Cinderella’s Sister: Episode 9
by javabeans
They will cut you with that stare. Back away slowly.
I’ll be honest and say I was not a fan of this episode, and it’s not because of what happens at the end. Oh, there was some stellar acting in it, as ever, and I don’t really have a problem with the angst levels. (There’s pointless angst, and then there’s angst that has earned its right to thwart your wishes for happiness because it has built up its tension sufficiently.) It’s not even about the lack of “magic” that characterized early episodes. But I’ll explain more below.
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EPISODE 9 RECAP
Eun-jo faces her very guilty-looking mother, who has just emerged from the cafe after buying Jang ajusshi off. Ignoring Kang-sook’s offer to explain, Eun-jo storms into the cafe, glaring at every man in the place. Jang ajusshi had the sense to duck away when seeing Eun-jo’s approach, so Kang-sook can breathe a sigh of relief and Eun-jo finds no trace of him.
Out in the stairwell, Jang counts his payoff and tells himself, “Yeah, this is how low you are,” as though to comfort himself for taking the money. He heads down to leave… which is when Kang-sook and Eun-jo step out of the cafe and run right into him.
Kang-sook had been able to regain her cool after Eun-jo saw that nobody was inside the cafe, but now her eyes widen in shock. What do you suppose the chances are that Eun-jo will believe this is a coincidence?
Voiceover gives us a look into Ki-hoon’s thoughts as he enters Eun-jo’s room tentatively and looks around. He notes that there are no pink curtains, no fancy lipsticks, no frills for this 26-year-old young woman. No sign either of a ridiculous doll he might be able to laugh at.
He thinks back to how she smiled while watching Jung-woo dancing goofily for her, and narrates in that dull, bleak voice: “I thought she didn’t know how to smile… awful girl.”
He goes back to the room he shares with Jung-woo and sees that it’s empty. He wonders, “Where has this guy gone? Is he off making that awful girl laugh?” Jung-woo’s knapsack falls when Ki-hoon sits down, and Ki-hoon sees the childish message scrawled on the baseball bat: “Song Eun-jo is Han Jung-woo’s woman forever.”
Hyo-sun comes in to see Ki-hoon’s gaze fixated on the bat on the ground, and she reads the message. Aside from the fact that this reveals Jung-woo’s feelings, there is also the realization that Jung-woo and Eun-jo must go back a long while if he knew her as a Song rather than a Gu.
Ki-hoon puts the bag back and walks out, silent.
At this memory of the past, Hyo-sun goes into her old trunk of her mother’s things. Inside is the letter she’d never delivered to Eun-jo, which reads differently than the words we’d seen before about Ushuaia. Ki-hoon narrates the contents for us while he thinks back to the day he boarded the train and left:
Ki-hoon’s letter: “Will you hold onto me? If you hold me, I can stop here. Before I get on the train, hold me back, Eun-jo.”
Believing she received the letter and ignored it, Ki-hoon thinks that even though he knew Eun-jo was tough, “I didn’t know she would so simply ignore my earnest request to hold me back.”
Eun-jo et al relocate to an outdoor pavilion to have this conversation. Isn’t it funny how, while in the throes of anger and/or passion, characters still always make the time to relocate to scenic environs?
Kang-sook tells Eun-jo it’s all over, which Jang ajusshi confirms. Eun-jo asks if they’ve been seeing each other this whole time, and it’s hardly any consolation at all when Jang clarifies that there were three years in the middle when they didn’t see each other. After all, that proves that even if Kang-sook were to end it with him today, she may just end up back with him later.
Kang-sook recognizes that Eun-jo won’t believe her no matter what she says, not that Eun-jo has any reason to trust her words. Eun-jo asks her mother if she would believe herself when every word that comes out of her mouth is a lie, questioning whether her mother even knows how to be sincere in anything.
Eun-jo accuses her mother of making a fool of Dae-sung and thinking she’d gotten away with it. Kang-sook retorts that she paid Jang ajusshi off to get him to leave — giving someone money to leave means that you’ve made a decision. At least in her world, where money is always the final word.
At that, Jang levels a stare at her and puts the envelope back in her hand, saying he’ll get lost without taking the money. Like he’s not going to accept this version of himself after all, like he’s better than that. He tells her, “However low I may be, I know what shame is.”
Kang-sook prepares Dae-sung’s hanyak (Oriental medicine) for him, as she has been diligently doing daily. She expresses her concerns like a dutiful wife, but Dae-sung’s reaction is contained, as though her confession about using him for money has made him unable to pretend it away.
Dae-sung is planning to work late, but Eun-jo takes her mother aside to tell her — request, even — to take him home, because there has been a problem with the factory and she doesn’t want to upset him. In fact, it would be best to take him away on a vacation and keep him away from phones, because he’s not supposed to receive any emotional shock in his condition.
The issue is with their rice supplier, which has suddenly decided it cannot sell to them anymore, as they have sold their rice elsewhere. The factory cannot just switch to a different brand, because their product is advertised as solely using organic rice from this particular region.
Eun-jo handles this situation in her usual manner, which is to say badly — her first reaction is to go on the offense and attack the rice company director for breaching the contract with their company. The director points out that they’d never made a contract so he has broken no agreement. He doesn’t answer their question of who bought the rice instead.
He dismisses this meeting, but Hyo-sun steps in to try using her only (known) marketable skill, which is to pour on the cute act. She reminds the ajusshi that she used to come by as a little girl, and he used to buy her candies. Won’t he take a little time to just have one drink with them?
I don’t mean to disparage Hyo-sun’s tactic, because it’s certainly more diplomatic and if anything she’s much better than Eun-jo at managing (some might call it manipulating) people. You catch more flies with honey, and such as.
Hyo-sun drinks makgulli with the director, who has enough wine to turn his nose bright red and ease his stiff demeanor. Once his mood has been softened, Hyo-sun asks whom he sold the rice to. We don’t hear the answer but our characters do, and Eun-jo wants to spring into action immediately.
Ki-hoon argues against it — even if they go to the buyer right now, she’ll probably be confrontational like she was with this director. Hyo-sun wakes up from the backseat — is the timing by chance, or by design? — to ask groggily, “Oppa, I did good today, didn’t I?” He tells her she did.
Ki-hoon says he’ll take Hyo-sun tomorrow to meet with the rice buyer, which means this hurts on two levels for Eun-jo — he’s overruling her decision and also indicating that Hyo-sun is the better facilitator. Eun-jo protests, but Ki-hoon tells her, “She’s much more capable than you. You can’t open people’s hearts.”
His words take on a personal meaning — he’s definitely not just talking about the rice company ajusshi now — as he adds that she can’t figure anything out. His voice has a bitter edge.
Angered, Eun-jo orders Ki-hoon to pull over, then gets out of the car to walk. And Ki-hoon just drives on.
A little part of me dies (the part of me that stubbornly clings to the Eun-jo/Ki-hoon romantic pairing) when he leaves her there, even as a part of me appreciates that a character who makes a big gesture like this is not coddled for it. As with Hyo-sun earlier, by driving on, he forces her to own up to her move. If Eun-jo feels the teeniest twinge of surprise or disappointment — and I’m pretty certain she does — she’s not being honest about the motivation driving her action. Perhaps she wants him to come after her, and to push past her barriers like he used to do. But back then, he hadn’t felt wounded by her, as he does now.
When she finally gets home, Ki-hoon is waiting in front of the gate, with one question to ask: “Back then, before I left this house, why didn’t you come to the train station? Did you not get my letter?” Eun-jo doesn’t betray her shock, and answers evenly, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
He furrows his brow: “I wrote a letter asking you to come to the train station and gave it to Hyo-sun to give you. Did she… not give it to you?” Eun-jo stares with gaze averted, almost like she’s lost in her thoughts. But she answers, “I got it.”
What in the WHAT now?
Ki-hoon asks her if she really did, wanting confirmation. Eun-jo replies coldly that she can’t remember if she ripped it up or burned it, acting like it was unimportant enough to forget. Now his voice betrays his hurt as he asks, “You read it and still didn’t come?”
Now she looks at him wearing a smirk. A big, hateful smirk.
Eun-jo tells him in that taunting voice not to act pathetic, which is a bit like kicking a wounded puppy when it’s down. Ki-hoon has just opened up to you after all this solo brooding — good lord it’s taken long enough — and right away you lie? But even though she strives to sound cool, she gets more and more heated as she yells that she has nothing to give of the past, so don’t beg.
