Je Ha decides to take a major risk.
The K2 Episode 10 Recap
Kim Je Ha (Ji Chang Wook) goes to Anna’s bedroom door. He pauses, his hand hovering over the handle. Kim Ko An Na (Yoona) (aka Anna) stands at the bedroom door, her hand hovering over the handle. They are both yearning to connect but scared to do so. In the end Anna calls Je Ha on the walkie talkie and wishes him good night. Je Ha’s mad dash for the walkie talkie was cute. Je Ha echoes her words. Then they both softly wish each other good night. Sweet scene, showing their soft gentle attraction.
Agent J4 puts makeup on Anna. She tells Anna that she needs to experience her first kiss. Anna thinks to the mouth to mouth Je Ha gave her. She claims she’s already had her first kiss.
Je Ha drives to a meeting location and waits. He can’t help but think about Anna while he waits.
Agent J4 tells Anna mouth to mouth is not a kiss. I agree with her! Agent J4 says she was kissing yesterday. Anna doesn’t seem to understand who Agent J4 was kissing yesterday. Process of elimination and the beach frolic should have quickly clued Anna to Agent K1 as J4’s kissing partner. Anna goes to find Je Ha. Agent Housekeeper smiles at the overdone make knowing that Agent J4’s heavy hand has done this. Agent J4 loves a bold lip! Anna asks where Je Ha is. Agent Housekeeper tells Anna he’s out. She recalls Je Ha telling her he’d meet with Yoo Jin to get her to back off.
Anna texts Je Ha a picture of herself in makeup and calls him. Je Ha tells her she looks pretty in the picture. Anna boldly declares that he’s hers. Je Ha is surprised. Anna explains that Agent J4 gave him to her. She tells him to keep safe and return to her. Je Ha agrees. Je Ha’s nonchalant muttering response belies that he’s thrilled inside. I doubt Je Ha will ever light up and puff on those cigarettes he sports occasionally.
Je Ha surprises Choi Yoo Jin (Song Yoon A) when he appears at her house. Col Jo and Assistant Kim are surprised to see him too. As they ride to the TV station Yoo Jin asks Je Ha if Anna is happy and when she’ll come home. Je Ha tells Yoo Jin Anna is happy but says nothing about her return.
Yoo Jin fumes to Assistant Kim that this is her last interview about Anna. She wants the publicity about Anna to die down. Assistant Kim tells her to calm down for appearances sake.
Col Jo gets the report from Je Ha on Yoo Jin’s brother’s intent to keep Anna as a shield against his sister’s attacks. Col Jo wonders what will happen if Assemblyman Jang wins the presidency. What will happen to Anna? Col Jo tell Je Ha that Anna isn’t a shield but a sword to attack Yoo Jin with. That’s not good for Anna.
Yoo Jin’s brother visits Anna. He feigns indecision on whether he should share Anna’s mother’s police file into her death. Of course, he hands it to Anna to read with a smile on his face. This guy has a smile repertoire!
The TV interview begins. Ah, the interviewer is the same one from the first episode. Yoo Jin explains how she came to care for Anna. She met Anna’s mother while she did ads for JB Group. Yoo Jin says she introduced Anna’s mother to Anna’s father. She feigns sorrow that she introduced this couple that would eventually break up. At the interview break, Yoo Jin asks the interviewer if the tears were a nice touch. The interviewer’s non-committal response lets her know it was a bit much. The interview pokes holes in Yoo Jin’s story when she comments that Yoo Jin was abroad when she claims to have befriended Anna’s mother. Yoo Jin counters that she traveled to Korea often during that timeframe. The interviewer knows she’s lying and says so. Yoo Jin reminds the interviewer this is a script, not an interview. The interviewer raises her eyebrow and comments she must comply because of the information Yoo Jin has on her son. The interview asks Yoo Jin if her son will be held apart from her for 10 years like Anna. Both women glare at each other. Nice moment between those two. Though they spoke softly a power struggle played out. The interviewer would dearly love to expose Yoo Jin instead of being her puppet.
