Scandal Episode 6

The episode opens with Ha Eun Joong and Woo Ah Mi but she is just so annoying that I'm gonna skip over it. Nothing important happened anyway.

 

So, we go on to Ha Myeong Geun who is looking tired and old as he leaves his construction job. He's a foreman now and is going to meet with a young worker that just happens to be the fiancé of Ah Mi. Gong Gi Chan is talking to Ah Mi on the phone as she tells him about her cart being trashed by a cop. He urges her to quit her job so she can study and pass her test. For what I have yet to figure out. If it's for annoying people she's going to pass with flying colors.

 

Myeong Geun joins the young man for a drink. Gi Chan presents an invitation to the wedding to his foreman and hopes Myeong Geun will come because neither of the families will be there as everyone disapproves of this match. Um, she's pregnant already so somebody's gotta get over it. 

 

I could go for some ramen noodles.

 

Dad #1 passes Gi Chan some pictures of some dangerous conditions on the building they're working on, which happens to be for Taeha Construction. Is Gi Chan a whistleblower? Let's find out. Ooh, my noodles are done.

 

Myeong Geun advises the young man to go straight to the top and address these safety issues with Chairman Jang Tae Ha. (Personally I think this is a terrible idea.) Myeong Geun gives Gi Chan a USB stick and advises him to use it to make a deal with Tae Ha.

 

Yoon Hwa Young is looking at the faxes she received of aged pictures of what Real Eun Joong may look like in his thirties. Out in office, Fake Eun Joong asks Secretary Wang to secretly find out what fax his not-mother just received. He leaves to attend to some employee interviews. Up next is Ha Soo Young, now played by Han Goo (who kicked ass in Killer Girl K. Kicked it, I say! Why was there no sequel to Killer Girl K?!? But I digress...)

 

Soo Young is pretty up front when asked why she wants to be a lawyer. She wants to make lots of money! I would think this would be a hindrance to selling herself but it appears she's a hot commodity in the law world and Fake Eun Joong seems to be charmed by her forthrightness. You know what that means.

 

Next we see what grown up Jang Joo Ha (played by Kim Kyu Ri) is up to. She's working under her father at Taeha Construction. Did I mention Dad has a horrible white wig on? Or did they dye Park Sang Min's hair because he's got green roots. Wait a sec, what is Reporter Kang Joo Pil doing on the executive board at a construction company? What skills does he have at building things?

 

After Joo Ha gives her presentation to the board, Joo Pil gives a knowing look to another suit. This suit speaks up and asks Tae Ha when is he going to appoint a president as the company has been without one for several months. Tae Ha responds that the company has been doing just fine without a president so he's in no hurry. Joo Pil does not appear happy to hear this.

 

Joo Ha returns to her office to find her mother, Go Joo Ran, waiting for her. You can just feel the lo-- no you can't. Joo Ran has come to fuss about all the speeding tickets Joo Ha gets in Joo Ran's car. In that case, Joo Ran, I'm on your side. I'd be pissed off as well.

 

Dinner at the Jang house shows both Joo Ha and Fake Eun Joong wishing Hwa Young was a more loving, warmer mother than she is. Over at the Ha house, there is still a coolness between Dad #1 and Real Eun Joong. It's ironic that bad guy Tae Ha seems to be the only good parent on this show.

 

Hwa Young overhears Tae Ha telling Fake Eun Joong his dream of his "son" becoming president of Korea. What parent hasn't wanted their child to be the leader of their country?

 

At home Gi Chan is looking at the contents on the USB Myeong Geun gave him earlier. It contains detailed lists of all the gifts and bribes Taeha Construction has given out over the years. Knowing how important this is, Gi Chan hides the USB in the handlebar of his bicycle.

 

Joo Ha is whizzing around in her mother's bananamobile when she hits a parked car. Late for an appointment, Joo Ha leaves the scene of the accident. Turns out the car belongs to Real Eun Joong's partner. He and his partner jump in and give chase. After looking up the license plate number it shows Joo Ran had reported the car stolen. Now Eun Joong puts on the red light and makes this chase official.

 

Ah Mi wants to sue Real Eun Joong for wrecking her illegal food cart. She goes o Fake Eun Joong because he advertised doing pro bono work. Secretary Wang gets back to Fake Eun Joong about the faxes. She says they came from a police station, specifically the department that handles missing persons. This rattles Fake Eun Joong.

 

Gi Chan gets in to see Tae Ha to tell him about all the safety problems with the condominium they're building. When Tae Ha asks for the lists of bribes, Gi Chan is at least smart enough to say he'll give them back only after all the problems in the building have been fixed. Tae Ha acts like he's okay with this but we viewers know better.

 

Real Eun Joong follows Joo Ha to the airport. She's there to greet some important random black people. Eun Joong slaps the cuffs on Joo Ha and arrests his real half-sister.

 

Hwa Young is at the hospital to see her therapist. Myeong Geun is there for... I don't know what but he's there. When he sees Hwa Young, he recognizes her as Real Eun Joong's mother. (Wouldn't it be weird if these two ended up in love?) Hwa Young misplaces her prescription medicine. Myeong Geun picks it up and sees that it's medicine for her mental state. Feel the guilt, Myeong Geun. This is your handy work. Feel it!

 

Tae Ha tasks Joo Pil with handling Gi Chan. Either make the young man one of them or make the young man go away.

 

Fake Eun Joong comes down to the station to defend Joo Ha. He recognizes Real Eun Joong's name as the defendant in the Case of the Fumbled Foodcart.

 

Myeong Geun goes to Hwa Young's law office to return her prescription. While in her private office he sees on her desk the aged picture of Eun Joong.

Heartless City Episode 20

I got a new laptop today and I'm still learning my way around it so bear with me.

 

 

 

 

The criminals say their final goodbyes to Safari. (We don't see Eun Soo because she's now off playing Chick with a Bow on The Blade and the Petal.) Meanwhile Yoon Soo Min tells Ji Hyung Min about Gyung Mi knowing Shi Hyun, Shi Hyun being Doctor's Son and that he's a cop. (Thankfully she leaves out the part about them doing the horizontal mambo.)

