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Dream High: Episode 16 (Final)

Dude, someone owes me drinks, and then MORE DRINKS. I’m on a roll. Maybe I should play the lottery or something. Vegas, anyone?

We’re here at the finale whether we like it or not, and we’re met with song and dance, laughter and tears, as we send off our dreamers to their bright and shiny futures.

SONG OF THE DAY

Suzy – “Only Hope” [ Download ]

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FINAL EPISODE RECAP

We begin with a montage on the REAL star of today’s show, The K Pendant. We see it make its journey from President Jung to Baek-hee, from Baek-hee to Hye-mi, who gives it to Sam-dong, who tosses it to Jin-gook…

And we see the moment (going back in time into Episode 15) when Jin-gook gives it to Hye-mi. He asks if she has the confidence not to regret her decision. She figures that she’ll have regrets either way, and then Jin-gook hands her the pendant, and asks her to stay and regret it then. Aw.

The Dream High group gathers with Doo-shik, who tells them that he’s running up against a giant wall when it comes to the studios: Baek-hee and Jin-gook, who they refuse to put up in front of the cameras. He tells them that it’s either split those two off and debut the rest first, or stay together and face the chance of never debuting.

Baek-hee and Jin-gook both offer to stay behind, not wanting to hold the group back because of their past. But Sam-dong tells them that it’s not an option—they’re all or nothing. He admits to not particularly liking either of them (Baek-hee for making Hye-mi suffer and Jin-gook for being stingy about his underwear, HA.) but tells them that this is what he would want from them, if the tables were turned.

He turns to Hye-mi and says that he’ll never leave this group, making her gulp down her fluttering feelings. She walks out later to get some air, and Sam-dong gets thisclose to her face…to tell her to smile. She can’t even look him in the eyes (awwwww) and just stammers a “yeah.”

At school, she takes up her usual thinking position—head-to-desk. Pil-sook immediately recognizes the signs and asks what’s on her mind. After hemming and hawing, Hye-mi finally leans in uncomfortably close to ask how you know who’s in your heart.

Pil-sook reminds her that she’s already told her—it’s the person you think of first when you’re happy or sad. Hye-mi: “Yes, but…what if it’s not the person you thought it was going to be?” Eeee!

Pil-sook looks confused, only ever having experienced the all-in, one-and-only kind of crush. As they ponder what it means, Jason bursts in from out of nowhere, getting right up in Hye-mi’s face with a devilish smile.

Enjoying the moment more than life itself, he tells Hye-mi that THIS is what you call two-timing, which he reminds her is what she said his “manners” were about. He throws her words right back in her face, loving the fact that he gets to rub her smug face in it.

I have never seen Jason this happy about anything, and it’s HILARIOUS. Seriously, if you made me choose my favorite pairing in this show, it’s this one, right here. Their mutual dislike coupled with their protectiveness over Pil-sook is just the cutest thing ever. It rivals the Jin-gook / Sam-dong Underwear Wars.

Hye-mi denies it and leaves in a huff, but she’s shaken by Jason’s words. Meanwhile he actually lets out a “Yessssss” as she leaves, totally relishing the victory. Pil-sook shakes her head, embarrassed, and he smiles at her like a guilty little chipmunk.

Hye-mi shakes her head, trying to knock the Sam-dong-feelings right out, and yells, “Sam-dong is just a friend! Stop getting confused!” Only Jin-gook happens to be standing right behind her, and he confirms what he’s noticed for some time now. Aw, well if it makes you feel any better, she’s as happy about it as you are.

Jin-man shows Hye-mi, Baek-hee, and Sam-dong a video of himself doing a dance in his apartment, and tells them that it went viral on the internet. He gets the idea that maybe they don’t have to wait for a studio to pick them up—they can do a flash mob.

All they need is people, and Hye-mi smiles. They get started on gathering as many students as they can, using everything from intimidation to fear. Pil-sook actually becomes a horror movie ghost to scare Ria into helping. Heh.

They give everyone costumes and start putting the show together, and Hye-mi takes the lead with the bullhorn, directing everyone. It’s so great to see her use that bullhorn for good, even if she’s still a little scary to some of the students. Meanwhile, a new reporter (from a fishing magazine) sees the students gathering and starts snapping away.

At home, Hye-mi’s dad just counts down the days until they can go back to the States, while Sam-dong and Jin-gook just eye him warily and do passive-aggressive things like sing and dance around him.

They both end up at school, because they can’t practice at home. Jin-gook takes the opportunity to ask Sam-dong what happened with Hye-mi, since he swore to go up against him, man to man.

Sam-dong says that he’s decided not to confess his feelings. Jin-gook looks at him, surprised.

Sam-dong: When Hye-mi said she was leaving, I knew. It doesn’t matter who she has in her heart. I like that girl. I like her if she likes you, and I like her if she hates me. She just has to be nearby.

