Fall In Love With Me - Episode 8 (An IdiotiCap)
Shuk: This episode left me with a bad taste in my mouth. All my shows seem to take a dive into WTFkery this week, but the decisions made by our folks here made me wish I had a cat, just so I could throw some cat toys at my screen. I started using other languages when I ran out of synonyms for "idiot".
JoAnne: So you have a situation, and you have the right way to correct the situation, and you have the less right way to correct the situation, and then you have the absolute wrong way to correct the situation. If you are a boy, which one do you choose? Is that even a question?
EPISODE 8
Shuk: We are back in AdGuy’s kitchen – what is the second point to becoming a successful producer? It’s clearly not a kiss, since Chalk Girl whaps his hand away from her chin. His charms aren't working right at the moment, but then, the casting couch is never a fun place. However, the answer is….taste? Okay, I’ll run with it. Appearances are clearly important in the entertainment world, and really, how far different is the advertising business? So your taste reflects your style which in turn reflects your abilities.
JoAnne: I'll go with that, for the sake of the story. But it's not necessarily true.
Shuk: The pair go to a couture shop, and AdGuy encourages her to pick out clothes that she can picture herself in. He rejects her choices; I reject them as well: pink is weak, fuchsia isn't businessy or elegant, and the tie-dye outfit? NO.
JoAnne: Disagree, don't see why it couldn't be, since the blue that gets picked is the blue equivalent of fuschia, and OH HELL NO GRANDMA.
Shuk: He chooses the outfit, settling on a deep blue strapless ballgown. Wait, wasn't he talking about business? He’s done up in a dresscoat tuxedo and dusting off his lapels, when she comes around the corner. He spends a moment looking at her before smiling. She’s a bit self-conscious when she yanks the top up a little higher.
JoAnne: I would offer that big ass floofy white BOWS on a man are not business-like or elegant. How sad is that he is STILL major league hot, though? Oh, this love child of TOP and GD. We cannot get enough of him.
Shuk: She challenges him – “Is it pretty enough?” He starts shaking his head before nodding in approval. Is that a blush? He grins wider as he pulls out a necklace and steps behind her to place it around her neck. He calls it a gift in anticipation of her next big project. It also gives him an excuse to touch her hair and breathe on her neck. He asks if she is ready, and she agrees.
JoAnne: Who else got the shivers when he was touching the back of her neck? Ugly necklace, by the way. I thought the chain was rather industrial.
Shuk: I thought it was either a dog whistle or a medication container.
Shuk: There’s a continuity dissonance here. Does he tell her where they are going or what she’s supposed to do? We are definitely in the dark as they arrive to an Advertising Association Charity Cocktail Party: cameras, reporters, waitstaff, champagne…
JoAnne: Isn't it broad daylight? Who does this? No.
Shuk: Chalk Girl asks him why they are there. Um, so he didn't tell her what they were doing? Plus, he seems a bit overdressed based on everyone else there. At this time I’m feeling almost as confused as she is. He tells her this is a group of advertising companies, producers, and entertainment stars; she can see the reality of the industry machine. There’s a world of opportunity, but not a lot of sincerity out there. He hates these types of events, but she should become aware of the environment. With that, he offers her his arm, and they proceed towards the bank of reporters at the bottom of the stairs.
JoAnne: Is he trying to discourage her from working in the industry, or trying to prepare her for the reality of working in the industry? If so, how come the preparation stopped at new clothes? I'm sorry, I call big fail here. Not only is it dumb from a story standpoint, it's not in keeping with his personality. He may LOOK impulsive and he's certainly been making some impulsive decisions when it comes to her, but his work ethic is to be prepared.
Shuk: Right away they are surrounded, and the media scrum wastes no time in firing questions: Why is CEO Lu back after he announced a three-month break? Why is he consulting for another company? He smoothly goes into public persona mode and introduces Chalk Girl as a new advertising talent. Sensing a scoop, the reporters start questioning her as a look of panic flashes: What’s her relationship with CEO Lu? Is he the reason your company was pulled from the edge of disaster?
Shuk: She shrinks back, and Tian Xing places a steadying hand on her back. She seems unable to open her mouth, only gripping her clutch tighter and tighter. Finally, she excuses herself with a squeak and hurries away through the crowd. A frown crosses AdGuy’s face before it clears and he begins answering questions again.
JoAnne: Seriously. All you have to do is say that he's been very gracious as an industry senior and that you're thankful for his help. Then smile and shut up. Why was she suddenly Mouse Girl?
Shuk: Chalk Girl is by herself and staring into space when Tian Xing stops comes into the unlocked office. He clears his throat to make his presence known. She ignores him, until he plops down in the chair next to her. He comments on her sour mood and needles her about her puffy face. She grabs her stuff to leave and he wonders out loud if she got into a fight with Xiao Lu. That arrow strikes them both. And is it irony that the word "THERAPY" is over top of his head?
