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Suspicious Partner: Episodes 39-40 (Final)

It’s time to say goodbye to our favorite grumpy prosecutor and feisty lawyer. With real life setting in, they’ll face their biggest challenge yet — learning how to deal with the everyday, mundane annoyances that all normal couples have to tolerate. As finales go, this one does a great job wrapping up everyone’s story while leaving us with the feeling that they’re heading into their futures older and wiser, and with more love in their lives.

 
EPISODE 39 RECAP

Bong-hee cowers on Ji-hae’s couch for an entire weekend after kissing Ji-wook in the courtroom. She tells Ji-hae that while they were kissing, she suddenly remembered the morning that he backed away from her kiss in horror.

She’d run away from him, worried that their relationship was too messy to start over. Ji-hae doesn’t really care, more concerned that her couch will get stinky if Bong-hee doesn’t take a shower, ha.

The doorbell rings, and Ji-hae lets in a very nervous-looking Ji-wook (Ji-hae: “Please get that girl off my couch!”), much to Bong-hee’s dismay. She hides her face, screeching that she hasn’t washed her hair, but Ji-wook protests that he’s seen her that way before, ha. He wails, “I told you you’re pretty even when you’re dirty!” making Ji-hae bark out a disbelieving laugh.

He drags Bong-hee outside in her pajamas, her hair a rat’s nest, and demands to know why she’s avoiding his calls. Bong-hee tries to deny it at first, but eventually she admits that she’s scared because every time they get close, something bad happens.

Ji-wook sighs and says that he understands, but then he grouches, “Let’s date anyway.” Bong-hee complains that he’s not listening, but Ji-wook refuses to pretend nothing happened. He demands to know why she was climbing all over him in the courtroom and whether she intends to take responsibility for his feelings, HA.

Bong-hee asks if he’s not afraid something bad will happen again, but Ji-wook doesn’t care. He admits that breaking up is scarier to him, which is just the sweetest thing ever. Bong-hee is completely disarmed, so she agrees to date again.

She runs back to Ji-hae’s to get showered and dressed, but Ji-hae can’t understand why Bong-hee is so nervous to go on a date with the guy she’s already lived with and was in a relationship with. Bong-hee explains that they never got to go on many actual dates and only slept together once, making Ji-hae yelp that she doesn’t need details.

Ji-hae refuses to let Bong-hee leave, insisting on fixing her makeup. She applies a massive amount of blush to Bong-hee’s cheeks, which makes Ji-wook stare when she rejoins him outside, but he wisely just says that she looks pretty. Bong-hee suggests they go for drinks, and even though it’s still morning, Ji-wook takes her hand and they skip off to their date (that’s right, I said skip).

When the time comes for former District Attorney Jang’s trial, he readily confesses to all of his misdeeds over the years. However, he denies any intent to kill Hyun-soo with the knife he brought for their confrontation, saying that it was only for self-defense. The attempted murder charge is dropped and he’s given probation, and afterward, Ji-wook tells former District Attorney Jang that he hopes he feels some shame.

CEO Byun grumbles that he feels bad for former District Attorney Jang, which earns him some major side-eye from Eun-hyuk and Bong-hee. Eun-hyuk complains that he has to support the two of them now that Ji-wook and Chief Bang went back to work in the prosecutor’s office. They both grin at him and promise to work hard, and he rolls his eyes again.

When the time comes for Hyun-soo’s final trial and sentencing, he looks like a completely different man, quiet and docile. He’s convicted and sentenced to life in prison, and the last time Ji-wook sees Hyun-soo, the life has gone out of his eyes.

For Bong-hee, it means that she’s finally exonerated of Hee-joon’s murder, and on their way out of the courtroom, Ji-wook gives her a proud congratulations and squeezes her hand.

Bong-hee goes to see her mom, who hugs her daughter tightly as they both cry. Over coffee, Bong-hee says that it would be nice to prove her father’s innocence too, but Ji-wook has already said it’s impossible since her father was never charged. But her mother tells her that what’s important is that those still alive are happy, and that her father would agree.

Bong-hee has to go since she has another date with Ji-wook, who is currently climbing out of his skin, anxious for Chief Bang to wrap up with their last client so he can see Bong-hee. But Chief Bang stops him and points to a tall stack of cases they’ve been assigned, and Ji-wook looks like he could cry.

He tells Chief Bang to hurry up and call the clients in, then texts Bong-hee that he’ll be late. Bong-hee texts back that she’ll wait, and after a while (and a little PPL), she spots Ji-hae and Yoo-jung on their way to dinner. She hops up and joins them, to their hilarious annoyance.

The ladies get thoroughly drunk, and Yoo-jung lets Bong-hee in on some secrets regarding dating a prosecutor. Bong-hee asks incredulously if Yoo-jung is advising her as Ji-wook’s ex-girlfriend, and Ji-hae laughs that this is like something out of a makjang drama. Bong-hee reminds Ji-hae that she stole Bong-hee’s boyfriend back in school, shutting Ji-hae right up.

Yoo-jung suddenly gets all belligerent at Ji-hae, accusing her of being interested in Eun-hyuk, and Ji-hae doesn’t deny it. Bong-hee asks why Ji-hae always falls for guys that are taken, but Ji-hae protests that she didn’t know he liked someone else. Yoo-jung demands to know who it is, and the other two gape at how obnoxious she is, saluting each other across the table in solidarity, HAHA.

Ji-wook and Eun-hyuk show up at the restaurant at the same time, and they’re dismayed to find all three ladies completely sloshed. Eun-hyuk is in a bit of trouble as Ji-hae asks if he used her, and Yoo-jung insists he tell her if he’s dating someone, hee.

Ji-wook grabs a very cheerful Bong-hee and starts to go, but Eun-hyuk begs him not to leave him with the other two. Ji-wook just tells him to behave himself, abandoning Eun-hyuk to deal with Yoo-jung and Ji-hae (who are now shooting finger hearts and making kissy lips at him).

