Arggggggggghhhhh… He was going to propose! Why? Shin-Lee Why? Leaving Jeong-won (and us) high and dry in that sort of cliffhanger. Nasty. After all that cute, they stab us with in the heart with that move. Sad puppy Jeong-won certainly did his magic. The wedding suit was yummylicious and Yoo Yeong-seok cleans up good. No doubt the recent turn in events was entirely calculated to keep us all on tenterhooks for subsequent episodes all the way to season’s end. There’s a
I second that "Arggggggggghhhhh" and wholeheartedly agree with your take on the WG relationship. Much as I like the fluff, they need to build a more solid foundation before saying their wedding vows. It was very poignant that Jeong-won chose to propose at the cathedral. It was as if Lord Himself told him, 'no, it's not the right time, my boy.'
Great observations about moms, all of them. I teared up. <3
You and your husband are such optimists, lol. May it be. I am all for weddings & parties - at the right time.
This episode broke my heart in so many places I lost count. But you know, it is a good kind of hurt. The one that makes you sober and aware.
The first one was the theme of aging, particularly, aging parents, their troubles and illnesses, and quirks. The show deals with its elders beautifully, they are so breathing, so dimensional. Even Seok-hyeong’s mom. She may come across arrogant and annoying, but she is not a caricature - I’ve actually met people like her. It’s more about insecurity and immaturity than malice. She hasn’t lived her life to the fullest, what’s with her unfortunate marriage, and her elevated position. At the same time, she’s not heartless, she values her friends, the company she’s able to secure at her age. And I bet if Min-ha becomes her daughter-in-law, she will challenge her just right…
You know, this episode is the first one across two seasons when I truly believed the GomGom relationship was a possibility - because of one (1) Seok-hyeong’s expression when Hong-do was praising Min-ha’s sense of humor (in the exact same words Gyeo-ul said to her bf, I believe). Was it, perhaps, jealousy, or other hint of possessiveness? To the point where this recluse would voluntarily join the team meals to observe his chief resident around the intern?
(And yes, I’m writing that much about this part of the show because it was the only one that didn’t give me acute heartache but some hope instead, lol.)
Because Jun-wan sitting on a floor with a crumbling bun and a puddle of soda (man, I’ve been there) - and Jun-wan in general = heartbreak.
Ik-jun longingly staring at Song-hwa, and then into the fire, much like U-ju did = heartbreak.
Real life interrupting a fairytale-like WG proposal set to the sappiest OST of all time = triple heartbreak. (Did they have to mention break-up in this episode twice? Did they?!)
And all the guardians’ stories, starting with the security guard and ending with a Pediatric fellow who just lost it because of her worry = well, I am not a very emotional person, but I was pretty heartbroken.
There were some other good things, though. The editing of the opening sequence of the show was a chef’s kiss. These paradigmatic transitions between the scenes - Hong-do’s unwashed hair => Gyeo-ul’s freshly washed hair => Gyeo-ul’s coffee cup => Seok-hyeong’s coffee tumbler => Seok-hyeong’s car => Song-hwa’s car => Song-hwa’s entering the elevator => Jun-wan’s leaving the elevator… ugh, so well-done. Musical cuts also became better compared to the first part of the season. And all the subtle things I’m so fond of are still there.
(So, if Jun-wan’s going to his mom’s birthday next episode, please make sure he meets Ik-sun there, author-nim! Otherwise, why mention it at all?!)
I know that conflict is necessary BUT i just HOPE that wingar can resolve theirs next ep 😭 (i’m a bit scared that shinlee will pull a bidulgi and break up wingar 😩) i hope they can be there for each other esp since both of their moms are sick 😭🤧
Have been reading your blog and newsletters on Hospital Playlist since the time I found it while waiting for season 2.....and am in love with your analysis and viewpoints. Jang Gyeoul not coming to the cathedral...was kind of something that I did not see coming, but then when it happened, it kind of made sense, specially when you see the parallel scenes in their relationship. But obviously that did made me feel sad as I saw Jeongwon waiting there for Jang Gyeoul, and it was similar to what I felt in season 1 when Jang Gyeoul was lied to by him. Overall, this whole episode was kind of sad. Seeing Junwan after the Winter-Garden office scene, made me feel sad after a small bit of happiness. But I am glad that he now knows that Iksun is now back in Korea, but he cannot ask Ikjun about her. And our Uju feeling sad just because of a fight with his girlfriend Mone and Mama Rosa forgetting things. Well that is life, you get sad parts along with happy parts.
