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Crash Landing on You: Episode 16 (Final)

Even the best stories must end, and in this case, that means that it’s time for everyone to go home and resume their lives. Unfortunately, returning home means separation for our lovers, when all they want is to be together. But they’ve always believed that if they try hard enough, fate will allow them to be together again someday.

 
EPISODE 16 RECAP

While rescuing Dan from her kidnappers, Seung-joon is shot. Dan runs to his side and he gasps that he’s okay, then passes out. He rouses while in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, and a sobbing Dan says that she was going to give him a chance if and when he came back for her.

Seung-joon asks weakly what she meant that night when she said, “I like (it)” — the ramyun, or him? HA, at a time like this. Dan says that she meant him, and he whispers, “I knew it,” then his hand goes limp in Dan’s… he’s gone.

Meanwhile, Se-ri fights for her life in intensive care, having developed sepsis from the stress of visiting Jung-hyuk and being rejected. NIS Agent Kim can see that Jung-hyuk loves SY, so he allows Jung-hyuk to go to the hospital and see her, even if nobody is allowed in her room.

To her family’s horror, Se-ri flatlines, but thankfully the doctors are able to get her heart started again. Stepmom notices that Jung-hyuk is there again, and she asks Agent Kim to let him stay in case Se-ri takes another turn or wakes up looking for him.

The ducklings are still being treated well by the NIS, and are even allowed to eat meals together. Chi-soo brags that the NIS agents like him so much they’re practically scouting him, but he deflates when the others say they’ve all been asked if they want to stay, heh.

A week later, in North Korea, Director Ri sits down with the military director to discuss his plan to get Jung-hyuk and the ducklings home. He’s suggested trading them for some captured South Korean spies that were imprisoned without trial. The military director objects, so Director Ri reveals that the NIS sent him documents proving that the military director was in regular contact with Chul-kang and may have ordered him to kill Jung-hyuk.

The military director figures out that Director Ri is offering silence regarding his dealings with Chul-kang in trade for the military director keeping his mouth shut about the fact that Jung-hyuk betrayed his country because of a woman. He agrees, but he demands full control over the exchange of soldiers.

Once Se-ri is awake and recovering, Stepmom breaks the news that Jung-hyuk is being sent back to North Korea right away. Se-ri puts on a brave face and says it’s better that she not see him, because she’s already said goodbye to him so many times and she doesn’t want him to know she’s been so ill.

Stepmom tells Se-ri that Jung-hyuk was there while she was sick, and he never left her side for a moment. When she’d eventually regained consciousness, the expression of love on Jung-hyuk’s face was undeniable, but he’d backed off so she couldn’t see him.

It had looked like it killed him to walk away, but he’d voluntarily let Agent Kim take him back into custody. Stepmom hadn’t missed any of it, and she knows that Se-ri wants to see Jung-hyuk anyway. Se-ri bursts into tears and begs to be taken to Jung-hyuk.

In the bus on the way to the exchange location, the ducklings express their relief that Se-ri will be okay. They’re all feeling melancholy, and Jung-hyuk is particularly quiet and withdrawn. Agent Kim notices, and it seems to worry him.

Stepmom drives like a bat outta hell to get Se-ri to the exchange location in time. She even calls Agent Kim and asks him to stall for time and, shipper that he is, he agrees.

Eventually the guys reach the spot where the exchange will take place, and agents from both sides approach the demarcation line. Agent Kim tries to buy a few minutes until Se-ri can get there, but the North Koreans insist on getting this over with. The soldiers from both sides are allowed to cross the line, but as soon as Jung-hyuk steps back into his home country, Se-ri pulls up.

She jumps out of the car and calls his name as he and the ducklings are put in handcuffs. Se-ri runs towards Jung-hyuk, screaming that he can’t leave her like this, and Jung-hyuk’s first thought is for her health as he urges her to stop running. But she doesn’t stop, so before she crosses the line to him, Jung-hyuk breaks and runs to her, crossing the border back into South Korea to catch Se-ri in his arms.

Agents on both sides draw their weapons, but Jung-hyuk and Se-ri only see each other. Se-ri is terrified that Jung-hyuk and the ducklings are being handcuffed by their own people, but Jung-hyuk promises her that nothing bad is going to happen. He tells Se-ri that he’s grateful for the gift of having her in his life, and he apologizes for breaking her heart the other day.

Se-ri asks tearfully if they’ll ever see each other again. Jung-hyuk tells her to wait and pray, and that someday it will happen. He finally gets to say, “I love you,” and Se-ri returns his words, then Jung-hyuk is pulled back to his side of the border. He turns back for one last look, and the ducklings call out their goodbyes to Se-ri (Eun-dong even sends her finger-hearts, awww).

Director Ri gets the call that Jung-hyuk and the ducklings are back in North Korea and leaves to pick up Jung-hyuk and bring him home. But the military director has the guys driven out to an isolated spot in the middle of a forest and taken out of the vehicle, still handcuffed. Jung-hyuk demands to know why they’re not being taken to Pyongyang.

The military director says that they’ll be court-martialed and executed anyway, so it’s better they die here and save their families the trouble. Jung-hyuk says that he’s the only one who committed a crime, because his friends were in South Korea for the World Military Games. The military director chuckles evilly that his friends will keep him company in death, then his men raise their guns.

The next few moments happen very quickly — Man-bok throws himself in front of Jung-hyuk, but Jung-hyuk grabs him and whirls around as the ducklings surround them protectively. Shots ring out, but it’s the soldiers who are hit. More men run out of the forest, followed by Director Ri, who calmly approaches the military director (I literally screamed, “YES, DAD!!!”).

Director Ri gently chides the military director for trying to carry out an execution without a fair trial, because it risks killing innocent victims. He continues, “But it’s different when I witness someone trying to kill my son. You aren’t innocent.” The military director starts to draw his pistol, but Director Ri is ready with his own weapon, and he shoots the military director point-blank. Awesome.

Director Ri and Jung-hyuk head home, and Jung-hyuk apologizes for making his father worry. Director Ri says he’s just glad that Jung-hyuk is back alive, and he asks after Se-ri, but hearing her name makes Jung-hyuk cry. Jung-hyuk’s mother makes a huge fuss over him, and though it’s obvious he’s glad to be home, there’s still a deep sadness to Jung-hyuk’s expression.

Man-bok returns to the village, and the first thing he sees is Woo-pil — not being ostracized and bullied anymore, but playing happily with the other kids. Myung-sook fusses at Man-bok for not contacting her while he was gone, and they both cry openly, happy to be together again.

Things are very different for Dan, who grieves deeply for Seung-joon and won’t eat or get out of bed. She just wants to be left alone, but her mother lets her know that she and her uncle are there to help Dan through this. Dan decides to take them up on their offer, and tells them that what she wants is revenge.

The first thing they do is set up a meeting between Dan and CEO Jeon, who looks like he got quite a beating for letting Seung-joon go free. Dan wants information on anyone involved on the day that Seung-joon died, promising CEO Jeon that he won’t suffer any consequences for helping her because none of them will leave the country alive.

Back in South Korea, Se-hyung continues to blame Sang-ah for getting him in trouble by hiring the men to capture Seung-joon in the hopes of using him to discredit Se-ri. He’s also angry that she paid Chul-kang to kill Se-ri after he’d decided that was going too far.

She keeps quiet and pulls his phone from his pocket, seeing that he’s been recording their conversation. She says that she did it all for him, but Se-hyung yells that he’s lost everything and may end up in jail. Sang-ah reassures Se-hyung that she made sure everything was covered up.

Chairman Yoon calls them to his home, along with Se-ri, who’s been released from the hospital. Se-ri admits that she’s already been questioned by the NIS and will probably be prosecuted, and Sang-ah smirks with satisfaction. Chairman Yoon clarifies that because of the extenuating circumstances, Se-ri will likely come away with only a suspended sentence or a fine.

Se-ri tells Se-hyung that he and Sang-ah are facing up to ten years in prison for soliciting known criminals. She calls out to Agent Kim, who’s waiting in the hall with Manager Oh. Manager Oh is happy to reveal that CEO Jeon in North Korea has provided plenty of evidence against Se-hyung and Sang-ah.

Agent Kim arrests them for solicitation of kidnapping and murder, among other charges. Se-hyung makes a last-ditch appeal to his father, urging him to think of the company’s image, but Chairman Yoon snaps that he’s cutting the rotten parts of his family out — Se-hyung is on his own.

When Se-ri finally goes back to her home, she finds that before he left, Jung-hyuk fully stocked her kitchen with food. It makes Se-ri cry all over again, that he made such an effort to take care of her even after he’s gone. But the real surprise comes when she goes to bed and gets a text from Jung-hyuk, who had asked Agent Kim to show him how to send scheduled text messages.

