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That Winter, The Wind Blows: Episode 2

This is how melodramas are done. There’s no pain for the sake of pain, or tears for the sake of tears. Instead we get a surprisingly engaging story out of such a simple-sounding premise, made all the better by characters who behave like real people. We can see every little thought cross their minds, enough to know why they’re doing what they’re doing, which goes a long way in understanding a hero(?) who’s using our heroine’s every hidden vulnerability against her.

This episode was aired right after the first in an attempt to get the jump on ratings, and netted 12.8% compared to last episode’s 11.3%. Next episode’s numbers will show whether the tactic actually worked.

 
EPISODE 2 RECAP

Lawyer Jang’s face lights up as soon as Soo claims to recognize him, though their lie of a reunion is cut short when Jin-sung arrives. Hah, it’s kind of cute that Jin-sung fawns over his hyung’s face before he’s ready to take down the ajusshi, thinking he’s responsible.

Soo eventually shuts Jin-sung in the apartment in order to keep him from spilling information that could ruin his newly-hatched plan, and Jin-sung rails against the door like a dog who’s just been locked up.

Soo tries to send Lawyer Jang away so he can have enough time to explain things to his friend, and he shuts the ajusshi out so he can clamp a hand over Jin-sung’s mouth. Lawyer Jang thinks that Soo is acting out because he’s come to get him now, as opposed to a year ago when his father died.

“Your one and only sister, Young, is waiting for you,” Lawyer Jang says from outside the door, his tone apologetic. “Think about Young.”

This prompts Soo to think about when he’d first met Young, which of course prompts him to remember her real brother’s fatal car crash. Lawyer Jang knows that Soo’s (he means the real one of course, but he doesn’t know better) relationship with his father was strained but urges him to come back for his sister, since he’s the only person she can depend on now.

Soo takes this all in and orders Lawyer Jang away so he can have time to think.

Maybe he still doesn’t believe it himself, since he starts digging through Friend Soo’s things as soon as Lawyer Jang is gone. He finds his friend’s wallet with an old family portrait, a collection of newspaper printings about his father (and former CEO of PL Group), along with a metronome with the name In Min-sook inscribed on it.

This is proof that Friend Soo was indeed the long-lost son of PL Group, and the realization seems to numb Soo. He looks so lost and bewildered when Jin-sung asks him why he didn’t tell Lawyer Jang that Friend Soo was dead.

“I don’t know,” Soo ekes out, his eyes unfocused and teary. It’s like he really doesn’t know, like he acted without thinking. “I just… pretended to be the dead Oh Soo.”

Jin-sung reels back, incredulous. “What?!”

Hee-sun threatens to go to PL Group to tell them the truth when Jin-sung tells her about Soo’s plans to impersonate their dead friend. The relationship between these two seems contemptuous as Jin-sung snaps at her, “Your sister died and she annoys Hyung. You’re alive and you’re annoying Hyung. You two sisters, go ahead and kill him. What did he do to you guys, for you to act like this?”

Tears fill Hee-sun’s eyes. “He threw away my sister.”

Jin-sung doesn’t see this as a big deal, citing that it’s a fact of life for people to break up if they don’t like each other. What does she want Soo to do?

She tries to present an alternative plan, wherein they report Moo-chul to the police instead. Jin-sung scoffs that it’d be useless when Moo-chul has the police under his thumb, and asks her to look at Soo: He was stabbed a week ago, and was beaten to a pulp a day ago. Without this plan, he’ll be killed. Is that what she wants?

Man. Hee-sun’s words and attitude make it seem like she despises Soo, since she asks him why he wants to live so badly and why he’s so scared of dying. Soo flashes back to the moment he was stabbed. Yeah, when you actually get to feel what dying might be like, who can blame him?

So her argument is that Soo’s life is so meaningless that it wouldn’t even matter if he died. I get that she’s angry about her sister, but good gracious. Granted, this could all be some reverse-psychology tactic to get him to stop the scam and rethink his life, but still. Buy him a puppy and kill it in front of him while you’re at it, Hee-sun.

When she asks if he’s trying to stay alive to get revenge on his mother, Soo flashes back to a time in grade school when the mother who had abandoned him saw him only once, and gave him a little money. She’d fled before he could reach her, and he ran after her taxi crying, “I won’t ask for anything! I won’t ask you for money! I won’t ask for us to live together! Just stay.”

Gah, it’s always those running-after-cars scenes that get me. He tells Hee-sun that he never saw her again and has no feelings left for his mom.

But at her insistence that he has no reason to live, he asks, “Do you have to have a grand reason to live? Even if I don’t have a reason to live, I live because my eyes open in the morning. Because I still breathe. Why? If a person doesn’t have a reason to live, does that mean he can’t? If living like this is embarrassing,” his eyes well up with tears, “then I’m embarrassed right now. But you know, Hee-sun-ah… because I’m still alive, I want to continue living.”

Creepy Moo-chul interrupts from a rooftop away where he’s been watching them, and knows Hee-sun by name. Soo flashes back to her sister’s accident: “If Hee-joo had loved Moo-chul instead of me when she was young, would she still be living right now?”

