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Memorials: Episode 4

She may have won the battle, but our heroine soon discovers her fight is far from over. Gathering the support of the citizens proves to be child’s play compared to gaining the respect of her coworkers. As she attempts to navigate the shark-filled environment, our hero also finds himself in hot water.

 
EPISODE 4 RECAP

Following the election, Gong-myung and Dae-cheol stare at a reassignment notice placing Gong-myung on the Council Secretariat. Dae-cheol tuts pityingly he’d thought they’d be able to rest now that Se-ra’s out of their hair, but Gong-myung is now essentially the District Council’s errand boy. He offers to walk Gong-myung over, pushing him along like a child.

While Woo-young shows Se-ra’s inaugural selfies to her infant daughter and Han-bi hangs up a placard declaring the bar Se-ra’s office, Se-ra excitedly arrives at work. Gong-myung calls to ask if Chairman Jo ordered his reassignment, but his father denies involvement. When they hang up, Chairman Jo says he wants Min-jae to do something.

Dae-cheol chats with Yong-kyu about Se-ra’s improbably election, quickly backpedaling when she appears behind them. They give her a stack of business cards and Se-ra beams at her official pin. Se-ra asks a few questions about the job and then lowers her voice to ask when her paycheck will be issued. Matching her volume, the men whisper the 20th of each month – same as them. They’re interrupted as Min-jae arrives to give Se-ra a tour.

The tension is palpable as Min-jae rattles off the locations of various offices and scoffs when Se-ra asks if he volunteered. She agrees someone probably ordered him to do it and Min-jae stops short, warning her eyes and ears are everywhere. Se-ra childishly points out there’s no one around and Min-jae sighs he can’t understand how she was elected. Declaring it the wise choice of the people, Se-ra walks ahead.

Finally, Min-jae shows Se-ra her desk – formerly Assemblyman Yang’s. Se-ra dismisses him, saying they should treat each other professionally at the office. Taking a deep breath, Min-jae bows and leaves. Se-ra dances around in annoyance, worrying she’ll bump into Min-jae often. Plopping into her seat, she snoops through the box of Assemblyman Yang’s things and, musing she didn’t receive training from her predecessor, starts flipping through his journal.

Reporting to his new office, Gong-mung is assigned to work under maknae Yong-kyu, who awkwardly announces they should go set up for the meeting. Se-ra is already waiting inside and thinks back to the fateful meeting that brought her here. She wonders how Gong-myung is doing and is about to text him to have lunch together when he walks into the room with Yong-kyu. Gong-myung avoids eye contact as he places water and documents on each desk.

Se-ra stares at him openly and when Gong-myung reaches her desk, he hisses at her to stop. “Did you get kicked out again?” Se-ra asks and Gong-myung growls at her to stop asking questions, too. She smirks as he rejoins Yong-kyu, who wonders if Se-ra will be okay. Gong-myung asks what he means and Yong-kyu points out it won’t be easy to adapt to the other assemblymen.

Se-ra brightens when Chairman Jo walks in… but he breezes right past her and greets the others. Yong-kyu explains to Gong-myung he stepped down as chairman (as he’d promised when he took credit for stopping the distribution center) but retained his power. Next is a trio of Chairman Jo’s lackeys, followed by Vice Chairman, Go Dong-chan, who took over after his father. Hee-soo arrives and Yong-kyu moons that she’s the prettiest lawyer and youth mentor.

Gong-myung recognizes Assemblyman Bong as an elite politician, but Yong-kyu says he’s lost his sway and has practically become an outcast. Finally, Assemblyman Heo enters and he exchanges glares with Se-ra as Yong-kyu explains he’s Chief Won’s mole and essentially useless. Seeing Hee-soo approach, Se-ra jumps up and excitedly extends her hand… only for Hee-soo to haughtily walk away. Yikes.

Snubbed, Se-ra looks around at the other representatives schmoozing and her face falls. Across the room, Yong-kyu pityingly labels her another outcast and Gong-myung watches as she dejectedly sinks back into her seat. Vice Chairman Dong-chan calls the meeting to order and calls on Se-ra to introduce herself. She greets the room brightly and the silences stretches until Chairman Jo tells Dong-chan to start the meeting.

Afterwards, Min-jae asks if Chairman Jo had anything to do with Gong-myung’s reassignment. Chairman Jo jokes says all he did was tell Chief Won to send more Council Secretariats. Sobering, he adds his son should do more than menial tasks and Min-jae’s expression tenses up.

Ironically, Gong-myung is currently being assigned dish duty. He balks, but Yong-kyu explains that as a support team, their duties are to PMSW – print, make copies, serve, and wash dishes. Yong-kyu adds at least they get off work earlier than at the service desk and Gong-myung grimaces at the sink. Returning home that evening, Gong-myung greets an empty apartment and flops onto his bed, exhausted. He thinks of Se-ra being labeled an outcast and runs a hand over his face, groaning it stinks like cleaning gloves.