It’s hard to say who enjoys the piggyback ride home more, Ji-wook or Bong-hee. Bong-hee keeps pretending she’s going to throw up on Ji-wook just to freak him out, hee.

Eun-hyuk drops off Ji-hae first, then takes Yoo-jung up to her apartment. He sends her in to bed, but she stumbles and he reflexively catches her, causing them both to freeze at the sudden closeness. After a long moment, Eun-hyuk lets go and starts to leave, but Yoo-jung grabs his hand and stops him.

She instantly apologizes, blaming the alcohol, then Eun-hyuk leans in and kisses her. He backs up and says he’s sorry, but Yoo-jung clutches his lapels and pulls him down for another kiss. And oh boy, is it a thorough kiss.

The next morning, Bong-hee wakes up in Ji-wook’s bed. At first she just smiles at him sleepily, then she jerks awake and asks if anything happened. Ji-wook frowns down at her, offended that she doesn’t remember, and all he’ll say is that he’s not some kind of saint. After he leaves the room in a huff, Bong-hee grins to herself that of course she remembers it.

 
EPISODE 40 RECAP

Ji-wook and Bong-hee continue dating, talking on the phone late into the night like teenagers. Every morning, she shows up at his downstairs office for work and sends him off to the prosecutor’s office with a kiss.

Ji-wook asks Bong-hee to come back to his house like before, but she says there would be no romantic tension that way. They spend their evenings listening to music and watching movies, and occasionally falling asleep in each other’s arms.

One day, Eun-hyuk runs into Yoo-jung, who seems to feel awkward after their kiss. Eun-hyuk asks her to talk to him about it, and she apologizes and asks him to just think of it as a drunken mistake. Eun-hyuk says that it wasn’t a mistake for him because even though he’s tried to fight it, he’s had feelings for her since their college days.

He says that he doesn’t care if it was a mistake, and he openly asks her to like him back. Yoo-jung tells him honestly that she really likes him as a friend, but she’s unsure if she likes him as a man. Eun-hyuk accepts that for now, saying that it’s more than he feels he deserves from her.

Bong-hee takes on a new client, a woman who hit her husband in the head with a baseball bat because he cheated on her. Bong-hee accompanies the client when she meets with Ji-wook to discuss the case, but unfortunately, he tells them that it’s a felony that means one to ten years in prison.

Bong-hee argues that since the husband recovered and even made a statement that he doesn’t want his wife punished, she should be able to get probation. Ji-wook makes the mistake of telling Bong-hee condescendingly, “That’s my decision.” Uh-oh.

After work, Ji-wook and Bong-hee argue about the case, particularly the fact that the affair happened thirty years ago, heh. Ji-wook says the woman should have divorced her husband or dealt with the situation then, but Bong-hee argues that maybe she was stuck for financial reasons, or for her children.

The fight escalates, with Bong-hee sympathizing with the client’s hurt and anger after thirty years, and Ji-wook insisting that she shouldn’t still be holding a grudge. Finally, Ji-wook says that this argument has nothing to do with them because they don’t hold grudges, but Bong-hee says that’s not true.

She reminds him of the time he refused to kiss her, and though she says she understands how he felt at the time, she admits that it still upsets her. She stomps off, grumbling that Ji-wook better watch his head thirty years from now, PWAHAHA.

Poor Ji-wook is thoroughly flummoxed, and later, as he walks in the park with CEO Byun, Eun-hyuk, and Chief Bang, they figure out that he and Bong-hee must have had a fight. CEO Byun asks what Ji-wook did wrong (ha, I love that he just assumes it’s Ji-wook’s fault), and Ji-wook says plaintively that he knows what he did, but he doesn’t understand it.

CEO Byun declares himself the expert on how to live with a woman, having been married for over thirty years. He tells the guys that when their woman is in a bad mood, the only thing to do is to agree with her and apologize.

And then we switch scenes to see him failing miserably with this tactic, as Ji-wook’s mom demands to know exactly what he’s sorry for. He has no clue until she wails that he didn’t even tell her that Ji-wook was stabbed.

Bong-hee complains to Ji-hae and Yoo-jung that she and Ji-wook had their first fight (uh, the first, really?). She says that she doesn’t understand why they’re fighting over something so ridiculous after going through so much together, and Ji-hae says wisely that it’s because the mundane is terrifying.

She explains that hardship brings a couple together, but that most couples notice each other’s flaws when life goes back to normal. Bong-hee just throws a pillow at her.

When Bong-hee goes to work the next morning, she and Ji-wook just stand there awkwardly, and their morning kiss is just as cringe-worthy. Subconsciously shielding himself with his briefcase, Ji-wook says that he’s sorry, and when Bong-hee asks what he’s sorry for, he looks like a deer in the headlights. He mumbles, “I’m sorry for everything. I don’t know,” and hightails it out of there. LOL.

Ji-wook slides into the room babbling with excitement when Bong-hee shows up later with all of her belongings in tow. He assumes that she’s moving back in because she missed him so much, but she informs him that she has an interview about her innocence in Hee-joon’s murder later today and just brought her clothes to change into.

Ji-wook declares every outfit she tries on to be pretty, but Bong-hee knows he’s lying. He smartens up and critiques the next outfit honestly, only for Bong-hee to pout that this was her favorite. Poor guy can’t catch a break.

One year later.

Ji-wook is buried in new cases, having been named the “worst prosecutor” again this year. He screams in frustration, knowing that this means missing his dinner date with Bong-hee. As we see her meeting with a parade of new clients, she narrates that they fight about little things all the time.

She doesn’t call or text Ji-wook for three days, until he blows up in frustration at Chief Bang. She walks into his office in the middle of his rant, saying that she’s here for jjajangmyun, and he hilariously stops and waves at her with a big innocent smile.