The interview continues. Yoo Jin explains how she became Anna’s guardian when Anna’s mother died. The interviewer asks about Yoo Jin’s comment that Anna was ill. Yoo Jin explains that Anna has a social phobia and can’t leave the house. The interview smiles and informs Yoo Jin that she’s got a surprise for her…Anna is in the studio! Bam! Touché! Assistant Kim, Je Ha, and Yoo Jin are surprised by this announcement.
Yoo Jin’s eyes bug out of her head when Anna and her brother enter the studio. Anna looks at Je Ha and he gives her a look that indicates she’s poking the tiger. Yoo Jin’s brother nods and smiles at the interviewer. So they set this up. I love it! Yoo Jin eyes are wide with shock. Anna looks at Yoo Jin, glares, straightens her shoulders and heads to the couch. Je Ha stares at Yoo Jin’s brother whose grin is wide as he enjoys his sister’s obvious discomfort. Anna sits next to Yoo Jin and the interviewer asks if the dimmed studio lights are low enough. Anna thanks her for adjusting the lighting. The two women greet each other stiffly. The interviewer pokes holes in Yoo Jin’s claim about the famous designer looking for Anna. A video clip is played and the famous designer tells Anna he was dear friends with her mother (which Anna stated moments ago) and believes Anna should become his muse just like her mother was. The interviewer asks Anna is she’ll being heading to Paris soon. Anna pauses then says she has no plans to leave Korea. The interview wants to know what Anna will be focusing on. Anna says her priority is to conquer her social phobia. Then she wants to solve the mystery behind her mother’s death. Murmurs ripple through the audience and Yoo Jin looks at Anna in shock. Assistant Kim even looks panicked. Je Ha stares at Yoo Jin’s brother whose broad grin confirms he piqued Anna’s focus on her mother’s death. Anna clarifies that she wants to know if her mother committed suicide. She lays out the facts, her mother was planning on taking her to America, her mother was happy, yet she died the night before their departure and did not have a will. The interviewer asks Yoo Jin about Anna’s mother’s state of mind during that time. Yoo Jin says nothing. Anna tells the TV audience that she wants to learn everything she can about the final days before her mother’s death. She asks anyone with information to contact her. She and Yoo Jin stare at each other. Assistant Kim overhears a producer wondering if Anna’s mother was killed instead of suicide. This is a nightmare for Yoo Jin and I’m loving it! The cloak and dagger of that interview was brilliant. Yoo Jin’s discomfort was palpable.
After the interview, Je Ha asks Anna how she could put herself in danger by coming so close to Yoo Jin who wants to snatch her back. Yoo Jin’s brother walks in the room and Je Ha turns on him demanding to know why he did this. Anna cuts in stating she wants to rip the mask from Yoo Jin’s face. Yoo Jin’s brother smiles, this is music to his ears. He says he’ll be back. Alone Anna tells Je Ha she wants revenge against Yoo Jin. Anna claims with his protection, she’ll be fine. They stare at each other. Je Ha must respect Anna’s request for revenge because he’s got his own quest for revenge against Assemblyman Park underway. But Je Ha knows that poking the bear (Yoo Jin) will only make matters worse for them all. I’m on board with Anna poking Yoo Jin. She’s got power in this moment. Why not use it? If the public eye is Anna’s protection, she must use it.
Yoo Jin staggers into the dressing room with Assistant Kim. She’s still in a dazed state after being sucker punched with Anna’s arrival. She tells Assistant Kim that she should have listened to her about the danger from her brother and Anna. Am I an awful person relishing Yoo Jin’s discomfort?
Anna shows Je Ha the police file on her mother. She tells him her mother writhed in agony so much that she broke fingernails. Anna says this wasn’t a simple suicide. Je Ha stares at her. He knows this will be a painful treacherous road they will walk together.
JSS’s President meets with the police chief who tells me that Assemblyman Jang’s presidential quest will soon be history. We can’t hear what he says next but the JSS President looks surprised.
Yoo Jin’s brother introduces Anna to a hair, makeup, and security team. Je Ha glares at the security guy.