 

Ji meets with Shi Hyun at their favorite rooftop and reveals he's figured out Doctor's Son is also an undercover agent. Ji asks who sent Shi Hyun out and who killed Gyung Mi because Ji wants to kill him. Shi Hyun warns the cop not to turn to the Dark Side and to let Shi Hyun take care of it. Ji guesses, though, that it was Min Hong Gi.

 

Ji has Fat Cop Yang and Suh Yoon Gyung start a quiet investigation into Director Min.

 

Shi Hyun begs Kim Hyun Soo to get out of the country but Soo won't leave his buddy's side.

 

Chairman Jo takes Hong Gi to task for not controlling the situation with Doctor's Son and the police. He laughingly tells Min that the documents Safari got away with include the inside dirt on Min as well. Hong Gi goes back to his office and pulls up the file on police academy candidate Yoon Soo Min.

 

Wait, so he knew who she was and what she was doing all along? Since when?

 

Hong Gi passes the file to Lee Jin Sook. Jin Sook calls Soo Min and invites her over. When Soo Min gets there she's confronted by several heavies who give her a good smackdown. That's cold, Jin Sook. She shoves the file into her former friend's face. Soo Min admits she really likes Jin Sook and always felt bad about lying to her. Jin Sook decides to do one last favor and allow Soo Min to walk out of there with the condition that she never comes back. (Does she get to keep the car you bought her, Jin Sook?)

 

Min calls in Detective Kim to his office and reveals he knows Kim is in Hyun Soo's pocket. Good grief, this man knows everything! He uses Kim to trick Hyun Soo into a meeting at that damn Japanese restaurant. Here Hong Gi passes on another file, this one about Officer Jung Shi Hyun.

 

Ah, but outside the restaurant is Ji keeping tabs. He sees Hong Gi leave first, then a stunned Hyun Soo. 

 

Hong Gi is a busy, busy bee. He drops in on Jin Sook to ask what she did to Soo Min. Jin Sook won't give him any details. Hong Gi goes on to casually mention that Shi Hyun is a cop. Why don't you take out a full page ad in the paper, Hong Gi?

 

Shi Hyun finds a drunk Hyun Soo who makes it known he knows Shi Hyun is a cop. When a hurt Hyun Soo tries to leave, Shi Hyun does the Korean Wrist Grab. Bromance! A broken bromance, though, as Hyun Soo shakes his wrist free and tearfully says he never wants to see Shi Hyun again.

 

Ji meets with Shi Hyun again to inform the undercover cop that it was Director Min who told Hyun Soo the truth.

 

Jin Sook comes to visit Shi Hyun at his dump and let him know she now knows he's a cop. She loves him too much to turn against him, though. The two have a good cry together although Jung Kyung Ho makes the ugliest face when he cries.

 

Ji and Soo Min find Shi Hyun at Gyung Mi's grave (although that's not the same grave from the beginning of the show.) Shi Hyun hands over the USB stick to Ji.

 

Hyun Soo asks Jin Sook if she knew about Shi Hyun. Jin Sook attempts to repair the bromance but Hyun Soo still won't forgive Shi Hyun.

 

Back at HQ, Ji and Soo Min check out the contents of the USB. Not only does it have the bank account records of Director Min, there's also Daddy Ji in there. Hyung Min says this won't stop him from getting everyone involved in this dirty business. What will stop him is Internal Affairs who take Ji in for questioning and confiscate the USB.

 

Soo Min calls Shi Hyun. He goes to see Daddy Ji and urge the father to save his son.

 

Hong Gi has lunch (you know where) with Chairman Jo and introduces Hyun Soo as being on their team now. Oh, Hyun Soo - I'm shaking my head.

 

For once (and probably only once) Annoying Reporter Cha serves a purpose. She distracts Director Min while Soo Min searches his office for the missing USB stick.

 

Chairman Jo loans Hyun Soo a gaggle of goons supposedly to go attack Doctor's Son. But just after the vans move out, Hyun Soo and a couple of backups instead go back to confront Pusan. Thinking the old mobster won't have much protection now, Hyun Soo announces he's going to kill Pusan so Doctor's Son and Jin Sook can live in peace.

 

Not so fast, Hyun Soo. Here come even more stick-wielding (yet nicely suited) rowdies to protect Chairman Jo. I got me a bad feeling about this, Hyun Soo. He puts up a losing fight against the army of assassins. He's stabbed in the front, then stabbed in the back. Gosh, Hyun Soo has been through a lot in this drama. Think of all the injuries he's sustained.

 

Suddenly shots ring out. It's Shi Hyun packin' heat! Don't just stand there, Shi Hyun - shoot Pusan! Why are you not shooting this old man?! Instead Shi Hyun stops to see to Hyun Soo. With his dying breath Hyun Soo renews the bromance, and then he's gone. I'm more upset by this than anything!

 

The next morning Chairman Jo is enjoying a healthy breakfast while being yelled at over the phone by Hong Gi. Min is not happy that Pusan had Hyun Soo killed. Wait, there's a crack of a gun firing. It's Shi Hyun come to pay a visit. Min can only listen in as Shi Hyun (well, Shi Hyun's stunt double. It's really obvious) fights his way through to Chairman Jo.

 

Min storms out of his office to go to the scene. Soo Min, who's been keeping an eye on the director, calls Ji to alert him to something big going down. Ji calls his special forces team together to move out.

 

Chairman Jo predicts that nothing will change if Doctor's Son kills him. Instead, Doctor's Son will become just like Pusan. Shi Hyun shoots Pusan dead anyway.

 

Min comes dashing up. That was fast. His office must be right next door or something. Shi Hyun confronts his former boss outside. Min starts to reach for his gun but Shi Hyun draws first. Min first tries to convince Shi Hyun he can be a cop again. When that tactic doesn't work, Hong Gi plays the Jin Sook card. Think about her. We can all be a family again. I don't know why Shi Hyun is listening to any of this crap. It looks like he's about to pull the trigger when Ji and Soo Min arrive. Again, that was fast.

