The Heirs - Episode 13 (D'heir We?)

 

JoAnne: That face.

Episode 13 (in which I have a lot to say)

JoAnne:  Ok, wow, we open on the stare that lasted so long it took up parts of two episodes. It's pretty touching, though - Kim Tan's tears are exhaustion, plain and simple.  I think the adrenaline rush of defiance is over, and the boy is overwhelmed by the bomb he just exploded in everyone's faces.  Bean's tears are sympathetic, although she says she can't run from danger with him.
cherkell:  Beany's offer mentioned while in the States to run away not valid in Alaska, Hawaii and parts of Nebraska.  Sorry Tennessee!

JoAnne:  Then she hugs him, so whatever.  Goddammit, Show, can't you even get a HUG right?  When you hug someone like that you bury your face in their neck.  I saw no neck burying, although when KT pulled her in closer they did loosen up a bit.  I see the BTS clips sometimes, you know.  They ARE quite comfortable with each other in real life.  *gives Director-nim MAJOR side-eye for shitty skinship*
cherkell:  I believe The Beanster's tears more than Goody's, since she's all red-nosing and everything.  His "tear"?  Just a little too glycerine-y perfect.

JoAnne:  Tempie and World's Most Practical Mom arrive home and have their predictably pissed-off chat. Seriously, you two.  Get laid by someone you like, and loosen UP.  Mom doesn't want to officially break the engagement until the KimBro War heats up and stock prices rise. Clearly she and Kim Won have read the same books on business strategy.  Why is it so CERTAIN there'll be a war?
cherkell:  Unlike some others who think the Corporate Wars plotline is a snoozer, I'm interested to see how they pull this off without major collateral damage.  Or not.  Stay tuned.

JoAnne:  Tempie stomps off so angrily that I would bet money her tiny Laboutin heel imprints are now a permanent trail to - yes - Oppa's hotel room.   *remembers a certain fanfic and starts to hyperventilate*  But no.  *Reluctantly returns to squeecapping what REALLY happened.* Disclaimer:  "No skinship was involved in the making of this scene." Cue:  JoAnne pouting.
cherkell:  Everyone knows I am not a Rachel fan at all, so a little tiny piece of me squeed in triumph! 

JoAnne:  Anyway.  Rachel runs off to Young Do's Suite of Pain and demands to know how he could have kept Tan's illegitimacy a secret.  Young Do says that it's both the best thing he's ever done and also the thing that will hurt Kim Tan the most, so she better keep her pretty yap shut if she knows what's good for her.  I lose valuable sleep wondering in what context he meant 'best thing.'   It's Young Do so 'best' probably means 'worst' but then there's the Bean Factor...Thoughts?
cherkell:  I think "Young Do's Suite of Pain" would be a great name for a Megadeth Tribute Band.  Ah, such missed opportunities in the script...

JoAnne:  Meanwhile, Good Heir has taken the Bean Princess to Myung Soo's play house, where our two homeless kids prepare to bunker down for the night among all the refrigerators and expensively mismatched furniture.  Kim Tan is resolutely cheerful and flirtatious and the Bean is almost militantly virginal. Myung Soo is heard off screen at some point, but resourceful Kim Tan has changed the passcode and no one can get in.
cherkell:  And Goody ended up placing #100 out of 100 students?  That brilliant, analytical thought process should have bumped him up to #92 at least!

JoAnne:  Beanie's phone vibrates and Kim Tan grabs it.  Much like there is only ever one coffee shop in town, the only person who calls Eun Sang is Young Do, and Tan knows it.  I'm confident that Tan knows Eun Sang isn't interested in Bad, but he really doesn't want Bad anywhere near her all the same.

JoAnne:  Young Do takes it in stride well enough when he hears Kim Tan's voice, but my heart bleeds a little to hear him so far gone on this girl that he reduces himself to asking his mortal enemy to pass along a message:  Please add me on NotFaceBook, Eun Sang.

JoAnne:  Tan can't help but poke the lion, and the boys do their little dance. Bromance is coming, oh yes it is, you know it is, but at this rate the stakes are so high that I think we'll only get it on Young Do's deathbed and I'm so pissed about that I feel like slapping Rachel, who isn't even in this scene.
cherkell:  Don't worry.  I'm virtually slapping Rachel every time she appears on screen.

JoAnne:  Late at night, taking a break from her studies, Bean looks at Kim Tan's sleeping form on the couch and whispers 'Have a good dream.'  Of course Tan isn't asleep, and he replies that he's already in a good dream, because she is there with him.   *Cue tiny squee. Tiny. Very tiny. My heart is kind of full of Young Do these days.
cherkell:  And the SBS Award for Best Lying Like A Rug (Couch Optional) goes to...

JoAnne:  The next morning they rush out of the playroom and are greeted with a barrage of flashing lights - it's Myung Soo with a camera playing paparazzo. He spent the night outside waiting, cold and hungry but determined to catch whoever was inside fooling around in his studio. They all end up riding to school together and Thick demands to know what happened. Kim Tan warns Thick that he can be a formidable enemy with a reminder that he can hurt people with just a spoon...
cherkell:  Good job, Show.  Meta is as meta does... and that did it for me.  *snerk*

JoAnne: The two boys snigger about hugs and kisses like any two high school virgins and Eun Sang just ignores them. I can almost hear  her thoughts, blaming herself for falling for #100, who comes complete with a stupid #99 friend.
cherkell:  Beany was in the Top Three back at her old high school, and she's rated at #57 at Jeguk?  Isn't she Pissed Off Royale over that fact?  Hell, *I* would be!

