Fantastic: Episode 4

by odilettante

It’s the first day of filming for So-hye’s drama Hitman, where there’s action and drama and romance — and that’s just all behind-the-scenes. As much as So-hye is attempting to embrace “living in the now,” there’s still a lot about the past that needs to be explored, especially where it concerns her and Hae-sung. What does seem to clear is that Jin-sook is the Worst Person Ever, ruining the lives of all the characters we love.

EPISODE 4 RECAP

Sang-wook wakes up when he hears the sound of the motorcycle, panicking when he sees his mysterious woman about to drive away and he doesn’t even know her name. Except it was all just a dream, and he wakes up, relieved to see the motorcycle still parked outside. Then he spends the evening happily and carefully cleaning the bike.

The morning after her spending spree and drinking binge, So-hye groggily wakes up, horrified to realize that she didn’t to change or wash off her makeup. She barely has enough time to get cleaned up and her bag packed, since today is the first day of the on-site filming.

The film crew has already started setting up by the time So-hye and the rest of the production team arrive. So-hye sees Hae-sung practicing the fight scene with the stunt team. He sees her, too, but before he can wave to her, he’s interrupted by the director who wants to check the lighting and camera angles.

As Director Yoon studies the camera, a local drunken ajusshi suddenly pops into frame, demanding that the film crew leave. He’s escorted out, but not far enough away to keep him from suddenly coming upon So-hye who’s stepped aside in one of her coughing fits. He menacingly advances, causing her to back up closer and closer to the cliffside.

Hae-sung notices and he sprints after her just as she’s beginning to lose her footing. Catching her in his arms, they both fall off the side of the cliff. Thankfully, there’s a landing airbag at the bottom, and they reach the bottom, safe and sound (and in each other’s arms).

The film crew hurry over after make sure security has sent the drunk ajusshi away, relieved to know that their writer and star are unhurt. Hae-sung yells at the crew, telling them they should have been paying closer attention. His anger seems more towards the fact that So-hye nearly got killed, but then he catches himself and jokingly says that the cameras should have been rolling so they could have caught the stunt on film.

As he walks to his trailer, Hae-sung discretely clutches his side. He sits down, gasping in pain, but as soon as So-hye enters, he pretends that it’s nothing — until she asks if he’s hurt, and then suddenly he’s crying out in agony as he leans over, clutching her hand.

When he sees her worried expression, he stops and says that he’s not such a terrible actor, now, is he? Annoyed, she starts to leave the trailer, but he calls after her, asking if she’ll watch the filming — he’ll be doing all his own stunts. Aw, he’s so desperate to impress her.

She does watch the stunts, but she also takes pleasure in soaking up all the little details of the filming, from the action in front of the camera, to all the crew diligently doing their jobs behind the scenes.

Sang-wook’s tiny apartment is neatly strewn with clothes. He’s posted a bunch of photos online to get a general consensus of what will be best to wear to a date, but all the responses are negative, telling him he’s sure to get dumped if he wears any of those dowdy outfits. Aw. But when he hears the sound of a motorcycle, he scrambles to the window — only to see a delivery man arrive with food. He’s sad for a moment, then remembers that it’s supposed to rain later.

On her way home after running errands for her in-laws, she notices that her motorcycle is no longer parked outside. That’s because Sang-wook had it moved inside to his tiny apartment (where the bike takes up nearly what’s left of the floor space), worried about it being left out in the rain.

She thanks him for his attentive care, promising to move it somewhere else so it’s no longer a burden to him. He tries to stop her, explaining that he’s already paid the parking fee to use the space outside, so it would be a waste to not leave it there. He’s also purchased a rain cover for the bike, which means there won’t be any burden once it arrives and he can move the motorcycle back outside. She offers to pay for the cover, but he tells her there’s no need — the only payment he wants is for her to take him for a ride.

Sul is barely on her way back to the house when her husband calls — his mother needs her to return home right now to unclog the toilet and then help her pack for Jeju. Annoyed, she starts to return home, but one last glance back shows the eager Sang-wook leaning out of his window, happy about her promise to eventually give him a ride.

So-hye steps aside to take her pills, which she hurriedly shoves back in her bag when Sang-hwa arrives. She’s called a cab for So-hye to go to a cabin retreat so she can work on the script in privacy. Just then her phone rings — it’s Joon-ki, and all So-hye can think about is her drunken dancing and confession from last night, so she doesn’t answer.

He calls Sang-hwa instead, who hands her the phone. Ha, she can’t ignore him now, and when he finds out that she’s on a filming location, and he reminds her to eat well and rest, and to call him if she needs anything.

