This show has more personalities than our leading man! It morphed into a psychological thriller and delivered a griping episode.
Episode 10 Recap:
Seo Jin’s father, Myung Han (Lee Deok Hwa), tells Seo Jin’s assistant, Young Chan (Lee Seung Jun), that Robin cannot continue to impersonate Seo Jin at work. He tells the assistant to book a flight to America and prepare Seo Jin’s resignation. Before he can stop himself Young Chan tells father that he is “giving up on him again”. He pleads for patience and understanding. He is positive Seo Jin will return. I was proud of Young Chan for speaking him mind. To his credit, Seo Jin’s father encouraged Young Chan to speak his mind. Father cares about his son!
Tae Joo (Sung Joo) uses a voice disguise app and calls Seo Jin (Hyun Bin) and directs him to the ghost house (where Tae Joo and Seo Jin were kidnapped as boys). Little does Tae Joo know that he is speaking with Robin (Hyun Bin) (Seo Jin’s alternate personality). Ha Na sees Seo Jin (Robin) walking and follows at a distance. She watches Seo Jin enter the ghost house. Inside the ghost house Robin cleverly calls Young Chan on his cell phone. Young Chan can only hear but quickly discerns that Robin is in trouble from the revenge seeking Soo Hyun (unbeknownst to everyone this is Tae Joo).
Ha Na calls Young Chan and tells him that Seo Jin entered the ghost house. Young Chan tells her that Soo Hyun has lured Seo Jin there and to watch from a safe distance. Young Chan calls for security backup and races to Wonderland to intercept Soo Hyun and Robin. Tae Joo assumes psychological terror is happening to Seo Jin but Robin is unfazed. He realizes where he is and the significance of the location but there is no terror as he did not live the experience.
Tae Joo directs Seo Jin to a waiting car and to drive to an undisclosed location. Ha Na follows in a taxi. She calls Young Chan that she is following Seo Jin. Young Chan driven by the chuafeer adjust their course to match Seo Jin’s. Where are they going?
Tae Joo leads Robin to the building where they were held as boys by the kidnapper. I’m impressed with the preparation Tae Joo has done. The scene is exactly like the flashbacks. I commend his attention to detail.
Tae Joo directs Seo Jin into the building. Robin recognizes the building from pictures Dr. Kang showed him, so he knows this is the kidnapper’s location from long ago.
Tae Joo tells Seo JIn “my memories serve me wrong or your memories serve you wrong. Let’s resolve this once and for all”.
Tae Joo comes behind Seo Jin and chloroforms him. It isn’t as easy as he thought and there is a struggle but eventually Robin subcombs. Ha Na hears the sounds of the struggle. She calls Young Chan about the location. Young Chan and the chaufeer figure our exactly were Seo Jin has gone and are suitably concerned.
Tae Joo is looking a bit maniacal throughout kidnapping reenactment. Good performance by Sung Joo!
Tae Joo ties Seo Jin to a chair just like when they were boys. When Seo Jin wakes, it really is Seo Jin, Robin has left and Seo Jin is the personality in charge. Horrified to wakes to his nightmare come to life, Seo Jin struggles in vain against the ropes. Tae Joo mocks Seo Jin that no one will save him and he is alone. Tae Joo clearly enjoying the terror the situation invokes for Seo Jin.
Ha Na cannot stay outside the building and enters searching for Seo Jin. On the CCTV Tae Joo sees her approach. Surprised, he quickly discerns this is an opportunity to alter the scenario in an even better way. When Ha Na bursts into the room she hurries to Seo Jin and begins loosening the ropes. In a subtle but compelling moment, Tae Joo tears up realizing that Seo Jin has a savior once again when he did not have the option as a child.
The consistent symbol of the hand hold to pull someone to safety is well done in this series. The bridge and the window are parallels opportunities to save someone.
We learn a new nugget of information in the kidnapping flashback. When the kidnapped boys made their escape attempt, Soo Hyun lifted Seo Jin on his shoulder and into the high window. Seo Jin then tried to pulled Soo Hyun to the window but lacked the psychical strength to lift his friend. This time we see that as the kidnapper burst through door and charged the boys, Seo Jin hit Soo Hyun’s hands forcing him to release his grip on Seo Jin. This put Soo Hyun back into the kidnapper’s control and allowed Seo Jin to escape. Tae Joo’s resentment at being left by Seo Jin is justified. Of course the physical reality that Seo Jin could not possibly lift him to safety is not considered. In Tae Joo’s mind, facts are facts, Seo Jin left him and Seo Jin must pay.
Ha Na is working loosing the rope asking Seo Jin if he is ok. Seo Jin cannot believe she is there. Tae Joo then puts the next phase of his plan in motion. He lockes Ha Na into the room. Gas infuses the room. Gasping for breath Seo Jin searches for an exit. He finds a single gas mask. Tae Joo watches with glee. Now Seo Jin will show his true self. He will save himself and not save Ha Na. But Seo Jin remembers all the Ha Na has done for him. You know it is more than gratitutde, Ha Na means something to him. Seo Jin puts the gas mask on Ha Na. Tae Joo is stunned.
Seo Jin recalls the video message where Robin told him that he would help him learn to live, all Seo Jin needed to do was ask for his help. Seo Jin utters “Help me Robin” before he starts to yield to the gas. It is significant that Seo Jin is able to summon Robin at will! Robin takes control and breaks a window in the room allowing fresh air in. Robin’s hand is injured when he breaks the window. He pulls Ha Na up and asks if she is ok. Ha Na recognizes Robin. She calls him Robin. Tae Joo is stunned again. Robin? He starts to realize what he is dealing with. As the police sirens blare their impending arrival, Tae Joo leaves the back route and escapes.
