Scandal: A Shocking and Wrongful Incident Episode 36

And so it is time to say farewell to this drama. I would like to thank the Academy the hardworking Scandalous Team over at Viki who worked so quickly (and free) on this show. 

The doctors are striving to shock Ha Myeong Geun back to life. Out in the waiting room Soo Young thinks back to all the hurtful things she said to her father. 

Fake Eun Joong meets with his not-brother-in-law to ask Jo Jin Woong to work with him in protecting Taeha Group from falling into Real Eun Joong's hands. It's all about the money with you, Fake. Jin Woong is hesitant to join forces with Fake as he's not all that sure Fake will win this fight.

!!!CENTER POLE!!!

The Three Joo's are opening a new store. Joo Pil, thanks to rapid Kdrama therapy, is now out of his wheelchair and getting around just fine. He's the one who has to tell Joo Ha about her father turning himself in and being in a detention center. Joo Pil advises her to quickly get her father to give her power of attorney before Fake can get it.

I take it the defibrillator worked as Myeong Geun's machine is beeping again. Soo Young makes peace with her unconscious father. All her caterwauling is enough to make Myeong Geun wake up. 

Yoon Hwa Young is sitting out in the hospital hallway when Real Eun Joong (praying hard in the elevator) arrives. First she makes her son promise to never turn himself into the police again before taking Eun Joong in to see his not-father. With a weak voice, Myeong Geun reminds Eun Joong how they were planning to take a trip to the mountains. He'd still like to go, just the two of them. 

Over at the Jang house, all that's left of the family is Fake Eun Joong, Joo Ha and Jin Woong and they're all fighting over who gets to be chairman of the board. 

Hwa Young pays a visit to Tae Ha at the prison. They seem to make their peace and Tae Ha agrees to sign the divorce papers next time she comes to visit.

Real Eun Joong is packing up the Center Pole camping gear in the car. Alone, he takes a moment to break down and cry. Myeong Geun comes out of the house to say goodbye to the womenfolk, who are all trying to keep a brave face. He smiles and waves at them from the car as Eun Joong drives away. Oh, you know that'll be the last time the women see him alive.

Fake Eun Joong goes to the prison to visit with his father. Tae Ha knows the only real reason Fake is here is for the power of attorney. Fake neatly lays out the paperwork, a pen and the pad for the thumbprint. Tae Ha picks up the pen and in the appropriate places writes

Jang Joo Ha

Eat it, Fake Eun Joong.

Fake screams that he'll just rip this paper up. Tae Ha can't do anything to his not-son now that he's in prison. Tae Ha says nothing as there's nothing to say. It doesn't matter if Fake rips the papers up as Joo Ha got the power of attorney from her father already. Fake bawls like a baby.

Myeong Geun and Real Eun Joong are walking up a (kind of crowded) hiking trail. An extremely skinny old man congratulates Myeong Geun on having such a devoted son. 

Myeong Geun and Eun Joong have a nice father and son time around the campfire as they knock back barrels of rice wine. Myeong Geun doesn't want to go to sleep (because he's about to have the Big Sleep) so goes to wade in an icy cold creek to keep himself awake. Eun Joong takes off his shoes and socks to join his father in the cold, cold water. They smile and splash water at each other. Then Eun Joong loudly shouts, "Father, thank you for raising me!"

And that's when I have to go get my tissues.

They make it back to the tent and their warm Center Pole sleeping bags. Eun Joong can't really get any sleep as he's constantly checking to make sure his father is still breathing. 

The next morning Eun Joong is the only one who wakes up.

Time skip (I'm assuming) to the big day when Chairman Jang Joo Ha has the Zeus condos torn down. Fake Eun Joong watches this on the telly at the airport as he and his one bag of luggage are heading off somewhere to start anew. Real Eun Joong watches the explosion from the rooftop of a nearby building. 

Time skip (I'm sure this time) one year later. Real Eun Joong is back on the police force. Hwa Young reopens her law firm. Soo Young gets her old job back. Jo Jin Woong gets released from prison. (No, I don't know when or how this happened. I guess it had to do with the scam he and his dad were trying to pull.) Joo Ha greets him with tofu and divorce papers. She has to make him look twice at the papers before he notices it mentions she wants custody of their daughter which he didn't know she'd had. Joo Ha offers to start over with her husband for the sake of their secret baby.

Real Eun Joong goes to visit Tae Ha in prison and talk about the bread his biological dad has been baking. Eun Joong has moved back home with Soo Young. She's preparing things for Myeong Geun's death memorial. Hwa Young and Ah Mi are also there. Are they still living in the house as well? Not sure. Eun Joong had been reading his father's last entry in his diary. Myeong Geun had felt the love from everyone and wondered if he was worthy of it all.

Afterwards they're all looking through Eun Joong's photo album. He had earlier commented to his sister how he didn't have any picture of him and Myeong Geun together except for that one family photo. Hwa Young, however, points out to her son that Myeong Geun is in every one of the photos, just way back there in the back. So for every important moment in Eun Joong's life, Dad had been there after all.

Ah Mi goes out back to check on the garden. Eun Joong joins her and tells Ah Mi to stop paying so much attention to the tomatoes and start paying more attention to him. 

Zoom! We're suddenly at a church. The guests start clapping as a bride walks down the aisle. There's Hwa Young, Joo Ha, Jin Woong...  

And Eun Joong and Ah Mi. 

They're here to attend the wedding of Go Joo Ran and Kang Joo Pil. Hwa Young happens to glance around and sees standing at the back is Fake Eun Joong. He joins the rest of the cast for the wedding photo. Everybody holds hands. 

Real Eun Joong and Ah Mi stay behind in the church so they can say a little prayer for their departed loved ones. At peace now, Eun Joong and Ah Mi smile at each other.

The End.

Scandal Episode 35

Per Jang Tae Ha's orders, Ha Myeong Geun climbs over the side of the railing up on the roof of the highrise.

 

Down below, Real Eun Joong and his manly backpack are arriving at work when he sees two old men out front holding protest signs. It has something to do with that crooked deal Jo Jin Woong is pulling and I don't care about. After learning Eun Joong works here, one of the old men grabs the young man's collar and starts shaking. This causes Real Eun Joong to look up and notice the teeny tiny speck up in the sky that is his kidnapper father.

 

Suddenly Myeong Geun remembers how Eun Joong (after they were reunited in the hospital) had asked for his father to keep fighting to live a little bit longer. Myeong Geun changes his mind about jumping but he's too afraid to move. He asks Tae Ha to help save him. Tae Ha, to my surprise, actually does grab Myeong Geun and pulls him back over the railing to safety.

 

Real Eun Joong takes the old protestors up to his office so he can learn more about his brother-in-law's greedy plans.

 

It wouldn't be a Scandal episode if Center Pole wasn't shoved down our throat some way. Jang Joo Ha is overseeing a photo shoot when she receives a phone call from a bank. They've been trying to get a hold of Jin Woong but he's not answering so they've called her. It's about the loan he was asking for and listed Joo Ha as a co-signer. This is news to Joo Ha.

 

Phooey. Is this episode going to be nothing but business talk? I hate business talk.

 

Real Eun Joong is in his office looking at papers when Myeong Geun drops by to tell his son how much he loves him.

 

Over at the Ha house, Fake Eun Joong gives Hwa Young a new phone and prompts her to start using this one although he won't admit to the clone phone Tae Ha has. Hwa Young won't take his phone but she gets the idea and will get another one on her own. Fake tries to rebuild bridges with his mother but she's finally reached the end of the line with him, what with the whole trying to kill Real Eun Joong and all.

 

With that scene abruptly over with, Fake Eun Joong is now accompanying Tae Ha down to the D.A.'s office for questioning. But when they enter the office it is to discover Real Eun Joong is already there and confessing to the crimes that Tae Ha is really guilty of.

 

Even with this twist Tae Ha continues on with the plan by pulling out the pictures of the D.A. with another woman and a child. The prosecutor claims it's all innocent. This isn't his secret family but the widow and child of an old friend of his. Tae Ha argues back that by the time the media get a hold of the pictures no one will believe the prosecutor.

 

That's when Kang Joo Pil (in a wheelchair) is brought into the room. A defiant Joo Pil warns Tae Ha that if the pictures are made public then he will go public with the whole sordid story behind the blackmail scheme.