JoAnne:  They get to school and they're doing that thing where they walk so slowly they should probably just sit down somewhere before they fall over (no? Is that just me?) when Kim Tan teasingly calls Eun Sang  'wife' and holds out his hand for her to take. After a moment, she does. She takes his hand and apologizes for being so slow, and now, at last, they are a couple. It only took 13 hours, or approximately 6 months in drama-time.
cherkell:  What would that be in Dog Years?  Dog Years in slow-motion?

JoAnne:  Just like it would happen in any other high school, the new and high-profile couple is picked up on right away.  I do, I really do, I so totally feel for Rachel, who is embarrassed and hurt and angry AND watching her fiancee walk hand in hand with a girl who shouldn't even factor in their lives.  I get it.  But Rachel, you are just so UNLIKEABLE these days.  Even Young Do is more likeable, with his tiny microscopic incredibly accurately pain-conveying facial movements.

JoAnne:  And oh look - speak of the devil and he will appear.  Young Do's insane alien face so plainly broadcasts his misery that I shiver a little, but he still plays that cool front. And yet, and yet...Good sends Bean off so she doesn't have to watch while he plays with Bad, but as she walks past the world's most love-struck bully, he asks simply that Eun Sang answer the phone when he calls.  It kills me how he can't stop asking for such simple things, that lonely boy.
cherkell:  Hey, Woobie?  You want me to put in a good word over at SidusHQ to get you starring in a better show with Yoobi?  I'd really like to see you happy for a change, and that might probably do it.

JoAnne:  Of course Kim Tan orders her to keep walking, and Eun Sang must be feeling more confident about both her boys because she orders them not to fight as she walks away. The moment she's gone, the posturing starts.  Young Do might not be able to hide his feelings when Eun Sang is around, but when she's not he still looks like that guy who would punch himself in his own face and then give you a big bloody smile.  The upshot of this particular dick-swing is that Young Do feels like he has to come up with something even bigger since Kim Tan outed himself to Rachel, and Kim Tan is pretty calm about it.  Whatever, dude, do your thing.  I'm ready.  That's his attitude, and as attitudes go, I kinda like it.
cherkell:  *Mutual of Omaha Voiceover* Here we see the 18-year-old-alpha males ready themselves for their Dance of Destiny in order to win over the only female worth winning over in their evenly-split gender stomping grounds.  Let's watch...       

JoAnne:  Bean is in the broadcasting room (are we going to see Kang Ha Neul, she asked hopefully?) and sure enough, Rachel blows in riding her broom to the accompanying sounds of puppies being tortured - no, I kid, there was no broom, but I guess I'm just confused because all she says is 'I have something to show you but I can't show you right now, so keep doing what you were doing there at that table.'  Ok then... in the same spirit, I feel I should tell you all that next week sometime I may blow my nose.  But you can just keep on living, in the meantime.  Ok?
cherkell:  I wait with baited breath for when you actually DO blow your nose, because that will be way more exciting than what actually transpires next.  (Meaning: No Ha-neul sighting.  BOOOO.)

JoAnne:  Where Rachel and Eun Sang gather, Kim Tan will appear.  (But apparently not Kang Ha Neul.  I mope.) In a stunning display of his continuing disregard for Rachel's feelings, Goodie is only concerned about the Bean.  Rachel slaps him harder than Kim Tan has ever managed to punch Young Do.  I'm sorry - I totally support KimBean couples in every guise, but we must acknowledge that Rachel has an actual reason to be angry, and that Kim Tan has hurt and embarrassed her deeply.
cherkell:  I'm surprised Tempie didn't hit him sooner... like a few episodes back when he admitted he wanted to cancel the merger engagement.  I find it hard to believe that Beany is surprised by the slap.  Doesn't she watch the weekend soaps at all?

JoAnne: Of course, she wastes my sympathy by being a total BITCH and yammering on about bloodlines... but the gist of it all is that if Kim Tan's illegitimate and STILL doesn't want Rachel, who could 'save' him in some future social/business war... wow, then he really doesn't want her, and the pain in her eyes kinda brings tears to mine. It's hard even for the innocent other woman in this scenario to listen to, and Beanie runs off to hide somewhere so she doesn't hear Rachel's parting question to The Boy Who Lived A Lie: why was his mother pretending to be Eun Sang's mother?
cherkell: *calling out down the hallway*  Messy, where arrrrrrrrrrrrrre yooooooooooooou?  Kudos to Tempermental for hauling off and giving him a real whack at least.  Let's rename this Show to "He Who Gets The Face Slapped, Must Wear The Bandage."

JoAnne:  Eee.  I forgot about that.  We need to keep Rachel away from Bean Mom.
cherkell:  I bet Bean Mom carries a shiv in her apron just in case it's needed.

