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May I Help You: Episodes 3-4

Most normal people won’t believe a person who claims to see ghosts. And while our heroine is already an expert in running errands for her recently deceased clients, it’s not an easy task to rope our resident errand boy for the living into coming over to the non-living side.

 
EPISODES 3-4 WEECAP

May I Help You: Episodes 3-4

Picking up from last week’s adventure in the closet, it turns out that Dong-joo was on a ghost errand to search for a 100 million won check. After Butler Kim recovers from the shock of seeing her in the dead man’s closet — and unwittingly joins her to turn the house upside-down in search of it — he helps to deliver the check to the man’s widow. But he can’t help but wonder how Dong-joo knew about the check. Thankfully, Butler Kim met the deceased man recently as a substitute driver, so it doesn’t sound strange to the wife when he also delivers the man’s last words to her.

Turning in the check is a huge image booster for the Dime a Job guys, and business picks up again for them. A grateful Butler Kim offers to treat Dong-joo out, and they finally put a rest to the ghost dad business. The two of them become somewhat friendly, and Butler Kim reintroduces himself to Dong-joo as KIM TAE-HEE (which I will now begin to call him by).

May I Help You: Episodes 3-4

Dong-joo will soon become friends with the rest of the Dime a Job crew after she moves into their building for a month. Her excuse for moving out of the house is that she wants to take her studies seriously, but really, it’s because Dad is this close to finding out that she still works as a funeral director. And Dad in turn agrees to the move because he has to work the night shifts at his security guard job for that month. Father and daughter are such adorable little liars, and it’s cute how they both want to protect each other from getting hurt.

The Dime a Job men are excited at the prospect of having a female neighbor, and police officer SEO HAE-AN (Song Deok-ho) falls in crush with Dong-joo at first sight. (I erroneously introduced this character as Sung Deok-ho last week, but that’s the actor’s real name.) Hae-an tasks Tae-hee and Vincent to be his wingmen in wooing the new neighbor, but Tae-hee hasn’t run into Dong-joo as a neighbor yet — because the male lead is always the last person in the know when it comes to situations like this.

But Tae-hee is the first to find out that Dong-joo can see ghosts after a pregnant woman is murdered. Her husband falls into despair and fearing that he’ll take his life to follow after her, she requests Dong-joo to speak with her husband. But that’s when Tae-hee enters the powder room at the funeral home on an errand, and pales on seeing the corpse resting on Dong-joo’s shoulder. And of course, he thinks Dong-joo is nuts when she tells him she was just talking to the woman’s ghost.

Tae-hee is kinda repulsed by Dong-joo’s actions and when they finally meet as neighbors, he tells her to move out and stop following him around. But Dong-joo corrects him and says that he’s the one who is doing the following around. After all, he was the one who stepped into the powder room right in the middle of her ghost conversation, and she couldn’t hear the concluding parts of the message. Now the husband is missing and they don’t know his whereabouts.

While Tae-hee is not actively looking for the missing husband like Dong-joo is, he cannot help but worry about the man – even though he finds Dong-joo’s idea of seeing ghosts ridiculous. But when he hears a story over the radio that has similar elements to what Dong-joo said about the pregnant ghost, he begins to rethink Dong-joo’s ghost seeing ability.

It turns out that shortly before her death, the woman sent in a story to a radio broadcast and she told Dong-joo that the story contains a message for her husband. Dong-joo in turn reached out to the radio program to please read that particular message in hopes that wherever the husband might be, he’ll hear how much the wife loves him and banish all thoughts about following after her.

May I Help You: Episodes 3-4

Truly, while the message is being read, the husband is making his way to the bridge where they shared their first kiss. Tae-hee arrives just in time to stop him from jumping off, and stays by his side as he grieves. Afterwards, the husband returns to the funeral home to perform the final rites for his wife and promises to be united with his family one day. Sigh!

I really didn’t want these depressing type of cases but now that we’re in the middle of it, I’m torn. On one hand I want the drama to dive deep into the stories of the deceased. (Because this woman could have died of natural causes, but why was she murdered? Was it a serial killing? Revenge? A random act of violence?) But on the other hand, I’m not so sure I want to know any more than we are told about the ghosts. The few hints here and there are enough to tug at my heartstrings, so what would change if we got full background information?

May I Help You: Episodes 3-4

There are twelve requests left on Dong-joo’s ghost contract, and it’s pretty obvious that Tae-hee will be tied to each one of them whether he likes it or not. I mean, he has already been involved since last week’s cab driver ghost. And he might have even been involved from the beginning, seeing how he dreams about Dong-joo’s first ghost asking why he killed him (which is a bit shocking because Tae-hee doesn’t look like he could hurt a fly).

