Will It Snow For Christmas: Episode 15
by javabeans
Good episode, or frustrating episode? I think a little of both.
But now that we’re in the last week, I’m just looking forward to tomorrow’s finale. Granted, this writer is not known for sweet, perfect happy endings, and given her track record I think we can hope for mild happiness (or bittersweetness) at best. But I actually remain confident that we’re going to get a reunion for our couple, because it’s the only way this drama makes sense. All this angst would really be pointless if there were no payoff — and a really big one, at that, given the buildup — so I’m expecting a satisfying ending tomorrow. Or heads will roll.
SONG OF THE DAY
Lucite Tokki – “잊혀진 이야기” (Forgotten Story) [ Download ]
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EPISODE 15 RECAP
Backtracking a little bit from the end of last episode, we see Kang-jin and Ji-wan reading in the library together. While she sleeps, he covers her with his coat and presses a kiss to her forehead.
At the same time, Young-sook’s memory is jogged by Chun-hee’s pleas to let go of Kang-jin. Suddenly, she’s flooded with images and scenes from the time she has forgotten — Chun-hee moving back to Sancheong, the house fire, and that day when Ji-wan introduced her to Kang-jin as her boyfriend.
Young-sook heads to Kang-jin’s room to confirm her suspicions, digging through his desk. When she finds his family portrait in his desk — the one with him, Bu-san, and Chun-hee — she realizes the truth. She goes downstairs in time to catch Ji-wan’s soothing words to Kang-jin about not feeling guilty anymore, and how Ji-yong’s death wasn’t anybody’s fault.
Young-sook joins them, not betraying that she overheard or that she knows who Kang-jin really is. They react with relief to see her safe and sound, and Kang-jin acts in his usual caring way. However, Young-sook is rattled and distances herself, avoiding looking at him. She even removes her arm from his grasp and directs all her words at Ji-wan.
This conversation shakes her up further, and she retreats to her room.
In the car ride back to the hospital, Ji-wan tries to lighten the mood, saying that her mother is fine. She places a hand over his, and when he doesn’t react, she asks, “What, can’t we hold hands?” (This is an echo of Kang-jin’s words when the situation was reversed in a previous episode.)
Kang-jin remains nonresponsive, so Ji-wan then tries to crack a joke, imitating a gag comedian. She looks hopefully in his direction, but he makes no indication that he heard. She starts to bang her head against the headrest restlessly.
Kang-jin slides his hand behind her head to stop her, and says in his disgruntled voice, “Don’t go around doing that. Your gag impression isn’t the least bit accurate, and it’s not funny either.”
Despite the words, she smiles — at least he’s reacting to her now. And when he lowers his hand from her headrest, he grasps hers.
In the morning, Tae-joon surprises Woo-jung by giving her a ride to work. When asked why, he answers that he’s planning on scouting her, and offers to give her a ride every day if she joins his firm. She asks teasingly, “You know you’re going extremely overboard, don’t you?” He knows, but has found a certain fun in it. When he drops her off, he proposes, “Lee Woo-jung! Do you want to stop looking at the backs of frustrating people and start dating again? I’m going overboard again, aren’t I?” With a smile, she agrees that he is being excessive.
Young-sook is in better control of her emotions today, and brings Kang-jin juice at his desk as though everything is normal. When she hands the glass to him, she drops it, spilling the juice all over his computer. I’m not sure if this is a conscious move or a subconscious one, but in any case she doesn’t seem 100% sorry, although of course she does apologize. Kang-jin is clearly upset, but he tries to contain his reaction, even though his co-workers remind him that they need the material today and that the damages would be huge if they lost the client. Thinking of Young-sook’s feelings, Kang-jin shushes them and says tersely that they can take the damages out of his pay.
Kang-jin joins Young-sook upstairs as she folds laundry, assuring her that everything is okay. He’s being the good, thoughtful son as ever, even urging her to go buy some nice clothes for herself, so her coolness is perplexing. His confusion grows when Young-sook’s eyes remain averted and she keeps her answers short.
Young-sook has remembered Kang-jin and Ji-wan’s romantic history, so she knows what she’s doing when she suggests that they marry Ji-wan off this year. She adds, “And you should find a woman who suits you and marry.” (It’s her way of ensuring that they stay apart, which indicates that she has decided to continue her pretense.)
Ji-wan and Jin-kyung are both pleased to hear that Bu-san made up with his mother. It’s too bad that Chun-hee can’t move in with Bu-san despite their reconciliation, because he lives in a tiny place. Jin-kyung has always had a silly crush on Kang-jin, so she sighs over how hard this must be on him, not being able to call his own mother “Mother.”
This discussion sours Ji-wan’s mood, and she excuses herself. In addition to reminding her of Kang-jin’s predicament, it also echoes her own — she’s another person who loves someone but isn’t allowed to show it. This talk of mothers must make her feel bad for Chun-hee too, and Ji-wan goes shopping for gifts (undergarments, nightclothes).
Kang-jin visits his mother’s coffee stand as she deals with a difficult customer. The man spits out the coffee and accuses her of lying that it’s premium coffee when it’s really low-grade swill.
Kang-jin angrily steps in and thrusts a few bills at the man (way more than necessary), telling him to go buy himself that fancy coffee and never come back.
He takes Chun-hee to lunch, and she assumes that he’s come to yell at her for making Young-sook collapse. She starts to insult Young-sook but catches herself, remembering Kang-jin’s reaction last time, and braces herself for his outburst.
Because he remains quiet, Chun-hee asks impatiently, “So what are you gonna do? Are you going to beat me, or what? Are you going to kill your mother?” She grumbles that she’ll go back to Young-sook to demand that she let go of her son.
Kang-jin tells her that he’s looking for an apartment for her to move into with Bu-san. He’ll cover her expenses so she can stop working at her coffee stand, and she should hire a maid to prevent further injury to her back.