JoAnne:  Cut to Tannie pacing in front of the girl's bathroom: Eun Sang, are you crying? That's what he wants to know.  It's reasonable of him to wonder since she cries a lot lately.  But it's funny that he prevents everyone from entering, so she can have her privacy.
cherkell:  Or those rumours are true about LMH smoking, and he wants to bum a ciggy off of her instead.

JoAnne: My new best bud Bo Na shows up and proclaims herself as a savior to the Bean, and she makes Kim Tan's day when she mentions that she's been giving the Bean a place to sleep lately.  He gives her a high five and naturally Bo Na assumes he's just trying to touch her, so she scurries off to find her beloved Baby Heir. I'm hearing 'ChanBo' chants on my twitter these days.  I think it's safe to assume that not one of us hates Bo Na anymore...but we probably all still cringe a little when she opens her mouth.
cherkell:  I was highly suspect when Krystal was cast for Bo Na, as this is her first acting gig outside of her little girl group activities.  But she's done an awesome job so far.

JoAnne: A red-eyed Eun Sang comes out of the bathroom and slaps Kim Tan on the back for being a doofus.  I like her best when she's being more feisty, don't you? Her big worry these days is that she can't protect Tan and he's predictably thrilled that she's moved to that stage of caring.  You gotta hand it to the boy - when he wants something, he just keeps moving toward it.  He doesn't waver at all once his mind is made up.  I just wish he'd been this determined BEFORE he promised to spend his life with Rachel, you know?
cherkell:  I don't think Tan-ah made any "promises" towards Tempie at all.  This is a Business Merger, first and foremost, and poor Goody probably was suffering from Stockholm Syndrome and went along with whatever KimPapa told him to do.  But yay for finally finding a mind of his own!

JoAnne:  Bo Na is in the hallway alone after a quick chat with Eun Sang and Chan Young when Kang Ye Sol approaches and does something so MIND-BENDINGLY stupid that I have to replay it to prove that it happened.  The girl who is living an enormous lie has the nerve, first, to tell Bo Na that she should dump Chan Young because he's 'just a Secretary's son' and then... oh, then, she cracks wise about Rachel getting dumped, and of course Rachel has just walked up behind her.

JoAnne: Ye Sol looks scared but then keeps going anyway, telling Rachel that yeah, everyone knows she got dumped and that it's because her family is a joke and everyone knows - I'm laughing in disbelief at this point - everyone knows Rachel's mother is a gold digger and that's why she's after Young Do's dad.  I really can't blame Rachel when she blows Ye Sol's secret wide open.
cherkell:  That freakin' resonated in the teeny piece of my soul that actually wants to like this Show.  I've been in situations like that, and whether you're 18 or 48, you never quite get over that helplessness and shame.  We all knew it would not go well for Ye-sol once her eomma was outed, but DAMN.

Ye-sol should have read more Spider-man comics.

JoAnne:  In the cafeteria, Rachel has taken a note from her oppa and is sitting in his seat at That Table, a clearly uncomfortable Bo Na at her side.  Rachel wants Ye Sol to sit in Ball Boy's old seat.  Kids are gathering to watch - kids are running from all parts of the school to watch.  Kim Tan and Chan Young arrive at about the same time and Chan Young scolds his girl like the misbehaving 4-year-old that she is.  I feel bad for her, but just a little bit.  She didn't want to be there, but she wanted to defend her sweetheart's honor and she was scared of Rachel.  Shit, I'm scared of Rachel.  Still, she's wrong.
cherkell:  Only thing missing is for the Class President to sell viewing tickets.  The school could fully pay for the next six proms with the funds raised!

JoAnne:  Kim Tan has decided that his role in life must be to protect all the things from Rachel, and he tries to defuse the situation by grabbing Ye Sol's plate and taking the hot seat in her place.  Bean shows up to look alarmed, and Young Do is two steps behind her.  He sizes things up quickly and takes his allotted position as Resident Bully, claiming that Kim Tan isn't allowed to do this.  Kim Tan points out that he made the rules, so he can break them. I don't get the idea that Young Do agrees.  The boys whip out their dicks, but sadly only metaphorically speaking.  Still, the focus is now off the pitifully sobbing Kang Ye Sol, who surely is wishing she'd just kept her mouth shut earlier.
cherkell:  There really was no point to this exchange other than spilling Ye-sol's 'secret.'  Which ain't really that much of a secret -- money is money, so who gives a flip exactly how it is made and spent, ne?  That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. 

JoAnne: Bean grabs Kim Tan and drags him off, ChanBo head out to have (probably) their first fight ever, Ye Sol makes herself scarce, and our two writhing balls of pain and misery are left alone at the table looking like they have no idea what just happened, but they know they don't like it.

