Cunning Single Lady / Sly and Single Again - Episode 10 (WookiCap)
More entanglement, more feels. More Joo Sang-woo at his best. I like this drama, I really do.
JoAnne: Me too! I feel bad for all the people who read the premise and decide against it. But then again, when does a premise EVER match what the drama actually does? So they just get what they deserve, I guess, if they miss out on this.
Episode 10
Back to Heartbreak-Central at the Heartless City Gangster house. In search for Ae-ra, Jung-woo becomes witness to Luscious' love confession. His and Ae-ra's eyes lock ... he stares in disbelief and then hurries away, tears in his eyes. Shortly after, she also breaks free and stomps off, leaving Luscious alone and troubled. And blurred. And hot?
JoAnne: Oh, hot is not in question. Not in question at ALL. Hot AND showing skills with such a limited experience? Watch this space. Puppy is going to be huge.
Jung-woo is in his car, fleeing the scene. In the meantime, trouble is brewing: the servers went down and because Jung-woo is the only person in the whole universe who can fix it, everybody starts frantically looking for him. Ae-ra thinks a little ... and has an idea where he could be.
JoAnne: Do you REALLY think that Jung Woo would make it so that his support guys couldn't fix anything if he wasn't available? *thinking* Yeah, I kinda do.
Oh. He is at "their" dream house, sadly looking at the model on the table, with the little kid outside. He isn't even much surprised when she suddenly turns up next to him (I would have jumped 5 meters high if somebody addressed me like this out of the blue!). She tries to get him to come with her, but he isn't moving. He wants to know what she is worried about: the CEO of the company? or is it him, Cha Jung-woo?
JoAnne: I was distracted by wondering how she got IN.
She thinks a little and then says "the company". That clearly hurts him ... d'awww, and he thinks to himself "what was I hoping for?" He tells her she has a natural talent for saying the most cruel things, now and back then. And he also lies ... when she demands to know what kind of answer he was expecting, he says that she would say nobody. She is worried about nobody, because this doesn't concern her at all. She calls him ill-mannered, he tells her to not come here again. Sigh ... progress, people? Where is it?
JoAnne: Oh! SO FRUSTRATING. She said the company, because the company is the most important thing to Cha Jung Woo right now. JUNG WOO, you big doofus: that's as much as saying straight out that YOU are the most important thing. *facepalm*
Luscious is preeeeeetty obvious about his crush, so Ae-ra wants to have a talk. On the roof, of course. When they wait in front of the elevators, a crushed-looking Jung-woo sees them together - and looks even more crushed.
JoAnne: I was laughing helplessly at Jung Woo literally crushed by the weight of his feelings and unable to hold his head up. Hold his head up? He's bent in half!
On the roof, Luscious is AWESOME. He is funny and cute, chuckles all the time at Ae-ra's antics, and isn't even very sad when she rejects him. In fact, he isn't sad at all, because he is pretty confident she will accept him next time he offers her his heart.
JoAnne: Not to mention he is insanely adorable with the new hair. Look at his FACE omg he's so cute it's ridiculous. There's even dimples.
Watching it all, of course, is stalker Jung-woo. He goes to his office to aigoo loudly. Next to him is L-secretary also aigooing loudly. Awwww, poor boy has been dumped. He is heartbroken and rushes off to get very drunk. Alone. He doesn't stay alone long, though ... there are women there (proper escorts? I'm not sure). And one of them, huh?, is the workplace biatch!
JoAnne: Entire segment made of win. L's fussy little outburst and then running off like that? I am sure he collapsed on the floor with laughter after filming that scene. Re the bar girls...I assumed they were not employees, but patrons selected to be introduced. Although if that little minx is an escort I will laugh my butt off because she's so annoying.
Cut to an interview on the roof: Jung-woo and Second Lead. The reporter asks them whether they have any plans with each other beyond business and Second Lead says "I'm not ruling anything out", which shocks Jung-woo once more (he is a bit thick, this guy, right?). He turns his head, sees Ae-ra, looks away and laughs nervously. Still very aware of each other, these two. He is stealing glances over at her while the interview continues.
JoAnne: We are deep into angsty misunderstanding phase, which I both love and hate. Just keep giving me jealous Jung Woo forever, though.
Cut to Bitchy Boss making BIG eyes: The CEO is coming to their section of the company! okay, I admit it ... she is quite funny with her random English and extreme eagerness to please. Jung-woo struts in, telling everybody not to worry and to continue working. He blanks on eager Work Biatch's name (it's Pi Song Hee) and has but one goal: give Ae-ra so much work she just HAS to stay at the company and do very, very much overtime. Ack, you meanie.
JoAnne: She is funny and I like her hair but man, I don't want anyone like that around me in real life.
