My Beautiful Bride - Episode 9 (A ThisKicksAssCap)

Oi! What a pulse raising episode! I must admit, I missed that in the last 2 episodes, when we were going from sad to sadder to even worse. I like Bank Guy best when he is in killing mode. And when he runs. I loved this episode, I really did! It seems the stakes are raised even higher ... if that is possible. It's because Seo Jin-Gi has been flushed out of his comfort zone with the green fish and feels some heat. It's because Park Hyeong-Sik is slowly losing it. It's because I secretly hope for Tracksuit Guy to brutally butcher every bad guy and then kiss Lee Jin-Sook, his long-lost wife.
What IS it with Tracksuit Guy and his food aggression? (I'm with you on loving Banker when he runs - there've been several conversations about that over the weeks.)

Episode 9

Hearing Joo-Young's voice almost makes Do-Hyeong lose it ... and just when he was ready to don his proper banker clothes again! ^___^ She does the whole "you cannot look for me, I don't deserve you"-thing. Why? Cause she thinks they're too different. A flashback shows us an introduction to his horrible mother gone horribly wrong. That creature has a BOOK with women "suited for him" - it's those and no others. Oh god, how horrible Joo-Young must have felt .... (by the way, I thought it was not quite in-style to be drinking a lowly teabag-tea).
I wondered if that were deliberate - to show Joo Young she didn't rate the real stuff.
I just realized that the servant only brought TWO cup of tea. One for horrible Mom and one for Banker Son. None for Joo-Young.
And we see how Joo-Young started her days as hostess. She is shy and awkward, and that is what catches Lee Jin-Sook's eye. Ha! She is a VVIP guest there. And she likes women? Interesting. I'm not sure I get this scene 100%, but she gives Joo-Young money and wants to "see her around". Leading her in and around: Lee El (looking 10000 times better with her hair open). Hmmm ... so she used to work as a Madame? Or some kind of escort service manager?
I took it that Lee El was the manager of the hostess girls and that perhaps Jin Sook was the owner of the bar, but there wasn't anything specific I can think of that made me think that.
It hurts to see Joo-Young feeling so low about herself again ... thinking she will make him miserable an all that. Thank goodness for Bank Guy who tells her that they are NOT different. We see that he rebelled against his mother's second (loveless) marriage, that he never thought he could feel love ... but he did, when he met her. He felt thoroughly, truly happy with her. So happy and in love he has giggle fits in meetings. Awwwwwww. If she is not around him, he is miserable, that's the truth of it. He misses her so, so much. And she is "exactly the girl that he loves".
I love them.
Goddamit. What a man.
Isn't he, though? That would be nice. To have, I mean.