Ah, so they all have a past together, and it seems like Moo-chul might have been in love with Hee-sun’s sister, Hee-joo, too. Come to think of it, Moo-chul was acting chummy with Soo before, but I thought it was just the “Affably Evil” villain trope rearing its head.

Lawyer Jang is clearly expecting a bigger reaction from Young regarding her newly-found brother, but she doesn’t seem too thrilled. She must be able to hear or smell Secretary Wang in the room since she throws a few barbs her way – like how her father chose her over her mother, and how her mother chose her brother over her when she was forced to leave.

She knows Secretary Wang wouldn’t want her brother coming back, but just on that basis alone she decides to reconsider meeting him, just to screw with the woman who ruined her family.

Hee-sun’s changed her mind about the scam, and proves to be a pretty invaluable teammate in helping Soo prepare. Jin-sung asks her if she changed her mind because she likes Soo, but adds, “You’re mine. I won’t give you up, even for Soo.” Wink.

She’s dug up pictures of Friend Soo, and starts versing Soo on the members of the company. With regard to Secretary Wang, Hee-sun explains that she’s sort of a “surrogate” mother (with the whole adultery thing) and adds sardonically, “Congratulations on getting a mom.” Hah.

While Team Soo takes a look at PL Group in their fancy new car (bought with money Soo got from selling high-profile gambler information), Secretary Wang calls Young’s fiancé, Myung-ho, with the news of her brother. Seems like the two might be in cahoots together, since Myung-ho will lose the company if the prodigal son returns.

Myung-ho almost ends up running into Team Soo’s car in the parking garage, and during the ensuing altercation Soo scans the garage for cameras. They can tell he’s a high-ranking executive, so Soo decides to try and avoid him if he can.

Meanwhile, Lawyer Jang texts Secretary Wang that Soo called, and that he’ll be coming home this coming weekend.

Young thinks back to the exact moment when her mother took Soo and left for good, leaving her running behind the car yelling for her mother and her oppa. Two chasing-after-cars scenes in one episode? Is this drama trying to kill me?

Team Soo is leaving nothing to chance by preparing methodically, with Jin-sung thinking it’s a bonus that Young is blind so that he won’t be found out on looks alone. Funnily enough that works against him later, since he says that all Jin-sung has to do to win Young’s favor is look like his usual hot self… which seems like some weird logic when the girl is supposed to be his sister? Either way, Soo’s looks won’t help him, considering that she can’t see him.

Everything fits together, since Jin-sung failed to register Friend Soo’s death anyway. Hee-sun got him his passport and ID, along with proof that he owns an Italian restaurant (since Friend Soo had mentioned that in the letter). They’ve even got the blueprint to Young’s house. Man, this is playing like a heist movie, and I kind of love it.

There’s just one hiccup that Jin-sung realizes belatedly: Friend Soo had a scar on his arm from some childhood wound, which Young would know about it. Eeeek. So… is Soo going to have to hurt himself?

That answer seems to be no, since Jin-sung just hopes no one will notice the wound as they approach her house together. To him, it’ll be easy for Soo to get his 7.8 billion won, and all he needs is 100 million to build his father a farm. Win-win.

Soo’s first meeting with Secretary Wang is tense, since he notes how comfortable she looks in all the family pictures. I’m sure he’s playing it up for authenticity, but he even notes that the curtains his mother liked have been replaced, which he blames on Secretary Wang wanting to get rid of all traces of his mother.

When Myung-ho arrives Jin-sung and Soo do a double take – there’s no way he won’t recognize them from the parking garage incident. Soo’s lucky he’s such a good liar, since he covers fluidly by acting surprised and mentioning that he’d go visit his father’s company from time to time when he missed him. That’s why he was there. Smooth.

Of course, Myung-ho is suspicious of Soo from moment one and mentions the burn wound everyone knows he had, asking to see the scar. Soo uses Myung-ho’s words against him (Myung-ho mentions that he had a burn wound that never healed) by saying that his didn’t either, and that’s why he won’t show it. Yikes. Is he going to get caught?

Soo goes to the piano, claiming that it was something his mother treasured. Jin-sung offers to take out his mother’s metronome (the one they found in Friend Soo’s things) and “accidentally” spills water on Soo’s jacket, causing him to take it off and roll up the sleeve…

…To reveal his burn wound. Of course, it’s looking a little fresh, but Soo explained why that is. (Side note: HE DID IT? He burned himself on purpose? That’s dedication.)

And aww, Lawyer Jang seems all happy now that Soo has proven himself, before we flash back to reveal Soo pouring boiling water on his arm. Good Lord.

Young finally arrives, though she’s not as hopeful as she was one year ago, asking Soo flat-out why he didn’t meet her then. She explains the situation with the letters and how she only received the one on the day of her father’s death, and it’s interesting to see Soo eye Secretary Wang like he’s totally figured her out and knows exactly what she did.

