Doctor Stranger - Episode 5 (A SqueeCap)
The search for Jae-hee is back on! Ya.....ay? We don't get any definitive answers about what happened to her, but we do get a few more questions to fuel our wild conspiracy theories. So, that's fun.
JoAnne: When I watch this show I come up with THE most outlandish fanta...errr...theories.
bcook: I've never laughed in disbelief so much in my life.
Episode 5
Jae-joon walks in on Hoon comforting Soo-hyun, but he leaves before they notice him. That was a bit... anticlimactic.
JoAnne: That's what you get with a wax dick. (Although to be honest, I go back and forth on Jae Joon. I cannot decide if I like him or not.)
bcook: It's the nose I tell you! The nose!
kakashi: He is beeuuuutipul.
JoAnne: The problem with catching up on recaps is this: I am in possession of knowledge but not sure when I took possession of it. ON THE FACE OF IT, that comment SHOULD mean that she is NOT Jae Hee, because Lollipop and his ass of a boss are - see, I don't even know if that's a spoiler. Oh well, I'm going to have to watch each episode again as we recap. More puppy on my screen, how terrible.
bcook: Yes. Totally get you. But how real is their information/knowledge? Since everybody seems to be playing everybody else for a fool. ('cept for puppy. His crazy is confusing enough)
We also see in flashback that Broom-Alike was, in fact, purposely leading Hoon that day at Myung Woo. There's really no need for this flashback, though, Show - it was obvious the first time.JoAnne: It's important to really nail down the basics, because this show's plot is based on self-contradiction. Not misleading us for the purpose of a twist, but actual, outright, lying in our faces - those no-respect-having sons of bitches.
bcook: I actually wasn't sure the first time so it was nice (??) to get confirmation. I agree with Jo's assessment of their characters.
JoAnne: Kang So Ra is SO freaking pretty. Just ridiculously pretty. What. I'm paying attention to the 'plot' - I AM.
bcook: *sneer* riiight. Even with watching ahead I'm still confused about why there was a dossier on Soo-hyun.
Inside, Soo-hyun remembers when she was a kid and she and Mom were happy together. She stops at the post where Mom used to mark her growth and smiles. Broom-Alike brings over a box filled with the presents Mom bought every year for her birthday, and with each gift, there is a note to Soo-hyun. Mom's sketchbook is also in the box, and Soo-hyun flips through page after page depicting scenes from her life - when Mom walked away, when she graduated from high school and college, when she was laughing with Jae-joon. Broom-Alike says she must have been watching over her the whole time.JoAnne: Somehow, as a daughter, this would not be a comfort to me. This would make it WORSE.
Soo-hyun still can't understand it though: Mom always pushed her away. Broom-Alike tells her Mom thought she would come to resent herself if she didn't do that. Mom had thought that Soo-hyun could only be happy with her father, who could give her everything. She didn't want Soo-hyun to live like her - wanting more and falling into a love that others cursed at.JoAnne: Lie down with dogs, wake up with fleas.
JoAnne: See, it's not better, knowing this. It's so much worse.
bcook: Closure is always better....or so the psych people say. Less negative energy flying around.
Hoon is called before the other doctors to explain himself for operating on Mom, and Jae-joon criticizes him for operating when the risks were so high. Hoon replies that he doesn't believe any surgery is without risk, and he operated with full understanding of the danger. Jae-joon replies that that's why the patient is dead.JoAnne: She was going to die anyway, and soon. Why not take the chance? I could see if she had a year left, and that was taken from her without her permission... but the woman was ACTUALLY dying at that time. So why not try?
Before Hoon can respond, Soo-hyun enters (along with KimChi Cutie - back from another rendezvous?). She sits down near the front, and Hoon looks straight at her as he apologizes for the patient's death and bows at the waist. Dorky Doc pipes up to say they're not here for an apology but to discuss the cause of death and make sure this doesn't happen again. Soo-hyun says that the surgeon in charge did his best and the cause of death is clear, so they should move on to the next case.
JoAnne: I actually really loved this part, the review.
Jae-joon isn't done though, and asks Hoon point-blank why he did it. Hoon admits he wanted to save her somehow and is about to say something else, but he looks at Soo-hyun, remembering her plea to save Mom, and changes his mind. Instead he just smiles and says that if there's at least a 1% chance of success, a doctor should operate. Jae-joon asks if it wasn't that he wanted to show off, calling him the empty-headed quack, as he grows more and more antagonistic. The room goes quiet, and Dorky Doc leans over to suggest that his words are a little harsh, but Jae-joon yells at him to stay out of it.JoAnne: This time.... it's PERSONAL. That's the tagline to a movie but I can't remember which. It seems appropriate here.
bcook: I remember that tagline! It was obviously for part 2 of something.
kakashi: It's Jaws: The Revenge.
He walks down to Hoon's level, saying that a doctor who should save his patient has done a murderous thing - in other words, Hoon's arrogance killed the patient. Hoon says his words are a little harsh, so Jae-joon asks again why he operated. Soo-hyun stands up to answer, but Jae-joon ignores her and repeats the question. Hoon replies defiantly that he did it for money, shocking everyone in the room. Jae-joon asks him if that's something a doctor should do and who taught him such a thing, and Hoon seems to have finally had enough as he walks straight up to him and... smiles. He says he knows he was in the wrong, so they should just move on now.JoAnne: The smile does not work on Joon, which is more proof for me that he is made of wax.
bcook: Hahaha! That was not a nice smile.