JoAnne: SoL, please don't add more stupid to the mix.
Shuk: She finally turns to him and blurts out Dork’s departure as the tears begin. He offers her his shoulder to cry on, but she just stands there. Until he pulls her into his arms and hugs her. The floodgates open, and she starts crying in earnest, sobbing about when she was left alone with her confession-wish. Tian Xing reaches out to stroke her hair but stops, instead just rocking a little back and forth. His face reflects his realizations of the depths of her pain, but when she steps back he schools his face back into its usual expression. He pulls out his handkerchief and tenderly wipes her eyes as he tells her to release the hurt with the tears and continue to live.
JoAnne: Yes. Let the damage you've caused smack you in the face, silly man. But when you have, please consider that this woman is mentally unstable to have SO MUCH PAIN over a relationship that never actually started.
Shuk: In an effort to deflect his own emotions as well and inject some levity, he coerces her into removing the forehead dart on the LuPic.
Shuk: He takes off his OZWatch and places it on her right arm. She breaks out into a smile and tells him that she feels better. But wait! He then takes the watch back off and puts it on his wrist again. She protests; wasn't he returning it to her? He smiles a slightly evil smile, and tells her he was just letting her wear it a moment; their contract still holds, and the watch is his until she pays back the rest of the agreed-upon money. She smacks him with his handkerchief, but she’s out of the doldrums.
JoAnne: At first I thought this was totally a dick move, but it worked, so I guess I was wrong.
Shuk: He takes her to a late-night noodle shop, and gallantly grabs her spring onions when the waitress inadvertently added them to her bowl. He also preps her chopsticks for her as well. She tells him not to worry about it, but he insists, since the goal is to have her eat.
JoAnne: I wish I had someone half so hot to grab my spring onions, lemme tell ya.
Shuk: Tian Xing asks her why she gave the necklace back; Tao Zi gives a vague answer that he correctly interprets as the Xiao Lu Effect. He puts the jewelry box on the table, pointing out that it’s just a gift between friends and colleagues, but she pushes it back. She doesn't want him getting the wrong idea, but he shrugs it off, since his attraction to her is something only he can decide on.
JoAnne: Sure, but that's not what she's talking about. She doesn't want you thinking she likes you back. Well if you frame like as 'encouragement to continue' then I can see it.
Shuk: It’s really late when they finally end up riverside for a final bottle of water. He checks to make sure her eyes aren't red and swollen any more. She tells him about TaoMom’s reaction to her crying yesterday, and he promises not to go anywhere near TaoHouse without protection.
JoAnne: Have you noticed that all water bottles in Taiwan are label-less? And icy cold? Seeing them makes me thirsty.
Shuk: He doesn't want to see anymore tears, and she thanks him for making her feel better. Now he comes around to the real subject: what does she like about Xiao Lu? She says he makes her happy and really cared for her. He tries a little Lu-bashing; how much did he care that he didn't respond to her confession and quit OZ the next day? She still defends his actions and trusts Xiao Lu.
JoAnne: In addition to being unskilled at her chosen profession, she's quite stupid when it comes to men.
Shuk: Xian Ting wonders about Dork’s reasons: Did he not want to lie to her? Did he have a secret to hide? Did he just not want to hurt her? He finally shuts up when he realizes she’s giving him the stink-eye.
JoAnne: DUDE. What are you doing? Don't make excuses for him.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Shuk: Can we just move on from this episode? A few moments of cute, but mostly I was exasperated with almost every character. And I have to wonder what she caught on to at the end: the fact she never mentioned a confession, or his switch from bashing the man she likes, to defending him? Eh, so what, I guess we will figure it out with the next episode. A final shot of Fuji Apple Sake and call it a recap. LOL
JoAnne: TELL THE TRUTH. USE YOUR NOGGIN. My advice to him, followed by my advice to her.
JoAnne: So you have a situation, and you have the right way to correct the situation, and you have the less right way to correct the situation, and then you have the absolute wrong way to correct the situation. If you are a boy, which one do you choose? Is that even a question?
EPISODE 8
Shuk: We are back in AdGuy’s kitchen – what is the second point to becoming a successful producer? It’s clearly not a kiss, since Chalk Girl whaps his hand away from her chin. His charms aren't working right at the moment, but then, the casting couch is never a fun place. However, the answer is….taste? Okay, I’ll run with it. Appearances are clearly important in the entertainment world, and really, how far different is the advertising business? So your taste reflects your style which in turn reflects your abilities.
JoAnne: I'll go with that, for the sake of the story. But it's not necessarily true.
