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Curtain Call: Episodes 5-6

In this week’s episodes, we see new relationships forming, others getting stronger, and some growing more distant. The stage is quickly changing for our actors, and they’re beginning to feel the heat.

 
EPISODES 5-6 WEECAP

Curtain Call: Episodes 5-6 Curtain Call: Episodes 5-6

Phew! After the cliffhanger last week, we find that Grandma Geum-soon is okay. Desperately searching for her grandmother, Se-yeon runs into Geum-soon outside, who is seemingly perfectly fine. Geum-soon relaxes Se-yeon and jokes with her casually reinforcing to her that she doesn’t need to worry.

The next morning, Jae-heon and Yoon-hee arrive back at the family home where they run into the perpetually scowling Se-joon. To their surprise, he was nice to them and spoke more words to them in that one conversation than he has in the past four episodes. Putting on a front to keep them comfortable, Se-joon is actually still wary of them. We see later on that he is testing them every chance he gets.

Curtain Call: Episodes 5-6

Jae-heon cooks up a meal for Geum-soon showing off his cooking skills to the family, but more importantly, his willingness to help out and do things around the house. His readiness to cook surprises caretaker YOON JUNG-SOOK (Bae Hae-sun) as none of the other grandchildren have stepped up to do anything like that. While cooking, Se-joon approaches Jae-heon unexpectedly speaking Chinese. Jae-heon stares at Se-joon like a deer in headlights, but the ever-so-sharp Yoon-hee responds in fluent Chinese, surprising Se-joon. Just him being present forces the two to be ready for anything.

After the interaction, everyone sits down to eat. Geum-soon brings up to Jae-heon the idea of him working. He reiterates that he is only there to be with her. She insists that he works at the hotel, to everyone’s dismay except Se-yeon – who was actually the one to bring the idea up to Geum-soon. Reluctantly, Jae-heon accepts.

Curtain Call: Episodes 5-6

Contrasting Se-joon’s stone-cold demeanor is his wife, HYUN JI-WON (Hwang Wol-seul-hye), who seems more open to accepting Jae-heon and Yoon-hee as extended family which only frustrates Se-joon more. Seeing it as a chance to bond with Yoon-hee, Ji-won invites her to go shopping for “retro” dresses for a party.

After their shopping excursion, they make their way to the party where Yoon-hee gets to meet Ji-won’s “friends.” Yoon-hee swiftly picks up on their condescending attitude towards Ji-won and doesn’t hesitate to step in and protect her new friend. Pulling Ji-won away from the party, Yoon-hee pushes her to be more vocal in defending herself – which makes her sincere support apparent to Ji-won. They’re blossoming into close friends quickly and I’m loving every second they’re on the screen together.

Curtain Call: Episodes 5-6 Curtain Call: Episodes 5-6

Meanwhile, it’s Jae-heon’s first day at work. All spruced up, he meets Se-yeon outside where she compliments his look and fixes his tie. I don’t see the sparks of their relationship just yet as I don’t get any hints of Se-yeon having any type of romantic affection towards Jae-heon. Conversely, however, we can easily see Jae-heon slowly falling for Se-yeon. I mean, look at the adoration in his eyes. He’s swooning!

At the hotel, Jae-heon is shocked to hear that Se-yeon has brought him on as a member of the planning team. This is problematic as he wants a job that will minimalize his interactions with high profile people, as he doesn’t want to risk getting caught. Speaking of high profile people, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KIM (Song Jong-hak) makes his way into Se-yeon’s office. Meeting Jae-heon for the first time, he brings up the looming notion of favoritism considering Jae-heon’s immediate entry on the planning team. Jae-heon, trying to get out of this important job, agrees with Executive Director Kim and opts to be a porter instead. Not realizing Se-yeon is banking on him for his vote to keep the hotel, his choice disappoints her.

Curtain Call: Episodes 5-6

After a long first day, Se-yeon takes Jae-heon out to dinner with her co-workers. Everybody is drinking and having a good time, and in the midst of this, HONG RA-KYEONG (Kim Hyun-sook) – Se-yeon’s assistant and friend – attempts to take a love shot with Jae-heon. Jae-heon has to pretend not to know what a love shot actually is, and awkwardly acts his way through — but there’s even more awkwardness when Se-yeon breaks the two apart and feeds Ra-kyeong a bite of food to cover up her previous action.

Being carried by Se-yeon back the the car, a drunk Jae-heon almost lets it slip to her that he likes her. She questions what he said and he covers it up by following the comment up with statements that he likes Grandma Geum-soon and he likes everything right now. Se-yeon relaxes and proceeds to bring him to the car.

