Oh my goodness, this episode was so good. Probably my favorite yet.
(Sorry for the delay; it’s been a hectic week. It doesn’t mean I didn’t want to watch this episode; I honestly just couldn’t get to it.)
I was prepared to be content if the drama continued to be at the same level as Episode 9, but no, it went and outdid itself. Not only was Episode 10 packed with emotion, we actually saw some long-brewing conflicts and grievances come to a head and finally get addressed.
SONG OF THE DAY
Bye Bye Sea (안녕바다) – “내 맘이 말을 해” (My heart speaks) [ Download ]
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EPISODE 10 RECAP
Woo-jung asks Kang-jin if Ji-wan is the one he loves. Kang-jin had been working so hard to keep up the ruse that he no longer loves Ji-wan, so to be outed in front of her fills him with chagrin. He keeps his gaze averted from both women, but even without Kang-jin’s answer, Woo-jung knows her suspicion is true.
He is spared from responding by the arrival of two investigators, who announce that they’re here to search his things. Because Bumseo Group has charged him with being a corporate spy, they get to work rummaging through all of Kang-jin’s belongings.
The two women wait in agitation outside while the men do their work. Kang-jin calls Woo-jung and asks her to take Ji-wan away: “Quickly, anywhere. Take her away, please.” His voice is gently pleading.
Woo-jung resents him for putting her in this position, but she can’t ignore his plea. When Ji-wan grabs the door handle, as though to burst inside, Woo-jung blocks her and says they should leave.
Ji-wan refuses and pounds on the door. Woo-jung bursts out, “He doesn’t want to show you! He doesn’t want you to see him being dragged off by the investigators! That’s why he told me to take you away somewhere else!” Feeling ill-used, Woo-jung says bitterly, “How can he ask that of me? Cruel bastard.”
Impatiently, Woo-jung tells Ji-wan to do whatever she wants. If she wants to see him getting dragged off, fine. Woo-jung leaves, and shortly after, Ji-wan turns away from the door, recognizing the sense behind Woo-jung’s words.
Neither woman actually leaves, however — Kang-jin meets eyes with Woo-jung in the parking garage as he is escorted away. He doesn’t see, however, that Ji-wan is also in the parking garage, watching his departure.
Ji-wan asks Woo-jung for an explanation — what did she mean about Kang-jin sacrificing himself to save Tae-joon? Woo-jung glares and confronts her angrily. Where she should start? “Shall I start by telling you about the bird-brained thing that the worthless Cha Kang-jin did for his enemy Park Tae-joon because of one stupid girl named Han Ji-wan?”
Hearing that Kang-jin traded himself to spare Tae-joon, Ji-wan is assailed by guilt over her own unfair accusations. She recalls how she had called him heartless and cruel for trampling over people beneath him, regretting her hasty words.
The next day, Woo-jung arrives to visit Kang-jin, who is still being held in detention. As she walks into the building, she sees Ji-wan huddled on the steps outside, but passes by her without exchanging words.
Woo-jung points out that Kang-jin is ruined now, and with this stain on his reputation, there’s no company that would hire him. Therefore, they should leave the country and go abroad together — they can live in the States, or France, or wherever: “If you go with me, I can abandon everything.”
Kang-jin answers simply, “I don’t want to.” This raises her hackles, and she demands, “Because of Han Ji-wan? Are you drugged? Have you been shot? She’s Park Tae-joon’s woman!”
He fixes her with a hard stare. She taunts, “Why, you don’t want to hear it?’ Kang-jin, as ever, remains silent and merely thanks her for the drink, effectively dismissing her.
On Woo-jung’s way out, Ji-wan is still sitting outside, and this time she addresses her — is she here to see Kang-jin? Ji-wan answers that Kang-jin refused to see her, and Woo-jung’s voice drips with hostility as she asks why Ji-wan would continue to sit here like an idiot.
I love Ji-wan’s reaction, because she doesn’t even register Woo-jung’s scorn; she just asks worriedly, “Did you meet him?” She grabs Woo-jung’s arm and asks for her help: “You’re the only person who can help him.” Understanding that Woo-jung isn’t fond of her, she adds that she and Kang-jin aren’t anything to each other, they’re not in a relationship.
But that just insults Woo-jung — she’s not stupid — who asks, “Are you playing with me?” Ji-wan says that Woo-jung and Kang-jin like each other, and Woo-jung loves him, so can’t she help?
Woo-jung tosses out a suggestion: “Will you break up with Park Tae-joon? Can you break up with him if I save Cha Kang-jin?”
Dismayed but desperate, Ji-wan says, “I can.” But that’s too easy, so Woo-jung amends: “No — why don’t you marry Tae-joon? So that Cha Kang-jin can’t even look your way anymore, or even dream.”
Woo-jung figures she can’t agree to that and turns to go. Ji-wan bursts out urgently, “I can. I will. I’ll marry Park Tae-joon. Is there anything else you want? I’ll do anything.” Harshly, Woo-jung returns, “Get lost. Cut ties with Kang-jin. Don’t even show up near him.”