In her own room, Se-ra comforts herself she didn’t take the job to make friends. She flashes back to leaving the meeting in disappointment and stopping short when she saw Gong-myung washing dishes. Shaking it off, Se-ra thinks she should worry about herself and researches her position. Seeing reps propose and average of 0.9 ordinances a year, Se-ra smiles she’ll easily meet that.

As the other attendees file out of the meeting room the next day, a mischievous smile spreads across Se-ra’s face as she muses she’ll need allies. Bustling up to Dong-chan, she asks if there will be a welcome party for her. Swallowing his initial surprise, Dong-chan agrees. At lunchtime, Se-ra receives a text scheduling it for tonight and looks up just as Gong-myung enters the restaurant.

Ignoring her greeting, Gong-myung sits at a separate table. The owner comes out and asks him to share a table with Se-ra since it’s the lunch rush. He insists he wants to sit alone, but Se-ra volunteers to come to him. Hee. She teases he doesn’t have anyone else to eat with and Gong-myung retorts no one shook her hand today, either. Se-ra proudly announces her welcome party is tonight.

Turning serious, she asks if he’s okay constantly crossing paths with Chairman Jo. Gong-chan firmly replies Chairman Jo has no influence over him and Se-ra coyly asks if she does. She suggests they rekindle their friendship, pointing out they joined at the same time. Gong-myung says she’s the only one that finds comradery in that but Se-ra insists they could eat together.

She starts to say more but Gong-myung cuts her off with a curt refusal. He declares this their first and last meal together and Se-ra sing-songs, “I don’t think so.” Turning to her food, Se-ra says she’ll have a light lunch since her welcome dinner is later… and shovels a large spoonful of rice into her mouth. Hee.

That evening, Se-ra fidgets alone in the reserved room, assuring herself grown men wouldn’t pull a childish prank like standing her up. After an hour, she’s still alone and eventually she calls Dong-chan. He’s in the middle of a hot yoga class with Jo’s trio and tuts that Se-ra is slow on the uptake. The other men agree this will put her in her place but worry whether anyone showed up.

Dong-chan assures them it’s impossible, adding he didn’t even mention the dinner to Chairman Jo or Assemblyman Bong. Giving up, Se-ra goes to pay and her eyes bulge at the 1,170 dollar bill. She weakly tells the cashier to put it on a six-month payment plan. Chugging a beer at the bus stop, Se-ra sighs at another failed social interaction. Gong-myung gets off the bus and Se-ra drags him onto the bench beside her.

She wishes aloud that life came in installments, thinking if emotions were distributed a little at a time, she could be prepared. Gong-myung scoffs the total is the same, but noticing Se-ra’s slumped shoulders, asks if something happened at the dinner. She hands him a package of top grade Korean beef from her doggy bag, and Gong-myung gapes at the expense.

Se-ra quips life doesn’t have installments, but meat does. Smirking, Se-ra asks if he’ll buy some. Gong-myung’s phone buzzes and he tosses the meat back. Se-ra packs it away and starts to leave, but Gong-myung pulls her back saying there’s somewhere they need to go.

Outside a funeral, Se-ra fiddles with an ATM while Gong-myung repacks her doggy bag of beef. Se-ra barks at him to be careful with her 1,170 dollars and then asks if he’ll buy one for the special price of 100 dollars. After a quick calculation, Gong-myung accuses Se-ra of trying to fleece him (as it was only 90 dollars a package) and Se-ra wonders how much she should give at the funeral of a predecessor she’s never met.

Chairman Jo is greeting the widow when the pair walk in and he looks at them oddly before stepping aside. Min-jae watches with a tense expression as Gong-myung guides Se-ra forward and they pay their respects. When the pair turn to the widow, her expression sours when Chairman Jo introduces Se-ra as Assemblyman Yang’s replacement.

In the dining room, Se-ra confronts the other assemblyman and Dong-chan lies he was too preoccupied to contact her. Jo’s trio wonder why she’s here when she’s not welcome, saying the family wouldn’t feel comfortable with the deceased replacement there. One of them starts to mention Assemblyman Yang’s bribery charges and across the room, Yang’s brother drunkenly grabs him by the collar, shouting Yang was a cop for 20 years and someone framed him.

A crowd gathers as men try to break up the fight, pushing Se-ra against a wall and blocking her from the exit. She calls for Gong-myung and they reach for each other through the fray. The struggling men knock everyone to the ground and Gong-myung’s hand finds Se-ra’s.

He hauls her up and over to the door… only to finally turn and see Hee-soo staring back at him, instead. Immediately releasing her, Gong-myung apologizes and asks if she’s okay as he looks over her shoulder to find Se-ra glaring at him from the heap on the floor and nursing a bruised forehead. Heh.

At home, Se-ra throws herself onto her bed and tosses around in frustration.

PART 2

Chief Won explodes when her team tells her she’ll have to petition the district assembly – just as Gong-myung had warned her before she demoted him. Regardless, she immediately sends a proposal to Chairman Jo to use municipal bonds to fund new city development and labor costs. He presents it later that day at the assembly meeting and Se-ra only half listens until he says the amount needed is 30 million dollars.