Tae Joon recalls a discussion with Dr. Kang just before everything happened in episode 1, we learn new information. Dr. Kang realized that Tae Joo was Soo Hyun. She stated he needed to meet with Seo Jin and they needed to talk the past over and forgive each other. Tae Joo was not happy when Dr. Kang told him Seo Jin was en route. As Dr. Kang told Tae Joo “you cannot run away from this” Tae Joo felt trapped and angry about the situation. This triggered Tae Joo to push Dr. Kang out of the way and accidentally into the glass table. So Dr. Kang’s injury was not intentional or preplanned.
Tae Joo enters his apartment/office and goes to his secret room where he is keeping Dr. Kang. He tells Dr. Kang he knows Robin is the alternate personality of Seo Jin. He tells Dr. Kang today’s revenge was a failure because Seo Jin protected Ha Na. But he realizes it is also an opprotunity. He knows who Seo Jin cherishs (and Robin cherishes too). Seo Jin’s achilles heel is Ha Na. Tae Joo raves that Ha Na is too good for Seo Jin and he does not deserve her.
Tae Joo cannot believe that he cares for Ha Na. Ok, everyone is digging Ha Na in this series. Triple love from Seo Jin, Robin and Tae Joo for our girl Ha Na!
Tae Joo realizes his feelings for Ha Na complicate things. He frets “he has lived for this day”.
Dr. Kang tells Tae Joo “fate is out of your hands, in the past and in the present”.
Tae Joo ignores this wisdom. He realizes his next strike against Seo Jin will be with Ha Na.
Detective Na “cue” makes me smile. Woo Jung (Hyeri) asks her father to let her know if Robin is going to leave again.
Seo Jin’s crafty cousin, Seung Yeon (Han Sang In) visits Detective Na for information. Detective Na brushes him off.
The next morning Ha Na awakes in her room to her circus friends. She starts to remember, then sits up in bed remembering Robin being there.
Tae Joo enters the room and asks Ha Na why she went into a dangerous situation. Ha Na’s response is simple…she was worried about Seo Jin then needed to protect him. She ended up being protected by Seo Jin. Oh how that must cut into Tae Joo. He has no one that feels that way about him.
After Tae Joo leaves the room, Ha Na asks her circus friends if Robin was there. They assure her it was only Seo Jin. Robin was not there last night.
Young Chan sits vigil at Seo Jin / Robin’s bed. He hopes that Seo Jin will be the personality in control when he wakes. His wish is granted Seo Jin finally wakes.
Ha Na enters Seo Jin’s bedroom. She appraoches Seo Jin and asks if he is ok. He confirms he is. The air is charged with the unasked question. Ha Na looks at Seo Jin and then sees his hand is injured just like Robin’s must be. She stares in surprise. It is Seo Jin’s hand that is injured not Robin. But she knows it was Robin that broke the window. She asks Seo Jin “who are you”? Bam! She did not assume she was wrong in believing Robin was there! I love it!
Comments:
* This multiple personality show morphed into a psychological thriller. Tae Joo was the star character and driver for everything that happened in this excellent episode. My hats off to Sung Joo for his creepy and compelling portrayal of Tae Joo. We learned that Tae Joo did not intended to harm Dr. Kang. His anger at an unexpected forced reunion with Seo Jin made Tae Joo literally push Dr. Kang away and into the glass table. We also learned that Seo Jin hit Tae Joo’s (Soo Hyun’s) hand away so he could escape the kidnapper who had reentered the room. Both of this nuggets made Tae Joo more human and worthy of empathy. I was surprised by Tae Joo’s declaration that he felt something for Ha Na. Three guys, one girl, this is messy. Of course Tae Joo’s feelings will not preclude him from using Ha Na to hurt Seo Jin and Robin. Huge reveal for Tae Joo when he learned that Robin is Seo Jin’s alternate personality.
* Hyun Bin seamlessly slipped between Robin and Seo Jin throughout the episode. His performance was subtle and perfect. You always knew which personality was in control. I was pleased that Seo Jin put the gas mask on Ha Na. Our Seo Jin is evolving! He cares for Ha Na and this was a clear demonstration of that caring. Seo Jin’s guilt about pushing Soo Hyun’s hand away when the kidnapper reentered the room is clear and understandable. He did abandon his friend. Seo Jin did not have the psychical strength to pull Soo Hyun to safety. But in his mind and Soo Hyun’s he acted a coward and selfishly saved himself. I’m thinking many would have made the same choice to save themselves.
* Han Ji Min as Jang Ha Na showed that she cares about Seo Jin when she followed him and entered the kidnapper’s lair when she had been instructed to wait for help to arrive. She couldn’t let Seo Jin be unprotected, she had to help. She does not realize it fully but she is pulled to Seo Jin in a different way than Robin pulls her. When Seo Jin called Robin and he took over, Ha Na saw the difference immediately. Thank you writers for allowing Ha Na to be smart enough to recognize Robin! Will Seo Jin be able to change her mind that Robin was not there…that it was him?
* Kudos to the lighting director. The characters are perfectly lit in every situation. At night, in the Ghost House, daylight, inside, you can see these characters and their facial expressions. Shine or Go Crazy (night scenes are often too dark) should snatch this lighting director up ASAP!
* The OST is easy to enjoy. Listen to the 5 songs via the embedded playlist or this link.
Asian drama fan. I watch and blog dramas on https://kjtamusings.wordpress.com/.
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Wonderful job
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Appreciate the feeback.
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