 

Hwa Young arrives at the building as Tae Ha and Fake are walking down the hall. When she learns her son has taken the rap for Tae Ha she falls to the floor. After everyone is gone she goes in to try and talk the D.A. out of doing anything. The prosecutor fully admits he's using Real Eun Joong as bait in order to catch Jang Tae Ha.

 

Hwa Young wakes Tae Ha up from his nap to try and get him to go to the authorities and confess in order to save their son. Tae Ha replies Eun Joong made his own choice. Hwa Young gets down on the floor (again) and begs her husband to save Eun Joong. She lays the guilt on with a trowel.

 

Time passes I take it as next time we see Hwa Young she's asleep on the couch. Fake gently covers her with a blanket as he too feels the weight of The Guilt. Tae Ha goes back to his nap. Real Eun Joong comes into the bedroom and covers his father up with the blanket off of his own bed.

 

The Guilt!

 

The next morning at the outdoor workout facility, we see Myeong Geun lying on the ground. Nearby joggers don't pay him any mind.

 

Fake Eun Joong cries over all the old pictures of penguins he tried to draw.

 

Someone finally notices the old man on the ground and calls an ambulance. Myeong Geun is being rushed to the hospital as Real Eun Joong is heading off to his trial. The women at the Ha house come to the hospital where a nurse with no bedside manner at all tells them to prepare for the worst. This time it is Soo Young's turn to hit the floor.

 

Since the scandal broke over Real Eun Joong's confession, Taeha Group has been on shaky ground. Fake Eun Joong urges his father to make a decision: either go to the office and save the business or go to the D.A. and save his son. Tae Ha says he'll go to the office.

 

He goes to get dressed and puts on the Ugliest Jacket Ever. Before he leaves the bedroom he finds an old picture Real Eun Joong drew of an emperor penguin back before he was kidnapped.

 

Ah, Myeong Geun has flat lined!

 

Real Eun Joong is sitting in the D.A.'s office. The prosecutor says it looks like Tae Ha isn't coming and they can't stop the trial just thirty minutes before it starts. (What do you mean? This is DramaLand. Of course you can stop a trial before it starts.) With a heavy heart Eun Joong starts to follow the D.A. out to stand trial when suddenly Tae Ha bursts into the room. With tears in his eyes Tae Ha confesses to everything. Real Eun Joong starts crying too. Everybody cries.

Dracula Episode 1

The Blood Is The Life

 

Dirt and debris rain down from a hole knocked into the ceiling of a crypt. A rope is dropped through and two men lower themselves down. They examine the lone coffin in the pit. While the guy with the hat breaks open the side of the coffin, the other guy celebrates finding a couple of gold bars. He doesn't celebrate for long as Hat Guy takes a knife and slits his accomplice's throat, allowing the dying man's blood to flow down over the dried-up cadaver in the tomb. Replenished with fresh hemoglobin, the mummy re-hydrates into the form of Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

 

The story now moves to London, 1896. A cleaned-up Dracula is getting dressed as Renfield reports on the guests arriving for a demonstration. Dracula is now going to portray himself as American industrialist Alexander Grayson.

 

(This Renfield doesn't look like the type to eat flies.)

 

Horse-drawn carriages pull up to Carfax Manor where the party is in full swing. An orchestra plays (music that sounds non-19th century) as dancing couples whirl around. Journalist Jonathan Harker escorts two women (wearing non-19th century dresses) into the party. The blond woman is Lucy Westenra, so if you know your Dracula you know things won't go well for her. (But then if you know your Dracula you know Jonathan Harker wasn't a journalist.) The woman with brown hair is medical student Mina Murray and 19th century women wouldn't be kissing their dates in a crowded ballroom like that.

 

With much fanfare "Alexander Grayson" is introduced to his guests. Right before he is to make a toast his eyes meet Mina's. Dracula is momentarily stunned as Mina resembles his long-lost love. After making the toast, Dracula instructs Renfield to find out everything on the woman.

 

It's time to meet his guests. First up is Jayne Wetherby, a hot-to-trot lady who is attending the party not with her husband but with some German officer. Next up are a bunch of old fogey stogies and their 'Lady' wives. The men are on the board of some British patent office and Dracula wants access to some patents concerning cooling units. Whatever, the Brits turn him down cold since he's just a Yank.

 

Per his boss's instructions, Renfield pulls Jonathan aside and offers the journalist an opportunity to interview the mysterious industrialist. Tomorrow at 4:30 good for you?

 

The lights are lowered and "Grayson" starts handing out light bulbs to his guests. Claiming to be able to tap into the magnetosphere, Dracula tells the people he can supply them with safe and wireless energy. Down in the basement, engineers start pulling levers around a steampunk-ish type of contraption. Upstairs, the bulbs all start to glow in the hands of the guests. Ooh, pretty.

 

Uh-oh, sever technical difficulties down in the basement. All that steam from the steampunk-ish contraptions is escaping.

 

The old fogey stogies are worried Grayson's new invention will put a dent in their petroleum empire. (While Tesla groupies are all up in arms.)

 

Later that evening after the party, Mina and Lucy are at her house talking while Jonathan is in his room speaking with his roommate with a foreign accent. Suddenly everyone hears a strange sound and is looking out their windows while dogs all over town begin to bark. Elsewhere, Mr. Clive (head fogey stogie) has just been dropped off at his front door when something grabs him and snarls. Great splatters of blood mar the white pillars.

 

Back at Carfax Manor, Dracula and Renfield have a floor covered in pictures and files. Dracula talks about the Order of the Dragon, which these fogey stogies appear to be a branch of. Dracula has a beef with the Dragon.

 

A foggy night in London (go figure!) sees that German dude that was hanging out with Jayne Wetherby now breaking into the dead Mr. Clive's house. Not only breaking into the house, he's now breaking into the dead Mr. Clive's coffin.

 

From his Coat of Many Weapons, the German takes out a wicked long knife and cuts off Clive's head, taking it with him. He goes to a military tailor's store where he passes off the hat/head box to Jayne who takes it upstairs to a distinguished older man who was already seen at the party. Is this the leader of the Order of the Dragon that Dracula is searching for? How do I know? I don't even know this guy's name.

 

Anyway, they already know they're dealing with a vampire. Remember that vampire from eight years ago? Jack the Ripper?

 

Mina is at a medical lecture being held by Professor Van Helsing. And that's all we get about that.

 

Jonathan arrives at Carfax Manor for his exclusive interview. The room he's left in is terrible dark so he opens the shutters to allow sunlight in. When Dracula joins his guest, Jonathan doesn't pick up on the fact that Dracula sizzles a bit from the exposure to the sun.

 

Evening falls and Mina's classes are over with. She waits alone outside as Dracula secretly watches from the shadows. Mina is soon joined by another woman and they walk off together. Dracula is left to suck the blood from another female victim (who doesn't sound like she's bothered by this at all).

 

Mina and Jonathan have a date to attend the opera. Jayne, whose dresses get tighter and tighter, is also in attendance. Jayne and her breasts are sitting alone in her box when Dracula appears behind her. He's watching Mina and Jonathan getting all snuggly so he gets all snuggly with Jayne's cleavage.

 

Lord Laurent and Lord Davenport, fogey stogies, are riding in a carriage and bemoaning the fact that "Alexander Grayson" was able to coerce Clive's widow into selling the dead man's stocks to him. As Laurent is being dropped off at his home, Dracula is watching from the roof across the street. Suddenly he's hit by an arrow in the leg. It's Krueger, the German dude.

 

Dracula pulls out the arrow, then he pulls out a sword. Action time as the two men battle atop the roof. (Is anyone at home? Does anyone wonder what the heck is all that noise coming from the roof?) German dude pulls out his handy crucifix. Dracula barely pauses as he slits Krueger's throat.

 

Elsewhere, Jayne Wetherby (wearing more comfortable clothes) is training with kukri. Nearby in a huge metal cage is a woman with a foreign accent being held prisoner. One of Dracula's brides?

 

Dracula returns home for a good stiff drink of whiskey when he's joined by Van Helsing. It was Van Helsing from the beginning of the show who revived Dracula. The professor scolds the vampire for killing Clive as this wasn't part of The Plan. Theirs is a tumultuous partnership.