Ji-wan lets the full import of that sink in, then nods.
Woo-jung meets with Tae-joon to inform him that Kang-jin threatened her father to try to get him to return Tae-joon’s stolen project. She asks with some exasperation how long he’s known about Kang-jin and Ji-wan’s relationship — what was he doing all this while, unable to keep his girlfriend close? She’s surprised at Tae-joon’s clarification, “Cha Kang-jin was first. He was before me.”
Tae-joon starts to relate a story of a boy with a pendant and a girl who had tried to recover it for him. Impatient Woo-jung thinks Tae-joon is just telling a random silly story and gets up to leave. She doesn’t realize it’s about Kang-jin and Ji-wan until Tae-joon says so.
That changes things. After hearing the full story, she isn’t completely mollified, but her attitude is more of pity than of anger. But trust Woo-jung to fix upon the one part that is good for her: “They can’t be, anyway,” she says, as though to make herself feel better. “Fate is on our side, and the game is over.” Telling Tae-joon he should marry Ji-wan, she says, “And I… I…” trailing off for a moment, before deciding, “I’ll wait.”
Speaking from personal experience, she believes that at some point Kang-jin will get over his feelings, however strong they are now. It appears she’s clinging to her hope, trying to convince herself of something she doesn’t fully believe, but unable to contemplate the alternative.
Tae-joon is one step ahead of her, however. He asks, “I’ll let go — so will you let go too? I’ll let go of Han Ji-wan, so will you let go of Cha Kang-jin?”
Kang-jin is released the next morning. Walking out of the building alone, he has an unexpected visitor — Tae-joon — who greets him with a friendly smile, starting the conversation with the mundane question of whether it will snow. He hands over a package that makes Kang-jin smile — it’s tofu (which is what you give people after they get out of jail).
Tae-joon got his project back when Bumseo gave up its claim, thanks to Kang-jin. Kang-jin is glad to hear that, though in characteristic fashion, he doesn’t say so in words.
As Kang-jin starts to leave, Tae-joon calls after him: “What about you, now that you’ve lost everything? Thanks to you, I got everything back. But you’ve lost everything — what’ll you do?”
Kang-jin merely sighs and continues on his way.
Across the street, Woo-jung watches, and a brief flashback shows how she had begged her father on her knees to let Kang-jin go. She had pleaded, trying to appeal to his mercy, only to be coldly turned away. So then, her voice had hardened and she had turned to her last resort — those documents Kang-jin collected about Bumseo’s lobbying are now in her possession. If her father refuses to concede, she can send them to the press. She had challenged him, “I’ll do it.”
Woo-jung calls Tae-joon, and they look at each other across the street as she asks, “Do you believe there’s such a thing as love? I… I…” Woo-jung’s voice falters as she thinks of her answer, and then she decides, “I… think there may be.”
Tae-joon understands that Woo-jung is letting go, and smiles.
Tae-joon next visits Ji-wan, who is studying (and banging her head on her desk in frustration). He informs her that Kang-jin has been let out, so she should go meet him. We understand that this is Tae-joon’s gesture of letting go, but Ji-wan doesn’t know that and is operating under the deal she made with Woo-jung. She ignores him and gets back to her memorization.
Tae-joon firmly directs her attention back to him and reveals that Kang-jin had overheard her drunken confession at the police station, when she had cried about her brother’s death. Kang-jin had taken her home that night, and when she collapsed, he had visited her in the hospital. Ji-wan’s expression slowly turns tearful as Tae-joon admits that he had told Kang-jin to let go for her sake, because Ji-wan would never let go of him. He apologizes for not telling her earlier.
Numbly, she makes her way to the kitchen, where she falls to the ground. She starts to cry — loud, heartbroken wails — as the implications of Tae-joon’s words sink in. That Kang-jin had always loved her, that this was all a big misunderstanding because he’d wanted to keep her safe and healthy.
Kang-jin returns home, where he receives a call from his mother. Their joking banter soon turns serious when she asks whether people with brain tumors always die. He asks why, growing concerned but keeping his voice light — does she have one? She sighs, “I’d rather it was me. I shouldn’t have come back to Sancheong.”
He’s left wonder what’s the matter as Chun-hee says, “I’m so scared.”
Ji-wan races to Kang-jin’s apartment building, now that she knows the truth. But she hesitates for a long while in the lobby, torn. Little does she know that at the same moment, he is packing a suitcase to leave — and he enters the elevator just before she gets off on his floor, meaning they just miss each other.
While he drives off, Ji-wan pounds on his door, saying tearfully, “I was wrong, I’m sorry,” feeling guilty over all the horrible things she had called him. But he’s not inside to hear her.
Instead, he heads down to Sancheong, surprising his mother when she finds not one but two of her sons asleep in their room. For a moment she is adorably confused, thinking she’s hallucinating, or still drunk.
Kang-jin sits up to assure her that he’s real, and asks what has her so afraid. Gleaning from her previous phone call that some guy is the source of her fear, he jokes, “Which jerk is he? Bring him here.” He explains that he got a long vacation from his office, and offers to take care of all the guys who scare her.
