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Equator Man: Episode 16

Gauntlets are officially thrown as pretenses fade in lieu of direct confrontations, making for a dizzyingly dramatic and intense experience. This episode was like a breath of fresh air for the series, taking us back to our roots with enough suspense to have your hands wringing for the whole hour. Where we go from here is anyone’s guess, and the fact that we have to guess at all is like drama heaven. Keep up the surprises, Equator Man.

 
EPISODE 16 RECAP

We get a B-side of the last episode’s parting conversation, this time with Chairman Jin asking, “What’s the most precious thing for me?” You know, the one Sun-woo said he’d take from him as revenge. Sun-woo: “You will know when you lose it.”

When Chairman Jin asks why Sun-woo is doing this to him, he replies: “Fifteen years ago, you stole the most precious thing from me.” Now I’m interested – what is the most precious thing to Chairman Jin? Money? Prestige?

There’s a lovely, creepy scene with Jang-il in his house post-grape-tossing. He has a loving look on his face as he watches TV, as though he’s adoring a hero on screen… only he’s watching himself receiving praise and adoration for a recent case. His face is even plastered on his household newspapers, as the diligent Prosecutor whom Seoul sees as a hero of the people.

But funny enough, he spies a rogue grape by his foot – a reminder of Sun-woo, and his less than prestigious past. He petulantly kicks it away.

And what’s even creepier – it’s not even a live broadcast, he’s actually watching a recording. That way, he can rewind at will to stare at his own face and repeat the same words his TV doppelgänger says. How many times has he re-watched this tape?

His father remains worried about Sun-woo, but with Jang-il’s eyes firmly transfixed on the screen, he tells his father that he has nothing to worry about. “You had no choice,” he says with a zombie-like affectation. “Kim Sun-woo… If he keeps on acting like a lunatic, I won’t just let him be anymore.”

To Yong-bae’s credit at least, it seems like he’s beginning to register that his son may be losing his grip on reality.

Jang-il calls Sun-woo about the letter, but reaches an impasse when Sun-woo claims that it was fortunate for him that he couldn’t read thirteen years ago, or else he wouldn’t be enjoying that lofty position right now. And as for the tax investigation he knows Jang-il set in motion – he came out clean, which sounds a lot like, so how do you like them apples.

Sun-woo returns home to Ji-won, exhausted, and the two share a Braille reading session (and a chance for him to read her mind by touching her chest). The allegories are in full swing again with the theme of spending their futures together. Ji-won offers to help Sun-woo in his revenge because she once broke a windshield, which means she’s capable of anything, right?

She’s curious about why Sun-woo didn’t submit his accident as part of the petition. It’s clear that he may still have a care left over for Jang-il, since he’s waiting to see if he’ll eventually apologize or make excuses when confronted with the truth.

Sun-woo has finally brought Geum-jool into the picture as a spy, both on Chairman Jin and now for Soo-mi. He wants to know who she’s talking to and who she’s seeing, which is a pleasure for Geum-jool, seeing as he’s had a crush on her since they were young.

And last but not least, Sun-woo wants him to try and get Jang-il a spot on a reality show featuring prosecutors and lawyers. I want to see where he’s going with this.

Hooray for smart prosecutors! Sun-woo meets with Joon-ho to learn all about Soo-mi’s testimony about his father being suicidally depressed. But Joon-ho did some homework and found that the market she claimed she saw Kyung-pil buying hanging rope from a day before he died was closed for that entire week. And furthermore, she might have even been in Jeju Island that day for an art competition.

Sun-woo combines that knowledge with what Kwang-choon told him about her everlasting crush on Jang-il, and seems to have put the pieces together regarding where her loyalties lie. He finally asks Joon-ho whether he’s close with Jang-il – and from past encounters we can tell that he isn’t – so the two share a conversation we don’t hear. But we can assume Sun-woo has brought him into the inner circle and told him the truth.

There isn’t any time to waste, so Sun-woo brings Soo-mi in right away to confront her about her testimony. He doesn’t call her a liar outright so much as point out that there’s no way anything could have been true, seeing as she wasn’t even in Busan that day. Sun-woo: “Soo-mi. Weren’t we friends? Jang-il was a friend too. You and Jang-il were the friends that I loved the most.” And Soo-mi, without skipping a beat, “I still think of you as my friend.”

So Sun-woo says if she really feels that way, she should get her memory straight if she’s called to testify again. Her eyes gleam with tears – she’s been caught.

She returns home to find her father preparing to go to the prosecution tomorrow, just as she’s readying for a work trip to Hong Kong. The news that he told everything to Sun-woo hits her like a ton of bricks, and her eyes turn into faucets as she tries anything and everything to save Jang-il. “You’re out of your mind,” she tells him. Kwang-choon: “No, you are. I’m going to tell them everything tomorrow.”

But Soo-mi, near-sobbing, drops to her knees in front of her father and begs him not to go. She’ll give up on Jang-il like he wants, but he mustn’t testify. Kwang-choon wants to do the right thing, and even though he recognizes the evil side of his daughter, he’s swayed.

Meanwhile, Jang-il tries to run damage control when his whole office believes Soo-mi’s testimony was a lie. Things aren’t going so smoothly now, are they, Jang-il?

As for Kwang-choon, it seems like Soo-mi might have won in getting him to vacation with her for a couple of days in order to “think.” He looks dubious as he flips through his passport. C’mon, Kwang-choon. Now is your chance. Step up and be the better person.

Except he doesn’t, which has the prosecutor’s office waiting for his arrival and Team Sun-woo trying to make heads or tails of it. Sun-woo at least saw this coming, and knows that they won’t reappear until the case expires.