Scandal Episode 34

With shaking hands, Real Eun Joong tries to call Soo Young to warn her about the danger but she's already on the phone talking with Secretary Kim. Desperate, Eun Joong runs out to stop a cab and pulls the cabdriver out (This is a police matter!) so he can drive dangerously to the house.

 

Kim is already at the house to pick up his latest victim. Soo Young has just gotten into the car when her phone rings and she sees it is Eun Joong. Before she can answer it Kim reaches over and takes the phone away from her. (Red flag! Red flag!) When he sees who is calling, Kim turns the phone off and tells Soo Young he's keeping her phone so their camping trip won't be ruined. (Red flag! For God's sake, Soo Young, don't you know a red flag when you see one?!?)

 

Meanwhile at the courthouse, Fake Eun Joong throws his mother under the bus as he tells the judge that their witness Dr. Kim is not going to be here today to testify. In turn Hwa Young throws her son under the bus when she officially announces to the judge that she's dropping her lawyer right this second. She's even got the paperwork done so she must have seen this coming.

 

Hwa Young orders Fake to get out. As a parting gift she gives him the crumpled promissory note between him and Joo Ran. The judge asks how much time Hwa Young will need to find another lawyer. Not much time at all as she plans to represent herself from now on. Girl Power!

 

Tired of being ignored, Tae Ha suddenly makes the announcement that he too is firing his lawyer and now wants to be represented by Fake Eun Joong. Remember, everything is legal in DramaLand.

 

Without needing any time to prepare, Fake begins his opening arguments. He brings up the dirt on Hwa Young about her taking in an orphan and passing him off as her long lost biological son. Then there was the whole press conference thing as well as how she's been buddy buddy with her son's kidnapper while for the past thirty years she hasn't treated her husband like a husband.

 

So now it's Hwa Young's turn to bring up Tae Ha's dirt. She starts off with the fact that before they were even married he had Joo Ran holed up somewhere having his baby and that he's continued this extramarital relationship for thirty years. Fake argues that Hwa Young waited too long to file for divorce because of infidelity. (Is there really an expiration date?)

 

Okay, then how about this: Hwa Young tells how her husband had her doctor prescribe the wrong medication for her. While she was under the influence of the drugs, Tae Ha made her lose her legal license. Fake again argues there's no proof of this. You want your proof, Fake? Here's your proof: Hwa Young calls Go Joo Ran to the stand.

 

Still driving his (stolen) cab, Real Eun Joong calls Detective Gu to get some help in tracking down Soo Young and Secreeptary Kim.

 

Back at the courtroom (which honestly is much more exciting than the search for Soo Young), Hwa Young plays the recording Joo Ran made of her when she was blitzed out of her mind. Fake tries to claim the video isn't sufficient evidence and could have been faked by the women. Hwa Young continues to pull rabbits out of her hat as she also as the housekeeper from the country house (where she was kept prisoner) here to testify.

 

Over at the very crowded campsite, Soo Young is getting some dinner ready (on her Center Pole stove, of course). Secretary Kim pulls out a knife to cut up some vegetables. Soo Young wonders what kind of guy has a knife in his back pocket. The one time something makes sense (who doesn't take a knife with them camping?) and she has to notice while all the other stop signs just whiz on past her. It's a shame the writers made you so stupid, Soo Young.

 

That night taxi-stealer Eun Joong gets to the campground where Detective Gu is already waiting for him. Thanks to Gu they've got a pretty good idea where Secretary Kim is. During this time Secretary Kim and Soo Young are enjoying a glass of wine. Kim is spouting off stuff about Ernest Hemingway and Soo Young dares to correct him. Watch out, girl - I think you've tripped one of his psycho switches when you corrected him. Psychos don't like it when you point out they're wrong.

 

Secretary Kim is about to make his move and roughly drag Soo Young into the Center Pole tent when Eun Joong finally finds them and comes running in to kick Kim's ass. Secretary Kim pulls out his knife and ONLY NOW does Soo Young start to think there's something not quite right about this guy. Eun Joong knocks the knife away and pummels the creep. (While no one else ten feet away in their campers hears this fight.)

 

Gu comes running up and has to pull Eun Joong off the bleeding man. Eun Joong orders the cop to cuff Kim and charge him with the murder of Deputy Chief Song. Also, did I mention Eun Joong is wearing his suit this entire time and he looks mighty fine in it? Eye Candy Time.

 

Ah, Secretary Kim is no Kang Ho. He's not going to go down alone for this one and starts naming names, specifically Tae Ha's.

 

Back at the Jang house, Tae Ha has received a summons from the district attorney concerning the murders of Ah Mi's husband and the deputy chief. Both Tae Ha and Fake Eun Joong are listening in on the clone phone when Hwa Young calls Real Eun Joong. He's also gotten a summons from the D.A. Hwa Young has to run her big mouth and mention the evidence only Eun Joong has concerning the murders so he'd better turn it all in tomorrow.

 

Eun Joong brings Soo Young home. Right away Hwa Young can see something is wrong with the girl and that her son's knuckles are bloody. Ah Mi does what she does best and comforts Soo Young for being so stupid while Eun Joong tells the elders what happened.

 

Over in Real's old office, Fake has hired a locksmith to break into Real's locked desk. Oh Real Eun Joong, why did you leave your investigation records in your desk located at the center of all evil?

 

Real Eun Joong has Ah Mi drive him and the stolen cab back so the show can work in one more song from the OST.

 

Fake is about to burn Real's papers when Joo Ha finds him and calls her not-brother out for turning to the Dark Side like Tae Ha. Since when did you get so self-righteous, Joo Ha? Oh wait, she actually says something that makes sense. Fake is whining about how Real came and took his position away. Joo Ha points out Fake took Real's position for 25 long years so stop acting like a victim.

 

Real comes home to the Jang house. Tae Ha asks him not to go to court tomorrow. Real insists on going. Tae Ha warns that he's not going to lose, he's never lost before and he's never going to lose ever. Real Eun Joong replies this time Tae Ha will be fighting his own son.

 

The next morning Real Eun Joong stops by the hospital to empty Joo Pil's bed pan and stuff. Joo Pil has been reborn since his baptism by fire and now offers to help Eun Joong any way he can (from his hospital bed). Joo Pil tells how long before this he helped to fabricate a scandal in order to control the D.A. so Eun Joong better watch out for that.

 

Tae Ha is in his office looking at some photos of the D.A. (I'm not sure if they're already doctored or are to be used to be doctored) when his secretary announces there's a Ha Myeong Geun insisting on seeing the chairman. Tae Ha allows his arch enemy into the office. Myeong Geun...  gets down on his knees! What are you doing?!

 

Myeong Geun apologizes to Tae Ha for taking Eun Joong away and keeps asking the evil bastard what he can do to make it up to Tae Ha.

 

Meanwhile at the D.A.'s office Real Eun Joong is...  confessing to being an accomplice to the murders of Gi Chan and Song! What are you doing?!

 

Tae Ha has dragged Myeong Geun up to the roof of the building. If Myeong Geun is truly sorry for what he's done then Tae Ha orders him to jump off the building.

 

 

 

Okay, that wasn't a very good cliffhanger. You've got two more episodes, Show. You'd better pick it up.

 

Scandal Episode 33

The episode begins with a close up of Kang Joo Pil's urinary drainage bag. No, I don't know why the show felt it was important for us to see his bag. On the other hand his urine looks pretty clear so that should be a good sign, no? Joo Pil can't get his head wrapped around why Real Eun Joong saved him. After all, Joo Pil was the one cutting brake lines and trying to kill Eun Joong.

 

In another room the police are talking to Real Eun Joong. They know the brake lines were cut so they're looking into this as an attempted murder. Hwa Young, Myeong Geun and I are all surprised when Eun Joong actually covers for Joo Pil, saying they were the ones who accidentally severed the line and were going to get the car repaired when the accident happened. Hwa Young wants to say something but then she can't bring herself to incriminate Fake Eun Joong.

 

Joo Ha and Jin Woong are stunned to see Fake Eun Joong moving back into the house. When they ask about the fate of Real Eun Joong, Tae Ha matter-of-factly states he's going to kick that son out.

 

Now for a heartwarming scene as Real Eun Joong (released from the hospital), Myeong Geun and Hwa Young go out for dinner together. There's playful banter and smiles all around.

 

Heartwarming scene is over. Now we go to a creepy scene as Secretary Kim continues to invade Soo Young's personal space. Get away, Creepmeister!

