Cinderella And Her Four Knights - Episode 8 (A SqueeCap)
Kmuse: Who doesn’t love a scenic wind turbine? I know it always adds that extra romantic va va voom for me.
SakiVI: This episode was just full of cliches that I hated to no end.
Ducky wakes up, still in his pajamas, inside the corporate airplane. Apparently, he's a really bad flier, because he starts panicking and shouting. Everyone else various reactions from boredom to amusement as he is finally put back in his chair to have a mini-meltdown.
Trotwood: To be fair, I think I'd be a bit freaked out if I went to sleep in my own bed and woke up on an airplane. The only people for which this would be normal would be babies who are constantly falling asleep in one place (car seat, crib, etc.) only to wake up in another (mall, Target, park, etc.).
JoAnne: Yeah, I'm with Trot on this. On how Earth could he sleep through all that, though? Wait, never mind. I don't care.
I admit it, I laughed. Sometimes stupid can still be entertaining.
DramaNoona: I agree with the ladies, if I gone to sleep in bed and woke up on a plane I’d be a bit freaked. Though I did chuckle too.
Anything that upsets Ducky is ducky.
It's silly, but I have to say that I'd be the person who was super into it all, but then again, I loved all the games and bonding at summer camp. And I love team building activities. I always wanted to work for one of those drama companies where they go on retreats. Does anyone have such retreats where you live/work, guys?
Not 100% without work, but yes, sometimes. I HATE team building activities. I very often find these sorts of things incredibly stupid. But I smile and participate because to do otherwise is foolish. You want me to develop rapport with someone? Let's sit, have something to drink (doesn't have to be alcoholic) and just talk to each other. I can make friends with anyone on at least a temporary basis.
I find it awkward just sitting and talking to someone I don't know (Jo makes it easy); I also love competitions.
Was a bit surprised that not even one of them was willing to at least hang out with Cindi, even if the kumbaya stuff was a bust. Sometimes I feel that this drama has done nothing to progress anyone’s relationships. It just keeps resetting to the same spot after every challenge.
I loved her enthusiasm about the trip and the activities. Though she should have realized the people she was with, they are all less than willing to do anything or be a part of a group. I thought at least her Barista friend would take a jacket.
I hate teambuilding activities. I just tolerate them.
Outside, PA Lee contacts Gramps and gives him the update. Gramps tells him to get some rest as well, but when he hangs up, Mal shows up. Gramps is secretly checking himself into the hospital while SkyHouse is empty.
Never a good sign.
Meh… don’t care what happens to Gramps at this point. He burned his bridges with me when he started treating Cindi like crap despite her sincere efforts.
This ploy for sympathy for gramps is too little too late. Plus he’s been such a turd that I don’t much care.
Ditto.
After hanging up with Gramps, PA Lee receives a text from Mal/Mom asking to meet up for a meal when he returns, in exchange for her not bothering him anymore.
Sure, why not. Except, she'll never stop bothering him.
Ducky checks out his room. Did they pack him a suitcase? Doesn't matter, he just slumps back into bed. Except as he stares up at the ceiling, he sees glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling. He mumbles that things haven't changed, and decides to take a walk, ignoring Cindy as she stops by to post everyone's schedule on their doors. Poor girl, she would probably make a good cruise director. If anyone cared.
She sure would. (Looking up Korea cruise lines)
Mmm...would a Korean cruise ship have galbi 24 hours a day? Bibimbap? That rice juice? Not the milky fermented one with the name that escapes me - oh! makgeolli, not that one. The other one.
Instead, Ibeol wants to stay in his room and work on his music, Barista is sad because he won't interact. Outside, FG sits on an outdoor bench and looks at something carved on the slats.
FG needs to get a life already.
Cindy tracks down Ducky dozing under an umbrella by the pool, and apologizes for forcing him on the trip. He asks her why should he reflect on his heart, like she previously told him? She starts waxing rhapsodic about the joys of a man and woman living together, until he rudely interrupts her and calls her "old-fashioned". Then chases her away.Ohhhhhh my Gooooooooood I don't care anymore.
Notice how Ducky isn’t even amusing anymore? He’s officially been joysucked. FG sucks the joy out of everything and everyone.
