Side dish: You can frantically sample mandu at the supermarket until you’re full, or leisurely make your own at home courtesy of this Maangchi recipe.
Episode Recap
The episode starts with the perplexing scene of psychiatrist, Ko Yi Seok (Chung Jung Myung) applying make up on some supermarket employees in the most horrendous ways. He sure looks pleased with the results.
But, first, we return to the moment when anthrophobe, Cha Hong Do (Choi Kang Hee) comes across the sight of her supposed boyfriend, Yi Seok hugging his ex-girlfriend, Yeon Woo. A shocked Hong Do is dragged away by police detective, Jang Doo Soo (Lee Jae Yoon). Yeon Woo suddenly recovers, and expresses a desire for dessert.
Outside the clinic, Hong Do and Doo Soo play tug of war. Hong Do tries to give Yi Seok the benefit of the doubt, and Doo Soo tries his best to dissuade her from doing that.
It’s a double assault when Yi Seok comes out of the clinic with Yeon Woo. She makes a bitchy reference to the morning she found Hong Do in bed with Yi Seok, while Yi Seok aggravates Doo Soo. Hong Do does exactly what Doo Soo had been encouraging her to do, and acts outraged at finding Yi Seok with his ex-girlfriend. Rather than appease her, Yi Seok ends the relationship on the spot. A shocked Hong Do is driven away by Doo Soo.
Once at a dessert place, Yeon Woo admits that she faked her crying to get Yi Seok to see her, then proposes that they hook up before she gets married. Yi Seok mocks her and the idea of being with someone else’s fiancée. Later, while lying in bed together, in a furniture showroom, Yeon Woo expresses doubts about her impending marriage, since she doesn’t love her husband-to-be.
Doo Soo takes Hong Do back his friend’s empty sushi restaurant, and continues to insist that she needs protection, especially from Yi Seok. Hong Do protests, saying that she is not naive, but Doo Soo brushes her claim aside, along with her request to go home.
Yi Seok’s sister, Ko Se Ro (Ahn So Hee) comes into his bedroom as he is trying to call Hong Do. When Hong Do finally answers, she overhears the conversation between the two siblings in which they refer to lipstick on Yi Seok’s shirt, and being in bed with Yeon Woo.
When Yi Seok realizes he has Hong Do on the line, he instantly demands an explanation for her leaving with Doo Soo. Hong Do rightly points out that he had already broken up with her. The risk of prolonged misunderstanding is sidestepped as Yi Seok surmises right away that Hong Do overheard the lipstick reference, and Hong Do is honest about how she felt seeing him with his ex-girlfriend.
Back at the sushi restaurant, Doo Soo’s perceptive sushi friend doesn’t think Hong Do is interested in him. Unfortunately, the friend follows up with advice to do a wrist grab, and order her to date him. Doo Soo wistfully wishes he could turn back time.
The Chairman’s passive aggressive housekeeper whips a blanket as close as possible to the face of Hong Do’s old woman persona, Oh Young Rae. She accuses Young Rae of attempting to seduce the Chairman, which Young Rae adamantly denies.
Yi Seok comes across Young Rae as she is leaving, and tries to befriend her out of gratitude for cheering up his grandfather. Hong Do takes some of her resentment over Yi Seok’s grabby ways out on him while in disguise.
Doo Soo is unexpectedly waiting for Hong Do outside the Chairman’s home. Yi Seok spots Doo Soo trying to get Young Rae into his car, and asks if dragging women away is Doo Soo’s hobby. Doo Soo counters by asking if Yi Seok’s hobby is making women cry. Awesome.
In Doo Soo’s car, Hong Do apologizes, but Doo Soo claims responsibility for the entire debacle, because he showed up at the Chairman’s house, unannounced. Doo Soo then possessively grumbles about how far she has embedded herself in Yi Seok’s life both as herself and as Young Rae. That’s one step forward, two steps back, Doo Soo. The one positive result of the unpleasant encounter is Hong Do realizing that her Young Rae disguise is wrong.