JoAnne:  Feisty Eun Sang makes another appearance and chastises Kim Tan for always fighting with Young Do.  'But I didn't START it' he whines like a 5-year old.  Yes, she agrees - Young Do is immature and acts like a kid in elementary school, but she thought Kim Tan at least could act like he was in middle school.  I sort of like that she is no longer intimidated by their posturing, and sees them both for the idiots they are.
cherkell:  Forgive me, but I'm having vivid flashbacks to my entire childhood life hearing that whole 'started it' whiny shit.  The scars will never heal... *sigh*

JoAnne:  Chan Young and Bo Na are having a real fight.  Baby Heir is finally not smiling at the antics of his beloved Bo Na, and he really lets her have it:  she was wrong, she knew he wouldn't approve, and Ye Sol must have hit a nerve - IS Bo Na embarrassed because he's a secretary's son?  Chan Young knows his worth, and he's a solid, steady guy.  I love this kid.  He is every bit the indulgent oppa for most of Bo Na's stupid behavior, but he's not going to allow this, and he lets her know how disappointed he is.  Stung, Bo Na hits back that if she's so disappointing, it's a wonder he lasted with her this long.  She tells him she hates him and stalks off.  I would be more affected if I thought for one minute that they wouldn't make up later on.
cherkell:  Now that was one awesomely-written scene.  If after the ubiquitous time-jump in the Finale these two do not have wicked-cute babies at their feet, imma gonna cut a bitch!

JoAnne:  Kim Tan arrives home and greets his parents in the living room.  His mother looks like a dog that's been habitually beaten, she's so cowed and afraid.  His father looks like every pissed off, judgemental, controlling, chaebol-dad ever.  Blah blah blah Kim Tan turns over his phone, his wallet, and his coat, cast out in the cold with nothing that was given to him by his father (except the school uniform, which KT promises to repay some day.)

JoAnne: He leaves the house, and we spend the next few minutes watching just how hilariously unprepared  to face the world that Kim Tan is, and I swear that Bean hits him so hard it bruised Min Ho's arm.  His determination to make it 'on his own' is adorable and so, so young.  Even so, he has limits - when HyoShin offers him a bed for the night Kim Tan declines because 'that mother is too scary.'
cherkell:  When didja get so smart, Goody?  Ah, you probably do not want to be arrested as an accessory to murder when something bad happens to Messy thanks to ScaryMom's actions.

JoAnne:  Cut to HyoShin at home looking so drawn and weary my heart hurts, and it's troubling to note that he's got a bottle of pills in his hands.  He texts Tutorina, and then Mom walks in with a suit and tie.  My heart falls.  Her smile is hopeful and determined as she approaches her son.  He is flabbergasted to learn that she lied to get him another shot at the college entrance exams, barely holds back tears as he begs her to let him know how far he has to go before she listens.
cherkell:  No no no no no no no no no... me no likey this beeyotch!  And what's the deal with Hyo-shin's daddy -- does he have no say in this matter, or is he playing the typical emasculated male?

JoAnne: Listen - this mom is not cold or unfeeling.  She is afraid.  She is not ignoring the monster in the corner.  She is doing what she thinks will help her son defeat the monster and she is thinking about the only future she can imagine for him.  She's trying to save him.  She is very, very wrong, and I am afraid for them both, but I do not hate her.  Not even a little bit.
cherkell:  I've read that the netizens have been quite sympathetic for ScaryMom, since other Tiger Moms wholeheartedly approve of the tactics she's taking to ensure a better life for Messy (in her eyes; not his).  Kudos to the production for touching upon such a subject, but I see nothing but sadness arriving on Runway One-Niner-Left for Puppy Ha-neul. *sobs*
JoAnne:  (I'm not supporting her behavior or agreeing with it, just pointing out that she's responding in a very human way and yeah, I do have some sympathy. But she is wrong and she needs to figure that out, fast.)

JoAnne:  As Bean leaves the coffee shop (what happened to all the other jobs?  Not scenic enough?) KiMistress arrives.   She verifies that this is where Eun Sang works and has been sleeping and then lights into her and as I realize what I'm hearing, I begin to laugh.  KiMistress is pissed off at Bean for doing what she was told.  She's been WORRIED about the girl, and she knows she flew off the handle, and it's clear she never seriously meant for Bean to get lost.
cherkell:  Oh poor delusional KiMistress.  You are the shining light when all around looks dark.

JoAnne:  I don't think this means that she approves of Bean as 'the one' for her precious boy, but it does mean that this woman is a mother down to her soul, and if there was one part of me that didn't already love her, that part has given up the fight. Even when she makes it all about her, the actual worry she feels for Beanie comes through loud and clear, and she readily admits that this is not Bean's fault at all.
cherkell:  I think it's KiMistress thinking she's found a kindred soul in Beany.  She may be Tan's eomma, but their backgrounds share a similarity that maybe a tiny piece of her WANTS Beany to stay with Goody?  Hmmmm.....

JoAnne:  Ok folks, we suddenly have a new couple to ship.  Since the two moms are KimBean, what does that make this new pair?  KimBeanToo?  KimPrin? KimBeanie?  And how many couples IS this?
cherkell:  *breaking out abacus to count properly*

JoAnne: As she grills Princess over the whereabouts of her son, Tan arrives.  Hilariously, Mom beats on him the same way Beanie does.  Goodie grabs KiMistress in a hug and warns her to use her words, wondering aloud why all the women he loves like to hit him.  Umm, because you're an idiot half the time?
cherkell:  Again, Truth As A Defense.

JoAnne: Mom demands that Tan return home but he refuses, of course, and when she worries that Papa will find out about Eun Sang, Kim Tan shares the news that Dad's been having him followed for a while, and must already know.  Both women recognize that the stakes have been upped in this game, and Mom demands that Bean join her team and help convince Tan to give up his pointless fight.
cherkell:  And KiMistress doesn't realize the depths that KimPapa will sink to at all?  Minus 10 points, dahling.