That morning, Kang-jin rides his bike out to the bridge, where he looks at the pendant in his hand. He recalls the past, how he had first lost the necklace, and how Ji-wan had seen him diving to recover it.
A little while later, surprisingly, Ji-wan also stands on the bridge, also looking out at the water. She has returned to Sancheong, and makes her way to her family’s front gate.
Jun-su treats a patient inside with acupuncture needles. However, as he reaches for the last two needles, he is suddenly stricken with pain. His hand shakes, and he struggles to keep his grip steady.
Just as he is about to drop the needle, two hands reach out to take it from him. He looks up at Ji-wan’s face, stunned, immediately guessing who this is. She keeps her face turned toward the patient and asks about his condition, administering the needle.
Finally, she turns to see her father, who asks, already knowing, “Are you Ji-wan?” She answers, “I’m sorry, Father. I was wrong.”
Nervously, she braces herself for his reaction, but Jun-su doesn’t rage. Instead, he answers gently, “You should have told me you were coming out today. I would have gone to greet you.” Trembling, he grabs his daughter and hugs her tightly.
Mom’s reaction is more of a question mark, as Young-sook walks into the room. Jun-su tells his wife that Ji-wan is back, and she stumbles backward, quickly leaving to break down in another room.
Ji-wan enters the room quietly and lays two switches by her mother. Raising her leggings to bare her calves, she offers them for punishment. Young-sook grabs them and whips the backs of her legs, driven in a frenzy, until she falls sobbing. But Ji-wan picks up the switch, puts it back in her mother’s hand, and says, “You have a long way to go. You have to really beat me. You have to hit me hard enough that I can’t walk for a while, that I can’t even crawl.”
Young-sook sobs, “Why did you come back? You shouldn’t have ever come back!” But for once I don’t think she’s being hurtful on purpose. As with Ji-wan when she first re-encountered Kang-jin, it’s like the scab has been ripped off the long-covered wound and now she has to let it heal properly.
Ji-wan gathers her mother to her, and says, “It wasn’t my intention — I didn’t mean to come so late. I’m sorry I came so late.”
Kang-jin brings his brother to a house under construction — he has bought it, and intends for their family to live here together. Since Bu-san has found a woman he intends to marry (the nurse), Kang-jin jokes that his brother will have to introduce him to some women here.
Bu-san is confused — but isn’t he going back to Seoul? Kang-jin explains that their mother has been talking about leaving, “So we have to let her plant her roots and live here.”
Chun-hee has been avoiding Jun-su ever since he fell unconscious in the car, burdened with the knowledge of his condition. She even cries out in her sleep, “Take me with you!”
Jun-su comes by to address the issue they’re skirting — he knows his doctor friend told her about his brain tumor. He asks her not to tell Young-sook, and wonders if she’s planning to move away. He heard she is letting go of her tearoom and vacating her house. Why?
Chun-hee: “It happened to you because of me. I gave you a hard time and made your head ache, so you got sick. I shouldn’t have come back to Sancheong. I didn’t mean to make things hard on you or torment you. I was just going to watch you from afar, without bothering you at all. I must have been crazy for a moment. If I leave, you might improve. They say all diseases come from the mind, and if the source disappears from in front of you, you might really get better. I’m sorry, Han Jun-su. I’ll make sure to receive punishment for tormenting you. Even if God forgets, I won’t and I’ll still receive my punishment.”
Chun Ho-jin, the actor who plays Jun-su, has always been wonderful at expressing himself through his eyes (which is crucial since he so rarely speaks), but he really steps it up a notch here as he listens to Chun-hee’s tearful, babbling explanation.
Ji-wan comes to the tearoom and orders warm milk. Nobody recognizes her or pays her any mind, and she sits alone behind Bu-san. She doesn’t expect to hear another familiar voice join in — Kang-jin walks in and suggests a game of Go-Stop.
Her eyes fly open to recognize his voice, but she keeps her back turned. She sits quietly, unmoving, while the others ignore her to engage in an enthusiastic game.
Finally there’s an opening as Kang-jin wonders which move to make. Ji-wan leans over to peer at their table, and cheerfully points out what he should do. She dispenses advice to the others, and points out that Chun-hee has been cheating — how could he not notice?
Kang-jin looks up at her sharply, his mood instantly growing dark. Abruptly, he leaves the table to get some air outside. Chun-hee, still having no idea who this is, yells at her for butting in. Ji-wan apologizes and hurries outside, where Kang-jin continues to glare at her.
As he walks on, she trails after him — reminiscent of their childhood dynamic — chattering on about the Go-Stop game. She asks if he wants to eat dinner together, but he ignores her.
Ji-wan finally steps in front of him to block his path, entreating him to eat dinner together. She promises she won’t throw up this time, that she doesn’t throw up anymore and is eating fine now.
Ji-wan: “Watch how well I eat. And let this go once — for being so curt with you, for talking to you meanly, for driving a nail into your heart, for saying things I didn’t mean, for lying. Let it go just once. For being weak like a fool, for hurting you, for upsetting you, for making you crazy, let it go just once. Just this once. If you overlook it just this once…”
As Ji-wan pleads with him, Kang-jin watches her intently, tears slowly pooling in his eyes. He steps closer to her and takes her face in his hands… and wonderfully, he smiles.