And then he checks on her. He sees her on the phone with her roomie and calls her immediately after, putting on the pressure. She calls him vicious CEO and asks him whether he knows what kind of day it is today. He doesn't seem to know and goes back to his office, claiming he cannot get off work either as long as she isn't done. You are so childish, man! Of course, he falls asleep.
JoAnne: I want to see this man at home in real life in jeans and a teeshirt trying to cook dinner or do something repair-like because now I am convinced that he's a big dork.
When he is awake again, he calls her in the office ... nothing. He runs down ... and JUST catches her on her way out. Literally catches her. She is not allowed to go home before she finishes the proposal. He also complains that she didn't visit him at the hospital after he saved her life. Wrong there, dude. In any case, he cajoles her into coming to his OWN office with him.
JoAnne: I HATE IT WHEN THEY DON'T CORRECT ERRORS AND LET THE PROBLEM CONTINUE.
Elsewhere, at their bar to be precise, Luscious is waiting ... with flowers. Cake. Wine. Playing the piano (well not yet, but soon, I'm sure), being hot. He gets a text from Ae-ra: she cannot come see him after all. Dang. Stood-up again!
JoAnne: I just keep repeating 'same age as your daughter, JoAnne, same age as your daughter' but it's really not working.
At the CEO's office, Ae-ra is watched very closely. CEO guesses right that she has an appointment ... with whom? He wants to know. A man? Oh yes, she says ... a BOYfriend. Of course, he is jealous again, while she is rubbing it in, telling him how happy she is and all. He excuses himself (restroom) and steps out, while she laments her poor fate and terrible birthday. She takes a bottle of water from the table to drink ... and has an idea.
He hasn't gone to the restroom at all, but went to buy her something ... carefully balancing what seems soup. He is very pleased with himself ... until he sits down. Has she put water on his chair?!
JoAnne: That was just stupid. She'd have done something much more clever than that.
He rushes out - it is TOO FUNNY, haha - she sees that he went to buy her seaweed soup and a piece of cake. Awwwwwwww. So he knows after all. Which doesn't mean he is letting her off the hook though! When she receives a text from Luscious, congratulating her, Jung-woo quasi jumps in front of her to spoil the fun.
JoAnne: So do you think he remembered, or do you think he always remembered and that was the reason in the first place, to keep her with him on her birthday so she couldn't spend it with Puppy? As opposed to the other times when he also keeps her from him, but you know, it's not a 'special day' bound to draw them even closer than a regular date?
Because Second Lead does another of her "hey, he is mine" interludes in front of Ae-ra, she texts Jung-woo, asking whether SL knows about them. Only she takes the text back ... using that new feature she co-created. Of course, not knowing what she texted him about makes Jung-woo go insane. To the roof! But his battery runs out all of a sudden, cutting them short ... driving him even MORE mad. He runs over ... and drags her down to his apartment.
JoAnne: A text feature that allows you to recall a text, but allows the receiver to know that there was a text that you thought better of sending? I call major design flaw.
Dork. Seriously. My goodness. How can this guy LEAD a company?! He is petulant about her not telling him what the text said and whom it was really for ... when the door bell sounds. Oh no! It's his mother and his sister. Quick! Hide!
JoAnne: Time for a potty break. That sister in particular is just unbearable.
Of course: they are here to insult her and to force him to sack her immediately. He is trying to down-play everything, but first, her phone starts ringing in the room she is hiding in (it's the Boss Biatch) and then, he gets a text from Ae-ra's mother, asking how the soup was. Shit, that's no good. Mother blows a fuse (they call him son-in-law!) and Jung-woo sees no other way out than to kick them out. But before that, Ae-ra hears what they think of her and her family: gold-diggers. nothing more.
JoAnne: I might as well get a snack while I'm up.
She lies to him that she hasn't heard anything: but she goes to the toilet to cry afterwards. When she is with Luscious a few hours later - he is treating her soooooo nice, sigh - happy times get interrupted by a phone call from her brother: the ex-in-laws are at the restaurant and things turn ugly real quick. To the roof! She tells Jung-woo on the phone that she might have had ulterior motives in the beginning... but now, all she wants is to do a good job, because she likes doing what she does. She is not working at his company to get back together with him! He knows immediately that something is wrong - and hears about his mother visiting the restaurant.
JoAnne: Ok but she does the best hurt faces in the business, she really does.
Luscious ... oh Luscious. He waits for Ae-ra at her place, bringing the birthday cake ... but pretends it's for roomie. Because roomie is busy with her business (what business?), he stays to help. Ah, they're making candles ... a somewhat jealous Ae-ra burns Luscious' hand, but he really enjoys being doctored by her. While snooping around afterwards, he discovers Ae-ra's wedding pictures. Yeah, shit.
JoAnne: His face. I cannot convey the depths of sadness in my matching 'oh shit,' Kashi.
