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Search Query: WWW: Episode 16 (Final)

It’s finally time to wrap up this chapter in our heroines’ lives, both personally and professionally. We’ve only gotten a glimpse into what makes these amazing women tick, but it’s been a glimpse that shows how strong, capable, and resilient women can be. As we send them off into new adventures, it’s clear that they’ll keep making mistakes and learning lessons and becoming better for it, something we could all stand to learn from.

 
EPISODE 16 RECAP

Da-in returns Ta-mi’s piano workbooks, though she admits it’s just an excuse to see her. She apologizes for making comments about Ta-mi and Mo-gun’s relationship, but she’s not sorry for liking Mo-gun. She’s heard about the breakup, but Ta-mi says that’s not her fault.

They agree not to see each other for a while, due to their unresolved feelings for Mo-gun. Da-in says that someday she hopes they will feel better and can be friends again.

A very pale Mo-gun meets with his stepfather, who remembers him after seeing him at his mother’s funeral. He says that Mo-gun’s mother told him he’s her firstborn, and that his mother always wondered if his adoptive parents loved him a lot. Mo-gun says he was loved beyond anything he could have asked for, and his stepfather says he loved his wife the same way.

He gives Mo-gun the gifts his mother bought for him in Paris, which come with a hand-written note. She’d gotten him some writing supplies to celebrate his first day of elementary school, in the hope that he becomes a person who can express his thoughts with beautiful words. There’s pair of sneakers for his entry into middle school, so he becomes brave enough to walk an unfamiliar path.

There’s a wristwatch to celebrate Mo-gun going to high school, and so that he learns to value his time. Last is a pair of sunglasses for Ta-mi, and the note says that his mother thought she seems like a good person.

Her note concludes, “Even during those times when we were apart, I still loved you. Of course, I still love you, and I’ll continue to love you. I love you, my son.” Mo-gun drops his head into his arms and cries for the mother he’ll never see again.

Hyun and Ji-hwan stay up all night to watch the sun rise on the day he’s to leave for his army duty. Hyun asks Ji-hwan if he wants to pray for the world to end, but he says he’s already gotten his prayer, to be with the one be loves. Hyun sighs that she needs to look for a new actor and Ji-hwan begins praying fervently — for Hyun to stop watching dramas he’s not cast in, hee.

When they arrive at the enlistment center, Hyun is shocked by the number of reporters, but Ji-hwan shows her that they’re here for Han Min-kyu (Ga-kyung’s ex-fling), who’s also enlisting today. Hyun yells that Seol Ji-hwan is here, but nobody pays any attention, ha. So she takes advantage of the situation and kisses Ji-hwan goodbye, a long kiss that absolutely nobody takes note of.

Back at work, Hyun has scheduled a debate regarding the internet’s self-regulation for two days from now, and although she invited Unicon, she doesn’t know if they’ll show. Brian asks her to keep it under wraps until they’re sure that Unicon won’t take the government’s side. Unfortunately, Hyun and Ta-mi disagree on what they think Ga-kyung will do.

Ta-mi runs into Mo-gun while walking home, and he thanks her for helping him say goodbye to his mother at her funeral. He says that before she left for her trip, he told his mother that Ta-mi was his girlfriend, and he gives Ta-mi the gift his mother bought her.

He goes up to her place to get the things he left behind, but he changes his mind and tells her to throw them out, since that’s the last step of a breakup. She asks if he’s thrown out the things she left at his house, but he doesn’t answer. Ta-mi asks if he’s okay, but Mo-gun just says she can stop worrying about him now.

Ga-kyung doesn’t show up to the debate, citing personal reasons, though she sends one of Unicon’s directors. Hyun and Ta-mi outline the government’s offer to charge the industrial rate for electricity in return for access to their users’ personal information, and when asked for a suggestion, Ta-mi says that Barro wants to post the government’s offer on their front page.

The Unicon director is worried about retaliation, but Hyun says that she’s more scared of what the public will do if they cave. Ta-mi says that retaliation is a concern, but the government is already threatening them through their electricity bills.

Brian asks the Unicon director to tell Ga-kyung about their plan to put this on their front page, since it won’t work if only Barro does it. He states again that Barro won’t sit by while the government violates the public’s rights and freedoms.

Recalling Ta-mi’s statement that they disagree on Ga-kyung’s stance, Hyun nearly calls her old friend, but decides against it. Ta-mi goes to see Ga-kyung though, admitting that she wants to persuade Ga-kyung to help Barro. Ga-kyung asks what she has to offer, but Ta-mi says that she came with only her sincerity.

She says she has no expectations of Ga-kyung, but that Hyun still believes that nineteen-year-old Ga-kyung is the real Ga-kyung. She asks Ga-kyung not to disappoint Hyun… not because it’s her strategy, but because she just doesn’t want Hyun to be disappointed.

Jin-woo picks up Ga-kyung after work in another embarrassing rented sports car, to help her avoid the reporters. He asks sheepishly if this is enough of an excuse (to see her), and Ga-kyung says it’s not bad. On the drive home, she asks Jin-woo if he’d forgive her for doing something that would get a lot of people in trouble, and would eventually affect his family. He tells her not to worry about him or his family when making decisions, and that he would forgive her even if she killed him.

When Ta-mi gets to Barro in the morning, the entire staff has been emailed about the government’s plans to access their users’ personal information. She tells the team that things will get very busy when Barro posts the information on their main page, but she’s still unsure where Unicon stands.

With one minute left, they still haven’t heard from Unicon. They closely watch both sites, and at nine a.m. sharp, Barro’s main page goes live with a banner refusing to grant the government access to user information. Unicon’s main page doesn’t change. .

