Will It Snow For Christmas: Episode 13

50 January 20, 2010January 24, 2016

by javabeans

I’ve watched enough dramas to know that a bit of story fatigue at this point is to be expected. Part of it is on my end, and part of it is on the drama’s end. But since we’re pretty near the end now, I’m telling myself to remain optimistic. This episode shows some story movement and a few light-hearted scenes that add humor, which has been lacking in recent episodes. So those were very welcome.

SONG OF THE DAY

Will It Snow for Christmas OST – “그냥 이대로” (Just like this) by Han So-hyun [ Download ]

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EPISODE 13 RECAP

Ji-wan demands to know why she and Kang-jin can’t be together. After hanging up the phone call, Kang-jin struggles with his emotions and starts to rise, but sinks back into his seat. At the hospital, Ji-wan glares at Chun-hee, who bursts out, “Don’t tell Kang-jin.”

Ji-wan’s reply is barbed:

Ji-wan: “Why? Are you unable to see him because you’re sorry? Are you even sorry? How sorry are you? Don’t you want to know what a farce of a life Kang-jin oppa has been living because of you, or how he’s living now, or how he will continue his preposterous life in the future?”

Feeling anguished over Ji-wan’s words, Chun-hee says, “I’ve committed an unforgivable sin against you and your mother. I’m sorry.” Still overwhelmed with resentment, Ji-wan says, “I’m sorry, ajumma, but I won’t accept that apology.” She leaves with those angry words, and both women spend the night brooding over the conversation.

Kang-jin ends up driving to the hospital, but rather than going in, he parks outside. He stays there all night long, and as he sits with his eyes closed, he misses seeing Chun-hee stumbling out and grabbing a taxi.

After the confrontation, Chun-hee has left without warning, so when Ji-wan finds the room empty, she rushes out. She doesn’t see Chun-hee, but she does recognize the car that pulls away from the curb and merges with traffic: Kang-jin’s.

At the Cha & Seo atelier, we have a welcome bit of humor between Jae-hyun and Woo-jung, who bicker. (She has forgotten that she’s the lowest employee here and Jae-hyun the boss; he instructs her to use formal joendaemal language with her.)

Young-sook has taken a liking to Woo-jung and pulls her aside for a chat while making lunch, asking about her family. (Woo-jung plays it down, since being a chaebol’s daughter might make their dynamic awkward, and would also requires explanation for their rift.) She helps Young-sook make mandoo (dumplings), though she admits that she hasn’t eaten them since she was ten, when her mother died. Nobody else’s mandoo could measure up.

Kang-jin looks over to see Young-sook patting Woo-jung’s hand, telling her to treat them like family now. She also says that her son Ji-yong may seem stoic, but the way he treats Woo-jung is different from all other women: “I think he cares for you.” Kang-jin just smiles and leaves them to their talk.

Feeling upset over the Chun-hee situation, Ji-wan asks Tae-joon for help, since he has regular contact with her. She doesn’t explain their relationship, saying merely that she left before her treatment was finished.

Chun-hee isn’t at her coffee stand, but the kimbap lady is able to direct them to her apartment. Ji-wan sends Tae-joon away, wanting to speak with her one-on-one, and hesitates a long while before mustering the nerve to knock on the door.

Chun-hee is not happy to see Ji-wan, and tells her to leave; she should just pretend she never saw her. Ji-wan assumes a brisk doctor’s demeanor, explaining that Chun-hee needs further treatment and medicine, and wants to take a look at the injury.

When Chun-hee insists that Ji-wan go, Ji-wan refuses: “I told you I won’t forgive you, and that I won’t accept your apology. You have to be healthy in order for me and Kang-jin oppa and my mother to be able to hate you.”

Ji-wan starts packing a bag of Chun-hee’s clothes, intending to bring her back to the hospital. She promises, “I won’t tell Kang-jin oppa. When you’re healed, meet him yourself. He’s your son — you should meet him at least once.”

Woo-jung and Kang-jin step out to the porch for some air. She looks up and asks:

Woo-jung: “Do you want to fly? You must want to flutter away, like the clouds, or a bird, or the wind. Then fly. Run away — take Han Ji-wan’s hand and run away wherever. Fly off somewhere. She said that you’d given up, but that she hadn’t yet. You’ve done enough here. What are you hesitating over? Life is short — go.”

Kang-jin replies, “Should I? Should I just do that?” But he says this without conviction, and walks back inside.

We do see, however, that Ji-wan’s still #1 on Kang-jin’s cell phone. She misses his phone call, which she returns from outside the house. He comes out to talk to her, saying she should have come indoors, but she answers, “But I came to see Cha Kang-jin, not Han Ji-yong.”

Ji-wan asks him on a date, acting cheerful and putting up a bold front. We can see that the bravado is an act, as she visibly relaxes when Kang-jin agrees, as though she’d been afraid he’d refuse.

In the car, she wonders, “If your mother came back, what would you do? If she came back, what would you do about my mother?” He doesn’t respond.

At a restaurant, Ji-wan orders ten bottles of beer and drinks from hers, though Kang-jin doesn’t touch his. He says he doesn’t feel like drinking, but she calls him on it: “Liar, you’re not drinking because you’re afraid it’ll make you honest, right?”

She guesses that he must have felt disturbed and confused by her phone call last night, and admits that she saw him at the hospital. He should have called her: “I was dying to see you — you should have called. Dummy. Coward.”

