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If You Wish Upon Me: Episodes 3-4

by quirkycase

Our lovable grump struggles to resist the charms of Team Genie as he continues his volunteer service at the hospice. Watching him secretly want to join in the fun and grumbling his way into their hearts is delightful. This week, we learn more about our little hospice family and why their work matters so much to them. Of course, they all have a story to tell.

 
EPISODES 3-4 WEECAP

If You Wish Upon Me: Episodes 3-4

So it looks like I was off with some of my interpretations of our characters’ backstories in week one, which opens up some new questions going forward. But before getting into that, let’s pick up where we left off last week.

Tae-shik manages to get Gyeo-re to move along from the mysteriously locked door by saying it’s haunted. Tough guy Gyeo-re takes him pretty seriously and goes around asking if there’s really a ghost in there, seeming a wee bit scared. Interestingly, everyone is super shifty about this room and won’t give him any real answers.

Meanwhile, after a happy meal where Grandpa Yoon (the elderly dying man) is reunited with his estranged daughter, he passes peacefully in his beloved home. Gyeo-re gives Grandpa Yoon a persimmon from his favorite tree to take with him into the afterlife and is holding his hands when he dies. Gyeo-re is devastated, proving again how sensitive he is underneath all the glaring and tattoos.

If You Wish Upon Me: Episodes 3-4 If You Wish Upon Me: Episodes 3-4

We learn a little more about Gyeo-re’s past, and here’s where it seems I misinterpreted the childhood flashback from last week. Gyeo-re tells his friend Jin-gu that he only trusts him because he doesn’t fake smile like everyone else, especially like his father “disgustingly” smiling next to him in this one picture he remembers from childhood. Cut to Tae-shik holding a tiny photo of him smiling next to a little boy who looks like he could be little Gyeo-re. (Honestly, it’s a tiny photo, so I can’t be sure.)

That implies Tae-shik is Gyeo-re’s father, which doesn’t make a lot of sense to me because Gyeo-re wasn’t that young – why doesn’t he recognize him? He seems to recall his home life from before the orphanage. Are they going to throw some amnesia in here? Whatever the case, if Tae-shik is Gyeo-re’s father, that suggests a different scenario where Gyeo-re wasn’t escaping his father by voluntarily going to the orphanage, but whoever was attacking his father.

Even with that info, I’m still half wondering if it’s a red herring, because Gyeo-re sees the photo in Tae-shik’s car and doesn’t recognize it. So not only doesn’t he recognize his father, but he doesn’t recognize his younger self? For now, I’ll go along with the idea that Tae-shik is his father, which the drama is clearly signaling, but I don’t fully buy it yet.

If You Wish Upon Me: Episodes 3-4

Moving along, we learn that Tae-shik has been getting sneaky. He has Gyeo-re drive him everywhere due to his injured leg… which we learn has been healed for a while. But he wants to keep Gyeo-re around, so he’s been pretending to still need his crutches. Although Gyeo-re rebuffs Tae-shik’s efforts to get to know him better, he does appear to be growing somewhat attached. He even almost punches someone for knocking Tae-shik down while on his crutches.

Gyeo-re is begrudgingly fitting in with Team Genie, despite continuing to grumble his way through every activity. He pretty much never says no to helping out and particularly takes to assisting COOK YEOM (Yang Hee-kyung) in the kitchen. He gets adorably into garnishing, bragging about his artistic side.

Cook Yeom clearly finds him adorable and starts calling him “Little Supervisor” (to Tae-shik’s “Supervisor”). She’s determined to get Gyeo-re to eat and begins trying to figure out his favorite food. Gyeo-re learns that her daughter passed away in the hospice, and her wish was for Cook Yeom to continue cooking for patients there. His resolve finally weakens, and he starts joining in meals.

If You Wish Upon Me: Episodes 3-4 If You Wish Upon Me: Episodes 3-4

We also get more development between Gyeo-re and Yeon-joo in a clear enemies-to-lovers set up. They bicker endlessly but seem to enjoy it. And, of course, they see each other in vulnerable moments, leading them to grow closer. Yeon-joo opens up about how she started working out because, when she was a teenager, she was too weak to carry her dying mother to the hospital. They’re also becoming hyper-aware of each other, which doesn’t escape Team Genie’s notice. Everyone keeps grinning, commenting on how they suit each other.

