Three Days: Episode 16 (Final)

42 May 4, 2014January 24, 2016

by averagerobot

This series has been a roller coaster ride in terms of both its plot and its quality. When Three Days was good, it was very good and when it was bad… well, let’s try to focus on the good times, shall we? A drama can often be forgiven for some bumps along the way as long as it goes out on a high note. So was the last episode of Three Days the epic masterpiece we’ve been hoping for? Read on.

FINAL EPISODE RECAP

March 14, 7:50 PM

With no secret service agents left to protect him and accompanied only by a good samaritan with a four-door sedan, the president has made his way to the place where it all began: Yangjinri village. Now he stares in terror at a briefcase bomb on the back of a truck. From a car parked a safe distance away, Chairman Kim presses the remote trigger.

BOOM! The explosion shakes all of Yangjinri. The villagers are in a state of panic and word travels quickly to the Blue House where what’s left of the security team scrambles to figure out where the explosion occurred.

Positioned nearby with a team of cops and soldiers, Tae-kyung hears the bomb go off. He gets a report that the explosion happened next to a local police station, but fortunately no one was around.

The president, unharmed, watches the distant flames rising up from the site of the bomb blast. Chairman Kim has detonated one of the other three bombs scattered around Yangjinri. Apparently he wants to toy with the president a bit before going in for the kill.

Tae-kyung’s fears for the president’s safety are assuaged when President Lee pulls up, driving the good samaritan’s car. But the danger isn’t over yet, and the president orders the soldiers to evacuate the citizens of Yangjinri and defuse the three remaining explosives. It’s imperative that no civilians are harmed.

The president is momentarily overwhelmed when he learns of the fate of the security agents and their team leader, but there’s no time for grieving right now. Tae-kyung insists that President Lee must return to the Blue House immediately for his own safety, but the president refuses. It’s not just that he feels he owes something to the people of Yangjinri. He says that just as it is a security agent’s duty to protect the president, the president’s responsibility is to protect all the citizens of his nation; he cannot secure his own safety until his people are out of harm’s way.

Under Cha-young’s command, the Blue House dispatches everyone they have to go help Yangjinri. The prime minister is furious with her for not sending a helicopter to retrieve the president, but she knows she will not be able to sway the president if he has decided to stay in Yangjinri: “His will is too strong.” She assures the prime minister that the secret service will protect their president to the very end.

March 14, 8:05 PM

As he waits for the Blue House reinforcements to arrive, President Lee thinks back to the attempted bus bombings in Seoul and wonders what they used for the detonator. Tae-kyung reminds him that it was a modified cell phone, a fact that seems to hold some significance for the president, although neither Tae-kyung nor I understand what it is at this point.

That question will go unanswered for now, as the conversation is interrupted by a phone call from Chairman Kim. While the president takes the call, Tae-kyung phones Cha-young to see if she can trace where Kim is calling from.

Chairman Kim offers the president ten minutes to finish evacuating Yangjinri and to meet him at Indong Bridge, alone. If he doesn’t show, Kim will detonate a second bomb.

Tae-kyung implores him not to go, sending an army regiment in his place to nab Chairman Kim. Meanwhile, Cha-young continues to try to pinpoint his location, but it’s going to take some time. (Hurry! You only have ten minutes!)

Chairman Kim is playing it safe by sending his assassin in police disguise to wait at the rendezvous spot. The assassin phones his boss to let him know that the president has not shown up yet.

As the ten-minute deadline approaches, the president rises from his seat. Tae-kyung knows he intends to meet Kim at the bridge and insists that he stay. The life of the president is too valuable to use as a bargaining chip.

But President Lee disagrees, believing his life to be no more important than anyone else’s. He refuses to risk the lives of his people for any reason. He argues that it’s the people who make up a nation, and without the people, the presidency has no meaning at all.

Time’s up. Chairman Kim hits a button and bomb #2 explodes in a crowded area. Several civilians are injured, but fortunately there are no fatalities. The search continues for the two truck bombs that remain.

A little out of the loop, Bo-won calls Cha-young with a scoop. She’s been interrogating the assassin with the lizard tattoo and has gotten him to confess that there are bombs on the trucks Chairman Kim sent to Yangjinri. Bo-won reacts with anguish when Cha-young informs her that two have already been detonated.

Chairman Kim calls his assassin in the police disguise. Since President Lee seems to be unwilling to come out, they’ll have to change the plan a bit. The assassin understands and goes to retrieve one of the bombs from its truck. He assures Kim that the last truck bomb is still safely hidden in a remote location outside the search area.

Tae-kyung receives a call from Cha-young that she was finally able to trace Chairman Kim’s location. Armed soldiers are dispatched to the coordinates where they find a black vehicle with a man inside. They order him out of the vehicle and he appears to be compliant, but suddenly pulls his gun and opens fire on the soldiers.

The president and Tae-kyung listen to the shootout over their radio and at first it’s unclear who came out on top. Finally, they receive a report that the soldiers have successfully taken down the shooter, a man in his forties who they’re pretty sure is Chairman Kim… but they need someone who’s actually seen him to come identify the body to be sure. Tae-kyung volunteers for the job.