I kind of agree with you that Jang Gyeoul's hesitancy in saying about her family is little bit similar to Iksun's decision of breakup. It is a bit of concern that she is not sharing her problems regards with her family. I just hope that she does not hide her family concerns from Jeongwon. I was actually thinking that if WinterGarden will face any problem, then communication could be one of the reasons of their problem, specifically when she/he won't be sharing their problems with each other. Now we are getting that, I just hope that they will overcome this. I hope that Jang Gyeoul will be able to share her family concerns with Jeongwon. I hope she realises that she is perfect already to him, and I wish she could see herself from his eyes. And we get only hope is from Gom-Gom couple. Seokhyeong is definitely becoming comfortable with her! Will be waiting for next episode!
This episode made me deeply sad and utterly confused. I don't think I will rewatch this in the near future. This episode made me sadder than the Jun-Wan episode.
First, I found the episode a bit cluttered and lacks cohesion for some reason. There's Ik-Jun being the busybody (the escalator shot was fantastic) then there's Seok-Hyeong being more sociable then the camping scene then Rosa forgetting things then Wintergarden's lovely scenes then Gyeo-ul's mom emergency.
I felt that the stories jumped from one thing to another without so much cohesion. However, I also realized that this is episode 7 and just like a puzzle, everything will make sense starting episode 8.
GomGom: Good for Seok-Hyeong for being more sociable. Having his second lunch to spend time with Min-Ha and his team is wonderful to see!
Ik-Song: I was just sad that Uju was heartbroken the entire time they were camping. He has always wanted to do that but when it finally happen, he didn't get to enjoy it.
Jun-Wan: I'm just too sad for him especially when he ended up cleaning his own mess (which is obviously metaphorical). He's been sad for far too long.
WinterGarden: Although it broke my heart, it really wasn't the right time but I have no doubt that Gyeo-ul will accept the proposal and they will have a wedding this season. Whatever family backstory Gyeo-ul has, this is a normal thing any relationship would have to deal with. This will not be a deal-breaker or all hell will break loose for ShinLee :D
I'll talk about the lighthearted moments first! Yoo Yeon Seok in a suit. 2 different ones. OOF my eyes and heart. I'm ashamed to say that I replayed the scene of him taking off his suit jacket a few times 👀. Also Minha's subtle confrontation of SK's mother was the healing moment I never knew I needed. 😂
Ep 7 was tough one, I really need Junwan to have some reprieve like right now. Him sitting on the floor in that silent & empty apartment, cleaning up his choked up food... If there was ever a time to describe his loneliness as jarring... The worst bit is the poor man can never properly grieve since the object of his heartbreak is so near yet so far. Time heals all wounds but space is crucial as well. I lurk mostly on Reddit and see some comments calling out his friends for not being there for Junwan. I don't think it fair to accuse them of that as I believe they are not fully aware of how hurt he was and still is. We first see this through Songhwa asking him with surprise if he's still not over Bidulgi. Coming from my own real life experiences, even our closest dearest friends or loved ones, will never truly know how we feel. And even if they do have some sort of inkling of it, they're at a lost on how to support you with it lest it's taken as being too intrusive or overwhelming. Most of the time people lapse into the easiest way which is to give the hurting party space and a well wishing message that they can reach out anytime. And even if it does involve constant meet ups to take their mind off the hurt or crying & consolation fests, it's just never enough.