Shuk: The pair go to a couture shop, and AdGuy encourages her to pick out clothes that she can picture herself in. He rejects her choices; I reject them as well: pink is weak, fuchsia isn't businessy or elegant, and the tie-dye outfit? NO.
JoAnne: Disagree, don't see why it couldn't be, since the blue that gets picked is the blue equivalent of fuschia, and OH HELL NO GRANDMA.
Shuk: He chooses the outfit, settling on a deep blue strapless ballgown. Wait, wasn't he talking about business? He’s done up in a dresscoat tuxedo and dusting off his lapels, when she comes around the corner. He spends a moment looking at her before smiling. She’s a bit self-conscious when she yanks the top up a little higher.
JoAnne: I would offer that big ass floofy white BOWS on a man are not business-like or elegant. How sad is that he is STILL major league hot, though? Oh, this love child of TOP and GD. We cannot get enough of him.
Shuk: She challenges him – “Is it pretty enough?” He starts shaking his head before nodding in approval. Is that a blush? He grins wider as he pulls out a necklace and steps behind her to place it around her neck. He calls it a gift in anticipation of her next big project. It also gives him an excuse to touch her hair and breathe on her neck. He asks if she is ready, and she agrees.
JoAnne: Who else got the shivers when he was touching the back of her neck? Ugly necklace, by the way. I thought the chain was rather industrial.
Shuk: I thought it was either a dog whistle or a medication container.
 |
| At least he could have picked a designer color. |
JoAnne: Isn't it broad daylight? Who does this? No.
Shuk: Chalk Girl asks him why they are there. Um, so he didn't tell her what they were doing? Plus, he seems a bit overdressed based on everyone else there. At this time I’m feeling almost as confused as she is. He tells her this is a group of advertising companies, producers, and entertainment stars; she can see the reality of the industry machine. There’s a world of opportunity, but not a lot of sincerity out there. He hates these types of events, but she should become aware of the environment. With that, he offers her his arm, and they proceed towards the bank of reporters at the bottom of the stairs.
JoAnne: Is he trying to discourage her from working in the industry, or trying to prepare her for the reality of working in the industry? If so, how come the preparation stopped at new clothes? I'm sorry, I call big fail here. Not only is it dumb from a story standpoint, it's not in keeping with his personality. He may LOOK impulsive and he's certainly been making some impulsive decisions when it comes to her, but his work ethic is to be prepared.
Shuk: Right away they are surrounded, and the media scrum wastes no time in firing questions: Why is CEO Lu back after he announced a three-month break? Why is he consulting for another company? He smoothly goes into public persona mode and introduces Chalk Girl as a new advertising talent. Sensing a scoop, the reporters start questioning her as a look of panic flashes: What’s her relationship with CEO Lu? Is he the reason your company was pulled from the edge of disaster?
JoAnne: Seriously. All you have to do is say that he's been very gracious as an industry senior and that you're thankful for his help. Then smile and shut up. Why was she suddenly Mouse Girl?
Shuk: Chalk Girl runs to the bathroom, asking her image why the heck she went to this place. We are all wondering the same thing, if this is the best you can do. A gaggle walks in, so she hides. Naturally, they are talking about her. They decide she’s either a gold digger come to steal him away from Huan Huan the actress, or she’s using him to boost her company’s image. As she is trying to absorb this, Helen (Toady’s female assistant) surprises Chalk Girl, who then rushes past the hens and out the door.
JoAnne: She surprised me too, by seeming genuinely nice. And wow, gorgeous.
Shuk: AdGuy is still chatting with the media when Toady and Motor Mouth show up. The reporters immediately abandoned him for the new pair, specifically Motor Mouth. Toady slips away to smile-grill Tian Xing on his presence there tonight.
Shuk: Chalk Girl slinks back in along the periphery of the crowd. Seeing AdGuy engaged with gladhanding, Toady Junior grabs her arm and confronts her. Since the CEO of his company is using his reputation to assist OZ, she must be thanking him in some way. The implication, of course, is the full use of her "assets".
JoAnne: And he cares because?
Shuk: She pulls and away and tries to flee, but ends up knocking over a tower of champagne glasses. To give a tiny bit of credit, I don’t think the jerk expected that, but it doesn't matter. Tian Xing flies across the room and punches him to the floor. Helen tries to help her as the two square off; T-Junior says he was just warning her not to end up thrown away. Tian Xing goes back for punch seconds as Lance drags him back. The situation diffuses when Chalk Girl yells to stop fighting; she just tripped over herself and fell. With that, she runs, no dignified retreat here. Tian Xing runs after her, and Toady and his crew work on damage control.
