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Master’s Sun: Episode 13

Longest week-and-a-day ever. Let’s get to it, shall we? Is Joo-gun a little dead, half-dead, almost dead, or a total goner? Now that we’re about to find out the answer, I’m not sure I really want to be shoved out of my denial. I like it here. It’s safe here.

A note: Master’s Sun has decided to extend after all, given the Chuseok preemption that kinda sorta forced its hand. Rather than end on a Wednesday, it’s adding an Episode 17 to even out the run. The show will now end on October 3.

 
SONG OF THE DAY

Seo In-gook – “겁도 없이 (Without Fear)” for the OST [ Download ]

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EPISODE 13 RECAP

Joong-won appears before Gong-shil as a ghost and says his final “I love you,” before disappearing into thin air. But you probably already know that because you’ve watched that scene about a thousand times looking for clues that he’s not really dead.

As Gong-shil collapses in tears, we cut back and forth to the operating room where Joong-won has flat-lined. The doctor charges up the defibrillator…

One spike… A heartbeat?

Charge two… a second spike…

Charge three…

Back to Gong-shil, who sits numbly in the hall. Aunt and Uncle rush in, and Aunt’s eyes flare up the second she sees Gong-shil, ready to place the blame on her for just being generally unlucky and bad juju for Joong-won.

The doctor comes out to tell the family that Joong-won’s heart did stop for a short while, but he pulled through. He’ll need surgery, but he’s going to just fine. Ohphewthankgod.

Gong-shil is stunned, and actually has to ask again, “He’s not dead?” She realizes that he must’ve come to see her like that coma lady at the hotel, and the first thing she says when she wraps her head around it all is that she has to go to him, because he thinks he’s dead.

But Aunt just keeps hearing the words “dead” and “died,” and slaps Gong-shil across the face for daring to put bad omens to lips. She tells her to stay away from Joong-won forever, and leaves her crying alone in the hall.

She sits there waiting in the same spot all day, caressing her sun necklace and willing the surgery to go well. Secretary Kim comes out to tell her that Joong-won isn’t awake yet, but the surgery is over, and she can sneak in to see him while Aunt has stepped out.

Gong-shil breaks down in sobs the second she sees him lying there, remembering how he said her world was too dangerous, but that that he’d gone ahead and let her bewitch him anyway. Naturally she blames herself for all of it, and cries, “I’m sorry.”

She reaches for his hand but can’t bring herself to make contact, and then Kang Woo arrives to check on her. She tells him that Joong-won came to her, and he thinks he’s dead—what if he never comes back and his body just stays here unoccupied? Augh, the Hong sisters and comas. Talk about bad juju.

She says that she can only see ghosts; she can’t conjure them. But that reminds her of the creepy shaman who warned her once, and she decides to seek her out.

The shaman tells her that it’s because Joong-won has seen the bright sun in the midst of darkness—that’d be her—that he thinks he’s dead. Lol, did he mistake her for the light at the end of the tunnel?

She says he’s preparing for death, not knowing he still has a body to go back to. Joong-won’s soul, meanwhile, sits in a chair and reads And Then There Were None. Hee-joo comes up to him, wondering how he can read. He says with no emotion that he can read because he’s dead now, and she’s just happy that he can finally see her.

Gong-shil pleads with the shaman for a way to call Joong-won’s ghost to her, to tell him he’s not dead. The shaman says she can’t see ghosts, but she can call them… for a price. She likes her ghost-seeing abilities very much, and offers to call Joong-won here if Gong-shil will become her property.

Oh noes. I don’t like the sound of this. Don’t make a deal with the devil! Gong-shil asks what that means to be her property, and the shaman just says vaguely that she won’t be able to do as she wishes.

The shaman asks if the calculations don’t add up, but Gong-shil needs no prodding: “I’ll become your property or anything else. Just bring him back!” Noooooooooooo.

The deal is done, and the shaman asks for a physical object that Joong-won will recognize. Gong-shil takes off the sun necklace and hands it to her. But there’s one more catch: the shaman says that in order to put Joong-won back, she’ll have to erase his memory of seeing “the sun that shines even in death.”

Gong-shil’s face falls to realize he won’t remember his “I love you,” but says that’s okay. The shaman clarifies: she needs to erase ALL his memories of her. WUT. Whatchoo talkin’ ’bout, lady?

She says this is the price for brining him back. Will she pay it? But, what about the other price, where she’s already going to be your ghost-seeing slave? ARG. Gong-shil says through her tears that the crazy sun was going to have to get lost eventually, so it’s okay. Omg, has everyone drunk the crazy kool-aid today?!

And with that, the shaman begins her ritual. Joong-won finishes his book, and then starts to follow Hee-joo towards the bright white light. Don’t do that! He sees Hee-joo vanish and then walks toward the doorway… when suddenly the sun necklace appears in his hand with a gleam. The shaman’s voice stops him and says he needs to come back…

The room goes dark. In Joong-won’s hospital room, a woman’s hand caresses his face. Creepy. That’s not Gong-shil’s hand. It turns out to be Evil Twin, who says she’s been waiting fifteen years for the statute of limitations to end on her case so that she could finally see him.

Gong-shil runs down the hallway, pleading with Joong-won to wake up… and then he finally opens his eyes. Evil Twin is the first person he sees.

Gong-shil arrives just as Aunt walks up, and gets another stern warning that this is the end of the line for her. This time, when Secretary Kim tells her to wait for his signal to go in later, she shakes her head and says it really is the end of the line for her, and that she’ll no longer be someone in Joong-won’s life.

Secretary Kim is confused, until he goes in and Joong-won has no idea why he’s here. “Did I really get struck by lightning?” The last thing he remembers is asking to be struck by lightning if he was wrong… the night he met Gong-shil. Oh wow, it’s literally a rewind, not just selective amnesia.

Aunt keeps them from saying anything about Gong-shil, saying that they can sort out the brain stuff after he heals. Secretary Kim stops to exchange glances with Evil Twin, and I can’t tell yet how much he knows. Please just don’t be evil, okay ajusshi?

Joong-won looks down at his hand: “Something shone brightly and then disappeared…” Aw.

Gong-shil tells Kang Woo the truth, and then cries alone that night, reminding herself that she’s the one who promised Joong-won she’d leave when it came time. “That time must be now.”

Aunt makes Uncle and Secretary Kim promise to remain hush-hush about Gong-shil, but Joong-won can sense she’s hiding something from him. So when he comes home from the hospital, he pretends to take an interest in the food she prepared, and while she runs home to get it, he plies Uncle to spill the beans. Heh.

Uncle is dying to talk and he knows it, and he can feel that there’s something crucial that they’re not telling him. He notices the stack of children’s books on his coffee table and thinks that weird too—why would he have books?

He picks one up… and his eyes widen. Omo. The letters aren’t dancing around. He can read. He turns page after page, and he can read them all. He gapes, “What happened to me? Did I really get struck by lightning?”

Gong-shil puts on her sun necklace, deciding that it’s okay to wear since he won’t recognize it anyway. She tells herself that this necklace is enough for her, and forces a smile. Oof, her stiff upper lip is heartbreaking.

As soon as she steps foot inside Kingdom, she sees Joong-won walking towards her. She clutches her necklace and braces herself, as he walks right past her with a smile on his face without a second glance. Ouch.

Suddenly the trashcan lid flips (heeee) and it makes Joong-won turn around. Something about Gong-shil makes him stop and wonder, and he begins to approach her, but she walks away without looking behind.

Aunt sees him and calls him over to block the run-in, and wonders why he came to work in his condition. He beams that a screwdriver to the back must be a cure-all for his reading problem, because now he can suddenly read.

He tells Secretary Kim ever so proudly that he’ll be reading his own files from now on, and then gets a giant bouquet of get-well flowers sent from Giant Mall’s CEO. Joong-won’s jaw drops: “Are he… and I… on flower-giving-and-receiving terms?” Hee.

Secretary Kim says they even played golf the other day (double hee) and that the reading is no surprise to him, since Joong-won has been working so hard at it lately. He adds that the police want to give him a courageous citizen award, and that they have to make decisions about the children’s center he’s building. Pwahaha, I love that Secretary Kim is telling him without telling him.

Joong-won decides that Aunt must be feeding him drugs, because nothing else would explain this behavior. “Did the sun rise upside-down all that time?” Secretary Kim just shrugs in his faux-innocent way: “A special Taeyang must’ve risen by Joo-gun’s side.”

Kang Woo comes by Gong-shil’s office and asks if she’s really not going to tell Joong-won the truth. He says the accident wasn’t her fault, and she knows, but this was a wake-up call for her too.

She was always so happy and relieved to have found her emergency shelter that she never considered how deeply she had pulled Joong-won into her world, when he could see none of what she sees. She realizes now she should’ve been more careful, to protect the person who couldn’t see.

She says she’s got her head on straight now, sighing that people always have to lose something to see clearly. But that’s not what Kang Woo is talking about—the feelings were real, so what’s she going to do about those? Yes, good question. She points to her sun necklace and calls it a seal (like the kind used to seal letters): “I have my feelings, so they’re not gone.”

Joong-won steps out of his office, intending to turn right. But his feet go straight, as if his body has a mind and a memory of its own. He wonders what this strange desire is, like he’s following a habit he doesn’t know, and follows his feet down the hall.

It leads him to Gong-shil’s office, which he only remembers is supposed to be a storage room. He peeks inside, and Gong-shil immediately turns her back, while Kang Woo explains that it’s an office he made, and she’s the employee who’s quitting today.

Gong-shil can barely contain her tears with Joong-won standing so close to her, and Kang Woo literally steps in between them to keep Joong-won from seeing her face. Joong-won can’t shake the strange feeling that he left something there, but goes on his way. He sits at his desk, wondering why he feels so blocked up when he should be happy.

Kang Woo wonders what kind of seal is so terrible at sealing, and offers to escort Gong-shil home. She assures him that she’s got her Gong-shil doll to keep her company, and heads out.

Secretary Kim comes down to see Kang Woo with Hanna’s photo in hand, and asks if this is what Daddy Joo gave him. He sighs that Joong-won was doing so well lately in moving on from the past, and wonders what made him dig into Hee-joo’s case again.

Kang Woo explains that there’s one crucial bit of information that Secretary Kim doesn’t know: Hee-joo was in on the kidnapping, and Joong-won has known this from the start. OH. I forgot he doesn’t know this.

Secretary Kim reels at the news. He goes to his desk and pulls out a framed photo of the twins, and says to himself that there must be some mistake—Hanna was so bright and sweet.

A flashback shows Secretary Kim with Hanna, who calls him Uncle. She lives well with her adoptive parents in England, and has recently connected with Uncle. She says that she’s going to Korea to find her twin sister too.

Flashforward to some time later, after Hanna has discovered that Hee-joo died. She asks why Uncle didn’t find Hee-joo sooner, and cries that her sister led such a sad life. She blames him in part for not finding them when they were younger, and tells him not to forget Hee-joo’s name.

Back in the present, Secretary Kim decides he’ll have to find Hanna. Okay, so clearly she’s got a new face, right? If he stared right at her in the hospital and didn’t recognize her, she got a new face. At least there’s a reason the identical twins don’t look identical?

Kang Woo gives Gong-shil an emergency bell and tells her that he’ll protect her from now on. But she tells him that she isn’t going to hang onto someone else any longer because she’s learned that it’s dangerous for the other person. Poor bodyguard without a body to guard.

He heads out with a longing sigh, and then runs into Yi-ryung on her way to see Gong-shil. He interrogates her about her agenda, and drags her away by the hood when he sees that she’s here to gloat and poke at wounds, as expected.

She counters that she’s going to keep at it the more he likes Gong-shil, so the only way to protect her is to stop liking her. HA. He says she really is a black-whiskered whale (what she called herself when he said he wasn’t interested in fishing in her pond), adding that he looked it up and it doesn’t exist, at least on this planet.

She misses the boat entirely on his insult and fixates on the fact that he looked it up: “Why, you thinking of raising me in your pond?” She promises she won’t even need tending to, and she’ll just grow really really big until he can’t chase her away.

He wonders if this is how Gong-shil sees him, and Yi-ryung pouts, thinking he means she’s pathetic. But he says she’s cool, and it’s made him realize he isn’t as pathetic as he thought, and that he should be bold like her… to Gong-shil. Haha. So not the intended effect.

Yi-ryung pouts in her car, and Kang Woo runs to Gong-shil and totally plagiarizes her whale speech, substituting “dinosaur” for “whale.” LOL. This has to be fake.

The music swells, she looks into his eyes, and they embrace. They land on the bed as the Dooly doll kisses his girlfriend… and Yi-ryung shakes herself out of her nightmare fantasy. She decides that something must be done, but what? Please tell me you’re going to meddle. Go forth and meddle!

Joong-won sits in his house pondering his wolf-goat books, while Aunt tries to get his attention after inviting Hanna over. He just asks about the books, and Hanna lies that they’re hers.

Gong-shil is at the bookstore looking at the very same books, when Yi-ryung calls. She says she has something important to say and calls her back to the same restaurant where they met their friends. And then she calls Joong-won to send him there too.

When he arrives, Gong-shil is sitting with her back to him, but it’s the book in her hands that he notices—she’s bought a set of the same books. He starts to approach her table, but just as he does, that waiter ghost shows up and scares her.

As she jumps in fright, he grabs her shoulders, and the ghost goes poof. Without turning around, she knows he’s here, and struggles to hide her tears. He asks if she didn’t feel something strange just now—like a charge between them.

She lies no, and he walks away, wondering if it sounded like a come-on when he meant it literally. Gong-shil waits until he’s out of sight and sighs, “Even if your memories are gone, you’re still my emergency shelter.”

Even when he sees her leave he doesn’t recognize her face, but the encounter leaves him pondering the sensation when he touched her.

Secretary Kim asks for some vacation time since Joong-won can read on his own now, and Joong-won lets him go reluctantly with the reminder that his place is always by his side. Secretary Kim says with a heavy heart that he’s headed to England to find a niece, and then afterwards he has some important things to tell Joong-won.

After stopping by the coffee shop to see her sister, Gong-shil runs into Hanna, who recognizes her because of the stalking. She compliments her taeyang necklace and Gong-shil turns to go, when she sees Hee-joo’s ghost and calls out her name.

Hanna freezes, and wonders what Gong-shil could’ve seen that made her call out Hee-joo’s name. When Hanna goes up to see Joong-won a short while later, she’s wearing an exact replica of the sun necklace, which gives Joong-won pause. Arrrrrrrrrrgh. You’re so creepy.

Gong-shil tells Kang Woo about seeing Hee-joo’s ghost today, and he reminds her that there’s nothing she can tell Joong-won now because he won’t believe anything she has to say. He assures her that they’re close to finding the kidnapping accomplice and urges her to let it go.

As Hanna tells Aunt a little of her backstory, Secretary Kim shares what he knows with a friend. The twins’ birth parents were poor artists who died in an accident, and there was no family who could raise them at the time. Hanna was adopted and led a nice life, but Hee-joo grew up in the orphanage. What Secretary Kim doesn’t know is what on earth happened when the two girls met fifteen years ago.

The neighbor boys from the gositel come to claim their toys from Kingdom, except now Joong-won has no memory of them and is sure he would never do such a thing. But they have his card, so he lets them take the toys, and they sass him that they read for him and told him that he was “her special person” and everything.

“Whose special person?” “Gong-shil noona. Taeyang.” He stops cold. Does he remember?

Hanna asks Aunt about Gong-shil, and Aunt admits that she was close to Joong-won once, and that she used to say crazy things about calling forth the dead to heal wounds. Hanna agrees that it’s crazy.

Gong-shil arrives home that night to find Hee-joo’s ghost waiting by her door. Hee-joo says she knows Gong-shil loves Joong-won… and asks to borrow her body. Gong-shil asks if the message isn’t something she can convey for her, but Hee-joo insists the possession is necessary. Gong-shil asks if she can catch the kidnapper this way, and Hee-joo nods. Suddenly a hand grabs Gong-shil by the shoulder and Hee-joo poofs away. Eee!

Joong-won whirls her around: “On a stormy night—in that book, that’s the secret code so that those two recognize each other. You know me, don’t you? Who are you? Are you… Taeyang?”

 
COMMENTS

First things first: he’s aliiiive! I don’t even care that it’s the obvious cop-out. I’LL TAKE IT. I’ll buy two and keep the other for a rainy day. I do think we would’ve gone to some interesting places had he died for realsies, but none of them would’ve been a happy place, so I’ll take coma ghost, thank you. As far as that save goes, it works within the confines of the universe and the rules that we’d already been given, so I’m totally fine with. Giddy even.

Now the amnesia I have less love for, partly because I feel like that shaman is just making up her own goddamn rules all willy-nilly, and I don’t trust her. Why are there TWO costs to bringing him back, and what is this vague you-be-my-personal-ghost-seer-property clause about? It feels like a just-in-case insurance plot point, especially on top of the amnesia. I think it would’ve been more effective to just have the one cost, no matter which—having both lessens the effect.

I’m okay with amnesia if it nets something interesting, and I do think we get some good angst out of Gong-shil being near but not able to touch, or in Joong-won feeling her absence but not knowing what it is. But I can’t help but feel that amnesia was the easy way out of their very messy you-take-responsibility-for-ending-things relationship, because it forced the separation for them. I really wanted to see them figure their own way out of that situation, mostly because it’s a mess of their own making, and I wanted them to face the consequences of touch first, think later.