Jin-sung tries to explain (claiming that the man she talked to went to jail before he could tell her brother, which isn’t completely false), but Soo interrupts him to tell her that “oppa” will apologize. Yeek. We knew this relationship was going to get weird but hearing him call himself “oppa” already takes it to another level.

She doesn’t want to hear it, and claims that he came for money. She makes Lawyer Jang reiterate the point in her father’s will where everything will go to her, and seems satisfied that Soo will leave now that he won’t get anything without her permission.

Soo follows after her to try and get her to talk to him, but it’s when he tries to grab her arm as he calls her “the sister that I love” that she whips around with her cane, cutting his cheek in the process.

“The love you give me, I don’t need it,” she tells him coldly. As she walks away, Soo calls after her that he’ll consider her reaction as proof that she missed him too.

Everyone but Young prepares to send him off, though Soo plans on coming to live at the house, citing that he had plans on opening a restaurant in Italy… but that’s all changed now that he’s seen the state Young is in.

“What happened to Young? What happened to such a bright and happy girl?” He directs these questions at Secretary Wang, making it clear that he thinks she’s the reason. He also wants to know why she never received any of the letters he wrote.

He leaves with plans to move in the day after tomorrow, and any of Myung-ho’s lasting suspicions are cleared by Lawyer Jang. Soo definitely prepared for every eventuality, and his background clears even when Myung-ho has it checked.

Moo-chul and Hee-sun do seem to go back, since she has no problem telling him that she wants to report him to the police, though both of them know that won’t happen.

However, she tells him that Soo won’t be dying, because he’s the heir to PL Group. For obvious reasons, this comes as a surprise to our resident baddie.

It’s Moving Day for Soo, and he goes upstairs to get Young when she won’t come down. The song “Memory” from Cats serenades him as he makes his way to her door, which she purposefully seems to have left open.

He lets himself in after plenty of warning to find her pulling down her leggings, and is totally taken aback at the sight of her bare legs. She has to tell him to close the door to snap him out of it. Why does this feel like a test on her part?

On the other side of the door, Soo smiles. “Things just got interesting.” Yeah, I’d say that’s an accurate assessment.

Jin-sung joins in for the first family dinner, and I’m beginning to wonder if he moved in as well, like a package deal with his hyung. Young won’t join them for dinner so Soo goes to get her in an effort to fix her bad manners.

Jin-sung stops him, citing that he has to get on his fake-sister’s good side and all sisters want a warm, caring brother. Soo thinks that Young has been living like a princess and that she’s more likely to take notice of him if he doesn’t treat her like everyone else. At least, that’s how it’s worked with other rich women.

However, Jin-sung reminds him that his goal isn’t wooing some rich princess, Young is supposed to be his sister. The same tactics don’t apply.

Soo lets that stop him for only a moment before he claims that he’ll still show her what-for… but as her oppa. Same thing, right? Er.

He finds her at the swimming pool and starts laying into her about how she’s treated him so far. Since she thinks he’s there only for money he can’t get, he enlightens her to the fact that he can sue her for it, so it’s not impossible.

But, he adds that he’s not here for that. He’s got three months before his restaurant opening in Italy (so, he’s got his excuse in order), and for that time he claims that he only wants her to treat him like a proper oppa.

She finally speaks up to ask him how he wants brotherly treatment from her when he’s treating her this way. Especially when he hasn’t mentioned her blindness, considering that she had her vision when they last saw each other. Yikes. She’s got him there.

Young: “When you left me when I was six, my eyes were fine. But twenty-one years later, I can’t see. How does it feel? Your one and only sister, if you really loved her… Before talking about my rudeness or talking about suing, you’d ask about my eyes. You should have asked what happened. Don’t you think you should have asked that first? ‘It must have been hard for you. It must have been painful. I’m also hurt because my sister can’t see me.’ I didn’t expect that kind of warmth from you, but this isn’t right. The brother who came back after twenty-one years to a blind sister…”

She trails off before she leaves, barely keeping herself from crying. Aww.

Jin-sung updates Hee-sun on the poor state of Soo’s relationship with his fake-sister after the whole pool incident, but they’re interrupted when Young’s friend, SON MI-RA (Im Se-mi) spots them on her way to meet Soo. Wha?

Both Jin-sung and Hee-sun know what this means: Soo has made his next move. I really, really like these two.

Soo trails Young during her volunteer work, which involves helping visually-impaired youths learn teamwork through soccer. (These are kids who seem to be losing their vision, so they’re getting help on how to cope early.) She chides one boy in particular for being too prideful to accept help: “If you don’t get help from other people, you can’t live.”

Her friend, Mi-ra, leaves her standing in the mall saying she’ll be right back, when really, she’s conspired with Soo in order to force them to spend some time together.

Mi-ra leaves Young in his care, but while he’s inside buying a necklace for her, a couple of kids jostle Young’s coffee out of her hands, causing it to spill on one of them. The angry mother shoves Young down and belittles her, even after finding out she’s disabled.

Young is shaken, and tries desperately to find her cane on the floor while a crowd watches. At least one lady tries to help her, but Young shrugs her off and tries to go her own way…

But she can’t see where she’s going and slips, landing in one of the mall’s decorative pools. Oh man. This is awful to see.

