When A Man Loves - Episode 18 (A SqueeCap)
Shuk: One of our fellow Twitterbeans and Oppa-lovers, Jomo, has created a special poem just for this point in the show. Follow the link here.
Increasingly unhappy about this drama? Hating everybody? Don't worry: have some half-naked guys frolicking in the water! |
Episode 18
Shuk: Roy Chang and Han Tae-sang meet for the first time, orchestrated by Jan-hee. After a few social niceties, Tae-sang asks if Jae-hee had met the Chairman (identified by Chang-hee’s letter as his brother’s biological dad).JoAnne: Loved watching the varied emotions on the three faces here. I wonder if PissyWishyWashy was on the sidelines taking notes and saying ‘oh, THAT’S how you do it…’
kakashi: I wouldn't want to be Roy's enemy. He is truly scary. Don't hurt our oppa, you!
Shuk: As the Vice-chairman leaves, Tae-sang pulls the younger man aside and asks to meet him tonight after work. Receiving a wave of negativity, he finally tells him: Chang-hee is not your biological brother. His origins are in the letter, but Jae-hee seems to not give a crap.
JoAnne: I have to keep reminding myself that Jae Hee honestly believes Oppa asked Chang Hee to kill Mi Do AND that Oppa tried to then kill Chang Hee. Otherwise, I am completely flummoxed by the depth of the hatred here. And since it’s ridiculous to believe those things, I keep forgetting them.
kakashi: *sigh* ... sometimes, KDramas are so good. But sometimes, they are so not.
Shuk: Later, at the hospital, he plaintively asks his comatose brother: “If I'm not your brother, why did you spend so much effort taking care of me?” He asks him to wake up and explain.
JoAnne: Because people are NICE sometimes for no reason other than love, Jae Hee? Well ok he also felt some guilt toward you but in the end, he kept you with him because he loved you. And then he tried very hard to make sure you had a decent life no matter what. I bet it was hard fitting that in between cooking, cleaning, and the occasional murder.
kakashi: Chang-hee does love his various brothers deeply, yes.
Shuk: There’s a flashback of the three of them playing water tag in some warm tropical place. PD-nim – why oh why is Tae-sang in a singlet? Millions of people want the abs shot! Nevertheless, there’s a great scene where Chang-hee slaps himself for being so happy. Tae-sang tells him that, even if he never finds his brother, he is happy.
JoAnne: Seriously, only Chang Hee is bare-chested? I'm not complaining about that chest, by the way. That was a nice chest, if a bit sunburned. Still. But OPPA. You practically conducted business meetings bare-chested in the beginning. Why are you holding back from us now? Is it to signify that you have moved into serious actor business and no longer feel you need to pander to our baser instincts? Oppa! We'll still respect you in the morning. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD TAKE OFF YOUR SHIRT.
kakashi: I was on my knees, begging, begging, but ... why, why, WHY show? Who actually goes into the water with a white singlet?! This is just absurd.
Shuk: Suddenly the scene changes, and Chang-hee is by himself; no hyung, no dongsaeng. He tries to run to Tae-sang’s voice, but then hear’s Jae-hee in the other direction. He ends up falling to his knees in the lagoon, calling for both. Is this a dream in Chang-hee’s mind?
JoAnne: It is a dream, yes. And one which practically made me pee myself laughing. PLUS. In the end, the slo-mo run toward Oppa, the actual love of his life - drama gold. GOLD.
kakashi: Thanks for the WTFery once again, drama.
kakashi: And because I really liked Oppa in his wifebeater, I made a few more gifs. We got to see his shoulder and his beautiful arms. At least.
Shuk: In real life, his thumb twitches, but Jae-hee never notices, even though he is holding his hyung’s hand. Little self-absorbed goober.
JoAnne: Of course not, because in their lives, it’s all Jae Hee all the time. But Chang Hee did that, so it’s not like you can blame only Jae Hee. If you’re brought up to be the center of the universe, how would you know any different?
Shuk: Roy Chang insists on a small local restaurant instead of a fancy one, and orders different foods. The two comfortable chat, and Tae-sang asks if he can speak to Chairman Jang directly. The talk switches to family, and Roy asks Tae-sang what happened to his younger brother. Tae-sang explains they were separated at a young age, and he was conned several times while looking for him.
