Bride Of The Century Episode 12 (A SqueeCap)

Shuk: Everybody knows the curse isn’t real. And almost everyone knows the bride isn’t either. Eottoke?
JoAnne:  Is it just me or is this round of dramas full of secrets that aren't secret?

EPISODE 12

Shuk: Kang-ju asks his new wife, “Who are you?” She tries to pretend it’s his mistake, but he tells her that everything about her is different. Yi-kyung goes on the offensive and tells him that he’s changed and she’s disappointed. He stands up and they leave. Yep, he ain’t falling for it.
JoAnne:  I am GIDDY with delight at what I anticipate in the near future.

Shuk: JangBitch right away heads for momma’s house and tells her everything. JangMa is confident that there is no chance he can find his Bubbles.
JoAnne:  Because there have been absolutely no mistakes or surprises along the way, of course.

Shuk: Except that Flunkette already knows, and shows up at the restaurant. She crows that she saved her from the thugs, and that she knows everything. How does it feel to go back to being a nobody? Doo-rim says it’s familiar and comfortable. This seems to take the wind out of Roo-mi’s sails, and she seriously asks why Doo-rim gave up on Kang-ju. She admits she wanted to hold onto him, but as her greed grew, her fears did too, until she didn’t see how those around her were affected. Love isn’t just holding on, it’s letting go when it’s best for the other. Ugh, Noble Idiocy [takes a shot of soju to wash out the taste]. She’s okay being hurt as long as no one else gets hurt because of her, especially Choi Kang-ju.
JoAnne:  Dammit, Roo Mi is a real person.  

Shuk: Flunkette’s leaving is noticed by Cookie, who turns to look inside the restaurants and briefly sees Doo-rim before she ducks into the kitchen. Mouse hurries out to intercept him; luckily, he’s a bit tipsy from a company dinner. She convinced him that he didn’t see his boss’ chippy.
JoAnne:  Well I think chippy is a bit harsh, though.
Shuk:  You pointed out she's not married. Is 'paramour' better?

Shuk: Flunkette and FirstBorn are in his office, and before she can say anything, he cuts to the chase: She knows the woman he gave his ring to. She’s taken aback, and tells him he’s quicker than she thought. She hands him Bubbles’ couples ring, and says he married a Yi-kyung knockoff, all because of the curse. And everyone around him knows this, including his mom, but they all kept him in the dark to avoid opening Pandora’s box.
JoAnne:  RIP that bandaid off, Roo Mi!

Shuk: He still wants to know where that woman is. She replies that woman has returned to her regular life now that everyone got what they needed, and if he tries to dig for information, people may get hurt, him the worst. He still wants to find her. She warns him to act quietly and stay under the radar.
JoAnne:  Fear the Mothers.

Shuk: Doo-rim is at the hospital bathing JangOppa, who is still unconscious. Her phone rings and it’s Choi Kang-ju! She stares at the screen before letting go to voicemail.
JoAnne: For those of you reading-not-watching, bathing OppaNotOppa is far less exciting than it sounds.

Shuk: In his office, Kang Ju starts pacing. He finally leaves just as Cookie is bringing in a snack, sweet potatoes and vegetarian mandoo. He tells his boss they are from Jin-joo’s restaurant, and his mind flashes back to the water-on-the-piano scene, and “Yi-kyung’s” concern over her. Click!
JoAnne:  You know, that happens a lot in this drama.  I don't know about you, but I do NOT remember every single freaking thing that ever happened since I met someone, no matter how tiny. Maybe it's just that none of you are that important to me...(I'm kidding, I love everyone, deeply.)

Out on a limb, is our Joanne unni.



Shuk: He heads over to FBRS, and cautiously goes inside. He peeks into the kitchen, but doesn’t see anyone. He hears someone singing, and walks to the back deck, where Doo-rim is roasting sweet potatoes. She senses his presence and turns around. Eye contact!
JoAnne:  Was he wearing the camera on his head, like a miner? Well except that would be a light, but you know what I mean.

Shuk:  They both stare wordlessly for a moment before he says, "Jang Yi-kyung". He grabs her wrist to pull her out of the building, but she jerks away. "I'm not Jang Yi-kyung," she bites out.  He looks disbelievingly at her, and she tells him to take a good hard look.  He asks who she really is.

JoAnne:  There it is!  Amnesia! No?  Well, we still have half the series to get through.  I'm sure it's coming.