Yi Seok tells his mentor, Uhm Gi Choon (Seo Yi Sook) about Yeon Woo wanting to fool around with him. Gi Choon realizes that Yi Seok treated his ex-girlfriend without Hong Do present (if hugging can be considered professional treatment), and did not suffer the usual side effects. She wonders if Yi Seok is now capable of treating patients on his own.
When Hong Do returns to Yi Seok’s office, she listens to him openly make an appointment with Yeon Woo. Yi Seok calls Hong Do over to his desk for her counselling session. In actuality, he just wants to discuss last night. Yi Seok claims that the hug was strictly for a counselling session, and that he has to be the one to treat Yeon Woo, because she is a public figure. Still, Yi Seok wants Hong Do to go home when Yeon Woo arrives, and to ensure this, he sweeps her away to a bustling supermarket.
The supermarket is the setting for Yi Seok’s latest treatment exercise: Hong Do must take a food sample. Hong Do is still questioning why Yeon Woo, who has it all, would need counselling. Yi Seok knows that Hong Do is really wondering why he would date her instead of Yeon Woo. Without answering her question, Yi Seok shifts the attention back to the exercise at hand.
Hong Do braces herself and approaches one of the sample counters. Yi Seok is watching until he receives a call from Yeon Woo in distress. Yi Seok calls Hong Do as he runs out, telling her exactly what he is doing, and encouraging her to get home by herself. Hong Do is overwhelmed as customers converge on a beef special. She escapes into the refrigerated storeroom, then gets locked in.
Hong Do attempts to reach Yi Seok for help, but he is busy picking up a hysterical Yeon Woo. The media is aflutter about Yeon Woo having a live on-air meltdown involving a baguette. Yeon Woo confesses that she got engaged to regain her pride, but her rich fiancé has already cheated on her, and now, she has made a spectacle of herself on TV. Still, Yeon Woo cannot decide whether to proceed with the wedding or not.
At the police station, Doo Soo’s partner reveals that he used Doo Soo’s photo to represent him in a group chat, and now, he faces a double date with college girls. Doo Soo turns down the opportunity, as he is still pining after Hong Do, though he is beginning to feel impatient with her. His partner advocates being Hong Do’s constant shadow, which sounds less like constancy, and more like stalking.
Hong Do ends up calling Doo Soo to bail her out of the cold storeroom, then attempts to defend Yi Seok, blaming the situation on her own failure. You can almost see the steam coming out of Doo Soo’s ears as he asks where Yi Seok is now. He figures out that Yi Seok is with his ex-girlfriend. Hong Do just fans the flames by admitting that she does not feel adequate for Yi Seok.
As Yi Seok is about to leave Yeon Woo in his apartment, she stops him with a kiss. Yi Seok comes to the realization that kissing Hong Do is different, because it feels real, enraging Yeon Woo. Oblivious Yi Seok calls Hong Do, and assumes that the supermarket exercise was a success. Hong Do claims to be tired, when she is actually emotionally drained. Yi Seok is too excited about his feeling for Hong Do to delve further into hers.
Outside of the Chairman’s home, Yi Seok is met by Doo Soo who starts pounding on the chaebol psychiatrist. Yi Seok counters with butt slapping and biting. The scene cuts to Doo Soo trying to reassure some beat cops while Yi Seok moans on the ground. The cops leave as Yi Seok protests, and kicks the air in frustration.
Over a soju drinking contest, Doo Soo reveals what really happened to Hong Do at the supermarket. When Yi Seok claims that his feelings for Hong Do are genuine, Doo Soo questions for how long. Doo Soo is determined to prevent Hong Do from getting hurt. Yi Seok accuses him of trying to return Hong Do to the confines of her house. Doo Soo declares that he wants to return Hong Do to his side.
At home, Hong Do decides to abandon her Young Rae persona out of consideration towards others. And, while she is unsure about Yi Seok’s intentions, Hong Do is confident about her feelings for him.