JoAnne: Serious side-eye for pretty much everyone involved here. Aren't they supposed to be grown ups? I thought I was at the BOF prom.
Shuk: He catches up to her and pulls her around to face him. Her eyes are swimming with tears, but she refuses to let them fall, especially in front of someone who mocks her tears. He just grabs her into a hug and murmurs that if she doesn't cry, how can he comfort her? She pushes him away, and calmly thanks him for the lesson today. Tian Xing tries to hold her back and she nearly trips into hysterics. Rather than let her go home in that state, he takes her to LuHouse and runs a warm bath for her. They both spend the time deep in thought.
JoAnne: She surprised me too, by seeming genuinely nice. And wow, gorgeous.
Shuk: AdGuy is still chatting with the media when Toady and Motor Mouth show up. The reporters immediately abandoned him for the new pair, specifically Motor Mouth. Toady slips away to smile-grill Tian Xing on his presence there tonight.
Shuk: Chalk Girl slinks back in along the periphery of the crowd. Seeing AdGuy engaged with gladhanding, Toady Junior grabs her arm and confronts her. Since the CEO of his company is using his reputation to assist OZ, she must be thanking him in some way. The implication, of course, is the full use of her "assets".
JoAnne: And he cares because?
Shuk: She pulls and away and tries to flee, but ends up knocking over a tower of champagne glasses. To give a tiny bit of credit, I don’t think the jerk expected that, but it doesn't matter. Tian Xing flies across the room and punches him to the floor. Helen tries to help her as the two square off; T-Junior says he was just warning her not to end up thrown away. Tian Xing goes back for punch seconds as Lance drags him back. The situation diffuses when Chalk Girl yells to stop fighting; she just tripped over herself and fell. With that, she runs, no dignified retreat here. Tian Xing runs after her, and Toady and his crew work on damage control.
JoAnne: Serious side-eye for pretty much everyone involved here. Aren't they supposed to be grown ups? I thought I was at the BOF prom.
JoAnne: His hugs are so DRAMATIC. I sort of wish he'd stop flinging his arms around like he's in musical theater.
Shuk: Chalk Girl wanders the room a bit and notices the OZBall on a silver stand, but before she can touch it, Tian Xing tells her the bath is ready. Wordlessly she hands him his jacket back.
JoAnne: Houseguest Rule #1, don't touch a man's balls without permission.
Shuk: Soaking in bubbled luxury, she nevertheless can’t get the cruel words she heard that night out of her head, and begins to cry. He’s all but yanking his hair out.
JoAnne: Why did he put her in that situation so under-prepared? Why is she being such an enormous crybaby? She OVER REACTS. It's irritating. She over-reacted to his kiss, too.
Shuk: By the time she finishes and is back in her own clothes, he’s asleep on the couch. She uses his jacket to cover him; even in his sleep, he grabs her hand, muttering that he wants another minute. She untangles her hand and heads for the door, leaving the dress, shoes and necklace on a table. I dunno what happened to the clutch.
JoAnne: Can't help you on that one, sorry.
Shuk: Outside the house, MotorMouth is waiting for her, and they go to a nearby sitting place for some girl talk. After asking about her health, the younger woman gets to her subject: Lu Tian Xing is a great guy who will protect someone even if it hurts him to do so. She confesses that she’s loved him since she was little, and plaintively begs Tao Zi not to like him, even if he likes her. Chalk Girl nods in agreement.
JoAnne: I feel sorry for her little munchkin self when she's not being shrill or so kawaii I want to puke.
Shuk: After MM leaves, Tao Zi thinks back over the girl’s definition of love, and finally makes The Decision. She texts Dork and asks him to meet her at the company offices. AdGuy reads it with a pained expression while glancing over at the neatly folded dress.
JoAnne: If your plan to win her heart is accomplished by driving her straight to the arms of another man because you and your world are one big bucket of douchery, you are definitely succeeding.
Shuk: Everyone is at OZ celebrating the Samsung commercial. I guess they hadn't read the business/fashion newspaper that morning or something, because it certainly seemed like a big deal the night before. Complements abound until it’s Dork’s turn; he thanks everybody but it sounds like goodbye. Oh crap, Tian Xing heard JoAnne, and is gonna disappear Dork. Tonto.
JoAnne: I believe I said disappearing would NOT be a good option.
Shuk: Later, he’s helping put away some supplies with Bangs, who thinks he’s being recruited by Tian Xi, which would devastate the boss. PD Leo sends Bangs away for his own tete-a-tete with their freelance scriptwriter. He warns Dork that once Tao Zi forms an attachment with someone, she’ll stick with it, even if it’s to her detriment. She's צעדרייט that way.
JoAnne: She's what? Is that Greek? What is that?
Shuk: That one is Yiddish for "idiotic".