Is that why you quit looking for him?” Roy asks, and Tae-sang explains that he hopes to see his brother again, but is now afraid that any bad news about his brother would cause him to collapse. The air clears a little between them.
JoAnne: The look on Oppa’s face when Roy rattled off that list of food! Notice how Oppa didn’t end up ordering anything because it was so much to begin with? And man, did Roy dig in with an appetite. Glad to see that the two are warming up a bit. I need them to love each other. I NEED IT FOR OPPA.
kakashi: Love these two together. But drama? Not enough people have died in you. What kind of melo are you?!
Shuk: Seo Eomma begs the ‘new’ building owner to let them stay, but he insists that they leave at the contracted time. They start looking for another place, but Mom is bitter about the whole situation. On the bus back to the bookstore, Mi-do goes through her pictures and finds Tae-sang in the face mask. The text reads for her to delete them as soon as she sees them, but she just files them back.
JoAnne: The old guy really looks uncomfortable.
kakashi: I just hate Mi-do with a vengeance.
Shuk: The figurehead new owner entreats Seon-joo to either NOT evict the Seos, or to do it herself. She categorically refuses to do either.
JoAnne: Ah! I knew it. I've been wondering if he came along with her from her original family situation, old retainer kind of thing. He has a very fatherly/uncle-y attitude with Interfering B****.
Shuk: At The Alley Restaurant, the two moms are chatting when our Lying Landlady shows up with some facial soap for Han Eomma. While placing it on a table, Seo Mom notices Seon-joo steal the ahjumma’s toothbrush. Uh-oh, it’s the “Find Viable DNA On A Toothbrush Covered In Spit and Paste” KDrama trope. Honestly, can anyone tell me if that really works?
JoAnne: Ummm…don't you work at a police station? Ask at work. We all wanna know.
Shuk: Well, I DO use buccal swabs at work, but it's an inside-of-the-cheek thing, not a crusty-mouth-orifice-cleaning thing...
kakashi: hair-brush, tooth-brush ... That's "Hans wie Heiri", as we say here in Switzerland. As long as it is a brush, obviously. Watch and learn, people.
Shuk: Seo Mom calls her out on the theft, but she makes up a lie and takes the brush anyway. After she leaves, the moms continue talking, and Mi-do’s mom makes pointed remarks that “that woman” is not right in the head.
JoAnne: Honestly, the balls on this woman. It’s hard to believe she can walk in heels.
kakashi: Truck of Doom! Cometh here and Killeth all these people, please!
Shuk: At the hospital, Tae-sang talks to Chang-hee. Without even touching him, he sees the thumb twitch and immediately calls for the doctor, but the doc shrugs it off as nerve reflex.
JoAnne: Yet more proof that Oppa is a better man than Jae Hee. He actually pays attention to the people he loves, and not just as an adjunct of his own life.
kakashi: His eyes bulged a little. Just a very little.
Shuk: At The Golden Tree, Jae-hee gets a copy of the Board of Directors, and starts calling them as part of his plan to oust President Han. The man in question shows up, and Jae-hee flat out refuses to go the apartment and read the letter. Tae-sang lights into him (about time, yo!)
HTS: “Even if you leave my company, I have no intention of asking you to stay. I can get anyone like you with your salary. You're nothing special. Frankly, I'm not even interested in you. I'm doing this for Chang Hee, because I pity him.”JoAnne: I didn't get that last bit. Was it yet another confession from Oppa? Why does he keep confessing to things he didn’t do? Or…is he saying that Jae Hee believes all of his suspicions are correct? Because if so, duh, Oppa. If you didn't think it was right, you wouldn't think it.
CJH: “I pity my brother too.”
HTS: “I had you figured wrong. You're someone full of issues.” The brat responds.
CJH: “Then what about you?”
HTS: “Of course I have my issues too. I know that I didn't have proper schooling, and I used to be a gangster. I know that! But I don't get immersed in suspicions and revenge like you do.”
CJH: “What are my suspicions?”
HTS: “Everything that you think is right!”
kakashi: Ah, finally. Oppa, you're much hotter when you're not a wuss.