In parallel scenes Anna gets makeup applied and Yoo Jin gets makeup applied. Choral chants abound in the background. Nice! Two women putting their armor on!
Yoo Jin tells Assistant Kim that she’ll let Je Ha stay with Anna. She declares she’ll utilize him later. The little matter of the video Je Ha has, stops her revenge, for now.
Je Ha asks Yoo Jin’s brother if Anna is the sword he’s welding against Yoo Jin. He loves the analogy and states he wants Anna to avenge her mother’s death. If he keeps JB Group from Yoo Jin’s grasp in the process, then it’s a win-win situation. Je Ha asks how he could show Anna traumatizing photos of her mother’s death scene. Yoo Jin’s brother laughs and says that he is going to give Anna wings. Je Ha counters that coming at Yoo Jin like this was stupid and shows how little he understands his complicated sister.
It’s photo shoot time. The photographer complains to Yoo Jin’s brother that the low lighting hinders the product. Yoo Jin’s brother sends everyone to lunch, leaving himself alone with Anna. Je Ha walks into the studio just in time to see Yoo Jin’s brother giving Anna anti-anxiety pills from the doctor. He says they take effect in 1 hour. He urges Anna to talk one so they can try brighter lighting after lunch. Anna agrees. As he walks away he passes Je Ha who walks towards Anna. She explains about the medication and hopes it works. Je Ha comments that Anna should get medication directly from the doctor. She smiles and says she trusts her Uncle. She tells Je Ha she’ll wait in the dressing room for the medicine to take effect.
As everyone leaves for lunch, Je Ha and Anna are vulnerable and their enemies take advantage. As Je Ha patrols he sees a gaggle of men break into the building a release poisonous gas. Wow, that seems extreme. Why not snatch and grab? Is death the objective? Je Ha’s phone doesn’t work (signal is blocked). He runs to Anna apprises her of the situation. He tells her to flee. She won’t go without him. They argue. Je Ha convinces her that he can do his job better knowing she’s safe. He pushes her into the ventilation system. Hmmm, why not flee with her and guarantee her safety? Isn’t that Je Ha’s prime directive? On a functional land line phone, Je Ha calls Assistant Kim and demands to speak with Yoo Jin. Assistant Kim refuses. Je Ha realizes that Assistant Kim orchestrated this. She doesn’t deny it stating she hates him and he must pay for upsetting Yoo Jin’s world. She declares Anna and Yoo Jin will now resume their proper places in the power structure. Je Ha promises that he’ll deal with her later. The intruders cut the phone line.
All the remaining security personnel are disabled. In what I’m dubbing “the gas fight”, Je Ha disables the some of the intruders. Let’s ignore he is fighting without a gas mask. Now he fights another set of men and the gas mask is removed. From the air duct grate, Anna sees Je Ha fight three men but he goes down with two men standing. As they approach him, Anna appears and decks one of the men with a fire extinguisher. She calls to Je Ha to get up. The remaining man chases her. Cornered Anna can only hope Je Ha will save her. He does and falls to the ground. Anna puts the gas mask on him before the fumes knock her out too. Agent K1 and Agent J4 find Anna and Je Ha on the ground. I did not like this scene. Silly with the gas. Silly Je Ha fought without the mask. Silly Je Ha sent Anna alone and stayed to fight. Glad silly scene is over. What mattered was Assistant Kim’s action to kill Je Ha and Anna. Did Yoo Jin approve?
Assemblyman Jang Se Joon (Cho Song Ha) watches his wife stand in front of protestors demanding his release. He smiles at the show. He asks the prosecutor if he should leave. The prosecutor smiles and says he’ll take care of the paperwork. Assemblyman Jang grows impatient and turns on the TV. He sees a reporter outside the building announce the prosecutor will soon give an update on Assemblyman Jang. Yoo Jin asks Assistant Kim what happened with the attack on Anna. Assistant Kim says she doesn’t know yet. The prosecutor comes out and tells the reporters, the protesters, and Yoo Jin that new evidence has been found and Assemblyman Jang will not be released today. That wipes the fake smile from Yoo Jin’s face. That wipes the smug smile for Assemblyman Jang’s face. That puts a big smile on Assemblyman Park’s face. This man loves to laugh!