Shuk: By the end of the day, it’s just Dork and Chalk Girl. They walk out together, and she is all smiles. While they are walking, Dork admits to receiving her texts, but being too busy to reply. She forgives him, happy that he wasn't ignoring her. Baka.
JoAnne: Yeah, I saw your texts but they weren't important enough to me to respond. How is that NOT ignoring?
Shuk: She tries to spit out her feelings, but falls back on making a wish. She closes her eyes and begins.
JoAnne: And this whole thing is stupid. I can't tell you what I want out right, but I can stand in front of you with my eyes closed, wish for it out loud, count to 7 (why 7?) (Earlier episode: it's her lucky number) and then open my eyes expecting that you'll have performed in the meantime. What? No.
Shuk: Dork’s face is agonized as he listens. When she starts counting, he leans in as if he’s going to kiss her, but at the last second, pulls away and runs. Bastard.
JoAnne: HOW IS THAT EVEN A RESPONSE? Tell her to stop with the stupid counting and just say look, it's not going to happen. Since you can't bring yourself to tell the full story, which is look, it's not going to happen because I don't exist. But I'm a part of him, who does exist and loves you, so could you give him a chance because I am in there? That's me, too? I didn't mean for this all to happen I just wanted to help and you wouldn't take it from ME me so I created this guy, and now we're here and OMG I love you so much, I'm so sorry, please don't ever forgive me but stay by my side and give me a chance to show you that I'm not what you think?
Shuk: Tao Zi opens her eyes after her count of seven to find that she is alone. She looks around as she realizes what’s happened. She cries out his name over and over again through her tears, finally yelling to an uncaring world that she likes him.
JoAnne: Again with the weird response and the over-reaction. Would you do what she did? I would not.
Shuk: The panic-stricken, grief-stricken, I-want-him-baseball-bat-stricken guy is hiding behind a low wall, listening to her and sobbing his own heartbreak. She continues to call; he continues to cry.
JoAnne: I like that he feels so heavily the weight of causing her pain. I don't think at this point that he actually realizes that Xiao Lu gone does not necessarily mean Lu Tian Xing gets some action, so I think his tears are all for her. And I appreciate that. But still, you wanna talk about BONE-HEADED moves? This whole thing is just crazy.
Shuk: She woodenly walks home, reliving all the great times she had with Xiao Lu, as well as the words that sounded like goodbye he had previously spoke. He’s trailing not far behind her, all but vibrating with the need to go to her, but he convinces himself that the only way open to Lu Tian Xing is to make Xiao Lu dies an ignominious death. Jerk.
JoAnne: I don't think it's jerky. Jerk implies that he doesn't care or doesn't understand and refuses to take the time to understand; that he just does what suits him. (Which...ok....but) No seriously...he's not doing this because he doesn't care about her or understand how she feels. He's not a jerk, he's STUPID. (Okay: Russian for stupid: глупый, pronouced "gloo-bay")
Shuk: At Tao House, Chalky puts on a bright face, but she’s not fooling Mama. TaoMom is ready to kick some Lu Tian Xing butt, but Tao Zi admits it wasn't him this time. In her mind, Chalk Girl thinks she was too forward. Mom is quick to point the numerous people who love her daughter, and they hug. Okay, a fairly non-idiocy scene, but then Mother Bear is awesome.
JoAnne: Yeah I can't complain about anything here.
JoAnne: Houseguest Rule #1, don't touch a man's balls without permission.
Shuk: Soaking in bubbled luxury, she nevertheless can’t get the cruel words she heard that night out of her head, and begins to cry. He’s all but yanking his hair out.
JoAnne: Why did he put her in that situation so under-prepared? Why is she being such an enormous crybaby? She OVER REACTS. It's irritating. She over-reacted to his kiss, too.
Shuk: By the time she finishes and is back in her own clothes, he’s asleep on the couch. She uses his jacket to cover him; even in his sleep, he grabs her hand, muttering that he wants another minute. She untangles her hand and heads for the door, leaving the dress, shoes and necklace on a table. I dunno what happened to the clutch.JoAnne: Can't help you on that one, sorry.
JoAnne: I feel sorry for her little munchkin self when she's not being shrill or so kawaii I want to puke.
JoAnne: If your plan to win her heart is accomplished by driving her straight to the arms of another man because you and your world are one big bucket of douchery, you are definitely succeeding.
Shuk: Everyone is at OZ celebrating the Samsung commercial. I guess they hadn't read the business/fashion newspaper that morning or something, because it certainly seemed like a big deal the night before. Complements abound until it’s Dork’s turn; he thanks everybody but it sounds like goodbye. Oh crap, Tian Xing heard JoAnne, and is gonna disappear Dork. Tonto.