A brief interlude with Chairman Jin’s wife and stepdaughter show that neither of them have been able to reach Soo-mi, which has Yoon-joo fuming.

Never thought I’d see the day, but Ji-won is actually doing something. Her and Geum-jool have gone to Soo-mi’s house to see if she’s there, and Ji-won is prepared to hop the fence. But since she’s in a short skirt, she advises Geum-jool to close his eyes. Ha.

He’s the seasoned gangster, and warns her against breaking and entering. So she takes her weapon of choice – a rock – and begins to aim at the alarm panel on the outside of Soo-mi’s house. He’s hilariously shocked that she’d go to such extremes.

They manage to get inside legally due to an incensed Yoon-joo arriving on the scene, and Ji-won sees a suspicious tarp. Underneath, she finds all of the Wall of Crazy paintings in a pile. She wastes no time in sending Sun-woo a phone video of all the paintings laid out.

HA – I love you, Min-yun. He sees the video with Sun-woo and tells him, “Do you know what the Chinese proverb is for how I’m feeling right now? Men-tal-break-down. In two words, ‘mental break.’ In three words, ‘what a bitch.'” Hahaha. Couldn’t have said it better myself.

So Sun-woo knows that she saw them that day, and wants to get his hands on the paintings to share the wealth.

Chairman Jin has been having business problems ever since he dumped money into an unproductive mine (against Sun-woo’s advice), and now he’s resorted to bribes. Strangely enough, Secretary Cha takes photographic evidence of the exchange.

His wife and stepdaughter have a meeting with Sun-woo to discuss their own ideas for a business venture – pottery imports – and ask Sun-woo (as David Kim) if he’ll invest. He agrees on two conditions: one, that they put Bukyung Chemicals up for collateral (Ji-won’s father’s former company) and that they’ll hold an exhibition for Soo-mi’s paintings. The Wall of Crazy paintings.

Jang-il gets the offer to be on the reality show, handed down by his superior. He wants to wait until he’s done with Sun-woo’s case, which is expiring in only a few days. Joon-ho feels the ticking clock and tells Jang-il that they’ll need a warrant to search Chairman Jin’s house.

So Jang-il preempts him by calling the judge and warning him against giving a warrant. He has to hold out for thirty-six more hours, then the case will expire.

Over dinner, Ji-won warns Sun-woo against going on with his revenge. She hated Chairman Jin for stealing her father’s company away, but she knew that revenge would only make her life worse. She wants him to show the paintings to Jang-il first, so that he can beg for Sun-woo’s forgiveness. After all, “It must have been hard for Jang-il too,” she says.

Sun-woo isn’t swayed, and tells her that he’ll take care of things.

Meanwhile, Yong-bae searches Jang-il’s room for the note he knows Sun-woo left. He finds it and falls to the ground in shock, since it names him as the murderer.

In looking through Chairman Jin’s locked cabinets for a photo (presumably of his dead fiancée), his wife comes upon the letter Kwang-choon sent after Chairman Jin tried to kill him. She doesn’t understand it.

Sun-woo does a radio interview for a business broadcast, and without naming Chairman Jin’s company he basically debunks the rumors that he could have happened upon such a large mine. (To fool stockholders, Chairman Jin lied about a reserve he didn’t have.) Geum-jool is there to rouse the crowd listening and help spread the word of Chairman Jin’s trickery.

The headlines make it to Chairman Jin, plastered all over the newspapers. Chairman Jin recognizes that he’s been had, and goes into damage control mode.

In Hong Kong, poor Kwang-choon seems not to know that the case will expire before he makes it back to Korea. Soo-mi looks smug, “It’s his fault for trusting you.”

Sun-woo and Jang-il both watch the clock as it reaches midnight. Once it does, Jang-il stamps the case with the word ‘Expired’, and smiles.

The two then share a drink at Sun-woo’s place, with Jang-il offering an empty apology that things had to turn out this way. As usual, Ji-won is in the other room, able to overhear everything.

Pretend time has passed, as Sun-woo finally confronts Jang-il on what happened, face to face.

Sun-woo: “I wrote that I didn’t remember anything on the petition. But I remember everything. You hit me from behind. My head felt hot in the back, then I felt something in the gut. And then the darkness came like the lights went out. Then I felt cold water. You dropped me into the sea.”

This is all said in a very calm, very matter-of-fact manner. Jang-il stiffens slightly, but makes no other acknowledgment. In fact, he denies it and remains smug, even when Sun-woo claims that a part of him wanted to forgive Jang-il. This causes a smirk and half a derisive chuckle to come from our Prosecutor. “Forgive?” He says the word like it’s a foreign thing, like it’s simply not in his lexicon.

“Apologize to me,” Sun-woo persists. If Jang-il will apologize to him and tell him his story, how he lived from that day… even now, he gets nightmares of being hit from behind and blinded. Does Jang-il feel no pity, no remorse for causing him such pain?

And Jang-il, stubborn till the end, simply says: “That means you’re losing your mind.” Jang-il, he is giving you an out here. Open season. Get out of jail free card. Take it, damn you!

But no, he’s arrogant till the end. Sun-woo admits that the two modes of thought have been warring in his head – forgiveness or revenge – but not anymore. Jang-il has made the decision for him, by deliberately choosing to deny any wrongdoing and repent. Now, all bets are off.

He warns Jang-il that he remembers how he was as a child, reckless and violent. So Jang-il better not be shocked at what’s to come.

This is it, the point of no return. Jang-il chooses to leave, and the moment he does, Sun-woo places a call to Prosecutor Joon-ho as Ji-won watches from the doorway. Now Sun-woo has done what she asked, and Jang-il has proven her wrong. (Side note: The use of sweeping orchestral music here is great, and actually elevates the drama of the scene as opposed to overshadowing it, as this drama has been prone to do in the past.)