Soo comes to her rescue, but… not quite as you’d expect. He slowly kneels next to her in the pool and throws the words she’d used with the blind youth back at her, claiming that she teaches others to accept help when she won’t accept any herself.

“Why have you become so twisted as to refuse the good will of others?” he asks. “What do you want to do? You don’t want to accept my help either?”

He waits, and Young, shaking and crying, finds his arm and holds tight. “Let’s go.”

With that he helps her up and leads her out with an arm around her shoulders.

Moo-chul has been keeping tabs on him, and texts Soo while he waits at the train station with Young about how desperate he must be if he’s committing fraud when Soo isn’t even sure if she’ll give him the money he needs. “But Soo, what happens if she dies?” he adds.

The train arrives in the distance, and both ‘siblings’ approach the platform. Young’s expression is vacant as she tells him, “If your goal is to get money, then there is an easy way to get it. Right now. When the train comes, push me.” WHAT?!

Soo looks desperate for a second as the train speeds toward them. He can’t be considering it, can he? Can he?!

His fingers twitch, but Young takes the first step as she moves toward the speeding train, like she’ll walk in front of it herself.

And Soo lunges forward…

 
COMMENTS

Wow. That’s what I call a good cliffhanger. We can be fairly certain of the outcome, but that was some clever cutting. Exciting stuff.

I’m loving the emerging dynamic between Soo and Young, even though it’s going to become helplessly complicated later when love and betrayal is thrown into the mix. The premise is a simple one, but the drama is pretty much built into it. It’s not even just a matter of how Young could maybe even begin to come to love someone she thinks of as her brother (try saying that seven times), but whether she could get past the deception. With how emotionally guarded she is, it’ll take some effort on Soo’s part to win her trust – and if she finds out she got royally duped the ONE time she allowed herself to open up… well, the possibilities are endless.

In retrospect, I’m really glad that the first episode established a basis for us to have sympathy for Soo’s plight, or at the very least, to understand his desperation. And despite the fact that what he’s doing is reprehensible, the line between where the con ends and where his feelings begin is already starting to blur. I think the big turning point happened when he first seemed to catch on to Secretary Wang’s involvement in hiding the letters from Young for so long, because his outrage seemed to go above and beyond the call of duty. It’s as if he was actually angry on behalf of his actual late friend, or maybe even on Young’s behalf, since he could easily tell that she’s being taken advantage of… even though he’s there just to take advantage of her.

That’s where things are already complicated, because right now it’s looking like Soo might be the only one able to take Young’s side and help her. Lawyer Jang seems nice enough, but he clearly hasn’t cottoned onto the fact that Secretary Wang is the snake she is when it took Soo all of five seconds to realize the truth. And it’s looking more and more like Young’s fiancé is just in it for the money too, so if I had to pick the lesser of two evils, I’d go with Soo. Not just because he’s our leading man, but because he actually understands her, as evidenced by the mall scene. He could have coddled her or said nothing, but he actually scolded her, in a way that would help her to realize how to help herself, basically.

And then there’s the caveat that he probably just said what he did to manipulate her into trusting him, even though they were words she needed to hear. Gah, his involvement is such a double-edged sword, because he clearly has as much potential to help her as he has to hurt her. And even if he helps her along the way, if he hurts her in the end, will it negate any good he’s done?

Even if his helping hand isn’t sincere, the fact that he helped Young at all is what matters. The mall scene did a great job in laying her vulnerabilities out for the world to see, and suddenly the blind ice princess we’ve come to know became vulnerable and unsure. But it’s not like she was emotionally unavailable until then, since you’d have to be blind to think that she doesn’t want to trust him and have her brother back. It’s just that she knows she’s easy prey.

And the worst thing is, Soo knows it too.

 
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thanks...

At first I wasn't planning to watch this, but now after your positive reviews, I'll go for this :)

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I love his expressions when he says ' i remember you ahjussi...' He looks so conflicted and forced into making a split second decision to turn real bad in order to stay alive...awesome...JIS, what can i say?

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JIS is awesome that way. Loved him since WHIB.

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Thanks for the recap! I'm getting kinda tired of melodramas so I didn't want to watch TWTWB. I just tuned in for Eunji but wow I'm hooked.

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super interesting. i'd watch this and i should....

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watched the 3 episodes last night straight! it was good but I was wondering how will they go with the episodes and how many episodes it this??

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total 16 episodes..

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me too! i decided to check it out after the positive reviews, cos the earlier desciptions were kinda off-putting, but the show is so much better than whatever they said. no regrets at all, and now cant wait to see what happens next, and im so glad i havent seen whatever shows its supposed to be a remake of, cos i cant compare and not enjoy the ride as is...

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Thank you so much HeadsNo2. I have already watched episode 2 and liked it very much, and after reading your recap, I think I like it more.

And Song Hye Kyo's acting in this episode is very good, I have to say.