He kisses her, first slowly, and then again. Tears fall from their eyes as the narration is provided by teenage Ji-wan — these are the words she had written in her first letter as a teenager, when she was trying to win Kang-jin over. Back then, she had been faking her crush on him, but now the words are a lovely way of bringing them back to the beginning:
Ji-wan: “Kang-jin oppa, hello! I’m a first-year student in Class 3, Han Ji-wan. When we first met in the field, I had a hunch about our connection. I realized that at last, the one I had been waiting for had arrived. It felt like we were people who had loved but had to separate from sadly through some kind of misunderstanding, and also like we were an unlucky couple who had been kept apart because of our parents’ opposition. Oppa, you probably feel that too, don’t you? I’ll wait for the day that you recognize me too. I won’t ever grow tired waiting. From first-year student, Class 3, Han Ji-wan.”
COMMENTS
So many things to say, where to start?
Although the melodrama tag is what made me initially wary of Will It Snow For Christmas?, I don’t even feel like this IS one, at least not in the Hallyu v.1.0 sense, where characters reveled in heartbreak and tears and glorified tragedy. For instance, this is one of my favorite instrumental tracks of the soundtrack, and I love that it suits the mood when it’s sad as well as when it’s hopeful, which is what appeals to me about the drama as a whole. (It’s “잃어버린 팬던트” (Lost Pendant) — Download)
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Naturally, we have a good amount of angst, but I don’t even mind it because there are so many little payoffs along the way, little truths that are revealed. It’s not like in other dramas where one singular angst keeps the couple apart for multiple episodes, which is when I grow tired of the drawn-out conflict. Here, the relationships evolve and even when our main couple experiences a setback, they also gain something significant. Either they learn one more bit of the other person’s story (such as the reason for Ji-wan’s brother’s death, or the fact that Kang-jin pushed Ji-wan away on purpose), or they gain an insight into their own feelings.
That’s why even though we’ve had ten episodes of this couple not-quite-being-together, with only one brief half-episode of happiness, I haven’t felt bored or (too) frustrated. The characters are so well-drawn that it’s actually enjoyable to watch them navigate their circumstances, which is not something I’d say of many melodramas (where characters are often a victim to the Fates/Furies). There’s a realism grounding the characters, but at the same time there is a sense of dreaminess and romanticism woven throughout the drama that draws me in.
If the last episode had me impressed by Song Jong-ho for showing Tae-joon’s vulnerability, this episode had me impressed by Sunwoo Sun. I don’t quite feel sorry for her character but I think she is very well acted, and her emotions made accessible. The way she glares at Ji-wan, how she can’t hide her resentment, how she can’t bring herself to let go even when it’s becoming clear that she has to… there’s an immediacy to her emotions that brings her character to life.
I don’t really like Woo-jung as a person, but I can’t hate her — she’s definitely more relatable than many second leads who turn evil and possessive. When those evil second leads finally give up, usually I don’t buy their transformation (they cling, cling, cling, and then poof! Just when the plot needs it, they let go), but I actually felt rather proud of Woo-jung when she does it. Her admission to Tae-joon that she may believe love exists is a lovely way to tie in her former comment to Kang-jin, when she vowed not to give up because she doesn’t believe in what he calls love.
It’s also nice that Woo-jung’s last gesture for Kang-jin is an act of sacrifice. While I’m sure her father wouldn’t retaliate against her as harshly as he did Kang-jin, the mere fact that she did something that wasn’t for her own gain is meaningful. It wasn’t even to preserve her love, since this would set him free. And by “free” I don’t mean that he would have stayed with her otherwise, but at least she could have clung to her hope. Keeping Kang-jin in a vulnerable state, at her mercy, she could have kept up her insistence that he leave the country with her. By getting her father to let him go, she’s also officially letting go, not just of Kang-jin but also her hopes for him.
I also really love that they both went back to Sancheong, back to where it started. Because as with all illnesses, you’ve got to treat the source, not just the symptom. Although I had joked about how lame it is that Kang-jin felt he could “solve” Ji-wan’s vomiting condition by leaving, that was sort of the entire point. I mentioned the parents’ situation mirroring the kids’, and once again we have a parallel, because Chun-hee takes the mad idea into her head that if she leaves, if she removes herself from Jun-su’s presence, his illness will heal. Just as Kang-jin’s logic was flawed, so is hers, and it makes Chun-hee’s desperation all the more sad.
But again, the kids’ generation contains a ray of hope, and this return to Sancheong reinforces it. It’s been said that Kang-jin seems like a perfect guy — a TOO-perfect guy — but he’s not really. He thinks he can solve everything on his own, that his decisions are the best for those he loves. While he’s noble and means well (and this is a common flaw of kdrama heroes), he can’t fix Ji-wan. She needed to address her scars herself, which is why I love that she came back to Sancheong on her own.
