? Wanting to touch her but not wanting to get too close? It would make me feel better if it was but if that was the case it was badly shot.
The scene itself though, was just so freaking awesome. His earnestness when he gave her the mp3 player, urging her to listen to then have the words tell us the audience all the things he couldn’t tell Soo Sun herself? My heart melted. Literally puddled on my floor. Here are the lyrics:
Who will comfort me?
Who will recognize my feelings
It seems like everyone is making fun of me
There’s no one to lean on
I said I’m fine
I though I got used to it
But despair comes looking for me
makes me fall down again
I’m left alone
I’ll be on your side
I’ll say it’ll be okay
that everything will be all right, you will shine
you are precious to me
on days when it feels like the end
remember my voice
It’ll be okay, it’ll be alright
You’re the most precious person to me
I once interviewed someone who said that they didn’t sub the songs in kdramas as it wasn’t really necessary for us to know what the actual words were. “I mean do you really pay attention to English songs in American TV?” My mouth nearly fell open. Yes, Kdrama plays the main song to death, but within scenes like this, it is essential to know what the actual words are, they are saying something to us that the characters can’t or won’t. And I will now forever hold up this episode as an example.
I also loved how Dae Gu spent so much time trying to make Soo Sun’s mother feel better. Was he doing it because she called him her son? Or that by making her feel better, it in turn made Soo Sun feel better? Or could there have been a little trying to put on a good impression on the mother of the woman you love? It’s probably a bunch of both. I just love seeing how much Dae Gu has changed, how he’s opened and is now stepped outside of himself and his own grief in order to see those around him.
Squee!
*Composing myself* So, I think we can all agree I called it in my post last week. There HAS to be some sort of birth secret between Dae Gu and the Congressman and his heinous daughter. (Where I’m guessing we can all agree the apple doesn’t fall far from the dirty rotten tree.) I think he summed it up perfectly:
When he said birth secret, I literally did a happy dance. I love being right. However he was right when he talked about how ridiculous it was that all of the cliches keep happening to this one group of people, but I guess by mentioning it, the whole thing become meta and therefore is more acceptable.
I’m eager to see how that shakes out.
For as strong at characters this writer is, I’m super surprised at how one note these villains are. It’s like he/she is not even attempting to make them three dimensional–and this writer is better than that. Really, are there any redeeming qualities to the Congressman and his daughter? Umm….no. You can’t write a character just to be evil and expect us to buy it.
But that’s a pet peeve.
You know what else irritated me in this episode? When Detective Seo saw Tae Il and Angry Lady Detective hugging and attempted to storm off without finding out what happened. I know I’m not often on Angry Lady Detective’s side, but wasn’t she the one who was so cool when she found Soo Sun at Detective Seo’s house after hours? She at least waited around for an explanation. For him to storm off when he saw her just hugging someone else, was trite and expected–therefor irritating me. But her reaction was even weirder–choosing that moment to bring up the question as to why he signed the divorce papers. Had she signed them expecting him to fight for her and didn’t? And what does one have to do with the other.
Well, with the exception of him falling back into familiar habits.
The whole thing just rang false.
Moving on, I wonder what Soo Sun is going to choose to do–allow the case to get shoved to the side ‘for the sake of the force’ or if she is going to fight for what is right and not let the case against the Mysterious Bag Lady drop. While I can understand why the chief when to Soo Sun, it was still a pretty asshole move. Does she even expect Soo Sun to go for it with all the cryptics? I would say if the she wants Soo Sun to do what she want’s she’d better be a lot more specific, or else it will look like she simply doesn’t have the guts to go against the congressman.
I hope that Soo Sun doesn’t fall for it. Yes, the victim is her mother, but she is still a victim and deserves to be protected by the law. What I really want is for Soo Sun to tell Dae Gu what the Captain wants her to do and have him go up against the Captain. He needs to know that she’s not as good as he thinks she is. Or as benevolent?
We as an audience and the Captain as a character knows which side Dae Gu would back, and that’s why she couldn’t go to him to have him convince Soo Sun. Now that everyone knows his secret her hold on him has weakened–when now it’s more important than ever for her to be able to control him.
I can’t believe we only have 7 episodes left! Now go hug her already Dae Gu!
Notes
Prepaid assault? Um. That’s awful. And that woman was ready and more than eager to do it. Makes me think this was not her first time.
Love how they call Tae Il “White Rice Cake” and “Soft Tofu Stew” Thanks for subbing that Viki. However, did anyone understand what he and Angry Lady Detective were talking about? Who did he meet traveling? Her brother? His brother? I’m thinking it’s not his brother, it has to be someone who affected them both. Ugh.
Love the possible brother character! It shows not everyone in that family is eb-il because if it turns out that Dae Gu is related to that family, the information can’t be a complete loss for Dae Gu.
Pine nut porridge looks disgusting.
They need to stop horning in the faux-love-triangle with Ji Kook. If he freaks out when he learns of Dae Gu’s and Soo Sun’s feelings for each other (if she ever gets there) I’m gonna be irritated.
I love that Detective Seo keeps trying to make friends with Dae Gu, but when all of his attempts are rebuffed, just calls him out for being an asshole.
Whenever the show tosses the two of these actors together, it just makes me laugh. We got a gimps of their great chemistry in Greatest Love, and I’m gad to know that wasn’t a fluke. I hope they work together again and again.
As she listened to Dae Gu’s song and cried, I kept chanting “Be there, be there, be there!” and when we saw this blurry spot in the background I literally squeeed. He was there! He didn’t leave her. He lurves her!
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