Shuk:  She thought he showed up because he knew everything, and she won't give him the answers he wants. She goes on the attack. All she wanted was to live a simple life, and if he was dumb enough to be fooled then so be it.  He gets increasingly agitated asking her why she would do such a thing. She tells him she got the restaurant and whole lot of money for her part. She can see her image shattering in his eyes, and she has to look away; he wonders out loud if she has a heart, then figures she can buy and sell it as much as she wants.
JoAnne: I fail to see why the truth could not have been told in a more truthful way. She could stop short of telling him she loved him, if she wanted, since clearly that would be a reason for him to drop the other Yi Kyung and we know she's trying to avoid that.

Shuk:  He warns her to never use his name; she is the first person he gave his heart to, and he hates himself for believing in her lies.  With that he storms out, leaving a devastated Bubbles behind. Mouse comes and hugs her; she cries for all the pain he's going through.

JoAnne: Which you just compounded by manipulating the truth.  See previous comment.

Shuk:  Kang-ju confronts his mother about the situation. Mom says she didn't want to see him in pain, but he cuts to the chase: What kind of agreement does she have with JangMa? Mom replies that his mother-in-law is as devious as a snake, and has effectively tied her hands to do anything to stop this. His responsibility is to the family business, and his father should never know.

JoAnne:  If they kill off the nice dad in this drama too, I'll....

Shuk: Cookie delivers the goods on Bubbles to FirstBorn, and on the surface, its sounds exactly as she said; trading herself for the deed to a restaurant.
JoAnne:  Well sure but there's the truth and then there's truthful lies.  Or in this case, liarly truths.

Shuk:  Doo-rim is working the restaurant alone and drops a tray of plates. While she picks them up, a pair of black shoes comes into view. He's back. He can't believe he actually fell for her, and her choices of cheap snacks and her low behavior now makes sense.

JoAnne:  I won't deny it, I hope he comes around to be snippy and snotty over and over and over again because it is hilarious.

Shuk: She tells him to go away; she's working.  He throws money down and tells her he wants to buy her day. Why not? She was willing to trade herself for money, so she must not have believed the curse.  After all, a moneygrubber wouldn't have married him if she thought she might die.
JoAnne: Can't really argue with his logic.

Shuk:  He promises to show her over and over again how little he thinks of her, and with that, he storms out.
JoAnne:  I give him 48 hours, tops. 

Shuk:  ChoiMother and Smirky are having a chilly tea after shopping together, when FirstBorn and Flunkette show up.  Roo-mi didn't realize she was the shield. Mother says she always wanted a daughter, but Kang-ju counters that she had always treated Roo-mi like one and in fact favors her for the daughter-in-law position. He finally looks at Smirky and tells her to work hard to keep her position. Then he chuckles at his joke.
JoAnne: Oh this is goooood. I LIKE him as a true shithead.  Although I'm not pleased that he hurt Roo Mi like that.

Shuk:  Flunkette has had enough and leaves.  FirstBorn leaves right after, and Yi-kyung is forced to ask her mother-in-law what's happened. Outside, Roo-mi tells him not to use her; he asks if she still wants to marry. After all, as long as it's not anyone that looks like Jang Yi-kyung, he's willing. She tells him "No thank you." Someone told her love isn't always hanging on, and he's being immature.

JoAnne:  That was probably pretty tough on that skinny little busy-body. Can we give her OppaNotOppa as a consolation prize? Oh wait, IdolBro likes her! This is perfect!

Shuk:  He softens, and ruefully wonders how pathetic he looks. In fact, the more he tried to hurt that girl, the more he hurt inside. He wonders if Bubbles was ever honest with him; he has no confidence in sifting truth from lie. Roo-mi tells him she begged for Kang-ju not to ever find out so he wouldn't be in pain. She was more worried about his pain than her. He takes that knowledge in and walks away.
JoAnne:  This has now become Secret Lite.

Shuk:  He ends up stinking drunk, and Idol Boy helps the servants get him in bed, where he mumbles that he can't erase it. Memories? His heart?

JoAnne: No one sleeps with their head like that.

Shuk:  The pseudo-couple meet by the Han River, and he comments that's she is fearless now that everything is in the open.  Smirky doesn't care that she was caught in the act.  It's a done deal and there's nothing he can do. She spins the whole thing onto Bubbles: Doo-rim approached them with the scheme, but got greedy and kept asking for more and more.  Her brother liked her, tried to stop her, and was injured. Besides, it's his mom's fault for playing with her life, so let's be friends and continue on. He calls bullshit on her story and walks away with a curled lip.
JoAnne: Oh good, I'm glad he didn't fall for that baloney.  Somewhere inside he knows Doo Rim isn't like the others.