Suddenly, Ji-wan stands and swoops in close, leaning over the table and stopping just inches from his face. But she pulls back, commenting on his surprise: “I won’t touch you, so don’t worry.”

She says, “Let’s stop acting now. How can we be siblings? Even a passing dog would laugh at that.” They can’t live like this forever, so she wants to tell her mother the truth and deal with the consequences.

Ji-wan stands to go, and he grabs her arm. She tries to break free, and orders him to let go.

He responds in a challenging tone:

Kang-jin: “I won’t stop you — but do you really feel confident you can do it? Want to take it there? Fine, let’s go there. Like you said, we went through so much to come this far. And we like each other so much, so what’s there to fear? Let’s go, then. Let’s go as far as we can go.”

They head back home, Kang-jin acting with firm, decisive movements as he pulls Ji-wan along. They head to Young-sook’s room, where he sits down before her and says, very seriously, that he has something to say. He holds Ji-wan’s hand and puts it on the table in plain view, clasping it tightly even when she tries to pull away.

He declares, “We like each other. So we don’t want to lie anymore, or walk on eggshells around each other, but date as a man and a woman. Please give your consent.”

The announcement stuns Young-sook, who uneasily tells Kang-jin to let go of Ji-wan’s hand. He says no: “I’m not Ji-yong. I’m Cha Kang–!”

Ji-wan claps her hand over his mouth to keep him from finishing that sentence, and Young-sook falls over in a faint.

A little while later, the doctor checks up on Young-sook and repeats his diagnosis that she is deliberately erasing and editing her most painful memories. He warns them not to subject her to shock.

At first, I thought Kang-jin was being stupid by “burying the lead,” so to speak: Why didn’t he OPEN with the “I’m not your son” line before making Young-sook think weird incesty thoughts? However, as Kang-jin is surely not dumb, I believe he did this all for a reason — he was deliberately trying to force Young-sook’s reaction with shock.

He’s also proving something to Ji-wan, challenging her earlier intention to end the acting. He asks, “Want to go further? Shall we go further?” Point made. Dully, she answers, “No.”

Young-sook calls out for Ji-yong, and Kang-jin goes to her. She’s in a rueful mood, asking, “I collapsed again, didn’t I? Why was it this time? This is bad, and I’d gotten a lot better so I thought I was fine now. I had another bad dream. It was really terrible. You came with Ji-wan and…” She can’t finish that thought.

Kang-jin apologizes, which makes her say that she’s the one who’s sorry for causing all this trouble.

Pointing out that Ji-wan has been drinking, Kang-jin drives her car back to the hospital. In the car, he holds out his hand to her. At her hesitation, he asks, “Are we unable to even hold hands?”

She looks at it for several moments, and just as he drops his hand, she takes it. They keep holding on for the duration of the ride.

When he drops her off at the hospital, Kang-jin mentions that her mother made mandoo soup for them today, and he’d never had something made with such love. His own mother had had too many of her own worries to cook like that for her children.

Kang-jin: “I don’t think love is everything in life. I could live like this. I could endure it.”

Inside, Bu-san is making a bit of a scene by crying in the hallway. Jin-kyung now works here, and had told him about Chun-hee being a patient thinking he would see her, but he refuses to meet the mother who abandoned him.

Upstairs, Miss Shin greets Chun-hee with relief, having looked everywhere for her. Chun-hee asks hopefully, “Does Bu-san know I’m here?” Miss Shin sighs that Bu-san is refusing to see her, and Chun-hee asks, “Does Kang-jin know?”

Miss Shin says no, but adds bitterly, “His life was completely ruined because of you!” Not comprehending, Chun-hee asks for clarification, so Miss Shin fills her in on all that transpired with Young-sook’s illness. This is so shocking that Chun-hee immediately gets out of bed, intent on confirming this with her own eyes, because she can hardly believe it.

Kang-jin tries to get his brother to explain what has him so worked up, treating him with some concern but also some teasing — what’s a grown man doing, sitting in a hospital bawling? Just as Chun-hee comes around the corner, Bu-san asks, “Hyung, don’t you miss Mom?”

Ji-wan glimpses Chun-hee just before the latter pulls back and hides behind a column, but Kang-jin doesn’t. Therefore he answers easily, “I don’t want to see her. I don’t even remember her. All right?”

This is a blow for Chun-hee, compounded when Bu-san pouts, “I’m not going to see her anymore either. It’s bad enough to be abandoned by my father. My mother shouldn’t leave me, too. Right?”

Kang-jin speaks without malice or bitterness in his voice, but that doesn’t lessen the sting. When Ji-wan checks on Chun-hee later that night, she finds her choking back her tears.

Tae-joon comes by the atelier to talk to Jae-hyun (as Kang-jin is out), because he’d like to work together on a project. He figures they can test out the adage, “Together we survive, apart we die.”

He’s surprised to see Woo-jung sleeping in the office, unaware that she’d returned to Korea. Last he’d heard, she was still in Paris. Tae-joon eyes her with pity as Jae-hyun explains that she returned after she’d run out of money, and now she’s working with them.

She asks him for a ride, since she had long since sold her car — another fact that makes Tae-joon feel sorry for her. Over lunch, he wonders why she’s working with Kang-jin — is she still hoping that she has a chance with him? Why doesn’t she start dating someone else? She could get a guy much better than Kang-jin.

