I think this might be my favourite week so far, largely because of the past life storyline. Up until this point for me, chemistry between Rowoon & Bo-ah was carrying the love-line more than the actual plot was; I was doing a bit of mental gymnastics through episodes to fill in gaps, read between lines and read into expressions and dialogue. Which isn’t to say I felt like there was nothing before, but previous weeks didn’t feel as palpable as this week did. The full past life story did wonders to make the love between Shin-yu and Hong-jo feel really real. It was shot, directed and acted so beautifully, I had my bets placed on Mu-jin being under a spell but it was even more tragic that he did it because they’d both been backed into a corner. Having the full reveal of the past-life plot also really helped bring the pain and desperation Shin-yu and Hon-jo felt too. I was kind of waiting to see how well (or not well) they’d carry out the past life stuff, because that’d be the make or break point for how well the star-crossed lovers trope would end up translating into the modern setting. Suffice to say, I had my doubts, but they did spledidly 👏

Was the noble idiocy idiotic? Were there about a dozen plot holes, including to do with the gardener-stalker-killer being able to roam around to commit crimes & evade the police so easily? Yes and yes and there’s a bit more left to be said about how supporting characters have been written, including Jae-kyung, as well as how the plot has been structured so far. But this story has always been about Shin-yu and Hong-jo for me, and a drama that’s much more about feeling than thinking, so on those fronts I’m very much satisfied and entertained. I will say on the point of noble idiocy, it was kind of stupid but I totally understood Hong-jo’s flawed logic and honestly I’d have done the same so for once the trope didn’t annoy me as much as it usually does.

Will be interesting to see how all of this wraps up next week! I, like you @unit, am also hoping for nothing but OTP cuteness (or at least a good serving of cuteness to make up for lost time) in our final two episodes!!

Once past-Jae-kyung showed up with the hard eyes and the armor and the headband, I couldn’t really see anything else, so it’s a good thing I took these notes first:

I think the central mystery of this show is: Why is Hong-jo so stupid? Was she dropped on her head? Also, CALL 911 FIRST, YOU IDIOT!

Even though HJ has repeatedly shown us how gobsmackingly dumb she is when it comes to personal safety - I mean, 'foolhardy' would be a big step up - I still didn’t believe she had gone to meet the murderous Garden Creep alone, in the dark, in an isolated area after all she’d been through. I expected the police to show up and for her to help try to capture him, but nooooo. I’m not convinced she actually used the smartwatch to summon the police to meet her there - it looked to me like she just checked it - but even if she did, she’s still alone in the dark, presumably with a guy who could stab her in a split second lurking nearby. She admits to SY that she *went there alone because she thought Garden Creep would be there.* I guess I’m the dumb one for thinking there is any bottom to the pit of the character’s stupidity. Come on, writers, do better by your FLs.

As @vienibenmio has pointed out, HJ was smarter in her past life, and far more appealing as well. Her character has really taken a nosedive in the past few episodes, from babytalking and cutesiness to an extreme lack of common sense. I would have been yelling at the screen if I cared enough about this show, but as it was, I was muttering and hitting pause a lot. The past life is written so much better - but only for the leads, and not for past-Jae-kyung. It's grating to see him smirking at the prospect of seeing Aeng-cho torn to pieces, although that's possibly more Joseon-accurate. The other past people are just stock characters. It’s beautifully filmed, though, and the story finally fills in lots of gaps and brings in some emotional resonance.

Is Garden Creep using a Tracking Spell? It was obvious from the camera angles when HJ was sitting outside at the country house that someone was watching her, but was it only Shin-yu who found her (how?), or did Garden Creep, too? He’s too competent to be real. I’m guessing Na-yeon helped him get into SY’s apartment building, though.

As for hugs, I think I’ve identified the problem: Jo Bo-ah is doing it wrong. She needs to adjust her posture, reach up to him, put her arms around his shoulders instead of his waist, and lean her torso backwards a little to acccommodate his height, instead of standing perfectly straight and making him hunch over her. That would be a natural reaction even if she wasn’t participating very much in the hug. Rowoon is the one who ends up looking awkward but she’s not giving him anything to work with. Also, my autocorrect wants to call him Wowoon.

Loved this week, except for randomly showing JK in the past. HJ has been known to show occasional glimmers of intelligence, but mostly she falls victim to the holes in the plot. A rabbit would have a better sense of self-preservation, but well a rabbit is not a drama FL. Sigh.