After three minutes, Ta-mi tells Hyun to stop refreshing Unicon’s site, but Hyun whispers that she trusts Ga-kyung and continues. Then she stops… and screams triumphantly. Unicon’s banner says that they object to the government viewing personal user information.

The news media latches onto the story, the real-time rankings are all about civilian surveillance, and President Seo is furious. At Unicon, the directors demand that Ga-kyung take down the banner, arguing that they can’t make political statements on the main page. Ga-kyung just says that defending justice isn’t a political statement, and ignores their demands.

Hyun hurries off to the internet self-regulatory board meeting, but Brian sends Ta-mi in his place, stating that he’s in no position to argue on ethics. Ta-mi and Hyun read the code of ethics for internet web portals to crowds of fascinated reporters, and even Ga-kyung reads it in front of a press conference.

Ga-kyung adds a personal statement — that she once violated this code of ethics, so she’s resigning as Unison’s CEO. Chairwoman Jang calls President Seo to do damage control, and he tells her to start with the reason Ga-kyung just resigned… that Chairwoman Jang pressured her into changing the real-time keywords to remove information about his presidential opponent in an attempt to get the other candidate elected. HAHA, busted.

Hyun rushes to see Ga-kyung and ask why she resigned after working so hard to become Unicon’s CEO. Ga-kyung says, “I lost everything, but I also gained that much. I couldn’t stay as CEO after reciting the code of ethics. It’s just too lowly and embarrassing. That’s why I was hesitant to upload the statement on the main page. I was three minutes late — I’m sorry I kept you waiting.”

She reminds Hyun that she promised to save her at least once, but Hyun sobs that she didn’t want her to give up her whole life. Ga-kyung says that Hyun risked her life back when she saved her, which is how saving should be done.

President Seo holds a press conference in which he blames this whole kerfuffle on a misunderstanding — naturally, he was interested in protecting personal information. Nobody believes him, and Ta-mi says that at least he’s learned who not to mess with.

Ga-kyung finds Chairwoman Jang waiting in her apartment with a plane ticket, which she says is to support Ga-kyung’s dream (of being invisible). Ga-kyung says that Chairwoman Jang must finally feel threatened by the evidence she holds, but Chairwoman Jang says it’s about not wanting to get obsessed with ruining Ga-kyung’s life. Ga-kyung tears up the ticket, snapping that she and her dream are none of Chairwoman Jang’s concern.

Chairwoman Jang gets up to slap her, but Ga-kyung stops her hand in midair. She asks if Chairwoman Jang is as willing as she is to ruin herself in order to take down her target, and for once Chairwoman Jang actually looks frightened. Ga-kyung says they have only one piece of business left between them — Ga-kyung’s alimony.

Mo-gun visits his mother’s grave, and on his way home, a little boy joins him on the bus stop bench. Mo-gun confides that recently he lost someone he can’t ever get back, and another person that he’d like back. The little boy says he’s not supposed to talk to strangers, so Mo-gun says they have a secret now, and they high-five.

At home, Ta-mi sighs at her, Hyun, and Ga-kyung’s names on the real-time rankings. When she closes her browser, Mo-gun’s face is still her desktop background, and she asks him if he wonders whether she’s okay. She still has his things that she hasn’t thrown out, though she frowns at them in their box by the front door.

Everything seems back to normal at Barro, though Ta-mi grows oddly quiet when she learns that the new game may be delayed. When Hyun snaps her out of it, she notices that Yoon Dong-joo’s name is trending above everything else, even BTS, and she asks why.

Oh, it’s because Dong-joo badmouthed BTS on her channel, which was apparently the plan since she’s thrilled to have her name at number one. Joon-soo finds her live-streaming on location and tells her to come with him before the ARMY (BTS’s fans) shows up.

Dong-joo says that she actually loves BTS, so she hoped to drag them down to her level and she could have them to herself. Joon-soo tells her that that’s not how that works and offers himself instead.

Jin-woo takes Ga-kyung to dinner to celebrate the fact that they are officially divorced. Ga-kyung thanks Jin-woo for keeping his promise, and he says she has nobody holding her back now. He says she should rest for a while, but that if she gets bored she could date him — something they’ve never done together.

She says she can’t, because she’s going to disappear, and she’s keeping her promise to tell him first. Jin-woo looks disappointed and admits that he’s left with a one-sided love.

Ta-mi gets sloppy drunk at home, and she topples over onto the couch and into a memory of lying with her head in Mo-gun’s lap, arguing over which of them is happier. In the present, Ta-mi drunk-dials Mo-gun and leaves a voicemail saying, “I can’t live without you.”

She hovers outside the game department meeting in the morning, hoping to see Mo-gun, but Sun-woo attended the meeting instead. Ta-mi asks why Mo-gun’s phone has been off, and she’s startled to hear that he went to Australia, and Sun-woo isn’t sure when he’ll return.

The team at Barro are so used to Ta-mi and Hyun’s arguments that by now they just indulgently ignore them, and Brian gives them a set amount of fighting time per day. Ta-mi is learning judo from Hyun, needing a hobby where she can empty her mind. Hyun asks what she’s thinking about, and Ta-mi says mostly Mo-gun and Ga-kyung.

Hyun says that at least she knows where Mo-gun is, though Ta-mi sighs that she can’t go to him. They wonder where Ga-kyung disappeared to, but neither has an answer. Even Jin-woo tells his assistant not to look for Ga-kyung, since finding her would mean her dream not coming true.