Woo-jung turns his words around on him teasingly, saying he could do the same with Ji-wan. Touché. Tae-joon says that he’s glad things have become so comfortable with them — in the past (“When I saw you as a woman”) it was really hard to be around her. She says the same of him, and they both sigh that it’s a little sad that they no longer see each other “as a man” and “as woman.”

Ji-wan comes upon Bu-san in the hospital as he loiters in front of his mother’s door. He has been fighting his conflicting emotions, trying to decide whether to see her or not, but now decides not to. He asks Ji-wan not to tell her that he was there.

Chun-hee prepares for her discharge, and Ji-wan’s presence adds a strained atmosphere. Miss Shin, ever the voice of reason, tells Chun-hee that she doesn’t need to feel so sorry toward Ji-wan anymore, not with her family claiming Kang-jin as their son. They’re even now.

From the hospital, Chun-hee heads to the school campus where she has heard Kang-jin is teaching. She just misses seeing him as he leaves his lecture and heads outside to meet Young-sook, who has brought him lunch. He greets her warmly and leads her inside.

When Chun-hee finally does spot them, she’s startled to see how happy and loving the two are with each other, as they link arms and head to the cafeteria.

Chun-hee remains at a distance while Kang-jin eats, and it’s a hard sight to bear. She keeps her face hidden when Kang-jin gets up to leave and asks Young-sook to wait an hour until he’s off work. He heads off, and once he’s gone, Chun-hee approaches and sits down in front of Young-sook.

Young-sook doesn’t appear to recognize Chun-hee, and looks at her blankly. Chun-hee asks if she recognizes her — “I’m your friend Cha Chun-hee. Don’t you know me?”

The answer surprises her: “I know.” However, it soon becomes clear that Young-sook is not seeing her as we do; she speaks as though they haven’t seen each other in a very long time, and asks if Chun-hee ever married or had kids. She doesn’t recall Chun-hee moving back to Sancheong or opening the tearoom there. Her memories are locked at some point far in the past.

Chun-hee is shocked, but pleads anyway: “It doesn’t matter how you remember me, or how much. If you hit me, I’ll take the hit. If you curse me, I’ll listen. And if you kill me, I’ll die. Just let go of Kang-jin.” She grabs Young-sook’s hand and implores, “Just let go of my Kang-jin, please.”

Yet none of this makes a bit of an impact on an uncomprehending Young-sook, who excuses herself to meet her son Ji-yong.

But that’s not going to be the last of Chun-hee’s attempts, because later that night, Kang-jin answers the door at home to find his mother standing on the doorstep.

COMMENTS

I know I’m not the only one experiencing story fatigue, as I mentioned above. Some of you will say it happened for you ages ago, but for me, I was pretty content through Episode 10. And because I knew that letdown must be inevitable following that climactic moment, I braced myself accordingly and made it through 11 and 12 relatively well. Knowing that the drama will be over next week means that this is the week that would/could give me trouble, and yeah, I sorta feel it.

On the other hand, it’s not like I had to force myself through the episode, which is more than I can say about a lot of dramas, so that’s good. Or is that damning with faint praise?

A few things I liked:

I sorta love how angry Ji-wan is in the early-episode confrontation with Chun-hee, because it’s about damn time someone showed anger — and expressed it verbally — rather than taking their lumps with a stiff upper lip. (I hate when people in dramas just don’t TALK with each other and therefore create a lot of their own problems. This drama has actually been pretty good about setting up the missed communication with logical reasons, but I still greatly prefer when people just say what they feel. Points to Ji-wan.)

I think her statement that she wants Chun-hee to be healthy so she can hate her is similar to what I was saying in the previous recap about Young-sook’s illness. Because of how everyone has committed sins against each other, Kang-jin feels he still owes Young-sook and the Han family, so he can’t feel free to assert his desires while Young-sook is still ill. If she were well, perhaps they could call it even and he could be happy with Ji-wan. But the very fact of Young-sook’s illness is his family’s burden, so he feels with his overly righteous sense of justice that he owes her her happiness.

I am also very, very glad that Chun-hee is back in the picture, because I’m getting a little weary of Kang-jin being the victim here. I still stand by that whole long essay I wrote in the previous recap, that the Ji-yong plot thread does ultimately make sense in my brain because of all the layers of meaning and character interactions that back it up. However, it doesn’t mean I have to like seeing him played as a victim, so I want to see Chun-hee claim her son and put an end to this farce.

I don’t know if Chun-hee will be the one to jolt Young-sook out of her delusions, but if she does I can see no better person to do it. She’s also the only person (still alive) who has more history with Young-sook than the kids, so she has the “power” (so to speak, in a symbolic sense) to jump in here. Kang-jin may not feel free to shatter Young-sook’s delusions, but Chun-hee has more leverage and history with her old friend.

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1 socal

January 20, 2010 at 10:16 PM

Can I just say that I loved Woo Jung in this episode? She has matured so much from the immature, rich bratty girl that she was. She is so cool, and I hope that she gets together with Tae Joon. Thanks Javabeans...

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2 lst

January 20, 2010 at 10:28 PM

@1 socal

I'm totally with you on WooJung (and the shout out to JB). Her character is so refreshing, especially in this draggy episode.

I'm completely infatuated with GoSoo, but I'm getting tired of KangJin's silences and terse sentences. It's a great development that ChunHee is back to shake things up. Definitely, ready to see how things resolve over the last few eps. It's cheesy of me, but I hope there's a happy ending for both the lead and the secondary couple.

