Nevertheless: Episode 7 Open Thread

by missvictrix

Our heroine might have enjoyed her change of scenery, but when she’s faced with two suitors, her head and her heart seem to always be at odds. Which one should she trust? Head, heart, potato, butterfly. She tries to make the right decisions, but in the end, we’re left questioning the strength of her resolve.

 
EPISODE 7 WEECAP

If ever there was a frustrating episode it is this one — when we pick up with the stare-down we left off with last week, the staring doesn’t really stop from that point on. In fact, each scene seems to exist only to put the characters in our love triangle at opposing points, and then have them stare each other down.

What kind of stares you ask? Well, it depends on the character, and who they are staring at. For Jae-un, it’s stares of jealousy when she’s with Do-hyuk, and stares of desire when he gets her alone. Do-hyuk’s stares are more of an inquiry: who is this Jae-un and what is between him and Na-bi? He senses something, and stares them down to try to figure it out.

Na-bi, though, seems to be staring only in one direction: Jae-un’s. And it doesn’t even look voluntary. There’s nothing she mistrusts when she’s with Do-hyuk, so her stares are always outwards. You can almost hear her thoughts: Is he looking at me? *she looks over at him* Is he watching me? *she looks at him to find out* Why is he talking to that other girl? *she stares at him to convince herself he’s not into her* And so on.

Some viewers might find this episode of jealousy and desire to be an enjoyable one, with every situation catering to the sexual tension between Na-bi and Jae-un. They find themselves in the car with Do-hyuk. They find themselves alone on the ferris wheel. They play another one of Bit-na’s drinking games and Jae-un is pretty unmasked in his desire for her. Is anyone out there enjoying this?

Being on Team Potato is rough, not because I’m not used to SLS, but because it makes no sense in this story. Na-bi and Jae-un don’t really have a relationship beyond sex — and that very lack of emotional intimacy is what caused Na-bi to pull away from him in the first place. Does she think that will change so easily?

In contrast, she has a much more grounded and full relationship with Do-hyuk. They not only have a common past, but he knows her as a person, understands her, likes who she is, and values her. So it might be a no-brainer to me, but in the world of Nevertheless, there seems to be nothing more powerful than pheromones. And Na-bi can’t deny herself.

At the end of the episode, after endless gazing and pining and fighting with their eyes, Jae-un stays behind with Na-bi and does his usual routine. He corners her, kisses her, and says if she accepts his kisses he’s not going to be able to stop. Do-hyuk calls just then, as if we didn’t already know that Na-bi needed a (literal) wake-up call. Will it work?

The episode is pretty low on plot, but we do see more of the adorable sunbae couple who are now cohabitating, and clearly enjoying every minute of it. These two are the cutest. Can we get more of this non-toxic relationship, please?

Similarly, we’ve been all but guaranteed Sol knows all too well what her feelings for Ji-wan are. As much as I want to like Ji-wan here, the more I see of her, the more her cutesy ditzy ways irk me. (If they could dial her acting back to maybe 85% instead of 100%, it might be a little more endearing. As such, I think she’s just meant to contrast the absolute non-bubbly and non-silly personality of Sol.)

While we’re on the topic, Bit-na also irks me. I understand why we need her as a character, and her position of always instigating moments and lighting fires, but I’m losing patience for her, particularly with the way she’s treated Kyu-hyun. Their argument/silent treatment continues through the episode until they finally have conversation on the beach. It’s like Kyu-hyun said everything I wanted to: “Is it fun to tease people and make them uncomfortable? You gossip about others just for your enjoyment.” He breaks up with her and walks off.

This couple is important to the story, I think, because they provide the inversion of Na-bi and Jae-un’s story. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see how they’re different, though. Kyu-hyun knows when he’s getting played, when the person he has feelings for doesn’t match his sincerity, and doesn’t want what he wants. He has the inner strength to walk away, which leaves us to guess whether Na-bi can do the same.

Unfortunately, Kim Min-gwi has a real-life scandal going on, and his onscreen time will be reduced during the remaining episodes. This sucks in many ways, but in terms of the story, I’m sorry we won’t get to see more of the one character who is sensible and able to think objectively. I also liked the friendship we were seeing grow between him and Jae-un — that seemed beneficial for Jae-un’s growth — so I’ll be sorry to see that angle dropped (and will be hoping it’s not).

With only three episodes left to go, I’m honestly not sure where we are going to land. As Na-bi continues to lean towards Jae-un, and Jae-un leans towards Na-bi, I’m wondering if we just might get a “happy ending” for them after all? This is the one case where I might be disappointed with that. Because after episodes of red flags, foreshadowing, and Na-bi claiming to have opened the gates of hell, where is the promised pandemonium?

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