Eun-hyuk and Yoo-jung go to lunch again, and Eun-hyuk realizes that Yoo-jung isn’t eating, and is instead just glaring at him. She fusses at him for going out drinking and not picking up her calls, so he explains that it was a business dinner that ran late.

He apologizes and teases her into a smile, and at the next table, Ji-hae sighs, annoyed. At home, she asks Bong-hee if she still falls in love with Ji-wook over and over again, and she sighs again when Bong-hee says that she does.

One day, Ji-wook and Bong-hee find themselves facing each other in court over a client accused of flashing someone. Bong-hee makes a convincing case, at least until her client starts stripping right there in the courtroom.

Bong-hee and Ji-wook bicker later over whether she should have taken the case. They both snap that the other was too tough in court, and finally Bong-hee says, “Let’s break up.” She starts to storm off, but Ji-wook grabs her and complains that she always says that after a trial, ha. In voiceover, Ji-wook says that he hopes their ordinary days continue.

Eun-hyuk heads the meetings now, and they hold one to discuss hiring a few new lawyers, with Ji-wook and Yoo-jung there too, though nobody can explain why, ha. Ji-wook snarls when Bong-hee is accused of favoring the handsome candidates, and when CEO Byun derails the discussion, Eun-hyuk throws a Ji-wook-worthy tantrum. CEO Byun starts to tell a long, boring story, and the others all sneak out. Some things should never change.

Ji-wook and Bong-hee go for a walk, and they end up in the same spot where Bong-hee once broke up with Ji-wook. He stops, but this time, he has something much happier to say: “Bong-hee, I love you.” Smiling, she says she loves him, too.

Taking her hand, Ji-wook slips a small diamond ring onto Bong-hee’s finger. He says that he’ll love her forever, and when she gets over her shock, she asks if he’s proposing. He nods, and Bong-hee asks why he doesn’t have a song to sing for her.

Enjoying his adorable fluster, Bong-hee plants a sweet little kiss on him. She says, “Even without a song, my answer is yes.” Ji-wook looks happy and relieved, and gives himself a little victory fist-pump. She adds that she’ll love him forever, too.

As they walk hand in hand, Ji-wook starts to sing. Together, they narrate, “I’m so happy that I met you. You, my love.”

 
COMMENTS

Awww, I got exactly what I wanted, a finale that was mostly fluff with no major conflict. No, I really mean that! This drama has put me through the emotional wringer, and while I wouldn’t have minded one last conversation with Hyun-soo to see how he was holding up after the revelation of his involvement in So-young’s assault, I was glad to just have a solid hour of our characters being hilarious and awkward and adorable together. Suspicious Partner wasn’t a perfect show (are they ever?), but I felt like it did so much right, and I love that we’re leaving with a feeling that everyone is moving forward into their futures having found happiness and having grown as people.

I do have a few complaints, though they are very few. My primary issue with the show involves the legal inconsistencies, which is something I would usually overlook, but in this case, they could be so glaringly wrong that they took me out of the story. The best (worst?) example is that there’s no way Ji-wook would be allowed to prosecute the man whom he once defended, the same man who later tried to kill him, because he would be irreparably biased in that situation. Other, smaller issues bothered me, such as multiple times when Ji-wook and/or Bong-hee were involved in a confrontation with Hyun-soo but were never brought in to make an official statement, either as legal professionals or victims.

Another quibble I have with the show isn’t so much a criticism, as a wish. I wish that the three girls had been allowed to develop their frenemy circle a lot sooner, because watching them get drunk together was one of the highlights of the finale, in my opinion. I would have loved to see Bong-hee and Yoo-jung’s initial liking for each other turn to hate (which it did), then gradually evolve into a grudging respect much earlier in the show. Just think how much fun it would have been to see them bickering and getting sloppy drunk all the time! I feel like Yoo-jung had all of her character growth in this last episode, and I can’t help but wish we’d gotten it sooner and had a chance to get to like her more. Plus, the three actresses had some great comedic chemistry together, and I’m sad that we only got to see it twice. Such a missed opportunity.

But there were so many things to love about Suspicious Partner, and they greatly overshadowed the few inconsistencies. The characters, the avenging murderer storyline, the evolving relationship between Ji-wook and Bong-hee (okay really, Ji-wook and everyone) were all just completely on point. One thing that really made me silly-happy is how, even when Ji-wook and Chief Bang went back to the prosecutor’s office, the others continued to run their law firm from Ji-wook’s house. I particularly love that it was such a non-issue, as if there was never any consideration otherwise, because of course they would stay. And it was so cute how Eun-hyuk became the boss and even took on Ji-wook’s mannerisms — his impression of Ji-wook’s exploding tantrum was dead-on. He even looked great in the glasses!

With a cast this talented, it’s easy to gush over how great everyone was as their characters. Ji Chang-wook, Nam Ji-hyun, and Choi Tae-joon turned in their usual solid, beautifully nuanced performances, and I have nothing but great things to say about them here. But I have to mention one last time the obvious and surprising standout — Dong-ha as Hyun-soo. It takes a real gift to steal scenes from a charismatic actor like Ji Chang-wook, but Dong-ha managed to do it over and over again, wrenching my emotions and making my heart fall in love with a killer despite my head telling me that he was evil.

A lot of the draw of Hyun-soo was due to the writer, who has a habit of creating sympathetic villains that we can’t help but adore. But it wouldn’t work without the perfect actor playing the role, and I feel confident in saying that Dong-ha was perfect as Hyun-soo. Even as I hated him for trying to kill our favorite lawyer and his sidekick, I still cheered for Hyun-soo and his twisted idea of vigilante justice. I’ll never forget the terrified look in his eyes as he realized that he was one of the guilty boys he dedicated his life to punishing, and how, when we saw his empty eyes as he was sentenced, my heart still cracked for his broken spirit. I can’t wait to see what Dong-ha does next.