President Lee is tense as he waits for the final word on the dead man’s identity. At last, the phone rings, but when the president answers, it’s not Tae-kyung on the line. It’s Chairman Kim, alive and well. He gives the president another ten minutes to get to the bridge, or else innocent people will die when the next bomb explodes. In a vain effort to contain his rage, the president clenches his fists so tight the knuckles go white.

Meanwhile, Tae-kyung has just discovered what we already know, that the dead man is not Chairman Kim. The president telephones with a disturbing update: he’s on his way to meet Chairman Kim at Indong Bridge. Tae-kyung can no longer protect him; the president’s counting on him to protect the citizens of Yangjinri now by locating the last of the bombs before his meeting at the bridge in ten minutes’ time.

With an uneasy glance at his watch, Tae-kyung orders the soldiers to find the bombs before 8:30, then races away to try yet again to save the president.

As Tae-kyung and the president each speed toward Indong Bridge, the people of Yangjinri are being taken out of the city in the back of army trucks. In one such truck, the good samaritan who gave the president a ride is being evacuated with her family when she notices a piece of luggage that she doesn’t recognize (but I’m sure you do). It’s one of the black bomb briefcases, which the woman’s daughter explains was placed on board by a certain policeman. Now which policeman do you suppose that could be?

The policeman/assassin calls Chairman Kim to let him know that the bomb is in place. Kim orders him to detonate it immediately if anything happens to him. The assassin asks what to do if the president actually does show up alone, as promised. “Set it off anyway,” Kim tells him.

Out on the road, Tae-kyung passes the truck with the bomb on board and notices the assassin in his police car following close behind, cell phone in hand. Although Tae-kyung has just four minutes to get to the bridge, he remembers the president’s exhortation to protect the people of Yangjinri above all else and whips his car around behind the truck, forcing the assassin to bring his squad car to a screeching halt.

Tae-kyung comes after him on foot, blasting out the squad car’s windows with his pistol as he comes. The assassin returns fire and manages to land a bullet in Tae-kyung’s arm, knocking him to the ground. He uses the opportunity to reach for his cell phone, but just as he prepares to detonate the bomb, his head explodes in a spray of blood. It appears Tae-kyung was down, but not out.

But his worries aren’t over yet, because just as he’s pulling the battery from the assassin’s cell phone, he finds himself surrounded by soldiers, their rifles aimed directly at him. I guess it is a little difficult to explain why you would force a policeman to swerve off the road, then shoot him in the head and take his phone.

The issue is quickly cleared up when Tae-kyung leads them to the briefcase containing the bomb. The good samaritan is confused — exactly how many bombs are there? She counts this one, the two that have already gone off, and the one the president took with him.

Whoa, hold up a minute. The president took one of the bombs? Tae-kyung does not like the sound of that. He high-tails it out of there to stop the president before he does something crazy.

March 14, 8:30 PM

Chairman Kim watches as the president approaches in his car, leaving it parked in the middle of the bridge. Finally we have arrived at the scene that was teased in a flash-forward back in Episode 12: the president and Chairman Kim standing face-to-face on Indong Bridge.

Elsewhere, two soldiers have located another truck bomb sitting atop the Yangjinri oil pipeline. If it detonates, the whole town will go up in flames.

Chairman Kim rolls his cell phone around in his hand, ready to hit the detonator at any moment. President Lee dares him to go ahead and press the button. Whether he does it or not, the president will make him pay — for the Yangjinri incident, for the assassination attempt at Cheongsoodae, for Tae-kyung’s father, for Secretary Shin, for every evil act he has committed.

Kim laughs at him. How exactly is someone as unimportant as President Lee going to make him pay? Kim and Falcon will find someone else to make into a president, continuing to become richer and more powerful until he controls all of Korea.

The president concedes that he can never really force Kim to pay for his wrongs — the cost is much too high. Even with all his wealth, Chairman Kim could never hope to pay back his debt. But the president intends to make him try to pay for it with his life.

Tae-kyung has arrived at the bridge, abandoning his car to continue on foot. He spots the two men and runs toward them with everything he has, eyes bulging in fear.

As the president turns to walk away, Kim hits the detonator. The bomb’s clock starts counting down from ten seconds… Nine… Eight…

Flashback. The president and the good samaritan have just discovered the first truck bomb. What we didn’t see before was the president asking to borrow the woman’s car before placing the bomb inside.

Three… Two… One… Ka-BOOM. But the blast doesn’t come from the bomb on the oil pipeline. That’s right, the president tricked Chairman Kim into blowing up the car sitting right next to him.

Tae-kyung cries out in terror as the explosion lights up in the night. Kim is completely engulfed in the flames, but the president is a few steps further away from the car and his fate is less certain…

Some time later (days? weeks?) on a calm and sunny day, Tae-kyung is delivering water jugs to a security office. Looks like he’s finally getting back to his everyday life.

At the same time, the Blue House security team and their new team leader are securing a building in preparation for an upcoming event.

Elsewhere, Police Sergeant Yoon Bo-won is receiving an award certificate for her role in stopping the March 11 terror attacks. Not bad for the woman who was previously suspended because of her involvement in that incident.

