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Coffee House: Page 7

What a fun episode. I was rolling with laughter at some parts, and also feeling loads of sympathy at others — this drama has managed to make everyone pretty darned likable, in my opinion. I know there have been a lot of heated comments pitting the two actresses (and characters) against each other, which (sadly) is all too common in fandom. I sorta wish we could all move past the direct “A is better than B” comparisons, because they’re two different parts of the main picture; they’re not meant to fulfill the same role. I appreciate that the drama isn’t pitting these two women against each other as possessive antagonists who fight each other for the man’s attention, which would just drive me nuts. There are things that they don’t see eye to eye on and they’ve got very different personalities, but also a lot of mutual respect, which we see demonstrated in this episode.

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Coffee House OST – “Page One” by Ok Joo-hyun, So-yeon [ Download ]

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PAGE 7 RECAP

Escaping the aborted interview, Jin-soo wonders where they ought to go. After all that effort, they should find a place where they won’t be bothered. He’s thinking of a far-off rural spot, maybe a remote island, but Seung-yeon is taken aback — the two of them, together? Seeing her hesitation, he makes the executive decision to take this trip solo and directs the taxi driver to Seung-yeon’s neighborhood.

He hadn’t thought about her family and is giving her an out, but Seung-yeon feels a little bummed to be so easily let go. She asks where he’s heading but he doesn’t answer, and merely promises to call when he’s back.

As she gets out of the taxi, she’s spotted by a passerby, whose face lights up: It’s Dong-wook, happy to see her back from her trip. Seung-yeon, however, is preoccupied with concerns about Jin-soo and excuses herself hurriedly. She runs after the taxi just as her father and grandmother see her dashing away.

She rounds the corner and jumps in front of the taxi — good thing she picked the right car, is what I’m thinking — and gets back in. Jin-soo looks at her in surprise and tells her to get back out, but she says with determination that she’s staying. They ran away together, so they should see this plan out together. How can he just leave her to bear the brunt of Eun-young’s ire alone? That would be irresponsible of him.

Her mind made up, she instructs the driver to proceed, and the car starts to go… only another figure pops out to stop the car — Dong-wook. He’d just talked to the office and heard that Jin-soo ran away. Where are they going? Dong-wook won’t accept Seung-yeon’s brush-off and gets into the backseat, and instructs the driver to proceed…

…only to have Seung-yeon’s father jump in front of the car, demanding some answers. Seung-yeon tries to brush him off too, but Dad refuses to let her go and argues loudly, while yet another party pops up to the car — brother Seung-chul this time.

LOL. This is like the Simpsons joke about stepping on the garden rake. The first time a character does it, it’s mildly amusing, but after that it starts to get tiresome… until you do it so many times it becomes ridiculous and circles back to being funny again.

To appease Seung-yeon’s family, Jin-soo agrees to stay somewhere that will allow Seung-yeon to come home every night. That limits their options to Seoul, and Jin-soo checks them into a lavish hotel suite.

It’s hardly ideal, and Jin-soo grumbles at this complication. She should have gotten out of the car while she had the chance. Seung-yeon protests — they’re a team! Jin-soo takes issue with that, breaking down what it means to be a team, scoffing at the idea that they are in any way a suitable partnership. Seung-yeon pipes up with a few suggestions: “Don Quixote and Sancho? Tom and Jerry?”

Jin-soo gets right to work. Meanwhile, Eun-young maintains a calm professional face even though this has been a massive headache for her, both on a personal and business level. She betrays some of her frustration to Hyun-joo, asking who’s the bad guy in this situation. Is she truly so mean? Is it really her and not him who is out of line? She wanders around the now-deserted writer’s workshop glumly.

Ji-won arrives at Jin-soo’s place and rings the doorbell, pretending to be a deliveryman to trick Jin-soo into opening the door. Lack of a response sends him downstairs to the cafe, where he inquires after Eun-young’s whereabouts (her office) and Jin-soo’s (gone, poof).

This puts him face to face with a new arrival: It’s everyone’s favorite grumpy grandpa Lee Soon-jae (who was in both High Kick series), here as Eun-young’s grandfather. As he is aware of the bad history between Ji-won and his granddaughter, he takes the erstwhile fiancé to task — how dare he come here and continue to pester Eun-young? Doesn’t he have a conscience? (I’d say it’s common sense he’s lacking.)

Ji-won bows respectfully and speaks politely, but he’s intimidated by Grandpa and skedaddles. This is something Eun-young greatly appreciates, and she half-jokes that her grandfather ought to stick around to keep Ji-won away.

Seung-yeon sneaks in a call to Eun-young; Jin-soo had told her not to call, but Seung-yeon feels compelled to at least check in. She isn’t at liberty to disclose where Jin-soo is staying, but assures Eun-young that they’re fine and that she’ll be sure to call if something comes up.

Jin-soo sees her on the phone and takes over the call. The two longtime friends revert to their familiar script of faux-politeness, which covers up their true aggravations. For instance, Jin-soo asks if she managed to settle the aftereffects of his departure, as this is her specialty. Eun-young says with an edge to her voice that she’s gotten very good at cleaning up his trash, and this time he sure left a lot: “If your next book isn’t a big success, I believe I’ll be quite upset.”

Jin-soo returns, “Yes, which is why I’m working very hard.” She replies that working hard isn’t enough — he’d better write his ass off. This time a “regular success” won’t be enough to compensate for his behavior.

Here’s where the conversation takes on weighty overtones, and their anger and hurt at each other spills over into their loaded words. It’s as though this stunt pushed things a step farther than he’d gone before, testing their friendship beyond normal levels. She says as much, telling him he’s crossed the “Maginot Line” — a reference to a line formerly believed impenetrable, which basically means he went too far to escape without repercussion.