We know she’s acting in self-preservation but Ki-hoon doesn’t, and when they retreat to their own rooms, both are feeling pain over the exchange. Eun-jo seems stunned with her own words, falling to the floor and sobbing to herself.
And see… this is where Eun-jo loses me. Oh, I get why she did this, on a logical level. I just really hate that she did, and that the drama writer is taking her character in this direction. More on this later.
In the morning, Eun-jo glares at Hyo-sun with new anger, now knowing that she interfered with Ki-hoon’s letter.
Kang-sook takes Dae-sung away for a vacation and keeps him from calling the factory, assuring him that the kids will handle it.
Eun-jo waits impatiently for word from Ki-hoon and Hyo-sun, who are meeting with the people who bought the rice. When the call finally comes, the news is not good: they can’t buy the rice back, because the buyer paid triple the price. There’s no way they can match that.
Hyo-sun wants to tell her father, as this has grown too big to handle behind his back. Eun-jo disagrees violently but loses this fight, so Dae-sung gets the bad news and decides to head back to the factory. There’s a nice moment when Kang-sook grabs his arm as they walk, and Dae-sung tells her she doesn’t have to because he doesn’t want to feel like a patient. She answers that she’s not doing it because he’s a patient; she’s doing it because she wants to. For the first time since his big disillusionment, Dae-sung lets out a small smile, pleased to hear this.
Jung-woo plays with Jun-su while casting worried looks Eun-jo’s way, as she seems ready to burst with the tension. He brings her honey tea, lapsing into his country accent and talking in his lightly teasing way to get her to drink it.
He accompanies her to the bank to inquire into taking out a loan. She is told that the answer will come by the following morning.
Jung-woo tells her to use his money, reminding her of his savings that he had given to her — he’ll take responsibility for her life. She smiles; he’s so cute, and also so simple. When I was in elementary school, I remember my mother worrying over finances, and I offered up my piggybank savings — ever-so-magnanimously! — as though that would solve the grown-ups’ problems. I think my mom laughed at me too.
Although they haven’t gotten the loan yet, Hyo-sun disagrees strongly with taking that route. Eun-jo points out that the scandal over the spoiled makgulli was a huge blow, and if they don’t recover now, it’ll be even more difficult for them to bounce back.
It’s an odd sensation to have Hyo-sun be the voice of reason, as she takes issue with Eun-jo acting unilaterally without telling anyone, and demands what’ll happen if they can’t pay back the loan.
Eun-jo is convinced that they can get back on their feet if they overcome this hurdle, but Hyo-sun asks how she can know that.
Eun-jo loses me a little more as she asks her sister snidely, “If I know the answer, how come you don’t? How can you not know?” What, is she psychic?
Eun-jo reminds Hyo-sun that her father’s name is on the line, and Hyo-sun bursts out, “Don’t act like you’re thinking of my father!” She tells Eun-jo not to invoke her father’s name like she knows better than Hyo-sun what it means. Don’t be a hypocrite. She should just be honest and admit that she’s trying to increase her own role in the company. And if not, then declare that it’s not.
Okay, so that accusation of Eun-jo leveraging her position is a little unfair. These ladies are making it mighty hard to choose sides, which I suppose is the point. But it’s a kdrama! I must have sides! How else will I know which one to wish fiery death by volcano upon?
In response to Hyo-sun’s charges, Eun-jo asks, “How can you know my feelings that well when I don’t even know them myself? What are you so afraid of that you keep telling me to reveal my inner thoughts?” Is she afraid Eun-jo will supplant her? Or is she afraid Eun-jo will take everything and leave nothing for her?
I don’t think she’s too far off from the truth — even if it’s not something Hyo-sun is willing to admit aloud, or even to herself — and Hyo-sun’s face takes on a defensive expression. Eun-jo declares that even if she were harboring secret intentions, she’d never reveal them to Hyo-sun, who is “childish and horrible.” Caustically, she adds, “The fact that I’m letting you off this easy is because you’re your father’s daughter.”
This whole argument has been heated, but Hyo-sun takes particular offense at this and ups the temperature even more. She grasps Eun-jo’s arm tightly and orders her to repeat herself. She’s childish and horrible?
Eun-jo bites out that she is — even thinking about the horrible consequences of that very childishness is enough to drive her crazy. Cryptic words belie untold truths here, and Hyo-sun demands to know what she’s referring to. Eun-jo asks Hyo-sun if she really wants to know, if it’s something she won’t regret, already smirking in anticipation of her reaction.
Eun-jo says, “His letter. Why did you hide it and not give it to me?” Hyo-sun swallows, the only hint that she understood the question. With barely contained contempt, Eun-jo continues, “It’s disgusting for me to even stand next to you, who have made me finally say these words, but the reason I’m letting it slide isn’t because of you, but because you are your father’s daughter.”
Eun-jo considers this the end to their little chat, but Hyo-sun’s not done yet and holds her back. Shrewdly, she asks, if Eun-jo is referring to hiding Ki-hoon’s letter as evidence of Hyo-sun’s “childishness,” then what exactly were those “horrible consequences”?
Hyo-sun and Eun-jo both know what the answer is — that her separation from Ki-hoon hurt her more than she wants to admit. Eun-jo would rather cut off an appendage than bare her soul to Hyo-sun, but can’t back down from this challenge. She starts to reply, “The first time that I ever, in my life…”
But that’s too earnest and Eun-jo lets fall a tear. She cuts herself off and says that it won’t change things now; she refuses to be “the main character in the story of step-sisters fighting over one man.” She adds, “I’ve stepped out of that story a long, long time ago. I won’t step back in.”
But now it’s her turn to grab Hyo-sun close, and Eun-jo taunts: “You’ll have to be careful. He seems like he hasn’t been able to forget me. Isn’t that interesting?”
Eek, shivers. This scene made me think that it must be challenging for these two actresses to fake hatred so well, or wonder if a tiny bit of their characters’ antipathy must inevitably seep into real life.
Ki-hoon reports to his father on the health of Dae-sung’s company, deeming it likely to spring back soon. He explains that there is an employee, Eun-jo, who is working on developing a new type of yeast, and as she is determined and smart, it will only be a matter of time before she succeeds. That yeast will be a crucial part of the company, and they must claim that as well.
The one sign that Ki-hoon isn’t as heartless about his takeover as he might otherwise appear is in how he loses himself in thought when talking about Eun-jo, letting out a bitter comment about how she’s so persistent.
He asks his father to find out who bought up the rice, and asks him to fund loans to the company, “Since it’s ours anyway.”
(He’s a double agent, for sure — but for which side? If only he would TALK MORE.)
With his father’s loan (offered through a bank, so the Gu family doesn’t know it’s coming from Hong Ju), Dae-sung is able to purchase the rice and production resumes. The family sighs in relief for the moment.
(Re: the above screencap: I give Hyo-sun full credit for loving her father genuinely, but I don’t think that precludes her from knowing that it can also be a tool to use against Eun-jo. She wields Dae-sung’s love like a weapon.)
Eun-jo wants to hurry back to her lab, but Dae-sung asks her to eat with them. She declines, so Hyo-sun asks her in a sweet voice, keeping up the ruse that they get along for Dae-sun’s benefit.
Under their breaths, however, they mutter to each other. Hyo-sun glares, saying that she won’t stand to see her father being hurt if Eun-jo goes off like this: “I won’t let you go. Eat and go, you bitch.”
(Language note: Ki-hoon often calls Eun-jo “나쁜 계집애” which I have been translating as “you awful girl.” Given his intonation and context, he means it half-bitterly, half-affectionately, so it doesn’t have much sting. Hyo-sun uses the same term here but with spite, which elevates the slur from a mere “awful girl” to “bitch.” In Korean, some words can be turned into swears by their context, and this is one case.)
Dae-sung is in a good mood at lunch, drinking freely. Eun-jo tells him to stop drinking and takes the cup from him, then invites Hyo-sun to drink. She makes the offer with the air of a challenge, and Hyo-sun drinks, then pours a cup for Eun-jo in return. They go back and forth, and the exchange fills the air with tension, particularly when Hyo-sun instructs Ki-hoon to take her father home; she’s got some drinking to do with sister dearest.
Ki-hoon reminds Hyo-sun that Eun-jo can’t drink much, and if anything is likely to goad Eun-jo on, it’s sympathy (over a perceived weakness, to boot).
