Hometown Cha Cha Cha Ep 8 - No Man Is An Island [Podcast]

Hometown Cha Cha Cha Ep 8 - No Man is an Island

Released: May 9, 2022

Transcript:

Beep: [00:00:00]

Hello, and welcome back to Streaming Banshees, your home for TV book club on the internet. This is Beep you can reach me on Twitter @beepsplain today's podcast is about Hometown Cha Cha Cha, episode eight. Just a reminder that we are a rewatch podcast. So there are actually spoilers for the entire series and every episode that we do, please make sure you have finished it before you listen to any of our episodes.

You can find us on our website at streamingbanshees.com or also reach us on Twitter at TV Banshees. I am joined as always by the lovely CC—

CC: Hey, everybody, you can find me on Twitter [00:01:00] @acapitalchick. Beep, I found myself on this rewatch of episode eight, thinking a lot about the John Donne poem “No man is an island” because in so many ways, this episode, particularly watching it again and watching them gossiping and doing all of the things that on first watch really seemed kind of like invasive and definitely stepping over a line.

It really launches this theme that we never know what is going on in other people's lives, which is one that I really carry with me from Hometown Cha into real life. You realize that once you got to the end of the episode with what they reveal at the end Nam Sook, but now rewatching it, it also hit me how much it foreshadows everything that we [00:02:00] don't know about Chief Hong story and why he is being so reticent about what is pretty clearly, you know, romantic feelings that are bubbling to the surface in this episode.

Beep: Right. And the way that those two contrast is, is interesting because outwardly it's like, you wonder what her deal is because she's so frustrating, but his, because he's outwardly, so kind, even though people are curious, they don't have to constantly worry about that. You know, whereas Hye-jin is like, why do, why do people let her get away with this behavior?

And it's because of what's going on underneath, she just exudes it in a way that is super annoying to everybody else.

CC: yeah.

Especially when you get to the end with the flashbacks with an Nam-sook. Both Nam-sook. And Chief Hong are people who at one point were walking around this village as a complete shell of themselves because [00:03:00] of grief. And both of them in different ways found a purpose and a way to go on for Nam Sook, raising money for her daughter for Chief Hong, it's this, title and persona of Chief Hong, which throughout this episode he feels threatened, right?

Like obviously he's jealous about Director Ji and Hye-jin, but he's also so annoyed and insecure about Director Ji kind of stepping a little bit onto his role, right? but all of that goes so much deeper and it's, and it's tied to what is sort of foreshadow through Nam-sook story.

That community is what helped put these people back together. And it's another episode like the one earlier on with the sexual harassment story, where. It's like a parable about how [00:04:00] community should work for people to help each other. Right. So you have, Hodges' young looking out for Cho-hee. You have, Hye-jin looking out for Nam-sook. And at the end of the episode, we have Chief Hong looking out for Hye-jin and basically like three crimes are prevented because people were looking out for one another.

So like that, like that earlier episode, you have that sort of on this macro level, people working together to protect each other and protect the community from the phishing scam or from this sexual predator who basically tries to attack two different women.

but also then you have on this micro level, Shin Haeun is very carefully contrasting the ways that small acts can either lift people up and. Help love grow or the failure to be considerate [00:05:00] and to be thoughtful and to show love and care through acts can actually chip away at love. And so you have, on the one side, the hardware store owner, who's complaining about his pregnant wife, complaining about the fruit that she wants.

and, and you have young cook. Who's like, what did I ever do? And the whole story of their divorce, the mystery of Gongjin is that he completely took his wife for granted. And she overheard him basically talking about that. He settled in marrying her. And then you contrast that with Hye-jin and Chief Hong and Director Ji who all express care in all of these small considerate acts, whether it's taking care of people's injuries, taking care of people when they're sick, looking out for their safety.

And it's just a really interesting contrast, the way that she is sort of [00:06:00] showing that love is like a garden and you can tend to it and it will grow and it will flourish, or you can ignore it and not, do the small things. And it will weather and weeds will grow.

Beep: yeah. And choke it out.

CC: Yeah. Yeah. And, and, and, you know, an interesting part of that, that, we'll get to, at the end of the episode, Chief Hong is somebody who has made so much of his purpose to work through his grief and everything that happened in Seoul, like Nam-sook, raising money for her daughter.

His purpose is Chief Hong. And then he's doing all of these acts for people. And when Director Ji kind of steps into that role, he's really kind of thrown by it. but it just to bring it back to the quote, no man is an island. Chief Hong is on an emotional island, and this is really the first episode where we watch how that he is at first at [00:07:00] accepting help.

And these kinds of acts of care for himself.

Beep: When you talk specifically about his purpose, it reminds me of a song and a line from Encanto where the, uh, oldest daughter who kind of seems to bear the brunt of the whole family's struggles, if you will. And she's super worried about the pressure that's put on her and living up to it.

She literally says, I'm pretty sure I'm worthless. If I can't be of service.

Beep: And that reminds me so much of him and where he is right now. It's like, if he can't do these things, you also have obviously the issues of atonement, guilt and all that too. But the way he's built this persona, if he can't do that, then what is he?

Because he's not able to be his full and his true self right now. He literally is the acts of service that he performs.

CC: Yeah. Yeah.

And it's interesting that Right. when that feels like it is [00:08:00] precarious because all of a sudden, there's this really helpful, also really talented guy and he's going around town and he's doing everything for free. you know, and then Chief Hong is physically ill. And so he's like in his house and can't perform those acts of service.

That is what creates this opportunity for Hye-jin to basically force her way past the doorkeeper. think that looking back on it, this episode is a turning point for him accepting someone performing these acts for him. And it's an important step along the way, because we know that it's going to end up in a good place.

It's not that it's hard to watch, but it's like a reminder of where he was, because when we get to the end of the series, like he's so loving and like a few sieve in the way that he expresses love. But you're reminded of like [00:09:00] how he's like having to learn how to do that again, because he hasn't been part of a family in so long.

Beep: Yeah. And in some ways never, I mean, or for such a short time, you know, with his young and

ultimately though he doesn't even know how to touch a function as part of a cohesive unit.

CC: Yeah. It's like, yeah. So it's just a really fascinating rewatch for many, many reasons. And let's go to Nam-sook gossiping with everybody in town. This is a particularly egregious gossiping session. Don't you think?

Beep: Oh yes.

CC: Wow.

Beep: It is a lot.

CC: I mean, she has been all along, the amount that she steps over the line in front of people has been really like, you know, most times I have emotionally been with Hye-jin to be [00:10:00] like, are you serious right now? But she's basically to everybody, all the other adults speculating that Hye-jin has slept with Chief Hong.

And now she's two timing him with Director Ji and when Mi-seon walks in the restaurant is like, hold up, man, what are you talking about? It's it's really bad. and it's really interesting to rewatch it with this now layer of knowing this is how she feels her time, because she is so alone after the death of her daughter.

And that is why everybody puts up with it.

Beep: Yeah. And that's still sad. And I don't know of itself that she, I mean, for multiple reasons. And I understand that hotshot later is just like, I'd rather see her like this than the way she was, but it's still not great, but she, what it reminds me of though, is, you know, early on when, when Hye-jin first gets to town, [00:11:00] she is saying all this horrible stuff and gets blasted because it was actually over the Intercom and she didn't realize it.

Whereas I feel like Nam-sook just stuff like that all the time in front of everyone with no thought whatsoever, she knows people are listening and she still says it.

CC: What I like about this episode is that while Shin Haeun is absolutely making the point that before we sort of reflectively react to somebody acting in a way that we don't like, maybe we take a breath and think about maybe there's things going on in their lives that we don't know about and, and try and be compassionate and have empathy before you sort of knee jerk react to that.

But on the other hand, this episode, Absolutely. Hye-jin is drawing lines about what is acceptable and what is not in addition to being [00:12:00] empathetic and compassionate into the end.

Beep: Absolutely. No it does because it's one thing to consider the person and what they may be going through. It is another thing to condemn the behavior, which is totally except. What she's doing is not okay. So for somebody to step up and say, hey, that's not okay. Regardless of what that other person is going through is legitimate.

CC: Yeah. I mean, community can't work unless you do that

Beep: Right? Right. I feel like she feels, she operates almost as this is as if this is her purpose. She's in the know, you know what, even though she's making half this stuff up, I feel like that's almost the value she attempts to bring to the community of like, oh, if you need to know anything, you come to me.

And that's how she keeps people around her. It's a, it's a horrible coping mechanism. And I do feel for her after seeing all this it's it's, it is such a strange line to try to, to battle.

CC: Yeah.

[00:13:00] I mean, she is going home every day to an empty house. Her daughter's room is still filled with all of her things. Right. If we remember back to episode two, she still sits in that room with her daughter’s sailor moon wand. So filling her life with what's going on with everybody else. It's totally understandable.

Right. Because otherwise she sits at home in that house. Thinking about who's. And, you know, we'll get to what she must think. Every time she sees Ju-ri, right? There’s another girl in town that has the exact age of the daughter that she lost. So it's a constant reminder of what would my daughter be like right now?

Right. What band would she like? What would she be excited about? How would she be doing in school? It's a constant reminder of her loss. And that, that part of what Nam-sook chooses to do is it goes back to that Thoreau quote of there's no remedy for [00:14:00] love, but to love more. It's, it's reaching out to your re and doting on her and worrying about her safety.

And even though Nam-sook is thrifty and always goes to Oh Yoon cafe and never orders food, and always waits for the free stuff. You know, she's willing to give her money. So that is your recombine, the latest, you know, t-shirt for dos, right? So, and that's another thing that they play with, right? Everybody in town is complaining about how cheap she is.

And you think that this whole episode until the end, that she's being sort of greedy about wanting, you know, the additional interest rate wise and she give free dumplings, what isn't she ordered from the restaurant, et cetera, et cetera, when really raising money to honor her daughter's memory for children's hospice. Is her purpose. That is her, her acts of service. And in honor of her daughter's memory, that keeps her going the same way that Chief Hong[00:15:00] performing acts of service as the chief of the town gave him purpose after his loss and grief coming back from soul. So, meanwhile, while everybody is gossiping about Hye-jin’s sex life, she's taking care of all of their kids.

Like I'm like a Saturday morning,

Beep: Yeah. I feel like they don't know where their children are.

CC: like watching the K-pop videos and visiting the hedgehog that they keep at her house. And then like complaining that her, her drink offerings are.

not like varied. What I think is so interesting beat is me. Son comes home. I want you to think back to Hye-jin at the beginning of this show and me son comes in and is like, everyone is basically talking about how you're sleeping with these two guys. Her reaction is very interesting. Don't you think [00:16:00]

Beep: I, I think it's interesting in at least initially in the sense that she's like, I cannot believe you're having this conversation in front of children

CC: Yeah, trust me, the teenagers, absolutely listening to every word of that conversation.

Beep: She knows exactly what's going on.

CC: She's like, yeah, I saw that moment at the counter. I bet you are, but, but it's, her reaction is quite measured and I think it's interesting because two episodes ago, Chief Hong said, let the gossip slide.

Beep: Right. If it's not true, then why are you worried about it?