She comments on how haggard he looks ... and that makes him realize she must be looking at him! He steps closer to the window and locks eyes with her. And he says: "Why are you over there? Your home is right here". *DEAD*
Here I come, my Banker!
But they can't catch a break!!! Two guys have appeared on a balcony above her and he screams through the phone to RUN! She does and so does he. Too slow, too slow!! In both buildings, they're racing down the stairs. Joo-Young is at the ground floor, but the two guys have caught up to her. "I'm at the garden, Do-Hyeong", is the last thing she tells her lover before they take her - and right before she drops the recorder over a wall.
Could they not have FIVE MINUTES, writer-nim? Five minutes is not a long time. Come on!
'tis CRUEL, yes.
Hearing her screams makes Do-Hyeong redouble his efforts, but when he reaches the ground floor as well, there is no trace of her. He spots the security guard who points him into the direction they went, and Do-Hyeong runs and runs and runs ... no Joo-Young. He has lost her. Standing on the street, he screams out his frustration ... and we see that the security guard lied to him. He gets money from Glove aka Janggab who drives away with an unconscious Joo-Young on the backseat.
Shit head. What kind of person DOES that? Does he think they're collecting her for a shopping trip?
Joo-Young is brought to "the factory", where they are holding President Jo's daughter and Park Tae-Gyu and his honey. In the meantime, Yoon-Mi goes to see Hostess Friend at the hotel, to find out more about this Ttaksae (Redstart). We learn that he is vicious and cruel and used to be a loan shark before becoming a Shadow. Not a new guy - but somebody who climbed the ranks. Back at the station, she orders her team to look through the old case files for clues about this guy, who is likely using the name Seo right now.
What does Redstart MEAN, anyway?
Well, this is what the internet tells me: "an American warbler, the male of which is black with either a red belly or orange markings / a Eurasian and North African songbird related to the chats, having a reddish tail and underparts". Seems to be a bird :) 
While doing this, the detectives realize that files about the Shadows' insurance business are missing. Yes! Detective Park ... you're going DOWN! The asshole actually shredded those files about Lee El and Seo Jin-Gi (and probably other stuff) because he heard about the re-investigation. And Yoon-Mi realizes there must be a rat. Yes! The rat is sharing your bed!!!
That reveal is going to hurt... I'm not looking forward to it. She's not doing very much but I can't help liking Yoon Mi.
Do-Hyeong calls Yoon-Mi and hands her the broken recorder that Joo-Young dropped. Smart guy to go looking for something there. Yoon-Mi promises to recover the files asap. Oh dear, I hope she doesn't tell her Rat Boyfriend about it!
Lee Jin-Sook returns home (the police can't find her, by the way) and realizes Joo-Young is no longer there. Ooookay, she has to do something quick!! Because Seo Jin-Gi is going to the factory .... he scares me!! Joo-Young is bound, awake and feisty, calling him an asshole. He promises to have a bit of fun with her tonight to teach her a lesson - right before selling her off (Lee El shows a few interesting facial reactions). When Park Tae-Gyu hears her name, he perks up (his head is still covered with a plastic bag though).
I hope he helps rescue everyone. I like Park Tae Gyu.
The poor guy is next! Seo Jin-Gi has come up with a plan to make him confess to the murder of Song Hak-Soo. That's a pretty stupid plan, but hey! It's good if evil guys are dumb. They think his love for his Mi-sook is so strong, he will do anything. But what is Lee El's game? She goes and takes President Jo's mistreated daughter with her, to learn her things.
She has been nothing but confusing since the first minute. She better have an actual reason for being in this because if not, what a waste.
I agree. I keep waiting for a reveal about her, but it's getting a bit late
They take Park Tae-Gyu to see President Kang and the restaurant. He is eating some cooked bacon this time and teaches Jin-Gi this lesson: always give your utmost care and attention when doing things. Everything he says is a masked threat and it is quite obvious that he does not buy this whole "Park Tae-Gyu killed Hak-Soo"-thing at all. He doesn't let on, though, and tells Jin-Gi to make this guy turn himself in. That's where the truth will be revealed, says Tracksuit Gangster to his secretary. And by the way: the Chief of Police and him seem to be rather well acquainted.
Of course. I wish, I just WISH that this universe were the same as Cruel City, and that some of the characters were a cross over. How awesome would that have been? They wouldn't need to play a large part - we could even just see them in the background at the station, or maybe have one cameo with Min That Fuck or something. Maybe Yoon Mi would share a coffee with Thighs and run some theories by him.
Or maybe not, because Seo Jin-Gi calls Detective Park and tells him to get this problem out of the way. He will a) send the murder weapon and b) wants Park to die in prison before ever appearing before a judge. 
No! Do not kill Park Tae Gyu! My take on this, by the way is that Tracksuit sincerely intends to use the police to flush out Seo by thoroughly interrogating Tae Gyu, and that Seo realizes this and his counterattack is to have the guy killed before it ever gets that far.
Yoon-Mi and Do-Hyeong are on their way to the station, asking themselves how the bad guys got to Joo-Young this time - and in the process realizing that somebody there must have tipped them off. Yup, that's exactly it: it was the security guard! Yoon-Mi receives a call from her team about Song Hak Soo's murderer, who is coming to turn himself in. Which makes NO SENSE at all, but the police are just happy they don't need to do any work, right?
I'm always amused when Korean gangsters turn criminals over to the police.  I don't think I've ever seen it in an American movie.