She stands on the hilltop, admiring the beautiful vista below, before slowly walking up the path to the cabin. She nearly has a heart attack when she sees a cardboard cut-out of Hae-sung near the entrance, and she grumbles that she just can’t seem to escape him.

The retreat owners apologize that they haven’t opened for the season yet and are still renovating some of the cabins, but they show her a room they have available. She settles in, enjoying the sun and fresh air coming through the window as she relaxes on the bed.

As Sul quietly irons her mother-in-law’s clothes, Jin-sook tries to figure out which of her many designer outfits to pack for her trip, sighing that she doesn’t really have anything to wear. Sul’s husband returns home, wondering why Sul hasn’t packed her own belongings.

Jin-sook says that it will be bothersome if she comes along, especially since he has to escort the assemblywoman. He doesn’t argue with his sister or mother, and after they leave, he wonders if Sul will be okay staying home. She cooly tells him that didn’t want to go in the first place.

He reassures Sul that nothing will happen, but she doesn’t care — he can do whatever he likes. He tries to lean in for a “good-bye” kiss, but she coils in revulsion and shoves him away. He then hands to give her some money to spend while they’re gone, but Jin-sook suddenly appears and snatches it away, telling him he’s just spoiling her. Ugh, what an awful woman.

With her in-laws gone, Sul is free to relax, and she revels in the fact that there’s no one around to tell her what to do. She sprawls out on the sofa, calling Mi-sun to see if she wants to get together, but Mi-sun has to stay home for a family event. Sul goes through her phone list, stopping at another number and thoughtfully studying it.

Sang-wook has gone full-on obsessed investigator as he tries to calculate what neighborhood Sul might live in, knowing it must be walking distance to his place. But when he sees she’s texted him, he bounces on his bed like a happy kid, knowing that he’ll be seeing her for a motorcycle ride soon.

As So-hye dozes in her cabin, she remembers the last time she was here years ago. Hae-sung was there, too, and everyone was playing dodgeball. Hae-sung may have been a little too eager to take out the guy who was protecting her. She’s a little bewildered when the voice of her memories seems to sound like it’s coming from nearby, and she ventures out only to discover Hae-sung, in the flesh, happily eating watermelon with the couple who own the cabin.

She finds it suspicious that he’s here, since she knows that he’s supposed to be headed to China. He tells her the trip is canceled, and then he thought since he was close by, he should stop in and visit. It’s actually not a total lie, because the couple are happy to inform So-hye that Hae-sung does indeed visit them once a year.

In fact, it’s largely thanks to him that they’ve been able to remain open all these years, since his fans like to go to the place where their favorite actor is known to stay. That explains the cardboard cut-out at the entrance.

He coaxes So-hye into helping him pick some lettuce for dinner, and the couple reveal that actually Hae-sung and his grandmother were the ones to plant them in the first place. They both agree he’d make a great husband. OMG, they’re so adorable — they’re like his own little fan club or personal matchmakers.

Oh, so the trip to China actually wasn’t cancelled. Instead, Hae-sung told his manager to let Jin-sook know that his depression returned and he’s gone off the grid. Manager Oh knows that he just wants to go see So-hye, and Hae-sung tells him to keep as a secret.

Sang-wook practically cuddles the motorcycle as he waits for Sul to arrive, but when she does, he springs up and puts on his best “cool and charismatic” expression. He delights in the ride, directing her to a place that is a favorite for bikers. But it’s closed for the owner’s vacation.

That’s okay, because Sang-wook has carefully researched places to go and has a back-up restaurant — which recently has gone out of business. Time for Plan C. But that turns out to have been replaced by a shiny new hotel. All his internet tips have been for nought.

Sul isn’t bothered, and later she happily slurps down her convenience store bowl of ramen as they sit outside, enjoying the night air. He apologizes that it isn’t anything fancier, but she tells him it’s the most delicious meal she’s had all year, which perks him up.

He then suddenly asks her what her blood type is, and is delighted when she says it’s type O, because the best combination is O and A, which just so happens to be his blood type. He then asks her what her astrological sign is. Amused, she asks him if he’s going to check that compatibility as well.

She holds out her hand, asking if he wants to read it. He studies it carefully, then admits that he hasn’t really learned how to yet. Instead, he wants to know what she considers to be her ideal type of man.

Laughing, she tells him she doesn’t really have one — except she doesn’t care for lawyers. That’s a record scratch moment for Sang-wook (since he is a lawyer), and he asks her why not, reassuring her it’s a good profession and she shouldn’t judge it unfairly. She just tells him she has her reasons. Yeah, asshole husband reasons.

