Melting Me Softly: Episodes 11-12 Open Thread

32 November 3, 2019November 3, 2019

by missvictrix

It’s an uneven week of episodes for our cryo-couple. At first, they do a lot of smiling and staring at each other — then, a sudden protein toxifies in their bodies and threatens to destroy their future together. At the same time, the genius professors that hold the brainpower to save our leads are both in dire straits. This week, it’s all about the sense of urgency, whether it’s a convincing part of the plot, or a convenient throw-in.

EPISODES 11-12 WEECAP

I spent all last week wondering where Melting Me Softly would go after the wild way we ended last week with the shower scene that shall not be named. And the answer? Well, Dong-chan towels off Mi-ran’s hair, and they return to their prior state of occasionally and cautiously holding hands.

They also spend a lot of time staring into each other’s eyes to the point where not only does the whole broadcasting station find out they’re dating, but even Professor Jo (pretty much my favorite character right now) says he expected it with all the years they have already spent next to each other.

Perhaps as a way to counter the passion of the previous episode, Episode 11 turns to our cryo-couple’s families, once again. Professor Hwang is teary eyed in almost every scene, realizing what a gem Nam-tae is, and the pure love that he has for Mi-ran; later, he’s equally teary over Dong-chan’s mother and her sacrificial love for her son.

Professor Hwang says if he had had a family, he would never have done what he did with cryogenics… which means the drama is telling us (or trying to) that it’s the people we love that matter, and the times we spend with them that give meaning to our lives.

Dong-chan also has some moments with his siblings again, whether it’s his brother’s ungraceful aging, or giving his little sister the love and encouragement she needs to get her life in order. Even while filming their new variety show Go Go ’99, we see Dong-chan and Mi-ran bursting with nostalgia and warmth for the people around them.

I love when the show takes the time to give us this view of people, family, and growing older, I just wish they made the drama about this, instead of all the silly bad guys and antibodies that are filling too much of the plot.

Because that’s what we get when the plot lurches back into action: a forced sense of urgency on every single plot front. First, we learn that Dong-chan and Mi-ran are at a turning point in their thawing where an antibody turns into a deadly toxin (or something like that), and the bruise-like patches on their skin can only mean death is coming.

There’s no reason for this little subplot at all, except to get the plot fired up, and light a fire under Dong-chan to get to the bottom of the mystery already. Professor Jo (really, someone give him a plot line already) saves the day after finally decoding Professor Hwang’s gibberish, and in the space of a few minutes, has created and administered a gold-colored fluid to save them both. For now.

While this mini-crisis is going on, we also have Ha-young, who has dug herself so deep she’s playing on every team, and doesn’t know what the heck she’s doing by the end of it (and neither do I). At first she’s furious and wants Dong-chan to suffer the same pain she is, and wants to re-freeze Mi-ran to make it happen. Then, at the same time, she’s working against herself to save Dong-chan by crippling the baddie’s plans.

But while Ha-young is ruining his plans, she’s also enabling them, and she shares information with everyone in a clumsy and useless way. She’s basically the polar opposite of Jenny Jang in Secret Boutique, who is calculating and strategic to the point that it becomes poetry. [Shameless plug: Frustrated with Melting Me Softly? Why don’t you curl up with Secret Boutique instead? It’s a wild ride that’s both easy to watch, and wonderfully deep and layered.]

For our final bit of plot oomph, we’ve got Professor Hwang captured by the doppelgänger baddie, Professor Jo in danger from same baddie, and the true Lee Seok-doo also in danger. Meanwhile, the truth behind the entire cryogenics experiment and why/how it went bad is getting blocked by baddies, redheads, and TV executives that crave illustrious political careers.

By the end of Episode 12, Dong-chan takes matters into his own hands. He effectively wrecks the premiere of his own show by instead editing in a ton of footage around the cryogenics experiment, Lee Hyeon-doo, and the cover-up around, well, everything.

I feel bad. This moment wanted to be impactful and interesting, but here in dramaland we’ve seen enough live broadcast hacks that they’ve lost a bit of their punch. And Ji Chang-wook did this stuff way better as Healer.

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1 MeloMe

November 3, 2019 at 10:10 PM

"[Shameless plug: Frustrated with Melting Me Softly? Why don’t you curl up with Secret Boutique instead? It’s a wild ride that’s both easy to watch, and wonderfully deep and layered.]"
I second this!!

