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Level 7 Civil Servant: Episode 12

Just when you thought being betrayed by the one you love would be the last straw, it turns out your day actually can get worse. The house of cards comes tumbling down and everyone starts asking all the right questions and secrets start spilling out. But does knowing the truth make a difference when trust and love is already lost? And more importantly, will my brain explode from trying to make this drama make sense?

 
EPISODE 12 RECAP

Gil-ro checks his gun. Three bullets. He watches as Seo-won creeps up to the next warehouse and gets close to JJ, and he fires off two warning shots. She in turn gets all exasperated like he’s a kid playing cowboys and indians while she’s doing her job. She tries to tell him to hide out of sight, while he thinks she’s the bad guy, trying to get away. Meanwhile the actual bad guy slips past them…

Do-ha and Sun-mi race to Seo-won’s location, and Sun-mi yells at him to drive faster because something might’ve happened to unni. Oh now you’re concerned.

Gil-ro jumps down from the roof and catches up to Seo-won. He trains his gun at the back of her head, and says pointedly that he has one bullet left. She sighs and says she’ll let him help then, asking if he remembers his training.

What? Uh, he means he’s going to shoot you, dear. It finally dawns on her that’s what he means, and she acts confused. I… don’t understand you not understanding. DUH. Of course he’s hunting you. Hello, is it your first day here?

JJ sees them holding guns at each other, and smiles. He stupidly stands there and watches instead of running away, but maybe he thinks he can learn something useful to use against Gil-ro.

Seo-won says they have to find his kidnapper, while Gil-ro tells her to stop acting like she’s not on the same side. She throws down her gun and asks if he hates her that much.

Gil-ro: “No, I don’t hate you. I’m the pathetic one, for falling for your lies. I won’t live that way again.” Ouch. That finally gets through to her to some degree, though she’s still acting like it’s obvious that he should trust her (which is frankly ludicrous, but whatever).

He tells her to put her hands behind her back and lie on the ground, but she challenges him to just shoot her instead. She takes the gun right out of his hands, and he does the same right back to her.

He asks her one thing—why she approached him, what she’s doing all this for. She asks if he really needs to ask with a gun pointed at her. Honey, shoe + other foot. Look it up. Seo-won: “Is that really what you want to know, or is it my heart?” He shuts that down cold: “I don’t need your heart, nor do I want to know.”

Suddenly we hear Do-ha’s voice: “Han Gil-ro, put down the gun.” He appears behind them, gun drawn. Gil-ro wonders how he found them, and insists they’re on the same side. Oh, this is getting complicated.

Sun-mi shows up, noting that this picture looks a lot like the one in ballroom class. At Gil-ro’s insistence that he’s an agent, Sun-mi offers to call Won-seok on speakerphone to confirm it.

She calls to ask, and Won-seok pauses. “Han Gil-ro… is not an agent.” Crud. Gil-ro’s face twists up and he runs over to grab the phone, screaming at Won-seok. But Sun-mi uses that chance to taser him, and he falls to the ground unconscious.

Seo-won catches him and asks if that was necessary, but Sun-mi rightly notes that he wasn’t about to come quietly.

At least Young-soon has a heart (perhaps the only one around here) and rips into Won-seok for treating Gil-ro that way. Did he really need to do that, over the phone? Just use him and cut him loose that way? But Won-seok doesn’t bat an eyelash at doing what needs to be done.

The spy trio share a few beers and Do-ha encourages Seo-won to finish the mission and get those files from Gil-ro. Sun-mi just barks at him to go back to his new team and pouts as he ignores her.

Do-ha reports to the NIS director, whose radar shoots sky high when he hears about Gil-ro pretending to be an agent. His suspicions immediately turn to Won-seok, and he orders Do-ha to return to that team immediately.

Seo-won goes to the police station where they’ve put Gil-ro away, still unconscious from the taser zap. She tends to his wounds and then falls asleep on the other side of the jail cell bars, holding his hand. And when Do-ha comes to check on Gil-ro, he finds the two of them, asleep like that. He turns away.

JJ wakes up with wounds of his own, and Mi-rae says they have to move up their timetable… and kill Gil-ro.