AW. Jin-gook finds himself moved, and then shakes out of it: “You still have that talent…of turning people into chickens.” (In Korean, goosebumps = chickenbumps, hence chickens.)

At home, Hye-mi’s dad starts singing “Dream High” despite himself, and then gets into a fight with Oh-hyuk’s sister. He ends up spilling the beans about Oh-hyuk putting up their house as collateral for Hye-mi’s debt, and she ends up spilling the beans about his wife.

He cries outside, finally facing the fact that he is the worst dad ever, and admits as much to Oh-hyuk. He promises to repay the debt, deciding to go to the States alone, unable to face his daughters. Not sure that you’ve learned your lesson there, but whatever. Oh-hyuk’s a better dad anyway.

Oh-hyuk asks him to go find Hye-mi first, and he finds her, just as she’s about to perform in the middle of the street.

Oh, yeah…here we go! Jin-man walks up in the middle of a busy square, wearing a chef’s outfit and holding a takeout delivery carrier. He holds it up above his head, and it says “Dream High” on the side. The music starts, and he begins to dance, in all his JYP glory.

One by one, the kids who were dressed as random passers-by join in, until soon a giant group of Kirin students is dancing in unison. It’s totally cheesy, and TOTALLY awesome.

As they watch from the crowd, Oh-hyuk tells Hye-mi’s dad that she didn’t give up her dream—this is her dream, right here. He adds that now is his chance to step up and guard her new dream.

In the coming days, the street performance goes viral, and all sorts of people upload videos of themselves doing the dance to “Dream High.” Kyung-jin finds Oh-hyuk uploading the videos wherever he can to help them gain some traction, and they share an accidental kiss in their excitement.

They separate awkwardly, and when Kyung-jin turns back to ask Oh-hyuk to dinner, she has a pin in her hair. Hahaha. Oh-hyuk declines, and Principal Shi witnesses the whole thing, getting ragey over the fact that he kissed her and then dared to turn her down.

Doo-shik stands vigilant at his post in the studio, passing out CDs, bodily functions be damned. And finally his work pays off, when he comes upon a PD who gets a last-minute cancellation on his music program.

At home, Oh-hyuk gets the call and runs to tell the kids. Jin-gook, Sam-dong, and Hye-mi share a jumping three-way hug, until Hye-mi realizes how close she is to Sam-dong and breaks free awkwardly. Sam-dong clocks her reaction, misinterpreting it of course.

It’s the day of the performance, and everyone is a ball of nerves. Jin-gook finds Sam-dong minutes before their turn onstage with a dark look on his face. Uh-oh. He realizes that Sam-dong’s hearing is on the fritz, but Sam-dong assures him that he’ll be fine as long as he’s on cue, and not to tell the others.

Hye-mi sees him, and when she walks up, Sam-dong makes an excuse and leaves. She asks Jin-gook if his hearing is out, and tells him the same thing that Sam-dong just said—not to tell the others, and that he’ll put everything into the performance.

She turns to go after him, and Jin-gook stops her to say that the day has finally come, for them to stand up onstage together. She agrees, like it hasn’t occurred to her until just now. He says that it took longer than he thought, and smiles.

They take to the stage, and he counts down for Sam-dong, and they perform without a hitch. As they sing and dance together onstage for the first time, Jin-gook says in voiceover:

Jin-gook: There are two kinds of happiness in the world. One is a happiness that you realize after the fact. The other is a happiness that you feel in the moment. The happiness in the moment is so rare that they say you can live your whole life on the light that shines from remembering it. I think we’ll go on remembering this moment, today, like that kind of happiness…that we can remember for the rest of our lives, the moment when we shined.

Later at the house, Hye-mi continues to be awkward around Sam-dong and avoid him (or rather, her feelings) like the plague. He finally calls her on it, asking why she’s being so avoidy, and she just stammers that she’s not.

Jin-gook interrupts to ask Hye-mi to go somewhere with him, since it’s her birthday today. Sam-dong suggests they throw a party all together, but Hye-mi shuts him down cold. Aw, if you only knew why.

Jin-gook takes her out on his motorcycle, but she realizes that she’s dropped her wallet inside. He says she doesn’t need it, but she insists on running back in to get it in a panic.

And here’s why…Sam-dong finds it on the floor and opens it up to find a group picture of all of them. He goes to take it out, and here’s what’s underneath:

!!! So. Cute.

He barely has time to register what just happened, when Hye-mi runs in to retrieve it. She asks worriedly if he looked inside. He lies that he didn’t, and Jin-gook watches from the doorway.

He takes her to the river, back to where it all began. He watches her walk with heavy steps as she tries to put on a smile for him, and he finally admits that they’re both trying to force it, when he knows—and has known for some time now—who her heart really belongs to.