His last question: “What’s your name?” She tells him, “Noona,” and then stops him when he tries to tell her his name. She wants to keep this as strictly a noona-dongsaeng friendship without sharing details of their personal lives. She threatens to park her motorcycle elsewhere if he doesn’t agree, so of course he does.

Over dinner, Hae-sung’s matchmaking couple are impressed that it’s been over a decade since So-hye and Hae-sung have been in touch. The ajusshi says that So-hye is perfect for Hae-sung, wondering why he’s only ever brought his “cutie” to the cabin. Hae-sung explains that “cutie” is actually his grandmother (who is, to be fair, totally adorable and worthy of such a nickname).

The ajumma says that they should take their “open car” to go enjoy the night scar. Except the “open car” is nothing more than an old truck. Hae-sung helps her climb into the truck bed, where they settle in as the ajusshi drives them up the hill. The truck slows to a stop, and the ajusshi sighs as he gets out, telling them that he has a flat tire and he’ll have to walk back to get the tools to fix it. They can stay there and enjoy looking at the stars until he returns.

But it’s all just part of their matchmaking ruse, because his wife meets him around the bend with the ATV to drive him back home. If Hae-sung can’t confess so So-hye that he likes her in this kind of romantic environment, then, according to Hae-sung’s loyal matchmaking couple, he’s not really a man.

As they wait, So-hye jumps at the sound of wildlife nearby and instinctively clings to Hae-sung, only to quickly go back to her spot once she realizes what she’s done. He takes the opportunity to scare her with the flashlight, which only gets him yelled at.

Gazing at her, he’s reminded of when they spent the night here long ago, when everyone had shared a large room to sleep in. He was all the way on the other side from her, and once everyone else was asleep, he snuck his way over to squeeze in a spot by her side.

So-hye smiles as she looks at Hae-sung, who’s shifted his attention to the stars. Ha, it turns out she was fully aware that he had snuck his way to her side that night, and in fact, she had wanted him to in the first place.

The couple continue to sit in silence, until they both start to speak at the same time. So-hye goes first, thanking him saving her earlier. In return, he tells her that he regrets his decision to sign with Jin-sook’s agency every day. If he could go back in time, he’d definitely do things differently.

A walkie-talkie suddenly blares to life, and the ajusshi informs them that they have a sudden guest — a friend of So-hye’s. It’s Joon-ki! So-hye is astonished to realize he’s come all the way there, but Hae-sung just wants to know why he’s there — is she sick? She tells him she’s not, but Hae-sung doesn’t understand why their technical medical advisor would need to see her right now.

When they arrive back at the cabin, So-hye introduces the two men to each other. Hae-sung seems affronted that Joon-ki doesn’t automatically know who he is, and Joon-ki admits that he doesn’t really watch TV. Pffft.

They prepare another dinner for the new guest, and Hae-sung’s determined to make sure So-hye serves him as much as she serves Joon-ki. Once he finds out that Joon-ki works at a large hospital instead of owning a private clinic, he laughs that he must just be a “salary” doctor. But So-hye informs him that Joon-ki is actually the director of the hospital, and even manages to do a lot of charity work. Hae-sung’s matchmaking fans are still on his side, though, pointing out how much charity work the actor does, too.

Sul drops Sang-wook and her motorcycle off at his place, and he immediately asks her when they can go for a ride again. Aw, he calls her “Noona-ssi,” as though “noona” is really her name. She ruffles his hair and tells him he should focus on his studies, and he sputters out that he’s not a college student, he’s a — he stops just in time before admitting he’s a lawyer, instead telling her that he’s an adult who works for a good company.

That just makes Sul tell him to find a pretty girlfriend his age to date. As the besotted Sang-wook watches the mysterious Sul walk away, he wonders who she really is.

Back at the cabin, the ajusshi asks for help getting more firewood, and Hae-sung springs up first, beating out Joon-ki by a second. He’s more focused on how So-hye is treating Joon-ki than the firewood, and when he picks up a giant log, he dramatically collapses in pain.

Thankfully, there’s already a doctor there, and Joon-ki looks him over. Hae-sung especially makes a big deal of how he hurt his ribs during his life-saving stunt earlier that day, and Joon-ki says they’ll need to take an x-ray, since it sounds like they might be fractured.

Both he and So-hye seem to be surprised by this diagnosis, although for different reasons, but Hae-sung says the pain must be endured and puts on a good show, clutching his side. So-hye’s phone rings — it’s Jin-sook, demanding to speak to Hae-sung since she knows he’s there. Manager Oh apparently couldn’t keep his location a secret.