His mother isn’t so respectful, but there’s no record of Ga-kyung leaving the country, nor is she using any credit cards or bank accounts. Chairwoman Jang is worried that Ga-kyung will appear for her hearing (re: manipulating the keywords during the presidential election), and she tells her assistant to post guards and bring Ga-kyung to her if she does.

Hyun goes every day to see a movie that Ji-hwan did a one-line cameo in, and she adorably sends him a picture of each ticket receipt even though he can’t get texts. After the seventeenth day, she hears a familiar ringtone that sounds like Ji-hwan’s. Awww, he’s in the theater to surprise her, and Hyun ignores his shushing to screech and attack-hug him.

She requests four days off to spend with Ji-hwan while he’s on furlough, and Ta-mi can barely hide her laughter at Hyun’s excitement. It starts to rain, which reminds Ta-mi of Mo-gun, but his phone is still off when she tries to call him.

Her calendar notifies her that tomorrow is Mo-gun’s real birthday, and it’s nearly midnight. She tries calling him one more time… and this time it rings. Ta-mi panics and hangs up, but he calls back and asks where she is. She says she’s at work, and Mo-gun says he’ll be right there.

He’s actually at the airport, having just re-entered the country, and he looks stunned to have heard from Ta-mi. He leaves his luggage with Sun-woo and runs to Ta-mi, who wishes him a happy birthday. Mo-gun asks hopefully if she’s thrown out his things, and she says she couldn’t do it, since he said it’s the last stage of a breakup.

Not needing to hear any more, Mo-gun grabs Ta-mi in a hug, and they cling to each other happily. Ta-mi says that nothing’s been resolved and they’ll fight over the same problems, and probably break up over them again. Mo-gun just agrees to all of it, but he says he wants to try anyway, while he’s still young and cute enough not to care about the consequences.

The day of Chairwoman Jang’s hearing arrives, and she reaffirms with her assistant that Ga-kyung is to be allowed nowhere near. However, during the hearing, Ga-kyung goes on the news to make a live statement about the part she played in the keyword manipulation.

She makes it clear that Chairwoman Jang orchestrated most of the deletions in an effort to influence the presidential election. She even says that Chairwoman Jang supported the government’s bid to gain control of the web portals’ user information. She tells viewers to log onto any web portal and use the keyword “WWW” to find the written proof.

The keyword grants access to a database of every communication, text message, email, and conversation regarding keyword manipulation, helpfully compiled by In-kyung. She’d handed it over to Ga-kyung, saying that she’s wanted to bury Chairwoman Jang even longer than Ga-kyung has. Ga-kyung had uploaded it just before changing Unicon’s banner — the real reason she was three minutes late.

Chairwoman Jang takes a call from President Seo, her voice pathetically desperate as she accuses Ga-kyung of attacking a helpless old lady. She tries to call Ga-kyung next, but Ga-kyung ignores her call, sneering, “You should have just paid the alimony.” She exits the news building and walks through a sea of reporters, and when a fancy Maserati pulls up, Ga-kyung gets in without answering any questions.

A ways down the road, the car’s top comes off to reveal Hyun behind the wheel and Ta-mi in the backseat. Ga-kyung is embarrassed, but Hyun says that Jin-woo recommended the car (LOL), and said to tell her that he’s still doing as he promised.

Ta-mi asks what that means, but Ga-kyung says that they’re babies who wouldn’t understand. Ta-mi retorts that they’re babies who made Unicon’s market shares plummet, and Ga-kyung compliments her sarcastically on her pretty words. The ladies put on their sunglasses like the badasses they are, and drive off into the sunset together.

 
COMMENTS

I LOVED that ending! Talk about playing the long game! They teased us with Jin-woo’s love of sports cars throughout the entire drama, only to flip it at the last second and have Hyun and Ta-mi be Ga-kyung’s rescuers… not that she needed rescuing. She’d finally stood up for herself and taken her life back, and I feel like she’ll be just fine after this, with her frenemies to remind her not to get too cocky, or forget that she’s a strong woman who needs no help to get by in life.

I really felt as though all three romances, though not the focus of the drama, were wrapped up in realistic ways. Ga-kyung and Jin-woo made a clean break, with Jin-woo respecting Ga-kyung’s desire to be alone, so that if and when they ever do see each other again, it will be because they truly do care for each other. I’m particularly sure about Hyun and Ji-hwan, who have a long couple of years of separation to get through, but they have a pretty solid — though short-lived — foundation, and I’m not at all worried about their longevity. They both have a tendency to say exactly what they’re thinking, so now that they’ve finally broken the ice, honestly is never going to be a problem for them.

I was the most concerned about Mo-gun and Ta-mi, who I know a lot of watchers didn’t care for but who I was very invested in. Maybe because they remind me a lot of a previous serious relationship of my own that broke up for a very similar reason, I know well that having life goals that are mutually exclusive can be the death of a relationship, later if not sooner. They dealt with it in a very relatable way… they love each other so much that they can’t be apart, and if one of them ever feels that the marriage-or-not issue becomes a dealbreaker then they’ll handle it then. There’s no reason to press the issue now when Mo-gun isn’t even ready for marriage yet, and in the meantime, they can love each other and be happy.

I love how everything came back full-circle to the code of ethics violation that started it all, and that this time, Ga-kyung did the right thing and resigned. I’ve been waiting and waiting for her to show some character that I could support, and taking responsibility for her actions finally did it. I even love that it was for such a small, personal reason when it came down to it — to retain Hyun’s good regard. Hyun is the only person who still believed in Ga-kyung… even Jin-woo admits that he loves Ga-kyung in spite of the bad things she does, but only Hyun truly believes that she’s not a bad person. It shows that no matter how far down a person goes, if just one other person believes in them, they aren’t beyond redemption.