Elsewhere, Seok-joon is still running around trying to find Gyeo-re and the money. He ends up going to see HA JOON-KYUNG (Won Ji-an), who grew up with Gyeo-re in the orphanage, in prison. She and Gyeo-re were close, maybe even a couple, until she tried to commit murder-suicide by setting fire to a room with them in it. Whoa. That arson sent both her and Gyeo-re to prison.

Meanwhile, Team Genie works on their next, more challenging project for a young woman dying of cancer. IM SE-HEE (guest appearance by Park Jin-ju) wanted to be a stage actress, and her final wish is to sing on stage with her favorite musical theater performer who happens to be a mega star.

If You Wish Upon Me: Episodes 3-4 If You Wish Upon Me: Episodes 3-4

Tae-shik is determined to make it happen, doing everything from sneaking backstage to ambush the actor to sending letters to showing up at an audition and playing a recording of Se-hee singing. It’s not until the actor needs a public image lift and sees a picture of Se-hee looking pretty – he’s known for being a playboy – that he agrees.

Se-hee not only wants to perform with him, but she’s written her own play and insists that Team Genie perform with her. They’re all roped into it, but even Gyeo-re starts having fun. He and Yeon-joo gripe about having to play a couple, but they’re clearly not really mad about it.

They’re all miffed when the hotshot actor barely even tries in rehearsals. He does finally start to participate for real and then begins to fall for Se-hee. (He’s apparently the type to fall for someone new every five seconds.)

If You Wish Upon Me: Episodes 3-4 If You Wish Upon Me: Episodes 3-4

But then, Se-hee takes a turn for the worst, and Doctor Yang refuses to let her perform. Now, Doctor Yang has been crushing hard on Yeon-joo for a while, but their differing perspectives on how far to go in granting patients’ wishes has made him take a step back. He can tell she’s not into him and that she is into Gyeo-re.

He takes his job and medical ethics very seriously, but he’s not beyond bending the rules a bit for a patient’s good. In fact, it turns out that Tae-shik was once a hospice patient himself. Doctor Yang treated him for free and let him live in a room at the hospice. But Doctor Yang has lines he won’t cross.

So when Yeon-joo pushes back against his decision, he gets angry and yells at her. Gyeo-re steps in, making Doctor Yang even more angry to the point that he tries to kick Gyeo-re out of the hospice for good. Gyeo-re stands his ground and ends the episode with a proclamation: “I’m Team Genie, a wish-granter.”

If You Wish Upon Me: Episodes 3-4

It looks like Gyeo-re is now all in! I love seeing him all flustered by Team Genie’s (and everyone’s) kindness and unable to resist their pull. He’s so harmless, despite what he tries to project. He fits right in with this team.

Going into this drama, I expected something a little grittier or more angsty, maybe. But it’s actually quite bright and optimistic. In fact, it reminds me a lot stylistically of Japanese healing dramas that tend to take a more idealistic tone. Rather than trying to be realistic, the focus is on finding the good in people and learning life lessons.

I personally really enjoy this uplifting style, but I do worry that it’s not going to mesh well with the darker, more violent side plot involving Seok-joon and Joon-kyung. I kind of wish the gangster stuff, at least, had been left out since it feels unnecessary. So far, it’s a very minor part of the story, but I have a feeling it’s going to get more prominent.

If You Wish Upon Me: Episodes 3-4

 
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Tags: If You Wish Upon Me, Ji Chang-wook, Sooyoung, Sung Dong-il, Won Ji-ahn

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@quirkycase thanks for raising those issues that have been nagging at me too.
Gyeorye’s desperate attempt at a smile in response to the grandpa was priceless, so sad that he clearly hasn’t smiled genuinely for so long he literally forgot how to do it and so funny because it was beyond awkward. I also thought his observation about smiles being a ploy to get his defences down so the inevitable attack could be successful was beyond sad. I really enjoyed this week’s episodes, as we got a nice balance between the sadness and the fun elements. I am glad we only had brief moments of violence and threats of violence.