Chairman Jin’s wife and daughter plan their pottery business venture, while only Yoon-joo remains concerned about her stepfather’s business. Her mom tells her not to worry, since he only considers them as roommates and not as family. The biggest barrier between them is a dead woman – Eun-hae.

Jang-il, meanwhile, remains happy as a clam as he’s hired to do yet another commercial/public service announcement as the city’s beacon for justice. It’s too ironic to even point out the irony that is his life.

The art exhibition is going forward as planned, even without Soo-mi’s permission. Sun-woo has taken full responsibility for any copyright issues they may run into, with Chairman Jin’s wife and Yoon-joo even knowing that it’s him in the paintings. They decide to call the exhibit, “On A Sunny Day.”

Ji-won continues to look pensive, because all this isn’t sitting right with her. She pays a visit to Tae-joo in the same office… where has this guy been? Does he shut down like a robot when a scene doesn’t call for him? She wants him to stop Sun-woo, because she’s worried he’ll get hurt. He claims he can’t stop him now, he’ll come to realize his wrongs soon enough. Ji-won, on the other hand, wonders if such an epiphany will come too late.

She goes straight to Jang-il to plead for him to intervene. “If you have to ask for forgiveness, ask for it and get it resolved.” She claims it’s the last chance they have to stop things from getting worse, but Jang-il merely scoffs at what she’s claiming to do for the both of them, but what she’s really only doing for Sun-woo.

Jang-il: “Go and tell Sun-woo: Stop acting like he’s the only victim.”

Soo-mi and Kwang-choon return from Hong Kong, only to find that the paintings are gone.

At the broadcast station for ‘Law Firm Live’, the TV show Sun-woo pulled to get Jang-il on without him knowing, Min-yun passes out coffee bribes and asks for a favor. Is Sun-woo going to pull a City Hunter and oust Jang-il on live television?

It’s so perfect that Jang-il took on this show, because it appeals to his own vanity as a prosecutor and his love of recognition. Ji-won watches from the audience as he spouts words of law wisdom.

So from what I can get, this is a show where legal questions can be posed from callers for the respective prosecutor – in this case, Jang-il – to answer. And we see all the strings Sun-woo pulled to orchestrate everything perfectly, so that when he places a call (while sitting in the audience, no less) it gets pulled onto the live broadcast. Bad news for Jang-il.

Jang-il is stuck as Sun-woo asks over the phone, broadcasted live, whether his friend hitting him in the back of the head with a branch before pushing him off the cliff means attempted murder, or assault. Even Chairman Jin is watching live, as the camera focuses on Jang-il’s poker face.

He seems momentarily unsettled, but recovers quickly. Since the crime happened before 2007, when a new law expanding the statute of limitations to twenty-five years came into effect, he only has fifteen years for this case. And this is Year Fifteen.

“What if the friend that hit me is working in the justice system? What happens then? The law is fair to all, right?” Sun-woo asks. Jang-il is as stiff as a board as he replies sure, of course. So then Sun-woo asks if he’ll investigate for him if he tells him his name…

Which sends us to a flashback of Sun-woo practicing his lines with Tae-joo and Min-yun. Not Dad was in disagreement about Sun-woo outing Jang-il’s name, but Min-yun put in his vote for doing it. And Sun-woo practices in the flashback: “The name of that friend is Lee Jang-il. You.”

In the present, Sun-woo seems more uncertain. But he goes along by saying that he’ll tell Jang-il his friend’s name right now. Jang-il’s eyes go wide, he becomes visibly nervous…

Sun-woo: “His name is…” Jang-il is still, and everyone waits with bated breath. Even Chairman Jin, watching from home, leans forward in his seat. Broadcast ratings are skyrocketing, so the control room is in a fit. Even Tae-joo leans forward, waiting. Sun-woo: “His name is Lee…” Pause. “Jang…” Another pause. Everyone holds their breath…

…And Sun-woo cuts off the call before finishing the name. Oy, my nerves. Jang-il looks up into the audience like he wants to jump in and throttle the life out of Sun-woo.

It turns out that even Yong-bae has been watching from home. “Sun-woo,” he says darkly, “I should have killed you back then and killed myself. Who the hell are you to do that to my son? Who do you think you are?” Who the hell are you to kill a boy’s father?

Ji-won approaches Jang-il after the broadcast, and he’s looking not so much shaken as he is angry. The two share a long look without any words before Jang-il goes on his way.

We flash back to his drinking date with Sun-woo, where he turned back the moment Sun-woo called Joon-ho. He sits down, “I would appreciate you telling me the next phase of the plan.”

So Sun-woo lays it out, that Jang-il should tell his father that he saw Chairman Jin seeing his father before he died, but got off work after hearing them fight. They’ll blame it all on Jin – and if Jang-il says no, he’ll go straight to Joon-ho to accuse him of attempted murder.

Even with the statute of limitations expiring, Chairman Jin will be in for stock manipulation. Though he can’t be punished by the law, he can still be found guilty of murder – so they can then leave the punishment to the court of public opinion.

Jang-il gets up to leave, but is once again swayed by Sun-woo’s threat to call Joon-ho. As Sun-woo told him, he’d have to live as a murderer’s son and throw away all his ambitions if he doesn’t go along with the plan, so it’s a moment of decision for Jang-il.

Then, finally, he says, “Your father was killed by Jin. Kim Kyung-pil was killed by Jin No-sik. My father saw them together at the house.” So that means he’s going along with the plan to help Sun-woo, which causes the latter to smile and add that he’ll be looking forward to Jang-il’s show tomorrow… so is he letting him in on the plan?