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Thank you very much, too, HeadsNo2! I watched the first episode because of the huge ranting and of the awesome male lead - A Frozen Flower was one of my favourite K movies. It got me hooked completely.
But what took me totally by surprise is that no one noticed that the woman Soo ran after when he was a kid was the same as the secretary/ daddy's lover... call her whatever. Am I wrong?

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I didn't realize how much I've missed the term "oppa" used in kmelo until I've started watching this show. So good to hear; it feels somewhat nostalgic :)

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It has been so long since I became attached this much to a korean drama. The first three episodes were so good that I am not sure whether next episodes will continue to live up to that level.

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I really do think the scene with oh soo and hee sun where he talks about not needing a grand reason to live really shines through jo in sung's acting. So nuanced and beautiful.
And i really thought when young fell into the water that it was going to be another dramatic scene but really, it was necessary to show us she doesn't practice her own advice about accepting peoples help(trust issues). And the fact that soo was able to scold her for that was pretty awesome.

And i just love the trio. jin sung, oh soo, and hee sun when they're in mission mode.

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I was also paying attention to Jo In Sung's expression as he was talking about wanting to live without having any grand reason which would add purpose to his desire. I was paying attention to every twitch in his face and the tears forming in his eyes. I have not seen much of his work, but I was really impressed with the nuance of his performance.

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His performance is incredibly nuanced. I liked the scene where Jin Sung is bragging about how easy it is for Oh Soo to conquer girls with his looks - and the camera stayed on a profile shot of Oh Soo, as he stares at the info board, and you can tell that he is not denying what Jin Sung is saying but that the bragging embarrasses him and that he knows it won't do him any good - for many reasons - in this instance. It felt like some really good foreshadowing, sexual attractiveness mixed with rueful acknowledgement and embarrassment and sorrow...all from a profile shot.

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Thanks for the recap.

Looking forward to read more.

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Gah! Such a good episode. Better than the first. The pace of this show (so far) is excellent. I really love it. There is still an air of melancholy about the show, but now it's almost a feisty melancholy. If that's even possible.

Kim Bum's character is still my favorite, though Jo In-sung's character is starting to become a favorite, too.

Looking forward to episode 3!

Thanks for the recap, Heads!

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Funny how I was reticent toward this drama the first time I heard about it... That title: Pffft. Well, I've never been so happy to be proven wrong and that's an excellent melodrama! I agree with those who say than this episode is even better than the first. It feels good to watch a drama which doesn't insult your intelligence or your EQ as a viewer.
"There’s no pain for the sake of pain, or tears for the sake of tears."
Haaaaa... *Sigh of relief* We all know which shows are targeted here, right?
Thanks for the recap, by the way. ^^

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'Young: “When you left me when I was six, my eyes were fine. But twenty-one years later, I can’t see. How does it feel?.........'

This whole part killed me. I'm just a viewer watching this show for the lead cast, so I didn't think much. I was wondering why was Youngie acting so coldly towards her 'brother' then bam! Her confession made me shed some tears.

JIS is doing a good job. A few scenes involve a little overacting but overall, I'm so impressed. SHK, ♥. SOOO gorgeous I had to pause the video just to look at her. (Thank God for 720p! LOL. :P) I think it's because of the fact Youngie is blind, it's pretty difficult to express her true emotions. But the way SHK delivers the character really is convincing. On the other hand.. I feel that KB's acting is quite unnatural (sometimes). There was one scene where the kettle was boiling and Jin-sung suddenly thought of the scar. That was.. quite awkward. And Eunji's acting is.. meh. Average.

Thank you for the recap! :D

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I kinda felt bad because i was on oh soo's side, like why is this rich princess acting so rude, only to have her spill out her emotions and have me feel like i haven't been as considerate with her character.
Episode 3 made me love her, despite the fact that she always wants to die and makes that clearI/i>. There's something about blind people i find fascinating, and especially one being portrayed in shows if done right can be a pretty awesome character.

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woops. didn't type that italicize right.

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It's funny you say that because I keep feeling the same way about Soo. It shows how well a character is set up and acted when he's duping a blind girl for money, and you feel sorry for him when she's mean to him

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my thoughts exactly.

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Agree with you about the part at the swimming pool. So strong and touching at the same time.

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IKR.
At first I was overwhelmingly on Soo's side and was confused by how Young was acting, but hearing her finally express herself made sense.
Also, the way shee keeps being cold, she knows how vulnerable she is: bling, rich, young, and a WOMAN.
In general, I loved the directing, the writing thus far, and am very happy with the acting. I feel like it's the first time I've ever liked Song Hye Kyo.
happyhappyhappy

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I love how jin sung had to move in with oh soo too.
if all else fails i'll keep watching for the bromance alone.

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Young is testing Soo all the time. She uses the push and pull tecnique to perfection. Young is an equal to Soo. She is a strong woman underneath her appearent fragility. The visual impairment is as much a liability as is a strenght. She uses it as a weapon and as her hiding place. I love her character. Hye Kyo is perfect in this role.