A large basket of flowers is delivered to her at the police station. The card has no signature, only the message, “Congratulations on returning to work.” Hmm, who could have sent them?

A flashback to Tae-kyung sending the flowers confirms my suspicions. He tries to dodge questions from his agent friend about the recipient of the gift, but the agent is no fool. He knows the bouquet is for Bo-won.

Interrogations of people connected with the various acts of terror continue as a prosecutor questions the shady assistant prosecutor, Kim’s inside guy from the police department, and the assassin with the lizard tattoo. The assassin promises that even though Chairman Kim and Falcon have been stopped, all of this will happen again, with someone new rising up to take their place. Money will always control the world, he says.

The prosecutor makes a promise of his own. He and other good men, men like Prosecutor Choi, will continue to track the bad guys down and make them pay for their crimes. There will always be people like him who are ruled by justice, not greed.

Prosecutor Choi arrives to meet Bo-won for coffee and finds her gleefully making a dinner reservation on her phone. Does she have a date? She says no, but I’m not sure I believe her. Wishful thinking?

Choi is under a lot of stress as he prepares for his big upcoming case and continues to heal from his stab wounds. Bo-won thanks him for his help in getting her reinstated on the police force and she has a little announcement to make. She’s being transferred to the Jongno police department in Seoul, so they’ll be working together a lot more from now on.

Bo-won goes to see Tae-kyung at work, but before she can talk to him, his agent friend asks her to come have a cup of coffee with him. When they turn to leave together, Tae-kyung drops everything to break it up. He tells agent friend that their boss is looking for him and he’d better go right now if he knows what’s good for him. Jealous much?

Bo-won tells Tae-kyung the good news about her transfer to Seoul over lunch. They’re glad to be able to see more of each other, but Tae-kyung awkwardly interjects that she won’t be able to stay at his apartment. It’s becoming too difficult for him to protect her. He abruptly excuses himself to return to work, leaving her with a final warning to stop smiling for just any guy.

As he walks away, Bo-won thinks back over all the moments they’ve shared, every car chase, every explosion, every time he cradled her unconscious body in his arms during the most stressful nine days anyone has ever had. She laughs to herself looking back on it all now.

At the Blue House, Tae-kyung runs into Cha-young and they decide to take a walk together. Cha-young has been promoted and is being sent overseas. Tae-kyung asks if she has been to see “him” yet, and she says she hasn’t, but feels she must do so before she leaves.

Another montage replays the rocky course of their relationship over those fateful nine days, the way their trust in each other was shaken and then strengthened by Cha-young’s undercover mission, and how afraid Tae-kyung was to lose her when she was struck by a car.

Cha-young shakes his hand warmly and departs. Alone, Tae-kyung thinks of another memory, one that we’ve previously only seen a part of. The late Team Leader Ham is advising the president that for his own safety he ought not to take so many trips outside of the Blue House.

The president calls a younger, fresh-faced Tae-kyung over and asks if he agrees with Ham. Tae-kyung is unsure how to answer, not wanting to offend either man. The president lets him off the hook, saying that he feels safe going out at night because he has so much faith that the agents will protect him.

“You will protect me, right?” he asks. As he’s done many times before and since, Tae-kyung promises to protect the president.

Tae-kyung thinks of another, more recent memory of visiting the president, who lies injured in a hospital bed, but is still very much alive following the explosion at Indong Bridge, thank goodness. President Lee thanks Tae-kyung for keeping his promise.

A flashback to Indong Bridge reveals what happened after the bomb went off. President Lee is thrown to the ground and Tae-kyung rushes to his side to find him bleeding from the skull all over the pavement, losing consciousness. He holds the president’s battered, bloodied body in his arms and whispers to him over and over, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

At his hospital bedside, the president confirms that even in the state he was in at the time, he still heard Tae-kyung’s words. He feels it is now his responsibility to live well in order to honor all the people who died so that he could survive.

Back in the present, Tae-kyung is jarred from his trip down memory lane by his fellow agents passing through. They’ve been dispatched for a mission and call Tae-kyung to come along. He hurries to join them, ready as ever to do his duty as a presidential secret service agent.

COMMENTS

Was the final episode successful? That’s a complicated question to answer. On the one hand, it delivered what I needed it to and wrapped everything up with a happy ending without feeling unrealistic, so it definitely wasn’t unsuccessful. On the other hand, I was left wishing for something a bit more rewarding. For a show that always has the potential to be either a masterpiece or a disaster, this episode totally lands on the good end of the scale, but doesn’t ever achieve the emotional impact and thrilling action of the series’ best episodes (Episodes 5 and 12 spring to mind).

There was a time not long ago when Three Days offered surprises and revelations and the thrill of realizing that what you thought to be true actually wasn’t at all, and I just didn’t feel any of that in this episode. The one big surprise in this episode — Chairman Kim blowing himself up by detonating the president’s car bomb — could have been really exciting if it weren’t so clearly telegraphed in advance. If I could change one thing in this episode, it would be to cut the scene where the good samaritan tells Tae-kyung that the president has a bomb. Everything else in the following sequence leads me to believe that I’m not supposed to know there’s a bomb in that car (the diversion of finding a different bomb on the oil pipeline, the revelatory flashback just before the car bomb detonates…), but you’ve already ruined the surprise by essentially just telling me that the president has a bomb in his car.