Jae-joon tells him to go back to his place because they aren't finished yet, but Hoon replies that he's done. He moves to leave, and Jae-joon grabs him by the shoulder to stop him. Switching to banmal, he says if he doesn't want to listen, fine - he can go. But he has one more thing to say: "You're not a doctor."
JoAnne: *Spoiler!!! Spoiler!!* Says the man who became a doctor so he could destroy a hospital.
Hoon glares at him for a moment, then laughs, repeating the words back to him as a question. Jae-joon says the meeting is over and walks away, but stops when Hoon says that even he thinks it's too much to call himself a doctor. After all, what kind of doctor does surgery for money? But what about everyone else in the room? Do they operate for free?JoAnne: Time to be busting some self-opinion bubbles, methinks.
There are cries of outrage, and after they die down, Hoon walks up to Jae-joon with a determined look and says:
"Why did I do the surgery? Because I wanted to become a doctor. A doctor is someone who heals the sick. A doctor like you! But why didn't you do it? Because the probability of success was low? Then the people who perform surgery only when the chance is high are doctors? When the patient wants to live and there's someone who is asking to save the patient, is someone who gives up and lets the patient die just because the probability of success is low a doctor? Tell me."
It's a good speech, complete with hero music. Hoon gives Jae-joon one last glare then stalks out of the room.
JoAnne: Doctor, schmocter. Can't we just STARE at them lustfully? I mean come on, look at those faces.
Moon follows him out and asks if he's gone crazy, and Hoon figures he must have been for a moment but it's not like he said anything that wasn't true. Moon says that Chairman Oh is already considering firing him - he can't afford to alienate all of the doctors, too. He urges Hoon to ask for Oh's forgiveness.JoAnne: He must wonder why Moon is so desperate to keep him, right?
bcook: I don't think he really cares. He's in "must find Jae-Hee at all costs because she is my soul mate" crap.
Soo-hyun stays behind with Jae-joon after the everyone else leaves, and asks if he wasn't too harsh. She says he was venting his anger because he couldn't operate. He argues that he knew Mom would die, but she shoots back that she still wanted the surgery, even knowing the risks. She understands that he couldn't go against Chairman Oh, but he knows as well as she that Hoon did everything he could. Mom may have died, but she's grateful to Hoon. Jae-joon is directing his anger at him, though, and this is a side of him that she can't understand.
JoAnne: He's jealous, Soo Hyun. This is because he saw Hoonie hugging you, and he may be a shit who wants to destroy your father's hospital, but he is sincere about wanting you.
bcook: You're just spoiling all over the place Jo. Doesn't matter really. Knowing that bit of information won't help our readers understand what's going on anyway.
Hoon bows at the waist and apologizes to Chairman Oh, and Moon begs Oh to forgive him this once. Chairman Oh replies that it's too late for that. Hoon straightens up to say he's truly sorry for not saving the patient, but Oh cuts him off to ask if he thinks that's what he did wrong, when he should be apologizing for disobeying him. He tells Hoon to get out of his hospital.JoAnne: He does have a point, I guess.
bcook: psh it's just jealousy
Hoon stops him from leaving by getting down on his knees, and as soon as he sees it, Moon drops down, too, without even thinking. And that's the exact moment I started to love him.
JoAnne: Well I don't LOVE him, but he amuses me.
JoAnne: I like that he's very matter of fact about believing that she owes this to him. He's a pretty straight-forward kind of person. I like that.
bcook: Well... she kindda does. She would have to be a giant dick to not do anything for him after this. And since they're the OTP... she can't be a dick.
Chang-yi comes to find him later because Im Ajusshi called her. Hoon takes the phone, and Im tells him he's found Jae-hee. He tells Hoon to bring the rest of that money he'd ripped up and meet him at the clinic. As he drives away from his shop, we see that Creep Cha has been watching him.
JoAnne: THIS guy. This guy is the guy I can't get a handle on the MOST. I think he hates Hoon but sometimes it seems like there's more to it than that, and I definitely think he's got the hots for Seung Hee, and why is any of this HAPPENING at all, anyway?
bcook: *throws hands up in the air* Episode 11 and I still don't know.
Im Ajusshi isn't at the clinic when Hoon and Chang-yi get there, so they go out to the street and see him parked across the way. Creep Cha watches from behind as they try to cross the street through traffic, and he pulls out a gun and takes aim. They're almost across when Cha fires and a Truck of Doom barrels into Ajusshi's car. The Creep disappears.
JoAnne: At first, I thought he was aiming for Hoon and that his goal was to kill his escaped prisoner. Then I thought he was aiming for the old guy. But he was aiming for the truck right from the start, with the purpose of preventing those two from talking - or at least making Hoon think someone was in a big conspiracy to prevent them from talking...but why? Why go to the trouble of making him think that Jae Hee was in NK and in danger, when they also very clearly want him to think that Seung Hee is Jae Hee? I could see if they wanted him to DOUBT that she was her...
bcook: Yup. My theory is the studio is having a writer competition. A drama Tap Team if you will. Each team gets alternating episodes. That's why the story is so convoluted.