Assemblyman Bong argues Mawon’s finances have gone to pot after Chief Won took office. He barks temporary measures won’t solve the problem and Chairman Jo snaps that every decision has gone through the district assembly. Assemblyman Bong shouts the assembly just does what the Administrative Division wants and Chairman Jo fires back, demanding what Assemblyman Bong did to prevent this situation.

Dong-chan calls for a recess before the argument escalates and the men glare at each other as the room clears out. Chairman Jo tells the Aeguk Conservative Party members they’ll vote for to use the bonds while Assemblyman Bong warns the Progressive Party, issuing bonds isn’t the solution. Both sides realize they’re evenly split, and the decision falls to the final voter – Se-ra. She’s still sitting in the assembly hall and perks up when she gets a text labeled “urgent.”

By the time the meeting resumes, Se-ra is gone and the room quickly clears as people rush to find her. Meanwhile, Se-ra blinks down at a group of school children who explain they figured the “Queen of Complaints” was the best person to handle their problem… and point Se-ra towards a pumpkin growing dangerously through the roof of the fenced walkway. The kids cheer her on as she climbs up to get the offending gourd.

Back at work, Gong-myung frowns at a chart of the reps’ snack preferences. Peeling an apple badly, Yong-kyu explains an urgent session was called and they’ll serve the conservative party, followed by the progressive party. Gong-myung is appalled they do this too and Yong-kyu pouts if he’d known he’d be peeling fruit after graduating university, he would’ve focused on home economics. He suddenly freezes and rushes over to add Se-ra’s name to the list in marker.

Min-jae reports to Chairman Jo that Se-ra has no party affiliation and the rest of the party criticizes Se-ra’s resume, wondering if they were hoodwinked by a progressive party scheme. One of the Idiot Trio confidently announces to the others he knows what women Se-ra’s age like.

Se-ra smiles at the photos she took with the kids, thinking that making complaints is fulfilling, but so is solving them. “I wasn’t so useless today,” Se-ra tells herself, “I earned my keep today.” She calls for Han-bi, announcing today’s the day they eat her special beef, unaware Dong-chan is calling. Hee-soo doubts Se-ra will answer, chiding Dong-chan for his cruel joke. She says she couldn’t go because she had a prior appointment and Assemblyman Bong orders Dong-chan to sincerely apologize.

They’re interrupted by Gong-myung’s arrival with snacks. Hee-soo loudly declares Se-ra is likely upset over the party prank, meaning both sides are starting from scratch. Looking at Gong-myung, she pointedly adds she knows someone who can help her meet with Se-ra. Cut to Hee-soo using Gong-myung’s phone to call Se-ra. They agree to meet and Gong-myung grumbles at her for rummaging through his contacts.

Hee-soo points out Se-ra is listed at the top of his contacts list, and conveniently under her full name. She takes the phone back and makes a second call… this time to her own phone and says this is her number. Gong-myung nods and Hee-soo sashays off with a satisfied smile as it occurs to Gong-myung to be confused. Heh.

The women meet and Hee-soo asks if Se-ra heard the agenda before she left to pick a pumpkin. Se-ra nods she remembers something about 30 million dollars and Hee-soo says they’ll vote in 2 days and the progressive party hopes she’ll either disagree or abstain so the issuance of municipal bonds will be rejected. She says Se-ra is a representative of ordinary residents and the bonds are a debt that will be repaid through resident taxes. Se-ra agrees debt is bad and Hee-soo leaves, satisfied Se-ra won’t approve the bill.

Mom calls to say a bunch of gifts were delivered (from the conservative party) and urges Se-ra to get home. Se-ra tells her friends about the fight at the meeting and now both sides are vying for her favor. Ja-ryong pipes up that she’s a swing vote and realization dawns on Se-ra. The next day, she eats with the Idiot Trio and when they finish pitching their stance, Se-ra asks what they can do for her.

Her phone gives her an alert and Se-ra takes her leave… and goes two doors down to meet Hee-soo and Dong-chan. He masks an insincere apology with coughs and Hee-soo offers to apologize on his behalf. Hee-soo asks if she’s decided and Se-ra asks what they’ll do for her if she votes their way. They only stare and Se-ra chirps they can think while she orders.

Word of Se-ra’s ploy reaches Chairman Jo and he orders Min-jae to release an article about Mawon’s possible bankruptcy. Min-jae argues that will only emphasize Se-ra’s vote more and Chairman Jo says that’s the point, insisting that the outcome is already decided.

Sick with a stomachache, Se-ra receives texts from both parties: the conservative party offers her various positions while the progressive party promises full support on Se-ra’s ordinances helping children and women. Groaning over her stomach, she pops into a pharmacy and finds Gong-myung already inside getting medicine for chronic gastritis (due to diet and stress). After getting her own medicine, Se-ra chides Gong-myung for not eating well and he retorts overeating will mess up her bowels.

Gong-myung knows what she’s doing and tuts he’d thought she had a conscience when she returned Chairman Jo’s ginseng bribe. Se-ra admits she wanted to mock the reps by making them fight for her and promises to reflect after the vote. The leave together and when they reach a crosswalk, Se-ra announces she crosses here. Gong-myung starts to leave and Se-ra holds him back, asking him to explain municipal bonds.