Yoo Jin’s brother, Anna, Je Ha, et all wonder what to do next. Je Ha suggest they return to their former house. His logic is that JSS won’t attack there. Hmm, hasn’t JSS proved they’ll attack anywhere?
Je Ha calls Col Jo as he is striding through the lobby of JSS with the President, Yoo Jin and Assistant Kim.
In Cloud Nine’s cone of silence conference room, Yoo Jin rants to someone that Assemblyman Jang cannot be arrested. She orders he do everything to prevent the smear of an arrest. After the call Yoo Jin asks if Assistant Kim has spoken to the secretary of the President. Assistant Kim tells her he’s not answering their calls.
Assemblyman Park is jolly stating this is prevent scum like Assemblyman Jang from joining the political party. The secretary of the President is angry and asks Assemblyman Park what right he has to dictate what happens. Assemblyman Park soothes him stating he only wants to discuss options with the President. The secretary of the President asks Assemblyman Park if he’s scared of Assemblyman Jang joining the party. Assemblyman Park admits he is. He must stem the wave washing Assemblyman Jang to the Presidency.
The political deserters make their way back to Assemblyman Park who relishes their return.
Yoo Jin wonders what is the trump card they don’t know about. The JSS President says his sources say the trump card is explosive and has the ear of the president of Korea. He notes that if they keep Assemblyman Jang out of jail, they’ll lose the battle for the presidency. The JSS President says the only option is to use Je Ha to assassinate Assemblyman Park.
Je Ha, Anna, et all arrive at the house. Anna is not excited about entering her former house of captivity. Je Ha sees that she’s nervous. He takes the blanket from her lap and whips it over their head. They SLOWLY make their way to the house. They gently speak with each other but really they are only thinking about kissing each other. Finally, they get into the house. They stare into each other’s eyes. Je Ha bends and give Anna a slight nose nuzzle. Then he gently kisses her. Nice kiss! Once again the director mucks with the moment by the scene setup and length coupled with some inane dialog but the actors rise above the silly to deliver a lovely first kiss.
Agents K1, J4, and Housekeeper realize they are kissing under the blanket. J4 hoots her happiness.
Col Jo tells Yoo Jin that Je Ha won’t make survive the assignation attempt because Assemblyman Park’s security is jacked to the maximum. Yoo Jin wants to know where Je Ha is. She’s surprised when Col Jo tells her that Je Ha has returned to their former location.
Je Ha gets the call. He agrees but demands assurances that Anna will be secure. Anna is not happy when Je Ha tells her he’s leaving but will return soon. She demands that he stay. He stares at her and says it will be fine. She hugs him and begs him to stay.
Je Ha learns that Yoo Jin wants him to assassinate Assemblyman Park means he’ll likely die. He agrees to do it. Assistant Kim is surprised, Yoo Jin is surprised, JSS President is pleased, and Col Jo is concerned. Je Ha has two conditions. First, in exchange for Assemblyman Park’s head on a platter, he’ll get Assistant Kim’s head on a platter. Love it! She agrees. Second, Yoo Jin must guarantee’s Anna’s safety and to no longer interfere in her life. Yoo Jin agrees. Je Ha tells the JSS President he’ll need an assault time. The JSS President agrees. He cheekily asks Je Ha for his email address. Je Ha laughs. Yoo Jin says the email address no longer matters. If this assassination doesn’t work, it’s all over. Everyone leaves the room but Je Ha and Yoo Jin.
Yoo Jin approaches Je Ha and tells him that if things look bad, he can abort the mission and return to her. He chuckles and asks why she’s inferring a personal concern for him, it isn’t like her. She chuckles and asks what is like her? He tells her he deleted the damming email long ago. He steps closer to her and looks into her tear laden eyes and says he knows she’ll keep her promises to him. He leaves.