Chun-hee protests, “I want to live in the same house with you. … I don’t need a maid or an apartment. Even if it’s a rundown shack, I want to live with you. Let’s live together.” When he doesn’t respond, she presses, “You’ve done enough. Three years is enough.”
He answers quietly, “I can’t do that.” From his reaction, it seems like he’d like to, but he still feels obligated to the commitment he made. Chun-hee is hurt by his answer and swigs from the soju bottle.
Ji-wan has been waiting for a long while in front of Chun-hee’s door with her gift bags, but finally decides to leave. As she walks away, she sees Chun-hee approaching in the distance, staggering drunkenly with a concerned Kang-jin a few steps behind her.
When he tries to help her, she casts off his arm. When Kang-jin wraps his scarf around her neck, she flings it off. Finally, he kneels in front of her and tells her to climb on his back because it’s clear she can’t walk straight.
Because of her hurt feelings, Chun-hee addresses him sarcastically as though he’s a stranger: “Excuse me, I don’t know who you are. I thought you were my son, but you say you’re not. Why would I get on the back of someone I don’t know?”
She starts to hit him on the back, crying and shouting, “You crazy fool who doesn’t even know his mother!” More insistently, Kang-jin grits out, “Get on, Madam Cha.” Instead, she falls to the ground sobbing.
He ends up carrying her home anyway. Now docile and half-asleep, Chun-hee softly sings the song he had once sung to her, in Episode 3 (“Hongdo, Don’t Cry”).
A montage shows us the thoughts running through his mind, and all his old memories of his mother. Perhaps the song choice is doubly poignant, because in the earlier scene it was a sort of love song from son to mother. Now it’s got a bite to it, because it had been his way of promising to take care of her. He can still treat Chun-hee well, but as long as he’s committed to the act with Young-sook, there are limits to what he can do for Chun-hee. Like living with her as her son.
Late that night, Woo-jung is the only one still in the office, and is searching for a flash drive that has disappeared from her desk. She finally finds it in the trash outside.
When she comes inside, she hands Kang-jin something, asking, “Wasn’t this a photo you really treasured? I don’t know what happened, but why did you rip it up? Even so, isn’t that your only photo of your mother? You’ll regret ripping it up in anger later.”
He has no idea what she’s talking about, but he does recognize the photo. Knowing that he wasn’t the one who ripped it up, he starts thinking of who could have done it…
In his room, he finds his photo frame now empty. Guessing the truth, he heads to Young-sook’s room, where she sleeps.
The next day, Ji-wan meets her mother at Miss Shin’s cafe after work. What she doesn’t expect is for Young-sook to have engineered a surprise blind date; Mom introduces a man as their neighbor’s brother and excuses herself, pleased with her clever trick.
Ji-wan puts a quick end to the date, explaining, “I’m sorry, before this becomes more of an inconvenience, I’ll speak honestly. I’m dating someone, but my mother doesn’t approve of him. I think she called me here on purpose, because he works here.” Hilariously, she calls Bu-san over, telling the date, “We go back a long while.”
And yes, because Go Soo isn’t cool enough already, the drama throws in a montage of him playing basketball. (Honestly, Kang-jin was pretty damned awesome already, without throwing athletics into the mix. Maybe they were afraid we’d forgotten that Kang-jin is hot. From two seconds ago. Well, I guess it’s the least they can do for Go Soo after putting him through the emotional wringer.)
Woo-jung finds him to let him know that Chun-hee is at the atelier, waiting for him.
Chun-hee greets Kang-jin, contrite now, assuring him that she called ahead of time to make sure Young-sook would be out. She intends to leave quickly, and is only here to give him a present. They’re gloves, because she’d noticed he wasn’t wearing any the other night.
Kang-jin hesitates, remaining at a distance, which Chun-hee takes as a rejection. Wondering if he’s turned into a snob (who would only wear fine department store clothes), she retracts her arm and puts the package back into her purse. At that, Kang-jin steps forward and takes the box from her and opens it. As he puts the gloves on, Chun-hee’s hurt expression fades, and she smiles.
Ji-wan drives Young-sook back from the aborted date, saying that her mother shouldn’t have sprung this on her. Plus, she’s not in a rush to marry anyway, and she’s not so old. Ji-wan becomes subdued when Young-sook says that she already spoke to Ji-yong, whom she wants to marry off this year as well.
They pull up to the house just as Kang-jin is walking his mother out, and everyone pauses for a moment, not sure how to let this play out.
Surprisingly, Young-sook greets Chun-hee with friendliness, saying that she’s sorry for worrying her last time. The other three hang back in uncertainty, but Young-sook ignores their discomfort and urges Chun-hee to stay for lunch. Addressing Kang-jin, Young-sook adds with (false) innocence, “This woman is a good friend of mine. Have you said hello?” As though Kang-jin had never met Chun-hee before.
(I say that it’s false because we know that Young-sook is continuing to act as before, even though she now knows the truth. The others don’t know that she has regained her memory, so she takes advantage of that to feign innocence while delivering hurtful barbs, as we’ll see in the following scene.)
As they eat, Young-sook makes a show of fawning over Kang-jin, asking Chun-hee, “Isn’t my son so good-looking? He’s so devoted, too.” The three others eat in strained silence, leaving Young-sook to chatter on alone. She asks Chun-hee what her son does for a living, and Chun-hee grudgingly goes along with the farce, answering, “I don’t know what he’s doing.”
Young-sook prods, “How can a mother not know what her son is doing?” Biting back less civil responses, Chun-hee says that she’s such a thoughtless mother that she doesn’t know. Still acting innocent, Young-sook wonders, “Then why have a son in the first place, if you can’t take responsibility for him?”
Ji-wan tries to shush her mother, and Chun-hee glares in indignation. Under the table, Kang-jin covers his mother’s hand with his own and squeezes it in support.