Some time later, both sisters are drunk. Hyo-sun asks, “Won’t you leave our house?” Her tone is plaintive rather than angry, and Hyo-sun says things like “I hate you to death” in the voice of a child who is upset not to have gotten her way. Eun-jo reminds her that she used to say she liked her to death, and followed her around, which Hyo-sun denies.
Hyo-sun asks again, seriously, for Eun-jo to leave, offering up her old apartment in Seoul. Eun-jo could get a job anywhere with her skills, and if not, Hyo-sun can even send her money. She finds the sight of Eun-jo’s face horrible, which is a sentiment Eun-jo returns.
But Eun-jo says no. Did she just think she’d agree? It was Hyo-sun who wanted to get this sister showdown going and see who won — does she suddenly feel like she’s going to lose? Eun-jo warns, “If you keep this up, I’m really going to steal everything from you.” She’ll take the company, her father, and “him.”
Hyo-sun says, “That was the truth from the beginning.” (Like Eun-jo wanted to prove that Teenage Hyo-sun was no sweetheart, Hyo-sun wants to prove that Adult Eun-jo isn’t a hardworking darling.)
Hyo-sun calls her Song Eun-jo, but Eun-jo corrects her — she’s a Gu now. She adds that even if her last name isn’t a big deal, the fact that Hyo-sun keeps picking at those things makes her want to retort, “Oh, yeah? Then shall I see how much I really CAN take from you?”
They both stagger out of the restaurant in little drunken zigzags, which is mildly hilarious. Even though she’s drunk (or perhaps because of it), Hyo-sun follows her big sis. Old habits die hard. The pair look like two whirly tops making their dizzy way across the floor, all the way to the laboratory.
Hyo-sun passes first, slumping on the floor. Eun-jo tries to pull her off the ground, but falls over and ends up passing out on her sister’s shoulder.
By nighttime, Dae-sung is worried to death about the missing girls and orders the boys to find them. A phone call from Japan spins his worries in another direction, however, with puzzling and unfortunate news: The boat carrying their makgulli shipment to Japan arrived, but somehow their product has not.
Ki-hoon is about to check with the Japanese office, but Dae-sung tells him that there is no such office. He reels from the shock.
It turns out all their business documents were faked. Ki-hoon suspects his father, but President Hong tells him that it was Ki-jung. Hong hadn’t known about it, and has just found out the truth himself.
So Ki-hoon calls Big Bro, asking if that’s how badly he wanted to have the company. He didn’t think Hong Ju would stoop this low — this is cheap back-alley stuff.
And just as he levels these charges against him, he becomes aware of a presence in the room. Dae-sung stands behind him, having heard the whole thing.
Dae-sung asks, angry in his quietly dignified way, “This is your family’s doing?”
Ki-hoon had hung up the call when realizing Dae-sung’s presence, and now the phone rings. Dae-sung picks up to hear Ki-jung launching into a diatribe against his brother, acknowledging that Ki-hoon one-upped him with the rice deal, using Dad’s money to buy it back. He concedes one round to his father and brother, but warns that Ki-hoon had better not relax — how long does he think he can hold out?
Ki-hoon has been standing stock-still during this call, as though awaiting Dae-sung’s judgment. And when it comes, it’s harsher than he was hoping for. Dae-sung says, with difficulty, “How could you do this to me?”
Ki-hoon is stricken to have Dae-sung believe the worst of him — however true the imputation, he never meant it in this way, and perhaps he had convinced himself that his motives were pure and therefore his takeover scheme justified.
But he doesn’t get a chance to defend himself, as Dae-sung collapses.
Jung-woo races to the lab, where he rouses the two sleeping sisters. They run to the hospital, arriving just behind Kang-sook. Ki-hoon has been there from the start, but he feels so wretched that he just stands in the back, numb with shock.
The doctor confirms Dae-sung’s death, but Kang-sook does not accept this and calls out to her husband, preventing the doctor from drawing up the bedsheet to cover his face.
Not getting a response, Kang-sook directs Hyo-sun to shake him, to “make him not sleep.”
Trembling, Hyo-sun calls out to her father. At first tentative, her cries grow heartbroken as she realizes that he’s not going to wake.
Eun-jo stands in shock, recalling all the moments Dae-sung reached out to her, and how he had asked her to call him Dad.
When Hyo-sun breaks down over her father’s body, Kang-sook tries to pull her away from the body. Still in denial, she tells her to be quiet, like Hyo-sun’s grief makes this real. But as she screams for quiet, the truth starts to sink in with her, too.
Jung-woo puts a consoling arm on Eun-jo’s shoulder, but she hardly even notices.
All the while, Ki-hoon watches, frozen in guilt, with his face half-obscured by the wall like he wants to go hide but can’t pull himself away, either. He narrates in a desolate voice:
Ki-hoon’s narration: “I did this. In one morning, I stole away the father of those beautiful girls. I swear to god, I didn’t mean to do this.”
Numbly, Eun-jo turns and walks away. She walks down the darkened stairwell, where she sinks onto a step and starts to cry. Thinking of how Dae-sung had asked her to call him “abeoji” (father), she starts to sob, trying to utter those words that come so easily to Hyo-sun, “A… a…”
COMMENTS
Ever since Hyo-sun started with the voiceovers, I’d been expecting them from the other characters. The fact that they waited till now to give us Ki-hoon’s side of the narrative coin shows a confidence in their pacing — it’s a slow burn, not a race to the finish, which suits this drama. I just hope they’ve got enough left in the tank to make it to the end.
I fear I may be in the minority, but I’ll voice this unpopular opinion:
I am starting to not like any of these characters, except for perhaps Jung-woo, but that’s not really a sterling recommendation since he is so shallowly written as to be necessarily benign. There are aspects I like about everyone, but I need more to go on in order to counter the nastiness that is emerging. The strife does spice things up, but it becomes problematic when the characters’ flaws create frustrating narrative obstacles that are, in my opinion, frustrating for the sake of being frustrating.
Example? Eun-jo lying about never getting Ki-hoon’s letter.
Yes, I can see why she lied. I can even offer a half-convincing argument defending her choice, because she was so pained by the loss of Ki-hoon eight years ago that she cannot bear to re-open that wound. That’s not too far off from her typical M.O., which is to cut her losses and run. Better to cauterize that sucker and walk around with a huge scar than to risk greater injury, even if that way lies potential happiness. In her world, the odds aren’t in her favor anyway and she doesn’t know she’s the heroine of the story so she’s better off, right? Her reaction after she retreats to the safety of her room is one of shock — like the news is just sinking in. This suggests that she’d tossed out her cruel words in a numbed daze, throwing up all of her defenses hurriedly without letting the hurt have a chance to seep in or reveal itself.
So yes, I get it. Still, I’m tired of it. Eun-jo’s traumas have been excellently portrayed by Moon Geun-young, who has done as much as she can to sympathize the character. But her constant pride and anger are starting to make her — dare I say? — predictable. And with predictable comes boring. At some point you sorta want to tell a person that a miserable past is too bad and all, but when are you going to suck it up and move on? You know how it’s tiresome to listen that guy who’s been burned by a girl announcing that all girls are therefore evil/bitches/slut-ho’s? One bad person — or two, or three — doesn’t poison all of mankind. I know, I know, Kang-sook is a toxic presence and Hyo-sun’s a brat, and it’s haaaard, wah wah.
This doesn’t mean I dislike the drama. I just find it perplexing to watch at this point because I have nobody to root for, nobody to hope gets his/her act together.
I can see how some viewers may consider this ambiguity a positive thing, but on some basic level I need to find my characters relatable and/or enjoyable. One or the other will suffice, though both is preferable. This is a good drama, but it’s still a drama with a conventional storytelling format, and that necessitates protagonist-antagonist conflict. When it’s just antagonist-antagonist, it gets a bit painful to watch and I start to check out.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not jumping off this train. But if things continue in this vein, I’ll be watching Cinderella’s Sister for the entertainment value and virtuoso acting, but not so much for the heart-tugging emotion. Dae-sung’s death left me cold, and if I couldn’t cry at HIS death, then what hope have I for the rest of the much-less-likable cast? (Of course, this could be because his death was spoiled multiple times in the comments of the previous recap, which does tend to suck all the fun out of a big event.)
(I can’t wait to see if girlfriday disagrees with me! THAT ought to make for an interesting recapping one-two punch, eh?)
