Thumping Spike - Episode 20, Finally the Finale Cap

Trotwood: Finally, the finale. Hmm. Again I’m not sure about the title. There is nothing miraculous about this episode except for the fact that Kakashi is still doing gifs for this recap.
kakashi: Ha, I'd do anything for a few clicks.
JoAnne: I never thought I'd be so glad to say goodbye to 3 people I think are adorable.

There are some things that are surprises, but only because they seem to be unnecessary plot twists and diversions from a) actually wrapping up some of the character stories and b) adding unnecessary time apart for both OTPs (Se Ra and Jaw Woong plus Jae Woong and Woo Jin).

I laughed a lot because this is about the most useless final episode I've ever seen. But it was cute.

Thanks for the ride. When I suggest recapping something else, please tell me to stop. 
No.
Not a chance.

Episode 20: A Miracle

We open back at the hospital (at least it’s not dark) with Gi joon on the phone. I’m presuming he is talking to Se Ra’s mom because he is telling the person not to bother coming now because said person couldn’t do anything anyway, but to instead come to Germany where Se Ra will be going through rehabilitation. He can’t help but stare pointedly at Jae Woong when he talks about how long he has known Se Ra (clearly he needs the same talk as Soo Bin), and he hangs up after telling the person that he’ll call once Se Ra comes out of surgery.
It's like the last twitching before you die. He's over and done for and knows it.
But what kind of mother doesn't come for her child's surgery?

Then he continues to bait Jae Woong by asking him if he wants to go out to smoke since the surgery will last three hours. Really you manage athletes, and you’re asking if he wants to smoke. But he only says that to put in a dig about how he’s only a high school student.
All that aggression he built up over these 20 episodes... he has to let it out somehow!
Not sorry at all to see the last of this guy.

The next scene has them outside anyway with Gi joon passing Jae Woong a drink. He asks him if he is a fan of Se Ra’s as well, but Jae Woong tells him that he wasn’t and didn’t know who she was before she came because he isn’t interested in women’s volleyball. Gi joon is floored by this, but he presses on asking how he could see her as a woman when she should be just a coach. Huh? Jae Woong tells him the real deal—that he met her before she was a coach at an amusement park. Gi joon is incredulous that this could’ve happened since she would have been crushed by fans. However, this response confirms something to Jae Woong, and he gets up patting the manager on the shoulder in sympathy, telling him that he doesn’t know Se Ra at all. He even gives back the, unopened drink because he doesn’t drink carbonated beverages.

Liked this scene for giving Jae Woong all the power. Didn't like this scene for being pretty much pointless. We already know that Jae Woong is the only one who "gets" her. (what does it say on Rim's sweater? I'm sure I'm too old to get it)
No clue, and what a weird little fact to throw in there at the end, and also - 'I don't care about women's volleyball' - kind of a jerk statement.

Post surgery, they are all in Se Ra’s room (those are the prettiest pillowcases I’ve ever seen. Please show screenshot of close up. Do hospitals have such pillowcases? Anywhere?).  
It's a VVVVVVIP room. And Sera, please close your mouth from time to time. Unless you want to look stupid?
But how will she breathe, Kakashi?  How will she breathe?
Nose?

Gi joon takes offense when Jae Woong asserts that he’s the one that should be by her side and Secretary Kim has to break up the argument. She manages to kick them both out to have a moment with Se Ra. She is happy that the surgery went well. Se Ra asks about the office, but she says since the manager isn’t there, he probably won’t say anything about her not being there. She’s promised to protect the room, but who comes back just then? Gi joon. Secretary Kim can’t help but roll her eyes and heave a heavy sigh. She wants to argue, but he seriously pulls rank this time, so she has to leave.

I can’t help but roll my eyes and heave a heavy sigh either.
Great, now we know that the women have bonded. Secreetary Kim came over from the dark side.

Then the writer decided to give Gi joon his moment . . . in the last episode . . . of a series with 15-minute episodes. Sigh. NO ONE CARES!

I did a little. Seriously, I did!
It was a little bit nice, though.

He tells her about how he noticed she was different from the very beginning six years ago, but that she was young and as the representative, he needed to hold back. His feelings, however, could not be held back and they grew. He just kept telling himself he’d confess at after another milestone—after college, after surgery, after pro leagues, etc. This was sweet, Trotwood! She, for some reason, is surprised. Sigh. She tries to interrupt, but he stops her and tells her that he knows she has fallen for someone else and that he knows she is confused about her future. He only wants one thing. For her not to get sick. I admit. I did feel for him here. But I would have cared more if we weren’t in last episode.
No, I'm glad it's the last episode. And in the last episode. The fewer scenes he had the better. But! There was some moisture on his cheek. I think it's from crying and not from the carbonated beverage earlier. And nobody spit on him either.
Six years ago he was a grown man and she was what?  Sixteen? Eighteen?  He's been planning his confession all that time? Squicky-sweet. I can't decide how I feel about it.