I can’t understand why Sehee has no friends or family visiting unless she has isolated herself from them on purpose or maybe like Gyeorye she has been family and friendless from a young age. The big headed actor Gyutae and his hard done by manager were a great double act once Gyutae stopped behaving like an entitled idiot. On that point, I can’t understand why all the dramas show the idols one minute surrounded by managers and crowds and the next walking around in public freely accessible with no protection or disguise. Who goes to a gym that looks straight out onto the street? Which famous person is going to stop to chat to a group of homeless men? All people are a potential threat and therefore they could be anti fans, reporters etc. in disguise.

I am glad we are seeing more backstories for the school girl never in school, and how the cook came to bring joy through her food. It was interesting to see the supervisor with a dodgy past has been through the dreaded big C scare and survived, that treatment is expensive. Do they have a Daddy long legs at the hospice who is also paying for Sehee’s treatment and that’s why she is in a shared mixed gender ward? Usually hospice treatment is end of life so how is the supervisor walking freely, is he on his way out but in a brief remission?

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The doctor, Chihun is showing his human side, but shouting at his love interest was never going to work as a way to get her to notice him and in public? Even Gyeorye with his poorly developed social skills was calling him out on that. How has Chihun got time to lurk around the hospice to observe what’s happening when he seems to be the only doctor working there? Surely, Team genie has been recognised within the hospice for the staff members to be able to access the patients and gain permission to take them offsite etc. Within the established Genie team of staff across the roles in the hospice it seems the nurse and if he is an official Genie member, the social worker, are the only members who will have Codes of conduct and Ethics policies that could end their careers if their actions are investigated and found wanting so that shouted conversation would be held behind closed doors following set procedure.

The drama is raising important points about who should decide how a person’s last few days and weeks should be spent. All of us are on unknown timelines but the ill have the advantage of having a rough guesstimate to make informed choices whilst the rest of us convince ourselves we have guarantees that say we will live to an old age so don’t account for our limited time in the same way.

There are lots of established charity organisations that grant wishes to dying people with processes and links to people and organisations to increase the likelihood of success. I guess this shows what happens when you don’t have those things in place and those working alongside the ‘dreamers’ are not willing to think beyond the things that they can control.

It looks like it’s going to be a time of reflection for Chihun as well as Gyeorye. They both have much to gain but also things they will need to let go of.

The stable and reliable hyung in Gyeorye’s life has been an anchor for him despite the lack of warmth. I can’t believe Jingoo was placed in an orphanage as if it was a boarding school whilst his parents were going through a divorce. How he dealt with being treated as an pawned object when whichever parent collected him as their prize for winning the custody battle is a mystery. I am also intrigued as to how the two boys kept in contact once Jingoo left as surely that would have been a part of his life he would have wanted to forget ever happened.

Joonkyung seems to have been through a lot and is still serving time when they both were done for arson why is her sentence longer. It must be universal that the criminal justice system discriminates against women giving harsher sentences. I hope that if it’s true she should have been paid that high figure for the exploitation she endured that Gyeorye has a plan to ensure she gets some of it. As it seems we now have a motive for why he double crossed Seokjoon.

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is still serving time when they both were done for arson why is her sentence longer.

I think the drama never showed why Gyeo Rye was serving time because the conversation of Joon Kyung with the mobster went like " Why are you asking someone inside a jail about someone outside? The money got burned during our suicide attempt which is why I'm here for arson". Also, in the flashback it seemed Gyeo Rye was reluctant to commit suicide so maybe he escaped leaving her behind and thought she died. It might explain why he never visits her in prison even though they are close.

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He has said that he was inside for arson to different people I think even the gangster.

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Yes, they both said it was the arson that got them inside. Maybe the difference is that the one starting the fire was her, for what we have seen it seems it was she the one who wanted to commit suicide and then GyeoRe left with Son and the money.

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Usually hospice treatment is end of life so how is the supervisor walking freely, is he on his way out but in a brief remission?

He was treated when he was homeless and not because he was terminally ill.

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I think they were vague about what the treatment was which is why I was thinking it wasn’t just basic treatment he could get at any hospital but hopefully it was.

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I agree, at least in my country, a hospice will not only deal with terminal ill, but also with poor people.

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Oh right that makes sense. I forget that we are a rare entity because we have the National Health Service so any hospital and General Practitioner care is free. You pay for prescriptions for medication if you don’t qualify for free medication.

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It’s the same in my country, but take for instance a homeless that needs to keep a treatment for a certain time. They can’t be in a hospital for 2 months, but if there is a room in a hospice and they agree they can go there and fulfill their treatment.