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3 deeta

January 20, 2010 at 10:33 PM

Yeah, I did feel the fatigue from episode 10. I was forcing myself to finish episode 9 and I did like it, but I couldn't really finish episode 10. It's just that the story has taken a pretty ridiculous turn that things now feel fake to me. WISFC now feels like a melting pot for pretty much every cliche in KDrama land, and a cliche recycle from Writer Lee's past dramas. And I'm not impressed.

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4 Anh Nguyen

January 20, 2010 at 10:34 PM

I have not seen the episode but it seems to be draggy eh?

Thanks DB!! Hopefully the series will end well.

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5 socal

January 20, 2010 at 10:38 PM

And might I add that Go Soo is ridiculously handsome even in that grandpa sweater vest?

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6 beehive

January 20, 2010 at 10:45 PM

*Sigh*

I know it will never happen, but I'm secretly rooting for Kang Jin and Woo Jung. I have been liking her more than Ji Wan since the 5th or 6th episode. Maybe I just have a thing for smart older women :P

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7 Hana

January 20, 2010 at 10:52 PM

Ordinarily, I steer way clear of this sort of melodrama, weepy stuff...and not knowing who Go Soo is, I didn't think it was something even worth thinking about...

Until I started reading your recaps JB! I read my way up to Ep 10 and then, I finally couldn't stand it anymore...!! You totally made me want to watch this drama...and yes...all these lovely screen caps of Go Soo were a huge motivating factor.

I'm loving the Go Soo angst and the fact that yes, this is a pretty sad story but there isn't TOO much wailing and gloom and doom stuff...

The only drawback I've had so far is that your recaps are sometimes so much better than actually watching the drama!*LOL So thank you very much for all the insights and added flavour!

Can't wait to see how it all plays out... maybe because I don't usually watch this genre of drama, I can't see how it will finally end... but definitely crossing my fingers for a happy ending...after all that angst if they don't end up together, I think I'll break something...

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8 Molly

January 20, 2010 at 10:53 PM

I haven't seen the episode either but it does seem to be less shocking than the others so just by the recap it feels slower. I wonder if the writers will incorporate Chun-hee and Jun-su's history back into the story, and show the Hans that they didn't actually run away together and that Chun-hee shouldn't get all the blame for what happened. Ji-wan doesn't know yet that her father died, right? Or is she assuming that something happened between them, since Kang-jin's mother is apparently not with Jun-su? It's too much to ask for, but I'm still really curious about what really happened right before the three-year time jump. Did Jun-su die? Who took care of his funeral, and why was his family not contacted?

I can't believe this is ending next week! It's the same feeling I had when My Fair Lady ended, though this is by far more intense and melancholy, since that was a light, goofy ride and this is like...bittersweet and heartbreaking. Oh, and actually logical. And, of course, there's Go Soo. ;)

@socal
Ha! Agreed. I think the fact that so many male leads in dramas wear suits is subtle fan service too, because I have yet to see one who doesn't look incredibly amazing in a sleek suit. I'm doing research on clothing history, and this quote is appropriate: “While ‘fine feathers make fine birds,’ fine cloths do not always make fine clothes" (Young, the Tailor ad) I'll add: Fine clothes make finer men.

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9 Elise

January 20, 2010 at 10:58 PM

I hope Woo Jung gets with her assistant lol he is so cute

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10 Molly

January 20, 2010 at 11:00 PM

Btw, Javabeans, a minor mistake: Under the "Related Posts" section, the first link says episode 13 but actually points to episode 12.

Thanks for the great recap!

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11 ripgal

January 20, 2010 at 11:02 PM

Sadly I don't have the urge to continue with the drama anymore. I watched Ep 9 and thought it would build up my excitement for Ep 10, since you guys said that it was the best best episode of all. But it didn't.

Maybe I'll give Ep 10 a try, stop there and jump right to the ending? Bad me?

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12 Javabeans

January 20, 2010 at 11:04 PM

Thanks Molly, corrected that!

Go Soo may look fine in a suit, but may I posit that he looks better in nothing at all?

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13 Anh Nguyen

January 20, 2010 at 11:12 PM

JB, haha the shower scene again lol!

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14 D

January 20, 2010 at 11:24 PM

thanks for the recap...

i managed to recover the 15min i lost last night.. yr recap helps a lot....

am so glad CH is back in the picture..

am looking forward to ep14..

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15 langdon813

January 20, 2010 at 11:26 PM

I totally agree, the recaps are way better than the actual drama. I finally started up again tonight after stalling at Episode 10...and lasted about 20 minutes. I will finish it eventually, but now I'll know what to watch and what to fast forward.

Great recap and BONUS HOT NEKKID GO SOO PIC!

Thanks JB! :-D

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16 jacq

January 20, 2010 at 11:38 PM

I don' know.....but I've lost interests in this drama.....I used to be like couldn't wait for the next episode to air so I could find out what happened next, not to mention lurking around different forums to look for spoilers and previews. But since I finished epi 11, I didn't have much interests to continue on to watch epi 12. It had really slowed down for me. I will find time to finish it eventually of course, just for the pure reason of Go Soo. But meanwhile I find reading the recap is all that I need. Thankyou JB!

