Hero: Episode 6

by Andromytta

For some reason, while watching this episode, Big Bang’s “Lie” kept running through my head….(I have a bit of a boy band addiction….)

Fan girl moment….sort of! I’ve found the one look Lee Junki CAN’T pull off…Depressed Scruffy! Kudos to him for being willing to do it and make it work!

SONG OF THE DAY

Big Bang – “Lie” [ Download ]

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Hero: Episode 6

After receiving that fateful phone call from Manager Gong, Do Hyuk leaves without giving Yong Deok a chance to tell him what’s on his mind. Do Hyuk meets with Manager Gong, who tells him an interesting story about how his parents died:

Your father, Reporter Jin Yeon, discovered what Jo Yong Deok was up to. Not knowing he killed your parents, you’re being used by him, Jin Do Hyuk. I feel so bad, I can’t watch it anymore.

At this point, I’m doing my impression of Carol Kane from “The Princess Bride” and yelling at the screen, “Liar! Liar! Liiii–aaarrrr!!!” If my laptop was not in front of my face, I probably would have thrown something at the screen.

Unaware of what their fearless leader is up too, the rest of the Yong Deok Ilbo reporters are jovial. The online publication is attracting more and more readers, and they feel they should be able to get advertisers soon. An equally jovial Yong Deok comes downstairs to join his staff, sporting a spiffy new neck tie (his birthday gift from Do Hyuk.) The reporters compliment their president on his choice of neck tie, and, like a proud parent, he announces, “It’s a present I received. A…birthday…present.”

See, he even looks like a proud parent!

The pleasant atmosphere is wrecked, however, when Do Hyuk returns. Having believed what Manager Gong told him, Do Hyuk actually tries to go through Sang Chul to get to Yong Deok. It’s such a heartbreaking scene. Do Hyuk says the most horrible, insulting, heart wrenching words to Yong Deok.

Do Hyuk: You piece of trash! You dirty, scumbag thug! You filthy murderer! How could you, a murderer, even think to start a newspaper? Just forget it all! I had no idea. And I actually thought of a person like you…as a father. I thought that!

He then tries to destroy the office, but since he’s being held back by Sang Chul, Joon Hyung, Eun Shik, and Man Soo, he only manages to destroy a telephone. (And it’s a good thing too, because they might need the rest of the equipment when they inevitably reunite.)

Meanwhile, at the city prosecutor’s office, Jae In wants to know why her search warrant was denied. She throws procedure at the prosecutor, who throws it right back. Detective Na, who accompanied Jae In, tries to smooth things over with a compromise.  He suggests that if they find the man who was seen on the CCTV video, then they can get permission to investigate further. Despite the strings that are being pulled, the prosecutor agrees.

And so, the prosecutor has the fun of informing Hae Seong that since the police are continuing their investigation, there isn’t anything else he can do, even if it is a request from Chairman Choi Il Doo. The call couldn’t come at worse time for Hae Seong, who is having dinner with his girlfriend and future in-laws. (In case anyone has forgotten, Ho Kyung is Choi Il Doo’s daughter.) When the chairman inquires about the phone call, Hae Seong explains that the police are also looking into the missing woman that Yong Deok Ilbo had written about, and that Manager Gong had asked him to have the investigation stopped. Hae Seong then asks Choi Il Doo how he is involved, so that he can “help.”  The chairman answers that the best thing Hae Seong can do is just let Manager Gong handle it.

Yong Deok knows exactly who deceived Do Hyuk, and goes to confront Manager Gong. Gong reveals to Yong Deok that he was the one who murdered Do Hyuk’s parents, and Yong Deok hits him. (Me: Kick his ass, Yong Deok, kick his ass!) Instead of backing down to his former boss, Gong gets right back up again, laughing, and says to Yong Deok, “That brings tears to my eyes. It’s not easy for even a true father and son to love each other this much.” (Me: *tear*) Yong Deok threatens Manager Gong, telling him that if he ever pulls anything so dirty ever again, it’s not Gong he’ll be dealing with, but Chairman Choi. Gong warns him that “the Chairman is not someone you can go up against.” Yong Deok reasons that since Gong killed based on orders he got from Choi, they should both be wary. Finally, Gong reveals why Yong Deok went to prison for exactly 15 years. Fifteen years is the statute of limitations for murder in Korea. Now, neither Gong nor Choi can be punished for the crime. Yong Deok hits Gong again. (Me: Kick his ASS!!!!) Manager Gong responds to the blow with a hearty laugh as Yong Deok and his trusty side kick Sang Chul go on their merry way.

