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Level 7 Civil Servant: Episode 19


Illustration by pumpkinattack

So close to the finish! We’re in finale week, and our spies come up against some ethical and moral questions that test their commitments to the cause — wouldn’t that have been interesting introduced earlier? Ah, well there’s only so much wishful thinking we can indulge in at this late stage. Let’s just say that our hero and heroine take a stand, and find that stand challenged, setting us up for what I presume will be the final showdown: not so much a good-guy-versus-bad-guy fight, but a warring of ideals. Then again, this is Level 7 Civil Servant so the ending could just as well be about potatoes. *Shrugs*

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EPISODE 19 RECAP

Gil-ro and Seo-won burst into a hotel room with guns drawn, on high alert. There’s something really funny about opening the door with a proper key-card and then storming in with pistols up, all, We’re going to barge in and arrest you, but we’re going to be polite about it. Our spy school wasn’t raised in a barn!

They stop short to see Mi-rae standing at the window, and our spies shoot each other quizzical looks. Why? Did you somehow not figure you’d catch your bad guy on this bad-guy-catching mission? Okay okay, given your track record maybe expecting failure is the reasonable response.

Gil-ro holds her at gunpoint while Seo-won does the pat-down, all the while Mi-rae looks so hilariously bored by it all that it’s just a little bit awesome. They demand to know where Woo-jin is, and she replies that it’s likely he’s not too far away. She wonders why they aren’t arresting her, and they assure her that they will.

Seo-won asks if it’s true that Mi-rae’s family was killed, wanting to confirm her hunch on our baddies’ motivations. Mi-rae tells her to wait and ask the question directly — she’s expecting company any minute.

Woo-jin walks down a familiar hotel hallway and stands poised outside the room. When the doorbell rings, our spies force Mi-rae to answer while hiding just out of sight… and then they gape to see Director Oh strolling in. B…oss?

So it’s a different hotel room that Woo-jin walks into, where he sits back and waits.

Gil-ro and Seo-won are stunned to see Director Oh here, who covers up his own surprise pretty well. He orders them to lower their weapons, treating their suspicions like they’re absurd, which is pretty ballsy since he’s the one who’s been caught fraternizing with the enemy. But Director Oh says that Mi-rae has agreed to cooperate with them, and that gets them to back off warily.

Director Oh snaps at his spies to leave, and Mi-rae purposely hints at his shady past, knowing he can’t have them knowing of their deal. Gil-ro and Seo-won reluctantly heed his orders and exit.

Gil-ro suggests that until the truth shakes out, they ought to consider everyone an enemy, even their director. After all, both he and Won-seok know the name Choi Heung-soo, and things don’t quite add up.

Alone now, Director Oh and Mi-rae face off, neither of them willing to budge. Mi-rae wants the location of Won-seok’s hospital, and Director Oh wants to maintain control. She dangles his checkered past as bait, offering to expose his secrets to his agency, but he warns that threatening him could backfire on her.

Mi-rae gives him two days to comply, and they agree to meet then.

Director Oh puts in a call to Do-ha, unaware of his mole’s shifting loyalties (I presume they’ve shifted, at least) as he warns him to back off Gil-ro: “I’ll handle it myself.”

Sun-mi picks up a new signal that tracks their baddies to their hotel and reports to her team. But Mi-rae hurriedly calls Woo-jin to alert him, aware of having picked up a trace. Uh, and how did she know that? Do all NIS bugs come with little announcement bells?

Thus by the time the team convenes, Woo-jin has already checked out of his hotel, and the team suspect a leak somewhere. Gil-ro suspects the director, but Do-ha speaks up in his defense. You would.

But Gil-ro argues that Mi-rae would never work with them to betray Woo-jin, declining to explain why he holds that belief. Do-ha’s all, Care to share your intel, buddy? and Gil-ro’s all, Nope. This team, I swear.

Young-soon orders him to spill what he knows — they have no time to lose now that the director is aware of their dealings. Gil-ro says it has to do with Won-seok’s past, that he’s not sure of the details, and again refuses to share the reason behind his stance. Jeez Louise — you’d think that a job so dependent on comradeship and loyalty might teach him a little something about the necessity of actual teamwork.