Instead, amnesia sort of forces her hand into being the noble idiot and pushing him away for his own good. Blerg. Perhaps it even makes her more noble than she could’ve been had he remembered her. While I understand her reasons for blaming herself, still, I’m screaming, But he said he loved you! Twice!

I suppose we can look on the bright side and focus on how they’ll find their way back to each other, though given the number of metaphor clues, meaningful objects, and inside jokes, you’d have to be an idiot not to pick up on them, amnesiac or not. I like that the book is their code to recognize each other, and it is entertaining to watch Joong-won’s reactions to all his changes post-Taeyang.

Joong-won’s rediscovery of feelings is admittedly a straight-up retread of things we so recently discovered the first time around, but her heartbreak feels real, and she grounds it emotionally. Also, I can’t be the only one whose biggest relief (after Joong-won survived, of course) is that Secretary Kim isn’t eeeeeeevil. Now THAT would’ve been a disaster.

 
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Ahh...my drug, you are here...Thank You

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And we must wait another 6 days for the crack to come along again... SCREW YOU SBS TT.TT

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aand what did that shaman mean? arghh raise hands who prefered my scenario better? (seeing ghosts and flipping the lid and Gong Shil feeling "This guy is totally useless now!" etc.") I would have continued by JW being seen as the crazy one and that reaching the ears of Giant Mall. and they come to see him talking to the dumpster ghost...the amnesia is so lame, but it would be in benefit of the humor too like him not remembering GS but running to her and saying: are you TaeYang? help me get rid of these ghosts! and she´d go: umm.... you be crazy yo. YOU get rid of the ghosts. then maybe Kang Woo would start to think if he can see the ghosts on security camera and just drop a bucket on their head to save both nutcrackers from seeing them....

argghhh I am the crazy one here, mind galloping.

and this Hanna.... she is crazy. the aunt is crazy. secretary Kim - even he! - is being driven crazy! we all have to go to the madhouse together! (and thats a whole other drama....)

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loved the grey sweater though, going on my Pinterest board of Korean Drama sweaters. a bit felted, while the collar had been added later. very nice. looks warm.

um and just when I was thinking Joong Won doesn´t wear sweaters? He always has suits and jackets. is it a sign that he feels "cold" without The Sun?
weird.

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I agree that the grey sweater look was super good. He looked really cozy.

I'm okay with whatever they threw at us, but at the same time I'm thinking it would be quite cute if for the next episode JW continues his barging-in-TY's house ways and does it even if Taeyang tells him that they have no relation :P

Oh well we can hope! ;)

That shaman is too creepy. I mean what did she meant by "she won’t be able to do as she wishes"?? That Taeyang would be possessed?? That her soul can be controlled?? WHAT???? I'm already dreading the possibilties :(

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I agreeeee! Love the sweater. :) He looks more human-like and comfy and warm. (Both figuratively and literally)

One small hiccup though... when did they have time to change his clothes while trying to revive him? :P
Do hospitals really do that? Haha, just confused.

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Am I the only one who got Star Trek vibes (Spock!) when they showed Joong Won in the grey sweater? This is the v-neck grey sweater with the black border right?

Seriously. Spock!

No?

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um.... I... I.... I haven´t seen... um* hides under a bucket. haven´t seen Star Trek.

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Not to mention, it shows off So Ji-sub's chest very nicely, that sweater does :)

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Clever, sounds logical, good interpretation :)

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I really don't get the deal with Gong Shil and the creepy sharman - Gong Shil can see and speak with ghosts right and she even has her regulars - the grandma, the coffee dude, the dustbin guy. So how hard would it be for her to tap on her resources and get them to tap into their network to look for Joong-won, since his ex managed it.

WHYYYYYYYY did she have to make any deal with the sharman at all? I hope that with only 4 episodes to go, the Hong Sisters aren't tempted to write something ridiculous in like having Gong Shil die or something.

I am looking forward to Gong Shil and Joong-won ending up together happily ever after.

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Great. Thanks. Never entered my mind she could die!

Maybe she'll take over Han Na's body - then (needs mouth duct taped) auntie will be happy also.

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@DramaQueen: I agree with you about GongShil's network of ghosts. That would have been something cool to see, but I wonder if the writers even considered that idea :/

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I think she can talk to ghosts who show up, but somehow the whole 'ghost network' concept doesn't seem to exist in this world, it's not like Dustbin Ajusshi can chat with Hotel Ajumma or Dead Schoolgirl. The dead seem to stick to themselves/their own circles, and if Gong-shil's gathered that from experience, she's not going to have much luck trying to set up a ghost-hunt for Joong-won's spirit.

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GS can see and talk to ghosts, WHEN they choose to approach her, or are in her vicinity. She Can't summon them.
Also, she needs sb to tell JW's soul to come back right away, to not be in a coma, or worse, to go towards the light.
The ghosts who linger in this realm have their own unfinished business. They may not be malevolent, but it doesn't look like they've ever done anything for anyone else either. That's why TGS needs the medium.

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The shaman scene... Am I the only one who got "the little mermaid and the witch"-vibes? *shudders*

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Nope, totally saw Ariel and Ursula doing the voice trade! Glad I'm not the only one that felt that way!

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I did, too!

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OMG that was my first thought also. haha

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Yup, and Hanna wearing the taeyang necklace reminded me of how Ursula (in girl form) was wearing the shell necklace with Ariel's voice. Heh.

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SBS is the worst hustler ever!!! lmao how can they jus provide us one episode when the product is this addictive?!!!! ugghh...

Anyway, I am happy Joo Goon only died for a few mins and is still alive and also relieved since our matchmaker Kim is not evil and is as clueless as we are about what happened 15 yrs ago between the twins!!!
The amnesia im not happy about and felt disappointed as I saw things unfold but it does make an interesting premise even though it is an extremely overused plot device.

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well, just pretend you have forgotten about other amnesia cases.

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hahaha

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I'm pretty sure the code word will be "Get lost" for him to remember everything.

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Meanwhile maybe anyone can answer this: is there in Korea a manual about how souls out of the body behave? Because I already saw a pattern in both Who Are You and now in Master's Sun.

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They gave you the plot line a bit in this episode i think. after i watched it i sat thinking and was like yeah. Hanna is really Hee joo. the ghost we believe to be hee joo is really Hanna and the person she is trying to protect isn't her sister at all but Secretary Kim. When they showed u the clip with secretary Kim the way Hanna acted was at odds with the second "Hanna"behaved. Then at the end when "hanna" was repeating that GS was talking useless nonesense the light bulb went ahhhh. She could say that with such certainty because she was thinking I am Cha Hee Joo.

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Glad to see I'm not crazy for thinking the names may have been switched after ( or before) death.

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I thought I was the only one thinking this way and now I wonder which person did Joo Won fell in love with was it Han Na or Hee Joo?

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I personally think that he fell in love with Hee Joo...just because of how she was always mean to him and wanting him to want her more....I think Han Na came to him when he was kidnapped and in that chair and was nice to him.

I think Hee Joo was the mastermind behind the kidnapping because Han Na didn't need the money but Hee Joo probably wanted a better life..

There also seems to be a total shift in character between the scenes with the uncle...Hee Joo is really 'Han Na' now. And i have to say she is one creepy person with a definite obsession

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I think that's a good idea. I admit I'm really undecided as to which twin is the evil one and why she feels the need to wait until the statue of limitations runs out to do something to Joong-won. What is she going to do - flash the necklace in his face and then say.... what exactly? I'm so confused as to why she feels the need to blame him for something.

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Also, if Joong-won fell in love with Hee-joo, then she must be the dead twin, because when she possessed Gong-shil in that early episode, she knew just what to say to convince him it was her. Of course, I guess the twin he fell in love with could have simply told that to the other twin.

Ah, headache.

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This is what I thought while watching the episode too. Also, it seems like Hee Joo planned the kidnapping to get the necklace, but also to murder her sister and take over her life.

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Mhh, I have no idea which one is the ghost and which one is alive, but I was thinking all the time that the whole kidnapping thing was probably Hanna's idea and that she was probably also the girl in the warehouse.
You know, something along the lines of "Oh, you lived so poor all the time, let's get some cash out of that rich dude."

Although, now that I think about it... The ghost (when she possessed Gong-shil's body) did know about that Joo Joong Won, Joo Jong Two thing, so she probably really is Hee-joo?

I'm just SO glad Secretary Kim is no baddie after all! I can continue to like him, woohoo! :D

And I have to say, if Hanna didn't get some face surgery, I'm actually going to be a bit pissed... Cause while I can understand that they have different actresses (Joong-won's being played by someone else as well after all) no one changes THAT MUCH after 15 years... There's just no way neither Joong-won, nor Gong-shil, nor Secretary Kim wouldn't recognize her...

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If the one twin was so rich, why couldn't she just bring her sister back home to live with her? Why did they decide to do the crime at all? So confused!

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So totally what I thought after watching the episode too! That the good twin was adopted & the bad twin was so twisted that she did all the plotting & crazy stalking stuff @__@!

Also< I noticed the lovely memories of "Hee Joo" always call him "Joong-won-ah-" but the evil betraying twin (and now present day "Hana") calls him "Joo Joong Won". O____O WRONG TWIN DIED!! WRONG TWINNNNN. - maybe also why the spirit is still here, her soul wasn't properly mourned for - the name isn't her name...?

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I think so too. Hanna is the good twin and wanted to find her sister Hee-joo, who didn't have the same luck in life and thus became greedy and bitter. That would explain her weird behaviour, why she was happier for the necklace than being upset over her sister's death. If they haven't know each other for long, maybe Hee-joo didn't care for Hanna, but for how to use her. I think she was the mastermind of the kidnapping and got Hanna involved.

Hanna seemed to be an innocent kind of girl and I think SHE fell in love with Joong-won, and she was the one who died. The one who told secretary Kim she hated him after her twin had died was Hee-joo who now could take Hanna's place. That's why she told him to remember Hee-joo (her real name).

Hanna (the ghost) seems to be upset with Hee-joo, so I also think that the one she is protecting is secretary Kim.

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I'm wondering about this too! It's just speculation, but I really feel like Han-na died and Hee-joo assumed her identity. If Han-na is the ghost, maybe she feels sorry for Hee-joo's early life compared to hers? And/or maybe she is keeping an eye on her moves?

I'm also wondering similarly to Ari...who did young Joong-won date? Would both twins be be too strange? I can't understand why though, because young Han-na seemed really nice. Too nice to be an accomplice or the evil twin, but they did commit the crime together, so...

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I really didn't think of that. That does seems plausible.... now I think about it theHanna before and Hanna after the incident does seem alittle different.
And someone was mentioning about how probably both twins were in contact and meeting the young Joong Won before the kidnapping without him knowing (lol i'm trying to figure this out while I type). And back then he probably didn't know about Hee Joo having a twin right?...

I cannot wait for what happens next, but I'm also torn for Tae Gong Shil :( .. and I hope we'll see her ghost friends aiding her like the coffee ghost.. when in trouble.

This drama is addictive. Good work guys.. good work Hong Sisters.

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My reaction exactly. I finally know what withdrawal feels like especially when our internet connection decided to fail miserably earlier today. gaaaah.

but i'm fine now. ♥ sort of... I HATE HANNA.

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Thank you gf. Can't wait for next episode!

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Up till now I have been excited to watch all eps, and not even fastforwarding! but the this ep got me going *yawn* Bc now the Hong sister are just taking the book toooo literally! by throwing in amnesia (just like in the book, Wolf got it for a bit)

At this point I hardly care about HJ and her twin sister anymore, its probably some dumb revenge thingy....whatever...and I dont even care for JW amnesia bc we all know its coming back soon (with so little eps left) and I really could care less for that freaky lady that brought JW back.
If ANYTHING! im more interested in GS accident (at least Im hyped about it, but I wouldn't be surprise either if it turns out to be NOTHING important lol ) and im just ready to see skinship and romance.......guess Im ready for the end. Ready to see everything close up and JW n GS live in sweet ghost busting bliss.

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Same here. Old case? Yawn. Amnesia? Really? I mean REALLY? Yawn. Shaman? Yawn. Hanna? Yawn. Meddling aunt? Yawn. Second lead couple? Major yawn.

TW and GS - bring them on! Only reason to finish this show.

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I wanna know about the accident tooo :/ But with this few eps left, I see little hope...

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thirded. maybe it was Hee Joo's ghost that "contacted" G Gong Shil first, she was spooked, had the accident, started seeing other ghosts too?

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You've actually got me wondering now...it's been fifteen years since Hee Joo's accident...do we know how long it's been since Taeyang's?

If she's mid-30s now, fifteen years ago would be the right age to be in her last year of college.

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her accident was 7 y. ago, she is 29 or 30 I think.

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She is 31. Her accident happened when she was 24.

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yawning my way throughout the episode while keeping hope gs accident will be revealed. glad gossipy security digging into that but gs kept her mouth shut argh im so curious :/.

dont lose hope though,so far master sun hv followed secret garden path,the fairytale, the amnesia, the bitchy mom (or aunt) ,the lifting of ceo curse, we can wait for the big revelation what connecting shelter and ghost seeing girl.

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i did not yawn exactly, in fact, I teared up a few times due to GHJ performance, BUT this is not the same drama, it is really no longer funny. I was wishing for JW to stay in coma for this episode and stick around GS like other ghosts do, because obviously he has a thing for her, there could have been quite a few funny scenes with him not only seeing her bra, for example. :) A totally waisted opportunity. I am not even sure the Hong sisters will be able to recover the plot-line. Too bad.

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Man, I am depressed. No more fun flirting cute stuff for awhile. Urg. I want our couple back together, like NOW!

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I don't like master sun using amnesia which overused in kdramaland esp after IHYV which used amnesia plot too. And I think this episode it's not funny like previous episode. AND... I dont like extension episode, I feel master sun already have a lot of filler episode with so many ghost cases. I want master sun ending soon, 16 episode is enough.GRRR

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i dislike the amnesia plot-line too, especially because it is totally not in line with what the romCOM (it is supposed to be a comedy after all) , BUT there are some K-dramas, in which the amnesia plot-line has worked well and has been funny, Secret Garden, for example. I wish they could make it funny again. No more stupid drama. PLEASE. It just seems to me that they are all over the place, horror did not seem to work, so they tempered it down, drama also does not work, stay with the cute couple and their great chemistry. PLEASE.

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Last week I said it, the only reason about being hooked with this drama was when Mr Ceo and Tae Sang was together and was delicious when he began to have his head over the heels for her,the rest another drama in the sea...and this episode has been BORING.

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Ya, not as much fun this way.
Even annoying, bcos of Aunt who stupidly pushes a stranger on JW, bcos of Hanna's agenda-it can't possibly be good, and HJ's wanting to use TGS's body. Boo to all 3!!!

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I am agree with u.. We want our cute couple back together... what the hell with "lost memory", I hate this..

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Yes I missed our cute couple interactions. TT. TT

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All flirting and cute stuff has been delegated to Tae Yi-Ryeong and she (with a noble assist from Kang-Woo) does a fine job adding the needed levity to the episode.

Her honestly about her intention regarding Kang-Woo was refreshing, and his ability to deflate her ego continues to be hilarious.

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Yes I do enjoy watching their scenes. The only other bright spot in the episode besides Joong Won. I so want her to get her man in the end. They are so different that they would be a funny couple to watch.

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I also like their scenes. She is such a refreshing 'evil scheming' second female lead. She let me laugh this episode.

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right!? I laughed at how they turned the convention of "meddling second lead" into someone trying to reunite the OTP. made me chortle for some long minutes~~

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she was so frigging cute and adorbs this episode! loved their interactions. and she is a fish who is hunting for the hook bu Kang Woo wants a different fish and pulls the hook away. she cant even get the bait, not to mention the fisherman

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I agree, it's a bit depressing, male lead has no memory and female lead lives in the memory. *sigh*

I too doesn't like the amnesia, I don't think it's necessary here at all... even though it could be bittersweet. And the angst comes from everybody else pushing them apart, the aunt! and that all people around are agreeing to it. Arggh...
But I have to say that Joong-won is the one who lightens up the amnesia-mood. He is his pre-TaeYang self in his own mind, but I think his softened heart is there and he acts like the post-TaeYang self more. What I mean, he is still kind and sympathic even after losing his memory and come back to the time before his changes. I don't know if I make any sense, hehe.... O.o

Gong-shil's scenes are all angsty, makes you all tear-eyed, so I appreciate that whenever Joong-won shows up, he got me to smile a little bit in all this mess. It's fun to see how he'll going to remember. Come on, we all know he will, so just get on with it and don't drag it on. Let him remember now!!! More kisses!!!! ^3^

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I want him to remember now too. I think if there'd been more than one episode this week, we wouldn't have to complain about the lack of the funny, or wonder where the skinship traipsed off to :-). Show, you can't give us that much touching on a consistent basis for weeks, and then just take it away cold turkey! lol

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Thanks a lot for the recap, be waiting. Now off to read

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Oops! Thank you gf for the great recap!

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AMNESIA? ARE YOU FREAKIN KIDDING ME?

UUGGGHHHHHH

I hate this plot device so freakin much, I can't even begin to properly tell you. BOOOOOOOOO

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exactly...they better not drag it...it worked so well in IHYV, but I was hoping not to see it anywhere else...

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IHYV?

And I agree, I am going to pull my hair out if they drag this out too long. I love that he is alive but 'amnesia plot' has been overused so much that I almost prefer him suddenly dying than this amnesia deal.

Ok, not really. I don't want him to die. But still. At least a sudden death would have been a shocker.

