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History of the Salaryman: Episode 11

This episode definitely ups the drama, and sacrifices nothing to do so. All of the conflict we’re seeing has been set up perfectly and believably throughout the first act of the series – so now that we’re getting some upped stakes, the requisite angst is inevitable. I didn’t expect to feel so much when History of the Salaryman had such a quirky and hilarious opening, but now that I do, I can’t help but be in love.

 
EPISODE 11 RECAP

Bang effectively puts a stop to the egging and escorts Yeo-chi outside, where Hang-woo and Bum-jeung are waiting on the other side of the gate.

He tries to explain the behavior of the men inside, but a hand motion from Yeo-chi stops him. “I’m fine,” she says. “No, saying I’m fine is a lie. I’m very mad. But I don’t know on whose account I’m mad. It’s not because of them… Anyway, it’s complicated.” She says all this with tears in her eyes, as though she’s realizing a truth about life and herself. She warns Bang to say no more to her as she leaves.

After wrapping his coat around Yeo-chi’s shoulders, Hang-woo turns to address Bang and his group. He tells them that they’ll never win, especially not once the police get involved. Chief Oh angrily replies that they’re not trying to win anything, they’re working to protect themselves and their colleagues.

Chairman Jin has been having some health problems as of late, having to constantly inject himself for an unknown illness. All the signs have been pointing to diabetes, but as he’s in the car with Gabi he suffers from heart trouble. She’s prepared for this, and shoves a pull underneath his tongue. Illness aside, he’s not keen on Hang-woo’s negotiation method (having the protesters beaten senselessly is considered negotiation?) and has his own ideas for solving the factory problem.

This takes him straight to the factory, where Hang-woo and Bum-jeung are currently trying to talk Chief Oh and his men out of the protest.

Hang-woo has tried to keep some civility by offering Chief Oh and his men plates of hot food, but they’re soon interrupted by Bang and Bun-kwae. Though they’ve both been officially fired from Chun Ha, they insist on being present at the meeting. (Bun-kwae explains their role between Chun Ha and the factory as one of a matchmaker. Ha.)

Chief Oh starts to name his requests, but he’s soon cut off by Hang-woo, who claims that he’s not there to grant any requests. He’s only offering them positions in the newly-relocated Vietnam factory if they leave now, which doesn’t seem like a bad proposition to some of the men. Chief Oh, however, is enraged at the prospect.

Outside, Paeng-wol’s minions break through the walls and set to beating a path through the factory. They even go inside the makeshift infirmary and start to beat the protesters who are sick and suffering from influenza.

Hearing the ruckus outside, Bang turns a disbelieving eye to Hang-woo. “You tricked us?” he asks, and to Hang-woo’s credit he seems genuinely unaware. That’s because this particular beating spree wasn’t ordered by him, but by Chairman Jin, who enters the room with police officers. They have a warrant to arrest Chief Oh and the other protesters, and they’re all dragged away.

It’s kind of admirable that Chairman Jin was able to do what Hang-woo has been wanting to do – get Chief Oh and all the other protesters out – with barely a wave of his hand. It makes Hang-woo the good cop by comparison, because at least he was trying to come to some sort of deal. It’s this ‘negotiating’ mentality that Chairman Jin chides him for, saying that trying to enter into a dialogue with these people was a useless endeavor.

Chairman Jin’s forces are taking over the factory, and as Bang is being dragged away his only concern is for the medical product that Chief Oh has been working on. It’s Woo-hee’s job to protect it, and she’s able to sneak the data out by flashing her Chun Ha badge.

Once she’s home, she places a call to Yeo-chi. Bang’s been arrested, and she knows Yeo-chi is the only one with the power to get him out. Yeo-chi: “So?” Slightly taken aback, Woo-hee asks plainly, but Yeo-chi puts up an unaffected front and tells Woo-hee that if she’s so concerned, she can help Bang herself.

It’s clear that Yeo-chi’s actions are only out of indigence – not because she’s mad about the egging, but because she’s mad that Bang got himself into this whole mess in the first place. She thinks that maybe a little prison time will do him some good.

