Cunning Single Lady / Sly and Single Again - Episode 11 (WookiCap)
Man child Jung-woo is going more insane in this episode. Man, he is suffering! The show still manages to hit the right weird mixture between absolutely hilarious and occasionally serious for me. And it's about time feelings are clarified. We are making progress, at least in some quarters.
JoAnne: This show was a bit of an underdog for me, so it's interesting to realize how solidly paced and acted it actually has been. I'm glad I watched! And not just for the pretty men, or even Lee Min Jung who is one of my favs.
kakashi: Oh, but the men ....... so pretty. Hmmmmm....
Episode 11
Boy meets Man in front of the rice-soup restaurant - and Jung-woo doesn't want Luscious to like Ae-ra because ... just because, well at least that's what he says. He is still in denial, stupid Jung-woo. His reasons don't make an awful lot of sense and Luscious asks several times whether there's more to it, but he gets a no every single time. Fine then! Luscious goes ahead and declares his love for Ae-ra. His wish he wants granted for beating JW at judo? That he doesn't interfere with him and Ae-ra.
JoAnne: I just realized I haven't watched this one yet. Oops. Well, it didn't seem to affect me last time so here goes nothing!
kakashi: JoAnne, you are one of my most favorite people!
... who his stepping out of the restaurant at that very moment, with her mom. Jung-woo panics and drags Luscious behind the car, where he awkwardly hugs him (??) to hide from Ae-ra. Seriously :DHe then sees the wrapped painting under Luscious' arm who says it is "his heart" that he came to give to Ae-ra, rips it away and runs.
JoAnne: Oh man this is going to hurt so much. But can I tell you how relieved I am that he didn't sever the friendship? Because it seemed like that's where Puppy was going with this, with that talk last week of knowing when to let friends go.
kakashi: There's rivalry, lots of it, but still within the bounds of a deep friendship. I like that.
Somewhere away from Luscious, Jung-woo sits down on some steps and rips open the the wrapping, to look at the painting. He scoffs at it (that's not nice). When Luscious also gets there a bit later (and calls him childish, oh yes, man, SO CHILDISH) he lectures him on matters of the heart, but Luscious doesn't want to hear anything: he is going for Ae-ra and he wants Jung-woo to keep their relationship a secret from her because it might make her uncomfortable. Also, he asks Jung-woo to come clean about his sister - it's fine if he feels different, but tell her so that she doesn't get hurt.JoAnne: This kid is way more grown up than pretty much any of the grown ups in the drama. I luff him. He is a curious mix; he is a bit idealistic but he also has his eyes open and he's pretty good at dealing straight-but-kind. I want to roll around in his lovely innocence and maybe corrupt it a little, too. Just around the edges. A tiny bit. Or perhaps I just really want to bite him.
kakashi: NO biting in my WookiCaps!
Honestly, even if Jung-woo didn't like Ae-ra, it IS awkward if someone that is close to you falls in love with someone you once loved. I'm talking from experience.
JoAnne: This is a valid point.
It's an uneasy night for everybody ... and there's much thinking about mistakes made and hurts received.
Jung-woo meets with the Useless Brother - to tell him off (politely) about taking Ae-ra's money and spending it. But he also offers him a position in the company. I guess to help, in a general way, with the Useless Family?
JoAnne: Watch Useless become Capable and end up with Roomie.
At a place called MilkCow, Luscious and Ae-ra eat Product Placement and Luscious finds out she wants to quit the company. She finds out he wants to stay, because of her. He SecondLeadifies himself by saying he is just a "Guardian Angel" that will make sure she doesn't get depressed. That's not very smart, Luscious, sorry. You're in a KDrama. If you want to win the girl, you need to be aggressive and kiss her and stuff.
JoAnne: I would not mind a little aggression here. I realize I'm in a minority on that. I'm fine with it. WHY CAN'T SHE JUST ENJOY SOME FUN TIMES WITH THE BOY? on her way back to the man? WHY? Sorry. It's just...LOOK at him. It's a CRIME to leave that unenjoyed.
When they get back to the company, Ae-ra catches Jung-woo with her brother. Oh man, the way they try to melt into the background .... priceless. While Ae-ra scolds the Big Fat Baby of a Brother, Jung-woo starts challenging Luscious. It's total Ape behavior. On both sides.