I always feel like I’ve said everything there is to be said by the time I get to a final episode recap, but I haven’t really talked about how much I love the way the writer, Kwon Ki-young, played with the idea of memories, and how tragedy and other traumatic events can change a person’s perception of the truth. Two years ago, I Remember You touched on these issues as well, though it dealt with the premise of remembrance in a more personal way. In the case of Suspicious Partner, we were shown how the mind can so completely reject a torturous memory that it removes it entirely, replacing it with something the person can accept as real.

From Ji-wook’s brainwashing that caused him to believe his parents were murdered by Bong-hee’s father, to Hyun-soo’s self-inflicted amnesia due to his guilt and anguish over doing nothing while the girl he liked was viciously brutalized, I found the show’s exploration of memory and reality to be infinitely fascinating and compelling. I’ve had an interest in psychology for years, so to watch a drama that explores the tricks a person’s brain will perform to avoid a reality it can’t handle has been extremely entertaining for me. I love the way Kwon Ki-young creates characters that we can relate to because they’re flawed and human, and even the villains are sympathetic and somehow manage to tear our hearts out. I hope this is a trend that continues, and that the writer’s future projects are every bit as thought-provoking and enjoyable.

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Even though I should be happy thst the "bad guy" is caught and justice is restored -- I can't! ꒰⌯͒•̩̩̩́ ˑ̫ •̩̩̩̀⌯͒꒱ a life time sentence is just so long .... I wish I didn't love Hyun-soo this much ! He didn't get much camera time after that ... I was hoping for some revelation of how he's improved and etc. nethertheless, I can't wait to see him in new dramas ! I love his eyes !!!

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Yup. So happy Hyunsoo didn't commit suicide. Though I would have loved some insight on how he's doing in prison

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Also -- alas our couple is back together ~~ they're so cute and NOO Ji Chang Wook is off to military service ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

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Maybe the down vote was because someone's not happy to be reminded about Chang Wook's military obligation. (Another possibility is that sometimes members let their pet monkeys type on their accounts. These monkeys just go around randomly voting comments up and down. Makes as much sense as someone giving this ^ comment of yours a down vote.)

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These definitely seem to be the most likely possibilities ;)

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Don't worry @lynn19 The downvotes speak most about the person who did it than what you said per se. Based from my observation with the downvotes ?

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So thrilled with this finale, and Hyun-soo goes down as my favorite villain of all time. Now they live happily ever after and adopt tiny Harry Potter, yes? This is a series I will probably rewatch many times because its warmth drew me in, and the moments of misery never overshadowed the sweetness.

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I know! I wish little Harry Potter was in that scene when they were looking at applicants. That would have been beyond adorable :D

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Aww I will miss this big, funny, loving, weird as hell family, our lead couple, our side characters... Farewell Suspicious Partner.

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Why o why didn't we get more of the three girls together in this series? They were hilarious and brought so much fun and energy to these last episodes!!!

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Mehhh. Kind of a too much fluffy ending. I believe that it is not an uncommon ending of romcom kdramas, which made me just feel happy for the couple and not really root for them. Considering that I have also kept with the slightly dragging pace among episodes, the finale neatly tied the loos ends and added some more (which is kind of overdone for me, i guess). Well, i would not mind if it is for the happiness of Ji wook and Bong hee. Hehehe hope to see them in another drama soon after chang wook oppa's enlistment. ?

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SP was a good show, not perfect but I appreciated it. Dong Ha played very well Hyun-Soo and it still gives me chills thinking about this handsome and charismatic killer. One disappointment is Eun-Hyuk ending with Yoo-Jung, I would have preferred him with Ji-Hae. Thank you show for the good ride and many laughs "you were sometimes scary yet pretty" :)

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I wanted him to end up with her, too, man. But I think that's because Ji Hae worked the brat thing when she was on the right side of Bong Hee. Alas, another ship has sunk

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Yeah, Ji Hye stole the show from Yoo Jung. I hated her at first but by the second half I was wishing she was second female lead instead.

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Definitely agree about EH and YJ. I kinda felt sorry for him, bc he loves her so much that he will accept anything from her, even she doesn't feel that way about him.

I was also a little disappointed that EH's issue with JW was somehow glossed over. I think it's very characteristic of JW to not have really forgiven EH but still being reluctant friends with him. I just wish the show had addressed it in a direct manner or something...like a heart-to-heart conversation or full-out fight.

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Goodbye for now Ji Chang Wook! Thanks for leaving us with this lovely little project before you leave us for two years?!

I will truly miss the little lawyer/prosecutor family.

And the best villain in the history of villains...

And.. I will miss the adorable behind the scenes footage.

Thanks so much show for introducing me some great actors. I'm totally looking forward to everyone's future projects especially DongHa!

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Thoroughly enjoyed this finale and the show overall.. Dong Ha was just incredible in this and its a credit to him as an actor to really light up the scenes he had with Ji Chang Wook.. I look forward to seeing him in future projects.
Thanks for the fabulous recaps!! xx

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I loved the fluffy and adorable ending episode! It's so satisfying to watch our OTP sharing such mundane but sweet moments after going through so much ordeals...

I can't believe that I am saying this, but I actually really sympathise with our villain because of the excellent writing and acting. Hyun-Soo makes me fear for our lawyer team and at the same time wished that he had been rescued from the mental torture earlier.

My only grumble is that I had hoped to see more Eun-Hyuk and Ji-Hae moments (because she is hilarious!) rather than the conveniently pairing of EH and YJ. I still think that YJ does not deserve JW or EH's ready forgiveness since she had not made much effort to earn it. EH and JH would have made a more endearing couple that I would love to root for!

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Thank you Suspicious Partner for being an imperfect yet extralovable drama! You'll be missed!
And.. JI CHANG WOOK!! Can't believe it's his last project before enlistment. HUHUHU i'm literally crying as I write this.. ?