Shuk:  At the hospital, FirstBorn peeks into JangOppa's room and sees Bubbles chatting with the unconscious man.  He waits outside until she leaves the room.  How touching that the man in the room risked his life for her, little money grubber that she is.  Doo-rim flares at him: talk about her all he wants, but don't talk smack about Oppa.
JoAnne:  Great, now I'm mumbling 'smack that oppa' over and over.

Shuk:  She continues; if he wants true revenge on her, then he needs to live a happier life than she does. He warns her not to tell him what to do. She brushes past his warning; he is stuck in a pool of spoiled self-pity thinking that his pain is the only pain. Why doesn't  he go back to work and earn his exalted President paycheck instead of following her around?

JoAnne:  Version 2 of the Speech About Being A Quality Person

Shuk:  He is amazed she would lecture him. She tells him that she has no time to play with Ahjussi.  His jaw drops - did she just call him Ahjussi? She snarls he told her not to use his name, so that leaves Oppa or Ahjussi, and Oppa is reserved for special men. With that, she leaves him fuming and stomping his feet. I probably shouldn't be, but I'm amused.
JoAnne:  Oppain't, that's him.

Shuk:  It's a happy day at the restaurant; the whole place has been rented for a party of 30.  They turn away customers, until the Party Pooper shows up.  Yep, FirstBorn made the reservation.  Mouse takes Halmeoni out the room.

JoAnne: Oh but this is lowwwwwww.

Shuk: She slaps down the first course, and he whines that it's too spicy.  He sighs that the food sucks and he's cancelling his reservation, and since there a two-hour advance notice cancellation policy, he can do it. She gets good and pissed that he is just jerking her chain. He's smug about it; Grandma overhears it.  Doo-rim sighs that he'll get tired of this soon enough.
JoAnne:  Well shit she deserves it with that kind of a policy.  What kind of business is she running? A hobby?

Shuk:  He's outside, feeling good, until he gets a faceful of salt as Grandma screams she'll take him out as the two girls drag her back inside. He comments that he now knows where she got her temper from, then with a smile, he heads out.
JoAnne: Grandma, salt don't grow on trees you know.

Shuk:  It's the end of the day, and a drunken patron starts making demands that she pour drinks for him. And we see Kang-ju parked outside watching, a look of concern on his face.
JoAnne: I'm reminded of how angry I was that they forget she had kick-ass martial arts skills during the abduction segment.

Shuk:  She finally has enough of his behavior and strong-arms him into submission.  FirstBorn smiles at her ability to take care of the situation.  His smiles fades into thought, and he chides himself for worrying. He's still there when she finally leaves. He wonders where she is going at this time of the night.

JoAnne:  Too little too late, show.  You let me down in the clutch.

Shuk:  He follows her to the hospital, where she starts her vigil with JangOppa.  He ducks out of sight when she looks up, wondering if she stays awake 24 hours a day.  She comes out into the hallway, having seen him through the window. He gives her a Suspiciously Specific Denial: Nope, he didn't follow her to the hospital.  She goes off to fill his nebulizer container, and he steps into the hospital room.
JoAnne: That reminds me, Shuk - any complaints about the general medical set up?

Shuk: He's still there when she comes back, and he tells her to spend some of her vaunted money and hire a caretaker.  She said she has, but they work in shifts. She preps a bowl of warm water to wipe him down, and FirstBorn pulls the cloth out of her hand and offers to do it. Whut?

JoAnne:  Well either he's jealous, or there's a plot twist we didn't expect...and he's jealous.

Shuk:  She gives him the stink-eye, and he blusters that since he didn't bring anything, he ought to at least do this much. She steps out, and he gets to work. He starts talking to JangHyung; he's mad that he was lied to, but he can't fight it out as long as he is unconscious, so he needs to wake up soon. He also thanks him for protecting Doo-rim. He yawns, but goes back to his work.
JoAnne:  See?  Not even 24 hours.