 

With his own gun trained on Shi Hyun, Ji orders him to freeze. Min tells Ji to arrest Doctor's Son. Ji tells Hong Gi to shut up as he continues to try and talk Shi Hyun out of killing Min. With tears falling from his eyes (don't ruin your guyliner) Shi Hyun commands Min to kneel, which the man does. Shi Hyun wants Hong Gi to surrender to Ji. Hong Gi agrees that he will. All this time I'm yelling at the screen, "Don't forget he has a gun! Don't forget he has a gun!"

 

Too late. When both Shi Hyun and Ji let their guard down, Min whips out his weapon and shoots Shi Hyun twice. Soo Min starts to run to her lover only to be held back by Ji who then shoots Min dead.

 

Jin Sook, dressed in black, says a final goodbye in her heart to Shi Hyun, finally confessing her love for him. Soo Min, dressed in her police academy uniform, offers her unni a hanky to wipe the tears away. Jin Sook says a goodbye as she heads off to jail.

 

Soo Min has a fantasy of meeting Shi Hyun to tell him she's now officially a police officer.

 

Daddy Ji stops by his son's office to announce he's resigned from the prosecutor's office and is even willing to testify in court over the whole mess.

 

Soo Min returns to the orphanage to hand out presents to the children. The kid ghosts of Gyung Mi and Shi Hyun compliment Soo Min on how good she looks in her police uniform.

 

The End?

 

Not quite.

 

At the very end of the closing credits there is a shot of a man with his back to the camera as he talks on his cell phone. That big head and skinny body can only be Shi Hyun. So is he alive? Will there be a sequel? Or was that just to mess with our heads?

Heartless City Episode 19

Up on the rooftop, Soo Min has her gun trained on Shi Hyun as she squeals, "Why did you kill my sister?" This triggers a flashback for Shi Hyun to the night when Gyung Mi was killed before his eyes. Suddenly he realizes that in a sense the scenario is repeating itself now with Soo Min. Looking around he finally spots the sniper over on another rooftop, the stranger's gun aimed this-a-way. 

Shi Hyun isn't the one in danger, it's Soo Min.

Just as the sniper squeezes off a shot, Shi Hyun jumps in front of his one-night stand and takes the bullet intended for her. Not that getting shot seems to bother him all that much as Shi Hyun drags her out of the line of fire. Pusan comes to and takes the opportunity to get the hell out of there. 

Understanding that his mission is a failure, the sniper quickly packs up his gun and takes to the stairs. Shi Hyun is also racing to the bottom via the stairs because that's more dramatic than taking an elevator. Keep in mind the dude HAS BEEN SHOT.

Once on the ground Shi Hyun gives chase to the sniper while both been try not to attract the attention of the cops. (I wouldn't worry too much about them.) Running around a corner, Shi Hyun takes off his jacket and throws it at the sniper in order to stop the other guy. (Don't laugh, it works.) The two men fight with Shi Hyun getting the upper hand because he's been shot after all. Plus he's wearing a magic shirt which has blood from the wound but no hole from the bullet. Magic. 

With his blurry knife, Shi Hyun starts to cut on the sniper in order to get the truth out of the man. Was he the one who killed Gyung Mi? Before the man can say anything other than "Arrraaaahhh," another mysterious gunman shoots the first mysterious gunman in the head.

The cops continue to remain oblivious to all this.

Shi Hyun does a quick search of the dead man and finds a cell phone. He redials the last number called and if you're surprised that it is Min Hong Gi who answers, you need a jacket thrown at you. Hong Gi asks how did everything go. When there's no reply he's like, "Oh shit!" and hangs up. Shi Hyun has a meltdown. 

Afterwards he takes Soo Min back to his mucky mancave because he fears for her safety. He assures her that he didn't kill Gyung Mi. 

Hong Gi goes to meet with Pusan (Will no one ever redecorate this tacky dining room?) Min quickly makes it known that Pusan is to take orders from him and not vice versa. Min wants to take down the District Attorney (Daddy Ji) with whatever secrets Chairman Jo may have about the man. Here's the first secret: Daddy Ji loves Japanese food. 

Out in the hallway Min meets up with... Gi Chul! He's the little shit who shot the sniper. The little shit explains the situation about having to take the sniper out before the other guy talked. Min tells Gi Chul to go back and keep an eye on Shi Hyun. 

Fifteen minutes into the show and only now is Shi Hyun getting his bullet wound tended to. Too bad it's Soo Min doing the tending by lightly dabbing it with a cotton ball. That ain't gonna help a bullet wound, Soo Min. 

Lee Jin Sook stops by the hideout to discover Shi Hyun and Soo Min asleep in each others' arms. She turns around and leaves quietly. Oh dear, has someone's bubble been burst?

After their reinvigorating nap, Shi Hyun drops Soo Min off at the special forces HQ. She returns Ji Hyung Min's gun to him and updates him on the sniper attack and how Shi Hyun saved her. Ji tells her the mission is over and she should come back in.

Unlike Shi Hyun, Safari is grunting and sweating over his bullet wound. 

Soo Min begs Ji to allow her to see Jin Sook one last time. She doesn't know she and Shi Hyun were busted by Jin Sook and she can't quite pick up on the fact that her unni is acting different towards her. After a long and awkward car ride, Jin Sook starts quizzing Soo Min about how long she's known Shi Hyun and is she in love with him. Jin Sook can barely hold her liquor when Soo Min answers yes, she is in love with him. Ooh, there's that bluesy song I like. Well I call it bluesy.

Shi Hyun goes to see a sickly Safari. All the surgical tools and bloody bandages are still on the table. (Shi Hyun is probably thinking, "Hmph, I just needed one cotton ball, ya wimp.") Shi Hyun wants to know what went down at the drug factory. Safari tells how it was all Min Hong Gi. 

Ji has a meeting with his team about the unidentified dead body they found at the university. He's since been ID'd as a former cop, one of the top shooters, who was disgraced by scandal and kicked off the narcotics team. The team organized by Min Hong Gi. Ji goes to the director to ask him about the dead guy. Hong Gi acts all shocked to hear the guy is dead, what could have happened? 