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17 Emeldy

January 20, 2010 at 11:45 PM

Thanks Javabeans, i was really hoping that you would continue with the recaps. I love this drama. My k drama journey stated off with Sairway to Heaven so its feels like going back to the root of K drama. Well, as we all know the frustration level is pretty high for this drama, mini-war so to say happening in various forum, for and against WISFC. Am so glad you did not fall in the Against bracket and End your recap like Star Lovers and World Within. Am not complaining, World Within was unbearable for me too.

I really can't stand Ji wan mom's though. I have this hunch that she is faking her illness. Ohhh Chun-hee is back, i love her character. I don't think she is really at fault in what is happening. She did back out in the end. She is the one being cheated all her life. Ji wan mom is the one snatching the men she loved the most , first it was Jun-su and now her son. I am really rooting for Chun-hee to claim her son back. And i really want Ji-wan and Kang-jin to know the real story of their parents, its high time the whole puzzle to be solved.

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Gasenadi

August 17, 2012 at 7:10 AM

@Emeldy - I'm 100% in agreement with you! My heart BLEEDS for Chun-hee and it has since the very beginning. She's the reason I haven't developed "fatigue" because her story keeps me glued to this drama. I know. Her character invites derision and blame. But, still, this is the mother whose own son, KJ, insisted she go and meet the "love of her life" before it was too late, even putting the shoe she had taken off back ON. The one who announced she was moving, alone, way before actually doing so. The one who decided to leave WITHOUT the man. And the one Jun-sun finally had at his side moments before he passed. *SOB* To hear her sons say they no longer care to even see her has me crying still with frustration and indignation. "Upright" Jun-soo gets to die and leave this mess for everyone else to deal with. Ji-wan gets to blame "Notorious Chun-hee" for the farce KJ (and JW) has decided to play. If anyone has paid the consequences JB speaks of, it has been Chun-hee consistently throughout. Time to give her (and the fantastic actress) some props.

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18 Cin

January 20, 2010 at 11:52 PM

WOW! So fast in publishing this ep! Thank U JB!!

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19 ar_arguably romantic

January 20, 2010 at 11:54 PM

thanks for the recap! I'm getting really tired of Chun-hee. She's so wishy washy.

I hope Woojung gets with Jae-hyun...but then that will leave Taejoon out...=/ then i guess any one of them will be fine. I just want her to get with somebody!

@8 Molly. I also wonder if the Hans knew Junsu died. Or maybe his corpse is still sitting there in the car? Or did Chun-hee take care of the funeral arrangements and didn't inform the rest of the family?

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20 socal

January 20, 2010 at 11:54 PM

Javabeans, where is that picture from? Did I miss something while watching this drama? drats!

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21 socal

January 20, 2010 at 11:59 PM

Isn't the actress playing YoungSook one of the physicians to the king in Dae Jang Geum (Jewel in the Palace)? I loved that drama with Lee Young Ae.

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22 Sherry

January 21, 2010 at 12:27 AM

Han jun su could be in coma somewhere ?. Or in the last eopisode they could finally visit his graveyarard.

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23 charitee

January 21, 2010 at 12:58 AM

i do agree that this episode dragged on a little bit but [like you said] considering we're only 3 episodes away from the end and the fact that it seems like things may be picking up by the next episode, i'm not disappointed/angry. i have to say that a lot of the time [esp. with melodramas], there are like draggy parts that last for more than just 2 episodes and it kills me. esp the ones that drag on for like 4 or more episodes...uggggh. thank goodness that is not the case with this drama since they tend to move things along [more or less].i actually didn't think they'd be able to keep the drama going for another 6 episodes after the awesomeness that was episode 10 but the writers surprised me.

on a more random note, i'm seriously digging the vibe between taejoon and woojung in this episode. it's SO much better than the angsty, angry and painful atmosphere that always existed between the two. and better yet, this friendly and somewhat light atmosphere is actually somewhat believable. now that i think abt it, i'm so happy with how the writers dealt with the second leads. for me, woojung and taejoon were never too much. the writers knew just when enough was enough [i.e. when to have them give up on the main characters, when to give up on each other (for now at least), etc.] and stopped them from becoming ridiculous by either becoming too obsessive/possessive/crazy or waaay too nice/considerate to the point of altruism.

anyways, thanks so much for your recaps javabeans. i've especially enjoyed them for this drama :]

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24 Bobo

January 21, 2010 at 1:50 AM

Dude, I think it's time to send Young-sook to the loony bin along with Baek Geum Ja from Smile You, and all the other k-drama mothers who do unbelievably crazy **** to separate the two main leads. I am so relieved this show is ending next week so that my miserable and masochistic addiction to this show can finally end.

Anyways, thanks Javabeans, for the lovely recap.

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25 greentea

January 21, 2010 at 2:00 AM

Finally, it's about time that Chun-Hee shows up in front of Young-sook and clears things up. I'm also excited about Kang-jin's reaction of his mother's return.
Thanks javabeans for the recap!

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26 su-pah

January 21, 2010 at 3:01 AM

Sorry to break up the sombre party but I LOVED this episode!

Thanks for the recap JB, awesome as usual but I’m nowhere near fatigue level.

Eeesh! Sorry, it took me over a year to knock together enough courage together to start posting comments here, now I’m commenting on almost every post, beyaneyo. It definitely has something to do with my fondness for this drama.

