Ex-Girlfriend Club episode 12 recap – Finale!

Side dish: Right now, I never want to see another chicken wing again, but if I did, I would prefer it were these ginger and honey chicken wings from Jamie Oliver over the ones I ate last night.

Episode Recap

Film director, Jo Geun (Do Sang Woo) and webtoon writer, Bang Myeong Soo (Byun Yo Han) have the grace to look abashed as Myeong Soo’s girlfriend, PD Kim Soo Jin (Song Ji Hyo) yells at them for fighting at the apartment of her sister, Soo Kyung (Shin Dong Mi). The two of them still can’t resist poking at each other, and only stop when Soo Jin reminds them that she is ill.

Soo Jin finally decides to have a talk with Jo Geun and sends Myeong Soo home. It’s clear that Myeong Soo hasn’t learned his lesson, as he refuses to go, so Soo Jin insists that he stay behind while she and Jo Geun take a walk.

Back at the apartment, Soo Kyung and her husband Ji Hoon (Cho Jung Chi) are stuffing their faces with the fruit Jo Geun brought, while Soo Kyung curses both men for their behaviour.

Myeong Soo watches impatiently from behind the line that Soo Jin told him not to cross while she and Jo Geun talk. But, Myeong Soo can’t hear anything and can only watch as she ends the conversation with a nice smile and a handshake. As Jo Geun leaves, Myeong Soo pretends to have been reflecting on his actions until Soo Jin calls him over, and makes him take her for a piggy-back ride around the park as punishment. As he carries her around, she points out what a bad impression he’s made on her family, and he vows to go back and beg their forgiveness. The two of them flirt as he keeps carrying her around in circles.

The next day, the formerly empty film production office is in full swing as Myeong Soo walks in. Eun Hye (Kang Soo Jin) explains to Myeong Soo that the production has gotten started, as Jo Geun calls a meeting of assistants. When Soo Jin walks in carrying a box, Myeong Soo jumps to take it from her, appalled that the crew would leave a woman to carry things.

That night, instead of going to eat with the production assistants, Soo Jin stays back in the office with Myeong Soo to savour the feeling of being in a working office. Jo Geun watches them enviously from afar, as they joke around together, and Soo Jin explains how happy she is to be able to do something. Myeong Soo makes another attempt at finding out what she said to Jo Geun, but she refuses to tell him, and makes a joke of his empty threats to stalk her in order to find out.

An unhappy Jo Geun takes to the streets to walk off his misery, and thinks back to Soo Jin’s earlier words. In the park, as Myeong Soo watches from a distance, an embarrassed and disbelieving Soo Jin asks Jo Geun if he likes her, adding that she won’t be able to work with him in that case. Jo Geun lies to her that he doesn’t, and that he came to inform her of that in case she felt burdened by the misunderstanding. Soo Jin begs him to forget about her stupidity as they shake hands, and he walks away. Back in the present, a heartbroken Jo Geun swallows his tears and keeps walking.

In the company office, company director Young Jae waits by the desk of his former fiancée, Hwa Young (Lee Yoon Ji). She arrives in fine form, and informs him that he’ll need to redo his work. When Young Jae tells her that he already spent three nights working without sleeping, she informs him that he’ll have to keep working until it’s finished. He walks away looking defeated.

At his art studio, Myeong Soo’s roommate Jin Bae (Ko Hyeon) needles a prone Myeong Soo about being dumped. Myeong Soo is totally unresponsive until he gets a message and heads out the door. It turns out the message was from Soo Jin, asking Myeong Soo to drive her and Jo Geun to a meeting. Predictably, Myeong Soo and Jo Geun can’t resist needling each other, as Jo Geun sneaks into the front seat. Caught between the two of them, Soo Jin tries to keep the peace.

At the film studio, Jo Geun looks over the set of the main character’s room, stating that he’d like to change the colour for each successive girlfriend, to blue, magenta, and yellow. Soo Jin finds it weird to be on the set, and asks Jo Geun if he’s ever been in love. He evades the question, but she’s actually wondering about what happens to feelings when you break up, equating herself with Myeong Soo’s ex-girlfriends. She wonders if the other girlfriends are blue, magenta and yellow, what colour she herself would be. Jo Geun has his feelings in his eyes as he tells her she would be white, but before Soo Jin can say anything, Jo Geun gets a phone call and leaves.