His text says that he’s sending these messages because he still has so much to say to Se-ri, though he’s left his most important message on her bookshelf. Just like Se-ri did in his bedroom in North Korea, he’d rearranged her books so that the first character of each title spell out Yoon Se-ri, I love you.

The text messages from Jung-hyuk continue to come in at random times. He reminds Se-ri to eat, spend time with the people close to her, and enjoy life, while he does the same. They even go on walks at the same time, separate but still connected.

The ducklings are back to work at the DMZ, and they’ve been left strongly effected by their time in South Korea. They’ve picked up a lot of slang and feel the loss of things like french fries, internet, and hot running water, not to mention Se-ri herself.

Time passes and spring comes. Dan’s mother visits the village wives when she comes to town to help Dan move out of the apartment. She brings gifts of skincare products from a recent trip to Europe, and the ladies are shocked to see their own faces and names on the packaging.

Awww, they’re new products from Se-ri’s Choice, inspired by and named after each of the ladies who welcomed Se-ri into their lives. Dan’s mother says that she holds no bad feelings for Se-ri, now that she knows how warm-hearted and caring she is, and the ladies tear up, remembering their friend.

While packing up her apartment, Dan finds the blue jacket that Seung-joon wore on the one day they got to spend together. They’d gone for a drive, and Seung-joon had teased Dan out of her usual stoic expression by joking around and singing for her. Later Dan goes for a walk on the bridge where Seung-joon kissed her, where she lets herself cry for him one last time.

Dan’s mother visits Jung-hyuk’s mother to formally break off the engagement. She explains that Dan simply doesn’t want to marry Jung-hyuk anymore because she’s in love with someone else, and that the man, in turn, loves Dan even more than his own life. (sob)

Dan visits Jung-hyuk to end things in person, and while she’s at his house, she’s bombarded by memories of Seung-joon giving her the ring. She tells Jung-hyuk that she was there with Seung-joon while he was gone, and he asks after Seung-joon, who helped him a lot. Dan only tells him that Seung-joon went far away and will never be coming back.

Dan mentions the time she went to Switzerland to see Jung-hyuk, and how he’d focused more on taking pictures than being with her. She says she found that old, broken camera when she spent the night at his house, and she took it with her intending to throw it away.

Instead she had it repaired, and when she saw the pictures, she found the reason Jung-hyuk could barely look at her in Switzerland. Later, Jung-hyuk looks through the pictures and sees the one he took of Se-ri on the suspension bridge, and it makes him smile.

In the spring, Se-ri gets a scheduled text from Jung-hyuk that planting season has started, and a pot with seeds in it is delivered to her. Jung-hyuk’s text tells her how to care for the seeds and that she’ll find out what kind of plant they are when it grows. Se-ri complains that it’s high-maintenance, but she meticulously follows his directions, even speaking good words to the seeds (sold out, stock options, limited edition, and Ri Jung-hyuk, lol) like she once told him to do with his tomato plant.

The messages keep coming from Jung-hyuk, and they’re all so loving and encouraging that even Se-ri’s employees start to notice the positive changes in her. Se-ri feels like she’s still close to Jung-hyuk, even in seasons they’ve never spent together, because of the messages that come every few days.

On Se-ri’s birthday, one final text comes in from Jung-hyuk, since there’s a one-year limit on scheduled texts. He mentions her seeds, which have finally revealed themselves to be edelweiss. Jung-hyuk says he wants to meet in the country where edelweiss bloom, and that “If we both try our best, perhaps fate will be on our side.”

Up north in the village, the ladies are giddy about the fact that Jung-hyuk’s squad is returning from the front line today. They stock up and prepare his house like they always do, and get dressed up to welcome their handsome captain home.

Over dinner, Jung-hyuk breaks the news that he’s being discharged, and has been chosen as the new pianist for the National Symphony Orchestra. Aw, yay! He asks the ladies to be as caring towards the new captain as they’ve been with him, and they have to force their smiles for… Chi-soo. PWAHAHA.

With Se-hyung no longer around to fan the flames, Se-ri and her family are much closer these days. Technically Se-joon runs Queens Corp now, though he was smart enough to hire a professional manager and is mostly a figurehead who spends his days playing golf. Se-ri invites Se-joon to help her establish a scholarship foundation for disadvantaged children with musical talent, to send them to a prestigious music school in Switzerland.

Of course, a big part of the reason Se-ri is doing this is that she hopes Jung-hyuk will see a news article about the performances held in Switzerland by the students in the program, and will come find her. But every time she goes, she comes home disappointed, which makes Stepmom feel bad for her. Se-ri tells Stepmom that Jung-hyuk has always found her before, and that she’s sure he’ll find her this time, too.

Se-ri travels to Switzerland again, and this time she thinks for one amazing moment that she sees Jung-hyuk playing the piano in a town square. But it’s someone else, and she goes away dejected but determined not to give up on finding the love of her life again.

She decides to take a break and go paragliding, and she ends up landing awkwardly on a hillside. Se-ri hears a familiar voice say, “I don’t think your landing was that bad. I think you fell on the right spot. Actually, you didn’t fall — you descended.”

Se-ri comes out from under her parachute to see Jung-hyuk standing in front of her with a cheeky grin, and after a moment of shock, she launches herself at him. She sobs that she knew he’d find her and she asks how he got here. He quips that he got on the wrong train and that it brought him to the right destination, then he kisses her.

EPILOGUE

Dan’s mother has heard about the amazing fortuneteller from the village ladies, so she calls her. The fortuneteller says that Dan has already met the love of her life and they parted three years ago, and that Dan will remain alone but will be so successful that she doesn’t need a man. Thankfully, Dan confirms that she prefers to remain single and focus on her music, so Mom decides to find a man for herself instead.

Man-bok leaves the military and moves his family to Pyongyang to pursue his new career — sound design for a film company. So perfect! The ducklings stay in the village under their new captain, Chi-soo, who has to visit the black market vendor to get his fix of fancy Se-ri’s Choice shampoo, hee.

Se-ri goes on another trip to Switzerland, and this time the featured pianist plays the song that Jung-hyuk wrote for his brother. Jung-hyuk arrives just as the song begins, and he and Se-ri hold hands under the table as they enjoy the exhibition. They stay together in a little villa on a mountain, like they do for two weeks every year, happy and in love.

 
COMMENTS

Awww, what a perfect solution to Se-ri and Jung-hyuk’s separation problem! This show never did the expected and continually surprised me in the best ways, and the ending was no different. They can’t be together full-time, but they can see each other in Switzerland, since being there is part of their jobs. So they were able to protect their families and resume their lives, without having to sacrifice anything that’s important to them, and still spend time together whenever possible. It’s not the way dramas usually end so I’ve been trying to imagine an “all or nothing” solution to whether Jung-hyuk and Se-ri could be together, and I love that they found a creative compromise that works on all levels.

I also adored the way Jung-hyuk found a way to “be with” Se-ri for a year after leaving, by setting up those scheduled texts. That was a huge undertaking, but it made the difference for both of them between that first year apart being one of misery, or one where they still felt mutually loved and connected. And then Se-ri returned the favor by setting up her foundation and holding music exhibitions in Switzerland, hoping that Jung-hyuk would eventually see an advertisement and know that it meant she was waiting for him. The best thing about their relationship was the rock-solid conviction that they are on the same page, thinking and feeling the same things, and it’s what made it possible for them to find a way to be together again.

I knew we were going to lose Seung-joon, and while I think it was terribly unfair to Dan, it also made a lot of narrative sense for both of them. Seung-joon died a hero deserving of Dan’s love, knowing that the woman he loved, loved him in return. He got several chances to redeem himself and took every single one, helping out Jung-hyuk and Se-ri and saving Dan’s life. And while Dan will grieve Seung-joon for the rest of her life, she also discovered that she doesn’t need a man, and that she is a whole person all on her own. That’s an amazing gift that Seung-joon left for her, and I came away feeling that Dan will live a very full life despite not following the path that society expects of her.

I feel like Crash Landing on You’s success was earned on many levels, and that one of the main reasons it became so popular was the incredible cast. Not only were the actors perfectly chosen, they had fantastic chemistry as an ensemble and gave some of the best performances of their drama careers. You can tell that this project was deeply loved by those involved, by their obvious commitment to and affection for the story. Crash Landing had its flaws, like all shows do, but when those involved are as enamored by the drama as seemed to be the case here, the audience doesn’t even care because it’s such a joy to experience.

For me, Crash Landing was always about love, but not just the romantic type of love. This drama highlighted just about every kind of love that exists — love within families, love between friends, love for one’s country, and love of oneself. It even explored harmful types of love such as love of money, love of power, and love that twists and harms those it’s supposed to protect. I could go on and on about the ways that Crash Landing showed how love can uplift or let down, how it can help or harm, how it’s possible to love someone in a way that makes you both better people or that’s hurtful and damaging. But in the end, this drama was about the kind of love that heals, that fills in the holes in a person’s life and helps them become the whole person they’re meant to be, and that lasts beyond loss, separation, time, and even enemy lines. I feel like Jung-hyuk and Se-ri, in finding their love and making it work despite the odds, have proven that as long as your heart is open to love, all kinds of love, even the painful kind, then your life will be brightened and enriched past anything you can even imagine.

