The Problematic of the Unproblematic

kakashi: A glorious drama is coming to a glorious end. Until the last minute, this remains gripping and thoughtful and perfect. Yu Jung-sang acted his soul out. We all gape in awe. At the very end, self-sacrifice becomes the focal point in this drama again; but it does not take one life, but hundreds, thousands willing to put their lives on the line for others to save those in danger. What a moving message. JoAnne: I got all weepy and goosebumpy. Trotwood: Me, too. It's one of those shows that you want to go find people and drag them into the room and force them to watch so their faith in humanity can be restored. (Except Brother in Law is not punished enough, but you can't have everything) Look at that smile below! I'd be smiling like too if I were hugging Teamleader Han Jaehyus: Amazing. There wasn't a single hole in this story. Good job, writer!   *Hugs Hakyun. And the writer* - *then Hakyung again* .  Can we just hug everyone? Well, not Bastard Brother-in-Law...

This is the penultimate episode but oh man, this drama shows no signs of slowing down - quite the opposite. Of course, our villain has planned a grand finale and it's grand indeed: The message and the impact. Trotwood: "Impact." Did you choose that word on purpose? Uhm, yes?   Jaehyus: :-D JoAnne: Seriously, though, if this gets any more suspenseful, how will we stand it?

kakashi: This is one of the best hours of television I've ever watched. Trotwood: This has got to be one of the best opening pics for a recap that I've seen. I wouldn't have thought of it, but it's perfect. (bowing before the Kakashi shrine).  JoAnne: She's so good, isn't she? Oh, I think about that stuff a lot, actually :) What picture does best represent the content of the episode? Well, sometimes, I also just think: Wow, Hakyun looks GOOD in this shot, let's put it at the top .  Probably close to a perfect episode. Just fantastic. And now that we've seen the end (no spoilers, don't worry) - I defy Jaehyus to describe Hee-sung as forgettable. What a spectacular performance. Better than your Hakyun, I dare say. Jaehyus: Myung-ha totally forgot him .

kakashi: How do you catch a super-intelligent guy you know is guilty but you have zero evidence against him? Who now knows you know it's him? If you know the answer, please get in touch with Sung-chan! He tries to immobilize Hee-sung as much as possible and waits until Soo-kyung makes a mistake, but he couldn't have known that this would endanger Myung-ha's and his own life. Trotwood: I think he does know that all of their lives are in danger. However, he has to push on. The Pied Piper will kill people anyway.  But as things spiral out of control, Sung-chan gets a chance to show just how much he has changed since the beginning of this mess. Jaehyus: He knows you know he knows. JoAnne: BUT... does he know who knows you know he knows?

kakashi: In case we forgot, the stakes in this drama are very high, especially now, as Pied Piper overlord loses control over Pied Piper underling. For a very brief moment, it looks like a common enemy might bring Hee-sung and Sung-chan to really join forces, but that expression on Sung-chan's face when he looks at yet another victim of the Pied Piper says it all: Pied Piper, your days are numbered. Get ready to cry, people. This episode shreds our hearts to pieces and stomps on it. Jaehyus: I didn't like the Piper even before we knew he was the dual-headed goblin of death, and I certainly loathe him now! JoAnne: Did you guys see that in the next Gong Yoo drama he plays a goblin? Does Korea have a different kind of goblin than the west? Also, I'm loving how Hee-sung is being shown. So many parts to him. I don't know, I'll have to AskAKorean the goblin question.  

Goosebumps have become my constant companion while watching this show. (Trotwood: I've been tempted to grab my daughter's inhaler while watching this show, and I don't have asthma!) The factory-case was relatively non-scary, because those Chinese workers were so unorganized. Even the dust-explosion was kinda "meh, yeah, dust explosion". But in this episode, the terrorist goes chemical weapons and I tell you, if you're weak of heart, stop watching. The frogs are boiling, I tell you. In multiple pots. JoAnne: At least we get lots of Sexy Boxer. I will then watch this later when I've recovered from tummy troubles and can watch intense stuff. So, yeah, I'm commenting based on recap and comments today.

Where is the Pied Piper, you may ask? Well, he's BACK, bishes. With a twist and a kick to our heads. The ending of this episode is a waaaaaaaaaaaaaadafuck kinda moment, but it all makes sense immediately. Before getting there, Sung-chan unleashes more of his humanity and it seems Myung-ha notices him for the first time. I mean "sees" him, in the KDrama way. JoAnne: Is he now a man in her eyes, you think? He's certainly a man in ours. *makes rumbling noise deep in her throat*   I don't want her to be a woman in his eyes, though.  Trotwood: Not until she proves that her better hair isn't just an accident.  

It's an uneasy stalemate between the Pied Piper aka Soo-kyung and the rest, with nobody gaining any ground right now. The next crisis in not related to the Piper ... or is it? It's not my favorite episode, in fact, it's my least favorite so far, because it seems like a filler. Sung-chan does what he does, Hee-sung does what he does (every time he's on the screen I ask, Does Jaehyus remember him now? :D) (No.) , but there is neither progress nor revelations. Maybe it's because it's another double-episode and it's unclear where this is going? Hakyun looks extremely good though. It could be the really tight pants and the police vest. Myung-Ha's hair looked better. That was enough for me. She did wash it before the attack, so . . . I have decided I don't like Hee-sung, whether he's the Piper or not. I know Soo-kyung can't be it. He just can't. Who IS that guy, anyway, he's not listed even in Korean Wikipedia page. Update: My Kakashi...