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I Hear Your Voice...

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You just made me miss puppy! Maybe I'll started again since I have nothing to watch right now. Ok I have lots of things to watch, but I don't want to watch them.

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Puppy was too cute to be forgotten... Who wouldn't want one of her own?

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Puppy and his BFF!

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It's obvious hong sisters ran out of stuff to write about for the last 4-5 episodes and so decided on this overused trope.
Why is that when an OTP declare feelings for each other early in the game we always end up with some noble idiocy as to fill up the rest of the episodes? What, they can't have a single week or day in bliss?

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It would have been nice to see JW fight for his GS. They are by all means an uneven couple. He'd have to go against his family and society to get her. I would have loved to see him prevail just for her.

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It wouldn't be as much a fight as it'd have been w other chaebol families that we've seen in KDs.
His father obviously doesn't care who he marries. He wouldn't be one to talk anyway, given his own lifestyle.
An aunt is secondary after all, esp. one that doesn't weld real power over our Sa Jang nim, nor control the purse strings.
With his arrogant personality, I can't see him giving a hoot what society thinks.

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I honestly think that screenwriters don't know how to keep the excitement, interest and curiosity going once the couple gets together. That's why as soon as feelings are revealed they pull them apart and create angst and call it excitement.

In this particular case they weren't even truly together yet. They were supposedly dating with an unknown expiration date attached to their relationship and she hasn't even confessed her feelings openly because of his warnings.

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I agree. We all know that a relationship doesn't end after the initial get together. There's still plenty of tension - why can't the writers keep up the story's pace then?

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I wholeheartedly agree with you that Hong sisters are running out of materials. Their dramas always start off well and entertaining and some where in middle end (ep 11 - 13) things start to turn really cheesy, melo, excessive metaphors and just weird.

I hate amnesia. Period. There is no good thing came out of it.

Hong sister ain't that crack up to be.

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yess I agree with you they need another person in the team to remade his bad endings.

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I've been dreading the amnesia, but JW seems to notice that sth or sb impt is missing. He is catching on, so it shouldn't be dragged out too much.
But this has got to be the least interesting ep so far.

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I know right!? amnesia- the most misused condition in kdramas. I could go on a 100 page list with all the amnesiacs and selective amnesiacs. Who are you, I hear your voice, boys before flowers......should I go on? hmm I just hope it gets wrapped up and settled in a non-cheesy way. but im kinda glad that JW is recovering quicker than expected.

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Technically this isn't amnesia--or at least it is not a medical condition, so much as it is a spell--kind of.

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You are right. It is a spell, and spells wear off. It isn't so thorough that he doesn't notice anything is missing to begin with.

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yeah. when you put it that way it doesn't seem cliche :)
true that and hope the spell wears off.

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yeah. it's an amnesia spell that's wearing off. so i'm kinda sorta worried that maybe tae yang agreeing to be the slave to that creepy ahjumma is going to carry more weight. oh noes!

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Everyone is woe-ing and oh-no-ing about the dreaded AMNESIA as plot device.

For my part, I have nothing against amnesia indramas, I have nothing against any 'overused' plot devise, I have nothing against cliche. I actually embrace them all--when they are executed well and serve the story.

I believe originality is over-valued. I used to worship the god of originality until smarter people showed me the light. What makes a 'cliche' not a 'cliche' excellent execution of said cliche. A great writer can write a play made up of nothing but tired plot devices but do it in such a way that causes the audience to see the world anew.

All the extant text of Greek plays told the same familiar stories. The audiences knew the stories before entered the theatre, but each playwright had his own style his own way of executing familiar plot points and tired cliches. Euripides, Aeschylus, Sophocles et al told the story of Electra, but each play is very different. Each had the tired Greek cliche of Electra guilting Orestes into killing his mother, but each execution was different.

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wow. nicely put! hoping for a well executed "cliche" too!

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I wasn't too happy about the amnesia either when it started, but I think so far they actually did it quite well. And he's already suspecting things so hopefully his memories get back soon? I mean, I can live with amnesia for 1 1/2 episodes or so, no big thing.

What I really liked is that at least there's an EXPLANATION for the amnesia besides "Well, he's got an accident, so of course he's got amnesia, DUH!"
I'm highly suspicious of that creepy ghost woman and I'm totally not sure if she isn't just making stuff up... Although I can't really see her benefits from that, but whatever. But still, at least there's a reason...!

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It also helps with the timing of the forgetting-wearing off. By the end of the episode they had already recycled through "unexpected meeting" "something is being hidden/left out" "key word/password/code recognized" and the replay-meta of the static shock so the whole amnesia thing didn't leave a bad taste of makjang, but more anticipation of reunion <3 ohhh SJS<3<3

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You are comparing the best of European heritage with the soapy and overrated Hong Sisters,
You are kidding really
oh no God save us...

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@Sabelita

excellence can found in all genres.

Also for all we know the extant Greek text we venerate might be the drek of their times. :)

Additionally getting through some of those Greek text require a boat load of perseverance. They might be deeper [not sure about that] but they are way less fun than a Hong Sister outing.

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i agree with everythin Yumi said. im glad im not the only one who's fine with this 'faux amnesia'. It's not a straight out amnesia, but some kind of spell that i personally thinks the shaman put on JW, so that she can have/use Tae Yang. And i notice some comments saying that the episode is not funny anymore, or there's no more cuteness, flirt. But i kept giggling or swooning or awwwing through out the episode. The part where VP uncle and sec. Kim trying to tell JW about Tae Yang, the part where JW puzzled about the new weird him, and some other parts left me giggling. Or when eventho he lost his memories on Tae Yang, JW keep being drawn to her, and accidentally sheltering her, left me awwing...
Maybe it's just me, but i have not much problem with this episode. Aah... im soooo easy to please... :)

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Hah! Just read your comment and this was my thought too and I've said this in the OT. I also agree that it's all in the execution.

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Like everyone's saying, it's all execution. I Hear Your Voice was good because it was basically PTST related, which is more realistic. Here, it fits with the mythology and as someone above said, it's more like a spell than actual medical amnesia. That works for me, but what doesn't is that no one is telling him. That's what grates me about the amnesia cliche - which IHYV didn't fall victim to. This pact that everyone has to keep silent about GS is dumb.

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I hear your voice is really the best they use amnesia in a good way and I'm so contented....

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....and I've started breathing again....this show...these two...will be the end of me!!

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Same here.

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The wait was pure torment, I feel cheated that we were only given one episode this week. That aside, I feel that this episode was necessary. Yes, we get the selective memory loss trope that we sadly get to see often but I say its waaay better than say our hero dying. Seeing Taeyang in pain really tugged my heartstings. Hopefully they won't drag this too much though. Next episode should be enough for it to be settled. ;) Agh, another bout of counting down the days again.

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I also felt the lack of episode, maybe that's why I was just happy to see the faces (I guess I would be happy just seeing them walking in the mall through all the episode, I missed them that much).
Maybe that's why the amnesia thing was not bitter. I just felt that I know what happens next (I knew there will be pass-me-without-notice moment, I knew there will be tingling-electricity moment, I knew there must be books... Even when HeeJoo showed up, I knew right away she will be asking for possession (because people in this thread discussed that so much, I felt if I am repeating the ep that I already watched)..
Of course that does not say that I didn't like the events on this ep (I am a makjang-fan, yooo, there is no problem for me to watch amnesia again and again and feel that angst, it's just that I watched it so many times, I know what to expect already...)...

I liked that agreement with shaman lady. But if there is a possession with Hee Joo, then one of them just loses importance. (I hope it will not, of course).
I would rather have HeeJoo ghost saying she will tell JW that he's not dead in exchange for GS body. Now that would be interesting for me.
Orrrr, no HeeJoo possession, JW recovers his memory, GS puts on make up, black clothes with cherry (as in first teaser) and lives with the shaman lady until JW discovers her.
Ok ok sorry, my imagination goes into fields after this short ep... What I wanted to say with my rant is that I am waiting to be surprised for the next ep.

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LOL is that how the black-goth-cherry look is going to tie in? I love it! You probably can snap out some excellent episodes based on your expertise in drama tropes

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I hate it when writers put the viewers in the situation of being happy with the lesser of the two evils. Why should we be satisfied with the story if it didn't give us pleasure? Threatening us with worse cannot be a legitimate reason to accept the relatively "better" alternative. Truly creative writing surprises and pleases at the same time. It doesn't necessarily mean the story told has to be pleasing at all times but it needs to be well crafted and executed as well as serving a greater purpose. I would give the example of IHYV again since it is the latest good example. Spoiler below.

They killed Hye Seung's mom, universally loved as "best-mom ever", and while everyone cried no!!!! nobody thought it was a cheap trick, a filler. It was a very courageous move that opened up the story to incredible possibilities and tied with everything so well. Again Soo Ha's amnesia and even the time skip moved the story along and did not frustrate the viewers.

So these tropes work if you use them cautiously and appropriately but bore and frustrate the viewers when they are used to get the writers out of the corner they backed themselves into or fill an extra episode when they cannot think of anything better.

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Uh oh! I think I wrote the spoiler tag wrong. And there is no edit or delete button. Help!

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As much as I loathed the amnesia arc, I liked this episode. JW's subconscious longing for GS, despite not remembering her, tugs at my heart. I'm such a sucker for "the mind forgets but the body remembers" trope but I pray his memory returns sooner rather than later. It's sweet for this episode but if it continues through the remaining ones I'll pull my hair out.

GS though... aw baby girl. I can only imagine the immense loss she felt re: JW. The sun in her scary dark world, gone. And what worries me most is that we don't truly know the extent of what her deal with Madame Go was. I'm sure there was something else that'll be shown in the next eps., something life threatening that'll have JW save her (like the book?).

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For all Taeyang being a brightly shining sun to all ghosts and even the "Master's Sun", Joong Won is her personal sun. I like it.

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Yes, nice turn of phrase.

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I love your comment about JW is the sun in TY's world while TY is the sun in his life too... OMG..., I just realized it now, not only TY the sun but he is the one too!

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I watched it all before heading in to work heehee...no way I will wait until tonight for my fix... I am so so addicted...aaargh...

I am both a bit =.= at the amnesia arc but also SO SO relieved that he won't be dead. But since we all kind of expected it, I am liking how it is shaping out the chase now that Joo won is the one ( unconsciously ) repeating what Gong Shil once said to him, and that he is the one who will probably choose to latch onto her without knowing why, whilst she is the one who will want to push him away... This noble idiocy once more rears the head, hardly unexpected but for once, feels quite valid, because he DID almost die because of following her into her world...

My ONE big peeve is, if I was Jong won and I love Gong Shil, how could I ever choose to leave her after saying one line of "I love you?" Is he as cool as all that? Being a stubborn ghost who likes to get his way, I'd imagine he'd at least want to haunt her a bit... scare Kang candy like another beanie suggested...

The twins arc now I am fully behind, esp since it hints that Cha hee joo is very much alive, and the poor girl Hana is the one who died... I am glad Secretary Kim is NOT the baddie after all... can't wait to see how everyone bands together to fight the real evil, who is very much human.... Jong won was right that humans are the scariest indeed.

Now to wait another long week till wednesday... Thank you so much for the recap! =D

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oh yeah , I can't wait for Jong won to wheedle the info out of his uncle, by playing him and finally address him as "Uncle".... he's shrewd enough for that? hehehee

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I really enjoyed watching UncleSexyLips and Secretary Kim obeying Aunt's directive not to tell Joong-Won about Tae-Yang to the letter, yet violating the directive in spirit.

I loved how Secretary Kim highlighted and hinted at the absence of the agent of change in Joong-Won's life throughout the episode. I also love Joong-Won's attempt to identify what isnt' there.

His struggle reminds of looking of that elusive perfect word that is dancing around in the back of your mind but you can't articulate. You can say all the words that it isn't, all the words that it is almost like, but you can't get the correct word to roll off your tongue. The frustration that comes with the experience but be a much paler version of the absence Joong-Won was feeling.

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omg when I caught glimpses of UncleVP making puppy eyes and sad faces whenever Hana or Aunt deflected JW and Secretary playing innocent narrator - it cracked me up so much ....go go UncleVP of True Love !

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He touched her, so he already know that he will disappear. He's a ghost.

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I believe that it was Hee Joo who has died and Hanna is the evil twin.

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I think it's the other way around. It was Han Na who really died and Hee Jo took her place.
The evil twin telling uncle "to remember that name Cha Hee Jo" that's some guilt pill and bitter at that.

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But ghost Hee-joo does know/ remember her moment with Jong-woon, right? (iirc in episode where she possessing Gong-shil, she said as much). Wasn't that mean the one who died and become a ghost really is Hee-joo?

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It remains to be discovered when the twins met, and how long they were together.

Joong-Won might have been dealing with both twins simultaneously without knowing.

In that case the twins would have to debrief eachother after being with Joong-Won to make sure there is not gap in information.

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Ratsuki:
The ghost not only remembers JW, but loves him still. That doesn't automatically mean that she is HJ. What we are saying here is that the one who truly loved Jw and who died might have been Hanna.

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I did find Hee Joo's cruel treatment of Joong Won shown in the flashbacks disturbing and contradictory with the love we observed in the ghost twin. I also think Joong Won dealt with both twins unknowingly. This explains to me the cruelty of the one and love of the other, whichever way it goes. However, I wonder whether the twins ganged up on Joong Won and filled each other. If Hanna is the alive and evil one she might have just played jokes on Joong Won for amusement without the agreement of her twin. If it is the other way around then she might have pretended to be Hee Joo because her twin requested it and fell in love with him during that time.

Hanna being the bad one and instigating the kidnapping doesn't make much sense after all the emphasis on how rich her family is. I also thought from her talk with uncle Kim that Hee Joo is alive and resents her uncle for not finding her and her sister for having lived happily in riches. Then her cruel treatment of Joong Won and obsession with money makes sense as well.

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I usually just read this forum and never comment but I had to comment this time because I am curious about what others think...

I am just worried about TGS lending her body to the ghost after the warning she had from the voodoo lady because in that episode they flashed to HJ watching JJW...possible forecast? I was rewatching ep. 10 and it at a lot of forecasting for future events to follow...also I am curious as to what "sacrifice" would TGS have to make because of the deal she made with the voodoo lady...

On other note, I think if I got the time line right, it sounds like TGS's accident may have been linked to Hee Joo's parent's fetal accident...

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Hee-Joo was not really nice to Joong-Won in the flashbacks. She baited JW and his love for her seemed to be a source of amusement for her. I think Han-Na fell in love with JW truly and she ended up dead and repentant. It would be great if evil Hee-Joo was the one who survived. I'd love that twist.

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I felt that Hanna is the one who Cha Hee Joo, full of anger of being the one left behind to suffer in Korea, made up her mind to take her sister's place, in a society of wealth and power... She caused her sister's death, and in her own death ( since in name Cha hee joo has died ) and probably stopped seeing her uncle, kind ajusshi Kim, so he can't really know how she has grown up ..

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Re The twins switched identity - that's mighty interesting - let's see how this might work:

Hanna, the nice girl, came back from England to find her sister HJ, who was in an orphanage. The one JW was in love with was indeed HJ, who had a chip on her shoulders, for growing up in tough circumstances.

HJ talked her easy-going twin, Hanna, into helping with the kidnapping. When Hanna died in the crash, she walked away with the necklace w/o so much as looking back.

HJ didn't sell the necklace, but went to Europe to live as Hanna, and enjoyed the money of Hanna's adoptive parents. She waited for Almost 15 years for the S of L to Almost expire before coming back to Korea to hitch up w JW again. So that she could lay hands on his riches.

The ghost of Hanna has been hanging around, waiting for a chance to tell JW about this mix-up. If so, She was the one who was in love w JW for real, while HJ was just using him.

My Qn is: You've waited this long. Why not wait a few more months for the S o L to be Actually over?
Of course this way, she'll be found out, and can be sent to jail for her crimes, for our satisfaction!!!

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The Returnee might have miscounted. She said at Joong-Won's bedside that she waited for the SoL to expire before she returned. [got that from subtitles]

She might be misinformed also.

I think I read in the comment section at one point that the clock on the SoL stops if you are out of the country, and restarts when you return.

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I've seen that too in another drama or film!

I'm becoming more certain that Han Na is actually the ghost, but when she see's her twin is still out for revenge(?) on JW I think she might give up the 'ghost' that her twin can become good, even with everything she used to have.

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Wait!! It didn't cross my mind that the one who died was Hanna and HJ is the one who survived.

Then, it makes sense why we saw a girl was smiling while another girl was burning to death. Coz she felt it was unfair for her to grow up at an orphanage, poor, sad and lonely while her twin was happy, rich and living a good life. She didn't feel anything to her twin thus no regret whatsoever in getting her killed. And the one who really fell in love with JW was Hanna and the one who "loved" JW for money was HJ coz she was poor and she wanted out of her miserable so she kidnapped JW, asked for ransom and CONVINIENTLY her twin died and so she took her twin's identity. Since she lived as her twin who were rich already there was no need to cash on the locket.

Does that makes sense?

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Perfectly!

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Yes it does but who is the person Hana's protecting?

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Her own sister? That is until she'll come to see that sis to out to get JW, again!

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If HJ wanted money out of the kidnapping, she should have asked for money instead of the diamond necklace. 15 years down the line, she still has that necklace with her. Why?

Did JW's family have sth to do with the girls' parents death? Even so, what does the necklace got to do with anything?

