by: Raine

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A lot of WTF happened, but it was offset by some seriously cute Kang-joo. Watching him open up is glorious. It’s like the emotional version of a baby learning to walk. He falls down a lot, but when he gets back up, it’s a glorious victory.

“My Girl” –  2Young  (from the Bride of the Century OST)

episode 5 recap

We are in the midst of a kiss when Doo-rim shoves Kang-joo away. Apparently, Yi-hyun was spying on them because he walks away after having witnessed the car-wreck like kiss.

She demands to know what he was doing, and he demands to know how she can not see him as a man. He also says he doesn’t need permission to do “anything,” which is where he and I need to step aside and have a chat. Doo-rim, however, gives him the “what for” just fine. They’re not living in the Joseon era and he is acting like spoiled prince. He counters with the very ineffective argument that one person has the upper hand in marriage. Him. She has the losing hand because she needs something. So she ought to behave.

And here I was thinking his intentions were sweet. They might’ve been until she humiliated him by pushing him away.

She won’t throw away the cake and takes her time packing it up. He sees she’s cold and wraps his jacket around her while claiming it’s not ‘cause he cares, but ‘cause her outfit embarrasses him.

Seriously dude, that proverbial pig-tail pulling that you’re doing is giving me a headache. Just be nice already. She’s as confused as I am by him.

He drops her off after smirking.

Roo-mi questioned Jin-joo about the online post (about Kang-in having an older lover), but she denies any connection to “Yi-kyung.”

Doo-rim keeps picturing the kiss and takes a good look at his coat that he forgot to take back. We flash back to the jumper telling her that the bracelet will bring her good fortune and I’m convinced she looks exactly like the ghost. Frozenbeetle, I think you’re right. Maybe this bracelet is giving the ghost direct influence over Doo-rim’s life.

Moments later Doo-rim realizes she’s dreaming about kissing Lee Hong-ki, er, I mean, Choi Kang-joo and threatens to kill him if he comes close again. Oh, so that’s what you’re calling it these days. Hrm.

Kang-joo asks Mrs. Jang for sweet potatoes with kimchi at home because someone told him that’s how to eat ‘em. D’aw. They eat together and enjoy. Mrs. Jang is called to bring Dad water, but Kang-joo ends up bringing it with some kimchi and sweet potatoes. Aw. He feeds Dad and they bond. They were Dad’s fave snack back in the day. Who told him about this snack? A monster, Kang-joo replies, which immediately leads Dad to the right conclusion: “Yi-kyung.”

I likes them together. I hope they don’t kill Dad or put him in the hospital for dramatic effect.

Yi-kyung goes to the office with lunch for everyone. Kang-joo isn’t in his office, but she leaves him a sandwich and a note.

Secretary Kim delivers a ring box to Kang-joo’s desk.

Doo-rim delivers sandwiches to the staff and Jin-joo is also there delivering pamphlets. Roo-mi asks Doo-rim if she knew that Jin-joo was a member of Kang-in’s anti-cafe. She posted the hair pin incident and Roo-mi wondered if “Yi-kyung” had anything to do with it in an attempt to make her look bad.

Um, you already look bad. Like a plastic surgery troll.

Did she ask Jin-joo to do it? Roo-mi asks and I love how Doo-rim replies: Am I like you? I know you posted the cake video clip. I don’t use pathetic methods that lowers use.

A ring goes missing that was special made for President Kaneko for the next day’s opening ceremony. Kang-joo is questioning Secretary Kim who dropped off the ring and doesn’t seem to believe him. Kang-joo grabs a file on his secretary and blames his tough family circumstances as reasons to steal the ring. When Secretary Kim denies it again, Kang-joo slaps him. Doo-rim runs to him while Kang-joo spits out that people should always watch out for those closest to them.

Kang-joo orders her out and says now is not the time or place for her useless generosity. The opening ceremony is more important to him. He has Secretary Kim dragged out. He mobilizes security and organizes meetings to get things taken care of. Doo-rim asks how he could do that to someone who has been so loyal. Kang-joo says that that is all the more reason for it to be difficult to forgive him, because he did trust him. That gives her pause, as it should. I know we’re all wondering what will happen when he realizes her deception, and the deception of the two evil mommies.