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I love how Wookie looks like he's from a 2006 gangster film

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Exactly I want to know who still sells these clothes 🤣

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I’m enjoying this, but every now and then something is a little off in the production value like the dubbing of the singing which is very awkward, and takes away from what is otherwise good acting. Yet, that also reminds me of a Japanese drama which can often have quirky spots.

Similarly, the scene at the end of episode two was weirdly intense in a way that didn’t fit and also didn’t seem real. It seems odd to me that the doctor can say no to someone dying. Why does it matter if she lives a week longer but doesn’t get to do what she wants? Ultimately don’t patients always have the right to refuse treatment and doctors are required to ask for consent?

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The doctor is so weird. He would rather his patient live her last few minutes miserable in bed(if she died), rather than dying doing what she loved. She is terminal, there is nothing to be done about death, so let her live on her own terms, even it means dying quicker. At least she will be happy.

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I concur with your point about it being a little reminiscent of a J-drama stylistically @quirkycase, I thought something similar too!

I don't want to jinx it but after four eps it seem safe enough to say JCW has hit the ground running with this show! He's doing a really good job, and credit to the writers too ofc, of tempering the character of YGR so that he's not overly harsh or abrasive and not unnaturally or uncharacteristically soft and warm over night. I'm enjoying watching Yeonjoo and Gyeorye slowly open up to each other, bickering and lingering glances and all, and equally cute was the blooming something between the high school kids (and omg it's Pentagon's Yeoone!!).

It'll be interesting to see how the gangster stuff ties in with this - was the girl getting released from prison in the preview? - and also the mystery of room 403, I'm so curious about who's in that room now. The only person I can theorise, though it's super far fetched, is that it's maybe YGR's dad? We don't know enough characters/backstories to make a solid guess just yet I suppose but it is interesting that it's not just the Supervisor who's being shifty about that room 👀

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I know so intriguing. Initially, I thought it was someone famous or used to be famous who needs privacy from the media who likes the ethos of the place so chose to go there rather than another hospital.

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I also think patient in room 403 is somehow related to YGR, but why do I have the feeling it is a woman???

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oooh, here's a left field guess: his mum??? 👀 would be very makjang if it turned out to be his long lost/thought dead mother

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The drama is lovely but I'm getting annoyed by the doctor. The actor playing the doctor is doing nothing impressive with the role which makes his character very bland. I hope, Se Hee is of legal age because with her tiny form she looks similar to a high school girl and for this reason I find the idol actor falling for her creepy. It would have been nice if they had showed the idol actor have a change of heart after reading her musical story or how she is passionate and gives her 100% despite her health.

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i still can't get the ML and FL into their characters. That's just me taking some long warm up. The character who is putting up the musical is not asking to be allowed to still play in it, but to have the painkiller injection, right? Maybe I missed something as the attending doctor can deny that but not possibly preventing her from an activity taking play in the hospice grounds. And the locked room, can it be the stock room for dangerous drugs? Or maybe not as Gyeorye was able to see FL taking some of the painkilling injectables in one scene. The FL is frightfully thin. Is she into method acting? Hope not.

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I am going against almost everyone here with Doctor Yang.
I understand him. Of course I am totally against yelling, and above all in front of other people, but I do get his frustration.
Team Genie crossed the line in their previous line and he was not comfortable with it, he voiced it out, and now he faces the same situation: he puts his ethics and his skills considering what is best for his patience from a medical point of view. Of course it is the patience the one who can decide what to do. The patience, not the doctor or Team Genie. Sometimes it feels like YeonJoo is willing to make that dream come true even at the price of losing everything, and as much as I like her, her resolution, and how devoted she is to her job, she has lost perspective. She should be a nurse before granting a wish, hard as this may be.

And precisely this is the reason, even if I love GyeoRye and YeonJoo bickering (I laughed so much when he grabbed her bun and she woke up to menace him with the scissors), I would be ok if the final love line as YeonJoo and Dr. Yang. I've been told he's not good because he wants her to change, but I see this some other way: he wants her to be not a fan of Team Genie but the nurse she can be, taking decisions that hurt.

As for the story, I also was on TaeSik is GyeoRye's dad, but after GyeoRye sees the photo and doesn't recognise himself in that little boy, makes me think he isn't. There is still that connection, but... what is it?