Je Ha and Team Lead So (my hot honey) and the assault team stride through the parking garage. As Team Leader So makes sure everyone is locked and loaded, Je Ha takes a phone call from Anna. Nice that her picture is stored in her contact. Typically, kdramas don’t use photos in their contact lists.
Anna asks Je Ha to get takeout and come home. Je Ha tells her he’ll be late tonight. Her voice breaks and says she’ll wait for him. His voice breaks and says that Agent J4 can get her take out. Anna counters that she only wants to eat with him. A tear falls down her face.
Team Leader So gets a call from Assistant Kim directing him to kill Assemblyman Park and Je Ha tonight. He’s surprised. Assistant Kim states even if Assemblyman Park lives, Je Ha must die. She orders him to get Je Ha’s phone. He pauses but agrees. Don’t worry, my hot honey won’t kill Je Ha (I hope).
Anna threatens to kill Je Ha if he doesn’t return with takeout. Je Ha says he’ll have to bring it or he’s a dead man. Anna orders him to return to her alive. Je Ha promises to return to her alive.
My Thoughts
Good cliffhanger to a solid episode. Our couple kisses and the decision to kill Assemblyman Park is agreed upon. Yoo Jin’s power base teeters on the success of the assignation attempt. It is “go big or go home” time. My favorite scene was the interview where Yoo Jin was surprised by a composed Anna who declared to the public she wanted to find out the truth about her mother’s death.
Kim Je Ha (Ji Chang Wook) kissed Anna. Yes, the director’s decision to do a long scene under the blanket didn’t thrill me, but Ji Chang Wook and Yoona overcame it and delivered a decent first kiss. I find their feelings for each other believable given what they’ve been through. I don’t agree with Je Ha’s choice to shove Anna into the air vent to fend for herself while he fought the bad guys without a gas mask. I had to shake my head at the silliness of this. I loved the moments of vulnerability, concern, and cute the Je Ha showed this episode. He cares for Anna. He’s ready to kill Assemblyman Park to complete his revenge. But he wants to return to Anna. Will Je Ha’s assignation attempt free him from his revenge quest? I liked how he leaned into Yoo Jin, laser locked on her eyes, and told her that he trusted she’d keep her promises to him. Of course, he can’t trust her.
Ko An Na (Yoona) declared her revenge quest against Yoo Jin. Who can blame Anna for wanting to get revenge against her cruel captor Yoo Jin? No one. Anna showed more strength this episode. She stood up to Yoo Jin on camera. She declared she’s find out the truth about her mother’s death. She whacked bad guys with a fire extinguisher. Her reward? A sweet kiss from Je Ha and his promise to return to her from this mission they both know could kill him. The TV interview was a good moment for Anna to flex her power.
Assemblyman Jang Se Joon (Cho Song Ha) had another cameo appearance. He was surprised to be detained by the prosecutor. Does he know about the attempt on Anna’s life?
Choi Yoo Jin (Song Yoon A) saw that her tower of power could topple. While I enjoy Yoo Jin when she is full on evil, it’s her vulnerability when others give her a taste of her own medicine makes Yoo Jin multidimensional. She’s so thin skinned it’s surprising. Her armor of power covers a woman that vacillates between witch and susceptible. I respect the flaws in her almost more than her strengths. Will her personal feelings for Je Ha help him or hurt him?
The fourth song of the OST, “Love You” by Min Kyung Hoon has an acapella version. Check it out in the embedded video below:
Recaps/Reviews:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Series | JT’s Review
Asian drama fan. I watch and blog dramas on https://kjtamusings.wordpress.com/.
amusings 
The walkie-talkie interchange was sweet. I ❤ Anna telling Je Ha "you're mine!" I was glad our couple had their first 💋kiss–for once I have to agree with J4: mouth-to-mouth resuscitation is not a kiss. The series director has a penchant for taking something nice in a small dose, but dragged it out too long–to the point of losing its effectiveness: the episode's blanket kiss, previous beach frolic and happy ramen dance.