Shuk:  Doo-rim comes back to find Kitten Prince asleep over his charge.  She nudges him awake and orders him to go home.  He mutters that it's all her fault, since he spent all night in stakeout mode at her restaurant. He shuts up when he realizes he's just outed himself.  She orders him out, so he goes.
JoAnne:  I wonder if they cast him because his voice is perfect for vengeful puppy. [Kitten. Puppy is a Ki character in another show]

Shuk:  He stops though, and turns around, calling her dummy.  Does she want to fight about her nickname. She tells Ahjussi to stop messing around with her.  He barks that she won't see him out or say good-bye? "Goodbye, Ahjussi" is all he gets.
JoAnne:  I feel like I'm watching Emergency Couple mixed with Cunning Single Lady, the TeenyBopper Version.

Shuk:  It's late but Smirky is at ChoiEstate. She asks him is he happy with his childish revenge? His every move is reported to his mother. He coolly says he will marry her; isn't that enough? She smirks and warns him not to force his mom into action.This is best for everyone. He scoffs: is he part of "everyone"? Nothing he says matters. As soon as he walks in the door, his mom trills that the wedding announcement is tomorrow, and that will make everything clear.

JoAnne:  Her level of disconnection with reality is amazing.

Shuk:  He walks by without a word, but spends time in his room looking at his couple ring and remembering the vows they took at the church.

Shuk:  The press conference is typical press conference-y: long white table, flowers, stony-faced people, in this case all the XY-chromosomes. The moms are getting antsy; Cookie runs in and tells Flunkette that FirstBorn disappeared between events and they can't find him. She comes up with the public excuse that he was in a small automobile accident and the press conference needs to be postponed.
JoAnne: I commence wondering if the 'small automobile accident' excuse is used in real life to cover up disappeared idols/actors.

Shuk:  JangMa storms out, and tells her driver to release the pictures to the media. What pictures? The church ones? The 30-year old scandal ones? All of them? I quite frankly can't see what pics would either force Choi's hand after they are published, but there is certainly IRIS dramatic BGM to go with her expression.
JoAnne: Oh just slap her, somebody.

Shuk:  Kang-ju shows up at the restaurant and drags Doo-rim away.  The internet blazes up with speculation about him, and ChoiDad demands to know what happened and why he would do such a thing.
JoAnne:  Well you see Dad, what had happened was...

Shuk:  They arrive outside the ChoiEstate compound and he drags her out of the car. The only way to make this right is to bring the whole sordid thing to his father and get his assistance to straighten it all out.  She refuses, even though he says it's their only chance. No matter what, even if she loves JangHyung, she has to stay with him. She jerks her arm out of his grasp and tells him he is only thinking of his own pain, and not of the others that would be affected.
JoAnne: Since she doesn't know about the threat that True Bitch is holding over Deluded Bitch's head, I really don't get her reasoning here.

Shuk: She gets a phone call from the hospital. He grabs her arm one more time as she heads down the road. She just quietly tells him to let go; his face is full of pain as he lets her go.
JoAnne:  Next week on MythBusters,  Butterflies:  Will They or Won't They?

Shuk:  JangOppa is awake, and she runs in crying.  All he wants to know is if she is okay. She lightly smacks his shoulder then hugs him again, thanking him for waking up.  Kang-ju is there, witnessing this before sadly walking away.
JoAnne:  So he buys that part of Yi-Kyung's lie, then.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Shuk:  Has Kang-ju realized the stakes, or is he walking away thinking Doo-rim like Yi-hyun more than him? He's a pretty smart guy, for all his petty revenge and inability to get the last word in with Bubbles.  It's up to him to figure a way that this can have a happy ending.  We still have four more weeks.
JoAnne:  I think if he didn't have that darned convenient early trauma to damage his trust gene, he could probably review their time together and figure out that she genuinely cares for him.  Curse you, drama trope!

Shuk:  I'm glad Jang Yi-hyun didn't stay in a coma forever [looking at YOU,  Hong sisters], and yay for no amnesia, but I don't know whether he'll be hindrance or help.  We know that Doo-rim feels a huge debt to him, and that he flat-out doesn't like Kang-ju.  But his family kicked him to the curb once they got what they wanted, and he should need to have his love be happy even if it's not with him.  I do think he's the linchpin in any plan to extricate the Chois from the Jangs and give our couple a chance for happiness.
JoAnne: Oh he's gonna do the right thing, I know.  But I did ABSOLUTELY expect him to think she was his sister, not Doo Rim, and have amnesia about the whole business.  I mean come ON, there's 8 more episodes. What are we going to DO with all this time?
Shuk:  I think the show is slated for 16 episodes, not 20. So we might only have four episodes of Bubbles and the Tiger Prince left.