I'm waiting for the shoe to drop smack on Aunt's head! She'll feel sooo stupid to bring JW's former kidnapper to JW's home, in hopes that he'd marry her! Stupid move, Aunt!

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Great questions hope we get answers.

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Another Qn I have is:
Why does the ghost want to borrow TGS's body? She knows that when JW touches that body, her spirit will exit from it. She experienced it first hand.

Also, what can she accomplish by taking over that body that sharing her secret with TGS won't accomplish?
Surely she wants to clear her name, and wants to protect JW fr her evil twin. How can she go about that by having GS's body?
Hmm...unless she means to confront her evil twin when she has a body and the ability to speak. But will evil twin will so easily stopped?

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I think Hanna was the good twin who died..Her evil twin Hee Joo masterminded the kidnapping and the switching of identities.She came back after the statute of limitation has expired to claim Joong Won for some bizarre reason. Nobody can stop her except Hanna's ghost who needs Gong Shil's body; however, wasn't it mentioned as with the piano ghost, once you're possessed too long, you may not return?

Have you noticed, dumb aunt who hasn't called Gong Shil's name correctly in previous episodes is finally getting her name right in this one?

The Shaman lady is always playing old hags, dementia ladies, and creepy characters in other dramas. She always creeps me out.

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Just thing....I just got reminded that when Gong Shil saw the ghost and she called out 'Cha Hee Joo' the evil twin stopped in her tracks because that's her name, not the ghost.

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I just hope she wouldn't use Gong-shil's body to attack her twin for revenge. THAT would put Gong-shil in a bad light, and not to mention maybe behind jail bars.... T_T

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somehow it reminds me of Secret Garden! :0

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Tae Yang is still as bright as she is! Even Jo Woon dun remember anything about her but she is still shining and made him can't help but keep thinking and looking for his Tae Yang (Big Sun) .
She already made promise to the Shaman about sacrifice herself to her in return bring Jo woon soul back.. i wonder what if Jo Woon recognize/remember her and how about her deal with shaman? is she has to go away from him and being near the shaman since she can see ghost..
And about He Joo.. she want Taeyang body to catch the culprit? she knew that her evil sister plan something that might hurt Jowoon or Taeyang?

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OH yes. The deal w that horrid shaman worries me a lot. She'll come to exact her pound of flesh in time, for sure!

BTW, where have we seen that Shaman before? Anyone? I've a feeling she has played sb scary, and appeared for more than a few minutes before.

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She was in TEN, as the mother with dementia. The whole family was killed and TEN team investigated if she was the culprit.

Let me tell you, she looks even scarier there than in TMS. I still get shivers when I watch that episode.

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Thanks. I believe she can be scary in just abt anything.
She isn't the Demon Mom in Arang, but she gives off the same vibes; I keep wanting to think it is her.

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PS destroyed her face. A clear warning to keep your hands off such procedures.

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I have been mulling her face over and I have finally placed her! She was one of the ghosts in Arang and the Magistrate. I believe she played Arang's Shaman Friend's great great grandmother or something. You know, the one who can't be initially seen and heard by the Shaman friend.

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I dont know...dat amnesia thing really gets to me n I realy dont like it..though I love dat JW do notice dat something or someone accurately is missing. I would've been even more frustrated if he just completely forgot her. But still thus is the best drama dat I'm currently watching so yeah I'll definitely stick to it. Thanx a lot for the recap.

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OMG YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH I HAVE BEEN REFRESHING MY BROWSER TODAY TO READ THIS UPDATE! KAMSA!!!

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Thank you for the recap!

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1. He's alive. I can sleep better at night now.
2. I've lost count how many times amnesia has come into a show I'm watching. But I do like how it is playing out. It's a unique spin and hopefully *crosses fingers* everything will turn out right.
3. However there will be no more hand holding and touching. I'm suffering withdrawal already.
4. If Secretary Kim turned out to be evil I would have quit right there. But he isn't!
5. So now the question we have to ask is "Hanna? Hee-joo? Who are you?"
And now we wait till Wednesday...which seems too long.

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TThanks for speedy recap!!

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they way I see the amnesia plot is this...
i usually don't like it.. but here it's alright.

I would call the visit to the mystic... and equivalent exchange. (Yes I’m taking that term from an anime but w/e it works here.) JW gave his life for what… love. He almost lost his own life by saving the girl who he loved so much. So how do you balance that? With Taeyang’s sacrifice. She sacrifices equally. Her love. Her memories. Her.

so I'll take it. but damn shady mystic is shady... hope she doesn't do anything bad.

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Awesome Full Metal Alchemist reference ^^

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teehee. It fits!

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- TGS feels guilty that she put JJW in this situation.
- TGS goes to see the woman and trades her amulet and basically all of his memories of her for his life, trading hers in exchange.
- red seems to be a shorthand for China...
- JJW is in an empty space reading a book. Hee Joo shows up in a white dress. looking human.
- Amnesia. *pouts* (more on this later)
- TY plays Noble Idiot, though not so idiotic and becomes a ghost in his life.
- The twin visits him in the hospital and then calls his aunt. He doesn't seem to register her.
- Joong Won wakes up, but doesn't remember anything after saying that he wshould get hit by lightening, which kinda indicates TGS was a lightening bolt herself.
- The show seems to be arguing for a psychological shock.
- TGS remembers that she said she'd be the first to leave.
- TGS is not supposed to be mentioned by anyone.
- JJW needles his uncle and his uncle refuses.
- JJW discovers the books.
- JJW, BTW, is now wearing gray. (He can come back yet, he was wearing this in episode 2, before deciding to chase TGS)
- JJW learns he can read!! This makes words ghosts. TGS's name is a ghost.
- TGS's clothes match his color and a bit of his style too.
- The trashcan ghost is rooting for them and flips the trash can. He looks at her, but she doesn't turn around. He's called away at the last minute.
- I think here the Aunt is realizing that maybe TGS isn't so bad.
- Gong Sil talks to stuffed toy Tae Gong Sil as i she is talking to herself.
- The amount of changes GS made to JJW and his heart become apparent. (Mind and heart are the same word in Korean.)
- The secretary subtly pushes him to remember Tae Yang.
- The bit where he has an inkling of needing to go in a different direction is done well.
- The secretary is complicit in the crime. He is the Uncle of one of the twins. The twins were adopted?
- I like Little Sun a whole lot here. She's so air-headed that she's no threat and cute.
- The scene where LIttle Sun imagines TGS and KW together is funny. Especially playing "I am your lady and you are my man" in the background.
- JJW asks about the books.
- Han Na says they are her books.
- TYR sets up JJW and TGS, which is opposite of what happens in the usual drama trope.
- JJW wears sun clothes, which mirrors Episode 2 and 4. He becomes her sun in her darkness.
- JJW is wearing white beads that remind me of Buddhist prayer beads his secretary comes in.
- TGS is wearing paid which matches the chairs. SHe's looking more and more like a ghost. (This is intentional since the seat across from her doesn't have plaid. This is also a reprisal of her outfit from episode 3)
- TGS see CJH and then her twin sister.
- TGS's and JJW's colors don't match, but hark back to previous episodes, especially towards the beginning.
- The cards that JJW gaves to the kids earlier come back to him.
- He hears Tae Gong Sil's name
- TGS finds HJ and asks for her body to borrow.
- They discuss about the twins and the background on TGS
- TGS almost makes a deal with HJ, before JJW pulls him making HJ disappear.

They are trying to establish how much he needs her by making her a living ghost. The words "Tae Gong Sil" are traded at this point for his ability to read.

The theme of the living are scarier than the dead because the living want revenge shows up yet again. And this is shown to be true through Hana who seems to want revenge for her Dead sister.

I feel halfway about the Amnesia... on one hand it was partially handled well with the little irking memory... (I've gone through similar) and it was anchored much better than BIG was into the story structure, but it really felt shoe-horned in emotionally. It has the intellectual flair of saying Gong Sil is now a ghost and so is her name. The words that were ghosts to JJW before are now not ghosts, but he lost something more important. But the emotional level there is a disconnect I felt, probably because the trope is used too much and there weren't previous episodes to anchor the amnesia emotionally itself.

I like the twist with the uncle and the story is picking up speed as it's going, but I don't want it to sacrifice the emotional impact on the way...

BTW, I've been watching the backlog episodes which is how I spotted the clothing matches, etc.

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Kim YoonMi I missed you these last few weeks! I'm glad you're back with your insights! <3

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I wrote summaries for 1-3 and I've been busy. Like really busy...

I wrote a bit more on the blog and have been working with Carole to fix the comment section. ^^;;

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Kim YoonMi--nice to have you back.

-I have a question to everyone and anyone about the "noble idiocy" accusation that's all over the comment section.

My understanding of noble idiocy is making unnecessary sacrifice when there are equally good or sometimes better options.

or

making a sacrifice for someone who has explicitly told you that they don't want you to take that option.

or

making a sacrifice for someone who obviously does not deserve it.

Now it is unclear to me what other option Tae-Yang had. except for making the deal she made with Ghost-Matchmaker. Tae-Yang knew Joong-Won was working under the assumption that he was dead and time was of the essence. Ghost-Matchmaker was the only person she knew of who dealt with these issues. She felt responsible for involving him. If she had no other choice, does it qualify as 'noble idiocy'? Of course she should have gotten more information exactly what being a sacrifice would entail.

Perhaps, she could have ordered coffee, in hopes on conjuring Coffee Ghost and sending Coffee Ghost after Joong-Won.

[I'm convince that Coffee Ghost has a crush on Tae-Yang]

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The variation of the I'm not going to tell you that I'm going to do a thing and I'm not even sure you're in danger 100%, but I'm going to sacrifice myself anyway with or without your permission idiocy. Looks like codependency from this side. But I guess since she's the Knight and he's the Princess, it works since it's usually the Knight of the story that does the codependency stuff.

JJW I think would have been firmly against it. She didn't even ask his body for permission, she just ran.

But I really wanted a twist or subversion in that section of the story. I get why they did it intellectually, but emotionally I feel a little robbed. The story argument emotionally wasn't quite as much there writing-wise.

I'm going to blame it on the sudden extension out of nowhere and the Chuseok holiday, though. Easier to make something lighter for when people aren't paying attention.

Still, I don't hate the episode, it served to do several things very well... such as raise stakes, remind us that JW needs her as much as she apparently needs him, anchor his personality more in time, describe the conflict with the secretary, and give Han Na a place in the storyline. Also played with the idea of the living dead again as well as words being ghosts as much as a physical being.

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"The variation of the I’m not going to tell you that I’m going to do a thing and I’m not even sure you’re in danger 100%, but I’m going to sacrifice myself anyway with or without your permission idiocy."

I think this variation is midway between version one and two, but I'm not sure it applies here because

1-there was not way for Tae-Yang to tell him [she doesn't have the ability to contact spirits at will, she has to wait for them to come to her. What she might have had access too was Joong-Won's body and the body was following the spirits assumption. . . "we be dead."

2-she was sure he was in danger. . . Joong-Won's spirit interaction with her in the hallway had the sense of finality, acceptance and peace. He saw her through the lens of being a ghost and assumed he was dead. She knew something had to be done.

If time wasn't a factor she could have researched her option, head over to WHO ARE YOU? and consult with their medium, but as it stand Creepy Matchmaker was all she had to turn to.

Tae-Yang's being caught with so few options highlights the reason young professionals need to join associations and organization in your field so that when you need information about common conundrums in your field you have a variety of options to turn to, and you are not stuck with the Creepy Counsel.

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After I spent all this time defending Tae-Yang against the charges of noble idiocy, I watch the end of the episode again and I am now filled with dread that she will NOW COMMIT NOBLE IDIOCY.

I fear she is going to deny being the goat/Tae-Yang to Joong-Won.

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I think TS agreeing with sacrificial supernatural amnesia (genius, Hong Sisters) goes with her personality and I actually dig it as a way to bring JW's soul back, It is in keeping with their relationship, as TY so aptly described herself as "I who can see" and JW as "he who cannot see." So, it does two things in TS's mind- returns his soul to his body so that he can live, and returns him to his world before he met her. (Although later TS realizes that he is still her hideout when the ghost at the restaurant disappears when JW touches her).

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I agree with you. And it's not noble idiocy to make an equivalent exchange of circumstances for the man who (almost) gave his life for you, and with whom you share a reciprocated love.

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:)

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I like it on an intellectual level, I mean the argument is good... however, the emotional level just doesn't connect. It's still noble idiocy.

But I'm giving mercy since telling someone they have to extend their plot and restructure everything they'd planned must be hell, especially when you get a note on a holiday... and this plot feels very, very well-thought out and structured without intention of extensions.

Noble idiocy is anything that smells remotely like codependency to me... it's trying to rescue without asking yourself what the other person wants, regardless of the relationship before.

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Kim Yoonmi,
Your absence has been conspicuous. Glad you’re back to enhance our viewing with your insights. Why is it that no one seems to recognise Han Na, not even Secretary Kim? She is nothing like her twin? Is it because she is dwelling in a possessed body?

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I like your theory...and if Hee joo possesses YS's body, they will the twins meet up as 2 other people's bodies? I can imagine JW snapping out of it when he's has to reach way into his mind to reconcile that Hee joo's voice is not coming from the Hee joo he knew - and somehow remembers TS again. Since Hana keeps referring to the end of the statute of limitations I am guessing that she assumes she won't be held legally responsible for whatever part she had in the accident. Which Hee joo in not-ghost form will reveal.

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No idea. I'll let them do their magic. I gave up guessing ahead of them. 'cause you're always wrong. Always wrong. Nothing hits no matter how many dramas you watch. I wish I was so gifted.

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Yoonmi, so glad to have you back. Love the list you've prepared, as always.

Had such a busy week that I read the recap before watching the episode. Thank god for DB.

Anyway, below's my list of observations and responses to your observations which I always, always enjoy.

SJS is too long for the hospital bed.

Uncle covers his face when aunt slaps Gong-shil. It's funny. Or is it? Looks like a classic gender-role reversal. Is he a victim of domestic violence?

Seo In-guk's song plays in the background. So beautiful. Been waiting for this since the beginning of the show.

The meeting between Gong-shil and Witch Lady looks so wrong. Like it's trying to mesh two unmeshable genres together.

Joong-won is still wearing socks. My heart is at peace.

The calling back from death thing. I have a feeling it isn't just a cultural difference. Or my lack of familiarity with death that makes the entire process feel so confusing. But more significantly, just too contrived to wrench any emotion out of me. The fact that we know so little about what happens when we die has been abused quite extensively by the HongSis here.

Hanna is the lover? What is her real intention in trying to rope Joong-won in? She could avenge herself without trying to seduce him, couldn't she?

Ha! I was right! VP Uncle does get smacked in the nose for attempting to mention Gong-shil's name!

More socks. This time green. Fashion god is answering all my prayers this week.

VP Uncle and Joong-won share some pretty rad chemistry for a while there!

Secretary Kim's reaction to the revelation about Hee-joo the perpetrator and Hanna the accomplice was so touching. I didn't expect it, nor does it feel necessary. But it did enough to put my heart (which broke last week due to his hinted involvement) at ease. His Hanna flashbacks confuse me because in both the scenes (before/after Hee-joo's death) Hanna seems to have not met Hee-joo (or seems to say that to him). Yet he is looking at a photo of them together in a cafe(?). Is this just a misunderstanding of the translations on my part?

It just struck me how physical the interactions between Kang-woo and Yi-rung. It's just as physical as the one between the main pair. But different in that they're often being aggressive, mandhandling each other (mostly Kang-woo who's pulling her hoodie, yanking her this way and that). Although he is equally present in the moments when she needs to be protected. With JW and GS, the physicality mostly serves the purpose of protecting.

Yi-rung is awesome by the way. The actress who plays her. Would love to see her in another role. Or even in the same one, but where she's the lead.

Pink. Since you talk so much about colours, it got me taking note of the colour repetitions in the show as well. Joong-won consistently wears something pink throughout the episode (shirt, socks, suit, kerchief). That's the exact colour of Gong-shil the she-dooly.

Gong-shil looks increasingly pale scene after scene, until towards the end she is just as pale as ghost Hee-joo. Wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't talked about how she's becoming an invisible ghost in JW's life.

Now overall - It's bad enough when a character gets amnesia. I cannot handle it when the show itself gets amnesia. You used to be funny, show. And I loved the tone, which is all but gone.

What makes things worse is that for weeks we've been complaining that there were these parts that we found very confusing and we thought it might have something to do with the way the dialogues were translated into English, and then we kind of agreed that the show itself was being generally ambivalent. And this episode has several flashbacks to the same ambivalent scenes and the meaning we are supposed to draw is that Gong-shil and Joong-won actually, seriously, in all earnestness meant all those very ambivalent lines in the most literal ways.

Would have been more poignant if they'd flashbacked to the lines about how things may not last. They speak broadly, but are suggestive and more powerful (because they made me wonder/anticipate why they were being spoken in the first place) than these lines about leaving, having to let go of each other, having stepped too far in to leave, (because they just seemed so immature and flippant it didn't feel worth taking seriously) which I feel are being taken too literally.

Also, we've been watching characters make progress with their inner conflicts all this while. It's really quite disheartening to see these external, implausible, unexplained, unsubstantiated, infuriatingly exaggerated circumstances take over in a way that the characters have no control over their destinies. They become so helpless, like puppets whose strings are tied to Witch Lady (who reminds me more and more of that fortune teller/monk from Gu Family Book, who, let's face it, ruined the entire show). It's like the show's been working towards building character, and doing so exceedingly well, all this way. And more than 2/3s into the show, the writers decide to opt for character destruction. I'd be much more invested if the conflict were inner than outer.