Back at Tesoro, Jae In arrives at closing to find her mother waiting for someone. There should be a term in Korean for “player ahjumma,” because the person Myung Hee is waiting for isn’t Detective Na so much as it is Yong Deok! She even made his special sang hwa tea for him. (I think I could really enjoy watching a Det. Na/Myung Hee/Yong Deok love triangle!) Before they can discuss the matter further, a distressed Do Hyuk walks up, the women bring him inside, and Myung Hee serves him the tea she was saving for Yong Deok. (Do Hyuk drinking Yong Deok’s tea…I wonder if this symbolism was done on purpose?) Seeing that the young people have something to discuss, Myung Hee excuses herself, and just whom should she run into as she leaves the shop? That’s right, Detective Na! After he declines meeting her daughter (guess he’s still scared of Jae In) she lets him walk her home.

Once Do Hyuk and Jae In are left alone, he asks her if it is possible to reopen a traffic accident case from 15 years ago. She explains that they don’t keep records for that long, and correctly guesses that he is talking about his parents. Do Hyuk then tells her that it wasn’t a hit and run accident, but murder, and that he knows who the murderer is. Jae In starts to explain that the statute of limitations for murder is 15 years, but Do Hyuk already knows that, and adds, “Even if he killed two people.”

Unable to solve Do Hyuk’s problem, Jae In does, what I guess is the next best thing and takes him drinking.

In an attempt to comfort him, Jae In shares the story about how her father died while chasing a pickpocket. The pickpocket threw a knife at her father, hitting him. Despite his injury, he still caught the criminal. Do Hyuk wonders why Jae In chose such a dangerous profession.

Jae In: Because people who do wrong need to be punished. I wanted to finish the work that my father couldn’t. If my father hadn’t caught the thief back then, he would have killed someone later.
Do Hyuk: That’s nonsense. Your reasoning doesn’t make sense.

Jae In did manage to elicit a smile from Do Hyuk, who thanks her for telling him those things. Jae In wonders, “Can only those who have suffered pain comfort others?” She reveals this is the first time she’s had to comfort someone, and doesn’t think she’s very good at it.

Meanwhile, another couple is calling it a night as Hae Seong drops Ho Kyung off at home. She is eager to move their relationship forward and wants to move in with him once they are engaged. He declines her offer and asks her why she is rushing their marriage. (Because she’s an idiot?) Ho Kyung answers that it is because she “likes him too much.” (Personally, I like my answer better.)

The “in-car” equivalent to the “oppa-pout-wiggle”: It’s the “oppa-pout-flip hair”! “Oppa-ah should I just move into your place after we get engaged?”

A little later, Jae In and Do Hyuk come to the end of their “date.”  The drunken cop and even drunker reporter argue over who is seeing whom home when Do Hyuk accuses Jae In of speaking informally to an Oppa, which leads to my new favorite Kdrama line ever.

Do Hyuk: Look here. You! Using informal language to an Oppa?
Jae In: Oppa?
Do Hyuk: Yes, Oppa.
Jae In: Oppa?! Oh, you want to hear me calling you oppa, Oppa.
Do Hyuk: Yes, this sounds good. Say it again.
Jae In: Oppa. Oppa, my ass! You and I are the same age!

When Do Hyuk wants to know how she knows that, she reminds him that he and Hae Seong were classmates. Do Hyuk drunkenly mutters something about the “two timing Hae Seong,” and when Jae In grumbles that she isn’t having fun anymore, he breaks into a rendition of Superjunior’s “Sorry,” and his inebriated dance moves cause him to knock into her. They both lose their balance and fall down. Jae In recovers quickly enough. Do Hyuk, not so much, as he has passed out. She cradles his head in her lap, perhaps comforting him, perhaps seeing him in a different light, when whom should drive by to see this but Hae Seong (the stalker).