Young-soon asks Seo-won next, and she likewise refuses to explain what they know of Won-seok’s past. *Throws up hands* You know what, you guys don’t deserve to catch the bad guys. Go sit in the corner waving your spy badge around for all the good it does you.

Sun-mi loses her temper, demanding to know what they hell they’re supposed to do, then. How are they supposed to capture Won-seok’s assassin without any information? I’m not sure if I’m more annoyed at Gil-ro and Seo-won for being pigheaded, or at the show for making me agree with Sun-mi.

Sun-mi guesses, “So you’re telling us to get lost. Fine. Do a good job.” Do-ha follows her out the door. Young-soon comes to the conclusion that they have no need for her either, and goes too.

Gil-ro and Seo-won convince themselves they did the right thing because it would be unseemly to say that Won-seok was involved in the deaths of their enemies’ parents, at least without checking with him first. Which might be more reasonable if he weren’t in a coma, you know. (No, he’s not actually in a coma since he’s faking, but that’s another eye-roller entirely.)

He sighs that going home will have Mom in a fuss and going to work will have Director Oh up in arms, so if it’s too much for her, she should hold his hand to remind herself that he’s always with her. She says she already feels that way, and he thanks her, adding, “Kyung-ja-sshi.” Lol. Had to get that in, didn’t ya?

Won-seok wakes up in his secret hospital location and finds his wife asleep at his bedside. I do wish he’d let her know he was awake and kicking, even though I’m sure he’s motivated by wishes to keep his family safe. When wifey finds out he was faking sick, I hope she gives you a good whack.

Gil-ro and his Mom sit down for some sponsor-supplied smoothies, where she calls Seo-won’s family uneducated and low-class and wants him to cut all ties. Gil-ro screws up his face like a little boy and replies, “Don’t wanna.” Lol.

Then Mom narrows her eyes at him and asks if he’s done anything he should be “responsible for” (euphemism for the sexing) and he lies baldly, “I did.” Mom freaks out, though if she knew anything about Seo-won’s anti-touchy policies I’m sure she’d feel a lot better.

There’s similar nagging going on with the other Mom, who argues that she can’t be with a guy whose family buys thousand-dollar bottles of wine like it’s nothing. Thus the son has grown up throwing money around and learning no manners. I do enjoy Mom’s recurring swipe at Gil-ro (which means, as we’ve said, “on the road”) by calling him “Road or Street or whatever-his-name-is.”

The next time they meet for a date, they lie that their mothers totally have no problem with them dating, and how they actually really like them. They don’t notice, however, that they’ve picked up a tail: Woo-jin. (Aren’t you spies? Shouldn’t you notice the creepy baddie staring into your soul? I’m beginning to find Intelligence a very ironic inclusion in the name NIS.)

Gil-ro and Seo-won know their meeting with the director will be a challenge, and when he asks how they found out about the hotel or came upon their weapons, they answer merely that they can’t divulge the information. They had been told that in a case like this they should name Young-soon as their leader, because she would take responsibility for the fallout, but Team Rogue ain’t rogue without some roguery, and Gil-ro says they acted of their own accord, on Won-seok’s behalf.

Director Oh says they work for the organization, not for themselves, and that’s why they’re fired. You know there’s something wrong with the story when your response to your heroes losing their jobs is, “Well, duh.”

He gives them a chance for redemption if they reveal whose direction they’re acting under. They keep mum.

Young-soon joins the meeting, though, and names herself as their leader. Director Oh dismisses the underlings, but this puts him in a tough spot — he doesn’t want to fire her, but things have gotten too big to cover up.

He asks to know where Won-seok is, saying they need to talk this through, but she refuses to give up the location. She tells her team to continue as they were, not letting on that her career is now on the line.

Director Oh pays a visit to an old contact in the construction industry and gets his hands on some incriminating evidence regarding stolen technology. Let’s make a deal, he proposes.

Our baddies meet up, and Woo-jin reports that he’s close to finding out the hospital location — he’ll keep following our spies, who’ll lead him there. Mi-rae warns him not to get overconfident, but he assures her of their last card — if they capture Seo-won, then Gil-ro will play right into their hands.