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I AM STILL NOT OK OVER SEUNG-JOON'S DEATH. narrative sense and all, I just want to see more of dan and seung-joon bickering together T_____T

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I will never be over it.

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Awww I love CLOY! Sure the finale felt a bit long, but overall it was a beautiful series full of love (and goodbyes!). CLOY's squad of ahjummas and ducklings will be one of my favorites in dramaland.

For me, the most satisfying growth was definitely both Seung Joon and Man Bok. I was sad that SJ had to die, but the narrative does make sense. After all i doubt he and Dan could've lived happily in Swiss like Seri and JH.

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Ditto, every word! 🥳

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Death never makes sense! It's still painful to see they killed off the character. I feel for Dan but It's almost like there were each other's blessings for a season or a chapter of their life journeys :)

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Thank you Lollypip!!! It's been great to enjoy this show with you all!! I now have an empty Hyun Bin hole on my Sat & Sundays 😭

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me too! >.< I've had to go back and binge his previous dramas

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i think im the only one who didnt like the ending. i cant even focused in the first hour of drama because of Gu Seungjoon death. the writer try so hard to make it realistic at the end of drama imo.
maybe because i cant feel the resolution for seri and junghyuk at the end (i cant accept they have to meet 2 weeks each year). i think its clear that viewers want a very happy ending and i expected something like Tale of Nokdu kind of happy ending since the last episode was almost 2 hours long but i feel so empty.

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Me too. It felt like a forced happy ending with fake smiles that weren't really heartfelt. Dan lost the love of her life and will never find love again, but she's "happy." The OTP who love each other so much it's torture for them to be apart, can only see each other once a year with no way to keep in touch the rest of the time. But they're "happy." If the episode had ended with their reunion on the mountain, it would have felt more like a happy ending, with the future left to our imaginations. The epilogue just left me angry and ruined the whole series for me.

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the thing that makes me annoyed is the writer kill gu seungjun just to make the story more realistic. idk but after how long episodes we watched, how long the viewers wait because of the broadcast cancelled twice i think i deserve better resolution than this.

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Omg. I think you’ve summed up my feelings totally on the ending!

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I didn’t like the ending either . Maybe I’m part of the 1% who didn’t like it. There were misplaced scenes that had me “blue-balled”.

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SUCH beautiful ending remarks, @lollypip. I never would have thought such eloquent thoughts but after you expressed it wonderfully I agree with everything wholeheartedly. I must add I loved the writer’s juxtapositions of both the simpler NK setting and the faster paced SK setting, yet they never made either one too much of caricature (I can’t think of a drama that has treated NK people with so much dignity - in a good way). I will remember this beautiful, thoughtful drama for a long while, and our love birds, our ducklings, our ahjummas, our conman and ice princess (sob), and the gorgeous scenes and love we were gifted with. All these actors get a standing O in my book.

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So on a scale of Lobster (Legend of the Blue Sea) to You From Another Star, how would thee rate this show?

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Not sure this will help, but I stayed for the beauty of the settings, the humor, and the side characters more than the romance. The episodes are loooooong.

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*oH look its all the things I did like about Lobster*
I will take that as a Lobster out of YFTS rating then ;)

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Same here.
From episode 10
I didn’t really care about the OTP love story although it was beautifully written and played by leading actors.

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I preferred both of them to this, personally - although I found the interpersonal relationships here pretty charming, there was zero plot movement. Really no narrative to speak of. Which is fine for some, but in a drama by this writer, I expected higher stakes.

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I mean I don't really remember Lobster having any plot either to be honest *coughs* was there one? I forget lol.

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I mean... A little?

Things happened for at least four or five episodes? Huh, maybe I just noticed less.

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I can't remember either.
And despite LMH I remember I liked it... or something.

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Okay, having now had all day to think about this, I could argue that Lobster had enough plot for 8-10 episodes, and Crash Landing of Love could have easily told it's story in 4 episodes.

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I didn't finish Lobsters, it was too similar to You From Another Star but in a less good way for me.

So YFAS > CLOY for me.

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I think it was better than Lobster in terms of story, supporting characters and execution and the resolution to our leads' ill-fated love was handled better than YFAS.

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Plot wise it was lackluster but the characters and their relationship make you want to stay, and there seems to be a lot of likeable characters that have screen time so time flew despite it being super long

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Better than either of them and I loved YFAS.

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For me it’s better than Lobster , wrote a bit about it in my comment. Lobster was nice, I have a soft spot for LMH and remember really enjoying the drama. but I can’t for the heck of my life remember a worthy scene in lobster that I felt made my heart go awwwww also I can’t recall the plot much. (Something abt bad brother and past lives???)
For cloy, It’s a tie with you from another star for chemistry but For storyline I think Cloy handled it better. And the ending is better too, I never forgot how I googled to death what’s a black hole and still don’t understand much of that after YFAS ending. For cloy,
I get it. In any case, if we really need to choose a winner, Hyun bin Army uniform and his winter coats beat LMH ugly sweaters 10-0. And his pacific Ocean like shoulders do beat Do Min Joon waify frame 1-0
So if we are to be shallow, cloy first hahaha

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LMAO 😂😂😂😂 best one yet.
Although I feel like I must be the only one who didn't hate the YFTS ending... Lol

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Agree! YFAS gave us *hope* -each time he was able to come back for longer. With CLOY it's stuck at the 2 weeks per year which might be enough for them - but isn't for me!

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Yeah the YFTS was at least made sense (as much sense as anything in that could or did) that he could come back longer each time and eventually stay. Plus the ending shot is so beautifully done. Idk I liked it. Thought it was fine.

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I love JJH so I watched Lobster for her, and I think I still liked LMH back then. I remember scenes but not the whole drama as I do with some faves.

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The best scenes of Lobster (for the part I watched) were Jo Jung Seok's scenes! When he was crying to get pearls :D

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Indeed. Thanks for the final recap. This drama took us to a rollercoaster ride of emotions. They sealed the drama with a satisfactory ending that won't leave its fans angry. It's not a perfect drama but somehow it had all the ingredients of an addicting rom-com that helped its global success. A big part is of course is the chemistry of the cast as you mentioned. I'm sure we all felt the Hyun Bin-Yejin power. Plus the effort of each actor/actress to as much as possible accurately portray their North Korean characters. I read that the drama (the North Korea part) was well-researched. Also, I'm happy that the drama never lost focus and delivered what it wanted to until the end. All the small lapses--like the loose NIS security protocols, and the rushed ending for seung joon,etc..
I'm just happy that they even gave us closure for the people in the North and our beloved ducklings. All in all, the drama felt whole with its rich alternate reality, story, and characters.
Anyways, excuse me while I daydream about going to Switzerland..

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Alas, Kdrama justice was served to Seung-joon. It was too heartbreaking! However, that was the best cowboy shoot-em up scene ever!

My ending would have been a bigger development of the storyline about how Seri's family caused his family's demise. Then he would team up with Dan to seek revenge, and they both would escape to the south to live happily ever after.

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It was a nice drama but surprisly I was more invested in the story of the ducklings and the North Korea ahjummas than in the main characters.

I'm happy that Seri and Jung-hyuk had their happy ending. I really loved their couple in North Korea after there were all the elements but it was lacking the first magic for me.

I never really cared about Seung-joon, so his death sucked because he finally became a good guy but it's all. For Dan, she loved during 10 years Jung-Hyuk, she even stole his camera to destroy it, but she won't fall in love anymore because of Seung-Joon's death? Honestly, I don't find it romantic. Dan was more than a heroine of a tragedy.

I really love the scene with the ahjummas and Seri's products. It was so nice from Seri, from Dan's mother to bring them and to see how they felt touched by it.

As a Swiss, I really liked to see the scenes in Switzerland :) It was kinda weird at first to my country in KDrama but they filmed it beautifully.

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How did Hyun Bin sound when he spoke your language in the flash back? I'm curious to know how good his accent was.

I'm also really curious to know how accurate his North Korean accent is, but I have no one to ask to verify that

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To be honest, I'm not the best judge. I live in the part of Switzerland that speaks French :p

In the part they speak German, it's a dialect "Swiss German", it sounds different. So in my memories, Hyun Bin spoke German and it wasn't bad.

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To be honest, I probably wrote everything I'd like to say about the ending elsewhere... I run out of words and it'd probably sound the same so perhaps I just need copy and paste my comments elsewhere to here.. Haha.