After scolding her for not knowing, Gong-myung says Mawon district Office has no money and wants to issue promissory notes for a loan. He mutters he’d thought they’d last three months and admits this is why he was kicked out of Planning and Budgeting. A flashback to the fateful meeting shows he’d paused on his way out to warn Chief Won that if things continued, she wouldn’t be able to pay her staff in three months’ time.

Se-ra cries out in disbelief and Gong-myung pulls up the article announcing Mawon’s potential bankruptcy. Se-ra stumbles back and Gong-myung catches her from falling. Tears stream from her eyes and she wonders if it’s raining. Gong-myung frowns that she’s crying and Se-ra rounds on him for not telling her sooner. Gong-myung points out he’d tried talking her out of it and Se-ra cries he just told her to quit without explanation and storms off.

At home, she angrily kicks the crane game gifted by the conservative party. She turns to see Dad drinking with Chairman Jo. Dad drunkenly plops Se-ra on the couch with them and asks Chairman Jo to take care of her. Chairman Jo suggests she buy her parents something with her first paycheck, pointedly adding if she can’t go back for sideways, she must go forward.

In his own apartment, Gong-myung cooks one of Se-ra’s steaks, grimacing over the price but reasoning at least he didn’t let her overcharge him. Sighing, he wonders if Se-ra understood what he’d told her.

The next morning, Assemblyman Bong approaches Se-ra at her desk to ask if she’s made up her mind. Se-ra shakes her head and Assemblyman Bong asks if she knows how much her vote is worth. Se-ra throws out a few guesses like her salary or 1/13 of 30 million dollars… but Bong says her vote is the deciding vote and therefore worth the full 30 million dollars. He says he trusts she’ll pick the tough road that will benefit the majority over a small profit – just as she did with the distribution center.

At the meeting, there’s a line of people trying to shake Se-ra’s hand, so she folds them together. The voting begins and Gong-myung looks meaningfully at her before she goes in… but we don’t get to see what Se-ra choses. When the vote is tallied, 6 voted yes, 6 voted no, and 1 was invalid. Chairman Jo turns to look at Se-ra and the rest of the assembly mutters as Se-ra wonders why there was a void vote. Huh?? Before Dong-chan can end the meeting, Chairman Jo takes the floor and proposes they assembly set an example by forfeiting their pay until the finances are back on track.

Epilogue Gong-myung caught Se-ra after she stormed away from him and confessed the reason he wanted to return to Planning and Budgeting is because it’s the most political place as it decides where the taxpayer’s money is spent: “Money is politics. And tomorrow it’s your call.” Se-ra quivers that such a big responsibility is hers… before deadpanning she’s only had one goal since running for office: “Cash. Money. My pay!”

 
COMMENTS

This episode was slightly less fun than the previous three, but I won’t hold it against the show as we had to set up the next batch of hurdles for our favorite bickering not-a-couple (yet). I love every interaction between them and did anyone else squeal with delight that Gong-myung actually bought Se-ra’s beef? That and him going back for her when the fight broke out at the funeral is proof enough for me that whether he admits it or not, he’s smitten… even if he grabbed the wrong hand on accident. I hate to say it, but I really don’t like Hee-soo so far. I find her snooty and immature in a way that lacks Se-ra’s endearing charm. Part of my distaste might be an overprotectiveness towards Gong-myung – who is clearly oblivious to her interest – but I found her snubbing of Se-ra deeply irritating. She’s entitled to feel upset over her candidate quitting the election, but she takes it a step further by just being rude. I’m hoping she’ll pull through but so far, she’s not impressing me much.

I find it funny no one considered trying to make nice with Se-ra before it came time to vote on something. With the parties split down the middle, Se-ra, as an independent, was clearly going to be a swing vote during any disagreements. I do appreciate the opportunity for her to get some petty revenge, but I wanted her to take the actual voting seriously. She still lacks the political jargon to be an effective rep, but that’s what Gong-myung is for! I wish she’d asked him sooner to explain the situation, but regardless, she did. My only complaint is I wanted him to detail each party’s stance so she could make an informed decision… and not just focus on the fact that her paycheck is in jeopardy.

I’m a little annoyed we didn’t get to see her vote but based on that – and the fact she seem confused by the voided vote – There’s a chance she voted with the conservative party (to save her paycheck) and Chairman Jo invalidated his vote. It would be disappointing, but we’re only in episode 4, so Se-ra still has plenty of time to grow. And the opposite could be true, but that would mean someone from the progressive party sacrificed their vote. Regardless, Chairman Jo is scheming something – as we saw with his releasing the article to emphasize Se-ra’s role in the decision – and I feel his proposal to give up their salaries until the budget stabilizes was a punishment meant for Se-ra. Perhaps he’s hoping she’ll quit – she’s too much of a loose cannon and her strong moral compass makes her hard to manipulate. Ironically, the more he pushes her, the more I suspect Se-ra will push back.