Shuk: Jae-hee pouts. He wants his brother to wake up too. But President Han fires the final volley: “I feel bad for Chang Hee to have lived his life for someone like you!” And he storms out while Jae-hee has a minor meltdown.
JoAnne: Someone needs a diaper change and a nap. Plus if someone had a brain, they’d realize that if someone else wanted Chang Hee to wake up, they must not be guilty of trying to murder Chang Hee.
kakashi: *Sigh* ... sometimes, KDrama is well written, but very often, it is not.
Shuk: That night finds Tae-sang at the bookstore. Mom is, of course, ecstatic, but leaves after Mi-do shows up. He quietly tells her it’s good to see her walk, and then asks her to read Chang-hee’s letter (just the part about Jae-hee’s parentage). He asks her to pass the information on to Jae-hee, and she wonders why. The answer is simple: Chang-hee asked. Yes, girly, get it into your thick head that he does everything asked of him by the important people in his life.
JoAnne: I really do love Oppa so much.
kakashi: I really hate Mi-do so much.
Shuk: He picks up a few books and pays for them. She refuses the money, stating that the family stayed with him during the building renovations. He says things are different.
HTS: “Back then you were a special person to me. Now you are just the daughter of a bookstore owner.”Shuk: Her face registers a tiny tiny bit of shock, but I am feeling a great deal of satisfaction. You are on a role, Oppa!!
JoAnne: He’s lying. But oh, he’s trying SO hard.
kakashi: I so hate that he is lying. If only she would die. From a gigantic aneurysm in her brain.
Shuk: He leaves the bookstore, but she chases after him and forces the money into his hand. She states he is still someone special in her life; someone who she both liked and hated, who helped her and misunderstood her. She asks him not to come back if he expects to pay for anything. He nods and wishes her happiness as he leaves.
JoAnne: Actually, I totally get that.
kakashi: I so hate Mi-do.
Shuk: While boxing up her personal items, she finds a picture of the two of them at Mount Mai, and carefully places it into a box.
JoAnne: I do feel a tiny bit vindicated here for saying all along that she did have feelings for him and it wasn’t all about money, but I am very frustrated that she is a person who doesn’t want what she has until she no longer has it. Can't stand that in a person.
Shuk: I still think Mi-do has Sugar Daddy glasses on and not heart-shaped ones.
kakashi: See statement above.
Shuk: At a bar, Jae-hee and Roy Chang are sharing a drink. Roy tells him outright that Tae-sang doesn’t appear to be a bad man, but Jae-hee tells him not to be fooled; he put his brother into the hospital. Hmm, I’m thinking that Roy Chang also thinks he’s a disloyal nutjob. In fact, I’m sure of it when Roy asks his assistant to investigate everything related to Jae-hee.
JoAnne: Roy, I could really become very fond of you. You are NOT the ass you acted like in the beginning, and your eyes are beginning to look sad, not cold.
kakashi: He is smoking hot!
Roy Chang's Official Soundtrack |
Shuk: In the morning, Jae-hee and Mi-do meet up, and Mi-do tries to tell him about the letter, and admits she read it. And now he knows who his biological father is. He scoffs, and pretty much blows off the conversation. Ass.
JoAnne: Hello, son of a billionaire? How does this not even register as a blip on his face? I mean, yes, I would want to be happier about the fact that family has been found, or sad about the fact that original family is about to change whether you want it or not, but 30 seconds for the fact that the father is a f***ing billionare that you've been courting for investments, no less? Where’s the ‘holy shit what a coincidence!’ face, at least?
kakashi: *sigh* ... sometimes KDrama makes sense, very often, it does not.
Shuk: At The Golden Tree, a remarkable lack of flunkies is evidenced by Roy Chang’s ability to enter President Han’s office and snoop. He finds the duplicate photo that Mi-do has, but puts it back where he found it.
Shuk: Tae-sang arrives and they go sightseeing in the rain, starting with Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul.
Google Fu: The link goes to a youtube video outlining places at Changdeokgung Palace that many of you have seen in saegueks. Oh, and the background song is JYJ "Fallen Leaves"
JoAnne: I love how Roy starts putting the situation together for himself and just stands back, observing. Taking mental notes. LOVE IT.