Some points:
1. Though the writer might hv reasons to kill Seungjun.. I still think it's not necessary. He's a criminal. But he's had his redemption throughout the series. I'd like to see him going back to SK and drag Seri's brother to jail with him. He could've served few years in jail, then went look for Dan after a few years. He's not a South Korean citizen, so it's more possible for him to visit Dan.

2. Unnecessary flashbacks. The screen time could've been used for something ELSE.

3. Some viewers wished for a perfect happy ending. Me, too. I wished RJH and his family would defect so that he can be with Seri all the time. But I guess the production team doesn't wanna deal with the consequences of including such political ending... So the best they can give us is Switzerland ending. A happy, yet very open ending. Seri and Jeong-hyeok wouldn't be able to do it for a long time. They probably only could do it for a few years, then he has to defect.

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OMG I agree with the flashbacks like don't they know how to do a montage!

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and most of those flashbacks are for scenes that happened an episode ago... Do they think viewers have amnesia or what =-=

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Everyone else does :)

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I'd like to think that he has to stay in NK while his parents are alive. After that, what would keep him from defecting?

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I'm with you. That's what I fully expect to happen, off in CLOY drama land. He's taken care of his squad/friends so they're set, and once his parents have died, there really isn't anything to keep him there.

That said, I really bawled my head off when Dan grieved for Seung-joon. I really wanted better for them, no matter that it made sense. I'm going to miss this show - and the ducklings most of all.

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I agree.

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Ditto on #2!

For a finale that was 1h50, they could've used that screen-time much better!!!

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Yeah, practically speaking I understand why the writer can't have RJH defect for real life political reasons. But within the drama world, I wonder if he really would be safe even after defecting, considering his family is so high profile and his dad has made so many political enemies, all wishing for his family's demise. If RJH were to defect, unless he fakes his death really well, I think the most likely ultimate ending for him would be assassination like Kim Jong Nam.

Like what one other poster commented, the best ended probably would have been to end the scene right after their reunion on the mountain with no epilogue, so the viewer can make up their own fantasy and conclusion.

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There are some high profile defectors. The most notable one is Thae Young-ho. Iirc he defected with his family.

There was a spy defected alone and his whole family up North was executed.

So yea, for RJH, the scenarios should be: defection with his family (after dad is retired) or him alone after parents passed away or him alone with faked death up North and new identity in the South.

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Why do they need to only meet for 2 weeks a year? Can't he, being the nation's pianist, further his studies in music and spend the next couple of years in Switzerland on his PhD or something?
And why did he have to leave their meeting to chance? He couldn't use the phone to call her the minute he left NK?
Sorry for the reality check, although I loved the show, the actors and the ending. Some things just defied logic.

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It doesn't really defy logic if it's related to NK lol.
The drama did not tell us explicitly about their arrangement, so viewers are left wondering...

We don't know if the scholarship is for short or long program.
We don't know in what capacity RJH is there (he performs himself? or he takes his 'students' to go there?

However, if RJH is there as a performing pianist and the program is short term, then he should go back right away. If the program is long-term, it is possible for him to stay in Switzerland while Seri visits him once in a while.

BTW RJH couldn't do PhD...he didn't even register for undergrad program... Also, for NK people abroad, the government is supposedly set some surveillance measures on them because they are the most prone to defect [even for KJU's maternal family who took care of him back in Switzerland). And they should be back to NK, once they're called back. Even if they're students and children of the elites (like RJH). Under such surveillance, RJH could NOT possibly call Seri even if he left NK. I don't know about the years after they met in the paragliding site, but probably they've set up a way to communicate (and easier if they already have "performance/concert date" set).

The only thing defies logic for me is their house (+meeting arrangement).. It looks permanent..how the hell they do that while RJH is still a North Korean.. Even if he's a child of NK elite, he couldn't have tiptoed around surveillance that much... their arrangement of meeting couldn't last longer than a few years...

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Agree. Plus there is the fact of the SK mission. RJ must be under some additional surveillance after having spent time there just to make sure he did not turn on NK. In my mind as the time goes on they manage to spend more time together and in the end RJ's family retires and leaves NK and he does the same to be with SR full time (not in SK but in Europe).

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I would hate to think about if Director Ri didn't show up to save them, Seri would go on living her life without knowing he's dead and continue to wait year after year. To me that's the hardest part, not knowing how he's doing.

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The ending was bittersweet for me because of all these reasons. All that elaborate effort of setting up a musical scholarship in Switzerland really would only let Seri meet up with RJK for a few years at most. It's been hinted on several occasions that RJK's dad's power is on the decline. Once he falls out of favor with Kim Jong Un, or once he passes away, there is no way RJK can still leave the country unless he defects.

... which brings us to the problem of defection. They are from such a high profile family that I wonder if they would be safe even after they defect. I can't imagine NK would allow a family of such wealth and prestige to escape the country without retribution (something like the assassination of Kim Jong Nam).

The show just gave us a temporary band-aid on their situation. They only realistic way the OTP is not subjected to a lifetime of longing is the reunification of the two Koreas. :\

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For me the only possibility would be that after his parents death, RJH defected. And that could be a possibility if he didn't have any other family left.

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Yeah that would be a good option too. But his dad has so many political enemies, I think the safest option for him is not just to defect but to fake his death really well.

But then Seri would also have to give up her public life in order for them to safely be together.

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But what about his friends. From what I know it’s not just family, the ducklings May be implicated. Unless for the next couple of years he intentionally keep cold of all relationships so as not to implicate anyone. That however is very sad for him

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I thought the plot of CLOY was so contrived from the get-go and the production will just be milking the A-list starpower of Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin but I was happy to be proven wrong.

This is such a strong drama that almost got the trifecta of excellent acting-direction-writing. Acting wise, Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin were casted perfectly. With the number of times they separated in this drama, I thought I'd be tired of it but damn their separation scene in Ep16 will go down as one of the most powerful drama scenes in my book. The ensemble cast were wonderful. This is the drama where I equally cared about the main character and the supporting characters. The ducklings stole my heart and the ajummas were powerful forces in North Korea arc. The cast breathed the script and made the characters alive.

Among many things, I think one of the aspects that made CLOY a smashing international hit is the unique reality of the situation. Two Koreas separated by the 38th parallel treating each other as 'enemies' as a result of a longstanding war. Young generations of Koreans have learned to live with this reality without any personal pain of the separation of their country. Foreigners have gotten a glimpse of the North in what I call a caricature portrayal due to media and politics. This drama humanizes this ugly reality: giving dignity to North Korea as a place where people live instead of being a piece of mystified caricature. They also eat their kimchi, love rice, do their chores, and live their lives. These portrayals of the North Korean mundane life, coupled with a powerful love story, is now a smashing hit that is Crash Landing on You.

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So well said!!! Agree on all points!

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Thanks @lollipip! Lovely ending words to a lovely series.

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I loved the name of the limited edition products SR made for the NK ladies. She called it Saudade: a deep emotional state of nostalgic longing for an absent somethings or someones that one cares for and/or loves while simultaneously having positive emotions towards the future. Perfect name for it.
I like the solution...meeting in Switzerland which coincidentally is the country where Kim Jong Un himself spent 4 years and where he discovered his love for cheese. lol
The villa they stayed in looked like a home...with their pics etc. They created a home for themselves. Love it!
I was very sad for Dan but I agree that SJ died a hero. And I love that she got her revenge!

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Saudade is a portuguese word. It means everything you said with a catch but also meaning that is state of nostalgic longing of something you can't never have again. That why we used a lot to describe our childhood or a time in our Life that will never happen again or someone we lost.

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To start with, i dint understand why seung joon thought that he should die in place of seri? I mean then why seri dint get this revelation? I feel like he already did so much for this couple that now he should only think about seo dan...

- Looking at his girl, standing in the same place without eating sleeping for days... Mr.Ri this is tooooo much, we all know its not practically possible but still you are definitely every girl's dream...

- When cho chul said bad about Ri's dad i was bit confused too, but there he came at the right time with a dashing entry.. Of course you are a Cool Dad!!!

- It hit me hard when Seo Dan said "seung joon went far away and she doesn't know why" to Mr.Ri, i really wished they would fake his death and live somewhere happily...

- I loved it when Man bok came upfront to protect Mr.Ri. He wanted to die saving him though he knew everybody are gonna die once they start shooting. And it was even more sweeter when Mr.Ri protected him. But do you guys think you are bullet proof walls??!!!

- And the ending...!!! Though it was not completely a happy ending, i loved it this way.. I did feel deeper connection between them at their occasional meetings and it was heartwarming just like how i felt in "My love from the stars's" ending.

Finally, everyone tried to protect everyone around them till the end... Isn't that the sweetest? I really wish the world becomes this way, then it ll become a better place to live in...

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I think Seung Joon is saying that he should die in place of Seo Dan, not Seri. If he hadn't sacrificed himself, they would have killed Seo Dan in his place.