Soo Min has left Club Whorehouse and Jin Sook and moved back into Gyung Mi's house. Stuck there since Ji won't let her out, Soo Min is looking through a thick photo album when she discovers a picture of Gyung Mi and Shi Hyun together. Whoa! What's up with that stuffed animal on the bed? It's got a penis! Now I'm totally distracted by that unacceptable toy to hear who Soo Min is calling. 

Oh, she called the director of the orphanage to see if the woman remembers a Jung Shi Hyun ever being there. Director Exposition tells Soo Min all about how Gyung Mi loved Shi Hyun like a brother, became a cop because of him, and he bought the house Gyung Mi lived in. (And yet when alive Gyung Mi never ever ever mentioned this Shi Hyun guy even once to her little sister Soo Min.) 

Soo Min goes to confront Shi Hyun but finds only Gi Chul at home. The little shit has orders from Min to get rid of her. Soo Min recognizes him as the man who was talking with her friend, Joo Young. She confides in the little shit that Joo Young really likes him. This appears to be all it takes to turn Gi Chul away from his orders. 

Min lets Daddy Ji know he now has some leverage against the prosecutor as well as Congressman Cha. Daddy Ji contacts Safari with the order to exterminate Min. Safari calls Jin Sook to quickly confess his love before hanging up.

So much thwarted love on this show! 

Shi Hyun returns to the abandoned amusement park from the first of the show. He's supposed to meet Hong Gi there. Instead, Hong Gi has ratted out Doctor's Son to Pusan and it's Chairman Jo's pole-wielding deviants who show up. 

Still at the hideout, Soo Min snoops around and finds Shi Hyun's police ID badge. Just then she receives a phone call from Joo Young who is relaying a message from Gi Chul, the little shit. We don't hear what the message is but as soon as Soo Min hangs up with her friend she immediately calls Ji.

The dozens of extras start to attack Shi Hyun. Shi Hyun laughs at being outnumbered. First he takes several out with his gun (just winging them, no killing) before taking out his trusty knife. But then he starts having a flashback. This is no time for a trip down memory lane, Shi Hyun! Distracted now, the extras regain their courage and start pummeling him. 

Holy Hannah Montana Is Now A Slut, it's Safari to the rescue! Shi Hyun finally stops spazzing out and helps to fight off the extras. Here comes Gi Chul but the little shit pulls his gun on his boss. Shi Hyun keeps asking if Min is behind all this. Before the little shit can say either yea or nay he's shot in the head by Hong Gi. Min fires at Shi Hyun as well only to have Safari jump in front of Shi Hyun and take the bullet. Shi Hyun just stands there in shock as Hong Gi walks away. Damnit, Shi Hyun, stop spazzing out!

A dying Safari gives Doctor's Son the USB stick he took from Chairman Jo just as Ji and Soo Min arrive too late on the scene. Goodbye, Safari. I'll never forget your perm-fried hair.

Per his last request, Shi Hyun takes Safari to Jin Sook. Good grief, now she's spazzing out. What is wrong with everybody? 

Shi Hyun calls Hong Gi. At least Min doesn't deny anything, claiming it was all Shi Hyun's fault for betraying the police force. Shi Hyun just wants to know why Min had Gyung Mi killed. Min has a bit of a meltdown himself as he yells that it was to protect Shi Hyun since Gyung Mi could have spoiled their whole operation since she knew who Doctor's Son was. Shi Hyun swears he'll kill Hong Gi. Hong Gi dares him to try.

Three Kingdoms Episode 44

I know, I know. I said I was going to let this blog die. I don't know why I continue.

Since I didn't cover Episode 43 here it is in a nutshell: As to be expected, Guan Yu wasn't executed for letting Cao Cao escape. Cao Cao returns home and gives an inspirational speech to his troops about failure being a good thing because it makes you learn from your mistakes. Then he encounters someone called Sima Yi and everyone on YouTube goes, "Squee! It's about to get real now!" and I have to google the guy 'cause we don't get much Chinese history 'round these parts.

Oh, and Ruby Lin still hasn't show up.

Cao Cao asks Sima Yi to accept the position of tutor to his son, Cao Chong. Sima Yi, an ambitious man who sees no future aspects in teaching a ten year-old boy, respectfully declines. Cao Cao puts it another way: do it or else I kill you. Sima Yi reconsiders.

Next Cao Cao studies what his enemies are up to. He figures Liu Bei and Sun Quan will be anxious to conquer Jing Province so they need to capture Nanjun. Cao Cao plans to send Cao "I work out" Ren to hold Nanjun at all costs. 

Cheng Yu comes running up with an urgent dispatch sent by Xun Yu from Xuchang. Everyone nervously waits for Cao Cao to read it and tell them what it says. Cao Cao simply laughs and says it's about his wife, Lady Han (first I've ever heard of her), who is about to give birth. While the gang give their congratulations, Cao Cao brushes it off and is like, "I guess I'd better go back to Xuchang and see how this baby business goes."

It's all a lie, of course. What the dispatch really says is Ma Teng and Han Sui have organized a respectable number of men and are marching on Xuchang. This gives Cao Cao a splitting headache and he falls to the floor. He manages to send Xu Chu racing to Xuchang to relay orders to Xun Yu. Cao Cao expects to arrive on the 9th and Xun Yu should have all the pomp and circumstance ready to receive the prime minister. Making everything look like normal hopefully will keep the unwashed masses from panicking.

Meanwhile Cao Pei is returning home after a hard day of fighting insects. His servant, Wu Zhi, has a major freakout when he spots a snake within the compound. It's Snakes on the Plain. The servant gossips about Xun Yu having a horse die from a poisonous snake bite. This prompts Cao Pei to make a late night visit to the elderly man to see if there's any news about Cao Cao. When Xun Yu tells the young man his father should arrive tomorrow, Cao Pei is eager to ride outside of the city gates to welcome Cao Cao home. Xun Yu has to break down and tell Cao Pei that this is all a ruse to fool the enemy and Cao Pei would be better off staying within the city.