All the protesters are cooling their heels in jail, with Shin included. It’s not long before Bang recognizes him, and he threatens to expose Shin as the Chun Ha mole if he doesn’t tell him where the blueprint is. Bang knows he stole it, but Shin does what he always does at the plight of his fellow man – he ignores it. Uuurrgghh. I don’t know why, but Shin is the only character in this show that really just makes my blood boil. They can give him all the sick children in the world, it still doesn’t make him any more sympathetic. He could at least try to care about all the harm he causes to other people.

And of course, Shin is the first one to get released, which puts him right out of Bang’s grasp. Next we see him, he’s in Hang-woo’s apartment, with Hang-woo reading in the paper that all protesters have been released from jail with the exception of Chief Oh. Shin asks about that permanent company position Hang-woo has been promising him, but it doesn’t seem like he’ll be getting it any time soon. Well, good, I say.

Bang has outfitted both him and Bun-kwae with sandwich boards and signs so that they can protest outside of Chun Ha, but Bun-kwae has had enough. He gives up, leaving Bang alone to face Chairman Jin.

He does so without fear, making it past the security in the lobby to drop to his knees in front of the Chairman and his entourage. He pleads with him, explaining that the factory people worked only for the sake of the company, and that to fire them like this is unfair. If Chairman Jin could give them one more chance… Except that Chairman Jin firmly answers that a chance is not given, it’s made. If Bang feels so wronged, then he should create his own chance and succeed.

Bang is dragged away, and Chairman Jin wonders who released him from prison. Raising her hand, Yeo-chi says, “I did.” Ha.

Yeo-chi takes Bang out for some jjajangmyun in an effort to try and talk some sense into him. She wants him to give up this whole protest thing, claiming that she’ll find him a job elsewhere. Bang flatly refuses, prompting her to wonder why it is that he cares so much. He admits that he doesn’t know why, but it might be because all of this is just too unfair. If she hates it so much, she doesn’t have to concern herself with his business any longer.

Indignantly, she says fine – she won’t bother anymore. But before leaving, she shoves his face into his bowl. Funnily enough, he keeps eating.

We go from a montage of Bang standing alone in a crowd with all his protest gear on to a party where Hang-woo is being congratulated… because he’s now vice president of Chun Ha. Whoa. I guess Chairman Jin was pretty serious about that contest.

Yeo-chi is singing a sad ballad that describes a farewell, and it seems to be in response to her last encounter with Bang. Woo-hee is present, and keeps her eyes on Hang-woo… who only has eyes for Yeo-chi. Iiiinteresting.

In response, Woo-hee just starts downing all the drinks put in front of her. When one of her colleagues asks if she has a boyfriend, she loudly replies that she doesn’t have one specifically for Hang-woo to overhear. She doesn’t get the response she intended – quite the opposite, actually – and has to sit through more of Hang-woo’s intent staring.

Once outside, Yeo-chi undergoes her favorite drunk past time – calling Bang. He isn’t answering, and Hang-woo swiftly appears to forcibly take her phone from her. It’s with dismay that he sees that all her recent calls have been to Bang, and he orders her to be taken home immediately.

With a horror movie-like quickness (and horror movie-like music), a drunk Woo-hee appears in Hang-woo’s personal space so that she can call him out for being a bad guy. Why did he summon her to the main office anyway? And why is his cologne so strong? Is he trying to seduce someone?

He’s well aware that she’s interested in him, and she’s aware that he’s aware, and because of all those complications she asks to be reinstated back to her old job. “I don’t even want to see you for a minute, a second, so reinstate me,” she slurs. He simply replies that she can do as she wants… but then she faints, and he’s the only one there to catch her. Haha. Again?

Even Hang-woo can’t believe that this is all happening again, as he’s having to piggyback her drunk bottom back to her home. Hang-woo: “Someone please explain this to me! Why in the world am I doing this right now? Why? WHY?!” Ahaha. And his face, when he sees the amount of stairs that he has to climb with her on his back, is just priceless.

What he doesn’t know when he takes Woo-hee into her apartment is that she has a house guest – and it’s Bang. He’s there temporarily since she’d offered him her place when he was ousted from his goshiwon. He stays hidden out of sight while Hang-woo tends to Woo-hee.

Hang-woo almost discovers Bang via his luggage, but ends up distracted when Woo-hee asks for water. It sobers her up a bit, and she’s genuinely surprised to see Hang-woo in front of her when she comes to.