And I've just had it with the amnesia trope. The last, I don't know how many shows I've watched all have these potentially great characters go through these amnesiac transformations that are just frustrating to watch. Especially because the shows made us love the characters in their original version. It really manages to cheapen the overall quality of a show. (Shakes finger at the Hong Sisters disapprovingly)

In terms of conflict resolution, now what else must we expect than for Joong-won to recover from the amnesia and get back together with Gong-shil? It is DEFINITELY going to happen, even if we have to wait 2-3 episodes or until the very end. Other potential plotlines could have been developed further, but I still get nothing about Hanna's motives, other than the obvious thirst for revenge. I'm okay with hating her too, but I need to know more about why she's doing what she's doing to hate her with abandon. This secret feels like it's lasted too long, and is losing steam. Or is it just me?

Gosh, guess I'm just really disappointed with where the show's heading. Specially since it's been so promising, and was building things so well. From subversion of stereotype, it's going right into following the most cliched, predictable of devices. Will continue to watch for SJS, but like you, am overall a lot less emotionally invested.

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I agree with:
"It just struck me how physical the interactions between Kang-woo and Yi-rung. It’s just as physical as the one between the main pair. But different in that they’re often being aggressive, mandhandling each other (mostly Kang-woo who’s pulling her hoodie, yanking her this way and that)."

It's another form of touch. Isn't it? Just more comical. I want to ship the pair... especially since the Hong Sisters have been trying to ship the second leads for a while now (in their other shows) but seemed like they couldn't find a way to do so. There is enough basis that if they end up together at the end I wouldn't whine.

Emotionally this episode didn't connect as much for me, but I still got intellectual delight from the details and what they meant to do with the amnesia thing.

I know amnesia is used a lot, but I've gone through something like it before. This slightly matched, though I'm not quite sure the acting was on par (for this particular part, not jumping on him, it's not like there are that many people in the world to ask) I also think since it's been used a lot lately in dramaland that it also lost its impact. (Maybe that's the theme of the year? What's my name again?)

For reference...

Usually Amnesia happens around a specific set of events. It *can* be selective is psychological and it has to happen through either brain injury or psychological.

Recovering a memory is painful as hell. If you've ever had a migraine... it's ten times worse. If you've ever had racing thoughts... it races 10 times faster. It's like fetal position time and you feel like you're going insane because whatever it is has no connection to your current reality. (Secret Garden got it pretty well, though I wouldn't operate machinery)

When you aren't ready to accept a memory yet for psychological reasons, sometimes you'll get warm feelings around objects and won't know why. But this is before memory recovery. Sometimes you'll stare at an object and can't quite place why you feel this way (so you want to experience the object again and again, but don't know why), or go in a direction that feels familiar and get directions like a navigation. "This is right" "this is right" "You're going the wrong way" which in a complete memory of navigation you get, but you get the images and they why with. But in reality you just get the directions and then images flashing over it.

And for those who want to discount... I got all recovered memories that I could verify, verified. But you usually know that you are missing them and want them back.

Given that, I lacked the feeling that the object felt warm to JJW. I got the indication that it was important, but not the warmth that I associate with objects that have gotten disconnected.

I'm hoping it's chuseok that's cursed this show and this show doesn't become a zombie (of the bokor kind) But I've noticed that sometimes the Hong Sisters will sacrifice the emotional core for the intellectual one. They've kept an even balance so far, though...

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Yoonmi, when you say you've been through it, do you mean to say you've experienced amnesia yourself?

I'm so sorry to hear that. I've encountered one too many episodes of amnesia in dramaland and that has created this impression that amnesia is a fantastical illness that doesn't exist in reality. It's really been overused to the extent that I've stopped considering the severity, the seriousness of the condition. And of course, I use it all the time as a hyperbole for my poor memory, as do most people around me.

It does sound like a very physically painful and psychologically exhausting condition. I'm really fascinated to come across someone who's experienced it for real though. If it's not too intrusive, how did it happen to you, and how did you recover? It must be something else, then, for you to watch people use this as a plot-churning device in dramas. You must always be comparing it to your own experiences. It's really interesting that there are similarities like you explain, that you know things are missing and you want them back.

Wow. I hope you are fully healed. And sorry again you had to go through such a draining experience. For all it's worth, I guess it's quite rare, and having experienced it makes you all the richer in the extent to which you've lived life.

I live in South Asia, where Indian cinema dominates, and amnesia was a favourite trope there too (not anymore, but oh it was everywhere during the 70s and 80s). But the way it was mostly due to physical causes, and usually involved someone getting hurt in the head. Then it would heal just as easily, when they would get hurt in the head, again. Feels a bit cartoonery, like Tom & Jerry-ish, I know. But at least in k-drama, they also explore the psychological aspect. And the way they recover is more layered and nuanced and a little more relatable. Personally though, I guess this is just bad timing for dramas to be filled with amnesia. Dramaland is getting overcrowded with amnesiacs whipped out of thin air. I really wish I had something more solid to rest my emotions on. Or at least some variety.

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I was adopted when I was 5... so in order to adjust, a lot of things just got flushed. Language, culture, my own name, my previous family, etc. The good and bad memories got flushed together.

Everything went down the drain. I was told because it was believed at the time that you couldn't recover memories, so the things that felt warm and were memories bubbling I pressed down harder as false.

But there comes a point where all that you've been suppressing won't be denied. I had a trigger and it was a huge trigger.

An actual flash ('cause you can't call it anything else). Is like someone banging on your head asking you to accept a memory and for integration NOW. Asking if you'll accept everything now.

The images look like stills 'cause they move so fast, loop and loop, and then go faster, and faster, little bits adding on like a broken film. The first time I thought I was nuts and it got discounted. The second time it was so hard and fast the only way to get it to stop was to ask if it was true. It was.

When I went to my hometown, I also realized the warm feelings I had around objects and why I felt that way.

I know at some point I must have willed to not remember anymore and some part of me obeyed, but then I spent tons of years trying to get it back and fight for it. I still don't know the point where I decided I wasn't going to remember because it was that traumatic.

Other adopted people also report similar experiences too. Something feels warm, or they are staring at something and they don't know why. (And I'm not pushing for sob story either... it's just a part of early separation, I think). Or they lose the language and then a word feels "right".

The first Korean word I recovered without knowing it was "pulsangeyo." I looked it up, but it was a bit difficult since it was in satoori in my memory and conjugated, so I had to look for the spelling and then I found it. Then when I learned Korean again, I talked in baby talk in reflex in Korean and didn't know why (My Korean teacher commented on it). She also commented that I had a bit of satoori left over, but I hadn't talked to anyone with satoori after the age of 5. Also my pronunciation was really good. I wish, though I had better fluency in Korean and could recover what my 5 year old self had.

From this side of the fence I can tell you that habits are stronger than memories. You do things without remembering why it started. For example I know how to brush my teeth, but I have no idea who taught me or how I learned.

For me, though I'm not sure if it's universal, the first thing to go is the image. Sometimes I'll hear a voice from a memory or a smell... The last thing to go is the emotion around the memory.

JJW has people who could tell him if he's correct--initially I didn't. At least he's smarter than I was and honors the feeling.

I Can Hear Your Voice was fairly close, though. Only it's much more debilitating. I feel foggy for a few days if I get a large dose like he did. ('cause emotions are being pushed without relevance).

Secret Garden--do not operate a car while having a flash. It's not possible. However, the images are pretty close and actually match fairly close, but there isn't a break enough to get up and operate a car. Sorry, there isn't. I was decked and have to sleep to reprocess the memory and sort it. And then when I woke I had still a headache. You aren't going anywhere.

I'm still chasing ghost memories. I have two to figure out yet. Given that so many were verified, then it's likely the last two are true too. I just don't know why they are important. I just have the image, sounds and emotion around it. What sucks, though is that I have to find the specific place it happened to get the rest of it. And I have no idea where they took place.

BTW, not sob storying this at all. It is what it is. And real life mystery bugs me. Where are those last two places and why were they important to me?

You can look up PTSD for similar stories of memory loss.

BTW, physical amnesia exists, but you can't recover it with another head trauma.

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thanks for opening up and sharing kimyoonmi. i am incredibly fascinated by your story. i obviously have never come across someone who's suffered from amnesia before. all this makes for a fascinating revelation.

i can't ever imagine what it must be like to not have any memory from before you were five. only to have them in painful flashes. it sounds difficult to cope with, and yet something you have to live with everyday. and i admire you for that. no sob story indeed.

it really seems like the amnesia has a lot to do with the mind's desire to keep a lid on traumatic experiences from the past. and what you say about habit is so true, habit is much deeper than what you consciously do, it really is rooted in your subconscious and functions like reflex. it's eye opening, really, to hear your experience of encountering habits of your bodies, and the memories acquired by your senses which have remained with you even as the amnesia has taken over that part of your brain that consciously remembers. (aside: the preservation of your native language and in its original dialect is also making me pause and think, that language, especially in the early ages, is learned subconsciously. i'm an educator so it frustrates me to no end the way we try to spoonfeed language learning into children in schools. learning itself feels like such a subconscious activity, and so much of it happens naturally, and i really want to incorporate more of that in my school, because it seems deeper and more meaningful and lasts longer. ok, end of aside.)

i have had a slight experience of exploring my subconsious/unconscious mind so i would like to share this with you. for the past few years i've practiced various forms of meditation, but more recently, i came across this buddhist form of meditation called vipassana. you begin by sitting still and watching your breath very carefully. but if you do it regulary for a long time, then you start getting acquainted with the unconscious parts of your self as well. i always thought that my 'mind' was in my head, but while meditating, i was shocked to discover that my mind is actually located all over my body. my emotions and habits are pre-wired, so that everytime i am exposed to a stimulus that has given me pain in the past, i experience the same pain. its the same with fear, embarrassment, love, jealousy, and all other feelings.

i got such a good change then to get really acquainted with the habits of the mind, which are the feelings and emotions i try to unconsciously repress when i encounter them? which feelings and experiences do i keep indulging in?

the entire task of the meditation is to get to know your unconscious habits better so that you can wean yourself out of them. so that you can unteach the most deep seated habits, attitudes and ways of responding/reacting to situations.

over the days of intense meditation (they don't let you talk to anyone, or even look people in the eye, and you have to sit and meditate for close to 12 hours every day), i felt like these layers were getting peeled off one by one, and i was getting a better look into how i function has a human being.

hadn't given much thought to looking into the mind in conscious/unconscious dichotomies, but after this experience, i really believe firmly that there's a lot in all of us that we are completely unaware of because we've been pushing them inside in an attempt to avoid facing them, although even that avoidance is an unconscious choice, since it's a pre-designed habit.

again, with my meditation, i'm talking mostly about the unravelling of very ingrained habits, reflexes. i don't know how something like this would affect memory, but i'm sure there would be many layers one could possibly peel away at.

thanks for sharing again. what a great forum dramabeans is proving to be. i am ever so grateful.

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@Jhu

You're welcome. I actually used meditation to both get myself out of the flashes and to explore and expand them or shut them down. I find the warm feeling in my body to expand. To shut it down, I find that area and contract, but keep the line open.

It's kept me whole over the years too. I'm becoming better and better at recognizing sources of flashes and warm feelings that are around flashes versus just something I like.

It's also helped me keep centered around flashes--because often flashes feel very odd and can make me feel like I'm not grounded at all. Intense ones I can't balance and whatever emotion I had at the time, the strongest one comes forward if I want it or not. Sometimes to get the feeling to end, I need to honor the flash completely beginning to end...

For example, when I went back to Korea and talked to my father there, he talked about giving me up and without me knowing it, the translation triggered a flash. And without knowing why, I started to cry, seeing the entire city in my mind's eye, the time of day, and the bridge which I had not yet walked across (again). Because I knew meditation, I was able to sort through it, expand it, and understand it.

There are some places, though, that I cannot cross still. The feeling is too strong and I could not move... but I'm working through that too. 'cause sometimes I find with the bad memories there are good ones underneath and I have a desire to be whole and to learn from my own past. I've found it's really dangerous not to be whole--In not understanding my flashes and not having full memories has gotten me into danger before as well.

The weirdest thing is when I get a flash from a drama I'm watching and I don't know why. For example, Coffee Prince's butcher shop... I stared at one singular frame of that for a while. And then later I found out why, but I don't understand it completely. I need the other person involved to understand it. But I don't know where that person is.

Also Capital Scandal I couldn't finish because of a flash. And I have no idea why. But I want to finish the series!! 'Cause I know I'd like it. >.<;; I tried to cross past it 5 times and I couldn't do it. I started crying and didn't understand why.

There is another one with Kim Rae Won, in a market (I have a lot around markets)... but I'm not sure why.

The thing about memories too, is that often you don't understand them until they echo from someone else. And sometimes they visit you in dreams. People who aren't separated from the people who also remember get to have a comforting echo--they share that too and they can argue their POV, etc. But my memories are scattered all across South Korea contained in people I haven't remet yet. And pieces of me that meet me from South Korea ask me if I am willing to remember, knock at my door, and ask for reentry, leaving me to sort them and then find the people who can echo them back at me, just so the feeling from the flash can find a place back in my heart/mind. (I like the idea that they are the same thing... as in Hindi, Korean, Chinese and Japanese...) Easiest way for me to do that is meditation.

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yoonmi, took me a while there to find a reply button. :)

i love our conversation. i think i'm going to copy it. print it maybe. make a little book. stick pretty flowers on it. keep it and cherish it forever.

i feel like i can understand a bit when you say you need to honor the flashes. although my experiences may not be the same as yours, the difficult feelings, the things repressed in memory, in the heart, the mind and the body, i've discovered in my meditations that these are not things you can avoid. and yes, when i honor and sit with things i find to be the most unbearable, that is when i find myself rising to a higher plane of existence. one that offers me more quality.

it feels, in many ways, a bit like playing a videogame. where, until you have passed that one level, you can't move on. every unresolved issue makes us stuck at that phase, making us incapable of growing further. and the best thing for me has always been to also honor and embrace things which i am prone to reject on first impulse.

am happy meditation has been of help to you.

yoonmi, what you say about memory is so beautiful. i had never paid much attention to how memories form. and how much others contribute to my construction of my own memory. this challenges the assumption we have of what makes us, our individuality, our identity. so much of it is collective, so much of 'me' is just 'us' actually. i guess only when we lose touch with others do we get a sense of how much those others have nurtured that sense of 'i' and 'mine'. i always thought memory was my private property, created by me, the sole owner. but what you say has suddenly opened up a new dimension. it is compelling me to see my own memories in a different light.

you appear, in a way, a complete mystery to yourself. but that is such a humble beginning too. for we are not so different, i feel like i am just under the impression that i know myself better. i feel that perhaps this is nothing but a false impression.

i really wish you the best for your journey of self discovery, and that indeed your feelings from the flashes find a safe and warm place in your heart. that feels like the best reconciliation. to feel at ease. at peace with oneself. to have all the fragmented parts find a home inside you, even if they don't make a complete or clear picture.

this has been so memorable. thank you once again.

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i mean 'clarity' - end of third paragraph. not 'quality'.

although it seems quality works fine to describe that.

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I got my fix this week, thank goodness.

I know there's a chance with the memory loss that we have to watch JW fall in love again but frankly, I am ok with that. I love watching the heroes fall hopelessly in love and given that the Hong sisters have twisted tropes around again and again, I have a feeling that it will only take one ep to get back to where we were.

My concern is that the pacing of the remaining episodes will be off. The even episodes always ended on some sort of big relationship note/jump forward and now that's going to have to be adjusted.

And I don't care, I love KW and YR. She's so dogged in her pursuit of him and he can't stop touching her (even if it is mostly headlocks and arm twists). His exasperation/curiosity about her is funny.

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OH! And I thought the ep was implying that Hanna was the one that died and HJ lived. When Secretary Kim was remembering walking through the garden and they did the flip with the statue, the twin standing there was pretty insistent that HJ had been abandoned, isn't that just awful, remember the name of the one who died, Hee Joo, seriously remember that name, HEE JOO.

Struck me as odd.

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That was what I got from this episode too. Secretary Kim also seemed very sure that Hanna wasn't evil, and flashbacks in earlier episodes always depicted Hee Joo as scheming and not entirely innocent. I think that the Hanna we're seeing now is actually Hee Joo, and she guilted the real Hanna into participating in the kidnapping, with something along the lines of, "you had so much while growing up but I had nothing; the least you can do is help me get the expensive necklace".

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This is what I sensed, too. There is a strong possibility that Hee-joo planned the kidnapping and roped in her twin to take the fall. I got this from Secretary Kim's comment that Hanna has always been a sweet girl. My reservation with this hypothesis is when the ghost possessed GS and said some things to Joong Won which only Hee-Joo could have know, and that Hanna would have not - and this points to Hee-joo being the one who died.

The twins story arc is getting to be really interesting. So many questions!

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Of course bitterness does that to a person too but she also looked and acted different. The actress pulled off the difference quite well.

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I love the KW and YR. I really think they would match each other well.

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I've been shipping them since their first meeting. He is starting to care about her but he won't admit so and I'm just sitting her like "Stoooooop trying to pursue Gong Shil and agree to raise her in the damned pond already.". What I love about these two is that the balance each other off, sort of like Joong Won and Gong Shil.