Ji-wan’s reunion with her father was one of the highlights (and thank goodness she arrives before he dies, if he dies), but I found the one with her mother even more significant, since she and her mother have always had a complicated relationship. I saw Ji-wan’s punishment as a touching expression of love more than anything, that she was finally ready to come back and face how she had hurt her mother (by killing Ji-yong, as she believes, as well as by running away). Just as Chun-hee tells Jun-su that she will take all of heaven’s punishment even if God forgets to mete it, Ji-wan puts the switch back into her mother’s hand. Accepting punishment also signifies that Ji-wan is finally ready to forgive herself.
I don’t believe in some kind of cosmic fate having a hand in our lives, so the concept of fate is one I wish dramas didn’t hinge upon so much. That’s why I like that there’s a more realistic way of looking at their coincidental meeting in Sancheong — this dual homecoming is a poetic way of expressing that Ji-wan and Kang-jin both had to heal themselves first before getting their proper second chance. Meeting as adults healed some of their hurts, but not all of them, and Ji-wan still needed to address the source of her pain on her own. Only then did “fate” — or call it circumstance — allow them to come back together, and now the timing works in their favor. (This lets me forgive that horribly angsty missed-each-other-at-the-elevators moment, because the timing wasn’t right for them to see each other then.)
Lastly, the title.
I’ve tried to understand the significance of the title and wondered if we would find out in due course, but now I think it probably doesn’t refer to a specific event. I see it as a rhetorical question, asking whether things will work out. Will the gods favor us? Will the groundhog see its shadow? Will it snow for Christmas?
When Tae-joon greets Kang-jin upon his release, he wonders whether it will snow. Within the context of the scene, it’s a simple conversation-starter, but in the meta context, this is a scene where Tae-joon is letting go of Ji-wan to Kang-jin. And when Kang-jin does reunite with her, note that it’s snowing in the last scene: Yes, the gods favor us. (For now.)
RELATED POSTS
- Will It Snow For Christmas: Episode 9
- Will It Snow For Christmas: Episode 8
- Will It Snow For Christmas: Episode 7
- Will It Snow For Christmas: Episode 6
- Will It Snow For Christmas: Episode 5
- Will It Snow For Christmas: Episode 4
- Will It Snow For Christmas: Episode 3
- Will It Snow For Christmas: Episodes 1-2
RECENTLY COMPLETED
What an amazing scene this episode ended on! The kiss was so loving, tender and warm. GoSoo’s gentle smile right before it just melts your heart. So much love. And the voiceover was nicely done. LOVE IT!!!!!
thank you for your wonderful recaps… this episode is indeed the best… HYS is good in this one…. i think that her character is very difficult to portray because it is full of varying emotions all at the same time… i loved the scene when the truth is being spilled out by TJ… the way the surprise, the sadness is shown in her face… and when she was crying… i really felt for her….
and the kiss… was so sweet… it was full of love and warmth… how could go soo packed all the emotions in that one? as his tear fell, so did mine!
Thanks so much for the recap. I regret not continuing the series even if it was for just this one episode which sounds wonderful!
Also, Go Soo’s hair ispretty again! Yah!!!
Wao Javabeans, you are amazing with words. I love your writing. Reading your recaps is like going through the jam packed emotion all over again. I love Episode 10, and who wouldn’t IT WAS JUST PERFECT.
Oh, goodness! Thank you very much for this recap. Thank you thank you thank you. This drama is just so powerful I can barely take it. It’s wonderful!!!
I’m lost for words.:-) JB you’ve done it again.I haven’t watched the latest episodes yet but I’ve been catching up on them through your recaps.You are one talented wordsmith.You’ve actually succeeded in capturing the emotions in this episode and putting it across so powerfully in your review/recap.Your analysis is full of insight, which actually makes a person think deeper about something as simple as a drama episode.:-)
For me, the drama is slowly moving from being just a melodrama to being a keeper.:-)Hope the next set of episodes don’t let us down.
…in my 2 years of reading your recaps, Javabeans…this is the very first I’ve been moved to tears… just as I was, watching this BEAUTIFUL Episode!!!
WISFC is everything & more…it has gone beyond my initial expectations & I’m loving it soooo much, that I’ve re-watched the previous episodes thrice already!!! The last time I did that was for Coffee Prince, 2 years ago!!! I’ll have to have a DVD of this when it comes out!!! If the momentum & storyline doesn’t falter..I predict this one’s gonna ba a CLASSIC!!!!!
woah. your recap is amazing. I love it to pieces.
anyway, I really do need watching this with sub, heck I’m still stuck in episode 7. since I don’t understand Korean even just a bit. So I just have to wait for the sub to come out first. poor me…T_T
your recap is way brilliant, javabeans. keep up the good work!
Lovely recap javabeans!
I wish that it was the happy ever after then, not even sure if I want to carry on watching future episodes, for me it stops there..
I’ll just follow you recaps..thanks
@ lidge_fan – thanks so much for agreeing with me on the maturity issue. yeah! the bench scene with ji-yong. everything stopped (for ji wan) right there!