Jang-il turns just as Sun-woo smiles. Jang-il offers him a slight smile in return.

 
COMMENTS

Well, that was definitely a twist I didn’t see coming.

Their working together is certainly an interesting choice for Sun-woo to make, and now that I think about it, it’s a smart move. The statute of limitations has passed, so rather than going for brute force revenge Sun-woo wants to get the public to turn against Chairman Jin, which is where Jang-il will come in handy. Even if Chairman Jin can’t be punished, the conviction will do him some harm.

Still, it’s a bit bothersome that this teaming up comes right on the heels of the confrontation where, even when presented with his list of crimes, Jang-il refused to show even one iota of hesitation or remorse and chose to treat Sun-woo with that arrogant sort of derision he’s so well known for. That was his Big Chance, and he missed it – but it’s just as well, because Sun-woo is giving him a free pass even without earning forgiveness. So it feels like, I’ll never forgive you but I’ll do everything as if I did, and you won’t suffer any consequences. I know it’s not up to Sun-woo to teach Jang-il life lessons, but how will he ever learn otherwise?

So my hope lies in Sun-woo, in that he’ll use Jang-il to get what he wants and then exact some form of revenge. I don’t really see how though, if Chairman Jin will be solely accused of the murder, since there won’t be a way to accuse Yong-bae of the same thing. But then there’s always Joon-ho, the new wild card. I like it when I can’t tell what a character’s next move will be… but I can say that even from a wish-fulfillment perspective, what I want to happen most in this show is not necessarily for Sun-woo to find justice for his father, but for Jang-il to lose the facade, face his actions, and repent.

Therefore, I’m still a little confused by the very first scene of the drama, where Jang-il faced off against Chairman Jin and Sun-woo while looking horribly conflicted. Are we just in the longest flashback ever, and we’ll eventually reach that scene? My hope is that it wasn’t just a writer’s flight of fancy, and that we’ll eventually find ourselves back where we started, only with a whole new spin on things. We don’t know what the turning point might be for Jang-il, but that’s part of the fun. What’s the Chinese proverb for how I’m feeling right now? Ex-ci-ted.

 
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And here is my reason why Jiwon sucks the life out of a drama, because if anyone else was sitting next to Uhm Tae-woong and reading to him, I have a feeling it'd feel more like foreplay than reading to your kid brother.

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Oh and why the heck is she helping her man's attempted murderer?

Even if Jang-il got on his knees and castrated himself as an apology, I'd still take a gun and shoot him and his sniveling dad. There are just some things you can't take back.

1) You're my sister and you slept with my husband. (check)
2) You're my priest and you touched my pee-pee. (check)
3) Killing someone's entire family for a wallet/cus you're drunk. (check)
4) My bff's father killed my dad, and then my bff tried to kill me after promising to help me catch the killer. (pretty big effing check)

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That's what I bother... She is no depth and in my opinion is not human... How can you want them reconcile after What Jang Il did to Sun WOo? sHe has knows based on pictures she saw how Jang Il attacked SUn WOo, and Do you want Sun Woo and Jang Il reconcile? That doesn't make any sense for her character. What's up in her mind? SHe is a robot not a human...

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Wherever they made her they need to send her back. 100% refund with gift. Chop Chop.

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I agree with you both.

Really Ji Won, really? You heard how unrepentant he was and you still feel tender towards him and look at him....in the exact same way you look at Sun Woo. Um...seriously if its just based off how she looks at the guy, I'd never know who she's in love with. -_-'

If she EVER does anything to foil his revenge, I'll kick her. Dunno how, but I'll find a way.

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Maybe on the end she'll tell 'I Love you JI'...I wouldn't be surprise...

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And that Toya, is what pisses me off about her character! Except for the climbing over the fence at Soo Mi's, I have never seen her really take Sun Woo's side on anything! Constantly sounding like she feels sorry for Jang Il disgusts me!

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I'm indifferent to Ji Won so from an objective point of view, I can say there's nothing wrong with her feeling sorry for Jang-il. The reason why she's trying to help him is to help Sun Woo as well. Because he is feeding his soul to the dark side and everyone knows how people break when they do. So by saving Jang-il, she hopes to save him. I know that logic isn't so smart but it makes sense. The beauty of the inner struggle the eye may not notice.

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I know that it is strange, but Jiwon reminds me of the female protagonist in Beethoven Virus. Both are so poorly written. We really can't understand their passivity or motivations. It really makes me wonder about the writers. Why can't they create a credible female lead?

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Thanks for posting.

I have been following the recaps but not watching because my schedule does not permit watching at this time.

I can't believe that Sun-woo is going to let Jang-Il and Yong-Bae off scott-free for murder and attempted murder. I think he will give Jang-Il enough rope to hang Chairman Jin, Yong-Bae and himself.

I think repentance might be Soo-Mi's prize but everyone else goes to hell.

But anything is possible, because after years of watching Korean dramas I've come to the conclusion that they always lean towards redemption. Very few villains are too wicked to be permanently cast out of the fold.

I wonder what will happens with the Darth-Jin "Sun-Luke I am your father" moment.

Perhaps that will be Sun-woo/Sun-Luke's punishment. The lesson that revenge is disastrous as a primary motivating force in life.

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@Yumi, I don't think Sun Woo's motivation is let anyone off scott free. I believe he is cleverly pitting one against the other. He will use JI to get at Chairman Jin who in turn will go after Dad Yong Bae. I still believe Sun Woo's goal is to take what's precious from all of them. I like the Darth reference.