At least one of these characters need to grow or evolve because the same old thing over and over again is tiresome indeed.
At this point, Cindy's excessive enthusiasm is sucking the life out of me.
As Cindy leaves, FG shows up, and goes swimming in the infinity pool. Ducky isn't happy to see her there, but she take a moment to climb out and chat. She offers to swim with him, for old times sake, but he just grouses and walks away.
I was rolling my eyes so hard through this whole scene! I am so unbelievably tired of FG and the Ducky show and their boring drama.
Me too.
I actually thought FG was faking at first but then they brought up this whole stupid, it happened when we were little let’s reminisce, crap. Either way, it was boring and lazy writing.
I am so tired of the cramp in pool trick when it's obvious that a person could stand up in pool. There are so many other ways for a rescue. She could slip, clunk her head, and fall into pool. That would make more sense for why she needs rescuing and would provide us all some satisfaction since we all think she needs a good whack across the head to snap her out of this obsession.
Line up here for Whack an Emole!
Back in Casa de Crap, stuff is happening. I don't care. Something about finding her real dad or something.
This was the one interesting thing in this episode, actually.
Such a waste of screen time and money on these actors, their set, their clothes, etc.
We're still here?
His jealousy has eaten up his soul?
Soul? What soul? There is literally no excuse for what he did. I am dreading the eventual redemption scene that I am sure we will have to suffer through.
Plot twist: That truck he drives is for one of Harabeoji's companies, and there was a chemical spill, and Pop died. He's actually a furloughed prisoner who agreed to a face transplant in exchange for release from prison, all part of a plot to keep the chemical spill underwraps. Season 2 of Cindy is already filming and is tentatively titled Zombirella and Four Nights.
Anything would be better than the eventual redemption/reunion scene! There is nothing that he could do that could undo the way he treated his daughter.
Anything would be better than the eventual redemption/reunion scene! There is nothing that he could do that could undo the way he treated his daughter.
Anyway, Cindy's next task on her own sheet is horseback riding, so she decides to go on her own. She's feeding a horse a carrot (I vaguely remember it being a big carrot and thinking she shouldn't set expectations like that with horses) when Emo shows up, following his chart. Turns out she's never ridden a horse, but he figures it's the perfect time to learn.
[Ducks head]...I actually thought this was cute. I like watching the OTP when they are not with the horde of emotionally constipated relatives/friends.
Ditto! When they are alone and there’s no drama or other people. I liked this scene too.
They look like brother and younger brother and their romance will never not gross me out. Unless Cindy starts looking like a girl and less like young boy getting groomed.
Ibeol finishes his song and sighs in happiness. But then he receives a phone call from his coordi, and finds out about the blackmail and schoolgirl photos.
Hello, Ibeol.
Emo and Cindy are riding on the same horse. She's squealing a bit, but he's clearly comfortable (which JIW should be, given all those sageuks). She complains they are too close; he decides to speed up, and they go racing along the paths of a wind farm.
Where is this supposed to be? Sheep? Windfarms?
Yep. It's the Daegwanryeong Samyang Ranch in Pyeong-chang. Horses, sheeps, cows, and giant wind turbines.
Plot twist: That constant, subtle vibration from the wind turbines is causing behavioral shifts in the local farm animals. The kids are unaware of the wholesale slaughter of the farm family down the road until they wake up one morning and find a bloody sheep at their sliding glass door, chewing cud very aggressively. Their escape attempt goes horribly wrong when the horses turn on them mid-journey and they're forced to flee on foot, dodging mad cows and stampeding herds of hungry piggies. Their only salvation lies in rolling themselves up in hay bales, but the traumatized citizenry react to that with muscle memory and begin beating them a la sageuk burrito torture. Depending on how you feel about this show, this either ends really well, or really badly.
Wow, Jo. I want some of YOUR rice drink. (putting away my makgeolli bottle)
At the house, Ibeol confronts Barista with his photos, calling her School Uniform. She spit takes on him before admitting they were hers. Before there's any argument, though, PA Lee shoves the makings of a barbecue in his hands. After all, the Cin-Itinerary says barbecue tonight! Ibeol is in charge of shish kebabs, and Barista is totally willing to help.