I LOVE how KJ & JW are on the same emotional wavelength now!
C: i love reading the comments!
It seems Episode 10 surprised everyone. We all know they have to tie up so many loose ends in Sancheong but no one guessed some resolutions would come this soon or that the issues would be dealt with in such a wonderful manner, like a beautifully wrapped present complete with the extravagant bow! ^^. This Episode felt like DESSERT! The series could end right here (I’m tossing all the other issues to the wind) and I’d still be happy. Right now, Episode 11 only feels like a sequel to me. :O)
I love how KJ didn’t talk much in this episode. It seemed like he’d resigned himself to the “uselessness” of words. Of what use are they when he can’t even fully express himself to the one person who truly matters & needs to understand?
You gotta hand it to the Korean male lead, they’re just so amazing faithful that it hurts sometimes. Only if you’re the female lead anyway, if you’re the second lead, then tough luck. You might have him now, but he won’t love you forever. It’s sad that someone like Kang-jin is hard to find in real life ..maybe it’s just because I’ve always been the RL “second lead”.
thank you..
great great recap.. just as wonderful as the whole episode.
the kiss was beautiful.. the young JW’s VO really moved me.. i just wish them to be happier a bit longer..
Wow. I stayed quite distant and a little critical during these two episodes (at low points in ep 9, even playing Sudoku on my computer while watching). But Ji Wan’s return and her parents’ reaction, particularly her mother’s (SO moving, so full of realistic confusion and power), made me cry. At last! Before, at times my heart hurt, but at times my head hurt.
In any case, can I just say: Can someone call the police? Someone needs to be arrested for the over-use of the waltz in soundtrack.
In any event, totally invest now. Will definitely have to watch to the end. Yay!
My favourite character is Woo Jung. If I had to be friends with one of the four, I would choose her. So passionate, so interesting. Kang Jin is too stoic, Ji Wan too needy, and Tae Joon I couldn’t trust. With Woo Jung? Never a dull moment. And honesty and sharpness the order of the day. Fun fun!
Now we have a happy ending for ep 10, I kind of feel scared for ep 11. Especially as the comments on the ep 11 preview (which I’ve refused to watch) seem ominous. Eek. Also, we know that Kang Jin + construction tools = danger. Double eek.
Just wondering, but is there even the slightest possibility than JW and KJ are related (half-siblings)?
I hope not!! Incest would ruin pretty much everything!
This was a bit to easy and I have a feeling that something really bad will happen…
gorgeous recaps! thank you for posting! the kiss at the end almost makes me wish the drama would stop here and let us all have a happy ending, but i guess with 6 more episodes to go, there’s more angst to come. still, it’s a lovely thing to see ji wan finally come to terms with her guilt and taking the first step towards letting go and moving on. and i’m so glad to see kang jin responding in kind.
Excellent recap!
And I love the insight on the title. I was concern when the ratings drop as Chuno comes on because I thought maybe the title make the show abit passe since Christmas is already over and by the time the show finishes it will be almost in Feb.
So it is true that the title is a question of the unknown, will the main leads come together? We will just have to stay hopeful and see…
all the actors and actress in this ep. were truly brilliant! They live their’s characters lives, emotionally. They make us viewers, though either love or hate them as real persons, still believe that they are really feeling what their facial expressions and behaviors mirror – just as I do not quite pleasant with the relationship of Mr.Han and Madam Cha, I was deeply moved when she cried a river, explaining why she wants to leave Sam Cheong again, taking the blame of causing his illness.
Yes, the appealing side of this drama is that, supporting roles do exist as they are, not simply as the “compulsory” factors to make twists and to add roadblocks for the main couple, and I love it.
I like it when the drama does not stay for too long on the misunderstanding or for-the-sake-of-other-party, at least what we see on the screen, like how Jiwan kept the secret of his brother from Kangjin, how Kangjin kept his acknowledgement of that secret from Jiwan – we viewers taste a sufficient amount of time of bitterness and hurt that Jiwan and Kangjin suffered for such reasons – no more, no less.
I always have a feeling that maybe WooJin and Taejoon still have sth for each other.
He may want to set his mind on the new relationship, to make it work, to move on, coz he originally does not completely believe that he can’t live without Woojin – by accepting her father’s money to breaking up with her – but he was still trembled when he saw Woojin, because he’s ashamed of his treatment to her in the past perhaps, but who know? He may ask Woojin to let go of Kangjin so that KJ and JW to come to each other – but we can interpret his sentence in this way: if I let go of Jiwan, if I let go of my stubbornness, can you let it go too, can you forgive me too?
Woojin may be attracted by Kangjin, even threatens her father to save Kangjin, but why does she always refer to “love” as a general symbol? She does not believe in love any longer, she convinces herself that there’s no such thing as love, she bitterly stated that, she had though she could not live without someone, yet, it turned out that she could, ironically. She… does not get over TJ yet?