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wow... so now they become alliance?

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HeadsNo2, thank you for your recap.
I always looking forward to read it from you.
You do a very good review, I enjoy reading them all....

Yep, this drama is getting more & more interesting.

I wonder if what Sun Woo do right now is in regards to what his 'Not Father' told him long before he went back to Korea, something like this: 'The rotten tree will fall on itself. You don't need to cut it down. It's already rotten inside. You just have to be the wind.'

That's deep. When something rotten inside, you'll never know what twist will come next, ie: you'll become insane or living in your own fantasy, yet you believe that you're the sanest person alive. Nobody trust you, respect you, support you, love you anymore...

That would be so scarry

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Sun Wooooo is the wind. Put things in motion and sit back! "On a Sunny Day" art exhibition will put JI over the top! I can see all of the top legal professionals being invited to that event!

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Sun Woo is playing a long game. He came back to Korea when he did for a reason. To file his petition close to the statute of limitations, thereby creating pressure on Jang Il. He already knows Jang Il isn't going to have a change of heart and face up to things. He may have had some lingering hope of that, but I doubt he ever really thought he would. He's using Jang Il's weakness against him, same as he is with everyone involved. He's essentially letting them destroy themselves by giving them opportunities and adding tension/upping the stakes. He's not attacking them, he's letting them self destruct. That's why I find his vengeance to be moral.

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For Jin losing his company will be end, for JI it will be his career, for JI dad losing his son, or life...

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for jin, knowing sunwoo is his son, for jangil his career and his dad, jangil's dad, his son...

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Self destruct is the key.. Sun Woo is the dealer and everyone else is gambling. Telling Chairman Jin about investments that would have made him money knowing that he would not take his advice was priceless!

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Oh, great way to put it! Tip of the hat to you. :)

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Jin will definitely lose his company and his family probably will leave him.. i do have a feeling though Jin will probably make JI's father be responsible of SW's father's dead.. and JI will most likely lose his career... that will probably explain why JI tried to kill Jin at the very beginning of the 1st ep... since JI has most likely lost everything that is important to him.. for SW trying to stop JI at the beginning .. may be not because Jin is his may be father.. but more for JI.. not wanting him to go down the same path again like what JI did to him 15 years... of course it's all my guessing...

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I know that last time on the Moon/Sun recaps I've been complaining and complaining, but here I am again, wanting very badly for Jang-il to die a heroic death, as a last source of redemption. Or something. Anyone with me? I feel like it's his way out, though in my opinion he should suffer more. But that's the way I like it, I guess, to show that he's not totally a bad guy (or at least I'd still like to think). I'd also like to see more scenes where Jang-il is physically and mentally suffering from guilt, because when he said, "tell Sun-woo to stop acting like he's the only victim," I wanted to see him actually suffer. I want to see more sides of him, not only the side in which he's being a big baddy and ruining relationships and etc.
I don't know, I also think that there's more than arrogance to Jang-il's refusal of admitting his faults. I may be wrong, but I think there's a lot more psychological issues with it than there are with attitude. I mean, look at the guy, he's almost half nuts! I may be wrong again though since I've never really studied much about psychology. Damn. I really want to watch the rest of this series, like now. ;)

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I think so too. Jang Il will redeem himself and then die (you can't let him live!). Kdramas often seem to have a theme of compassion towards the villain and in this case Jang Il really is a pitiful and messed up guy. How telling when he says to Sun Woo "Your not the only victim." Moreover, the callousness of Jang Il's father may seem bizarre, but he is not off the mark in noting that his son is really suffering because of Sun Woo. Of course, dad is the real cause of his pain.

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i have the same feeling. I think Jang Il will die and pay his wrong doing..... And if that so, it will be another Jun Hyuk's character where he will end up up dying.. *sob*

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"The art exhibition is going forward as planned, even without Soo-mi’s permission. Sun-woo has taken full responsibility for any copyright issues they may run into, with Chairman Jin’s wife and Yoon-joo even knowing that it’s him in the paintings. They decide to call the exhibit, 'On A Sunny Day.' "

LOL by the way did you notice that the title for the painting had a funny link? In Korean, it was:

"어느 눈 부신 날에"

You can interpret this as "A day in which eyes were destroyed". It was funny how Sunwoo emphasized the title by repeating it with a serious look.

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Wow...interesting. "A day in which eyes were destroyed"

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Thanks, that gives "On a Sunny Day" title more meaning!

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I agree with you(#5 Arishia). Sun woo didn't intend to punish them. I think he just put some trigger in them and let to their self destruction (like beep..beep..beep.. 24 hours to self destruction). Or just like Not Father said, (as quoted by#4 MEalways) rotten tree will fall by itself, just be the wind.

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When do you think he knew who his real father??
With friends like these we do not need enemies !!!

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Fucking Jang-Il! If it were me, I'll just grab a gun and shoot him, his father of a gun, and Chairman Jin.
Btw, how's the rating for episode 15 and 16? Equator Man is still leading, right?

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Yeah its still leading. I think ep 16 was about 13 or 14%

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When do you think he knew who his real father??
With friends like these do not need enemies

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Well...that was a very good episode.

Sun Woo may have formed an alliance but he still has no intention of letting Jang Il off. He baited him in such a sweet way on the Talk Show after the so-called 'alliance' and he's going to display the pics. Yes...he will definitely destroy Jang-Il.

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With the help of JI prosecutor colleague, will he move JI feelings on the end, I don't thinks so.

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I can't wait to find out what he said to him. Joon Ho did not look pleased!

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sunwoo baited jangil to join hands, why still play the talk show game?? is the talk show game a set up for chairman jin??