If I had to think of just one word to describe this drama, it would be: classy. Search Query: WWW was pure class from start to finish, with its strong characters, snappy dialogue, and pitch-perfect directing. I love how women were front-and-center in each situation, both personal and professional, yet the show didn’t make a big deal out of it — it was just a fact of the universe the story takes place in. These women were soft and emotional and flawed, yet those things never subtracted from their strength and capability. And the show was cast so amazingly, again with women at the forefront and the men chosen to complement them, instead of the other way around. The drama was just a treat to watch both as a viewer and a recapper, and it’s been a special experience I won’t soon forget.

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Hooray! It's here! Thank you for the recapping this show, @lollypip!

The ending scene was wonderful but I couldn't get the fact that it was a Swarovski Sunglasses PPL out of my mind. The writer probably forgot that she had one more PPL to include so they decided to do it in a cool way. HAHA

I also expected the one driving the sports car to be Joon-woo, only for the tables to be flipped and I LOVED IT! Joon-wo and Ga-kyung's ending might be pretty open, but it also gives us a room to imagine what can happen to them in the future because they are friends and are on good terms.

Hyun and Ji-hwan's reunion was all sorts of cute! IT WAS THE CUTEST REUNION EVER OKAY. We should all agree that Lee Jae-wook wearing that uniform looks so fine. And Hyun requesting 4 days off was really cute and funny.

I am also really happy that In-kyung helped Ga-kyung in burying Chairwoman Jang! It was fantastic to see women working with each other for a good cause in a drama. Although I wanted more, I still really love how Ga-kyung and In-kyung developed throughout this series.

On Mo-gun and Ta-mi, I really like how the writer decided to not make one of them fold their beliefs once they got back together. They can love each other all they want without pressuring each other. Maybe I just wanted these two to have an adult talk, but they can just do that in the future HAHA

All in all, I really love this show. No words can describe how happy I am to see something different in Dramaland this year. #LeeJaeWookPuppyFanClub President is now signing off. See you guys on Jae-wook's next project!

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Thank you Lollypip for the recaps. This was a really special show for me, I loved it all. I was glad our women were kick-ass at work and a bit less self-assured in their personal lives, because that felt very true to my life experience. I got really involved in their relationships and lives and missed them while waiting for the next episodes. It's my favorite show of the year and felt fresh and directional (I hope). 3 cheers for WWW!

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There was a woman Hollywood screenwriter who talked about how to write a proper Feminist woman-driven story. She used the phrase "...Plus the guy". By that she meant romance has its place but the heroine's journey should be more substantial than simply gettin' the guy. Gettin' the guy in the end is merely icing on the cake.

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This is exactly what Park Morgan was in this show. Perfect character whose only two characteristics were being Ta Mi's plus one and wanting a family (something the show milked for 10 episodes). Even with a sob story he was still a one layered perfect second lead.

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I really liked this drama. The most interesting part for me was the work one. I don't really know this field so I really liked to be immerged in. The 3 women were really interesting to see. I liked how they occupied a important position in their compagny and it never was been questionned by petty men or someone else. It was natural. These 3 women fighting against the governement was the best!

Now for the loves stories... I liked Ga Kyung and Jinwoo, they were touching to see and had a great chemistry in the same time. Ga kyung was a grey character and we never knew what she will do. I like it.

Scarlett and Seol Ji-hwan were cute puppies.

Now Tammy... In her personal life, I didn't really understand her. The fact she was the heroine we didn't know anything about her was pretty weird. I didn't need a justification for her choice to not be married, and I liked the fact they didn't choose the traumatic divorce of her parents or something like this to explain her choice. But it was not only about marriage but living together, having children. These points were never been addressed. She was a free spirit and it was why. But when she had a one night stand, it made her feel ashamed. I could understand that she's not the style to have one night stand but they always showed as a person who assumed her acts and was not ashamed. All the relationship part was exhausting to watch because she never made me feel that she was really implied.

I think I had difficulties with this couple because of the way it was filmed. There is some effect, lights and angle that t kept me from focusing on the story.

Thank you @lollypip for your recaps :)

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To your point about Tammy: "The fact she was the heroine we didn't know anything about her was pretty weird."

I have been turning this very thing over in my head as I watched the show. It really seems normal in shows with a female lead that we learn about their families and/or background stories. (We don't usually find out much background about supporting characters.)

But in this story, just as you mentioned about their work ("The 3 women...occupied a important position in their compagny and it never was been questionned by petty men or someone else. It was natural."), we didn't find out anything about Tammy's family, and only very briefly spotted her in her school days.

That's an interesting choice to me! It seems more like how male leads are often depicted - with family or school days never mentioned (unless their families are killed or threatened at the outset to provide a launching point for their Epic Revenge Journey). Kind of as though they spring into their stories as whole and autonomous beings without social ties (lone wolves, men of action).

Maybe I'm wrong; maybe that's from having seen too many action movies. I could probably think of lots of counter-examples of lead men meaningfully tied to their personal lives if I tried. One that comes to mind right away is the Harry Potter series - but that was written by a woman, lol. Even he had kind of an Epic Revenge Journey.

Usually women are more shown as woven into a cloth of family/friends - enmeshed? We are shown as daughters, sisters, friends, or even frenemies or enemies. (It is rarer that female leads are shown as mothers.)

So Tammy's depiction was probably a deliberate choice; as was the choice not to provide a reason for Tammy's refusal to ever get married. I can get behind that storytelling decision; and I like that it makes me question my own assumptions.

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Thanks for the recap @lollypip!