He says that he selfishly was hanging on even when he knew, and tells her that the heart isn’t something you can force to go where you want it to. She looks at him in the eyes for the first time in a long time, and cries, saying she’s sorry.

He puts her helmet on her head, letting her cry. I love this gesture that gets repeated in their relationship. He tells her that they can be comfortable around each other now, and go to school together, and look each other in the eye, and be friends like they were before. Aw, I always knew he’d be the good guy and send her off to Sam-dong, but I love that he’s so sweet about it.

Oh-hyuk gets called to the principal’s office on official business, since one of his students made it to the final round of the EMG contest. But Principal Shi isn’t in the mood to be congratulatory, since Oh-hyuk is out to break his daughter’s heart.

He points it out to Oh-hyuk, who of course had no idea…until now. Awkward. He grins, giddy at the news, while Principal Shi kicks himself for playing Cupid between his daughter and his least favorite person in the world.

Oh-hyuk gets ready to announce the winner, as everyone dies from the anticipation. Only Hye-mi looks unconcerned, swearing that she never expected to win anyway. He pulls the paper out of the envelope…and the winner is…Hye-mi!

She jumps, screaming, and then tries to play it cool as she sits down. Everyone congratulates her, and even Jason has to eat his own words and say he’s happy for her, through clenched teeth. Heh.

But when Oh-hyuk pulls the paper all the way out, he sees that hers isn’t the only name…all six of them have passed onto the next round. In the days that follow, they gear up for their solo auditions, fighting good-naturedly over who gets to practice in the studio first, deciding over rock-paper-scissors.

Kyung-jin watches them wistfully, noting to Oh-hyuk that she misses that time in her life, and he notes that life is fair, since they don’t have the perspective that she’s earned since. He then asks her to dinner, and she jumps to accept.

The second he walks away, she puts a pin in her hair and primps. I don’t know which is funnier—the hairpin as an indicator of her crush, or the fact that she carries it around at all times, just in case.

As they practice, Oh-hyuk tells them that he realized why they all passed the first round, despite not qualifying, according to the contest’s crazy prerequisites. He tells them that it was a test to see who would rise to the challenge. Yeah, only in a drama, people.

They wonder how they even made it past the second round when they never even interviewed. They find out on the day of the audition: it turns out that the weird fishing magazine reporter was actually an EMG scout, and he was observing them the whole time.

They stand outside, wondering what it would be like to be the best. Sam-dong thinks that it’ll probably be lonely at the top. Jin-gook asks if that means he doesn’t want to be at the top. Sam-dong: “I still want it.”

They audition, each with a flashback of where they came from, and their words about how much they want this dream. It’s a lovely sequence, and it takes us forward in time, to 2018.

Pil-sook has a slew of albums and awards to her name, displayed at her kindergarten class, where she sings the kiddies to sleep. Cute. Jason comes to escort her for the Big Night, and they get excited about seeing everyone again. He says that he’ll be going onstage as a guest, and asks if she wants to join him. She laughs and says no, she’s had enough of being in the press with him.

Baek-hee is now a teacher at Kirin, and an exact replica of Kyung-jin. She even uses the same lesson with the thumbtacks, and cracks the whip. Kyung-jin, who’s now the Art Director, observes her with a smile.

Oh-hyuk meets her outside, bowing to her as his boss…and then offering his arm as her husband (and father of her baby). Yay, cute!

Jin-gook is a huge star in Korea, and he even has a rivalry going on with K. Doo-shik is his manager, and he’s married to Oh-hyuk’s sister, with a kid of their own. He insists that his schedule be cleared tonight for the big concert, and smiles to see good news about his father.

And…it’s time for the Grammys. We catch up to the beginning of the series, and go backstage, as K puts down the picture of Dream High next to the K pendant…which is next to his…TUNING FORK! YESSSS!

Sam-dong for the win! He puts the pendant around his neck, as we flash back to the day when he found out that he won the EMG contest.

He refuses to go to New York, and Hye-mi tells him he has to go. (Man, after all that running and crying for Hye-mi not to go…now HE’s going!) He tells her that he didn’t enter this contest to go to New York—he did it to show her that he could do it, and that she needn’t worry about him anymore.

Sam-dong: I’m NOT GOING! From the beginning, you were music to me, and music was you. That’s why I came this far. If you’re not there, there is no music.

Hye-mi reminds him that he wanted to show her that she didn’t need to worry about him. But she says with tears in her eyes that she’s still worried…so he has to go, and become the best, so that she’ll consider what he means to her.

Oh, man. Who would’ve expected Hye-mi of all people to do the gallant thing, and send him off to pursue his dream, even when it breaks her heart? She smiles at him through her tears, and he shakes as he cries, telling her just like he did in the beginning, that she’s lying to him right now.