I don’t want to sound too down on this episode because I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. There are many things that this episode really got right. It acknowledged all of the major characters and their relationships in a satisfying way; we got to see a beautiful final showdown with the big bad; the timestamp conceit was put to better use than in any other episode; and it provided just a hint of romance without going overboard.

My favorite thing this episode did was to throw a lot of focus on the major theme of the series. At its core, Three Days has always been a clash between two kinds of people — those who are driven by selfish desires, and those who are driven by a sense of duty to preserve the greater good. There are two scenes in the episode that really drive this idea home. One is the confrontation on Indong Bridge, where suspense and emotion are running so high you might not even notice the battle between duty and desire playing out before your eyes. Chairman Kim’s biggest goal is to be the richest, most powerful man in the country, but the president wishes only to protect the people of his nation, and his resolve is so strong that he willingly throws himself into mortal danger in order to secure the safety of others.

The other scene that highlights this theme plays out in a completely different way because it occurs between two minor characters, the nameless prosecutor and the lizard tattoo assassin. It’s actually a clever move to put these ideas into the mouths of characters we hardly care about and to set it after the big action climax has already concluded. With less of an emotional undercurrent running through it, the scene becomes a more cerebral experience where the viewer is encouraged to really listen and digest the thoughts being presented.

Three Days was spotty throughout, but its strong-willed characters are what kept me engaged all the way along. I wish it could have gone out with a bigger bang, but I still found the final episode wholly appropriate and respectful of the story I’ve been tuning in to see for eight weeks — the story of a man who spends his life protecting others.

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1 harukogirl

May 4, 2014 at 12:16 PM

I read just enough to see that the show was fell on the mostly positive side... I'll be watching now...Thanks! :-)

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harukogirl

May 4, 2014 at 12:17 PM

How ironic...I have "first" when I've never tried, and on a show I haven't watched yet! Lol

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2 Cherry

May 4, 2014 at 12:33 PM

This drama was my comeback to kdramas after Gaksital, as I needed a break and everything felt the same. This was exactly what I needed to be reminded that there are indeed dramas that get it right. They're not perfect, of course, but they deliver their purpose, which is to keep you interested enough to watch until the end - a great thing to achieve for someone like me who has watched hundreds of dramas and most of them now bore me. I needed something different, and I got it.

I watched this every weekend with my sister and her boyfriend, which made it all the more better. We would make predictions together, get excited, criticise the characters, think plenty of times that the writer was crazy to realise after a while that some things have a greater purpose (the "ahhhhh this is why at that time..." feeling).

The music of the drama was also spot on, it always matched the scenes perfectly. Acting was more than satisfactory, this was one of the really few times when I didn't cringe with someone's acting (unfortunately there's usually one or two cringeworthy actors in a drama, but fortunately that wasn't the case here).

And the action scenes!! Boy did they get those right. Yoochun was so natural, it looked like he was born to be a secret agent. He made the character his own, I really cannot picture any other actor playing Han Tae Kyung.

President Lee (sorry, forgot the actor's name) thrilled me. I'm so used to seeing this actor in goofy roles, that I was truly taken aback by his performance here. He gave me the chills throughout the drama. Amazing actor indeed.

I could go on for some other actors in this drama, but this is already getting too long...

Overall, thumbs up 3 days. You were a really good drama that I enjoyed watching.

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MO

May 4, 2014 at 8:52 PM

The actor's name is Sohn Hyun Joo. He actually did The Chaser along with Kim Sang Joong, a drama about justice.

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Lord Byron

May 5, 2014 at 8:34 AM

You've really identified the things that likewise move me to forgive other, mostly minor, things about 3 Days.

And I suspect I can guess why you took a break after Gaksital.

3 Days serves as a wonderful contrast and a cautionary lesson to 14 Days (which you probably did not watch but many here did). In my opinion, while 14 Days was a drama driven by the sole desire to be clever at all cost and was done in by it, it is sincerity that was solely behind 3 Days.

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Cherry

May 5, 2014 at 2:32 PM

I don't know what your guess was, but Gaksital for me reached a level of near-perfection, so it was hard to watch mediocre dramas after that. My expectations were just too high, haha. :D

Then 3 days came along, and the premise sounded interesting. Also, it was guy-friendly so we could watch together with my sister's boyfriend who enjoys action kdramas with strong male leads (we got him hooked on Iris, Slave Hunters and Gaksital). So we thought, why not? Let's watch this one together. And fortunately we weren't disappointed.

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3 bunn3fly

May 4, 2014 at 12:35 PM

Yeah, it was quite a good ending and closed all the loose ends and all that, but there's just too much flash backs in this episode. And I quite agree with the ruined suspense of knowing that the bomb was in the car. It should have been better executed.