JoAnne: This is practically my favorite kind of thing, done well.
What briefly looks like a serious boxing match isn't serious at all though ... it's a HOPPING match. You know, when you hop on one leg and try to make the other person fall or put the other foot down. They call it "cockfight". Jung-woo "wins" because Ae'ra's brother is a slightly biased referee. I'm appalled! Joo Sang-wook what are you doing to your image??!
JoAnne: I am very disappointed in this version of a cockfight between two men. Because Mary might check in, I will not share pictures of MY version.
Next up in the Ape competition: pull-ups. Jung-woo does 15 and a half and I find it quite sexy. Luscious does them much faster and is clearly about to beat Jung-woo, when our CEO cries foul again - and is declared the winner once more by UselessBrother. It's confirmed by Ae-ra, who seems to think what I am thinking: WTF are these men doing???! Before she leaves with Luscious. D'awwwwwwww, Jung-woo. Your face!
JoAnne: Pull ups are very hard to do. VERY hard. They're not hard to watch though. Not at all.
To Ae-ra's big surprise, Jung-woo comes to the office late at night to bring her the little bear-thingy she lost at his place. I bet he's been lingering for hours. He says he's leaving but he is SO NOT leaving. Seriously. And it's a good thing because suddenly, her screen goes blank and all her precious work seems lost. Nerd to the rescue!!!!
JoAnne: Are we sure he didn't plan that?
Hmm, what a sexy nerd. And when he starts helping her with her somewhat naive business proposal, she starts looking at him with different eyes too ... maybe recognizing for the first time that he has a lot of skills. And is DAMN good looking. And hot. That's some eyes-jaw-line loving ...
JoAnne: I guess the huge building, the dozens of employees, the constant press interest... none of that could convince her?
They go to the roof to have coffee ... and they have a frank and good conversation about the loans she had to pay back, and the inevitability of breaking up (in her opinion). Well, he surely doesn't think so and tries to say something (most likely that he is sorry), but this woman has an uncanny ability to make it impossible for him to say what he really feels. Yeah, yeah, not only her fault. But also.
JoAnne: KDrama, where people do not speak to clarify misconception but happily speak when being silent would be SO MUCH MORE USEFUL.
It starts raining and they flee to his penthouse (awwwww, he tries to shield her with his expensive jacket). In the apartment, he is VERY concerned about her and starts toweling her off. Close-up on her sexy neck. She pushes him away. She really doesn't WANT him near, does she?! Well, he tries at least ten times to do something good for her (like giving her his jacket), but nope, not gonna happen.
JoAnne: Well you know that rain in Korea is a killer. I feel it incumbent upon me to share that when I first read this paragraph I read '...and they flee to his penishouse...' Rather than giggle like a juvenile, though, I wondered what exactly you might mean by that - was it the excessively bachelor-like feel of his little pied-a-terre, or something else? I came up with nothing. And then realized you hadn't written that at all, anyway.
The idiot decides to have a "terror drill" the next day - an unannounced one. Simply to be near her and to be alone with her. You know what, Jung-woo? Just telling a girl you like her is much easier than all this. While people exit the building in panic, he drags Ae-ra to the cellar and smiles happily as he hugs her close. He even starts talking about their early days .... d'awwww. She says it's kinda weird he is that emotional lately and he moves right on to asking her out: he wants to go see a movie with her. Ha!
JoAnne: I'm sort of at the limit of my appreciation of his idiocy. He has until the end of this episode to start acting like an actual man, or I'm going to start rooting for the Pup.
kakashi: But ... but. He is a dorky nerd ..... Cut him some slack.
Right then, the end of the drill is announced and Ae-ra is FURIOUS. Rightfully so. She kicks him twice where Korean women kick and storms out.
Poor Jung-woo is suffering, this time not from a achy breaky heart but from a stomach ulcer, which seems to be chronic. How mean is L-secretary? He makes fun of Jung-woo's pain, linking it to his Ae-ra troubles. Our CEO-in-pain suddenly realizes that his pain might actually be a good thing though! If it brings Ae-ra to him. He uses the silly employee with a loose mouth, to spread the word.