Doo-rim goes with Secretary Kim to the police station. She encourages him, which he appreciates. When she asks him not to resent Kang-joo too much, Secretary Kim says he doesn’t because he should’ve paid better attention. Secretary Kim hesitates when asked if he suspects someone. WHO IS IT? He doesn’t want to blame anyone unjustly, but he had stopped to help Jin-joo pick up some pamphlets in the parking lot and had put the ring box down. He doesn’t think Jin-joo is that sort of person.

When Doo-rim returns to the company, she sees Jin-joo being dragged away by the loan sharks from last episode. Jin-joo offers them the ring. Luckily, Doo-rim catches her in the act and the loan sharks recognize her. They leave and Doo-rim glares at Jin-joo.

Roo-mi catches Doo-rim dragging Jin-joo off on the CCTV and Jin-joo confesses to stealing it in an attempt to get the loan sharks to leave her alone. She didn’t think. Doo-rim rightfully scolds her for abusing Secretary Kim’s trust and for stealing – she’s changed a lot. Jin-joo says hard work isn’t what she imagined it to be. It didn’t get her anywhere. She had to borrow for her deposit and that debt snowballed. It doesn’t excuse her actions, Doo-rim reminds her, and Jin-joo plans to cop to it because she can’t fall any lower. She apologizes for disappointing her and, in an act of cheesiness that made my skin crawl she says, “I am more afraid to lose you as a friend than my job.”

This whole situation rings false to me. Bad writing. Guh.

Doo-rim wants to put the ring back without anyone knowing. No one is suspicious of her. So she puts it back as epic music plays in the background and a camera catches her putting it back. She sends Jin-joo a comforting text message.

That night Doo-rim talks with someone on the phone about how nice it is that the ring was found and that it’s more important that it was found than discovering who took it. She is super excited about everything turning out well…

…but we see Kang-joo brooding in his office. He sees that very old sandwich sitting on his desk with a cute note attached and starts to wonder about the sequence of the day’s events. Then the Devil comes in to show him the recording.

Doo-rim smiles brightly on the balcony, thinking all is well, when Kang-joo calls her to the front of the house. He drags her to the park and demands to know what the hell is going on. He’s rightfully pissed and can’t forgive her this time. I can’t blame him when he says he doesn’t believe her: he thinks she took it when she brought the sandwich. She’s capable of it based on her past actions. How long does he have to clean up her messes? If things are going to be this way, he needs time to reconsider the marriage.

Like I’ve said before, she does make a lot of idiotic mistakes. It’s on her.

Yi-hyun, stalker extraordinaire, of course heard everything and tells her he believes in her no matter. Then he takes her hand.

Jae-ran blows up at Doo-rim. I hate her, but I can see why she’s pissed. Doo-rim promises to take care of it. It’s hard to see how she will without implicating her friend, but apparently there’s a magical way to make this right for all. Yi-hyun wonders who showed Kang-joo the video. I’s obviously Roo-mi.

The rumor travels like wildfire: the CEO’s fiancee stole the ring. Jin-joo overhears. Kang-joo drinks. Mommy Myung-hee calls him over. She heard from Roo-mi that Yi-kyung stole the ring.

Flashback to Jae-ran talking to the real Yi-kyung and assuring her that Myung-hee’s family won’t break up the wedding. Their goal is marriage. She might even rush the marriage since the first wife is nothing less than a sacrifice.

OMG YOU’RE EVIL. You are now named “Creepy Mom.” It’s not yet clear what Yi-kyung thinks, but she doesn’t seems happy.

Secretary Kim is released from the police station and Jin-joo is there to see him. She immediately gets down on her knees to apologize about the ring. He takes her hands and tells her it’s okay. He stole the ring before she did. When he first saw it, he wanted to steal it, too. It could pay his mother’s hospitals bills and pay for his siblings education. He can’t blame her for doing what he was thinking.

That’s all good and well, but you DIDN’T steal and she did. Thinking it is not the same as doing it.

And like every other character on this show, Doo-rim is a stalker and watches them.

Kang-joo tries to apologizes to Secretary Kim who takes responsibility for his actions. It’s as humble as I’ve seen Kang-joo look. Inside Jin-joo waits to tell him something.

Mommy Myung-hee leaves the Psychic’s place and swears him to secrecy. He swears it, although when she leaves he admits to feeling like a spy. He thought the wedding would be called off, but it hasn’t been. More evil mommy planning is afoot.