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Props to the show for making me feel happy seeing our scooby gang live on like this forever. I wish we had more scenes, but then the show has to end at some point. Props to the cast and the writer, and thanks LollyPip for the recaps!

The show wasn't perfect and left me wanting in some regards (Yoojung! such a wasted opportunity for great character development and female friendships! Also more bromance!) but ultimately I loved watching it and I will miss it dearly.

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A really nice drama that I'm going to miss. The actors were really nice especially the bad guy. I don't remember ever seeing him in a drama but that's probably because he doesn't plays major drama characters. I look forward to seeing him again because he was really good at nuancing his character. I enjoyed watching the last episode filled with fluffy romance but I think it was too much, I don't think 40 episodes were necessary for this drama. Just like you Lollypip I was disappointed by the legal inconsistency of having No Ji Wook prosecute his former client. There's no way this would ever happen as he's supposed to keep his clients' secrets and such. I'm usually not this good at pinpointing this type of inconsistency so if I managed to see this it means it's rather big. Anyway this is just one major flaw in this drama but what drama doesn't have flaws? I still finished this drama with good feeling and that's what matters the most

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I already expect kdramas (and most tv shows in general) to handle law and medicine in ways the even someone not in law or medicine like myself will find ridiculous. It's one of those things that I've almost learned to sigh and accept, like poorly integrated PPLs.

I agree that 40 episodes (or 20 in the old format) was too much. It would have really hit a sweet spot with 16/32 episodes.

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I have that same expectation as you but too much is too much. There's a limit to how ridiculous kdramas can handle these and clearly here they crossed it. How can it be possible for a prosecutor to prosecute his former client? It makes as much sense as a judge in charge of judging his family member. In kdrama soon we'll have regular non magical rom com where men deliver babies and that will be considered normal.

16 episodes would have been perfect. I always consider that number of episodes to be perfect for regular rom com

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Awww so sweet! ???
I'm glad the show left all the tension behind & filled today's episode with cute. Love bong hee & ji wool till the end. I could watch them being adorable forever. I wish them well but I want moreeee. Who will fill the void now that show's over... T.T

P.s. too Jung & eun hyuk didn't have to become a pair I think...

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*yoo Jung
Stupid autocorrect!!

Btw, the actor playing hyun soo has been sooo good through the whole show. Really appreciate his many facial expressions, he's very good.

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SP was not the greatest show of all time and I do have to say I almost quit when the Noble Idiocy came to play but it was an entertaining watch. Lots of cute (specially from Ji Wook) and good chemistry made this a decent rom-com. That said, moving forward I only want to see Ji Chang Wook in rom-coms when he gets out of military service lol.

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The pacing was kind of needlessly slow. If this show would have been 12 (24 split) episodes it would've been almost perfect. I nearly dropped it as well when the noble idiocy showed up but was too loyal to the adorable characters ( and also the villain). I'm glad I stuck through in the end.

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Same. I almost dropped it but then i just really wanted to know what Hyun Soo was gonna do that. Dong ha is really exceptional.

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Ji Chang Wook should do many more rom-coms. He is so relaxed, charming, utterly gorgeous without even trying!? Soo sad that we won't be able to see him for 2 years!!
Dong-ha was a revelation!! His take on the killer was so chilling and sympathetic at the same time. Looking forward to his future dramas!
Nam Ji Hyun and Choi Tae Joon were perfect in their roles. Though, like Lollypip said, I would have loved more scenes of the girls just chilling out, complaining about their lives.
The side characters were such a delight to watch and made me care about them. The chemistry between the cast were off the charts. This was a very fun show. But I missed our resident Harry Potter

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Dong Ha's amazing acting skills made me believe this was crime drama. I was like, "you already solved the main problems in the previous episode, so why bother having another full episode? You could've make it in 10 minutes instead 1 hour episode." I remember those time when I (and maybe some people) were worried that there would be some twist ending, then I realized that, somehow, I forgot this drama's actual genre is romantic-comedy (and rom-com should have a happy ending). Whatever it is, I'm happy I watched this drama. And it's worth for second (and maybe third, and fourth, and so on) try.

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I love the begrudging friendships in this drama— the circle of girlfriends, which honestly could have happened sooner, and the bromance (both Ji-wook and Eun-hyuk & Ji-wook and Chief Bang).

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You're wrong. They dont have bromance. Its father-and sons relationship. Mr byun should be counted in, as he's the eldest. ????

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Chief Bang & his 4 kids!

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Overall I very much enjoyed this drama. The chemistry and the friendships were my favorite parts. Ji Chang Wook should definitely do more romcoms.

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I'm suspicious for saying something, because I loved SP and actually become one of my favorite, It wasn't a perfect journey but it was perfect enough.

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Thank you for your fun and thoughtful recaps, LollyPip!
I was so pleased with this finale. Were there a couple nitpicky things I wished would have happened? Sure. For example, why couldn't they have told Bong Hee's father's story to the press to clear his name? But, overall, the ending made me very happy. I am very impressed with the writer. Sometimes a drama feels like they are making it up as they go, but this one was so well plotted. An example would be how they set it up that the only physical evidence they had tying Hyun Soo to the murders was tainted by the lawyers and unusable. It was clever to have established this so far in advance so when he retracted his confession, they had to set a new trap in court. Now I want to watch the whole thing again.

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Count me in. I feel like rewatch this drama again. ??

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This was my go to show for the first few episodes. I went straight for it as soon as the episode was subbed. Personally, I thought it slowed down a little during the middle but even so it left me with a warm fuzzy feeling after most episodes. The ending was very neatly wrapped up which I'm not sure how I feel about. (That might just be me though, I find myself liking endings with some open elements now)

All the main characters were complex in their own way but the person who stole the show for me was Hyun Soo. It's crazy to think that even at the end, I was still pitying him and not outright hating him despite the many murders he had done. It was tragic that he had murdered all these people when he had been so helpless at the incident.