Crisis! Things ain't pretty and there is no end in sight. The Pied Piper is revealed but of course we cannot be sure it's truly him, data is stolen and leaked, Sung-chan gets a very bad beating and in the end, they still have nothing. I like the fact that he isn't a good fighter. In too many shows, it makes it seem as though every man in Korea has had major taekwondo/street fighting lessons. Koreans stereotype themselves?   Like this?  A Regular Korean Dude

kakashi: Did I mention how good this drama is? (Yes, but you can't say it enough)  I'm not kidding, this shit about the "terrorist" motivation/ ideology is really well researched (says my alter-ego, who does security-research in real life and wrote a paper on Anonymous). That shouldn't be such a surprise, should it, but seeing how 90% of all Kdramas use this kind of stuff simply as awkward background for romance, it kinda is. In this episode, our negotiators get really close to the Piper. Or do they? I am seriously doubting that people are whom they claim they are. Also, this is getting INTENSE. Jaehyus: It was scary. trotwood: Riveting and scary. I don't even care that much about the girl reporter and I was still worried about her. JoAnne: That girl keeps popping up a lot and in noticeable ways for a side character that isn't comic relief. I am suspicious.

This episode is centered on Myung-ha, who is going through an existential crisis that brings her right to the point where she wants to quit being a negotiator. By extension, this episode also is about Sung-chan and his feelings towards Myung-ha. Relationship status: it's complicated. Trotwood (entering conversation six episodes late): I would say the episode is about Sung-Chan and his feeling in general, which Myung-ha's personality and position put into relief. JoAnne: Trot! Keep a safe distance from HaKyun, Kakashi is getting a little scary. Thanks for the warning. I'm not messing with her. She has interpol connections. Jaehyus: But I like Shin Ha Kyun too...

kakashi: "Get ready for action", the Pied Piper said, and action we get. Big Bad has new bad things in store for Sung-chan and his crew and I'm not getting the feeling they are even one step closer to finding out who he is. They are busy battling their own demons as some light is shed on the corruption that seems to be at the heart of the problem here. Jaehyus: One exciting crisis negotiation at a time, they'll get there. JoAnne: Kakashi, is Jaehyus being facetious? Why am I the only person with an actual name?

This, my friends, turns out to be my personal TEN3 of 2016, only it's 10000times better written and acted. JoAnne is already making fun of me. The value of not falling in love often is that when it happens, people around you enjoy the spectacle so much more. At this point in time, this drama is well on its way to become one of my top 5.  I'm not making fun! I'm so happy that you're happy, because I luff you! My happiness just comes out looking like teasing! I think I like our lead actor more than the drama, but it's still pretty good.

Hmmmm, heating up quickly, this little gem. This is an extremely interesting episode on many levels, in which we get to know more about our main character and the people connected to him. His relationship with the young padawan Myung-ha is particularly interesting - and I don't mean in a romance kind of way, though I'm not saying there is no room for any. No, what intrigues me the most is the way he almost naturally becomes her teacher and how she actively seeks his advise but at the same time becomes his voice of conscience. The more this intrigues me, the more difficult it is to keep this short, but oh well ... being obsessed is lovely, I'll embrace it. No way I can ship our anti-hero and Myung-Ha. As Joanne said before, she's got that "just cried" face, and it doesn't suit someone as interesting as Sung-chan. It's not that there isn't room for any, but their history is complicated. I don't think you know why yet. I will say that even by e...

The second episode has Myung-ha and Sung-chan working together, sort of, but despite the fact that Sung-chan seems to honestly think that Myung-ha has talent, he also screws her over whenever he gets a chance. It seems that Myung-ha is far too trusting a person and he simply doesn't care about anyone else but himself and his quest to find the Whistler. Doesn't care yet? It's not that he is devoid of human emotion, not at all. It seems that he is just not letting anyone see them. He's very focused, and I don't blame him. I'm guessing he has a lot of survivor's guilt. Oh, definitely.

kakashi: I am somewhat late to the game, but I have recently started watching Pied Piper, currently airing on tvn, and I am very smitten. The drama is written by Ryoo Yong-Jae, who we all know from Time Between Dog and Wolf (if you don't know this, watch it!) and more recently Liar Game . It has all the elements of a show that I like: a strong script, intriguing characters, strong directing, and suspense (with a touch of mystery). And not to forget: no wtf-medical or military or police crap, and in addition, an original type of set-up (crisis negotiation) upon which it develops its human-centred drama. Jaehyus: Not my usual sort of show, and maybe it's my sudden fascination with the lead actor, but I will watch it.  Plus, it's well-written, and keeps things moving, so it is good.  I don't know if it will make me mentally tired with all the ins and outs of the hostage situations, but I'm going to trust the Liar Game writer knows what they're doing.  JoAnne: I...