JoAnne: I thought she had done some serious damage to...you know.
Well, it works (the spreading), but not the Ae-ra part. She is more of an influence behind the scenes to have Jung-woo get what he wants in such situations: sesame porridge. Big Baby Jung-woo is lamenting about his faith to L-secretary (i.e. Ae-ra doesn't care about him at all), but then, he FINALLY hears that Ae-ra was the one that stayed with him all night at the hospital. Not completely redundant 2nd Lead.
JoAnne: OH THANK GOD.
Jung-woo has a hard time taking this new information in - and he is having an even harder time to accept Silly Employee Kang in his kitchen, trying to cook the sesame porridge. He can't cook. Great. Elsewhere, Luscious is trying to keep Ae-ra from worrying about it, but he isn't very successful.
Ae-ra finally goes up and cooks Jung-woo his porridge. Luscious also comes to disturb the growing peace. Awkward. Luscious calls Jung-woo "hyung" in front of Ae-ra and things almost get out of hand, when Roomie calls about the fire (see below). Ae-ra runs out ... right into Second Lead. There's many obstacles in angst-phase, aren't there?!
JoAnne: Kinda starting to be too many.
Ae-ra's home is destroyed (only the PPL candles are still intact) and Luscious offers his studio for the refugees.
JoAnne: Just when you forget that this show has any serious bits, they throw in something big.
Second Lead admits she has known about Jung-woo and Ae-ra for a while already. She is actually glad he hasn't told her - it means he thinks of her as a woman. Uhm .... not sure. He says he will stop now to pretend he doesn't know about her feelings. He does know. But .... she doesn't want to hear any more. She starts crying ... she finds it very unfair. She never had a chance.
JoAnne: He didn't tell you because you don't matter, silly second lead. And what's fair about hormones, anyway?
kakashi: I don't like her. No pic.
Cut to the two people at the studio ... and Luscious hugging Ae-ra close, expressing the wish this wasn't one-side. Hello?! Luscious! You animal! And Ae-ra lifts her hand ... and hugs him back.
JoAnne: You can't be near something that potent and not react.
The Rest
Yikes, the Stupid Brother really is going full-speed ahead with enticing Roomie. I don't like it at all. Things get hot between them, well as KDrama goes, and ... oh dear. FIRE!
JoAnne: Why don't you like it? She likes him, he likes her, if he can be made into an actual adult, where's the harm?
kakashi: He should be sent to Siberia do man up first.
Comments
Oh. This shows does really well with several things in my opinion, but in this episode, it did particularly well with Ae-ra's character. In general, Lee Min-jung is doing a great job in portraying her. In this episode, she did a great job in confusing us. What is she thinking? We know that Jung-woo is more than ready to give this relationship another go, but what about her? She looks of him full of admiration when he solves his little problem with the computer, but she also does everything in her power to stay away from him as far as possible.
JoAnne: I think she's thinking about the mothers, and I also think she's terrified of being hurt again.
I do hope Jung-woo grows up a bit soon, though. I have a lot of sympathy for him, because starting to love an ex-wife is awkward even if you broke up amiably, but it's starting to get a bit draggy and repetitive. Well, as angst-territory goes, this is still one of the less vexing. Maybe because 2nd Lead is so toothless?
JoAnne: This show was a bit of an underdog for me, so it's interesting to realize how solidly paced and acted it actually has been. I'm glad I watched! And not just for the pretty men, or even Lee Min Jung who is one of my favs.
kakashi: Oh, but the men ....... so pretty. Hmmmmm....
Boy meets Man in front of the rice-soup restaurant - and Jung-woo doesn't want Luscious to like Ae-ra because ... just because, well at least that's what he says. He is still in denial, stupid Jung-woo. His reasons don't make an awful lot of sense and Luscious asks several times whether there's more to it, but he gets a no every single time. Fine then! Luscious goes ahead and declares his love for Ae-ra. His wish he wants granted for beating JW at judo? That he doesn't interfere with him and Ae-ra.
JoAnne: I just realized I haven't watched this one yet. Oops. Well, it didn't seem to affect me last time so here goes nothing!
kakashi: JoAnne, you are one of my most favorite people!