Shuk: He's a smart cookie. It runs in the family. So does overthinking and survivor guilt too, though.
kakashi: People that wear sunglasses when there is absolutely no sun? Love them.
Shuk: Roy is unimpressed, and basically takes charge of the party. They go to another mom-and-pop restaurant, with a big old pile of dukkbeoki. Without realizing how hot it is, he puts an entire rice cake in his mouth. So does Tae-sang. Immediately Roy grabs water; so does Tae-sang. The President mentioned that he and his brother used to eat there, and his brother would eat all the fish cakes and leave the spicy stuff. It strikes a chord with the Vice—chairman. He goes on to say that dukkbeoki was the only thing they could afford, so they would share a water bottle while eating it. Roy Chang stops to dab his eyes, and Tae-sang misinterprets this as tears from the spiciness.
JoAnne: Inside Roy Chang is a fat kid, eating emotionally. I love you, Roy. It’s official, now.
kakashi: Loved the dukkbeoki-scene. Cute.
Shuk: They move on to street vendor sesame snaps and more childhood stories from Tae-sang. It looks really comfortable between the two.
JoAnne: Oppa can haz friendz? Oh man…but what if Roy really is just sizing up the competition and really does want to hostile takeover the Golden Tree? No. Oppa can’t get screwed by yet another person. He just can’t.
Shuk: Whiny Pouty Ass meets up with Bitter Friend and she gives him the restaurant ahjumma’s toothbrush. He arranges to steal Roy Chang’s toothbrush. It’s détente at the table; he won't say what he will do with the information if they are brothers, and she won't say when she will talk to the police on behalf of Chang-hee.
JoAnne: ComPLETELY uninterested in the two of you.
Shuk: At the next restaurant, our entrepreneurs are enjoying ice cream. Tae-sang asks what Roy’s plans are when they finish; he tells him he’s meeting Manager Lee and his girlfriend. Tae-sang takes this with aplomb.
JoAnne: Oppa is classy.
kakashi: These ice creams are GIGANTIC. And I hate it when these spit-thin people in KDrama eat all the time.
JoAnne: Oh yeah. Big time. She never wanted to f*** with Oppa, she just wanted to live her life. And if I was her, I’d start wondering if Jae Hee’s obsessive love for her was at least partially because of his unhealthy fixation on Oppa. I mean I know it didn’t start that way, but think about it. He’s resentful of Oppa’s largesse and Chang Hee’s loyalty to Oppa. He fell for her not knowing and he backed off when she said she couldn’t do it, but then when he realized who she was connected to, didn’t he then start up again? I can’t figure out which came first, chicken or egg. He loved her so he hated Oppa, or he hated Oppa so he loved her. I think it’s loved her so he hated Oppa, and then each fueled the other to weird levels of obsession and eviltude.
kakashi: Are you reading our squeecaps, writer-nim? If yes: not good. Not at all good. Jae-hee might have been too impulsive and selfish to really like, but this? No.
Shuk: At The Golden Tree, the Chief and the President talk about the day’s time spent with the Vice-chairman, and his assistant mentioned that Asia Star is asking for information mostly used when companies are merged, and also that Jae-hee had ask for the Board of Director’s information.
JoAnne: Was that a fleeting suspicion running across Oppa’s handsome face?
Shuk: Jae-hee, Mi-do, and Roy Chang are meeting for dinner, and our Vice-chairman recognizes the girl from the photo. He tells her, “You look familiar. Are you an actress?” She replies “No.” META ALERT!!
JoAnne: Pffffft. I call it truth in advertising.
kakashi: Can the ceiling fall down and bury her?
Shuk: There’s a few cautious questions and answers between Mi-do and Roy Chang, until he eats a spicy pepper and gulps water. He covers it by saying his father can't handle spice either. He asks how she met Jae-hee, and finds out about the triangle. He tells her he’s seen a picture of her in President Han’s office, but promises to keep it a secret.
JoAnne: From whom? Everyone involved already knows.
kakashi: Does she make the connection at this point or is her little brain too little for that?
Shuk: Chang-hee is twitching at the hospital, stuck in a memory from prison, where the rumor was running through the convicts that the police were opening up homicide cold case files. And the flashback from an earlier episode where he carried a body through the rain…
Shuk: Suddenly he wakes up from his nightmare, his vitals perfectly normal and smooth, just as the car cops show up and ExpositionTalk about more prison time once he wakes up.