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4 crazedlu

May 4, 2014 at 12:36 PM

Wasn't really the ending I wanted. I wanted to leave it feeling awed, but oh well. It was a good enough ride.

I just wouldn't ride it again.

Love that last screen shot of Tae-kyung though!

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5 Lisa

May 4, 2014 at 12:53 PM

The last 20 minutes of this episode make the whole series worthwhile. I keep watching it on repeat.

The interaction between the Pres and Tae Kyung are priceless, both in the early flashback and the visit at the hospital. It's one of the best elder/younger man to man relationships I've seen in a drama. Really cute and touching.

The awkward/shy Tae Kyung and Bo Won were so refreshing. I was hoping they wouldn't kiss because it would be so completely out of character. But somehow their relationship is so endearing.

And I appreciated that at the end they dressed Yuchun in casual clothes if even for a short time. He looks so handsome and masculine like that. It was a treat for all his fans to see him like that.

Oh, and Yuchun and Park Ha Sun (Bo Won) both put out ending comments that are really nice.

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6 Ivoire

May 4, 2014 at 1:01 PM

Thank you so much for the recap, averagerobot. I went into the finale, expecting some surprises, and I got some, but not the kinds I was expecting. The finale felt a little flat for me, and I don’t know if that had something to do with what PYC said in one of his last interviews about this drama. He expressed his thanks at working with many sunbaes, and his gratitude for all the things he learned from them (including the writer and the director). He also said that they “were chased by time, and as a result, they had to leave many scenes out.” He also thanks all the people who worked hard to make this drama.

While I do believe that they did work hard to make this drama, I felt that they were many inconsistencies, and the last episode left me a little puzzled. I was glad to see that some of my wishes came true: Pros. Choi was in good health, the Pres. was still alive and he at least finished his term, Falcon was banned from doing business in East Asia (for the time being), and all the bad guys were caught and brought to justice. KDJ died, and I guess that might have been the best way to prevent him from doing any more harm. I do feel that the writer had some material/ideas she could have worked with (romance between TK and BW), instead, we had (at least) a couple of montage of some scenes between BW and TK, and a montage of the Pres. and TK’s scenes.

While those montages made me appreciate how close TK and BW had been during those 9 days (and yes, I had forgotten a little bit), as well as the Pres. and TK, they also felt like fillers scenes to me. Really writer-nim? You couldn’t give us a better ending for TK and BW? (I will finish my thoughts on this later).

I really liked the lines that two of the bad guys and the (younger) Pros. exchanged. They talked about the importance of money in people’s lives, for those who want it (and have different ways of using it), and for those who have a lot of it, and therefore can afford to use it to gain more power, and try and shape their world the way they want to. Yes, they are and always will be people like that. Thankfully, we also and will always have people like the Prosecutors, who will continue to be on the side of justice, following the law, and continuing to have hope. They will do their best, one day at a time, and they will continue to fight the bad guys, even if as they sometimes succeed, another head will grow or emerge on that scary monster, to try and take over with their greed and selfish motives.

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Ivoire

May 4, 2014 at 1:03 PM

My last thought on what I touched on in this comment:

I will honestly say that I liked that message. A lot of changes have happened in the world, because people in different parts of the world have fought, and come together to bring about those changes, using different means. Unfortunately, way too many people have died in the process (at times), for some of those changes to be implemented. I know this drama focused more on capitalism, greed, and what can happen when people with evil intentions have so much power, yet I felt that the themes explored in this drama could be extended to many issues that have existed and continue to exist in the world.

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fgb4877

May 4, 2014 at 1:45 PM

Miss Ivoire, welcome back!!!. I hadn't see your posts since You from Another Star when your care for the details gave us more food for thought!. How are you?.

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7 houstontwin

May 4, 2014 at 1:52 PM

Thanks for your hardwork! I like the pseudo James Bond sequence at the end of the credits. Very cool!

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8 Quiet Thought

May 4, 2014 at 2:03 PM

Efficient, if not brilliant, and the scene where the prosecutor and the lizard guy match beliefs was cool. Also nice to see Bo-Won get a promotion. She's going to be the scariest smiling sergeant in her district, for sure.

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9 August

May 4, 2014 at 2:48 PM

Thanks for the recapping Three (3) Days Averagerobot, Girlfriday, and Javabeans.

I totally agree with averagerobot’s assessment that:

“At its core, Three Days has always been a clash between two kinds of people — those who are driven by selfish desires, and those who are driven by a sense of duty to preserve the greater good.”

Yes indeed, Three (3) Days is in fact about “the story of a man (Han Tae-Kyung) who spends his life protecting others.”

As an action drama, Three (3) Days excelled at showcasing the dignity, dedication to, and professionalism of being a Public Servant whether as the President or as a Presidential Secret Service Agent and understated moments.

Strengths:
Park Yoo Chun as Secret Service Agent Han Tae-Kyung
Son Hyun Joo as President Lee Dong-Whi
Park Ha Sun as Officer/Sergeant Yoon Bo-Won
Jang Hyun Sung as Ham Bong-Soo
Ahn Gil-kang as Chief Directer of Presidential Bodyguards Kim Sang Hee
Lee Jae Yong as Prosecutor Choi Ji Hoon
Yoon Je-Moon as Chief of Staff Shin Kyu-Jin
Choi Won-Young as Chairman Kim Do-Jin

Weaknesses:
Writer Kim Eun-Hee
Casting of So E-Hyun as Lee Cha-Young.