JoAnne: Apparently, Beanie agrees with this course of action.  I cannot believe what I'm seeing, but the Princess is going to return home with Tan's mom.  Mom links arms with the Bean and praises her smarts, then announces to Kim Tan that from now on, his girl is her hostage.  He must come home. The women head off to the car arm in arm, Tan scurrying behind to whine that his mother didn't even bring him anything from the house.  'Mom, take good care of my girlfriend!' he says with a cheeky grin. Mom (of course) gives him the jacket and phone she brought.  As he takes his stuff he smiles and announces that the two women look great together.  I cannot stop laughing at their faces, or how INSANE this is by KDrama standards.
cherkell:  *head explodes*  Sorry, my head just exploded.

JoAnne: Tannie shows up at hyung's and (briefly) gets a door shut in his face, but Sex Heir relents and lets him in.  He wonders aloud to Won about the contrast in their rebellions:  Won was allowed to leave without a word against him but 'I got slapped... was that because I am the illegitimate son? That hurts.'  Kim Won's 'I smell shit' face briefly registers thoughtfulness.
cherkell:  C'mon Wonnie... you can dooooo eeeeeeet.  Throw your dongsaeng a bone!  

JoAnne: Baby Daddy calls Wonnie to discuss those held shares, and Tan picks up enough of the conversation to know it's about him.  Won's face goes back into his pissy default position and he walks across the room slowly so that we can admire how amazingly good he looks in a nice tight sweater and slacks, but then he ruins it by tossing a credit card at Kim Tan and telling him to sleep somewhere else. Sexy is sexy, but cruel only works if you're the Bad Heir, Wonnie.
cherkell:  *momentarily extremely distracted by tight sweater*

JoAnne: Downstairs, Kim Tan finds himself barred from renting a room.  The desk clerk is embarrassed but hands over a crudely drawn sketch of Kim Tan - the 'do not rent' list, apparently. When Kim Tan complains about the likeness, Young Do strolls up in a giant orange inflatable raft of a jacket and asks what he thought he looked like, anyway?
cherkell:  Happy Little Trees?  Oooh, I know... let's draw a cowboy instead!

JoAnne: Young Do's proud of his sketch and his revenge, announcing his reasons gleefully:  1) You're Kim Tan; 2 ) You're Kim Tan; 3) You-are-Kim-Tan; 4) You got my bike towed; and 5) You broke the rules first.  Poor Anti-Hero... he's all set to gloat over his victory, but Goodie is thrilled to have a reason to return to his brother.  Kim WooBin does the best 'Son of a BITCH' face in K-Drama, I swear to God.
cherkell:  Wait... you're going too fast!  I can't write all that down.  What was Number 3 again?  Dammit, I thought we agreed NO QUIZZES in SqueeCaps Class!

JoAnne: Kim Tan is bedded down for the night on the couch, wearing the whitest, most wrinkle-free dress shirt ever.  I'm sure he has on those horrible khakis that make his hips look enormous, too.  Kim Won has retired to his bed in his green wool sweater and slacks.  Sigh.
cherkell:  NOW I understand the whole "sleeping in your clothes" experience, having fallen asleep the past few days fully dressed as well.

JoAnne: Tannie wants to chat but Won is his usual withholding self and pretends to be asleep.  His face, though, registers something - is it an actual human emotion other than displeasure?  Hmmm. It almost looks sad... regretful, even.  Keep trying, Kim Won.  I'm sure you'll be able to feel something besides jealousy soon.  If Pinocchio could become a real boy, you can too.
cherkell:  Yeah, but what a waste of good wood if that happened.  *rimshot*

JoAnne: Tan is thrilled to ride to school with his brother the next day, and starts to ask about a pick up but thinks better of it when he sees Won's stone face.  He gives his brother a big happy wave as he gets out of the car, but as he walks away the grin disappears.  I wonder if the seriousness is for everything in general, or something specific he's not looking forward to at school.
cherkell:  Best High School Chauffeur EVAH!

JoAnne: Won is driving off, but he sees Tutorina headed into the building.  His immediate instinct is to go after her, but he stops himself.  See, his face does work. That was sadness.  Maybe resignation.
cherkell:  Or he's still holding his own Ace Card and doesn't think it's the proper time to use it.  But yes... THAT FACE.  Oh honey... *RAWR*

JoAnne: Tutorina starts her day off well by announcing that her students may discriminate against each other because of money,  but she will discriminate based on grades.  Kim Tan recognizes her as his brother's ex-girlfriend right away. Oh, this is good.  Tutorina looks around the room and addresses Young Do:  Hey, you with the raised eyebrows.  Put your phone away, and put your eyebrows down. The class giggles and so do I, but Young Do doesn't think it's funny at all.
cherkell:  *snickersnort*  I wonder if Young-do's Eyebrow Wrangler gets a ending credit?

JoAnne: Who is the best student, Tutorina asks the class. Since Baby Heir is #1, as far as she is concerned, her students are now Baby Heir and <dismissive handwave> the rest of them.  Bean Princess looks happy, happy, happy.  But why? She's not exactly the best student anymore.  Maybe she just likes knowing there's someone who isn't influenced by money.
cherkell:  And also hoping these two find a common friend ground.  But we still have 7 episodes to go, just in case Tutorina has her own birth secrets to reveal.