I know it wasn't the show we signed up for, but I felt the Joseon flashback could have been the better drama (like many others it seems). It was beautifully shot, with a compelling storyline with believable stakes, and characters we could truly root for. And lovestruck Rowoon in an indigo hanbok? Ah, angst never suited a man so well. It did feel choppy and rushed tho because they squeezed it in one episode while letting the present time plot drift the past several episodes. Sigh.

I continue to dislike many of the secondary characters. I hope we don't get a redemption arc (we will) for the SH's father, who added victim blaming to his long list of shortcomings. Why are JH's colleagues still allowed any screen-time? Ugh, that "housewarming" party. And what is Mr. Gong up to?

Finally, we know what happened in the past and it was tragic. They loved each other during their whole life. Their destiny was so strong that in the present, not only them were reunited but the 2 people who got them killed and cursed too. At least, this time, it had an positive outcome because the curse disappeared when his heart stopped few seconds. The creepy Gardener is clearly a villain, for Jae-Kyung, I think he will play the Mayor and Haum Construction to make them fall with the help of Shin-Yu. The thing I like in this drama is Shin-Yu is very competent in his job and he likes it, we can see him in action during the whole drama, the same for Hong-Jo.

Hong-Jo's reaction was frustrating but again I think it was logical with her character. She felt guilty for the lost of her mother and father. She thought if she endured the bullying and didn't leave the school, her father would be still alive. So it's not surprising she had the same reaction with Shin-Yu. If she can't touch his face because everytime they are reminded how she was stabbed and how he was cursed and it makes him suffering, it's not really romantic. But in both case, she's the reason he's hurt, if she touches him or if she leaves him, he's in pain. He was so happy to see her when he was drunk 😥 But even in this moment, Shin-Yu still can make me smile, when he told her he needed her to blow on his wound to get better 😂

There were a lot of parallels :
- The chase in the palace
- The stabbing
- The hand on his face/her face
- The bridge scene
- The well/pit scene

I really liked how the scenes were filmed for the past. The snow made them so tragic and romantic. I liked their clothes too.

I loved this Joseon backstory more than the present time story. Aeng-cho interests me more than Hong-joo does.

If the writing likes, let them write Jae-kyung as the devil's reincarnation in the past life, I don't care. He still remains my guy to the end. I just hope they don't use this week's version of past-life Jae-kyung to portray Jae-kyung in the finale. That'll be weak and very lame. Why the need to include him in the first life either. Garden Man clearly almost remembers Hong-joo in a past life, I'm guessing that's a major reason why he's been so drawn to Hong-joo. Plus he's skilled in shamanism so I'm sure he knows the connection they share in the past. Jae-kyung remembers nothing, nada. So why? Why decide to make a baddie out of him when he clearly doesn't share a connection to the past life besides his face, unless they're is a plot twist coming that says he knew "it was Agatha all along."

Mu-jin and Aeng-cho's love is gripping, solid, everything.
Sincerely, Garden Man should be locked up somewhere as quickly as possible. Why is he so competent.

And Hong-joo's workmates. I don't know who I should be more angry at - Hong-joo for being a pushover once again, Jae-kyung for accepting their housewarming request or the ever annoying duo for being sus as usual. I'd have appreciated it if Hong-joo just barked back at them for disrespecting her in her house. This is her home, and they shouldn't bring their toxicity with them while in her premises.

C’mon DWY! Let’s do this! I’m remaining hopeful that this drama is going to end in a TSM (Totally Satisfying Manner). We have two whole episodes to go, and the only thing left to do is tie up something like 10,000 loose ends—I believe that’s only like 10,000,000 loose ends in Korean won. I won’t even start to list these dangling plot points. I bet we could all each easily name one, and still not overlap with one another. But, it’s gonna be fine!

For my money this week (whether in dollars or won), episode 13 was mainly filler—with enough Jae-kyung to hold my attention, but not much more. However (하지만), boy howdy, did my man really shine come episode 14. JK looking concerned…JK looking worried…JK looking mystified about the fact that Hong-jo is utterly needlessly behaving like a martyr…JK telling it like it f’ing is…JK looking caring…JK looking wistful…JK caring that Shin-yu is cared for…what a guy!!!

OK. OK. Focus, @attiton, focus. To the main couple. They’re in it to win it now. I felt it was a little disappointing (simplistic) that it had to be that Shin-yu “died” to shed the curse. I actually would have preferred the root cause to be the moment—marked by the visual symbolism in the stairwell when the lights flickered—when he apologized to Aengcho. He’d already clearly been stabbed in the same place he’d stabbed her, and, of course, the parallel gesture of the bloodied hand to the face was being (inversely) re-enacted. Rather than his “death,” then, I felt it was this penitence that was more affecting and effective.

