Well my friends, we’ve come to the end of yet another drama and that means it’s time to wrap things up with this one final review. I have to say, things didn’t play out the way I expected them to but that’s not a bad thing… I just wish I’d known I was going to need a box of tissue by my side as I watched this finale. Seriously! I don’t think I’ve ever cried so much during a drama’s end. Ever.
After the way things were left last week, we all knew that Robin’s days were numbered. Having come to the realization that he was slowly disappearing, Robin decided that rather than let himself fade away, he was going to leave on his own terms, with his memories still intact and I have to say, I admire him for being able to make this decision. To walk away from a life you’ve fought for years to have, must have been insanely difficult but to walk away from the one you love as well… That takes a strength beyond measure. I know that ultimately, Robin didn’t really have a choice in the matter, he was fated to disappear eventually anyway, but by choosing to leave on his own terms, Robin was able to keep the memories he treasured and give everyone who ever meant anything to him, the closure they needed. Even in his last moments, Robin proved himself to be a kind, caring and selfless individual who put the needs of others before his own and I know I’m not the only one who loves him for that. Of course with him being all sweet and wonderful, it made it that much more difficult to say goodbye to him (and I couldn’t do it without shedding more tears than Ha Na and Woo Jung combined) but in the end but we had to let him go so we did, knowing that ultimately, it was for the best.
With Robin’s departure, Seo Jin is finally free to begin living his own life and that makes me happy. (Yes, these tears running down my face are actually tears of joy… Really… That’s what they are… I’m. Just. So. Happy. *sob* I. Can’t. *sob* Stop. Crying.) Actually, I am happy Seo Jin has found a way to be at peace within himself. He’s no longer the broken, bitter, calloused mess of an individual he once was and that’s a very good thing. This entire drama has been about finding a way to overcome life’s obstacles, finding a way to work through your problems, find healing and that’s exactly what Seo Jin has done. With Ha Na’s help, he found a way to face the ghosts of his past, deal with his problems, learn from them and move on and that just makes my heart so happy. I love it when we can walk away from a drama, knowing the characters we’ve come to know and love are in a much better place than they once were and in Seo Jin’s case, that’s exactly what we can do.
As difficult as it was for Ha Na to deal with Robin’s departure, I think she handled things incredibly well. Choosing to stay with Robin until the end was a very brave thing for her to do, especially when you stop to consider what it really meant for her. Watching the person you love fade before your eyes can’t be an easy thing but Ha Na was willing to endure the heartbreak, simply because she loved Robin too much to let him suffer alone. Of course this shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise as Ha Na has been giving selflessly to others from the very beginning. That’s why she agreed to help Seo Jin apprehend Dr. Kang’s kidnapper and why she voluntarily underwent so many painful hypnotherapy sessions. Ha Na is the epitome of the selfless heroine so it only makes sense for her to remain so until the very end. I know she had her moments of weakness, when he wanted Robin to stay for just one more day, but we can’t blame her for that. No one wants to say goodbye to the ones they love, especially not when you know it’s for forever. I thought it was incredibly sweet of Ha Na to help Robin regain his most precious memory and even sweeter that she wanted to make him a memory he could cherish forever. It’s probably going to come as no surprise when I say I bawled through that entire wedding scene but I did. I couldn’t help it! Marrying Robin was such as selfless act of love and it was so precious, watching Robin’s reaction, I just… I couldn’t… My heart… AUGH! (Pardon me while I go curl up in a corner and cry for a minute or two…)
…..
*ahem* Okay, I think I’m better now. *sniffles*
Moving on…
Just as we all knew Robin’s departure was inevitable, we all knew that once he and Seo Jin were integrated, signs of Robin’s existence would begin to manifest themselves in Seo Jin’s daily life and you know what? We were right! At first I was a little leery about Seo Jin taking on some of Robin’s qualities as I was afraid it would be the Robin in Seo Jin that Ha Na would love but it would seem all my worries were for naught. Turns out, Ha Na has been secretly hoping Seo Jin and Robin would become one complete person so that she could love them both unconditionally and that makes me happier than anything. I didn’t want Ha Na loving Seo Jin out of pity or because he reminded her of Robin. I wanted Ha Na to love Seo Jin because he was simply Seo Jin and it seems I got my wish. Yes, knowing that Seo Jin carries Robin’s memories did a lot to sway Ha Na’s decision to love but that’s okay because from the very beginning I’ve been pointing out that Robin and Seo Jin are actually one and the same. Now that they really are one person, it makes sense that all of Robin’s memories, thoughts and emotions would become Seo Jin’s. It’s like Seo Jin said, he and Ha Na spent all that time together, making memories and learning to love each other, so it only makes sense for him to still feel the way he felt when he was Robin because Robin was actually him. I guess Ha Na agreed with that because she and Seo Jin seem to be incandescently happy now and therefore, so am I.
I know this drama had its ups and downs and there were moments when I was sadly disappointed in the way things played out but all-in-all, I’d say this was a pretty good drama. The depth of the main characters made them easy to love (or hate, in the case of Dr. Yoon), the plot was unpredictable (which I found both frustrating and enjoyable, as every single one of my predictions failed to come true) and most of importantly of all, the characters learned valuable lessons which means we leave them in a much better place than where we found them. If that’s not enough to satisfy a drama-addicted zombie, I don’t know what is.
So tell me, what did you think of this week’s finale? Were you satisfied with the way this one ended or would you have preferred to see things play out differently? You know I always love hearing what you have to say so be sure to let me know what you’re thinking in the comments below!
You can catch up on all of my reviews of Hyde, Jekyll and I here:
Episodes 9-10 | Episodes 11-12
I cried A LOT during episode 19, but it was worth it. It had been a little dull for a few episodes so I was ready to really feel something. The ending was completely satisfying. Very often I’m left wanting something more at the end of a drama, but not this one. Everything fell into place perfectly. Phew!
Isn’t it wonderful when everything falls perfectly into place by the end? I just love that! 🙂