Curtain Call: Episodes 5-6

At home, Jae-heon stumbles to Yoon-hee. Irritated, she scolds him for coming back so late and brings him into their room. As he falls asleep in bed, she stares at him, longing for her feelings to be recognized and reciprocated by the one she really cares for.

I love Yoon-hee’s character as she is very forthcoming and astute. We see she doesn’t delay in being there for people who need her and the ones she cares for. She’s also a lot more collected than Jae-heon is as he loses rationality at times – a lot of it branching from his growing affection for Se-yeon.

Curtain Call: Episodes 5-6 Curtain Call: Episodes 5-6

His second first day on the job, Jae-heon is working diligently as a porter, but Dong-je spots him and has him deliver some bags to his suite. He tells Jae-heon to open one of the bags and then to try the shoes on — part of a scheme he’s got going to bribe Jae-heon to his side. Jae-heon doesn’t take kindly to this and aggressively denies his offer, not missing out on the chance to act protectively towards Se-yeon, either (which is not exactly what Dong-je was hoping for).

The confrontation continues for Jae-heon when Executive Director Kim spots him in the lobby and chews him out for leaving his post. He’s sent to the laundry room to work instead, but what seems like a best case scenario quickly turns into a worst case scenario.

Two friends from the theatre are also working in the laundry room and immediately recognize Jae-heon — just as Se-yeon walks in to pick him up. Thankfully, they’re all actors and they play along, and later, Jae-heon explains the whole situation to them, and that he’s acting on a “huge” stage. Let’s hope the two know how to keep a secret.

Curtain Call: Episodes 5-6 Curtain Call: Episodes 5-6

Se-yeon continues to protect Jae-heon, and confronts Se-joon, thinking he’s instructed Executive Director Kim to be intentionally antagonistic towards him. We’re given hints of how the two siblings used to be on the same page, which is echoed again later when Se-joon and Se-gyu chat over drinks. Se-gyu brings up how there was once a time when Se-joon felt bad for Se-yeon (which seems directly related to Dong-je, hmmm). Se-joon attempts to change the subject, though, and eventually leaves; sadly, his detached personality is beginning to separate him from his siblings and other family members.

We soon learn more about Se-yeon and Dong-je’s history when he “invites” Jae-heon for dinner in his suite with Se-yeon. Yoon-hee is also at the hotel visiting her husband, so the two couples have a very awkward dinner. Here, we see the calm and rational Yoon-hee compared to the clouded head of Jae-heon. Jae-heon brings up the relationship of Se-yeon and Dong-je and pushes too far as he brings up their possible arranged marriage. This leads to Dong-je excusing himself from the table, and Se-yeon mentally checking out. After the meal, Yoon-hee reprimands Jae-heon outside for his lack of sensibility and awareness.

Curtain Call: Episodes 5-6 Curtain Call: Episodes 5-6

We’re given a little more insight into Se-joon when Jung-sook delivers him a drink he loved as a kid. She asks him why he is so harsh. He, surprisingly, doesn’t dismiss her and proceeds to talk about his parents’ passing. It is revealed that they died in a plane crash while working for the hotel. Se-joon thinks they overextended themselves for Geum-soon and that she has been using them all as tools to reconnect with her North Korean family.

I honestly was not thinking this would be the reason for his bitterness. I assumed it would be less rational, but this makes his reasoning seem so much more real. I think his feelings are justified but he is handling them in a selfish way. I also wonder why he is so cold towards Se-yeon specifically. My guess is that he thinks she didn’t mourn their parents enough or she didn’t show it as she was so occupied with the hotel.

Curtain Call: Episodes 5-6 Curtain Call: Episodes 5-6

As for Se-yeon, she has scars of her own. The next day, Se-yeon takes Jae-heon to her personal workshop and it is full of paintings that she has done in the past. He asks her about them, finding out that she has a passion for painting, which then leads to him asking why she stays at the hotel. She says it’s a part of her and she can’t abandon it. She loves the hotel but she is somewhat obligated to keep it afloat. In her case, I think she must be opposite of Se-joon where she sees the hotel as a legacy of her parents and she can’t leave it because of them.

After this conversation, it seems like Jae-heon is liking Se-yeon even more (and more obviously). From the emotional bonding when she confided about her parents and her painting to the adrenaline-filled escape at the police check-point, these two are getting closer by the day.

Curtain Call: Episodes 5-6

To end this week’s episodes off, Geum-soon decides to have her last banquet and gives each of her grandchildren ten invitations to give to their friends and family. The event quickly arrives and with it a whole host of unexpected characters converge on the scene — namely, the appearance of Yoon-hee’s mother and one of Se-yeon’s friends (who Jae-heon play-acted boyfriend for).