Look at Pa Lee supporting Cindy and making peace. PA Lee for the United Nations!!! His mom is clearly thinking too small.
I somehow think there's nothing small about my lovely PA Lee. And if Barista Bunny is already in another drama, why isn't HE?
She is? What? (painting a protest sign for PA Lee)
I was glad to see at least one person this trip supporting Cindy on this trip.
Our pair are walking back from the stables, when Cindy realizes her mom's necklace is missing, so now I guess they have to comb allllllll the pastures for this thing. Yawn. Emo mumbles that she always makes him worry, before catching up with her to help. He crouches down next to her and offers to help. If he finds it, she has to grant him a boon.
That's some big-ass mountain. I'd be asking for a HUGE favor.
Ass for ass. It gives 'turn the other cheek' a whole new meaning.
(Life Goals: To be as funny as Jo for a day)
The music pair are stabbing meat and vegs, and Ibeol uses the change to ask Cindy questions to her BFF. They chat about the Evils and Always Missing Dad. Ibeol gets upset when he hears she doesn't have a place to sleep there. Then he eases into dating questions and is happy to find out she's not dating anyone.I’m still crossing my fingers that these two end up together, they’d be absolutely adorable.
The horsey pair are still out in a field of flowers. Cindy apologizes, since they are stuck looking for her item, and he can't hang with FG. Emo takes it in stride, though. Cindy explains that she asked FG to come on this trip because she was thankful FG gave her a place to stay and she wants to be friends.
And we all know that FG needs a friend, a real one. NOW.
FG is incapable of being a friend. I am completely against her and Cindi doing any bonding. Mostly because I like Cindi and hate FG. Viewers shouldn’t ship their favorite characters with joysuckers.
I don't even remember what FG stands for. Fully grown? Friend Girl? ForGotten?
There was a brief moment where I wanted FG and Cindy to bond, but FG is stuck and won’t grow or evolve and she doesn’t deserve Cindy.
There was a brief moment where I wanted FG and Cindy to bond, but FG is stuck and won’t grow or evolve and she doesn’t deserve Cindy.
Just then, Emo spots the necklace. Waoo, acres and hectares of grass, and there it is (I keep reminding myself that this is supposed to be like a fairy tale; fairy tale pattern is the ONLY way finding that necklace makes any sense). He palms it, and reminds her of the promise, then squats down in front of her and dramatically dangles it from his hand. She is so happy she tackle-hugs him, and they end up arm in arm. There's a wordless stare and they suddenly jump apart like someone goosed them with electricity.
I mean, they knew roughly where they were in the field. You start there. They got lucky. So to speak. There's nooooo getting lucky in this drama, sadly. For any of us.
You know it is bad when an accidental, I fell on you and our lips met so let's stare at each other while kissing scenario would make this more interesting.
You’re right, fairy-tale story pattern is the only way any of this drama makes sense for sure.
This whole offshoot of the evil step family story arch seems so contrived and forced. If half of the story was cut and the show dropped to like five episodes this would have been a cute little show or a quick web series that I could have enjoyed.
At the wind farm, Cindy and Emo share yogurt drinks; she thanks him for finding the necklace. She shows him a ring inside the pendant. Her mom was clutching it in her hand when she was found in the burning building, Emo comments that his mom left him nothing.
We're going to die on this goddamn windfarm, aren't we? We're going to grow old and die here. That's the end.
I am smelling the scent of some serious Wind Farm Tourist Industry $$ floating around. Or that might just be the sheep.
Fashion Girl finds Ducky's bedclothes on a table and wonders if he has anything to wear. Ducky comes out of a room in a different robe, and tells her to bug off and go hang with Emo. She admits, though, that she came to the house to be with him. Doesn't that mean anything to him? She found their love promise carved into the bench, and wonders if he feels anything now that they are here together for the first time in ten years. He denies any of his old feelings and tells her to go away.
Ten years ago? She's holding him to a love promise they made when they were what, 10? Or am I supposed to be going by their ages in real life? How old are they supposed to be in this show anyway? When they go into the past, they do not show them as teens even, so am supposed to be buying the first love promise thing?
