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Will It Snow For Christmas: Episode 11

After the wonderful, moving Episode 10, I was a little nervous about the one that would follow. Ep 10 was so satisfying that I almost didn’t want to continue, because it was obvious we’re in for more conflict: I thought, “Ah, I could just stop here and be happy.” I didn’t really want the series to end with 10, of course, since that would have been too abrupt, but I wasn’t sure how I’d like this next turn.

It wasn’t better than the previous episode, but I’m still onboard and generally satisfied with where we’re going. And just when things start looking predictable, we’re thrown a new twist.

SONG OF THE DAY

Lee Seung-hwan – “천일동안” (In those 1,000 days) . A line of dialogue in this episode reminded me of this song, which is an old classic by one of Korea’s top ballad singers (though now he’s more pop-rock). I wore out this CD till it skipped. [ Download ]

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EPISODE RECAP

The morning after the kiss, Ji-wan revels in the memory, giggling to herself and overcome with glee. When Kang-jin calls, she has to calm herself down before answering.

Kang-jin asks if she slept well. He, on the other hand, couldn’t sleep at all “because I thought if I closed my eyes, someone might tell me it was a dream.”

(This line reinforced why I love Go Soo so much in this role. (Well, one among many, many reasons.) He delivers his dialogue matter-of-factly, so that even when his lines could make him sound cheesy, they come off honest and sincere.)

He asks to see her later, and after hanging up, Ji-wan squeals and kicks so excitedly that she falls out of bed. She looks up at the wall, and this time when she sees the picture of her brother, the smile stays on her face:

Ji-wan: “You did good, Han Ji-wan. This is what Oppa wanted for you. If our Ji-wan is happy, then I’m satisfied. That’s what you were going to say, right? You were going to praise me, right? I knew you would.”

For their date, Kang-jin takes her to the mountain house, which is still a work in progress. He’s going to remodel the house entirely, with his own two hands. As he shows her around, he indicates where he’ll put the rooms — that one’s for his mother, that one’s for Bu-san and his wife, and he’ll add two more for Bu-san’s kids.

Looking upstairs, he indicates, “And that’s where I’ll live with my wife.” Since he plans on having two kids or so, they’ll need three rooms. Kang-jin is acting very casual, looking up rather than at Ji-wan, but the meaning is clear and she smiles happily. She asks, “Only two? Couldn’t you raise six or so?” She likes houses with lots of kids.

He thinks six is too much, but she says that in the past, people used to have ten or more. Plus, Korea’s dwindling birthrate is a national problem. Kang-jin asks, “Are you proposing to me right now?”

That flusters her — wait, she never said that. He points out, “You just said you’d have six kids.” Ji-wan backpedals — no, wait, she wasn’t saying she’d have six herself, just commenting on a social issue…

Then she sees his face and feels miffed at his teasing (like he’s having fun at her expense). Stiffly, she says she wants to go home and gets up to leave.

Kang-jin stops her and hugs her, saying, “Dummy, I’m proposing to you now. Will you accept?”

Pleased again, Ji-wan smiles, and notices that it’s snowing outside.

Afterward, Kang-jin drops Ji-wan off at home, and reminds her that she hasn’t answered his question. Still on a high, there’s no doubt that she’ll say yes, but she’s feeling a little shy so she doesn’t answer the (implied) question. Rather, she changes the subject and mentions that she’s going up to Seoul tomorrow for class.

Spotting her mother coming home with a shopping bag, Ji-wan bounds over enthusiastically and helps her. Kang-jin bows to Young-sook, and she says hello politely, not realizing until he identifies himself that this is Chun-hee’s son. At mention of his name, her smile fades and she asks why he’s here.

Ji-wan answers happily, “We’re dating, Mom. I even proposed to him a little while ago, but he hasn’t answered. It’s not that he doesn’t like me, but he must be embarrassed.” (What’s sweet is that this is her way of answering Kang-jin, explaining indirectly how she feels.)

Ji-wan leads her mother inside the house, turning back to tell Kang-jin, “Think it over and answer tomorrow. I understand that you might be embarrassed, but if you let go of a girl like me, you’ll regret it, ajusshi!”

Once she’s inside, she does a little giddy dance. Han Ye-seul has never been more adorable.

Kang-jin comes home that evening to find his mother looking glum. Earlier in the day, she had told Bu-san to pack his things to move tomorrow, but he had refused — he’s going to marry the nurse girl Jin-kyung. Kang-jin won’t leave either, because of Ji-wan — Bu-san explained how she returned and that the two have been dating.

Chun-hee asks Kang-jin, “Are you dating someone?” A little abashed, he answers that he was planning to introduce her officially, to which Chun-hee replies that there’s no need to bring a girl home that he’s just going to date for a short while.