However, she isn’t the only one who feels wronged, and his next comment indicates that Jin-soo has been feeling some hurt of his own: “How much more money do I have to make to satisfy your ambition?” He says she seems greedier than in the past, which not only hurts but outrages her. I’m inclined to feel more for Eun-young in this situation, but there’s something to his tone that you can’t quite dismiss, either:

Jin-soo: “How much more famous do I have to get for you to be satisfied? I’m asking because it seems like there’s no end. I’m not an endless supply. No matter how much I keep writing manuscripts, you’ll want more.”

Her response hits home: “If you stop writing, will you disappear?… What’ll you do if you don’t work? Will you hide away somewhere and take some pills? And if you get tired of that, you’ll call it quits?” Growing more heated, she calls his behavior worse than being mercenary — he treats everything like a joke, like nothing’s important.

Eun-young: “You say I’ve changed? Well, people change, you bastard! I thought you might have developed a sense of responsibility after becoming famous, but why don’t YOU change? You’re trying to make your secretary into a pro? She’s more of a pro than you! No matter what crap her boss makes her do, she obeys, and she worries about the people around her. What’s the big deal about being a pro? — a person needs sincerity! She’s better than you — who’s teaching who?”

She warns him to finish his draft in a month. Any longer than that, “and I can’t forgive you.”

Bravo! I love this exchange, and I love that both sides have reason to feel hurt so there’s no clear-cut Good Guy or Bad Guy. Eun-young’s got more basis for complaint because of Jin-soo’s latest antic, but this isn’t a simple matter of subtracting one’s wrongs against the other’s wrongs and seeing who’s been wronged more.

On top of that awesomeness, I love the scene that follows, as Eun-young gets her emotions under control and heads back to join her grandfather, who has of course overheard the entire exchange. She explains that Jin-soo ran away, and Grandpa asks why. Without being self-pitying, she answers honestly. Her smile and matter-of-fact tone contrast with the words she says: “Because he really hates me. He says I’m mercenary.”

Even so, she can’t manage to hold her tears, to her embarrassment. She excuses herself, passing Dong-wook on her way out, who notices the tears.

Dong-wook continues to be adorable, particularly when Seung-yeon calls to request some of the special coffee from the cafe for Jin-soo. She can’t go pick it up herself (that would alert the others to Jin-soo’s presence in Seoul) and asks him to deliver it to her father’s coffee shop, promising to treat him later in exchange for the favor. Eagerly, Dong-wook answers quickly, “A movie!” It takes her a moment to register that he wants her to treat him to a movie, to which she agrees. He follows that immediately by asking, “When?”

That’s a little weird, but she rolls with it; she supposes that she’ll first have to get the coffee from him, to which he blurts, “Tonight!” Hahaha! I can see why he decided to cultivate the silent mystique at work.

Dong-wook also lets her know that he saw Eun-young crying, so she starts to gently chide Jin-soo for his behavior: “In making you comfortable, everyone else got stuck in a really bad position.” She points out that it wouldn’t have killed him to do the interview, and feels guilty for following his lead now that she thinks of the fallout.

Jin-soo keeps his attention fixated on his work as she talks, and complains that she’s using his onetime praise as an excuse to speak freely now. However, despite pointedly ignoring Seung-yeon’s criticism, her words do get through to Jin-soo. Later that night, he leaves the hotel for the publishing office.

As Eun-young escorts her grandfather out and says her goodbyes, he asks if she is in a romantic relationship with Jin-soo. Eun-young answers that they just fought over money, but Grandpa isn’t wholly convinced. He cautions her that it could lead to complications later.

While rearranging files in her office, Eun-young finds a stash of old photos that date back to her university days. She smiles as she flips through graduation pictures, but her mood instantly sours at those depicting her and Ji-won as a happy couple. She rips Ji-won out of the photos, then lingers on one that features the old foursome: Jin-soo, his wife, Eun-young, and Ji-won.

Eun-young tears Ji-won’s image out of the quartet, and then — interestingly! — folds the photo over so that she is sitting next to Jin-soo, rather than his wife. And then there were two.

She contemplates her revised image for a long moment, not noticing Jin-soo arriving behind her. He calls out from the doorway, which startles Eun-young so much that she tosses the photo into the trash in a panicked gesture. The altered photo would probably lead to a mighty awkward conversation, so she babbles and blocks his path to the trash can.

Of course, her suspicious behavior just makes him more curious and he continues his approach, at which point she trips him. Based on her reaction, Jin-soo wonders if those are nude photos, then has to add the dig that he’s already seen her nude. That earns him a swift kick in the shin.

Recovering her composure, Eun-young asks why he’s here. Jin-soo answers that the rumors have spread about her crying over the interview, so he came to make sure the company wasn’t ruined. She laughs at that. Now they’re both back to their witty, cool personas — their vulnerabilities tucked out of sight — and the repartee is light and swift.

Eun-young: “You don’t have any power to control my life.”
Jin-soo: “That’s true.”
Eun-young: “Naturally. Who are you, anyway?”
Jin-soo: “Good for you.”
Eun-young: “You’re not even anything.”
Jin-soo: “Exactly.”
Eun-young: “Hmph.”
Jin-soo: “Then that’s that. I’m off.”

Eun-young can’t stop herself from asking where he’s staying. He answers that he’s fine, so she need not worry. She mutters, “Who’s worrying?” He returns, “That’s what I’m saying. Of course, you’re not one to worry about me. It’s only because my secretary exaggerated so much.”