They get there when the gangsters in their black car get there - they push Park Tae-Gyu out after getting his finger prints on the knife that killed Hak Soo (threatening him and his girlfriend again) and he starts walking towards the waiting police officers. He sees Do-Hyeong standing there on the side too, and that seems to change his mind ... he bolts and runs, screaming at Do-Hyeong that he saw Joo-Young.
Ahhh, I love this part coming up! Team work!
When he flees, he loses the knife with his finger prints on it. The police run after him, but Do-Hyeong is smarter - he steals Yoon-Mi's car and catches Park Tae-Gyu first. Tae-Gyu is pretty sure he can find the place again, but they can't really go there this moment, because the gangsters have caught up to them. They drive into an empty tunnel (convenient for the drama, but VERY dumb in real life:) but the gangsters overtake them and block Do-Hyeong's car.
He sees that they are only three ... and gets out. Haha, the gangsterlings are SCARED of him!! Chicken Park Tae-Gyu promised to help him but runs away first chance he gets. Well, Do-Hyeong goes straight for Glove/Janggab and breaks his leg. He then takes out his fountain pen and starts stabbing the gangster in the leg, then holding the pointy end to his neck.
I loved that moment when he quietly said, 'There are only three of them.' and it took Park Tae Gyu a minute to realize what he meant. I got all excited at the prospect of fighting together and thus bonding and bromance, but that little shit ran off.
Janggab is laughing at first, but then promises to tell him where his fiancée is. Only to first tell Do-Hyeong that his heart will break if he gets there. It's likely they have harvested her for organs already ... he can consider himself lucky if he gets her uterus. HE DESERVES TO DIE for this.
Disgusting, disgusting man.  Kill him NOW.
Unfortunately, the police arrive!! Well, Do-Hyeong looks like a crazy guy and that is why they arrest him at gun point. Janggab is taken to some hospital and Do-Hyeong is taken to the police station in handcuffs. He is able to warn Yoon-Mi about those gangsters and their involvement with the Shadows before they drag him into the car. The charges against him: helping a murderer who wanted to confess escape (Yoon-Mi argues that they can't be sure that guy really wanted to turn himself in, which is clever! and correct!) and attempted murder. Well ... is sticking somebody with a pen attempted murder? Really? Anyway, I'm glad he didn't kill Janggab - and I'm glad Park doesn't shoot him. Because he clearly hates the guy.
Okay, but this sets off a series of events that really piss me off.
I like that Detective Park clearly has a huge headache - because his lady love is doing all the right things, like asking for surveillance videos from the tunnel. 
I cannot figure him out!  He doesn't really want to do anything against her and seems to limit himself to trying to talk her out of stuff; he almost seems resigned to getting caught, in a way.  Like, if he can avoid it without making much effort he will, but he doesn't seem to be trying too hard, either.  I think he'd be relieved to have it over with.
On the way to the station, Do-Hyeong politely requests to be taken to the hospital to see that guy he beat up. No go, of course. Well, if he cannot go there, he cannot go with them, he says ... and beats them up.
Hahahahah, I laughed so hard.  This man is not someone you want as a fellow passenger.
When Park Asshole gets there, Do-Hyeong has gotten rid of his handcuffs and speeds out of the police car. Park Asshole after him! They seem to be equally fit, but Park has better running shoes. Into buildings, out of building, turning corner after corner ... until Park loses sight of him and calls for reinforcement. Soon, Do-Hyeong finds himself trapped and flees to a rooftop (he does not only have adamantium in him, he can also jump like Spiderman!), where he is cornered by Park - who now has his gun out.
That jump! Sigh. Even if Park has better shoes, Do Hyeong has better form. I could seriously watch him run all day long.
Park starts shouting his hate at Do-Hyeong - which is about the rich and the poor; about how rich people like him think they're all that, but also about how bankers like him are scum for how they treat people who want loans from them. Hmmmm, Park-Ass, did somebody not give you a loan and you went to the loan sharks?
I thought that was very revealing, myself.
When Park gets briefly distracted by a Halmoni, Do-Hyeong breaks cover and runs for the edge. A shot is fired. THE END.

Comments

Ohhhhhhhh, we're back in business, baby. This was a very physical episode, wasn't it? Must have been super demanding on Kim Moo-Yul, all that running and jumping! He seems to be doing his own stunts? At least many of them. I'm in awe!

How I want those bad guys to BURN!  
You know what I love about this drama?  The slow reveal we get for so many of the characters. Layer by layer peeled back - we're practically at the end and still learning stuff about EVERYONE.
Yes! I like that we get to see what Park Asshole's issue seems to be (thought we don't know a lot yet) and I particularly liked the Tracksuit Gangster - Seo Jin-Gi interaction again. Chairman Kang is a masterful power wielder, isn't he? Ever meeting with him is charged with threat and I love how meek Seo Jin-Gi is in front of him ... though he absolutely hates it. Whenever he walks out of there, he sneers and shakes the humiliation off. It's also quite clear he will not win this battle and I LIKE THAT. He is a vile, vile character. There is absolutely nothing redeeming about him.
I agree 100 percent. But I keep imagining Tracksuit as a dad, with a kid bringing home less than an A: 'I'll bring my grades up, I promise!' "Oh?  Will you?" and then that makes me laugh a little. I think it's in self defense because he's so terrifying. As for Seo... he's a fucking weasel. I am thoroughly enjoying the actor's performance and he's got to be one of my absolute favorites just for the variety he brings to his roles. Remember how our hearts just broke over and over for him during Shine?

Park Tae-Gyu on the other hand ... I am glad he is back, he brings some nice comical relief, without being a complete idiot (That's still Dumb Face Detective, the most useless character ever). Actually, Tae-Gyu is quite clever, especially when it comes to saving his own hide, and I love that we got a glimpse of bromance, which is most likely going to be growing stronger in the coming episodes. Well, it's a weird kind of bromance. But still :)
I will take what I can get.