Speaking of whom, Seo-won and Gil-ro pay another visit to sleeping Won-seok to report the latest findings. They speak to him as though he’s awake and alert, but when he actually replies, they totally freak out. Wait, I’m confused. I thought they knew he was awake — from that time he woke up and told them not to tell anybody he woke up? Remember that? …No? Okay then.

Family safety is his reason for keeping up the coma guise, because if he woke up he’d have to leave the hospital, and then they’d be in danger: “There’s an enemy from within.” They guess he means the director, and tell him they’ve learned most of the story, save one key point: Was there a reason they sacrificed Choi Heung-soo? An extenuating circumstance? An excuse to absolve him of guilt?

Won-seok sighs that there wasn’t, other than the overarching one: “For the country. I couldn’t allow harm to come to my country because of my personal feelings.” But he adds that even baddies are part of that country, and to wipe them out would be wiping out part of your own. He supposes there’s no magical explanation that’ll make him feel good about those actions, but Gil-ro says he still wants to be an agent like him: “At least your conscience is still alive.”

He gives them his permission to share the facts of his case with the team. “I’ll take responsibility for the past, so you guys take on the future.” Or maybe he means Mi-rae, since that’s the word for future. Aw, now I want a better pun.

Mole meeting. Director Oh asks Do-ha if he’s ever killed, and gives him a sniper mission. Do-ha asks for a reason, and gets only, “It’s for the country.” The director remains tight-lipped about the details (like, say, his target) and only warns him to be ready tomorrow night.

Do-ha finds Sun-mi (sketching another picture of his face) and asks for a favor — a personal one, and breaking the rules to boot. He’ll send her a photo tomorrow night and needs her to ID the target for him. She’s still huffy and refuses, but he sighs heavily, “I can’t shoot that person not even knowing who they are.”

He asks her to keep the secret for him, saying she’s the only one he can lean on right now.

Gil-ro and Seo-won sit in meditative silence over a cup of tea. She pours herself some, then him some, then herself some more, then himself some more, then he sips, and she sips, and he sips, and omagahhhh why is this taking so long.

Finally they give up too, since the attempt to clear their minds is doing no good and they reach for the likker instead. Well I coulda pointed you there in the first place. So then they take some beer with their existential crises, trying to reconcile What They Have To Do with What They Want To Do.

She wonders what would happen if they found themselves in a similar dilemma (to Won-seok having to abandon those children for the sake of the mission): Would Gil-ro leave her behind?

He sighs, “I… guess I’d have to leave you behind. That’s how we were trained.” Yes, and apparently lobotomies come with the job description, since he’s spent all series acting just the opposite.

She mulls it over, then answers that she’d do the same, “Because that’s what kind of people we are.” Never mind that the drama has been hammering in the opposite theme this whole time. Let me just say, this out-of-the-blue turnaround has me awfully suspicious for the future…

Young-soon undergoes interrogation for her rogue mission, which is pretty funny since she’s not in the least cowed by the lowly guy tasked with the preliminary questioning round. She barks at him to call in the actual interrogation agent, then asks wearily if he knows any men he can set her up with. HA.

That night, Gil-ro hovers at Seo-won’s bedside, disappointed when she sleeps on. He admits that he couldn’t actually abandon her, and kisses her on the cheek.

She opens her eyes after he walks away, having been awake after all. She gets out of bed and crawls right into bed (er, on the floor) with Gil-ro, FINALLY. He stutters nervously, but she tells him to just stay there and cuddles up to his side. Pshhh, and then he pushes his luck with roving hands, and she warns him to stop or she’ll leave. They fall asleep cuddling.

At Gil-ro’s Dad’s office building, aka Cover Ops for Team Rogue, the sniveling toupee-wearing director sneaks in early to leave breakfast for Young-soon the “intern.” She’s mildly repelled by him and rejects his date request flat (which means I’m going to be really annoyed if she ends up with him in the end, since that suggests she’s supposed to just be happy with any male attention, even the kind she doesn’t want, ’cause she’s old).

Sun-mi mulls over the Do-ha situation, wondering whom he’s been assigned to kill. He’s wondering the same thing, heavy-hearted as he awaits his orders. He gets the text message from Director Oh giving the time and location of the hit.