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Tags: Chun Jung-myung, Cinderella's Sister, Kim Gab-soo, Lee Mi-sook, Moon Geun-young, Seo Woo, Taecyeon
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51 mookie
May 3, 2010 at 3:15 PM
I sympathize w/ EJ more w/ this ep. First of all rather than me being able to root for characters, I'd rather see them portrayed in a very real/convincing way. I do not have to like them, I just have to understand/empathize where they r coming fr. I still want to know MUCH more of KH and I'm not satisfied w/ his 'entitlement' of EJ's feelings or that 8 yrs. But other than that, nth much is aggravating me.
I honestly do not see what she said as self preservation, I compared this exchange w/ the 1 in end of ep5, and clearly she lost herself at the end of this one, and if the letter and KH has meant nth much to her, what gives? whereas she's able to stay cold in the act w/ her response to his repeated 'EJ-ya'. I dont see that pouring guts fr KH in ep5 any less shocking to EJ than this 1, but we have a diff outburst fr her. I've never thought of EJ's actions having anything much to do w/ her pride alone. Same w/ my opinion of her subsequent reaction in her room as being stunned by her own words, if she was and at least the delusional me clearly thought EJ and KH still have mad feelings towards each other, I would see disgust and much more pain and anger at herself, instead of being taking over by emotions as I saw in MGY.... it's more an outburst of she's FINALLY got a closure, I saw her more moved and shook to the core as to mulling over her own words... what I saw in MGY's face in that subsequent scene is almost hearing herself repeating a broken record in her head, 'he had a letter for me, he asked me to make him stay...he still loves me....'
I just do not see how she can be that controlled all things considered w/o a major concern of HS in that following tete a tete btn the sister...if she's still able to give HS whatever respect by emphasizing time and time again in the heat of things because she's her dad's daughter, and more pointedly she'll ONLY be her dad's daughter fr now on, EJ must've regarded HS way more than that before she found out the 'awful' truth of the letter.
And even if she's just reacting in ugly spite towards KH, I cant blame her. I still vividly rem that scathing shit he hit her w/ in the wine cellar in 8, it's fresh and raw, and that preachy convo in car prior (and driving her off while she's clearly pissed...) I cant fault a girl being a bitch when called for.
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52 kaedejun
May 3, 2010 at 3:21 PM
i must be in the minority of minorities here because i have not watched this drama and basing all my impressions on the recaps:
first off - i'm amazed that "prince charming" is the one who kills their dad, albeit indirectly. that has got to hurt when they learn of his betrayal - whether he goes through with it or not
secondly - i too can't understand Eun Jo's actions in this episode. what annoys me about this drama (which has not encouraged me to watch it) is how hateful she is. in the beginning it made sense why she's so resentful - she had an instant family thanks to her mother's manipulation. however, i thought that jung woo's presence was going to help her soften up - and yet, eun jo remains SO defensive and hates on hyo sun and ki hoon.
and i don't understand why both sisters find the need to find fault in each other. actually, i can sort of understand hyo sun - it's almost like she's been programmed to be this way thanks to eun jo's behavior. however - after all this time, and being accepted into the family i don't know why eun jo wants to find fault in hyo sun (the one who believes in her) and doesn't do as much with her mother (who can be seen as the real wrongdoer in manipulating feelings of the household). the entire drinking scene sounded so aggravating for me because i can't see why they'd hate each other so much. AND if eun jo wants to find fault in hyo sun - THEN WHY DID SHE LIE ABOUT THE LETTER?! it doesn't really make sense to want to protect hyo sun if she hates her to the core for hiding it. for someone who's intent on hating, it makes no sense to tell a lie to kihoon to subconsciously protect hyo sun. i think she lied just because she knew that it would hurt ki hoon first - and it would get him off her back.
when she was mad at kihoon for choosing to bring hyo sun to the meeting over her, it's not just that she wants his approval more, but it's also a competition thing - she wants to be the one on top in general in everyone's eyes.
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53 mookie
May 3, 2010 at 3:24 PM
^ but the thing is she DOESNT hate HS to the core, and she wants to protect HS in her EJ way ....and THUS y she wanna lie about the letter.
We can accuse EJ of many flaws, but the last would be she's thinking of her own gains and being competitive of petty stuff. I actually wished very much she can think more for herself
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54 alicy
May 3, 2010 at 3:25 PM
i was hoping for her to settle everything when he asked her about the letter, but like you said, the pain and understanding didn't seep in until the room scene. She was angry at him before that so in no way was her fried brain ready to take another blow from eight years ago.
you don't like any of the characters? that's a shame because these characters are realistic to the core being weaved in love, pain, betrayal. isn't it a good thing you don't like any of the characters? The complex characters are making it hard to pick sides because there's no protagonist/antagonist up until this point.
more than anything, i'm excited for future episodes and see how the writers tied those loose ends.
Predictable? Oh no..I don't think that's an element in this drama, not even for Eun Jo...like you would've never guessed that the writer would've her said she received the letter...I was like WHOA when she said it.
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55 ernie
May 3, 2010 at 3:26 PM
@kaedejun:
Ehh, personally, I feel like you should watch the drama. You get a lot more from watching things than the recaps- not that the recaps aren't amazing, but there are small little minor details that aren't expressed in words.
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56 koreangirl111
May 3, 2010 at 3:27 PM
I agree with you on some points, javabeans. The angst is getting a little too much for me especially as it seems that the characters are not developing and I didn't really know what Eunjo thought of Hyosun, but thank god ep 10 changed all that. I sort of agree with you on the letter thing, but when I think about it, I can't see her doing anything else. What would have been a lot better was if Hyosun was there too. Now that would have been interesting. But unfortunately, the writer is pushing things in directions that fit with the character but also have no development. However, the actors/actresses are acting really really well (except for the main guy Ki hoon, I can't really relate with his character. It was waaaaayy better earlier when I could just melt in his smiles.) By the way javabeans, do you really read all the comments?
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57 dokutokunaneko
May 3, 2010 at 3:39 PM
Either I'm very impressionable or you are extremely convincing. I feel more for EJ in the next ep (of which I also skipped a lot because I was a coward and didn't want to see the Cinderella plot play out after the death of the dad), but for this ep, I agree with you: we have no one to root for. I was trying to figure out why it was so hard to like this ep, and you gave me the answer.
If we think about it, EJ runs in the very same path all kdrama heroines run before (except she's an anti--heroine of sort). They have too much "pride" and lie and hurt themselves for nothing. With EJ it's even more severe because she's so concerned with protecting herself from others, emotionally.And Kihoon is so silly: revenge what?? on top of that, biting the hand that fed you! Hyosun is the most transparent character here, very relateable, very human - I'd say we're bound to act like her if we were spoiled as a kid and if we're jealous and weak (at least she's not the In-hee (Personal Taste) kind of evil, cos' that's just psychopathological). But then again we as viewers do not WANT to relate to her because it means we're looking at the weak/not very pretty side of ourselves.
Daesung's death was sort of a kick to the narrative to accelerate the plot, but now we're left with 3 very difficult to understand or relate to people and a nice guy who's adorable but also whose fate we don't care that much about.
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58 soulbee
May 3, 2010 at 3:45 PM
hey guys, I was wondering, do you think there's even a slight possibility that kihoon and eunjo will get together at the end ?
If they got together with anyone else, wouldn't the story be pointless? Why get us all excited during the first few episodes? If hyosun and kihoon get together, hyosun would never really have a happy life, because kihoon doesn't really love her , and she isn't naive enough to think otherwise-- and the story won't make sense if cinderella doesn't get her "happily ever after."
And I don't think eunjo will get together with jungwoo. I don't think she wants to be like her mother, being in a relationship where she doesn't actually like the guy
But, how will they get together?? Especially since kihoon basically killed daesung? I don't see how they can still get together after that..
PERHAPS!!!
They will both get a disease and get a limited amount of time to live! then they both skip off to urshaia (LOL I don't remember the name) and die after making up and making out xDDD
Ohkaaay, totally unlikely because that leaves stepmommy and hyosun together... And it'll be totally awkward..
Orr PERHAPS!
Kihoon and eunjo will get together at the end and hyosun will end up with the dork with glasses, who met her that one night-- one of her suitors
And then jungwoo... Will become a famous baseball player!!!
But then, the ending would be too happy and end on an awkward note, like WISFC and autumn's concerto :O
Well... What do you guys think ? sorry for my randomness and weirdness, I think I turned insane, with all those exams and such x)
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59 Lisa
May 3, 2010 at 3:46 PM
I'm frustrated with all of the characters except Jung Woo, but he's totally forgettable to me - he's just there. The magic that made me obsessed with the earlier episodes is gone, but the drama is still good.