CC: Right. and it's, to me, I, what I thought is potentially two different things going on and I think both can be true. The first is she's this is a sign of her kind of [00:17:00] settling into the community. Like she's grown more views to the fact, you know, not only is this how a small town is, but in particular, this is the way Nam-sook says,

Beep: Right. She's gonna stay this stuff. So just, I mean, you can react to it or not react to it, but it's not like it's going to stop.

CC: yeah. And then, you know, she isn't quite have the same quills up about the jealousy that maybe Chief Hong isn't interested in her. So it was kind of like rubbing salt into a wound. Like at some level she is aware that there's like something going on with both these guys. And so. You know, it's not true that she's sleeping with both of them, but she doesn't have the same sort of knee jerk reaction that she did before, when it was kind of rubbing salt in the wounds of like, oh my God, no, that's the opposite of what's going on.

Beep: And also the comments about I'd rather not be connected to you at all. Like, Ooh,[00:18:00]

CC: Yeah. Yeah. all right. So we're like this episode is laying out a lot of, sort of this initial aftermath of Direction Ji. She is in town. Talk to me about the surfing date.

Beep: I love that you put in the original. 90210 Is one of my favorite shows when I was growing up. Like, I will date myself a little bit. It was in syndication by the time I was in middle school and two episodes aired every afternoon, but it would be like before I got home. So I straight up had it scheduled to record on VHS

CC: Yes.

Beep: and I watched it every single day.

So going back to the surfing and the idea of Dylan and Brandon and how they were best friends, but also kind of not, cause they're usually fighting over somebody. I just, I, [00:19:00] I love it so much. It's like if shin ho has ever seen that, which I mean, I have no reason to believe she has, but it feels like it's pulled right out of that.

CC: Oh yeah.

Beep: with Brandon first coming from Minnesota and not knowing how to serve and them learning together. And then, but also we're both in love with Kelly and like, it's just the whole thing. I love it so much.

CC: is Kelly. Chief Hong is Dillon and Director Ji is Brandon. I know it cracks me up. I mean, it's also just, you know, these two actors are so charming it's so, you know, the surfing scenes are so fun. Anytime the show plays romantic Sunday, the audience is just having a good time, but you know, it's also, it's also fun to just see Chief Hong hanging out with somebody his age surfing, right?

This is an activity that he's usually done on his own. Even if there is this hilarious layer of, of the security guard, sun and the writers sitting there as [00:20:00] being like. Why does it seem like he's being hazed? And it seems like chief hauling has a grudge and there's like this layer of comedy, you know, he, he likes Director Ji.

He is showing him how to surf. They're having a good time, but there's always this like, layer of like he's annoyed and he's annoyed because Direction Ji has like announced his intention that he wants to ask patient out. And it's like, chief hall doesn't know what to do with how annoyed he is.

Beep: but it's interesting because I mean, I assume not many people just immediately take too, especially at that age immediately take to surfing. So it's almost like this weird way for him to like, get back at him and abuse him without being mean. It's like, I know you're going to fall and I know you're going to get beat up and I am just going to laugh.

It's going to be delightful.

CC: He also has, you know, it reminded me AMA, a couple of podcasts ago when we were talking about [00:21:00] sort of the scene when Chief Hong was surfing on his day off, she had talked about how surfing is sort of like this almost metaphor for life. And I had forgotten that Chief Hong actually says surfing is like life.

If a good wave comes along, ride it and slide off gently whether the waves are vicious or stagnant, accepted as it is.

Beep: I think the way this man can give the most sound advice that he is absolutely incapable of taking its brilliantly. Hilarious.

CC: I like she pong, you are swimming against the wave that you're supposed to be riding right now.

Beep: Yes, you are neither writing nor sliding off gently. My friend, you are being beaten over the head consistently and you're coming back for more.

CC: All right. So there is this running thread of meta where Shin Haeun a speaking [00:22:00] through the character that is her ticking plot time bomb, the security guard son. The writer is watching her boss just fricking fall off his surfboard, 80,000. It's literally like, you could be playing wipe out

Beep: I mean, it's

CC: from the sixties during this.

and she's like, what is like, what are they filming? Is this some sort of like post-apocalyptic drama? And the security guard son says, no, it's a comedy with a sad ending. I'm just like, oh my God, he's the trigger for everything that makes us sob in episode 15.

Beep: So I started paying attention to specifically when he was around and when he was not, because I think this episode so far more than any people have called Chief Hong Du-sik. And it was just interesting because that guy is never there

of course,

CC: Of

Beep: but he [00:23:00] it's, I want to say they say it about four or five times in this episode, which is very uncommon.

So it's interesting to see like the almost.

CC: Yeah. It's ridiculous. Yeah. And later on, they're going to say, when they're in the editing room, they're gonna be like, no, no, no, we'll save that for a twist

Beep: Yeah.

CC: for the audience at the end. And so it's just so, I mean, I always add that line on first. Watch me be extremely nervous about whether this was going to all end tragically, but the writer of the show, is always like kind of commenting on her own narrative as she goes along.

So after the surfing date, Director Ji as always as hungry and it's like, let's go eat. And Chief Hong is so annoyed and it's just like, dude, I don't want to eat with you. And then Hye-jin walks up and is like, oh, thanks for brunch. Talk to me. Talk to me about Chief Hong [00:24:00] in this scene.

Beep: Hi love when he is just an overgrown child. He is inwardly. So petulant and outwardly is, I mean, he will third wheel himself to death. He does not care and that's not actually what ends up happening, but he would be fine with that. He literally just does not want them to be alone together. And now. They were it's like, oh no, no, no, no.

I not only need to know what's going on here. I will witness this. You will not be alone so far as I know,

CC: And of course, like he's like brunch, what are you talking about? Like immediately, like the dude is about to walk away. And then of course he can't, he can't actually what's actually bothering him. Is that Director Ji did this like grand, you know, kind of over the top, like romantic act that both women are thanking him for.

So of course

when he has to do like the, like the scene where they were all drinking is he has to like, attack [00:25:00] what he brought and whether that is a healthy meal to have at the start of the day, it's just like, oh my God, dude, you're so petty. And then there's just zero chance. There's zero chance. He's going to let them go to dinner alone.

Beep: after Mi-seon has already kind of like dipped out.

CC: Right. It's just Mi-seon is like, if she is an enabler and wants to facilitate, Hye-jin being alone with a guy, every chance she gets Chief Hong is there to be like, well, I'm standing right here. We're going to dinner dinners this way. You're like, dude, talk to me about his face, which she sits down next to him instead of director. She,

Beep: Oh, I mean, I didn't immediately notice his as much as I immediately noticed Cirector's Gi’s because he's so casually pulled out the chair for her, trying to be all, you know, chivalrous. And she just plops [00:26:00] down as if he wasn't even there. And I don't think she did it purposefully. I don't, don't think she thought about it at all.

It's just, it's the magnets again. They have,

um, they're almost flipped there.

CC: almost flipped, almost flipped. I mean, the thing that me son said to Nam-sook earlier when they were gossiping is like Hye-jin. What did she say? She's like, famously never lived up to like how pretty she is. Right. And she later on is like, Hye-jin is a dating novice.

Don't even know what's going on. Why, why Director Ji? She's doing all this nice stuff for you. Like, guys, don't just do this, like for the heck of it. Right. He likes you. So Hey-jin is sitting down and she is like, I think pretty clueless that these two guys are living and dying.

Beep: Hm.

CC: word that she says, and it's like watching this like tennis match of their emotions, because they're [00:27:00] both on this rollercoaster.

Right. She sits down next to Chief Hong. She's going to share a menu with him. He is so smugly satisfied. It's like, he is just grinning at Director Ji but then as soon as the conversation turns to the past and Haitian is connecting with Director Ji over that Chief Hong looks like totally insecure and is like looking back and forth between them.

Like, Ugh, like, I mean, they're just living and dying, hanging on every word that she says.

Beep: I like that, that was done though, I like that she doesn't know that she's just being normal and not playing with them, which is something you see a lot

CC: Yeah.

Beep: You know, somebody might be acting like they don't know what's going on, but they're really just toying with, with others. And I don't like that at all.

So I love that. She really just is like sitting by her one friend and having a conversation with her other friend, even though there's, you know, feelings bubbling everywhere that she's not acting out on the[00:28:00]

CC: Yeah. Talk to me about when he stuffs the dumpling in his mouth.

Beep: home.

She doesn't want them all right. They order way too much food because they had to get three instead of two, because how's that going to split? Like it's already so dramatic and she's like, oh, I can't eat this all. Here's some, and he's giving it to directors. I mean, you know, you know, Chief Hong will not abide that.

So he just steals that out of like mid air. I already called dibs on that one. Like, whoa.

CC: I, first of all, I love like an acting performance that totally is just unafraid to, to, to go there. And, and like, I don't know how he kept that whole thing in his mouth. Right. But it's just going to get the comedic mileage out of it. Right. It's

Beep: Oh yeah. The physical comedy to that is [00:29:00] a lot, especially. I mean, he has a whole plateful of, it's not like this is something he might not get a bite of. He literally has an entire plate in front of himself, but he wants that one because it was going to go to directorship.

CC: food. If food on this show is a love, language, love can make us both generous and kind, and petty and jealous, and the way, the way Chief Hong prepares food for many people and, and later tea for Hye-jin and can express how he cares about people through food. But also he is a rationally jealous of Direction Ji.

Even later on when he is in a relationship with Hye-jin, he, this is like, I mean, he's like, you know, he's a three-dimensional character. He's flawed. He is a wonderful person, [00:30:00] but, but he is petty as hell when it comes to the woman that he has feelings for. And that he's like stuck. It doesn't know what to do with it.

And he's going to grab food out of Direction Ji's mouth. I don't know how many times.

Beep: what's interesting though, is that, that is so like, I feel like you can empathize with him in that, not asleep from grabbing food out of people's mouths, but when you are in a room and it literally is just, you know, three people and you have like a new, you know, a new friend, a new relationship or whatever, and there's somebody there that has something has, has a part of their past that you don't know about.

It's really uncomfortable. Like there is like a jealousy. I feel like that creeps up about that. Like, oh, I, I didn't know that about them or, oh, like, I will never have that time with them. You, you have something that I can't, and there, there is like a weird jealousy that creeps up in that to me with like almost any relationship.

[00:31:00] you have like a new bestie and you meet there like childhood friend and you guys are just going to have like a weird dynamic. Maybe I'm just

CC: Yeah, no, and I, I think in particular, you know, what's going on internally with Chief Hong in this episode is he is beginning the episode with the, with the, almost like these feelings of he's uncomfortable, right? He is uncomfortable with why? Why does it annoy me? The director Ji wants to ask Hye-jin out.

Why does it annoy me? I can't let them go to dinner alone. I can't let her give, give him food. I am so happy when she sits next to me instead of him, right? Two in the middle of the episode, all of a sudden he's going to be like, oh my God, I'm seeing her in slow motion. What the hell is wrong with me to ending the [00:32:00] episode?

Literally holding his breath when she is close to him. And so it is, you know, his journey on throughout this episode is grappling with discomfort to then moving closer to, okay, now my heart's racing, right?