JoAnne: You know, they are made of tough stock. Here in the states, you fall down go boom, you get weeks of rehab relearning how to walk, talk, eat, dress, etc. In Korea, you just get up and hike a mountain. It’s gotta be the kimchi.
kakashi: Maybe they're all aliens in WAML.
Shuk: Tae-sang is outside the restaurant. I guess all the talk about his mom made him think. He enters, and the two final look each other in the eye. He enters, and the two finally look each other in the eye. They share soju and soup, and, after a moment, talk. He asks her how she could have lost Tae-min. She explained that her and her lover often fought, until one Tae-min ran away, crying, shouting that he was going to look for his brother. When she went to look for him, she couldn't find him anywhere.
JoAnne: Oh, geez, that’s heartbreaking actually.
kakashi: I don't know. This actress annoys me. A lot.
Shuk: About that time, our Newly Dyed Desperado shows up with the fake Tae-min, and is surprised to see Tae-sang there. And realizes Yong-gap has been playing headgames with his mother. He drags him outside and throws him to the ground, telling him to never come to the restaurant again.
JoAnne: Please Oppa, kick his lavender ass.
kakashi: I love that the hair is back, but I so don't get the relevance of this character. Kill him already.
Shuk: Yong-gap tries to play up the Retribution side: doesn't he want revenge on the woman who ruined his life. UM – BLIND MAN ALERT – Tae-sang doesn't hate his mom and moreover HE ISN’T YOU, YOU LAVENDER LOSER!!
JoAnne: I did enjoy the ‘oh shit’ face Grandpa Leeteuk made when he entered the restaurant. I actually enjoy the weak writing in one area: I love how it results in bad guys getting caught all the time because the writer isn’t smart enough to make the bad guys smart enough to pull off a successful fake.
Shuk: Little Weasel is drinking himself into a stupor. Who cares, stop polluting a perfectly good p’macha with your presence.
JoAnne: Tiniest, tiniest bit of sympathy for the guy who certainly did not intend to kill his friend, and is now being eaten up by regret and fear instead of jealousy and insecurity.
kakashi: Oh please. Truck of Doom, where are you?!
Shuk: Chang-hee wakes up and finds Jae-hee holding his hand, and whispers to him for things to stay like they are for a while. I guess he’s going to feign coma.
JoAnne: I wonder if he knows that Jae Hee knows about the brother bit, and just wants to pretend that they’re a family for a while longer.
kakashi: Yeah, looks comfy in that hospital room. And OF COURSE, one can easily feign coma. At least in a Korean hospital.
Shuk: At the skeet range, Yong-gap has improved his hair by hiding it under a gold-studded baseball cap. Dong-joo shows up, and tells his new boss that he wants to tell Tae-sang everything. Bad Boss plays up Little Weasel’s fears - does he think Tae-sang will forgive him for the attack on Chang-hee? He asks him; do you want to make sure Chang-hee sleeps forever? He gets a weak right hook from the little gangster, but just smiles as he levels his 12-gauge at his underling’s head, and tells him to finish it.
JoAnne: Is the noble sacrifice at the end going to come from THE WEASEL? Because yes, I totally believe in the plot blue print that has a section that reads ‘insert noble sacrifice here’
kakashi: Oh my, this outfit ... hahahaaa ... and I went: "Pull the trigger, do it already, pull the trigger!"
Shuk: Our two Evil Planners meet and share the information that Roy Chang is Tae-min. She wants to meet him and Jae-hee asks, are you going to transfer your affection to the younger brother. She retorts that she is not a bitch that would get between brothers. Um, Miss Delusional is back.
JoAnne: Shuk, she meant IN BED.
Shuk: Jae-hee gives an update to President Han on the Asia Star venture, only to be told that all the financier’s flights have been cancelled, and that he has halted the negotiations. Jae-hee is angry, not alarmed, when he demands an explanation from Tae-sang. He doesn't get one, poor baby.