Yoon-hee anad Jae-heon turn about-face and then freeze, not sure what to do, while we get a giant cliffhanger. I have no idea how our actors are going to manage their escape as they are right in the middle of the vortex this time.

Curtain Call: Episodes 5-6 Curtain Call: Episodes 5-6

Outside of landing such a huge cliffhanger, this has been a great week for character development in the drama. In these two episodes, Se-yeon and Jae-heon have grown a lot closer, though I’m still getting more sibling than couple vibes. I don’t know how the drama will build this romance convincingly, but I’m very interested to see how she comes around to falling for him. The underlying fight for the hotel could also be affecting her outgoingness towards Jae-heon, but she also seems like a genuine person and has already told Jae-heon why she was trying to get close to him in the first place.

Finally, I’m glad we finally got to dive into Se-joon’s mind a little bit as I have been wanting more of him from the start. He is such an interesting character and in my opinion, the most interesting of the three grandchildren right now. But with Grandma Geum-soon is slowly getting worse, and the real Moon-sung trying to make his way to South Korea, who knows how all these plot threads will play out. Will Moon-sung make it in time before her death and blow Jae-heon’s cover, or will the banquet be enough to do that?

Curtain Call: Episodes 5-6

 
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This is totally a random thought. But what if Se-yeon knows he is not the real deal. What if she is staying close to him to see how far he can take the act?
When he slipped a Seoul accent during the accident, it wasn’t lost on her. And that smirk 😏. She didn’t question him.

I do like that the show is fleshing out the siblings really nicely. There were some great moments this week.

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It's not random! Your thought is certainly plausible, especially since she did notice the accent detail in the car, like you mentioned. Then there's the whole inheritance/stocks issue. If the grandmother gives Jae-heon something, Se-yeon will definitely want to keep him close, whether fake cousin or not.

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I was thinking the same thing. Plus, this has the added benefit story-wise in setting up a plausible reason for the characters to continue to interact in the future and eventually become romantically involved. What if Se-yeon realizes the truth, tells the three maintaining this farce that she knows, but then decides she wants the charade to continue so she can hold onto the hotel?

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Agree. This will make it lot easier for us to get on board the romance, if and when that happens (Esp from her side).

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Se-yeon and Jae-heon also seem more like siblings to me than like budding lovers, although for the first time there are small steps in that direction. Maybe the chemistry will be a bit better when Jae-heon can show his true self and doesn't have to play the naive country bumpkin anymore (at least I find him more attractive then).

My favourite character is Se-gyu. In the last episodes you noticed that there is much more behind his playboy facade.
But Jin-won is also an interesting person. It is so refreshing that she is not the clichéd greedy and scheming sister-in-law.

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Se-gyu is also my favorite character. Choi Dae-hoon is so fantastic here -- so much nuance!

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Since I cannot speak Korean, I cannot distinguish between North and South dialects which seems to be the main slip-ups of Jae-Heon’s acting under pressure. The only one calm under pressure has been Yoon-hee, who deflected Se-Joon’s Chinese language trap. But he knows something is off but he is not rushing to find answers.

Mr. Jung’s play is having major foreseeable bad consequences: he should have realized Grandma would want her lost grandson to stay in South Korea and be part of her family. Getting him a job at the hotel is worse than him staying at the mansion. But the drama seems to wholly hinge of getting out of bad situations to keep the deception protected. It is a game of Mouse Trap at every turn and actors getting out of trouble is too convenient.. Dong-je is still the wild card jerk, bold enough to ruin Se-yeon’s dream in order to get his plan of marriage to come to fruition. The Farewell Party sets up disappointment as our fake couple are within feet of real people they know.

For so much action, the show still has the pace of a weekender. Most of the characters are subdued, quiet or pensive. I am surprised the family has not pressed more questions on the couple's background.

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When Jae-heon told his laundry room actor buddies what he's involved in!!! Why, Jae-heon?? Why?? Why do these two guys need to know the big lie you've been hired for??

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LOL! The things they do. It's a miracle they aren't outed yet.
I guess those are his trusted circle. Given that he has no family, he probably treats his drama buddies like family and trusts them.

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Yessss! He can be a little too reckless.

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SugarSnow, thanks for the recap !

I do not care for the ex boyfriend element. I don’t like the faux cousin love line either. I do like the fake wife character. When or how will the real grandson make it South Korea, that should liven things up.

