Heart to Heart Episode 15 recap

Side dish: Hong Do may have had nothing except moldy food left at home, but if she had leftover blue cheese, she could have followed one of the Blue Cheese recipes from the Food Network.

Episode Recap

The episode begins with what really happened 23 years ago. Hwang Moon Sun (Jin Hee Kyung) runs into the garden shed to hide from her husband, Ko Jae Woong (Eom Hyo Seop). In a rage over her adultery, Jae Woong breaks the window, and drops in his lighter. Even Jae Woong is surprised when flames engulf the shed. He is dragging his unconscious wife out of the shed when his panicked son, Ko Yi Seok reveals that his twin brother, Il Seok is still inside. By then, it is too late.

Presently, chaebol psychiatrist, Yi Seok (Chun Jung Myung) is putting on a brave face after breaking up with his girlfriend, Cha Hong Do (Choi Kang Hee) following the wishes of his family. However, his grandfather, the Chairman (Joo Hyun) is not doing much better, perhaps overcome with guilt. When Hong Do returns the money that the Chairman gave her, the old man asks Butler Ahn (Choi Moo Sung) to keep an eye on her.

Former queen of cooking, Hong Do is eating instant noodles straight out of the package, and refusing to leave the house. She ignores the groceries that policeman, Jang Doo Soo (Lee Jae Yoon) leaves outside her home. As a result, Hong Do soon runs out of food as everything in her house is either consumed or turns moldy.

Concerned for Hong Do, Doo Soo reaches out to Yi Seok, with conciliatory beer, and the photo of the lighter found at the scene of the fire, which Yi Seok promptly dismisses. Doo Soo questions why Yi Seok doesn’t just run away with Hong Do, and Yi Seok is at a loss to explain.

Butler Ahn’s hired man reports that Hong Do does leave her home, but only at night, and she appears to be sleepwalking. The Chairman feels guilty, though not enough to do anything other than continue monitoring Hong Do.

Moon Sun is calmer now that Hong Do has been banished, though not as happy as she expected to be. However, for her daughter, Ko Se Ro (Ahn So Hee), it is too little, too late. Se Ro has decided to return to the US, because she does believe that they will ever be a family. When Yi Seok gets home, Se Ro reveals her plans to quit acting and leave Korea. A sad Yi Seok proposes that she stay and live in his officetel.

The next morning, a hung over and somber Yi Seok apologizes to a stricken looking Jae Woong for assuming that he was unaffected by Il Seok’s death. Later, Jae Woong breaks down before the Chairman, but the old man urges him to stay silent about his crime for the sake of his wife and son.

Se Ro goes to say goodbye to Hong Do, but Hong Do has become a feral scavenger in her own home, and barely acknowledges the young woman’s calls from outside. Next, Se Ro goes to see Doo Soo, and takes a mental snapshot of him before announcing her departure. Doo Soo appears conflicted as Se Ro gives him her departure flight information.

It turns out that where Hong Do goes at night is Yi Seok’s clinic office. She works on the red sweater that she is knitting for Yi Seok, and accidentally leaves behind a pair of clippers.

Yi Seok finds Hong Do’s clippers, and he cannot stop himself from asking Butler Ahn how she is doing, knowing that the Chairman hired someone to watch her. He finds out about Hong Do’s sleepwalking.

One night, Hong Do sleepwalks right into the clinic office while Yi Seok is brooding in the dark. Yi Seok confronts her, but she continues knitting, oblivious to his presence and his pleas for her to come to her senses. When daylight arrives. Yi Seok follows Hong Do home, and he discovers that she has acquired a fear of fire. Concern for Hong Do’s well-being causes Yi Seok to break down before his mentor, Uhm Gi Choon (Seo Yi Sook), as well as the Chairman.

After witnessing her brother’s deterioration, Se Ro asks Doo Soo to bring Hong Do to Yi Seok. Doo Soo is reluctant to intervene, but eventually agrees to drive Se Ro to Hong Do’s home.

For her part, Hong Do cannot stop hearing Yi Seok’s voice. Echoing Yi Seok’s words, she realizes that she must come back to her senses. She starts to unravel Yi Seok’s sweater, and tidy up the house. When Yi Seok calls, she ignores her phone.

Unable to take any more, Yi Seok rushes to Hong Do’s home. He lets himself in, and Hong Do becomes hysterical. Yi Seok comforts her, and once Hong Do has calmed down, he fusses about the sad state of her home and her personal well-being. When Hong Do asks why he came, he admits that breaking up has made it hard for both of them to live. Hong Do stares in shock as Yi Seok concludes that they should tackle adversity together.

Se Ro spots Yi Seok’s car outside of Hong Do’s home, and is instantly relieved. As Doo Soo drives her home, he regards her with affection and encourages her to take a nap. Upon arrival outside the Chairman’s home, Se Ro fails to wake up, so Doo Soo turns up the heat in the car, and settles in.

By the time Se Ro wakes up, the sun has gone down. She offers Doo Soo a handshake and thanks him for everything he did during her one-sided crush. Doo Soo holds on to her hand longer than he should then admits that he is saddened by her departure. She warns him not to see her off at the airport lest she mistake his feelings again.

After his partner points out the initial, ‘K’ on the lighter, Doo Soo brings this to Yi Seok’s attention. Yi Seok takes the photo more seriously this time, and marches back into the Chairman’s home. He grabs his grandfather’s cane and finds the same initial “K” carved into it. Yi Seok is angrily demanding to know if the Chairman set the fire, when Jae Woong interrupts to claim ownership of the lighter, and responsibility for the fire. As Jae Woong starts sobbing, Moon Sun’s outburst betrays her knowledge of her husband’s culpability. Yi Seok suddenly regards his family as the nest of vipers that they are.

Comments

I question the writer’s decision to place the blame for the fire so squarely on Jae Woong and Moon Sun at the beginning of this episode. Anger and disgust towards the couple, the Chairman, and even towards Butler Ahn for keeping the secret, just coloured everything else. Even the prolonged scenes of Yi Seok and Hong Do being despondent just reflected attention right back at the despicable cowards who brought about their enforced separation.

Of course, it was still a relief when Yi Seok and Hong Do finally reunited. Like Gi Choon, I missed Yi Seok’s obnoxious self. However, the best thing about their reunion is that it comes independent of knowledge of his family’s scapegoating of Hong Do. So, in spite of an episode focused on how evil Yi Seok’s family is, it ended with the couple finding each other without outside interference.

On a lighter note, it appears that Doo Soo only likes someone when she is about to leave him. Lucky for him, Se Ro appears to still hold a torch for him, so he won’t lose the girl twice.

Here are some cute moments as a palate cleanser:

Se Ro trying to create a lasting memory of Doo Soo.