Loved that ending! The way the show has been hinting that it would be Ji-Woon driving that sports car then have that ending *slow clap*

As much as I want the show to have given more screen time to Seol-Hyun couple, it was never about the romance. The women just happened to have men in their lives but it was not only about that. It was how they stood in their career, how much hard work they’ve put to be in the position they are in. I aspire to be as career driven as them and succeed in my field.

Thank you WWW for an awesome Show!

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It was such an excellent surprise to have it be Hyun and Ta Mi be in the car! (Also a great reprise of the time Ta Mi got into Hyun's car to escape after the earlier hearing.)

Love the rest of your comment!

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Love this drama from start to finish. And those sunglasses at the ending scene were the best PPL ever! :) How can a drama manage not 1, not 2, but 3 badass romance! Love all the characters and kudos to Writer Nim and Lee Jae Wook. I'll watch out for your next projects!

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Also, the drama bringing full circle of the walking into a random but not so random car when you are surrounded by reporters after making an important announcement. That was when Tami and Hyun's relationship started, and what makes the ending scene so much more meaningful.

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Great catch!

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I like this drama very much. Really, there's no significant flaws in my opinion. All aspects is good and what makes it even better is the work setting the internet industry with real issues.

For the romances, I'm one of those watchers who thinks Tami and Mogun's story is the least exciting with the back and forth, but it's still okay. It's still good.

This is indeed one of a kind kdrama. 👍

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Thank You for recapping this show @lollypip, it was one of my fave this year. I know I complained a lot about Tami Mogun relationship but I find their ending very fitting and true to reality.
What I loved the most about this show was how every woman has distinctive character traits and they may not be nice but all were joy to watch in the end like Chairwoman or Dong Joo.

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Otsukaresamadeshita, thanks for your hardwork!
Hi, this is my first time following dramabeans`s recap, and I love the way you exploring and put in-depth explanation about this show :)

"I was the most concerned about Mo-gun and Ta-mi, who I know a lot of watchers didn’t care for but who I was very invested in."
hahaha, I also invested my time to analyze this pairing :)
Maybe because I am old? I love the character development of this couple. Their conversations are mind stimulating and the chemistry is WOWW.
This two is actually my all-time favorite K-drama couple along with Dae Jang Geum-Sir Min of Jewel in The Palace (2003).

I should thank Tami-Morgan to bring me back to enjoy Korean romance drama :)

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this drama was such a gem and the ending scene just sealed it for me. glad to see a drama that shows the journey of 3 powerful women!

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I've already mentioned this in another post but just wanted to say again how much I LOVED that ending sequence with the girls in the Maserati, coupled with the perfect timing of the OST playing in the background. Despite being a PPL-fest, it was one of the most satisfying ending scenes out there. About as satisfying as that car smashing scene earlier in the series. LOL

Also, Ga-kyung + Jin-woo are very cute. I would have wanted to see more but the open-ended ending was tasteful and fit their characters. And of course, who doesn't love Hyun and Ji Hwan! I'm going to miss this show, as well as the ridiculousness that is What's Wrong with my Mother-in-Law!

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Thanks for reminding us of What's Wrong with my Mother-in-Law @saltnpepper! We can't wrap up our comments for this show without mentioning that. The writer had great fun through that meta of making fun of Kdramaland and we had great fun fangirling at the newbie actor along with Hyun as well as enjoying the meta.

The seaweed slap (and the bad twin eating the seaweed thrown on his face LOL) should now enter the Kdrama canon along with the coffee foam kiss.

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Drama inside drama is an idea brilliantly executed here, which not many dramas can pull of at this level. Kudo to the writer, who many of us be reminded of Jung So Min's character Jiho, who was an assistant writer who had to go through a very dark tunnel to reach the other end. I hope the working environment improves for writers and assistant writers for dramas, movies, variety shows who work hard to bring joy to our lives.

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Everything you said + what impressed me about the writer is that in those snippets she brought the mini drama to its conclusion!

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It should be wow, not www. 😂

Love the strong female protagonists in the drama; they owned whatever decision they made, whether in love or relationships. Loved their fashion sense, too!

Loved the Tami-Mogun story arc for its realness. Sometimes a break-up can be just a pause, just until you realize that you can’t live without them. Love can overcome differences and be more forgiving as we mature.

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This drama was beyond inspirational.
It will take a long, long time for me to forget this. What a fantastic show.

Thank you all you Beanies and@lollypip for sticking through! <3

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Realllly confused here... so what was Jin woo's promise to Ga gyeong??

Anyway, love this show!!!
In my fave list of 2019 for sure!

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He promised that he will have an unrequited love for her and that he would make an excuse to see her again if he misses her.

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I love that ending ! Better than a strut/ power walk, we have the ladies driving in style, in a Maserati no less, into the sunset.
Does anyone know where is that ocean road they are driving through ? Lovely , and my first time seeing this in a drama.

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Who would have thought the title of the show was a clue to its finale?

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That really was a brilliant touch and very well thought out by the writer. Good job, writer-nim!

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Thanks for the recaps lollypip!

I thank YouTube's recommended videos for introducing this drama to me! (it was a video of cha hyun beating up that sleazy dude in the lift LOL)

It's a lovely drama with strong females who were still human and relatable. The thing that stuck with me is the conversation between Brian and Ta Mi after Han Min Kyu attempted suicide; we all keep thinking/hoping that once we're of a certain age, we'll always do or know what's right in life but that's not always the case. Life is a process of never-ending learning which is both tiring and amazing.

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This is one of my all-time favorite dramas. I loved how it centered the women's relationships from start to finish. It also wrestled with some big ethical issues around technology, like censorship and privacy, without ever getting too preachy. I agree that the romantic relationships were resolved in a realistic way. Pitch perfect.