He insists that she’s lying, and that she wants to hold onto him right now. But she says no, if this were a year ago, she would’ve been upset that he won over her. But she’s happy to let him go. She says it through her tears, and he asks if that’s the face of a person who’s happy. She responds with her trademark: “This IS my happy face.”

Gah, they’re breaking my heart. They cry, and Hye-mi insists that he go, and show her. He finally puts her cell phone charm in her hand, and walks away.

Cut back to the Grammys, and Sam-dong as K gets ready to go onstage. He takes his earpiece out, ’cause he don’t need it, yo, and flies onto the stage like a bird.

Back in Korea, we get to the Big Concert, which we find out is Hye-mi’s 100th concert, as she thanks all her friends and teachers who have helped her along the way. Oh-hyuk and Jin-man watch proudly (Jin-man cries, heh), Baek-hee smiles, Pil-sook and Jason snuggle, and Jin-gook arrives backstage.

He watches with a smile, and then a girl wearing a Kirin school uniform comes up next to him and motions for him to come closer. He leans in, and she kisses him on the cheek. He looks at her curiously, and she flashes her nametag at him: it’s Hye-sung, Hye-mi’s little sister, all grown up. LOL. He really DOES end up with Hye-mi’s little sister! That Cracks. Me. Up.

Hye-mi thanks everyone and adds a thank-you to someone who couldn’t be there tonight, someone who’s walking a lonely road, and dedicates the following song to him. It’s her cover of Mandy Moore’s “Only Hope,” (posted above) which she sang to Sam-dong when they first met, that snowy night at the outhouse.

We flash back to the first time he chased her on the bus, when she lied to him that she liked him. And then as she finishes the song, we catch up to when they parted, on Sam-dong’s way to New York.

He hands her the cell phone charm and leaves, and Hye-mi cries. He gets on the bus, and then she chases after him, in another of this show’s great reversals. She catches up to him at the next stop, and he opens his window.

Without a word, she puts the K pendant around his neck. He leans out, and pulls her in for a kiss.

Aw, sweetest ending ever.

 
COMMENTS

Excuse me while I do my victory dance to Swan Lake, hip-hop style.

What a satisfying end to a satisfying drama. The funny thing about this show is that it delivers exactly what you want it to, but somehow manages to keep it fresh, despite playing by the rules. It’s a great example of what happens when you follow a classic storytelling formula, but inject it with a lot of heart and a whole lot of pop culture wit and style.

While I can’t say that any of the outcomes surprised me, it did successfully keep me on the edge of my seat the whole time. The whole ride was suspenseful and engaging from the get-go, not only because of the K question, but because we were rooted in each character’s journey toward their dream.

I’m a huge fan of this kind of ending, that gives us the satisfying resolutions to the immediate questions—that Sam-dong is K, and that he finally got Hye-mi’s bus-chase confession—while still leaving the future open-ended.

I like that everyone’s succeeded in their own way without ALL having to be pop stars and such, and that their futures are still left to be written. It’s neat, but not sealed: it speaks to fulfilling their dreams, but leaves the road ahead of them, and not behind.

I also love that this episode was as much about Hye-mi (maybe more so) than it was about Sam-dong. Her love, and her willingness to put his dream before everything else, is what makes him K. So in essence K is the both of them, because she’s the music, and he’s the dream.

It’s no secret that I wanted Sam-dong to be K and get the girl, so I’m sure this ending made me happier than those of you who backed a different horse. But I say, if you loved Dream High, you’re a winner. Cheers!

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I refreshed this site like there is no tomorrow. I LOVE this Show!!!!!!

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this probably has to be one of the most satisfying endings EVER! and that flash mob? AWESOME! dream high was such a great surprise! i liked my princess, but GF...you definitely won this battle!

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Thanks again for the recap..i've already watched the last ep without subs and your recap helps a lot for me to understand the ending.

It was pretty good,it tied everything up with a nice pink bow. And I was right to think that SamDong was 'K'!!! yeah!!!!

he's really one of the greatest younger KActor, you can feel his angst, he can really emote to the best of his ability..i'm glad DH had him as one of the leads!!!

ahhhhhhhh...i'm going to miss the Milky couple!!! i really like the WooU pairing, it's what made me crack up in laughter!!!

omo...i'm done with My Princess and I'm done with Dream High...what else is there besides Paradise Ranch?...

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Thank you very much Girlfriday and Javabeans for recapping this series! It's definitely one of the good ones and the ending is just fantastic. Had a wonderful time following all your recaps.
However did anyone notice that Pilsuk wasn't at the flash mob? Or did I miss her? At first I thought it was the girl with the angel wings but I don't think so. She is the only person without a close up during the dance......

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I think she came out at the same time with Jason, she's wearing a poiice uniform.