This episode is so far, my third fave after 2 and 10, and in that order. Haha! I am savouring each episode and can’t believe there are only three left including the one airing tonight.

Aigoo! I badly wanted to hug Ji Wan, for her resistance and her hunting down Chun-hee. She doesn’t just sit around and mope, she’s pretty pro-active. Ji Wan has a pair and like when they were kids, she also impelled Kang-jin to *almost* grow a pair too here. Good girl!

Kang-jin, I kind of had a feeling he was merely ‘proving a point’, what an a-hole! Even though the way in which he did it wasn’t vindictive and I really felt for him at the same time. But hey if he wants to do the whole tortured hero thing that is ok, but he’s hurting Ji Wan more and just not uncomfortable enough with Young-sook. He even admits that himself, while holding JW’s hand. Is that like his ‘thing’? Superficially comforting others, as if they’re kids but not actually doing anything to alleviate the pain, instead making matters worse? How patronising!

He could have said, ‘’let’s not give up, I appreciate you fighting for us, let’s keep trying to find a way for us’’, as he held her hand, instead he said: ‘’I can live without you, life is otherwise really good.’’ Ouch!
But alas, communication was never really oppa’s strong feat.

And what was it with his smiling and shooting lingering looks in Woo Jung’s direction? Men can be so unfaithful eh? Was so frustrated at that point, especially when he’s also lamenting after Ji Wan and hanging around the hospital all night.

I finally, finally like Woo Jung’s character in this episode, she minds her own business, understands where she’s not wanted and has a kind of dignity about her that wasn't there before. I also liked seeing her with Tae Joon again, I don’t see how this couple can’t re-ignite their love again, which seemed pretty intense to me.

Thanks Ji Wan for getting the ball rolling, aka. Throwing Chun-hee into the action, let’s shake things up already!

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27 Emeldy

January 21, 2010 at 3:17 AM

@ su-pah

"And what was it with his smiling and shooting lingering looks in Woo Jung’s direction? Men can be so unfaithful eh? Was so frustrated at that point, especially when he’s also lamenting after Ji Wan and hanging around the hospital all night."

That made laugh : ) i so agree with you.

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28 glencorajane

January 21, 2010 at 3:43 AM

Hi Javabeans, thanks for your detailed, accurate and factual recap. I felt better about ep 13 after reading your recap. I was a bit upset with ep13 feeling that everyone is stuck and there is no progress. Major melodrama fatigue.

Yes maybe I should take a leaf from you and endure thru the remaining 3 eps.

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29 xiahkixiri

January 21, 2010 at 3:46 AM

I also reneged to just reading the recaps since ep10. Shame pickle. I'm still invested enough in the characters I guess, but sitting through an hour of this would be torture. I am sad to miss angry Ji-wan, now that she's finally stopped being the quivering nervous wreck, but hum, at some point a drama watcher has to learn to let go of a series if it's not good.

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30 Madita

January 21, 2010 at 4:17 AM

Thank you for the great recap JB

As I could not resist yesterday night, I watced it RAW again. I think I slowly get a feeling for the Korean language as my assumptions about what I have watched fits nearly 90% with your recap.

Well, while watching this Episode, I always had in my minde that this drama will be over next week. Just 3 more Eps left and I feel very much unsatisfied about the storyline, because I am missing so much like

- how was KangJins and JiWans relationship in the last 3 years, I mean they are a lovecouple. I prefered to see and hear how they suffered, bickered, fought with each other and special moments why they are still together. They are such a great an beautiful love couple but this drama is very stingy with scenes of them like hugging, cuddling (uhmmm, ehmmm - kissssiiing)
I mean, GoSoo is such an good actor - his potential of showing up and down feelings of KJ are nearly totally wasted here..... Lucky us that they are still together !?!
How did they manage it in the last 3 years ???

- regarding TaeJoon and WooJun, as they are also very interesting characters in this drama, I would liked it to get some more info, scenes about them. Their characters should have been better treated in this drama.

- I like ChunHee, she is an interesting woman, in a way crazy. Normally a fighter. But what I miss here (maybe they will pack it into the last few eps.) are detailed info about here relationship with JiWans father in their youth, his and heres family background. Who made them split up...and so on.

Lets say, I love this drama, because of its 2 main actors HYS and GS. But towards the end I still have the feeling there is something missing. And reagrding, that just 3 more Eps are left, I cant imagine how they will make this up.
I ve got the feeling that the End will leave me with a pathethic feeling.
Thats for me the reason why this drama cant keep up wiht CH or even Smile.

Maybe I am the only one who feel a little bit unsatisfied with the storyline (not the actors). Nevertheless, I still love this drama and of course I will watch it till the End.

Well, tonight I will watch ep.14 RAW again, at work I cant watch any videos, so I hope tomorrow you will surprise us with recap of Ep.14 (shame on me, I know I am very egoistic :P)

Thank you very much for the recap again JB and commenters for sharing your oppinions.

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31 D

January 21, 2010 at 4:24 AM

@ 20 socal

it's in the earlier ep... how can you miss that? (after the site incident, i think)

@ 26 su-pah

"Is that like his ‘thing’? Superficially comforting others, as if they’re kids but not actually doing anything to alleviate the pain, instead making matters worse? How patronising!"

you're echoing my thought.. that's just him, isn't it?

