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The songs we featured during the recap, including:
Homme Fatale – the dramatic track playing when Baek Sa-eon struts into a room
Say My Name performed by Yoo Yeon-seok in the finale
The absolutely bonkers premise: a high-profile political spokesperson secretly married to his childhood love, who he keeps hidden from the world, and whose existence triggers a web of blackmail, kidnapping, and revenge plots.
The layers of hidden identities — from Baek Sa-eon being a secret replacement for the original Baek Sa-eon, to Hong Hee-joo living her life pretending to be mute, all due to family politics and trauma.
The stunning reveal that Baek Sa-eon is not only adopted but actually the son of his own grandfather.
The selective mutism plotline — how Hong Hee-joo’s silence started as a survival tactic but became a powerful tool that gave her a successful career.
The role of Ji Sang-woo, the caring friend turned investigative psychiatrist, who didn’t realize what he was wading into by investigating the case of the missing boys from the orphanage.
The use of the mysterious phone as a plot device — how the sinister calls were the catalyst for uncovering the hidden marriage and Baek Sa-eon’s many secrets.
The moment Baek Sa-eon realized the “kidnapper” on the phone was actually his own wife, and how that discovery changed their entire dynamic.
The ridiculously high kidnapping count — Hong Hee-joo gets kidnapped not once, not twice, but FOUR times across 12 episodes. We discuss how this woman even manages to sleep at night.
The "Argan" subplot — how a fictional war-torn country becomes both Baek Sa-eon’s self-imposed exile and the backdrop for the show’s most ludicrous romantic reunion.
The utterly bizarre "sunset" motif that comes out of nowhere in the final episodes — how sunsets are suddenly a metaphor for their love despite never being mentioned before.
The final episode’s chaos: political scandals, revenge murders, family betrayals, a rescue mission in a war zone, and a surprise happy ending that left us asking — did we just watch a romance or a thriller?The controversy around the mistranslated Middle Eastern conflict scene — how a clumsy translation sparked accusations of political bias, and why inserting geopolitics into a makjang drama felt so unnecessary.
What we’re watching now! Joanna and Sung Hee are watching Love Scout and loving it!
Next week, we will recap and analyze episode 1 of When Life Gives You Tangerines. Although four episodes are expected to drop, we will only watch and recap one episode at a time.
References
* I LOVED this episode! It was such a great fun, and I found myself laughing on multiple occasions. (To avoid confusion. The podcast was great. NOT the series).
ReplyDelete*I loved this exchange:
J: She was the housekeeper.
SH: How do you know?
J: It was in the show (more or less)
SH: I don’t think so (more or less)
J: Maybe I made it up (more or less).
I started laughing. That was you two in a nutshell. SungHee forgetting things, while Joanna making them up lol.
*This series had tons of crazy stuff, but, OMG! Joanna’s suggestion that the Grandmother had an affair. Hahahahahaha. That was just priceless! The poor woman, she is not even in the show, but somehow found herself as an adulterer.
*The series had great and gripping start, but unfortunately gradually started to decline until it reached the basement by the end of its run.
I was willing to let that picture go, but the first serious crack to my enjoyment was the revelation that he had loved her all along. It doesn’t make sense at all as you two ladies discussed.
The calls also started to become surreal. I mean, what kind of blackmailer pleas with the person blackmailing?? (mind you, I agree with SungHee, out of all the crazy stuff, this was the most believable)
And, with every revelation the show got worse and worse since each one of them is such a big nonsense and lack logic.
These shows require suspension of disbelief, but there is a limit to how much I can take. Also, the show was presenting itself seriously. If it was all tongue in cheek, and clear parody, I might have gave it a pass.
It is a great pity, because the leads have an amazing chemistry, and they are good actors. The premise was also interesting.
*The show ultimately was meh in my opinion. I didn’t hate it, because it reached the point where I stopped caring.
*I really liked “Hot Stove league” (watched few years ago) even though I don’t know much about Baseball, or like it. However, I think the series is a workplace drama, and how you change the culture of a company. Baseball is just incidental.
I am still watching and enjoying “The Red Sleeve”. Leads have good chemistry. Acting is good. Story is classical, but court intrigues are always fun to watch.
“Love Scout” doesn’t offer anything new or unique, but it is fantastic execution of its tropes with great leading actors.
Mind you, I think the series is part Sci-fi. This male lead is surely an Alien, because I doubt such men exist on Earth lol.
SevenSeas - i haven't finished the series, thus i haven't listened to this episode yet; but your comment makes me want to watch the series just so i can relate to the conversation here lol
DeleteHello, Seven Seas! It is a huge compliment that you enjoyed the podcast in spite of not liking the show itself.
DeleteI agree with your assessment of the show as a whole. The starting premise was interesting, but it went off the rails really quickly. The plot twists, especially involving the grandfather's relationship with his "grandson", was too much to handle. I also did not agree with the emotional thread of how Baek Sa Eon behaved in the final episode, when he finally had the chance to be with the one he loved.
But maybe that gave us more to discuss and analyze, more inconsistencies to point out, and just more to talk about.
Joanna and I were both rolling on the floor with your assessment of the two of us, that I forget and she makes things up. So true!!
I agree with what you said about Hot Stove League. I really like the camaraderie between all the staff members of the Dreams baseball team. There was a lot of feeling and heart. I just didn't understand any of the baseball, even they were so helpful to provide explanations in subtitles of all the baseball terms.
So funny about your comment on the ML of Love Scout. He really is too good to be true. A perfect 10, you could say, who doesn't exist in real life.. I suppose we can always dream...