JoAnne: KimPapa and Wifey#2 are waiting with that photo guy for Baby Daddy.  Everyone knows everyone knows what's up.  Baby Daddy makes a joke about not having asked if he was being followed too, and KimPapa grins smugly. Of course - and he should quit that romance of his because first loves don't matter. That wipes the tentative grin off Daddy's face, alright.
cherkell:  Ouch.  Wise up and get the hell out of Castle PapaWheelie's employ, Baby Daddy.  Your ulcers will thank you in the long run.

JoAnne: Papa tells him to put a halt on the transactions for Kim Tan's shares right now and speculates that Rachel's mom will start trying to buy up stock anyway she can  pretty soon. If Baby Daddy thinks anyone is of a mind to sell, he should buy back that stock before anyone else can get to it.  In the meantime, Wifey needs to go see Rachel's mom and get her to change her mind about the engagement cancelling, and finally, Baby Daddy should make arrangements for Bean Princess to study abroad, since having her at the school isn't having the right effect.  'I forgot how young they are,' says KimPapa with a small smile.
cherkell:  Now this is where my ears perked up.  I wonder if KimPapa realizes how strict the Korean laws are against insider trading... or he just doesn't care since he's old and is gonna die soon anyway?  OOOOH, I'm intrigued now!

JoAnne: At school, Kim Tan joins the Bean Princess on a bench inside somewhere.  The atmosphere is comfortable between them now and I laugh when Eun Sang raves about how well she slept, now that she's back home, but she immediately asks how it was with his brother and then dismisses his positive report as a lie.  She's still working the 'Bring Tan Home' plan.
cherkell:  She slept well in that little dinky drafty basement room?  Still a lot nicer than my new apartment will ever be.  *sobbing*  

JoAnne: She brought him donuts but when he chooses to bite the one that's half in her mouth, she responds with super duper virgin bug eyes, smacks him, and tells him not to whine about it.  It's always funny to me when Tan wants to talk about their level of skinship.  He'll joke and push for whatever he can get (and take it if offered) and she'll hold out for as long as possible, but I never get the sense that he's actually upset or resentful that she's modelling herself after nuns.  It's unrealistic, but it's cute.  Keep up with the cheekiness, Tan-ah!  This is how mothers and fathers want to see their teenaged children handling their hormones! Assa!  No virgins were harmed in the making of this drama!
cherkell:  YET.  (And how cheesy was that piano glissando?)

JoAnne: HyoShin is at his college interview being an asshole.  I hope it works out for him.  The poor kid is looking bad, bad, bad.  Kim Tan hears that HyoShin's not at school and heads outside to check up on him, but no answer.  That damned chalk outline is in the shot and I offer up a prayer.  Or two. Or ten.
cherkell:  Right behind you.  I'm even lighting candles.

JoAnne: Kim Tan is summoned to NotMom's office.  She's pissed, but we learn something useful that I almost miss in my rightous rage over her hideous voice and the assumption that she actually has a right to claim that she raised him.
cherkell:  Nope.  I gots nothin' other than hearing Charlie Brown's teacher spouting something. *wah wah wah waaaaaah wah wah*

JoAnne:  APPARENTLY, KimPapa won his place as Chairman by wresting it from the hands of his brothers, and he's been fighting off lawsuits from brothers, nephews, nieces, and the like ever since. SO THIS IS WHY KIM WON FEELS LIKE HE DOES.  And also, the entire reason Kim Tan has been brought up the way he has is so that he won't be a weakness in this particular Kim Family's grip on the crown.  Not because he's a beloved son or anything like that.  The puppy's eyes fill with tears and the horrible weight of realization.
cherkell:  The almonds don't fall far from the tree, Tannie.  Good thing he was told before the leaves fell this autumn!  (Beautiful colors, no?)

JoAnne: Naturally he retires to a driving range to sit and ponder his ponderous things.  Thick walks up and helpfully clarifies that this is part of the school.  Tan is hiding there because Eun Sang won't be around and he doesn't want her to see him like this, he sighs.  It's touching to me that he's trying to protect her from a full grasp of the obstacles they face, but I wish he'd treat her like an equal partner, all the same.
cherkell:  Chivalry is not quite dead; it's just a little bit dormant.

JoAnne: Beanie is at work and learns there's going to be a private event.  The whole place has been rented out for a couple of hours, and BossMan is headed out too. Oh yeah, could it be...YES.  Young Do walks in looking MIGHTY fine and quite pleased with himself.  Bean's class ranking drops by several points as she fails repeatedly to grasp the significance of his presence, and when he makes it clear she is not impressed.  It's ok, Young-Do-yah... I like it even if she doesn't.
cherkell:  Saw this move coming down Market at 90 MPH.  It's getting old... doesn't he have something different to offer?