Gil-ro and Seo-won now confide the full story to Young-soon, telling her about the backstory about the betrayed informants and their children’s revenge mission. Seo-won states that she’s going to apologize to those children, ignoring Young-soon’s warnings that they can’t and shouldn’t. Gil-ro pipes up that he’ll apologize too, and that he won’t capture them otherwise.

Do-ha arrives at his designated spot on a rooftop of a building and sets up his weapon. He awaits instructions from Director Oh, who calls in with Mi-rae to say he’s on his way.

It’s Mi-rae who appears in Do-ha’s sights — the rendezvous point is the rooftop of a neighboring building. Do-ha recognizes her and calls Sun-mi immediately, not needing her help identifying Mi-rae.

Sun-mi calls Seo-won next to divulge Do-ha’s mission (so much for the secret), and Seo-won flips out. Can’t kill the enemy before you apologize!

Gil-ro and Seo-won pull up to the building — um, one wonders how they knew which building, but piffle! Details, shmetails! — not seeing Woo-jin on their tail.

Do-ha stands by with his rifle at the ready as Director Oh joins Mi-rae on the roof, and gets the go-ahead. The two baddies beat around the bush a bit, and it becomes clear nobody is budging. Mi-rae decides she’ll have to do away with the director after all, but he tells her he’s come to the same conclusion — he’ll get rid of her and claim the credit.

Director Oh holds up his hard drive — the one involved in his construction contact’s deal — to show Mi-rae how well he’s planned out her death. She’ll go down as having been caught in a deal over those stolen secrets, and this will be evidence.

Mi-rae actually tears up, looking hurt as she says, “My parents weren’t enough, you’re going to use me too?” Honey, did you think he was here ’cause he liked you?

Enraged, she decides she’ll need his apology after all and takes out her gun. Director Oh awaits the sniping and walks away confidently. Mi-rae aims at his back, and Do-ha wrestles with his conscience — is this really for the good of country?

Gil-ro races up the stairs to the rooftop and pulls Do-ha away from his gun. The boys trade punches until Seo-won joins them, but her eyes widen to hear that it’s either Mi-rae or the director who will die. She grabs the rifle as Mi-rae shouts that she never wanted his apology, but now she does: “Apologize! And then die!”

Do-ha yells at Seo-won to shoot; Gil-ro yells at her not to. Seo-won reaches for the trigger, her scope trained on Mi-rae… and shoots.

Director Oh smirks as Mi-rae falls, shot in the arm, and leaves without a backward glance. Mi-rae staggers to her feet, and Seo-won shoots her in the leg. The boys race for the next building while Mi-rae crawls toward her gun, and Seo-won pleads with her to stop, not wanting to kill her.

Mi-rae thinks of her oppa dying before her eyes, and raises the gun to her temple.

Seo-won watches in tears, and shoots. Mi-rae falls again.

 
COMMENTS

Okay. *takes deep breath* Here we go.

The thing is, I could use this comments section to launch into yet another puzzled, wondering, aggravated discussion on everything that just happened that made no sense — and as there was so much of it, that would take forever — and how I don’t understand these characters, and how it’s just so presumptuous of Seo-won to think she can apologize for somebody else’s wrongdoing as though the victim would be grateful to have it, and how I no longer wonder whether our dear writer knows any women in real life but in fact any living people.

But we’re finally here! In Episode 19! So close to the end! I almost don’t dare do anything to upset the balance, lest the end move farther out of our reach. And we wouldn’t want that. Whoa, whoa, don’t you be going anywhere now, finale.

I suppose you may wonder why I’ve bothered finishing up this drama if it irritates me so, and it’s a valid question, although I generally don’t think it’s necessary to justify a reason for watching the shows I do, or to even understand them myself. But I suppose this is one you can chalk up to my completist nature, like wanting to polish off that plate of greasy leftovers even when you’re no longer hungry because there’s a certain perverse satisfaction in wiping that slate clean, even if it’s accompanied by discomfort and maybe some gas. It’s why I’ve watched countless bad shows in the past, why I’ll probably finish up That Winter too, and watch many, many more dissatisfying shows in the future. At some point you just figure you’re pot-committed and stick around for the rest.