Gil-ro wakes up in his cell and pulls his hand out of Seo-won’s grasp with a sigh. She stirs awake and asks if he’s okay. They’re doing that thing again where they each ask questions and neither answers any.

He wonders how she got in here—is she a cop? Or still an agent? She asks him not to ask, because she doesn’t want to lie to him anymore. He asks bitterly if it’s because she’s gotten everything she needed from him and has no use for him anymore.

Gil-ro: “Do you know when the worst moment was, with you? When we first met. We never should’ve met. Fate? You can give it to the dogs.” He asks again if she’s an agent, and she says that he already knows the answer as she walks away.

Won-seok comes to see him next, and Gil-ro is understandably furious. He grabs him by the collar through the bars and demands to know where he stands. Won-seok finally answers his direct question by saying that he isn’t an agent because he was never sworn in as one… but he circles back around with his wily wordplay to make it seem like he isn’t an agent on record.

I have the same problem as Gil-ro, in that I want to fall for Won-seok’s black ops bit, against my better judgment. I know he’s doing something shady, but I want to trust him. Not that I do.

Gil-ro’s mom picks up on something strange going on between father and son, though Dad swears up and down that he has never once hated Gil-ro, and that things will be good between them by next week. Mom doesn’t see how a lifetime of badness will simmer down in a week’s time, while Dad just needs to make it to next week, thinking that once the deal is done he can leave a good company to Gil-ro and retire.

Won-seok decides to tell Gil-ro the semi-truth, and confirms that Seo-won is an agent. He naturally wants to know what the hell Won-seok was thinking in sending her on this mission, and Won-seok gives him the runaround by promising to answer those questions when he completes his training.

Are you just making shit up now? Not that you weren’t before, I guess. He tells Gil-ro he’ll be going on a training mission for a few days, betting that he’ll come crying home before it’s over. They bet on it.

And then back at headquarters, Won-seok finally tells the team that Gil-ro is actually one of them. He calls him an almost-agent, in technical terms, since he was never fully fired. Well, that’s something. Seo-won’s face freezes, as she thinks back to Gil-ro tracking her and saying with a smile that he lies too, but not to her. Now it all makes sense.

She fumes at Won-seok for putting her in this position, feeling betrayed, and rightly so. She wonders how he could pit two agents on the same side against each other like that—she’s now attacked a comrade and conned him, and it’s too late for excuses.

The entire team walks away from him, and even Young-soon yells in banmal: “You couldn’t even trust me?!” She’s the third person today to talk down to him, but methinks you got off easy if that’s the worst you got. Won-seok leaves her in charge of the team while he takes a trip with Gil-ro.

Won-seok gets another icy reception when he stops by the house to pick up a bag for the weekend. His wife wants to know when on earth they’re going to the States like he promised, tired of getting vague answers. Dude, his vagueness is frustrating enough when he’s your boss, but can you imagine being married to that? Egads.

Young-soon stews at headquarters, not wanting to deal with anyone today. Seo-won deduces that this whole roundabout mission means that the agency doesn’t trust Gil-ro fully, and Young-soon sighs that there’s nothing lonelier than being an agent who isn’t trusted.

Do-ha reports all this to the director, who doesn’t seem the least bit surprised that Won-seok pulled a fast one on all of them. Do-ha says that the research they got from the scientist Director Park is all fake, which puts them right back to square one regarding Mi-rae and JJ.

The director orders him to stay on Gil-ro’s tail, and Do-ha says that he’s still their comrade. Director Oh says that a comrade with problems is worse than an enemy. Yeesh. Tell us how you really feel.

Meanwhile, Won-seok takes Gil-ro camping, and why do I get the impression you’re just doing this to have a vacation? Gil-ro asks why he was tasked with his mission, because it doesn’t make any sense unless his father is a bad guy…

Won-seok tells him the truth (for once) about his father, and Seo-won’s mission. Gil-ro gets upset when he realizes that this was all because Won-seok couldn’t trust him. But Won-seok explains that he never expected Gil-ro to see the truth about his father—he saw those same files and didn’t interpret them as evidence of his criminal activities because it’s his father, and his innate reaction is to trust and protect him.