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Did you notice when Tammy and Morgan reunited and Tammy was saying how if they stayed together they'd repeat the same patterns, I thought Morgan hesitated for a moment when Tammy said they'd break up again. Like he was contemplating breaking free from the clutch, turning and walking away. Morgan has abandonment issues and that was a particularly hurtful thing for Tammy to say

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I did not notice that moment, but if so that would be a great acting/directing choice. And Ta Mi's comment might have been hurtful, but also accurate.

I do think this couple's relationship was the most realistic, and frustrating. In the long run, I feel that major life issues like marriage, kids, religion, politics, money management, etc. should be dealt with at the outset or before starting a relationship. Those incompatibilities do not go away; getting in deeper makes it all the more hurtful to fight about or part ways over.

Break up before you get in too deep, and find someone more compatible! But how many of us haven't let their heart rule over their head at some point. :/

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Thanks for finishing up the recaps and your comments throughout @lollypip. As hands down one of the best shows of the year it really deserved it.

I did love that ending for many reasons. It was full-on girl power including the ex-CEO of Unicon. As cute or interesting as the romances were they really were side stories in this drama. The relationship between the three women was at the heart of this show so ending that in a satisfactory way was more important than anything else. Ta Mi and Hyun's friendship was a long time coming but I was happy to see Hyun and Ga Kyung’s relationship coming to full circle and Ga Kyung being able to pay her debt in her own way. Being the cause of Hyun quitting a sport she dedicated her life to must have been a very heavy burden indeed. So it makes perfect sense that the payment relates to the new passion Hyun replaced that with and Ga Kyung giving up her life's work for Hyun.

Ga Kyung’s press conference and providing everyone access to all the information through web portals was also a brilliant idea and very fitting with the theme of the show.

I am happy with where we left all three romances. I think Hyun who had crappy luck with men so far knows Ji Hwan’s value and will have no trouble waiting for him. As for Ji Hwan he is so smitten that I can’t even imagine him with someone else. They are adorable together.

As for Jin Woo and Ga Kyung, when Ga Kyung turned down his offer of dating him to disappear 3 months earlier the last thing he said was he would have a one-sided love. In the final scene when Hyun told Ga Kyung Jin Woo’s message of he is still doing as he promised I interpreted that as he is still loving her and his offer is open. Ga Kyung’s smile and keeping the mystery indicated to me that now that she has dealt with her major issues and got the mother-in-law off her back she would give Jin Woo a chance. I also took the fact that Hyun who didn’t seem at all friendly with Jin Woo at the beginning of the show was in contact with him in Ga Kyung’s absence as a positive sign for that relationship. In the end Jin Woo really showed the deepest love of the three men by giving the love of his life her freedom to make her happy so I really would like him to get what he wants (I didn’t think I would find a man saying “I would forgive you even if you killed me” romantic but there it is).

As for Mo Gun and Ta Mi, while I found the 3 month separation and being out of touch due to being overseas a bit too much of a cliché (as if phones don't work overseas!) but I am happy where we left them. There are no guarantees for any relationship in life even when people have shared goals and one cannot waste away today worrying about tomorrow. If they are miserable without each other today they should be together today. They can decide on the rest when the time comes.

I knew the only person that has influence on Ga Kyung was Hyun and @lollypip’s comments regarding having one person believing in us can...

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... offer a chance at redemption reminded me the finale of one of my all time favorites I Hear Your Voice which ended with exactly that message from the voice of Attorney Cha who compared Min Joon Gook with Soo Ha and concluded that what saved Soo Ha from Min Joon Gook’s fate was Jang Hye Sung’s faith in him.

In some ways the finale it felt too much like a weekender in neatly wrapping everything up and pairing everybody (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). It was satisfying to see Chairwoman Jang to get her comeuppance. I really hate that entitled attitude of Kdrama tycoons and conglomerates. Bet she regrets not paying her alimony now. LOL.

We even saw what happened to the ex host bar actor that was Ga Kyung's fling.

I did find Dong Joo entertaining and didn’t think it was necessary (nor fair) to pair her up with that two-timing jerk (but I give that to the writer’s inexperience).

The one thing left unresolved that bothered me was Mo Gun's half brother. If I had a sibling out there I would have liked to get to know them. Especially for an adopted child like Mo Gun who doesn’t know many blood relatives that must be important (and maybe at the root of his desire to get married and have a family). So I didn’t understand why there was no mention of him meeting his brother at least in the distant future, especially considering his mother’s husband knew of his existence.

A final thank you to the writer who gave us this great and refreshing drama and all the beanies who added to the enjoyment through their comments.

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I can totally relate to Mo Gun not feeling close to his half brother. I think Mo Gun is more comfortable to be around people more senior (both in age and in life experience) than him (ie. his fishing sunbae, Tami who is 10 years older). Just because I am the youngest in the family with my brothers much older than me, I don't know how to get along with younger relatives and tend to distant myself sometimes. Mo Gun is in the process of getting to know his birth mother and just found out she has another son. His half brother is so foreign to him, he feels awkward towards his mother's husband... If I were Mo Gun, I don't think I want to "damage" his birth mother's image to her other son that he was not her own child and she has another illegitimate son especially when mom did not say anything. It is not Mo Gun's position to break that news to his half brother, the mother should tell him first, and now that she is dead, the father should do so if he feels this is worthwhile to establish such a relationship. Sometimes older generation's secret should best be kept as a forever forgetable secret best buried in the coffin along with the dead.