JoAnne: Mr. Love-Struck asks her to make two of anything that's easy for her to make as he chooses a table, and instructs her with a cute face not to spit in it.  Cut to some time later. There's one untouched drink on a tray in front of Young Do and he's sitting alone while Beanie flits about doing busy work and ignoring him.  If we go by the look of boredom on his face, Young Do has been waiting for quite some time, but he is so awkward and anxious and hopeful as he fidgets in that seat that my heart just squinches a bit.
cherkell:  Doesn't he realize that MangoSix stores don't clean up on themselves?  And it always amazes me that a supervisor in Korea can just leave a female worker on her own late at night with nary a care in the world that she might get in trouble. *sheesh*

JoAnne: Finally he speaks up and asks her to just sit for a bit, but she ignores him and he starts to get annoyed.  He takes his untouched drink (which looks a lot like butternut squash bisque covered in fluffernutter, ugh) and carefully pours a little on the ground.  That's the Young Do we know, alright, but I feel bad for the kid who learned one lesson really well:  If he misbehaves, someone will finally pay him attention.  He tries to do it the right way, but it doesn't work.  Sigh.
cherkell:  Le sigh aussi.  See comment above.

JoAnne: As Eun Sang sits down Young Do starts in with the jokes, but she interrupts:  What does he want from her?  The smile disappears and is replaced by naked vulnerability. Hopefully, Young Do says simply that when her phone rings, he would like her to answer it. He would like her to talk to him when he talks to her, he says quietly. Say hi when you see me, he asks slowly, and holds his breath.  You can see his entire heart in his eyes and mine fill with tears because I know how this will go.
cherkell:  Heh heh heh... Jo said "naked."  (Sorry... you were saying?)

JoAnne: Eun Sang looks surprised and then sad.  Now I get it, she says.  I understand why you didn't reveal my secrets, and I'm sorry I avoided you.  I know what I have to do now.  Young Do takes a deep breath and waits for his sentence:  is it life or a pardon?
cherkell:  First check if the Warden is holding a syringe behind her back.

JoAnne: She looks at him with compassion and says I'm sorry, but I cannot accept your heart.  Young Do's eyes fill with tears and he does that jaw thing while he struggles to gain control, and my heart just breaks for the boy.  Love is love, even if you're a bully; until tonight I didn't realize that Young Do seriously believed he might have a chance with her.  I thought she knew he liked her, and I thought he knew it was pointless, and I thought they'd continue with him being her snarky sometime hero/sometime tormenter.  This is so much sadder.
cherkell:  I have to admit that scene did give me a gut-punch.  Have to hand it to Woobie for playing that for the pathos it deserved, since I was expecting yet another witty backhanded retort after Beany cut him off at the knees.

JoAnne: Young Do wonders aloud if he can take revenge for being dumped.  He's asking himself, but Bean answers that if he has to he has to, although she hopes he doesn't.  Young Do clarifies: I can't pick on you anymore - that would break my heart.  But I can pick on everyone BUT you.  He instructs her to relax for the remaining 20 minutes, gives her a bittersweet smile, and heads out into the night.
cherkell:  Woo hoo!  Free break and all the MangoSixUChinnos I can drink in 20 minutes!  WOOT!

JoAnne: A song MUCH worse than Love is the Moment marks the end of Young Do's dream. It sounds like someone took a man and forced him to sing while holding his balls in a vise.  So I guess it's fitting, in that it accurately conveys excruciating pain.
cherkell:  Yeah, what exactly was that?  Made me jump with its first verse... and not in a good way.

JoAnne:  The song continues as we watch Young Do lie all over a library table, mysteriously ignored by the other students.  If this were a cartoon there would be a neon sign over his head flashing 'BROKEN HEART HERE' every other second, and by rights people should be gathered around in little clumps trying to gather up the courage to check whether he's breathing or not, but no.  Nothing.  It must be that awful song.  Behind the blank eyes Young Do is replaying his rejection.  Eventually, he gets up. We just know this won't end well, right?
cherkell:  Yup, the Nuclear Option is about to begin.

JoAnne: Oh, yes.  Kim Tan is at his locker when the intercom switches on and Young Do's voice rings out over the campus. 'Beloved Classmates, this is Choi Young Do. I have a story to share with you.  It's about the second son of Jeguk Group, Kim Tan.'  Cut to various points in the school:  Rachel is alarmed, Kim Tan is calm and resolute as he heads up the stairs, and Bean is racing down the hallway as fast as she can.
cherkell:  Can I request a song, Casey Kasem?  Please play "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" by Paul Simon!  No?  How about "Wrecking Ball" by Miley Cyrus?

JoAnne:  Young Do drags things out a bit.  He's going to reveal something! In 60 seconds... but first, he has a quote to share:  Your enemies are not the ones who hold their swords against you, but the ones who stand by you with their daggers behind their backs.  This sums up how he feels about Kim Tan, but he understands why others don't get it; they don't know the reason, after all.
cherkell:  We now take a 60-second break for a word from our sponsor:  It's a Free Match.com Weekend coming up -- sign up now!

JoAnne:  Eun Sang bursts into the room and Young Do announces 'She's here.'  As Beanie flips all the switches to 'off' Young Do adds, 'The person I was waiting for.'  The look of manic glee from a moment before shifts to naked pain, but when he turns to face Bean his face is carefully blank.
cherkell:  Processing... processing...