JW's outburst on the phone, i think he took it the wrong way - that's he's the reason why they can't be together. ofcourse he doesn't know abt CY at that point.

why did he drive all the the way to the hospital but didnot confront JW? what goes through his mind while sitting out there?

at one point of time i feel like shouting "KJ, stop being the tortured soul already.."

but then this is a drama.. hehhhh...

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32 Madita

January 21, 2010 at 4:30 AM

Second thoughts :P

I think YoungSook is a swindler, conman...(Dont know the correct word in English)
She is just taking revenge...

- on JiWan, because her love to KJ was the reason her beloved son died
- on KJ, becaus of him her son died

So how dare they to get "married"...remember the eps. where JW introduced KJ to her and proposed to him.

- on ChunHee, because she stole her husband, and her son KJ her sons life.

I hope ChunHee will reveal this farce asap, so that KJ get to his senses again and feel sorry for the wasted, lost years.

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33 MEIKO**** ^-^

January 21, 2010 at 6:49 AM

I like this drama, honestly, but am glad we are nearing the end....this is dragging me ssloowwllyy....

sometimes, i find myself mumbling, "oh please! c'mon tell her already, there are hospitals/doctors for that(even if she faints a few more, really...i had to roll my eyes on that doctor's comment, that was very helpful doc!)....everybody's fooling everybody here..."

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34 Lan

January 21, 2010 at 7:17 AM

Javabeans, I don't understand... what happened to Jun Su?? It seems like he was dead. So did Chun-hee bury him somewhere alone, not telling his family??? That's just odd. It wasn't Jun Su's request. Why didn't Chun Hee come back to tell his family? Then she can leave, whatever...

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35 Biscuit

January 21, 2010 at 8:27 AM

I actually hope Youngsook's illness is real. The drama is heading towards it's end, and with only a few episodes left, I don't want to go through the drama of what happens when everyone realizes that Youngsook's illness was false.

Think about it: Busan and Kang-Jin would go through this big blow to find out for the last 3 years they supported this woman, and because of that, Kang Jin was not able to be with Ji Wan. Ji Wan would be guilty towards Kang Jin's family.... and everything starts all over again. Blah.

That aside, I can't help but admire Woo Jung and Tae Joon. Seriously, as much as I like Ji Wan and Kang Jin, sometimes I want to slap them in the face and say "MOVE ON!" and wish they'd look at Woojung and TaeJoon's relationship.

Woojung and Tae Joon also had a fiery romance, while Tae Joon also faced refusal by Woo Jung's father. In fact, it's because of Bumseo Group that almost put Tae Joon out of work. Yet he doesn't hold that against Woojung. They've had their hard times in their relationship and loved each other, but they broke up and moved on. But it's not like they decided that now that they aren't dating they can't be friends. They still remain on good terms with each other.

I also admire them even more in this episode that they aren't the "second lead villains". I thought they would be the dark-scheming pair in the beginning, but I actually like that they didn't go on that route like most dramas, and are characters that I actually rooted for. They are the realistic, sensible duo.

With Kang Jin and Ji Wan, I understand their love and pain. But over a decade of pain and never being able to be together... why can't they just move on in life!? It's okay to accept and cherish their precious memories together, but there are times when a person just has to "let go".

Right now I have almost don't pity them for half of the pain they are going through. At first it was understandable, but now it seems like they created their own pain. Kang Jin is not taking the initiative to fix anything, but is far too passive. I'm also angry that he anticipated Young-Sook's reaction of going through shock just to show Ji Wan they can't be together. That was cruel, dude.

Ji Wan is aware of her situation, but is being selfish. She's harboring too many thoughts of romance for Kang Jin, not realizing the pain that she's putting on Kang Jin. Part of love is self-sacrificing. So now she mopes about how she wants to be with Kang Jin and putting the blame on Chun-Hee... Jeez woman, stop thinking about romance and whose at fault but find a way to help solve the problem.
Sorry for the rant, but this episode really got on my nerves.

Hopefully next week the ending is satisfying.

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36 eiko

January 21, 2010 at 8:39 AM

Well, I haven't had a chance to watch the drama yet....and right now I'm having a problem with feeling out this episode. Seems like "selective memory" is the thing to choose because it's something happening in another drama titled Two Wives.

Sighhhh.....I'm finding this drama quite stressful and more of a downer where smiles seem to be almost non-existant.

Would you believe this drama will be airing in Hawaii next week? He's Beautiful is at episode 16 tonight....I will MISS the fun, actors and music of You're Beautiful!

Cheers to JavaBeans for keeping the comments rolling and interesting!

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37 mimi

January 21, 2010 at 9:12 AM

With the last couple episodes the image that came to mind was someone (the writers) throwing snowballs at KangJin, all for the unsuccessful effort of trying to keep this drama afloat and interesting:

1st snowball: the brother's death
2nd snowball: Ji-Wan's eating "disorder"
3rd snowball: the mother's selective amnesia

What I fail to see is a common thread that runs through the plot to bring consistency. They seem like separate events all in an attempt to keep the plot moving... or until they reach ep. 16.
We were never told how Ji-Wan got over her eating illness or her guilt issue about dating Kang-Jin although she partly blamed him for her brother's death. All of a sudden, one bright sunny wintry morning she was cured of her eating disorder and now had no guilt about liking KangJin. Oh sure.

Though a couple of the actors really do a fine job, the writing reminds me of something an 8 yr old would write. And so the drama fatigue for me.