Young-sook continues blithely, “I was watching television, and even animals that can’t speak take care of their young. No matter how difficult things become, even if their own lives are at risk, they didn’t abandon their children to live alone.” Kang-jin’s grasp tightens as Young-sook continues with false concern, “I’m just saying what I saw on television. I wasn’t directing this to you, Chun-hee.”
Chun-hee shakes off Kang-jin’s hand and excuses herself. Kang-jin starts to follow her out, but Young-sook stops him, saying meaningfully, “Don’t go.”
Ji-wan assures him that she’ll go, so she follows Chun-hee outside while Kang-jin stays stuck in place, figuratively and literally. (Nice image above, isn’t it? Kang-jin is stuck in his little box, kept there by Young-sook’s guilt trip.)
Young-sook feels (feigns?) ill and asks him to take her to her room. After tucking her into bed, he turns to go — eager to get back outside — but she grabs his hand and pleads, “Don’t go, I’m scared. Stay with your mother, okay? Stay with me until I fall asleep.”
Ji-wan chases Chun-hee outside and apologizes for her mother, then asks her to wait while she grabs her car keys so she can drive Chun-hee home. However, when Ji-wan comes back outside the house, Chun-hee is already gone. And so, Ji-wan drives to Chun-hee’s home and waits outside.
Chun-hee is in a quiet mood and largely ignores Ji-wan, who keeps an upbeat tone and sets out the food she had brought, urging Chun-hee to eat. Chun-hee flatly refuses, then tells Ji-wan to leave.
Ji-wan apologizes for her mother again, but that’s not enough to mollify Chun-hee, who demands angrily, “How long does my Kang-jin have to live like that? HOW LONG?”
Ji-wan is quiet for a few beats, then answers, “Until today. Just until today.”
Kang-jin gets up to leave the room now that Young-sook is asleep, but turns back when her phone vibrates. He checks the display, and the message makes his eyes widen in shock. It’s a text from the Sancheong charnel house, which is the facility that maintains burial vaults where people’s ashes and remains are stored. The message is responding to Young-sook’s phone call yesterday about moving Ji-yong’s remains.
The pieces start to fall into place, and are confirmed when Kang-jin calls back and hears that Young-sook had asked about moving Ji-yong’s vault. Now Kang-jin makes sense of Young-sook’s odd behavior, and how she had acted distant around him, and how her lunchtime conversation with Chun-hee was particularly cruel given that she knew the truth.
The truth delivers a crushing blow. Bleakly, Kang-jin wonders, “But why are you lying? Why? What is it you want to do? Don’t do it.”
Ji-wan comes home to a darkened house, finding Kang-jin sitting in a moody daze at his desk. She sits in front of him, sighing, “I’m tired. It was a really long day, wasn’t it?”
She says she’ll only stay here for three seconds (as Kang-jin had once said to her when he needed her companionship after a bad day), and they both close their eyes. A tear trickles from hers.
In the morning, Ji-wan makes good on her promise and starts packing Young-sook’s clothes. Her mother wonders what she’s doing, and she replies that they will live together from now on — she’ll take an apartment near the hospital: “Live with me, Mom. I’m your child too, not just oppa. Is oppa everything in your life? Without him, will the world end? Will it collapse?”
Young-sook is puzzled at Ji-wan’s sudden decision. Ji-wan sticks to her guns, her voice growing more heated as she argues:
Ji-wan: “Then why did you have me? You should have just given birth to him, then. Am I not your child if I’m a bad student? Am I not your child if I’m not first place? Am I not your child if I’m dumb and immature? Remember that you have me in your life too, not just oppa! I may be foolish and inadequate, but remember that I’m your child!”
Kang-jin walks into the room in the midst of this and asks what’s going on. She announces that she’s going to take Young-sook now, answering defiantly:
Ji-wan: “Are you the only one who’s so great, Han Ji-yong? Do you know how much I put myself through trying to catch up to you for the last thirteen years? Now step aside. Get lost. I’m going to take care of Mom.”
He steps forward and orders her to unpack: “I’M going to take care of Mother.”
COMMENTS
I was loving this episode’s buildup — until that last scene just had to come along and be a killjoy! I groaned, “WHAT THE—?” when Kang-jin had all the tools for extricating himself from this cage of guilt/lies, and then he went and shut the damn door himself! Urg. I’ll attempt to make a more tempered explanation for that choice below, because I can sort of see from a narrative standpoint why the writer chose to do it. But my first response was definitely not satisfaction.
But first, let’s address Young-sook’s condition. This episode finally lays to rest the suspicions that she had been faking for the past three years. It’s clear that she has had the truth tucked up in her memory somewhere, but she had honestly believed the lies she had told herself. As we can see from her reaction to retrieving her memory in this episode, she isn’t a good enough actress to have faked the whole charade.
I was a little wary of the choice to make Young-sook fake her continued illness in this episode, because it was hard enough to be sympathetic when she was genuinely confused. Now that she’s faking, doesn’t that make her irredeemably hateful? I’m not a fan of having people do really evil things to jerk around our star-crossed lovers.
BUT! I accept this turn because I’d be even more dissatisfied if Young-sook merely “awoke” from her delusion and bam, problem solved. That would be too easy, and it would also make the last three years feel like such an unfair loss for everyone. If the only thing keeping them apart was Young-sook’s illness, and then she just woke up from it, the arbitrariness of her recovery makes all the recent melodrama seem so unnecessary. It would have made the past two or three episodes rather moot.
Since she actually IS faking, it opens up a few more last-minute conflicts that we wouldn’t get to explore otherwise. For instance, I was thrilled when Ji-wan announced that she would put an end to this, and wanted her to confront her mother with the truth. Therefore I was disappointed when she merely suggested that they move out together. However, when Ji-wan addressed her mother’s favoritism for Ji-yong, I realized that this is a much more satisfactory route, because in order to heal this mother-daughter relationship, they have to address the root of the problem. And the root of the problem isn’t insisting that Kang-jin is Ji-yong, but that Young-sook has such a co-dependent attachment to Ji-yong that she will lie and hurt everyone around her just to preserve her illusion. Ji-wan has never faced her mother about being the less-loved child, and I was really proud of her (in the sense that you can be proud of a character!) for bringing it up.