Then again, not everyone is exactly who we expect them to be. Like, I was looking forward to seeing the funeral home’s new interns, but I was not expecting them to be elderly men. That was a big chuckle moment for me this week. Anyway, I hope we get to see these ajusshis living their best intern lives — and get more insight into the business of funeral services as it’s such a unique and unexplored profession in dramaland. Despite the sad ghost stories, this drama still has an overall light-hearted tone, and I’m optimistic that this balance will be maintained going forward.

May I Help You: Episodes 3-4

 
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@unit thanks for the weecap. Now that the four episodes have been aired I don’t think this is going to be one for me as it sounds like it’s on the edge of my comfort zone re dealing with seeing the dead bodies and the friendly non scary ghosts. The other elements sound funny and sweet and my type of drama which is a shame. I will follow along via the weecaps.

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I liked these two episodes much better than last week's, although episode 4 was really heartbreaking.

Originally, I was also expecting a lighter drama, but already after the first episode, it was clear to me that the sad undertones would overshadow the lighter moments. I haven't really had to laugh yet, but maybe that will come later.

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Thank you, @unit, for the weecap! i really thought this drama will be something more on the fun side. But no, they had to make me cry every episode feeling sorry for those who have passed and needed somebody to tell their loved ones how much they were loved. I like it that Hyeri is not as 'shouty' as she had been.

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I wasn't expecting a light drama with this plot. A FL who needs to help ghosts, it can't be light. But the issue is I didn't find these episodes heartbreaking... I don't know why. Yet I'm easy to make cry. Maybe it's because they adressed more the awful side of the pregnant woman death than the emotional one. I wonder if this case is really over and if is there a serial killer.

I don't think Hyeri suits this kind of role. But at least, she always has a good chemistry with her partners.

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I didn't understand why the decreased had to be an orphan, 20 year old pregnant woman, whose baby was due in 4 days, who was married only a year to her first love who was also an orphan. Was this supposed to be as painful as possible? And then because they kept showing pregnant women reacting to the murder, it made me think this was the beginning of a possible serial killer situation which brings me back to why does that have to be a thing? If it was a senseless murder, I still ask why?

I don't get why Tae Hee would be able to kick Dong Joo out because he was the nephew of the guy renting out the space.

When Tae Hee told her to stop following him, that was kinda an eye roll/blank stare moment for me because he kept coming into her orbit, not like she was actively searching him out to weird him out.

I don't think Tae Hee killed the boy (or is even necessarily responsible) but feels guilty about whatever happened.

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OMG, I'm so in love with this drama. I love Dong-joo, and even though he was mean to her after he found out that she can see ghosts, I love Tae-hee. He should've believed her when she found the ajusshi's check, but I gasped when he realized 다리 (dari) meant bridge instead of leg. I know that Tae-hee will make it up to Dong-joo like when he broke up with her on her boyfriend's behalf and didn't understand that he did anything wrong, he danced in a cute bear costume to wish her a happy birthday and bought her a cake.

Lee Hye-ri and Lee Jun-young's chemistry is through the roof. Tae-hee knows all of Dong-joo's secrets -- she can see ghosts, she's self-conscious about her hands, she lies to her dad about working at the funeral home, and her dad lies to her about working as a security guard. Even Dad loves him. Dong-joo blaming Tae-hee for the husband's disappearance triggered his trauma of causing Joon-ho's death. Please let Dong-joo have heard ghost Joon-ho's last wish, so she can tell Tae-hee that it wasn't his fault. Then Tae-hee can tell Dong-joo that it wasn't her fault that her mom had died. I can't wait until they heal each other.

I'd wondered how she knew Father Michael after he had called her "Dong-joo" and thought he worked in the chapel of the funeral home, but I loved the twist that he's her uncle and both Dong-joo and Tae-hee have samchons.

Police officer Hae-ahn is nice for not judging Dong-joo for being a funeral director. I was hoping once So-ra found out that Dong-joo's landlord was the jerk who delivered the breakup message, she would confront Tae-hee and fall in love with him at first sight being so boy crazy, but I can see So-ra ending up with Hae-ahn.

Thanks lots for your weecap, @Unit!

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I love this series. Public service announcement: Have a glass of water with you while you watch, to avoid getting dehydrated. I disagree with the comment that Hyeri doesn't suit these type of roles. People see her and just expect silliness, but even in Reply 1988, some of her most powerful scenes were sad ones. I thought her heartbreak for the family and desperation to find the dad were really well done.