And what can I say about a drop dead gorgeous Jo In Sung???? I am in love with him! He portrays Soo with such finesse that you can't hate him, even though he is a jerk. He is too hot jerk and women love this kind of jerks. If I discovered I had a brother, it would definitely help me accept him he he looked hot. Why? Who would want an ugly anything? Including brother? If I had to share my fortune I'd rather share it with someone beautiful. It's just human nature to like the beautiful. If only we could choose our relatives...

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Thanks for the recap :)

I was unsure about following that drama since I am always careful with melos and I have a lot of other dramas that I am currently watching.
But then I watched Episode 1 and thought: looks not so bad...and then came episode 2 and I am hooked! I just LOVE this drama.

It's beautifully shot, the story has so much potential and the acting is fantastic :) What more do I want^^

And man that cliffhanger was great! Even though one can guess how it'll continue. Wouldn't do the drama any good to kill off the heroine in episode 2, would it^^

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i'm watching this for jo in sung's pretty face and the beautiful cinematography and ost..but jo in sung seems to overact sometimes...shk's acting was stiff in episode 1 but i really like her acting in episode 2 where she refused other ppl's help and fell into the pool...thisdrama is far more interesting than iris 2

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Hi Heads, I must say that I love your recap since... Dr. Jin. Ha! That was hilarious. Much better than the actual show.

Can't wait for your recap on episode 3 because, mann..., that was intense. I love how our hero and heroine are both smart and calculating. SHK is pretty awesome. And her gorgeousness, love her to bits.

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Oh those Dr. Jin recaps and the ensuing commentary from all the Beanies were priceless!

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I like smart and calculating characters, to an extent.
I like how young isn't a character you can step all over. People expect her to be"easy" because she's blind but that's not the case at all.
She's strong, perhaps too cynical (but i understand why), and has a sense of awareness around her.
Too many times in melos we have a weak heroine but i'm really diggin this new crop of women are are strong and smart. (Nice guy's heroine wasn't too bad herself).

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I just hope she stays strong and cold for as long as possible.

I still remember when Mon Chae-won' character lost her memory in Nice Guy and all she did all that was act like a lost puppy. Revolting!

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I'm hooked with this drama!usually I don't really watch melodrama,but this drama really GOOD! I even pause and rewind some scenes because it's too awesome! I hope it will be better and better each episode. First, I thought JIS is overacting in some scene when I just watch the trailer but after I watch the whole episode,I don't find he's overacting, instead I found him so GOOD,I cant even explain how awesome his acting is! I really can't wait for the next episode.TWTWB IS LOVE!!

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Kim Bum!~ <3

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I can't believe a melo has hooked me this fast but it has, I think it's partly because Jo In Sung is just really nailing this role, everyone else especially Kim Bum ans Jung Eun Gi are doing well too.

Also am I the only one that wants to hit all the people just standing around staring at Oh Young like she's some kind of carnival side show in the mall scene at the end?

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I was upset they were all just standing around watching but often times that's the reality of it. Come to think of it, it's pretty much like that all the time in k-drama. I'm assuming that's not how it really is, but for drama purposes..
Young's character did deny the help of a lady and pushed her away, so that wouldn't help matters either.
If anything, i was a tiny bit irritated soo stood there for a good 2 minutes while she was trying to escape the crowd just staring for dramatic effect.

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That scene was so hard to watch - I'm someone that likes to leap in and fix things, so I actually had to turn away when she was crawling, seeking out her cane.

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These two were meant for these roles... There's something about SHK that makes her perfect for that "helpless" almost sad and pitiful character (but I mean that in a good way) and JIS as the sharp, intense and quick character... he emotes very well.. sometimes too well, but I feel like that's his signature thing... thanks for the recap!

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Oh, man! I'm hooked and am firmly on this train, but I'm deathly allergic to fauxcest plots-- ottoke? This is clearly gonna be one helluva ride and I'm both excited and nervous. I've found several nits to pick already but I'll keep my trap shut about all of them but one: Soo (Jo In Sung) has a very distinctive speech pattern that a blind woman who interacts with very few people would almost certainly remember-- I was surprised that they didn't have him try to disguise his voice.

I'm thrilled that you're recapping this, Heads-- so sorry you have to deal with a triple-episode first week. Ooh, I just realized it's "Heads vs. the Triple-Header", tee-hee! I hope you'll pace yourself-- hwaighting!

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I have to say if i had talked to JIS i'd remember his voice pattern forever...so I get yr point. But to me it's not his voice per se as it is quite common, but the tone and rhythm of his speech the day he met young was pretty different than other people...he tends to rush a few words and have that i-don't-care attitude in his speech which to me made the letter reading scene almost special...i dunno, I can't explain it...so I think young rmembers that and is confused coz it has been a year and his speech is familiar, so she's always in testing mode with him...

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Watch Ep 3.

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Your questions will be answered in one of my favorite scenes of Ep. 3

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is this about how he slurres words?

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haha...isn't the slurring the cutest thing...OMG...focus, focus...I'm too distracted while watching this show!!