I heard him apologizing for the quite insane decision Jang Mu-jin had made to take someone else’s life, presuming that one particular assumed future was set in stone—and then choosing to actually set a different future in stone but on his own terms by forcibly taking someone’s life. This is an overbearing and misguided attitude, I’m afraid, that we know contemporary Shin-yu has expressed in a past episode through a series of words that also show up in the trailer for next week—“You don’t know what’s going to happen to you…I know because I’m going to do it.”

Nope nope. It’s gonna be fine. Everything’s fine. TSM. Incoming.

I’m in the minority here…the backstory of the past life just isn’t that compelling for me and hella depressing. Now that’s over please give us 2 last episodes of couple cutesy and some real kisses please. Some passion is definitely needed to satisfactorily complete this drama.

I must admit I wasn’t looking forward to the ‘past’ storyline but now that I have seen it, I loved it. Acting wise, emotion wise, story wise. It all made sense. Rowoon did really well in the death scene, I teared up a bit :(

Now for those annoying stuff…

1. I don’t understand why the creepy garden guy was not arrested. Are the police really this bad?
2. Why would any sane person walk to a dark leafy isolated place to meet with e potential MURDERER?
3. The dad sucks.
4. The past dad sucks harder.
5. Where was the bodyguard idea before?
6. This should have been up there in the list…why did she have to stay away? Like why?

So what are we expecting in the next 2 episodes?

*Still waiting for a real kiss to occur*

The paragon of swoon-ess LOL .. I can’t agree more

I’m a bit dissapointed about how they deliver the past life, it’s interisting but it feels choppy *sigh

I still thingking Hong jo is reckless about handling the garden man and that noble idiocy

That snow scene again took my breath away with amazing OST, their expresion really showing the sadness and the angst.

All we need is our cuteness couple getting their happiness to end the show.

While most ppl seem to have enjoyed this week, I think ep. 14 kinda broke me. Here are the greatest hits compilation of me live-tweeting? live-blogging? through the pain:

Wow, Joseon!Dad is much worse than Present-day!Dad could ever dream of being. I thought Present-day!Dad potentially kimchi-slapping his future DIL was beyond the pale, but look at this inbred aristocrat scum casually threatening to sell his son’s lover into sexual slavery…
(I think I have an idea who Joseon!Dad is trying to marrying him off to… it’s Joseon!Nayeon, isn’t it?)

Aristocrats ☕️… If that nerd Robespierre and Danton and Hebert and Babeuf had focused more on sending these bluebooded ***** on a date with Madame de la Guillotine - instead of each other - the world would be a better place… Like?? torturing and blinding an old woman?? Just so his son marries the girl daddy thinks is best??

I do think Aeng-cho didn’t have to make too much up in her breakup speech tho. let’s be realistic, you can’t have a romantic, happy ending in the mountains while being hunted by daddy dearest.

God I hate monarchs… the king and his concubine…. Two more people who need have a 1-on-1 with the National Razor…

For a shaman that's "lowlier than an animal", she's got drip 🥶🥶💯💯🗣️🗣️ seriously that white hanbok goes hard

Imagine being so hot, swoony and romantic your crush forgets the time your dad melted her coworker's eyes into goo

They really did the Joseon version of "teach your partner how to shoot as a way to get some skinship in" trope... gotta respect it. Nancy and Jonathan did it better tho.

Mujin’s dad, this random concubine, Joseon!Jaekyoung, the king, his torturers.. actually you know what, Aeng-cho has an even sadder life than Hong-jo, no comparison.

Joseon!Ro-woon’s horse after his rider got sniped: 🐴 Wow, even Joseon!Jaekyoung is an asshole.

they could just shoot Joseon!Rowoon down at any time, but then we wouldn't get a badass fight scene. And guys, you have surrounded a wounded man… this should takes seconds…

I still don’t understand Mujin’s goal here? Is he bringing the box to the queen? Is he gonna hide it??

Jang Mujin, baby girl, you might be glad to accept the curse but your descendants may feel differently… imagine dying at the age of 35 just bc your many times great granddad was really into this pretty chick

In a drama with a sexual predator CEO, a serial killer and Jae-kyoung, Nayeon is possibly the worst of the worst…. Throughout her alliance with Stabby McPsychoface, contrary to her lies, she knew was dealing with a freak... and what was the endgame anyways? Was the plan to have him stalk and murder Hong-jo? So you can marry a man you're already cheating on?