What I don’t like is that there were way many obstacles to KJ and JW +_+ On one hand, I love it when I do not have to follow one among those obstacles for too long as aforementioned. On the other hand, the quick move from one obstacles to another makes me dizzy +_+
Well, on second thought, that reflects what real life is. Difficulties, challenges and opportunities do not signal when they come, do not queue up in line to shake your hand – they appears, all a sudden, like a typhoon, and sweep you a way, without your permission – all you can do is dealing with it.
Cross my finger for KJ and JW, because I love your interpretation of the title of this drama, a rhetorical question: Will it snow for Christmas?
#26 sonam,
the fact that you “cannot relate etc. ” may be down to a certain cultural conditioning and its wrong and fixed notions and prejudices about love and desire, which, unfortunately ,it seems have gone unquestioned, or, alternatively, may be down to a certain narrowness of the imagination that could be remedied with expanded reading and viewing of some challenging material. I personally find the story of KJ’s mother and JW’s father both moving and sorrowful, giving us some much needed portrayal of the fact that living, pulsating beings, are always open to the trials and pains of love and desire, no matter how young or old they are, how many or how few experiences they had, or how many the burdens and commitments of their daily lives may be. The older couple’s misadventured love is full of strong intimations of social pressures, betrayals, cowardly compromises, abandonment, terrible consequences, fatalism, and permanent unhappiness (both inhuman and anti-human) for all three parties involved. And the actors playing those lovers have done a wonderful job with showing the shimmering embers of unfulfilled and repressed love, and all the anger, hurt, psychic distortions and yearnings, denials of that enormity entail. I think that lost love, whose loss is very effectively experienced in the drama’s present, casts its painful shadow on the whole and greatly contributes to whatever strengths the series has.
Unlike others here, I still cannot be persuaded by HYS’s acting, although, admittedly, it has massively improved from that of earlier episodes (where at times, I thought, she simply had no idea of what to do with the character she was given and resorted to re-mastication of mannerisms usually taught at bad drama schools). In my view, she has overall failed to prevent one from constantly entertaining the thought of the many shades, dimensions and depths to the character of JW, actresses like Ha Ji Won, Son Ye Jin, or the actress who played In Soon in In Soon Is Pretty, to name but a few, would have brought to the part. So thank heavens for that gift to the art of acting (and sex appeal) that goes by the name of Go Soo! He’s so good in the part of KJ, that one cannot imagine a more accurate interpretation of the character (after all, isn’t this what distinguishes good acting from bad acting? Not the fact that one cannot imagine others playing part X, Y, or Z, but that one cannot imagine that others, who could have played the part well, would have given a more accurate interpration of X,Y, or Z). Go Soo is not only an actor with talent and flair but also one with intelligent sensibility, gauging shades of emotions, moods and affects with great precision…the future beckons and I, for one, will be eagerly pressing my face against the window.
javabeans great recap as always! I loved episode 10 so much. It made me cry quite alot especially the reunion scene. Also I love the mother-son scene in the bedroom when KJ promises to protect her from the scary things she is afraid of. It’s a touching gesture and shows how strong their relationship is. In spite of Chun-hee’s flaws, KJ accepts it and loves his mother. That fact makes me nervous about what will happen in episode 11.
Thanks Java for the recaps!!! am loving this drama more and more each time!! indeed the last scene was the sweetest to me so far, young jiwan narration brings me back to remember how during their teenage years how she was so determined to ‘chase’ him…ahahaha yea i would have to agree with post 64…since eppy 10 has ended on a happy note…the next few episodes will likely be tense and dramatic…Esp the fire scene -_- ….i am so crossing my fingers that nothing intense will unfold in eppy 11…seeing Go So in the burning house in the preview made my imagination run wild!!! knowing well that this writer has also a particular habit of ending on a sad note….makes me even more nervous…anyway cant wait for the next eppy
in the meantime, enjoy the other Kdrams!!
Thanks for the recap. Now that I know what’s going on, I’d watch it for the acting. Was kind of tired of the “they should be together but can’t because they’re mistaken about each other” and stopped watching. Now I can watch the show without feeling like I’ve wasted my time on yet another “let’s hate each other when we actually love each other” episode.
awesome post here JB! I too felt that this ep (could it get more awesome?!) was carthartic, and I liked it alot. Sun Woosun made her character’s thoughts and motivations so real in this episode that I really, really felt for WJ. .
(warning: pretty lengthy rant ahead!)
I’m not that good at expressing myself, but here are some of my thoughts while catching ep 10. Watching this episode with a bigger screen and clearer pixels, I really appreciated the subtle changes in colour palettes, indicating the change in time and in season. It really adds to the atmosphere and the momentum the drama is aiming for. Case in point, look at the scene where KJ was met by TJ after his release from prison (?). I feel that the colours here (as well as the cinematography), while less rich than those in the beginning of the drama, are captured so simply and summed up the atmosphere at the moment.