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jason came out with jia, a member of miss a (suzy's group)

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You know, I was a total Jin-Gook+Hye-Min shipper for 14 episodes. Then episode 15 comes along, with Sam-Dong chasing Hye-Mi's bus in tears and *snap* that switch in my head just snapped all the way to the other side.

This drama is so much more than I expected it to be. So, so satisfying and heartwarming. It actually made me wonder how far I'd go for a dream. (And I'm SO happy that Sam-Dong is K, AND he got the girl. Although I would've hoped that the concert at the end was some reunion concert for the group but oh well, can't wish for too much).

Thanks for all the recaps javabeans and girlfriday! <3

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I love how Pilsuk gained her weight back...and she's just as adorable as ever.

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i luv this ending thanks for girlfriday and dramabeans

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EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

*ahem* 'Scuse me, didn't mean to be loud.

But again...

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

Lovely ending! Thank you, thank you, thank you for the recap.

[and lol at Jin-gook and Hye-sung!!!! XDDD]

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Wait. No more Dream High. What will I live on till the next crack comes along?

*falls to the bottom*

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Team SAMMI FTW...

i was literally jumping up and down with joy. Best Show EVER ( 4 me n e ways) ...and i've watched at least 150 different Asian dramas

Thank You SO So SO So SOOOOOOOooooooooo Much now i can finally go to bed

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i was extremely doubtful about this drama at first, but once you start watching it, it gets better and better! it's just to show that once i have low expectations about something, it always ended up wow-ing me. go dream high! all the awards.. maybe not acting, but something lol

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I loved Dream high, so cheers to me wooooo hooooo!!!!!!!!

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I cried more reading your recap compared to watching the episode... BITTERSWEET... I know I'll get over this sadness of losing such a brilliant drama, but who knows when that will be.. I NEED A NEW CRACK, A.S.A.P!!!

THank you for the recap!

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AAAHHH!! So I basically had to quickly scroll down to the bottom all while closing my eyes to not spoil the ending for myself. So sad it's almost over...T_T I'm patiently waiting for the english subs to watch before I read the recap. But, it's OH. SO. HARD. Accccckkk, I'm dying to know...must. resist. temptation! OK I'm gonna go now before I kick myself for giving in, and not come back until tomorrow when I've seen the finale. Toodles!

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Satisfied? SATISFIED??

YOU CALL THIS SATISFYING??

The one thing I'd love to do most at this moment is FRY those PDs alive over my brand new stove, eat them WHOLE, then spit them back out in BITTEN DOWN PIECES.

I need a season 2.

I feel EMPTY. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.

This cannot be IT.

This goes beyond just UPSET.

I am so dissatisfied, my insides are churning and my head is on fire.

I need a Season 2 SO BAD.

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Ah, I feel empty too! I want to know what happen to Sam Dong and Hye Mi. And whether Jin Guk ended up with Baek Hee or Hye Sung.

I don't really need season 2 because I'm afraid the story will be screwed up. I'm just curious about SamMi future and it's really killing me.

Is Ep 17 will be full concert or is there any conclusion or fanservice for us, SamMi shippers?? TT_TT

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me too :'( its actually killing me too, i hate this feeling. I want SamMi to reunite :'( PLEASEEEEEEEE i can't handle this

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same here. glad to hear that i'm not the only crazy one. i think i'm going to continue thinking about it for days now, which is bad since i have to study. gosh, this sounds like i'm in a relationship with the drama. lol.

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I felt so empty too. It was satisfying... but at the same time it wasn't.
I mean, I was really happy for Samdong, I really love the idea of him being K and that Hyemi was the person that let him go... but 7 years. They were thinking on each other, it's true but... I want them to be together again. I was waiting for Samdong. He should have listened Only Hope...

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Man, SAM DONG FTW!!!

Glad he finally got the girl and be the K. (Although I'm rooting for Baek Hee for that K title).

I'm glad I was on the right ship. <3 But the Ep 15 and 16 are kinda disappointing IMO. WTH Sam Dong ran and cried to make Hye Mi stay but got on the bus and left her in the end. Aish, I'm a bit pissed about this part. They should cut this part down since KSH doesn't need to shed anymore tears since Ep 13 and instead, exchanged it to extend EP 16 where Sam Dong back to Korea and gave Hye Mi one REAL passionate kiss. (My Princess, everyone? Kekekeke.)

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Best ending ever! But it didn't give me the happy happy feelings though, it's realistic since they are in high school.

All the sequences in this episode were done beautifully.
Kudos to the PD-nim. And I don't think any musical drama will beat Dream High in a very near future.

Well, I still hope SD will show up at HM's concert somehow, wanting to see them together again. It's been eight years for crying out loud, it's time for the reunion!
Sammi rocks!!

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"Best ending ever! But it didn’t give me the happy happy feelings though, it’s realistic since they are in high school".