Jae In carries Do Hyuk home on her back, much to the shock of his family. Sol asks, “Are…are you carrying…my uncle?” She then covers her little brother’s eyes, saying, “Jin Jung, don’t learn things like this!” Do Hee, of course, tries to send Sol for her camera, hoping to extort 100,000 won out of him. However, once Jae In puts Do Hyuk down on the floor, Do Hee changes her tune and we see there’s a different side to her, a caring big sister side. Jae In figures out that Do Hee does not know what Do Hyuk discovered about their parents’ death when Do Hee asks if Jae In and her brother are dating. Do Hee has heard that Jae In has a boyfriend, and tells her, “Our Do Hyuk has never dated before. He only acts strong in front of others, but deep down in his heart, he’s only a kid.” Her words then turn into a warning. “Don’t hurt him. I mean, don’t you two-time him!”

We continue to see just how much Do Hee cares about her younger brother.  After she and Sol drag him into his bedroom (with much griping on her part) and after the children have left the room, Do Hyuk begins to cry in his sleep, Do Hee strokes him and holds him, comforting him even though she doesn’t know what he is crying about.

While Do Hyuk is sleeping somewhat peacefully in his soju-induced stupor, elsewhere, someone else isn’t sleeping at all. Sang Chul wakes up in the middle of the night to find Yong Deok still awake. “The thing called fate is very miraculous,” Yong Deok says. Sang Chul seems to have impeccable insight into his boss’s heart, despite his simple demeanor. He agrees that it is miraculous, then says, “Hyung-nim, you didn’t do anything wrong. Hurry up and explain that too little Hyung-nim.” (I love that Sang Chul calls Do Hyuk “little Hyung-nim”. It’s like he totally accepts and understands the relationship between the reporter and his boss. That Do Hyuk is Yong Deok’s heir apparent.) Yong Deok knows that Do Hyuk wouldn’t believe him if he tried to tell him. He tells Sang Chul, “We need to give him time to think.” Yong Deok then muses how Choi Il Doo had him sent to prison for exactly 15 years. He seems a bit in awe at how perfect Choi’s plan was.

So, by now we all know that Chairman Choi Il Doo is a rat bastard, right? How about on top of everything else, he has also become a politician. Could the writers have done anything else to establish Choi Il Doo as truly evil?

Things are starting to get more official with Hae Seong’s pending nuptials, as it is time for his mother to meet her future in-laws. Hae Seong has dressed his mother in fancy clothes she is clearly not used to for the meeting, and during the meal, when she finds out that Hae Seong’s future father-in-law is the chairman of DAESE Group, she’s shocked. From her reaction, one can only assume there is some sort of history between the two families. She even drops her water glass for emphasis.

Back at Hae Seong’s apartment, his mother wonders what he’s up to. She asks if he’s interested in revenge. She then asks him if he thinks this is what his deceased father would have wanted. She then explains to him that his father wanted what every parent wants for their child, for them to be happy. Hae Seong says he will be happy, just not now. All this leads me to wonder what kind of history DAESE Group has with Hae Seong’s family, and if it’s a similar history to what the young boy who was interviewed by Do Hyuk has with the company. (In case you’ve forgotten, something DAESE Group did led to that young boy’s father’s suicide.)

The next day, Do Hyuk is passed out amongst empty soju bottles, mementos of his father’s career, and premier issues of Yong Deok Ilbo. Do Hee urges him to get up and eat something, bringing him a tray of food and a newspaper. After much cajoling, Do Hyuk does get up, drinking water and looking at the paper, which announces Hae Seong and Ho Kyung’s engagement.

At another breakfast table, Myung Hee sees the same story and wonders how her daughter could see someone with a girlfriend. Jae In explains that she didn’t know he had a girlfriend when they were dating, and now she doesn’t see him anymore. Even though she doesn’t show it, it must have been difficult for Jae In to admit to her mother that she is not seeing Hae Seong anymore.