Hoon and Chang-yi take a bloody and unconscious Im Ajusshi back to the clinic, where Moon is waiting for them (he gets a door in the face again). While Chang-yi goes to call for an ambulance, Hoon determines with his MagicHands™ that a piece of broken bone has lodged itself in Ajusshi's heart. Moon doesn't believe they can operate here, but when Hoon starts giving out orders, he jumps to assist. Aw, I luff him.
JoAnne: I think the fact that he's always slightly drunk makes it easier for him to roll with the WTF-ery.
The suction is weak, so they can't see what they're doing through the blood, but that's okay - what else are MagicHands™ for? Hoon removes the piece of bone and stitches him up, to Moon's amazement. Yes, Moon, he's a genius, isn't he? We're very proud.
JoAnne: King of Puppies, right here for your viewing pleasure.
bcook: .... I have to admit. This was a pretty cool scene. Absolutely unbelievable...but pretty cool.
Chang-yi and Hoon go with Im Ajusshi in the ambulance when it arrives, and Soo-hyun meets them in the emergency room. Hoon explains that he did the basics, but the wall of his heart might have been damaged. (Um, it was punctured. I would say that yes, it was damaged. There's a hole in it.) He tries to insist on operating himself, but Soo-hyun reminds him he can't operate here. She convinces him to let one of Myung Woo's doctors handle it..
Dorky Doc leads the surgery, and Flirty praises Hoon's skills then flirts with Dorky Doc. He says there isn't much left to do - Hoon is truly impressive. Watching from above, Chang-yi asks Hoon if Ajusshi will be okay and if he really saw Jae-hee. Hoon says Im was sure he'd found her. He turns to her with a smile, overcome with joy that he'll be able to find Jae-hee now. He pulls her into a hug, which flusters her.
JoAnne: They'd actually make a really cute couple. Poor girl.
bcook: Ugh. Don't be bullied into accepting this girl as anything but a random distraction in this show. I will give her manager props for negotiating this deal for as much face time but as little words as possible but that's all the love she's getting from me.
Meanwhile, Jae-joon has gone out drinking with KimChi Cutie, who flirts with the waitress while a drunk Jae-joon builds a "castle" out of shot glasses. When he comes back, Jae-joon points out all the castle's defenses and places one more glass on top, saying that's where the princess is. He tell KimChi there's a knight who wants the castle, and in order to get it he has to impress the lord by being a good fighter, but he also needs to win the heart of the princess. There's one problem, though: whenever he sees the princess, his heart aches. KimChi says the knight must have fallen in love, which is a luxury he can't afford if he wants the castle.
JoAnne: Then maybe give up on the revenge and go for the girl? I mean, what's revenge gonna do when you're cold at night? And why do you need it?
bcook: All will be revealed. Frankly the two revenges need to combine. Two is better than one! (look at how well power combination has worked; captain planet, voltron, the powerpuff girls). This show is missing some bro-mance.
KimChi sends him off in a taxi, and as he rides, Jae-joon thinks back to Soo-hyun saying he was taking his anger out on Hoon and she couldn't understand this side of him.
JoAnne: I think we're all liking him more, right about now.
He meets Soo-hyun as she's leaving the hospital, and she guesses that he's been drinking. He surprises her by saying he's sorry: he couldn't go against the Chairman's order, and he admits was directing his anger toward Hoon. She tells to go home and sleep it off, but he continues that he thought his pride was hurt because Hoon did what he couldn't, when what he really hated was that she took Hoon's side and not his. He admits through tears that it's only natural for her to defend Hoon, but he can't help the way he feels.
JoAnne: I just don't think this is faked. I think he genuinely loves her. He may sacrifice that love for his other plans, but that's an issue for another day.
bcook: Aww poor revenge filled boy.
He stumbles forward into Soo-hyun's arms, and after he's righted himself, she smiles and thanks him for being honest with her. He hugs her and says again that he's sorry. Then his eyes drift up to the hospital behind her. Oooh, so the knight cares, but maybe not enough to stop?
JoAnne: Internal conflict! I loves it! I squishes it to my heart and I squeals happily!
When she gets home, Soo-hyun is still smiling about it until she sees Dad has called another family meeting, and this time she is forced to stand while Dad lets Sang-jin sit at the table, unlike before, when she was the one in favor. Seriously, this family is so messed up. Can you say "counseling"? Didn't think so, Show.
JoAnne: By the end of this show I bet that nasty brother is getting hate mail.
bcook: He's such an irritant. Not worth the energy to hate really.
Dad announces that Sang-jin will be the one going to the strategy office instead of Soo-hyun and tells her to speak now if she has something to say. She just takes it with a smile and promises to tell him tomorrow.
JoAnne: I love her so very much.
The next day, the doctors are in the middle of a meeting when they're interrupted by a detective. As he talks quietly with Dorky Doc, KimChi scoots over to Jae-joon, and, ha! - he's freaking out because the waitress from last night was married. The detective moves past them, however, as Hoon falls off the couch with a start. Judging by everyone's reactions, did they not know he was sleeping back there? Pfft. They all stare as he follows the detective outside, stopping only long enough to give Jae-joon a sleepy smile.
JoAnne: Come take naps at my house, Puppy. I won't bother you. Much.
bcook: Loved that.
As Hoon leads the detective to Im Ajusshi's room, he fails to see Creep Cha wheeling Ajusshi away. When they discover that he's disappeared, Hoon heads to the nurses' station to ask where he is and learns that the nurses didn't know he was missing. Dorky Doc snarks that Hoon did such a good job patching him up, he might have just walked out on his own. Okay, I didn't care one way or another before, but now I officially don't like you.