JoAnne:  She grabs his arm to drag him out of the room and he doesn't fight, but when they get to the door he twists away and holds her still.  Eun Sang angrily demands to know if this is his revenge and insists he let go.  Emotions barely contained, Young Do declines:  he will have to let go soon enough, so he won't let go now.  All of that trouble was for this one moment, he says, so bear with him.  Eun Sang's anger deflates and she looks at him with pity. "Please stop, Young-Do-yah," she says sadly, saying his name in a form that indicates true closeness and familiarity.
cherkell:  Oh crap.  Oh oh oh oh crap.

JoAnne:  That's more than Mr. Huge Bundle of Frayed Nerve Endings can bear, and he grabs her more tightly and shoves her back against the wall.  Don't call my name that way, he demands.  It must hurt like hell to be addressed so intimately when he'd hoped that she would say it with love, some day, and he is barely holding back tears when he hears someone approach from outside - Kim Tan.
cherkell:  *cue Mighty Mouse theme song* 

JoAnne:  Sworn enemies long before they were rivals for the same heart, the boys stare at each other through the door glass for a second and when Kim Tan tries to enter, Young Do holds the door shut with his foot.  It must be nice to have such long legs.  Eun Sang realizes who's out there and Kim Tan catches a glimpse of her alarmed face just as Young Do pulls her back out of view.  Kim Tan jumps to a fairly-justifiable conclusion and goes ape-shit on the door, but lets be very clear, here, folks, because I've heard a lot of really dumb shit lately.
cherkell:  Pulling up a seat and opening a nice cold Lagunitas IPA while awaiting the explanation...

JoAnne: Young Do never had any intention of hurting or frightening Eun Sang. He wasn't going to rape her.  He wasn't even going to kiss her.  He wanted a minute more with her, and he always wants to fuck with Kim Tan.  He said it himself, looking at Eun Sang with all the misery and resignation in the world in his eyes, "When I said  I would torment everyone but you, that everyone included Kim Tan.  And myself."
cherkell:  Totally agree with you.  I highly doubt this Show would even go to a dark place such as that, but the hints that it *might* did make me sit up and take notice.  But Woobie-kun, YOU'RE SCARING ME.

JoAnne: Eun Sang is momentarily startled a few times by being jerked around physically, but she's never actually scared of Young Do's behavior toward HER.  She might be afraid of what he would do to Kim Tan, but I also think she's afraid of what Kim Tan would do to Young Do.  Those tears in her eyes are not fear, they are sadness.
cherkell:  Or she's caught a cold from standing out in the chilly air being stared at all the time.

Final Thoughts

JoAnne: It's no secret that I like this show a lot, but I continue to be surprised by just how MUCH I like it.  It's not that the plot is so compelling - it's a common story with a couple newish elements thrown in -  but the characters, for the most part, ARE compelling, and the acting is of a generally quite satisfactory level.  In some cases it's really damn good.  I'm looking at you two, Woo Bin and Ji Won.
cherkell:  It was as early as Episode 8 when I wondered how the hell each and every actor was going to have a decent amount of script to flesh out their characters.  And because of such a large cast, I still feel that Kang Ha-neul and Choi Jin-hyuk have been grossly underutilized through these 13 episodes.  But that may be only because Kim Eun-sook has her own Ace Card perched precariously up her sleeve.

JoAnne:  I find a lot of people who completely miss the point of a lot of this show, and it makes me a little sad.  Which isn't to say that I'm completely right all the time, of course, but I don't have any trouble making sense out of this story or understanding what's important in it, so it works for me.  Interactive drama for the win.  Best way to watch.
cherkell:  I see that a lot of folks are calling this Korea's own 'Gossip Girl,' so that may be why I'm partially missing the boat.  I have never watched that show, so I have no reference on which to base my contrarianism outside of "cripes, another KDrama about spoiled rich kids."
JoAnne: I've never seen Gossip Girl.  I thought that show WAS just about spoiled rich kids?

JoAnne:  It's not perfect, of course, and we're still waiting for more out of a few beloved and rarely seen/hard to understand players but we still have half a series to go, almost.  With such a large cast, all cannot be revealed at once.  The pace is slow, but I've never been bored once we hit Korea.  I like most of these kids and I care about all of them because I can see why the unlikeable kids are unlikeable.  I like about half of the adults.  At a certain point, you do have to get over yourself and be a decent human being even if you've been dealt a shitty hand, after all.
cherkell:  Agreed in part, but the damn Staring Contests just suck all the lifeblood out of me.  Granted, for all its warts, not ONCE have I thought in the back of my mind that the Show would get better if Stoned Surfer Dude suddenly decided to transfer to Jeguk High.  Thanking my lucky stars for that!

JoAnne: I have always thought that the romance between Tan and Eun Sang is there only as the driver to show the REST of the relationships in the story, and as such - it's central to the plot, but not THE plot.  I don't really think of this as a story about high school romance at all, other than in the sense that any story about high school is about finding your place in the world - and that's something every single person in this story is working on:  finding their place, or at least keeping it.  That story is always interesting to me, I guess.
cherkell:  7 more episodes to go, my dear.  But this ain't no 'riches to rags to riches again' story.  Tannie finding his place in the world is going to arrive with blow-back SO huge that there will not be enough psychologists in Gangnam-gu for that poor boy's psyche to heal properly.