 

Back at the restaurant, Hwa Young begs her son to come home with her and not return to Tae Ha. Eun Joong explains how he has to go back. The whole reason he ever entered the House of Jang was to get the goods on his father but now that he's gotten to know Tae Ha, Eun Joong feels like it's his filial duty to save the evil bastard.

 

Real Eun Joong returns home to find Fake Eun Joong in his bedroom. Real asks after Poong Gi. Fake replies the hacker is now going to be working for Tae Ha. Oh, and by the way, I'm Eun Joong now and this is my room and Tae Ha is my father, so neener neener. Everything is falling back in place for Fake but he's still worried over Joo Ran's recording of him. He fears Hwa Young will hear it (which she already has) so he has to do something to get rid of it.

 

Fake Eun Joong and Joo Ha listen in with glee as they hear their father order Real Eun Joong to get out of the house. However Real refuses to go anywhere. He fully admits to helping the press conference get on air, stealing the slush fund money and finding the bribery files. He claims he was doing it to make Tae Ha wake up and realize he's an evil bastard. (Evil bastards don't care if they're evil bastards, Eun Joong.)

 

Real still doesn't get it as he asks Tae Ha to turn himself in for the deaths of Gong Gi Chan and Deputy Chief Song. Really? You really think he's going to do that? Joo Ha defends the fact that dear old dad is a murderer by pointing out how many people Taeha Group employs. Yeah, that makes all the difference, Joo Ha. An enraged Tae Ha physically grabs Eun Joong by the scruff of the neck and throws his son out into the yard.

 

Back at the hospital, Joo Pil has Joo Ran go get his clothes that he was wearing during the accident. He asks her to search the pockets and she finds the USB stick. When she asks what it is, Joo Pil lies and says it is porn. Oh Joo Pil, are you going to be the one to take Tae Ha down? Has your near-fatal accident managed to set your head straight again?

 

Hwa Young comes into the room to say how glad she is Joo Pil survived the accident so he can go to prison. Perhaps if he's lucky he and Tae Ha can share a cell. She gives Joo Ran back her phone as Hwa Young has erased the recording off of it, but not before making a copy of it somewhere else. She tells how Real Eun Joong covered up for Joo Pil but unlike her son she won't let this go and will see both of them in jail. Joo Ran plays the best card she's got: that if Hwa Young uses the recording she'll get Fake Eun Joong arrested as well for accessory to murder.

 

Tae Ha is getting ready for bed when Real Eun Joong sneaks back into the house. Pretty as you please Eun Joong climbs into Hwa Young's old bed and goes to sleep. Tae Ha is perhaps too stunned to protest. Or perhaps he's partly pleased that his son won't give up on him so easily.

 

It's an awkward breakfast at the Jang house when the family learns that Real Eun Joong is still here. Fake is upset to hear that Real even got to sleep in Daddy's room. Real just continues to stuff his face as Tae Ha pushes Fake to stop being Hwa Young's lawyer in the divorce case.

 

Later at Center Pole Lair (because they've gotta push the sponsor somehow) Jin Woong tells his wife about the car accident and how Joo Pil and Joo Ran are an item. Speaking of Joo Pil, he's just got some news from the doctor. What he didn't know was he had the beginnings of gall bladder cancer. Because of the surgery due to the accident the doctors were able to stumble upon the cancer and cut it out. So now Joo Pil owes Eun Joong even more.

 

What luck, here comes Real Eun Joong now. If you weren't connected to a pee bag, Joo Pil, you should have been down on your knees thanking this man. And look, he's even brought you some porn to watch. It's only right that you return to him the USB stick.

 

Ah Mi finds a list Myeong Geun made of things he wanted to do but now doesn't have the time left for. One of them was to play guitar while wearing jeans. (I don't know why wearing jeans is so important.) Ah Mi decides to go shopping for a guitar and discovers she has a stalker in the form of Real Eun Joong.

 

Musical interlude.

 

Ah Mi is giving him the silent treatment so Real Eun Joong pulls out the guns by pointing out the injuries he got from the car accident the other day. Of course Ah Mi has to worry over him now. Eun Joong escorts her home where Myeong Geun is tickled pink to have his son back at least for dinner.

 

The next day at the courthouse Hwa Young (not letting on that she's knows what he did) gives Fake Eun Joong an opening to get out of her divorce case against Tae Ha. Fake says no, he's in this trial until the end. I hope she doesn't trust him as I sure don't. Inside the courtroom before things get started, Fake and Tae Ha exchange respectful nods. Hwa Young catches this as well as Tae Ha's signature smirk.

 

Hwa Young is awaiting the arrival of Dr. Kim. He's the doctor Tae Ha strong armed/bribed into prescribing her the schizo drugs. This is when Fake drops the bomb that the good doctor won't be testifying today as Fake called him and canceled. He goes on to explain to his mother how he was forced to choose only one parent and so he choose Tae Ha.

 

Over at the Taeha office, Monsieur Personnage  Dyplaisant is talking on his cell phone to Soo Young trying to get her to come on an overnight camping trip with him. The elevator arrives and Secretary Kim is surprised to see Real Eun Joong. Thanks to an obvious slip up (saying Soo Young's name) and doing his signature neck crack, Kim gives himself away as Eun Joong realizes his baby sister is in danger.

A Little Love Never Hurts Episode 1

A black van drives up and dispenses Jung Jae Min (played by Lee Sang Yeob. A quick check of his biography shows me he's been in several dramas I haven't liked. It's not all his fault, though, as usually he's just a minor character. I'm just saying he has bad taste in scripts. Let's get back to this show, shall we?)

 

Jae Min goes into a restaurant bearing a large bouquet of flowers as zesty music plays. Inside, eating with some friends, is Song Mi Joo (played by Hong Soo Hyun). When she sees Jae Min she attempts to hide behind a large menu. She fears he's coming straight for her but instead he walks past and goes up to another woman having lunch.

 

Jae Min starts singing to the other woman, Seon Mi, to marry him. The beginning is alright until his voice cracks and the other women in the restaurant start giggling. Hmm, it looks like all the customers in this restaurant are women. Seon Mi is mortified and storms out of the restaurant.

 

Hold up, everything is not as it seems. There are a couple of men waiting outside and stop Seon Mi before she gets very far. Jae Min wasn't asking the woman to marry him. He had been hired to propose by North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. Seon Mi throws a hissy fit in front of everybody. This is when Jae Min notices Mi Joo is in the crowd. She quickly ducks away.

 

He catches up to her to ask why she acted like she didn't know him earlier. These two are already a couple but she's too embarrassed to introduce him to her friends, especially after what just happened. Not that he's so quick to introduce her to his friends or family.

 

Jae Min's dad, Jung Hyun Soo (played by That Old Man Who Is In Absolutely Everything Park Geun Hyung), is having coffee with his annoying friend. Annoying Friend wants Hyun Soo, a retired judge, to officiate at his kid's wedding. Hyun Soo doesn't want to do it and quickly excuses himself.

 

Dad seems rather depressed.

 

Meanwhile we learn a) Mi Joo works at a bank, b) she has a stepmother named Lee Yun Hee (played by Kim Na Woon) who tries to be nice and have a relationship with Mi Joo, c) dad Song Ho Sub (played by Kang Suk Woo) is a dick, and d) Mi Joo has a half sister, Song Eun Joo (played by the adorable Nam Bo Ra of Shark).

 

Hyun Soo arrives at his granddaughter's music recital and meets up with his daughter, Jung Yoo Jin (played by Yoo Ho Jung) and her husband Kang Sung Hoon (played by Kim Seung Soo). When Jae Min joins his family you can feel the Arctic air between him and dad. Cold quickly turns to hot when Jae Min butts heads with his other sister, Jung Yoo Ra (played by Han Go Eun). Seeing his kids fight makes Dad (and me) even more depressed.

 

Since everyone is fighting and not wanting to eat together after the recital, Hyun Soo leaves on his own. He stops by a small restaurant run by Mi Joo's mother, Hong Soon Ae (played by Cha Hwa Yun, Clingy Mom from A Hundred Year's Inheritance.) I guess there's supposed to be some chemistry between these two as they're the ones destined to get married in this show.

 

Later on Soon Ae has dinner with Mi Joo. When she asks if her daughter is seeing anyone, Mi Joo lies and says no. Hmm.