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After spending half the show with Tammy and Scarlet flirting with each other, that 'judo' session after both boyfriends had left the picture was meant to represent a bit more than just judo, I suspect. Anyone whose seen the film 'The Handmaiden' will know what I'm implying. One of the best gags of the series was early on when Tammy drives past Scarlet and Ga-kyung having their intimate moment in front of the cafe. Tammy's driver randomly asks "Do you want to keep going straight?"

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Wow. I never noticed that.

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That was a great moment. I noticed the gayeong x scarlett throughout the series, & before Seol Ji Hwan came in I thought she'd lead gayeong's redemption through her romantic love, but the show paused & decided to tell us in that taxi moment that they weren't going to go in the lesbian direction.

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thank you Lollypip for the recaps! here's what i wrote after watching the last ep (day after reaction):

😭😭😭😭 it's over. i can't believe it. sitting here in a daze just wondering what all our 'characters' are doing now: Mo-gun probably cleaning Ta-mi's house ("you still don't clean," he'd tsk at her as he vacuums her floor, and she'd smirk in reply and jump on his back again); Scarlett gleefully counting down the days till Ji-hwan's next vacation, and him thinking back on their sunrise sojourn together as he goes through the tough training sessions; and i'd like to think that since Ga-gyeong's achieved her 'ambitions', she's now ready for herself to be found by Jin-woo. i hope they get to retire to the countryside and be the happiest divorcees together, but I suppose.. they don't have to either. all Ga-gyeong needs to know is that Jin-woo has her back, no matter what. that would be enough.

and as for the Barro team... that they're continuing to rule the WWW in their day-to-day and kicking Unicon's butt forever in the rankings ;)

WOW i guess i could go on. but truly, so proud of this production and what the writer/directors achieved through it. despite some rockiness (no drama is perfect), there was still much to enjoy... and squee over. whoever knew that Scarlett and her beloved makjang actor Ji-hwan would end up being my fave couple in the show ♥ thanks to the team for their hard work, and everyone here for sticking through with it!

and even now, i still feel the same, each time i go back to revisit some of my favorite scenes (mostly Puppy ones haha). it really was a fun ride, and well deserving of all the praise :)

if y'all still have withdrawals:

Search: WWW overview: https://koreandramaland.com/search-www-2019-an-overview/

Search: WWW locations: https://koreandramaland.com/jobs/?search_keywords=%22search:+www%22&submit= (the latest being Scarlett's house!

Blog: The World of Search: WWW - https://koreandramaland.com/search-www-kdrama-unique-filming-locations/

(and i almost forgot - made a special mention to #TeamPuppy here 🐾)

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Puppy will be the second male lead in A Day Found by Chance in September (MBC) but there is no news about this drama, except they are filming it since June.

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yes! secretly trying to track the news for it and see if any locations come up, hehe :) thanks for the heads up too!

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There were some bad pictures of the shooting near the sea.

I personaly follow it for Rowoon.

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Yay, the finale recap is here! Thank you so much, @lollypip, for covering this series. I enjoy reading your recaps so much. And thanks to all the Beanies for your comments - I loved reading all your thoughts.

I loved this show, and even the parts I questioned gave me food for thought and made me wonder if these might be legitimate artistic decisions and that I was operating on a set of assumptions that deserved to be questioned.

I think Beanies made great arguments for why Ta Mi should not have to justify not wanting to be married, for example. That in turn made me wonder why Ta Mi's or Hyun's family lives were not depicted; and I concluded that just wasn't important to the overall story being told of 3 powerful women at work and as friends, colleagues, and adversaries, or the huge societal issue of the internet, society, government, and responsibility.

I loved how romance was part of each of their lives, but only part - and that it didn't derail their careers. Each of the romance arcs showed different stages of love: the Ji-Hyun arc show the uncertainty and giddiness/euphoria of early love; the Ta Mi-Mo Gun arc quickly got mired in seriousness about life issues & domesticity; and the Ga Kyung-Jin Woo story was later in life's curve, with a lot of history, and even divorce...and an acknowledgement of pain, an acceptance of the way things turned out, but with a future open to them, should they want it.

I didn't initially like the way Ta Mi's and Mo Gun's relationship jumped from attraction straight into domesticity (Mo Gun vacuuming, washing dishes, picking up after Ta Mi) without showing the building of that relationship into everyday intimacy. I felt it jumped the gun on the development of their relationship.

But maybe that served a purpose as showing this couple as the "middle" couple in terms of life stages (as married as they're gonna get). Maybe it showed how invested Mo Gun was in the relationship; or how he was trying to prove to Ta Mi that she needed him or would be more comfortable with him in her life. Or maybe he's just that kind of guy! In my personal life experience, it tends to be the woman who picks up after her slob of a boyfriend, because she cares more and he benefits but never questions it, and that's just kind of expected. (Of course there are exceptions.) It's good to be confronted by my assumptions in shows!

All in all, I really enjoyed this show, big-picture-wise and (even as I mentioned before) in the visual, stylistic choices. Hope to see more from this writing/directing team!

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i will miss this show deeply. i loved everything about it! truly, everything! it was clever in every which way, and made me feel more like a badass woman by watching these spectacular ladies fuck shit up every episode. i want to be like them! tam-i's personal life was confusing at every point, but i still loved and related to her character a lot. i will miss hyun and ji-hwan's romance constantly, because it encompassed truly everything i've ever loved in romance--fake dating...slow burn...actor/fan...really all it was missing was enemies-to-lovers and i can live with that. ugh. perfection. i love it. it will be a long time before something adequately replaces this one.