Gil-ro acknowledges that bias freely, and asks what kind of patriotism would demand he set a trap for his own father. He says he doesn’t need that kind of love of country that breeds distrust, and gets up to leave.

Won-seok warns that he’s out for good if he walks away, but Gil-ro doesn’t care. Won-seok sits back like it’s no difference to him, and just asks for his money since he won the bet that Gil-ro wouldn’t last the weekend.

Gil-ro laughs that he shouldn’t have trusted him so easily, and says that if the NIS had an ounce of humanity he wouldn’t be leaving like this. Won-seok says, “Ours is not a grand profession. But because of you… I did want to live grandly. I mean that.”

Gil-ro just walks away, head hanging. He reaches the campground parking lot, when Do-ha and Sun-mi pull up, all prepped with camping gear. And right behind them come the rest of their classmates from spy school, bounding up with smiles: “Han Gil-ro!”

They heard that he’s being sworn in as an agent today, and say that they couldn’t let him do it alone. Aw. That’s so cute. He can’t help but smile back.

He asks if Won-seok called them all here, but they say it was Seo-won, and she arrives behind them. Gil-ro tells them to go ahead, and his face darkens as he walks up to Seo-won, as he tells her coldly that her attempt to get back in his good graces failed.

He plans to leave even with all of them here, and Seo-won says that he doesn’t know, but the day he left, there wasn’t a dry eye. She says that their classmates feel indebted to him ever since he won their paychecks back in that poker game, and asks if he doesn’t feel indebted to them in some way too. It gives him pause.

Mi-rae and JJ go over their plans and their targets: Director Oh and Won-seok. Mi-rae doesn’t seem all that interested in the getaway plan, as if fully prepared to die, or even wanting it.

JJ asks her again to live with him once all this is over, but he realizes that he can’t ever compete with his dead brother. With Uhmforce? Yeah not likely.

Spy Camp. Gil-ro stayed after all, but mostly sulks while staring at Seo-won. Once they’ve stood two flags up in front, Won-seok leads the group in a formal ceremony inducting them into the NIS, only with comical narration: “And next, we will hear from the director… ‘s proxy, Kim Won-seok.”

He calls Gil-ro and Seo-won up to the front to lead the group in their pledge just like they did in training. Though he drags his feet, Gil-ro leads the pledge dutifully. Won-seok hands him his official papers, and they’re legit—he’s an agent.

Won-seok congratulates them as if the whole group just finished training, and says with one eye on Gil-ro: “Even if the country doesn’t trust you, I trust you!”

He takes the papers back until Gil-ro’s undercover operation is over, but I’m still not sure all this is on the up and up. Is he really REALLY an agent, or is this another trick?

Party time, as Won-seok tells his students that he loves them, and tells Seo-won to lead them in a toast. She gets up and shouts, and they all join in: “For country! Han Gil-ro! For comrades! Han Gil-ro! I love you! Han Gil-ro!” Aw, that was cute.

By the time they’re all tipsy, Won-seok starts ordering them to sing, and Sun-mi volunteers Do-ha for the job. He gets up and starts to belt out the national anthem, which Won-seok puts a stop to right away. Heh.

He finally loosens up and sings a trot song, and the whole group joins in, all except Gil-ro who sits back and watches. When Won-seok orders him to sing, he walks away, and Seo-won follows.

He asks where she moved to, and realizes that the new tenants he met that day were just decoys. He wonders if anything she ever told him was true, and she says that her dog’s name was true, and so were her feelings.

Seo-won: “I hoped that someday you’d believe my heart, because it was sincere. The way yours was true.”

But he tells her that she needn’t put any more effort into it since they won’t be seeing each other again. “Do you know why we don’t work? Because I’m Han Pil-hoon. Who are you?”

She tells him she’ll tell him everything later, if they get the chance to go on that trip together. Urg, tell him now! What could you possibly be waiting for?

Gil-ro: “I have no intention of going on a trip with a woman whose name I don’t know. That’s the reason we don’t work.” He says that they’re just scars to one another, and she stops him from saying the next part.

But he keeps going, and knows it’s silly to say since they’ve already broken up, but: “Let’s break up.” He walks away and leaves her reeling.