SO STUPID!!!!! Not only is FG a joysucker, but she is a stupid joysucker who is moping over the promise of a guy who's balls had not yet dropped. This “romance” just gets worse and worse.
Faaaaaaaashion Girl. That's it.
A promise made between ten year olds and nothing else? That’s what has her panties in a twist for the last ten years? Wow...
A promise made between ten year olds and nothing else? That’s what has her panties in a twist for the last ten years? Wow...
If being herself means emoting a dark gloom with a side dish of stalking, then she is indeed succeeding at being herself.
Pffft.
I have a feeling, though, that in Confucian-influenced South Korea, the law probably already says who gets who money and that wills aren't really effective, though pre-death gifts are. But I haven't researched this, so I don't know. I'm just typing my thoughts as they come in.
Congratulations! You are now qualified to write K-Dramas!
[snicker]
EvilStepMom is at work, listening to two hi-so ladies gossip. She overhears the biddies mention Maleficent and speculate that she has a child from another relationship squirreled away somewhere.
More waste of narrative space.
Please, please kill me.
So many things that I don’t care about.
At the vacay home, PA Lee and Barista are unpacking. The housekeeper hands off two identical bottles, on with fresh-squeezed milk, the other with makgeolli. Oh yeah, this isn't obvious or anything.
Alcohol poisoning would actually be a high point right now.
Emo is scrubbing his face but thinking about that tackle-hug. Ducky strolls into the bathroom, too, and wonders out loud why Emo is rubbing his face so hard. Apparently the lock doesn't work. Emo snarks and leaves the bathroom; he also leaves his phone behind.
With all the money and staff and all the bathroom door isn’t fixed before the crew lands?
I'm sure it was that pesky drunk Expositional Fairy that farted all over the doorknob.
While unpacking her shower stuffs, Cindy wonders about Emo's mercurial moods. Does it have something to do with FG? She slips off her ring necklace and also thinks about that little tete-a-tete in the field. She starts prepping for her shower. Meanwhile, Emo realizes he left his phone behind. In the bathroom.
Please, please, please let her be taking a huge dump when he walks in.
Hahaha yes!
Why is there only one bathroom in this huge house?
He just barges right in, despite hearing the water running; he just thinks it's Ducky when he calls out his presence. Meanwhile, Cindy is stock-still and not saying a word, and for whatever reason, Emo decides to open the shower to talk. Cindy bounces soap off his head and tells him to leave. When he realizes who it is, his eyes go wide and he hurries out of there.
Emo paces outside the bathroom, waiting. And when Cindy comes out, all moist and stuff, he stumbles over an apology and warns her that the door latch is broken. Aww, was he standing guard?
Dammit, they are cute though.
Adorkably cute. Why can’t the drama be 90% just them being having these type of moments?
We wouldn’t have nearly as much to complain about then.
Cindy drinks from the bottle and apparently never tastes it. An entire quart of makgeolli, gone and she didn't realize it?
There is NO WAY that she could have logically thought that makgeolli was milk or vice versa. I'm just going to pretend that she needed some alcohol and was planning to use the bottle look like milk lie in case someone asked.
I have chosen to ignore this particularly stupid bit of stage direction because drunk Cindy is a GEM.
I 2nd Jo here. Drunk Cindi is one of the more likable over the top kdrama drunk girls.
Yup, I have turned a blind eye to the dumb logic of the scene because I adored drunk Cindy a whole lot.
PA Lee realizes she's actually drunk. Ibeol laughs from the Grill Zone, and she heads over there to yell at him too. She switches to drunken confession, that she wanted to try to have fun with friends with team building and matching jackets, but all you meanies wouldn't cooperate.
This leads, of course, to everyone wearing their jackets. For whatever reason, everyone started joining in on the games and the food, and the alcohol. (Because Cindy has an uncanny way of trying her best and making people feel sorry to her without even trying-this proves that they may be a self-centered lot but that they aren't really bad at core) PA Lee gets drunk enough to call out "Eun Ha Won!" before passing out. Ibeol saraneyeos Fashion Girl, Fashion Girl saraneyeos Ducky, Ducky reluctantly saraneyeos Emo, and Emo saraneyeos Cindy. Cindy tells him to "go-jo". So Emo saraneyeos Ducky instead, causing instant bile reflux in the older cousin. He switches seats so Cindy is between them.