JoAnne: Oh man this is going to hurt so much. But can I tell you how relieved I am that he didn't sever the friendship? Because it seemed like that's where Puppy was going with this, with that talk last week of knowing when to let friends go.
kakashi: There's rivalry, lots of it, but still within the bounds of a deep friendship. I like that.
kakashi: NO biting in my WookiCaps!
JoAnne: This is a valid point.
It's an uneasy night for everybody ... and there's much thinking about mistakes made and hurts received.
JoAnne: Watch Useless become Capable and end up with Roomie.
JoAnne: I would not mind a little aggression here. I realize I'm in a minority on that. I'm fine with it. WHY CAN'T SHE JUST ENJOY SOME FUN TIMES WITH THE BOY? on her way back to the man? WHY? Sorry. It's just...LOOK at him. It's a CRIME to leave that unenjoyed.
JoAnne: This is practically my favorite kind of thing, done well.
JoAnne: I am very disappointed in this version of a cockfight between two men. Because Mary might check in, I will not share pictures of MY version.
JoAnne: Pull ups are very hard to do. VERY hard. They're not hard to watch though. Not at all.
JoAnne: Are we sure he didn't plan that?
JoAnne: I guess the huge building, the dozens of employees, the constant press interest... none of that could convince her?
JoAnne: KDrama, where people do not speak to clarify misconception but happily speak when being silent would be SO MUCH MORE USEFUL.
JoAnne: Well you know that rain in Korea is a killer. I feel it incumbent upon me to share that when I first read this paragraph I read '...and they flee to his penishouse...' Rather than giggle like a juvenile, though, I wondered what exactly you might mean by that - was it the excessively bachelor-like feel of his little pied-a-terre, or something else? I came up with nothing. And then realized you hadn't written that at all, anyway.
JoAnne: I'm sort of at the limit of my appreciation of his idiocy. He has until the end of this episode to start acting like an actual man, or I'm going to start rooting for the Pup.
kakashi: But ... but. He is a dorky nerd ..... Cut him some slack.
Poor Jung-woo is suffering, this time not from a achy breaky heart but from a stomach ulcer, which seems to be chronic. How mean is L-secretary? He makes fun of Jung-woo's pain, linking it to his Ae-ra troubles. Our CEO-in-pain suddenly realizes that his pain might actually be a good thing though! If it brings Ae-ra to him. He uses the silly employee with a loose mouth, to spread the word.
JoAnne: I thought she had done some serious damage to...you know.
JoAnne: OH THANK GOD.
JoAnne: Kinda starting to be too many.
JoAnne: Just when you forget that this show has any serious bits, they throw in something big.
Second Lead admits she has known about Jung-woo and Ae-ra for a while already. She is actually glad he hasn't told her - it means he thinks of her as a woman. Uhm .... not sure. He says he will stop now to pretend he doesn't know about her feelings. He does know. But .... she doesn't want to hear any more. She starts crying ... she finds it very unfair. She never had a chance.
JoAnne: He didn't tell you because you don't matter, silly second lead. And what's fair about hormones, anyway?
kakashi: I don't like her. No pic.
JoAnne: You can't be near something that potent and not react.
Yikes, the Stupid Brother really is going full-speed ahead with enticing Roomie. I don't like it at all. Things get hot between them, well as KDrama goes, and ... oh dear. FIRE!
JoAnne: Why don't you like it? She likes him, he likes her, if he can be made into an actual adult, where's the harm?
kakashi: He should be sent to Siberia do man up first.
Comments
Oh. This shows does really well with several things in my opinion, but in this episode, it did particularly well with Ae-ra's character. In general, Lee Min-jung is doing a great job in portraying her. In this episode, she did a great job in confusing us. What is she thinking? We know that Jung-woo is more than ready to give this relationship another go, but what about her? She looks of him full of admiration when he solves his little problem with the computer, but she also does everything in her power to stay away from him as far as possible.
JoAnne: I think she's thinking about the mothers, and I also think she's terrified of being hurt again.
I do hope Jung-woo grows up a bit soon, though. I have a lot of sympathy for him, because starting to love an ex-wife is awkward even if you broke up amiably, but it's starting to get a bit draggy and repetitive. Well, as angst-territory goes, this is still one of the less vexing. Maybe because 2nd Lead is so toothless?