“What you said earlier, did you mean it?” Hang-woo asks. She explains that she just isn’t sure what her duty is at her new job. That seems to be a legitimate problem, so he offers her a legitimate solution: how would she like to be chief secretary to the vice president of Chun Ha, with an official rank as section chief?

She doesn’t even blink before agreeing, and he pokes fun at her for not even thinking about it. Why would she think twice about a promotion, she replies? So she’s happy, he’s happy, and he tells her that from now on, if she ignores a call from him, he’ll consider it a dereliction of her duty.

Woo-hee is overjoyed, and then surprised to know that Bang has been in her apartment the whole time. He admits that he just wanted to wash up before he goes, although she insists that he stay with her. He doesn’t have anywhere else to go, but he objects to imposing upon a single woman. They go back and forth, though Woo-hee eventually wins him over.

Giving her a sad look, we hear Bang in voiceover asking her not to take the new job as Hang-woo’s secretary. Instead he just says, “You’re an angel.” She smiles cutely, and they go to sleep. Aww.

The next day he’s back to protesting, although he overhears employees on their way to work talking about Hang-woo’s inauguration ceremony that day. He flashes back to Hang-woo’s words that he’ll never win the fight, and makes a decision – by taking off all his protest gear, and heading into Chun Ha.

At the ceremony, Chairman Jin has some troubles presenting Hang-woo with his certificate because he can’t even tell which side has paper on it. Oh dear. When he’s eventually able to hand it over, the round of applause gets interrupted by a voice from the back: “Congratulations!”

It’s Bang, and he strides forward with purpose before slamming Hang-woo with a pilfered bouquet. He can’t chase out someone there to congratulate him, right? Oh wow. Go Bang!

He turns to address the crowd, admonishing them for just going along with everything so blindly. Chief Oh is in jail, and the person who sent him there gets an award. What sort of injustice is that? Turning back to Hang-woo, he tells his nemesis not to get too comfortable. He’s just getting started. (Win!)

Bang even goes so far as to tell Chairman Jin that he’s disappointed in him. Among the crowd of people gathered there, who would lay down their lives to work for him? No one, because Chairman Jin fires everyone who would. Yeo-chi looks on with pride as Bang tells the executives present that it’s their job to tell the Chairman when he’s done something wrong, yet no one does.

As he’s being dragged away, he calls out, “My name is Yoo Bang. Yoo Bang! Make sure you remember today!” And Chairman Jin suddenly looks very sick as the world blurs around him. Everyone is a witness as he stumbles, though he tries desperately to keep himself up. He fails.

We find him in a doctor’s office next, and things aren’t looking good for Chairman Jin, as he’s in danger of losing his sight completely if he doesn’t take a break. His heart is in bad shape too, but this is all something that Chairman Jin has long been aware of. “Dying is not the issue. Before I die, I have so many things I need to resolve.”

Despite nothing being wrong with his leg, Chairman Jin wants a cast put on it – probably so he can lie to everyone about what caused him to topple over at the ceremony. Despite his efforts, however, Gabi overhears. When he later asks her about who’s most qualified to train Yeo-chi as a successor (he’s got to start thinking of the future now), she suggests Hang-woo. Even though he declined that same offer before.

Because she’s now aligned herself with Bum-jeung (and thus Hang-woo), Gabi goes straight to them to report the secret Chairman Jin wants to hide – that he’s lost his vision. She knows that he’ll be asking Hang-woo to aid in training Yeo-chi as a successor, even though Hang-woo again scoffs at the idea. She urges Hang-woo to think again, because he can’t refuse Chairman Jin a second time.

She lays it out flatly, by explaining that Chairman Jin will never leave Chun Ha to anyone who isn’t family. So if Hang-woo wants Chun Ha, he’ll have to hold onto Yeo-chi, because the company will come with her. Hang-woo still seems reluctant, to which Gabi asks, “By chance, are you afraid you’ll fall in love with Yeo-chi?” If that’s not what he’s afraid of, then she doesn’t see the issue. She’ll handle convincing Yeo-chi.

When she leaves, Hang-woo wonders aloud whether Gabi is really on their side. Bum-jeung, clearly under Gabi’s spell, claims that he has the situation totally under control. Methinks he’s severely underestimating Gabi’s ambitions.