My feelings. I really love it but... somehow I wanted more, I wanted the reunion. u-u

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Also... maybe it was just the lighting in the shot (or the fact that stage makeup needs to be heavy) but dang, did Sam-dong look like a (supremely talented and adorable) Korean Oompa-Loompa in the top screencap?

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HAHAHAHA. I did think SD looked a bit weird as K in that screen capture, but now you mention it, I do see the resemblance. hahaha.

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I was just so transfixed by the orange-ness of it all. :D

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Dream High has ended with high notes on ratings. Thanks for the recaps JB and GF. I enjoyed both watching DH and reading your lovely comments. Thank you!

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I want to cry.
I really really want to cry...

We are all dreaming now... very high...

and thumbs up for Kim Soo Hyun to make this drama very interesting / touching... He's a very good actor.

Thanks for the recaps....

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I came into the show mostly as fangirl, but I'm so happy it turned out to be a great drama with so much heart, depth and also pure entertainment. I really NEED more episodes! What am I going to do on monday/tuesday now?

SEASON 2 ASAP! JYP make it happen. JB and GF mentioned it in the podcast, it would be an excellent launch pad for young idol/actors. Just make sure to keep the older teachers and especially the writer/director!!

I'm such a huge fan now of whoever the writer of the show is. Can someone tell me if their other shows are just as addicting?

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Ah! Love the ending. They dance! And they kissed! Im happy that Sam-dong is K. Dream High surprised me. In general, yeah, it’s the basic story but the writer (or writers), introduced things that sometimes I didn’t expect and I loved that. A deaf Sam-dong for example and another surprise, I like that they don’t cure his deafness, he lives with it and he does it fine. I have to say, if Dream High were a mathematical function, it would be y=e^x.

I don’t know what came first: the fact that Suzy was a newbie in acting and she was stiff and they make a robot-like character or viceversa. Either way, her character was awesome. She cracked me up many times and I love the fact that she wasn’t the type of people that express her love often or in public, but her love ones know she loves them and she cares about them, so was great to see her out of her comfort zone when she realizes her feelings for Sam-dong.

Sam-dong is love. He is awesome. Puppy you´re the best.
Milky couple…ok, you define Cute, and maybe Cute it’s no enough.
Baek-hee, Jin-gook and the teachers. Aw honeys, I love you all.

I was disappointed around episode 4, ready to drop it and just read the recaps. And in episode 5 my addiction began. It was cool, actually. From episode 5 to 16 this was crack. Sweet, funny,cute, addictive crack. Yay!

Thank you for the recap!

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I kind of wish you'd been a bit spoiler-free in your intro, because it was pretty clear who won by the way you wrote (especially if we listened to the podcast.) And though I wanted Sam Dong to win, I wanted to see that revelation revealed naturally by reading the whole review... instead, I knew what was coming the entire time. :(

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sorry everyone, but this is my opinion, my overall thought of this drama was that it wasn't that good, and yes you guys are probably thinking im crazy but that's how i feel so yeah, and just because the idols are in this drama, it's not gonna make me like it just because they're in it...but although the drama was a bit boring, the acting wasn't as disappointing and it satisfy me..my two cents lol

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That's ok, we all have our individual likes and dislikes. That probably just means you look for deeper plots in the dramas that you like. I'm well aware of how shallow I am in my love of fluffy dramas :-D

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I will have to agree that I am a pretty shallow person myself

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I knew it!! Yay!! Thank you, Show! :D

"I also love that this episode was as much about Hye-mi (maybe more so) than it was about Sam-dong. Her love, and her willingness to put his dream before everything else, is what makes him K. So in essence K is the both of them, because she’s the music, and he’s the dream."

I loved this paragraph, GF! ^^ It's just perfect. Hehe.
Been waiting on the edge of my seat for the recap all day.

So glad and satisfied about this ending...though I definitely still want more Crack High. I want Season 2! With the same people! ...well, at least with KSH.

Here's to finding the next crack!

Thanks so much everybody!

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freaking awesome..love this drama...can't wait for the dvd release..btw would you know when it will be released.
SAMMI forever.one of the best drama ending ever!!!!

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Fantastic ending!
Sam Dong FTW!!!!

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i had my ending!!!!
yay ME!

i really am going to miss this Kdrama, the feel good vibe that it had and each character who really played their role well.. thanks for the recaps gf and jb:) sam dong and hye mi ♥

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Can someone tell me what would episode 17 be? Would it be another episode or a concert?

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i think it's just a special concert with them singing and dancing.

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<3333333333333

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I miss it ):

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what can I say...
love it ! love it !! love it !!!

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SIGH :-)

Thank you so much.Subs are out I was waiting for the recap before I watched.

Best ever last episode of any drama.I didn't say best drama but it's pretty high but the way the last episode was done.....stupendous ending.