As for Kang-jin’s decision to perpetuate the farce… sigh. I can’t say I love it. In fact, I can say quite honestly that he’s really trying my sympathy, because there’s a line between being noble and being a stupid martyr. I think he’s being both.
The only reason I’m willing to give this a go (other than the fact that we’re only an episode from the finale anyway) is because this drama has always been about the characters’ internal struggles. The person who can end this ruse most satisfactorily is Young-sook herself, and perhaps Kang-jin believes that as well. Even if he knows she is pretending, he feels he’s locked into playing her son in order to repay the wrongs his family has dealt hers. So until she is willing to release him, he’s still not free of his debt, regardless of whether her memory is back. She has to come to her own decision to face the truth and let him free of his “obligation.”
Oh, of course in our eyes he’s absolutely free to go and I still think he’s being a dumb glutton for punishment. But SIGHHHH for noble heroes.
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1 isabella
January 27, 2010 at 10:21 PM
Watching this ep made me wanna rip you-know-who's head off (>"<)!
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2 christine
January 27, 2010 at 10:31 PM
i've been waiting all week for this! ...or well, since the last episode. :P
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3 Molly
January 27, 2010 at 10:37 PM
I agree with Isabella, although I read recaps and spoilers instead of watching the episode. I'm glad that Young-sook hasn't been faking for three years though, because that would have been cliched and too stereotypical.
At the very end, where Kang-jin says that he'll take responsibility for Ji-wan's mother, his facial expressions seem to show some backbone and thought. I think he's continuing the act until Young-sook reveals the knowledge herself, because his personality is more of the passive type. Unless someone or something is being hurt on-the-spot, in which case he'd react impulsively and straightforwardly, he takes the "time heals" approach and backs off. If he were to confront Young-sook about her knowledge now, she would get defensive, continue acting, or faint, and that wouldn't help his relationship with Ji-wan at all. Although sticking with the act isn't much better.
Can't believe there's only one episode left! I love the experience - taking a break from homework to refresh Dramabeans and scour Soompi on Wednesdays and Thursdays is so much fun.
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4 mafilee
January 27, 2010 at 10:37 PM
I just can't believe it will come to the end tonight..
The flow of this story what can i said quiet fast for melodrama..
and i really thanx to u for do a recaps for this series..really appreciate it..
Tonight is the finale what surprise that writer trying to do..cross my fingers i hope not something bad for Kang JIn and ji wan..pls..pls..
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5 Anh Nguyen
January 27, 2010 at 10:39 PM
The finale is tonight. Bring the HAPPINESS on I say.
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6 Cara
January 27, 2010 at 10:40 PM
希望16集会是个好结局
康镇哥和智婉在一起
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7 socal
January 27, 2010 at 10:40 PM
Javabeans, maybe he has a plan up his sleeve now that he knows she is lying. Man, she is turning out to be the wicked one, and I can't wait for her deception to be uncovered. And as if it wasn't good enough to show how great Go Soo looks in a fitted winter jacket and scarf, there is Go Soo showing his athletic skills on the basketball court. why can't all men look this good?
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8 ar_arguably romantic
January 27, 2010 at 10:42 PM
thank you so much for the recap! I can't decide whether I want the two moms to make up and be civil to each other by the end or to have both of them killed off.
Anyways, I love the ending speech from Ji-wan. This was what really pushed Ji-wan to run away all those years ago. Though Ji-wan and her mother had sort of made up with her return, I'm glad they went back to address the issue of her mother's preference for her older brother.
and what ever happened to the father's body?!!
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9 maria
January 27, 2010 at 10:53 PM
i think i've sort of figured out my gripe about Go Soo's character...
in kdramas, there's usually a stark separation of roles between 1) the PRINCE, and 2) the KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR. while jun pyo had ji hoo, tae kyung had shin woo, hwan had jun se..... Cha kang Jin is left alone to be the prince AND the knight all by his damned self. and this presents a dilemma for me because these 2 roles are confliciting a lot of the time, and while Go Soo does a good job acting out the nuances that separate and adjoin the two, you must admit, it's getting to be frustrating watching him TRYIIIING AND TRRRYYIIIING to decide which one to be. "will i be the prince and go after the girl at all costs because i fight for her in the name of *true love*?" ... "will i give up the girl and love her from a distance and sacrifice and moan and weep, but all in the name of *true love* ?"
...SERIOUSLY. like sarahbeans said, this build up was good but that last scene just hit the nail on the head for me. FRUSTRATING!!! kang jin better have something up his sleeve or again, like sarah said, "heads will roll."
sorry, PS: i was also proud-- "in the sense that you can be proud of a character" hehe-- of the way ji wan handled the situation. very satisfying, rounding the out the confrontations that had to happen like that.. straight to the root of the problem. something i'd been wanting.. waiting for someone-- ANYONE!-- to give youngsook a piece of their mind about. thank you! thank you!
and thanks for great recaps as per usual, sarah :D
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10 Jasmin
January 27, 2010 at 10:56 PM
I was so glad when Ji-wan finally asked her mother why she was treated so differently from her brother. It bothered me from the very beginning how Young-sook treated her son and daughter so differently. Was it only because he was the oldest and a male? Or, could Ji-young be the reason that Han Junsu stayed with her and not ran off with Chun-hee years ago and that's why he was so precious to her. Maybe she thought he was the only thing that kept her and Jun-su together. It's quite sad because in the end she ends up losing Jun-su and Ji-young and Ji-wan was the only one left by her side and instead of accepting her she keeps on keeping a distance with her daughter.
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11 scowl
January 27, 2010 at 11:03 PM
I hope Go Soo's next project will be a rom-com. I've had enough of his scowling face.