Kang-jin says, “I’m going to marry her.” His mother hesitates, then asks, “What would you do if I opposed your relationship with her?”

Treating the question like a mere hypothetical, Kang-jin keeps his tone light: “Don’t do that, Madam Cha, if you don’t want to see your son die an old bachelor.” With a wink, he goes.

That night, Kang-jin plays Ji-wan a song on guitar. (As if they had to make Kang-jin look even MORE cool!) Bu-san, who holds the phone, marvels that he’s never seen his brother do this before.

Watching with a far more grim expression, however, is Chun-hee. She understands that her children won’t go with her, so she heads off alone. In the morning, Kang-jin sees the note she has left, and learns from Bu-san that Mom had talked about moving away.

Kang-jin runs to the bus station to find his mother, but it’s Jun-su who gets there first. He stops Chun-hee and pulls her off the bus, saying, “Leave tomorrow, with me. If we separate like this, we won’t see each other again. Let’s see each other just a little more.”

Chun-hee shakes her head no. “Live a long time. Even if I hear that you have died, I won’t be able to come.”

Jun-su presses, “Let’s see each other just a little longer, and then no more, okay?”

He gathers Chun-hee to himself in a hug… which is the sight that greets Kang-jin when he arrives at the bus station. Chun-hee opens her eyes to see her son staring at her in shock — and adding yet another complication, Ji-wan is also there, on her way to Seoul for her class.

Jun-su looks up and meets eyes with Kang-jin, but doesn’t see his daughter. It seems he feels a little guilty, but he takes Chun-hee’s arm and leads her away.

This moment is a pretty big shock for both kids, but I suppose it must be worse for Ji-wan, since she hadn’t known anything was wrong in her parents’ marriage. She slumps to the ground, stunned — she can’t do anything but laugh harshly. Kang-jin carefully wraps her in his scarf, feeling doubly pained over her reaction.


With his headaches growing in intensity, Jun-su must know his time is nearing, and he asks to speak with Ji-wan that night. He gives her Oriental medicine books that were passed down to him from his father-in-law (from whom he inherited his practice), telling her to read them.

Unaware of his illness, Ji-wan asks if it’s really okay to give them to her. Jun-su answers that they’ll probably be difficult to understand, “But I can teach…” Remembering that he won’t be around, he cuts himself off, saying that she can ask her professor for help.

Kang-jin trudges back home in a dark mood, and confronts his mother angrily. Seeing that she’s packing food for her sons to eat after she’s gone, he accuses, “So you’re going to leave us and run away? Did you make plans to leave with Ji-wan’s father?” Furiously, he asks why she couldn’t stick to one of the many men who mill around at the tearoom — why did she have to pick a man with a family? He demands, “When will you grow up? When will you come to your senses? How long do I have to coddle you and put up with everything?”

It’s been a long time since Kang-jin has gotten angry with her, and Chun-hee is startled. He says that he won’t let her go, and orders her to unpack.

But now it’s Chun-hee’s turn to talk: “I want to live with the person I love.” She reminds him that those are his words to her — to be with the one you love. She fires back, “If you didn’t have many days left to you, who would you like by your side? If God asked me that, I’d say Han Jun-su, no matter what. I don’t need anyone else.” So what if she’s a horrible person? “Right now, all I can see is Han Jun-su. I don’t need conscience, or you guys. I’m going to go with him.”

Kang-jin realizes that his mother’s feelings run deeper than he had thought. His anger subsides, replaced by frustration, and he stays up all night brooding. However, when he hears Chun-hee leaving in the early morning hours, he doesn’t move to stop her.

He just sits there in his room, unmoving. Hours later, when he finally comes out, he finds Chun-hee sitting on the front step. She’s been there all morning.

Chun-hee: “I can’t go. I’m not going, Kang-jin. I won’t go with Han Jun-su.”
Kang-jin: “Why? You said you’re not afraid of the world censuring or stoning you. You said all that didn’t matter.”
Chun-hee: “If we went, then you guys… what would happen with you and Ji-wan? What about you two?”

For all her brash talk in the heat of the moment, Chun-hee usually does calm down and listen to sense, and today is no different. After seeing her son’s point of view, she can’t bring herself to be the reason for ruining his relationship. She takes off one shoe, wracked with sobs, because this means she’s giving up her last chance to be with Jun-su before he dies.