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Haha, I could have written this myself. Yiryung has her issues but she's so cute and silly with Kang Woo and he relaxes more with her too and I love that. Seriously the whole "I'll grow so big you can't get rid of me even if you don't take care of me at all" speech was hysterical. They have a great dynamic and I think it's high time for him to accept that Gong Shil doesn't want to be with him and reconsider the girl who actually does. You can be two non-existent creatures together! It could be fun!

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agree... i think the dead one is han na, and the present one is cha hee joo because the present one did not recognize sec kim that is supposed to be her uncle

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its amazing that everyone went crazy in the thread last week... but how could you not... but yay!!! he's alive!! i totally thought we'd spend an episode of him in a coma and her chasing him.. but im happy its going by quickly... don't want to spend too long on the amnesia too..

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I was grateful there was an episode this week. The episode was not as much fun and previous episodes because of a lack of OTP interaction. I expect there will be some hating on the episode, and complaints about what didn’t happen and what should have happened, blah blah blah.

More than moving the story forward, episode 13 laid the ground work for the trajectory of the final arch. I think the worse this about the episode is its timing in the lineup. It didn’t end with a great cliffhanger/forward and after waiting impatient for a week plus a day to get mid-drama exposition, and be left with a weak forward it can kill the momentum going into the next episode, which luckily is a week less a day away.

Tae-Yang

The Night is Stormy alright! At this point in the story it looks as if Tae-Yang is the Goat (saying consume me to survive) and Joong-Won is the Wolf (who has forgotten their relationship).

Tae-Yang and the Matchmaker to the Dead deal making reminds me of—the Sea-Witch and the Little Mermaid.

I wouldn’t say Tae-Yang’s decision to cut a deal with Matchmaker to the post Moribund was noble idiocy, since I couldn’t see what other options she had, but she really should have questioned what being a sacrifice actually meant.

But I think Tae-Yang's considering allowing the dead twin (Hanna I think) to use her body is no a wise move at all.

Joong-Won

I love how strongly he feels Tae-Yang’s absence. He knows something is missing but cannot quite put his finger on it.

Also, he knows the Joong-Won of the missing time is not the Joong-Won from before, and is trying to find that bridge between Joong-Won (one) and Joong-Won (three), which of course is Joong-Won-TaeYang. :)

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"but she really should have questioned what being a sacrifice actually meant."

LOL, and this is why she should never cut a deal without JW or anyone with some semblance of business tact by her side.

I honestly hope that the Hong Sisters will pull the rug under us and make twin ghost the evil one here. So far the ghosts in the stories have been fairly innocuous, to a point where we take for granted that ghosts don't/can't lie about their true motives.

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Yes, allusion to Little Mermaid instantly came to mind in this scene.

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Ok, I thought I was the only one thinking of the Little Mermaid in that scene! Good to know I'm not the only one connecting Disney to random stuff.

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@ren:

Right down to the fake necklace. As long as JW doesn't pull an Eric on us for too long, I'm okay. I suppose.

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Haha I totally agree. I want more skinshp, less Little Mermaid!

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Actually, I was referring to the original Hans Christian Andersen story.

I hadn't seen the Disney version of the Mermaid story. Although I do love the song "Kiss the Girl"

But I'm curious what Eric did in the Disney story.

Fake necklace.

I mentioned in a later post that it seems that Sweet British Raised Hanna was the one who died in the car explosion and Poor Bitter Orphanage Raised HeeJoo survived.

I can't imagine a legitimate reason why Live-HeeJoo is still hanging around stalking Joong-Won filled with resentment unless she like so many criminals are deluded. The only way to justify her action is if the ransom necklace was a substitute and her newly found sister was killed for nothing. If she is evil, I'm sure she isn't taking responsibility for what happen and blames Joong-Won and his Dad for her sister dying and her not profiting in anyway, except for taking over her sister's life.

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In short: Eric got bewitched by fake!witch-princess and thought she was his One True Love due to the voodoo necklace she wears around her neck.

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Thanks for clarification.

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Oh hurray, I wasn't the only one getting Little Mermaid vibes!

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I love JW in his Red jacket. Much better than that brownish, bile colored one several eps ago! :D

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oh yes, that deal was totally Little Mermaid. It was so obviously set up that way...

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I honestly don't hate the amnesia arc I like the way he's discovering his changes it I goes to show how developed his character has gotten from a rotten selfish bastard to someone who's donating for abused children... I love his reactions to his own actions.. On the other hand I really really dislike the evil twin I usually like to keep my bias under wraps for a certain character but she just irks me the wrong way not only that I have feeling she might come between tae yang and joo woons bonding time .. Ugh she better not come in between their skin ship... Lol I swear these two are like my current otp just so cute ...I hope the hong sisters use this arc to use the amnesia in unique ways .. I think it might get really interesting

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Yes. AGREE SO MUCH.

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I too was cool with the amnesia.

Because

1) it was foretold--(see One Stormy Night)
2) I enjoyed seeing how strongly Joong-Won felt Tae-Yang's absence
3) I think the amnesia is over already now that he's found Tae-Yang. Joong-Won assume the book was a code they would use to recognize each other.

In the series of children books Goat and Wolf were having serious issues before the recognition code allowed Wolf to remember who they were to each other. I wonder if that element will play into TMS.

I too was really irritated with the ShouldBeDead Twin.
Unless she has cast a spell on Aunt, it is unclear to me why WishSheWereDead Twin has been allowed to insinuate herself into Aunt's, and by extension, Joong-Won's life. Aunt is giving the impression she not only suffers from class bias, but that her Joseon deamon sucked all the sense out of her head.

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Erm, the aunt definitely has class bias. As we have seen in all the moments she interacted with Taeyang.

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@S:

Which I don't get because she has been constantly shoving rich girls up JW's ass. She obviously married down, and she and her husband are getting on just fine and dandy right? Or am I missing something? Shouldn't she be a prime example of yay-it-worked?

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Except she keeps hitting her husband and stomping on his feet. Maybe she wants to save Tae-Yang that pain. hahaha

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all of this. Plus the actual execution of the amnesia trope (not selectively forgetting Taeyang's existence after being hit on the head, but having a total reset as the result of a spell) works for me.

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I'm so glad JW is alive! If he was dead, I don't know what I would have done. I figured that it would be the coma resolution that they would use, but its still a relief!
As for the amnesia thing, I don't like it, but its use here was better than its use in most dramas I think. I think the 'be-my-slave' bit with the creepy shaman lady was a bit much though- after warning GS about the ghosts that would want to use her, she takes advantage of GS herself!
Also, in the story so far, the aunt has been completely set against JW and GS' relationship so it makes sense of story that she would warn GS away now but I really wish she hadn't. I just hope she doesn't start throwing money at GS as well. Also, its nice to see that secretary Kim and the uncle support (?) JW and GS' relationship.
Major relief over Secretary Kim not being evil as well. I think that would have hurt me on another level.

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Oh forgot to mention that I like how the amnesia story line shows the impact GS has had on JW. The part where his feet want to lead him to GS' office was a great moment. Those bits really showed that she had become a great part of his life, part of his everyday habits, thoughts, and (in the case of his children's home, police award) his behaviour.

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Oh, my heart is kind of broken and I shed tears during so many scenes that I had to pause the episode a few times.

This episode hurt, but it hurt really good. I am not a fan of the "coma then amnesia" plotline, but like GF mentioned, everything has been done by the rules previously established and I think the Hong Sis will subvert this typical troope into something a little more unexpected. Still, my heart hurt a lot during such an angsty episode. I hope next week will be better, 'cause I don't have a lot of tears left.

I would also like to mention that I HATE THE EVIL TWIN. My blood boils whenever I see her and I bet there's a special corner in Hell for such a creepy lady.

This show is not without flaws, but I think is one of the strongest ones I've seen from the Hong Sisters and is also becoming one of my favorites from them. Here's to hoping for two more great weeks!

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The twins.

I'm thinking that Hanna was the good twin with a successful adoption story and HeeJoo is the envious twin raised in an orphanage. Hanna died and HeeJoo survived. BUT

Did anyone notice how Hanna/HeeJoo’s polished nails and hand movement echoed the Matchmaker-Medium’s.

Maybe it just doesn’t photographs well, but the sun necklace isn’t that impressive to look at

Hanna and HeeJoo are both bad juju. One was willing to have him die so they can be together and the other is

Did the sister cast a captivation spell? Why isn’t anyone [Joong-Won] questioning her ubiquitous presence?

The Aunt and her interfering was so annoying. It gets on my nerves when people interfere in the lives of adults without being invited to do so. Aunt and her stupid matchmaking . She really needs a deamon to trouble her sleep and keep her occupied.

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EEEEEkkkkkkk

Somehow the post submitted itself before the ideas were fully put articulated.

BUT. . . If HeeJoo is the twin that survived, and if she has the necklace (unless the necklace was s counterfeit) what is driving her need for vengeance--except a deluded sense that she is the one who was wronged.

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It has not been established clearly what the Evil Twin's motivation is for stalking Joong Won, and now entrenching herself into his life.

Is it possible that it is not revenge that is driving her, but that she still wants to be part of his life (as his wife, perhaps?) but not disclosing that she is in fact, the Hee-joo that was his first love?

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I question the purity of SheWhoShouldHaveDie motivation because after every encounter, when no one is watching her, the look on her face is never one of yearn, desire, compassion, shame, apology or any of the softer emotions. In her private moments her look tends to be one of calculation, determination and scheming.

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Yumi,

Love your theories so far because it resonates with mine.

My thoughts on HJ/Ha Na's motivation:

1. Could this have something to do with her/their parents accident when they were young?

2. Could JJW's mother's death be linked to that accident? Perhaps it was an accident that perish all three people.

3. Because of the accident, the twins were put into an orphanage. One twin got lucky, was adopted and had a good life. The other did not.

4. The unlucky twin suffered in the orphanage and become psychologically scarred and perpetuated a vengeance on the family that took away what she perceived as "a possible good life".

5. When Ha Na came looking for her, the unlucky/evil twin felt even more wronged in her twisted mind and also blamed her sister for having a good life.

6. The necklace is a family heirloom and is perhaps of some significance to JJW and the evil twin took it to cause grief to the family whom she thought made her what she is "today".

7. Perhaps it was a planned vengeance in one fell swoop - vengeance on the family that caused her to suffer as an orphan and vengeance on the twin that had a better life (which she could not). And in return, her reward was to assume the life of the lucky, rich twin.

8. Why she followed JJW? Perhaps her vengeance was not completed. Perhaps her vengeance was to go the whole way through and totally destroy JJW (whom she perceived was close to the mother who destroyed her family and her life).

Ok .. I know this sounds a bit far fetched and this would mean that the evil twin was truly scarred and twisted from having to suffer in the orphanage.

... but heck, what could be the motivation of someone following another for 15 years ... and for all intense and purposes, seem to want to wreak more havoc in the said person's life?

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Yeah, I'm thinking orphanage twin was/is definitely vengeful.

Man--The Master's Sun is filled with car accidents/explosions.

Twin's parent's death--accident (car maybe)
DeadTwin's death--car explosion
Tae-Yang's transformation--accident (car maybe)

We don't have any idea how the first and third accidents are linked to the story. The writers and really drawing attention to Tae-Yang's accident by not telling us what it was, but it seems she was four years in the hospital after.

Along with the information about the 1st and last accident, there are several threads that haven't been fully utilized. The one that has my attention Aunt's class bias and DeadTwin's class resentment.

I think if those two elements were to have interacted it would be a good foundational cause for the kidnapping and it would give the Aunt a well-deserved comeuppance.

If Aunt had tried to end Joong-Won's relationship with HeeJoo in the same way that she has done with Tae-Yang [by making it clear that both women are unworthy of being in a relationship with Joong-Won because of the difference in their social status] I could see HeeJoo's resentment combusting to the point where she my initiate the kidnapping plot.

Since we have never seen the twins interact, it is hard to speculate what their relationship was. I'm sure that HeeJoo resented Hanna's luck, but I can't speculate without an iota of information, if she resented enough to plot her twins death as a part of the kidnapping plot.

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"the sun necklace isn't that impressive to look at"...
They don't have the time or budget to get a jeweler to custom-make one that actually looks like a sun with spikes, and made do with this that doesn't look like the sun to us, until they keep saying that it does! ;)

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>sun necklace isn't that impressive

But this way you get the contrast between the big huge blingy stolen necklace that he's been looking for for almost 15 years and the little gift necklace that he gave that now means more to both of them.

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point taken.

Still--it could . . .

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When I first watched the episode live I did not like what I was seeing but after watching with subs I understand where the story is headed. Although, don't get me wrong I would of loved to see only scenes of GS and JW together. I'm hoping that after we see the next episode the pain that is seeing JW and GS separation will be worth it.
Although the amnesia plot is not original, I accept for the way that it was presented but I just hope that it does not last long. Please be gone by the end (or earlier) of ep 14.
How dare evil twin wear the same necklace as GS. I can't stand her.
Next Wednesday seems so far....

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Okay, you've convinced me the amnesia episode might not be that bad (amnesia gives me hives unless there is a creative twist). I still am not sure whether to watch this episode this week or to wait until next Tuesday and have a Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday set of Master's Sun next week (I might feel better about the amnesia, if I have episodes post (hopefully, please, please don't drag it out) amnesia.

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just a thought, but what if it was really Hanna that died and Hee Joo took her place. It would explain the sort of attitude change when she got back to the US after the death, and also why the ghost is so tight lipped because of her guilt about growing up well while Hee Joo struggled so badly.

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I think you are right

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Alive!! Yay!!!.

Ok. Now on the amnesia thing. I read about it before I watched it so I knew beforehand. This is not something I came up with, I read it on Facebook and I search it: In the book, one of the characters gets amnesia, and as he says, the stormy night thing is the code. So it makes a little sense that if they put so much focus on the book, they took another parts from it. After hearing the code, the memory comes back. so i wonder what is going to be the password here , if there is one.

But while reading i think that maybe the creepy lady knows that Joong-won makes ghosts disappear and in order to use her, she has to get rid of him and the only way they can avoid each other is not knowing each other.

Anyway, usually i hate the amesia plots when they are used it near the end as a way to extend the drama, but sometimes although is used like that, its fun so I can look over it, like in secret garden, and here I like the amnesia thing because I feel theres a reason to it, and if there is not, i dont mind, he is alive and I liked the episode.

Yay!! Secretary Kim is good!

Thank you for the recap!

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What if the password is 'Get lost!' lol

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:D. But not just one, he has to say "Get Lost" three times

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Perfect.

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Hahaha, Kkojyeo~ Kkojyeo~ Kkojyeo~

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yeah, to counter Hee Joo's spell: "Joo Joong Won, Joo Joong Two, Joo Joong Three"...

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Maybe she's the one to say "Get lost" this time and he refuses to budge and then she says it thrice and TADA HE REMEMBERS!

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Ha! You just made me spit out my coke.

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While several people are upset about amnesia as a plot device (and I'm fine with it) the thing that is bugging me is
the HUGE COINCIDENCE OF Secretary Kim BEING RELATED TO HeeJoo and Hanna.

That bit of information/exposition/explanation has not been sufficiently laid into the story or justified as of yet.

Especially since, as i understand it as of now, Secretary Kim might not have meet the living "HeeJoo."

After the car explosion he met "Hanna" who held him responsible for "HeeJoo's" death.

So-- I might have missed information for a Secretary Kim/Joong-Won+Joo family relationship the timeline-- but I don't think much was offered.

We know
1) The kidnapping happened 15 years ago
2) Secretary Kim has been with Joong-Won for at least 15 years as his reader and decoder --and it seems that was when their relationship started.
3) After the kidnapping Secretary Kim met with "Hanna" and she blamed him HeeJoo's death and demanding that he remembers her dead sister's name.
4) This week he found out that Hanna and HeeJoo were not victims but perpetrators of the kidnapping.

My questions are. . .
1) When did he start working for the Joo family?
2) Was Secretary Kim working or Joong-Won related to the kidnapping?
3) When did he learn that HeeJoo was his neice, before or after her death?
4) Why don't members of the Joo family seem to know that he was related to HeeJoo if he had always assumed she was innocent?
5) Has that picture of the twins been in his desk for 15 years?
6) and on and on and on and on

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Answers to your questions as per my speculation:

1) When did he start working for the Joo family?
Answer: 15 years ago. This was mentioned by JJW when Sec Kim asked to go on leave.

I think Sec Kim went back to Korea to find out more about why and how HJ died (after "Ha Na's" visit and accusation) and probably ended up working for the Joo family.

2) Was Secretary Kim working or Joong-Won related to the kidnapping?

Answer: I think Sec Kim is innocent. Ok .. I might be bias. I want him to be innocent so badly. Whatever titbits of info they have thrown at us so far is consistent with that image. If Sec Kim is guilty, he is guilty of one thing - not informing the Joo family that he is related to HJ. In any case, HJ is only his cousin's daughter - that's often not considered that close a relationship in my world.

3) When did he learn that HeeJoo was his neice, before or after her death?

Answer: He knew a long time ago (as conveyed in the flashback). He just wasn't able to find her before Ha Na found her.

4) Why don’t members of the Joo family seem to know that he was related to HeeJoo if he had always assumed she was innocent?

Answer: Perhaps he joined the household to find out what really happened to HJ but as the speculation of her guilt was never shared and the result of her death has harmed (made him become cold) JJW so much, I supposed he just didnt want to tell them. He probably stayed on because he pitied JJW and wanted to help him.

5) Has that picture of the twins been in his desk for 15 years?