Wintergarden - we were fed so much cute and fluffy scenes of the 2 right up to the first half of ep 7 and then we got the unsuccessful proposal 😫 honestly I yelled out in dismay (at 12am Singapore time LOL, hope my neighbours don't kill me when I see them in the lift). But I don't think we got here out of pure dramatic flair just to prolong this couple's slow burn to endgame-dom. With this drama being in the slice of life genre, all these while I've been justifying to myself that perhaps WG had their serious conversations and meeting the fam behind the scenes. Even for Ikjun's divorce, we didn't get a confirmation till later on when he opened up to his patient who refused to take her meds (back then to me I was still uncertain if his divorce was completed). Thus my take on WG in season 2 is that ShinLee has been feeding us all that WG fluff in the first half of season 2 only to build up to this moment and expose how their relationship is still pretty much on the surface and sort of walking on eggshells in terms of deeper issues. I don't doubt their feelings for each other but more of them not being completely honest or forthcoming about their concerns and burdens. It does also seem like Gyeoul still places Jeongwon on a pedestal which stops her from sharing the seemingly inconvenient or bad parts of herself or her life with someone she views as the embodiment of sainthood or perfection (lol her words not mine). Then we have Jeongwon not sharing big plans like to set up a children's hospital and also to me, Jeongwon's unmet need and wish for Gyeoul to be vulnerable with him. The multiple instances where he tells Gyeoul that he wishes to share her burden and to also share with him any concerns or issues that she has is really telling of this wish of his. To me what drives home this point is Mama Rosa mentioning that her children have always been chatty -> Jeongwon wants to hear everything about Gyeoul! In that ending scene of Jeongwon sitting outside the cathedral in the dark, looking dejected and lost in his thoughts, I really don't think it's purely from his disappointment in the disruption of his plans nor with Gyeoul not making it. I do feel her message that was quite vague despite the promise of telling him everything next time once again opened up that nagging thought of his that Gyeoul chooses to keep the bad parts from him.
My takeaway is that physical intimacy does not replace the highly important emotional intimacy. It brings to mind again Songhwa's advice to Seokhyung to talk more even if it's seemingly useless things because communication is the key to building close relationships. Hence, I'm curious as to how they would approach this conflict/issue after we've got Bidulgi's version of conflict resolution (or not really 😅).
I initially thought when they have communication issue, it would be Jeongwon who hesitant to share his things since he doesn't wanna burden Gyeoul, turns out to be the opposite. Actually, I don't expect as a straightforward person and the way they described Gyeoul as say what she wanna say, it could be one of her issue with Jeongwon. But then I think more of it that it could be really a burdensome for her. Being the lone ranger all along, she may have tendencies of fixing things by herself first (it has been proven).
And yeah I have the same mind regarding she wants it to be perfect only with Jeongwon. She sees Jeongwon as someone perfect, her defect background could be the reason she's insecure and not ready to open her imperfect side to Jeongwon. On the other hand I think Jeongwon is so ready to move a mountain for her.
I like this episode. Not love, but like. It's keeping it real - like HP always has - the proposal that wasn't (those 2 are so fluffy and cute it's almost unreal, about time for some real honesty and conflict), the lonely man cleaning his own mess in an empty house (Junwan needs to heal, right now he is just running away), aging parents falling ill (Oh, ROSA! I'm so worried for her!)
And did anyone notice Ikjun's expression during the camping trip when Songhwa went to sleep? That mix of agony, so close yet so far... Sigh. I wanna hug him, Junwan and Jeongwon!
The thing HP does to your heart is my gosh! It's as if they have seen us personally go through the situations. I could relate it as a parent and also as a child of ageing parents and other elders in the family. Been guilty of being an over bearing parent at times! Just few days back I was talking to my cousin and she was mentioning about my hypochondriac aunt(her mom) who used to be so stoic and faced multiple health issues in the past with much grace and courage. In the initial scenes where Song-hwa was annoyed with her mom was the first time I see her getting annoyed at someone.
Poor mama Rosa, hope she gets treated and finds a not so difficult dementia journey in front of her.
Four weddings - even the thought is elating! I can even take 2 this season and 2 next season :) Would like Jun-wan to find happiness like yesterday, though the other love stories are also moving at a slow pace, but moving they are. He is stuck for more than a year at the same place.
I feel that Ik-sun bolted because Jun-wan would give up his wishes for a marriage and kids to be with her and he isn't the one to give up on his gf because she has some chronic health issues. If that’s the case, she should have broken up with that honest reason!
Yeah I too chuckled at the 'kimchi fried rice and dumplings in my dream'! Way to go Seok-yeong!
'Those two will now have to end up together if for no other reason then to teach Mummy Dearest..' - ha ha, true!
Loved how Ik-jun and Song-hwa didn’t giggle or look down on Ui-ju’s heart break! That’s some mature adults there! They both feel like self-actualized individuals, and I too am okay with their relationship either being status quo or becoming a couple!
And Ik-jun is an inssa not just for gossips and news about his close tier of connections also cares about almost everyone he comes in regular contact with doesn’t feel surprising - yeah that’s uri Ik-jun!