Moved, Kang-jin’s face trembles as he holds back his own tears, and he kneels in front of her mother to put her foot back into the shoe. His voice breaks as he tells her gently:

Kang-jin: “Go. From a very long time ago, from before we came back to Sancheong, I knew that there was a man in your heart, one you couldn’t forget. Someone who isn’t me, or Bu-san or my father or Bu-san’s father. Was that person Ji-wan’s father? Go. What will happen if you let him go and regret it? What if you live the rest of your life in regret? Go, Mom.”

Ji-wan looks for her father but finds his room empty. Her mother sits alone at his desk with tears on her face, looking at their family portrait, which gives Ji-wan a sense of foreboding. She races to Kang-jin’s place, where he’s sitting numbly outside.

Nervously, she asks if his mother is also gone, half-afraid to hear the answer. Kang-jin doesn’t respond, but she can sense the truth in his pained expression, and she starts to run off to find her father. Kang-jin grabs her arm, holding her back.

Growing more anxious, Ji-wan insists on searching for her father and tries to break free, but his firm grip won’t let go. Guessing the truth, Ji-wan asks, “Did my father and your mother leave together? Why didn’t you stop them? You’re strong, why didn’t you hold her back? What about my mother?”

Slowly, she sinks to the ground in defeat. “What about me and my mom? What now?” Kang-jin can only look at her miserably.

As Jun-su and Chun-hee sit in the parked car outside the bus station, she tells him to go home — she’ll go alone. Like I said, Chun-hee may pout about wanting the selfish choice, but when it comes down to it, she picks the noble(r) one.

Jun-su answers, “I’m sorry. For not being able to go that far with you.” She replies, “It’s okay. I’m thankful you came this far with me. I won’t forget the kindness.”

She forces a pleasant smile on her face, trying to leave things on a positive note, but that smile fades when he says, “Even in the next life, let’s not meet.”

At home, Young-sook spots something Jun-su has left behind, which she picks up with trembling hands. Clutching his lighter, she breaks down in earnest.

After waiting inside the station for her departure, Chun-hee prepares to catch her bus. When she walks out, she smiles to see Jun-su still parked outside, asleep in his car. But then a thought occurs to her, filling her with dread, and she runs to his car window. She bangs on the glass and shouts for him to open it, but gets no response. Through the window, she sees his hand slip — as though losing the last bit of life — and her sobs grow wilder.

Kang-jin takes Ji-wan home, the mood between them strained. She’s silent and hurt, still angry at him for not stopping their parents, and he gives her some distance. But the nurse, Jin-kyung, bursts out of the house screaming about a fire, frantic because Young-sook is still inside.

Ji-wan lurches to go inside to save her mother, but Kang-jin holds Ji-wan back. Urging Jin-kyung to keep her away from the house, he rushes inside and finds Young-sook collapsed on the ground. He carries her out.

Thankfully it seems she has escaped major injury, and at the hospital, Young-sook slowly wakes up. To Ji-wan’s relief, her mother smiles to see her, then looks over at Kang-jin standing behind Ji-wan. Young-sook’s smile grows even wider.

Happily, Young-sook calls out, “Ji-yong. Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you. Come here, my son.”

Startled, Kang-jin looks around the room. And then the realization sinks in.

Kang-jin’s voiceover: “I don’t know why I thought of the mountain cabin then. Why, in that moment, did I think of our incomplete blueprint? I still don’t know.”

We see the happy couple just a few days before, cheerfully planning out their future home and their children’s rooms.

Fade to white…

…and we return three years later.

Kang-jin stands in front of a lecture hall, talking about the design of traditional Korean-style houses, comparing their appeal to the warmth of a mother’s embrace. As he wraps up, he asks for questions, and one woman raises her hand. It’s Woo-jung.

She voices her disagreement with his comparison: “Say, for instance, a completely awesome man like you were to propose to me. But if you suggested we marry and live in a Korean-style house, I’d be really conflicted and probably decline in the end.” She argues that the houses are uncomfortable and cold in winter, so she’d rather live alone as a spinster in an apartment.

Kang-jin tells his class that those are the same reasons that construction companies give up the idea of building more Korean-style homes. Isn’t that sad? This is an issue they will have to figure out how to address.

He thanks Woo-jung for the question, but asks a follow-up question: “If you were really with the one you loved, I’d think that you wouldn’t be cold in a Korean house, or even an igloo.”

The students ahhh — the hot professor is waxing romantic! He tells them, “Winter is cold, but let’s love passionately.”

Woo-jung and Kang-jin sit down for coffee, joined mid-conversation by Jae-hyun. Woo-jung has been living abroad, and this is their first time seeing each other in years. She only returned to Korea last week, and hilariously, Kang-jin chokes on his coffee when she comments that he’s gotten even more handsome.