 

Jae Min goes for yet another job interview. Jae Min gets turned down for yet another job. Mi Joo is rightfully getting kind of fed up with this.

 

That night a drunk woman is waiting for her replacement driver. A shady character spies her alone and approaches. Drunk Woman thinks he's the driver and hands over her keys. He plays along with the mistake and gets into her car with her. Before he starts the car, Drunk Woman gets a call from Jae Min, who is supposed to be her real replacement driver. When Shady Guy realizes he's been caught, he slaps Drunk Woman hard and tries to grab her purse. Jae Min hears her high-pitched screams and comes to the rescue, pulling Shady Guy out of the vehicle and taking the criminal down.

 

Down at the police station, Drunk Woman - otherwise known as Eun Ha Kyeong (played by Shin Da Eun) is joined by her concerned parents. Her father, Eun Hee Jae (played by Choi Jung Woo) asks Jae Min to stop by his office tomorrow for a proper thank you for saving their daughter. Mother Lee Hye Shin (played by Yoo Ji In) calls her son Eun Ha Rim (played by Suh Ji Suk) to tell him what happened to his sister as well as to shrilly yell at him for cooking. There's a lot of cooking in this show. Mong Hee from I Summon You, Gold should be in this drama as she did a lot of eating.

 

Mi Joo is attending a bachelorette lingerie party in a hotel room. Now would be a good time for Jae Min to be hired as their exotic dancer but I don't expect Korea to go for that. Mi Joo gets into a fight with her so-called friends over money and status, both of which she has none. In a huff she throws her coat on over her slip and storms out into the hallway. Jae Min is down the hall knocking on a door as he has a delivery to make. He sees Mi Joo dressed - well, undressed and starts to get the wrong idea of why she's here at the hotel. At the same time the door is opened by an attractive woman and Mi Joo starts to get the wrong idea of why he's here at the hotel.

 

They at least clear things up as to what the real story is. Then they fight again. So naturally this leads up to Jae Min asking Mi Joo to marry him.

 

 

 

Gosh, this was the looooonnnngggggeeesssstttt hour of my life.

Innocent Lilies - The End To End All Ends

Once again I'm waiting for dinner to finish cooking, so once more unto the breach, dear friends.

 

 

 

As you may (or may not) recall from the last ten minutes, Nerdy Girl was about to be attacked when suddenly Bat Shit Crazy Girl was colorized in reverse. Mikumo explains to the dwindling survivors that this is what happens to newbies who exhaust their powers. Now Bat Shit Crazy Girl will put away with the rest of the albino zombies.

 

Mikumo gets all snuggly with Nerdy Girl, once again advising the new student to kill the other girls. Mikumo strokes Nerdy's hair and.... licks her earlobe while encouraging Nerdy to fight. The prize for the winner apparently being Mikumo herself.

 

Okay, are we back to Japanese Cinemax After Dark?

 

Nerdy Girl lashes out with her magic tentacles. But by this time all this drama has caused Blonde Japanese Girl's own powers to awaken and she strikes back. Nerdy is knocked back hard on the stairs, blood pooling beneath her head. Blondie slowly walks up to see if Nerdy is dead or not.

 

She's not.

 

Nerdy Girl grabs Blonde Japanese Girl by the throat and starts choking the life out of her rival. Blondie is starting to pass out when Clumsy Girl finally does something and unleashes her Heartburn of Revenge. Nerdy Girl is engulfed in flames, turns black and explodes.

 

And then there were two. Blonde Japanese Girl and Clumsy Girl quickly retreat from Mikumo. They end up somewhere outside. Clumsy Girl echoes the very words of Suicide Girl in wishing to die because life is too tough. Blondie feels they have time for her to confess the story of her and Suicide Girl. Blondie knew her sister was being bullied. Suicide Girl even begged for Blondie to help her. But Blondie did nothing. After Suicide Girl ran away, Blondie fell into a deep depression. It was during this time that she discovered the White Witch Academy dot com and took their entrance exam.

 

Apparently this story and the arrival of the senior girls is enough to convince Clumsy Girl that now she wants to burn Blonde Japanese Girl to a cinder. So let this be a lesson to you, kids: don't tell boring stories about your childhood or someone will try to kill you.

 

Japanese Blonde Girl quickly zigs and zags, avoiding Clumsy Girl's Acid Reflux of Evil. Blondie demands to know why her friend has turned on her. Clumsy Girl comes clean and admits she's always hated Blondie and was simply using her all this time. Blondie doesn't want to believe what Clumsy is saying.

 

Clumsy Girl sends a powerful burst of inferno at her roommate. Japanese Blonde Girl is able to summon her own power and knocks Clumsy back. Clumsy Girl starts to fall backwards... onto a pile of jagged tree limbs! She's impaled! I did not see that coming.

 

A dying Clumsy Girl admits she was just saying all those hurtful things to try and make Japanese Blonde Girl more powerful. We have a Cinemax flashback of Clumsy Girl being sexually abused by a repulsive tongue-flapping dude with a camera who may have been her teacher. If that wasn't enough, Clumsy Girl's stepfather was also feeling her up under the dinner table.

 

Clumsy Girl, who's taking an awfully long time to die, thanks Japanese Blonde Girl for being the first person to ever come to Clumsy's aid. With her teeth red and her face covered in blood, Clumsy has one last request: will Blondie kiss her? She's never been kissed before and doesn't want to die a mouth virgin. Blondie (without bothering to wipe the blood away) concedes.

 

Clumsy Girl finally gets around to dying. Japanese Blonde Girl emits a shrill screech of pain. This causes her very own angel wings to sprout out and a bright light bestows a new costume on our heroine.

 

The senior girls walk up to congratulate Blondie on being the whitest of the white. Blondie starts giggling like a maniac. It's Bat Shit Crazy Girl, Part 2!

 

Zip to another scene. The senior girls are with Blondie (who is now wearing nothing but a robe) back in the chapel. Hoodie approaches bearing white lilies. She's introduced as the academy's student president. Hoodie pulls back her hood to reveal she's Suicide Girl.

 

Suicide Girl became the supreme white witch at the academy, sending bullies to the Shadowrealm left and right. Yet she didn't feel fulfilled. Realizing the world wasn't changing any, Suicide Girl came up with Project Innocent Lilies in order to increase the number of white witches so they can take over the world and guide people to the Age of Aquarius whether they like it or not. Won't Blondie join them?

 

The answer is no.

 

Japanese Blonde Girl disrobes before the assembly. Her extremely skinny and pale body is covered in wounds. These are the wounds she felt of other people's pain. In other words she has absorbed the magical powers of all the other dead newbies. Thank goodness Blondie's own magic powers puts some clothes back on her.

 

Kikula attacks first, pulling her flintlock gun out of her thigh and firing. Blondie summons the Sword of Cat Ear Girl and uses it to knock away the magic bullets. When Kikula runs out of ammo, Japanese Blonde Girl slices her with the sword. Kikula goes the way of the others by exploding.

 

Now it's Surgical Mask Girl and Mikumo's turn. Two against one. Unfortunately the cameraman wants to concentrate on filming the girls' frilly underwear instead of giving us a decent fight scene.

 

Seeing her two minions are getting their collective asses kicked, Suicide Girl decides it is time for her to get into the fray. Calling upon her own witch powers, Suicide Girl unfurls her wings and is armed with her witch weapon - a parasol. This isn't just any parasol. It's the Parasol of Power!

 

First things first, though, and Suicide Girl kills her two faithful lapdogs in order to increase her own power for her fight to the death with her sister. Using her parasol, Suicide Girl knocks the Sword of Cat Ear Girl out of Blondie's hand. Bet you're not laughing at her umbrella now, are you?

 

Japanese Blonde Girl now calls upon Annoying Girl's magical staff, using it to knock Suicide Girl across the room. She also tries Nerdy Girl's tentacles but, just as they were for Nerdy, they prove to be practically useless. Suicide Girl's Parasol of Power is able to deflect her sister's flamethrower.

 

Now they're up in the air, throwing everything they've got against each other. With one last apology for not being there for her sister, Japanese Blonde Girl sends a major blast to knock Suicide Girl's wings off.

 

Suicide Girl falls to the blackened ground below. (Maybe they are in the Shadowrealm.) Japanese Blonde Girl lands and begs her sister, who now has white hair (but still black eyebrows), for forgiveness. Suicide Girl dies, but unlike the others she doesn't explode. Her ashes gracefully fly away in the wind. It's actually quite pretty.