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Ohhh yeah that makes sense... Since they were showing seri simultaneously, i was bit confused...

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Thank you for the recaps @lollypip.

I enjoyed this drama so much. For all its koala paragliding shenanigans I thought it handled the story about our two star-crossed lovers quite well.

North Korea is always depicted in dark unattractive terms and while this is not to say things are completely wonderful there, it was nice to see them flesh out the lives of the people living there. The truth is, even in dictatorships or poverty-ridden countries, people still live and love: they get married and have babies. They have dreams and try to achieve those dreams so it was nice to see the writer flesh out characters that could have been relegated to propaganda-spouting minions.

I loved the ducklings so much. Their lives were upended by the arrival of the swallow from the South and they went from wanting her gone to loving her and wanting to protect her even if it cost their lives. I always wanted an older brother or five when I was growing up and I always imagined he'd be a little Pyo Chi-soo: snarky with a heart of gold and willing to punch someone if they hurt me. I love you Chi-soo, you weirdo.

The Ahjumma village ladies were mostly used for comic relief but I love how they were also real people with real problems. They weren't just there to serve as a backdrop to our leads' love story but they were characters we could identify with and actively root for. They may have eye-rolled each other from time to time but I love how they stood up for each other when it counted. Them running off the baddies and saving Myung-sook and her son was just gold. They were my kind of gals.

Another highlight for me was the moms in this drama. We usually don't see chaebol moms who want what's best for their kids so it was refreshing to see. I loved how Ri Jeong-hyuk's mom was a soft-spoken woman who said very little but stood up for her cub when she felt he was threatened. She reminded me of my mom in that way. Dan's mom was a hoot and I just loved her brand of crazy. I thought she just wanted to marry her daughter off to any wealthy suitor but I was glad to see that genuinely wanted her daughter to be happy. Seri's mom was a bit of a mystery throughout the show so I didn't get to fall in love with her as I did with the others but I am glad they mended fences with Seri and she became someone Seri could have in her corner.

I loved the development of the leads' story and looked forward to it every week. I remember being upset that RJH hadn't been vocal about his love for Seri but in his case, actions spoke louder than words. The bit of noble idiocy in the previous episode made me mad until I realized it was part of his character to do that. He is someone who would never sacrifice someone he loves to get out of trouble. Him taking the fall was consistent with who he was and his values are why I fell for him in the first place. Ri Jeong-hyeok may have just ruined future drama men for me. Fare the well oh Captain, my captain.

Seri's arc and...

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.... character growth was my favorite in the drama. She went from a picky princess who didn't care about the feelings or discomfort of people around her to being someone who put others before herself. I love how she retained her badass self even as she grew. Her character wasn't re-written in the name of growth but what made her great was expounded on by adding new characteristics to her personality.

SeungDan deserved better. That is all.

Because I wanted to see my twins in the end, I was a tad disappointed with the ending but forgave the writer because they did get their happy ending even if it's not what I would have liked. Overall I am happy with how the drama ended and look forward to the many rewatches in the future.

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Great observation about mothers.

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Going into this episode I had hoped seung Joon would make it because come on it was 1 hr and 50 he needs to have scenes in this episode right!? Boy was I wrong. I just could not concentrate because I couldn’t believe he died even midway through the drama and when it hit me that he was gone i just couldnt shake the sadness because I got Time flashbacks and that was hella painful. Anyways this show was a wonderful ride with lots of rich characters, friendship and romance that I hope the writer’s next drama is a slice of life, since she seems good at it, with lovers who aren’t star crossed 🤞

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Honestly, I was hoping his death was just faked and that they did bring him back to life in the ambulance. And then given enough time after his "death" he could make his reappearance again. Especially when Dan was walking by herself towards the end and had that little smile on her face, I was hoping it was Seung Joon walking towards her. But noooooooooo! It wasn't meant to be and that made me even sadder!

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First things first, a massive THANK YOU to Crash Landing on You for keeping me in good company for the past two months. And congratulations on being the 2nd highest-rated drama in cable tv channel history!

Now, onto the finale itself:

(1) Let me just jump ahead to that last goodbye scene between Seri and Jung-hyuk, because that was the best scene of the entire episode, if not the whole drama!
That was SO AMAZING in all aspects. Everything was so in tune to create a highly emotional scene. The acting, the music, the directing, the dialogue, the cinematography!!! I’m still not over it.
When Seri started running towards Jung-hyuk and he screamed at her to stop running... idk, that did something to me 😭. Both Hyun Bin and SYJ really conveyed those feelings of desperation, looming separation, worry and longing really well. I could feel their pain. When Jung-hyuk said, in his soft and calm manner “Do not worry, do you not know me? Nothing will happen” or when Seri said “Can’t we see each other again? I will never get to see you again? Forever?”... My heart really broke. Applause for their chemistry 👏

(2) When i first watched the finale, I was really pissed off that writer-nim decided to kill off Seung-joon. But now that I’ve had time to think, maybe that was the best way for him to go? He was a criminal on the run, and there was no foreseeable realistic way for him to lead a normal life. But dammit, this drama was never about the realism in the first place, I wouldn’t have minded if the writer pulled off something “unrealistic” for him and Seo Dan to have a happy ending, his death is so unfair to her. And while I like the message “you don’t need a man to be happy,” Seo Dan wasn’t exactly given a choice in that. So yeah, I’m not as mad as before, but I’m still salty AF.

(3) This is just a sidenote, but shout-out to the moms in this show! I love how supportive they all are of their children (glad that Seri’s mom also came around in the end, even though her prior behaviour isn’t really justifiable). I especially loved Seo Dan’s mom. She was really cool and fun in this show 💞

(4) Something I’m also a little salty about, is the fact that our RiRi couple didn’t get to have their twins (on screen at least, in my mind they do). I’m sure many of you have seen that picture of the twins with Seri’s dad and the NIS agent going around, so it must’ve been in the plans and there’s another alternative ending we didn’t see. I wonder why they couldn’t go with that one? Maybe it involved reunification and they didn’t go through with it for political reasons?
In any case, the Swiss ending was also sweetly poetic and as long as our OTP ends up together, I don’t mind too much. I’m sure they’re meeting for more than 2 weeks/ year as time passes and eventually live happily ever after together, because that chalet looked well lived-in in the epilogue.

PS: I think someone said it on the fanwall, but couldn’t Jung-hyuk have just CALLED once he...

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On the show in general:

I was honestly sceptical about this show in the beginning and I didn’t expect much at all; mostly because of the ridiculous premise (and the odd-sounding, kind of corny title). I was worried that it might make the topic of North Korea a trivial one, and end up being tone-deaf. But the casting, writer, director, and producers were promising.

Well, I’m glad I was wrong about all my worries. This show took its ridiculous premise and managed to inhabit it on its own terms and without taking itself too seriously. I like that it focused more on the characters’ lives, and that the NK government was just used as a background setting to bring the story to life.

I love how this was TRULY an ensemble cast, with all characters not only having stories of their own; but that each of their stories related to one another. The NK ahjumma Hens and the Ducklings were a hoot, but also an amazing support system for our main characters (and among themselves). The bad guys were despicable, but with understandable motivations of their own. I loved to love the loveable ones, and loved to hate the detestable ones.

And of course, there was CHEMISTRY throughout all of it. First there’s the synergy between the acting, writing and directing. Then the rapport between the whole cast. And then the sizzling chemistry of our main leads! I mean... someone already mentioned it, but those were some of the most intense eye-contact ever between Hyun Bin and SYJ! I loved their teasing (on and off-screen) and just how instinctively they understood each other, truly a match made in heaven. They brought out the best in each other, not only as their characters but also as actors.

And while giving acting credit where it’s due... my goodness, EVERYONE killed it. Everyone was distinct and given a chance to shine! Special shout-out to KJH as Gu Seung-joon who was charismatic in his own right and really managed to have a presence in a cast of amazing and experienced actors, it’s nice to see him back. Looking forward to his next project.

Still on the acting front, there were so many scene-stealers in this shows! From the HILARIOUS cameos of Kim Soo-hyun as a NK spy and Choi Ji-woo as herself, to the hilarious antics of Dan’s uncle, or the less talked-about misplaced and greedy but funny antics of Se-ri’s oldest brother and his wife, or the comic confusion of the NIS agents in ep. 15; this drama really filled its world with lively characters down to the most minor of them. And this particular attention to characterization was, I think CLOY’s biggest strength.

And while on strengths, let’s appreciate that is a drama with an ACTUAL strong female lead, who’s smart, resourceful, opinionated, and an all-around badass (can I get an amen?).

On the other hand, I would’ve liked to see MORE (and...