The next scene is a little montage of the engagement ceremony and Jae In throwing herself into her work. Hae Seong looks, well, not like a man getting engaged to the woman he loves. His mother looks like she’d much rather be elsewhere, and Jae In just looks sad. The Choi clan, on the other hand, all look very pleased.

After a non-productive day at the police station (Detective Na and Detective Oh have come back with no news on the missing nightclub owner or her child) Do Hyuk meets Jae In outside to invite her for a drink. Jae In has another idea, however, and they head to the batting cages. She is good….him, not so much.

Next, they go to an arcade and try the mini basketball hoops. They both look pretty lame here.

Next is a “shoot ’em up” game. Any guesses who dominates here?

And finally, Do Hyuk has a chance to shine when then try one of those dancing games. He’s at ease copying the moves on the screen while Jae In holds on for dear life.

After the fun and games, the two go for beer and chicken (at least, I assume its chicken.) After watching Jae In down a gigantic mug of beer, Do Hyuk points out that she said she wasn’t in the mood for alcohol. “Beer is alcohol?” she responds. Do Hyuk tells her she can drink as much as she wants because he’ll carry her home. Jae In wonders what Do Hyuk had been doing for the past few days, as she had been anticipating a murder case. She suggests that even if the law can’t do anything because it’s been so long, he’s a journalist. He can publish the story and let society punish the perpetrator. Do Hyuk sullenly responds that the person has paid his debt to society and has nothing left to lose. Then, Jae In gives him some very good advice: “It’s someone you know? Then forgive him. It may take a long time, and I’m sure it’ll be really difficult, but do it for yourself, and not for him.” (This would be perfect advice if Yong Deok was the real killer. He’s not the same person he was 15 years ago. That was a different lifetime for him.) Do Hyuk does seem to consider her words, and then he tells her, “You know something? You’re too good for someone like Kang Hae Seong.” (No kidding! We all knew that!)

At home later that night, Do Hyuk seems to be contemplating taking Jae In’s advice as he looks over the first issue of Yong Deok Ilbo and recalls his brief but important relationship with Yong Deok.

Meanwhile, Yong Deok reads another newspaper and contemplates what to do about his arch nemesis, as he reads about Choi Il Doo’s presidential candidacy.

The next morning, the YDI (from now on, I think that’s how I’m going to abbreviate Yong Deok Ilbo) reporters are also reading about Choi’s candidacy, and as they are discussing whether or not they should attend the press conference (they eventually decide their readers wouldn’t be interested) Yong Deok comes down to greet his staff, then looks at Do Hyuk’s still empty desk. The door opens, and who should walk in but….Do…Hee, accompanied by little Jung.

(Sidebar: I really like the quirky way reporter Na Ga Yeon dresses. If I had a job where I could wear clothes like that, I probably would.)

Yong Deok and Do Hee go and talk in his office. The topic of conversation is, of course, Do Hyuk. They are both worried about him. Do Hee wonders if something happened, as he has not told her anything, but he just lies around the house all day and drinks himself to sleep. Yong Deok doesn’t tell her anything, but instead asks how the children survived after their parents were killed. Do Hee simply says, “We just survived.” She then tells Yong Deok that for a while after the accident, Do Hyuk was mute like her little Jung. He wouldn’t say a word. This leads to the inevitable question as to why Jung is silent, and Yong Deok asks it. We get another glimpse into Do Hee as she answers that he saw his father beating her and hasn’t spoken a word since. She always wanted for a better life, but she’s not skilled at anything. While they were growing up, Do Hyuk had to work two jobs just for them to survive.

Do Hee brings Yong Deok home, and while Jung is trying to awaken his uncle, Do Hyuk hears Yong Deok’s voice coming from the other room. An enraged Do Hyuk comes out, demanding why Yong Deok is there. He lunges towards the older man, being just barely held back by Sang Chul. Yong Deok simply asks to speak with Do Hyuk for a few minutes.