I'm surprised Anna decided to take on Yoo Jin–doesn't she realize hurting Yoo Jin = hurting her dad. Perhaps that's why she threatened to divulge rather than actually divulging in order to maximize the squirm factor. It was rather gratifying to see Yoo Jin squirm. Her disagreeable spouse had a equally bad day; leaving a smug Assemblyman Park heartily laughing. Yoo Jin very specifically said no one was to touch Je Ha; why did Yoo Jin allow Assistant Kim to get away with the gas incident?
Is it just me or is anyone else wondering if the JSS president made a deal with the police chief to double cross Yoo Jin and Assemblyman Jang with assassinating Assemblyman Park? Je Ha is the perfect fall guy for the job–Yoo Jin may be able to disavow him. I really wish Je Ha wasn't so hell-bent on killing Assemblyman Park; Why not expose his misdeeds and let him suffer humiliation rotting away in prison? Why would Je Ha request the assistance of the assault team? Hasn't Je Ha humiliated them multiple times–why would the assault team be on his side? Especially now Assistant Kim has issued a Je Ha extermination order. Does Je Ha really trust JSS or is using this as an opportunity to keep a better track of them? Hopefully Je Ha won't trust them. The thought of my Je Ha being in danger makes me invoke my kindergarten age nephew's words–"I don't like it!"
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“Yoo Jin very specifically said no one was to touch Je Ha; why did Yoo Jin allow Assistant Kim to get away with the gas incident?”
Yoo Jin was hurt by his loyalty to Anna. That gave Assistant Kim, who can rock a “I hate you” look with ease, the latitude.
“Is it just me or is anyone else wondering if the JSS president made a deal with the police chief to double cross Yoo Jin and Assemblyman Jang with assassinating Assemblyman Park?”
Could very well be. The men are puppets to either Assemblyman. It would make sense that the JSS President would want to eliminate Assemblyman Park. His life would be better. I’m not sure why the police chief would choose Assemblyman Park as the one to eliminate.
I don’t think Je Ha trusts the assault team but he needs their firepower, if only for cover. LOL “I don’t like it”!
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@JT I agree about Sec. Kim. At the time that she planned to kill JeHa, she had no idea that he had already deleted the incriminating email and supposedly she is “ride or die” (secretly in love? ) for Yoo Jin so what gives? Writers forgot about all that for a minute?
As to An-Na with the “you’re mine”, I didn’t find it cute at all. I would have if she had played it off as “because you’re MY bodyguard”. But setting aside that we know they’re the OTP, she is moving waaaay too fast. The very fact that she doesn’t know that this man’s PTSD is because he was in love, engaged, and in turmoil and yet to recover being b in love with a deceased other woman means she could be setting herself up for a huge disappointment …IF, they weren’t the OTP.
I do understand that this is her first real contact with anyone and she feels the attraction as a connection – so I guess that’s pretty realistic that she wouldn’t know what the heck she’s doing. She needs Housekeeper Ahjumma to step in and slow her roll ’cause you know J4 would just give her the pull-out-all-the-stops signal.
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what is OTP?
LOL on Housekeeper vs. J4
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@JT OTP is Kdrama lingo for One True Pairing – when they tell you from the beginning in the Sunday and in the teasers who are the lead meant-for-each-other couple who will end up together.
I picked that up at Dramabeans.
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Thank you! I figured it meant something like that, I just wasn’t sure about the acronym.
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How will Je Ha be able to overcome Assemblyman Park’s security and JSS? Is Col. Jo clueless or complicit? Will Col.Jo give Je Ha a heads up?
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Col Jo is on Je Ha’s side. That being said, he may continue to allow Je Ha to figure out his own way out of the situation.
JT, Beez had stated earlier this series doesn’t have “it” (that special something). What’s your take?
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Yep,The K2 is lacking the “it” factor. I have not felt invested in the characters, except for Je Ha. While I like JCW’s character and want him to find peace, his desire to kill for revenge is possibly what I don’t like. Killing to protect yourself or others can be justifiable, but not premeditated murder. Seeking justice,even if it is not legal and above board could be acceptable I’ even okay with setting up the bad guys to kill each other, but how can our hero be a cold blooded murderer?