When she starts to fill him in on her life, Jae-hyun interrupts to tell him the facts plainly (without any sugarcoating): Woo-jung was disowned, fired, and financially cut off. Her father even struck her out of the family registry.

She didn’t want him to know about all that — at least not told in such stark terms — but she attempts to brush it aside and keep the tone light. But when Kang-jin similarly says that his career is doing all right, Jae-hyun butts in to return the favor. Kang-jin has been blocked at every turn by Bumseo Group; the company has interfered and told everyone not to work with him.

Both Woo-jung and Kang-jin try to laugh it off, not wanting to wallow in self-pity. He tells her that even if Bumseo enjoys stepping on people, he isn’t the type to let someone step on him like that, so he’s been okay.

He gets up to go, and she asks cautiously about Ji-wan. Kang-jin merely smiles at her without responding, and leaves.

Ji-wan is, at the moment, having a heated confrontation at the hospital where she works. She’s offended that a man (debt collector?) would come to demand money from a sick patient and calls into question his status as a human being. Fired up in indignation, she has to be held back by doctor colleagues. (A passing comment about the failure of her first love suggests that she and Kang-jin haven’t been in touch.)

Apparently, this isn’t the first time she has been in a situation like this, and her boss reprimands her for her behavior. Does she think she’s a gangster? She’s fired.

Watching with some amusement is Tae-joon. He doesn’t approach her, but instead walks off with one of the doctors. He’s here on a work-related matter to discuss a hospital design project.

Kang-jin arrives outside a house which bears the sign “Cha & Seo Architecture House.” (Seo refers to Jae-hyun.)

Kang-jin enters the office area, where a woman is seated at the kitchen table preparing some food. He announces that he’s back, and she turns to greet him with a happy smile: “Oh, Ji-yong!”

 
COMMENTS

My initial impulse when I read “Three years later” was to roll my eyes (again?), but I’m actually relieved. Reason being: Ji-yong died in 1998, so adult Ji-wan and Kang-jin met in 2006. They separated for a year, so the proposal happened in 2007. That means that we are now in 2010. No more time jumps!

Despite my wariness of the time-skip device, I will defend its application here. I hate it most when it’s used only once in a series in a last (or almost-last) episode. If you have created a story that unfolds at a regular pace, then shoot forward in the last episode to allow Time to wrap up your loose ends, I will usually be dissatisfied with the result. (Case in point: My Girl.) However, Will It Snow For Christmas has leapt forward a few times already. This puts the emphasis on the development of Kang-jin and Ji-wan’s relationship over the years, rather than purely on the angst.

For the first half of this episode, I was starting to think that everything was getting too predictable. The way the story was going, we’d have to address the turmoil that would arise after the kids discovered their parents’ relationship. Then when Jun-su dies, there’s the grief that must follow. Same with Young-sook’s delusion about Kang-jin being her dead son.

Therefore, with the time jump, we preserve the emotional suspense but thankfully get to skip over the other stuff — not that grief and turmoil would be boring, but there’s just no surprise there. It would be necessary but tedious, and it’s not the emotional terrain we want to explore here. The writer has employed this kind of dramatic shorthand throughout the drama, and it’s something I appreciate. There is one main story that drives this drama for me, and to focus on the other stuff would slow the pace way down and get in the way. These characters should experience those reactions and stages of grief, but it doesn’t mean we have to watch them on camera.

I’m just thankful that we got a really adorable first half (okay, third) of an episode that let Kang-jin and Ji-wan be happy. I knew they’d be getting more tribulations thrown their way, but each separation follows an advancement in their relationship, so at least they’re not going back to zero. They may face constant setbacks, but I can bear them because it’s like they take two steps forward, and one back — I’m fine as long as the net total is movement forward.

Also, since I mentioned it up top: The conversation that reminded me of the song was the last one between Jun-su and Chun-hee, where he wishes that they not meet again. The last line of the song conveys that same sentiment; the song looks back on the 1,000 days that the singer was with his love, but the relationship ultimately ended painfully. He sings, “Even in the next lifetime, let’s not meet again.”

(Gossip! There’s speculation that the song is written about the singer Lee Seung-hwan’s ex-girlfriend, Shin Ae-ra; she later married Cha In-pyo, and Lee went on to marry (and divorce) Chae Rim. This song was a huge hit back when it was released in 1995, and I’ll go ahead and call it one of the greatest (The Greatest?) kpop ballads ever. It’s been remade at least several times, but this version is boss. I LOVED Lee Seung-hwan back in the day; he was one of very few singers who would perform live rather than lip-synch, and when he sang on music broadcasts, programs added the note “LIVE” to give him extra credit.)

Anyway, although the line conveys a sad sentiment, it also reinforces just how powerful their love really was. It was so strong that It would hurt too much to live through its failure again.