It’s nice that Seung-yeon is their bridge now — she called Eun-young to check in, then tweaked Jin-soo’s conscience enough to send here now. What I love about their banter is that it’s the kind in which everything is said in the subtext and what they don’t say — the actual text says hardly anything at all. Eun-young doesn’t WANT to need the assurance that he’s okay, and she won’t admit that she’s worried… just as Jin-soo doesn’t want to care enough to come here and assure her. So he can blame this on his pesky secretary.

While Jin-soo heads to his apartment to collect some books, Eun-young has a lonely glass of wine in her office. She wonders what to do with Jin-soo, who’s always laughing and joking “without one sincere word.”

A phone call from a singsong Ji-won makes her look out the window, where he peers over with his own drink. He offers to join her, to which she hangs up the phone and shuts her blinds.

Eun-young calls Seung-yeon to ask what hotel they’re staying in. Seung-yeon nervously resists, not wanting to counter Jin-soo’s wishes, but hearing that Jin-soo dropped by to talk to Eun-young alleviates her apprehensions. Eun-young leaves for the hotel, which means that her office is empty moments later when Ji-won drops by with a bottle of liquor.

Jin-soo is leaving his office when a strange sound captures his attention, coming from the publisher’s office. Warily, he makes his way to Eun-young’s office, where he finds the source: A drunk, weepy Ji-won, huddled over the trash can crying over discarded photos.

Ji-won can’t believe Eun-young would be so cold to cut him out of her memories, when he’s always treasured his. (Funny how that “treasuring” didn’t extend to not crapping on the actual relationship by cheating on her, huh?) He turns to an unsympathetic Jin-soo for comfort, who turns his attention to the photos in question.

One in particular catches his eye: the one Eun-young had folded over to bring their images closer together. He stares at the image for a long moment as the significance of this sinks in.

Eun-young arrives at the hotel suite before Jin-soo gets back, and tells Seung-yeon, “You’re more capable than I thought, as a secretary.” Deciding to wait, Eun-young helps herself to some wine. Seung-yeon declines to share the wine and sits with her, while Eun-young sinks into a thoughtful mood that grows more melancholy the more she drinks.

Eun-young asks if Seung-yeon finds it difficult working with Jin-soo, admitting that it has been pretty tough on her. Seung-yeon agrees that it was rough at first, but the more time passes, she’s getting used to it, “And now I can even sense the pattern of what he’ll say next.”

Eun-young sighs, “That’s impressive. It’s only getting harder and harder for me. Why is that? There must be a problem with me.”

I love this, because it’s pretty much an admission that she has feelings for Jin-soo that are complicating her professional feelings, as her grandfather warned. She’s not admitting it TO Seung-yeon, who doesn’t read any meaning into it, but we understand that Eun-young’s personal feelings are getting all tangled up. It’s funny, because on the outside it seems like Seung-yeon is the mess and Eun-young the cool, collected professional. Emotionally, however, the situation is flipped — Seung-yeon’s feeling good about her life, while Eun-young’s all in turmoil. I guess you can’t fool the heart.

By the time Jin-soo arrives, it’s late and Eun-young is asleep in the bedroom after having polished off a bottle of wine. Jin-soo tells Seung-yeon to go home for the night, and tucks Eun-young into bed.

With the photo still fresh in his mind, Jin-soo looks at her with a troubled gaze. He becomes so lost in his thoughts that he drops his kettle and spills the coffee he’s making. Seung-yeon, who is just about to leave, starts to clean up, but he ends up snapping at her.

He softens the edge from his voice and asks if she’s going home, as though he’s about to suggest something. However, because she has plans — a midnight movie (midnight to work around her odd schedule) — he dismisses her. Seung-yeon senses that he had something in mind and eagerly offers to cancel — aw, poor Dong-wook — as she’d much rather stay here with Jin-soo.

Jin-soo tells her not to cancel, but invites himself along. She’s happy to agree.

On the bus ride, Seung-yeon mentions how Jin-soo had made such a wonderful first impression. In fact, she thinks he’s more personable the less you know him. She assures him that it doesn’t mean she doesn’t like him now, just that there’s a big difference from his first impression.

When the bus lurches, Jin-soo reaches out to steady her, which makes her recoil in surprise. She explains that it’s odd to see him being so considerate after the way he normally treats her, but Jin-soo answers that she’s not his employee right now; he only messes with her when she’s on the clock. He adds, “Just enjoy it when I treat you like a woman.” He means that he’s being chivalrous, but I suspect that the gesture makes Seung-yeon aware of their genders in a more acute way — as in, it makes her think of him as a man instead of her weird boss.

HOW much do I love that wounded, angry look on Dong-wook’s face when he sees that his date has brought a date? Bwahahaha!

Seung-yeon remains oblivious, and it takes a while for Jin-soo to catch on. At first he just finds Dong-wook’s stony silence puzzling, such as when Seung-yeon stumbles in the dark and Jin-soo grabs her arm to steady her. Then Jin-soo follows Seung-yeon into the row, leaving Dong-wook on the end, and Dong-wook shoots him another offended glare. Finally understanding, Jin-soo offers Dong-wook his seat next to Seung-yeon, taking the aisle seat instead.

However, that ends up belonging to another patron (the tickets are numbered), so Seung-yeon instructs Jin-soo to sit on her other side. Weathering another scowl from Dong-wook (see above), Jin-soo mutters to himself, “I came to watch one movie and may just end up stabbed.”

As the other theatergoers enjoy the movie, Jin-soo’s mind wanders and lands on an old memory. In the flashback, he’s laughing and chatting with Eun-young until Ji-won bursts in on the scene, wedges his way between them and pushes Jin-soo aside, monopolizing Eun-young’s attention.