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This is circle...the last man standing.

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It does seem strange that, after they agree to collaborate against Jin, Sun Woo would torment Jang Il on TV.

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Because its not a real collaboration and he hasn't forgiven him.

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He only agreed to not out him as a son of a murderer/attempted murderer. He did not say he would not f*ck with him! I thought it was priceless...

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haha,, your comment is really funny, make me laugh so much...

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13 & 13.2 No Sun-Woo is a lot smarter than that... He'll be playing out Chairman Jin against Jang Il...and have them expose their own weaknesses: their enormous egos.

I wasn't surprised at all by the Sun Woo's move to have JI display his 'knowledge' and 'moral rectitude' on live tv before getting him apparently to side with him against Chairman Jin.

It's a bit like watching a very good chess player planning this with very calculated, astute strategy and cunning to have them bring themselves down and even Soo Mi (with the upcoming pictures to be put on public display) who betrayed Sun Woo by not helping him and keeping all that knowledge of what really happened on that fateful day all that time from him when he was blind.

The enormity of the people that betrayed Sun Woo (as he so solemnly says to an asleep Ji Won) is that all the people he truly loved, left (and/or betrayed) him, stabbing him in the back.

Ji Won doesn't want Sun Woo to become blind again - which I think is why she didn't want JI and Sun Woo to keep their rotten relationship from getting even worse. But I do think that her loyalties are definitely with Sun Woo (she was sitting in the audience during the live the live broadcast, too) and has seen for herself what Sun Woo really is capable of and that she might have underestimated Sun Woo's level-headedness in bringing about JI's, Yong Bae's and Chairman Jin's downfall.

And Sun Woo has now a very important and heavy weight ally: Soon Ho, a genuine legal eagle who'll help Sun Woo to get back at Jang Il trying to have all the glory to himself because this is the opportunity he's been waiting for: If he can bring down Jang Il AS WELL AS Chairman Jin, he's got it made. Can't get better than that for killing two birds with a stone.

Then Chairman Jin's wife has begun to smell something funny with that letter she's stumbled upon. Their relationship does not seem to have been on such good terms for a while and it might give her an opportunity to get even for not really being a part of each other's lives... Besides, she doesn't like Jang Il. So, it's all coming together nicely... Jang Il and his dad and Chairman Jin ... the circle is getting encircled and the rope is being pulled tighter...cutting off any escape routes none of them had thought of in their self-importance and arrogance of being invincible.

Me thinks there will be a kind of showdown between Chairman Jin, Sun Woo and Jang Il. And, I wouldn't be surprised if Yong Bae will end up either killing himself or be 'taken care of' by Chairman Jin during the next few episodes. And I intuit that Jang Il will realise too late that it's too late, which will either lead to him committing suicide or have someone else do it for him.

Hell is a place from which there is no escape when you've committed wrong on that level - as a prosecutor - to get there and to stay there.

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agree agree agree agree - I just hope Sun Woo will be able to live a good life after all the rotten trees fall...

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"Me thinks there will be a kind of showdown between Chairman Jin, Sun Woo and Jang Il. "
Yes, of course. Beginning of episode 1. :D

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Well said. Its definitely going to be a self destruct take down!

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You just said what I thought in much more eloquent terms! And yes, that showdown is coming...

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"Who the hell are you to kill a boy’s father?"
Ugh yes! That scene seriously pisses me off! Both father and son are off their rockers.

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Yeah, I screamed at the TV when Yong Bae said that. The nerve of these people to totally devoid themselves of any wrongdoings! Its amazing!

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THREE reasons why SUN WOO IS AN IDIOT!!

1.HOW THE HELL WOULD U HIRE Jang Il. as ur lawyer WHEN U he tried to kill u??

2 WHY WOULD U LET Jang Il. father off the hook just to get revenge on jin WHO DID NOT KILL UR FATHER

3 why are u trusting Jang Il. u setting ur self up

aFTER the last episode i realized there will IN FACT BE NO REVENGE! Sun woo is letting Jang Il and his father get away with murder! SMFH SUN WOO IS A MORON smfh

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Three reasons why Sun Woo is not an idiot!

1. He never hired Jang Il as his lawyer but basically/supposedly let him in on his plan to get Chairman Jin for murder, guilty by the public. People thinking Jin No Sik is a killer will definitely affect the business

2. I don't think he is. Sun Woo will get what's most previous to Yong Bae, his son, the prestige of being a prosecutor in the long run. And maybe his sanity which is slowly cracking.

3. The old saying keep your friends close and your enemy closer. What better way to know what they are doing/or not doing!

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No sun woo is setting himself up for failure. Remmber the 1st episode u see him protecting Jang Il FROM KILLING Jin.

Now that he knows everything WHY WOULD U PROTECT HIM SMFH!!

*THROWS HANDS UP* at this point whatever happens to SUN WOO i wont bat an eye. I SEE THE REVENGE NONSENSE BACKFIRING

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Even if the man wants to see Jang-Il go down, I doubt he wanted to make another man a murderer in order to do it.

Besides, if I was Sun-Woo, I'd want Jin alive to suffer as I slowly pull his life apart, like tearing the wings off a fly, then spraying it with rubbing alcohol to see how long it dies.

Jang-Il killing Jin would screw that up.

Also, Jin is just as at fault as Jang-Il's Father. Daddy dearest did the deed, but that wouldn't need to be if Jin wasn't sitting in some mansion plotting everything. Jin didn't kill him properly, and so as not to be named as an accessory to murder, Jang-Il's Father finished the job rather than help Sun-Woo's father escape.

Sun-Woo isn't stupid, he's vindictive. There is a difference.