It’s also often worth watching a crap show as a reminder that the better ones have accomplished something worth applauding, and that even when a drama is flawed up the wazoo if it has that special magic, that’s an achievement. Granted I wouldn’t actually advocate tackling a bad show just for that life lesson, but it’s perhaps a way to feel as though twenty hours of life haven’t just been flushed down the toilet. So, y…ay?


Illustration by rollingirl

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Thanks!

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I stopped watching this show but simply love to read your recaps :)

thanks!!

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So did I. I stopped watching a long time ago and just read the recaps. The recaps make me think I would be throwing things at my screen if I would have stuck with this.

Thanks.

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LOL i stop watching and tried to keep reading the recaps...i am guess i am so lost as to why i liked it in the first place.

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Thank you so much javabeans for recaping until the end because i really enjoyed your recaps and comments! And thanks for the awesome illustrations :)

Imo before ep 10 the drama was not that bad, but the latter half of it was such a mess. Now i just feel a relief that it is finaly the last episodes...

Btw, for those who are interested and can read korean or can guess from google translation lol there is a recent interview of joo won (last week) about this drama... He also talked about the last 1N2D filming with seung-woo :'( 
http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=106&oid=419&aid=000000005

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Thank U for the interview link!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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There is a English translation on Soompi. It's been translated from Chinese. Can't vouch for the accuracy but it should fare better than Google translate.

part 1
http://forums.soompi.com/discussion/comment/25771874/#Comment_25771874
part 2
http://forums.soompi.com/discussion/comment/25772288/#Comment_25772288

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Thanks so much !!

I love this interview, especially what he said about ratings, colleagues, choi kang hee and of course 1N2D <3

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If there is any more interviews of Joo Won, very likely you can find the English translated version on this drama thread or Joo Won thread on soompi.

joowonenglish.wordpress 'reblogs' them from soompi. As it is a blog, I figure it's easier for readers to find them. soompi threads have a sort of directory on page 1 so moderators do update them with links to such interviews.

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oops. Didn't read carefully... that it's in Korean. : (

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Thank you guys for sharing these links!

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if ONLY this show had been about potatoes.

http://www.dramabeans.com/2012/08/gaksital-episode-22/

i would've loved it then!

ha.

anyways, i welcome you, finale!

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What was funny was that every time they showed Woo-jin tailing Gil-Ro and Seo-Won and played that "scary" music, it was like Jason in Friday the 13th. He followed them and gave them a dirty look but did nothing. haha

And Gil-Ro's answer to Seo-Won's hypothetical question about leaving her behind wasn't in line w/ his character. He said he'd have to. And although he tells her that wasn't true later, well, that was when she was asleep (or so he thought) so what does his confession matter?

Oh well, I'm gonna really miss seeing Joo-Won's cuteness when this rom-com is over. Ho-hum. : ((

Gaksital 4-eva!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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at least it's almost over!

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I can't stand Choi Kang Hee.

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I can't stand the drama, either.

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Thank you for the recap!

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Lol, I really wonder what Joo Won and Choi Kang-hee were thinking when they signed onto this drama. Like, I know a lot of people are saying Joo Won is too good for this drama, but I think Choi Kang-hee is too. I loved her in Protect the Boss (yay badass females!), but I really can't stand her character here (or her haircut). Hopefully, both of them will end up picking a better project in the future.

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Ikr? I didn't mind her in Protect the Boss either, except for the fact that she wasn't a believable love interest for Jaejoong.

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Errr . From what I know, both JW and CKH only received the first four scripts when they signed into this drama. This is also the common case for K-dramas.

I'm also glad that this drama is nearly over now, it's such a mess since ep. 6. Hope JW's next project would be a good one.

Anyway, I really like JW's acting in L7, he has the ability to control his role very well and I like the way he pour his heart to his character. I love JW for his acting and respect him for his personality.

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Thanks for running interference for us.

I watched the first three or four episodes of the show and then ran out of willing suspension of disbelief.

I have continued to read the recaps here because they are funny and honest.

Writing a good show is difficult. So difficult that we keep trying to love the show despite the near misses and could've beens.

Writing a good recap is also difficult and you do with it with grace.

Kudos.

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"...which means I’m going to be really annoyed if she ends up with him in the end, since that suggests she’s supposed to just be happy with any male attention, even the kind she doesn’t want, ’cause she’s old"

Okay, i'm not watching anymore and I realize the writer has culled his "understanding" of women from re-runs of Leave it to Beaver, but if I so much as read that they did this in the finale I will be SO PISSED. SERIOUSLY. DON'T DO IT SHOW.