Outside, Cao Pei instructs Wu Zhi to go tell the other Cao Kids not to be a part of the welcoming committee tomorrow. Specifically, they're to be told it is Xun Yu who orders them not to go welcome their father. Cao Pei has a strange look on his face. He kills his award winning cricket and then tells Wu Zhi that he's going to be at the gates tomorrow morning to welcome his father home. What the heck are you up to, Cao Pei? And what did that cricket ever do to you?

The next morning Xun Yu addresses the crowd, lying about Cao Cao returning today with numerous troops and for no one to believe all those stories about the prime minister being ill with headaches. (There's one old guy in the crowd who is driving me crazy. His big hat looks like it is about to tip over and I so want to straighten it up.)

Xun Yu pulls Cao Pei aside and asks what he's doing here after Xun Yu told him not to bother. Cao Pei has a good point when he replies that as the eldest son he needs to be here in order to convince the others that everything is fine and proceeding as planned. Oh, but here comes a wrinkle in Cao Pei's plans when young brother Cao Chong (Dad's favorite) shows up. 

Unable to ride, Cao Cao is having to be transported in a carriage. Simi Yi looks like he's a tad carriage sick. There's a hilarious moment when Cao Cao first opens his eyes. Simi Yi starts to stick his face down to see if Cao Cao is truly awake. Cao Cao puts his big meaty hand over Simi Yi's face and pushes him away.

Cao Cao has a splitting headache and fears he may not survive. In case he does die, Cao Cao insists Simi Yi still agree to be Cao Chong's teacher. Suddenly Cao Cao becomes unresponsive. Simi Yi orders the procession to stop. He jumps out of the carriage and starts running around like a dang fool. He runs to grab the doctor and drag the guy back to the carriage. 

Simi Yi returns to find the carriage is empty. He starts yelling for Cao Cao. He's right over there, pissing at the camera. So I guess Cao Cao is all better now. 

Back at Xuchang some of the welcoming committee members are dropping like flies from having to stand around all day in the heat. Xun Yu breaks up the little party and orders everyone to go home and get some rest but be here same time tomorrow for the same thing. Cao Pei insists on staying a little while longer just in case. His father is so unpredictable, ya know. What the hell are you up to, Cao Pei?!?

Ah, turns out I'm not the only one wondering what the guy has up his sleeve. Xun Yu and General Song are talking about Cao Pei's filial piety impressing the townsfolk and officials. Song goes on to say some believe this is all just a show on Cao Pei's part as he's campaigning to be named his father's heir. Xun Yu tells Song not to listen to such idle talk.

It's the fourth day of waiting and finally Cao Cao's entourage is arriving. Boy, China is dusty. Whoa, suddenly something is happening as a couple of guards up on the gate are murdered and replaced by mysterious archers who are taking aim at Cao Cao's carriage. Pandemonium erupts as the arrows fly. Those are a lot of arrows for just two guys.

A body rolls out of the carriage. Cao Pei draws his sword and fights his way to the carriage to check on his father. He rolls the body over to discover it is another man dressed as Cao Cao. Cao Pei gets a strange grin on his face. Are you happy your father outwitted these assassins? Were these attackers part of the rebellion? Why do I get the feeling that perhaps you are the one behind this attack in the first place? I so don't trust you, Cao Pei.

Elsewhere in the city, Cao Cao has quietly slipped in and is greeted by young Cao Chong. The kid gets to show off how smarty pants he is by figuring out which gate his father would come through. Cao Cao introduces his son to Sima Yi (who looks to have realized that Cao Chong is his golden ticket to power.) 

Cao Cao's other sons, including Cao Pei, finally come running up to greet their father. Jeez, that one son needs to get his eyebrows waxed. He's got a unibrow. Cao Pei has to report that the assassins melted into the crowd and he was unable to arrest anyone. Cao Cao asks his sons what he should do about the assassins. 

And that's where it ends.

Heartless City Episode 18

Now that he knows that she knows but she doesn't know that he knows she knows, Jung Shi Hyun tries to call a crying Yoon Soo Min. (I had no idea they still made green shag carpet.) Shi Hyun just goes right ahead and admits to her he is Doctor's Son. Soo Min tearfully asks if he really did kill Gyung Mi. His only answer is Soo Min could end up like her sister so she had better get away from Jin Sook now. Oh wait, Shi Hyun is just right outside of her door. He can hear Soo Min's cries of anguish. Well, squeals of anguish.

On a side note I'm kinda diggin' this bluesy tune playing right now.

Safari takes Jin Sook out for some delicious ice cream. She's just letting it go to waste! Dang, now I want ice cream. Anyway, Safari tells her his plans to take over Chairman Jo's position. When he does, he wants Jin Sook to come with him. She won't leave Doc's side.

Eun Soo wraps a piano wire around Chairman Jo's neck because Meth Kim isn't man enough to do it himself. As she slowly strangles the fat man, Pusan makes some funny faces of death. Safari signals for Eun Soo to stop so he can question Chairman Jo as to where his production facility is. Oh yeah, and if Pusan has any documentation of all his contributions to Daddy Ji that would be nice to have as well. Chairman Jo ain't talkin'. Safari gets so frustrated that it takes him about two minutes to get his gun out of his jacket. He shoots a warning shot at Chairman Jo. Doesn't the old man get it, Safari asks. The word has come from up above to cut Pusan lose so the old man might as well co-operate with Safari.

Chairman Jo finally gives them the name of Bogam Pharmaceuticals, the place where the drug production is supposedly located. I'm with Eun Soo in not trusting Pusan. This could be a trap. Doctor's Son stops by for a visit and to find out what Safari is up to. As the two men talk Safari points out that only Min Hong Gi could have been the one to spin the tale that Safari killed Shi Hyun's mother. Safari figured Hong Gi lied to Shi Hyun in order to use the young man to get him to kill the turncoat cop. 

Detective Kim lets Kim Hyun Soo know that Wooden Stick looks like he's about to talk.

Safari and Daddy Ji take in a showing of World War Z. Why aren't they wearing their 3D glasses? Daddy Ji gives Safari the go-ahead to off Chairman Jo.