She gets a call a little later from Mom, who asks for Gil-ro’s number so she can invite him over. Seo-won asks if Mom likes Gil-ro, and cries as Mom names all of his good qualities, and asks her for more.

Gil-ro steps out of his tent with his bag slung over his shoulder, and overhears her. Seo-won: “Mom, you like Gil-ro too, huh? But I don’t like him. Because it hurts too much.”

She hangs up with Mom before she hears her crying, but doesn’t see that Gil-ro’s watching from afar.

 
COMMENTS

I really wish this show didn’t have this fundamental flaw, but it does—the heroine is unsympathetic. I bought it when she was lying to protect her cover, because she had to complete her mission and that was the Big Lie holding together all the little lies. But now that things are out in the open, what would she have to lose by telling the truth? When she lets yet another opportunity to be honest slip by with another excuse, I can’t help but throw my hands in the air. Why should he trust her? He has every reason not to, but she’s still disappointed that he’s somehow not telepathically able to see her true intentions. Here’s a thought: OR YOU COULD TELL HIM.

I don’t get her confusion and disappointment as to why he doesn’t trust her when she’s given zero explanation for any of it. None whatsoever. From the way she’s acting, I half thought I missed the episode where she tells him about the mission. I accept that this is silly comedy; I’m not asking for intricate foolproof logic here. I just need the bare minimum to watch the show and be with the characters, but I feel like I spent this whole episode asking, “Why?” Why are you still lying? Why are you surprised he thinks you’re the enemy? Why does anyone believe anything Won-seok says anymore? Why are any of these people doing what they’re doing? *hands in air*

Gil-ro finding out that she’s had ulterior motives all this time should’ve launched us into the Spy vs. Spy part of the story, where the blinders come off and they chase each other and get in each other’s way, not knowing that they’re on the same side. But now they all know everything—that Gil-ro’s a spy, that she’s a spy—and I’m left scratching my head at why we’ve blown those secrets and all that story potential. Where do we go from here? What could the story have to gain by outing Gil-ro at this stage? Why would you throw that away? Aaaaaaaaugh. I’m trying here, I swear. I’ve given up on the show being anything more than fluffy silly fun, but you gotta throw me a bone once in a while. HELP ME, HELP YOU.

 
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thanks.....I've put this drama on hold after watching 2 episodes (which I enjoyed)....but will continue later :)

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Although I still strongly stand by the fact that Choi Kang-hee is a miscast, I can't even dwell on that at this point. Instead, I am left questioning whether or not Mr. Writer-nim has ever adequately interacted with the female human species. Mr. Chun Sung-il, heroines can be cool, smart, and you know... logical too!

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This makes me think of Beethoven Virus, another drama with good actors and confused writers. And more to the point, a drama that didn't understand women.

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If the story of this drama is propelled forth mainly by something that has life or death at stake while all these human mere nothings were a side show, this drama might go somewhere. Thank God that their counterparts in the US have serious business to attend to, like tracking down and neutralizing Osama bin Laden.

Another fatal flaw inherent in dramas like this is that 16 episodes are way too much time to fill in. Maybe two. Four at the max.

More comments made in this blog put the blame on the writer's doorstep, but I think it is the producer who is clueless where his ship is going.

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no one seems to be enjoying this drama all that much. i can totally understand. there are so many flaws . . . like the totally inept but supposedly elite NIS in all its glory, oh well.

i just watched the movie version--it's finally on netflix!--and it was quite funny. this series is very loosely based on the movie and i think that's a good thing. i'd recommend ppl checking out the movie if you already haven't if you want to see this plotline done right.

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What is it called?

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Thanks!

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Thank you so much GF for this recap and for choosing to continue to recap the show. I also appreciate how funny you and JB can be in your recaps. I have to say that I do love the show, though I am not blind to its flaws. I think for me, a lot of it has to do with JW's acting and interpretation of GR, b/c he makes me care for GR and care about what happens to him. I have said this in another recap comment, however, as I make sure that I am up early to watch the episodes raw and live, I realize that I do care about the characters and about what happens to them. I am also very curious about how the writer will fill the last 8 episodes of this drama.