Seven Seas, you are spot on with your comments! Yes, Sung Hee forgetting and me making things up. Hahahahaha! I still think the grandmother had an affair. She couldn't stand the grandfather and hooked up with someone else!
DeleteWe had so much fun with this episode. Maybe we'll do another one when we need a filler.
Totally agree with you about Love Scout. Total throwaway show. We wouldn't cover a series like this because it would be full of K Drama elements, but doesn't have enough meat. Plus, the ML is perfect, which I suspect is why South Korean women aren't getting married and having babies.
Please join us for Tangerines!
Curiosity got the better of me, so I listened to this episode without watching the full series. Even though I didn’t catch some of the nuances and details, I think I know the story well enough from the spoilers I’ve seen, then you filled in the gaps!
ReplyDeleteI just remembered another show with that father’s half-sibling element. I was pretty shocked to hear that it appears in another series as well! Spoiler alert: Graceful Family. It’s also a twist in the story, and yep, another chaebol drama. So funny and shocking at the same time, but I really hope writers/producers would use that trope sparingly — it can get weird over time. lol
I was lol-ing the entire time you discussed this show. I think you gave too many passes to the male leads because they're are handsome. I mean I get it. especially for Yoo Yeon Seok! He left his wife? That's okay - he's handsome and a good kisser and likely a good cook! The red flags we'll overlook through rose-colored glasses, like 'color-blind' people!!! It's 6am Manila now and I'm laughing like a madwoman because of your commentary.
Also, kudos on the way you broke down the entire series in just one episode! You are so daebak! You might want to do this for shows you don’t feel like committing to for a full season but still wants to feature :)
For now, see you probably in the next season! I can't really watch WLGGYT without confirming whether it has a sad ending. I’m still recovering from Mr. Sunshine, so I’ll pass for now (like at the moment. If I get envious on the discussion here or your IG posts keep popping up on my feed, i'll probably give it a go haha) 😆
Tina, thanks for listening. Did our episode make you want to watch the show? If you do, it will be interesting to see what you think of our review afterwards!
DeleteAs for Tangerines, you will know in three weeks if the show has a happy or sad ending because all of the episodes will have dropped. If the ending is happy, we will only be at week three, so come join us!
I give Sung Hee all the credit for the WTPR recap. I didn't think we could recap the whole show, but she did it! Amazing!
I liked the show despite its obvious flaws, because of the two lead actors. And I thought the love scenes at the end were beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThe big thing I could have done without was the last kidnapping, plus more setup for why he went to that particular place, that did feel tacked on. But given what they had to work with, I thought the two of them did great.
One scene you didn’t mention was pivotal for me; when Sa-eon overhears Hee-Jo’s mom browbeating her in the ladies room, then pulls her over to warn her about how she treats her daughter. Because he seemed well aware of this abuse already, coupled with the abuse he received from his own “family”, I completely bought the whole idea that he felt he was protecting her, then freeing her once he exposed the lies and dropped out of sight. He thought she understood, but she didn’t and was justifiably angry. But the kidnapping at the end was one too many!
On the DNA stuff, the analysis can tell the difference between a father and a half brother easily, so though that report part in the translation was confusing, maybe it would be more clear if we could see the report, which might have said something like, definitely not the father, but share a common father with different mothers. How would Sa-eon have known for sure, since he ordered the report. But the lack of clarity was a flaw in this and so much else.
But I loved it anyway because of the actors and the music, so thanks for reviewing it anyway!
Ellen, thanks for your comments, especially about the scene in the bathroom when Hee joo was being berated by her mom and Sa eon heard it. I think you are right that he was being protective, but he didn't show it, hence more misunderstandings between our leads. I don't think he thought he was freeing her at the end when he disappeared. I think he was being self-centered, and thought only of himself and his own guilt. But hey, that's me!
DeleteThe DNA stuff was crazy, but hey, this is a KDrama, not a science show!
I loved the show, loved the actors, loved acting, loved the music, and thought the show was worth a watch, even if the ending did go off the rails!
I
ReplyDeleteI also loved this special “bonus” podcast.
I was so focused on the last episode of the series, I forgot how insane the rest of the show was! But I was reminded hearing you two recap it at the beginning of the podcast. The way you went through every crazy plot point in your typical calm style without any comment was hilarious. I don’t think I could do that with a straight face!
I also loved how the two of you couldn’t remember half of the developments in the show and seemed to have differing memories of what actually happened! If Ernie had joined I’m sure she would have had a third differing recollection! Frankly, this show did not really deserve anything more than that!
I almost stoped watching this show when it first aired because I could not stand how Sa-eon was treating his wife. And learning the real reason, did not make it any better. I had the same issue with Mr. Plankton and actually stoped watching for that reason.
I think “going to Argan” is now code for any final episode that is just an insane way to finish a series! What is with K Dramas and the final episodes?!
Of course, I was I was happy to hear that you both loved Love Scout! I absolutely loved that show. Although, I will admit that one of my issues was that every character in that show was almost too perfect - starting with the male lead. You might be on to something when you say that South Korea’s birth rate problem might be due to too perfect male leads in K Dramas!
But maybe my biggest takeaway from this bonus episode is that the door has now been opened to one off reviews of entire shows. I, for one, am eagerly looking forward to your bonus episode on Season 4 of Singles Inferno!
That comment was from me - in case the Singles Inferno reference did not give it away!
DeleteThank you for this bonus episode, and yes one episode deep dives on a series is possible. You two did well, explaining what you can of this crazy plot line. I realized there are many things about the psychopath/real son storyline that I did not get so I appreciate the discussion of it.
ReplyDeleteI have started When Life Gives You Tangerines, and already loving it. Is it too early to call it a favorite? I cannot wait for season 11.