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12 Molly
January 27, 2010 at 11:10 PM
@scowl
Scowling Go Soo is better than no Go Soo! :) But I agree, Kang-jin has been too moody these past few episodes. I want more cuteness! And a happily-ever-after too, at all costs.
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13 socal
January 27, 2010 at 11:17 PM
I really enjoyed Ji wan in this episode, maybe because HYS's acting seems to have improved, and she is finally telling her mother how she has really felt all these years. it's about time.
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14 SHALINI
January 27, 2010 at 11:17 PM
I believe KJ acted this because he also doesn't want to let go of JW.
As long as he plays the game he can still be able to see her. But once the truth is out, he'll lose her as the mother is so against them being together, and JW can't leave her mother.
So I'm looking forward to tonight ep. Thanks JB for recaps.
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15 Emeldy
January 27, 2010 at 11:22 PM
Thank You Javabeans. Now i don't think i am ready to go through Ep 15 , i will rather watch the Grand Finale. I am still hopeful of happy ending, may be will get a time leap again for our couple to finally be together.
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16 D
January 27, 2010 at 11:25 PM
thanks for the recap..
i watched this last night - but i totally forgot how it ends.. (i wonder why....)
cross fingers for a good ending..
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17 mumusango
January 27, 2010 at 11:29 PM
last night, i was so sad because of ji wan'mother. I am Chinese and i can not understand Young-sook, as a mother, could be so selfish. Kang-jin & Ji -wan ,the fated couple, are "苦命鸳鸯"(ku ming yuan yang) in Chinese.
鸳鸯 in english is Mandarin Duck or lovebirds.
kang-jin & ji-wan love each other so much ,but they have to separate because of destiny.
i am very afraid and sad now because it will end tonight.
thank you for your recap & comments.
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18 Alison
January 27, 2010 at 11:53 PM
i think kang jin has something up his sleeve.
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19 ellen
January 28, 2010 at 12:49 AM
THank you.
Now that Kang Jin has found out that Young soo is faking her amnesia he probably wants an answer why YS is keeping on with the charade. He's too nice to ask YS directly so maybe he'd like to find the answer himself or just wait till YS decides to own up when she's had her fill or maybe when she gets caught she'd be forced to own up. Maybe he's doing this so that YS would feel so bad see the worth of KJ she would give in to the relationship of KJ & JW.
I have never liked the character of YS. Sometimes I understand her pain but she has a selfish character most times so I dont feel sorry for her except when she cried when JW came home after eight years.
I hope for a happy ending...KJ & JW finally getting married. I'd hate if they decide to split just because of their parents past. I've had enough of that in kdramas.
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20 eiko
January 28, 2010 at 1:07 AM
This drama aired the first episode tonight here in Hawaii. As much as I liked the beginnings and the young actors....I'm not going to watch any of it. I'm still trying to figure out why Go Soo would take on a role like this one where the ultimate result would be "ulcers" and a headache.
This drama is not even a roller coaster ride....it's totally blahhhhh....and such a disappointment....in my opinion.
Kudos to JB for hanging in there and still doing a great job!
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21 nara
January 28, 2010 at 1:32 AM
ohh please give me a happy ending...so i can release my breath then..tx for the recap JB
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22 Anh Nguyen
January 28, 2010 at 1:38 AM
@eiko: I think GS has done a great job here. Sure, the melodramatic story is not everyone's taste but WISFC is a great come-back project for him.
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23 charitee
January 28, 2010 at 2:12 AM
I agree with 18. I think that kangjin is planning something or he's up to something other than fulfilling his "obligation" to ys. i think he might be wanting to keep her by his side so that he can kind of monitor and make sure that she doesn't do anything hurtful to jw or his mother. in a way, he's sacrificing himself to protect jw and his mother but at the same time, i don't see him pretending to be jy for long since he knows for a fact that ys remembers everything know.
and yeah, ys, right now, is coming off as completely heartless and vicious. in a way, i feel some pity for her [bc she went through some tough stuff] but at the same time, man...she now knows how terrible of a situation her daughter and kj have been in the past 3 years because of her and yet she continues to make things painful and difficult for them [and completely on purpose now].
i'm not sure where this drama will end but one can only hope that the end has jw and kj together...somehow. it would break my heart otherwise and all their pain and suffering for the past 12 years would be for naught.
@22: AGREED.
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24 Madita
January 28, 2010 at 3:02 AM
Thank you JB
I watched it raw again - thanks to you I've got my enlightenment :P
Well, I agree with you, it was frustrating. Yepp, KangJin is King of frustrators. His self-brooding, muteness, holding-back drives me crazy. We know he can be much more sultry, temperamental. Through the whole drama he was like a brooding, sleeping volcano.
I would be a joy watching GS acting furious - he so terrifying cool when he gets angry, sultry. There are just a few actors who can act like this way - let the viewers think this is real.
I hope to see this side of his character in the last Episode this night.
Then I have to mention something - maybe some of you dont know.
A few days ago, I found in Youtube CUTTED scenes of WISFC. Thera are few of them. I watched them, and think that some of them really shouldnt have been cut out. I mentioned before, that Ive got the feeling, that something is missing in this drama, a kind of deeper spirit., more details.
If they would not have cut those scenes, I would have been more satisfied.
I hope, if there is a DVD, those scenes will be included again, wishing for a better "Directors" cut.
But as for tonight, I wish KangJin and JiWan a HAPP-END. After so much suffering I would get depressed and very much annoyed if they were not ment to be together.
And some said above that GoSoo should play romcom - I agree - with HYS :)
She is also a good romcom actress. She is more confident ins comedies.
I loved her Miss Gold Digger movie :) And Fantasy couple is still one of my most favourite Korean-comedies.
But at first, let us watch the today Final Episode.
I wish us all a satifactory Ending - of course the best would be our required Happy-End.