Beep: Well, he's acting. I would say in this episode, more than, than many of the other ones, he is acting completely out of emotion. And that is not a space that's comfortable for him because he's tried so much to disconnect himself from his emotions for years. And without even understanding it, that is how he's reacting to everything.

CC: in many ways. Like he, whether it comes out in a petty way or whether it comes out in doing something really considerate and thoughtful, he can't stop thinking about her and Director Ji. [00:33:00] Threatening many things in his life, as much as he likes the guy, it is her time and attention.

It is his role in the town and he he's insecure, for a lot of this episode,

Beep: Well, whether he realizes it or not, he was essentially treating his relationship or friendship or whatever the Hye-jin is. If they had all the time in the world. And now they don't because somebody has stepped up and said, Hey, I think I'm going to take my shot. And he's like, whoa, that was a part of the plan.

Yeah.

CC: Yeah.

and what's interesting is, because of Director Ji and because he, he provides this window into Hye-jin past everything he's learning about her makes him like her even more. So when they're talking about like how they met Chief Hong is like, you were busy. Why, and that's when he learns.

Well, because I had to earn my tuition. I had several jobs and I had tutoring gigs and [00:34:00] this, this like piece of information begins to reframe. Everything that he thought he knew about her. Right, because when she arrived to town and, and, uh, you know, so many of their conversations, it's about status and look at my expensive car and right.

Like her clothes and the things that she orders and all of the things that on the surface made them seem so different. Right. But, but when he when he's learning through, uh, through Director Ji is like, actually, they had very similar experiences starting out in university. Right. So Chief Hong was on scholarship and had to work his tail off as an engineering major and get grades at a certain level in order to maintain that scholarship Hye-jin is in a really hard major and is like working a ton of jobs, just like Chief Hong to make ends meet and pay her tuition.

And that reframed her materialism and [00:35:00] her focus on status. And all of a sudden it's like, oh, maybe there's this thing underneath that we actually have in common.

Beep: Right, because he finally realizes that she didn't come from status either.

CC: Right. Yeah. Which is, you know, all of the things that they seem to not have in common on the surface and then the far deeper and important things that they do. do you think Chief Hong spills, the water and purpose.

Beep: Of course he does. He

CC: I really can't tell you think he does. a purpose? I

Beep: Now. I don't know. This is very much to me like the, uh, the battle of illegal their own, like, did she drop the ball? So that feels like, to me, I feel like there cases to me made for both, uh, both instances,

CC: Yeah. He's either distracted and he, because he's processing all of this information and he spills the water or he's like, all right, stop reconnecting over the [00:36:00] past. I'm going to interrupt this. because

Beep: little of both.

CC: yeah, maybe a little about, he is so insistent on that directors, you will not pay for his meal.

Right. And she basically like stops the fight between them. And he's like, do just accept the way that he is and that he wants like accounting down to the cents is just Chief Hong. Right. He walks away. And in one of perhaps the most BS lines in all of hometown, cha-cha cha is him being like, wow, he has really weird taste in women.

Can't believe he would even think of her that way. Oh my God. So on the one front chief hog is feeling threatened, whether he is willing to admit it or not with Director Ji making a play for Hye-jin. Now he's walking through town. He sees the grocery store. And I have to say that [00:37:00] like, as somebody who had, who I have been pregnant three times, anytime a man wants to stop and help a woman lifts something heavy, who's pregnant.

I just am like, that is a good guy. And I think it's so interesting beat that Director Ji and Chief Hong are both two men who are just bystanders. Right. And they want to help and think about in the future episode when her husband is going to complain about moving all of those boxes or even stooping down to tire shoeless before the typhoon, it's

Beep: yeah, he's failing right now.

CC: oh my God.

Yeah. And I mean, that, it's just, there's, there's a lot of really heartbreaking contrasts that they're slowly building in the background. These stories about love being chipped away at, in a marriage because people are being taken for granted because people are being inconsiderate. you think about the fact that they got married because she got pregnant with Bo-ra in the [00:38:00] first place.

And it's really kind of like, Ugh, hurts my heart. But talk to me about his, I am the chief of this town.

Beep: I mean,

Director Ji is threatening everything in his life. Right. It starts with Hye-jin and that's already frustrating enough, but now he can't go to his jobs. He's not doing his, you know, I feel like he's being left alone to his own devices too much. I it's just like he's being replaced because they make the comment, you know, like, well, he did it for free.

So wait a minute. I thought we had like a good exchange going here. I already do it for a minimum wage, but like people have to be paid something. There's the, I feel like there's so much offense being taken and he's just puffing out his chest, like, wait, but this is my role. This is who I am.

CC: Yeah. Well, everywhere he turns, right? So whether it's brunch or dinner with Hye-jin or it's helping the [00:39:00] grocery store on earth boxes, or it's fixing the software system at the hardware store, or it's bringing treats to Gam-ri and her friends everywhere. He turns Director Ji has already been there. And now when we think back to what we will learn about how important being Chief Hong is to Hong Du-sik, it is what got him out of his house and gave him a new purpose.

And now everywhere he turns somebody else's already doing that

Beep: Yeah. I mean, it literally gave him something to do besides be depressed.

CC: Yeah.

Beep: if you take that from him again, with the, you know, if he's not serving, then what is he? And it's forcing him to confront not only his feelings for Hye-jin, but also his role in the community.

CC: Yeah. And, you know, he says later on to Director Ji flat out right before they go chase the assailant, why are [00:40:00] you up in everyone's business? That's my job, you know, like he just like,

Beep: He's kind of the other side of the coins to Nam Sook in a way because she's just up in it for the sake of being up in it. But don't think he's not fully aware of everything that goes on in that place.

He just kind of serves in a way to make him belong in the places he's being, but he knows what's up.

CC: Yeah. I mean, he knows that everybody says about him. He, he is. Yeah. But he, you know, both of them in different ways, Chief Hong's perhaps more constructive than them sucks, are,

Beep: of course.

CC: are, are lonely and alone at home. And so their community is everything. What, what people are doing, what people are worried about, what people need, who's kissing, who, you know, Nam-Sook is more concerned with somethings then Chief Hong is, but, but both of them, all of it is [00:41:00] outward because that is what keeps them from being alone and depressed at home. And.

Beep: know though. I think they might be concerned about who's kissing who at the same rate right now, because he is certainly concerned that directors you might, uh, might get there.

CC: There is a really great, reference in here that I just want to touch on really quickly. And so when, when Chief Hong is like really annoyed at, everything that directors she's doing, he says, what is he Hong Gil-dong? I am the Hong in this town. I am the chief in this town.

Went down a little bit of a rabbit hole with what Hong Gil-dong is, and I hope I'm pronouncing that correctly. It is basically according to an article from national public radio when there was a big, new translation of it into English here in the United States.

Basically the scholar described it as he is like the Robin [00:42:00] Hood in south Korean literature. So he's like an illegitimate son who steals from the rich and corrupt aristocrats and kind of is like this bandit folk hero, like Robin Hood or Ned Kelly and kind of Australian literature. And. He, is kind of like the way that the scholar described it is he's kind of like Jay Gatsby in the great Gatsby or Superman.

And I thought that that was so interesting. And I would love if, if listeners know, because I was sort of limited in the research that I could do with respect to the original film, that this show was adapted from, but this whole idea of the hero of gone gen and the chief of this town, and kind of like all of the escapades that they have shown kind of tongue in cheek of, of Du-sik, you know, capturing various bandits and saving people's lives on train tracks.

And in this episode, right, he's going to chase down a potential thief and tie him up with his shoe laces from his [00:43:00] converse. So it's kind of interesting. I was like curious, like as if that was in part of the original film, and this is part, you know, is in part a play on this kind of folk hero, which is absolutely about challenging class, right.

stealing from the rich to give to the poor and Chief Hong is very much all about equality and not caring about class and kind of having these like escapades about town that is the identity, these that he's assumed. So it was kind of like a fun little nugget in there.

And we'd love to hear from listeners, you know, who obviously have a lot more sort of cultural background about this.

Beep: that is likely very familiar to some people and I'd love to hear it.

CC: Yeah. So if you're listening and you have read, Hong Gil-dong, and can share a little bit more with us and with other listeners about it.

We would love to hear more about those parallels. all right. Beep talk to me about Chief Hong. Absolutely [00:44:00] starting to lose his stuff in the grocery store

Beep: Of course they run into each other again, because they always run into each other, I guess finally Du-sik is able to do one of his jobs.

In his mind, I guess, has a different kind of swagger that day and he's all about it.

He just, I think he's taken aback by how much he's like, oh wait, this woman, I feel like he is a very much like, oh, crap moment.

CC: like he's losing his shit,

Beep: Yeah. Like, uh, I'm really in this aren’t I? Oh God.

CC: One of the things that I, if we, if we think about this episode and where it kind of takes place in how the show overall tells this slow burn love story, and we're in a love triangle phase, right? [00:45:00] We have Hye-jin and Chief Hong who are not articulating verbally, that they are feeling the same thing at this point.

Right? However, they're on parallel tracks. In this episode, both of them are going to have these WTF. I am staring at somebody in scrubs taking off the neck brace and her hair. Is like in slow motion while this song that can make you feel like you're falling in love while making a peanut butter sandwich is playing and everything's in slow motion.

And he's like seeing her in slow-mo with like, she like human emoji heart eyes, right? Like they're like Kim Seon-ho could win an award for just making us believe that he's literally falling in love with whatever's in front of him. And like, Hye-jin is going to have a very similar moment when he is asleep and she's going to be drawn in almost like a moon in orbit and almost kiss him.

And then also be like, what is wrong with me? Right. So you have that [00:46:00] reciprocation, you have reciprocation where they're both concerned about the other. And can't stop thinking about whether one's walking in the rain or sick or the other is that all her neck hurts and they're going to be doing things for each other.

So overall, and sort of the slow burn story. Shin Ha-eun is telling us, yeah, I'm not giving you what you want yet. And yes, there is this love triangle and director. She is there, but I am showing you that they are on the same page emotionally, even though they are not telling each other yet. And I, I personally find that to be a very satisfying, slow burn, romantic storytelling, even with the love triangle.

Cause like you said, Beep this isn't, this isn't being played. If you think back to the restaurant scene, this isn't being played like, oh, she doesn't really know what she wants. Do you know what I mean? Or it's like playing up the jealousy

Beep: she's, she's not choosing

between them. That's not. Yeah. She's not choosing between them. It just like exists. There happened to be [00:47:00] two men who are interested in her, but it, but it's almost coincidental in, in many ways. It's just like, this is it's happening at the same time to two people who could have been, or one who used to be interested in instill is, and then another who's newer.

It's not, it's all just kind of organic in that.

CC: Yes. Yes. And that eats organic and that their denial, whether it's her trying to be like, I got to put a stop to this or him being like, that's not what this is it they're having, they're starting to have a hard time. Keeping those feelings locked up in a box by the end of this episode. And that's happening on parallel tracks.

I think it's also interesting sort of there the easy way that they talk with one another and know like Hye-jin is almost anticipating. Uh, criticism that isn't coming from him anymore. [00:48:00] She's like, yeah. I mean, I, I do work hard and maybe you didn't think that. Right. And he's like, well, why would you think that?