I enjoyed the surprise at the end of the episode, because just when things were starting to feel predictable, it really added a fresh jolt of energy into the story. WTF is going on with Ji-wan’s mother? Since she was holding a lighter, I’m pretty sure she set that house on fire, but did the shock addle her mind? Where is Chun-hee? Is Kang-jin taking care of Young-sook for Ji-wan’s sake? Or to assuage his guilt, because he has now been linked to two great losses in her life?

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yaaayyy!
thnx so much for recaps :) it keeps getting better n better!

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Thanks so much for the summary again, javabeans!

Wait. I don't get it...So Kang-in and Ji-wan aren't together after the three years?
I also didn't get the realization part in the hospital. ><

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woah ur fast javabeans! i'm still struggling through part 4/7 of the subbed vids! it's getting sadder but i liked the roundabout proposal(s)? while watching the raw vid, i was beginning to really hate KJ's mom. it's like she (and JS) exist in a parallel universe and his wife & his/her separate kids don't matter to them. o.0 off to read the recap & finish the vid now! ^^. Thanks so much for the recap!

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I completely forgot it was Wednesday! So tired lol. :)
Thank you so much, Javabeans! Honestly, you deserve that DB fan meeting.

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What happened to Cha Madam after 3 years.....?

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thanks for the recap! that twist at the end was just too surprising.

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I'm back - and that ending was very unexpected. I can't wait to see what they have for us tomorrow, and I'm starting to become comfortable since Will It Snow For Christmas doesn't seem to be making any mistakes by becoming predictable, increasing artificiality, etc. Thanks again!

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thank you for the recap and your amazing commentary!! Just when I thought the show was going to dive major angst territory, the show sort of pulls back a little so that we feel the wave of sadness and melancholy wash over us and not a barrage of rip-my-heart-out-and-step-on-it angsty moments to yank our chain. and the ending of the episode: wow! i've never expected it!

hahaha my first impulse abt the time jump was the same as yours, but looking back, I agree with you that it seems like a natural part of Ji wan and Kang-jin's developing relationship.

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thanks so much! i've been refreshing every so often for a couple of hours now and i was so happy to see the recap.

honestly, this episode confused me. not that i didnt like it. it was just like...."huh? o_O"

so, did junsu die? or.....faint? and does ji-wan's mother's confusion mean she has some kind of selective amnesia?

GAH. im still lost.

p.s. thanks again ;D

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One last comment: I hope Ji-wan's mother hasn't been faking the amnesia for the past three years to keep them apart. That would be too predictable. But the writers have proved themselves to be better than that, so it's no longer a possibility, right?? I hope so.

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I can't say for certain, but Ji-wan's mother DID set her house on fire, so I'd say we're not dealing with a woman in her most stable frame of mind...

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loved your "Gossip!" aside!

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hmm. This isn't a Melodrama. It's Story-telling & I like it. :P

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Thank you! I really wasn't expecting this tonight.
I absolutely love this show. I don't know what it is about it that resonates within me but it just does. And to think I was so reluctant to start it...

Just have to say, I think YS is faking. I definitely don't believe that after 3yrs she still thinks that KJ is her son. To me, this woman is so manipulative that she probably thinks more along the lines of "you steal my husband, I steal your son."

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man. i totally wasn't expecting the end. i saw it and was like, wait, whoa. i knew that they couldn't be happy for long, but i didn't think it'd go that way...crazy. i also didn't think the writer would be able to effectively work the second leads back into the story, but it kind of works [or at least works better than i thought it would]. daaang though. i'm not sure where things will go from here and even though i'm surprised by the plot twist, it makes me a little nervous.

btdubz, the acting from go soo and the actress who plays his mother was ridiculousss in this episode. just the intense and passionate exchanges between the two of them were just so damn moving in so many ways.

OH and in the previews, your wish that cha kang jin and taejoon would team up against bumseo seems like it might come true^^

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@ 14: “you steal my husband, I steal your son.” That's really funny. That would make sense only in the minds of psych patients. CH & YS are well acted. Even is YS turns out to be insane (or etc) I'd rather it would not be deliberate, because that would make for a really poor plot

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Whao!~ A lot has happened in this episode...and the time jump again. I missed seeing WJ & TJ.....glad to see them back in the later part. I also think that YS is faking the amnesia as a way to keep KJ & JW apart, as pay-back for KJ's mom stealing her husband. So sad that KJ & JW STILL not being able to be together after everything. The hurdles they need to jump through just keep coming and are never-ending! PLEASE, give us a happy ending, pleaseeeeee!????????