And to our whipped couple – it makes sense that the time is not yet right for the proposal! Gyoeul hasn’t opened up to Jeong-won about her family after more than a year feels a bit unrealistic to me. I understand why it’s hard for her, keeping him in a pedestal but at the same time one year is a long time for this topic to not have cropped up. Because Jeong-won’s love is so unconditional like your pet dog’s! He will love her no matter what and it is almost therapeutic! Given that, she would find it to her benefit to share her family story with him.
Just coming back here to say that I love your blog and the comments! I am so GRATEFUL for this community. Everyone is so warm and smart hehehe Going here always helps me understand every hosplay ep deeper. Coming here after every ep has definitely become my favorite habit ❤️
I can't believe I lost a whole essay/comment on your post because I accidently pulled my phone's screen. Arrrrgghhhh...
But anyway I have a little different take. There were three instances where we saw a patient's family lost it; the brother whose sister was going through transplant surgery, Yunbok who remembered her own hellish experience and a pediatric doctor who screamed, cried and begged the doctors to check on her child despite taking care of sick children was her daily job. In all those scenes Gyeoul was there, she observed, but unlike Yunbok and Ikjun who immediately understood how it felt based on their own similiar experiences, Gyeoul only nodded because she's never been in the situation (?).
In the last scene, she suddenly received that emergency call. Her mother needed emergency sugery and they needed her verbal consent. That meant her mother was in the verge of death and she had to undergo surgery right here right now and for a very bad reason they could not ask her husband's consent (was he unconcious? Dead?).
When a doctor receives an emergency call, her mind goes blank. A life is at stake. Must get there immediately. All while monitoring the patient's vitals via phone. Seokhyeong speed through redlights, Junwan left the bandpractice, Gyeoul left her untouched noodles. Imagine Gyeoul receiving an emergency call about her own mother.
The fact that she took time to write to Jeongwon during that extreme condition itself was amazing. Meant she didn't forget him even as her world was collapsing.
Gyeoul's calm voiceover as Jeongwon read her text.. I take that was the way Jeongwon read her text, not the way she wrote it?
She introduced herself in a text to her own bf and her repetitive "later.. later.." could indicate she barely able to put her thoughts together.
I meant no offense, but I think it's too early to judge Gyeoul 'needed to open up more to Jeongwon' because she failed to show up on the day he planned to propose or tell him immediately about her current situation.
All in all, I really enjoy your review. I hope you'll be able to continue to post regularly even though the lockdown has been lifted. :)
I'm taking the risk you may hate me for bombing your post with my comments because I would really value your opinion on my interpretation.
As I read your review again, I strongly disagree with 'Gyeoul keeps secret'. She was an open book right from the start, when Jaehak asked him, "Do you like prof Lee?" She said "yes" (albeit not in the way Jaehak thought). She asked Ikjun to ask Jeongwon about her, when he said Jeongwon might know she liked him she said "I don't mind" she was just too shy to tell him herself. When Minha said if she likes Jeongwon, she admitted. She made funny, uncomfortable face when she pretended to date someone (courtesy to Ikjun's 'evil'plan to make Jeongwon jealous). She said herself she could not lie and Minha confirmed it. She could not lie to the professor to the point she thought of just telling them she broke up with the (fake) bf who proposed to her in season 1. She has that honesty of a child that Jeongwon likes. When she's upset, when she's sad, when she's happy, when she's jealous... it's all written on her face.
She didn't tell Jeongwon about the trouble in heart procurement and her mother's 4 am call, she also didn't ask for help in regard to the husband abuser. I don't think it's because she's hiding things, she just used to handle things alone (the only GS resident in 4 years). She finally learned from Jeongwon that she needed to ask for help if something beyond her capability ever happened again. And we should trust her when she said, "Now everything is fine. Aside from the fact that I made my patient suffer because I'm incompetent and dumb." The procurement issue was solved and I think, so was her mom's 'suspicious' call. Gyeoul could not lie.
The master of secret here was Ahn Jeongwon himself. He's the one who hides the fact he was a chaebol from his closest friends for 20 years. He initially denied his feelings for Gyeoul. He denied he'd said 'annyeong' to Gyeoul to Ikjun who eye-witnessed him doing so literally seconds ago. He lied to Gyeoul that he had to visit his mom. He kept straight face when he heard Gyeoul was dating. He lied when Ikjun asked whether he liked Gyeoul. He kept his identity as Daddy Long Legs a secret. He kept it a secret from the chairmain about what he did with the VIP funds. He lied to her when she asked how did he know Minha was staying with her the whole night she was in ER.