And while dude, because probably because a lot of the way that you've talked to her, like in the past, but there's kind of this like organic thing happening where she's going to come, she's going to start to say things like, I didn't think that he would listen to me. He does, he's noticing the things that she says, like the fact that her neck hurts, he's going to go home and he's not going to be able to stop thinking about it.

And he's like, she leaves and he's like do chic what? Get a grip. You know, like, he's trying to tell himself that like what is going on with me? And then he's home. And he's like, God, why did I ask about why she's wearing the neck brace? Because now I can't help but think about it. And now he has to do something about it, which, you know, he did before, when he found her shoe, right?

Like the guide spent hours restoring her shoe. that.

is, [00:49:00] he has always had this sort of, no matter what he's admitting sort of this compulsive need to do things for her, but let's contrast hardware store, owner, husband, and do chic in this scene, particularly because it's a woman writer talking through another male character.

When a husband is like, they're kind of grousing and complaining about his wife and his kid.

Beep: He is failing so hard right now.

CC: Yeah.

Beep: I, and it's, it's, it's difficult because I feel like this is one of those types of situations where nobody is particularly wrong. I think everyone goes through those types of frustrations, you know, be it as a, in a marriage or as a parent or all those [00:50:00] things. But I mean, he just seems to have taken it too far as if like, they're just some sort of burden on him.

And like you had mentioned before, they originally got married, like, because of, of the first child. And I just think he's not really getting what it is that his wife is, is not only what she means, but what she's doing. For him. I mean, when, when obviously she's the one having to go through all this stuff with her body to have a child, but like it's his child too.

And to me, that's a sacrifice. So you should be there participating in it to whatever degree you can instead of complaining.

CC: it's. So. Every day and ordinary in how inconsiderate he's being, but he's not a terrible person. This isn't some like traumatic, you know, he's an abusive husband or he e's cheating on her— no. This is just every day, [00:51:00] all the choices you make because you're tired because you're annoyed because you had working long hours at a store because you come home and your kids are a pain.

And you know, don't have time for yourself. All of the, all of the ways that being married with small children can take a toll and you choose to be selfish in reaction to that. instead of my wife is pregnant and is craving this fruit that we had on our honeymoon. He's hiding in Du-sik’s house because he's avoiding putting his kid to bed and complaining about getting the fruit.

Meanwhile, Du-sik sitting there hand cutting this root to make a tea for somebody that didn't ask for it? Who is not in a relationship with, but because he's worried about her and he cares about her, although he has no [00:52:00] expectation that they're going to have any relationship or anything more beyond what they're having.

And so you have. Contrast between somebody who is in a place where they should be doing things for other people out of love. And they're not versus somebody who is doing these acts of care for somebody when they don't have to. And that is sort of a thread that runs through this entire series between, you know, people who are currently husbands or ex-spouses or people who are like having feelings and are kind of like the men that they are.

And it's not to say that like, you know, Director Ji and Chief Hong are always going to get things, right, right. People are going to make mistakes and have failings when you're tired. But they, there is a very distinct contrast between what a female writer is saying. This is how you take care of love, or this is how you chip away at it.

And to me, I found it [00:53:00] really, I really appreciated a woman writer in many shows. This conversation would go very differently. It's two guys, it's a husband complaining.

about his wife and kid. And Du-sik is like, no, dude, like you're not, you're not right on this. And they're going to have another conversation later on where he's going to push back and be like, basically, like, why don't you want to get fruit for your pregnant wife?

Like, right. Like, and he's gonna like eventually come to it. And it's why they're not gonna be able to find him when his wife is in labor. Right. Because he's going to realize his mistake, but this is just something that is a steadily building frustration that is really, really hurts my heart. When you think about the fact that she is like raising a daughter, pregnant, running a business, and it's going to all come to a head when she's basically like, can you help me tie my shoe?

And he's like, why can't you do that yourself?

Beep: Ooh, I do like that. Du-sik totally turns it back on him though. And, and [00:54:00] does kind of what I was saying earlier, as far as making it his responsibility to like, it's not her, that's craving that. It's your child, like, sorry.

CC: Yeah. And you know, it's a really, it's a thread that goes through to the end of the episode. That really kind of is so. Beautiful. And yet the flip side of it is so heart-wrenching in this ordinary way because the act of one of the acts of love in this episode that is going to make Chief Hong so happy is that Hye-jin remembers the fruit that he was craving and brings it to him, even though he didn't like ask for it or expect it.

And she buys it from the grocery store owner. Meanwhile, her husband is complaining about doing the same thing for her,

This episode is like all about the small things that we can do for each other, taking care of each other when we're sick, [00:55:00] showing these acts of appreciation and thoughtfulness, which is, which is how to express love, noticing that somebody is not there when it's late at night and wondering if they're home.

Okay. All of these small acts that in the end are like how we show people that we love each other and larger is how a community functions as like an organism. But then you have these contrasts of Yong-guk and the hardware store that are failing or did fail in really heartbreakingly everyday waste.

Right? They're not terrible people. They just, they're just taking the people that they loved for granted. And that is hurtful and corrosive to their relationships. Beep talk to me about rewatching this scene between them second jury. Now that we know Nam-sook lost a daughter Ju-ri’s age. [00:56:00]

Beep: Yeah. I mean, you, you mentioned that earlier, just as far as that constant reminder and they're kind of two sides of, of a different coin being that Nam-sook has lost her daughter and Ju-ri has lost and never knew her mother. I mean, I can't speak to that. You know, as someone who is neither a parent nor has lost one, but I can look and just see the devastation that that must cause to be around a child like that.

So commonly, and we have to assume they all grew up together, you know, everybody's been there. So this is probably, you know, Ju-ri is probably a child who was part of her daughter's life in some way, shape or form at least went to school together or something. So I mean, the idea that she is concerned, you know, about her being able to get a [00:57:00] t-shirt for her favorite band or whatever, I it's, it's kind of an indirect way of providing for her daughter, which of course she never gets to do again.

And I mean, I feel for her, I do it, it is a stark contrast to her behavior and I think that's what actually makes her a more complex character instead of just comedy.

CC: Yeah. And you know, this, if we think back to, to the beginning of episode, you remember that montage with all the different characters, holding different objects, which was Shin Haeun basically being like there's a lot of different mysteries and there's a lot of things that you don't know about these people and that's sort of, you know, a message of the show.

So like, think about that when you're out in your own lives and maybe somebody is impatient with you in kind of an everyday [00:58:00] interaction or somebody is gossiping and you're kind of like, ugh, and you're annoyed, right? Or, I mean, I remember watching the show sort of still height of the pandemic and a parent totally lost it on the sidelines of like a soccer game.

And I was like, which is not okay. Right. But also I was thinking about like, man, what is really going on in that person's life? Because the way they just act in, in this situation is not at all commensurate with what's going on and something must be deeper going on under the surface in this person's life.

And, and this story in particular, in the show, and of course it's foreshadowing for Chief Hong's overall story that goes through the end is asking us to think about those things in our everyday life. The things that people hold back, the things that we don't know about them and to just like, take a [00:59:00] breath and be. A little bit more compassionate. And also just like, this is another example of the kind of found family that this community can offer to each other. So just like Gam-ri had people sitting around a table last episode and took out more spoons than she ever had in her life. Or just like this community shows up every year for, for Du-sik’s birthday when he doesn't have any living biological family left.

This is Ju-ri is like an adopted daughter for Nam-sook and Ju-ri doesn't have a mother. And so she's going to be the one to say, be careful when you're, when you're walking. I don't want you walking home late at night. And if you need somebody to walk you home, you call me. Right. It's like the people that can fill these holes in our lives, even if they're not, we're not biologically related to them.

However

Beep: Until you pick a dentistry and then we're [01:00:00]

going to go off the rails

CC: Well, but it also makes the point. You can have empathy and you can be compassionate, but there's still lines that you need to

draw.

Beep: hundred percent.

CC: yeah. And I think it's very interesting Hye-jin actually, to pick up on this point that we were talking about before uses Chief Hong's language.

I let it slide about the gossip. I let it slide, but this is literally the illegal practice of dentistry. And you're putting my patients at risk notice. It's not about the.

Beep: No, it's dangerous.

CC: Yeah. Right. Like you're drilling holes in my patients' teeth and then they're not coming back to me and they're going to somebody who's not a dentist to get it fixed in their mouth.

Like this is not okay. And then I'm so her entire profession of fraud.

Beep: Woof.

CC: Yeah. it's interesting, right? Chief Hong is never going to not be nosy. And you've got an argument going on in the middle of the town. [01:01:00] And in the past he has taken that, you know, he he's acting more behind the scenes, but this is so over the line that he is going to walk up and be like, no, no, no, No, you crossed over the line and you do need to apologize.

And Nam-sook is like really emotional about the fact that he's like taking her side. but you know, like it's not okay, which she's doing and it's not excused why she's doing it, which the reason why she's trying to save money right. Is to honor her daughter's memory. But like she's at, you know, what she is encouraging people to do can like actively harm them.

And that's

Beep: Yeah, that's the issue. It wouldn't be as bad if it were just her, but she's getting other people to do it too. And, and, and actively putting them in danger. And that's. Like he said, when he, you know, strolled up at you crossed it, buddy. That's too much.

CC: Yeah. So we have, and I, you know, I love Hye-jin and Mi-seon and they're like, [01:02:00] check-ins where they're basically like updating each other. And, and beep did you really enjoy Mi-seon being like, you know what? We have like ——- and I, we had a rotisserie chicken moment,

Beep: Yeah. We'll never get over that chicken. a chicken.

CC: just an update. We had a rotisserie chicken.

moment. That's where my love life's at what's going on with you. Like, here's all the things. And Mi-seon is like, I love, I love that. the two positions that these friends are in, because Mi-seon may maybe like a dating professional and be quite experienced, but she actually has no idea how to date this guy that like, doesn't know how to date.

Beep: Nope. Not at all. Not at all.

CC: Meanwhile, she has a friend that she's like, dude, you are being you're so clueless. Like why do you think Director Ji brought you brunch? And, and like, I think it's, I think it's really interesting. The [01:03:00] journey Hye-jin goes on. As she's talking about Director Ji because do you think she seems excited about,

Beep: Uh, I don't think she was prepared for this.

CC: yeah,

Beep: that makes sense. Like, I really think she just thought, you know, we have a pass, we are friends we're catching up. And, and so this is casting it in a light that she really had not been considering.

CC: great. She's contemplative. Right. Whereas what, what, and what I think is interesting is Mi-seon says fate made you cross paths again. And it's like, Yeah. well, same for Chief Hong.

Beep: Yeah.

CC: Right?

So

Beep: Guests who actually met her first, if we're going down this road.

CC: oh my God. You're right. You're right. But at, but contrast the contemplative reaction toChief Hong, a good kisser. [01:04:00] I'm just curious, because he's good at so many things. I would just like to know if he is in that department as well. She's like, ah, like stop talking about it. And it's like, man, the show is just so straightforward in showing us her reactions to these two options.

Beep: yeah. Well, because if it was what you said, it was, it would just be like, girl talk,

you know, if it really didn't matter, but honey, it clearly does.