JoAnne: He's weak and will always side with the person in power. Maybe he'll grow.
Chang-yi gets a text from Ajusshi saying that he's going to China and he hopes they never meet again. Hoon tries calling, but of course it's the Creep who has his phone. He throws it out the window as he drives away.
JoAnne: Do you think they KILL the poor old guy?
bcook: This is creepcha we're talking about. I'm guessing he's very dead.
JangBastard meets with President HONG CHAN-SUNG, who asks about his health and says he's talked to the Chief Prosecutor about the investigation into the primary election and suggested he let it slide... for now. JB is respectful to his face, but once he's back at his own office, he barely stops himself from throwing a fit. He muses that the President is using his weakness to keep him in line, but he'll play along for now. He asks what Lollipop Ajusshi found at Pyungtaek (the branch hospital where Broom-Alike works), and Ajusshi shows him a picture of Broom-Alike and tells him Hoon's been kicked out of Myung Woo.
JoAnne: I get deeply crazy vibes off Jang.
bcook: He's crazy as ferk
Soo-hyun is currently trying to convince Chairman Oh to let Hoon come back: she's the one who requested the surgery, after all, so if he wants to punish someone, it should be her. He notes that she's never disobeyed him before, and now she isn't even asking for forgiveness. (Dude, you should be the one asking her to forgive you.) He asks what the reason is, but she just asks him again to forgive Hoon.
JoAnne: They're weird. He's weird. It's clear to me that he loves her, but he's still an ass toward her. His whole 'survival of the fittest' approach to parenting is just weird.
bcook: Kinda reminds you of a certain Daddy Choi doesn't it?
Hoon makes some inquiries, but there's no sign that Jae-hee has defected through official channels. Chang-yi reasons she must not be in South Korea then, but Hoon still believes Im Ajusshi's words. He suddenly notices the hospital's security cameras, and you can practically see the light bulb turn on over his head.
JoAnne: While you're busy being brilliant, dear Pup, can you get a clue about your hair, as well? You are looking particularly labradoodle-ish lately.
Next thing you know, he's being thrown out of the security office after asking to look at the footage. Chang-yi comes to find him again and tells him her mom saw Jae-hee in North Korea. They go to see Omma, and she tells them that about two years ago, a girl named Song Jae-hee came to the prison after being shot. On the brink of death, she kept calling for Hoon. Eventually a doctor came to look at her, and the rest of the inmates were told she was dead.
JoAnne: *puts a checkmark on the 'yes' side of the Seung Hee is Jae Hee' tally sheet.
Out in the hall, Soo-hyun comes upon Hoon and Chang-yi arguing, as he refuses to believe that Jae-hee is dead. Chang-yi tells him to stop now, and he grabs her by the collar and tells her to shut up. With tears in his eyes, he says he just needs to look at the surveillance footage and he'll be able to find her. Chang-yi pleads with him, but he walks away.
JoAnne: They are in the middle of Seoul, but the view out of her window is a large body of water, and mountains?
He passes by the nurses' station, and the head nurse wonders why such a skilled doctor was fired. Home Shopping Ajusshi says he deserved it. He asks about Head Nurse's health, saying she looks tired, and she just sighs that she needs to make money now that she isn't alone anymore. He leaves a health tonic on the desk and leaves without another word.
JoAnne: They doin' it. Or will be soon.
Soo-hyun gets the scoop on Jae-hee from Chang-yi and goes to find Hoon. She wonders if he might have mistaken someone else for Jae-hee, since it's been so long. But he asks if she could confuse someone she loves with another person, using her mom has an example. He's sure it was Jae-hee, so she agrees to help him. As they walk away, they're seen by Sang-jin.
JoAnne: Proof the boy was raised in NK...because in SK, they can't recognize their own family members after a couple of years apart. She needs to point out the field of plastic surgery to him.
That night, Soo-hyun and Hoon sneak into the security office to look at the footage, but they can't get a clear image of Broom-Alike's face. Suddenly the lights flip on, and they turn around to see Sang-jin smirking at them, having brought along the security team and the police. Soo-hyun tries reasoning with him, but he's a jerk and he hates her, so it's no use.
JoAnne: Why not kick HIM in the balls, Soo Hyun?
bcook: haha. That man clearly doesn't think through the consequences of his actions so...
Becca: I still vote we shove pennies up his nose.
They're taken to the police station and locked up, and Soo-hyun apologizes. She asks if the woman in the footage was really Jae-hee, but he says with tears in his eyes that he isn't sure, thinking of Im Ajusshi and Omma's conflicting stories. Soo-hyun asks if Jae-hee was a doctor, and he confirms that they went to med school together. She asks what Jae-hee was like, and Hoon just says she smiled a lot and finally breaks down in tears.
I feel for him, but I'm giving him a serious side-eye for having nothing else to say. I know he's overcome with emotion, but really, that's it? She smiled a lot??
JoAnne: People do not have the luxury of choices in NK, you silly. All she had was her smile.
bcook: I know! Really? That's all he can say about the girl he's been obsessing over?! After putting up with her shyte acting all we get is "she smiled a lot?"
Broom-Alike takes a call from Creep Cha about Hoon getting fired, and she tells him that Hoon has been told Jae-hee is dead, which throws a wrench in their plans. He tells her the mission is being aborted: they're going back to North Korea. She tries to argue that they still have a chance, but he hangs up.