It was fun to watch though and I can't deny liking the behind the scenes a little too much ?

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Everyone feel sorry for HS. We love him so much, even after the big plot twist.
Who didnt like SP behind the scenes? They're full of laughter. Its like medicine after sad episode. ??
And the worst thing is, when im trying to move on, SBS release 7 minutes behind the scenes, and it ruin everything. Just like mr byun ruin the meeting. ????

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This was a great send-off for our characters. I loved the simplicity of the final episode. You love. You fight. You grow. Just living life how you see fit. It was nice to see. Most dramas tend to end with a dramatic HEA ending and I loved that they went back to real life. They had so much going on with their personal tragedies and Hyun-soo and they needed normalcy.

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I agree with your perception of the ending. I actually didn't think it was overly fluffy or neat. Although there was definitely lots of fluff, they undercut it with our couple facing some real issues. I actually really loved that she brought up that kiss avoiding again, because it's so realistic that they would still need to address several of the issues that lead to their break-up. And I love how it was apparent that their relationship was never easy, but they kept falling for each other over and over anyway.

I also appreciated that they ended with a Win some, Lose some situation. They were never able to clear her father's name and, after all the strife those revelations caused, I'm kind of glad they had to overcome it without it perfectly resolving. Because, at this point, they've already done so much for each other that it didn't matter.

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HEA = happily ever after? I loled cause "hea" is "good" or "acceptable" in estonian

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Maybe cause I haven't watched the last two eps in full ( I normally read the recaps first haha ), I'm still confused about one thing: what actually happened between Yoo Jung and Eun Hyuk all those years ago ?

In the earlier episodes they revealed that nothing happened but neither of them told Ji Wook cause they felt that they had wronged him still. But if nothing had happened why was she wearing a slip and he buttoning his shirt when Ji Wook came to surprise her ? If this does get explained somewhere , then please ignore me haha

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Im restoring my life right now. Actually i was so absorb to this drama for the last two days. Herewith my list highlight from finale (i know nobody ask, but i'll keep doing it)
- HS expression during final trial. I feel sorry for him. Its clearly seen that he regret and ready to accept the punishment.
- our OTP interaction, they show so many affection (morning kiss, cuddling, holding hands), they fight, they made up, they argue. They're just so normal and adorable ?
- the 2nd lead couple kiss. I dig it, EH finally can be happy, after patiently waiting YJ. And YJ can finally accept him as a right man for her
- the girl squad. I love their interaction. Their connection is unusual, but lively. Agreed with Lollypip, they should've done that earlier. That would be so fun seeing them as a collagues, drinking buddies, sleepover friends, and enemy at the same time
- the meeting. Ha! I love their last meeting, that discussed about new recruitment, and mr byun ruin it. He always does (i might be end up making compilation lawyer firm meeting video, because why not, they're so funny)
- mothers scene was so short, but its acceptable, at least we see the mothers in this last episode
- the proposal, the atmosphere was so romantic, and JW done right. This is the first and the last time we hear i love you, remind me of another NJH drama with seo in guk ?

But there's something missing like bong hee's 2nd father, did anyone have the answer, who is he? And what the story?
The harry potter kid is missing in this last episode, i imagine he join the last meeting, as everyone joining the meeting ??
Well. Im not ready to wrap this drama. Maybe still gonna repeat some scene before i completely leave them ?

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Thanks for the recap! Wow...it hasn't settled in for me that we won't be seeing more of these amazing characters next week. I'm going to miss them so much, I'm getting teary-eyed already. This was truly a great drama with an amazing couple that never failed to make me squeal, laugh, and cry, and amazing supporting characters who brightened every extra moment.

-Wait, so who's BH's other dad? The one question left unanswered, haha.
-I gotta admit, I kinda love our three ladies being friends. I wish this had come about sooner in the drama!
-I still don't support EH and YJ, but what can you do at this point. At least they are both happy? Although I wanted JH to be happy too...
-CEO Byun is the last person I would go to for advice on anything, haha.
-I'm gonna go cry now. It's been a great ride, guys!

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Aw, thanks for the recap. I suddenly felt really sad when this was ending despite the fact that I knew their story was ready to be finished. I just grew really FOND of all these characters, in a way that some of the best dramas this year can't compete. That's the most important factor in a rom-com for me and so this is going down as a memorable favorite this year, despite its flaws. Something about your recap made me feel really at peace and ready to say goodbye to these lovely characters...almost.

I was so excited when Dong-ha was cast and even kind of hoped he would turn out to be a surprise villain instead of a client. But I never dreamed it would actually turn out this good and I couldn't be more happy for both Dong-ha and the show, that they found each other and gave us this villain that elevated this whole experience.

I love that our leads went right through their honeymoon phase and then had to face the inevitable issues that are bound to occur between two very different people. They were so hilarious this episode, which is how I love them best, bickering one moment and fools in love, the next. Hahaha, his flustered fail at an apology and then over-thinking his opinion on Bong-hee's clothes, it was all too good.

When they skipped a year forward, they totally were already reminding me of CEO Byun and Ji-wook's mom. Lol, probably a sign that he should stop taking Byun's advice. Luckily, their bickering almost always morphs into flirting still and I find that so adorable. Also how they make fun of themselves for their breakup tendencies, which has clearly become a running joke for them at this point. Now I'm just going have to imagine that after that lovely, simple proposal, they got Harry Potter to move back in with them. Then I'm content :)

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I'm sad to say good bye to this show as I won't be able to get my dose of Ji chang wook and his lovable crew, not to mention Dong ha.

This show will go down in my list of favorites that I can see myself rewatching, true it wasn't perfect but it delivered the right amount of conflict, romance, superb acting and especially the way it provoked you to think differently. I always love it when a show is able to get you to look at a different view on things you thought of as set in stone.
I'll miss you show! ?

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This show! I'm so, so happy with the way it ended and I'm going to miss it so much.