JoAnne: I believe I said disappearing would NOT be a good option.
Shuk: Later, he’s helping put away some supplies with Bangs, who thinks he’s being recruited by Tian Xi, which would devastate the boss. PD Leo sends Bangs away for his own tete-a-tete with their freelance scriptwriter. He warns Dork that once Tao Zi forms an attachment with someone, she’ll stick with it, even if it’s to her detriment. She's צעדרייט that way.
JoAnne: She's what? Is that Greek? What is that?
Shuk: That one is Yiddish for "idiotic".
Shuk: By the end of the day, it’s just Dork and Chalk Girl. They walk out together, and she is all smiles. While they are walking, Dork admits to receiving her texts, but being too busy to reply. She forgives him, happy that he wasn't ignoring her. Baka.
JoAnne: Yeah, I saw your texts but they weren't important enough to me to respond. How is that NOT ignoring?
Shuk: She tries to spit out her feelings, but falls back on making a wish. She closes her eyes and begins.
JoAnne: And this whole thing is stupid. I can't tell you what I want out right, but I can stand in front of you with my eyes closed, wish for it out loud, count to 7 (why 7?) (Earlier episode: it's her lucky number) and then open my eyes expecting that you'll have performed in the meantime. What? No.
"I recently started liking someone. A person who is very important to me. I hope he can always be by my side, to look at the stars, to eat snacks and ride a carousel, to celebrate two birthdays, and when I'm scared, to tell me it's okay. I hope he likes me too. Is that okay?
Shuk: Dork’s face is agonized as he listens. When she starts counting, he leans in as if he’s going to kiss her, but at the last second, pulls away and runs. Bastard.
JoAnne: HOW IS THAT EVEN A RESPONSE? Tell her to stop with the stupid counting and just say look, it's not going to happen. Since you can't bring yourself to tell the full story, which is look, it's not going to happen because I don't exist. But I'm a part of him, who does exist and loves you, so could you give him a chance because I am in there? That's me, too? I didn't mean for this all to happen I just wanted to help and you wouldn't take it from ME me so I created this guy, and now we're here and OMG I love you so much, I'm so sorry, please don't ever forgive me but stay by my side and give me a chance to show you that I'm not what you think?
Shuk: Tao Zi opens her eyes after her count of seven to find that she is alone. She looks around as she realizes what’s happened. She cries out his name over and over again through her tears, finally yelling to an uncaring world that she likes him.
JoAnne: Again with the weird response and the over-reaction. Would you do what she did? I would not.
JoAnne: I like that he feels so heavily the weight of causing her pain. I don't think at this point that he actually realizes that Xiao Lu gone does not necessarily mean Lu Tian Xing gets some action, so I think his tears are all for her. And I appreciate that. But still, you wanna talk about BONE-HEADED moves? This whole thing is just crazy.
JoAnne: I don't think it's jerky. Jerk implies that he doesn't care or doesn't understand and refuses to take the time to understand; that he just does what suits him. (Which...ok....but) No seriously...he's not doing this because he doesn't care about her or understand how she feels. He's not a jerk, he's STUPID. (Okay: Russian for stupid: глупый, pronouced "gloo-bay")
Shuk: At Tao House, Chalky puts on a bright face, but she’s not fooling Mama. TaoMom is ready to kick some Lu Tian Xing butt, but Tao Zi admits it wasn't him this time. In her mind, Chalk Girl thinks she was too forward. Mom is quick to point the numerous people who love her daughter, and they hug. Okay, a fairly non-idiocy scene, but then Mother Bear is awesome.
JoAnne: Yeah I can't complain about anything here.
Shuk: When she is by herself, though, she sends Dork a text: "Xiao Lu. Are you asleep? In reality, making a wish doesn't mean it'll always come true. In fact, it made you disappear. I'm worried about you. Did something serious happen, for you to rush off like that? Hope everything is going well. P.S, I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me."
JoAnne: STOP. You were making a confession - in the stupidest way possible, but still - and he RAN AWAY. No, nothing serious happened to make him rush off. If something happened he would have said OMG, what, no? Shit, I just got this text and.... but did he do that? No. He RAN AWAY. Fuck him and the horse he rode in on. THAT's how you respond. You send him a text that says fuck you, fuck your ancestors, fuck your unborn children, fuck your neighbors, fuck your friends, you weak-assed cowardly piece of shit, die. And then you get up the next morning and look fabulous and never think about his skinny ass again.