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IDK WE WILL SEE JUST HOW smart everyone claims SUN WOO TO BE IN THE end !

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It's funny and scary how Yong-bae doesnt realise what he has put his sun into. He never did him any fever by killing a man.
Jang-ils poker and ignorant face is boring me, glad Sun Woo is taking matters into his own hands.

I love Min-yun too! It's so refreshing to see someone curse, b/c that's the only way to react at such things.

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I played Min-Yon's Mental Breakdown speech over and over again. I have it committed to my brain! It was priceless!

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I am shocked that everyone is coming down so hard on Ji-won instead of Soo-mi. Ji-won just got the man she loves back after 13 years of not being with him and The both of them are doing thir best to protect each other. Ji-won knows Sun-Woo can go blind again if he keeps the stress up and he has a lot on him:is old best friend triied to kill him, his other friend lied to him about it, the family friend fathers both know who killed the dad bu are too worried about how it affects them, and then finally Chairman Jin who keeps interfering in his life and with his dad.Trying to mess with him.That stress is going to make Sun-Woo blind again and he doesn't want that. As the woman who loves him you want to do everything in your power to protect the one you love.Since Sun-Woo wants her to stay out of it it makes it harder for her.Ji-won is not a robot to me to forgive the man who destroyed your family and then work wholeheartedly to make Sun-woo work on letting the revenge which is making go blind and full of hate. She pities Jang II and cannot fathom why he would do that to his friend and hearing both secrets was on purpose so she could see what those monsters inflicted on Sun-Woo.is deathly afraid of losing her and doesn't want her harmed and changing from the warm, beautiful, spirit who loves him for the person he was and who he is now.I love her characterization because she is strong and gentle and when she is with Sun-Woo you can sense the gentle intimacy between them.Hot and soft. I do think Ji-Won will be the last pawn Chairman Jin uses against Sun-Woo before he realizes he is up against his son and destroying his life like he did with his mother. I just hope Sun-Woo doesn't snap when Ji-Won is used against him. He wants revenge but not at the cost of risking his eyesight and the women he loves.So excited for this week's episode.

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Exactly! Thank you for this.

I see Ji-Won as the only pure character that's left, and she should stay that way.

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I really want to see Ji Won beat the crap out of Soo Mi!

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But for me her reaction when she knows the true Jang Il for that pic is so bland and makes me dissapointed that's makes me questioning his conciences. . It's weird considering how well she knows SUn WOo's struggle because of Jang Il's cause. I want She at least would felt angry or whatever as long as not being bland. His pureness.. is being question mark just for that alone. If I were in her shoes, I at least will be feel something.

but we have different opinion anyway.. It's nice to found someone has different point of view ;)

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I agree with you on most points but at the end of episode 15 when Sun Woo was crying his heart out, I don't think there is one person posting here that would have remained calm. My proudest moment of her was when she was going to hop that fence! Yes, she does have Sun Woo as her main concern but sometimes it just seems like she has too much concern for Jang Il! Jang Il be damn but I definitely see your point about her concern for his stress and the return of blindness. By no means is Soo Mi getting a pass. She's crazy! That has been well established. Certifiable even! Hey, when your Dad even says you're crazy, there is not much more we can say.

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What is the point of dragging this story for so long? The audience knows who killed who- in the first 4 episodes-
JangIl remained unrepentant and he is rotting inside. If Sun Woo doesn't forgive and forget already- he will die a little inside as well. Give it over to the police ten episodes ago and live your life.....

good acting on the two male leads and supporting males - the female characters were written and acted badly esp Ji Won.

I think the story will be more gripping if it is condensed in fewer episodes. It is taxing my patience as it is...

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10 episodes ago, Sun Woo was blind and just realizing who almost killed him! A blind man with not too many people in a position to help him is a helpless man! Not-Dad Tae Joo said it best, to get revenge, you need power!

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soomi's father acts really good, i like his acting the best in this drama, he was very good in the scene of making confession to sunwoo, utw was a bit over-act there in my opinion, adult soomi does a good job too, and i surely like young soomi too...i think most of the actors/actresses are good...just jiwon is pretty rigid and boring both character and acting wise...

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I just come here to vent about Ji-won.
Seriously she's sucking out all of the energy around her, and what is her motivation? I don't get it. Why the hell would she want Sun Woo to just simply forgive Jang- Il and moved on? man I can't...she's pissing me so much. I hope the writer do something about her.

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Ok, my final assessment. It was good to finally see Sun Woo take charge and begin the revenge portion of this drama. I have always felt that Sun Woo would sit back and let the games begin and not do anything himself. I know, a lot of people were frustrated with the whole filing the petition only for the charges to expire but I think this was Sun Woo's way to give Jang Il (possibly Soo Mi) an out. He said it best when he said the people that he loved, and there is no doubt that he loved both Jang Il and Soo Mi (who is probably now on his sh*t list). Jang Il will suffer as well as his Dad (through hopefully the loss of his job and the pride in his son); Chairman Jin, well, he will lose with the knowedge of the fact that this great man he is impressed with was his son; and Soo Mi, she will end up in an insane asylum with finger paint! Let's just hope that at the end, Sun Woo does not lose his sight. I have this nagging feeling that that is what will happen in the end!

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Definitely an interesting twist that I didn't see coming either. I have a feeling that Sun-woo has taking up Not Dad(?)'s advice and is setting things in motion so the villains can take each other out. After all, they're all already rotten to the core, he just needs to give the right push. I can definitely see this tying in to the opening scene in episode 1. But, of course, that leaves the question of why SW ends up coming between Jang-il and Chairman Jin...?