CC: Both of them, right? Like later on, he's going to get all flat, right. It again, it's just like parallel emotional tracks. so here's the thing we have this love triangle, but even our romantic rival is, is preoccupied with the safety and wellbeing of the person that he has a crush on. He runs across town and gives her all of these gifts.

Talk to me about this scene because it's actually really [01:05:00] sweet. all of the things that he gives her,

Beep: It is, but I have to say watching again and seeing the Lama really upsets me because he throughout, you know, his productions or whatever, wouldn't give it to anybody and had to have it to their productions. And then, then it seems like, especially from the writer's point of view, once she finds out like, oh, this, this is now nothing to you.

Like we just handed, I don't know. It made me, it made

me sad.

CC: yeah. Well, I think there's a lot of interesting things to unpack with us. So the Lama, right, is this like talisman of good luck? But his real quote, unquote like good luck charm is the writer, right,

That is his partner who they have had so much success and ha and have all the, all of these, like we know it's work, but just wonderful memories and adventures like all over the world [01:06:00] together.

Right. And Director Ji is taking a wrong turn here. Right. He's chasing after his first love, but the one that he's actually gonna like lose his appetite over and be really, really, really upset over losing and Chief Hong's gonna kind of notice it before he even does is the writer. And so when he gives this away, that's when their luck starts to also take a wrong turn

Beep: right. He's focusing in, in all the wrong places now

he's, you know, in his work will suffer for it. Not that you shouldn't, you know, it works for comfort. That's not what I mean, but he's just, like you said, he took a wrong turn. So now he's walking down a wrong path and he can't juggle everything he needs to juggle because his focus is in the wrong direction.

CC: What I think is interesting is his heart's in the right place. He wants to give her things that she can like protect herself with. Right. But later on in the evening, [01:07:00] He's going to be wrapped up in understandably filming his show. It's chief, Hong. Who's going to be the one who notices that she's not there and does something about it. so you know, it's not to say that it's not considerate and he's not thoughtful. And that even the love interest is going to lose out is still a thoughtful and considerate person. Right. Who is worried about somebody and trying to offer things to like take care of somebody. we shift to the two guys that, uh, Mi-seon and Hye-jin, we're just talking about on lollipop patrol together. Uh, very much Chief Hong trying to reassert. I am the chief of this town. I'm gonna walk around and protect it with the cop. The cop is like, what are you talking he’s like, yeah yeah we're patrolling. Don't, you know, that's part of my job and he's like, it is. and he, you know, he will be the one to ultimately catch the sky, right.

Two episodes from now.[01:08:00] Talk to me about the scene, where he brings her the tea and the rain and sees Hye-jin and Director Ji under the umbrella that he gave back to her.

Beep: Oh man. I mean, it would just be a normal scene where they're not so much the symbolism involved with not only an umbrella, but that particular one and kind of how it's come between some fights that they have, but also when they just tossed it that day, you know, and we're living a different kind of life for five minutes.

So what, after the fight and her not wanting to be connected and everyone denying the kiss and just, it meant nothing. That's how the umbrella came back into her possession. And that's just so it's the symbol, right? Of like, not us in a way. And it's just, Ugh, it's hard. So of course he, he, as always diminishes whatever effort he put into something like, oh, it's just, you know, I just kind of had this or [01:09:00] whatever.

Here you go.

CC: Yeah. Does it even say what it's for? Right. He doesn't, I just had it lying around. No, he was like sitting there hand cutting it for what seems like hours. Right.

Beep: I'm sure.

CC: yeah. And he's just like, here's this stuff he doesn't even say. Of course he's done is always going to Google.

Everything he ever says later on. is a very, quick scene, but he is kind of wrecked seeing her with Direction Ji and what I love about it is I can think of many other shows where the tone of this scene would have really amped up the angst in like a manipulative way.

Beep: Oh so much conflict.

CC: Right. Except everybody's worried about everybody. Hye-jin is like, like, what are you doing? Walk in without a comment, come inside. Let me give you an umbrella director. She's like, let me [01:10:00] walk you home with the umbrella, everyone. There's no unnatural jealousy or drama. It just is what it is.

Beep: There's no animosity between them.

CC: Yeah. And he is very bad at letting people look out for him. And he like, doesn't accept that. And walks home alone in the rain comes home and is sick and this dark house

Beep: That's one thing in TV that always drives me crazy. Cause you know, your mom was always like, y'all get, don't go out of the rain. You'll get sick. And it's like,

CC: I find it so ironic that. Hye-jin was the one worried about taking risks on the beach and was like, but if I run in the rain, I'll get a cold,

Beep: Right. Of course.

CC: and Chief Hong is the one who gets sick after being alone in the rain without an umbrella. Like so, uh, Hye-jin comes home [01:11:00] again.

There's this contrast between people who are being considerate and thinking about others and people that are not, and there is a softness and thoughtfulness to her that she is kind of softened ever since. She's kind of collected this information that he wasn't interested in. Somebody else, he asked her, don't go.

She's like sitting at her house. She like looks at the llama thing, puts it away. And then her thoughts are consumed about Chief Hong. And she's worried about whether he got home. Okay. She makes, she automatically opens up the bag of the things that he gave her. She looks it up. She tries to figure out what's at four.

What should I do with it?

It's

Beep: wanted her to just try to eat one and then be like, and have to go look up.

CC: again, when you think about the [01:12:00] beautiful parallels, the tea is something that he made for her. Because it will be good for her out of care. It tastes terrible she drinks it anyway. And obviously this is going to be book-ended with the porridge at the end of the episode, but it's just this very simple and subtle way of Shin Haeun.

exploring everyday ways that people both express love and accept love. And there are these like small acts. And yet in this story, they're kind of monumental signposts along our journey. And she immediately calls him to thank him, Hye-jin has always been sort of the person who's acted first, but we're starting to see this, this shift where she is going to from now on be the one who quote [01:13:00] unquote crosses the line. I think we need to stop here and shift and talk about the other love triangle that is going on in this episode.

Beep: It's amazing how much more contentious this, this one is when there's not really a triangle

or at least not the one you think

CC: And particularly now that we know everything that is going on under the surface. Right. and I think it's interesting the way it echoes our main, like lead character love triangle, and that there are deeper pains and kind of wounds and things going on under the surface that we didn't realize on first watch.

And again, we have a contrast between like words and actions. There are some pretty harsh words that are said during this episode. And yet when push comes to shove, people are looking out for one another and taking care of each other. So first we have this scene between how young and [01:14:00] young duck, and he is like, look, I want to let you know, as my ex-wife, I'm going to be pursuing show he and has young says she's off limits anyone, her.

Beep: and the way that, I mean, we get it now, but it seemed like at the time. I can see how that looks to him as like, okay. But there isn't anybody else. So are you just saying that because you really don't want me with anybody. Uh, and this is so hard on the other hand, I'm like, dude, how? I don't know. I feel like he just doesn't get this because he's like, oh, I settled, you know, because she moved away and it's like, but you weren't even together.

And there was no indication you were going to get married. Like, I feel like part of him just lives in this weird fantasy world.

CC: Hometown Cha Cha Cha can be such a achingly romantic show, but it also has a lot of kind of [01:15:00] raw quiet moments that are pretty clear eyed about how life can be disappointing. And you have this marriage that ended, she speaks very harshly to him it's obviously coming from a place of like deep hurt, but it's not like constructive, right.

Beep: No, not at all.

CC: So now we know that what she overheard is him telling wasted one night, my first love moved away. So basically I just kind of felt like I was getting old and I needed to get married and I settled

Beep: Hmm,

CC: is boring.

Beep: could you litter? I mean, I don't think there's anything worse than you could hear

CC: it makes me want to cry.

Beep: as a spouse, you know, assuming there's like no infidelity and not just, just not even that, it's just like, I, I just don't care about her [01:16:00]

and saying, you

know him saying, I married because you wanted to, I divorce as you wanted to, you know, what did I ever do?

Well, that's a great question, buddy, because you don't seem to be taking responsibility for any decision you've ever made,

CC: Well, everything about the way he set fit everything about this conversation, presses every button about that old hurt, who he wants to date is the one that he said left. And therefore I settled for you. Then, then he acts like both marriage and divorce were not like even within his own agency, he just basically did both because she wanted both which just underlines the old hurt that he settled and felt sorry for her because her mother died.

And that's why he married her. So everything about this conversation is just rubbing salt in that old wound. And then [01:17:00] he asks the question, what did I ever do? Which is just right? like Shin Haeun, basically being like put a pin in that because that's the mystery. Right. But that's what is going on, that is the underlying tension in this scene that we didn't realize on on first one. Which then leads us to the really, like, it's really painful. I find this such a hard scene to watch Cho-hee is trying to act like a friend. there was no relationship with her and Yeong-guk. It was like, this one-sided like fantasy in his head. Right. She had feelings for Hwa-Jung. She's trying to get back to this like status quo because she feels like she can't open up about her feelings for Hwa-jung.

She's obviously like drawn to her, right? This is as young as her first love she's back in this town with the two of them. And she's brings her a gift. [01:18:00] what a girlfriend bring to another girlfriend. It's like, no, I've found this, you know, anti-wrinkle cream and I brought it to you, which again, unfortunately, presses buttons for hotshot who feels like she looks old and is feeling frumpy and is kind of like, middle-aged like mom, and here is this.

My ex-husband's first love is back in town. And everybody's always talking about how beautiful and how young she looks at. What she gives me is like wrinkle green.

Beep: yeah. Do you think I have too many wrinkles? It's like, oh honey,

CC: Uh,

Beep: I feel so bad for both of them because there's just, it wasn't the intention at all. Like both of them are, will show. He's trying to get something out of the interaction that, you know, how as young is unwilling to give, but I feel like it started off that way already.

So this only compounds it and I don't, I never think show he is trying to do more than just, you know, actually be her friend, but there's so much underneath it that, that she doesn't know about what, how strong his feeling [01:19:00] that I think in a lot of ways, she probably reads as being about her

CC: like a rejection of her.

Beep: as if she's also uncomfortable, the way that her family, that the way that show his family was uncomfortable. When really it's just about the dynamic with.

CC: well, I can't imagine how complicated you must feel. If you're Hwa-jung, how complicated your feelings would be because your husband, you feel like you're like the deepest wound in your marriage that ended your marriage. Was your husband talking about how this is the woman that was his first love and when she moved away, then he settled for you yet.

Hwa-jung is aware that that was a completely feudal crush because Cho-hee had feelings for Hwa-jung that Hwa-jung can't return

in that way.

Beep: right.

CC: It's, it's a complete [01:20:00] club.

Beep: It is because nothing that anybody thinks, I mean, I guess how young is the one who has the most information, but outside that everything everyone else is thinking is more inward and they, they really don't have a clue where anyone else stands.

CC: Yeah. And so he almost, almost paralleled too. You know, it's not quite apples to apples, but almost parallel to Chief Hong being like, why can't we just be friends in the last couple episodes? She's like, why can't the three of us just be friends? And it's like, dude, I'm divorced from him. And went to, he doesn't know is that she is by no fault of her own central to the reason why they got divorced and has young says my life, isn't going well enough to put up with your childish requests.