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2 javinne

November 3, 2019 at 10:14 PM

I appreciate so much the recap I feel I should cry for @missvictrix. Thank you very much! It must be painful.
But also thank you, personally, because I am not watching the show, and after lurking out here I know I won't either. 😅😉😂😅

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missvictrix

November 4, 2019 at 5:53 PM

@javinne proud to take one for the team LOL

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3 LT is Irresistibly Indifferent, Dame Judi

November 3, 2019 at 10:20 PM

Nearly there!
Hwaiting!

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4 applecrumble

November 3, 2019 at 10:46 PM

Thank you, missvictrix, for this recap. I find myself dreading to watch the drama. I fast forwarded too much until I don't know what's going on. Haha!

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5 HANI

November 3, 2019 at 11:06 PM

not watching but I'm surprised when I see this. I thought this drama ended since...nobody talks about it...?
XD
props to you tho for sticking to this drama~

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mugyuljoie is preciousss

November 4, 2019 at 2:02 AM

I try to minimize the chat to minimize the suffering.

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larelle79

November 4, 2019 at 11:26 AM

I straight up come for the comments. Some of them are just sooo funny.

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6 lil.ramen.lover

November 3, 2019 at 11:36 PM

I don't know if I'll watch it but can anyone tell me the subplots points of Bo-min's character as well as his mother's for the past week's episodes?

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chousaurus

November 4, 2019 at 1:25 PM

haha i love bo min

basically he just has a crush on mi ran and his dad finds out and decides to give up so he wont get away in his son's crush. but then the mom was like mi-ran already has a boyfriend!!! (dong chan)

so then bo-min's character goes up to miran and tells her that he'll wait for her because he's still young. and that she's only 4 years older than him lol (very swoonworthy i must admit)

also bo-min's character started working as an intern at the broadcasting station too

dong-chan and the chief think that bo-min's mom is the one who wrote that bad post about miran (but i dont think she actually wrote it)

i think that pretty much covers everything that happened with bo min and his mom!

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7 mugyuljoie is preciousss

November 4, 2019 at 2:08 AM

I thought the entire point of episode 11 was to see how many cliffhangers you could fit into the last five minutes of the hour. If so, well done. The only thing in these two hours that was well done. The search for things to praise is so hard.

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8 Rumi~

November 4, 2019 at 2:35 AM

I thought I'd make it for the last 4 episodes.... But I completely forgot about watching ep 12. The iffy kbs family drama I have gripes with was far more interesting than this.
I think I'll take your suggestion & start watching Secret Boutique sometime soon.

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9 theTINYL

November 4, 2019 at 5:16 AM

As much as this show is a complete, raging dumpster fire, bent on consuming all combustibles in its path... there are rare 'Haha' moments and I think maybe that's why I keep "watching" it every week. I use watching loosely as I pretty much fast forward through more than half of it.

I'm with @missvictrix about this being a missed opportunity for a family-focused drama. Despite a lot of the family members being way too over-the-top for me generally, their interactions have so much potential. The actors are all skilled, they just need the support of a better creative team. Like that scene with the Hwangs, where Byung Shim concedes to give Mi Ran up, only for Ji Hoon to be all like "Great, thanks, now I can date her" and Yeong Seon is floored at how her husband and son are both a bunch of lovesick crazies (to put it mildly). Could've been so much funnier...

I realize how futile it is to complain about the potential of a show that's as trashy as 'Oh gawd, I'm meeeltiiiiiing'. But... here we are... I'll probably stick around until the end just to see how big the mushroom cloud is after this thing blows.

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10 amruta1009

November 4, 2019 at 5:28 AM

Before I would have said this show was only okay. But now even I am loosing patience. I missed a lot of what was going on though I did have give a few laughs. Any serious scenes do not even have much of an impact so there's no point.

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11 chousaurus

November 4, 2019 at 7:21 AM

lol omg i feel like this is such a waste of wookie and won jin ah's talent!!! ugh their love story could have been so much more meaningful and impactful....i didnt even really feel mi-ran's side of the relationship. like there were no hints that she was starting to fall for dong chan lol

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mugyuljoie is preciousss

November 4, 2019 at 11:27 AM

Yes. Not only them, but the rest of the talented actors.

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mommaneedsherkdrama

November 4, 2019 at 6:47 PM

It was one of the reasons I was so looking forward to this. The cast is AMAZING, not just the leads... what a waste... 🤦‍♀️

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12 Bob

November 4, 2019 at 8:30 AM

I've seen bad TV before but I've never seen anything quite like this. There has got to be off-screen drama that we're unaware of fueling this unprecedented disaster. Are the writer and director feuding? Is the head of production some rich guy's nephew? Was there a labor strike of production staff?

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13 Nonso

November 4, 2019 at 10:39 AM

Four more episodes to go. What's going to happen to our couple??