JoAnne: What's the deal with them? Are they equals? Is he her boss? Even if he's the boss, does she have the power?
bcook: Add that to the really long list of "things about this drama that make no sense"
Back at the station, Soo-hyun tries again to suggest that Hoon just saw someone who looks like Jae-hee. For the first time, he wonders if that's really the case.
JoAnne: And he looks at Soo Hyun with grateful eyes, realizing that she's beautiful, funny, smart, loving, able to make expressions at appropriate times...he begins to fall in love. *sighs*
bcook: Ha! Just because the ship isn't sinking doesn't mean it's not in trouble.
Eventually, Chairman Oh comes to pick up Soo-hyun, and she refuses to leave without Hoon. Once they're outside, he scolds Sang-jin (I get so much satisfaction from watching him bow down!) and tells Hoon to never appear before him again. After he leaves, Sang-jin takes a few shots at Soo-hyun and accuses her of intentionally getting him in trouble with dad while looking at her mom, and that's when she realizes the footage they were looking at was from the day Mom was transferred and connects the dots between Hoon's mystery woman and Broom-Alike.
JoAnne: While I marvel at how stupid Sang Jin is.
bcook: Told you! He's his own worst enemy.
Speaking of, Broom-Alike goes to Hoon's clinic, and they must not lock doors here because she's able to walk right in. She finds the video of Jae-hee on Hoon's laptop, and as Jae-hee calls to Hoon and reaches toward the camera, Broom-Alike mimics her, like a robot who can't quite understand human emotions. It creeps me out.
JoAnne: Is she learning, or remembering?
bcook: Learnmembering? Her trying to act while acting is as bad as her actual acting. Thus proving that...I don't know what it proves but she's bad.
She turns around at the sound of someone else coming in. It's Hoon and Soo-hyun, here because she wants to see a picture of Jae-hee. When they enter, Broom-Alike is already gone, and we see that she's been dragged out by Creep Cha. He slaps her and demands to know why she went there, and she replies that Song Jae-hee can bring Hoon back to Myung Woo, so they have to convince him she's still alive.
JoAnne: So at this point my take on things is they're doing allllllllllllll this so that Hoon can be the one to operate on Jang, and they'll control him into botching the surgery by threatening the woman he thinks is Jae Hee? But why do they want to kill Jang, if that's it? And how did they know two years ago that Hoon would end up at that hospital or even in Seoul? Or that Jang would need surgery?
bcook: Well Jang had heart pangs back when Hoon was trying to defect so surgery was imminent. If they want Hoon to botch up the surgery then why does Jang want Hoon to do the surgery so bad?
Hoon shows Soo-hyun the video and asks if she's seen Jae-hee. Thinking of Broom-Alike, she nods.
Broom-Alike challenges Creep Cha, wondering why he didn't send her to Hoon sooner. Has he lost sight of the mission in his quest for revenge? She says she's going to see him now, and he argues that Hoon still won't be able to return to Myung Woo because of Chairman Oh. She asks if that means they're just going to give up.
JoAnne: But what IS the mission?
bcook: This ...
Soo-hyun explains the connection between Mom and Broom-Alike to Hoon, and he remembers that he saw her and found the bracelet on the same day, deciding it must have been Jae-hee.
JoAnne: I'd put this in the NOT Jae Hee column because it seems like a ploy, but then again, how would they have known where that bracelet came from?
bcook: They are skilled in the art of the torture?
Creep Cha pulls out his gun and says that just because he can't accomplish the mission, that doesn't mean he can't get his revenge. She argues that he's giving up just for revenge, to which he replies that she doesn't know what she's talking about. She grabs the end of the gun and points it at her own head. She tells him to go ahead and kill her: she's dead anyway if she can't complete her mission. He says that he doesn't think they can accomplish their task, and his finger tightens on the trigger.
JoAnne: If she is Jae Hee, why is she doing this? Is it to save her family? Or was she ALWAYS a spy? Her dad was high up and then suddenly he was called an enemy. Was that real?
bcook: I've always thought her question about "if I suddenly disappear what will you do" was coz her dad was trying to defect and they got caught.
Hoon and Soo-hyun have gone to the hospital looking for Broom-Alike, only to be told she's not there and she isn't answering her phone. They decide to look at Mom's house, and are walking away when a voice suddenly calls out to Soo-hyun. They turn around, and Broom-Alike slowly comes into view. Hoon can barely believe his own eyes as he walks toward her. She smiles.
JoAnne: Wow, she can barely contain her emotion, look at that!
bcook: *claps* brilliant acting. Just brilliant.
Comments
So is she Jae-hee or not? Broom-Alike seems totally different from Jae-hee, but a lot of things could account for that - years in prison, brain-washing, losing her family, hatred for Hoon for killing her dad - and sometimes an expression will cross her face that makes me think she really is Jae-hee. Then again, it's drama land and Doctor Stranger drama land, at that, so it could as easily be a double who just happened to live in North Korea or a random girl who's had plastic surgery to look like Jae-hee. I'd believe anything from this show, but personally, I hope it's Jae-hee. Not only because I hate the dopplegänger plot device as a general rule but also because it makes her current actions that much more interesting. If she is Jae-hee, is she out for revenge against Hoon or is she playing double agent to protect him?