Beep: That's such a burn because Cho-hee has [01:21:00] actually been acting so delicately by saying, you know, and even trying to bring him into it. Can't we all just be friends when I don't think she really cares about being friends with Yeong-guk to start with, especially the way he is now. Like obviously trying to pursue her.

I mean, so it's hard because she's already hiding behind the mask of like how things used to be, because she's not, you know, doesn't want to reveal those feelings that she assumes. I was young is not aware of it. And so she's just getting beat down from every angle. I really feel for her as well.

CC: I know, and she's just trying to reach out to her on safe territory, which is friends. And I think also, I mean, I think she is trying to communicate, I'm not interested in your ex-husband. The problem is the ex-husband has just basically put a flag in the ground to be like, I'm, I'm going after her. And she has no idea coming into this conversation, you know, and now we have this bookend conversation.

They're [01:22:00] going to be sitting in the same place at the end of this series. And they're going to have this like beautiful conversation where Hwa-jung is going to be like, I always knew. And, and I never judged you for it. And I care about you. but right now, because of her hurt having to do with her ex-husband she is quite harsh and pushing Cho-hee away.

So those are the words show. He is like, obviously torn up about it and is like drinking alone to the point where she is like in a pretty unsafe place, getting home. And it really is like painful to watch. But in contrast to her words, Hwa-jung is looking out for Cho-hee notices that she is drinking alone and is not in a great state.

I find it really powerful the way a woman looks out for the safety of another woman. And man has shank has balls chasing, [01:23:00] chasing that guy off and like yelling at him and like making sure that her friend is okay and basically saves her from sexual assault. And then is there by her bedside waiting for her to wake up at the hospital. And it is a contrast of like, if we've talked about throughout your words, don't match your actions. She obviously cares a lot about Cho-hee, and despite these really complicated feelings, is looking out for her and has takes care of her in every possible way. Right? you know, she saves her the way Chief Hong saves Hye-jin at the end of this episode.

I think it's really empowering that a woman does it. And I think it's really, when you think about, you know, Cho-hee was like asking if we could be friends and Hwa-jung and say he can't be friends yet. There's this moment that when the chips are down and somebody's safety was actually threatened. Those three old friends are all in the room worried about [01:24:00] her, but then you have like Hwa-jung taking this lonely walk down the hallway, listening to her ex-husband fawn over the woman who he's basically was like always the one that got away.

Beep: What's interesting about that though in general is kind of the extra care that she takes because she absolutely did not have to stay at her bedside. Like that to me was the part though. Beyond, if you will, she didn't have to be there at all. You get her, she, you know, you help her. She doesn't even know what's going on.

Good deed done. But the fact that she stays there, I feel like is really poignant to, to show what this person meant to her personally and what she still does.

CC: yeah, yeah. and that, and that that's, you know, she spoke really harshly to her, but the deeds, like [01:25:00] those acts of care are what matters. yeah, it's really, it's brutal on rewatch, like particularly for the two women, because Yeong-guk is going to be pretty clueless for a while until he figures that all out, you know?

And then you think Cho-hee is the one that's going to really kind of bring them back together because she's going to be like, don't screw this up again. You know?

Beep: he's so daft or so much of the series.

CC: All right. So that takes us to if we had a hero of Gongjin, we've got three, a trio of heroes of Gongjin, and you've got Nam-sook, basically caught in a phishing scam.

And it kind of breaks my heart when she tells the guy who is the, would be fif, I need this for something important. please don't lose it. You know, she's doing all of this to raise money and her daughter's memory. Hye-jin, even though there is literally no one [01:26:00] in town that she is more annoyed at the Nam-sook steps up and is peak nosy.

She literally notices her walking with the money, follows her and interjects herself into the middle of this transaction. And is the reason like, obviously they get help from Direction Ji, Chief Hong, but Hye-jin is the reason why this theft doesn't proceed. without a hitch.

Beep: Right. And it's not even that she's just frustrated at her. They're not friends.

CC: she's crossing a line and being nosy and Hye-jin has done that before. Many people now in this town, but she's even willing to do it for somebody who has been talking trash about her reputation, undermining her business and putting her patients at risk.

They just, their last conversation was like a huge argument. And she's still not going to let Nam-sook get taken advantage of.

Beep: Right, right.

CC: [01:27:00] There was zero chance that Chief Hong, wasn't going to be the one to chase down the sky. Even though he has 102 fever,

Beep: Oh, yeah. It wouldn't matter. You could see his head literally boiling and he would still be running after this guy.

CC: I love, you know, like everybody, the reason why he's able to catch him is because he is the chief of this town and knows the alleys to cut him off. But he is so, so petty and basically like, yeah, I got them Director Ji, you be the one to go pick up all the money.

He says, basically the guy's like, do you even know why you were chasing me? And he's like, no, miss dentist told me to,

Beep: Like that's enough, obviously.

CC: well, yeah, just like, there's going to be a lot of she's like, I didn't think that he listened to me, but you tell her, you tell him to go chase this guy. He will you tell him to take a nap. He will you tell him to eat the porridge? He will [01:28:00] When they all get back into town and then suck is like distraught.

And now we understand when she's saying my A-Ram, she's talking about her daughter, and that is why she is so upset about this money potentially being stolen. Director Ji does not take undue credit. And the guy who was sort of threatening Chief Hong's status in town is very clear. And he's the one who saved him and he's

not willing to

take,

Beep: I loved

the.

CC: such a good guy when the cop is blaming Nam-sook for being gullible.

Hye-jin says, why are you blaming the victim?

Beep: I hate that that's so relevant.

CC: Oh,

Beep: It's so relevant. And I feel like any sort of crime against a woman, it doesn't even matter if it has to do with the fact she's a woman. Like it just, very, [01:29:00] normal, unfortunately.

CC: Yeah. And Shin Hauen is a lot of very important feminist statements through Hye-jin and this one's a really important one, about women being blamed when, when things that shouldn't happen to them, takes us to Chief Hong is finally like, it feels so terrible. He's finally going to head home, even though Director Ji is like complimenting Hye-jin, her eyes are on him. And just like, he couldn't get out of his head that she had that herniated desk and needed to do something about it. She shows up at the door keepers door unwilling to take no for an answer take care of him.

Beep: hello hello house. She just kind of slinks past him.

CC: well I

Beep: goes between him and the door. Like whoop.

CC: yeah, he there's [01:30:00] so many things, right? Like he is, you know, being a literal doorkeeper. Right. And we have talked about how this house is symbolic of his heart and his inner life. And he's like standing at the door and he's like go home. And he told her to cross lines and she's not going to take no for an answer.

And just like, it's basically like the thermometer never lies. So when she wanted to stay in her house and not go out into the community and pretended to be sick, he took the thermometer out and called her bluff. And now he's pretending to be better than he is. And she takes a thermometer out and calls his bluff and he has 102 fever.

And she's basically like. talk to me about how terrible he is at accepting her help.

Beep: I mean, it's just now he's being an outwardly petulant child. We don't, he does not even trying to [01:31:00] keep it in anymore. Like the same guy who's like, don't go just will not stop telling her to go home, but he's not, I know he's used to taking care of himself, but he's not, and that's a problem. He's not eating, he's not drinking.

He's not doing any of this stuff that will actually help you get better. You know, when you're going through that and 102 is a, that's a bad feeling.

CC: Yeah,

Beep: And he's just kind of like blowing it off and not, you know, not taking care of himself.

CC: no. And he has like a wound on his arm that he didn't clean. Like, this is small stakes, right. he has a virus, he has a wound on his arm he's really, really bad. And really reticent at accepting. Now Hye-jin is the one crossing the line. Right. And she is just so patient with him. And every time he pushes her away, you're not a real doctor. Just go home. I'm fine. [01:32:00] You clean the room now go. She just stay. And gently is like, but did you eat anything? But let me do. Right. And, and eat is, it is absolutely previewing. the whole back half of this story where she's going to have to be fairly patient with how bad he is at opening up and letting somebody do this for him. Like this scene is like, he literally doesn't know how to let somebody take care of him. And, and she, she keeps saying things like, just let me, and finally, it's sad when you're sick alone. Everyone knows that. Why don't you?

Beep: Hey, there they're both so tragic in their aloneness.

CC: I know.

I

Beep: I feel like what [01:33:00] did set her up? No, I mean, she's doing it because she cares and she has all the patients, but I feel like what did set her up for this as being a dentist and the fact that most people don't want to see her.

So she's just like, yeah, I don't care if you want me here or not. This is how this is going to go down.

CC: Yeah. But I think what's so, so have this, this really important thing in common about losing. people and being lonely, but the difference between Hye-jin and Du-sik is Hye-jin grew up watching her father take care of her mother when she was sick, like right on the beach and that childhood memory, we saw her father tucking, the blanket around her mother's legs on the beach.

When Chief Hong tells her father in the next episode, I can tell that she received a lot of love because she gives a lot of love. Right. So she, even though [01:34:00] she can be awkward and like off pudding, this, this is the side of Hye-jin that I just absolutely love when do you think is the last time Chief Hong had anybody take care a wound for him?

Beep: I mean, I would guess never since his grandpa.

CC: yeah. And, and he has this, like, you know, it's, it's the great parallel moment because they're sitting in the same place where she kissed him and his empathy and his. Trying to comfort her, right. With his hands, made her feel all of these things right now they're sitting in the same place.

She blows on the wound on his arm and he is like mesmerized. Right. He probably is like stopped breathing. Right. Because they show that at the end of the episode as well. Right. And he is just like, [01:35:00] you've got all of these feelings and yet he is, keeps pushing her away. Like, he's just so bad at being taken care of like,

Beep: Hey, some people are bad patients to begin with. So I imagine he's probably already like that and then throw on top of it. The fact that he's emotionally incapable of it. I mean, this is what you get.

CC: right. And you know, there's like, there's a lot of, I mean, this is a really poignant scene, especially now that we know everything he's been through and how alone he's been good. This is really the first time he's let somebody come in his house and take care of him. And it's like watching. There's a lot of both this scene and the end of this episode with the hug, it's like watching somebody, trying to use muscles that they haven't used in a long time and have like atrophied because he's been on this island.[01:36:00]

And there's a lot of humor about, you know, she's like, okay, I'm going to be in your kitchen. And like, if you hear things crash or you hear me scream, like just stay here and like rest. And there's like a lot of humor in it, but it's really, really thoughtful and sweet, which she does. And she's a terrible cook.

She has no idea how to make porridge. We literally have never seen her cook this entire series. She used to be in Seoul, ordering takeout every night and she's not going to let him not eat. And she makes this porridge and like leaves it for him with this note. And then she thinks about what Mi-seon said and just like, he was like staring at her at the grocery store.

She's not staring at him asleep. It's, you know, one of the classic romantic trips, right. Watching somebody sleep. And it's like, she's pulled in almost by like a tractor beam. Do you know what I mean?

Beep: Oh, yeah. Oh yeah. She's, [01:37:00] she's barely even walking. She's just kind of floating over unbeknownst. It's not even a choice that she's making.

CC: Talk to me out the fact that now we know that he wasn't actually asleep.

Beep: I mean, does that make it a million times better at— I also, I must say I'm really, really glad that she didn't kiss him.

CC: Yep. Cause I don't like that trope where somebody kisses somebody without consent. Yeah.