I’m not sure if this means that he liked Eun-young first but missed his chance when Ji-won made a move before him, or that he liked her despite the fact that she was dating his hyung. But in any case, this flashback shows us that there was in fact the possibility for Jin-soo and Eun-young to be together, except timing got in their way. And after his wife died, that door was shut for good. (Or at least, they both treated it as shut.)

After the movie, Seung-yeon suggests going for some ice cream, but Jin-soo catches Dong-wook’s furtive head-shake at him. Jin-soo excuses himself and takes a taxi, and it’s worth noting that Seung-yeon is visibly disappointed when Jin-soo leaves, just as Dong-wook is visibly gladdened.

At the hotel, Jin-soo finds Eun-young asleep in bed. Or half-asleep, I should say, because she murmurs groggily, “That sounds like Lee Jin-soo’s voice. Is it you?”

He sits by her, and without opening her eyes, she tells him that he’ll regret it if he loses her, too. Her tone isn’t mean, just matter-of-fact and sleepy:

Eun-young: “You can’t do a thing without me, punk. Cocky. You have no sincerity. Because you don’t have any, nobody treats you with any. It’s not that I’m not greedy — it’s that you’re making me into that, you know that? I can’t just let you get away with it.”
Jin-soo: “Cut me a little slack. If you don’t, who will?”
Eun-young: “I’m tired of it, too. You’re done. Living like that’ll mean the end for you.”

I love this exchange (can you tell there are a lot of exchanges to love in this episode?), because it’s a stripped, honest conversation. These two have trouble being candid in normal circumstances, but it’s moments like this (as in the Jeju hospital) that they can cut out the bull and be straight with each other. Even if one is half-asleep (or pretending to be, to give her the excuse to be frank).

Her words have an impact on Jin-soo, who spends the rest of the night brooding by himself. (How gorgeous is the above photo?)

He stays up all night thinking, and when the sun finally rises, he’s still awake, still in the room while Eun-young sleeps (much like their night in the hospital). When Eun-young wakes, she sees Jin-soo sitting by the window, gazing off in thought.

 
COMMENTS

As if you couldn’t tell by the many times I used the phrase “I love this” in this recap, there were a lot of things that worked for me in this episode. First of all, I think it’s fantastic that Jin-soo got called out on his behavior, by both ladies. At this point, they’re the only ones who have any sway over him, much as he tries to pretend they don’t. Because frankly, he deserved it.

Jin-soo has pulled many stunts in his career, and I’ve always wondered why. I know there’s something there under the surface, so I have faith that there’s a valid reason for his behavior. I’m okay not knowing the full truth now, because the show has earned my trust and I’m willing to go along for the ride. However, that aside, even if he has the most legitimate reason in the world, the fact is that his behavior is pretty irresponsible. I’m not blind to it, but maybe we (okay, I) would have been harder on Jin-soo earlier if not for the character’s charm, which is greatly enhanced by (but not limited to) Kang Ji-hwan’s own personal charm. But that’s the way of the world, isn’t it? The handsome, charming jerks always get away with more. When you add bestselling author (read: cash cow!) to his list of attributes, it makes sense he got away with it this long. But as with anything, there are limits.

If the Jeju episodes built the foundation for a Seung-yeon/Jin-soo romance, this episode certainly paved the way for Eun-young/Jin-soo. This is the first time I’ve really enjoyed having an uncertain “main pairing,” but I’m content with it so far because both sides have been portrayed well. I also enjoy the pendulum swinging from one side to another, giving us reasons for both sides in alternating fashion. That’s the best kind of love triangle, in my opinion — one where both legs make sense. When the “real” pairing is so obvious from the get-go, the romantic tension can feel very contrived because we know that the other side is never going to work out. Here, both sides make sense.

(This is different from a show that just doesn’t know what its pairing is, and therefore confuses the viewers with its ambivalence. Triple was a show that lost people’s attention because it was pretty wishy-washy about the relationships, and failed to create compelling reasons for any of the romances. My Love Patzzi feared offending both camps and therefore copped out at the end, which satisfied neither camp. I consider Coffee House to be different from those cases, because even though we don’t know the end result, at least there are persuasive arguments for both pairings.)

That aside, I just have to comment on how much I love the look of this drama. There’s a great use of color and contrasting light and a lovely palette that’s really appealing to look at. A drama like Bad Guy has a sepia tinge, Cinderella’s Sister was kind of dark and the colors washed out accordingly, and Wish Upon a Star and Oh My Lady were bright and colorful to correspond with their sunny, simple attitudes. Coffee House uses a lot of color, but it isn’t limited to child-like primary colors like Wish Upon a Star; the hues are bold but balanced with a heavy use of darkness, which reflects the drama thematically as well as visually.



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i feel a bit guilty after your first paragraph but i still can't stand SY and this ep she was extra irksome with her.. well.. normal attitude.. anyway...

JW crying was absolutely the most ADORABLE thing i have ever seen a man his age do it was sooooooo freaking adorable. i really liked the flashback to when JS gets flipped off the bench and EY and JW laugh together.

theory: JS was with his wife but fell for EY and set her up with JW to distance himself. he couldn't do it and divorced his wife to be with her when JW cheated on her but then his wife got in the accident and he felt responsible hence why EY and JS never got together.

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After watching 7 eps of this drama, i still don't find the charm in kjh's acting, sorry JB! But I so love Park Shi Yeon (Eun Young), Jung Woong In (Ji Won) and Park Jae Jung (Dong Wook). The only reason I am still watching this drama are these 3 actors. I love how they interpret their characters - no overacting whatsoever.

Thanks for the recap...