The following lines of dialogue by various characters in Episode 16 really stood out to me:

"You massacred countless men. Ruined others' lives. But you lived in luxury without guilt."--President Lee Dong-Whi

"You know that I have other candidates. That's why money is good."---Chairman Kim Do-Jin

"Glory, justice, duty. What can I do with that? Justice can't buy you a house."---Oh Young Min (the corrupt Assistant Prosecutor

"What is the nation to you?"

"Nothing is over. Someone will replace him. Same with Falcon...Money still rules the world. And it will continue to do so."--- Assassin with the lizard tattoo

"Whoever replaces these seats. We will continue to get them and have them answer to law. When I get tired, then someone will replace me. That's the world I want to live in. There are people out there, who live for justice instead of money. We call that hope."--- Prosecutor

It was nice that they paid homage to all the Presidental Secret Service agents killed in action (KIA) during its run. And hooray to the cute and endearing flashback montage of all the Han Tae-Kyung and Yoon Bo-Won scenes

Han Tae-Kyung and Yoon Bo-Won need their own spinoff. One can only imagine what a 16 episode drama chronicling their courtship would be like.

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pogo - sailing HMS Queen of Tears and HMS Sailboat Lovely Runner🍉

May 5, 2014 at 11:24 AM

I honestly can't see what was so bad about So Yi-hyun's acting, it's not a role that demanded a lot of her but she was ok, decent even. I definitely agree that the writing was weak though, plotting could have been a LOT tighter.

And I want that Tae-kyung/Bo-won spinoff! Even if it looks like it'll be a full year before they even attempt kissing, ha.

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Lisa

May 8, 2014 at 10:58 AM

I especially like your comment about the spinoff drama between Han Tae Kyung and Yoon Bo Won. YES YES YES

And I would like to add one more of my favorite lines, although paraphrased.

Pres Lee Dong Whi to bad guy Chairman Kim Do Jin
"Can all your money bring back the lives of those you ended and ruined? With even tens of millions or billions you couldn't pay for it. But I would like to see you try to repay it by giving up your life."

Even though people cherish money so much, no matter how much you have, it can't compare to even one life.

Also, I would like to say that I appreciate so much that Yuchun continually takes roles where good triumphs over evil, even though it is a fight, ultimately, the real truth is revealed.

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10 trotwood

May 4, 2014 at 3:14 PM

I love that we have two strong female leads who are good and confident in their jobs, work well together, and are not rivals for the male leads affections. Are you listening drama gods?!?!?!

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11 aprill

May 4, 2014 at 7:10 PM

Thanks to Jb, Gf, and averagerobot for recapping 3 days. I've been reading the recaps and enjoying the show. For me, 3 days is an action drama which is very rare in majorly rom-com-melo Kdrama. There are things that could be better like the execution for a bigger bang, but overall, I like the drama and the closure. Thumbs up for 3 days cast n crew. Now, i'm starting missing 3 days, and no new action drama yet, kind to reccomend anyone?

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12 skywalk

May 4, 2014 at 7:48 PM

Thanks for the recap. Personally I am in love with 3days for not messing with the ending. Its been a tradition with kdrama messing the last 2 episode performing illegal murders on the climax :) Happy that this series delivered just right amount of action and suspense.

Started appreciating YooChun on new level, he has advanced a lot, he has a talent of surprising me everytime with his matured acting from drama to drama and enrolling new roles. Wow boy ... for a idol/celebrity you are doing a great work. I appreciate you and your hard work. Great role to Bo Won. Didn't like her much in 2 weeks but a good role in good story can change that Opinion. lastly, Mr President, you were born to do that role.

Loved the ending. President and han tae kyun continued doing the jobs they were trusted. There was no dramatic scene like how its all end and kim died there are no villans around I will resign this made a great impact on life I need new course of direction and all. Given a chance they will do but they can change the world better if they continued with their evolved thoughts. Every one is given a second chance. Its how they make it up. Loved the concept of corrupted guy (ie our president) who did knowingly wrong choices but for redemption took great chances of correcting it. Hopefully this story never becomes true. No one has the right to play with anyones life.

Totally, loved every moment of 3 days. Great work writers. Hopefully you do more such work. Loving how k-drama are exploring new concepts.Thankyou. You are as good as reading a good book. :) adios.

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pogo - sailing HMS Queen of Tears and HMS Sailboat Lovely Runner🍉

May 4, 2014 at 7:50 PM

yeah, I like that the ending isn't a big happy ending kind of thing, but just them returning to normal life and moving forward.

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Lisa

May 8, 2014 at 11:05 AM

That seemed to be in line with the whole message of the drama. Justice will continue to fight against corruption. Even though someone has done bad things, if they repent and reverse their direction, there is hope for them to do good things and lead a good life. Even though an ideal world doesn't exist, day by day we can make a difference if we make the right choices.... something like that.

