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Race: Episodes 7-8

One crisis leads to another, but if we know anything about our heroine it’s that she can take care of herself, thank you very much, and she’s passionate about her career. Where she’s less sure-footed is in her unrequited (?) love for her friend, but hey, wobbling your way through is okay too sometimes.


 
EPISODES 7-8

Hong Jong-hyun in Race: Episodes 7-8

We have a couple of packed episodes this week, and thankfully, some much-needed definition to the relationships the drama’s been purposefully vague about. We’ve been kept from the truth not only around Jae-min’s relationship to Yi-jung, but also the truth about the “friendship” between our leads, and both arcs progress nicely this week. With only two weeks left in our drama, this slow burn pacing has been quite a delight, but I’m also ready for more.

So, we pick up where we left off last week: Yoon-jo getting confronted by the super-fuming marketing director and an all-out war over the Celltics branding. A jump back in the timeline shows us how we got to this confrontation: sales projections for Celltics were abhorrent, and Yoon-jo proposed the risky step of rebranding it now, before it’s an abject failure for Seyong.

If there is anything we have learned about Seyong, though, it’s that it’s a patriarchal nightmare ruled by “how it’s always been done” instead of what’s actually good business practice. The drama doesn’t shy away from making the male executives in this story quite terrible and without much redemptive capacity. The women, on the other hand — from the CEO to Yi-jung, Team Leader Ji, and Yoon-jo herself — are portrayed as the smart warriors that have to fight a fortress of discrimination, harassment, and general assholery.

I really like the female characters in this story, so I’m refraining from complaining that the lines here are a little too cut and dry for me. Not all men in a big leadership positions are pigs; not all women have each other’s backs and join forces. But, in the world of Race, it is such, and the women rally together and it’s great fun to watch. In short, Yoon-jo’s proposal eventually gets through, and the rebrand gets support from the top. It’s another fun way to see Yoon-jo’s worth come shining through. I mean, she even has an expensive lunch with Yi-jung and her CEO!

Lee Yeon-hee and Hong Jong-hyun in Race: Episodes 7-8 Lee Yeon-hee and Hong Jong-hyun in Race: Episodes 7-8

All the work politics and discrimination aside, the other part of our story is the internal world of our characters, and that’s coming out mostly in their love lines. For Yoon-jo, we get a totally awkward and sudden confession to Jae-min in the break room of all places. The scene is just brutal though, and beautifully understated. Yoon-jo asks him to date, Jae-min thinks she means fake-date (he much be watching too many K-dramas), and then she says she means it in earnest. Yoon-jo: “I can’t believe I’m finally confessing my feelings for you in the break room.” Jae-min: “Then don’t. Don’t do it.” Ouch. Ouuuuuuuch.

While Yoon-jo spends time trying to process what she’s just done (i.e., a multi-decade crush revealed abruptly and immediately rejected), we see what’s been happening in Jae-min’s heart. His friend Chul-joon literally does a wiggle dance after Jae-min mistakenly refers to Yoon-jo informally, thinking it means they’re dating like he suspected. But Jae-min then reveals the secret that they’re childhood friends, that they know each other too well to date, and, well, he’s into someone else. (*My heart shatters*)

Lee Yeon-hee and Hong Jong-hyun in Race: Episodes 7-8

But what I love about this whole new awkwardness between Jae-min and Yoon-jo is that they still care about each other deeply. So after Yoon-jo’s break room rejection, Jae-min actually seeks her out at the bus stop (much to her displeasure) and blurts out that the woman from Santiago is back in his life. And then the real killer line: I get goosebumps every time I think about her. (But interestingly, the drama also gives Jae-min the sense to know that he’s not in love with Yi-jung, but is just in the infatuation stage right now.)

They talk more on the bus ride, and awkward though it is, Yoon-jo is able to get her whole-hearted confession out to him. It’s a lovely scene in many ways, but so well-layered because it digs into the earlier questions about the perceived “social divide” that’s been between them. While Yoon-jo previously saw herself as out of Jae-min’s league, now that they’re working together and are peers, she feels like they’re finally in the same world.

As for Jae-min, it comes time to confirm that Yi-jung is indeed the woman he fell in love with so many years ago in Santiago, and who’s currently giving him goosebumps and blinding him to Yoon-jo. Jae-min calls Yi-jung one night in the heat of passion (again), and turns up at her door (!). The drama cuts the scene and makes us wait ages to learn what happened, but when we do return, we see how Yi-jung clearly, kindly, and without any nuance whatsoever, told him they were never getting together again.