I felt like the past few episodes were just full of glaring, some tears, and even more glaring. The characters seriously need to stop with the staring contests - do something!
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60 twinkie
May 3, 2010 at 3:47 PM
I definitely agree with you that this drama is at episode 9 and its reached its peak point. It's time to bring the characters to life more not drag on the misery sorrow part. Honestly who wants to watch a drama thats all about angst and kind of from a pessimistic perspective? I'll still watch the drama until the end, but I hope that they will take this week on episodes 11 and 12 to really turn around the characters a bit and show more then one sided personalities. I guess only time will tell.
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61 Barbara
May 3, 2010 at 3:48 PM
Why did Eunjo lie?
First reaction: To cover Hyo Sun's behind.
After thought: Since the day Ki Hoon returned back, Eun Jo has kept a guard up against him and majority of their conversations wind up with her opposing him.
Go back to the end of episode 5 and the beginning of episode 6, where they established the first legit conversation with him calling out her name. She set him straight telling him: “Whoever you were, however you laughed, whatever your name was, none of it matters now. Less than dust, less than a bug, you’re nothing to me now. Call my name or laugh, just try it. Then I’ll just…kill you.”
If she had told the truth, wouldn't telling the truth contradict her threat? Think about her reasoning for waiting when she spoke to Daesung, the viewer believes it's for Ki Hoon, but she responds because of Daesung's promise. She's a free woman now, the only one stopping her from leaving is her mom and Daesung, and possibly Ki Hoon if she hadn't lied.
In the end, Eunjo carries too much on her shoulder and to add a man in the mix will probably break her last jar.
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62 Debbie
May 3, 2010 at 3:50 PM
@JB,
I've watched both episodes 9 and 10 and after watching them both, I just decided I'm not invested in this drama anymore and I couldn't explain why. I really liked it in the beginning when not everyone was so depressed and moody. I actually like the humor in the beginning of this drama. I couldn't pinpoint the reason why I was starting to not like it as much but I think you hit the nail on the head. I can't root for ANYONE in this dramas. Everyone is so screwed up. And as the drama progresses, I feel I'm more drawn towards Personal Taste, which is much more fun, funny and the chemistry is great between LMH and SYJ, than this. I'll probably continue to watch it but I won't be waiting by my computer every wed and thursday to see if anyone has uploaded it onto youtube, viikii, etc.
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63 Quynh
May 3, 2010 at 3:54 PM
completely agree with you JB....the hate act coming from eun-jo is just getting annoying and when ki hoon finally shows the cracks of his armor and she goes and crush him...in previous episodes when she acted like a bitch i understood that...and i understand this too but it's a bit too much
and the hyo-sun character...her efforts to math eun-jo's bitchiness is just as annoying...
i also agree that the angst is way overboard now.
i'm probably not going to watch anymore but just read recaps. kudos still to the actors/actresses...great performances as always but scriptwriters need to come up with something new.
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64 mynameisloopy
May 3, 2010 at 3:55 PM
OMG JB IT'S LIKE WE HAVE ESP OR SOMETHING.
I don't have to say anything cos you've already said it all. And I wish for a tear-free episode. Though that'll probably only happen when pigs grow wings and fly off into the sky.
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65 dancingstarlet
May 3, 2010 at 4:01 PM
So this is a sign that Taec isn't doing as badly as expected given the past bad singer-actor transitions? haha. What do you guys think of him?
I agree with girlfriday's past recap. Daesung SHOULD have died before and the fact that he dies now is ridicuous to me. But, even with my blabbering, I willl definitely keep watching Cinderella's Sister. :) Can't be totally perfect can it?
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66 emeldy 'currently obsessed with CS'
May 3, 2010 at 4:04 PM
OMG Javabeans... This is the first time i have seen so many Opposition Party of yours. I have been loyal followers of yours for 1 more than a year. I am sorry Javabeans, this time, I don't agree with you even one bit.
I am really enjoying this Drama. One of the Best Drama i have seen so far. Javabeans i get you point when you said that, this drama is wearing you out when you don't have anyone to root for. They are all so Flawed except for JW ofcourse. As for me, i have not reached a point where i can take JH seriously though.
Contrary to you, that's actually the Reason I find this drama so appealing. I am crying along with all the characters. I pity all the characters. I am rooting for all of them. I have reached a point where i have no hope KH and EJ ending together. I am actually okay with that. I am a sucker for Romance and i watch Drama for that sole reason. For the first time i my K drama history, i am least bothered about the Romantic angle despite the fact that, i am yearning and hoping KH and EJ end together. And at this rate i don't see it happening. And i am totally okay with that.
Like many others, i love the unpredictability factor. And reading CS Forum is total Fun. I know i will end up reading all the Comments here as well .....
As for the "Letter" , after watching Episode 9, like many other i strongly believe EJ lied about the Letters for HS's sake. We have seen her protecting HS when he dare KH if he hurts HS, she will kill him. And EJ repeated said " cause you are your Father's daughter". For me enough reason to answer "Why EJ lied about the letter ? ".
BTW Javabeans, ironically i kinda enjoy disagreeing with you for once.
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67 whattt
May 3, 2010 at 4:15 PM
thank you jb and gf for all your hard work! unlike others, i'm still addicted to cinderella's sister and cant' wait to see more!
i just have a question thats kind of random, sorry. It's concerning the MV; will any of the scenes actually happen? I saw it and I was waiting for the scenes to come up, but they never did.
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68 whattt
May 3, 2010 at 4:17 PM
oh and @emeldy, i could not agree with you more!
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69 elly
May 3, 2010 at 4:18 PM
I agree with you, javabeans, that EunJo isn't trying to protect HyoSun because although she has a debt to the house, she is repaying it to Daesung alone. Though HyoSun is her "father's daughter," it doesn't mean she receives anything from EunJo.
I think she pretends as if she got the letter because she's been pretending to hate him all of this time only to find out there is no basis for that hatred and if she backs off, if she forgives him and acknowledges her misunderstanding, she would lose face. She pretends out of self-preservation, because to admit a mistake would be to show weakness.
The part where EunJo tells KiHoon she'd kill him by her own hands if he hurt HyoSun evidences the point I'm trying to make: she's not saying that out of concern for HyoSun, but rather as a challenge to KiHoon, like: you made your decision and chose HyoSun, now you have to live with the consequences.
This episode was a little static compared to previous episodes, as you said, but I think it was a necessary episode as the plot developments were so extreme that they deserved to stand alone. At least, I hope that's where this is going.
Either way, I'm still going to watch this drama. It really is one of my favorites because even with a conventional story line and character relationships (as in lead girl, lead guy, second "evil" girl and second "perfect" guy), it has one of the tightest scripts (though I'm wondering if or when the hairpin will make a reappearance) and a lot of potential for greatness.
Thanks, as always, for your wonderful recaps. And wow this comment is WAY longer than I had intended. And I typed it all on my blackberry curve haha.
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70 KDramaminions
May 3, 2010 at 4:19 PM
i actually disagree with you on the fact that based on the conventional drama, we need to root for a character. My point is that the portrait of these characters is so real that we cannot define the fine line between the good and the bad. I think that's what this drama different from the other old drama. There is a real-human part in these characters. Although the death of Dae sung is predictable, I think it is necessary to have it at this episode so that our characters have the chance to grow up. Right now, each of these characters are not clearly showing that they are different from the old teenager of eight years ago. Eun Jo is still stubborn and Hyo Sun is still childish.
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71 lals
May 3, 2010 at 4:23 PM
JB, I'll join you in the minority and say that EJ wasn't lying about the letter to protect HS. She may have threatened to kill KH if he hurt HS, but I don't think that was what she was thinking as the lie was coming out of her mouth.
Here's my take on things.
Speaking as someone who can relate to EJ to the point that it almost scares me, I think that she lied because it was easier to perpetuate her claim to not care about KH (remember when she made a huge deal about forgetting people once they walked out of her life?) than to admit that she was lying that first time. It's almost like what she accuses her mother of doing--lying, then lying about that lie to cover it up. It's a self-defense mechanism for her. EJ just can't bring herself to admit to KH that he mattered to her, or it would make her earlier pretense entirely useless. She's trying to protect herself by pretending that yes, she was callous enough to ignore his pleas to come after her. To EJ, admitting that SHE wasn't the one making the decision to cut off their relationship would only open her up to the chance that she could be hurt again. It's like what JB said: better to cauterize the wound and let it be than to risk being hurt again.