Some of my highlights reel:
- Bong-hee, Yoo-jung and Ji-hae becoming friends
- The guys catching up while out on a coffee break. Lol at Mr Byun giving them bad advice!
- That simple but meaningful proposal! I love how they didn't let their arguments get in the way and they were more than willing to grow together.

I can't say this enough but this drama's got one heck of a talented cast and they'll be hard to replace come next week!

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I am not sure it is friendship, it is a new form of girl non-bonding

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Haha, there's definitely a little bit of bonding...just only when one is doing something to annoy the other two.

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...So could anyone explain to me as to why Hyun-soo didn't mark Chan-ho with an "X" on the photo. Speaking of photos what happened to the target ones he had?

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Just one thing I wanna say: I love the finale and it's perfect. ❤️

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I love Suspicious Partner so much! So sad that it has ended. It is going to take me a while to get over this drama:( Oppa ❤️ is going to military service soon! Miss him during the next two years!!

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Thanks LollyPip for faithfully, insightfully and promptly giving us the recaps! ?

I laughed that I guessed correctly, that Chief Bang would go back to work with Ji Wook. I'm also so glad that the law firm continued with just the 3 attorneys and with Eun Hyuk in the lead. It was such a hoot when he groaned that he would have to support all 3 of them, and said he felt like a daycare teacher and then Byun and Bong Hee both put on the their most innocent looks.

My favourite scene this time was Byun giving 'unsound' advice on apologising to women (as the other 3 guys walked, looking so debonair and swoony), then being grilled by his wife for apologising out of convenience. I loved the expressions on his face which veered from total ignorance of the correct answer to a sinking realization that he was just making matters worse. With every look and answer he just kept putting his foot into his mouth. LOL!

- The order for jajangmyun must have been the sweetest ever "for my girlfriend whom I love so much who is here to see me".
- The indispensable office meetings and how the couples left Bang behind with Byun.
- And the low key proposal that hit the right notes without being too cheesy.

It would have been nice if we'd also seen the two mums still bickering or finally getting on as future in-laws and more information on Hyun Soo who thankfully did not try to kill himself after he remembered correctly what he did as a kid.

It was a fun yet suspenseful, thought-provoking and intelligent show (most of the time) with one of the best interlacings of the genres of romance with crime, mixing the light-hearted with the serious and the scary, so masterfully. It was wonderful in bringing us into the minds of the protagonists, not forgetting even those of some side characters, and it gave us much to discuss, to surprise or to shock even, and to analyse.

With so many loveable characters, it's sad to say goodbye to this charismatic ensemble. Kudos to the writer and the production team and may they produce many more good shows! ?

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CEO Byun made me burst out laughing so hard I got drool on my keyboard.

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it is so hard to say goodbye to such wonderful, hardworking, kind, compassionate, generous, devoted, earnest, sincere, strong people as our crazy laywers. I think "inner goodness" describes all of them best. Very good people. Dealing with harsh crimes, they preserved their integrity, while the DA lost all his dignity and Hyun Soo got derailed by his memory.

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and one more thing. Chief Bang should be a guest character in other legal shows. I am so adopting his strategy for getting more credit. "I only talked to 20 people. " - I only cut out 175 fish. Oh, I am not tired, the bnosebleed is for other reason entirely.

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Sad to see the drama end, it's been an extremely enjoyable drama. This drama is another amazing act for JCW especially in rom com

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Sigh... Poor Ji Hae.

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I know, I know. No one can deny that she was classy at the end. I kinda wanted a man to show up for her, but also kinda loved her independence and cynical digs at everyone's lovelines even more.

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Sooooo, the end is here and I habe not even had time to watch it! Simply no time for it! I promise I will... give me some advise first.... Should I prepare some tissues? Am I going to cry?
Just give me a little bit more time
see you, beanies!

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I'm really going to miss this show, it was very entertaining, even with its flaws. Although I felt that the last few weeks were a bit slow and frustrating, I like this last two episodes, the final episode was really fun, I think the couple returned to the crazy dynamics of the beginning, which was so funny, and it had lost a little with the drama of the last days. I love that on a professional level Bong Hee can't beat Ji Wook because he's so good at his job, but on a personal level he is not match for her, that balances them. I trully loved this couple, and the way Ji Chang Wook and Nam Ji Hyun played their characters. I will also miss the gang of lawyers, they were very fun to watch. Also, the villain was extremely interesting. It's really sad to say goodbye to this light show that entertained me all these weeks. And what I will miss the most is to see Ji Chang Wook every week, how sad…:(

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What a week! Both suspicious partner and fight my way ended! Feeling a little empty now that they ended! Oh well, time to look for the next drama! ?

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I'm going to miss this show so. much. The finale was adorable and just as fluffy as I hoped it would be. I loved the small details that made it so much better. Ji-hae's empty laughter, Eun-hyuk's glasses, the fact that Bong-hee is still crashing on Ji-hae's couch a year later...the list goes on. I loved the girl's trio friendship, and while I wish it had more time to develop I really enjoyed how they incorporated it into the finale. I think I'm especially going to miss Ji-hae and all her sarcastic glory.
I honestly can find no fault with any of the characters and their portrayals. All the actors were outstanding, and I fell for all of them. Even Hyun-soo. His scenes had so much emotional pull, and despite the horrid things he's done in the name of justice I still find myself attached to him. Dong-ha is going places, for sure.
I also had my issues with the show here and there, but I want to end this on a happy note. The pros heavily outweigh the cons. This was the show I reached for repeatedly week after week, despite my current drama slump...Oh, how I'll miss it.
Thank you so much for the recaps! The beanie community always makes drama-watching so much fun :)

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Whew! Another drama involving law enforcement down. This must be the season of law.

A little too much fluff, but I enjoyed the ending. I had somewhat mixed feelings about the drama. I loved the first 5 weeks (and was even sort of hopeful that YJ would become more interesting and integrated into the group) and then was upset when Bong Hee became increasingly sidelined for JW's character and we got into that daddy drama.