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I am eagerly awaiting (real) Moon-sung’s appearance. I do hope there is a redemption arc for him. For better or worse Grandmother deserves to see her real grandson before her time is up. Now wouldn’t it be a real kick in the pants if baddie Moon-sung winds up in control of the Hotel or perhaps determining what is to become of it.

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I have a feeling he won't be the 'bad' guy. He probably was desperate to come to SK, and had to do these 'odd' aka dangerous jobs to make money to reach SK. He might just want to find his grandmother and find his only remaining family.

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I agree, He can’t be a vicious mad dog, as it would not fit with the rest of the plot so far.

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I am so glad it’s not just me thinking that it is a case of doing whatever it takes to get to his grandma. Who knows the conditions he was left in when he lost his dad. I realised early on I needed to binge watch this so stopped watching a couple of mins into episode three. I am looking forward to watching this when it finishes so I can get to the answers quickly. It sounds horrendous being trapped in a country with no way of getting to your family when you are left orphaned.

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Yes! As an orphan in a country that doesn’t issue passports unless your family is in the government or you’re an athlete, we would understand that there is no way that real Moon-sung could escape NK but to be a criminal who facilitates the sneaking out of NK. Such a sad story for this boy, if we think this is really happening in real life.

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Yes!! That's what this week's episodes seemed to imply! 👀
I hope he can reach grandma before she dies so both can get actual closure ~

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I liked that Yoon Hee is smart, observant, and quick-witted. I liked her when she stood up to Ji Won's friends. But I didn't like that she was jealous and mad at Jae Heon and Se Yeon.

I'm not seeing the romance yet which makes sense since Se Yeon is still thinking of Jae Heon as her young cousin. His crush on her has barely begun. He hasn't acknowledged his feelings (while sober x]).

I like this drama, but the pace is a little meandering. I'm still paying attention though lol. Jae Heon cracked me up with his random sign language bit. There were some nice, small moments too. Jae Heon piggybacking Grandma. Grandma and Se Gyu. Se Gyu showing a vulnerable side.

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It's so funny how they always end up finding a way to get out of dangerous situations (meaning where they risk getting outed)!
That bit in the car was hilarious for me, it was so careless for him to drive knowing very well he supposedly didn't have a license, yet he still managed to get away with it, I love it tbh! XD

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Thank you @sugarsnow for the weecap
I am still enjoying the drama's slow pace but I think that we need some mind-blowing twists to get more hooked. I also want to know more about the backstories of the three siblings and why they are like that now. Why did Se-yeon dump Dong-jae? What are Se-joon's reasons for being that cold towards everyone?
For now, the only thing keeping me thrilled is the real Moon-seung, Would he manage to come to Seoul and visit granny? What about his father's dying message? How would his appearance affect everyone?

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I have no idea what the writer wants to make with this plot but I'm just here for the ride. I like the actors, the old kdrama vibe and the humor.

Se-Yeon looks like she picked up the clues, so I wonder what will happen.

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I am here for the messy drama. The more messy the better imo. I honestly couldn’t care less about the dumb hotel plot-line whether they keep or sell it, its literally just rich people infighting. I feel no sympathy for these wealthy chaebols lol

Now what I want is for Jae-heon & Se-yeon (who has probably already figured out the charade) to pursue their taboo romance. Yoon-hee to hookup with Ji-won or one of the brothers. Ri Moon-seong to come into the picture and to be given the full inheritance of the hotel shares and then burn it to the ground.

I know none of this is gonna happen but hey a girl can dream ~

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I see Yoon-hee and Ri Moon-seong having some interactions since they both speak Chinese. Perhaps even a romance, which frees up Jae-heon & Se- yeon. Yoon-hee becomes the bridge between Ri Moon -seong and Grandmother perhaps ?

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Finally had a minute to finish both episodes and I really enjoyed them. I continue to love the feel of this show, the fact that it's a true ensemble with rich, interesting characters, and the often clever writing.

I also definitely agree with Blue that Se-yeon either already knows her cousin/brother from the North is not really her cousin/brother from the North, or she'll be certain of it soon. I think this would be an excellent twist, too, because a) I like that Se-yeon isn't an idiot and b) it grants Jae-heon a new role to play as the story moves forward. In fact, I'm assuming Se-yeon will want to keep him around either just to keep her grandmother happy or to help her retain control of the hotel.

With the exception of Se-yeon's ex, all of the characters are fully drawn. I'm glad, for instance, that both the sister-in-law and co-sister-in-law not only have depth, but also are forging a friendship of their own. I also like both brothers, and the way their points of view aren't cliched. I'm not sure what to make exactly of Se-joon's relationship with his wife, though. It seems like he doesn't open up to her at all.

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