That said, I also agree that CS is becoming a little too predictable...it's done a nice job of rounding out all the characters (with the exception of Jung-woo, but that's forgiven because he's adorable), but it hasn't DEVELOPED them fully yet--nobody's changed. Nobody's learning from past mistakes. I'm looking forward to some actual character development in the next few episodes. Let's see these people actually move on with their lives!
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72 yenthi
May 3, 2010 at 4:26 PM
I will still be watching, hoping that these past eps are just little stumbling blocks or those eps of fatigue that dramas get. I'm just still mesmerized by MGY and will watch just for her! The end of episode 10 really made her talent shine.
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73 Needaname
May 3, 2010 at 4:27 PM
While I love this drama and still love EJ, I have to agree the angst and dark mood in the last episodes are just dragging. Yes, we get it, everyone is hurt and lost in his/her own misery, so yes, can we please move on...
I do feel some of the conflict is forced and there is no reason things could not be solved simply. I really did not like the plot about the letter in the first place. As EJ said it, such a stupid, childish act, and I will say "stupid, childish plot" is at the source of so much pain. And now, they still drag it by her lying. Do they really need to prolong this silly misunderstanding??? There are now more important obstacles to a happy ending (KH's and EJ's guilt, KS's true colors emerging, the Hongs...), do we still need the re-emergence of that letter in the future (the truth) and will it really solve the lovers' problems then? I just don't see why it's being dragged, they could have resolved this misunderstanding as other conflicts are forming anyway. Childish indeed.
What I really liked about the young EJ was that even though she was rude, she was honest in her rudeness. She told it like it was. She may have come across mean, but she wasn't mean intentionally. The only time she lied was when she could not contain her jealousy, a feeling she could not understand, and told HS the flowers were for her (which ended up not being a lie after all).
The older EJ, trying to "protect" everyone and herself is more deceitful, she says things she may not mean just to make a point. I too think she lied about the letter for HS, because she is Daesung's daughter as she said, but also because she does care about her. Her first response to KH was the honest one "what are you talking about", then when he mentioned HS, she lied, because she protects her "family", she did say previously that she has a lot of debt to the household and would kill anyone who harms it. She does realize what KH is to HS and does not want to harm that.
I think it's interesting that people say she is arrogant or has too much pride. I don't think she is trying to show off at all, she can't help it if she's smart. And I don't think she does things out of pride, but more because she feels indebted and always in need to repay that debt. Working on yeast is not for her pride but to repay her debt, to save her from having to stay and owe more. She doesn't care to be the one to save the factory, she just wants it to be saved, unlike HS who sees it as a competition. So I don't think she lied to save her pride or to protect her heart. She's still in debt, she feels guilty for "taking" so I think in the end, once she saves the factory, she will "return" everything, pay her debt, and finally be able to leave.
Oh, and that scene when KH goes to her room, no lipstick, no dolls, if that's what he wants, she's next door! It's like, there's a reason why people are the way they are, and why you like them for that no?
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74 nabi
May 3, 2010 at 4:30 PM
I agree with you JB. I hate it when the story gets "frustrating for the sake of being frustrating" and this drama's doing just that. I find none of the characters likable or relatable. I'm going to continue to watch it just for CJM (desperately hoping both his acting and character improve -_- as the show goes on) but boy is this show painful to watch.
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75 who is
May 3, 2010 at 4:38 PM
I agree with the predicable/"boring" evaluation of eun-jo's character. She's definitely layered, complex, and everything and totally awesome. But what I was so excited about the opening episode of "8 years later" is that we saw her being able to interact with society like a normal human being. Seemed like she knew how to handle people - which equates to growth and development. But lately, in recent episodes, it seems like she reverted back to her teenage self. Lashing out in seemingly cool and reserved knife throwing words, and acting on impulse.
Hyosun, on the other hand, we can see her changing. We see her from a sweet, naive little girl slowly becoming this calculating, manipulative sister. She's in this mid stage where we find her interesting because of this change. it's intriguing. I can see Ki-hoon changing very soon, after the whole Dae-sung thing. That's gotta be life changing right? I can see Kang-sook changing, with Eunjo's confrontation last episode, and Daesung's death.
I'm just waiting for Eun jo's transformation, and waiting for that transformation to be seen and recognized by people around her. I wouldn't want to watch Eun Jo to be perceived as the only static, stubborn character of the entire show for 20 episodes. Because she has changed, but only internally, as she desperately wants to retain her outer attitude as much as possible. That's why I absolutely loved it when she started to cry when she was having her show down with Hyo Sun.
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76 cille
May 3, 2010 at 4:45 PM
@ #61 barbara - i agree with your comment.
eun jo reacts first before she's had the time to process her thoughts specially when dealing with ki hoon and hyo sun. i feel that EJ does care about them in her own way, but for her to put it into action is just hard. i definitely know people in real life like her, it's like in their DNA to be antagonist all the time! with people like EJ, it's not about time - they have it in themselves to change, but i feel only when faced with traumatic experiences or something big (in this case the father's death) might be able to change. i know we're only halfway through this drama, so EJ has a lot of time yet to make changes in her outlook and actions. well, here's hoping anyway that she will change. same goes for the other characters (KH & HS), i want to believe that the other half of the drama we'll see their characters delving into territories unknown.
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77 mimi
May 3, 2010 at 4:48 PM
I agree w/ Javabeans about EunJo lying about the letter. It was such a let-down for me b/c we waited hours and hours for THE LETTER conversation to come up. But when it finally did, the writers buried it again --not once, with EunJo lying to Ki-Hoon, but a 2nd time when HyoSun never fessed up nor EunJo really confront Hyosun about it. I found it all so anti-climatic, like a deflated balloon!!
At least give us a juicy argument where all the bottled up emotions come up and most importantly - THE TRUTH about who lied, hid something, loved someone, etc. Let some of the TRUTH come out, writers!!!
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78 jamieguo
May 3, 2010 at 4:51 PM
I have to agree with the majority of opinions that Eun-Jo lied about the letter to protect Hyo-Sun. Remember how Eun-Jo helped Hyo-Sun in the teenage years with her crush who never called her. She has on a number of occasions displayed a protective instinct of HS and that she has some regard for her. She's also not the type who'll go around badmouthing someone without a good reason.
Depending on how things go, I can understand how people's feelings can change about this drama, I personally don't like HS and am a EJ fan all the way, but that might change in later episodes. But I did have moments of empathy even with HS in the next episode. I like that this drama challenges it, but I do want to continue rooting for Eun-Jo and hope I can.
Yeah, I was expecting DS's death, so it wasn't that traumatic. I think the next episode is more traumatic actually and even made me tearful.
@ 52 kaedejun, I think you really, really have to watch it to understand because its the acting that makes all the difference.
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79 Tha
May 3, 2010 at 4:51 PM
I disagree. I think the characters are even more complexed than ever! I'm loving every moment of this series!!! And I think because of the complexity of the characters, there's still more to come, more to be revealed to us. Thats what I'm hoping for!!!
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80 jandoe
May 3, 2010 at 4:52 PM
@70, totally agree.
i don't have a problem not having anyone to root for, and although 9 (okay, way back from 7 and 8) kind of killed my enthusiasm for this show with the angst and guilt and nastiness and whatnot, it's one that's so richly layered ...and yeah, to everything that ktv said, i wholeheartedly agree (and echo).
i'm saying this in good spirit but JB, i'm surprised that for once even I disagree with you! ...but i bet this drama will take a turn of its own to surprise us, so all is good :)
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81 mous
May 3, 2010 at 4:57 PM
i swear if kihoon doesn't smile within the next two episodes this week, i'm going to explode
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82 Jackie
May 3, 2010 at 4:59 PM
Personally, I think one of the major reasons why Eun-Jo lied and said she got the letter was because she feels like she owessome sort of debt to Hyosun. Like in one of the previous episodes, Daesung had to reassure her that her mother and her didn't screw everyhing up by moving in and instead "brought the good yeast." I think she feels guilty for a lot of things, and she feels like by moving in she did steal some of Hyosun's attention. And we all know Eunjo's obsession with debt, right? So I think she told Kihoon that to repay some of the debt she feels like she owes to Hyosun. But... I don't know. The characters are annoyingly hard to read at this point. I miss the first four episodes D:
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83 skelly
May 3, 2010 at 4:59 PM
I'm another one of the non-watching minority; I only read the recaps, because I am interested in the story but I just can't stand two of the actors, so there you are. Like kaedejun, the other non-watcher, I appreciated the unpredictability of Dad's death and who was the instigator (I was expecting some sort of reveal of the wife's long-standing affair). Also like kaedejun, I hated the lie about the letter. She just lost me, there - I don't care if we can put it down to protecting the sister or putting the past behind her or a tragic, knee-jerk reaction of her own protective instincts - it was vindictive and mean. And I am getting tired of all the screencaps of MGY with watery eyes; angry or sad, does she weep throughout an entire episode?