When Jae Woong comes down the hall with a wheelchair, he gets stopped by Gi Joon, who postures, but really just tells him to be good to Se Ra because he will be watching him.

I did D'Awwwwwz a little. But my tender feelings were quickly squashed by the absolute super stupid faces Gi Joon makes.
I just keep telling myself I'm sure he's a nice person, every time I want to go Ooooooooooooh UGLY.

Se Ra and Jae Woong go outside. She tells him that she doesn’t think she can keep the promise she made to wait for him because she is going to be gone up to two years. He’s only 20 years old, and he should be able to date freely and not be tied to her and get exhausted. (Funny side note: I know the Korean word for exhausted—It’s my response every time my teacher asks me how I’m doing). Of course, he is offended.
Yes, cause he's clearly not only 20 years old.
*snorts with laughter*

He can’t believe that she’s say this stuff to him after she’s threatened him and rejected him. He kisses her. Twice, but she is wondering where he is going with this. He uses her words and says the exact opposite. He doesn’t want her to meet another guy she likes. As for going on blind dates (another of her suggestions), he asks her if she wants to die. He tells her that he will wait for her even if he withers away from exhaustion. And then the real kiss happens because really we all deserve it, damn it.
Smoochfest! Mary will be jealous! Hey, I almost blushed!
I do feel that Rim would be equal parts annoying and swoonworthy as a boyfriend.  I know that WGM was fakefakefake damn it but still, I feel like that was Rim.

Then comes the rest of episode that makes no sense in sequencing or plot or frankly narrative decision making. I can accept what happens, but I feel like everyone just got tired and put stuff together.
It's much better than the average KDrama ending though. Okay, maybe not much. Okay, maybe not at all better. But it's also not worse.
No memory of it, actually.

1. We get scene of Jae Woong, Woo Jin, and Han Sol at the residence watching a news report where a doctor talk about Se Ra’s surgery and her upcoming rehab in Germany. Han Sol asks Woo Jin if he knew (he shakes his head), and Woo Jin asks Jae Woong if he knew but gets silence in response.
Yes. That was weird. Completely pointless. But I guess the editor likes one of the boys or all three of them. All three.  All three!

2. We get shot of school 3 months later in winter (why the season is important I don’t know - cause you can think about snuggling with The Rim without having to fear a heatstroke?). Jae Woong is at his locker and taking his name tag off locker. While piano version of theme song plays, he goes into gym where there are volleyballs scattered all over (which would never happen. People do not leave balls all over the floor like that in an empty gym. It’s an accident waiting to happen - I laughed at how carefully someone place them there). Han Sol comes and looks pleased and surprised to see him (I’m assuming they don’t see each other much because season is over - yes and it's winter). He congratulates him on getting into Hanbit University and talks about how gym’s quiet now but will get loud again when new students come.
Why are we supposed to care about that?
Picture cause adam's apple:
Well this needs no explanation.  We care.

 

And picture cause I like these boys: 
You really gotta watch Age of Youth - Han Sol plays the most adorable character there.  *swoons over Sunbae*

3.  The next scene says it's summer, one year later. Hmm. What does that mean? If it was winter in previous scene right after volleyball season, then is this the following summer, which would only be (at most) 6 months later, or are we talking yet another summer ahead, which would mean that it is more like 18 months than a year later.
I think it's been two full years now. And someone cannot count in the editing department.
They're counting in birthday years.

a.      Se Ra is back at the school surrounded by screaming fans. One of Soo Bin’s minions runs to find her (she’s got a couple of guys on their knees taking punishment from her) to tell her that Se Ra is back.
Sera is dressed in some very flattering outfit, wearing very high heels. Maybe that's part of her rehab therapy? Other than that, why do we have to see Soo Bin? 

b.      Se Ra and Secretary Kim go visit principal, and we get the only bit I liked from this sequence; Secretary Kim getting all over the principal for allowing the team to fall back into last place again. They visit the remaining team members in the gym where Han Sol is running practice as the captain (where is that damn coach?). They look for the others who are missing and find Yong Young tending the school flowers and Jin Ah in office begging to be transferred to another school with a better volleyball team.
How hilariously random. 
Someone wrote this after their 17th cup of coffee on an allnighter, determined to be done with this thing.

c.      Soo Bin finds Se Ra and confronts her about Jae Woong taking a leave of absence and disappearing and Se Ra’s obvious ignorance of this fact. Apparently, he is back to working at the amusement park. WHAT? Why? Why is this even necessary? What happened to university? My only explanation is that they didn’t have money to film somewhere that might look like a university. 
I'm glad to hear you were confused too. He got into university and then left school to go work? How does that even work?
I'm starting to wonder if I actually watched past the kiss.