Answer: I should think so. Question is how did he get the photo? Unless Ha Na send the pix when she found HJ and was still in communication with Sec Kim.

Hmmm .. how's my speculation so far?

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I don't care that he has a rewind in his life, i like that better than the word amnesia.
I'm JUST SUPER UBER HAPPY THAT HE'S ALLLLIVVVVEEEE!
oh thank goodness.
I miss Gong Shil and Joong Won, she was so sad, but it was really nice to see Joong Won experience the "consequences?" of being with Gong Shil, like all the things he never thought he'd do, but did.
I'm so happy he finally said her name at the end, what a reliever, I'm sure it will take a while until he remembers, but it's a start! THANKS FOR THE RECAP!

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It was moving [yet unsurprising] seeing how great a toll giving up Joong-Won had on Tae-Yang. Yet what I love is that Tae-Yang is the 'Carry On" girl [woman really]

1- She kept her promise. She said when the time came she would walk away from Joong-Won. And she did.

I expect that people are calling her choice noble idiocy, but I don't see it that way. Yes, he loves her but loving her put him in danger, so walking away makes sense. Also, even though he said he loved her, he had previously said that being with her was more than he bargained for and he had walked away from her prior.

I might have thought differently about her choosing to leave if the person she was leaving as a means of protecting him was Kang-Woo. Kang-Woo had articulated a different choice than Joong-Won. Kang-Woo knew Tae-Yang's world was scary, but he had made it clear, to her, he wanted to try and be in that world with her even though he was afraid. Walking away from someone who loves you, and is aware of the risk of loving you, and have decided to stay--well to me that is noble idiocy.

2. Tae-Yang cried. And she kept going.That's courage. Acting even though you are afraid and continuing to do what needs to be done when you would so much prefer to curl in under the bedcovers and die.

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I agree with you. They had both stated before (even though it was unhappily at times) that there would be an end to their relationship, and that she'd have to be the one to end it. She saw him in real danger because of their relationship, so she ended it.

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Thanks for the recap! Ugh! I have an obvious bad feeling about Hanna, but mostly because she's going kind of Single White Female on Gong-Shil. She took credit for the books, and she's copying the necklace. He can see them as signs of GS, and even though he might feel things for GS, he might confuse them for the physical, visual things he'll associate with GS. Anyway, I can't wait for next week. This drama makes my week:D

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And I almost want a secretary Kim in more life more than a guy like JW. (To be fair, I'm approaching ajumma status, so I think this isn't entirely unsurprising at this stage in life).

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I don't think I can watch this episode. I don't handle angst very well. It just makes me too sad and I would have to wait a whole week before I could cure it with (hopefully) happier interactions with the couple.

Hee Joo totes gives me the creeps. She's just so calculating with her stalker ways.

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first: HE'S ALIVE!!!! YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
i knew he was from the written preview, but one thing is to know it and other to actually watch it. I AM SO HAPPY
and i really love this old JW discovering he is a new JW. and that meeting with GS at the restaurant, OMG loveee it
but... i need more GS+JW scenes, seriously i would love to see a wwhole episode of them being handsy and cute and in love!!!! but the ending gave me hope for next epi!!!
i'm feeling a little nervous about the shaman and HJ wanting to be in GS's body
i hate HAn Na, but the thing is i'm not sure is HN is HN, i think the one who dies is HN and the one alive is HJ (she was a little evil while alive)
i am also HAPPy secretary Kim is goood, i knew it i knew it!!!!!!
i need another episode, now i have to wait another week with no preview :(((
btw JW looked so good in this episode <3333

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So the amnesia doesn't bug me because it is short lived & the One Stormy Night books have an amnesia bit so that works. Also I think that the ghost is the real Ha Nah and that Hee Joo took over the life of her twin. (was it my imagination or did she reach out to throttle Joong won then stop and just touch his face?)

By the way I can't wait to hear what the accident was that Gong Shil had.

Thank you ladies so much for the recap and thank you to everyone else for the comments

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Here is my laundry list of things I want to happen and quickly:

1.) Bring back his memories (they are so cute together and I hate amnesia story lines)
2.) Get rid of Shaman lady (she is way too creepy for my tastes)
3.) Get rid of Hanna (I bet she is going to try to act like she is his girlfriend and Aunt will help her with the act; that almost always happens with amnesia cases, people making up lies to suit themselves)
4.) Get Aunt to butt out
5.) Please don't let Gong Shil continue with the noble-idiot phase; just tell him the truth! He's a big boy; if he is willing to deal with the dangers of her world, LET HIM!

I am also glad that Secretary Kim is not evil because he is just way too cool. And if Gong Shil allows Hee Joo in, please don't let Hee Joo end up like the pianist's wife who didn't want to leave.

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Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

I have been refreshing the Dramabeans home page since 9am this morning and viola!

While I am less than thrilled with the amnesia storyline, Joo Won is not a total idiot as he has been "tae yanged". His heart is looking for its owner!

The waiting starts again...

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The obvious play here is the Parent Trap scenario: Hee Joo and Hanna switched places, ergo the dead one is Hanna. Secretary Kim's flashback reinforces that theory; in the first part, Hanna goes to find Hee Joo in Korea; in the second part, Hee Joo as Hanna creates an excuse to avoid contact with her uncle lest she be outed.

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I agree with you! The warmhearted Hanna must have felt bad that Hee Joo had such a bitter life so they switched.

But man, that's cold - letting your nice twin get killed like that. If Taeyang lends Real Hanna her body, I hope Real Hanna uses it to punch Fake Hanna in the face.

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That's the plot line of the twins in Pretty Little Liars series. Lol.

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Dude. Glad I'm not the only one who thought of Pretty Little Liars. Maybe the Hong Sisters even borrowed the name Hanna from Hanna Marin :P

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forgot to say i'm ok with the amnesia here, first because if that's the price to pay for seeing JW alive then i'm fine
second, because that's what happened in one stormy night... i'm waiting for the time JW discovers he's all about his tae yang :)

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No Girlfriday you are not alone - the one thing I loved most about this episode was that we learned that Secretary Kim is NOT evil. I would have been crushed. I am in love with his character. See you guys saturday!

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Agreed but now I'm scared there's something wrong with him health wise and he's going to die before telling Joong Woo about his relationship with the twins.

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Also really glad Secretary Kim isn't evil.

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there's no justice in the world if secretary kim goes evil...no justice...

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Thanks for the recap!!! At the end of episode 12, I think the reason the soul of JJW disappeared in front of TGS was because he is still her shelter so once he touched her, she can't see him anymore. As a lost soul, he just wondered away from her.
I think that the twins switched identity when they first met and Hana is the one young JJW fell in love with. Being jealous with what Hana had, rich parents and boyfriend etc, Hee-joo decided to kill off Hana, stole her identity and now come back to steal JJW. I believe JJW will find out in the end what happened. It is what TGS has to endure that worries me. Off to read the recap now.

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What I got out of this episode:

1. HE'S ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!
2. Stuff happened, but I don't really care because HE'S ALIVE!!!!!

Seriously, my mantra for the last week has been, "He has to be alive. One of the key hallmarks of the Hong Sister's style is that they like to take traditional stories and tweak them for their purposes." This was usually followed by, "Oh god, what if he's really dead?!?!"

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Hahah I love your comment.
I just hate myself when I get on DB, I told myself I was not going to watch this show, and I get on DB and skimmed the recaps, reading from ep 8. Get to 12 and that cliffhanger made me watch it all. And it was for so ji seob, whom i am not even sure I like--its lways complicated. now im hooked and peeved that it was only one ep, and like you said giggles, didnt care about the other things except he's alive. heheh But I knew he wasn't dead because he wasn't blue. The pool ghost was terrorizing for a long time, but his heart stopped a moment. That was why.

Someone needs to tell these entitled korean women to stop slapping people. For a country so concerned about manners they lack it in that area. I get angry on the characters behalf--JB you should explain the slapping thing if you can. Cuz im wonder why GS didnt smack her back.

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Every time I think of the slapping, I get upset too. But I understand why Gongshil didn't got angry and slapped her back, because I think Gongshil felt really bad and guilty and she probably thought she deserved to be slap. Poor girl. T_T

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i just recently watched this drama. and i agree with gicachan on Gongshil position. This episode is well delivered acting for me since I get annoyed to Gongshil for the first time. Beacuse she always thinks she had to do the right thing and save the boy's body unknowingly hurting JJW.
I applaud the Aunt for slapping Gongshil. Her nephew is in serious condition and this girl is just gibbering "he's not dead?..he's not dead?" which is hurting to hear as an Aunt.

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i been waiting for this recap. so happy that its out. but man another week of suffering from waiting for the next episode to come out ><

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I hate this episode so much, I have to write something. It was slow and boring, lacked creativity and confirmed almost all of everyone’s worst expectations. We pretty much knew that Joong Won would physically come back with electroshock and Gong Shil would make a sacrifice to bring his soul back to him but the aunt’s treatment of Gong Shil, her banning everyone to talk about her in his presence, bringing Hanna whom they don’t know from Adam into their midst so intimately, and worst of it all the amnesia and the noble idiocy! They didn’t have to follow the goat-wolf story this faithfully. I can see why the uncle who is positively afraid of his wife (remember all the lame “I love you”s he uttered) would obey her in not mentioning Gong Shil to Joong Won but what is up with cupid Secretary Kim? What’s his excuse? I have to explain the noble idiocy part not to be misunderstood. I’m not talking about Gong Shil accepting Joong Won won’t remember her. Given the choice of having him dead versus not remembering her but alive and well there really was no choice. But once he is back she is acting exactly as I hoped she wouldn’t. Thinking how she endangered him (supported by the aunt’s words) she isn’t even showing him her face. Booo. I feel like it was a wasted episode… A time filler. If they wrote this before the extension to fill the 16 episodes God knows what’s in store for the extension.

The few scenes in which Joong Won wondered at all the things he is told he did and his unconscious remembrances of Gong Shil did not make up for her heartbreak or the most waited episode of the series turning out to be also the least inspired. The amnesia is not used as well as it was in I Hear Your Voice or as entertaining as it was in Secret Garden but closer to the worst clichés like Boys Over Flowers. I was hoping worst case scenario this amnesia nonsense would be over by the end of the episode but there is also still no light at the end of that tunnel. Hanna who really should get lost gaining more and more screen time did not help the episode either. We had sung praises to the series because it did not have a typical second female lead who is universally hated and does all sorts of meddling but the writers must have felt the lack so enters Hanna wearing the same sun necklace of Gong Shil and claiming the first books Joong Won wanted to read after his trauma are hers. She who caused Joong Won’s inability to read tried to claim Gong Shil’s glory. I’m so annoyed with her I want to puke.

The few scenes I liked were not surprisingly Gong Shil-Joong Won scenes. I liked that even when he passed by Gong Shil without an ounce of remembrance (saddest scene ever) he instinctively felt her pull when the transhbin ghost attracted his attention to her and he wanted to follow her (arggghh the aunt again!). I loved the fact that his feet wanted to take him to her office and he was curious enough to follow through though nothing came of it (Booo! I hate these repeated near misses, I hate being strung along many times over and repeatedly cheated in the end). I liked that he felt electric when he touched her and reversing the first time it was she who claimed she didn’t feel it. I liked that he remembered this happened before and I liked his intense sense of loss, something missing, though he didn’t remember what or who. But all this is too little to save the most waited, its secrets most jealously guarded episode. I suppose they didn’t want to let it on that it was going to be such a disappointment because then no one would have watched it (imagine seeing the amnesia in the trailer!). I bet especially if the ratings go down they would promote the next episode with the best scenes they have (if they have any, I’m not sure after this dud).

So where to from here? We have a number of problems brewing leading to the final of the series. Whatever Hanna is plotting, Hee Joo’s request of borrowing Gong Shil’s body, secretary Kim’s relationship with the twins, and most importantly whatever Gong Shil promised to Madame Go in exchange of her help.

Lending Hee Joo her body would be a way bigger sacrifice for Gong Shil this time around if we remember Madame Go’s warning – Hee Joo may not just want to borrow but steal. There were a few clues in the episode to make us think that way like Hee Joo wanting to take Joong Won with her to the land of the dead saying they can be together now. I also find it suspicious that she who didn’t give the name of the culprit to protect that person would want to catch him/her now. On the other hand, I did get a sense she really loved Joong Won so like his father, whatever she may be saying she might have been protecting Joong Won all along.

On top of all this is the amnesia and the question of where does Joong Won-Gong Shil relationship go from here. Everyone was talking before the episode that his near death experience would wake Gong Shil up to realize how much she loves him. I, on the other hand, was wondering whether that would change his actions. He was the one who insisted on an end to their relationship. His ghost talked of the sense of unfairness he felt of being dead. Death would also mean losing Gong Shil forever for him. Realizing this would he now stop resisting, stop worrying and embrace his feelings and a real relationship with Gong Shil? Alas, we will never know because he had to have amnesia! And somehow I can’t imagine him remembering her would be nearly as dramatic and life changing as waking up from a near death experience and holding onto the one you love tighter because of that. What’s more, Hanna now entered their lives so even when Joong Won remembers things won’t go back to the way they were before.

I have read two types of reactions to the episode so far. The disappointed and the hopeful. The second group is telling the first not to panic, the amnesia will go away, there are still four episodes left, don’t write off the Hong Sisters or the series because of this one episode etc etc. While writing anything off at this point would be a bit extreme in my opinion the fact that the episode left a bitter taste in the first group’s mouth and would taint their enjoyment of the rest cannot be ignored. We watch/read stories to experience feelings. The crafters of the stories have to put up with the consequences of their creation. No viewer signs up to a series for frustration. Happiness, sadness, hope, love, excitement, horror, even heartbreak yes, but not frustration. If your creation is leaving people frustrated you are doing something wrong. And there’s nothing wrong with pointing that out.

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Here's a high five from me to you.

I get that the amnesia was executed quite a fair bit better than the other amnesia subplots in other series... but seriously, there are waaaay too many more important things to cover.

I don't need an extra and half or two eps of JW learning to re-love, because that's what he has been doing the whole entire series, at the expense of more gratifying sub-plots and second lead development in the show. And there are too many to cover in like what, four eps? Taking into consideration that IHYV did the amnesia thang at the end of ep. 9 and they had 18 eps? Oh well, since it's been done, I just pray it gets resolved ASAP.

It's not even a matter of argh!amnesia but is it really necessary in the grand scheme of things? Near-death is already enough for emotional conflict - it led to GS's crazy deal with the devil and the whole implication that she sacrificed her SOUL and BODY as a vessel for other souls and is in itself a whole load of content to explore.

Le sigh. Hopefully it gets better from here onwards. I don't dislike the ep per say though.

Don't mind my scrambled thoughts, haven't slept a wink.

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I would also love to see more of Yi Ryung...

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yeah, I hope to goodness Joong-won's amnesia doesn't get dragged out too long but somehow I am not hopeful of that.

I felt like the deal with the shaman (who's always been creepy, remember she was the one who tricked Gong-shil into Dead Grandson's room and locked her in to spend the night with a ghost?) was more a callback to the Little Mermaid than anything else. The amnesia is basically a spell at this point, and I can accept it in that context but I don't love it.

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I recognize the truth in your response, but I'd like to say I'm neither disappointed nor hopeful regarding this episode.

Although it lacked the excitement of the episodes that preceded it, I thought it was solid. There were nice character moments that I enjoyed.

I thought the experience of it was burdened by the looooooooooooooog wait after the heart-stopping cliffhanger of last week. The ending raised expectation that might have been hard to satisfy under most circumstances, and the extra day of waiting made it worse.

Also, this felt like a Wednesday episode, offering a resolution for last Thursday's cliffhanger and serving as a set up for the next episode. I think it wasn't originally crafted to be something to sustain the audience over the next five days and as a result might have been frustrating or unsatisfying to some.

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You are right in the timing of broadcast amplifying the frustration and feeling cheated but no matter when this episode aired it would have been my least favorite and rewatched episode so far.

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A few more comments after watching the episode with subtitles... It is very ironic that while the aunt and everyone else believe Joong Won almost died because he physically followed Gong Shil, in reality he almost died because his soul wanted to say goodbye to her when he thought he was dead. I wonder whether he will remember coming to her when he regains his memory.

While I did not like the overall plot of amnesia and noble idiocy which leaves the field open for the evildoers, the events were well planned and connected. The use of the necklace to bring Joong Won back from the dead, the disappearance of the necklace symbolizing his lost memories of her, his remembering that flash and wondering... Seeing it on Hanna but for all his aunt's pushing not even feeling curious about the woman who wears the necklace that obviously has a deep meaning to him, not feeling anything towards the woman who supposedly lend him the books that started him reading, all the while feeling this incredible pull towards Gong Shil and anything related to her as if she is a magnet. Well we can call her a ghost magnet, since Joong Won now has seen her in that state maybe he's still feeling that pull. But more importantly even though his mind forgot his heart and body remember. His feet take him to her office, his hand remembers the tingle of the first touch.

While Joong Won doesn’t remember what happened after meeting Gong Shil and finds the things he did with her unbelievable for the Joong Won he knows himself to be the Joong Won that woke up from that coma is still a very different one from the one before meeting Gong Shil. He smiles more, acknowledges his mistakes. He actually talked about himself as an ass for the inviting of the lightning and brushed aside what his 19 year old self said to Secretary Kim to be only a recorder. Pre Gong Shil Joong Won wouldn’t have done those (although there is foreshadowing in what he said to secretary Kim about staying always by his side – they are trying to create angst over what will happened when he learns Kim’s relationship with the twins).