For the little she is onscreen, wow I love Yi-jung and her confidence! Every time she walks into a conference room or a meeting or welcomes someone into her office, she’s got this amazing poise. I can see why both Jae-min and Yoon-jo are taken with her. (In the words of Yoon-jo, “There’s my mentor looking radiant as usual!”) Of course, Yi-jung has a hidden vulnerability like the rest of our characters — the now-teenaged daughter she once abandoned — so Yi-jung has more on her plate than facing off against executives and dealing with unwanted noona romances.

Jae-min smokes many a cigarette of sadness (aside: I still can’t get used to seeing actual smoking in a drama) and realizes that he felt about Yi-jung the same way Yoon-jo did about him: they were finally in the same world. But being in the same world hasn’t worked for Yoon-jo any more than it has for him.

Yoon-jo avoids Jae-min at work for a bit, and buries herself in a new project — the culture task force spearheaded by Yi-jung — only to be blindsided by a few factoids. Not only is Jae-min on the same task force, but she learns from Eun, and then sees firsthand, that Yi-jung is the woman Jae-min was talking about all along. Wow, talk about complicated emotions. The man you’ve liked your entire life only has eyes for the mentor you see as walking perfection? That has to hurt her self-esteem deeply. Indeed, it does — so much that it looks like Yoon-jo is going to force herself to move on. As our episodes end, she accepts Dong-hoon’s date invitation while Jae-min (dining with Chul-joon a few tables away) watches on.

This is clearly not going to work out well for Dong-hoon. And while I don’t mind the function of his character in the story, I expected we would get more of him, as he was featured as a leading character after Yi-jung. However, he’s been one of the most underutilized characters in the show, and falling into some roses is all he did this week.

Lee Yeon-hee and Hong Jong-hyun in Race: Episodes 7-8 Lee Yeon-hee and Hong Jong-hyun in Race: Episodes 7-8

But for the weak characterization of Dong-hoon, all the other characters more than make up for it — each one is far more rich than just a person filling a chair in the office, and I love the drama for that. Of course, front and center is still this friendship between Yoon-jo and Jae-min, and the delightful fact that we keep seeing Jae-min think one thing (that he doesn’t like Yoon-jo) and then act the opposite way (come on, slow burn!).

Rather than wait ages for an elevator, he runs up a million flights of stairs to meet with Yoon-jo and have a private conversation at her request. He’s concerned when he sees the scratches on her hand. He respects Yoon-jo’s need to keep her distance while she deals with his rejection. And then, even while respecting her boundaries, he lets her know how much she means to him when he pokes his head back into the stairwell after leaving her alone to brood and says, “Don’t take too long, though. I want you in my life.” More of this coming next week, I hope! *Chul-joon self-satisfied swoon*

 
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I finally caught up!! I was like 😍 when he said 'okay' and then immediately was shot down when he followed it up with 'let's pretend like we're dating sure'. I have to say, I'm developing a big girl-crush on Yoonjo, especially because my first instinct would've been to backdown and or run away and she did the complete opposite - you go girl!!

Of course he’s not obliged to like her back (nor does that make him a bad guy) BUT it sounds like he’s never really entertained the thought, not even after she confessed. Which is like good for him, but if the script tries to him and YJ together now (especially if it’s only bc Donghoon made a move) I think it'll seem tad forced and also a bit unfair to YJ. They could go down the route of 'he (Jaemin) didn't realise he liked YJ all along' but honestly they've both shown they're quite self-aware and sensible so I don't know if would be effective. Idk, in my eyes now, she deserves someone who really likes her, not as second best or a ‘why not’ option. I'm not really sure where they'll take this arc but I hope it's satisfying!

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Thanks @missvictrix for the weecap. Yijung is the embodiment of understated power. She lets people dig the ditch and walks slowly towards them so they back away until they fall into it without her having to touch them. Two examples of her doing very little but getting good outcomes; the shouting man on the roof was told he was acting immature and his intimidation tactics were ineffective and the Marketing Director was reminded of the ultimate outcome using his own theory of power and responsibility.

CEO woman is getting on my nerves she continues to treat Yijung like she is a junior member of staff who should follow instructions and not use her own initiative. I find the portrayal of the CEO’s immature actions unrealistic as she was able to calculate the impact of the CCO role with the right person but now she can’t see the bigger picture?

Anyone else thinking Seunghee is with child? I think she is scared to reveal it due to the weak position she is in. Her hope is to be influential through her role in the new initiative to bring about meaningful change for women in the work place.

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I too think she is pregnant, but her wooziness and stumbling is pretty concerning. Those for the most part are not pregnancy. symptoms, but her question to Jae Min about their pregnant co-worker was telling. So was her pointed poignant point that of course he doesn't know, it doesn't affect him.

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I found that line so good: you are a man, you never noticed women are put in a worse position after coming back from pregnancy leave, because you will never face this problem. It was even hurtful as it was so true.

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Nods head, I was like damn, YASSSS, let him know.

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BUT she IS with child - the pregnancy test in the toilet seat scene was clear double lines.