Beep: Right. It's awkward. Like it's awkward. I mean, it'd be one thing if they were like in a relationship, but especially where they are right now. Like, no, that I, I would not have liked to that.

I actually thought she might kiss him on the forehead, which actually would have been frigging adorable.

But yeah,

I mean, I almost don't know how she didn't realize he was awake because he had to be so tense that he could like, I mean, I just imagine he was like shaking and so she just must not have been [01:38:00] paying attention because this man would have been like out of his mind with nervousness.

CC: so let's just, let's just unpack this from both sides. So she's sober now. The last time she acted on these kinds of feelings is when her inhibitions were down. Right. Then we have all of this baggage about him denying it and saying it was a mistake and all of that, despite all of that, she's feeling so much now that it's this still moment and there's no noise and it's just the two of them and she's taking care of him that she's about to kiss him again.

He is literally holding his breath. It is this perfect symbolism for like where he is at emotionally on this journey [01:39:00] about his feelings for her, because he can't, he's not going to stop it, but he's also not going to act on it and make it happen. He's literally just lying there, probably with his heart pounding, holding his breath, frozen.

Beep: Yeah. I mean, I think after the treatment he received last time though, I mean, again, it was all a situation. All of the feelings on both sides are valid. They're just not expressed very well, but I just feel like there is no way he was going to be the one to make the move of any kind, which is why it matters so much that she's the one that comes and tells him, you know, that she likes him.

CC: Yeah. I mean, the thing that is so heartbreaking, th you know, th there's, there's so many layers to this, and I love the epilogue storytelling because it always lets us in [01:40:00] on what he was feeling, even if that is not, I mean, the story is opening up a lot more now and letting us into Du-sik’s head, but the epilogue still functions as it often does.

And it lets us know what he was feeling in this moment with Hye-jin, which is they're feeling the same thing. They're feeling the same pole. Their hearts are both pounding. They're both holding their breath about to connect, and then they don't. But what is holding him.

back is he's thinking if she knew everything about me, she wouldn't want to be with me because I'm not worthy of her.

Beep: Right. She wants a, if she wants me, she wants a false version.

CC: Right. So she walks out absolutely freaking out, similar to do chic after the, after the grocery store, dude, what is my problem? She's talking to herself the same way [01:41:00] she's hitting herself. And the grocery store owner stops her and the, the pregnant wife whose husband is being so up to right now that he won't bring her the fruit that she's craving.

Hye-jin sees the tangerines and leaves them for Du-sik.

Beep: Yeah, she doesn't make a thing out of it. She doesn't go in, she doesn't try to do it for, you know, attention or praise or thanks. They're just there and that's, that's really sweet.

CC: Does she wakes up? He's so pleased that this tray with porridge is sitting there waiting for him. He looks like a kid, like with a Christmas present to open, but then talk to me about the fact that it tastes terrible.

Beep: Oh my goodness. Okay. Here's the thing. And this is just a personal thing. I can [01:42:00] drink anything. Okay. It might be absolutely disgusting so long as it's like bordering on actual liquid. I can stomach that I can, you know, whatever. So like with you know, Hye-jin did with the tea and she's like, okay, this is gross, but she drinks it anyway, bad porridge.

Or like what I would consider, you know, some sort of like oatmeal or something. Oh my God. To literally have to choke that down like, I kind of want to get just the

CC: Well, it's also this thing that Hometown Cha Cha Cha does so well is that you have this really poignant and sweet earnest, you know, like she did something really thoughtful for him, but the comedic, it tastes terrible. So he's like sitting here actually [01:43:00] laughing at how could she have messed up? Like why does it taste sour?

It's literally boiling rice with water. Like how did you screw this up?

Beep: I feel like it had to be so bad that it was literally unsalvageable because it's not even, like, he didn't even go try to put any spice or like salt or like anything in it. He was just like, well, I guess I'm in it now. Like, And the fact that he's like, I could not possibly finish this, but when he stands at the sink, he still does.

It's just like, oh my goodness, dude.

And if she left my kitchen like that, I would lose my shit.

CC: I mean, she wants me to drink. She wants me to eat every last drop. Like where's her contents because this tastes terrible, but just like, she's going to drink the bitter tea because he made it for her to get better. He is going to sit there and eat this porridge that tastes terrible.

And do what she said on this [01:44:00] post-it note because she did it for him. But then he walks into his kitchen, fucking disaster, this kitchen, even though it's like running a fever. Oh my God, all of your help is actually not helpful at all, which is just, I love it. You know, there's so many ways that they always puncture their earnest emotion with humor. And this is one of these you're like, oh my God, this is so sweet. But then also his kitchen's a disaster because of her.

Beep: Well, it's so symbolic because she's busted into this, this false minimalistic, you know, environment that he has cultivated, which of course, as we mentioned has, you know, in some ways represents his emotions in his heart and stuff, and she's wrecked it like a tornado, just like she's done.

CC: uh, I love [01:45:00] that. Yeah, he can. Bear to pour it down the drain We have gotten a lot of shots of Chief Hong alone in his house and in his cabin. And a lot of them have been quite like mournful and lonely shots. This one is, he's like standing in the kitchen with the light through the window, and the music is kind of setting this a little bit more upbeat tone, and he's going to finish every last drop of this porridge that tastes terrible, even though no one's watching.

She, she will never know whether he ate all of it or not, but he has to eat every drop. And it's just this, like, I don't know. It's just a really great moment to be like, you know what? Even at these little, these little acts, he starting to have somebody who takes care of him and she's [01:46:00] not there in that house with him yet, you know, but he's now he's alone in his kitchen, but now he's eating something that like somebody else made for him.

he wakes up the next morning, feel so much better walks outside and finds the bag of tangerines.

Beep: there are no feelings involved in this for anyone.

No feelings.

CC: I

Beep: it's the first time he's been genuinely delighted to see something from her without, without fighting it

CC: yeah, he's so if you want to get, if we want to get like, deepen our fields think about the do sheep that got off that bus in this very place and what he looked like, and he was like a shell of himself. This is a person who has put himself back together by living for others. [01:47:00] And now he's sitting outside on a beautiful day, eating a Tangerine that somebody left for him because she cares about him.

he says that it

tastes sweet.

Beep: just like her helping.

CC: It's a lot. And it's, it's, it's a lot in such a simple way. Like this is a romanticist with a big R scene. out in nature. It's an act of love from, from someone in his community. He is tasting something from nature, like on his tongue that tastes sweet while he's looking out at the ocean, in the sunshine.

And for that moment, he is having. And it's really beautiful in all of its simplicity.

Beep: Yeah, he just, he just allows himself to be, and it's not thinking too much [01:48:00] about what that means.

CC: Yeah. And you know, it is an example of if, if episode 15 of the show in flashback shows all of the small ways with words and actions that we can really hurt each other with, with the, with his best friend's widow and the security guard's wife, this episode shows all of the small ways that we can be like transformational for each other's lives just by being like caring and thoughtful that, and that takes us to push young kind of pulling Hye-jin aside. And I think it's really, it's interesting that Hwa-jung — she’s going to do this again. She's going to intercede again much later in the show when Chief [01:49:00] Hong and Hye-jin are sort of at an impasse and have that argue. About him not opening up. she is the opposite of Nam-sook. She is not somebody who gossips.

She's always commenting on Nam-sook gossiping. And she often tries to shut down Nam-sook’s gossip, but when she knows something about somebody and can offer that insight to bring people together, she's going to do it.

Beep: Right. Because what she explains to Asian is, is not gossip or not. No, I will say it's not gossip because it wasn't shared to inflame it. Wasn't it's not a secret per se. She is doing it to show compassion to Nam-sook and also to share that combat with Hye-jin in hopes that it might make a difference in how she sees her, because Nam is, she's just [01:50:00] not that shallow, not that flat.

There, there have been things in her life that have affected her as a person. And the moment when Hwa-jung says, you know, I'd rather see her like this than like, she was just, you know, walking around as a shell of herself that, that really really lands it as far as understanding in a community, what you might tolerate from somebody when, you know, not only the background, but the.

CC: Yeah,

And because you know, one another, right. As opposed to, you know, if you were to think about all the kinds of interactions that you would have in a city, when you don't know people, you don't know what's gone on in their lives and then you like react because you don't know them. Right. So this is like understanding an empathy that comes from truly knowing one another.

And she's, you know, Hwa-jung is such an interesting character because I feel like she has, this was she'll express later on kind of wisdom [01:51:00] from what can happen, if you don't say something. And so she hasn't, you know, she wasn't able to kind of put that into practice in her own life. Her marriage fell apart.

You know, she was yelling at her husband about socks being on the floor instead of what was really bothering her. And what she has now is kind of this, this wisdom and empathy. She is the one that is often giving voice to this idea of like, you don't know what's going on with people under the surface.

What is, what is easy for some may be hard for others, right? Like making allowances for people. And this flashback of Nam-sook with her daughter is so painful and it's like, well, you know, now we know why she sits in that room and holds that sailor moon wand. [01:52:00] And it's just, it's about a community like offering grace and compassion and kind of like putting up with the annoying things about somebody, because you would rather them be okay and, and see that like gossip and stuff and all of that, because she's lonely and, and like be patient and put up with it.

And from now on them stuck is actually like, she's going to, you know, you have this scene with her in Hye-jin and he offers the olive branch. And, you know, in a way it's almost like she's in the opposite position of where she was with Oh Yoon at the beginning of the story. And now she's the one who's offering the olive branch and is basically like, okay, let's you did something wrong, please don't do it again.

But you come to my dentist's office. I want to make sure that your inlay is okay. And then. She's the one who takes that step and, you know, Nam-sook is going to remember this. And when she gets the [01:53:00] juiciest piece of gossip ever that they're dating, she's not going to say a word it's going to like, keep it a secret. So it's really this, like, you know, all of this is so like everyday conflict, right. And yet Shin Haeun, just layers in this deeper meaning and wisdom about empathy and compassion and forgiveness. it's really beautiful. finally, this show is in full swing and they're filming again, Gam-ri’s house. I love, love the light meta moment where the member of dos keeps, flipping his hair back and Direction Ji’s like, can you please refrain from doing that? And then you've got, you've got chief in the background.

Cause he always is flipping his hair being like, well, what's wrong with that? Oh, [01:54:00] listen, don't stop. Never stopped doing

Beep: course now I love that. He's aware of it though, is some people, you know, that's just the emotion that a you or whatever. He's like, wait, what's wrong with that because he's, he knows that he does it constantly.

CC: So everybody's there. The only person who notices that it's like after 10 o'clock at night and dark and Hye-jin is not, there is Chief Hong. And we have this really like in a very real, every day way for women, scary moment for Hye-jin, where she is alone and it's dark and she's on her way home and she's being followed. And I mean, it's interesting how Hometown Cha Cha Cha weaves in these kinds of every day, threats to women throughout a story that is at least at the outset, a romantic comedy, but it's always there, [01:55:00] whether it was a sexual harasser or this predator who has been stealing women's clothes, tried to try to kidnap Cho-hee now he's after Hye-jin and this is not over. He's going to come back and actually like forced his way into her home. She turns the corner. the light and there's Chief Hong.

Beep: who is one in the same,

CC: Yeah.