I pity Anna and want her to find happiness, but I don’t care if she ends up with Je Ha or not. I find the politicians, Yoo Jin and most of her gang to be reprehensible and want them to get pay for their misdeeds.
The director continues to drag out a good thing past its lifespan and kills what little joy we could have had. The action started out to be fantastic in the first few episodes, but much of the action since has been lackluster compared to the awesome car chase and naked shower fight–it must be difficult to keep up that pace of action. The poison gas fight was simply not believable. I wish is was “Healer” caliber…they have time to turn it around…will they? I will continue to watch for my JCW, but I’m disappointed in the story.
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Yup – what JT said. And while I too want “Healer caliber”, I don’t want Healer cuteness. As cute as Je Ha’s bumbling moments were, and reminiscent of Healer, I want more… you know…I’m embarrassed to say…I’m not sure. I’m just not connecting and I’m soooo easy to please when it comes to tv characters. I loved Moonlight Drawn by Clouds despite there being no depth to the story. I’m loving Jealousy Incarnate despite the general unlikability of the characters (I still like them though).
JCW can do no wrong in my book. I watched every single episode of Smile Donghae (79 eps I think it was); I’m even suffering through Whirlwind Girl whenever I feel I won’t mind losing a few brain cells. I rewatch random eps of Healer whenever I miss him too much. I plan on watching Five Fingers and some show about 3 sons. I even watched Bachelor’s Vegetable Store. Not great but I was fine because I’m not hard to please if my bias is in something. I’m just glad to see him/ her in a series.
So what…is…wrong?
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I think the problem with The K2 is lacking a just cause and a sizeable range of reprehensible antagonists. Healer had our main characters seeking the truth and justice about a shared past incident that changed their each of lives. In the process they healed their emotional wounds and reconnected. Je Ha wants revenge for the murder of his fiancé and Anna wants to be reunited with her father. I have a problem with a hero figure seeking lethal revenge—why not seek justice? None of the other characters are appealing or have a just cause.
In The K2 our main couple experienced PTSD in seemingly unrelated incidents and are severely emotionally damaged souls. Until they each make major progress towards healing their PTSD, including deep emotional wounds, neither one of them has business starting a relationship. How can we root for Anna to be reunited with her excrement-like father? Assemblyman Jang CHOSE to pursue power through politics making/keeping Yoo Jin as his detestable partner—why didn’t he choose his daughter? We are at episode 10 and still puzzled as to why this repugnant couple ever got together; let alone stay together. A little backstory revealing motivation could go a long way.
The action started out with a bang in this series, but has been waning since the first few episodes—I’m hoping for some great action with the assassination attempt next episode. The writing is the biggest problem. The only characters I feel invested in are Je Ha and to a lesser degree Anna, Master Song (I ❤ his comic relief) and the supportive Col. Jo—although he has ratted out Je Ha to Yoo Jin. This story is loaded with nasty antagonists; it lacks a just cause to root for and neither Je Ha or Anna are emotionally healthy or ready to engage in a romance, which is being pushed on us; and the director kills the potentially sweet moments by dragging them out until they are beaten to death and lose their savor. While I am at it, get rid of the cigarette hanging in Je Ha's mouth—I'm pretty sure we will never see him light it.
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Yeah, JT, that’s a lot of the problem but there’s still…something else bothering me. I think maybe I just don’t care for An Na other than a basic sympathy thing. And why is she doing stuff without checking with JeHa? She knows she’s playing with the Big Dawgs. It doesn’t get more powerful than YooJin’s and her brother (and company) political/corporate types. Obviously Je ha knows how to lay low since he had been on the run and avoiding Korean and International spy agencies. Why wouldn’t she at least consult him about her planned moves?
So now, on top of not really being invested/caring about her, she’s annoying me.
And maybe as we spend more time with the couple, I’ll feel differently. I sure hope so.
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I’m agreeing with both of you on the majority of your points.