She’s furious that he never left for China, and Hae-sung steps outside to privately talk to her (and any suspicion about broken ribs seems to be confirmed by the easy way he moves when no one is watching). He points out that he never agreed to go, but she reminds him that she’s his boss and he has to do what she tells him, and if his failure to show means she doesn’t get her multimillion dollar merger with the Chinese media company, then he’ll learn how scary she can truly be.

She knows that So-hye is his weak-point, so he if doesn’t show up ASAP, then that’s who she’ll target. He sighs, knowing he has no choice but to go.

As he drives back to Seoul, he remembers when he first met with Jin-sook. She blackmailed him into signing with her agency thanks to information she dug up on him, although we’re not privy to what that information is. But clearly it was something major enough to make him sign his slave contract with her.

Joon-ki and So-hye enjoy sitting around the campfire. Joon-ki is curious about Hae-sung and how she knows him. He wonders if Hae-sung is perhaps her first man (of the 3,000 she needs to seduce to become “Queen Uija”), and she groans, asking him to forget about everything that happened last night.

She’s decided to go ahead with the clinical treatment as suggested by Jamie. When she fell off the cliff and landed on the air bag, she was relieved to still be alive, which made her realize that if she has the chance to live a little longer, then she wants to do all she can to take it.

She begins to cry as she admits that she’s scared she might get too greedy, wanting to live longer and fall in love. Joon-ki reassures her that there’s nothing wrong with being honest with your feelings, and for him, there’s nothing more important than finding one’s own true happiness.

He asks her if her offer to date still stands. He’ll be the first of her three thousand, if she’ll have a cancer patient. Hae-sung, having returned to the cabin, runs up just in time to hear Joon-ki say to So-hye, “Let’s date.”

COMMENTS

Ahhhh, I’m so conflicted! I love Joon-ki, but after the little reveal of Hae-sung and So-hye’s past (and that they were clearly into each other), and the fact that Hae-sung has never stopped caring for her, I might also be rooting for him, too. There’s a closure to their relationship that never happened, and even though So-hye is still hurt by whatever occurred in the past, there’s an attraction there that makes me think, “okay, maybe this wouldn’t be such a terrible pairing after all.” Curse you, classic drama love triangles!

I’m still frustrated by the editing, though. They keep giving us little pieces of what really happened back then — which is fine with me, because I don’t mind a slow reveal — but I also feel like the show assumes we know more than we already do. I’m having to piece together vague scenes to fill in some of Hae-sung’s backstory, and the effort seems unnecessary. Even though it’s obvious that those “mysterious documents” Jin-sook used to blackmail him will be revealed eventually, I’m vaguely confused why they would find anything on him that would come from an overseas address — until I recall that in the nativity play, young Hae-sung was surrounded by children of all races and ethnicities, implying that he wasn’t living in Korea at the time.

So was he adopted? Did his parents move? Is there some big secret about his childhood? Now I’m determined to figure out more, even though I have the feeling that none of it really matters. If for some reason it does, it seems like such an odd way to plant seeds for future revelations.

I think I’m also irritated by some of the editing because my brain just doesn’t understand how that cliff scene happened. The portion of “cliff” she was standing on with the drunken ajusshi didn’t look like the same section of cliff she fell off, and it took me out of the episode for a few minutes as I tried to mentally map how in the world they had set up their filming unit to be at the top of a cliff and then ran down to the bottom so quickly to make sure Hae-sung and So-hye were okay. Pretty sure some laws of physics were broken. These are just minor complaints, though, because there’s still a lot to love about the show, and some of the cinematography is absolutely gorgeous. I just think the editing and direction feel a bit “off” at times, even though it’s not enough to be too irritating. Yet.

On a lighter note, I was so happy to see Sul get her taste of freedom and Sang-wook finally get his motorcycle ride. Although “finally” after just a couple of days since he met her isn’t all that long, it just has felt that way (again, an editing quirk — this episode happened in the same day, so time isn’t moving all that quickly). I thought it was hilariously adorable how he was relying on the internet to figure out how to dress for his date, test out “compatibility,” and research where the best “date” restaurants are. He might insist he’s a full grown adult, but he acts more like a teenager with a crush and access to google.

But it’s bittersweet joy, because due to Ji Soo’s recent medical condition, I’m afraid to get too attached to Sang-wook. I’ve loved him since the moment he appeared on screen, and his ridiculous “by-the-book” demeanor had me cracking up more than once. I’ll be curious to see where the writers will go from here (or wherever it is they’ve left off in filming), because I do enjoy his gigantic crush on Sul and how much she’s amused by him. For now, I’ll just take Joon-ki’s advice and live for the day, grateful for whatever Sang-wook moments I can get.

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