With the product sample that Woo-hee managed to save from the factory takeover, Bang plans to start a business. Even without Chief Oh or the blueprint, he’s going to find a way to get investors interested. Woo-hee wonders if such a thing could happen, to which Bang replies with the same line that Chairman Jin told him – that chances aren’t given, they’re made. He’s going to make his chance.

Woo-hee pledges to help him however she can. They set to their first job – marketing – and set up an amateur photo studio for the medical product. It’s not going so well, and to make the product more marketable Woo-hee gets the bright idea that she should model with it.

They end up having an adorably impromptu photo shoot, wherein Woo-hee even gets dressed up in her modeling finest. These two really do have a fun, comfortable chemistry with each other. Eventually Bang just starts taking all sorts of pictures, some with him in the same frame as her, except when she looks at the viewfinder she sees that he’s (mostly) taken pictures of her chest and legs. HA!

Both of them end up getting really cozy, and they dial it back a bit once they realize what’s going on. Still, aww.

When they’re working on the project together later, he even smiles at her in that I’m-smitten way. Oh dear.

As fate would have it, Bang ends up in a cab Bun-kwae is driving. (It’s his post-Chun Ha job.) Bang looks and acts like a big shot, and he orders that Bun-kwae drive him to the bank so he can meet investors. They bicker a little bit back and forth as Bun-kwae waffles on whether he should be envious or not.

Bang is turned down flat by the bank because he doesn’t have a completed project to show them. He ends up back in Bun-kwae’s cab, and goes to his next destination: Jang Ryang, who’s started his own investment consulting company. How lucky!

Despite growing closer as companions during the competition, Jang Ryang isn’t too keen on helping Bang out. Not because he doesn’t want to, but because the idea isn’t very good (without a completed product and all). Who would invest in him?

The moment Bang leaves, Jang Ryang bows to a man who’s been sitting in the office the whole time…

…And it’s Chairman Jin! Dun dun dun! Turns out that they were discussing Yeo-chi as a successor before Bang came, and now Chairman Jin asks Jang Ryang how well he knows Bang. Seeing as how Bang was the first person to ever lecture the Chairman to his face, he can’t be a normal fellow. Jang Ryang is at a loss for words on how to describe Bang, as he’s not average, but not quite extraordinary either.

Chairman Jin wants Jang Ryang to keep a close eye on Bang in order to put his skills to the test. Also, if he’s rested sufficiently, it’s time for him to return to the company. Jang Ryang seems pleasantly surprised, and whether he does or does not notice that Chairman Jin seems blind as a bat is unknown.

Yeo-chi misses Bang, and is dismayed when she doesn’t find him protesting outside Chun Ha’s doors. She ends up overhearing a conversation between custodians about a rumor going around… that her grandfather might have gone blind.

This takes us to his office, where Gabi attempts to get him to sign a form. He really can’t see a thing, and it’s pretty evident when he knocks over a glass. Gabi is lightning quick to ‘realize’ it (as this is something she already knew), and she grasps his face in her hands while desperately asking him to look at her. He can’t. He turns the tables as he grabs Gabi, telling her that no one can ever know about his sight, not until the day he dies.

Yeo-chi has been watching this conversation from the doorway, and Gabi sees her right before she runs away.

She finds Yeo-chi outside Chairman Jin’s office, and tells her that she has to harden her heart. The only people that can protect the Chairman are her and Yeo-chi. With tears in her eyes, and very much like a lost child, Yeo-chi asks Gabi what she can do to help.

Gabi explains that this secret can’t get out – not with bloodthirsty executives who’ll go crazy about succession if they find a weakness in the Chairman. Pulling Yeo-chi into an embrace, Gabi assures her, “Until you take over the company, I’ll help. Let’s be strong.” Yeo-chi cries in her arms, and Gabi’s look is unreadable.

Yeo-chi goes to her grandfather in his dimly-lit office, and he asks her for a dance. It reminds her of when she was young, and how he taught her to dance – which cues us into a flashback of the event, which cues me into a mess of tears. Something about it is just so sad, which is only made worse when we flash forward. “I also taught your mom how to dance,” Grandpa Jin says. “Today, I miss my daughter very much. Yeo-chi, do you still blame your grandfather?” He doesn’t even give her a chance to respond. “That’s right. You should continue to blame me. To you, even if I had ten mouths, I have nothing to say. I’m sorry, Yeo-chi.”