Soo Jin goes outside the studio and finds Myeong Soo amusing himself with a stick. He puckers up and asks for comfort from his boredom, but she plays dumb and gives him a nice hug instead. His efforts at getting a kiss out of her are interrupted by the arrival of Jo Geun, who tells them to leave ahead of him, since the art department is running late. Myeong Soo shoves a reluctant Soo Jin into the car and they take off, leaving Jo Geun behind.

Predictably, Myeong Soo’s car breaks down along the way, in a place with no phone reception. The two of them try to walk somewhere to get help, but end up getting caught in a rain storm instead.

Jo Geun makes it back to Seoul before they do, and goes to dinner at the restaurant of Ji Ah (Jang Ji Eun). When she asks where Soo Jin is, he informs her that she’s probably on a date. Ji Ah is berating him for giving up too easily, when actress Ra Ra (Ryu Hwa Young) comes in from the rain. She’s followed shortly by Hwa Young with a miserable Young Jae in tow.

Young Jae is uncomfortable and tries to leave, but Hwa Young is having too much fun to let him go. As the other three look on in confusion, she makes him drink with her. It’s Ji Ah who finally asks why Hwa Young is the head director, while Young Jae has to follow her orders. Hwa Young laughs and tells them it’s a long story, while Young Jae stares daggers at a nonplussed Jo Geun.

Myeong Soo and Soo Jin end up back at the car, trying to dry off. When Myeong Soo realizes that Soo Jin is cold, he suggests that he go out and find someone to help them in the downpour. Soo Jin doesn’t want be left alone, and Myeong Soo stays back in the car with her.

Back at Ji Ah’s restaurant, Jo Geun laughs his ass off to find out that Young Jae’s father has demoted him to mere employee. Young Jae, for his part, is not impressed with Jo Geun selling his house to make a movie for the sake of Soo Jin, who rejected him. The two of them are partners in misery, as Jo Geun explains that he let Soo Jin go, because she was so happy without him. Young Jae points out that Jo Geun even stabbed him in the back for Soo Jin, and Jo Geun can’t deny it.

In the background, Hwa Young, Ji Ah, and Ra Ra try desperately to listen in on their conversation.

Trapped in a car with her hot boyfriend, Soo Jin can’t think of anything better to do than ask him what colour she would be, if people could be represented by colour. She describes Ji Ah as blue, Hwa Young as red, and Ra Ra as yellow as an example. In response, Myeong Soo tells her she’d be FFFFFF (the Hex code for white), but she doesn’t understand. She agrees to play cute for him in return for him explaining himself, but he fails to, in the end. Instead, Myeong Soo apologizes for the crappiness of his car, which was even supposed to take them to the beach.

The next day, at a production meeting, Jo Geun’s unreasonable demands rile up the rest of the production team. When Jo Geun abruptly leaves, they designate Soo Jin to try and talk some sense into him. When Jo Geun refuses to change his mind, Soo Jin resorts to a relentless campaign of puppy dog eyes until he finally gives in. The rest of the production team is impressed at her persuasive skills.

In a meeting with the costume designer, Soo Jin is surprised to learn that Jo Geun’s offhand choices are, as usual, genius. But, she’s more interested in finding out what colour FFFFFF is. She’s happy to learn that it’s white, but is surprised to find out that it means that a person who sees her that way is afraid to lose her. Soo Jin thinks back to both Jo Geun and Myeong Soo telling her that they see her as white.

Back at Myeong Soo’s studio, Myeong Soo and Soo Jin are so lovey-dovey that Jin Bae has to remind them that he’s still there. When Jin Bae leaves, Soo Jin tells Myeong Soo that she won’t leave him even if he gets tired of her. Myeong Soo responds that if she gets tired of him, they’ll both die. They both laugh like he’s joking, and flirt some more.

Later, at the production office, as they’re getting up to go to a meeting, Soo Jin stops Jo Geun to thank him for everything he’s done for her. She apologizes, then wishes him happiness. Jo Geun insists that only using the expensive camera will make him happy, and when she refuses, he doubts her sincerity and ushers her out the door.

Of course, Soo Jin and Jo Geun are on their way to Ji Ah’s restaurant, where Hwa Young is supervising Myeong Soo’s cooking. When they ask after Young Jae and Ra Ra, it turns out Hwa Young gave Young Jae more work to do, while Ra Ra is out buying watermelons. When Jo Geun is sent to help Ra Ra out, he goes out and broods about Soo Jin instead. Lucky for him, he’s interrupted by the arrival of Ra Ra.