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25 scowl
January 28, 2010 at 3:22 AM
I totally disagree that this is a great comeback project for go soo. he is a good actor, true, but how hard is it for him to act in this kind of drama when he has been doing this kind of acting for most of his career? he needs to flex his acting chops, challenge himself with a different role next time so that he won't be typecast in this kind of moody roles for the rest of his career.
i have watched most of his dramas (the only 1 i haven't seen yet is when a man loves a woman bec. it's not available online), and yes, his acting has shown great improvement. but there is not much variety in his roles. he needs to do something else next time, honestly i don't know what, but he has to step out of his acting comfort zone if he wants to become a versatile actor. i'd rather see him fumbling his way in a non-moody role (perhaps an out-and-out comedic role?), rather than see him moody again in his next project.
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26 su-pah
January 28, 2010 at 3:30 AM
Thanks again Javabeans, good we're getting to discuss all this before the tonight's finale.
That stupid tying-to-be-noble Kang-jin. What a foolish kid! Gahhh!
At this point my heart is bleeding for Chun-hee (I have a love-hate relationship with this character) and Ji-wan - the casualties of Kang-jin's and Young-sook's twisted logic. Ok, maybe KJ is the 'real' victim here but because he has more of a hand in shaping the whole process he's not your typical victim.
Similar to JB's views I was relishing the plot development in this episode up until the closing scene. But I can understand the writer/director wanted a ''what the..'' cliffhanger kind of scene, I suppose.
'Hongdo don't cry' made me cry, lump in my throat, tears streaming, headache, the works! That scene was both beautiful and heartbreaking. Go Soo has such a beautiful voice (beautiful man all around, I'll miss him like mad). Had to check back to episode 3's recap to download that clip (thanks again JB!).
I like how the focus also moves on to Ji Wan at a point during the song, I was like 'yes, remember her? This poor girl lost both her oppa and abba'.
@10 - Jasmine - I hear ya! I would like the finale to shed some light on this awkward mother-daughter relationship.
Ditto, the ''what makes you so great, Ji Yong?'' dialogue was awesome.
Ji Wan has to be my fave kdrama female lead role ever written. Complex, tragic, fragile, funny, goofy, spunky, tough and resilient.
Yes at first even I was a bit skeptical as to HYS' acting but she started off bearable and then continued to improve, I honestly think any actress would have struggled, at least a little trying to fit this character. The child actress was still undoubtedly the best and the first two episodes remain unforgettable. The character was carefully thought out and lovingly written, imo. The Kang-jin character wasn't as multi-dimensional as JW but still brilliant and so effin' annoying.
Sigh! I (heart) this drama, it's such a classic, I just hope the ending is a satisfactory one.
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27 Ana
January 28, 2010 at 3:53 AM
Thanks again for the speedy recaps JB:-).I just realised,a while ago, that today is when the last episode of "Will It Snow for Christmas" airs and I was cursing my luck for being unable to see it.
After reading episode 15 recaps, I'm glad that I won't get to watch it.I hope this show ends on a happy note otherwise I'm probably going to mentally kick my self for watching a melodrama, moronically expecting a feel good ending.:-) I know Christmas is over but I'm still crossing my fingers and hoping that it does snow for Christmas in K-drama land.
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28 Atsirk
January 28, 2010 at 4:11 AM
OK, so this ends today...
Let Go Soo's misery end!!!
Cheobal!!! LOL
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29 deannadsc
January 28, 2010 at 4:14 AM
...if one were to conclude the finale based on the "short-preview"...WISFC seems geared for a "happy-ending'...so I'll just wait for tomorrow's recaps & final episode before passing judgement or presumptions. Knowing how KDramas usually have last minute 'twists & turns'...am praying for a more than satisfactory ending!!! Frankly, WISFC has kinda dragged for me, since episode 10...the only redeeming factor that has me glued in...is Go Soo!!!
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30 su-pah
January 28, 2010 at 4:15 AM
Also:
Loved the metaphorical meaning behind the torn photo, that WJ fished out of the trash. It held a message from Young-sook: ''you tore up my family, now I'm tearing up yours''. (shudder! Evil woman.)
Another winning point was when KJ offers CH his scarf and she flings it back him, it was a pretty good way of saying; 'Kang-jin, your lame attempts at 'comforting/showing you care, are cruel'.
Though CH kicking KJ was a bit... extreme, but what can I say, Eastern mothers are pretty whack like that. Hehe!
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31 eiko
January 28, 2010 at 5:14 AM
I love reading the responses....I have a question for anyone out there....
What is the difference between a DRAMA and a MELODRAMA? :-)
Thank you in advance to anyone!
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32 bleu
January 28, 2010 at 5:14 AM
Maybe..just maybe, in ep 16 Kang Jin will say something like. "No, Ji wan, I will take care mother, and you....you can live and care for Mdm Cha since she has no one" :)
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33 cans
January 28, 2010 at 6:07 AM
Thank you Javabeans for the recap!
I had to pause this episode about 4 times and walk away due to all the emotional build up and tensions.
When Ji-Wan, Young-Sook , Kang-Jin, and Chun-Hee all met in the yard, all I could think was, "Oh...poop...awkward moment...".
I couldn't figure out why Kang-jin held onto Young-Sook's hand at the end, but here is a guy who made his family move from town to town when he was young because of his anger. He was shunned and judged because of his mother (who would be awesome on Jerry Springer). Ji-Yong was probably the first person who sat down with him and showed him a smile. Ji-Yong gave Kang-Jin all his hard school work, probably the first helping hand in Kang-Jin's life, and all that faith and hope was given to Kang-Jin just because Ji-Wan said so.
While Kang-Jin seems to be going backwards, I was happy to see Ji-Wan confront her mother about the pain the mother inflicted on her. Plus, Ji-Wan threw the words, "Then why did you have me?" to Young-Sook, the same words Young-Sook threw to Chun-Hee during lunch, touché.
Looking forward to the final episode and your recap. Thank you.