I think the case had to be ultra tragic to explain why it would draw national attention and have so many people invested in Apple dad's disappearence. The writer didn't just put that in there as a cheap ploy for tears.

Looking forward to Tae-hee back story and the two of them healing each other as the story gones on.

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Am I the only one to not like how the FL character was acting in these 2 episodes? The ML was honestly not doing anything wrong, yet the FL went all huffy and puffy railing at him for interrupting her session with the female pregnant ghost (when he was not aware of what she was doing at all!), and then also making a huge mess of the house looking for the 100 million won check and leaving the ML to get scolded by the ghost's family and clean up after her, AND not being sorry about it at all and instead gloating abt finding her check? That was so annoying.

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Popping in to say I am loving your name🥰. Popping back out because I am not watching this one.

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You know, I'd agree with you, except I got a little mad at the ML, for emphasizing, out of nowhere, how much he didn't like her and she had to move right away. He could have said "I find you too strange." Or, "you bother me" so "just stay away." But saying that the three reasons you have to move right now are that I don't like you, I don't like you at all, and I hate you, seemed very harsh and, I have to say, out of character for someone who has generally been quite considerate even when he is understandably irritated at the FL!

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I agree, but yet a part of me is inclined to understand where the ML is coming from. If someone were to keep railing at me on several occasions despite no fault on my part and hence have failed to act reasonably towards me repeatedly, any other kind of explanation I would offer would seem superfluous and I would not be inclined to say more to the person :/

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I thought it strange that the FL didn't offer to help clean up the mess as well, but I attributed it too wanting to get out of the apartment as quickly as possible in case the home owners reappeared. As for the other annoying behaviors on both the ML and FL parts, I attribute the ML's "I don't like you, I really don't like you, etc." to his disappointment that the girl he was interested in was suddenly this psycho who embraced dead bodies and talked to them. As for the FL getting huffy, I think she was hurt and disappointed too, that someone who initially accepted her despite her job would now unilaterally reject her without giving her a chance to explain. And except for the apartment thing, she was right -- she was always on the the scene first and he was the one (unintentionally) following her.

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Hmm the "not offering to help clean up" part I can understand, because she was there illegitimately and had to get out as soon as possible. But the way the FL was not apologetic at all, and instead feeling all self-entitled to his understanding after having caused him so much trouble, was rather selfish and off-putting. Then again the way she scolded him for interrupting her talk with the female ghost so she didn't hear what the female ghost said to the end was just completely irrational and unreasonable to me too. He did not know obviously what was going on, and she should have known it was really not his fault too.

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My new favorite show! 😁

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I watched all four episodes last night. I still have to read the recaps but here are some instant thoughts:

I do not understand the two characters or their interactions with each other.

I love the priest uncle and our FL’s relation with him.
FL’s relation with friends hasn’t come across as natural. I do like “I don’t have chingu” friend and she will be the uncle or the policeman’s love interest.
Too many co-incidences.
The melancholic tone has worked for me but Some of the choices made in showing some parts of the story don’t create suspense but are just jarring!
I really like the uncle-ML duo. The police inspector is nice too.
I like the dad and his love for his daughter!

Daughter’s character is… oxymoronic?
I am bringing towards the opinion that they could have selected a heroine who could have been a bit more nuanced. But we will see.

And seriously! She understands the importance of money and a job yet she puts the ML’s job in jeopardy, every now and then. In ep3 it was deliberate!

But you can see before 4, he has started liking her. I am watching coz I like dealing with death genre and coz of the ML, though he needs to work more on his skills… fighting!

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Bending towards*

Not bringing towards.

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I'm enjoying this show. This one presses all my emotional buttons and had me in floods. I find the interactions between the two leads interesting, it's not like they are immediately interested in each other or even dislike each other, they just find the other person strange.
I was losing patience with the ML rather than the female lead. Particularly about his insistence that she was following him around. I'm interested to see how he rectifies things next week. And who was the person at the end who dropped her clipboard? Sister? Cousin? Ex?

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Sadly it was a random act of violence. One of the news reports they show have the reporter state they caught the guy, who pled guilty and said it just happened. Just a random tragedy.
At least they caught him but still.

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I don't understand why Father Michael says he rarely sees Dong Joo. Is there a problem with her going to "confession" with her uncle often? Without her mother, she needs all the relatives she can get. Doesn't seem like she has grandparents or any other relatives

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