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OMG! I LOVED THIS SONG.... like ... wow, 1993? That's like 17 years ago!

Are you kidding me!

Javabeans going totally old school!

<3 !!!!!!!!

(oh yeah, and wonderful recap! lol.)

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the scenes between kangjin and his mom are my fav in this ep,really great job from both actors

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whoa...whoa...WHOA! i agree with your comments about the time jump - i was annoyed at how it was used again, but your math shows that it actually has a purpose and makes sense. and on top of that, i totally agree with the fact it shows their relationship maturing. much like how woo-jung and kang-jin's seem to have matured.

and the twist was REALLY shocking - just because ji wan's first love failed, i wonder if that means they haven't seen each other at all - perhaps it failed, but they would see each other as "brother and sister"? that has definitely got to hurt though.

and shout out to the other doctor with tae joon in your screen cap! - he's the manager in Brilliant Legacy!! heeh!!

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O wow... this is a rollercoaster ride! I would probably be uber frustrated right about now if I were watching the show... and scream at the couple to please get together. No more drama or trajedy. Good thing I'm not watching the show! =P
I love reading your recaps JB. It gives off enough emotion without entangling me into the characters' life. I tend to do that with dramas, i.e. get overabsorbed into drama land.. and I'd rather not do it with this drama!

Thanks again... and Goo soo is soo adorable! *sigh.. I wanna just watch his cuts!

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Thank you JB as always! Since I`ve just finished ep9 and 10 yesterday, It`s just so perfect!

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"he’s the manager in Brilliant Legacy!!"

Or more specifically, it's CHICKEN HEAD from Cain and Abel!! Onos!!!! Holy hospital amnesia plot!! Quick, we need Doctor So Ji Sup to come over and save the love between Ji Hwan and Kang Jin!!

Sigh.

My lovely, sometimes sad, sometimes sweet, sometimes funny show has suddenly turned into A LOVE TO KILL. I'm half expecting Lee Si Young's song to play in the background, while the snow gets ever deeper, darker, sadder . . .

Sigh.

BTW, I like how they've kinda evolved Ji Wan's personalty to the spunky sprite of her childhood years. Nothing like coming home, even if the home's on fire.

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Too much pain to say any word about this situation of KJ & JW. Look at the expression on their faces when they go home near the end of the episode - they must have suffered from so much pain to live through those 3 years.

I love the idea of skipping time again for the only fact that it brings us to the current timeline - it somehow makes me feel as if WISFC is not just some story in a certain period which is told to us, but rather the real life going on out there that we have to deal with at present.
What also excites me is JW's line in the preview going as "KJ, that person maybe has given up on me" - it shows the possibility of change - what add the factor of reality to WISFC. Yeah, love develops and matures. It's not a fairy tale where a man and a woman recognizes love but also describes how they nuture their love and live with it. Love may even change, who know? Anyway, I am positive that there will be a happy ending for KJ and JW - I don't know why I feel it that way, but that's it :D

However, what bothers me now is (1) JW's mother's situation and (2)the fact that WJ and TJ come back to the picture again - I would rather they have become a couple 3 years ago and only come back to help KJ and JW in some way - not a potential threat like this +_+

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BTW, I love that this show has FINALLY hit all the commandments of Korean melodrama. You got . . .

1) Amnesia
2) Terminal disease
3) Crazy ajumma
4) Burning house
5) "Brother-sister" relationship?!?
6) Snarky female rival
7) Beach/car scene of death
8) Lotsa crying
9) Tragic childhood arc

And above all, you got . . .

10) OPPA!!! OPPA!!! OPPA!!!

Now we know why Go Soo said he didn't know this role would be THIS painful. Pretending to be the dead brother and having to pretend the love of your life is your sister? Wow. WOW. If there was a subplot involving Kang Jing not being able to eat chicken, I would go nuts!

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oh man how freaky is YS, especially in that fire? i had a heart attack when she looked at KJ. and i'm pretty sure JW and KJ remain in contact. the mother is the connection and the preview suggests JW has been trying all three years to stay with KJ. i think the comment refers to them not being together anymore, but i think the contact is still there. or maybe not; we'll see.
i was really excited to see TJ and KJ work together, and i hope that still happens and both men are EXCITED to do so. yay bromances!!!

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"the mother is the connection and the preview suggests JW has been trying all three years to stay with KJ"

Yeah, I think essentially KJ, JW, and JW's mom are a "new family" of sorts. This is actually a bit like the last 1/3 of A Love to Kill, where the main couple tries to arrange a compromise due to tragic circumstances.

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thanx JB for the recap :)
but i don't understand why JW and KJ were separated again in this ep .. was it because of his mother and her father running away ?