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MikeyD signed up

November 4, 2019 at 1:08 PM

I'm hoping the ending follows in the footsteps of 'Misty'.

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mugyuljoie is preciousss

November 5, 2019 at 1:04 AM

😂

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Nonso

November 5, 2019 at 10:50 AM

I didnt watch misty. How did it end

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larelle79

November 5, 2019 at 11:17 AM

I like calling the end of Misty, The Greek Tragedy of Hot Mess.

I don't wanna give it away. Just go and watch the final episode.

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14 mommaneedsherkdrama

November 4, 2019 at 6:45 PM

So so sad... I love Ji Chang-wook. But alas... I just can't take it anymore. I promise to read what happens in the end but I can't watch you. It is just so ... bad.

Have you guys seen "Catch the Ghost"??
I am loving it!! This past episode (Episode 5) had me laughing so hard, wanting to cry not from the romance (...at least not yet) but for loyalty and friendship. And then I hide my face from the suspense. This one has laughs, heart, and an interesting mystery plot. (GASP!) I HIGHLY recommend!

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15 isa: I'm not a serial killer I'm just really passionate about things

November 4, 2019 at 11:36 PM

One of the many things that is annoying me about this horrible drama (i want a dang bean for the count so I WILL finish it) is up until a month ago (leads time) wookies character was deeply in love and engaged to the awful reporter. Now with Mi Ran he's acting like a 10 year old with his first crush not a 30+ year old who's dated before.

I totally forgot yo watch so 12. Ep 11 was so bad and offensive and boring that I legit thought if had to have been two eps.
I'm here for the bean. Nothing but the bean.

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MikeyD signed up

November 5, 2019 at 8:27 PM

It feels as though the writer's script had got accidentally mislaid on the subway so now they're having a junior production assistant rewriting the episodes from memory.

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Vespertyne29

November 8, 2019 at 7:31 PM

This is the same woman who wrote the worst drama I've ever tried to watch (I didn't even attempt to watch this hot mess), which was SWDBS. The stupid plot, the juvenile bathroom humor, the offensive mocking and OTT stereotyping of gay characters, and did I say the stupid plot, and stupid sub plot, and stupid sub sub plot? I hated everything about it.

So when I read a synopsis of the trite, unoriginal story line of this drama, I thought I would probably not be watching it. And then when I found out who the writer was, I KNEW (1) it would blow, and (2) I would never watch it. But I admit that I didn't think it would be so incredibly horrid that even hard core JCW fans, who love romcoms (which I don't), would barely be able to watch a full episode without massive FFing.

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16 fei

November 6, 2019 at 8:24 AM

Thanks for the recap ! The only thing I liked about the show is your last word in your recap: Healer ! Researching Healer again rather than skipping through this show cos it's so cringely :(

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17 SA

November 7, 2019 at 7:24 PM

For me, Won Jin Ah is a weak weak link. A lot of the time JCW carries the load of their scenes on those shoulders of his. I'm truly plowing through each episode for him and for some of the other characters. That mi ran-crazy professor and his son and wife, the new love line between mi ran's freind and JCW's colleague. I look forward to their scenes more than anything with mi ran in it. I'm sure she must be gifted, but here she is dull, predictable and no match for JCW. Korea has so many outstanding actors, Kim Bora as in intern in Her Private Life, left such a mark, and in Sky Castle. There are so many gifted actors who could have been cast. Actors who turn 5 minutes of screen time into magic. Sorry for the rant, but this was one of the most awaited dramas being JCW 's return from the army and they BLEW it. :(

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18 Lookie

November 7, 2019 at 11:13 PM

I said I'd be watching this for the love of JCW. But I have temporarily shelved this as I really do not enjoy the show. It has an interesting concept, good actors but unfortunately, someone here botched the project. Some sloppy writing and direcring, surely. I hope JCW stay away from these people in the future.

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19 Vespertyne29

November 8, 2019 at 7:07 PM

Ha! This drama is so bad, even constant and gratuitous closeups of the pretty JCW can't save it, and they are so desperate to improve the ratings that now they're bringing in popular idols to make cameo appearances.

Can Jinyoung save this dreck, and give it more than 2% of the viewing audience?

https://www.koreaboo.com/news/got7s-jinyoung-make-cameo-in-drama-melting-softly/

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20 Miko

November 11, 2019 at 3:10 PM

Just did a run through from ep 1 to 14 for Wooky n feeling sorry for him. Happy to see Song Ji eun in the earlier eps. As for Miran's character, she changed after getting the internship job. Because this drama is kinda science "fiction" , i don't expect any logical explanation. But i feel the writer did not do much research n director just want to finish shooting asap.

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