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34 kahshin
January 28, 2010 at 6:07 AM
AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhh!!!!!!!
How ah? How will they end??? Please Please Please help me review the final epi. I have been waiting all week for the finale.
My final guess... :I will take care of mother..." actually represents mother in law...
good luck kang jin
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35 anna
January 28, 2010 at 6:23 AM
@22, yup agreed!
so true, melodramas may not for everyone.
but i feel like at the same time its the hardest genre to sell as well, and i thought go soo made a very good choice picking up this project for his comeback drama - and pulled it off so darn well.
anyway, i am liking jiwan's character more and more each episodes. i like the fact that even after 13 years and have gone through a lot in those years, she's still the same her. you can still draw a parallel line when you think back of the young ji wan we've seen in the first 2 episodes (like the fact that she has this 'banging her head' )
as for yoon-sook's illness, i don't think she has recovered fully. is she aware of her husband's death? no right? i don't hate her this episode for that reason. or at least not yet. the final epi preview may change this.
and also, i feel bad for kang jin. maybe it's just me, cause i thought at some point kang jin has developed a sense of care and some sort of 'love' for yoon sook. yes, who knows why he REALLY did that in the first place. but, fact is,3 years is not a short period of time. and all those years, yoon-sook have taken care of him like a real son and he has taken care of her as well, and his real mother wasn't there for him either. so maybe, why he said he'll take care of ys was he's scared that she'll do something that would make him hate her or something.
still, having high hopes that there will be happy ending for this two.
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36 lidge_fan
January 28, 2010 at 8:40 AM
I agree with how the writer is handling YS's mental problem. I don't think shocking YS with the brutal, honest truth (her beloved son is dead, her husband also dead after trying to run away with someone else, she burned down the house, her enemy's son is pretending to be her dead son, etc.) is the best solution. It's just too much for anyone to take, let alone someone whose mental condition is clearly unbalanced and weak like YS. Too much shock migh cause her to retreat further into the deception she's set up for herself as a defensive mechanism if she can't reconcile herself with everything that's happened. So just like how JW had to work through her own inner turmoil/guilt over JY's death, I think YS is ultimately the only one who can free herself from her delusion.
My favorite moment in this episode is the piggyback scene between KJ and CH. It reminds me of how earlier, KJ had done the same for JW. At that time, I felt it sybolically represented KJ trying to shoulder JW's burdens in life - distancing himself from her for 1 yr for her sake and then sacrificing himself to save TJ.
And here once again, KJ is asking CH to climb onto his back, which to me feels like KJ is silently asking his mother to transfer her guilt (and possible regret?) over what had happened to YS over to him. Let him take care of it. And in response, CH is hitting him and crying, probably because she knows she shouldn't. However, in the end, she still climbs onto his back and he carries her home, which correlates with KJ's decision to pretend to be JY. His mother's decision to run away with HS had caused YS to burn down the house and become mentally unstable, and KJ is now paying the price.
And I especially love the voiceover of the song KJ had sung to CH earlier because it addresses the crazy reason why he's pretending to be JY- it is because he loves CH. Instead of her having to deal with the consequences of what she had done, it is KJ who is shouldering his mother's burden regarding this matter, paying the price and trying to atone for his mother. SIGH!!!!!!!! Such a beautiful, beautiful scene.
And OMG!
How random was the basketball scene?!
But the fangirl in me totally loved it!!!!! LOL!!!! :)
No need to explain why I loved it so much, right?! (blushes!!!) ;)
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37
January 28, 2010 at 8:40 AM
I don't know about anybody else but I'm still left with unfinished feeling between the love triangle of the older people. Other than the fact that we know that Chun Hee and Yong suk were friends back then and that Han Su chose to stay behind and not go to Seoul with Chun Hee, that's all we know. If we really really want to go back, all the events happened because of Chun Hee's desire to go back to Sancheong to see Han Su again. I want to know why he didn't go with her. What? Just because she wasn't a bar maid. I thought maybe Yong suk manipulated that situation too. I have a feeling that Chun Hee will disclose further problems she might have had with Yong suk. Stealing your best friend's man is a NO NO.
I'm enjoying the renewed chemistry between Tae Joon and Woo Jung. I think that they were robbed as far as relationship. They deserve a second chance and I think they make a pretty good couple. I enjoy Woo Jung's character because her character matures the most...from riches to rags, from loveful to loveless. I love that. Yong suk character frustated me in the beginning but now it's even more frustrating. Not because of the fact that she so stubborn but the fact that she's unbelievably and extremely unmother-like. We never really saw her interacting with Ji-Yong so I couldn't balance the current image of her as selfish and manipulative. Maybe if I saw that she was nice and sweet to one child then maybe I can see her full potential. I don't believe people can be extremely one sided like that.
I am really sad that it's ending. This is the first time I've seen a drama with Go Soo. I'm totally smitten by him.
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38 mimi
January 28, 2010 at 9:08 AM
I agree w/ JB, that there's a fine line of being noble vs. being stupid. We were all cheering JiWan on in the last scene for finally getting all her bottled up feelings out and KangJin steps forward and put such a damper on it. Why??
Young Sook - I really don't care for her acting and looking at her only reminds me of her eyelid plastic surgery and botox on her lips. But getting back to her storyline, it doesn't make much sense to me that she would continue to fake her illness b/c it would mean she is constantly there with the person she believes is responsible for her son's death. She's torturing herself.
All I can say is that she will not have a lot of fans in Korea after this drama.
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39 su-pah
January 28, 2010 at 9:55 AM
33 cans & 36 lidge_fan - wow! I love those comments, so deep! You've picked up on things I almost missed out on, cheers!
31 eiko – drama can mean any genre but melodrama in terms of film and TV drama categorises heartwrenching, tragic storylines, tears, tears and more tears and characters you live vicariously through, experiencing their pain.
And every so often I develop a real appetite for a good melodrama, though I prefer ones with a good and satisfactory ending, and I hope WISFC is one of those.