Another thing I ABSOLUTELY LOVE about watching Kdramas is all the cultural and social norms and behaviors I get exposed to, and having the opportunity to ask questions here when I don't understand. I relate to some of those social and cultural norms, as some of them exist in the part of the world I come from. The world feels like a small place sometimes, when one sees some of the similarities across cultures.

That being said, I do have a few questions: 1-- In episode 11, a mention of YS's specs was made, when she met with the matchmaker. What does "specs" mean/stand for? (where does the word come from?)
2--GF mentioned "egads" in this recap. Again, what does it mean, please? 3--Between SM and SW, who is the unni? I thought I heard SW call SM "unni," when they were at HQ, in the cosmetic office (the front). All along, I thought SW was the unni, and if so, was SW calling SM "unni" b/c she thanked her and wanted to express her appreciation, or did I hear wrong or did I miss something? 4--This is a random question: I have noticed in Kdramas that when they have guests, there are usually (extra) slippers for them to wear. A friend of mine who went to Seoul told me that they had slippers in the hotel room she was staying at. I am asking this out of curiosity: do (some of the) people in their homes have extra slippers for guests, or is it just something we see in Kdramas?

As GF pointed in this recap, GR seems to not be able to catch a break. Besides finding out that his gf lied to him and used him, he also found out that WS lied to him as well, and that his father is a bad guy. One translation had GR as saying:"my father is not really a bad guy, but he is not a good guy either." So does GR believe that his father is many shades of gray? They didn't expand on that in this episode.

What I find sad is that SW does not put herself in GR's shoes, and therefore she doesn't (maybe fully) understand where he is coming from and why he's reacting the way he does, which is obvious to us. They are not on the same wavelength, it seems.

When GR said this: "I don’t need your heart, nor do I want to know,” it didn't make sense to me, b/c he had just asked her why she approached him. I understand him not wanting to believe her feelings for him are genuine, but not the not answering his question/not wanting to know part. That left me confused. How did you guys understand it?

I find it interesting that WS might be the bad guy at the NIS, when I had been suspecting the director (of the NIS) all along, especially based on how he had approached DH when he had been wounded. And I could have also been influenced by the fact that WS cried and was pained when his friend, the other agent (I can't remember his name right now) had died, earlier in the drama.

I like GF's idea of having a Spy vs. Spy story arc, that would have been fun to watch, alas... Let's see what next week episodes bring. Also, thank you in advance to anyone who answers my questions.

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Ivoire: I can answer questions 1 and 2
1. specs means her personal details short for specifications - age, education, profession etc.
2. egads- is just an American English slang expression like 'oh my", "yikes" -not sure of the origin

I'm not Korean so can't help you with 3 and 4, although I am pretty sure you're right about #4, people will have some extra slippers for guests. I've always wondered about large gatherings..how many guest slippers can you have. At my daughter's Japanese professor's house, we just walked around in socks while at a party.

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3 - I'm pretty sure Seo-won is the unnie. I don't recall her calling Sun-Mi unnie, but maybe I missed it.

4 - I'm not Korean either but my friends and I come from other cultures where shoes aren't worn in the house, and from those experiences, it really depends on the household. Some homes have extra slippers or socks and others don't. I suppose if you were expecting an important gues, or an overnight guest, you'd be more inclined to have slippers ready. Walking around in your socks/bare feet isn't a big deal this way.

5 - I think the point there was him repeating the same words Seo-won said in the watch store an episode or so back. We all know that Gil-Ro loves his dad and vice versa, but Dad is stand offish when it comes to showing it. Also, Dad may make some bad decisions, but he's not inherently a bad person like JJ. He's just human who makes mistakes.

6 - Gil-Ro is asking out of anger curiosity and not love curiosity. If someone wrongs you (your bf breaks up with you, a friend backstabs you, your boss fires you), you just want to know why. It's human nature. He is not asking so he can forgive her (the blinders are off now) but so he can have closure. He doesn't want to be with her, he doesn't care if she likes him, he just wants to know why she played with his emotions.

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regarding what people said, i found this drama is quiet funny and interesting to watch. it may be caused by Moon Joo Won, the way how he acts. he is a very talented actor. hope it goes pretty good for the rest of the episodes.