She grabs onto him, sobbing. “I’m sorry, I did wrong,” she cries. “I don’t need anything. I only need you.” Awww. She’s just a little girl clinging to the only family she has. He lets her cry this time, but tells her that she can’t cry in front of others. She can’t be seen as weak.

And Gabi watches from the doorway, with tears in her eyes.

On Chairman Jin’s orders, Jang Ryang decides to offer Bang some advice. Since Bang needs an investor, Jang Ryang suggests the gangster, Paeng-wol. As it turns out, Hang-woo stiffed him over the factory incident and now they’ve become enemies, which means that Bang and Paeng-wol would share a common enemy. That’s the first reason Jang Ryang suggests, with the second being that Paeng-wol wants to rise in status and has the money to spare, and the third being that Paeng-wol has such strong ties to Chinese corporations that selling overseas would be a breeze.

Bang decides that he’ll do it. He’s going to go by a war stratagem and just see Paeng-wol as a chicken who lays golden eggs. And by god, Bang is intent on making him lay those eggs.

At a private dinner with the Chairman, Hang-woo is asked again about training Yeo-chi and is even given a contract that she’s written (wherein she promises to obey all orders from Vice President Choi Hang-woo). Hang-woo is still unconvinced, and claims that no one would believe that Yeo-chi could change from only one piece of paper.

Chairman Jin has a nearby door opened, revealing a primly-sitting Yeo-chi. She formally asks Hang-woo for the favor of teaching her, and even bows her head. He’s shocked, we’re shocked. This is getting good.

Gabi seems intent on their marriage, as she later uses her flirting powers on Bum-jeung in order to get him to follow her line of thinking. While she works on convincing Yeo-chi, his job will be to focus on convincing Hang-woo. In voiceover, we hear her think that as long as she knows Hang-woo’s secret, it’s Bum-jeung and Hang-woo who are in danger.

With the help of Bun-kwae and his cab, Bang devises a scheme to get Paeng-wol to invest in his company. Following Paeng-wol’s car closely, Bang waits for the perfect opportunity – and finds it when Paeng-wol’s driver leaves him asleep in the back. Bang hijacks the car with the gangster/businessman in it, while Bun-kwae hijacks the driver.

When Paeng-wol wakes up, he’s surprised to find himself near the ocean. He’s slack-jawed when he sees Bang, “Did you… kidnap me?”

Bang simply replies that he has something he needs to tell him, and smiles.

 
COMMENTS

I love that each character seems so thought out and purposeful, with no one being extraneous to the story or there just for eye candy’s sake. Everyone has layers, which I know I knew about this show… but I’m still somehow surprised every time I get surprised.

Like I mentioned earlier, aside from Shin, there’s really no one to hate in this show. And even then, my dislike of him is probably well and above the average. Hang-woo is clearly our hero’s foil, but he’s so much more than a villain. A lot of shows seem to forget that villains are people too, and don’t allow them to have Normal People Moments like smiling, laughing, or doing good deeds (like piggybacking Woo-hee home after a drunken bender). The fact that Hang-woo is ultimately out for nefarious ends sort of gets put on the back burner when we realize he’s not all bad. The moment that really cemented that thought for me was when Chairman Jin barreled into the factory – because, suddenly, Hang-woo seemed like the lesser of two evils. That view will probably change in the next few episodes, as Hang-woo is sure to do some evil deeds, but at least he’s been established as a human, rather than just being a villain.

Gabi has been a lot of fun since the beginning of the show because her ultimate goal seems to be clear… only that it isn’t. Just when I think I have her figured out, she surprises me by showing genuine emotion. When she watched Yeo-chi and Chairman Jin dancing with tears in her eyes, I was so frustrated that my perception of her was (once again) rattled. It’s certainly not a bad thing – on the contrary, it’s a great thing. I’m both upset that I can’t quite get a grasp on her, and glad that this show is doing such a good job in not allowing me to get a proper, clear-cut read on her character.

The same goes for pretty much every character, to differing degrees. It’s why I love this show so much, but it’s also why I wish they could get a grip on… well, more gripping cliffhangers. In the scheme of all the awesome we have going on, though, that’s a pretty minor gripe.

 
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Gabi rules! She's playing at least four sides against the other. Awesome.

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Yeo-chi noooo!!!!! I like your spunky self, don't change!