Soo Min stops by the HQ of the special forces unit. Jeez, can just anybody walk into this place? No one knows she's a cop, only that she's Gyung Mi's kid sister. Ji Hyung Min is having a meeting with Annoying Reporter Cha and Suh Yoon Gyung about Sky Investments when Soo Min comes in. After the other two ladies leave the room, Soo Min tells Ji that Annoying Reporter Cha seems like a nice woman and he shouldn't let her get away. (No, Soo Min, don't tell him that!) 

Soo Min asks Ji to go get her some coffee. When he steps outside to get it, Detective Kim comes running up to tell him Wooden Stick is ready to talk. It's Annoying Reporter Cha who brings Soo Min some coffee. Soo Min asks Cha to please take care of Ji. It's like she's saying her final goodbyes. The camera makes sure we notice Soo Min grabbing her backpack. I bet she was getting something while Ji was out of the room. Something like his gun.

Wooden Stick tells Ji the production facility is in Bogam Pharmaceuticals. Ji rallies his forces to go storm the castle. Prosecutor Ahn calls Daddy Ji while Detective Kim calls Hyun Soo with the news. Ji is just about ready to head out when he suddenly realizes he's been had. This was all part of Chairman Jo's plan. 

Shi Hyun, suspicious of all this himself, calls Safari to warn him it's all a trap. Safari has already figured this out. He also gives hints that maybe, just maybe, he knows Shi Hyun is working undercover for Hong Gi.

Only now does Ji realize his gun is gone and that Soo Min probably took it. She's in her car waiting outside Shi Hyun's hideout when Ji calls. Ji tries to tell her Doctor's Son didn't kill Gyung Mi. Soo Min tells Ji about finding the sniper's gun. In her eyes Doctor's Son is the killer and she's going to finish all this right here and now.

Shi Hyun comes out of his basement lair and drives off in his car. Soo Min follows him in her car. Gi Chul, Doc's minion, follows her in his car. Looks like we've got ourselves a convoy! 

Fat Cop Yang and the boys (minus Ji) reach the supposed drug factory. Inside they find only suited thugs wielding baseball bats. The cops all have guns so guess who wins. 

Safari and his gang, along with their prisoner, arrive at the real site of the drug factory. Since they have Pusan with them, the guards simply open all the doors for them. Don't they notice the old man's hands are tied behind his back? I've said it before and I'll say it again: you just can't hire good help these days. 

Outside of the building the drug task force drives up and surrounds the place. Inside, Safari makes Chairman Jo open up a safe which contains a USB stick just chalked full of juicy information. That's when the cops start throwing in teargas canisters. Safari orders the others to take Pusan and escape while he stays behind to block the doors. In the confusion they're attacked by other thugs and Chairman Jo is able to give them the slip. 

Min Hong Gi appears behind Safari and sticks a gun in his former agent's neck. He's totally holding that gun incorrectly. Safari asks his old boss if Doctor's Son is an undercover agent. Hong Gi wants the USB stick. The two men struggle. Safari knocks the gun out of Hong Gi's grip, then draws out his own. (Didn't take you two minutes that time.) Safari fires but purposely misses. He just can't kill his old boss. He turns to leave giving Hong Gi time to regain his gun. This time it's Hong Gi's turn to fire and he doesn't miss. Safari is shot in the back but that doesn't seem to slow him down as he escapes down the fog-shrouded hallway. 

Soo Min followed Shi Hyun to the drug factory which was hidden on a college campus. She and the other gawkers stand outside watching all the SWAT cops patrolling the place. 

Shi Hyun finds Safari in the hallway and wants to help. Safari refuses and tells Shi Hyun to go get Chairman Jo. Say, where'd all those cops go all of a sudden? We've got all these people simply walking in and out of a crime scene. 

Pusan, now armed with a gun, is up on the rooftop because all DramaKoreans are simply drawn to rooftops like moths to the flame. Doctor's Son finds him up there and Pusan offers to make a deal if Shi Hyun will help him escape. Pusan has the gun on Shi Hyun when Soo Min shows up and pulls her/Ji's gun on Chairman Jo. See, more people walking around a crime scene. Where the hell are those cops?

Soo Min, suddenly bad ass, simply cold cocks Chairman Jo and now aims her weapon on Doctor's Son. She keeps asking why did he kill her sister.

Wait, on another rooftop is a sniper with his sights directed on this little drama on the other rooftop. The sniper is asking for directions on what to do. First he aims at Shi Hyun, then he trains his scope on the back of Soo Min.

Who will shoot first?

Heartless City Episode 17

Wooden Stick, desperate to get back into Chairman Jo's good graces (and not lose any more fingers), orders his men to search every nook and cranny of Club Whorehouse. Outside a car comes screeching up and a man jumps out. It's Kim Hyun Soo! Has Soo come to rescue Jin Sook? The woman he tried to have killed just a couple of episodes ago? My, how the world changes.

Jin Sook steps out in the hallway and simply says, "Here I am" to Wooden Stick's crew. Soo comes down the stairs and joins her at her side while slipping something into her hand. I couldn't really see what it was. Maybe it was a knife or the keys to his car. Anyway he signals for her to run while he takes care of these bandits because if there's one thing this show loves to do is to have our heroes take on unsurmountable odds and surmount them.

Commence action scene! Soo is able to break free of the mob and runs outside where Jin Sook drives his car up for Soo to get in. She starts to drive them away when a van cuts them off. Out steps Wooden Stick. (I'm yelling at Jin Sook to hit the gas and pin Wooden Stick between the vehicles but does she listen to me? No. Stupid whore.)

Still inside Club Whorehouse, Soo Min looks at the phone number Jin Sook had quickly programmed in. The number for Jung Shi Hyun. Soo Min may be figuring out Shi Hyun is Doctor's Son but what she needs to be doing is getting the hell away from there. Will no one listen to me?! 

Shi Hyun is surprised to be getting contacted by Soo Min through his most private number. She explains it was Jin Sook who gave her the number and now Unni has been taken by Wooden Stick. 