JoAnne: If she's doing this to protect Jae Hee...I think she's Seung Hee posing as Jae Hee pretending to be Seung Hee who may or may not be Jae Hee.
bcook: She's Jae Hee brainwashed into thinking she's Seung Hee. Or maybe this has been a long con and Jae Hee never existed.
Another thing I can't figure out is which of our two female leads is endgame. Experience tells me that it's Jae-hee/Broom-Alike: she's the first love, she and Hoon share a tragic fate, and let's not forget the part where he's obsessed with her. That said, Soo-hyun gets about ten times more screen time, is far more relatable, and the writers are doing their best to get me invested in this relationship. Despite the fact that I madly ship Hoon/Soo-hyun, I actually could live with the Hoon/Broom pairing if that's the only way he can be happy - but only if we're given a little more insight into her character first and only if Soo-hyun gets her own happy ending. Because more than anything, I ship Soo-hyun in a happy, healthy relationship. Writer-nim, I'll give you 500 Won to take care of my girl.
JoAnne: Yeah, in real life at the episodes where we really are at, my SooHoon ship is sinking...I am sad about it, but she really seems to love Jae Joon, so it might not be terrible. Oh who am I kidding, it's terrible.
bcook: The ship has not sank yet! Andwe!!
JoAnne: At first, I thought he was aiming for Hoon and that his goal was to kill his escaped prisoner. Then I thought he was aiming for the old guy. But he was aiming for the truck right from the start, with the purpose of preventing those two from talking - or at least making Hoon think someone was in a big conspiracy to prevent them from talking...but why? Why go to the trouble of making him think that Jae Hee was in NK and in danger, when they also very clearly want him to think that Seung Hee is Jae Hee? I could see if they wanted him to DOUBT that she was her...
bcook: Yup. My theory is the studio is having a writer competition. A drama Tap Team if you will. Each team gets alternating episodes. That's why the story is so convoluted.
Hoon and Chang-yi take a bloody and unconscious Im Ajusshi back to the clinic, where Moon is waiting for them (he gets a door in the face again). While Chang-yi goes to call for an ambulance, Hoon determines with his MagicHands™ that a piece of broken bone has lodged itself in Ajusshi's heart. Moon doesn't believe they can operate here, but when Hoon starts giving out orders, he jumps to assist. Aw, I luff him.JoAnne: I think the fact that he's always slightly drunk makes it easier for him to roll with the WTF-ery.
The suction is weak, so they can't see what they're doing through the blood, but that's okay - what else are MagicHands™ for? Hoon removes the piece of bone and stitches him up, to Moon's amazement. Yes, Moon, he's a genius, isn't he? We're very proud.
JoAnne: King of Puppies, right here for your viewing pleasure.
bcook: .... I have to admit. This was a pretty cool scene. Absolutely unbelievable...but pretty cool.
Dorky Doc leads the surgery, and Flirty praises Hoon's skills then flirts with Dorky Doc. He says there isn't much left to do - Hoon is truly impressive. Watching from above, Chang-yi asks Hoon if Ajusshi will be okay and if he really saw Jae-hee. Hoon says Im was sure he'd found her. He turns to her with a smile, overcome with joy that he'll be able to find Jae-hee now. He pulls her into a hug, which flusters her.
JoAnne: They'd actually make a really cute couple. Poor girl.
bcook: Ugh. Don't be bullied into accepting this girl as anything but a random distraction in this show. I will give her manager props for negotiating this deal for as much face time but as little words as possible but that's all the love she's getting from me.
JoAnne: Then maybe give up on the revenge and go for the girl? I mean, what's revenge gonna do when you're cold at night? And why do you need it?
bcook: All will be revealed. Frankly the two revenges need to combine. Two is better than one! (look at how well power combination has worked; captain planet, voltron, the powerpuff girls). This show is missing some bro-mance.
KimChi sends him off in a taxi, and as he rides, Jae-joon thinks back to Soo-hyun saying he was taking his anger out on Hoon and she couldn't understand this side of him.JoAnne: I think we're all liking him more, right about now.
He meets Soo-hyun as she's leaving the hospital, and she guesses that he's been drinking. He surprises her by saying he's sorry: he couldn't go against the Chairman's order, and he admits was directing his anger toward Hoon. She tells to go home and sleep it off, but he continues that he thought his pride was hurt because Hoon did what he couldn't, when what he really hated was that she took Hoon's side and not his. He admits through tears that it's only natural for her to defend Hoon, but he can't help the way he feels.
JoAnne: I just don't think this is faked. I think he genuinely loves her. He may sacrifice that love for his other plans, but that's an issue for another day.
bcook: Aww poor revenge filled boy.
He stumbles forward into Soo-hyun's arms, and after he's righted himself, she smiles and thanks him for being honest with her. He hugs her and says again that he's sorry. Then his eyes drift up to the hospital behind her. Oooh, so the knight cares, but maybe not enough to stop?JoAnne: Internal conflict! I loves it! I squishes it to my heart and I squeals happily!
When she gets home, Soo-hyun is still smiling about it until she sees Dad has called another family meeting, and this time she is forced to stand while Dad lets Sang-jin sit at the table, unlike before, when she was the one in favor. Seriously, this family is so messed up. Can you say "counseling"? Didn't think so, Show.JoAnne: By the end of this show I bet that nasty brother is getting hate mail.
bcook: He's such an irritant. Not worth the energy to hate really.