 

Japanese Blonde Girl goes to the basement where all the albino zombies are kept. Using her magic powers, Blondie heals the former students, which includes Annoying Girl. Blondie explains to Annoying how she's going to save the girls of the world who are suffering by absorbing their wounds. With a final torch to the White Witch Academy, Japanese Blonde Girl takes flight.

 

 

 

 

I just don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive you for this, Japan.



Scandal Episode 32

Kang Joo Pil anxiously waits at the office to hear if his car-tampering has been successful or not.

 

Real Eun Joong is thinking about Ah Mi and their (very loud) conversation at the courthouse. The traffic light is (very quickly) turning red and Eun Joong presses the brake pedal. Nothing happens. He does what anyone in this kind of an emergency should do: aims his car at two innocent people as he somehow skids to a halt.

 

Not finding it at all strange that his brakes are malfunctioning, Eun Joong just keeps on driving when the light turns green again.

 

Fake Eun Joong is preparing breakfast for his prisoner, Poong Gi. Seriously, can they not charge him with unlawful imprisonment? Anyway, Go Joo Ran stops by with a paper she wants Fake to stamp and thumbprint. It doesn't say outright there on the paper (thank goodness) but basically it is an agreement that if Joo Ran gets rid of Real Eun Joong then Fake will give his company shares over to his sister. Fake thinks she means remove Real as a contender for chairman of the board. Joo Ran means more than that.

 

Fake hesitates for only one breath before agreeing to Joo Ran's demands. Joo Ran shows she's not that stupid after all by recording their conversation on her phone. Unfortunately she goes right back to being stupid. She's down in the lobby listening to the recording again when she's caught by Hwa Young. While Hwa Young doesn't get to hear all of the recording she at least thinks it is strange that Joo Ran would a) be visiting Fake at all, and b) be recording their conversation.

 

Hwa Young goes upstairs to ask Fake about Joo Ran's visit. She's further surprised to see Poong Gi (known to her only as "Batman" - well, "Bat-eh-man" as Koreans pronounce it) coming out of the bathroom. Fake hastily lies, saying he's keeping the hacker here to protect him from Jang Tae Ha. While mother and son are talking about Joo Ran's recording, Poong Gi finds the discarded agreement paper Joo Ran had brought with her. (She left the paper because she felt the recording was a much better leverage.)

 

Fake lies some more, claiming Joo Ran is going to help in Hwa Young's divorce as to why they were meeting. Fake tries to hustle his mom out the door. She stops to say goodbye to Poong Gi. While shaking hands he's able to pass the incriminating paper on to her. Good boy!

 

As Hwa Young later reads the paper, she sees Poong Gi scribbled his own note on the corner saying he's on the same side as the person who pulled the fire alarm (Real Eun Joong) and to not trust Fake Eun Joong.

 

Tae Ha shows the shredded documents to Joo Pil, letting him know their top security has been infiltrated. He orders Joo Pil to search all of Eun Joong's computers and lap tops to find the missing files. Joo Pil goes to Eun Joong's office, too dense to pick up on the fact that someone has been there. He starts snooping around on the lap top and finds a list of porn movies. He's so engrossed in the list that he doesn't notice Eun Joong coming up beside him.

 

A shocked Joo Pil expresses surprise at seeing Eun Joong here alive. (Subtlety, thy name is not Joo Pil.) Trying to cover his tracks, Joo Pil explains he's here because of Tae Ha's orders to turn over Joo Ha's stocks to Eun Joong. Eun Joong is like, "Fine. Let's get right to it. Do I need my seal?"

 

Jin Joong and his dad are having coffee and a good laugh at all the little people that are going to be crushed beneath their feet. Good times.

 

More pushing of Centre Pole outdoor equipment and clothing. But wait! Joo Ha decides to liven this dull board meeting up a bit by publicly calling her brother out on the secret document he's in possession of.

 

[Sorry, I got distracted. I was doing really well on Farm Heroes Saga. Where was I?]

 

Before Eun Joong can say anything it is Tae Ha who speaks up, saying he's currently investigating who planted the false papers in an attempt to incriminate his son. Why Tae Ha, did you just do something noble?

 

Oh dear. Hwa Young sends Eun Joong a text message thanking him for secretly being on her side concerning the press conference. Of course Tae Ha sees this message as well on his clone phone.

 

Since it didn't work the first time, Joo Pil is back to further cut Eun Joong's brake lines. He happens to notice the little keychain doll hanging from the rear view mirror and that something seems to be sticking out of the bottom of her dress. Now get your mind out of the gutter, it's the bottom of the all-important USB stick. So Eun Joong didn't give his father the real one.

 

Joo Pil is climbing into the car to retrieve the USB when he's caught by Eun Joong. Eun Joong gets into the car and Joo Pil, much like Chae Won from A Hundred Year's Inheritance, has the inability to open his car door and get out as Eun Joong starts the vehicle up and pulls out.

 

Joo Pil can barely speak in a coherent manner (and he's probably wet himself) as he stammers to Eun Joong about the brakes not working. They're in the thick of traffic so Eun Joong...  steps on the gas?!?  Joo Pil is sweating buckets as Eun Joong swerves around other cars. They run into some road construction, hit a pile of ... stuff, and the car is airborne and down the side of an embankment.

 

You'd think a cop would know the proper way to stop a car that has no brakes.

 

Eun Joong is the first one to come to but Joo Pil isn't moving. We can only hope the ex-reporter will continue to stay that way. Eun Joong fights to get the other man out of the car as flames start to erupt. Joo Pil regains consciousness and actually motions for Eun Joong to leave him and get away from the burning car. Eun Joong reaches deep down for that adrenaline push to finally wrench the door open and pull Joo Pil to safety.

 

Since he's at the hospital, bleeding and all that, Eun Joong isn't able to make the appointment with Fake Eun Joong to get Poong Gi back. The hacker acts like he's been betrayed (at least I hope he's acting) and will now work with Fake.

 

Hwa Young and Joo Ran run into each other as they're both rushing into the hospital to be with their loved ones. Joo Pil is in surgery for a ruptured spleen. Eun Joong got off with just some minor burns to his arm. Hwa Young tries to figure out why the two men were together in the first place.

 

Fake takes Poong Gi with him to face Tae Ha and to reclaim his rightful position by his father's side. He tells Tae Ha how it was Real Eun Joong who arranged for the press conference to still make the airwaves and that he's not to be trusted or loved.

 

As Joo Ran nervously waits outside the operating room she pulls out her cell phone and is moving to erase the recording when Hwa Young comes up from behind and grabs the phone away. She listens to the entire recording, including the part where Joo Ran offers to make Real a cripple and Fake says yes to her plans.

 

Tae Ha is listening in on the clone phone when Hwa Young calls Myeong Geun to tell him about the car accident. Tae Ha doesn't know whether to go to his traitorous son or not.

 

Hwa Young and Myeong Geun are at Eun Joong's bedside when he wakes up. At first he's like, "Who are you? I don't remember anything." But he's just joking, because THIS IS NOT A TIME TO BE JOKING!! 

 

Tae Ha shows up at the doorway just in time to hear his son calling another man, "Father." Perhaps realizing that Real will never be his son in any way other than biological, Tae Ha gives in and goes to Fake's apartment. He asks Fake to come home with him, come be with his father. Tae Ha even calls Fake by his old name of "Eun Joong."

Scandal Episode 31

And so we enter the final stretch of this drama...

 

 

 

Fake Eun Joong confronts Hacker with all the crimes the boy has committed and all the time in jail he could be facing. Fake orders Poong Gi to grab the laptop and come with him. Poong Gi tries to call Real Eun Joong but Real is at the moment in court so he can't answer his phone right now.

 

The trial is just starting and we learn that Woo Ah Mi is suing for only one cent. Money isn't the goal here. She just wants Taeha Construction to own up to their flawed workmanship and to correct the problems at the Zeus condominiums.

 

Real Eun Joong's lawyer, a more seasoned pro than poor Ah Mi, starts pointing out Paragraph This and Sub paragraph That. What it comes down to is Taeha is laying all the blame on the subcontractors. Jang Tae Ha himself sneaks in to listen to the proceedings.