His mom continues to be the most wholesome and most level-headed person in the entire drama, but we all expected that. Meanwhile Sinyu’s dad... bitch instead of blaming Hong-joo, ask about the involvement of the woman you were about to marry your son to... just to...

This week had me trying really hard to keep this show in the switch off brain and just enjoy category because noble idiocy and angst are not what I signed up for. And it was especially hard to get through here because the reasoning was so flimsy even Jae Kyung voiced it. And had me wishing the Joseon timeline could've been longer because that was primed for angst from the beginning and it delivered. Along with wishing that Shin Yu and Hong Jo could've gotten more depth and gravitas to their relationship as much as their Joseon counterparts; and some of their personality traits. Aeng Cho was so much more spunkier and had SO SO SO MUCH MORE self preservation in her than Hong Jo, because GIRL! What were you even thinking even contemplating opening that door right after you were attacked through a window grill??!! Ugh the need to scream at her stupidity just broke me away from the dissociation that makes this drama enjoyable.
The ever bloodied winter Joseon cinematography was beautiful and I was surprised that the concubine wasnt a Na Yeon lookalike with they way they were popping up.
I too sincerely hope next week I can just mindlessly enjoy without feeling the need to write a rant on kdrama writers and their need to make us question the female lead's intellect every now and then.

Last week I made the obvious point that Shin-Yu's curse as represented by the bloody hand was a metaphor for sexual dysfunction, given that the bloody hand appeared when he was experiencing desire, and the curse prevented him from any sort of serious physical intimacy with Hong-Jo and required that he sleep with her wearing heavy sweaters.

Now, after these episodes, you are probably saying-"Hacja, your interpretation of Rowoon's curse was utterly convincing, but what does the bloody hand mean to Hong-jo?"

Well, I'm glad you asked! For Hong-jo, the bloody hand is the legacy of the oppression suffered by women in the Joseon era. Her several attempts to stroke Shin-yu's cheek, a common gesture of affection but certainly not one that you try more than once if your lover shied away from it, are an attempt to get Shin-yu to recognize her as an equal in the relationship. Since Shin-yu still can think of that gesture only in sexual terms, a reminder of his "curse," Hong-jo must abandon Shin-Yu.

Is this truly noble idiocy? I think not! It is Hong-jo acting in her self interest. That is why she is open to new advances from Jae-Kyung.

When, finally, the attitudes of the horrible Joseon patriarchal oppression "die" in Shin-yu, then he is open to cheek stroking from the person who is now not just a sex object but a loving equal!

I predict the concluding episodes might see Rowoon out of the heavy sweaters and into bed with Hong jo dressed a little more appropriately for certain activities, which of course in kdramas still means fully clothed, but in an athletic kit of shorts and a t-shirt.

At last ep 14 is the reason I was watching this drama for…but I wished it had 2 eps of prev life, I really love both of their action in the prev life…the love story of Aengcho and Mujin deserved more screen time than stupid shine Muscat PPL with annoying coworkers…

But I must say the torture scene, JBA really shined and I couldn’t hold tears when she smiled after Mujin says that let’s be happy in next life..

Rowoon expressions when he was stabbed was also good..

I know many say HongJO doesn’t have survival skills, but she did use the watch and is doing everything to not put the only person that cares about her in danger…

I don't really follow that neighbour ajumma's logic but she so kindhearted... we stan... maybe one of 2 women portrayed positively in this drama besides Hongjo/Aengcho herself...

No offence, but we are approaching Yebun levels of silliness… Yes, let's leave the safehouse and go directly into the serial killer's arms without telling ANYONE, even the police...

Sin-yu pulled the bodyguard UNO reverse card… like, OK, they're really cute and romantic but this drama is so frustrating 😭😭

I hate that the mirroring is so clever in the drama… she's the one who flinched when her hand gets close to his face, usually he’s the one who flinches at her touch… That’s the one braincell of the writers working overtime

Personally, if a baddie like Rowoon told me, "in the past life and this one too, I love you" and hugged me with that smile... I would climb him like a tree and never let go 🐨 but Hongjo just built different ig

Anyways, so much happened in one episode ... like 2 dramas' of plot in one episode... But it seems like she grows a backbone next week??? And more cute moments? Typical kdrama rom-com moments?? Sign me tf up

Ok, I'm a little distracted rn with cooking and one aggressively needy kitty, but I'll still try to collect my running around thoughts about this week's episodes. For starters, Joseon part was a blast, could've been a standalone movie easily. The acting, the tragedy, the moral dilemmas, the visuals - muah! After all that modern plot somewhat falls short because yes, as much as I like SY and HJ, MJ and AC overall were more gripping characters and stronger/smarter people. It's just fate was not on their side, so it ended the way it ended. But! Now that both of them remember all the important plot points and even learned valuable lesson from that, I hope they'll get a significant progress in finale. Hopefully. Man, that's too much of desperate hoping for one drama year, I need to stop that!