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me too, enjoying this drama it's funny.I just think this drama is comedy, we don't need much logic and we should have sense of humour.
We watch shaolin soccer the most does't make sense movie and laugh really hard. This movie is popular

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What. The. Frig?! Ugh. Dude, so glad I am just reading and not watching.

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thanks for the recap :-)

UNSYMPATHETIC is right. which is probably why i`m not feeling the warmth for Seo Won as i did in the beginning. if at first i was rooting for the Gil Ro/JW & Seo Won/CKH tandem to succeed, at this point, i don't care as much. not the actress's fault, i know. for how can she redeem a character that's poorly written? with a script and storyline lacking in basic sense and logic? still, i'm hoping for a bit of a miracle. maybe, just maybe, things will improve with the remaining episodes. i'm not going to hold my breath, but i'm still going to cross my fingers.

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It's the first time I'm reading recaps of a drama that I'm not actually watching...all for my deep-seated love for my Joo Won. Gotta say, what an awful drama and its amazing that the recappers continue to watch it despite obvious pain in doing so, lol.

I think the writer should learn a lesson or two from That Winter, The Wind Blows. It totally shows how to maneuver through a sticky situation and still keep all the characters' intelligence (and thus dignity) intact. Even with the hero getting caught, he's slippery enough to get out of it but those who caught him aren't stupid enough to sit by when he does obviously questionable things. If something like that could've been done in last episode when the spy heroine was caught by Gil Ro, this show might have been worth watching. But alas.

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Haha. Love the "help me, help you" bit at the end. : )

About Won-seok... He should be put on probation for pitting one agent against another, and all with lies at that. He put both their lives in danger making Gil-Ro and Seo-won think the other was the enemy. Seriously, not professional at all.

Anyhow, I'm still getting a kick out of this drama and look forward to each episode. Go Joo-Won!!!

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thanks for the recaps... this drama is too insanely boring to sit through normally tbh.

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Thank you for the recap! I really appreciate your hard work, it’s obviously not easy for you and javabeans to recap this drama, and I’ll understand if you drop it but now I am happy to see another recap.

I really like the hero. I wish he would not trust the people so much but on the other hand I love that he is so loving and he cares so much about people who he loves. He has such an open heart. And he is cute, funny and hot :-)

I wish I have more sympathy for all these NIS people. How can I like them if they only lie-lie-lie non-stop?

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Why does anybody listen to Woo-Seok indeed. It did make me feel better to find out that Gil Ro hadn't actually been completely fired. Because lying to someone about them being hired as an agent, and then setting them to unwittingly spy on their parent, is SO many kinds of unethical.

I think I will be going back to just recaps until this story picks up a little.

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i've long since given up on the logic in this drama, and just accepts it as it is, and continue watching coz of Joowon. ^^ i have no interest whatsoever with any of the other casts, due to the lack of character development.

hope this drama makes a big turning point. it's better, but still lacks A LOT...

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Han Gil Ro, Jo Woon or Han Pil Hoon? It doesn't matter. He's hot and I will keep watching. Yes, I'm that shallow. He's the best replacement for Kang DOng Won, for now.

youtube musik

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Woot! Woot! I second that!

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this drama is a waste of time and talent for Joowon. he's not using his acting ability to the max, like how he did in his previous dramas. i'd like to see him in a romantic comedy, but not one that's THIS bad.

i hope he chooses better projects in the future. i'll keep supporting him anyway, coz he captured me as a fan in Bridal Mask. no more bad movies, Joowon, please~

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Joowon's definitely gonna be a nominee for most waste of talent in the year-end beanie awards

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Joo Won: I am ruined. :(

Cha Tae Hyun:That's MY motto >:((

Kim Seung Woo:Shut up Joo Won!What about my IRIS 2?

1d2n members:totally disrupted.

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This series is a mess. I'm glad I found out early and not on episode 16.

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I can't help it but seriously, WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON AROUND HERE?! This show is starting to become a complete mess and although its premise was a fluffy-rom-com type, I expected a little more substance than this.
Seo-Won's agent skills (in fact, everyone in NIS) are pathetic and it really makes me wonder if they were even trained at all.