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13 pogo - sailing HMS Queen of Tears and HMS Sailboat Lovely Runner🍉

May 4, 2014 at 7:49 PM

I finished it, and while it's not the greatest drama ever and way too obvious at times, I think the actors put in good performances - especially Sohn Hyun-joo as the President who's morally compromised but struggling for redemption, and Yoochun - Taekyung reminds me a lot of his character from SKKS, for some reason - starting out super earnest and having his belief in authority shaken somewhat. I also liked the PSS, and losing them all was the last really poignant moment of the series. *sigh*. Sogn Hyun-joo is so good, this series would never have worked without an actor who had the appropriate gravitas, and he was perfect for the role.

I guess the fact that your villain is so one-dimensionally crazy makes the whole conflict a whole lot less interesting, but there was some good suspense.

One thing I do have to give props for, though, is the ladies. I'm glad they were all badass in here and no one's primary motivation was a would-be romance (that song they shoehorned in at all the TK/BW moments was so awkwarrrrrd, but I like their awkward-but-cute starter not-yet-a-romance, Yoochun and Park Ha-sun had good chemistry). Even Cha-young was about her job and being a friend, not a love interest. And our dead PSS agent was pretty clealy shown to be as capable as her male colleagues, which is a good thing.

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14 lucy

May 4, 2014 at 9:42 PM

a nice drama to watch because there is no fight between two female leads over one guy or two male leads over one girl. yeahuuu.

i guess a drama don't really need a kiss scene or intimate scene to be good. thank you author-nim and director-nim.

btw, i thought the agents died during the shooting war at the memorial tower in Yangjinri. Suddenly they were there at the last scene. a bit unrealistic but forgivable. hahaha

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shim ara

May 4, 2014 at 10:08 PM

Finally someone had the same observation as mine. How did the PSS (some of them) went back to life... Lol :)

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pogo - sailing HMS Queen of Tears and HMS Sailboat Lovely Runner🍉

May 5, 2014 at 11:25 AM

yeah, I wondered if Taekyung was having a daydream or something, hallucinating his dead colleagues back to life.

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15 Lovely.

May 4, 2014 at 9:43 PM

I didn't hate the ending, but I didn't love it either. It just ... ended. I wasn't left breathless nor did I have the 'what am I going to do with my life now' moment I have after a really good drama ends.

I think this show would have been spectacular if it was cut down to 9 episodes- and they switched the name to 'Nine Days' !!

And if it had made us feel like something was going to happen on the 9th day. Something big. I never got the feeling something big was going to happen at the end of the three day segments.

They should have sprinkled more Bo Won in there too. It felt like the writer forgot what to do with her after the first few episodes. Oops. I totally agree with whoever said she and Tae Kyung need their own spinoff-- I'd totally watch it.

So in conclusion, I was just left feeling 'meh' at the end of this episode. There was no suspense and lots of filler. I appreciate that everything was wrapped up in nice little bows for us, and that Chairman Kim went up in flames due to his own bomb (You hate Karma now dontcha), but nothing made me go "Wow! Wasn't expecting that!"

I wish we hadn't known that bomb was in the car. That would've been cool. I felt like a cheater knowing it was there.

To all the Three Days recappers- Thank you so much!

See you around for the forums !!

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16 pinkhudson

May 4, 2014 at 10:30 PM

Thanks for the recaps. I had a good time watching three days though it didn't become one of my favourite dramas.

I'd be on cloud nine if the finale episode had more suspense than many flashbacks we've seen. It was flat and didn't leave impressions on me, but I'm happy to see good people win over the bads. After all, that's kdrama fans need for the finales.
Many actors carried the drama with their performance despite of the weak and sometimes obvious plot.

I was drawn to watch three days because of Park Ha Sun. Began knowing her through 2 Weeks, liked her and her character in it. She seems good at choosing intelligent female roles, proved again here.

But I have to say she's not good at crying that I've watched of hers in 2 Weeks, lol.
She can't cry well to admire her as an actress while I like much of those from her leading men, Lee Jun Ki and park Yoochun in 2 Weeks and 3 days. I'm glad the writer of 3 days didn't put crying scenes for her, lol.

Anyway, she's so good when comes to act as a smart lady doing brave things in helping her leading guys. She also has sparkling chemistry with them in fluttering moments though they had less romantic scenes unlike melos/ rom-coms.
Oh, I discover a new female lead who doesn't intend to pick melos/ rom-coms. Liked her much in 2 Weeks and 3 days. Looking forward to her next good roles!

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17 aicy

May 4, 2014 at 11:26 PM

i seldom watch action thriller koreandramas but this drama caught me and was hooked till the end.i liked the storyline as well as the casts.they are all good.kudos to writer, producer and all the staff that made this drama a very successful one

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18 jellybean

May 5, 2014 at 12:18 AM

so happy with this drama even though it's to painful to watch sometimes. a lot of weird endings to 2014 dramas recently and i am actually satisfied with this one. Finally a decent ending. it may not be a wow ending but it was an okay ending.