Doo Soo wakes up, disoriented, on the floor at the foot of Yi Seok’s bed. While attempting to make an exit, Doo Soo is spotted by an excited Se Ro. She aggressively pursues him, even going so far as to sneak a kiss. Later, when Yi Seok learns of this from the housekeeper, he refuses to believe that his sister could be attracted to the cop.
When the Chairman receives a pair of tickets to a concert, his butler encourages him to take Young Rae. Hong Do receives a call from the butler for evening work, unaware that she is being set up for a date with the Chairman. Later, the Chairman is watching his butler deliver a fancy dress to Young Rae’s home when he receives a phone call informing him that someone has died. The Chairman clutches his heart and collapses.
Hong Do goes to visit Doo Soo in order to thank him again for saving her from the cold room. Doo Soo insists he will wait for her for as long as she waited for him. When Hong Do looks less than thrilled by the prospect, Doo Soo laughs awkwardly, and tells her not to feel burdened.
Next, Hong Do confronts Yi Seok in his office about playing with her, and wonders if he is returning to his usual type. Yi Seok calls this notion the result of her inferiority complex. Hong Do asks if he was really counselling Yeon Woo since he didn’t need her presence to ward off the side effects of meeting with patients. Yi Seok lies, claiming that he felt terrible, and could not do it without her.
Hong Do and Yi Seok return to the supermarket, and this time, he promises not to leave, no matter who calls. Knowing the state of his grandfather, this promise seems doomed to fail. Fortunately, Hong Do is faster this time around in her approach to a samples counter (manned by Oh Jung Se, in another tvN cameo). As she munches on mandu, she realizes that Yi Seok paid the food sample servers to wear helmets, and mess up their faces. Hong Do smiles appreciatively at Yi Seok who seems pleased to bathe in the glow of her gratitude.
Comments
Based on viewer comments, it would appear that everyone came out at the other end of this episode with very strong feelings either for or against Yi Seok and Doo Soo.
Yi Seok remains an callous narcissist who easily ignores the hurt he inflicts on Hong Do in favour of feeling outraged at how she might have wronged him. He also appears to be in love with the idea of being in love with Hong Do. However, there is no denying that Yi Seok is persistent in his attempts to bring Hong Do out of her shell, and honest with her, without fear of misunderstanding. Plus, isn’t it every girl’s dream to have a chaebol pay supermarket staff to make themselves look even more ridiculous than her?
Doo Soo’s protective attitude towards Hong Do definitely has a jealous and possessive air about it. He seems perfectly happy catering to her affliction, repeatedly bringing her to his friend’s empty sushi restaurant. Though, it should be noted that Hong Do has yet to actually eat at the restaurant. Just when the viewer is ready to write off Doo Soo as a frustrated brute, he demonstrates compassion for her, and readily takes the blame for any wrongdoing. And, I think his hair is improving.
In the middle is Hong Do who demonstrated some good sense in this episode. She considered that Yi Seok must have his reasons for hugging his ex-girlfriend, and was ready to hear an explanation. She was also wonderfully honest in expressing her feelings about the hug, and for Yi Seok. However, since Doo Soo has also been honest about his intentions, it seems cruel on Hong Do’s part to be talking with him about her issues with Yi Seok.
While viewers decamp to either Team Cop or Team Chaebol, they can enjoy the tussle that Yi Seok and Doo Soo had. Here are some highlights, though the slapping and biting are best seen in motion.
The cuteness of Yi Suk & Hong Do is giving me life and with each episode I am moving more towards Team Chaebol. Dong Soo gets more irritating with each episode but I still like him but not for Hong Do.
I am in love with this drama. I love the fact that we see heavily flawed characters that don’t make excuses for their shortcomings especially Yi Suk. I gained much respect for him when he “confessed” to Hong Do. He told her how he felt, what to expect, warned her that she may get hurt, and is wanting to try for how long it may last. Can you fault a person for being totally honest about not knowing why they like you because you aren’t the type they usually are attracted? I just love this show. Kudos to the writers
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