Jin Sook is escorted in to meet Chairman Jo. He greets her with a hug and invites her to sit down. After exchanging pleasantries, Pusan declares he has a gift for Jin Sook. The gift is Hyun Soo who has something wrapped around him. It looks like a giant baggie bandolier of drugs. Chairman Jo gives Jin Sook the choice: either save Soo or take the drugs. When Jin Sook hesitates in her decision, Pusan has Wooden Stick slit one of Hyun Soo's wrists. 

As Soo's life blood pours out of him, Jin Sook asks for his life to be spared. Did she really think Chairman Jo would save Soo? Of course not. Instead Pusan now orders Jin Sook to call Doctor's Son and tell him to come. Jin Sook makes a desperate call, crying that she's about to be killed, only on the other end isn't Shi Hyun but a mystified Min Hong Gi with a "What the hell was that all about?" look on his face. 

Pusan suspects Jin Sook didn't call Doctor's Son but right then her phone rings. It's Shi Hyun calling Chairman Jo. He's on his way and all he asks is for the crime lord not to hurt his friends anymore until Doctor's Son gets there. Seriously, Shi Hyun? Do you seriously think Chairman Jo will do as you politely request?

Of course not. Now that Doctor's Son is on his way, Pusan tells Jin Sook he no longer needs her. Wooden Stick eagerly steps up and starts slapping her (with his good hand). 

Hong Gi calls the special forces unit only to learn Ji Hyung Min isn't in at the moment. All Hong Gi has to work with is Fat Cop Yang. Good luck there. 

Doctor's Son arrives and is brought before Chairman Jo. There's Soo bleeding to death on the floor and Wooden Stick has a blurry knife to Jin Sook's throat. Shi Hyun starts to fight back but he's stabbed and beaten. With Shi Hyun forced to watch, Wooden Stick starts to kill Jin Sook when suddenly Ji bursts into the room, his gun drawn. Shi Hyun had called him earlier tipping the cop off as to where Pusan was located.

Commence action scene again as Ji and a wounded Shi Hyun start fighting Pusan's guards. Ha, at least Jin Sook gets away from Wooden Stick. Pusan is escorted away. Shi Hyun and Jin Sook pick up Hyun Soo and carry him away, leaving Ji to fight all by himself. Thanks for nothing, Shi Hyun! 

Okay, after getting Soo and Jin Sook to a car, Shi Hyun does come back to help Ji so I'll forgive him this time. They're standing in the classic back-to-back pose as former enemies are now allies. The bad guys are nice enough to give the duo time for a short conversation before they attack. After beating down the majority of ruffians, Shi Hyun once again leaves Ji behind as he goes after the big guy alone. 

Shi Hyun takes the time to give Wooden Stick an extra beating. Chairman Jo thinks he can work out a deal with Doctor's Son. Shi Hyun corrects the old man; he's not here to make any deals, he's here to kill Pusan. Before Shi Hyun can get to it, Ji arrives in time and arrests Chairman Jo with a multitude of charges. 

Fat Cop Yang and the unit show up at the end to clean the mess up. Speaking of mess, they find Scale's body stuck in the refrigerator.

Ji calls Soo Min to tell her her mission is over so she should report back to Gyung Mi's house.

Chairman Jo is enjoying a nice breeze in the interrogation room thanks to a fan. Because nobody likes a sweaty old man. Just as Ji is about to start his questioning that gal pal of his from the prosecutor's office comes in to inform Ji that there is insufficient evidence to hold Chairman Jo. (Yep, a huge amount of drugs and a dead body are insufficient evidence.) 

Jin Sook and Soo Min are wearing nice complimentary colors as Soo Min clumsily tries to question Jin Sook as to who exactly is this Jung Shi Hyun. Soo Min is startled when Jin Sook casually refers to Shi Hyun as her lover. 

Shi Hyun and Ji meet (on a rooftop, natch) to talk about whether it was Chairman Jo who had Gyung Mi killed. 

Daddy Ji meets with Daddy Cha to discuss using Safari to get Chairman Jo. And if Safari gets too big for his britches they'll use Doctor's Son to get Safari. On the other side of the law, Daddy Cha plans to get Director Min promoted up to police commissioner, because the higher you go the farther you fall.

Ji works on getting Wooden Stick to change sides and betray Pusan. 

Chairman Jo plays the sick card and is being taken away in an ambulance. Oh Chairman Jo, do you not see your nurse is Eun Soo? Shi Hyun gets there just in time to see Safari and his crew abducting Pusan from the ambulance.

Shi Hyun comes to Club Whorehouse to visit with Jin Sook. Soo Min puts on her hoodie (don't go to Florida!) and goes to case out La Grunge, his basement hideout. When she gets there, though, someone is already at the door. It's her friend Joo Young who is hoping to see Gi Chul. He gruffly sends the hooker away.

Soo Min gets back into her car and calls her friend. She convinces Joo Young to help out by luring Gi Chul away from the hideout. With the one lone guard now gone, Soo Min moves to break in to Shi Hyun's place. Thank goodness she took all those lock picking classes back at the orphanage.

She's still searching the place when Shi Hyun returns home. She hides under his bed where she finds a large case. Shi Hyun leaves when he gets word Hyun Soo is being released from the hospital. Shi Hyun pulls the case out and opens it to discover a sniper's rifle. The same kind of weapon that was used to shoot Gyung Mi. 

Shi Hyun has taken Soo to Club Whorehouse when suddenly he remembers something amiss back at his place. Shi Hyun returns to his place which is empty. The gun case is back under his bed although not quite in the same place. He plays back the security videos and they plainly show Soo Min breaking in and snooping around.

The Tragedy of W Episode 1

I haven't watched a Japanese drama in a long while. Let's see what's going on over there.

A young woman is standing on a rugged cliff next to the sea. She screams something but the crashing waves drown out her voice. Or maybe she's just really pissed at the ocean right now. When her cell phone starts to vibrate, Mako (played by Takei Emi) darts back to her chauffeur-driven car. It's her mother calling from the fancy Eastern Hotel. The party is about to start and Mom wants to know where her daughter is. Interestingly Mako lies and claims she's at the library instead of off yelling at Neptune. 