Other not-so-great things is the fact that gardener is still on the loose (is he that good at magic or police is just useless in this show?), that SY's parents are still not divorced or at least on their way there, that NY is still SOMEHOW relevant to the story when she should've ride into sunset with jerk chaebol long time ago, that no one yet to call out shaman granny or annoying coworkers duo for their BS, that we didn't get any decent skinship in these episodes too... Wow, that was long rant, sorry)))

Past!JK was so unnecessary. Granted, I think he's pretty unnecessary in the modern era as well, but if his story arc is heading into some karmic character development with that recurring "money vs conscience" temptation I can - reluctantly - live with that. HJ better to find some female best friend asap so she can stop using him for this clearly ill-fitting role. Maybe SY's mom will do? They'll be so wonderfully chaotic together, I can already see that! SY already has decent wingmen in a form of Wook and loose-lipped assistant, so he'll be fine too, pls no forced great friendship out of nowhere between male leads here.

I keep thinking about whether the curse was truly lifted and if yes, what made it happen. SY's explanation sounded valid, buuut... I just don't think that curse casted because of death should be lifted by death as well, it make very little sense to me somehow. How about making it more FUN? Like HJ MUST marry him (or have his kids. or both. yeah, preferably both) to end it for good. So start practicing already, you two chaste idiots! After all creepy gardener isn't caught yet, so it'll be safer for the two of you to stay locked at home... together... and I'm SURE that SY's wound needs some thorough inspection... and kissing painkillers...

Since I don't like star-crossed lover stories, not to mention Joseon bloody violence, I FF through quite a bit of these two episodes so thank you @Unit for explaining everything that happened in the past, especially the curses and double-curses.

I am especially pleased that Joseon Shin-yu had a plan (to meet her in a different life), which explains why he intended to kill her.
It remains unclear how her mere re-appearance in the future ("What took you so long") would end the curse. Perhaps we will get the last part of the story next week with Shaman Eun Wol. Or, perhaps all of those various hints were simply there for dramatic effect.

Meanwhile, did this episode explain who buried the box? I guess Joseon SY after he killed her??? Or Joseon Lookalike?

As always, Ha Joon is outstanding in his ability to do revolving door good and evil.

I'm sorry, but every time I see that bridge, I think of the scenes in See You In My 19th Life where they used the same bridge and "lover's running to embrace each other" scenario.
But anyways, really enjoying this drama. Yes, there are times when I get frustrated with (mostly) the idiocy of Hong-jo, but overall, I love it.

This show has plot holes a mile wide but, man, it makes me feel things. That past life stuff was heart-rending

I have nothing but admiration for this drama.Love love Rowoon and Jo bo ah...i enjoyed watching it and its a keeper..hopefully in the final 2 episodes kisses and pleaseeee no more just thru the night hugging its frustrating..i wanna see real authentic love scene..ha haha..

Thanks for the recap!

I was glad I bothered to tune in for these episodes. I found the resolution of a lot of the plot problems pretty satisfying. The stabbing-as-mercy-killing didn't totally do it for me--he could have killed her faster by slashing her throat, but that's gross on screen, so I guess hence stabbing internal organs. Otherwise it was an OK explanation.

I tend to agree with others here that Han-jo is kind of an idiot. I don't get how she's the same person who was brilliant, savvy and self-protective in a past life. Her foolish personality was a drag on this show.

So now what has to be resolved in the last two episodes? The scary gardener guy, Shin-yu's parents' divorce (please do go through with it!) Jae-kyung's daddy issues?

The past life story was both beautiful and heartbreaking.
Two people in love unable to be together and unable to walk away from each other.

Jang Mu-jin and Aeng Cho are definitely very strong characters who perhaps deserve 16 episodes for their story.

Why oh why didn't Aeng Cho use the happy life spell for themselves.

Both Rowoon and Bo-ah made the characters so lived-in.

Past life Jae-kyung was a surprise but not surprisingly - am I still cluching on to the "strong and good man" words of the shaman - you bet I am.

Thank you show ... just wrap up nicely, okay.

I may be getting a drama freeze ... I want more good moments of Mu-jin and Aeng Cho.