Before I watched the episode with subtitles I didn’t understand why Secretary Kim complied with the aunt’s request not to mention Gong Shil but obviously he’s doing everything he can to not-so-subtly remind him of her. I doubt any of the things he poured out to him on his first day in the office was so urgent but he made sure to remind him of all the incidents related to Gong Shil making him curious why he would act like that... I love cupid Secretary Kim. And Joong Won tying his strange behavior to the effect of the sun is some good instinct!

What bugged me though is that he should have found going to that car repair shop with an employee out of character and also being a smart guy he should know he could get some answers from the said employee but he never asked who it was in spite of his aunt's words "I told you not to follow her".

I liked Uncle Sexy Lips for telling the aunt in front of Hanna that it was wrong to bring a woman he doesn't even know to his house. He was also trying to give him clues about Gong Shil in spite of his wife so he’s still firmly on their side. By the way, in spite of the way she treats Gong Shil it's nice to see that his aunt genuinely cares for Joong Won.

I liked Kang Woo this episode as well. It finally sunk in how much she loves Joong Won so he didn’t try to take advantage of the situation but encouraged Gong Shil and helped her... That is until he got inspiration from Yi Ryung to persist but we haven't seen him act on it yet and also even if he doesn't realize Yi Ryung is growing on him.

I liked the details on past events we are given: he’s building a child abuse protection center, played golf with Giant Mall's CEO (reverted back to his old self in this though, he is easy to lure anywhere with promise of information on him. Ha!).

The silent conversation between Uncle Sexy Lips and Joong Won when he came out of the hospital was hilarious. Many of Joong Won's reactions were hilarious. In a heavy episode in which Gong Shil was heartbroken and lonely it was Joong Won who saved the day.

The Agatha Christie book his spirit was reading, why was the cover in English? Is that common in Korea?

I like the fact that Gong Shil as a character doesn't dress like a fashion model but what was that dress she was wearing at the end of the episode? Let her not dress expensively or even fancy or elegant but how childish was that? She is a 31-year old woman for God's sake. That thing looked like a very ugly school uniform.

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OH, I knew I was going to hit send again unless I wrote it when I thought of it yet again!

THANKS FOR THE GREAT RECAP GIRLFRIDAY.

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I really enjoyed your post-fury insights.

This episode was not as exhilarating as the episode in the past few weeks, but I found it valuable for the things it took time to let us see/experience.

Particularly I loved your analysis in the second paragraph and identifying Tae-Yang as a ghost-magnet. It seems --to use another metaphor--that Tae-Yang is almost a phantom limb for Joong-Won, in that he can feel her presence/or the residue from her presence, even when she is not there. I think Tae-Yang and Joong-Won's separation in this episode served to highlight their connection, especially for Joong-Won.

I think Tae-Yang never had any resistance to the relationship, except for the ones she instated out of respect for Joong-Won. This episode brought home to Joong-Won, or will in retrospect, that he is already down the rabbit hole. Tae-Yang leaving, will not remove her from his life or his heart.

Paragraph three, reminded me of the concept of the present absence. This happens when there is something not mentioned, but its effect is so strong that not mentioning it makes its absence looms even larger. In The World According to Garp the family is involved in an awful accident and in the following chapter Irving writes about all the characters and how they are recovering except one. Suddenly that character's absence looms large and the reader/me/ start flipping pages trying to see where that character is to make sure he is safe--because he is a present absence.

Joong-Won knows there is a bridge that took him from the ass taunting lightening to strike him Joong-Won to the Joong-Won that is supporting a child abuse center. And even though no one will tell him who/what it is he can feel its/her present absence strongly.

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I like both of your ideas of residue of the ghost limb and the present absence. The seeming separation of our couple left such a gaping role in each other's lives that not remembering is not enough to go on with your life and be happy. Joong Won can't even feel joy for being able to read which was a big embarrassment to him due to that gaping hole. He doesn't hear her name, see her face, know of her existence but still feels the absence. Things that formerly made him happy or content are suddenly not enough. Smallest things immediately jog his memory. The necklace, the name Tae... Not Tae Yi Ryung but something else should come after that name... Touching Gong Shil... all jog his memory. He knows he felt this sensation before. And even though he hasn't gained his memory he reads the book and gets it... This isn't any old book to help him read. This story has some meaning, some parallel to their lives. Having seen her with these books (and he hasn't even seen the necklace on her yet) he knows this special person they mention has to be her and approaches her with the secret code from the book.

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PS. My appreciation of the episode always increases with the subs. The words are so important. But still, my least favorite....

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I agree that it is less thrilling than others episodes. Perhaps like good porridge---substantial and does what it needs to do without triggering excitement.

Let's hope none of the future episodes supplant it as your least favorite. Fingers crossed. :)

When I read comments that rake the creator of art/entertainment [writers particularly] over the coal it is triggers an almost psychic allergic reaction. Often it seems premature, that the viewer hasn't given the writer a chance to do what they intended or [worse] they aren't paying attention to the story they are being shown and are busy complaining because it isn't the story they wanted to see.

For the most part I believe in the need for bad/failed artistic product as I view it as a step towards the development of a better artist. Of course the Hong Sisters are seasoned writers and therefore opened to a different level of critique.

And--often my patience and consideration disappear in the presence of pure nonsense. I Summon You Gold, has, in my estimation, not one character that reacts as a human being would react. Also it is tonally off when you compare the poster to the drama itself. I do have my version of viewer rage with the right trigger.

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I suppose I have more of a consumer's perspective. I have seen enough bad drama and don't have any time or tolerance for it anymore. Of course the writers are free to do what they want but I started to quit shows very quickly because I don't have the patience for it anymore. I can't take the frustration.

I guess I have to learn not to have high expectations because that's what leads to disappointment. But I also think that the writers are responsible for the expectations they create based on what they have done so far. At the end of the day the episode wasn't a waste of an hour but that's not really high praise.

I'm definitely with you on the hope for this to remain forever my least favorite.

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I want to hug you now. You wrote everything I felt about this ep and more.
Thank you!

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re: Gong-shil's dress, pre-Joong-won she wore some pretty ugly things, remember? I feel like her Joong-won-less state now has caused her to go back to the old frumpy clothes out of plain not caring how she looks (and they are properly frumpy, not even sort of grandma-cute like the dress she wore in episode 7/8).

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I hope that means her clothing sense will improve again once she gets back together with him.

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"The Agatha Christie book his spirit was reading, why was the cover in English? Is that common in Korea?"

I wonder if the very "Britishness" of the choice--Agatha Christie is nothing if not British in her aesthetic, and the title in English wasn't meant to be a signifier of the British adopted twin, Hanna.

Either it signifies Hanna's role in the Kidnapping or it signifies that she is the one who is dead. `

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Hah! This episode received the lowest ratings of the 13 that have been broadcast. 15.6 to last week's highest 19.7. It cannot be because of the holiday because in comparison the ratings of Two Weeks increased marginally.

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I think they're a signal to the drama gods that they had better get this one back on track with what it does best aka otp skinship. Episode lacking in that = lacklustre episode, even with many enjoyable points. Though given that this is a Hong sisters drama, Master's Sun is actually right on track to go down the tubes right about this episode. And I sincerely hope I'm wrong about that one.

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I share in your frustrations moonbeam. And your second go at the episode (with subtitles) and the comments thereafter are really quite enriching. You've certainly calmed down by then, and you helped me see many things that I'd otherwise have missed.

I just feel, overall, like the show is taking a sad trajectory, into the land of last-minute-storywriting the way I used to hand substandard essays in college. I feel like the Hong Sisters had done such a good job of developing characters (at least the mains, and some of the secondary ones) that by now, the story should really be churning itself out. If they give a little thought to how these full-bodied, engaging characters they've created may react to certain situations, they really don't have to weave too much fluff to 'create' the drama. I remember reading something Alice Walker once said about how her characters talk to her and she just writes what she hears from them. Would certainly help to be more intuitive about your characters after a certain point.

There's something inorganic about the problems that get thrown their way, so that even when they are (or will be) solved, we the audience don't get the same level of satisfaction as when the problems appear more realistic and really difficult decisions are made. (The noble idiocy on Gong-shil's part didn't really feel like one, because she had no choice but to save his life.) Just getting to know of Hanna's existence, and even a re-encounter with Hee-joo through Gong-shil (which I hope will happen sooner than later) could really throw Joong-won's insides into turmoil. The kind I would find satisfying, if not 'enjoyable', as a viewer. Would also love to see GHJ play something more strong-headed than Gong-shil. That pianist's wife possession episode gave me a thrill. Just the look in her eye, the way she was taunting Joong-won was a treat to watch.

Oh the infinite ways in which this story could unfold in an alternate universe!

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If you want to see GHJ play headstrong and determined and (wrong-headed) try Crush Blush--it's a movie.

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thanks yumi. i watched crush and brush a few months ago. it's awesome. loved everyone in it. not just her. :)

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Ugh I agree with everyone, I hate amnesia! But I'll take it, i'll take it!

Can't wait til the next episode, although we feel cheated, Chuseok is a pretty big deal in Korea; I'm in the states and even my family celebrated it here (by eating of course)!

Is it just me? I just really don't like that twin. She just makes me feel irritated.....every time I see her face. Grrr

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on the 2deals with the shaman i have got a feeling the plot is going to be twist as GS might lost her ability to see ghost & she will be useless to the shaman.. thus. set free!
There must be something related to the accident back then too.

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Oh...would it be a Hong sister's drama without the stupid NOBLE IDIOCY???

Seriously......

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I hattttttttttttttttteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee amnesia's plot point sooooo hard I wish I can burn it with a flaming fire so that it will turn into ash and can never be revive again, EVAR! But I can see why are they throwing in the amnesia issue in the story and I hope the redemption will be worth it, we can only pray for the best.

It has been such a long time ever I actively hate the antagonist but man with Hanna, I really want to poke her eyes out and just tell her to "KKOJO!!" with JW exaggerating hand gesture right on her face already. My God, she is really a manipulating bitch. She even got the cheek to blame Secretary Kim for HJ's death, you despicable woman!!! I can't wait to see Aunt's face once she know who that woman really is and she was so close at arranging her to marry JW! Yes, I can see that what the Aunt is doing based on her concern about JW well being but she should catch the 1st warning when Hanna accidentally talked about JW dyslexia. URRRRGGGHHHH!!! My feelings right now...

And I like the fact that JW is soo suspicious at everything that he won't take anything being told to him at face value and those people around him that actually help him to piece the clues together at that missing feeling that he knew was there, somewhere... YR's meddling, the goshitel bros, Secretary Kim, even the Giant CEO. I am glad to know that his body still remembers GS existence and that helps a lot. I am hoping HJ's ghost will help and put a stop to her evil sister because I think that might be the only way to resolve Hanna's beef with JW, whatever that was, I am curious at what had happened when HN met HJ and everything that led to JW kidnap case.

And last but not least, the creepy shaman. Seriously why do you need to erase his memory after you made her promise to be your ghost seer slave? Now I really want JW to charge and save GS and tell that ahjumma to get lost forever.

There wasn't a lot of JW/GS interactions and skinship in this episode as expected but it still made me sobs because those are always the highlight in each and every episode of MS, but I was extremely giddy even at the slightest interaction between them... Gosh!! What this drama had turned me into... I rewind those scenes 41617821568975568691x and I just don't even understand why....

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Seriously. This whole last week as torture. Capital T. Now 6 more days. I know it's a great holiday....but.... darn you Chusoek...darn you.

Yay for adorable JW, especially his confusion at his good deeds. But lack of interaction between the two leads was noticeable. I am scared for what the deal with the death lady means for our Tae Yang....I just hope JW recovers his memory in time to SAVE her (from what I expect will be death lady making Tae Yang give up her body to some dead person...forevah....).

Sadly. I've sort of lost interest in the intentions of the evil twin. I mean. It's a NON STARTER. Hi....I kidnapped you, killed my sister, and waited 15 years for the statute of limitations to run out so that I could come here and make out with you? I'm not even changing my name to hide who I am...noone will ask questions with this awesome plastic surgery job i got. uhm....nyo.

Come on Hong Sisters. you OWE us for last year's drama-that-shall-not-be-named. Let's finish strong.

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LOL.

I'm hoping for a twist of some sorts to revive that dead fish of a evil twin kidnap plot. Like the ghost twin is evil or something.

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lol at your comment on Hanna. My cousin (she's watching at Korea) said the same thing as you did: "Hanna got plastic surgery!"

It would be kind of hilarious if she actually did.

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I can accept the actress looking different from the young Hee-joo because young Joong-won is also played by an actor who isn't So Ji-sub, but I support the plastic surgery hypothesis too.

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I hate the fact that they do this all the time - when the plot dictates that story must go on with older character returning after years from whatever accident/revenge grooming, everyone conveniently recognizes her/him despite a huge lapse in time. And conversely.

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It really can't be helped, though - that's part of the deal with using child actors. It only bugs me when the child actors turn out to be way better at their roles than the adult stars of the show (*coughMoonSuncough*)

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Yeah, I can understand it from a production stand point but a) don't hinge on it as a convenient plot development (no one recognizes Hanna/HJ, yet in another story that calls for characters to recognize the character, they would be instantly) and b) at least have the other characters have their moment of disbelief instead of having them straight up recognize them!

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Here's a thought, it wasn't HJ who died but HN. HJ resented her rich twin sister, and talked her into playing her and to help her do the kidnapping. It was the kind and good HN that JW cared for and that made HJ resent her more. She thinks that JW was drawn to her because she was rich thus polished.

She kept the necklace because she no longer needed it for money because she took HN place. So now she is the rich girl. She has had plastic surgery so no one would recognize her, and she has come back for her man. The only problem is this time around it's the poor girl that he loves. She hasn't realized that he didn't like her because she is a nasty piece of work.

Her and the shaman will do something to GS that will have her in a fight for her life, and the real HN and JW will have to save her. ta da.

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You know I had a similar thought. It is hard to see which sister was which. That is certainly a total drag at the moment.

I mean according to Secretary Kim Hanna was supposed to be nice and sweet and then after her return from Korea she became a totally different person more cold and completely cut of all ties with her uncle. Twin Switch most probably. Since the uncle would know his niece quite well it would be a risk being with him thus she would have to do that to be on the safe side.

But then the question arises why would Hee Joo be like that. According to JJ Won (memories that we can gather) she was also very nice and sweet. Plus what she said to him when she possessed Gong Shill that he wasn't deceived and that she loved him. This shows that both were nice people so something must have changed at some point but when and where.

It is possible that he was friends with Hana but if that was the case why was she using her sisters identity. Though perhaps there was some sort of struggle between the two. Perhaps some deal which went wrong and thus ended up in the kidnapping plot and then death of one sister.

for instance she lures both people to the warehouse on different pretexts. tells her sister what has happened and even shows herself to him thus now telling her sister that she has no choice but to help her now he as seen her face and now she has become an accomplice to this crime. But still who was who is a question that is making me wonder. Have to say that while she has still kept her name no one is curious about it (esp her uncle) guess he still didn't hear it yet. Just hope JJ Won realizes that her movement matches his trips in time. Hanna is certainly creepy at time. Beautiful but Creepy :)

I wonder if I explained why noone could recognize her but it is understandable. No one saw her for such a long time that even if they were to see her now it would be next to impossible to recognize her unless you knew her real well or something. Has happened with me so I know what I am speaking about.

Let me guess what we can expect in future episodes.

!4 will all be about denying that they know each other. So by the end of it there is going to be a wedding scene with Hanna and JJ Won. Since she will have integrated with his family and him and perhaps even convinced him that she was the only person for him, dream girl etc..
Now we can't have that
So someone will crash the wedding (Secretary Kim hopefully) and leave with the Cliff Hanger. Cha Hee Joo is still alive...
15. Continuing from where he left of (perhaps he even revealed who it was then) So escape is in order.
Then revenge Arc continues (more like Dog in the manger) If I can't have him then no one else can. Thus she kidnaps Gong Shill (have to use the Panic Button after all.)
16. Will be about the rescue and being together. :)

darn I just realized we have another eps and I covered all the points. Perhaps without the extension I would have been correct. :(

So lets see in the final eps the deal with the creepy shaman lady comes into play. JJ Won to the rescue. This time he will become her sun and lead the way to him. Will even tell her did he tell her to leave if not why did she try to leave him. Hey will even scare of some ghosts by using his fav line Get Lost 3* maybe even to Shaman Lady.

In return Gong Shill will lose her abilities to see and help ghosts. (a shame really) I guess that will be the price that she has/had to pay or for nearly dieing. :( but atleast she can now live a normal life and not be a radar anymore.

The price the Shaman asked for the two things can be explained. Instead of money (she has to paid for her services) she asked for Gong Shils abilities and the thing that she required to bring him back was his memories of her. She could have either asked for money and done the same thing but to really benefit from this deal she asked fr the sacrifice from her. Makes Sense to me atleast. Was it fair. Probably not.

Plus I have heard that there is a drama not to be mentioned by the Hong Sisters. Which one is it. I am now really curious. Please help me out. Was it Hong Gill Dong cause that is the only one I know that they did and I loved it. Reminds me of Harry Potter though. He Who Must Not Be Named. :)

Any way take care and I hope to hear from all of you soon

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Plus I have heard that there is a drama not to be mentioned by the Hong Sisters. Which one is it.

Drama Voldemort is the 2012 drama from the Hong sisters, if that helps. Three letters - begins with a B, and ends with an I and a G.

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