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38 su-pah

January 21, 2010 at 9:38 AM

35 Biscuit -
I hope it IS false, haha! Only because I find it will turn up the heat a bit, if it isn't it will seem too wishy-washy, also if it's fake it will show Young-sook (a sly, clever, outwitting fox with angelic face) as the spurned lover/dumped wife and bitter coarse woman who tragically lost her beloved son.

A son who looked like ShinEE's Onew! Sigh! (That's Onew from back in the Replay days, not the current version with weird dyed hair - soo cute I could just *squish* him! Ok, Noona-love moment over.)

It will kind of take the story back to its root too, i.e. her unexplained resentment towards Ji Wan and remember how happy Ji Wan was when she introduced Kang Jin to her early ep. 11?
I also get a serious lump in my throat when I think if faking it IS the case, at how this mother's one-upped even Chun-hee's bad mothering to Kang-jin -- not only has she has abandoned her daughter, she also has designs on Woo Jung becoming her daughter in-law, when she knows how much KJ meant to JW. Sad!

32 Madita - I'm with you on this one!

I could be wrong though, i'm just musing to myself...

31 D - That's totally him, if the character didn't have such soulful sad eyes, I would say he's an evil b-----d!

27 Emeldy - ;o)

I REALLY don't want Ji Wan to give up on KJ, na-ah girlfriend! Don't you dare!

I have a good feeling about the last episode though, the writer who was able to write the beautiful story thus far (especially the childhood story, one of the BEST kdrama episodes ever written!) will not let us down in the last episode, she simply can not! I believe in you Lee!

Eeek! Can't wait till I get home and watch 14 now, time for a Chun-hee and Young-sook showdown!

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39 angryparsnip

January 21, 2010 at 12:51 PM

Just a though. . . by someone who doesn't usually watch melodramas, . . . because I have a hard time not wanting to slap someone.
I would like to say out of the many of my friends, their family and friends, business contacts no one has ever had any form of amnesia. . . but I love the way . . . oh about by my count almost half of Korea has at one time. .. love it !

Thanks JB !
Love the recaps . . . I can read about the show enjoy it but keep from tearing my hair out and keep my eye rolling to a minimum. Your a big help and I found out who Go Soo is, Good Job !

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40 Auntiemame

January 21, 2010 at 1:38 PM

Thank you for another great recap and commentary.

Whenever a drama hits the half-way point, I always anticipate the story to starting dragging. So, it was a pleasant surprise when this drama didn't flagged at the mid-way point and has continued the momentum until this episode.

And, the loss of momentum is tolerable since the end of the dramas usually pick up momentum to lead us to the finale.

As of now, the drama makes Chun Hee as the culprit, who started the chain of unfortunate events. And, she is the one who should be apologizing for her actions. However, she also deserves an apology from YS because I think YS did steal Jun Su away from Chun Hee.

I've always wondered if it was YS' guilty conscience that prevented her from being more forceful about Jun Su and Chun Hee meeting up again. And, part of YS' illness is from the realization that, even to his dying days, the woman in Jun Su's heart was not her. So, the only thing that she accomplished was to ruin all three lives. And, she doesn't even have the satisfaction of saying that, at least, she has great children, from her marrying Jun Su.

The thing I like most about this drama are the four main characters. I like them because, at heart, they are simply good people.

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41 Molly

January 21, 2010 at 3:53 PM

@ javabeans

LOL! Which episode is that picture from? I haven't been watching the episodes in full lately, but that's a scene worth seeing. I figured you'd include such an important scene in a recap...unless of course, it's your way of asserting your claim on Go Soo. ;)

Unless...I read that recap and just can't remember it. There's no way I wouldn't remember a scene like that though...-swamps Firefox with tabs of previous recaps-

Thanks again! Looking forward to tonight's.

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42 RD

January 21, 2010 at 7:00 PM

This episode was a little draggy but loved the WJ and TJ interaction. WJ has grown so much from the beginning. Also JW was great in this episode too!

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43 deannadsc

January 21, 2010 at 8:20 PM

...considering how I've been swooning to all my drama-addict-friends about how good WISFC is...this episode made me snooze 3 times, while I was watching it!!
I totally agree with everyone, JB...your recaps are far more interesting than the actual episode!!!...
...I'm praying the remaining episodes would live up to everyone else's expectations...or it would be a sorry let-down for us all!!!

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44 deannadsc

January 21, 2010 at 8:26 PM

by the way....loved your comment no.12!!! got me laughing my a.. off!!!

Go Soo may look fine in a suit, but may I posit that he looks better in nothing at all?

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45 anjell

January 21, 2010 at 8:48 PM

i didn't like episode 13 at all... but i am still looking forward to watching ep. 14... hoping...praying... (sigh)...

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46 anna

January 21, 2010 at 11:18 PM

@40 , me too. i don't hate the main four leads. they are really good person deep down.

actually, i don't hate any one of the characters. they all have good intention for every decision they made. tho' i hate chun ee and jun su for a while in the middle when they were planning to run away. but then, in jun su's defense, he wasn't aware of JW and KJ's relationship.
as for at this point, i think its kinda clear where WJ and TJ's story is going. still, JW and KJ's is still blurry.

@41, it's from the 2nd episode.

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47 RD

January 24, 2010 at 10:33 AM

Anyone know of the song playing when KJ is waiting outside the hospital in the car? It's not on the WISFC OST and I would greatly appreciate if someone knew it