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Okay, much as I like Woo-hee (and I really do), I love Yeo-chi, and the fact that Bang (and Hang-woo, in all likelihood) seems to have romantic feelings for Woo-hee and not Yeo-chi makes my heart hurt.

Still, we're only halfway through - things could (and probably will) change! :)

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Yeah, that gets me too, Yeo-chi is awesome! But it is a nice change from all the guys falling in love with the heroine instantly.

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But it's HILARIOUS, in context.
Yeo-chi fancies Bang, Bang fancies Woo-hee, Woo-hee fancies Hang-woo, Hang-woo fancies Yeo-chi, Yeo-chi fancies Bang... Best love square, evarrr!

Who cares about ships and pairings, I'm too busy doubled over, wheezing.

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I'm not sold on Hang-woo having a thing for Yeo-chi yet. I think the one he really wants is Woo-hee.

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I have the same opinion, I still think he wants WooHee...

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me 2 and my dream coupling is Hang woo and yeo chi if they get together man I will be soooooooo happy

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thanks for the quick recap, agree with your comment, every character has layers, my favorite character in this episode is Chairman Jin, like a dying lion, wanted to protect his beloved grand daughter and his kingdom, awesome performance for all actors, one of the best scripts, love this drama.

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Thanks for the recap!

Yeesh. This episode has me going back and forth between the ships of Bang/Yeo-chi and Bang/Woo-hee. I swear Gabi though is becoming my favorite simply because I also can't figure her out, which is pretty rare in Kdramaland.

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Thanks for the recap! Yes, I totally agree with you about Shin. I really hate him too! I wonder if it's because he's so sneaky AND weak. It's almost worse when you see him having some feelings of sympathy or guilt towards Chief Oh, because he'll just turn around and continue his sneaky, undermining acts against the factory workers. Even though the show threw in the sick child justification, it still strikes me that he's acting in his own self-interest, like a rat trying to survive, rather than trying to work for his daughter -- the way Bang was trying to get medicine for his mom in the early episodes. Shin is like that rat character in Harry Potter - Peter Pettigrew. I hope Shin meets his just end the way Pettigrew did. Being a lackey for an evil overlord never works out in the end.

By the way, I've been wondering what happened to Bang's sick mom. We haven't heard about her lately.

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I'm watching the episode right now, and I though.. Let me see if by chance HeadsNo2 worked overnight. And you did!!! *runs to read*

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woooo another great episode by a great recapper!

Thank you as always Headsno2 :)
oo can i just say, I loooove the love square.. its almost balanced and by that i mean i support all the couple combinations. haha sounds weird but that's my honest opinion.

<3 omg the photo-taking scene make my cheeks hurt from smiling <3

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I wasn't planning on watching this show, but your recaps intrigued me. Now I'm a bonafide addict! I love Yeo Chi with all her bark. I can hardly believe this is the same actress who annoyed the hell out me in MNIKSS.

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Heads, your recaps are a delicious desert after a fine meal.

So much going on in this episode, where to start?

Yeo-chi can't quit Bang after all. She reconciles with Grandpa and gains Gabi's support. Yay!

Meanwhile Bang stays the course and won't quit . I don't think Bang realizes just how much Yeo-chi cares for him. The Bang/ Woo-hee photo shoot was fun. She is an angel.

Hang-woo, (I don't like him and hope he doesn't get either girl), he screws over the gangster Paeng-wol. How dumb is that? I'm surprised that Hang-woo didn't have eyes for Gabi, but what do I know?

The epilogue of the burning meat was funny as well.

Looking forward to the next episode and recap.

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D'oh ! Dessert vs desert

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I totally agree with what you said about Hang Woo. I really cannot stand him sometimes, and then he goes and does sweet things for Woo Hee and I'm like make up your mind you turd! And when he's being all psycho, I find myself praying that he'll turn good in the end, that he won't be as evil in the end and hold on to that hope.

What you said about Gabi is correct! She throws me off too! I want to like her, but then she changes and I get really confused.

I felt for Yeo Chi when she was crying for her grand father. Don't cry Yeo Chi!

Did anybody else see the hilarious ending when Hang Woo tries to cook steak for Woo Hee and is basically about to burn the place down? Super funny!

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I like to romanticize hot bad guys as much as the next fangirl, but aren't we forgetting that he let Woo Hee to die in the lab fire? Was that explained in other episode and I missed it? That bothers me more than all the bad deeds he did to the protesters.