Ra Ra is happy to see Jo Geun, but when he asks how she’s doing, she confesses that she’s worried that her limitations as an actress will become apparent in her serious role. Jo Geun points out that his freakishly smart self figured out how good she was, so others will, too. Ra Ra, instead, wonders why he can’t figure other things out, since he’s so smart. It seems Jo Geun has figured it out, and leans in, but it’s only to take the watermelons from her. She follows along, smiling, as her orders her to get watermelons delivered next time.

Back at the restaurant, they all sit down to dinner, and it’s not long before Young Jae shows up. It’s awkward between Hwa Young and Young Jae, but fairy godmothers, Jo Geun and Ra Ra rearrange the table so the former couple are sitting side by side. It’s a jovial atmosphere as everyone congratulates Soo Jin at the commencement of filming, and hopes that they’ll make a good movie. Ra Ra bluntly asks if Hwa Young and Young Jae have made up, and it looks promising as he agrees to take responsibility if she gets drunk. Everyone clinks glasses and says cheers.

Of course, all that joviality goes out the window as filming commences. Jo Geun yells, “Cut,” when someone opens a parasol directly in front of his camera, and it turns out to be Ji Ah, who along with Ra Ra and Hwa Young, is acting as an extra. Myeong Soo is there, too, and everyone’s buzzing with annoyance at the delay in having to film in the hot sun. Jo Geun calls a break, as they set up again, and Myeong Soo, Ra Ra, Ji Ah, and Hwa Young sit in the grass and chat. Ji Ah is annoyed that her salon makeup is coming off, because she has a date afterwards. Ra Ra, meanwhile, is unsure what project to take on next, and wonders whether to ask Geun Oppa (i.e., Jo Geun) for advice.

Meanwhile, Jo Geun has a fit, and instructs Soo Jin not to let Hwa Young, Ra Ra, and Ji Ah on to the set next time. But, his problems aren’t over, when Soo Kyung and Ji Hoon show up on set as well. After taking a selfie with Jo Geun, they finally agree to leave, but end up running into Hwa Young, Ra Ra, and Ji Ah. Ji Hoon immediately recognizes them as Myeong Soo’s ex-girlfriends, but Soo Jin stops him from spilling the beans to Soo Kyung. Instead, Soo Jin tells her that the three women are her friends. Soo Kyung doesn’t believe it, since they look like they’d all fight over a man. Ji Hoon points out that the only man present is Myeong Soo, but Soo Kyung dismisses the idea that they could fight over him. Everyone laughs nervously, as Soo Jin ushers her sister and brother-in-law away.

That night, by the riverside, Soo Jin wistfully tells Myeong Soo how much she’d like to go to the beach. He proposes walking there immediately, so they set off. But, before they get there, she stops and asks when he started liking her. Myeong Soo turns the question back at her, and Soo Jin admits it was from their first meeting, when he asked for a ride in her car. He admits that he liked her before then, and had been following her around the whole afternoon before then. He tells her that he loves her, and she tell him that she loves him, too. They kiss, and the episode ends.

Comments

Given how the show was cut short, it’s not surprising that this last episode feels like several compressed into one. That said, I’m not unhappy with how the show was tied up, though I wish we’d gotten more of all the little bites of each story in this episode. On the upside, I liked that we spent a little more time with Jo Geun, since he was a pretty entertaining character who was given short shrift in the middle section of this series. It would have been nice if we’d spent a bit more time with Ra Ra as well.

As for Hwa Young and Young Jae, well, maybe now that the truth’s out, that Hwa Young is a micro-managing stalker (with an ex-boyfriend, no less!), and that Young Jae is a vindictive lunatic when his feelings are hurt, the two of them can figure out how to make it work together.

But, on to our super cute main couple. My only quibble with Myeong Soo and Soo Jin would be this: trapped in a car with my rain-sodden boyfriend, who I’m supposedly crazy hot for, the last thing I would do is ask him what colour he thought I was. I wasn’t expecting Myeong Soo and Soo Jin to get it on, but am I nuts to think that it was a situation that could easily have lent itself to some heat? No? Just me?

One thing I’ll say before I leave the rest to our series review, is that it’s nice to see a couple that settles things as undramatically as Myeong Soo and Soo Jin. In the end, though Myeong Soo was being a jealous ass over Soo Jin working with Jo Geun, he restrained himself when he saw how happy Soo Jin was. And, Soo Jin got her point across that his behaviour was unacceptable without precipitating a huge crisis between them. Maybe it was the short length of the drama or maybe that’s how this director works, but it was a refreshing change either way.

Here are some bonus shots of Soo Jin attempting aegyo. Pretty cute, right?

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Ex-Girlfriend Club (구여친클럽)

 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 || series review