JoAnne: It’s rather ballsy of the employee to insist to the boss that he cuckolded and has sworn to ruin that this is ‘his deal’ and his right to call the shots.
kakashi: #WhenThisAndOnlyThisManGetsAGifHere
Shuk: There’s a staredown between Jae-hee and Roy Chang. Jae-hee is trying to swing the deal, but the Vice-Chairman holds his guns and asks the important question: is Jae-hee trying to pull one over on President Han just because of a girl? Jae-hee counters: Are you really the Chairman’s son?
JoAnne: Clearly Jae hee skipped Negotiation 101 at Stanford.
kakashi: Maybe he has a brain tumor. That makes people go crazy sometimes.
Shuk: Later, Roy Chang is speaking with his dad. He describes President Han as pitiful, with no-one on his side, and his dad asks, don’t you want to help him? It appears Hong Kong Papa already knows Roy Chang’s parentage, especially when he tells him to forgive family. “And if he’s your brother, he’s my son.” And, just like that, Roy promises to protect Tae-Sang.
JoAnne: THE SQUEE IS BACK. I love you, Chang Appa! I love you, Roy! I love you both! Help my Oppa!
kakashi: Handsome Daddy.
Shuk: The Seo family are still looking for a place to stay, and end up in Tae-sang’s old neighborhood. Mi-do pulls away to see Tae-sang’s childhood home, and finds a man crying in front of the gate. He walks away without spotting her, but her wheels are turning. She contacts the DNA company while heading home.
JoAnne: A man? She knows that was Roy, she already met him.
Shuk: But she didn't know he was Tae-sang's little brother. Plus, I couldn't tell by her face: recognition? Recollection? Retribution? [rewatched scene] Nope, still couldn't tell.
Shuk: Mi-do tracks down President Han at the work site; he is busy with the contractors, but she asks for a moment of his time. Suddenly a large safe-like object falls from the site, and she instinctively pushes him out of the way as it crashes down, and I have a sudden flashback to Winter Sonata… [checks off another KDrama trope].
JoAnne: She’s suspiciously asleep there, Shuk. Kakashi, we might have the Big A back again.
kakashi: Or maybe she is dead? Oh please, make her be dead ...
FINAL THOUGHTS
Shuk: Well, who would have thought that the people who might help Tae-sang were not even Korean? Unless this is a fakeout. It better not be, Writer-nim!! [hands on hips] I really want to see a brotherly hug between the two biological brothers, and, while I feel bad for Chang-hee, I hope Jae-hee’s butt gets handed to him on a wooden platter. Mi-do seems to be changing for the better as well, but is that because she is attracted to the older man or repulsed by the degenerating brat? I sure hope it’s the more noble emotion.JoAnne: Well Roy is Korean. This can't be a fake out. The only twist I will accept at this point is Chang Hee and Oppa have been lovers for 20 years and all of this is due to Chang Hee’s jealousy over Oppa leaving him for a girl. Jae Hee is a figment of Chang Hee’s imagination that he used to work out his feelings of rage. We have two more episodes, right? Here’s what I want: Mi Do learns all the truths about Oppa and realizes she’s loved him all along and they get married and have babies and because she has a career, Han Eomma comes to live with them and take care of their most beautiful chillums. Roy and Oppa are happy brothers who visit often. Ooo, maybe handsome Chang Appa can marry pretty Han Eomma. Seo Eomma and her husband live in an apt purchased by their inexplicably successful Idol son and don’t really figure in anything anymore, just like in the story, except for once in a while when Seo Eomma forgets she‘s not relevant and either says something to the media that causes a scandal for her son, or goes to the entertainment agency to insist that he be given a more lucrative CF deal. Grandpa Leeteuk, the weasel, and Interfering B**** are in the old bookstore when it finally collapses and buries them forever. A small purple flower grows on the heap of rubble, and no matter what happens to it, it can’t be killed. Chang Hee finds a nice girl who likes to work so he can stay home and be a house husband; they visit with Oppa and Mi Do from time to time. Chang Hee is happy overall, but always cries himself to sleep on the nights they visit Oppa, so they don‘t visit too often. Jae Hee ends up a low level business man with a receding hairline and a pot belly, prone to visiting those bars with girls who pretend they like you so you’ll spend more money, talking about that big deal he made that he got cheated out of.
Shuk and kakashi: [thunderous applause] Well done, JoAnne. Well done.