Creepy Mom meets with Mommy Myung-hee and they chat about the ring incident. Mommy Myung-hee worries about the break-up rumors that start up with every incident. She’d rather get it done earlier, and has even looked into the wedding date despite the fact that it’s usually the bride’s family that does so.. Ah, that’s why she was at the Psychic’s place. Mommy Myung-hee asks her to look through the several proposed dates and choose one. Creepy Mom looks creepily at Mommy Myung-hee and thinks evil thoughts, “I know what you want, but you won’t get it.” IE, I know you want to kill my kid, but you’re killing someone else’s kid instead.

Guh, evil evil.

To make her even more evil, we see in flashback that she brought Yi-kyung to spy on Doo-rim and refuses to let Myung-hee get what she wants (a sacrificed Yi-kyung.) Creepy Mom promises to make her part of Taeyang group even at the cost of someone else’s life.

Thank GOD Yi-kyung looks horrified. I know she goes along with it, but at least she has the decency to be horrified. Yi-kyung doesn’t like it. The whole thing scares her. Jae-ran is stuck on the injustice of it all and is mad that Yi-kyung’s life is being treated so trivially.

So what exactly do you consider your own actions, then, Creepy Mom? Aren’t they the SAME EXACT THING? Aren’t you treating someone else’s life just as trivially?

Creepy Mom says this marriage will give them the power they need.

Creepy Mom brings the wedding dates to Yi-kyung who finally believes that Myung-hee is scheming to have her sacrificed. She won’t forgive Myung-hee for doing this to her. This is all the more reason for her to marry into Taeyang group: pride and money and power. When they’re married they will pay the price. All they need to do is make her walk down the aisle. Yi-kyung promises to marry into Taeyang group and make sure that everyone who looks down on her pays. Creepy Mom is proud.

Wow. This is just unnecessary and rather goofy evil. All they need it to twirl their black moustaches and we’ll be set.

Mommy Myung-hee calls Roo-mi to thank her for helping the opening ceremony to run without a hitch. Then she brings up the ring incident. Why did she make such a big deal of it when she didn’t have to? Mommy Myung-hee understands why she showed Kang-joo the footage – but the wedding will go on as planned. Don’t try so hard.

I love seeing her looking chastised even if by Mommy Myung-hee. Then Mommy Myung-hee gets creepier and offers her hand to Roo-mi, which she takes, and says, “I’m glad you’re by Kang-joo taking care of him.” She hopes she’ll help him for a lot longer. Roo-mi says she can’t give up or else she’ll suffocate and die.

Please do!

Mommy Myung-hee uses bad cutlery analogies to tell Roo-mi that her place isn’t by Kang-joo. The marriage won’t be hindered by her. She should sit and watch.

Roo-mi cries. I cheer.

On her way out Mommy Myung-hee thinks, “Just wait. You’ll get what you want just like I did 30 years ago.” You are so evil.

Dad gets a phon ecall and the partitas are playing. We see a picture of a young girl in red by his record player.

Yi-hyun catches his mother coming out of an officetel and she’s surprised by his appearance and can’t hide it. He wonders if it’s a man friend. She hurries off and he looks at the building suspiciously.

Then he goes shopping with Doo-rim who hasn’t heard from Kang-joo. He hasn’t apologized yet.

You know, Doo-rim. You should apologize, too. Just sayin’.

Yi-hyun says Kang-joo has never apologized for anything he’s done his whole life. Doo-rim believes it with how huge his ego is. Then she’s off to try mandu samples and the ahjumma mistakes them as a married couple.

GROSS.

She does treat him in a way that could be easily misconstrued. Especially when she decides she wants to watch a horror movie. While they are waiting at the theater, Yi-hyun gets a call from Kang-joo who can’t get ahold of “Yi-kyung” because she forgot her phone. Yi-hyun sends her in first and moments later Kang-joo sits beside her. She doesn’t recognize him because she hasn’t taken her eyes off the screen.

Yi-hyun broods outside the theatre. Boo-frickin’-hoo.

Kang-joo keeps making faces at her because she’s enjoying the film and not recognizing him. When the lights go on she finally notices him and screams, scaring the popcorn out of the couple next to them. She chides him for not telling her he’d switched with Yi-hyun, but he points out, rightly, that she’s the idiot who didn’t notice. She thinks he’s the bonehead who doesn’t realize his fiancee is a different person.

True…

They’re off to chat and he offers a pretty pathetic apology at first, which improves as he stutters more. She milks it and wonders why he said it so late. They fuss adorably and then she wonders what will happen to Jin-joo. He’s baffled by her concern in the situation. It’s like she’s from a far away land and he doesn’t like it. Unfamiliar things make him uncomfortable.