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Whoa. I had to backtrack a bit after reading the recap just to make sure I understood what happened in the episode.
The couple is separated again!
Where is Chun-hee?
And what's up with Young-sook?

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just by reading your recap my heart is grown very heavy... i'm just watching reading this, my heart is like being torn and twisted with knives (lots of them)... it's no wonder GS said that his character is painful... their circumstances is so painful and too much too bear!!!
my first reaction to the word 3 years later is O_O... again??!!!!....
but after the last scene (and your comment) it kinda make sense...

LOL at the gossip section, i only know this song because Tei sang it on New XMan....

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OK. I did not get this part...what the heck...
Why was Ji-wan's mother calling Kang-jin "Ji-young"?
What is going on???

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"Why was Ji-wan’s mother calling Kang-jin “Ji-young”?"

Because the trauma has caused the mom to now believe that Kang-jin is her dead son. Kang-jin has decided to pretend to be her long dead son for her sake.

Thus, why Goo Soo calls this part so painful.

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Thanks Java! Awesome recap as always! Your hard work is very much appreciated.

I am so torn at this point. With 5 episodes left I WANT my happy ending! I WANT the satisfying relief that comes with the main pairing finally overcoming all the road blocks, and living happily ever after as better people and a stronger couple. That is what I WANT! but I am truly doubting if it's possible. I don't think it is. I am half resigned to the harsh probability of seeing a cold but honest reality based "they tried, Gods know they tried everything, but it just CAN'T!" type of ending.

TWELVE YEARS!!!! Count 'em up! JW and KJ have put themselves through twelve years! of truly immeasurable pain. Death, guilt, separation, scheming, blackmail, parental affairs and demons, now living with a mad woman forcing them to act as brother and sister from the looks of things. REALLY?!? Watching this you have to say, at what point is enough, enough? At what point do they have to step back and say "we can not keep doing this to ourselves and eachother". Both have acknowledged that had it not been for the other coming first then they could have liked other people who apparently STILL care for them. KJ is practically there at the end before the time jump. When he does the voiceover saying he doesn't know why them at the mountain cabin making plans flashed into his head. To me, that signals the brink of revelation. I think that memory flashed because with the sudden onslaught of yet another hurdle, the subtext of THAT memory in THAT moment says, "we were so close, we were almost right there, and yet...". You can see that thought in his eyes, and it is truly heartbreaking and it makes me fall in love with GS for being able to so easily convey that despair.

This is the point of decision. Do we really want to see the wrapped in a bow, cookie-cutter ending that will literally against ALL!!! odds have them together in the end? Or, do we heave a heavy sigh and say good job, you did your best, now please find happiness where happiness has a chance of happening. Because again, how much more can they take before the love turns to resentment, then to hate, then to complete contempt of the day they entered each others lives, and they completely destroy one another. That may seem kind of harsh and intense but can anyone honestly say that they can't already see it happening just from the PREVIEW! In the preview alone you can tell that resentment is already settling in and it is sad, but honest.

We will see I guess. All I can say for sure is that this drama is seriously, emotionally exhausting just to watch. I love it, I hope it lasts but damn.

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damn i so agree with you i really wanted it to end at ep 10, but yeah so many things were left unsolved so well .... but my god what the heck is gonna happen now :O omg the ending really left me with shock. omg.

what a heck of an episode. This drama really is intense.

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I've said this on viikii earlier right after watching episode 11... and i'm saying it again...
this is the most UNPREDICTABLE drama i've seen so far....
each episode leaves me stunned...
several scenes make me feel like i'm lost in the bushes...
seriously, if this drama continues with its surprising twists and turns...i might lose my sanity or i might just get a heart attack!

WISFC - I really hope there won't be anymore time jumps. PLEASE. give us a satisfying ending. (praying) ;)

Thanks JB! as always... great recap. ^^

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i just noticed i misspelled my name ^^

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That was a really 'weird' episode, for lack of better word.
Cha Madame and Jun-su - urghh!

Go Soo the actor remains brilliant, but Kang-jin turns into a complete a-hole!

I think Kang-jin and Woo Jung make a nice couple right now, both annoyingly stubborn. One childishly selfish and the other overly self-righteous (yet destroys others, in a bid to do what's right for them) who are finally paying for their stubborness. Aigooo!
But Woo Jung, enjoy Kang-jin for a short while, he's ultimately Ji Wan's.

Ji Wan on the other hand, I'm totally rooting for her now. I enjoyed that hospital scene, seems she got her spunk back. No more awkward shyness or freezing up. W00t! Is that a sign of things to come?