If I may be as bold, I think it's not Gyeoul who needs to open up more, it's Jeongwon. Did he tell her he was Daddy Long Legs? His patients' shelter? His dream of comprehensive children's hospital? After all, Jeongwon is the main character here. This is his journey. It's his life changing experience from priest to bride. Gyeoul is just waiting for his garden to open for her.
I second that "Arggggggggghhhhh" and wholeheartedly agree with your take on the WG relationship. Much as I like the fluff, they need to build a more solid foundation before saying their wedding vows. It was very poignant that Jeong-won chose to propose at the cathedral. It was as if Lord Himself told him, 'no, it's not the right time, my boy.'
Great observations about moms, all of them. I teared up. <3
You and your husband are such optimists, lol. May it be. I am all for weddings & parties - at the right time.
This episode broke my heart in so many places I lost count. But you know, it is a good kind of hurt. The one that makes you sober and aware.
The first one was the theme of aging, particularly, aging parents, their troubles and illnesses, and quirks. The show deals with its elders beautifully, they are so breathing, so dimensional. Even Seok-hyeong’s mom. She may come across arrogant and annoying, but she is not a caricature - I’ve actually met people like her. It’s more about insecurity and immaturity than malice. She hasn’t lived her life to the fullest, what’s with her unfortunate marriage, and her elevated position. At the same time, she’s not heartless, she values her friends, the company she’s able to secure at her age. And I bet if Min-ha becomes her daughter-in-law, she will challenge her just right…
You know, this episode is the first one across two seasons when I truly believed the GomGom relationship was a possibility - because of one (1) Seok-hyeong’s expression when Hong-do was praising Min-ha’s sense of humor (in the exact same words Gyeo-ul said to her bf, I believe). Was it, perhaps, jealousy, or other hint of possessiveness? To the point where this recluse would voluntarily join the team meals to observe his chief resident around the intern?
(And yes, I’m writing that much about this part of the show because it was the only one that didn’t give me acute heartache but some hope instead, lol.)
Because Jun-wan sitting on a floor with a crumbling bun and a puddle of soda (man, I’ve been there) - and Jun-wan in general = heartbreak.
Ik-jun longingly staring at Song-hwa, and then into the fire, much like U-ju did = heartbreak.
Real life interrupting a fairytale-like WG proposal set to the sappiest OST of all time = triple heartbreak. (Did they have to mention break-up in this episode twice? Did they?!)
And all the guardians’ stories, starting with the security guard and ending with a Pediatric fellow who just lost it because of her worry = well, I am not a very emotional person, but I was pretty heartbroken.
There were some other good things, though. The editing of the opening sequence of the show was a chef’s kiss. These paradigmatic transitions between the scenes - Hong-do’s unwashed hair => Gyeo-ul’s freshly washed hair => Gyeo-ul’s coffee cup => Seok-hyeong’s coffee tumbler => Seok-hyeong’s car => Song-hwa’s car => Song-hwa’s entering the elevator => Jun-wan’s leaving the elevator… ugh, so well-done. Musical cuts also became better compared to the first part of the season. And all the subtle things I’m so fond of are still there.
(So, if Jun-wan’s going to his mom’s birthday next episode, please make sure he meets Ik-sun there, author-nim! Otherwise, why mention it at all?!)
I know that conflict is necessary BUT i just HOPE that wingar can resolve theirs next ep 😭 (i’m a bit scared that shinlee will pull a bidulgi and break up wingar 😩) i hope they can be there for each other esp since both of their moms are sick 😭🤧
Have been reading your blog and newsletters on Hospital Playlist since the time I found it while waiting for season 2.....and am in love with your analysis and viewpoints. Jang Gyeoul not coming to the cathedral...was kind of something that I did not see coming, but then when it happened, it kind of made sense, specially when you see the parallel scenes in their relationship. But obviously that did made me feel sad as I saw Jeongwon waiting there for Jang Gyeoul, and it was similar to what I felt in season 1 when Jang Gyeoul was lied to by him. Overall, this whole episode was kind of sad. Seeing Junwan after the Winter-Garden office scene, made me feel sad after a small bit of happiness. But I am glad that he now knows that Iksun is now back in Korea, but he cannot ask Ikjun about her. And our Uju feeling sad just because of a fight with his girlfriend Mone and Mama Rosa forgetting things. Well that is life, you get sad parts along with happy parts.