And finally... am I the only one looking forward the musical next week? I can't wait to have Sooyoung and Wookie singing!!

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I think it will be great as they will be blown away if he is allowed to use his real singing voice. I think that would be best in this situation so even the professional does a double take, as his arrogance is getting on my last nerve.

I found it really funny that Hospital Playlist made the actress who has a beautiful singing voice play a doctor who can’t sing.

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Eazel, Hiiiii friend!!!! Welcome back😊

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Hi twenie!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

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I think Taesik is Gyeorye's dad's best friend - something happened to dad, for which Taesik may be partly responsible and feeling very guilty, and possibly something happened to Taesik's son, leaving Taesik with an empty hole in his life. By helping Gyeorye, he goes someway to filling the hole and pays off some of the debt he feels. The occupant of room 403 could be Gyeorye's dad or mum, the wreck of the thing-that-went-wrong and source of Taesik's guilt.

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I buy this theory, it's very plausible.

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Definitely in on Taesik being the best friend or connected with the family in some way and feels guilty he couldn’t support Gyeorye when he was a boy.

I think he lost contact with his own son because he was always in trouble from gambling/drinking etc. and his wife left and took the child she remarried and the son had a much better life so either his son rejected him or he walked away so as not to be an embarrassment to his son.

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I wonder if using the number 403 is intentional to imply access is denied. In computer language, 403 means access is Forbidden to navigate further. It could be the script writer saying that there’s an “error” in there, so access isn’t allowed...😂

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I agree the the doctor is hopelessly outnumbered and is quickly judged a spoilsport by most everyone around him - but you're right, that's his job in many ways. His job is to think like a doctor, and it's not right that he's blithely ignored when he voices his dissent or discomfort. Team Genie, as delightful as they are, doesn't get to ride roughshod over him. Likewise, Yeon-ju gets caught up in the romance and the "high" of making these wishes come true, which can cloud her judgement. They're both flawed in very human ways, which makes their dynamic interesting. I still don't think they're a good match, honestly, but (as I mentioned) I'd be very happy for romance to not be *anyone's* end game.

OMG yes so excited for the musical, I totally second the excitement of Sooyoung and Wookie singing, haha! (And that preview was just hilarious - the antics on stage are going to be fantastic.)

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I liked episode 4 the best so far. This is especially due to the good mix of humour and serious topics.
One advantage, of course, is that Gyeo-re no longer swears in every sentence.

Like other commentators, I was annoyed by the doctor who does not listen to his patients' wishes. In a hospice, you should be able to put yourself in your patients' shoes a little better.

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First thing first, thanks for the recap. Now, about this week's episodes, I find Ji Chang-Wook acting very pleasant and very believable. He is doing such a good job, conveying every emotion. I just wanted to praise him, cause that was one thing that kept coming to my mind while watching this week's episodes. I found this week's episode to be more of a progression in relationships than the storyline, so I don't have much to say about things that happen. I still want to know who's in room 403 and I think I will be able to patiently wait for that. :D

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I doubt there’s a person in room 403. If Tae-shik told Gyeo Rye that there’s a ghost in there, it means that whatever or whoever that is in there is not dear or precious to Tae-shik. People don’t call someone whom they love or cherish “ a ghost”.

It’s intriguing, but I doubt it’s a person in there.

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Hmm, to be honest, I took it as him wanting to scare off Gyeo Rye so he would stop lurking around the room.
I don't know who or what is inside the room, but it can be something totally unrelated to the main storyline too, so I take any guess as the right guess for now. ^_^

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Awww....my bad again. There’s really someone in room 403 🤦🏽‍♀️ Most probably related to Ryeo Rye. Tae-shik was already saying that he’s going to tell Ryeo Rye the truth about something ...very intriguing...can’t wait till next Wednesday 😞

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Is it episode 6? I haven't watched it yet! >-< I'm excited now!

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Yes...it’s at the end of episode 6 ..😁

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I am thinking that perhaps Team Genie is preparing a room for Ryeo Rye as a surprise in case he decided to stay. They are probably repainting the wall, making it looking nice and cozy..and voila...a comfortable room 403 for Gyeo Rye and his “son” 🥰😁

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That would be so nice actually!

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