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(continued):

On the other hand, I would’ve liked to see MORE (and better) main OTP kisses!!! I mean you literally have SYJ and Hyun Bin there, a dream pairing, and you’re not gonna take advantage of it? The characters are in their freaking 30s, so many times I screamed at them to just kiss, goddammit! WHY???

Would’ve also liked a liiittle more of the angst we saw in ep. 15, at least the same energy for two full episodes. We had the running theme of goodbyes and separation and I feel like it could’ve explored those deeper, without skimming over them too quickly and instantly gratifying the audience with a reunion or positive outcome in the same episode. But that’s just my personal desire for stories to never hold back when it comes to intense melodrama, because I find that deeply cathartic.

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Just realized there's an unfinished sentence from the 1st comment*

PS: I think someone said it on the fanwall, but couldn’t Jung-hyuk have just CALLED once he got to Switzerland, instead of leaving their meeting again to “fate?” 😂
But that wouldn’t be a k-drama, right? 😂

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I wondered that too but i'm just thankful he left those messages! k-dramas acting as if there's no phones or internet when they wanna do a separation trope 🙄

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I can go along with the writer and assume RJH didn’t try to call from Switzerland because his calls are very likely tapped.

However, what defies logic is how he managed to orchestrate and time his reappearance to be at the very spot where Seri happens to land. It makes no sense lol (although emotionally satisfying!)

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If you ask me, I think he tracked her down once he went to Switzerland. Fate sounds romantic but I’m sure he did his research, visited all the likely places, and knew she will be there. If I were a director I’ll use that as an second epilogue - it will be nice to end saying yes we can leave to fate but I’m getting there to you as well :)

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Seri’s “forever?” - stabbed in all the right places. RJH lost his composure right then - he’d been trying to be strong for her.
Wonderful scene.

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I love that scene so much
If dad didn’t come he would have died without her knowing
And that will make his line of “even if anything happened, you came into my life like a gift, I don’t regret any bit” it will be so poignant.
It is also realistic and may had happened
In an alternative universe, that will be the ending for those who love tragic ends lol but I’m happy with the open ending so we should keep it like that! Life is hard enough

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I have to say that I was too shocked by SeungJoon death to care about the rest of the episode. I kept waiting for him to show at any moment, but he didn’t. So, I don’t care if it suits the story or not. It was unfair.

Most emotive moments of the episode for me were Dan’s holding Seung Jon’s blue velvet jacket, while mum is devastated by pain, and of course Dan’s mum apologising to HJ’s mum.
I had to pause the video because I could not read the subtitles.
I liked the show a lot, mostly the way NK people were portrayed as “normal” people who love their lives, have their dreams, laugh, cry and live daily without really being involved in the politics.
I loved the ducklings, the NIS agents, the Ajummas, SeRi’s big brother and his wife, the mums, and of course our lovely OTP.
Yes, their story was nice, but I have to say that I lost interest in it as the story advanced. Yes, they were nice, in love and deserve all the best...
... and so did Dan and SeungJoo 😕

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Thank you for the recap!
For me, the ending was not great but not bad ...
Loved:
- the scheduled text messages
- the Seri's Choice special edition products for our ahjummas
- Dan saying being single is the trend 😏
- the ducklings reminiscing about SK
.. and many more.
I felt though that the "crash landing" part was a bit forced, but hey, it was too, at the start. 😉
And Hyun Bin/Captain Ri, couldn't have been more dashing 😍

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well dammit, i cried during the whole last episode -- then i read this and i'm crying again...
: [

i loved the ending, well... i didn't like Seung Joon's death, i thought we'd get to see him deciding to stay in the north, as his character was going through such redemption...

but i liked that the drama provided the only rational/believable way for the two of them to continue to see one another...

loved this drama!
*continues to reach for tissue to blow runny nose*

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I am still mad at the writer for killing Seung Jun. I had to resort to writing fan fiction to heal my broken heart. Jung Hyuk and Se Ri got the happiest possible ending (given the circumstances), so why no happy ending for Dan and Seung Jun?
I did read a very convincingly argued comment somewhere else that SJ is still alive and Dan is going to meet him while she is abroad. I prefer to believe that instead of being too mad at the writer. Other than that, the drama made an impression for its sympathetic portrayal of ordinary people from NK. I think I liked it more than My Love from the Star.

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Saying this for the nth time..... those freaking dimples!!😍

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Man, what a ride. This is - undoubtedly - my favorite kdrama of all time at this point and I would've straight up laughed in someone's face if they'd told me that three months ago. After very much not liking LOTBS despite adoring YWCFTS, I was hesitant about this project for several reasons and probably wouldn't even have watched it from the get-go if it wasn't in my face on Netflix. I can quantifiably say now though, that CLOY was gorgeously, brilliantly and lovingly made, with the cast and crew bringing a cross-border story to life in a way I don't think anyone thought would be possible.

Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin's irl matters are still up for debate (watching their Swoon interviews on Youtube will reeeeally make you wonder if HB's permanent heart eyes for SYJ are really just for drama promotions but I digress) but their portrayals of Yoon Seri and Ri Jeong Hyuk were their career peaks if I'm being dead honest. I never once doubted their love for each other or for their loved ones and their extraordinary star crossed connection was incredible to watch on screen. As for the supporting cast? Oscar-worthy performances with a genuine camaraderie that I've seen in very, very few dramas (ie. Reply 1988).

As fantastical as CLOY was, it is important to recognize the innate truth beneath it - that the separation of the Koreas will probably forever be a heartbreaking reality for millions of people. The NK/SK border reunion scene is a haunting reminder of that and props to the CLOY team for playing that out so beautifully. It, along with several other moments from the drama, will stay with me forever.

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Well I cried through that finale and teared up again reading the recap!

When the ajummas got their beauty products, I turned into a blubbering mess. 😭

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i'm waiting for this post so i can say what i wanna say about the ending!!! i'm still reeling about seung joon's death :((( my heart breaks for dan, she deserves to be happy :((( but i like how the writers choose to wrap up the story for her, that she's a whole person and she doesn't need a man to make her happy. she's found her true love even though they can't be together.

i'm gonna miss the ducklings and seung joon and dan's tom and jerry relationship!!! i'm know more fond of the their love story than se ri and captain ri. i prefer their stories back when they're in north korea than when they're in seoul.

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The CLOY ending was neither happy or kind. It is clear that the writer and director filmed the ending first while in Switzerland. The was saudade and cruel, a departure to the fun aspects of the show. To have only two weeks a year to vacation together in a mountain villa is a bittersweet and sad conclusion after Jung Hyuk confessed he wanted to marry Seri and have twins with her.
(Side note:prior to the finale, photoshop shippers fooled many netizens with pictures of the couple with two babies by posting fake casting news for infants.) The final scenes in Switzerland also lacked the passion one would have expected after a year’s waiting. It is not even a long distance relationship, more like an annual reunion. Many viewers had hoped for more.

It was also a tragic, lonely end for Dan. She was off to return to Russia presumably for another 10 years of pining for a lost love. I guess she deserved better because she was not the typical jealous and bitter jilted fiancee. At the end of Episode 15, I thought the writer would have given us a very ironic twist if both Seung-Joon and Seri perished leaving JH and Dan grieving for their lost loves. It would have been symbolic of the divided families after the Korean War. For a moment I thought that their shared grief and affinity for music could have actually brought JH and Dan back together.

The series also could have ended properly after the prisoner exchange scene at the DMZ checkpoint, where no one knows what happens to any of the characters. But since this was a popular fantasy, the too long 3 1/2 hour finale had to tie bows on all the story lines. The premise and writing did not carry this series, it was the fine ensemble acting that carried this pure escapist entertainment.

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Thank you for all the recaps! I loved this show from beginning to the end. And I even loved the long episodes.
You nailed it for describing how this show described love on so many levels for so many reasons.
CLOY was a good watch all the way through for me!

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This show was as perfect as any kdrama could be. I can imagine these characters in their little worlds long into the future, which is how I know they’ve had a good send off. I still think Seung-Joon is still alive somewhere—rescued by Capt Ri’s father, sworn to secrecy by Capt Ri. He’s galavanting in Europe somewhere as we speak and will meet Dan in Russia for her concert.

And I don’t get how Se-ri’s brother could call N. Korea so easily at the beginning of the show, but she can’t call Capt Ri at all by the end of it.

But all in all, this show gave all the feels, and I hate to say it, but I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed it so much without Hyun Bin!

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Echoing your sentiments, I also don't get how seemingly easy it was for the phone calls btw Seri's brother and the people in NK to take place. RJH, with his connections and all, couldn't find a way to call Seri ?
And how is Dan able to scoot off to Russia so easily?

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The brother's calls were routed through China.
Dan is part of the elite NK class.
The biggest story hole is what happened to the $100 million Seung Jun stole?!

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Seri brother called Seungjun in Shenyang, China.

CEO Jeon used Chinese phone which enabled international service. It cannot be always on.. NK traced foreign transmission...