Right?

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It is double lines which means pregnant.

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I must have missed that scene as I don’t remember seeing her doing a test wasn’t that in another drama? They are clearly all merging 😱

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I really like Yoon-jo and her love confession, so straightforward ha ha and it is okay he doesn't love her back, it is sad but like she likes him not because he likes her back but because the way he is. Life goes on, there're works have to be done. Only in dramas, people called sick and had privilege not coming for work because heartbreak, no? 😅

Finally Disney made something worth watching. I love Wednesday now, so many good dramas to watch.

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It's really nice to see Yoon-Jo evolving in her job. She's learning fast with Yi-Jung and Ji Eun-Jeong. I liked her love confession. It needed to get out one day either for her to move on either for Jae-Min to ask himself if he has feeling for her too. I think he has or had at one time but it was a question of timing between them. I still wonder how his relationship with Yi-Jung worked. She left for Santiago and she already had a daughter...

I think we saw more of Dong-Hoon falling in roses but as a CEO, he changed the rules to keep one of his employees. From one side, we get a CEO who respects his employees and sees their "happiness" as a strength and the other side, we get executives who see their employees as easily replaceable pieces.

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I also like DongHoo as a CEO. He is a wise man that knows that a happy employee is the best employee. This is why I am so sad that YoonJo is using him to make JaeMin jelous. He deserves much better. He is a good, considerate man.

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So they made another successful woman a terrible mother, SIGH. She left her daughter at 2 for reasons, SIGH. Very annoying. Aside from that aspect I really enjoyed the episodes.

Is it just me or is it weird Jae Min suddenly didn't also have a crush on Yoonjo. He 100% told Chul Jun he had a crush on YoonJo, I get having a slight about face when "the one that got away" comes back, but to act like he never had a crush on her is weird.

I love YiJung, talk about a boss lady. She shut him down quick, she said sir, this is never happening again. It was super refreshing, honestly. It was quick, it was to the point and she didn't feel bad about it.🔥🥰

I am glad Yoonjo is getting her footing at work. Although there seems to be some kind of looming disaster because of the protein drink and lack of communication between departments. That being said she should have given herself more time to grieve her one-sided love, maybe another week and then said yes to poor Dong Hoon.

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‘ Is it just me or is it weird Jae Min suddenly didn't also have a crush on Yoonjo. He 100% told Chul Jun he had a crush on YoonJo, I get having a slight about face when "the one that got away" comes back, but to act like he never had a crush on her is weird.’ 👈🏾 I am with you too. I thought I must have miss understood the whole you two just need talk it out conversation when the two of them spoke to her separately about their feelings literally within minutes of each other.

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Sorry just realised that I was talking about his conversation with Heoeun in the bar the night Yoonjo also told her about how she felt. But you are right that’s two people he had the same conversation with.

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I actually forgot about that, hmmm very weird, I mean the man ran up entire flights of stairs, hmm, so there is something that isn't just friendship there.

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I had understood the scene with Chul-jun to mean that Jae-min quickly claimed that he had a crush on his new colleague and was therefore trying to talk to her so that Chul-jun wouldn't notice that they had known each other for a long time and were close friends. A red herring, then.

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Ohhhh, hmmmm, I hadn't thought of that.

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I'm totally with you on the successful business woman / terrible mum trope. I'm sick of this. Basically because mums can never chose work over family like men do. We've seen hundreds of bad dads in dramaland with no moral struggles when it comes to be successful men at work, but no... Yi Jung has to be a good mum and there must be a good reason for her to leave her child behind...

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This show made a clown out of me with the lead's non-relationship. Imagine watching mostly only their scenes to find out that Jaemin likes the CTO? I really thought they were going with some kind of family estrangement trope there. On the other hand, Jaemin acts too blasé about Yeonjoo's feelings when he's clearly always looking at her. Is it that meant to be swoony? Because it just comes across as obnoxious to me. And of course he's only going to come to his senses because Yeonjoo's got Mr Rose Bush now.

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‘ Mr Rose Bush’ 👈🏾🤣 love it

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It's just too funny that all he did this week was fall into some roses 😂
Also just realised it's Yoonjoo, not Yeonjoo 🤦‍♀️

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I loved how Yoon Jo clearly started setting boundaries with Jaemin this week when he continued to be so touchy feely after rejecting her. I thought it was far too casual of him and really liked how firm Yoon Jo was. I also thought he was quite selfish telling her not to take too long coming back to him as a friend - she can take as long as she likes thanks! I'm really not a big fan of someone who takes people so much for granted, or wants things on his terms all the time. You've rejected the woman so enough of the mixed signals please! I'm so glad that Yoon Jo has seen it too.
I'd really love for the drama actually showing Yoon Jo moving on with things.

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