Nothing seems to be making sense anymore and the conflicts are becoming redundant and slightly repetitive. So frustrating, Show! Only 4 episodes left, please please pleaaase don't end up as another disappointment like a certain KBS drama. PD-nim, this is not the time to "Go Big or Go Home."

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This show will be 20 eps (MBC likes to milk the cow). Can you imagine?

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OMGAHHH I THOUGHT IT WAS ONLY 16 EPS.

OMGAAHHHHH x10.

But now that's everything out in the open, no more secrets etc, what is the rest of the show gonna be about..??? Maybe it's just me but it feels like the show wasn't very well thought-out and might be running low on material very soon.

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I know! when this drama started, I was excited cuz all of Joowon`s dramas have been pretty awesome. Then I watch this and I only hung on till ep 10. When I knew it was just gonna be angst I said I`m done with this. I`m more hooked right now on That Winter, The Wind Blows.

The whole show is ridiculous. How can a guy fall in love with a girl that fast, and trust her so completely when he knows that she used to work in the NIS and could be even right now?

Are they making the story as they go or directing on scene?

I also dont think it`s CKH`s fault in acting or on how she looks but they should seriously have borrowed the stylist from the TWTWB. Her hair is horrendous!

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Thanks for the recap!

Anyway, I understand exactly where the heroine's aloofness and determination to stay anonymous even to Gil-Ro/Han Pil Hoon. It is all in her character since episode 1, she is the kind of person who lives her life "By The Book" and follows rules like it's in her blood. She is also smart and because she still does not fully understand the whole situation and where Gil-Ro actual side is, hence she applied the rule of anonymity.

I really don't see what's the buzz over miscasting Choi Kang Hee, which I have read in comments for this particular drama recaps, over and over again. This character is awkward, dilligent, smart and dedicated and I see CKH is right on the spot. Anybody can play this character but I really don't see "Pretty-Pretty" actress playing it. "Pretty-Regular" now that's what fits. "Pretty-Tough" will be too advanced, shall I say. I think most viewers expected someone "Pretty-Versatile" like Kim Ha Neul, esp on MY GF is an Agent, but the storylines and characterizations are completely different.

Okay, that was a long comment. But thank you very much girlfriday and javabeans for this drama's recaps!

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I agree with this, and I am glad that I found someone else who has no problem with the casting and still likes the show. I like her character. She is frustrating (I would have kissed Gil-ro back far more often since I knew I was borrowed time), but I do like her. She is one of the few things I "buy" about this show because the spy stuff is Nickelodean level at best.

Would I feel relieved and have a happy feeling if Seo-Won told the truth. YES. But does it make sense to me that she does not? Yes. She is a "by-the-book" kind of character and remember those conversations with Young-Soon, a character that I love, who shows her the trials of being a women in this world of work and the sacrifices. At this point does anyone believe that they could have a regular relationship anyway? Everything is built on lies and covers in this world. The mission has to come first as frustrating as it is to us.

I am hoping that what this does is really put thiem on the same team. I don't need another show that does a he doesn't know and she doesn't know that they are working on the same team with "hilarious" hijinks. Blech. What I want is some team work, which I can really get behind. (think of the movie Get Smart) I want Gil-Ro to love Seo-won because he admires and respects her as a professional, which he never has really done. This is one of the reasons why I really loved the OTP in King Two Hearts; they were equally capable of rescuing each other. Nothing like almost dying together to build trust.

Here is my long post in response to yours:)

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Thanks! Now I know I am not alone, it feels easier :P

And I do agree with you about the plot where they become a team and kicking all the bad guys together. And more action please! I like the action sequence since the bedroom fight in episode 6, and then the kidnapping scene... Since then I just know that there will be more action. Somehow this drama feels like IRIS but less tense and more on the romance, but "more romance" as in as romantic as two agents in line of duty can have, which is like, none. I hope they will be paired as couple by the agency, like next week! I am craving for some more kisses and it's been episode 12 already :D

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Lovin' the main couple! Joo-Won!!
I have a feeling someone will get shot for another, which will open eyes.
What's that song they play at the end of each episode? I love it!