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I think we were supposed to assume that he knew Bang would go back for her? But that's a big risk to take...

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And I really REALLY hate that Hang woo framed Bang for the murder of the Chairman's son. And he wasn't the least guilty about it. And now he blames Bang for his hyung's suicide. I just can't get over it despite liking his awkward and adorable moments with Woo hee and delightful antagonistic chemistry with Yeo chi.

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I love love yeo chi and if bang doesn't want her, I wouldn't mind that much because I think she has great chemistry with hang woo. At first it was really heartbreaking seeing YC 's one sided love for Bang but now i find myself having more fun watching YC and HW' scenes rather than YC and Bang'scenes. Wol hee and Bang are quite cute together too. I hope they won't follow the real story, and just switch the couples. well everyone kinda match with everyone but I kinda ship these couples not meant to be .
I just have to wait and see what will happen next.

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This drama is so underrated but glad to see that the ratings are slowly climbing up. The cinematography is stunning, and the actors are really versatile.
I love yeo chi's transformation but she still keeps that bitchiness in her. That scene with grandpa jin is so damn heartbreaking. Salaryman is simply the best!

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agreed. I love each eplilog too. such a great drama. my fav along with what's up and sun moon.

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Why this drama will be on my top 10 list of best drama ever it is because they have done something that I have never seen before in k-drama, friendship real friendship between a man and a woman. I love Bang and Woo-Hee they are the kind of characters I would want to be together if there wasn’t a Yeo-chi and Hang-woo because when they are together it sweet but when Bang is with Yeo-Chi and Hang-Woo with Woo-hee it’s sweeter!!!

When Bang and Woo-Hee were doing the photo shoot and his arm was wrap around her I feel static, but the way Woo-hee looks at Hang-Woo I feel a shock! Bang and Yeo-Chi don’t just balance each other they are extension of the one another they really are the perfect example of Ying/Yang. I like how each relationship is tied together but stand individual, there no bias from the other parties. When the character are interacting with one another you totally focus on them, you don’t think about the Hang-Woo when Woo-hee is with Bang or Yeo-chi when Hang-woo is Woo-hee because the storyline and acting have you focus on what at hand. I’m not confuse about who going to be with who, because it oblivious and that what I love about the drama, it not figuring out who end up with each other its deeper then that. The storyline is written so well that it showing you what seem right might not be really right for you.

I have to give a “SHOUT OUT” TO DONG A” from Wild Romance best second lead ever and best character ever!!!

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Thanks for the great recap. I have to say that Gabi seems to be my second fav character after Bang of course. It's like she is a chessmaster just playing the characters.

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Salaryman is just all kinds of awesomeness. The politics are fun to watch, the dynamics of the love square are hilarious, and the fact that all characters are not just caricatures of any sort - just plain human and not perfect. Never seen a drama so geniusly written, so unpredictable. Just when you think something might happen the drama surprises you, just when you think this OTP is set, it throws you some unexpected twists and turns. You really never know what will happen.

In any case, I already have 2 firm ships in my heart (I'm pretty sure of it). But I really won't mind if the drama continues to mix up the relationship dynamics even more, because all of them have chemistry with each other, and NONE of them are indispensable without each other (cos they're just so individually awesome!).

Hang Woo is the antagonist, but I liked that you mention that villains are humans too and they're not devoid of emotions and feelings. I think Salaryman does the whole downplay of evilness or purity in the bad and good guy brilliantly. Bang is the good guy, but it's not like he's an all-out sacrificial angel of some sort. Hang Woo is anger-driven by his revenge, but yet he does show a human side (rare) when he's with Woo Hee. And I did see this brief flicker of concern in his eyes when the police arrested Bang and the factory workers?

Anyway, totally loved this episode. Still amazes me how the writer/PD are still able to keep up and keep doing better ep by ep.

And oh btw, the epilogue of Ep 11, so DAEBAK!~~

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I second everything you said! Damn, I love this drama, I love those writers, I love this production, everything is so fuc*ing perfect, smart and with tons of heart that it feels real and you just can't help, but to fall in love with every complex character, without challenging your intelligence.

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agree..... this drama is full of awsomeness!!