The next day, Jung-woo goes to apologize to his ex-in-laws. Mother isn't pleased ... yeah, many people were hurt over their break-up. Jung-woo learns of the debts that she paid back ... not his business debts, he took care of them. No, household debts she apparently never told him about. He also hears that the money he gave to her brother never made it to her.
JoAnne: Exercise 'Review the Past Three Years and Repent' has commenced.
Right when her mother tells him to leave and never come back, Ae-ra comes in. Her mother tells her to quit her job right now: a finished fate is a finished fate. Outside and alone with him, Ae-ra is concernd that he was hurt; but he says it's okay and he understands. Her mother must hate him a lot. He wants to say something more, but she cuts him short to inform him that she is looking for other jobs and will quit after finishing the current project. He clearly doesn't want that, but she doesn't let him speak. When she turns to go back to her mother, he tells her he found her cellphone accesory - he wants to give it to her later.
When he leaves the restaurant to go back to his car, Luscious approaches ... the picture he drew of him and Ae-ra under one arm. The two men sigh a little ... yeah, the secret is out of the bag. Jung-woo starts to say something, but Luscious cuts him off: he has thought of that favor he wants to ask of his hyung. "No", says Jung-woo, "don't say it".
JoAnne: Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet
The Rest
Second Lead knows about the secret Dream House and she knows about her brother's crush.
JoAnne: And she USED him to further her own aims, which, I kinda liked her but now, no.
Comments
Hhmmmmmm .... well. First, I find it scary that in-laws are still scary even AFTER a divorce. We're in angst-territory, and indeed, in-laws create angst! In this particular case, they re-create the horrors of the divorce and make the OTP believe that there is no way out of that black hole and the hurt that was caused back then. By focusing just on the negative, they make it look like a true disaster - but we have seen other facets of that marriage, which clearly were NOT a disaster.
JoAnne: That's the thing though. Divorce really does hurt a whole family in lasting ways, not just the couple and their offspring (if they have any.) And since the other family members, no matter how they feel, did not have as much invested in the relationship, when it ends they only remember the bad. Plus, they have a natural instinct to protect their 'side' of the relationship partners.
It is interesting that the in-laws are the real stumbling-block ... not the Second Leads. Female Second Lead is really toothless, but getting more and more annoying. Luscious on the other hand ... well, he is so juicy and I still wouldn't cry for long if Ae-ra actually landed with him. Even if temporarily. SO CUTE.
JoAnne: Agreed. I can live without her but I do care what happens to the puppy and it's not just because he's so cute. He's been able to make us feel for him in a way that the actor playing the female second lead has not. I mean come on, her back story should be making us feel like she deserves to be princess for a day and yet...do any of us care about her at all? I know I don't. Meanwhile puppy has NO backstory but shares a crappy family with her, and yet we feel boatloads of sympathy for his coming pain.
But yeah, my heart goes out to Jung-woo ... I guess it always has. He is a good guy - and he already back in love with her so much because he was never OUT of love. The moment he finds out about the miscarriage will be heart-shattering, that's for sure.
JoAnne: I hope that they treat that scene with the weight it deserves. I think they will, they've been doing a good job with emotions throughout, really. To wit: it's only slightly weird that we go from huge comedy to serious dark, instead of the seriously flawed production we'd name it in the hands of a lesser crew.
JoAnne: Me too! I feel bad for all the people who read the premise and decide against it. But then again, when does a premise EVER match what the drama actually does? So they just get what they deserve, I guess, if they miss out on this.
Back to Heartbreak-Central at the Heartless City Gangster house. In search for Ae-ra, Jung-woo becomes witness to Luscious' love confession. His and Ae-ra's eyes lock ... he stares in disbelief and then hurries away, tears in his eyes. Shortly after, she also breaks free and stomps off, leaving Luscious alone and troubled. And blurred. And hot?
JoAnne: Oh, hot is not in question. Not in question at ALL. Hot AND showing skills with such a limited experience? Watch this space. Puppy is going to be huge.
JoAnne: Do you REALLY think that Jung Woo would make it so that his support guys couldn't fix anything if he wasn't available? *thinking* Yeah, I kinda do.
JoAnne: I was distracted by wondering how she got IN.
JoAnne: Oh! SO FRUSTRATING. She said the company, because the company is the most important thing to Cha Jung Woo right now. JUNG WOO, you big doofus: that's as much as saying straight out that YOU are the most important thing. *facepalm*
JoAnne: I was laughing helplessly at Jung Woo literally crushed by the weight of his feelings and unable to hold his head up. Hold his head up? He's bent in half!
JoAnne: Not to mention he is insanely adorable with the new hair. Look at his FACE omg he's so cute it's ridiculous. There's even dimples.