There’s a nice tension building with Min-jae, as well. He’s been tirelessly serving Chairman Jo for years at the expense of his relationship with Se-ra, all on the promise Chairman Jo will return the favor. And yet, he’s starting to see Chairman Jo still favors his biological son over the assistant he claims to view as one. After failing to nominate Min-jae for the District Rep. by-election, Chairman Jo suggested Min-jae would take his place once he moved up the ladder… and yet he’s stilly trying to groom Gong-myung to follow in his footsteps. Add in what might have been a sprinkling of romantic jealousy (or perhaps just possessiveness) at seeing Gong-myung with Se-ra, and we have a ticking timebomb on our hands. Whether he’ll lash out at Chairman Jo or our heroes, though, is debatable.

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I watched this episode after reading the previous recap and I fell in love with this zany show, not gonna lie.

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Hee-soo is a Machveiallian character, which politics is the home of. Her curtness towards Se-ra made me rme, but at the same time, she told Dong-chan that "You shouldn't have done that. No wonder she won't talk to you." She wants power and thinks because she graduated from a top law school in S.K and is a top student that she has more power than Se-ra does at the moment. In the character description, it said that Dong-chan is in love with Hee-soo, so that might be something that comes up later in the show. When the P.D said this was a Office Rom-com, I see it now in Ep 4 with the politicians here and their quarrels. Lol at Idiot Trio, my goodness of course when they realized they all needed Se-ra, they scrambled to get her.

Again, I love that our heroine takes no B.S and despite given the cold shoulder, she rises up and stands firm. Rn, she's clearly focused on the $$, but as time goes on, I think she'll find her true calling card. GM as expected for a politicians son is the audience's guider, he's explaining to her the technical jargon that Se-ra lacks. That's why the two of them working together is going to inflict actual change. Politics need fresh and new voices like them to shake up the old system, and SR and GM are those people.

Also the show plays up a romantic moment only to stop it lol. GM when he 'recused' SR prob. thought "Yeah, I'm the man" only to see he grabbed the wrong person lol. Hee-soo better back off, I despise love triangles so I really hope that Se-ra makes the first move so GM can finally realize his love for her. I liked that we saw his home life, as expected very GM. Lonely and dreary, when he entered and said "I'm home" and just flopped onto the bed, I felt bad for him. He does care about SR, as evident when he thought about her being an outcast, and her seeing that she is now above him at work.

Chairman Jo is a worthy adversary esp. b/c of his close ties to both SR and GM, which is only going to be more painful moving forward. Thinking back to Ep 1 recap, it's more interesting to see an ex bf become a political rival and not a clingy stalker one. I hope that Ep 5/6 continue to move on SR/GM's relationship in a positive way.

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Count me in on the vote against Hee-soo. Big part of it is yes, her hypocrisy in chiding Dong-chan and acting like she didn't bully Se-ra herself. I'll eat my hat if she really got a prior appointment, hah! Another part is like @sunny said, need to protect Gong-myung! Totally hate her taking advantage of him. Which is unfair cause Se-ra also did, but then Hee-so doesn't have that much history with him to treat him like that. Plus, am thinking Se-ra's manhandling can be seen as some kind of skinship, hehe.
Maybe Hee-soo's brand of sneakiness can be a good thing for Se-ra if they ever going to be allies, but so far she seems to be all for herself.

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But its so Machveiallian which fits in so well with politics!

Serious though, I wish K-dramas would cool it with the female rivalry stuff. I can see her potentially being a buffer down the ride *groans. I hope that they end up as friends in the end. Gong-myung's character description said that "He is the most handsome man in the district but his personality gets in the way." I can def. see that she saw a really attractive and tall man, and was like "Yep, that's my next meal." Lol rme.

As I said in Ep 3 recap, I really hope the scene where she head-butts a bunch of books to flirt with GM stays in the show. GM is def. not going to make the 1st move, so I hope we see Se-ra get her flirt/sass on with him. He'll fall into her charm in no time once he realizes he likes her.

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I'm getting triangle vibes more from Min-jae than Hee-soo. I like that they're being set up as rivals. But I also wonder if he feels awed / jealous that she made it on her own, and out of admiration (or some such thing), wants to get back with her again. Plus the fact that she seems close to GM, who is the son of Chairman Jo, who has hinted whom he would really like his successor to be (?)

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I agree with you. Maybe as Sunny said, it's not exactly love but possession... after all, SeRa (someone who he had despised lately) has achieved what he's been wanting for so long, so now, he will se her with another eyes.

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I utterly adore them as a non-couple. I always say it is better when the man likes the woman first, and this is true here as well. He can't help but try to help her even if he fails. Lol. I do have a feeling she will confess first though, she tends to be very open about her feelings. I can't wait for the shenanigans to continue.

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Oh, please, let the shenanigans never end! I love this couple.