In the banquet hall Grandpa Watsuji Yohei is on stage addressing the party goers who are here to celebrate the 130th anniversary of Watsuji Pharmaceuticals. Mako is just arriving when she's stopped in the lobby by Dr. Mazaki, played by Takahashi Issei. He's here to deliver Grandpa's medicine and also hopes Mako will be able to convince Grandpa to have his heart checked out. 

Back to the party. Grandpa's brother, Watsuji Shigeru (played by Kaneda Akio) is trying to get his son, Watsuji Takuo (played by Takeda Kohei), a transfer to a different department within the company. Grandpa quickly puts the kibosh on that idea, not trusting Takuo to do any real work out of the old man's sight. Grandpa then orders Mako to come to his room and I immediately get a creep vibe.

Meanwhile, somewhere else, there's a woman who looks just like Mako. This would be Kurasawa Satsuki, played by the same actress. Satsuki appears to make her living at the world's oldest profession. When her customer starts to leave without paying, she tries to stop him. The old coot dares to rough her up. Satsuki follows him. When next we see the john, he's laying in a dark alley way with a stab wound to the gut. Well, that's what you get when you stiff a hooker.

We're told this is April 22nd.

Back at her rundown apartment, Satsuki receives a phone call on her cell, yet when she answers it the caller hangs up without a word. She goes to wash the john's blood off her hand. 

At a cabaret dancers are practicing their routine. Satsuki is mopping the floor as the club owner who will NOT SHUT UP tries to talk our little murderess into becoming a performer as well. 

The john's body has been found and Detective Yumisaka Keiichiro (played by Kiritani Kenta) is investigating. The victim's wallet was left behind and identifies the dead guy as Kenichi Hidaka, a junior high school teacher (and pervert). Uh-oh, also in the wallet is a membership card to the cabaret club where Satsuki works. You're not a very smart murderer, Satsuki, to leave such an important clue behind.

Yumisaka goes to the club and asks for Satsuki. What, did she leave her name behind? "I did this! Signed, Satsuki." written in blood? How did he know to bring Satsuki down to the station for questioning? Oh, there was a witness who saw her with the victim. Still, there's no concrete evidence proving she's the one who killed the john so Satsuki gets to walk. 

She returns back to the cabaret where the other dancers are trying to convince her to join them on the stage. Satsuki refuses, raising her arm up shoulder height and saying she can't raise it any higher due to a childhood accident. (Like they couldn't choreograph a dance that didn't require her hand to go up over her head.)

Satsuki gets another call only this time instead of hanging up the caller speaks. It's Mako and she's offering to be Satsuki's alibi for April 22nd.

Anyway, Satsuki ditches her tail (Yumisaka) and heads to the Shangri La Hotel to meet with her mysterious caller. The next day the police as well as the Cat Lady who runs the cabaret are all looking for Satsuki. About a day passes when Cat Lady comes to the club and is relieved to see Satsuki is back mopping the floor.

Or is that Satsuki?

Of course it isn't. It's Mako pretending to be Satsuki and she's doing a terrible job of it as she regales the dancers with a synopsis of the Liza Minelli movie Cabaret. Cat Lady invites "Satsuki" over to her place. Cat Lady may be fooled but Cat isn't and hisses at "Satsuki." 

Yumisaka and his partner are questioning Satsuki's landlady. She tells the cops how Satsuki was finally able to pay her rent on April 23. The landlady still has the money and Yumisaka orders the bills to be sent to the lab. 

The dancers are all having their pictures taken when "Satsuki" arrives for work. The photographer insists the cleaning girl also get up on stage and pose. "Satsuki" can now miraculously lift her arm up over her head. C'mon, Cat Lady - how many more clues do you need?

Yumisaka returns to the club. Now he's got an arrest warrant for "Satsuki." One of the bills she used to pay the rent with had the john's fingerprint on it. "Satsuki" calmly replies she has an alibi for April 22nd. She was at Lake Hamana all day long. She directs the cops to a magazine which did a pictorial on the light show at the lake. In one of the pictures printed in the magazine you can see Satsuki/Mako in the crowd. Yumisaka's partner verifies the picture was taken on April 22nd. 

Once again "Satsuki" gets to walk.

Mako returns to the Shangri La to assure the real Satsuki that she's been cleared of the murder charges. Now it's time for Satsuki to return the favor and trade identities with Mako. 

After some basic training from the original, the new "Mako" arrives at the family's palace. The music and the scenery make me think of Harry Potter arriving at Hogwarts. 

At the same time "Satsuki" is arriving back at her hovel. Well you're the one who wanted this, Mako, so you've gotta live with it. 

Grandpa comes into "Mako's" room and starts stroking her hair. Creep vibe! My skin is crawling! 

Yumisaka is still keeping an eye on "Satsuki." (Smack on head - I only now just realized Kiritani Kenta played the young medical student from JIN. I kept thinking he looked familiar.)

The next morning at breakfast "Mako" struggles with having no table manners. Eww, Grandpa's groping her knee under the table. Later, she overhears Shigeru and Takuo talking and the young man venting that one day he's going to kill Grandpa. When they notice "Mako" standing nearby, Shigeru asks her if she's thought any more about what he asked her the other day. "Mako" understandably has no idea what he's talking about but is able to wiggle herself off the hook for now. 

Grandpa Creep talks to "Mako" about how she's the only one he can trust. He's planning on updating his will and loudly wonders who he should leave all the billions of yen to. This catches the attention of Satsuki's greedy side. She was always going on about money.

Back at the cabaret, Mido gives "Satsuki" a swirly because she's heard the cleaning girl has been bad-mouthing the cabaret dancers. 

Mako arranges to have another meeting with Satsuki out on the rugged cliffs from the episode opener. Satsuki thinks the other woman wants her life back since Mako has had a taste of the poor life. Not at all, it turns out. Mako wants to continue their deception. I guess if I had to choose between swirlies and Grandpa Creep I would also choose the toilet.