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omg, this is seriously so good!! i'm usually not a fan of melodramas, but this one is done very well, has smart dialogue, not too sappy, and keeps me on the edge of my seat. i hope the remaining episodes are just as good!

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Song Hye Kyo and Jo In Sung are perfectly tailor made for their roles...You are very much engage with their characters and every expression they made your hooked and keep wondering what's next...The directors right..

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another great and 'fun' recap from Heads! yeay!

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Never watched Jo In Sung's drama before and the last SOng Hye Kyo's drama I watched was "Autumn Story".

Melodrama isn't really my cup of tea (i prefer rom coms) and I usually don't watch drama by actors that I rarely follow.

But DANG! this drama is addictive.

The story started off a bit slow for me but by the end of ep 2, I am officially hooked.

Cinematography is good and the dialogues are awesome. Am i the only one whose heart wrenched a little watching JIS questioning whether do we need a reason to live and SHK pouring her heart out at the fact that her brother doesn't care about her blind sister after 21 years old? those were two great scenes with awesome lines.

And of course, the acting. i find it rare to have two actors that are able to hold their own against each other but JIS and SHK nailed it. They play off each other's acting very well and their chemistry is palpable. I esp like how SHK stands her ground against JIS. They are equals in this game despite SHK's disability.

looking forward to the next ep which is urgghhh so far away.

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you are not the only one. I liked those two scenes as well, i mean loved it. Hye Kyo's pool scene with In Sung was just heart breaking :(

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Completely agree with you.

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Those were my favorite two scenes from this episode too!
Totally well acted/scripted.

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Thank you, I am surprised at how much I like this show.

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Yes, I have heard from many people that Jo In Sung is overacting. But for me, he is not overacting at all. In fact, he is acting very well.

I have long thought that Song Hye Kyo is a good actress and has a serious attitude towards acting. With this one, she is also doing a great job.

Look forward to see more performance from these two actors.

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Who is saying Jo In Sung is overacting? I would love to hear their reasons, because this man is nailing his character. Overacting is my main pet peeve when it comes to acting that is why I don't like some actors that seem to be popular with this site. But that surely is not a problem for JIS!

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lol. I bet Secretary Wang is his biological mother.

makjang woohoooo.

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Oh God! Please no! Lol!

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I don't think the Secretary is his mother. The two faces are different.

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Some real good writing so far, unlike the melodrama duds we had so far this year.

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Saw the movie, LOVE ME NOT,with Moon Geun Young and Kim Joo Hyuk originally, so I was hesitant about watching it again as a series drama. Song Hye Kyo made such an impression on me as the funny ditsy woman in FULL HOUSE that I didn't know if she would be believable in her role as the blind heiress.

She is really good in her role as the suspicious and vulnerable blind heiress who can't trust anyone. Jo In Sung is also excellent as the smarmy low life who will do anything to survive and schemes to get her inheritance.

I agree that the first episode was slow and boring, and I was about to drop it, but I'm glad that I stayed with it.

The scene in the mall was gut wrenching when she falls in and she is totally helpless.She finally breaks down her defenses and cries. Such good acting and writing!

Hopefully, the rest of the drama will continue that way. Love the chemistry of SHK with JIS and Kim Bum. Eunji - so- so.

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She is so beautiful! I could watch this show just to look at her alone.

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"Love Me Not" movie? Drama version?

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I love your recap, thank you... and fir that sake, i'm going to watch this drama....

gah... restraining so many time but give up after reading... it's just tempting me, and i am easy to temp,,,,

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Writer Noh dramas are always so quotable. Love it.

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Totally. Love the dialogue!

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Dang it, I told myself not to read this because I might end up watching it and I hate melo-dramas.
Thank you Heads for the wonderful recaps <3. I'm glad to see Jo In-sung on the small screen again. I'm not a fan of Hye-gyo's acting but I like her.
Now I'm going to watch this show and see where it takes me.

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Like many other reviewers, I am not someone who is drawn to melodramas. But something about this show attracted me to it and, three episodes in, I am excited to see what will happen in the remaining episodes. I love the use of close-ups and am drawn to the relationship that will develop between Oh Soo and Oh Young.

I am a little iffy with the performances of Kim Bum and Eunji. I think he overacts at certain points (his character is supposed to be a hot-head, but I am looking for a better portrayal; maybe with time, his performance will improve). Eunji's character is too reminiscent of her character in Answer Me 1997. I hope that her future roles will be more diverse.

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I agree with KM and Eunji playing the same type of characters as their last drama. Especially with KM, who's almost playing the exact same character from Padam Padam except with red hair. Nonetheless, I still think they're both adorable and can see their improvements.

I love the part where OY turns around and cuts OS's cheek; its so ... real! You can see the fresh blood starting to cush out. That's great details from the director!

JIS ... he's not just your simple pretty Kdrama-land actor, he's the REAL DEAL people! And I'm not even fan-ing or being biased (even though I adore him!), this man is in a league of his own.

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For me, the role of Kim Bum in That Winter is not the same as the one he played in Padam Padam. It is also the same case for Eun Ji. But in any case, I think they are both doing a fine job.