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😭😭😭😭😭😭

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I really enjoyed watching CLOY and the ducklings will long live in my heart but I was really disappointed in SDs ending. Not because she's decided to spend the rest of her life single but because she chose to pursue revenge against the men who killed SJ. I wrote about it more in depth on my wall but I feel like SD is the only person that SJ told his history to. The point of his backstory is that he wasted his life pursuing revenge and he regretted it. Or he would have regretted it if it hadn't lead to her. So, what does she do? Get revenge in his name and then spend the rest of her life alone....like a martyr. Almost like she spent 10 years playing at being in love with Mr. Ri she's spending the rest of her life playing at being in love with SJ. Without a thought or care to what they want.
SD made SJ want to be a better man. She seemed to not want the same.

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I was a bit disappointed in the ending, but I also cannot think of any other that makes any sense.

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I really enjoyed this drama, and I’m happy enough with the ending though it’s better if you don’t think about it too much (like many things in dramaland).

I loved the goodbye at the demarcation line (I was little worried they’d start an international incident 😄).

Also loved SJ and Dan 😭😭😭 , they didn’t have enough time together.

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I'm still mad about Seung Joon but at least Man Bok got his happy ending. If he'd died, I'd have really rioted.

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That scene with he recording sounds was probably the one that put the biggest smile in my face during last episode.

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Between (realistically) paparazzi for Seri and DPRK Minders for Jung-hyuk, these two will be outed for their Swiss rendezvous sometime. Hopefully, Season 2 will then happen!

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Be still my heart. I should’ve never watched this show 😭. This is my first kdrama as I always have the impression that Kdramas are cheesy, melodramatic and over the top plus I don’t want to get sucked into that rabbit hole teehee. But my persistent friend told me to give it a try and lo and behold I was hooked. Why oh why did I give in?!! I told myself I’ll never follow another series after GOT broke my heart. I never cried so much. Swoon. This show gives me all the feels. Sorry for sounding so sappy.

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How much fun did they have picking names for the character that could match book titles, or finding books that matched their names? Or did they just make up book titles?

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even speaking good words to the seeds (sold out, stock options, limited edition, and Ri Jung-hyuk, lol)

LOL at her choice of good words.

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You got to love a female lead that has priorities and not a candy in any sense.
I love her first 9 words, shows she has a career she loves and a life but her most important is the person she loves as no 10

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I am still trying to figure out how I feel about the ending of CLOY. One one hand, I understand the need to kill off SJ for the emotional impact, but part of me feels like this is a k-drama formula to kill off the second lead in any NKvs.Sk drama (am looking at you, King 2 Heart - still not over you killing off Jo Jung-suk!!). Also, I can see how spending some time in neutral Switzerland is the only way this OTP can really get to be with each other, and it is not a bad "happy ending". But I SO wanted to see Binnie to be a father of twin girls, like he wanted :( The producers should have gone really bold and shown the OTP through the years in Switzerland, even meeting up every year with kids born out of wedlock!! That would have totally rocked it :)

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The King 2 Hearts death was one of the most painful ones yet. I still get teary when I think of it. Poor Bot.

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thanks for this wonderful recap...i really enjoyed this show:-)

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It's sad that the place where SeRi has the most number of people who genuinely love and care for her is a place where she could not live in. The ducklings, the hens so love SeRi. They, along with Man-Bok's family, are 10 people. There is not even half of that number who sincerely love SeRi at SK. At most, it's just her dad and stepmom. Her assistants, I wouldn't call it love but more of loyalty and employer fondness. They were quite passive when SeRi was presumed dead. Unlike with the Ducklings, you can really see the deep concern they have for SeRi. They cried so much for SeRi and were too worried about her when anything bad happens to her. They were willing to risk their lives for SeRi. 

The ending was super sad not only because SeRi’s and Jeong Hyuk’s setup is not permanent but also because it’s sadder that Seri never gets to see anymore the other 8 people she's closest with. Even if just the 4 Ducklings. The Demarcation line scene was sad not only for the RiRi couple but also because you can see the cries of the 4 ducklings knowing they will never see nor hug SeRi again.

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Kudos to the show for giving us the most lovable characters. The people in this story are the show’s strength. I love all the NK families — from the ducklings, ahjummas, to Dan’s mom. The leads, Hyun Bin and YeJin, are such good actors. So impressed how they made all the scenes look natural like they’re real people you feel for. Same goes to the ensemble cast. The show really got lucky in getting very good actors who sold their characters really well.

It’s also in this show that I discovered that Hyun Bin is really a dashingly handsome and very masculine actor which is rarity in Korean drama world which is why I haven’t watched Kdramas for a decade now. CLOY was the only one who got me back to watching again and I can’t get enough of it! I have been replaying episodes, especially the first half where they’re all in NK, because I can’t get enough of them.

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I've seen a few of Hyun Bin's shows including the recent Memories of the Alhambra but he didn't really make an impact on me until this drama. His smile and those killer dimples!

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But his jealous pouts are the best :) haha!

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Definitely that too! :D

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I really like that he beefed up for this role. He was always a little too skinny for me
Here .. it’s perfection
Some diss the army haircut but I thought he looked great in it too!

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So agree with you. I also think he looked great with the army haircut. His face looked innocent yet manly, exactly what RJH should look like. And agree that his beefed up frame suited his whole looks, especially his face. Didn't really care for him when he was too skinny before.

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Re-watched Ep 13 and the end part where Seri got shot had me crying because it showed how the Ducklings also made a decision to not ride the bus to go back to NK, risking their own lives as well as their families', just so they could protect SeRi. That's how much they love her. Then, their cries when she got shot were equally as painful as Jeong Hyuk's. Also their pre-goodbye before that scene was so sweet. Sigh. If I want a Part 2 of this show, it's to have another chance for the Ducklings to be reunited with SeRi.

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okay, here is my happy ending: the epilogue after the epilogue= they keep meeting in Switzerland and our Se-ri gets pregnant and the next year she comes back with their child ( I mean I really do hope they are sleeping together for those two weeks ) His parents peacefully pass on and JH, Se-ri and child all live together!!!! ( as they are meant to ) No matter what... I loved the show. Very sad over Seung-Joon's passing... not acceptable. Yes, it's great that Dan can be her own women but it sure is nice to have someone to love and grow with, to have companionship in an intimate relationship. just saying. ( and really both of them could have thrived with each other )

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I think while the ending set in Switzerland was beautiful, them seeing each other for 2 weeks a year is just sad. I get that that's probably the best possible solution given their situation, but they'll only see each other once a year? What about the twins they were gonna have?

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Ahh, closure here. Thanks lollipip for soldiering on. The show was a joy to watch. It'll be savored for a while for me. I continue to hold on to the hope that the show will contribute to a movement, even slight, towards reunification of the two countries. Art's contribution there. And how wonderful it is for this band of beanies having a platform to air their views, enthusiasm, dismay, and all that makes for community. What gift, don't you think? Thanks, everyone.

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As a White American in New York, I am thankful to kdrama and this series was one of the best. South Korean productions are amazing. I loved everything in this series and say Korea rocks!! Love you guys and your productions.

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Thank you for writing great recaps @lollypip!! CLOY has to be one of the best Kdramas ever written. I will miss RiRi, the ducklings, the ajummas, Dan’s mom and uncle. What am I going to do with any new CLOY episodes?

I know that the writers and producers try to give us a more realistic ending, but I wanted a better ending for SJ and Dan as well as RiRi (I mean, where are the twins?!) This 2-weeks-a-year set up is bittersweet for me. But, I prefer it over a tragic ending. I am still hopeful for a season 2, but I doubt it’ll happen.

BTW- the song being played at the concert in Switzerland when JH arrives is not the song he wrote for his brother. It is actually a very famous piece for piano written by Claude Debussy and its name is Clair de Lune. I believe JH performed it the same night he was informed of the death of his brother.

Hyun Bin - you crash landed into my heart!! I will miss seeing you act with SYJ. You two are just a match made in heaven. Thank you, RiRi for making us swoon!! Thank you, ducklings, ajummas, Dan’s mom and uncle, and NIS for making us laugh!! Thank you, the whole CLOY team for a wonderful dorama!!

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Great catch on the music piece! I observe that too. I think he became like a music director or sorts for the NK new talents rather than to be the scholarship receipent since he’s much older now and a little over aged lol

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That’s my taking as well. He brings the talented NK musicians to Switzerland.

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So many excellent points made! Just want to give a shout out for the scene between Dan and Jung Hyuk's mothers: such dignity and respect given and received. Brilliantly acted and restored my faith in people being allowed to handle conflict well in a drama. Great to see it!