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i knew the ending was coming and when it did, i felt as though their lives would go on even though we wouldn't get to see glimpses of it anymore...and i've never had that happen before. i liked that it felt that way; it made them feel real.

i watched the show because i really love im soo jung and i was quite ecstatic when i found out who would be playing her love interest. there were points in the drama where they got too much screen time. i'm not even going to lie. i was invested in their relationship but even i got too much of it at times...hahaha. but what I enjoyed was what @lollypip stated, they were relatable. some of their conversations made me laugh because I remember having similar conversations. i enjoyed it. i am sad to see it end but am glad we saw them riding into the sunset. the show was about them and it never strayed from that.

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Speculation about *future* Ga-kyung.
Is she going to be indicted for business crimes and turn states evidence to take down mother-in-law? Is she going to 'disappear' from South Korea and live a new life as an anonymous person? (Her English isn't really very good) Or Is she going to stay ambitious and stay a public person and found a new company to build?

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She said she would be willing to drag herself through the mud in order to destroy her mother-in-law. She already confessed on the news to fabricating top keyword searches. My guess is she is willing to pay the price, whether that is monetary or a short term in prison, in order to take down the chairwoman. But I believe she knows she can and will recover.

And her English is accented, but perfectly adequate. She is a very intelligent and educated woman with a great deal of wealth and influence. She will be just fine, wherever she chooses to live.

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Two K-drama characters I recall with flawless American accents were the actor Choi Si-won in 'She was Pretty' and (all the way back to 2006) Han Ye-seul in 'Couple or Trouble'. Both had actually lived in the States. I recall there was a perfect English speaking side character in 'Oh My Venus' that was played by a Canadian actor. The running gag was how NOT Korean he behaved.

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Jung Ryeo-Won has displayed her flawless American English since Kim Sam Soon. The amazing part is that she went to school in Australia!

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Henry Lau, he is not Korean, he is Canadian born Chinese. Another Korean actor who can speak perfect American English is Yeon Jung Hoon (Han Ga In's husband).

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I was surprised to see Gong Hyo-jin in a video clip awhile ago speaking English in a very pretty British accent

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The government in the show may indeed make an example out of Ga-kyung.

She probably really will have to disappear.
The world is so big, with money there are numerous countries that will take you in.

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Thank you @lollypip !

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Thanks for the recap @lollypip! Really enjoyed watching this show, and the world of characters and story it immersed the viewers in.

Can't believe that it's all over now :O Glad to see the three women on good terms in the end. Definitely a contender for best drama at the end of 2019. Search: WWW perked up my Summer, that's for sure!

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Oh My God i will miss the puppies couple so much!!! I keep rewatching their scenes kkk
Another drama with that pair please?

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I'm gutted this drama is over, thank you for recapping this Lollypip and all the beanies recommending it on the fan wall!
I loved the positive work environment at Barro, it was lovely to see the team come together and become so close. We need Brian in every job!
My favourite couple was hyun and ji-hwan and it was so adorable the scene where they reunited in the cinema. I can't wait to see jae-wook's and da-hee's next project.

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The last scene summed it all so well!! That was one of the best ending scene I have seen in a drama in a while! So satisfying! Thanks for the recap @lollypip and for your commentary! Definitely one of the best drama writings!

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Thank you @lollypip for your wonderful and thoughtful recap.

I long for the world where Tami and the gank work and live to be a reality. A norm rather than outlier. Thank you for the brilliant writer and director as well as amazing cast to catch a glimpse of such world. This drama is my number one favorite for this year so far!

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Please what's the name of Ta Mi's sunglasses?

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Swarovski 😎😎

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Awesome recap throughout! Girl power!!!!

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I came late to the party and only just now completed the series on Netflix. Boy, this was binge worthy. The only lame part is Tammy's love life. It feels really contrived and out of place. Not sure if the problem was the actor (who is a literal pretty face) or the Grey's Anatomy-esque start that fizzled out. I was just not invested in their story. The other two love stories were better told. I actually looked forward to them. The office dynamics is what I loved most, though. I will remember this drama for a long time. I think we deserve this kind of entertainment.

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Hi
Just finished this on Netflix, but you have 2 wrong info:
-there is a time skip of "3 months later" when Scarlett & Tami are arguing & Brian calls it off
-the entire TF team is now under the Strategy department
-the person who calls Jang Hee-eun after her post-WWW breakdown is an editor-in-chief (one of her hiking "buddies") and I know my ears are working since she says "pyeonjipjang'nim" (편집장님) & not "daetong'nyeong'nim" (대통령님)

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Thanks for the recap! I'm glad that this show does not have unrealistic romance ending like most kdramas. TBH, I can't stand the character of Park Morgan maybe because I think more like Ta Min. If the outcome is known, why bother wasting time. Hyun and Ji Hwan are cute. Lee Da Hee is cool in her roles. Glad that Ga-kyung was able to be brave to salvage her humanity and principles. Even though she and Jin Woo broke off, there was a sense of hope that if they choose to, they will be able to freely love each other free from their family's interference. Overall a very good drama where the lead females are not just strung along by the lead males. Most rom-com are too predictable and soppy. This is quite refreshing different.

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This was my favorite drama of all time. love the feminism & the relationships between all the characters. <3 I hope there are more dramas like this every so often.

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*siiiigh*. Don’t know what I was waiting on. Been feeling sad about the lack of strong female characters in dramaland lately. Maybe I waited on this feeling. So good. So satisfying in every way. I’m like several years and a whole apocalypse late, but if there was one thing I could improve upon in this drama, it is for viewers to gain a glimpse into Ta mi and Hyeon’s families of origin. It’s remarkable that we never saw them making even a phone call to their parents or siblings. This aspect to me was…jarring. Idk if i was the only one dying to know how they were raised and their family dynamics. Ah well. Guess they were just badasses from the womb.

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