Super proud of Yoochun!!! Never would i imagine he would take an action drama but he really exceeded my expectations this time. i was able to watch him since Sungkyunkwan Scandal up to now and i can say he is one of the few actors who can take different roles in a kdrama plus be a good one at that.

if this would be his last drama before military, it's the best decision he made in his acting career. can't wait to see his acting career bloom more after that.

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19 Giegie

May 5, 2014 at 3:47 AM

Thank you so much recappers for the recaps. ^^
A satisfying ending for me, though I was hoping for a more surprising one. A message of hope that there are still good people chasing the bads has stuck to my mind. The show somehow reminded me that whatever happens around us, we should not lose hope. ~ What I wouldn't give to see Tae-kyung & Bo Won start their reltionship formally, they should do another rom-com show. I love serious TK but I love the jealous him more, he is just so cute.

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20 Lilian

May 5, 2014 at 5:49 AM

I enjoyed the drama as a whole but it has its boring parts. The added romance plot was cute but did not take up too much unnecessary time....

I do agree that a lot of times the "surprise" could have been planned better. Even the hiding of the bag in the truck carrying the villagers!

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21 YoeYoe

May 5, 2014 at 8:15 PM

tbh 3Days could be said the worst drama of this Writer when the drama itself is a good decent one. I blame directer and producers for all the loopholes for this drama. The writer did a good job as always though. The Writer is at her best when she combine with Choi Mun Sook, PD of Sign and Ghost. I really loved Ghost production crew.

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22 candycane

May 6, 2014 at 4:34 PM

Thank you very much for the recap. Another successful drama for PYC! Great action scenes. The story may have many flaws, but overall I really enjoy it :-)

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23 kiwichan

May 8, 2014 at 6:21 PM

I'm sorry for the late thoughts..TBH, it's quite hard for me to let go of this drama..So I come here to say goodbye to 3Days team especially for our Han Tae Kyung..Agent Han, I will always miss you..Trololol! I mean that character will always be in my heart coz it's hard to have such brilliant + badass character like HTK and also badass woman like Bo Won..It was fun and enjoyable for me watching this 16eps of 3 Days..Though I wish KDJ will be suffered more than that but to think of it, Mr.Pres did a brilliant job by making KDJ killed by his own bomb..bravo Mr.Pres!!

I personally love the flashback scenes, brought me to tears watching all their scenes..I have different feelings for HTK-YBW and HTK-LCY relationships which I love to see, one is very awkward but cute and another one is so warm and beautiful and the best thing is of course the "womance" thing in this drama..It's been a while right..

And as a fan of Park Yoochun, I'm so proud to see him portraying as Han Tae Kyung..U did a great job Yoochun-ahh but still I'm hoping u can give us another drama before enlisting..These 16eps actually were not enough for us :D

Last but not least bows to our recappers Girlfriday, Javabeans and Averagerobot for recapping 3 Days but dear average u missed to screencap HTK as water boy, he's so cute carrying that bottle and also love him wearing a casual outfit..Anyway, thanx and you guys are so wonderful^^

Annyeong 3Days team, such a great team indeed! Han Tae Kyung I love you!!! :lol:

*still thinking which drama should I follow after 3Days :lol:

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24 justpassingby

May 11, 2014 at 9:54 AM

I so agree with our recapper averagerobot here:
"This series has been a roller coaster ride in terms of both its plot and its quality. When Three Days was good, it was very good and when it was bad… well, let’s try to focus on the good times, shall we?"
That's the way to go...

Three Days has its boring parts (come to think of it, which drama doesn't? lol) but the good thing about this drama is the interesting parts are way more than the boring parts, so I'm not complaining.

And I like how they wrapped the whole series up. Of course, they could have ended it with a bigger bang, but again, I’m not complaining. Reason being, they somehow managed to tie everything up pretty neatly, which is not easy. I’ve watched too many Korean series which flopped big time come finale.

Overall, a commendable drama. In my personal opinion, definitely one of the better dramas as far as Korean drama’s concerned.

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25 justpassingby

May 11, 2014 at 10:00 AM

Oh, almost forgot my purpose here, lol.

A big thank you to all our awesome recappers here, averagerobot, girlfriday and javabeans, for their efforts in recapping Three Days.

Great job guys, THANK YOU! *bows*

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26 Anna

May 29, 2014 at 7:41 AM

Can anyone please elaborate why TK said to BW that he won't be able to protect her anymore?

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27 michelle

June 22, 2014 at 11:22 PM

So I've been curious throughout the whole drama--is Yangjinri a real place in South Korea, or was it a fictionalized place for the drama? I've tried Googling the town, but the only results I got were Three Days-related, and nothing about the actual place if it is real.

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28 MsB

July 20, 2014 at 8:58 AM

Awesome drama! Awesome! Even when a drama doesn't have romance if it is done well that makes all the difference. This was Yoo Chun in his finest hour! And hello Choi Won Young! You have a new fan!!

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29 Jezz

July 23, 2020 at 5:23 AM

My overall: 8/10

Great action 24-style scenes with an outstanding thrilling scenes.

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30 Ahmed abdulqudus

August 12, 2020 at 4:22 PM

So interesting.

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Three Days