I want more Healer “heart” to the K2 story. This writer penned Young Pal and I see similar issues with K2 that I saw with Young Pal. The writer is not not reaching the potential of the characters or the story.
Young Pal had a wounded female lead that Kim Tae Hee went to town with. Song Yoon A is doing the same, making the nebulous rational for the evil but vulnerable Yoo Jin palatable, even relatable.
Young Pal failed to give the male lead sufficient depth shorting the fabulous Joo Won. I see the same with Je Ha. JCW can only do so much. Je Ha’s romance in Iraq didn’t resonate with me and therefore his revenge motivation doesn’t fully work for me. I agree with JT, I don’t respect Je Ha’s fixation with murder not justice. Murder is the easy way out, justice is a much harder (and therefore interesting) goal.
I don’t need the Healer romance. To be blunt, this couple isn’t worthy of a intense romance. Anna is wounded and too childlike. She’s been captive (and stunted emotionally) for how many years? As Beez noted her willingness to play with the “Big Dawgs” is nothing short of stupid. Je Ha’s look of incredulity when she entered the TV studio showed his disbelief at her choice to engage directly with Yoo Jin per her half-brother’s prompting. Yoo Jin, her half-brother, husband, Assemblyman Park, etc. exist in a different plane than “normal” people. They live and breath manipulation, back stabbing, and treachery all for purely personal power goals.
All that being said, I’m enjoying this show for what it is offers, but see the flaws too.
I hope the last 3 weeks of this series pulls the net tighter on tentacles of the story and drive to a satisfying conclusion.
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WHAT!!! Only 3 more weeks! 6 more episodes. I guess because I’m still waiting…I thought there would be more time to pull this into something I’d find worth adding to my recorded and saved collection. Too late now. Even if it becomes enjoyable later, there’ve been too many episodes that I just don’t feel excited (anything) about.
Maybe my whole problem is there just hasn’t been enough JCW screen time.
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I’ve wanted more for JCW’s character but this writer isn’t delivering. Very similar to what the writer did in Yong Pal, the female lead got the best bits of story. JCW deserves better (and we do too)!
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I must be the only person that liked Yong Pal (although admittedly, the first half when he was a rogue doctor was more exciting. That would’ve been an awesome storyline-show by itself). But I enjoyed Kim Tae Hee not being a simpering wilting violet once she woke up. But then too,I was unfamiliar with Jong Woo (is that his name?) at the time so I wasn’t upset at the focus being off him.
I did go looking for his other past projects after that and liked what I’ve seen so far.
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Kim Tae Hee must have wanted to hug the writer. I enjoyed Yong Pal but it was a showcase for the female lead.
It would be nice if the writer focuses more on Je Ha now that Anna is launched. We shall see tomorrow.
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I concur Anna is an annoying, emotionally stunted victim. I find her pitiable, foolish and not particularly likeable. She is not a good candidate for a romance with Je Ha.
She was a fool to let her “uncle” use her to retaliate against Yoo Jin; risking her life, her handlers (didn’t she just learn a couple of episodes ago their lives are dependent on them protecting her) and potentially exposure or life of her beloved father, who doesn’t deserve her devotion.
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When you put it like that…everyone is pitiful in this series! 🙂
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Beez I agree with you about preferring the first half of Yong Pal.
While I liked Yong Pal, it seemed to be lacking the “it” factor. This was my first exposure to Joo Won. While I appreciate Kim Tae Hee not being a simpering violet, I thought she was too mean to deserve Yong Pal. If I recall correctly, the storyline was salvaged in the end. I’m hoping K2 will be too! 😀 ☯
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Concur on K2. Concur on no “it” factor for Yong Pal. The writer is the common thread.
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If you like fantasy/romance dramas I would suggest watching W-Two Worlds. I just finished it the other day–it didn’t take long to get invested in the main characters and plots twists kept the story interesting and lively! It was an intriguing joyride.
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@JT. Oh, absolutely! I am a Sci-fi and a fantasy nut. I’ve watched the first episode of W, but I haven’t had time to get back to it.
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