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This show is like a breath of fresh air compared to so many others that are so much more intense (but not in a bad way mind you).
GM's obvious attraction despite himself towards Se-ra is fun. It's nice seeing this actor in such a different role than all the others I've seen him in.
Bottom line - I look forward to when Se-ra realizes that she needs to KNOW and DO something to make her job meaningful. And she is going to kick some serious a*ss of those older male politicians. But it will take a while to get her there - but that is how GM will help her the most. He will teach and guide her, then follow her lead.
Let the good times begin!

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IA. Ngl, when I saw the pics/promo on here, I brushed it off. I knew of Nana but not PSH so I was like this actor looks so familiar but also he looks like a new actor lol. Cut back to premiere week, and this under the radar show caught me by surprise.

Politics aren't a sexy topic, unless it gets Shakespeare esque (House of Cards). Having it be an underdog story for the FL makes it fun to watch, & the ML has been well written too. He is the flip side to Se-ra's more introverted side (Ying and Yang OTP)

PSH was in My Only One (Weekender), and the clips I've seen, he played a more romantic and heartfelt role there. That showcased his romantic chops very well. I guess he was like "Eh, don't want to be typecasted" and decided to play 2 psychopathic roles LOL. First time noticing him as an actor and he is charismatic on top of being mysteriously sexy too!

Like @bangwon said, I'm very much looking forward to their burgeoning relationship. I hope that Se-ra makes the 1st move b/c GM is clearly in love with her but he doesn't act on it which is where Se-ra comes into play. Their interactions are the highlight!

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On point with everything! Se-ra is clearly the more impulsive one, and likely to act on what she thinks. In fact, she doesn't really think things through much at all, and just wades right in. So once she's figured out her dynamic with GM, we're likely to see this happen.

On "Politics aren't a sexy topic, unless it gets Shakespeare esque (House of Cards)" - aw, I actually love political comedy of this sort, with or without the romance, and could watch this kind of stuff for hours on end. And the kdrama does it well when they do! I hope it's a genre they don't give up on.

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I’m loving Park Sung-Hoon and Nana in this! I look forward to this drama every week. Usually I’m not interested in the politics of the drama and just skip ahead to the main couple but I’m actually loving the narrative here. Se-ra still has a lot to learn and although she says Money is her ultimate goal, she wouldn’t be keeping a book full of complaints if that was the case. I can’t wait to see her grow and for Gong-myung to help her along the way.

I ship the leads so much, such good chemistry, and I’m squealing at every soft expression Gong-myung gives to Se-ra, I love their begrudging friendship and can’t wait to see it develop.

Also Se-ra trying to protect her meat in the midst of a fight was hilarious to watch, especially when Gong-myung tries to rescue her and ends up grabbing Hee-soo’s hand instead HA

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SeRa and the meat was hilarious from beginning to end: trying to sell it to GM for a higher price, then him fitting it properly in the bag, then she protecting it during the fight... I just can't help smiling every time they both share a scene. Love them!!

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This one is my fav along with good detective.

I am fascinated by the camera in this series. They do that concave thingy and one has to be really good actors I think to pull that off. It captures every emotion so, you have to look natural. And boy, I absolutely love Nana's acting. She is so good. I have no idea why her opportunities have been so few but I hope she will continue to get good opportunities in the future.

The ep 4 did lose some steam because it was all about her learning that it is not just a paycheck but a huge responsibility. It is clear, her vote went to whatever she thought was in her interest - and someone else voided her vote. But I am thinking she will learn and understand more.

Can't wait to see how it all goes down.

Thank you for the very detailed recap @sunny

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Also I love how the director is a but quirky. I loved that hot yoga sequence. It was so funny looking at old men sweating it out doing planks. Also the scene where Se Ra tells GM that they have arrived at her crossing, I loved that they showed little kids in their toy cars. It was so cute

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Haha yeah the toy zone and crosswalk scene was nicely done!

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I also love the camera and how it's used.
And Nana is nailing it, whenever she watches directly to the camera, there's a big smile in my face.

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Oh !! So there was actually something special about the way this is filmed ! I found the style so cool but couldn't for the life of me pinpoint what it was so THANK YOU for pointing out it is a camera concavy effect thing ♥️
If anyone one passing by happens to know the name of that visual effect, please take the time to tell me 'cause I'm loving it and would very much want to know more about it ? Thanks a lot in advance 😊

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Fish-eye lens?

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Aww at Gong-myung buying the beef but my man /what are you doing to that poor steak/ ahhhhhhhhhhhhh

I want more clarity on how everyone voted but I don't mind if Se-ra voted conservative. Like said, it leaves room for growth, and I also actually like how money plays a role in politics even beyond greed: That's Se-ra's earned check plain and simple and even if she didn't have debts, she's got basic needs. I do want her to become more versed in politics and how it affects the community beyond her immediate paycheck though lol

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I'm also yayyy for the beef then I remember his gastritis and got a bit worried ._.

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ooo good point, that's not gonna sit well ^^;;

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Oh no, poor Gong Myung!

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I agree about the voting - like @sunny I don't know if Se-ra was the guilty party in re the voided vote. She definitely looked confused. Maybe that will get revealed soon. Or someone (GM?) will give her a rundown of lawmaking and assembly voting processes.