Dad announces that Sang-jin will be the one going to the strategy office instead of Soo-hyun and tells her to speak now if she has something to say. She just takes it with a smile and promises to tell him tomorrow.
JoAnne: I love her so very much.
The next day, the doctors are in the middle of a meeting when they're interrupted by a detective. As he talks quietly with Dorky Doc, KimChi scoots over to Jae-joon, and, ha! - he's freaking out because the waitress from last night was married. The detective moves past them, however, as Hoon falls off the couch with a start. Judging by everyone's reactions, did they not know he was sleeping back there? Pfft. They all stare as he follows the detective outside, stopping only long enough to give Jae-joon a sleepy smile.
JoAnne: Come take naps at my house, Puppy. I won't bother you. Much.
bcook: Loved that.
JoAnne: He's weak and will always side with the person in power. Maybe he'll grow.
Chang-yi gets a text from Ajusshi saying that he's going to China and he hopes they never meet again. Hoon tries calling, but of course it's the Creep who has his phone. He throws it out the window as he drives away.JoAnne: Do you think they KILL the poor old guy?
bcook: This is creepcha we're talking about. I'm guessing he's very dead.
JangBastard meets with President HONG CHAN-SUNG, who asks about his health and says he's talked to the Chief Prosecutor about the investigation into the primary election and suggested he let it slide... for now. JB is respectful to his face, but once he's back at his own office, he barely stops himself from throwing a fit. He muses that the President is using his weakness to keep him in line, but he'll play along for now. He asks what Lollipop Ajusshi found at Pyungtaek (the branch hospital where Broom-Alike works), and Ajusshi shows him a picture of Broom-Alike and tells him Hoon's been kicked out of Myung Woo.
JoAnne: I get deeply crazy vibes off Jang.
bcook: He's crazy as ferk
Soo-hyun is currently trying to convince Chairman Oh to let Hoon come back: she's the one who requested the surgery, after all, so if he wants to punish someone, it should be her. He notes that she's never disobeyed him before, and now she isn't even asking for forgiveness. (Dude, you should be the one asking her to forgive you.) He asks what the reason is, but she just asks him again to forgive Hoon.
JoAnne: They're weird. He's weird. It's clear to me that he loves her, but he's still an ass toward her. His whole 'survival of the fittest' approach to parenting is just weird.
bcook: Kinda reminds you of a certain Daddy Choi doesn't it?
Hoon makes some inquiries, but there's no sign that Jae-hee has defected through official channels. Chang-yi reasons she must not be in South Korea then, but Hoon still believes Im Ajusshi's words. He suddenly notices the hospital's security cameras, and you can practically see the light bulb turn on over his head.JoAnne: While you're busy being brilliant, dear Pup, can you get a clue about your hair, as well? You are looking particularly labradoodle-ish lately.
JoAnne: *puts a checkmark on the 'yes' side of the Seung Hee is Jae Hee' tally sheet.
Out in the hall, Soo-hyun comes upon Hoon and Chang-yi arguing, as he refuses to believe that Jae-hee is dead. Chang-yi tells him to stop now, and he grabs her by the collar and tells her to shut up. With tears in his eyes, he says he just needs to look at the surveillance footage and he'll be able to find her. Chang-yi pleads with him, but he walks away.JoAnne: They are in the middle of Seoul, but the view out of her window is a large body of water, and mountains?
He passes by the nurses' station, and the head nurse wonders why such a skilled doctor was fired. Home Shopping Ajusshi says he deserved it. He asks about Head Nurse's health, saying she looks tired, and she just sighs that she needs to make money now that she isn't alone anymore. He leaves a health tonic on the desk and leaves without another word.JoAnne: They doin' it. Or will be soon.
Soo-hyun gets the scoop on Jae-hee from Chang-yi and goes to find Hoon. She wonders if he might have mistaken someone else for Jae-hee, since it's been so long. But he asks if she could confuse someone she loves with another person, using her mom has an example. He's sure it was Jae-hee, so she agrees to help him. As they walk away, they're seen by Sang-jin.
JoAnne: Proof the boy was raised in NK...because in SK, they can't recognize their own family members after a couple of years apart. She needs to point out the field of plastic surgery to him.
That night, Soo-hyun and Hoon sneak into the security office to look at the footage, but they can't get a clear image of Broom-Alike's face. Suddenly the lights flip on, and they turn around to see Sang-jin smirking at them, having brought along the security team and the police. Soo-hyun tries reasoning with him, but he's a jerk and he hates her, so it's no use.JoAnne: Why not kick HIM in the balls, Soo Hyun?
bcook: haha. That man clearly doesn't think through the consequences of his actions so...
Becca: I still vote we shove pennies up his nose.
JoAnne: People do not have the luxury of choices in NK, you silly. All she had was her smile.
bcook: I know! Really? That's all he can say about the girl he's been obsessing over?! After putting up with her shyte acting all we get is "she smiled a lot?"
Broom-Alike takes a call from Creep Cha about Hoon getting fired, and she tells him that Hoon has been told Jae-hee is dead, which throws a wrench in their plans. He tells her the mission is being aborted: they're going back to North Korea. She tries to argue that they still have a chance, but he hangs up.JoAnne: What's the deal with them? Are they equals? Is he her boss? Even if he's the boss, does she have the power?
bcook: Add that to the really long list of "things about this drama that make no sense"
JoAnne: And he looks at Soo Hyun with grateful eyes, realizing that she's beautiful, funny, smart, loving, able to make expressions at appropriate times...he begins to fall in love. *sighs*
bcook: Ha! Just because the ship isn't sinking doesn't mean it's not in trouble.