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What a fantastic drama...I'm so devo that it's finished though! :'(

I loved everything about this ep except that HM and SD weren't actually together at the end. Sure they love each other but how heartbreaking is it they aren't together? SD looked totally depressed before he went onstage.

Loved the flash mob and when they debuted together. Got MAJOR "chicken"bumps...lol (I cracked up at how they got the other kids to flash mob with them, haha! HM with the chick that threw water on her, BH with gossiping Ah-Joong, SD blackmailing In-Sung with his workplace, I'm sure JS found someone too but can't remember what he did and PS scaring the bejeesus out of Ria! lmao!)

Major thanks goes out to JB and GF, as they do during/after every drama I get suckered into watching. Your recaps are bloody awesome <3

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I AGREEE :"( ITS SO DEPRESSING NOT TO SEE THEM PHYSICALLY TOGETHER !!! GAAAH i can't get over this fact

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Thanks for the good times Dream High. I'm going to miss you.
Now I need another drama for my Mon-Tue fix. :(

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DH has been a total surprised for me. I watched the first episode with low expectation but nonetheless intrigued by HM's character more so than anyone else. However, as the drama progressed, I became invested in the story more and more, its just perfect, the tone, the speed, and the ending. Its definitely something I can watch with my children:)

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I'm so happy that Sam-dong is K!!! And he finally got to kiss Hye-mi :) But i'm sooo confussed about the open ending though. Did they break up after that kiss, so that Sam-dong could follow his dream and become successful? Or did they have some kind of long-distance relationship? :-\

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My interpretation is that they're not together. He's abroad pursuing his dream while she's in Korea pursuing hers, and only time will tell if they will end up together. (Breaks my heart that they're not together NOW/in 2018, but this appeals to the optimists in us who believe that they will find their way back to each other again.)

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The time apart will also give them time to grow so that they're the best person they can be when they finally do get together ;)

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agree.

the idea that hyemi and samdong has each other in their thoughts gives us hope that they'll eventually end up together.

it's a realistic ending and i like it.

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Yea!

I love how they thought of each other just before they are about to reach the next milestone of their respective careers. Hye Mi dedicated her first song to Sam Dong at her 100th concert while he held on to the pendant and thought of her before going up on the Grammy's stage.

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who knows for sure but they have each other in their hearts that for sure even in 2018... they could be dating - because idols don't admit out right that they are dating due to fanbase ...

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i want an extra episode which shows SamMi couple with their babies

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"K is the both of them, because she’s the music, and he’s the dream." <i love this, its so true<3
The one thing i didnt like was the open ending, im a hardcore hyemiXsamdong shipper so its driving me crazy not having confirmaton of their relationship lol but other than that this ep was amazing, the entire drama was! i havent cried watching a drama since... wait i havent ever! dream high really got to meTT.TT im so gonna buy the box set!

ps. thankU for ur awesome recaps!<3

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agreeeeeeee

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"Her love, and her willingness to put his dream before everything else, is what makes him K. So in essence K is the both of them, because she’s the music, and he’s the dream."

looooooove this.

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Ditto.

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Wonderful episode with good endings for all.

Sam-dong and Hye-mi's songs really speak to their relationship:

Maybe, Waiting, Dreaming. Sigh.. am I too cheesy?

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This is officially my favorite drama, from start to finish it just kept getting better. Maybe I didn't have high expectations at first, but I went from being pleasantly surprised to being head over heels for this show. I have not one bad thing to say about it.

Dream High is luv.

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I didn't know what Dream High has done to me. I've been restless since this morning refreshing this page for every 10mins!

And Jingook-Hyesung! Hahaha. It DID happen! Show, you didn't know how happy you made me. You just became my favorite!

I was a bit relieved that I can spend my Mondays and Tuesdays normally again though at the same time REALLY sad I won't be able to see these kids anymore..

Though I'm a Jingook-Hyemi shipper right until the scene where Hyemi actually admitted (to herself) that its Samdong, that didn't change how I loved this ending, how Samdong came to be K and got the girl.

Though I really wish they let us see HyeMi and SamDong meet again.. Haay.. Maybe in the special episode tomorrow? Just to spare me from the hassle of creating my own imagination-conjured-episodes of that scene.

Thanks a lot Show, JB, GF, all the Commentors here (which made the show all the more fun), and the Show's creators. Never loved a drama like this before. And I think I'm going to stop watching Kdramas for now because it is totally not healthy to be in love with a drama like this. Not that I'm complaining.. Hehe.

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I was a Jingook-Hyemi shipper since the very beginning. I felt my heart break in that scene by the river when they were breaking up. OMG I was actually sobbing and wiping the whole time, I used all my Kleenex :'(

However, I LOVED the ending. In fact, I LOVED the whole drama.