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Javabeans you are the best!!! Chick, you are the voice of the people!

I have to say that from ep 7 on this went down the hill! It become ridiculous to try to understand the logic behind the story... The writer lost the audience BIGTIME.. I love Choi Kang He but she was really annoying me in this drama, I wanted to kill Seo Won at one point or another, for MANY things she did, said or acted that made no sense, it wasn't a believable character. Poor Joo Won made my heart bleed, he tried his best with the messy scrip they got.

It's sad, I think this is another case of the show that could have been, but thanks to the poor writing it never got to be...

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I LOL so hard reading these sentence of yours:

"Go sit in the corner waving your spy badge around for all the good it does you." , and

"I’m not sure if I’m more annoyed at Gil-ro and Seo-won for being pigheaded, or at the show for making me agree with Sun-mi."

Thanks JB, for recapping till the end. Just like in Dr. Jin, I welcome the finale with a glass of wine.. I'll toast and cheers tonight, cause it's the end.. ^^

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At one point this show was in 3rd place, this episode is not even in the top 20.
Even the screencaps scream cheap quality: No outdoor scenes, filmed only on set, bad lightning and all. They are not even trying to hide the misery anymore...
I sincerely cry for the actors cast in this show. It wasn't stellar in the first place but it's going downhill fast. I wonder if the writer just quit the show and now it's a random person picked up on the street who's finishing this. I really need to watch the original movie to compare and see what went wrong.
Finally, I agree: When you see shows like that, you realize than the average ones are not that bad.

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Hello Mystisith,

The statement about no outdoor scenes is simply not accurate, there are at least three outdoor scenes in this episode: when SW and GR meet (after having spoken or heard from their moms to not date each other), when they share with YS what they know, and the meeting between the director and DH. Those scenes were outdoor scenes.

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Ivoire is right. There were outdoor scenes. Heck, they even went to a ski resort and to the countryside and did some aerial shots from a plane (jumping off) in the other episodes. Some dramas are all in one location.

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I'm talking about this particular episode #19. I know there were outdoor scenes and stunts at the beginning of the drama (I watched till ep 12) but they went less and less frequent. From what I can see on the screencaps here, we have 2 of them: 1 at the park and 1 at the end, at night. For a weekly spy action show reasonably budgeted, I think it's a bit weak. This is what I'm used to for daily dramas or for pure rom-coms. The good side of this is that actors & staff weren't suffering from the cold, I guess.

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@ Mystisith,

My comments were strictly about this episode as well. From what you wrote, it sounds like you did not watch this episode at all, getting your information from the recap and the screencaps (you mentioned that you watched up to episode 12).

The recapper could not possibly fill the page with screencaps, they never do and we know that would simply be impossible. You are making a statement about an episode you did not watch, which is fine and is your choice, however, your statement is simply not true. You said, "No outdoor scenes, filmed only on set," which by your very own words turns out not to be true. Because in your second response of this post, you also said, "From what I can see on the screencaps here, we have 2 of them: 1 at the park and 1 at the end, at night. For a weekly spy action show reasonably budgeted, I think it’s a bit weak." Based on your own words, there are obviously some outdoors scenes. I watched this episode, and yes, the scenes you mentioned were in it, and so were the ones that I mentioned in my first comment as well. That makes five outdoor scenes at the least. I didn't say it earlier, however they were more outdoor scenes in this episode. It makes sense that you are not aware of that, since it seems that you did not watch the episode.

When DH finds SM sketching his face, again, and asks her for a favor, they are outside (that is an outdoor scene). When GR and SW are driving to meet the director and JJ (Woo-jin) follows them, it is an outdoor scene (it was filmed outdoors), and there might be a few other outdoor scenes I don't remember at the moment. These are in addition to the outdoor scenes you and I have previously listed, and they are in this episode.