I kind of agree with you that Jang Gyeoul's hesitancy in saying about her family is little bit similar to Iksun's decision of breakup. It is a bit of concern that she is not sharing her problems regards with her family. I just hope that she does not hide her family concerns from Jeongwon. I was actually thinking that if WinterGarden will face any problem, then communication could be one of the reasons of their problem, specifically when she/he won't be sharing their problems with each other. Now we are getting that, I just hope that they will overcome this. I hope that Jang Gyeoul will be able to share her family concerns with Jeongwon. I hope she realises that she is perfect already to him, and I wish she could see herself from his eyes. And we get only hope is from Gom-Gom couple. Seokhyeong is definitely becoming comfortable with her! Will be waiting for next episode!
This episode made me deeply sad and utterly confused. I don't think I will rewatch this in the near future. This episode made me sadder than the Jun-Wan episode.
First, I found the episode a bit cluttered and lacks cohesion for some reason. There's Ik-Jun being the busybody (the escalator shot was fantastic) then there's Seok-Hyeong being more sociable then the camping scene then Rosa forgetting things then Wintergarden's lovely scenes then Gyeo-ul's mom emergency.
I felt that the stories jumped from one thing to another without so much cohesion. However, I also realized that this is episode 7 and just like a puzzle, everything will make sense starting episode 8.
GomGom: Good for Seok-Hyeong for being more sociable. Having his second lunch to spend time with Min-Ha and his team is wonderful to see!
Ik-Song: I was just sad that Uju was heartbroken the entire time they were camping. He has always wanted to do that but when it finally happen, he didn't get to enjoy it.
Jun-Wan: I'm just too sad for him especially when he ended up cleaning his own mess (which is obviously metaphorical). He's been sad for far too long.
WinterGarden: Although it broke my heart, it really wasn't the right time but I have no doubt that Gyeo-ul will accept the proposal and they will have a wedding this season. Whatever family backstory Gyeo-ul has, this is a normal thing any relationship would have to deal with. This will not be a deal-breaker or all hell will break loose for ShinLee :D
I'll talk about the lighthearted moments first! Yoo Yeon Seok in a suit. 2 different ones. OOF my eyes and heart. I'm ashamed to say that I replayed the scene of him taking off his suit jacket a few times 👀. Also Minha's subtle confrontation of SK's mother was the healing moment I never knew I needed. 😂
Ep 7 was tough one, I really need Junwan to have some reprieve like right now. Him sitting on the floor in that silent & empty apartment, cleaning up his choked up food... If there was ever a time to describe his loneliness as jarring... The worst bit is the poor man can never properly grieve since the object of his heartbreak is so near yet so far. Time heals all wounds but space is crucial as well. I lurk mostly on Reddit and see some comments calling out his friends for not being there for Junwan. I don't think it fair to accuse them of that as I believe they are not fully aware of how hurt he was and still is. We first see this through Songhwa asking him with surprise if he's still not over Bidulgi. Coming from my own real life experiences, even our closest dearest friends or loved ones, will never truly know how we feel. And even if they do have some sort of inkling of it, they're at a lost on how to support you with it lest it's taken as being too intrusive or overwhelming. Most of the time people lapse into the easiest way which is to give the hurting party space and a well wishing message that they can reach out anytime. And even if it does involve constant meet ups to take their mind off the hurt or crying & consolation fests, it's just never enough.