Shuk: Tian Xing is in DorkSpace hugging a pillow when he gets the text, with DorkHair and AdGuy slim clothing. He smiles through his tears, touched by it as he rubs his thumb across her words. She is in an agony of waiting; he has read it, but doesn't reply. He wanders through DorkSpace, reliving the grocery / cake baking / forehead thermometer. A short time later, he receives a phone call from Butler Fu, who, if he had been there, would have prevented this mess I think. He asks when Young Master will return to LuHouse, but he’s decided to stay at the apartment a little longer. Being that close to OZ when you plan on Dork disappearing? Oh yeah, this is so going to work out, pabo.
JoAnne: Why? Why stay? WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU IDIOT.
Shuk: The next morning, Chalk Girl is popping in and out of the door like a prairie dog near a carrot pile, antsy to see Xiao Lu. Bangs comments on her “face full of longing”, earning him a PD Leo glare and a pummeling threat from Kitty. He zips it.
JoAnne: Do prairie dogs eat carrots, I didn't know. How cool is that? They have a little burrow under the ground and there's the carrots just hanging down from the ceiling - food AND decoration.
Shuk: Xiao Lu finally shows up, and Chalk Girl jumps up, all smiles and relief. That is, until Dork makes the hated announcement: he’s there to say goodbye to everyone. Something has come up at home, and he needs to leave immediately. She just stands there as he passes out his work to the various team members, ending with an external hard drive of everything to Tao Zi. She slowly takes it, and then he quickly runs.
JoAnne: Well this is better than nothing, I suppose. But he couldn't take her outside and give her a private moment? There's no way he can pretend they weren't anything to each other. Maybe he's worried that if he tries to talk to her alone she won't give up hope that he'll return.
Shuk: She catches up with him outside, though, and demands a better explanation. He glances everywhere but her and states that they are only good friends. The tears come down her face as she asks if he will ever come back. He says no, liking is liking and that’s it. He walks away thinking he did the right thing as she collapses to the ground. Ass.
JoAnne: I can't call him an ass. It clearly hurts him to do this. I just...why is this the best he could come up with? Why did he not work this out with Fu? As for her: seriously? Collapsing on the ground? No. NO.
Shuk: PD Leo and the rest of the gang watch as she has a breakdown. If there was ever a moment where you could have swooped in and gotten the girl, this would have been it, estupido.
JoAnne: Lacking Leo, that's his name. Sadly Lacking Leo.
Shuk: Chalk Girl goes on a wild cleaning spree at OZ. I guess they don’t keep feather dusters for her to rip apart there. Kitty tries to make her stop and she finally faces her BFF/sista. She reassures Kitty and promises to be home soon, only to cry and text Xiao Lu again. It is a simple avowal; if he is happy then she is happy. Blech.
JoAnne: The man denied being interested in you, said goodbye, and indicated it was forever. Why are you texting him? Why do you think he's interested in whether you are happy if he is happy?
Shuk: He flips through all the Chalky texts on DorkPhone before changing into a nice, casual outfit lacking in stupid bows, and going to OZ.
JoAnne: He looks quite good. Like he should burst into flames of hotness.
JoAnne: STOP. You were making a confession - in the stupidest way possible, but still - and he RAN AWAY. No, nothing serious happened to make him rush off. If something happened he would have said OMG, what, no? Shit, I just got this text and.... but did he do that? No. He RAN AWAY. Fuck him and the horse he rode in on. THAT's how you respond. You send him a text that says fuck you, fuck your ancestors, fuck your unborn children, fuck your neighbors, fuck your friends, you weak-assed cowardly piece of shit, die. And then you get up the next morning and look fabulous and never think about his skinny ass again.
Shuk: Tian Xing is in DorkSpace hugging a pillow when he gets the text, with DorkHair and AdGuy slim clothing. He smiles through his tears, touched by it as he rubs his thumb across her words. She is in an agony of waiting; he has read it, but doesn't reply. He wanders through DorkSpace, reliving the grocery / cake baking / forehead thermometer. A short time later, he receives a phone call from Butler Fu, who, if he had been there, would have prevented this mess I think. He asks when Young Master will return to LuHouse, but he’s decided to stay at the apartment a little longer. Being that close to OZ when you plan on Dork disappearing? Oh yeah, this is so going to work out, pabo.
JoAnne: Why? Why stay? WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU IDIOT.
Shuk: The next morning, Chalk Girl is popping in and out of the door like a prairie dog near a carrot pile, antsy to see Xiao Lu. Bangs comments on her “face full of longing”, earning him a PD Leo glare and a pummeling threat from Kitty. He zips it.
JoAnne: Do prairie dogs eat carrots, I didn't know. How cool is that? They have a little burrow under the ground and there's the carrots just hanging down from the ceiling - food AND decoration.
Shuk: Xiao Lu finally shows up, and Chalk Girl jumps up, all smiles and relief. That is, until Dork makes the hated announcement: he’s there to say goodbye to everyone. Something has come up at home, and he needs to leave immediately. She just stands there as he passes out his work to the various team members, ending with an external hard drive of everything to Tao Zi. She slowly takes it, and then he quickly runs.