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84 anna
May 3, 2010 at 5:12 PM
It's really hard to give Eun-jo any credit for "protecting her sister" when she's all kinds of hate on the girl. Maybe deep, deep, deep down somewhere in her little heart, she loves the girl, but she doesn't show it in front of Hyo-sun. Now that we're half way through the drama, maybe both of them can grow up and suck it up already! I'm glad the Cinderella plot finally comes to play. However, I have a feeling Hyo-sun is going to act like babyee (lots of crying and whining) in a few more episodes before she finally matures.
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85 Tha
May 3, 2010 at 5:19 PM
@83. I use to be a reader only....BUT after reading so much of the re-caps(awesome re-caps!), I had to check out the series for myself and I absolutely LOVE IT! And Eun-Jo crying scenes are really good because they carry so much of her true emotions without having to say a word. I've cried with her in so many parts!!!
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86 danni
May 3, 2010 at 5:30 PM
Well, I've been annoyed with Eun-jo's character since episode 2 and had accepted that that wasn't going to change any time soon. I'm conflicted about how I feel about Hyo-sun, I'm not rooting for her, but I do want her to change at some point and I do believe that all the whining, crying, bitching (well, maybe not this one) will be toned down when she finally decides to take her sister down. There really isn't anyone to root for, which is really weird, I feel like it defies kdrama law or something, but I don't feel like it's just hate, hate, hate, hate all the time. Eun-jo, to some extent, cares for Hyo-sun, and its really just against Hyo-sun's nature to hate anyone completely and there are those little moments between them (Eun-jo tucking Hyo-sun in the bed, Eun-jo trying to pull up Hyo-sun when they're both drunk) that make all the hate bearable. They're not really light moments and the drunk scene seems like some ill humor, but they make it bearable for me and I want them to reconcile at some point.
Ki-hoon has been an asshole since episode 4(I don't hate him as much as the fact that he's just frustrating) and I really don't know how he'll redeem himself and I'm ready for evil stepmom to come out in Kang-sook, but I hope, at some point, there will be someone to root for.
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87 sam
May 3, 2010 at 5:31 PM
My thoughts as I see that scene, about the letter.
EJ might not show it. But HS is her family as opposed to KH (an outsider... no matter how much she loves him). To EJ, HS is her sister and DS's daughter. So to say that she didn't received the letter is like saying that HS lied. That is a no-no to EJ. We can hate our family all we want but if an outsider think bad things about our other family members is a NO. So she lied. In that split second she has to decide. Fact 1: she knows HS likes KH oppa. She listened to him. Fact 2 : She is indebted to HS and DS for taking her in. This is one way of repaying the debt.
If she thought she has paid all her debt, she would have left already. That's why, she'll stick around to make DS winery strong again. Make sure HS is strong enough to stand on her on two feet. Make sure her mother and her stepbrother is well taken care off...Then she'll leave. She knows one of the way that HS can stand on her own is KH's support.. So she is not taking that from HS. EJ herself is able to put aside her love. She have bigger problem on her plate right now. The only way that she will take KH back is if HS let KH go.
About KH. He loves DS more than his father. His revenge is for his mother. He wants a place for his mother. Acknowledgement that she exist in their family. That's why he is so into revenge. At the same time he had to protect DS winery. DS Winery is small. Easy enough for a big company to swallow. He don't have capital so the only way for him to get some is to give some bargaining point...that EJ is a smart scientist that will be able to get the good yeast. Which even the Hongs can use the same process. That is why his father gave him the money. KH knows how to talk to his father to the advantage of DS Winery. He need time to make DS Winery strong that even if they were taken over in the future the name DS won't be erased and would still live on.
Notice how KH talks about EJ good traits in front of HS and of HS's in front of EJ? It's not to make them hate each other. It's to get into their stubborn heads that the other do have something to contribute... if only they work together. HS in PR. Not the OPW kind. But more professional. This is what KH wants HS to cultivate. EJ is more logical but she needs to get in touch with her human relation (HS's trait).
When EJ is agitated, she almost always cannot control her temper. She wants things to move faster. Her sense of what's right and what's wrong is so rigid. She is logical being after all. That is why she feels indebted to DS and HS. She try to drag the uncle to Police Station. She yells at the rice supplier. She wants to see the projects on track...PRONTO. She's a woman trying to finish her work as soon as possible so she can get away.
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88 Deborah
May 3, 2010 at 5:36 PM
In the previews for this episode, I was getting really excited about the truth about the letter finally coming out (in lifting off some heavy build-up to this moment), but it got even more complicated! GAH. I like JW/EJ scenes though - they balance (okay, try to) out the angsty-ness of the drama.
Your recap was brilliant JB! Thanks so much! :)
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89 gnerd
May 3, 2010 at 5:54 PM
I'm probably fanwanking here, but when EJ lied about the letter I took it as her being surprised, hurt and super pissed over the whole situation. I haven't watched these eps multiple times, so I could be missing something...but doesn't EJ think that HS and KH are dating? I know KH told her that it wasn't true, but she clearly didn't believe him. I think, that as far as she knows HS and KH have been dating since before he moved back to Korea. EJ is EJ so, she got mad and said the most hurtful thing she could think of. She probably wasn't thinking of HS at all.
I think its later on, when she forgives HS, is when she shows that she cares, in her cold EJ way. She still believes that KH is HS boyfriend. If she were to tattle, she'd be truly stealing KH from her, rather than reuniting with her old love, or whatever.
I don't care who winds up with who romantically, but I will get pretty stabby if the show ends and EJ and HS still hate each other.
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90 animedork101
May 3, 2010 at 6:21 PM
I'm sorry, but I have to agree with jb on the "Dae-sung’s death left me cold... I couldn’t cry at HIS death". I liked Daesung, and I thought if he were to die I would cry like the sucker I am for kindhearted dudes who don't deserve to get their hearts broken. But even without the spoilers (sorry about that jb), I still didn't cry. For some unexplainable reason I was pissed, frustrated even. I felt I was deprived of a great sad moment (you know, a heart wrenching moment that we - on a subconscious level - come into watching this drama hoping for; that human connection). Did I spill a tear? Nope! Nada! Maybe I was too pissed off at Ki-hoon. Maybe I wanted to kick the two sisters' butts. I don't know, but this was a sad episode not because it itself was sad, but because it failed me miserably. GAH!
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91 WW
May 3, 2010 at 6:27 PM
Hello all! I'm sorry if I'm repeating someone's comments, because I haven't read through all of your wonderful comments yet :)
@javabeans:
I do agree that this drama is starting to get a little weighted down with not only unnecessary angst but also the slow pacing. One of the things I was looking forward to was seeing Eun-jo's character evolve; but to date she has done nothing but reiterate her pain and frustration.
On the other hand, I think that Eun-jo is genuinely concerned for Hyo-sun. However, it's not as if Hyo-sun is her dream sister; she sure gets Eun-jo riled. And I don't think that Eun-jo replied the way she did to Ki-hoon's inquiry because of any love for Hyo-sun. But I do think that if Eun-jo had been left alone, she wouldn't have confronted Hyo-sun about the letter.
That said, the motivation behind Eun-jo's response to Ki-hoon's question about the letter probably stems from her mother. It's pretty significant that this scene comes in the same episode as the scene with the revelation about her mother and the Jang ajusshi. I personally think that Eun-jo's response to Ki-hoon was not based on her concern for Hyo-sun at that moment, but more of her conditioned response to the world: "You can't surprise me with anything, because not only am I on top of that, I also despise you." I feel that here, Eun-jo desperately wants to break away from her mother ... but by doing so, she's also turning herself into a very mean and cruel character - just like her mother. And Eun-jo is aware of this. It must be pretty painful. As much as I want Eun-jo to grow up, I also can't help but excuse her tough exterior.
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92 Snikki
May 3, 2010 at 6:41 PM
If that's the case, then I'm also in the minority. Although sometimes I forgive Ki Hoon a little bit; I think CJM has cast a spell on me -- his voice, his smile.
And I'm just glad that I don't really care who KH ends up with. With the way this drama's going, it must be annoying to see him show more interest to the other person you particularly don't like. At least I don't have to shake my monitor out of frustration seeing that happen.