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@ 2 yeah EY and JW are easily my favorite characters in the drama =] i forgot to add a lol @ and then there were two :P and also JB's theory seems quite plausible as well. i want to knowww rahr. okay i'm off to watch episode 8 ^^ anyone know how long this series is episode wise? and thanks for the amazing recaps as always

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I love this drama...its so funny...
but I do hope you will finish the recap for smile....
pls finish the smile recap...huhuhu...

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thanks - waiting tons for this and ep 8 recap as i've been watching RAW and non comprehending a word. its fun now, this pairing is more comfortable. and 'real life'.

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I think it really might just be Eun-young and Jin-soo because it feels like the drama is trying to say "Here. You had that cjance and missed it the first time around. Let's try it once more"... Or may be that's just me hoping for the Seung-yeon and Dong-wook pairing. All in all, I can't wait to find out what really happened to Jin-soo and Eun-young in the past. Slowly we're getting the pieces, but it's the whole picture that would really bring it home....

Theory: If Jin-soo and Eun-young liked each other before and wife died after a divorce from Jin-soo who was having an affair with Eun-young.... Wait a minute, that's what jb said last time. Oh well. Come on episode 8....

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HA. I almost died laughing when DW shot death glares at JS throughout the "date."

I really love JS and EY's interactions with each other, because even if there was no romantic tension (which I believe there was), it's so clear that they cherish each other, even if just as friends.

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I have been waiting for it
Thank youJB!!!
I love whatever you love <3 hehe ( seriously) ^^;;
This Ep made me near to tear twice as well as laughed my a** off
I really hope EY will end up with him since she has had enough and it seems like he love her too ( watch the end of ep 8 to verify hehe :) ... I love his look there)
Btw, we wont have CH for the next two weeks, JB?
What should I do then ? hixhix

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after watching this episode i want JS and EY to be together...

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thank you so much jb!
i love this show so so much so far and i too like the unknown pairings (although i would prefer eun young, i'm not opposed to seung yeon)
i really like the history of ey and js and they are such a pretty and well-matched couple to me
i think all the actors are doing a great job so far as well and i love all the characters
dong wook is the most adorable thing ever
and jin soo (obviously helped by kang ji hwan, my new crush- i know he is yours jb, i dont contest that, i just love him) is just such awesomeness in a character

ah, on soompi everyone is saying this isnt on for another two weeks??
say it isnt so, someone?!
i really really love it and am getting a little obsessed- and i go on holidays soon so i actually have lots of time to watch the episodes :'(

anyways, i really enjoyed your recap jb and am glad you are enjoying this show so much

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I just watched Civil Servant (My Girlfriend is an Agent) movie with Kang Ji Hwan - OH MY GOD, HE WAS HILARIOUS!!!!

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I'm still all for JS/SY ~ I just don't see how EY can change JS in his ways. If they get together it'll just be the same...they way they are now...except with romance. But with SY - I can see that he has a lot to learn from her...esp this sincerity that EY has mentioned.

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Finally with EP-7 I am hooked on to this drama....Thanks a ton JB....I guess I am going to share your love for Kang Ji-hwan..so totally fabulous .. to mention he is so freakishly charming ..don't kill me for that :-)

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Dong-wook was too hilarious in the movie theater scene. He was looking at Jin-soo like he had murdered his pet!

Also, thanks for posting the song! I love the violin in the intro so much.

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now i love Seung-yeon / Dong-wook pairing because DW is so adorable esp. when it is about SY. i'll leave Eun-young/Jin-soo team because honestly they deserve each other. and she's good for him - i mean saving his life and career.

i hope this show won't disappoint us in the end :)

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@28... Yes, CH is in hiatus until June 28.

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Regarding EY and JW...
I suspect that in their previous relationship, EY was as much to blame as JW. Perhaps he sensed her attraction to JS and had an affair as retribution. He clearly loves her. In one of the first episodes JW tells EY that he forgives her. Maybe there is more to that statement than we previously realized

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Break through for me this episode, I was firmly on the Can't Stand Another Bumbling Mouth Is Perpetually Agape stock female lead character in yet another Kdrama. Don't get me wrong, SY has one of the most mystifyingly annoying perpetually agaped mouth expression (the over adjective use is on purpose, that is how terrible her acting is to me), it is not her acting I am applauding. But the writers have won me over with their surprisingly insightful and charming portrayal of what would otherwise be another annoying Kdrama character played by a sub-par actress. So, I place my trust in this shows hands (I am jumping aboard JB!). I am going to take the leap over the precipice and choose to believe that whoever Jin-Soo ends up with (now that I am on the benevolent either way wagon) will be satifisying to the storyline while keeping pace with the darker undertones to an otherwise bright, cheery drama. Okay, off my soapbox.

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i don't know who to root for!!! HELP!!! although i've already watched episode 8, so I think i'm set now :D

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A great recap for a great episode :) Thank you, JB!
I seriously enjoyed this one, with several LOL funny scenes and also poignant moments. I think my favourite was the phone convo between JS and EY: her words were spot-on and the feeings on both sides were so tangible. About the pairings... I'm not on either side, but I kinda like JS/SY more. While EY and JS have all this history and emotional baggage, around Seung-yeon JS is more relaxed and able to laugh..it's like she brings out the brighter side in him. And I do think he's been sincere with her quite a lot, because there's no heavy stuff between them to make him guarded.
I'm curious to see what happens between all of them next; right now I'm just enjoying the drama and not taking sides strongly. There's always the pull to cheer for a romantic couple, but this drama makes the situation believable so I'm willing to go with the ride. You voiced what I felt really nicely in your comments, JB.