Cindy starts bickering with Ducky, and FG owlishly watches from across the table. Ibeol finally finds out that they never were really engaged to start with. Ducky is amused when Cindy complains that, thanks to the viral video, people on the streets now recognize her as the pyscho who rejected a Kang Cat.
PA Lee supposedly projectile vomits. I refuse to believe that this man, even drunk, would do that, so I'm claiming Stunt Double-take.
Me, too. It also didn't make much narrative sense.
It kind of killed my crush, tbh.
Stack it on the ever growing pile of things that don’t make sense. I thought this was a terrible scene. It makes no sense in PA Lee’s character and story.
And there goes Barista switching from cute side character to crazy fan in 2 seconds flat.
Once she's gone, he looks over the lyrics again, and we see the corner that was dog-eared. It reads "To Ha-won"
He's a sweetie pie, this one is.
Sigh. And destined not the get the girl.
Fashion Girl is out for a midnight stroll in the garden, and finds Ducky sitting on their bench. He gets ready to bolt, but she asks him to stay. She thanks him for the pool rescue, but he blows it off as something he would do for anyone. FG asks if that is the truth, but in the pause, promises to warm up properly next time. She waxes nostalgic for the last time they were there ten years ago.
Her older brother used to tease the two of them about their childish avowals of love. She wants to go back then, when Hyun-min was sweet and kind. But he's not willing to dwell in the past. She calls him out for sitting on their bench with their heart carving. She grabs his hand and draws a happy face on it, like they did when they were children, and shared their first kiss.
She kisses him in the present, with their happy-face hands clasped together. A moment later he breaks free and bolts up. She says if he doesn't remember the past, does that mean it's okay for her to date his cousin?
And how does she get to that next line of dialog in her head? Part of me wants to know what she is thinking. Part of me doesn't want to know because I'd probably be scared of the mixed circuitry. Part of me just wants her to go away.
She truly needs therapy. Deep and long term therapy to deal with her behavioural issues.
Ducky has been dating all sorts of girls: of course you can date someone else, FG!
I’ve given up trying to understand her. I just want her to go away because I know she won’t grow.
Meanwhile, that cousin and Cindy are still outside. She's curled up on a bench. still nursing a half-filled glass of wine. Emo stares at her for a moment and saraneyeos her. She opens one eye and tells him to piss off. So he says it louder and makes a tiny heart. When she opens both eyes, he makes a bigger one. She still won't echo him. So he yells even louder and now hearts his head. That finally gets her to sit up, so they are face to face. They drunken smile at each other, and he leans in and kisses her. He drinks her wine, spilling some on his shirt in the process. And then plants another kiss on her. Then a third...
This was cute, at least. The whole freaking show waiting for this.
Emo going through the various finger and hand hearts has totally won me over. And while it wasn’t an overly sexy kiss I still got some heart butterflies from the scene.
I loved, loved, loved this scene. His goofy grin, the hearts, his giggles all finally getting a response from her and I thought the kiss was sweet and perfect for how adorable they are.
No, it looked like two brothers making out. Just ew.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Not much moved along in this episode until the very end. There's still nothing but misunderstanding and crossed miscommunication between our sextet. And no matter how you look at it, Park So-dam has much more chemistry with Ahn Jae-hyun then she has with JIW. So, really, the sloppy, drunken kisses did not resonate with me at all.
Park So-dam is the saving grace of this drama.
I'll take anything at this point.
I find this whole thing even more depressing now that we've all finished 1%.
I agree, Park So Dam saves this drama for me.
It's the character; I'm super-fed-up with Cindy. She does have a job to do, I guess, so that is a saving grace.
As for the other couples, nope, not feeling it there either. There's just zero zap, whether it's the wooden acting skills or just plain blah, I can't root for any of them. The bogged-down feel contributes to that. We need to zippy-up our story pace and gets some stuff resolved, even though we are...whut??? Only half way through?
Can we make it look better by only recapping the the main points?
That sounds like a good idea.