Eventually, Chairman Oh comes to pick up Soo-hyun, and she refuses to leave without Hoon. Once they're outside, he scolds Sang-jin (I get so much satisfaction from watching him bow down!) and tells Hoon to never appear before him again. After he leaves, Sang-jin takes a few shots at Soo-hyun and accuses her of intentionally getting him in trouble with dad while looking at her mom, and that's when she realizes the footage they were looking at was from the day Mom was transferred and connects the dots between Hoon's mystery woman and Broom-Alike.
JoAnne: While I marvel at how stupid Sang Jin is.
bcook: Told you! He's his own worst enemy.
Speaking of, Broom-Alike goes to Hoon's clinic, and they must not lock doors here because she's able to walk right in. She finds the video of Jae-hee on Hoon's laptop, and as Jae-hee calls to Hoon and reaches toward the camera, Broom-Alike mimics her, like a robot who can't quite understand human emotions. It creeps me out.JoAnne: Is she learning, or remembering?
bcook: Learnmembering? Her trying to act while acting is as bad as her actual acting. Thus proving that...I don't know what it proves but she's bad.
JoAnne: So at this point my take on things is they're doing allllllllllllll this so that Hoon can be the one to operate on Jang, and they'll control him into botching the surgery by threatening the woman he thinks is Jae Hee? But why do they want to kill Jang, if that's it? And how did they know two years ago that Hoon would end up at that hospital or even in Seoul? Or that Jang would need surgery?
bcook: Well Jang had heart pangs back when Hoon was trying to defect so surgery was imminent. If they want Hoon to botch up the surgery then why does Jang want Hoon to do the surgery so bad?
Hoon shows Soo-hyun the video and asks if she's seen Jae-hee. Thinking of Broom-Alike, she nods.
Broom-Alike challenges Creep Cha, wondering why he didn't send her to Hoon sooner. Has he lost sight of the mission in his quest for revenge? She says she's going to see him now, and he argues that Hoon still won't be able to return to Myung Woo because of Chairman Oh. She asks if that means they're just going to give up.JoAnne: But what IS the mission?
bcook: This ...
JoAnne: I'd put this in the NOT Jae Hee column because it seems like a ploy, but then again, how would they have known where that bracelet came from?
bcook: They are skilled in the art of the torture?
Creep Cha pulls out his gun and says that just because he can't accomplish the mission, that doesn't mean he can't get his revenge. She argues that he's giving up just for revenge, to which he replies that she doesn't know what she's talking about. She grabs the end of the gun and points it at her own head. She tells him to go ahead and kill her: she's dead anyway if she can't complete her mission. He says that he doesn't think they can accomplish their task, and his finger tightens on the trigger.
JoAnne: If she is Jae Hee, why is she doing this? Is it to save her family? Or was she ALWAYS a spy? Her dad was high up and then suddenly he was called an enemy. Was that real?
bcook: I've always thought her question about "if I suddenly disappear what will you do" was coz her dad was trying to defect and they got caught.
JoAnne: Wow, she can barely contain her emotion, look at that!
bcook: *claps* brilliant acting. Just brilliant.
Comments
So is she Jae-hee or not? Broom-Alike seems totally different from Jae-hee, but a lot of things could account for that - years in prison, brain-washing, losing her family, hatred for Hoon for killing her dad - and sometimes an expression will cross her face that makes me think she really is Jae-hee. Then again, it's drama land and Doctor Stranger drama land, at that, so it could as easily be a double who just happened to live in North Korea or a random girl who's had plastic surgery to look like Jae-hee. I'd believe anything from this show, but personally, I hope it's Jae-hee. Not only because I hate the dopplegänger plot device as a general rule but also because it makes her current actions that much more interesting. If she is Jae-hee, is she out for revenge against Hoon or is she playing double agent to protect him?
JoAnne: If she's doing this to protect Jae Hee...I think she's Seung Hee posing as Jae Hee pretending to be Seung Hee who may or may not be Jae Hee.
bcook: She's Jae Hee brainwashed into thinking she's Seung Hee. Or maybe this has been a long con and Jae Hee never existed.
Another thing I can't figure out is which of our two female leads is endgame. Experience tells me that it's Jae-hee/Broom-Alike: she's the first love, she and Hoon share a tragic fate, and let's not forget the part where he's obsessed with her. That said, Soo-hyun gets about ten times more screen time, is far more relatable, and the writers are doing their best to get me invested in this relationship. Despite the fact that I madly ship Hoon/Soo-hyun, I actually could live with the Hoon/Broom pairing if that's the only way he can be happy - but only if we're given a little more insight into her character first and only if Soo-hyun gets her own happy ending. Because more than anything, I ship Soo-hyun in a happy, healthy relationship. Writer-nim, I'll give you 500 Won to take care of my girl.
JoAnne: Yeah, in real life at the episodes where we really are at, my SooHoon ship is sinking...I am sad about it, but she really seems to love Jae Joon, so it might not be terrible. Oh who am I kidding, it's terrible.
bcook: The ship has not sank yet! Andwe!!