They go outside, and Yong Deok explains the real story behind the death of Do Hyuk’s parents. Do Hyuk’s father, Jin Yeon, was a reporter working for DAESE Daily, under Choi Il Doo. He had uncovered some illegal dealings DAESE Group was a part of (bribes being used for development, mobsters being used to threaten people, etc.) Choi couldn’t just fire Jin, because he could always take his story to another paper, or worse, the police. He asks Yong Deok to “get rid” of Jin Yeon, promising to set him free from his mob ties if he commits the murder. Yong Deok, who was uncomfortable with what was to be his last assignment from the start, finds he is unable to go through with it when he sees the victim’s son. Unfortunately, it is at that moment Manager Gong comes out of nowhere in the giant truck that takes the young parents’ lives. After hearing Yong Deok’s story, Do Hyuk is still unswayed. Despite Yong Deok’s declaration that “I never lie,” Do Hyuk finds it difficult to believe that Choi Il Doo, the chairman of DAESE Group, the man running for the presidency, would order such a thing.

Yong Deok is determined to prove his innocence to Do Hyuk, so he comes up with a plan. He sends the YDI reporters to Choi Il Doo’s press conference announcing his candidacy. They cause quite a ruckus. Choi Il Doo then receives a call from Yong Deok. Yong Deok states that if Choi Il Doo doesn’t want to be embarrassed in front of all of the other reporters who have gathered, he’d better meet Yong Deok on the roof. Choi has his new campaign manager (Kang Hae Seong) stall the press conference, and he excuses himself to meet Yong Deok.

The YDI team jubilantly celebrates the success of their mission

Choi Il Doo meets Jo Yong Deok on the roof. Yong Deok has quite a lot to say. He first marvels at Choi’s choice to run for president, as he didn’t think that murderers could do that. Choi claims he didn’t murder anyone, to which Yong Deok points out that Choi gave the order. In an attempt to insult Yong Deok, Choi responds, “Didn’t you fail at it?” He then explains to Yong Deok that it’s been 15 years, and the world is on his side now. Yong Deok will have none of Choi’s explanations or excuses. He tells his former handler, “You haven’t forgotten what kind of person I am, have you? I never lie. Moreover, I do what I say. I warned you that I will not leave you alone, so you will not get the position you are seeking.” Choi warns Yong Deok not to provoke him anymore, “What was his name? Jin Yeon? It wasn’t anything for me to get rid of a reporter like that. If you get in my way, I can do something far worse to you!” And, hidden in a corner, listening to and recording every word, is Do Hyuk.

Comments:

Gah! The cliffhangers, the cliffhangers! Those damn, addictive cliffhangers! What’s going to happen now? I can barely wait to finish this recap to watch the next episode! On the bright side, it looks like Do Hyuk and Yong Deok will be reunited…and with a common enemy, no less!

I really am enjoying this drama. There are just so many great things about it, and not a lot of obvious flaws (to me, anyway.) One thing this drama does really well is balancing the comic and the dramatic. I swear, this episode had me crying, then laughing, then crying again. It also had me cheering and clapping and yelling almost all at the same time!

You know, usually I love it when I’m right, but sometimes it is just downright painful! In my last recap, I mentioned a father/son vibe between Yong Deok and Do Hyuk. The first six minutes of this episode broke my heart, when Do Hyuk reveals that he thought of Yong Deok as a father, and then is told that this is the man who killed his parents. Tears were literally welling up in my eyes! I felt for Do Hyuk and Yong Deok in that scene!

I don’t know what else there is to say, except this show is starting to get intense! I’m going to wrap up these comments with a couple of bits of randomness I feel a need to share.

Is it just me, or does it seem like every time Lee Junki plays a lead role, his character loses his parents at an early age? It happened in “Time Between Dog and Wolf” and again in “Iljimae” and now here. I know this doesn’t happen to every lead in a Kdrama (it doesn’t, right?) it just seems to happen to him…a lot!

Another bit of randomness: I just today as I was writing this recap realized that Jung Soo Young, who plays Na Ga Yeon, also played Boo Mi in “City Hall!” Her voice, her mannerisms, even her looks seem to be totally changed from one character to the next. In my opinion, when you sit there and say “Is that the same person who played that role in that other thing?” that is truly proof of great acting. She’s just awesome, that’s all I wanted to say.

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