JoAnne: Well this is better than nothing, I suppose. But he couldn't take her outside and give her a private moment? There's no way he can pretend they weren't anything to each other. Maybe he's worried that if he tries to talk to her alone she won't give up hope that he'll return.
Shuk: She catches up with him outside, though, and demands a better explanation. He glances everywhere but her and states that they are only good friends. The tears come down her face as she asks if he will ever come back. He says no, liking is liking and that’s it. He walks away thinking he did the right thing as she collapses to the ground. Ass.
JoAnne: I can't call him an ass. It clearly hurts him to do this. I just...why is this the best he could come up with? Why did he not work this out with Fu? As for her: seriously? Collapsing on the ground? No. NO.
Shuk: PD Leo and the rest of the gang watch as she has a breakdown. If there was ever a moment where you could have swooped in and gotten the girl, this would have been it, estupido.
JoAnne: Lacking Leo, that's his name. Sadly Lacking Leo.
Shuk: Chalk Girl goes on a wild cleaning spree at OZ. I guess they don’t keep feather dusters for her to rip apart there. Kitty tries to make her stop and she finally faces her BFF/sista. She reassures Kitty and promises to be home soon, only to cry and text Xiao Lu again. It is a simple avowal; if he is happy then she is happy. Blech.
JoAnne: The man denied being interested in you, said goodbye, and indicated it was forever. Why are you texting him? Why do you think he's interested in whether you are happy if he is happy?
JoAnne: He looks quite good. Like he should burst into flames of hotness.
Shuk: Chalk Girl is by herself and staring into space when Tian Xing stops comes into the unlocked office. He clears his throat to make his presence known. She ignores him, until he plops down in the chair next to her. He comments on her sour mood and needles her about her puffy face. She grabs her stuff to leave and he wonders out loud if she got into a fight with Xiao Lu. That arrow strikes them both. And is it irony that the word "THERAPY" is over top of his head?
JoAnne: SoL, please don't add more stupid to the mix.
JoAnne: Yes. Let the damage you've caused smack you in the face, silly man. But when you have, please consider that this woman is mentally unstable to have SO MUCH PAIN over a relationship that never actually started.
Shuk: In an effort to deflect his own emotions as well and inject some levity, he coerces her into removing the forehead dart on the LuPic.
Shuk: He takes off his OZWatch and places it on her right arm. She breaks out into a smile and tells him that she feels better. But wait! He then takes the watch back off and puts it on his wrist again. She protests; wasn't he returning it to her? He smiles a slightly evil smile, and tells her he was just letting her wear it a moment; their contract still holds, and the watch is his until she pays back the rest of the agreed-upon money. She smacks him with his handkerchief, but she’s out of the doldrums.
JoAnne: At first I thought this was totally a dick move, but it worked, so I guess I was wrong.
Shuk: He takes her to a late-night noodle shop, and gallantly grabs her spring onions when the waitress inadvertently added them to her bowl. He also preps her chopsticks for her as well. She tells him not to worry about it, but he insists, since the goal is to have her eat.
JoAnne: I wish I had someone half so hot to grab my spring onions, lemme tell ya.
JoAnne: Sure, but that's not what she's talking about. She doesn't want you thinking she likes you back. Well if you frame like as 'encouragement to continue' then I can see it.
JoAnne: Have you noticed that all water bottles in Taiwan are label-less? And icy cold? Seeing them makes me thirsty.
Shuk: He doesn't want to see anymore tears, and she thanks him for making her feel better. Now he comes around to the real subject: what does she like about Xiao Lu? She says he makes her happy and really cared for her. He tries a little Lu-bashing; how much did he care that he didn't respond to her confession and quit OZ the next day? She still defends his actions and trusts Xiao Lu.
JoAnne: In addition to being unskilled at her chosen profession, she's quite stupid when it comes to men.
Shuk: Xian Ting wonders about Dork’s reasons: Did he not want to lie to her? Did he have a secret to hide? Did he just not want to hurt her? He finally shuts up when he realizes she’s giving him the stink-eye.
JoAnne: DUDE. What are you doing? Don't make excuses for him.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Shuk: Can we just move on from this episode? A few moments of cute, but mostly I was exasperated with almost every character. And I have to wonder what she caught on to at the end: the fact she never mentioned a confession, or his switch from bashing the man she likes, to defending him? Eh, so what, I guess we will figure it out with the next episode. A final shot of Fuji Apple Sake and call it a recap. LOL
JoAnne: TELL THE TRUTH. USE YOUR NOGGIN. My advice to him, followed by my advice to her.