JoAnne: Entire segment made of win. L's fussy little outburst and then running off like that? I am sure he collapsed on the floor with laughter after filming that scene. Re the bar girls...I assumed they were not employees, but patrons selected to be introduced. Although if that little minx is an escort I will laugh my butt off because she's so annoying.
JoAnne: We are deep into angsty misunderstanding phase, which I both love and hate. Just keep giving me jealous Jung Woo forever, though.
JoAnne: She is funny and I like her hair but man, I don't want anyone like that around me in real life.
JoAnne: I want to see this man at home in real life in jeans and a teeshirt trying to cook dinner or do something repair-like because now I am convinced that he's a big dork.
JoAnne: I HATE IT WHEN THEY DON'T CORRECT ERRORS AND LET THE PROBLEM CONTINUE.
JoAnne: I just keep repeating 'same age as your daughter, JoAnne, same age as your daughter' but it's really not working.
JoAnne: That was just stupid. She'd have done something much more clever than that.
JoAnne: So do you think he remembered, or do you think he always remembered and that was the reason in the first place, to keep her with him on her birthday so she couldn't spend it with Puppy? As opposed to the other times when he also keeps her from him, but you know, it's not a 'special day' bound to draw them even closer than a regular date?
JoAnne: A text feature that allows you to recall a text, but allows the receiver to know that there was a text that you thought better of sending? I call major design flaw.
JoAnne: Time for a potty break. That sister in particular is just unbearable.
JoAnne: I might as well get a snack while I'm up.
JoAnne: Ok but she does the best hurt faces in the business, she really does.
JoAnne: His face. I cannot convey the depths of sadness in my matching 'oh shit,' Kashi.
Angry sweaty man up next! Luscious attacks Jung-woo in the judo court and then some. Luscious wins ... well, let him win. Oh, but there's a bet involved ... the loser has to grant the winner a wish. Who set Luscious up to this? Second Lead? He tells Jung-woo that he'll think about it.
JoAnne: Can someone make me a clip of this match? I don't need the talking after. Just the match. aybe this match, and then that fight between Aoki and Aka at the beginning of AoF. That would be...yeah. *lost in thought*JoAnne: Exercise 'Review the Past Three Years and Repent' has commenced.
Right when her mother tells him to leave and never come back, Ae-ra comes in. Her mother tells her to quit her job right now: a finished fate is a finished fate. Outside and alone with him, Ae-ra is concernd that he was hurt; but he says it's okay and he understands. Her mother must hate him a lot. He wants to say something more, but she cuts him short to inform him that she is looking for other jobs and will quit after finishing the current project. He clearly doesn't want that, but she doesn't let him speak. When she turns to go back to her mother, he tells her he found her cellphone accesory - he wants to give it to her later.
JoAnne: Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet
Second Lead knows about the secret Dream House and she knows about her brother's crush.
JoAnne: And she USED him to further her own aims, which, I kinda liked her but now, no.
Comments
Hhmmmmmm .... well. First, I find it scary that in-laws are still scary even AFTER a divorce. We're in angst-territory, and indeed, in-laws create angst! In this particular case, they re-create the horrors of the divorce and make the OTP believe that there is no way out of that black hole and the hurt that was caused back then. By focusing just on the negative, they make it look like a true disaster - but we have seen other facets of that marriage, which clearly were NOT a disaster.
JoAnne: That's the thing though. Divorce really does hurt a whole family in lasting ways, not just the couple and their offspring (if they have any.) And since the other family members, no matter how they feel, did not have as much invested in the relationship, when it ends they only remember the bad. Plus, they have a natural instinct to protect their 'side' of the relationship partners.
It is interesting that the in-laws are the real stumbling-block ... not the Second Leads. Female Second Lead is really toothless, but getting more and more annoying. Luscious on the other hand ... well, he is so juicy and I still wouldn't cry for long if Ae-ra actually landed with him. Even if temporarily. SO CUTE.
JoAnne: Agreed. I can live without her but I do care what happens to the puppy and it's not just because he's so cute. He's been able to make us feel for him in a way that the actor playing the female second lead has not. I mean come on, her back story should be making us feel like she deserves to be princess for a day and yet...do any of us care about her at all? I know I don't. Meanwhile puppy has NO backstory but shares a crappy family with her, and yet we feel boatloads of sympathy for his coming pain.
But yeah, my heart goes out to Jung-woo ... I guess it always has. He is a good guy - and he already back in love with her so much because he was never OUT of love. The moment he finds out about the miscarriage will be heart-shattering, that's for sure.
JoAnne: I hope that they treat that scene with the weight it deserves. I think they will, they've been doing a good job with emotions throughout, really. To wit: it's only slightly weird that we go from huge comedy to serious dark, instead of the seriously flawed production we'd name it in the hands of a lesser crew.