Beep: and this is when we get, I think we've talked about this before, but this is when we get him coming to a little. Okay. He accepts the hug, but she gets one arm

CC: one.

arm. Yup. What are he is right? He is what you said. He is always bringing light right into her life, whether it was a candle or the lights came back on or in the next episode, it's going to [01:56:00] be fixing the street lamp because he's gonna, you know, remember that it was the reason why this alley was dark is because that street lamps not on, he's always there bringing light into her life.

And, and what is interesting is that she acts on instinct now because she Swiss so scared and she is so relieved to have found safety with him. So like before she was acting on instinct because of alcohol, now she's acting on instinct because it's like this adrenaline rush. Right. And she just was so scared that she like, literally runs into his arms and then she doesn't let go.

Beep: Hmm. And does it even consider it? She does. She's not in her, her intellect right now.

CC: Yeah. She's not in her head. She pulls them closer and he's like, it's, it's so interesting now, like, as We like, think about his [01:57:00] journey, because he's like shocked by. And like frozen, but then he like get, as you said, he like gives into it a little bit and like one arm, right. We're now the laundry scene. She didn't get an arm now she's got one by the end of episode 11, she's finally going to get like a full arm hug.

But now that we have like watched the whole series and that we see that do chic and of course Hye-jin are actually both quite loving people, both enacts, but also like physically affectionate. Like they're both really warm, loving people and it's like watching them both awaken. And this is, this is a big step along that. , as we talked about both this scene at the end of the episode, and Hye-jin coming into do Du-sik’s home and [01:58:00] caring for him for the first time and kind of awakening that, wow, I like this. And I, you know, if, think back to the episode where she was at his house that night, and she asked him to aren't you ever lonely in this house?

And he was like, no, I have my town. Like, no, I don't think about that. It's almost like he didn't know how lonely he was when she asks him, why don't, you know, how sad it is to be sick and alone. It's like, he doesn't know the difference. So we went to the script book and we thought this would be a great point where we're now at the halfway point in this series to check in with future do chic What he now has grown accustomed to and, and loves having in his life and talking about past Du-sik, who we are with right now at the end of episode eight. So in the script book, Shanghai dune wrote two letters, one from [01:59:00] Hye-jin to Du-sik. That takes place after the confession at the end of episode 10, and then a letter that Du-sik writes to Hye-jin that takes place after the series has ended at some point in the future where they are married.

Beep: We owe so much to this Twitter user at a lovely shaman, ah, who

just goes about translating everything for us from Korean in the script, but good. So we owe them so much.

CC: it's such a gift. I mean, it's, it's like a two layer gift. it's a gift from to the fans of this show to have written letters back and forth between these characters that she's so lovingly crafted. Like what a gift. I, I don't know. This is not typical. At least in my experience for writers to write, you know, Canada. Letters back and forth between between characters, right? And then you have on top [02:00:00] of this layer of, of a fan of the show, translating it into English, that the rest of us, because the script book isn't, isn't available in English at this time for us to be able to enjoy it. So thank you to and thank you to for translating this for all of us.

this is a letter that Du-sik is writing to Hye-jin. He is lying next to her in bed. It's a snowy morning. She's still asleep. as you listened to this, everybody to think about him in this episode alone, in his house, sick in his bed, sick, the way he struggled with accepting her care and how he kind of slowly began to realize he enjoyed it. These are the excerpts from the letter. I still sometimes feel like I'm dreaming of a scenery that you were with me. [02:01:00] Sometimes it's hard to believe that we live in the same house. Of course, when I see the mess that you've made in the kitchen, I immediately think it's reality. Only one. You Hye-jin came into this house.

But this house is no longer the house that used to be. I love the sound of your laughter floating around the house, where I've been alone for a long time. It's cute to hang your wet towel back in the bathroom. And it's nice to shake the wine with ___ Hye-jin written on it. I like it. When you hang the laundry and hum to a dos song, I like it.

When you call me to go to the room or yard for no reason, it's also nice to forget that you are as heavy as the sack of the race, and that will run far away. Only for you to hop on my back. I like your hair attached to each of my clothes. [02:02:00] It's like you are buried all over. My life Hye-jin every day is the most precious.

When I wake up in the same bed with you, cook and eat warm rice and fall asleep with you again, missed this bustle, the warmth for so long without you. I would never be able to come out of the dark by myself, even at the moment that I hesitated. If I could dare to be happy. And even at the moment when I couldn't be honest with You you've always been brave enough to stay with me. Thank you for not letting me.

we'll leave off his letter there and come back to it later in the podcast. Any thoughts about that? Oh

my God,

Beep: recorded that part [02:03:00] separately.

CC: because I might cry.

Beep: Yeah. Now I'm just. I mean, I'm just pretty stuck with silence the way that she allowed him, meaning, through this letter, obviously that she wrote, but even still the way that she allowed his character to open up and to call back to so many events that we saw.

I mean, yeah, I've never seen anyone do this and it's, it's incredible. And I know that specifically, one thing really steps out to me that we have said numerous times, it's not that they, it's not that one is saving the other, it's just that they're going on this journey together and the line, you know, without you, I would never be able to come out of the dark by myself.

Is it just hits so hard because it is about all that communal aspect and yes, she's the one that he makes that first contact with to be able to kind of give him that [02:04:00] courage, but the way that it changes his entire life in the way that he, you know, he interacts with his community afterwards, it's just beautiful because constantly throughout this journey with the two of them, they're just saving each other in different ways.

And like, isn't that just normal. And I think that's, what's beautiful about it is it's just, it's just like.

CC: Yeah, well, it's just what love can bring to your life it's also the way that is able to demonstrate love in all of those small ways. So in this episode, it's, you know, a bag of tangerines or a tea or making porridge for somebody, right. Showing up when they're sick. And in this letter, you know, it's a song being hummed, eating rice together, you know, being able to, there's always going to be a mess in his kitchen, but now it's like, [02:05:00] because someone's filling his house, right.

It checking in with this like future. Who's looking back and the moment that we're in with him now, he describes in the future as the moment of hesitation dare to be happy. And that's what he's stuck in right now. And you know, this journey is so worth it because we, we get to see the two of these people at the end of this journey and everything that they bring to each other's lives.

And it's really, you know, it's, it's a very straightforward and yet really powerful story and how transformational love can be for people's lives. like.

what we can be for one another. It's very, the story is also very clear-eyed of how we can really do damage to one another, with [02:06:00] very careless and, and hurtful words.

Beep: of relationships as well.

CC: all kinds, marriage, friendship, blaming strangers, for things that they weren't responsible for casual conversations while a boy is listening at a funeral, right? Like all. of these like big and small ways, whether it's out of grief or out of carelessness, but you name it. It, it does serious damage.

Beep: I thought about this at the beginning, when we were speaking about big picture, about the way it's that people can harm each other and how some might seem so slight and so small. And it made me think of, my aunt is an elementary school teacher, and I think this came out of a book, but I don't know what it was called and whatever, it's still, it, it holds very well.

They use, tissue paper and it's cut into a heart and then they crumple it up and they undo it. And it's all [02:07:00] about how people's hearts get wrinkled, because there's no way, no matter how flat you put it, no matter how much you iron it out, if you will, there's always a remnant of the way that that heart was wrinkled by being hurt by somebody else.

And when you think about even the smallest acts, leaving a mark on somebody like that, it just really brings things into perspective. About a lot of the things we've been saying, you know, what they might be going through and, and attempting to kind of reign yourself in because you may just be adding to a wrinkle and making it even worse.

And I just, I found that, especially for her to show, you know, seven year olds found it just. A beautiful way to physically demonstrate what we, as people can do to each other.

CC: [02:08:00] Yeah. I mean, another one that they do with kids is they'll take a jar and they'll fill it with compliments. And for every compliment you get a jelly bean and you fill the jar up. And then one mean thing can mean that the entire jar gets dumped out. And it's, you know, this story, especially when we get to episode 15 is going to show us sort of, she's going to slowly unfold for us through flashbacks, all of the really damaging things that people said to do, Sheik that he deeply internalized and are these internal wounds that, that, that is what's holding him back right now.

You know, future Du-sik is saying, I'm, you know, this is a, we are in the moment of hesitation and we are going to be in this moment of hesitation with him until he finally gives in, in the middle. And like just literally gives in, in the [02:09:00] middle of the confession scene

Beep: yeah. I think that the worst thing that anyone can say about you is something you already believe about yourself because it just compounds.

CC: Yeah.

Beep: And, or, or something that you are apt to believe about yourself that you may not have been, you know, acutely aware of, but if it's somehow fits in with the narrative that you tell yourself about your own life, it just,

it compounds so much for his.

So for him to think, you know, and already feel guilty, but then he has this Young's wife. He has the security guard son. He has these families, you know, telling him how utterly awful he is. It's every little bit of it. Just stacks that up into what else could he possibly believe until someone who comes along, who's willing to, you know, accept who he is and who he used.[02:10:00]

CC: it's really a gift that obviously loves these characters so much that she wrote this letter and. Showed us different sides of it. And one thing to keep in mind, you know, Mi-seon said throughout this episode, you're a dating rookie Hye-jin in her letter will tell you chic, I never confessed to anyone in my life. So this is all so new for both of them. And we're going to see all of the, like, you know, giddy and beautiful ways, the very funny, and like kind of like silly ways, right. That they are going to be dating novices with one another, but they are like, kind of on this, you know, right now it's this parallel journey that they are feeling so many of the same things.

They can't, their feelings are bubbling up to the surface. They're expressing that they care for one another through acts of service, but they can't play like, say it yet. [02:11:00] we're on this journey with you all rewatching and, and someday do, she's going to be lying next to his wife, running this letter and, and looking back on, on what we're unpacking right now on this journey is just really beautiful.

Beep: So we did it one more down next time we have episode nine coming up and that's about meeting the in-laws known or unknown. we have a couple of exciting guests coming up. hilarious TV recap, or Tony Mazzeo will join us for episode nine to break down all the family dynamics.

She actually lives in South Korea right now, which is really cool. So we're excited to have her. and then for episode 10, we have a fanfic and romance writer, extraordinary Gino to come and celebrate one of the greatest romantic comedy episodes of TV over.

CC: Episode 10. It's around the corner. Beep ah, that one's going to be like four hours long, [02:12:00] might be a two-parter. we are officially at the halfway point with our rewatch and we just wanted to stop And think all of you listeners or coming along on this journey with us, flailing and laughing and obviously sometimes crying because of this beautiful story we have heard from listeners from everywhere from the Philippines to cutter to Northern Ireland, to Argentina, to Canada, literally all around the globe. Just absolutely blows our mind. And we just love hearing from you all and are just really grateful that you all take time out of your lives to just listen to us, you know, flail about TV. So thank you so much again, please send us things you've been thinking about or discussion topics or questions you would like to talk with us about when we do our upcoming Twitter live.

we'd [02:13:00] love to do it like now that we're here at our halfway point. So please reach out to us on Twitter at @TVbanshees or on our website, streamingbanshees.com.

Beep: And in the meantime, if someone tries to take care of you by giving of themselves, just eat the porridge. Okay. No matter how bad it tastes, just eat the porridge until next time. We'll see.