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true, eun ji's acting here is really awkward to look at. i cringe whenever she comes on screen, her facial expressions are just... yeah. but she's alright compared to other idol actors/actresses.

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I thought so too in the first and second eps, but her acting seemed to get a lot better in the 3rd. Maybe it's adjusting to the accent that is making her act a little awkward, but I'm sure (I hope!) she'll get more comfortable as the drama progresses - I could already see some improvement in the 3rd ep!

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Love this and all the pretty too! So far, great story and well paced!

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My theory is ...

OS will find out very soon or already is aware that OS is not her real OS oppa but whether she will continue to go with the flow or not is going to be interesting ... its like shes taking him on for a ride ... She may be blind but she ain't dumb!

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Actually, she has not believed that OS is her brother.

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I agree with you. I do believe she is taking him for a ride as well, which would actually make this drama even more interesting.

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Yes, I wonder about her - that smile on her face, when he became flustered when he "caught" her with bare legs - I think it was all a set-up on her part, and she is testing him to see how far he will go, and how good a con-man he really is. At this point, she definitely does not think he is her long-lost brother.

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Agree! She's probably curious what his motives are and so she'll go along with him on this ride. In this context, it would be more believable for the audience to see them develop romantic feelings for each other.

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Ah, this is just the second episode but I have to say, this one's reeeally good! The melodrama theme made me hesitant but I decided to give it a try just because of Jo In Sung. And now, I just love everything about this show :D

Thanks for the recap, Heads! you got one more for this week! hehe!

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Love it!

I have to agree with 27 wlst: The scene at the pool, the mall and the train is perfect acting, script and cinematography.

.... i find it rare to have two actors that are able to hold their own against each other but JIS and SHK nailed it. They play off each other’s acting very well and their chemistry is palpable. I esp like how SHK stands her ground against JIS. They are equals in this game despite SHK’s disability.

Thank you for the recap.

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I like this show too. But seriously, Chaebol Minions, a burn mark for the test? No, you get a DNA test before you let a long-lost son into the house. Didn't you see Becoming a Billionaire?

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HAHAHAH

same here. next thing you know someone's plan is ruined because the pics proving the scam get destroyed and the person didn't think of storing it on a hard or pen drive. lol

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Zackly!

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Thanks for the recap. This drama has so much heart.

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If they can keep this level of quality, this drama has the potential to be one of the best KDramas I have watched. It is just really well done on every level!

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I wasn't planning on watching the show but I'm seriously hooked to it. Its way better than I expected

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Thanks for the recap! :) Especially this part:
"Ah, so they all have a past together, and it seems like Moo-chul might have been in love with Hee-sun’s sister, Hee-joo, too."

Because I wasn't clear if they were connected or not and they are and... okay, this totally fits with Oh-soo being a builder of found-families (or maybe more accurately, playing Peter Pan to all the lost-boys he comes across). And since he's doing it with hard-cases (being a hard-case himself), sometimes he gets burned. (The club-guy who totally betrayed him while calling him hyung which made me so mad!)

Which means Moo-chul is like his shadow (the lone wolf who feeds off the other lost) so of course they're at odds. And of course Moo-chul would encourage him to kill Oh-young while Oh-soo is beginning to feel protective.

Oh my gosh, I love this sort of stuff!

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As a fan of SHK and JIS (since WHIB-- he was so awesome in that!!) ... to take someone else word, yesss, these two are sooo nailing their roles!!!

Heads thanks for recapping this drama that I've looked forward to since this pairing was revealed...... they are so ethereal!!!!! l

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l never watched Jo In Sung's drama b4 even l know he's in WHIB. When rumors saying he will be in this drama with SHK, l feels awkward since he's so tall and SHK just like cute small size.

But l give a try and totally hooked, l watched 3 eps one short. JIS just really handsome and SHK, no one can deny of her beauty.

l hope the ratings will go up, cosz this melo is really well done.

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ooooh, and Yesung (Super Junior KRY) singing the OST Gray Paper... smooth!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufMaRmJyyPM

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Thanks for the link. I really enjoyed watching it :).

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Finally watched this show, so I can enjoy your recaps!

Love your comments. I love how twisted this already is, and it's gonna get a heck of a lot more twisted as we go on. It's so powerful because, like you said, Soo's motivations are already starting to blur, and it's only episode two. I kind of hate how he spits out these clever lines one after the other, calculated to get her in her vulnerable spots, with that hard look on his face and this kind of I-dare-you-to-argue-with-me edge to his voice. Like he's constantly pushing her buttons in just the right way. And yet I love it because I anticipate how hard he's going to fall (and crash, and burn) later on.

OH THE TWISTYNESS. Haha. I love it.

Also, I was skeptical of Song Hye-gyo being able to pull this role off, but she's incredible, especially in that scene where she falls in the water. That look on her face. Oof. And she does the aloof dignity thing so well too, which makes that vulnerability even more moving. Jo In-sung I wasn't so impressed with in episode 1, but he's getting less over the top and more sincere. So I'm good with him now too.

Thanks for the recap :)

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