Oh, and speaking of rotten, I don't think there are enough words in the English language for me to properly express my disgust with Soo-mi. Ugh. She's so pathetic. I can't believe she got her dad to go along with her desperate plea. And after I had reveled in his decision to go the authorities and divulge the truth last episode... Sigh.

Also, I don't get the hate for Ji-won. I like her. But, she's not a main; she's a supporting character. She hasn't had much room to wriggle within the plot, but she's done a fair job with what she's been given.

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Agree with you on Sun Woo's tactic! Gale force winds! Soo Mi? There is just not anything else you can say about Soo Mi! I don't hate Ji Won, its just sometimes when she should show some emotion, she does not. Haven't seen her shed a tear yet! When Sun Woo was cry, could not believe she remained dry eyed!

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You have to blame the writer for that, I think Lee Bo Young took up the wrong project when she is given such a useless role.

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Although Lee Bo Young is the lead and is by far the prettiest actress in the drama, Soo Mi has a bigger stage in the latter half of the drama, in my opinion, than Ji Won. I am ok with Jiwon's pleading for forgiveness, but the letdown for me was how the romance between Jiwon and Sunwoo has become so weak and less important. (Although it can be argued that her pleading for forgiveness has made Sunwoo strike a deal with Jang Il, but it's not very clear here how much impact her pleading was.)

On other hand, I am still in surprise of how Soo Mi decided to protect Jang Il despite, in my opinion, how she wanted to give Jang Il up. It seemed real to me that she was going back and forth in indecision to protect jang Il or give him up -- until the very end when she testified to protect Jang Il. I am still shocked about how she loves (or is obssessed over Jang Il). A tragic character for sure. LOL.

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Out of topic, but am I allowed to express what I think in regards of how EM impacts other dramas.

So, I'm sorry if I write it at wrong place.

Equator Man really shines, and it happens to be my cup of tea drama. But, that makes other drama less interesting. Haaaa.... maybe it's just personal. However, it gets me think if other(s) feel the same way too.

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Its my #1 drama, even though I watch others and love them but this one take precedence. I love revenge dramas!!

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Hello
just drop by to say my gratitude:)

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it's all a lie. True he will use Jang-il for his plan, but this is what i think will happen:

1. Sun-woo will let Jang-il on the plan
2. Right when the plan goes through, Sun-woo will find out that President Jin is his dad.
3. President Jin will pin the whole thing on Jang-il's dad.
4. Jang-il's dad will either be killed by Sun-woo or go to jail for life.

remember people, we all know how this ends (Jang-il holding a gun to President Jin and Sun-woo stepping infront of the gun).

this, for me is just piecing all that together. I will admit that i don't watch this drama (i just read the recaps cause they are written so well). it's too dark for me. too many people lying to each other. but, pin me for saying this on this day. and if it comes true, i will laugh. hahahaha.........

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EM is potentially a very good psychological thriller in the light of Hitchcock, however, I feel that it is not well acted and it is too slow. I ff most scenes because its dragging slooooowwwwwly.

Uhm Tae Wong displayed great acting expecially when he was acting blind - it was believable.

Jan Il - the actor's facial expressions did not change much - I liked the younger Jan Il's acting better. His eyes are not expressive and how come his face is too smooth? He looks gorgeous but when acting I want to see frowns, wrinkles, etc . Reminds me of Charlie Sheen - he has the same expression no matter what ...

EM is a good story and I will watch it later when I gather more patience. It is more interesting now to read the recaps and the comments and discussions here .

Soomi - is a character of an obsessed woman. She reminds me of the woman in Fatal Attraction - she was the scariest woman I ever saw in a movie.

Some deep characters here...

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I never comment even though i read dramabeans a lot.. But i am so angry at EM now.. in the first 12 episodes, it was going strong, it was awesome.. but after they got the extensions and our main hero returned it became so draggy and boring.. there are for sure some intense scene here and thers but it's not as it used to be... I keep watching it though but i fast forward a lot >__<.. the feelings between Jang Ill and soo mi are much more intersting than our main boring couple..

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I love Jang Il acting... he's so awesome and u can the the pain and angst in his eyes.. and I like Soo Mi character too.. she is just plain awesome.. she is a great actress.. The other female is just too boring, not only becoz of her character, but it's her expressions.. she's always too bland and not very expressive, and I can't stand when she's shown..

I just wish Jang Il will give Soo Mi a chance after he saw what she has done to protect him.. a kiss too plz >_<.. the feelings between Jang Ill and soo mi are much more intersting than our main boring couple..

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Jang-il is a full-blown sociopath and has no conscience,no woman should go anywhere near him,and while I shipped jang-il and soo-mi together at first(because they're chemistry beats the main couple)I don't anymore.If you watch ep 17 *spoiler alert* seon-woo tells her that jang-il will never love her even if he becomes destroyed and after what he does to soo-mi's dad in the hospital I think he deserves to be miserable,alone,and rot away slowly in misery,no sympathy whatsoever from me.I just hope that she wakes up and realizes what seon-woo tells her and stays the hell away from him and find some kind of redemption in the end.

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i am watching the first 15 minutes of epi 17 - this may yet save this dragging story - it is the best episode for me ...
i am thinking whoaaa are the writers thinking Hitchcock? or Shakespeare?

i like a good legal drama, this episode is the best for this drama so far --- going back to epi 17

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Jiwon has got to be the blandest cter I hv ever seen. This ep sees her making the most shocking relevation of her life where her man was almost killed by their mutual best friend n she looks exactly the same. And how can she still remain so calm n unfazed???? She is numb when she shld hv gone stark raving mad... The man who had a crush on me nearly murdered my man!!!!

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