On a side note, I just can't get over how annoyed I am with JW's behaviour. I get that he's the comic relief and the link to JS and EY's past, but he's just so bloody unbelievable. The nerve to pester her like this and act like he's got a claim over her, or actually be HURT! I'm always beyond irked when adulterers are like this in dramas. It'd be a lot different if he had sincerely apologised, realising his actions and feeling remorse, asked for her forgiveness. But he just came prancing in carelessly, ready to be in her life again - without a thought to her wishes and feelings. Pisses me off every time.

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Couldn't stop laughing at the baleful scowls Dong Wook was throwing over to Jin Soo! And the stabbing comment! It's too much I tell you! Ahahahahhahaahaha!!

Really hilarious recap. I'm liking this show more and more. :)

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Ok, now we are half way at ep8 this week and I start to feel that JS doesn't deserve both ladies! He has irresponsible behaviors, difficult pain in his heart and insecure. He had sooo many problems in the past and its EY who had helped him many times. If EY were to be with JS, she will suffer as she's too tired already at the moment saving his problems. Whereas SY, she may understand him better later on but she may not be able to handle him in all situations based on his past behaviors. I cannot see happiness of both ladies with present JS. Sorry to all the shippers, JS should stay single and enjoy his own way of life at the end.

What surprises me is that I started to love Ji Won, his acting is so adorable. And I'm not trying to compare one lead actress over another. It's SY's acting that annoys me, there are something that keep bothering me, not all the time but some certain face expressions in some certain dialogues.

All in all, the drama is awesome so far, still wonders though, will the writer be able to do a good job ending this? since he/she has built so many layers of doubts and hopes to the viewers.

Theory: The novel ,JS is currently writing, will be the main key to the drama and may twist the whole things around.

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Thanks for your recaps as always.

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Thanks javabeans for the recap!!!!!
Just reading your recap makes me recall and laugh at the funny scenes, especially the Ji-won-hugging-the-trash-can scene, the jumping-infront-of-the-taxi scene and the threesome-date scene, XDDDD

I'm rooting for Jin-soo and Eun-young!

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i agree with u javabean. you cant really hate or like the actress over another...they are just different...they have their own problem and flaw. and they are not evil or annoying so i am ok with both.

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what i like in this drama is that we never know exactly who'll end up with sm1 in the end...that for me...is quite exciting...

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this show is giving me pleasant whiplash? i can't tell who will end up with who . since this show is killing most korean drama cliches am guessing we might be surprised .

am still biased against eun young after my girl .. iWANT like and she really pulled me in in this episode but my spidy senses tell me not to trust that face . seong yeon character is still annoying , but i find her more pleasan to watch since she's slowly killing that whole annoying soooooonseaaangnim vibe ( i thought we had seen the last of that after pasta's cheppppppeu ) and kind of talking back .

side note ; love the EVIL glares dong wook was shooting at jin soo . hahaha he looked like he was going to cry and kill someone at the same time . i like him more and more .. PLEASE SHOW DON4T BREAK HIS HEART .

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Im so digging the whole who is going to land up with whom mystery as well! in the beginning I was kinda set with the whole SY/JS thing ( hey what can I say? K-dramas have trained me well to expect this?? )...then I was like hmmm EY/JS cause EY is such an engaging character and who would not want some1 like her? she is intelligent and good looking and not overly antagonistic....usually when u combine the first two traits u end up getting a cunning shrew! And EY/JS make a good pair...they really do...they are very compatible in many ways, they know what to expect of the other and when it really matters they care for each other.....but then i was thinking maybe they are too similar you know? SY is on most levels very different from JS and she gets him on a level that even EY does not...so you can see where im going with this boo writers boo!

so now i've just come to accept the fact that shipping a particular pair will to me the end of the charm of the serial! really if i shipped one pair or another, i'd be majorly disappointed...plus at this point knowing the things we do its kinda hard to take a side ( at least for me! ) now....

Im not overly worried abt why JS plays the truant all the time....ppl have their eccentricities for which sometimes there are no logical explanations so im not reading too much in to that...if there is a plausible explanation for it ill be ok with it....if there is none im fine with that as well...

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After watching 8 episodes, I still get the feeling that JS will end up with SY... this is sad because I am for the JS/EY pairing... :( i don't know why but i just have this feeling... and i am really hoping i'm wrong...

or maybe it's just me not wanting to expect too much...???

eniweizzzz, this drama has got me totally confused...in a positive way ;) and seeing kang ji hwan is more than enough...

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My favorite episode so far! I like the last scenes -- Jin Soo staying up all night and that very last scene -- a few minutes of no dialogue but meaningful.

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i gotta say, i love kang ji hwan.

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I like this show a lot, as for the pairing I am for both but in different capacities. That is Seung-yeon/Jin-soo in a professional level, she has grown more in that capacity which is good its like an internship and then move up more to a higher scale. I really hope what Seung-yeon's new feelings for Jin-soo is at a crush level and is temporary romantic material for her I don't think so as he is a bit much. The other pairing I do support in a romantic capacity as if you are to look at their history, its long overdue. I like Dong-Wook for Seung-yeon, he's soo cute hope she see's him soon, they are more right for each other.

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i like this episode! and it's also the best episode for me so far!

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I have to say I am a SY-JS fan, but after some of the key observances by javabeans and others, I think that EY-JS are the main couple. JW is the person that opens old wounds and basically makes them relive their history and SY will probably repair what should have been. Both side people bridge EY to JS, they are important to repair old wounds and open up old feelings.

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Tomorrow will be my last day at university 9 (I'll have a presentation on my thesis), I've been stressed for days but raw ep 8 this morning and this recap make my day.
Hope for a bright tomorrow and wait for ep 8 recap.
Thank U so much, JB.
I'm on JS-EY boat!