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I JUST LOVE YEO CHI PERIOD... and I wouldn't mind if she doesn't end with Bang or Hang Woo...hehehe I just feel she's awesome on her own and I just can't wait for both guys to fall for her...

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Whew! This was a good episode. I cried for YC with her grandfather.....OMO It was amazing!!! You go get 'em girl!

This is an awesome drama.

LOL. HW is a mess at the end with WH.....

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Yeo-chi's one of the most memorable kdrama characters I've seen and not just because she speaks very good English and she can curse endlessly without repeating a word. It's the first time I liked the actress playing her.

I love Hong Soo-hyun since TPM (not LTM). I find her so cute and pretty in this episode. I watched TPM with my brother and his GF, and he rates HSH's beauty much higher than MCW's whom he found a bit plain. ;)

It's good that Bang's back in form here as I found him to be irritating during the last 2 episodes. Meanwhile, Hang-woo's still a douchebag.

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Han Shin and ZhangLiang are the two most important Lieutenant for Liu Bang during his raise to be the emperor of China, so I figure Shin will play an important role in the future.

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With you on that. Shin (Han Xin) plays the role of switching allegiances from Hang Woo (Xiang Yu) to Yoo Bang (Liu Bang). Historically he served Xiang Yu very well but his efforts were ignored. I figure they have to build the case that Shin does his best for Hang Woo, and there'll be a trigger which forces him to switch sides eventually.

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Gabi what to do, as the only woman with any power in a compnay full of men you want to support her, but I getting the vibe they setting her up to be the real villain, thus letting off Hang-woo. Though I can not see him getting off in the invovment in the death of the old man son, if they bring in a greater "evil" then at lest he can still be relativily a 'good' guy at the end.

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This show is AWESOME!! Thanks so much for the recaps!!!

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I really want Yeo Chi to end up with Yoo Bang. They're so funny together!

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I simply love reading your recaps!

I would never start watching this drama if not for you.

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Thanks so much for the recap!!! I'm so loving this drama! To think that I almost wanted to give up watching just the first episode!

Not sure if I'm missing something, but what's Hang Woo's secret that Gabi knows that would cause Hang Woo himself to be in danger? Is it something about his dad? Would be grateful if someone can help clarify... thanks muchieee

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Hang Woo is not in danger yet cause the only secret that Gabi able to get is that she found out a who was his father.The only secret that he had been keeping dear to his heart is the letter that was left by his father afher his apparent suicide that may had strongly indicates that Chairman Jin is the person who is responsible for his father's taking his own life.Hopefully i'd be able to answer your question.

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Han Woo's father used to work for Chun Han and he blames the President for his father's death.

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Thanks harimsam & Linda165! Oooh, I can't quite recall about the dad's letter. Looks like I'll have to watch or read the recaps again! Nways, appreciate the help very much :)

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Well this episode it's just all kinds of awesome! to think i was worried with the story progression, the writers clearly know what they are doing so i can sit back and enjoy.

also agreeing with the comments before mine, i love all the characters so far even the ~bad guys~.

Thank you HeadsNo2.

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oh i just find out the ratings were 15%+ for both episode 11 and 12! there are 8 episodes left so i really hope for more higher ratings in the future *greedy*, this drama deserves it.

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this episode's epilogue was hilarious! thanks for the recap!

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Really loving the episode recaps, previously I mostly used them as a reminder of what happened (when I got back into it) or as a nostalgic reminder lol, but now I'm reading them as I watch the eps XD

Just watched the promo MV again but this time I can recognise the characters and there's a bit more understanding of it! Though previously I had thought Woo Hee and Gabi were the same person in the MV and also thought I had seen Shin Seung Hwan (Shiduk from Giant) but that was actually Jang Ryang lol!!

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Chairman Jin's blindness must be the worst kept secret ever if even the janitors are gossiping about it. But then, from my own experience I've learned that what you hear in the bathroom at work is more reliable than anything they tell you out on the floor.

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Can somebody tell me what song did Yeo Chi sang 'cause I know I heard it a lot back then but I can't remember what. Sounds like OST. Please~ It has been days the song stuck in my head.

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Thanks Heads.

I'm really enjoying your recaps.

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I think that Hang-woo is faking his interest in BadRedHair and really likes PonyTailMiniSkirt. He is focused BadRed just to make PonyTail jealous and he got the response he wanted.

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