4.      Next we see Jae Woong back at amusement park in his amusement park apron (I have to mention it because I’m abnormally fond of this apron outfit - it makes me realize that he has very short legs though).
Apron shot for Trot:
I love that faded red.  I had a big sectional sofa in that color for years, loved it.

He sees the table which sells the disguises, and of course we know he is thinking of Se Ra. The next scene proves that we have a parallel OTP because it is a parallel scene of when Jae Woong and Se Ra met. He rounds the corner only to see our giant tree puppy (finally) at the basketball game about to break a record. He does to him what Se Ra did in the past, breaking his concentration right at last minute. Please gif this or the following of them walking through park right after.

He asks what we ALL want to know. Why did he take time off from school when it was so hard for him to come back? Jae Woong answers that he needs to make money. This gives Woo Jin pause, allowing for him to pick up a plot thread that had been dropped episodes ago.  *snort* He worriedly asks if Jae Woong’s sister is still in hospital. Jae Woong tells us all that his sister is fine but that he’s saving money to go to Germany. Geez. Really? Can I pop him in the head now? He got to go to school and play and he’s put it off? Woo Jin is playing professionally now but it isn’t any fun because as the youngest player, he’s basically treated like a maid. 

Oh, can he wear a maid's outfit, please? One of those where you're naked otherwise. 
I inhaled breakfast sandwich into my lung.  I think I'm dead.  But can you put a picture of that in my coffin with me, please?

5.      Woo Jin has also stated that he was here to meet someone, and he takes Jae Woong with him over to the fountain. He worries that they will come on, but Jae Woong says they are broken. Suuuuure. Woo Jin wonders why the person wanted to meet there. Jae Woong wonders why he has to wait with him, but Woo Jin just says that he’ll be glad to see this person, too. So much chit chat (I was only able to keep from screaming by concentrating on that apron and on thinking about climbing tree puppy’s legs)! Geez, we all know who asked to meet him here.
Gosh, they are hot. I'm even thinking of THAT kind of fanfiction. Maybe all that talk about fountains and blasting?
They're no Beauty and KO, for sure, but they are more than acceptable.

6.      When Se Ra and Secretary Kim show up. Woo Jin calls out to her and of course there is the drama surprised look turned to the long stare of delight between Jae Woong and Se Ra. Both look so happy (please give a screen shot of that). But Se Ra isn’t done. She looks at Secretary Kim. She makes a call, and the fountain comes on. Se Ra is punishing them for leaving and ignoring their old team and letting them go back to its losing ways.
I laughed. I expected it, but not like this. The phone call was excellent.
They are so flippin' cuuuuuuuuuuute.

7.      Nothing else happens but fighting and giggling in the water. Secretary Kim gets involved because she wants to save the dress, but that is it. Really. No discussion about future plans. No discussion about Germany. No timetable. No kiss. Just water fountain hijinks.
I did have naughty thoughts though.
You were not alone.

 

8.      We do get an epilogue, but it is just of team members and Se Ra together on rides at the amusement park. That’s it. Rides. At the amusement park.
They're all having fun. It's all good.
Who's the guy next to Rim?  He's hilarious.
No point to learn names now, JoAnne :)

The end. Seriously. That is the end.
All done.  Bye-bye!

Comments

The only thing that I can say about this episode is that I am sorry it took me so long, but the real reason is because that I thought I had already done this recap and had moved on. I watched a bunch of Filipino movies, especially ones with him
Oooh.

and him

Ehh.

   

and him.
Nah.  First guy. But not bad.
                                 

Lovely young men. Lovely.
They are, indeed.  I'm sure they'd all help me across the street, dammit.

I thought about how to comment on To Get Her. I got caught up on Cindy and Those Other People. I contemplated whether or not to even start watching any currently airing dramas because I’m so busy. But then I took a break to read the blog and realized that I couldn’t move on (no matter what Derek Ramsey was saying with his eyes-pic #1) and had to come back to bite the bullet.

Thank you very much for seeing this through! It's always a pleasure to move a show from the "currently capping" to the "recently done" section! Well, I think you picked a really hard one as your first recapping project. It appears cute and all, but in the end, nothing happens at all. That's the hardest. And then, I was grumpy too and you started feeling bad and ... 
Man, I lost sleep over how much you hated Heirs.  I can sympathize, Trot.

But now that it’s done, I want to thank everyone for helping out. It really was fun with you guys.
Until next time! No, I won't stop you.
Me neither.  And now I have no excuse not to think about Prince of Wolf - not be confused with my REAL wolf, but still cute.