Even the fact that he’s saying that shows how much he’s changed.

He says that today was the first time he’s ever apologized.

Dad has Butler Jang look into something in secret. Hopefully his shifty wife.

Doo-rim returns home and greets Creepy Mom who puts on an act about how tough life is and how Mommy Myung-hee presented dates for the wedding. She pretends Doo-rim is the only person she can confide in, which gets Doo-rim saying she’ll do “anything” she can to help.

Be careful what you offer a creepy mommy who smirks into her wine glass.

Yi-hyun learns that his birthday flowers from Yi-kyung were ordered in Chungdamdong, the area where he caught Creepy Mom acting shifty, and where they had the grocery mart near run in.

Roo-mi shows the two Monstar fans a video – it is one they posted on Kang-in’s fan site of Doo-rim beating up the jerks in the first episode. Roo-mi admits the girl looks like someone she knows and the Monstar fangirls guess that it’s Kang-joo’s fiancee. Roo-mi starts putting pieces together. She had first gone to Jin-joo with the video, but Jin-joo denied knowing her.

Doo-rim and Creepy Mom do volunteer work for a charity. These scenes are totally gratuitous, but the kids are cute.

Jin-joo packs her stuff and leaves her job, but not before she hears that Doo-rim, Creepy Mom and Roo-mi are working on the charity together. Roo-mi asks Kang-in for a surprise concert, and we all know she has evil intentions to out Doo-rim as the non-piano playing Yi-kyung imposter.

They head inside, but Doo-rim spots them, spoiling the “surprise” of his appearance. Then Jin-joo calls her to warn her as well.

Yi-hyun heads to the officetel building Creepy Mom came out of before and just misses Yi-kyung climbing out of her car.

Doo-rim calls Yi-hyun and then Creepy Mom to tell them about the filmed fight and the fact that Roo-mi planned the concert. Creepy Mom demands to know why she wasn’t told about this earlier to prevent Roo-mi’s evil scheming.

This plot…is so…I have no words. Only dots to share: “…………”

Roo-mi shows Doo-rim the outfit she chose for the surprise event she planned with the easy sheet music she’s brought. Doo-rim asks if Kang-in could perform alone, but he got special permission to be there. Kang-joo is coming, too.

Cue major freak out. She calls Yi-hyun and Roo-mi double checks on her to make her more nervous.

No one does that shit. Just hands music and expects collaborative performances without ANY rehearsal. You at least get an hour before to look at it. Trust me, I get paid to do this stuff. If someone expects impromptu playing like that, it’s not worth your money or time. Also, who plays a one-song concert? A song is not a symphony! It doesn’t last forty minutes. Stairway to Heaven is six and a half and that’s LONG!

Kang-joo arrives and sits beside Creepy Mom. Roo-mi announces them as Yi-hyun attempts to find the fire alarm, and Doo-rim freaks out in her makeshift green room.

Kang-in announces “Yi-kyung” who takes a little while coming out. She looks nervous as hell as Roo-mi stares at her evilly and Yi-hyun battles with the fire alarm.

Doo-rim takes even more time bringing her hands to the keys…and then rocks a downward glissando into some large opening chords.

 Comments:

Whelp, I guess that’s the real Yi-kyung playing. She had to be brought out sooner or later, and wiping the smirk off Roo-mi’s face is as good a reason as any.

This episode got a little crazy with the contrivances, and upped the Yi-hyun creepy factor, too. I want less of the marriage plotting and more ghost intervention. We see that the ghost is still messing with dad, but why? It’s much more interesting than watching Yi-kyung turn into Creepy Mom Junior. Her character shift was really terrible. I do applaud Yang Jin-sung for the wonderful acting as both characters, though.

Jin-joo as a character was badly used this episode. What was all that? It just made Doo-rim’s character less solid and discredited Jin-joo. The whole situation was badly handled by EVERYONE. It was meant to cause trouble and highlight that Kang-joo still has a lot of growing up to do, Roo-mi is still ruthless, Doo-rim is still an airhead sometimes, and Jin-joo…is needed as a plot pusher? I’m not sure. It was a hot mess.

I want more of Kang-joo and his Dad. They are adorable together.

Despite all my whining and complaining, I’m enjoying myself while watching this show. It’s like a car wreck that I have the rubberneck.

Recaps 1, 2, 3, 4

Character Introductions