I felt like the ending was a return to all the things I loved about the drama. JW's prosecutor hair. BH felt bright and sassy again. She has her own cases! BH and JW kisses never really moved me. But the way they just hang out and enjoy each other's company makes me swoon. I loved that montage of them dating and talking on the phone. I hadn't felt this into them since they were crouching down and enjoying the rain. It also felt like a throwback to the time BH hurt her foot and JW was taking care of her - one of my favorite moments in the drama.

I do wish the BH and JW conflict in the final episode was interpersed in earlier episodes. I find it interesting to see BH and JW spar on their cases. Prosecuting fits JW so well while being a defense attorney is BH's calling (wish we got to see her win a case against JW). I also love seeing the three ladies hang out. I wish we had gotten that earlier, but am grateful for what we were given. I agree with Lollypip on their comedic chemistry.

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I agree with most of your afterthoughts but I wasn't fully satisfied with the "happily ever after". Yeah, real life happens and we settle into boring routines and have boring fights. But this is a romance drama, darn it! I didn't want such a bland and 'blah' ending. It meandered too much and it was like the writers didn't know what to do with them once the villains were sent off to jail. Hmm...yeah, a good idea would be let's have them bicker about stupid stuff again and hold each other at arm's length again. Not. Give me back that sizzling chemistry from the beginning. (Insert pouty face here.)
I love an epilogue - I really do - but this one fizzled at the end. I wanted sweet couple moments, not bickering over the pretty and mundane. :/

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Aw, I thought they managed to be sweet and flirty this ep, even with the bickering. Frankly, this is the most entertaining they've been in a while. I never minded them disagreeing and bickering when they continuously show their ability to set aside their differences, which I thought they did pretty well this ep. This was the dynamic I enjoyed the most about them so I'm pretty satisfied.

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I've been trying to pinpoint what I love so much about the 3 girls together and realized that it's because I love how, whenever one of them does something annoying or suffers in some way, it gives the other two a great chance to bond. I was cracking up so much when Bong-hee and Ji-hae avoided Yoo-jung's shot glass because they couldn't stand her obliviousness to Eun-hyuk. Hahaha, they all manage to bring each other together in a weird way. I love it.

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Aww this was a finale that just left everyone feeling happy and wowed by all the pretty bows tied in their respective plots. Once I got over how unrealistic things would progress mid-way (not going to address the 3 way cheating in more detail? Chanho's story? etc.) I just wanted things to end with cases closed and everyone bright-eyed and insanely happier than they had been in a long time. That's exactly what we got, and I'm not complaining! I loved this star-studded cast so much, and had a blast watching our lawyers/prosecutors battle it out for justice.

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I wish they showed hyun soo a bit more in the end... i wanted to see how he feels with all this coming to an end and how he's adjusting to his new life so i'm a tiny bit disappointed...
and ughhh i was looking forward to flashbacks from the last two times they got drunk and find out what really happened on those nights but i guess that might have been a bit 19+ from the looks of it ???
i will miss this cast so much tbh! i hope to see them again soon with more amazing dramas!

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We got epilogues of both those scenes. One was for the end of Wednesday's episode, and the other came out a few weeks ago. I'm sure there are clips on youtube.

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This drama was good enough till the end. It may have loopholes but it is avoidable. I mean no kdrama has been totally perfect. The villain dong ha everytime did send chills and also thriughiut these 40 episodes made a special place in our heart.
And ji chang wool and nam ji hyun both i have to say are the rom com king and queen for me. I have fallen for nam ji hyun. Those cute facial expressions totally got me. She is as adorbale as a soft fluffy squishy spongy whatevr-you-may-think. I wish to see her in some action filled drama or movie to be honest. I think she can pull it off. I had the vibe she can really pull off emotional scenes well without being cutesy. So i really hope to see her in some amzing projects and of course in the near future i would really want a reuniom between JCW and NJH. Please dramagods listen to my wish. I dont think any other couple have ever touched my heart in this way. I will never ever fall for a couple like this couple. And this drama ofcourse has raised my rom com expectations. Very few leads can really do justice like JCW. And i have seen quite of them. Other leads will probably end up being awkward for me. Thank you suspiciois partner for this sweet ride.

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I totally understand you. Part of me was really happy with all the cute and happy moments in this episode but on the other hand I found myself wating for something new like another scene of HS or even a weeding jaja. But overall, despite the flaws this drama was very good, the writer done an excelent work and Dong Ha definitely deserves an award!.
Thank you Lollypip for all your amazing work!.

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ohh I dont know what happen
jaja but my reply is for Kingsqueen previous comment ^^. Soory for the mistake.

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They never told Ji Wook that they didnt sleep together rite? And when they start dating they didnt tell Ji Wook either. At least I wish EH and JW can be real friend again.

Hats off to Dong Ha. We have so many great villains this year but this really come out as the top: Defendant, SWDBS, Rebel, 7DQ, Voice, Chief Kim, perfect wife, missing 9, tunnel. Im more excited for the ranking of villains this year because its hard to choose, we havent really got great "good guy" this year yet.

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It has been a great year for villains but as far as good guys go, I nominate Yeo gin-gu in Circle. He was a great good guy.

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Agree with this! He was fantastic.

I love our good guys here too. They're just all more memorable together, than they are apart. And that's special and charming in its own way.

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There's another villain worth mentioning, the high school psycho from Lookout is beyond redemption.

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Thanks (again!) for the recaps, LollyPip! I assume you're picking up Reunited Worlds, excited for that!

I think SP was excellent, would have been slightly better if they didn't have to fill in those 4 extra hours and made it the regular 16 hours, but whatever. Loved these last two episodes.

If nobody else is going to take Chief Bang, I will! No reason for him to be left alone with CEO Byun. ?

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