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I wasnt blown away or addicted to this drama...but it had so many gems nestled between its layers that I enjoyed it quite a lot...it has some of my favorite performances by some of my favorite actors...this has to be the best roles that I've ever seen Uhm Ki Joon and Lee Yoon Ji in...and how can I forget Kim! Soo! Hyun!.......he's the reason i'm watching this too the end...I liked him WISFC but he was fantastic here!..CAN NOT WAIT FOR HIM TO PICK HIS NEXT PROJECT!!!...Thank you so much JB and GF for recapping this and sharing your thoughts with us

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I just finished the ending and I have to admit that I actually LOVED IT more than the whole show put together.....one of the best endings I have seen in recent years.....this is a great example of a sos and so years later done well and realistically...love it!!!!!!!

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Oh how I wish it was an episode longer. I feel like I'm going to rehab without crack high tomorrow...

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I was definitely a JG-HM shipper in the beginning, but you could tell in the later episodes that they were growing apart. But I totally appreciated how gradual the transition was... just as HM was slow in realizing her true feelings. So even though I would have like to see JG end up with the girl, I don't mind that SD ended up with HM. That JG meets up with HM's sister at her concert is pretty darn hilarious though. I knew those kisses on the cheek weren't for naught. :) I haven't seen the episode yet, but I'm excited to after reading this recap!

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omg i totally agree with you! but even if i don't mind the SD-HM pairing now, i'm still kinda upset that JG didn't end up with HM. it just seems like they were so meant for each other (and i'm kind of a sucker for childhood acquaintances like tht haha)! and JG always seemed to know HM so well and always knew what she was thinking, even when she herself didn't know it....

but i guess the trend in kdramas is that the more aggressive guy always gets the girl, and SD really has been more open with his feelings than JG. and it was quite obvious from ep14 onwards tht HM-JG were not meant to be..

and yes, the hyesung-JG scene was reaaaaally cute! brought tears to my eyes for some reason haha. its nice to know that hye-sung's admiration for him hasn't changed, even if HM's feelings have. i really love jingook as a character though - really nice and understanding! this was a really great drama overall i loved it! :)

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thanks girlfriday for a wonderful recap. I cried. it's over...Sam-dong!!! I.KNEW.IT!

I love every minutes of it and re watching it via my ipod every chance i get.

I don't know if another series will ever top this! What a great start for the 2011 drama year!

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I will miss this show quite a lot. The cute, the funny, the heartache, the tears, and the run for the dreams. A toast to Dream High indeed! *cheers*

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wait, so was that pilsook all chubbified again? or did i see wrong in the video???

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Yes, I think she gained back some of the weight.

Maybe it's baby weight??? (Because you know she and Jason totally got married after saving up enough money and she took the teacher job to have the same schedule as their kid... :D)

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I'm sad that it's over.

I had a feeling K is really Samdong beforehand (good job GF for figuring this out) because his journey seems, IMHO, much more intense than the others. Country boy goes to city, nearly loses his hearing and the girl...figuring that it must be "lonely at the top".

Also, for practical reasons, you do not get Kim Soo Hyun and relegate him to 2nd lead (will not be K or get the girl) status. That casting does not make any sense if he was not, ultimately, the hero of this story. Granted, all of them have come a long way... but I can never understand the Jin Gook shippers who insist that JG will get the girl or be K (sorry JB). Again, does not make sense to me. Kim Soo Hyun is like WOW-- he's one to watch out for. He's the future Kang Dong Won/Won Bin.

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I LOVE DREAM HIGH! possibly the best drama i've seen. The characters are so real, you could possibly know him/her in real life. The story is so damn amazing with it fast pace and life-like plot.

This drama has got me addicted to K-pop the realm where I used to think was lame and annoying. That was a ignorant, close-minded view of the past...K-POP IS AMAZING! hahaha I actually bought my first ever Korean Music Festival ticket because of Dream High. =]

THANK YOU DREAM HIGH! you actually introduced me to IU, 2PM, Miss A and a lot more Idol groups I never knew existed.

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YAY!!! I was right and boy,am I glad! I screamed when I saw the tuning fork and am so so glad that I gave this show a chance-though if it wasn't for Sam Dong's Kim Soo Hyun,I don't think i would have stayed onboard for this long! Bravo! He's a fantastic actor and to earn his place and moreover excel in it among all the pop stars who do this for a living is amazing..will certainly be following up his future projects ..
We sure do have an open ending but Hye-Mi singing about him being her destiny pretty much seals the deal for me..He proved to her that she no longer has to pity or worry about him and can now come back finally for her love- a love that he's truly earned!What a great job done by the writers and the PD-we knew the leads from the start but to keep us guessing till the last moment was no mean feat-they are the real stars of Crack/Dream High!
Thanks JB and GF for recapping and your wonderful insights.. I believe it was your bet that actually got me interested but this was the drama that kept me hooked till the end.sure,MP was cute( only for some time) but this was cute as well as EPIC the whole time! <3<3<3

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