It’s also wordplay for ‘melodramatic’ – aka. People who overact, are excessively emotional etc.
I say melodrama is more of a female thing, particularly great to watch when we’re feeling more hormonal than usual. Haha!
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40 DIANE
January 28, 2010 at 10:44 AM
Thanks for the recap, I was not thrill about this drama as first. but I had read
your recap ep 15 it just turn me on, how the two lead act, the writer and director
did a good job. the ep 16 will a good for the ending wonder why the drama had
a good rate.
Thank you so much Javabeans for your time.
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41 Suzy
January 28, 2010 at 10:52 AM
Thanks Java for the recaps :) hehe, yea i do agree with u, kangjin is really .....im at a loss of words to describe him, if only there are guys like him in reality...lol, anyway, seriously, i think these whole faking/claiming to be siblings storyline has dragged on far too many episode, i felt that the writer was somehow caught up in this web picturing and sloving this diemmia, although it is one of kdrama unqiue plots so far...from my point of view..I'm hoping, crossing my toes and fingers that the ending is a GOOD one, good meaning together=hengbok, hehe but i do also wish that some loose ends would be tie up, like seriously whatever happen btw chun see and youngsok when they were younger, granted we know that she snatch her b/f and so on, but im hoping that the writer would cover more in detail -_-, though it is highly unlikely to be able to squeeze in 1 eppy...Any i have some bad thoughts that im wishing the writers wont even think abt...like how yong sook might poison Kangjin :( since we know that she is really faking it now.. plus she always cooks for him, and her still being unstable in mind...Poisoning might be a possible scenario..lol, i know i think too much but yeaa, cant wait for the last eppy!!! really crossing my fingers
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42 eiko
January 28, 2010 at 10:54 AM
@39 supah
THANK YOU! That is great and I kind of thought melodrama was the way you interpreted it! Which made me laugh cause just about all the ones I've been watching fall into the melodrama category!!!
That's why I enjoy checking in with JB and reading up on the various dramas/melodramas.....there are many wonderful people here!
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43 diane
January 28, 2010 at 1:00 PM
Thank you for another wonderful recap. I haven't watched this episode yet. I feel anxious just reading about it.
I'm hoping the last episode won't be/feel rushed to tie up the story lines and yes, I do want a happy ending for these two young people. Oh please, let there be a happy ending!
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44 'cille
January 28, 2010 at 1:17 PM
uhmm, i just did a 2 day marathon watching on this drama. oh my! i can see why it is loved by many.. like all of you, i'm hoping for a full blown happy ending for ji wan and kang jin too!
also, i didn't find a recap for episode 9 .. just wondering.
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45 myeong jang
January 28, 2010 at 1:45 PM
Go Soo has incredibly pretty hands - slender fingers, and yet they don't look feminine.
Boo to Woo Jung and Tae Joon! I prefer Jae Hyun, he's such a sweetie ^^
Also, I am convinced that the ending is misleading, and that Kang Jin's manner of 'taking care' of Young Sook is not the same one he's been employing for the last three years. ^^ Can't waaaaaait. But then. What shall I watch next?!
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46 su-pah
January 28, 2010 at 2:54 PM
OMG! Episode 16, so worth it! Is all I can say right now. Anyone who has yet to see it, make sure you're armed with tons of tissue!
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47 lili
January 28, 2010 at 3:37 PM
@ 44 'cille - at the bottom of the recap is a section of "Related Posts" where episode 9 is listed:
"Will It Snow For Christmas: Episode 9" -
http://www.dramabeans.com/2010/01/will-it-snow-for-christmas-episode-9/
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48 Madita
January 28, 2010 at 4:46 PM
@su pah - I watched it raw again - and cried a lot, too (even I did not understand anything) !!??!!?!?
the last 3 Minutes KangJin nearly killed me, drove me crazy, mad. Just standing there and.....arrrghhhh ( ~ watch it)
That was mean and nothing else than torturing of viewers (Okey, I admit, I did not understand what they are talking - maybe with subs it wouldn't been such a torture)
But from what they showed as the End, I have to say I am not much satisfied. At least......uuups
Okey I keep my mouth shut, and wait for JB Final recap tomorrow, too...sighhh
Its over...snifff, cry, sobb, whaaaaaa, sad :(
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49 BoBo
January 28, 2010 at 7:48 PM
KangJin kinda lost me at the end of this episode. Actually, he's been losing me ever since he decided to pretend to be JiWon, but playing along with Young-Sook's willful deceit really put the nail in the coffin for me. I don't really get why anyone would put themselves through that. Also, does he love his mother at all that he can stand to see her insulted in front of his face by Young-Sook? Does he really love JiWan at all to pretend to be her brother for three years, even when they are outside Young-Sook's purview? All this in the name of guilt just seems a little extreme for me. Especially since no amount of self-punishment will alleviate this guilt unless he learns to forgive himself. If he always waits to be forgiven by someone else before moving on he will forever be at the mercy of people who hold a grudge against him. Dude, that's not noble. That's masochistic. The show almost redeemed itself in the last episode when Jiwan told him it wasn't their fault, but that was still full of fail since KangJin should come to that realization himself instead of being told by a suddenly wise JiWan, and to make JiWan's sudden epiphany totally irrelevant, he goes and continues to be Young-Sook's whipping boy at the end of this episode. Gah! I hope the final episode clears everything up and KangJin overcomes his speech impediment.
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50 maximillian
January 29, 2010 at 12:11 AM
thanks JB!
what you said about the writer not known for sweet, happy,perfect endings is kind of ominous. i am crossing my fingers she/he has something good up her/his sleeve for the final epi. i was already cheering Ji-wan on about her plans and my jaw just dropped when Kang-jin said his infamous line...
to borrow your phrase.."a glutton for punishment" indeed!
there may be a sense of foreboding for tomorrow's finale but i trust you JB to make sense of it all.
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