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I have many feels for this drama
It’s definitely not perfect but I agree with reviewer that it’s the entire cast and their love for this drama that shines through - this is also reflected also in behind the scenes - the director obviously kept his style throughout and had steady hands I never felt that the drama was going to fall apart towards the end (where some Good Drama sometimes do and drives everyone mad) , editing for most parts (the important ones especially) was done with a lot of heart. The drama never lost its comedic touch and I commend the way it was balanced in the second half where it could have gone all makjang but it never did without losing the stakes. I feel that for the team to miss two broadcast dates with one being they needed time to make it better is an action to commend and congratulate. It’s not common to do that and it shows how much they wanted to make it work - the episodes After the delay were of good quality even in the 2nd half when they went into live shooting.

for the writer, my view is that this is her most complete work to date and the one where I feel she had her hands firmly in the steering wheel. It’s definitely better than LOTBS which I enjoyed a lot but the thing is , I can’t remember most of the plot that was how low key the story was. It also didn’t have a very strong plot despite the stakes Which I felt was under-used. My love from another star is then the breakout hit of hers to beat, where the chemistry from the two leads were immense and basically led the entire drama. But what it lacked was the completeness of story and side characters which all felt a little underdeveloped although the OTP made up for everything.
In Crash, I felt her winning point is the delicate way she conveyed love - love in all kinds , that even in North Korea where we all feel alien about, people are the same. Happiness and kindness are universal. I like it that the side characters shine, be it the North Korean F5 Ducklings or the ahjumas. You feel you know them even though they live in a world so different from yours. You nod your head Or Laugh your head off when they say or do something And you honestly like them all. that’s universal and that’s good writing. (and good acting)

Even for the OTP, they don’t just fall for each other. I appreciate how there is thought to why they “suit” each other despite being worlds apart. Yes fate played an important role but how they approached their attraction was also very honest and realistic. How many times drama OTPs are just fatally attracted for no reason even if the male or female lead is such no-go in real life (I’m looking at you secret garden and boys over flowers etc ) Knowingly and unknowingly they both are souls who are broken but healed because of each other.

Also this drama was nicely paralleled in 1st half and second.
In North Korea, Hyun bin surprised me with how understated he was , I expected him to go alpha male like he does, but.. he was this...

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In North Korea, Hyun bin surprised me with how understated he was , I expected him to go alpha male like he does, but.. he was this quiet statue of composure and you wonder .. hmm. I like his interpretation of his character, it was understated but with steadiness in his portrayal of Ri Jeong Hyuk. With the least lines, he moved Into the hearts of many- quietly contrasting son ye jin’s strong Yoon Seri Who has the one talking more, leading the comedic moments but at that point the female lead was quite the usual, lovable Girl but nothing spectacular (yet)
In the second half, it was son ye Jin though who shone in the emotional scenes - she had tears like pearls, and she was emoting always the right degree in scenes that will look half laughable if put in the wrong actress shoes. If I have to say it , she did out-acted Hyun bin in some of these scenes although he was good already.

The separation scene Broke my heart and is the best I have seen in recent dramas - both of them brought their A game and I will say son ye jin brought it out first for him to respond. It’s A Great scene with good directing and editing. And these are moments where you will recall after a drama has aired for months, years later.

So you have a drama Where the male lead shines in the first half and the female lead leads the emotions in the second, back it up with a strong assemble supporting cast, and an ending that was not half baked or bad! It was strong, and very nice thought out to end with the same OsT as the drama opening. To me the best kiss was the ending as the camera pans out , it was no lip to lip action with close up shots but it was the most natural and brings a smile to my face. The best dramas are when you know for sure how the characters live on after the drama ends and you don’t have to look for scraps in the drama to make you feel like somehow Somewhere they will be happy.
Here; you KNOW they will be happy. Even if it’s 2 weeks per year, even if the scholarship project ends somehow, even if Switzerland becomes no longer is safe for them, They will find a way, Love will always find a way.
Even if they cannot be physically together, their lives have changed not because only of each other but also because of those the friends and relationships they made.
For the drama to be so complete in its storytelling of love and friendship Is probably the reason why it became the breakout drama as it is now.
Maybe we can blame it on the ridiculous synopsis - many of us didn’t give this drama a chance to be good, I didn’t - I went in to laugh and pray that Hyun bin won’t be going off dramas for another 5 years / boy did it surprise us and me :)

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Awesome analysis of RJH’s character.

I liked what you said about the ending, that even if their Switzerland plans fall through its still a happy ending because they will find a way.

Also, the recap per seemed to have missed that the ending was already alluded to in ep 5, when Seri compared their relationship to Geonu and Jiknyeo. In that traditional fable, the star crossed lovers are in a forbidden romance and were only allowed to meet one day per year. One the seventh day of the seventh month, they are allowed to see each other, one in each side of the Milky Way, gazing longingly at each other.

When Seri made that analogy to the ajummas, I half wondered if that’s where the writer meant to take the story. The ending is still bittersweet for me, but thematically it ties everything together so well.

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I was also impressed that it never lost the comedic moments, so many dramas seem to forget they were ever trying to be funny in the last few episodes!

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Totally, I know right.
I thought this drama kept to its spirit right to the end.
Some dramas just somehow get amnesia at some point. Brownie points to Cloy for this.

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Thanks for the recap, @Lollypip!

I'm a bit late to the commentary scene for this last episode, and everyone has pretty much said what I also think. It was a good drama, especially with the chemistry amongst the lead actors.

Like most people, I loved the scheduled texts Jeong Hyeok gave to Se-Ri to connect with her long after he was gone. I think such a gimmick only works because we are assured that his love and affection for her is steady and unchanging, so even though all of those texts were sent during one point in time, they remained true even a year after he wrote them.

Strangely, I felt this episode did the best in expressing their longing for one another in the separation, more so than episode 8 (when she was "trapped" in Seung-Joon's mansion) or 10 (when she returned to SK).

I was extremely pleased with how they did the ending. Not the paragliding landing (a bit too coincidental), but when they meet up for two weeks every year in Switzerland. As strange as this may sound, it was "realistic" enough (no one can have it all) so that one could accept the more fantastical element to it (they actually were able to find one another years later). Actually, it is the fact that it didn't come easily and it did take them a few years to finally find each other that it made it believable and worth it.

Other than that, I am sad for Dan and Seung-Joon. I somehow felt that the 2nd leads got the actual, realistic ending in order to allow our 1st leads to romantic ending we all longed for.

For me, this drama is special because it made me fall in love with Hyun Bin. Now I understand his draw and popularity. Well played, Show.

And thanks to all the Beanies who commented and chatted with me. Our little community is what makes watching k-drama so fun - because I have many friends around the world to share this love of drama with, and we can fangirl, squeal and complain all we want - together! Like Se-Ri and Jeong Hyeok, even though we are separated, we are together!

Until next time, Beanies! ❤️ @eazal, @sicarius, @yuyuu, @ally-le, @stpauligurl, @rueffie

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Thank you LollyPip. I really enjoy reading your thoughts of this ep.
Some aspects in NK reminded me so much about my childhood. The scene where Eun-Dong talked about gathering woods and leaves for cooking in his hometown, the batteries for lights and TV, the bike scene. I loved the epilogues, I looked forward to them every weekend, it was so endearing to watch.

What else can I say about this outrage’s goodies. Except for SALUTE CAPTAIN RI AND THE TEAM OF CLOY. YOU GUYS SHINE LIKE BRILIANT-CUT FLAWLESS DIAMONDS.

Side notes: Ms Song Jae Jung played with my heart and chopped it into pieces in MOTA last year, but Ms Park Ji-Eun came to the rescue, she just like an angel, she gradually glued my poor old heart little by little each week. Then bang! Fire-works popping all over Swiss Alps in the finale!! Thank you all and congratulations on your massive success!!!

Wish list. I wish writer Park does spin-off special ( 2 eps or more). Fast forward to 12 years later; Captain Ri defected to SK after his parents passed away. They now have two teenage twin daughters. Captain Ri has become a full-time house husband, he is an overly protective father of two strong headed teen girls. The four ducklings (SK doppelgangers) are also house husbands. I want to see how he handles his daughters’ male friends and how he deals with their puberty. Captain Ri and the SK ducklings form a Father group. They gather together at a coffee place after dropping off their children at school, they bitch and mourn about their problems and to share their expertise on how to handle “boys-problems” and amongst other things; housework, cooking and special sales at the supermarkets…...

Can I have this if I pray desperately?

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The ending is beautiful and it makes me want more and more of CLOY. This is my favorite drama from this writer, with suspension of belief and flaws and all. Son Ye Jin (my favorite actress of her generation) and Hyun Bin is my favorite OTP ever, and I will miss seeing them onscreen (and off-screen) a lot! There's so many memorable scenes between our characters (OTP, ducklings and OTP together!) that I can't list them all, and reliving them actually makes me a little sad now that the drama is over and I won't have such a good drama to look forward to on the weekend. I need some time to get over this drama....

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