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@ 17 Houstontwin: That is a brilliant theory! Ji-won is certainly, to borrow a word from Javabeans, an asshat and in no way deserves to be excused or forgiven for his adultery. HOWEVER, perhaps his unfaithfulness stemmed from the fact that he really did love Eun-young to distraction, but sensed that she was in love with Jin-soo. That would drive anyone to despair. It would NOT excuse his affair (stupid asshat), but it would help us understand why he is so bullheaded about barging his way back into her life, and why he was so broken when he found himself literally cut out of her memories and trashed. That's brilliant. I wonder if the writers are going to go that route with him as opposed to just having him be a comedic idiot. Poor idiot.

Man, I am loving this show! I can understand people's preference for either lady, but I want to thank Javabeans for calling out the fandom on the whole team-vs-team mentality. People can say whatever they want, and take the discussion wherever they'd like -- it's their right to do so -- but I really thrive on the comments of those viewers who give both women, and all the characters, their due.

As for me, I'm still on the fence, and I'm determined to stay there, because this drama has done something wonderful for me; it has made me value and appreciate both women regardless of their relationship with the male lead. Eun-young is a vibrant, sexy, thoughtful, intelligent, driven woman. She's also vulnerable, compassionate and has a huge heart. She pulled Jin-soo back from the brink of death and forced him to live. That woman is amazing and I heart her sooo hard. Even Mr. Lahlita likes her -- he actually watches this kdrama with me because of her -- which is saying something. :-D On the other hand, while I identify with Eun-young, I also adore Seung-yeon. I LOVE HER. I understand the frustrations with her, but I adore her. She's comparatively naive, yes, but she IS intelligent (chemistry major for the win!), and she's so determined, open-hearted and kind. And say what you will about her, but when she picked up that phone to call Eun-young and assure her that she and Jin-soo were safe, my respect for her shot through the roof. I also enjoy that as she becomes more comfortable with Jin-soo, she takes him to task about the way he treats OTHERS. And Jin-soo listens while pretending not to listen. :-) And they're fun and funny together. I love that she makes him laugh. I like to watch Jin-soo laugh.

My favorite scene this episode was actually Eun-young getting drunk at Jin-soo's hotel room while Seung-yeon watched her. Very well-written, and I liked that it followed Eun-young giving Seung-yeon credit for being a capable secretary. I loved the flip in their usual characterizations, which Javabeans noted. Eun-young losing control, drinking to assuage her pain, and Seung-yeon in control, a calm, concerned, but non-intrusive, presence. Seung-yeon wouldn't drink when Eun-young offered to share the wine (which was a nice overture on Eun-young's part), but she didn't leave her alone either. She worried that Eun-young might be drinking too much, but she let her be and sat with her. That was such a tiny scene, easy to miss, but it did a good job is making both women's characters multi-dimensional and comparable, without having the male lead present. God, I love this show.

I would write about how much I love Dong-wook and Jin-soo, but this is too damned long as it is. Did I mention that I love this show?

Javabeans, thanks so much for your recap, and for the commentary at the end of each one.

PS: This show is GORGEOUS.
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm96/javabeans122/drama/2010/ch/ch1/ch7-00252.jpg
This was my favorite shot in the entire episode. The framing is absolutely breathtaking. I actually rewound twice just to take it in (it's now the backdrop on my laptop), and I'm gratified to see that Javabeans noticed it too.

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hi javabeans!

nice recaps again for coffee house jb!!! now, im more convince to push through in watching this drama beceause of this episode. im really curious about what happened in the past between EY and JS and the feelings that they have in the past. and dong wook was so adorable!!!

i just watched my girlfriend is an agent and Kang Ji Hwan was great there! He's funny without really trying to be funny which makes him more adorable!

Off to the next episode!!!

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Thanks for the recap, I was refreshing like crazy waiting.

I love this show its a fun ride and all the characters interesting.

$%$%!£% one huge rant PLEASE SHOOT THE CAMAERAMAN !%$!%$

the camera shake is driving me crazy I love this show but was the camera crew drinking.
Whenever I'm trying to focus on the subs or expressions the shaking makes me sick I suffer withe motion sickness so the constant having to look away from the screen every few seconds was just £"%%£%$!£"^!£$ FRUSTINGING $"%£$^^&

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i don't understand the gripes about PSY's acting or facial expressions. she's an amazing actress. for me, it's the first time that KJH isn't outshining another actress in a scene. Here they flow. They have this great chemistry; they create such an intensity between them... it's fantastic.

eunjung's role is the classic dumb-bell girl who plays the idiot who somehow through some twist of fate always snags the hot guy. please. there isn't such a thing in real life. and her acting cute really pains me. the way she blinks her eyes in a way that screams AIIIGOOO-I'M-SUCH-A-PABO-EVERYBODY-LOVES-MEEEEEE way really irks. and the way she sticks out her tongue sometimes when she talks. gosh the acting is painful.

i'm so glad that for the first time they're humanising the non-idiot woman. they're giving her a fantastic personality. one that's actually true to real life. unlike retarded geum jandi or pissfully-annoyingly-naive goh minam. thank God we're dealing with a human this time. not some half-vegetable, half-mineral life form who masquerades as a lead character.