Have I mentioned how I loved Sun Woosun here? She was the best thing .. in the first half of the episode. While Han Junse and KJ’s mom took the tops for the second half. Those eyes! Can’t believe Han Junse’s the same dad in Smile, You. I couldnt shake off those melancholy eyes while watching Smile, You. (up to episode 3 for now, so I will keep hoping)
And above all, I thought that I could finally understand HYS’s interpretation of JW, and that made me appreciate this episode all the more, with my new belief that all the 4 leads have solid interpretations of their characters. I think that HYS does a pretty nuanced interpretation of JW, and sure, though I may question the way she handles JW at times (like falling to the ground after receving a blow) , she has changed the way I imagined JW to be, and it is still an intepretation of JW which is valid and yet refreshing. Like belleza mentioned in the previous recap, I don’t ever hope that JW would appeal to my sympathies ever. :/
Had to mention that I get a kick out of reading all the insights over here. Really enhances my perspective and understanding of the drama and its characters! Thank you all!
…saw a video clip of Go Soo’s kissing scene (on Youtube) in his 2004 movie entitled “When A Man Loves a Woman” & the “kiss choreography” was almost exactly the same as Episode 10!!! Only difference being that it wasn’t snowing then…but raining!!! could be that both dramas have the same director???
Thanks for the insightful recap. I like your take on the title of the show. The whole snow metaphor went right over my head while I was watching. I’m so use to kdramas hitting viewers over the head with their metaphors, lol. It’s nice how this show has handled it more subtly. Thanks again for the recaps!
I’m boggled over what the next six episodes could possibly be. Ah, such awesome episodes already! Just need to hope they keep climbing up in that factor.
Your recaps are amazing. Thank you for doing WISFC!
You’ve given me so much with your website and my 1st year anniversary of coming to your website for the first time is coming up. I want to celebrate that by giving something to you. Need anymore coffee? Let me know! I posted my e-mail.
OMG. That is all I can say at the moment. Great episode.
Thanks, as always, for the recap.
It’s funny, I assumed that Jiwan went back to Sancheong purposely to meet Kangjin. I really thought the gesture reinforced that she was ready to face her biggest demons in order to be back with Kangjin and that it spoke to how much she loved him. I also thought she purposely went into the tearoom hoping that Kangjin would show up. I think she got startled, shocked when she first heard his voice, but it never occurred to me that she didn’t go there to try and meet him.
I actually would prefer the story if Jiwan went to Sancheong on purpose to meet with Kangjin, it returns to her character the pro activeness that I loved from the first two episodes and makes it feel less like everything with respect to these two is up to fate.
Both Go Soo and Bae Soo Bin in 2004 movie “When A Man Loves a Woman”
After watching this episode, honestly, I think I want to stop and not watch the rest of the episodes. I need one drama to end “happily ever after” without taking me through the wringer first. I just need one sweet ending in my life.
This definitely seemed to be the climax episode. But I think it could have been stronger/ better if we were shown a pivotal point that made Ji-Wan go back to her hometown. Everything was all sort of blended in, one after the other without the viewer really being shown what sparked her decision to go back after 8 yrs.
I hope this has happy ending. Does being in the ‘melodrama’ category automatically mean we should expect a sad or tragic ending? I hope not…
Hi, I just love your recaps, thanks, I watch the epi and then look for your blog I love it. This drama is draving me crazy I can’t stop crying, wonder if this is gonna have a happy end, I really hope so, because is gonna be a sad, sad day for me if not finish with those two together.
Just God Bless you! Do not know what to say! Amazing recaps!! This drama is something else!
Thanks!
The title points to hope for th future. Hmmmmnnn. Got it. Mahalo.
thank you for the recap!!! that was intense! This is the episode that really makes me want to watch the show someday even though I avoid melodramas. And this episode also provides some interesting surprises and turns and I like it! And I love reading your commentary! I agree that it’s awesome how they brought the characters back to Sancheong, where it started. And I’m also glad that Ji wan returns to her family at this point. It would just be playing with our emotions to have her return at the very end when her father’s dead or on the brink of dying. After so many episodes of pain, it’s nice to see the healing process begin at this point.
Thanks for the recap – It was like rewatching the drama
I have a little question *^^*
What are the meaning of the names / full names
Cha Kang Jin and Ji Wan ?
And are the names double-names …KJ, JW
And if yes, why alwas double names in Korean ?
Thanks in advance
love it love it love it. Thank you!
As always, thanks for recaps! Like most of everyone, I’ve watched the episodes but come back here to read your take on it! I suppose this becomes a forum for us or more so ME, to re-live the episode and feel like I shared the story/drama with some one WILLING to listen to me instead of my poor husband…LOL.
Dramabeans, your explanation of the title brought tears to my eyes because it’s so beautiful. Your recaps make the drama a better experience. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us.
i kinda didn’t feel like continuing after episode 9.. actually i felt that way abt all the dramas i was watching at the moment.. maybe i was too saturated with too many at once LOL. but this episode was great. i loved the dual-homecoming. they’ve come full circle! but now i’m dreading the stickiness that chunhee & junsu’s relationship is bound to bring. sigh.
i really like your insight about the drama’s title. it really had me thinking all through out the episodes. i’ve been trying to look at hints as well but always finish up each episodes empty handed. until i read about your comment. regarding to the title. now it all makes sense, it wasn’t meant to be literal at all. thank you for that. I could finally finish this show without having that in the back of my mind.
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