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This drama is mind-boggling, disturbing and annoying. ...but I want to know what will be happened to all my drama characters. It is tiring since they will tortured for 7/8 of the drama and only given couple seconds of happiness....oh really I am a masochist to spend my time in this drama :(

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after reading the comments, does anybody dont want to know what happen to BooSan? lol.

kidding aside, thanks for the recap JB, that was fast :)

I really do hope this drama ends with our two leads together, because after all those separations they have to be, give them happiness, please

:)

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I probably shouldn't complain since I whine when dramas are predictable. But... good golly gravy! I think this drama has hit The Plot Crazy with pretending-to-amnesiac-mother-that-you're-the-son-you-indirectly-killed-and-the-brother-of-your-Epic-Love. I mean, I know Go Soo rocks heart-tugging-suffering, but do we really have to take the martyrdom to such crazy heights? And with that, I'm afraid I'm probably going to be checking out. Oh, I'll still continue to watch. Avidly, even. What I mean is I don't think I'm going to be emotionally invested anymore. Not that I was all that much invested to begin with. But my poor heart (and my poor brain) just can't ride the Crazy. So, it's a quick hop off the emotional bandwagon for me, and I'll continue to watch the train-wreck from a safe distance, thanks very much.

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In a way, I'm glad their happiness was a short-lived one, not in a sadist/masochist way, rather, that it indicates a happy ending to balance things out.
Also, two important characters dying already - Jun-su and Ji Yong, they have already filled this drama's quota of deaths. Killing anyone else off will be plain silly.

Saying that though, did they or did they not retrieve Ji-Yong's body from the river? Also, although it's guessible (that a word?) that Jun-su died in this episode, it could just be that he didn't?
There may be a chance these two characters return, who knows?

Also, Tae Joon, he is a very important character, not just because he's Ji Won's former love interest. As a third wheel he seems far more important than Woo Jung.
The fact that he has seen the pendant is one indicator, the other is that he is Kang Jin's nemesis. At one point earlier in the drama he admits ''I don't know why I hate Kang Jin but I do ...'' (something along those lines anyway).
Now that to me just smacks of sibling rivalry, hence I think the two are stepbrothers. They also shared some tender moments in episide 10, very bromance-y.

I can't wait already! :D

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I have seen too many -ve opinion about this ep... I'm glad that dramabeans give a more +ve opinion to this ep. I don't think this ep is as bad as some ppl thing. I do see the characters' relationship are in progress, but it might not as fast as ppl want them to be. =)

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Thanks DB for the recap.

I actually find the episode a bit crazy... I don't know. Crazy indeed but then I am sort of ok with the development. Now we should just pray hard that the logic is not going to be thrown out of the window completely!

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I like the twist. Am tired of old formula's.

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I haven't watched this episode yet. I'm on edge just wondering wth is going on? What happened during the time jump? What's going on?

I have also felt the same way as SerenityAlways, when the lovers keep going through so much turmoil. When do you stop and say, I can't do this anymore it hurts too much. ( I've felt this way with other dramas)

JB, loved your ending comments about the song.

Yes, I want a happy ending too, but ...............
No wonder Go Soo said this was more painful as the drama unfolded.

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OMG! I really don't like melodramas, they're killing me with pain. I can't breath for a while even after watching the episode. while watching A Love to Kill, I felt in teh same way.
just for Go Soo, I bare it!
Go Soo!!! u're driving me crazy day by day, goshh :P

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Okay....I'm back on track with this drama and I just found out that it will be airing here in Hawaii starting around the 26th! Guess I'll be checking it out from the beginning again!

Great job JB.....you're the reason I keep coming back to get a grounded perspective on the story!

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Instead of Ji-Wan's mom having amnesia, I think I have amnesia. This drama has kept me hooked by making me feel as if I have amnesia. White light...then...boom...where am I? What has happened in the last 8 years? Then in typical Korean melodrama fashion, I get hit with another amnesia, but only erasing a year. Just when I seem to have caught on to what's going on...whack!...3 years have gone by and I'm looking around thinking, where are we? What just happened. Now I must stick around to put the pieces back together.

But, I am glad they "sped" up all the weepy, angst, grief.

Thank you for the recap!!

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BTW, I should say that this is the LIGHTEST melodrama that Lee Kyung Hee has done in memory. (Provided they don't use suicide to finally keep Kang Jin and Ji Wan "together") I mean, sheesh, in the last show, the girl had AIDS!!

I'm almost inclined to treat WISC as a romantic comedy. ;)

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I am bowing out. I can't take anymore of HYS's cutesy ditzy act. Keep wishing it was Kim Hyun Joo. With just a sad glint in her eyes she could have brought out all the tenderness in me. Hello, Pasta!

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