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With the episode, Sera's intentions were not very clear. She was someone who always complained but by giving a complaints journal to the other candidate, it showed she wanted to change things. She started this job because of the money. So in my mind, she wanted to be paid and change things. But she didn't care about the vote. I udnerstand she must be frustrating because of the behavior of the other members (they're adults, not teenagers, they could be polite at least) but being professional and representing people without voice was why she was elected.
So I like the growth of a character but I thought her growth would be her understanding politics and not about her motivation.

I agree with @sunny it looks like it's Chairman Jo was the one who didn't vote with his party. He didn't really agree with the woman who made the budget.

I'm curious why Charman Jo changed Gong-myung's job what will be the lesson Gong-myung must learn with it. But he's always professional even if he doesn't want to do it.

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Yes, Se Ra has to grow more as a person and as a representative. I am okay with that. I hope she listens to Gong Myung or researches more so that she can make more informed decisions. She has to be smarter than all the hyenas in that assembly to get something done. I love though that she has that conflict and she is not presented as virtuous and self-sacrificing just because she is our heroine.

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She's capable of doing the research and figuring out the game on her own, with a little bit of help. She's been a champion complainer, so the necessary skills and knowledge about city administration are already there.

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District Council or high school? These people should know best that today's enemy can be tomorrow's friend. As childish as it was, am super glad that Se-ra got her swift chance for revenge!

Chairman Jo seems to be plotting to somehow land the responsibility of Mawon's financial trouble on Se-ra and her swing vote. He is forever creating discords between her and others, like at the funeral, ugh, nasty. I think he is trying to curb her by making her forever an outcast. Thank goodness for Gong-myung, and hopefully Assemblyman Bong.

Hats off for Gong-myung's reason for wanting to be in Planning and Budgeting. So he does have as deep aspiration as Se-ra does, only is a bit floundering his way now. Like everybody's comment, can't wait to see how good they'll be when teamed up. And aww, absolutely love how they are silently worrying about each other!

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I loved this episode so much. I felt that even though it was a bit more serious than the previous ones, it was better because I just enjoyed the humour much more. He bought the beef from her you guys. I was just so happy at that. I love how both of them are concerned about each other in their own way. I'm really looking forward to seeing our not- couple become a real one. The hijinks are gonna be super entertaining. This episode really showed is how good GM is at his actual job, which is managing the budget. We've seen him as the sort of person who logs off from work at dot time but now we see that he does that because he knows he's done his job properly. I'm looking forward to him educating Se Ra on the proper procedure in govt offices. Also I want Min Jae to feel bad for a while. My gut tells me he deserves it.

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I find the criticism here on Hee Soo meaningless. Se Rain herself is a character who makes a lot of mistakes. So I don't know why Hee Soo has to get blamed for just existing. She has every right to be snooty. Eun Shil was a good candidate for the Progressive Party and she withdrew in favour of Se Ra who everyone thinks is unfit for the job. I am sure Hee Soo thinks Se Ra cajoled her into doing something against her interest. It will definitely take her some time to warm upto her.
I found the scene where GM realized he was holding her hand and the one where she gave him her phone number cute. GM was quite flustered there for a second. Beyond her political interests, I feel she is intrigued by how GM treats her. He doesn't treat her as everyone else treats her. He is curt and professional, but he is also a gentleman. I hope they don't turn her into a stereotypical second female lead with an unrequited love interest who uses politics just to get a guy. She is a powerful woman and should represent her party much like Chairman Jo represents his party. I want more meat to her role so that Se Ra can act as the middle ground between two opposing ideologies. I would also love to see more women characters in a mentor role.

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This episode, I wish Se-ra were a little less naive, she's 29 yo after all. But I guess that's a necessary evil to emphasize her growth down the line.

Gong-myung is still my favorite character, and I'm looking forward to seeing him being more actively involved or taking the initiative.

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I am disappointed by the recapper's take on Hee-Soo. She is just another politician like the rest of them and in some ways is better than a few of them because she doesn't condone half the things the others do. She hadn't known about the dinner party and when she came to hear of what had been done, she reprimanded her colleague. She hasn't done anything terrible to Gong Myung so far, so I don't know why she has to be hated on account of future fears in that regard.
Sera is also someone growing in her field. She is at the moment just there to earn her pay. Hee Soo hasn't seen any other side of Sera to judge her in any way other than as an opportunist just like her. So her not reaching out to Sera's extended hand needs to be seen in its context. Even then, I don't get the double standards in criticising Hee Soo while giving her equally bad or worse colleagues a free pass. I am disappointed because in the second episode, the recapper lauded the show for creating positive female role models when the progressive candidate resigned to help out Sera. However, from last episode, even when Hee Soo was yet to do something, the recapper was already fearing for the second lead to turn out to be an evil character. This episode recap is in the same vein and her reasons for being critical of Hee Soo are 1) she wasn't nice to Sera 2) she has a crush on Gong Myung which she shouldn't have since it can only be part of her manipulative strategies.
On the one hand, we criticize writers when they create typical second female leads who are evil incarnate. On the other hand, recappers approach these characters with the same gender stereotypes they claim to criticise. Not all female politicians need to be goody two shoes. They are as much a product of their contexts as male politicians. In fact, in politics, a character like Hee Soo would be much more realistic than the progressive party's candidate who resigned despite better credentials and years of experience just to help out the heroine. But that is lauded because the sacrifice was to help out our heroine who may have the passion and pluck but is yet to see her position as anything other than a means to earn a hefty salary.