 

Ah Mi, feeling she's starting to lose control of the case, makes the surprise request to call Real Eun Joong to the stand as a witness. Can she legally do that? In DramaLand I guess you can do anything.

 

Jang Joo Ha is starting to realize that her brother isn't trying to take the company away from her so much as Real Eun Joong is trying to destroy it. She asks her husband to help her protect the company.

 

Back at his law office, Fake Eun Joong tries to pressure Poong Gi into saying it was all Real Eun Joong behind the news conference and the stolen funds. Hacker at least stays firm and asks to speak with Real before he makes any kind of decision.

 

Back in the courtroom, Real Eun Joong has taken the stand just as Myeong Geun also comes to watch the proceedings. (I thought once court was in session no one was allowed in, but what do I know?) Ah Mi starts her questioning by asking the former cop why he continued to investigate Gong Gi Chan's death even though it had been ruled a suicide. Real, I'm sorry to say, falls back on that old stand-by of, "I don't remember."

 

Eun Joong goes on to defend the great and powerful Taeha Construction. Tae Ha looks smug as Myeong Geun falls weakly into a seat. Eun Joong keeps on talking (which a judge in real life wouldn't have let him do) telling Ah Mi she'll not win this particular case. She should wait until the Zeus building collapses and people die to file a suit that she can win.

 

Um, what? Does no one else see the flaw in that plan?

 

Joo Ha and Jin Woong go to Real Eun Joong's office to snoop around and find a USB stick. As super action music plays, the couple eagerly plug the USB in to look at the files on it. Thankfully all they find are lists of local restaurants. Booya!

 

Today's court session is over and the only two people left in the courtroom are Ah Mi and Eun Joong. She apologizes for making him take the witness stand, thanks him for being there for her during the difficult times, and hopes that someday he'll meet someone nice.

 

In other words, Eun Joong, you just got kicked to the curb.

 

Out in the lobby Myeong Geun stops Tae Ha and begs Dad #2 to not get Real Eun Joong involved in the trial and to be a better, warmer, loving father to their son. Tae Ha just turns up the smugness. They're interrupted by Eun Joong chasing after Ah Mi and yelling (in this very echoey lobby) about how he had asked her to trust him until the very end.

 

Ah Mi says the only reason she stayed with him was because she felt Eun Joong needed her. But she's not over the death of her husband and baby (understandable) so Ah Mi doesn't feel it's the right thing to keep Eun Joong hoping. Eun Joong proclaims he'll wait for her until Ah Mi feels she's ready to love him.

 

Everybody and his grandmother is hearing this conversation. Tae Ha comes over to berate Eun Joong for being romantically involved with Ah Mi. Tae Ha continues to fume in his backseat (I bet the driver is like, WTF?) when the clone phone rings. He listens in on a conversation between Fake Eun Joong and Hwa Young.

 

She wants to go beyond just the divorce case and have Tae Ha reinvestigated for Gi Chan's murder. She still has the black box from her car from when Tae Ha and Kang Ho used it to drive to the construction site.

 

While Fake Eun Joong is deep in thought after the call from mom, Poong Gi is able to sneak off a text to Real Eun Joong to come to the law office ASAP.

 

Real Eun Joong is about to get into his new luxury car when Myeong Geun just helps himself in. After wasting a few minutes going on about what color to paint the gate Myeong Geun finally gets down the business. He heartbreakingly begs Eun Joong to come home to him. Eun Joong's cold façade breaks just a little bit as he asks Myeong Geun to live just a little bit longer so he can open the gate when Eun Joong does come home.

 

The Jang's return home to discover Joo Ran is now there as a housekeeper. She's all dressed down and acting respectful. Completely opposite of what she was before.

 

Tae Ha orders Kang Joo Pil to turn over Joo Ha's shares to Real Eun Joong. Also, he should scrounge up a couple of billion won so Tae Ha can bribe the head prosecutor. If the prosecutor won't take the bribe then Joo Pil needs to fabricate some kind of scandal in order to control the guy.

 

At dinner Tae Ha rightfully is suspicious of the food his "new" housekeeper is serving him. Tae Ha orders Joo Ha to trade bowls with him. Joo Ran stops the trade, admitting she did spit in Tae Ha's food.

 

Poong Gi is still at the law office. Fake Eun Joong tells him it looks like Real has abandoned the hacker so he might as well cooperate with the lawyer. Ah, but here comes Real who has finally checked his messages.

 

To save the young Poong Gi, Fake demands two things: the company shares Hwa Young gave to her real son and the trillions of won stolen out of the secret account. Real agrees to this although Fake won't turn over the boy until tomorrow. So, are you planning to keep him a prisoner all night in your office? Isn't that kind of against the law?

 

The Three Joo's are all upset over Tae Ha's plans for his daughter to turn her shares over to Eun Joong. Joo Ha has the reconstructed shredded documents she and her husband found in Eun Joong's office. She leaves them on Daddy's desk in the study. Meanwhile Joo Ran found a spare key to Eun Joong's car while she was cleaning the house. She gives the key to Joo Pil with the orders to make Eun Joong a cripple somehow as this is the only way to really hurt Tae Ha.

 

Tae Ha finds the incriminating documents and must come to grips with the fact his son is not the faithful little puppy he wants to think Eun Joong is.

 

Hwa Young is outside on the steps when she sees Soo Young returning home with Señor Creepy. I would have thought someone with a law degree would be smart enough to pick up on Secretary Kim's not-quite-right vibes. As the Creepster is walking away he once again does that neck cracking thing. I hope Hwa Young noticed this.

Real Eun Joong returns to the Jang house to find Tae Ha in his bedroom. Dad #2 doesn't say anything about the papers he found. What he does do is guilt all over Eun Joong about how much he's missed his son and thought about him every day.

Outside, Joo Pil and Joo Ran are messing around with Eun Joong's car.

The next morning Real Eun Joong gets into his vehicle and drives off into heavy Seoul traffic. As he's thinking about Ah Mi, the traffic light starts to turn red. He steps on the brake pedal and of course nothing happens. The car keeps speeding into danger.

The Strange Housekeeper Episode 1

Also known as The Suspicious Housekeeper

Also known as The Mystery Housemaid

Also known as Why Can't These TV Shows Have Just One Title And Stick With That?

 

 

 

Our Strange Housekeeper seems to be getting interviewed for a job. Another woman (that we don't see) asks the housekeeper if she's willing to do anything she's told to do. The housekeeper answers only with, "Yes." Oh yeah? Well, are you willing to kill someone if you're ordered to?

 

Cut to the funeral home. Yoon Song Hwa (played by Wang Ji Hye) pays her respects to the late wife of her co-worker, Eun Sang Chul (played by Lee Jung Jae). He turns to introduce her to his kids. Hey, there's Crybaby Chunchu from The King's Dream. And that girl looks familiar as well. Whoever the girl is she's giving Song Hwa the Evil Eye. Are Song Hwa and Sang Chul more than just co-workers? Hmm.

 

When Song Hwa joins some other mourners (that I take to also be co-workers) they ask if she's okay since she's been gone for two days. Song Hwa dismisses it as merely having a cold. Their attention is drawn by a crying Eun Hye Gyeol, Sang Chul's youngest. The family is trying to comfort the crying child when another woman dashes in with a doll. Ah, it's Hong Joo from A Hundred Year's Inheritance! (BTW, the dead wife is also an alumni from 100YI. She played one of the aunts.)

 

Anyway, here actress Shim Yi Young plays Woo Na Young. I think she's supposed to be the dead woman's sister. She attempts to pacify the crying child with the doll. Hye Gyeol continues to wail, pointing out the doll was made by her dead mom. Good job, Na Young.

 

Will anyone shut this kid up?

 

Forty-nine days later the Strange Housekeeper arrives. Inside the house oldest sister Eun Han Gyeol (played by Kim So Hyun. I think she was the evil sister in Rooftop Prince.) tries to take dead mom's place in the family. It's not going well. The brothers are of no help. Hey, Crybaby Chunchu (Chae Sang Woo), wash your own damn clothes. While the children are trying to find something to eat out of the empty refrigerator, dad Sang Chul is sitting in the bathroom. Shit or get off the pot, Dad.

 

Sang Chul comes out to have what I would call a convenience store breakfast with his family. You know, Dad, you could go to the grocery store. It's not that complicated. Youngest son Eun Se Gyeol is whining about how Dad needs to help him get into an international middle school and such. Dad is just about to make a family announcement when two things happen simultaneously. The ugly cuckoo clock starts to chime at 7 a.m. right as the doorbell chimes.