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Hello bambledd,

Here are two of the songs for the OST of this drama, I hope that the song you are looking for is one of them:

1--The way/path to you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRiLCWsG88Q

2--Flowers Bloom:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hheX9uyIKQI&playnext=1&list=PLxwhilRS6XuLzaarVO90kqB1wj1lyqgpZ&feature=results_video

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Thanks GF for the recap :)
I keep watching this coz of joo won and I enjoy reading all your recaps and comments !
there are scenes that I like in each episode but I agree that this drama is such a mess...
"Why are any of these people doing what they’re doing? *hands in air*" -> exactly my thoughts lol
...still hoping next episodes will be better :/

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HELP ME! HELP YOU!

Sorry, girlfriday I can't help you. Right now, I gave up on this show *hands up*.

Logic had step aside, fluffy had gone away, now the story has finished too (the story have no where to go but going around in circles).

But, you mustn't give up (gf/jb)! Caused there's a little (perhaps a tiny) love showed by readers here.

So, I'll count you.

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HELP ME! HELP YOU!

Sorry, girlfriday I can't help you. Right now, I gave up on this show *hands up*.

Logic had step aside, fluffy had gone away, now the story has finished too (the story have no where to go but going around in circles).

But, you mustn't give up (gf/jb)! Caused there's a little (perhaps a tiny) love showed by readers here.

So, I'll count on you.

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I've noticed a major flaw in regards to telling the truth in Korean dramas. I don't know if this is a cultural thing or not but I've noticed many, many, many times that when the truth should be told, nobody ever does. Its like telling personal information is a no no. A simple explanation that would keep everyone from overreacting is too much effort. Also, what's up with always reacting as if the worst possible explanation has to be the right one?

Is this a cultural thing in Korea or just a plot device in all dramas?

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Thanks for the recap! I too, have stopped watching. I read, looking for a hint of hope. This show is a mess, starting with the female lead who leaves me completely unsympathetic. GREAT Description! thank you again.

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ha..ha...you're right.
this drama let seo woon keep her lie to extent the episode while ignoring the truth of his n her feeling.

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Okay, so I'm a bit disappointed :(
I really don't understand why she can't tell him her name,
he even met her parents & knows the village where she lives O_o
But hey, we still have Joo won as consolation ;)

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Drama... Please end faster...Stop going around in circles and just go straight. So Joo Won can get a better project with a better storyline and plot.

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Thanks for the recap. I gotta admit, I've seen your frustration with this drama, so I'm not actually watching it anymore. I just read and stare at screenshots of Joo-won, lol.

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Wow...you know the drama's not doing so great when there are this few comments on a DB recap!

Just wanted to say ditto to all the frustrations w/characters, lies, lack of logic, and lack of plot.

The way I see it:
-get files from Han Pil Hoon
-use info to arrest Daddy and the baddies
-end

So that'd take maybe a day at most, right?

Is anybody else (who's watching) annoyed with how Mr. Trainer treats Asst. Trainer? She'll have a valid question or criticism, and he's all like, "see, this is why you can't get a man, stop nagging." WTF. Is that supposed to be funny?

And perhaps even worse, she is then actually distracted by this and starts worrying about her dates or whatever, instead of the logical response of: "that's not the point, asshole, now answer the question. Or are you so incapable of responding to criticism that the only thing you can do is fall back on random sexist comments that get a laugh out of your male colleagues?"

Yeah. Not a fan.

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thanks for the recap, ive stopped watching this since 5 - 6 last episode

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This is turning into To The Beautiful You, the motivations of the characters is from some deep unknown place that the writers wont tell us.

Side note, I saw "The Berlin File" this weekend, when they mentioned NIS in the first 10 minutes I busted out chuckling. I was like but these agents look competent, they obviously did not go to the same training school. Surprisingly not once did ballroom dancing, card games, or sky diving came into play. There was this little thing they were doing, I think it was called espionage. Could be wrong though. ;P

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I agree that this drama was so much more interesting at the beginning and now I'm completely lost with the story...isn't it now the case with most of K-dramas, starting out big with all the hype and going no where after episode 8-10

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