So clearly, there have been some outdoors scenes in this episode and there have been outdoor scenes in the other episodes since episode 12. I haven't gone and checked, however I am not sure that the outdoor scenes were less than the ones in the first 12 episodes. Episodes 13 and 14 are chock full of outdoor scenes, what with the team being at the ski resort, the whole chase and being mislead by director Park outside, GR leaving his post (in the room) to go "protect" SW and him being kicked out of the team by WS as a result, the arrest of Woo-jin in episode 14, which took place outdoor (at the ski resort), the whole conversation between GR and SW when they laying on the snow, her coming back to find him later that night, after what SM told her, the kiss scene in episode 14, etc... There were many outdoor scenes in those episodes and many outdoor scenes in the following episodes. I have watched every single episode of this drama and I can attest to that.

I can understand that you might be disappointed with this drama, what I don't understand however is your need or desire to state things that are not true, things that are simply not there and not accurate. If I had not seen/watch this drama and taken your words for it, I would think that there are less outdoor scenes, and that episode 19 had none (that was before you acknowledged the two scenes).
Why the need to go so far as saying things that are simply not true, about a drama you don't seem to like (your comments in the last recaps and on March 7 seem to indicate that)? Is that even necessary and what is that supposed to accomplish?

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dun be upset. she did that to other dramas that she did not watch too. she called it disaster and all when she has not even watched much.

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And the lighting (not lightning) in this episode was not poor either. I could see everything very well.

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Hello no1 and thank you,

I was just flabbergasted because I used to wholeheartedly trust her judgment and what she said. I have read her comments on the recaps of this drama, and all along, I was assuming that she was watching every single episode, which is what I have been doing, diligently.

I think it is one thing to disparage or belittle a drama you have watched all the way through (after all, we are all entitled to our opinions) and it is another thing to belittle a drama or have a negative view if you are not even watching or have stopped watching for a number of episodes. What she said, about no outdoor scenes was misleading and simply not true.

As I have said earlier, I understand someone having negative comments about a drama, what I don't understand is the need to add statements that are untrue to those negative comments. Aren't the negative comments enough by themselves? If those statements were true, I would not have an issue with it, because, well, it would be true. Again, we already know you don't like the drama and don't think much of it. What is the point of adding facts that are not true? It makes me wonder...

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I understand your frustration. A lot of people claim to dislike and not watch the show, yet they religiously come on every recap to say they dislike the show. I mean, that's a lot of effort for a something you dislike, no?
However, I don't understand your need to sit here and argue about whether there are outdoor scenes. Thats not a material fact and getting that right or wrong hardly changes opinion about this drama. Arguing about it just seems so petty and obnoxious, methinks.

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Hello ilikehim,

Nice to hear from you. I wholeheartedly agree with your 1st paragraph and I appreciate that you could see what I was trying to say/coming from. It IS a lot of effort to put in, for a show that one dislikes. I learned from a blogger, and from friends who have liked shows I was not as enthusiastic about, to just let them enjoy their show and not comment much (or not at all) if I felt differently about it, or at least not too much around them.

Regarding your 2nd paragraph, I have been reading Mystisith's comments for a very long time now (for quite a while), and I have learned from what she shared, and have appreciated that. I will admit that I was a little hurt that she would make comments about things that there were not true, and that it made me question what else she had exaggerated about. Getting that fact right about the outdoor scenes would actually change my opinion about the drama, if I had not watched it. It might just be me (and just me), however it would have mattered. I am not trying to change the opinion of others, I know I don't have that power.

"Arguing about it just seems so petty and obnoxious, methinks." well, that is your opinion, and you are certainly welcomed and entitled to it. I was just expressing how I felt. Thank you for your comment.

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Wow, I'm shocked you would categorize 'That Winter, the Wind blows' as a below-average drama that you're only finishing for the sake of finishing, along with the 7CS. The former is one of the most watchable and non-aggravating melodramas I've seen in a while, and its leads' acting and gorgeous shots put it out of the subpar league.

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I think it also depends on tastes. We can't ask everyone to take the same perspectives as us. Besides, a lot of my friends also begin to feel boring The Winter. I don't know why, cause I don't watch it either, maybe melodrama is not for me.