I wish people saw the show as a satirical take on the political system where very few are there for the right reasons and not see it as a typical kdrama where everything has to be seen from the heroine's perspective. We have come a long way from Boys over Flowers. Recappers need to get out of this innocent female lead -evil second female lead frame.

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I agree!

Bht I guess a lot are apprehensive towards Hee-soo because there are still a lot of writers that present "typical" evil 2nd FLs. And it would really be disappointing and definitely ruins the show.

But I'm still putting my trust on the writer! *fingers crossed*

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Same story with juuri in Its okay not to be okay

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Agreed - I'm not in. the anti-Hee-Soo camp. I think there's scope there with her character, and hopefully the show will give her her own satisfying growth arc in a manner that complements the FL.

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I found episode 4 more well-paced than episode 3. It had less humour but more natural drama. Episode 3 was slightly uneven with the slightly unconvincing decision made by Eun Shil to give up her last shot at the Assembly just because she got to read Se Ra's diary. I wasn't quite sold on that twist. Se Ra's winning the seat could also have been made more suspenseful with more skilful editing.

Episode 4 was less of slapstick and more atmospheric with the focus on both characters' loneliness and Se Ra's futile attempts to fit in. I like her growth and her conflict. Her moral compass sometimes shifts though it always comes back to the right direction. I love GM's personality, how righteous he is and still ready to take everything under the chin.

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Thank you for the recap!

Still loving the drama so far. Although it is annoying to watch Sera not taking this seriously, it also shows how politics is not just plain service. She felt that she gained her keep when she helped solve complaints, but another part of her job is to actually learn what goes on during meetings. Which is another aspect of politics, you have to know the law and all the technicalities.

So I'll be a happy camper to witness Sera's growth as a politician and a lover. Hehehehehehehe

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Thank you for the recap! I liked episode 4 for its slower take. Somehow I really like how they show the mundanity of working at the city council. When Se Ra is shown her desk amidst all the other desks who are clearly never used it really created a convincing image of how hard-at-work her colleagues are. Gong Myung (with his long, pretty legs) pushing the glass trolley, glasses merrily clinking away, was another favorite scene of mine. Just typical mundane office stuff. And the Triplet doing Pilates while skipping her welcoming party just for the sake of shaming her on her first day of work... Aaah, who doesn't like office group dynamics? Everyone feels like in middle school again, taking pride in being one year longer on the job than the other, "you don't know what it takes", "this is the standard procedure and no, we are not going to change it", enjoying their feeling of superiority just because they have been longer on the job and have known your predecessor.

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That conversation in whispers about paychecks and then the quick and dirty calculation on the notepad about monthly spends could well have been me at my first job trying to figure out if I had enough money to buy fuel for my car (yeah, it didn't pay too well :p).

I didn't get why GM was whispering to Se-ra to stop staring/talking to him. Was he embarrassed? or he didn't want Yong-kyu to know that they were talking? Why?

The romantic anticlimactic moments continued with the hand grab at the funeral parlour. There was this bubble that GM and SR seemed to be in in. the eye contact they made across the room, but despite that GM couldn't tell the right hand apart. He will soon, I guess. :D

(and yay! I'm all caught up now!)

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Because he's afraid he's going to blush if she keeps on staring, of course! ><
Yayyy, all caught up just in time for the next episode!

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And we'd all have liked to see that happen, no? Darn the show... :D
Yes! I'm looking forward to this week's installments!

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I liked how real politics are shown: independents don't usually have any support and are despised by the big parties. And we see it's even worse when that independent is a young woman. Because we all know young woman want a claw machine as a present so she can play because she's just a little girl. The patronizing is real. The outcasting is real. If you want to be in politics you have to be on one side. A party side. Hardly on your electors side, which is something SeRa will do.

In this case, I found specially petty and inconsiderate that all the members ignored SeRa party, clearly declaring she was not one of their own. Not even the ones with previous engagements apologized or made an excuse. What a bunch of brats disguised as respectable men!!

I totally agree with your theory about Chairman Jo being the one changing his vote and making this proposal about the salaries. I also think he wants her to resign. He's an expert in manipulating. He's been doing politics all his life.

And how weirdly cute are our leads. I can't stop smiling every single time they are on screen. The smile gets bigger when it's both of them. I love how the drama is showing us the parallelism between them. They are not a couple yet, but they need to be because there are fireworks whenever they are together... am I the only one who sees them?

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"Weirdly cute" is a perfect description - there's something about both of their quirkiness with and around each other that makes me wanting to keep them on the screen. I hope it stays that way!

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I hesitated for several days watching this, fearing an over-earnest episode. What I got instead was delightful. Just plain delightful.

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