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93 nabi
May 3, 2010 at 6:45 PM
@ #87 sam: I like your analysis of KH and EJ.
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94 sweetkiss
May 3, 2010 at 6:53 PM
This drama was my favorite on the onset of the ratings war, but definitely not anymore. I fell into prosecutor princess which i love right now, although as of episode 10, personal taste is what i'm anticipating most this week xD
But beyond that, Daesung's death was expected, although I was surprised he didn't die the first time he was in the hospital, but I guess they wanted to prolong the eunjo-daesung bit. I think that was so that EJ could have more angst in future eps. I agree that at this point it does seem antagonist-antagonist driven. I'm starting to not really care for any of these characters because it's getting slightly ridiculous. EJ seems to be paving the path to her own destruction and at this point I'm not sure who KH should end up with anymore. I think I'm part of the majority that thinks that EJ did do that to cover up for HS on some level, although I wouldn't claim it to be the only reason and most likely not the main one.
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95 popcorn
May 3, 2010 at 7:31 PM
I don't really understand her motive behind lying about the letter. I seriously don't. I don't think she was thinking about HS. She was never that considerate of anyone in the first place or else she won't say mean things or act rudely. Well, she is considerate of her mother and DS but she still act cold in front of them. I believe she does care for HS in a weird way but at that moment, I see no trace of her feeling as being considerate towards HS that's why she didn't mention about never receiving the letter.
I was awed at her response, although predictable. I thought the main reason she was so bitter was because he left without a word to her. The misunderstanding is finally cleared and yet her response is so ... bitchy. Then to cry to herself in her own room. I don't understand why she likes to inflict pain on herself so much. I feel like the drama is just finding excuses for the characters to cry.
Perhaps I can't look deeper into her personality of being rather prideful to a fault, unable to accept change, and a desire to say what people do not like to hear.
Whatever, I'm not going to try to understand EJ anymore. She is too complicated. I'll just try to enjoy the drama from now on. I hope it doesn't get too mellow or else...I feel like I'll drop it. *sigh* I'm starting to like personal taste more for now I find myself watching that first.
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96 djeedjes
May 3, 2010 at 7:32 PM
I agree. Sometimes i just don't understand why EJ is always angry, always bitter.
But I can see that she just can't express herself, her feeling better, and too afraid to be hurt.
Dae Sung's death scared me. The sister relationship is on stake, and with his death, no one can hold them together now. EJ always looks up to him, and he's the reason for her to put up with Hyo Sun and stay in the house.
But what scares me more is, Kang Sook. Now the Cinderella's story will begin, the evil stepmother will show up. I hope there will be a twist, that the step sister is not that evil and she will be the one who saves Cinderella from evil stepmother.
It's already up to ep 10, and we didn't get any romance scenes by now, and somehow I gave up waiting for them.
I understand your take on this show and to the characters, and partially agree...but I'm still so invested in this, I definitely won't jump off the train until the end. :)
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97 always805
May 3, 2010 at 7:36 PM
JB, I can understand the frustration you're feeling because I've been feeling it too while watching the more recent episodes of CS. I'm with you on there being no clear character to root for. Regardless, I'm still invested in CS mainly because I feel like the three main characters EJ, HS, & KJ are all on journeys of self-discovery & personal growth...which, of course, requires inner & inter-conflicts...which can only be FRUSTRATING, but I'm willing to wait it out and see how things unfold. Besides, as an outsider looking into their lives, it's easy to criticize their decisions, flaws, or whatnot because we see a more complete picture of their relationships between each other whereas they only see what they want to see or what is available to be seen.
Anyways, like always, thanks for the recap.
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98 Tian Qi
May 3, 2010 at 7:46 PM
I don't think Eunjo's action has little to do with Hyosun, if anything at all. I think her reason for lying is to keep up the act of pretense and protect herself from any embarrassment or hurt. I mean, she did feed him a whole bunch of hurtful lies telling him that he's worthless and easily forgettable, and for any person, ESPECIALLY Eunjo whose ego is the size of Asia, it's gonna take a whole lot to put down that pride and admit all that was said were lies. She prides herself in being that strong hard-headed girl that refuses to be moved by such foreign emotions. She has to be right, never wrong. Admitting her lies will only force her into a vulnerable state and we all know that that's the last thing she wants to be, even for the sake of Ki-hoon's love.
Though I fully respect/support Eunjo's reaction to the letter, I admit that I am very frustrated with her character, especially in regards to her relationship with Hyosun. I don't understand what's so hard about being even A LITTLE nice to her stepsister. It's not like Hyosun did anything wrong. If anything, it was Eunjo's attitude that pushed Hyosun to be her enemy. Hyosun genuinely was nice to begin with (even though she was annoyingly bratty), but I don't get what's the reason for all the hatred. Is she jealous that Hyosun was raised up in the perfect childhood that she never got? If I get even this bit of revelation from Eunjo, then I would be satisfied and happy. The scriptwriter leaves too much answers hidden. I NEED ANSWERS!!!
And Ki-hoon's a jerk. Sure, I'd be pissed if Eunjo was such a bitch to me, too, but you're supposed to be the damn prince!!! You're supposed to be nice to her even if she's mean to you! That's how you won all the viewers hearts before you left for the damn army. GAHHHHHH, you IDIOT. I hate you.
But if viewers are hating on Kangsook and Eunjo, I supposed it's following the right storyline since, ya' know, they are supposed to be "EVIL."
I'm baffled with Ki-hoon's character though. Prince-like qualities, eh? /barfx100. Wait, maybe I'm confusing myself here. Is Jung-woo the prince??? With every coming episode, he's becoming more and more like the prince in our childhood fairytale! Perhaps we got our characters mixed up!
Another thing I need an answer to: what's Kangsoon's reason for sticking to that drunkard hobo? He has NOTHING, and this relationship has nothing realistic about it at all!
Toots!
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99 soonie
May 3, 2010 at 7:54 PM
yeah this episode was defintely a bit hard to swallow.....especially with all that glaring!! seriously!! The actresses must get so exhausted after every scene....
Regarding the whole "why did Eunjo reject Ki-hoon" debate, I kind of took it in stride after my initial surprise. I understand her motivations as
1) protect herself from a public emotional breakdown.
Honestly, considering the fact that she felt betrayed by the first person she's ever cared about, you think Eunjo had walls of distrust before.....I think they got even higher now (and they're bolted shut and will stay that way if she can help it). I can understand this.
2) forgive Hyosun b/c Hyosun's father forgave her mother.
The gullt she feels towards her stepfather....the enormity of it, really does spill over to his daughter for Eunjo. He forgave her horrible, greedy, no good mother--she can certainly forgive his daughter over a boy (even if he was the first).
3) see it as a "tit for tat" deal since she did the exact same thing to Hyosun when she took away her childhood crush (remember she lied about him giving her the flowers.....even thought it came out to be the real truth anyway)
Even while Eunjo has her faults and really can be an awful person, the one thing she has had is her integrity and fairness. There was only one instance in her life where she felt sorry towards Hyosun and I think she saw this as karma coming back to bite her. This would make the score even and she wouldn't have to feel sorry for what she did back when.
4) She's so stressed trying to resurrect the company again.....who has time for personal drama? plus, she's even more guilt-ridden towards her stepfather and needs to pay back "her debt" ASAP(!!)
If I were her.....seriously, there are more important things in life.....and to her, as someone who hasn't loved anyone, that really is the case. Plus, aren't you glad she rejected him? She will been more hurt in the future if/when she find's out Kihoon's part in the undoing of the Company, anyway.
Just kinds sucks for us since now we're all left with no romance in a Kdrama....and that's like, blasphemy, really..... ^^
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100 Ladymoonstone143
May 3, 2010 at 7:56 PM
Thanks for the awesome recap Javabeans. I forgot how many episodes CS will be but i totally agree with you. I can't believe that EJ lied about receiving the letter...at least if this one is out in the open, then it will clear some misunderstanding and the characters can move on. Either they will have a cat fight..or Kihoon taking sides or anything that will come out of it...just as long as it is moving into another direction. Every week, CS always brought me to tears which is of course understandable because of the solid acting esp by EJ...but common, too much angst, when can the writer give the characters a break. I was so happy seeing EJ smile and like Kihoon...i was like..i love to see EJ smile more often.
Anyways, I am still looking forward to the coming episodes and also with PT. Thanks again javabeans,.,,
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