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Warning: Off topic and spoilers for TWTWB ep 14:
*******
I'm watching it till the end too but I must say: Ep 14 was anticlimactic and I didn't have the answers to my questions. Nothing much happened (piggyback bis repetita, him crying and her with her cold attitude). I want to see who lives and who dies eventually but there is so much interest you can ask from your audience when you focus only on the very pretty face of your actors. Also, the secondary characters are completely sacrificed (they were so meaningful in Padam, Padam). Drama is beautiful to look at but the story is just getting old and it could have ended at 12 eps.

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same here,extremely surprised to see TWTWB being compared like that.but ofcourse,to each his own ,i guess

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I am not that shocked about her dislike of "That Winter" since I know that she dislikes writer Noh and Song Hye Kyo. I'm just surprised that she has to drag "That Winter" to this one (please don't attack me, I am just expressing my surprise here).

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Thank you, javabeans, for your recap. While I understand that this is your site and you can say whatever you want to say and I respect that you have your own taste of drama, I kindly ask you kindly refrain from comparing "Level 7" to "That Winter" in your post about "Level 7". Thank you.

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Here we go again... Copy and paste of a previous comment of mine:
"A blogger can write absolutely everything he/she wants to on his/her blog (as long as it’s legal). Exactly like a drama maker has the right to produce anything he wants.
Now, as a reader, you’re free to read or not, if you don’t feel like it. And you can comment to express your opinion. This is YOUR right."

Kindly or not, you shouldn't say to people what they can write or not write on their site. PERIOD.

Also, she's just saying that she's getting bored and frustrated (I presume) with TWTWB and mind you, it's the feeling of a growing number of viewers. I don't think she's comparing the global quality of the 2 shows: Of course, TWTWB is a lot better but it's not a super "entertaining" show either despite what the propaganda wants us to believe. The ratings in SK prove it: If you consider the rivals airing at the same time, they are good but not great.

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This should have been said by Javabeans, HeadsNo2 or GirlFridays, the owners of this site, not by you, Mystisith, unless you are now promoted to be the moderator or the policewoman of this site.

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Maybe they will express themselves, maybe they won't. Either way, that will be their decision and I will respect it. But when people start to attack the freedom of speech (this is becoming a reccurent issue, here and on other blogs or threads), I won't stay silent. No, I'm not the moderator but if people say things which bug me, I will give my 2 cents. You're welcome to do the same.

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Aren't you attacking dramasink's freedom of speech?

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@xuka: I'm not attacking her, nor her freedom of speech. Everyone's free to participate in that convo and she can reply for herself. I'm just pointing out that her request is rude, imo: What would you think if people were telling you what to do or say in your own house? For me it's basic courtesy.

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I am aware that this is their house. Actually, anytime I read their recap, I thank them. As I said again and again, they have every right to say whatever they think within or without their own house. I just asked them a favor, if they grant me that favor, it would be immensely appreciated and I would also be happy to discuss with them about "That Winter" in the recap about "That Winter" that HeadsNo2 is working hard to give us. If they decline me that favor, I totally respect their decision.

Seriously, if I should explain this to someone, I think it would be the owners of the house, not you. But anyway, I have tried to explain to you twice already. Can you now please give me a break?

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Mystisith: the long version was a paragraph. The short version is TWO THUMBS UP! mmmk?

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Well, as I said, she has every right to say whatever she wants on her blog. I just asked her as a favor. The reason that I asked her favor because I didn't think it would be a good idea to turn a topic about episode 19 of "Level 7" to be a forum for people to discuss about episode 14 of "That Winter" like you are doing. Again, Javabeans has every right to decline to give me her favor and I will respect that.

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thanks for the recap jb and for the beautiful Joo Won screencaps :-)

I feel a sense of relief that there's only one more episode to go. whew!

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Why, what's wrong with That Winter?

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If you don't like that Winter that much, why do you have to finish it? Don't you have so many slates to clean already?

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With the not-so-intelligent intelligence squad on the case, one has to hedge one's bets.... i was laughing at how surprised they were that Won-Seok responded to them.... smh

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Thanks for the recap! In all the ineptitude, I forgot that Seo-won had been trained as a sniper. Honest surprise here.

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Thanks for the recap! I'm just glad I waited to see how it progressed before crossing this out of my 2 watch list.

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Please recap 'Nine'

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'Our spy school wasn't raised in a barn!'...this saying alone made it worth reading the episode recap, even if the show itself is just so very, very bad. Thanks! ^^

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