 

You have three guesses as to who is at the door and the first two don't count.

 

The Strange Housekeeper is Park Bok Nyeo (played by Choi Ji Woo. Ji Woo may have a truckload of awards to her name but I've never seen anything she's done.) She'll be working for the family from seven in the morning (exactly) until nine at night (exactly). Brother Asshole/Doo Gyeol starts laughing when the housekeeper introduces herself because (as Viki explains) Bok Nyeo is what the Koreans called Mother Theresa. I don't see what is so funny about that but Doo Gyeol can't wash his own clothes so why should I care what he thinks.

 

Whimsical music plays as Bok Nyeo inspects the house. Nobody thought to buy toilet paper in 49 days? The music comes to a stop for the moment when it comes to Dead Mom's old room and her things. What should be done here? The family is divided on whether to get rid of Mom's clothes or not so Dad simply requests the housekeeper to leave the room alone for now.

 

The whimsical music returns as Bok Nyeo dons her apron and gets to work. (I wish she would come to my house and fix my sink.) The kids head off to school and discuss their new employee. As Dad is walking out of the house to go to work, Bok Nyeo stops him to straighten his tie. This is when Nosey Neighbor (mother to someone named Eo Jin) spots them and the gossip mill starts to grind. She reminds me of Gladys Kravitz from Bewitched.

 

Dad is only half-listening to a presentation at work. The other half of him is constantly looking out the window at Yoon Song Hwa. Dad runs out to talk to Song Hwa in the hallway. He figures since the 49 days are up they can just resume where they left off before his wife met her tragic end at the river. Bastard. Song Hwa, however, doesn't appear to be too keen on the idea.

 

Before Bastard Dad can convince her otherwise he gets a call from Director Hong, the woman who runs the agency who sent Bok Nyeo over. She's just checking up to see how things are working out with the new maid. Then Hong gets all serious and warns Sang Chul to be careful as Bok Nyeo will do exactly what she's told to do. For instance, if you were to tell her to kill someone she just might.

 

Who says something like that to their customer? She's like The Strange Boss of the Strange Housekeeper.

 

Right after The Strange Boss hangs up on him, Sang Chul gets a call from The Strange Housekeeper. Bok Nyeo wants to send some of his suits out to the cleaners. She found a birthday card in one of the suit's pockets. What should she do with the card? Sang Chul asks who the card was from. Bok Nyeo opens the teeny tiny b-day card to see Dead Wife's signature. Bastard Dad, who is by now back to giving longing stares at Song Hwa, simply tells the maid to put the card away somewhere.

 

The Strange Housekeeper hangs the card up on the refrigerator door. Creepy music plays as Bok Nyeo stops to look at Dead Mom's picture. Hmm.

 

Sang Chul comes home to an absolutely spotless house. (Strange Housekeeper, please come to my house next!) As Bok Nyeo chops up a cucumber with a very sharp knife, Bastard Dad thinks back to what Director Hong said about Bok Nyeo killing someone if you ordered her to. The kids ooh and ahh over the dinner Bok Nyeo fixed, commenting on how the food tastes just like how Dead Mom used to make it. Brother Asshole finds this weird. Han Gyeol and I tell him to shut his mouth.

 

Bok Nyeo goes to take the garbage outside. This gives Sang Chul (who is not only a bastard but an idiot) the chance to tell the kids about the phone call from Director Hong telling him how Bok Nyeo would even commit murder if you ask her to. Who tells something like that to their kids? Stupid Bastard Dad, that's who.

 

Out at the recycling bins, Nosey Neighbor tries to chat up our Strange Housekeeper, bringing up the gossip that some people don't believe Dead Mom's death was an accident. Bok Nyeo says nothing, only crushes Nosey Neighbor's empty water bottle.

 

Thinking they don't have anything to eat, Aunt Na Young drops by with bags of groceries. Tomorrow is Hye Gyeol's birthday and Na Young wants to throw a party. (Some people would say that's too early just after a funeral but to each his own.) Sang Chul, who seems to have just now learned that his child's birthday is tomorrow, asks Hye Gyeol what she wants for a present. It should come as no surprise that the little girl asks to see her mom again.

 

It's an uncomfortable moment for everyone. Except Aunt Na Young, that is, who brightly declares that sure, she'll make it so Hye Gyeol gets to see Dead Mom again.

 

At precisely nine o'clock Bok Nyeo takes off her apron and gets ready to leave for the night. (She sort of reminds me of Miss Kim from God of the Workplace.) Sang Chul is worried about what exactly his SIL has planned but he's afraid to go over to her house as he'll then have to deal with his father-in-law, Woo Geum Chi (played by Park Geun Hyung). He asks/sort of orders Bok Nyeo to go over there instead.

 

The next day Bok Nyeo stops by the really big, really nice house of Dead Mom's family. Gruff grandfather Woo demands to know what she's doing there. Like an automaton Bok Nyeo recites the entire incident concerning the birthday party and Hye Gyeol's wish to see Mom again. Grandfather Woo jumps all over his daughter's case for even going over to "that house." (Apparently Grandfather didn't approve of Sang Chul who got Dead Mom pregnant and thus made her marry below her station.) Na Young argues back that she's not going to turn her back on the kids like her father has.

 

Back home, Bok Nyeo calls Sang Chul to report on how things went, again reciting like an automaton every single word Grandfather Woo said, warts and all. Still, they don't know what Aunt Na Young has up her sleeve.

 

A lonely Hye Gyeol watches all the other kids in her kindergarten class be picked up by loving mothers. She's thrilled when Bok Nyeo (in her hat and winter coat) comes by to pick the little girl up. They get home to find someone in the kitchen. It appears to be Dead Mom but turns out to only be Aunt Na Young wearing a wig and some of her dead sister's clothes.

 

Seriously, are all the adults on this show brain damaged?!? You just don't do that! This is just torturing the little girl.

 

As the birthday party goes completely off the rails, Han Gyeol gives the rash order to Bok Nyeo to get rid of all of Dead Mom's things. Useless Stupid Bastard Dad just stands there as the housekeeper and Han Gyeol start throwing Mom's clothing outside. She breaks down and cries about how her grades are suffering because of the extra workload of trying to take on Mom's responsibilities.

 

Bok Nyeo brings out the gas can and sets the pile of clothes on fire. Brother Asshole is so enraged at this that he actually punches the Strange Housekeeper in the mouth. She doesn't react, though. He now has his cathartic moment as he cries about his last words to Dead Mom being mean and hurtful.

 

Brother Se Gyeol also starts crying but I don't care about him.

 

Hye Gyeol comes forward to confess that it is all her fault that Mom died. As only a child can think, Hye Gyeol had refused to eat some tomatoes and told her mother to disappear. And so Mom did.

 

Nosey Neighbor comes out of her house and complains about the dangers of the fire spreading to her house. Bok Nyeo turns on the water hose to put the flames out. Nosey Neighbor continues to stand there and run her mouth about the Eun family being in tatters so the Strange Housekeeper has no choice really but to "accidentally" spray Korean Gladys Kravitz with the waterhose.

 

Now that the fire is out (symbolically as well as literally) the family attempts to restart the birthday party. Nobody thought to get a birthday card because everyone in this family is stupid. No worries. Bok Nyeo pulls one out of her hat. I mean, her bag. I thought she was going to get the one off the refrigerator but I was wrong. And is Brother Asshole ever going to apologize for socking the maid in the mouth?

 

The next day at work Bastard Dad is still trying to renew his relationship with Song Hwa. She's still against it. (Translation: "I had no plans of becoming an Instant Mom to your kids.")

 

At home the kids are worried because Hye Gyeol hasn't come home from kindergarten and it is late. They try calling Useless Stupid Bastard Dad but he turns his phone off so he can continue talking to his ex-mistress. The kids go out on their own to search the town.

 

Hye Gyeol is with Bok Nyeo. They're sitting down next to the river. Oh my, is this the same river where Dead Mom met her end? We cut to the other siblings still searching. When we come back to our duo, Hye Gyeol and Bok Nyeo are walking hand in hand into the water, which is getting deeper and deeper, at least for the little girl.

 

 

 

What the hell did I just watch?