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i still maintain that both girls are leads. whoever said that there only needs to be one? i do find some comments amusing, as some equate lead role status with who ends up with the leading male character or with who has more screen time; it's a bit bothersome that these are criteria for a good female protagonist. sir anthony hopkins' screen time in "silence of the lambs" only totaled at around 20 minutes, and this was the shortest [air time] lead performance ever awarded an oscar.

after this episode, i've decided that for this drama to be unique, it might be interesting if no pairings happen. SY's character has so much going for her, and it pains me to see her be molded into JS's standards. i want her to realize her own standards. as a woman, i'd like to see her be more empowered and gain respect, independent of fulfilling a man's approval. while i understand that she's JS's subordinate, it slightly annoys me that he still doesn't afford her enough respect even though she has now been in his employment for months. and as much as i love, love, love a DW/SY match, i also don't want him to be a consolation prize for her if no romance blooms between her and JS.

honestly, it slightly bothers me that two women seem to be trying to change themselves for a man, when they ought to be changing for their own well-being. though it's understandable that EY is now starting to realize her feelings for JS and has become somewhat of a softie, i'd like for her to be happy w/o compromising her strength and dignity. to her credit, she called him out on his behavior, which she has put up with for years.

ah well. the drama delivers a unique rollercoaster ride of emotions. it's definitely different from the usual kdramas, everything about this show has been great, and the one thing it has going for it is keeping the audience guessing about who will be paired with JS, the ultimate prize.

while i strongly asserted that JS and EY could be the duo by the show's finale, we're still only at the halfway point. i may even have to amend my original belief that EY is the underdog love interest. with how things are unfolding at this point, the writer seems to be portraying SY as the underdog, despite her character embodying the trendy kdrama lead female persona. such a merciless writer ...

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this episode gave me hope that it might just be Jin Soo & Eun Young in the end!
so happy!
thanks for the recap!

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lol i was aww-ing at Dong-wook all along this show. XD how can he be so cute! >_<

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@2...you should watch the other dramas he's in. Brillant actor! Loved him ever since Capital Scandal!

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@ 37..I couldn't have said it better. Both female leads are so compelling, that it is hard to completely side with one over the other. And I feel like both females match up to KJH in portraying their characters..who I must mention is ADORABLE!!! Do kdrama stars ever make it to the states? If this one does, I'm definitely going to stalk him!!!

Sadly my only gripe with the show is that although I love the cheeky EY (esp in episode 8), I feel like her vulnerability could have been portrayed in better light. The wallowing in self-pity calling herself pathetic while consuming large amounts of alcohol is completely unattractive. There's nothing wrong in downing a shot for some courage, but to get dead drunk every single time is a little overkill. But otherwise I have to say I love this show..it makes my mondays-tuesdays just a little bit better =)

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@1 ambs - nice theory! I think it was the 2nd episode in the taxi when it was revealed that it was JS who first introduced JW and EY.

@17 Houstontwin - your theory is very plausible as well, since JS says that he's been writing for 2 years (which means the flashback in the last episode of JS going into contract with EY happened 2 years ago) - that coincides with the fact that JW is back after being gone for 2 years... so JW cheated and broke up with EY about the same time EY rescued JS from his depression over his wife's death.

JB - I appreciate your admiration of the director's choice of framing, use of colors, etc. Love the beautiful screen caps!

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Lovely recap! I'm really enjoying the symbolism in the recent episodes as well. The writer and director are combining literal and symbolic meanings well, making the metaphors almost visual.

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JB I super enjoyed reading your recap as much as watching this episode.. i'm so happy that I'm loving this series more and more!! i'm all for the Jinsoo/Eunyoung ship.. BUT honestly, it was only this episode that I kind of become certain of a pairing, although i know anything can still happen since this series has shown A LOT OF POSSIBILITIES.. it is indeed a fresh feeling that a series kind of have a vibe of uncertainty when it comes to the OTP that I even at a point was clueless..

i just love the "movie date" scene.. because i think there is a possibility for a DW/SY pairing as well.. but what made me think about that scene was the flashback.. i remember a conversation that Eun young and Jin soo had that revealed it was actually Jin soo who introduced JW to EY..

this drama really had me thinking from the very start and I just love how it keeps me thinking and that it attacks me slowly that I'm able to love every moment..

I can't wait for your PAGE 8 recap because for me that's another wonderful episode!! thanks much!! AJA!! ♥

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Thanks, JB, for the great recap and insight!

@37 Lahlita-

Very nicely said. I agree completely on your comments about the two lead(yes, I believe they're both leads, as #41 m a r a has so well put) females. I've come to love both of their characters...both, each, for their strengths as well as their weaknesses.

There were so many excellent scenes in this episode. While the movie theater scene was hilarious(loved DW and his laser beam death glares!), the scene that really stood out for me was the phone exchange between EY and JS. For me, it really put to rest any further notion that PSY cannot act. I know, I know...I saw her in My Girl. Yes, she was the actress who only had two expressions, and both were annoying. Yes, her performance was flat, especially compared to the very dynamic Lee Da-hae. But, this isn't the same PSY that we watched in My Girl. PSY has grown, matured, and blossomed into a very credible actress. She has shown us that she absolutely owns this role...and she's rocking with it.

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loved your comment about how this triangle has two stable legs to stand on, and how there would be more persuasive arguments for either pairing than in other dramas.

i think if samsooki wants to make an argument about the ending pairing, he should do one for this!!! :P hehe!

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@ zigzag

YOu are so right. I LOVE YOU. I think PSY is a very believable character. She can be cold, funny, sensitive and just everything in one. She doesn't try to make you like her, she is just who she is. I mean in this episode she asks her secretary if she really is that bad - that is a very good question, and very realistic. We always wonder if what we do is correct. And I think the picture scene was really good, how she bent the photo = very intense lol.

I couldn't even finish boys over or before flowers, cause i couldn't stand jandi. I loved the japanese version because she wasn't acting cute AT ALL. But anyways back on topic. I think this drama is going in the right direction, making viewers wonder...who is going to get the guy??

BTW Dong Wook is so funny lol. His eye signals.

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