You know, for a drama that started out with a rather slow and snoozy back-story, this drama has certainly found a way to redeem itself. Six episodes in and we find ourselves with a confession, murder and a very deep-rooted need for vindication. If you ask me, this drama is coming along rather nicely.
Dal Po (or Ha Myeong, if you’d rather) and his brother, Jae Myeong have both set out on a quest to clear their father’s name and bring honor back to the family, and I have to admit a sinking feeling settled in the pit of my stomach as I watched the story of these two brothers unfold a bit more. It was so painfully obvious that one brother would go about this quest for vindication in the right way and the other would go about this the wrong way. It was like watching two Jedi choose opposite sides of the Force, one choosing to follow the path of the Light Side while the other chooses the path to the Dark Side and it kills me to see just how far down that dark path Jae Myeong has travelled. I understand that Jae Myeong has been through a lot and he needs to find a way to right all the wrongs of his life but killing not just one but three men, isn’t going to fix anything. All this is going to do is ruin whatever chances he and Dal Po had at becoming a family again and that breaks my heart, especially now that Dal Po knows his brother is around and taking care of the family in whatever sad way he can.
I was so hoping Dal Po would meet up with Jae Myeong this week. That phone call from Jae Myeong’s friend, about the bumper repair, was supposed to bring these brothers back together but it didn’t. Instead it brought Dal Po a whole lot of grief. Poor kid! Having to sit in that room for two days straight, gluing those tiny strips of paper back together must have been brutal! Can you imagine the paper cuts? Yikes! At least during all of that he and Hwang Gyo Dong had a chance to have a good, long heart-to-heart and I like that things between them are out in the open. There’s no more wondering, on Gyo Dong’s part, as to who this kid is and why he’s here and Dal Po has made it very clear that the only reason he’s there is because he wants to bring his dad’s story to light in a way that will make the whole world listen. It’s a very noble quest that Dal Po has set out on and I have a feeling Gyo Dong’s going to play a big part in helping Dal Po along the way, though I see a lot of this playing out in the background. Gyo Dong seems to feel very responsible for what happened to Dal Po’s family, all those years ago, and I have a feeling he’s going to try to make things right, perhaps in part to clear his own conscience, but also because he seems to be a good man and he knows this is the right thing to do.
I’m honestly a bit surprised Dal Po has decided to keep In Ha in the dark as he sets down this path of vindication. He has no reason to keep the truth of his past hidden any longer. Years have passed since he was adopted by Choi Gong Pil and the four members of that little family have obviously come to love and treasure each other so there’s no real reason for Dal Po to hide anything. Choi Gong Pil is the most adorable father I’ve ever seen and he loves Dal Po so much, there’s no way he’d ever feel anything for his adopted son but love. Dal Po needs to realize he has nothing to be ashamed of. What happened to his family wasn’t his fault and it doesn’t make him any less of a human, just because the world was made to believe his father was a less than honorable man. It’s this self-degredation that’s keeping Dal Po from accepting In Ha’s feelings and it drives me nuts! I hate that Dal Po has promised to keep his feelings for In Ha a secret because he feels unworthy. This is only going to cause them both a whole lot of heartache and the only thing keeping me from pulling my hair out over this is the simple fact that In Ha can’t lie about her feelings. For once we have a female lead who has to keep all her feelings out in the open which means everything that happens from this point on is up to Dal Po. Oh if only he didn’t have such an inferiority complex!
At least the competition for In Ha’s affection might force Dal Po to act sooner than he would otherwise. Seo Bum Jo seems to be a worthy opponent though I’m still not sold on him. He’s way too much of a mama’s boy for me (those scenes with him and his mom make my fingers curl… Yuck!) and the fact that he’s been creepin on In Ha’s messages to her mother for the past thirteen years still kinda freaks me out. If it weren’t for those two things, I’d probably be more willing to cheer for him but… No, wait. He’s competing against Dal Po (read, Lee Jong Suk). There’s no way Bum Jo will ever be able to win my affections. I’m afraid this is one second lead who’s a bit of a lost cause. He may provide a couple of “Oh he’s so cute” moments but they will never be enough to oust Dal Po from his position as “the one”. Still, Bum Jo does have his good points. He’s proving to be a much-needed friend and confidant for In Ha and he’s an adequate colleague, even if he is a bit clueless at times. At least he’s smart enough to realize he’s not the only one with feelings for In Ha and he’s keeping Dal Po on his toes, which I like a lot. There’s nothing like a little competition to keep things interesting.
Speaking of competition, this rivalry between television stations is proving to be a bit interesting. As much as I hate the fact In Ha took a position as a PR puppet for her mother’s station, there are some good things to come from this. For one, In Ha and Dal Po are competing against each other and I love the tension that provides. Just as competition between love rivals keeps things interesting, competition between lovers makes for all kinds of sparks and I really love that. I also love that in the midst of all the squabbling and bickering, you get sweet and tender moments where true feelings are revealed, if only to the audience. That scene at the police station where In Ha and Dal Po had a moment… *sigh* Yeah… Those are the moments I live for. But I digress… I have a feeling this story about the woman dying at the health club is going to turn out to be much more important that we now realize. I don’t think the story itself is going to matter but there’s going to be some fact that was left out and the television station that misses that is going to be in serious trouble. I have a feeling YGN is going to be the station that flubs this time and that’s going to be the catalyst for so many things… The rise of MSC credibility in the public’s eye… The success of In Ha’s PR campaign… A developing relationship between In Ha and her cold-hearted mother… And that’s only the beginning! There are so many things that could change if Dal Po is the one who messes things up this time, not to mention the fact Dal Po would then have to life with the guilt that comes from screwing up someone else’s life and oh my goodness! The drama that could come from that… Oofta! I don’t even want to think about it!
Of course all of this is just speculation and there’s no way of knowing what’s actually going to happen until I watch the next two episodes. I know, I’m still woefully behind but I’m getting there. Until then, if you have any thoughts or predictions of your own that you’d like to share, I’d love to hear them so be sure to leave me a comment below!
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