Wintergarden - we were fed so much cute and fluffy scenes of the 2 right up to the first half of ep 7 and then we got the unsuccessful proposal 😫 honestly I yelled out in dismay (at 12am Singapore time LOL, hope my neighbours don't kill me when I see them in the lift). But I don't think we got here out of pure dramatic flair just to prolong this couple's slow burn to endgame-dom. With this drama being in the slice of life genre, all these while I've been justifying to myself that perhaps WG had their serious conversations and meeting the fam behind the scenes. Even for Ikjun's divorce, we didn't get a confirmation till later on when he opened up to his patient who refused to take her meds (back then to me I was still uncertain if his divorce was completed). Thus my take on WG in season 2 is that ShinLee has been feeding us all that WG fluff in the first half of season 2 only to build up to this moment and expose how their relationship is still pretty much on the surface and sort of walking on eggshells in terms of deeper issues. I don't doubt their feelings for each other but more of them not being completely honest or forthcoming about their concerns and burdens. It does also seem like Gyeoul still places Jeongwon on a pedestal which stops her from sharing the seemingly inconvenient or bad parts of herself or her life with someone she views as the embodiment of sainthood or perfection (lol her words not mine). Then we have Jeongwon not sharing big plans like to set up a children's hospital and also to me, Jeongwon's unmet need and wish for Gyeoul to be vulnerable with him. The multiple instances where he tells Gyeoul that he wishes to share her burden and to also share with him any concerns or issues that she has is really telling of this wish of his. To me what drives home this point is Mama Rosa mentioning that her children have always been chatty -> Jeongwon wants to hear everything about Gyeoul! In that ending scene of Jeongwon sitting outside the cathedral in the dark, looking dejected and lost in his thoughts, I really don't think it's purely from his disappointment in the disruption of his plans nor with Gyeoul not making it. I do feel her message that was quite vague despite the promise of telling him everything next time once again opened up that nagging thought of his that Gyeoul chooses to keep the bad parts from him.
My takeaway is that physical intimacy does not replace the highly important emotional intimacy. It brings to mind again Songhwa's advice to Seokhyung to talk more even if it's seemingly useless things because communication is the key to building close relationships. Hence, I'm curious as to how they would approach this conflict/issue after we've got Bidulgi's version of conflict resolution (or not really 😅).
(I went and wrote a whole essay gosh)
I initially thought when they have communication issue, it would be Jeongwon who hesitant to share his things since he doesn't wanna burden Gyeoul, turns out to be the opposite. Actually, I don't expect as a straightforward person and the way they described Gyeoul as say what she wanna say, it could be one of her issue with Jeongwon. But then I think more of it that it could be really a burdensome for her. Being the lone ranger all along, she may have tendencies of fixing things by herself first (it has been proven).
And yeah I have the same mind regarding she wants it to be perfect only with Jeongwon. She sees Jeongwon as someone perfect, her defect background could be the reason she's insecure and not ready to open her imperfect side to Jeongwon. On the other hand I think Jeongwon is so ready to move a mountain for her.
I like this episode. Not love, but like. It's keeping it real - like HP always has - the proposal that wasn't (those 2 are so fluffy and cute it's almost unreal, about time for some real honesty and conflict), the lonely man cleaning his own mess in an empty house (Junwan needs to heal, right now he is just running away), aging parents falling ill (Oh, ROSA! I'm so worried for her!)
And did anyone notice Ikjun's expression during the camping trip when Songhwa went to sleep? That mix of agony, so close yet so far... Sigh. I wanna hug him, Junwan and Jeongwon!
The thing HP does to your heart is my gosh! It's as if they have seen us personally go through the situations. I could relate it as a parent and also as a child of ageing parents and other elders in the family. Been guilty of being an over bearing parent at times! Just few days back I was talking to my cousin and she was mentioning about my hypochondriac aunt(her mom) who used to be so stoic and faced multiple health issues in the past with much grace and courage. In the initial scenes where Song-hwa was annoyed with her mom was the first time I see her getting annoyed at someone.
Poor mama Rosa, hope she gets treated and finds a not so difficult dementia journey in front of her.
Four weddings - even the thought is elating! I can even take 2 this season and 2 next season :) Would like Jun-wan to find happiness like yesterday, though the other love stories are also moving at a slow pace, but moving they are. He is stuck for more than a year at the same place.
I feel that Ik-sun bolted because Jun-wan would give up his wishes for a marriage and kids to be with her and he isn't the one to give up on his gf because she has some chronic health issues. If that’s the case, she should have broken up with that honest reason!
Yeah I too chuckled at the 'kimchi fried rice and dumplings in my dream'! Way to go Seok-yeong!
'Those two will now have to end up together if for no other reason then to teach Mummy Dearest..' - ha ha, true!
Loved how Ik-jun and Song-hwa didn’t giggle or look down on Ui-ju’s heart break! That’s some mature adults there! They both feel like self-actualized individuals, and I too am okay with their relationship either being status quo or becoming a couple!
And Ik-jun is an inssa not just for gossips and news about his close tier of connections also cares about almost everyone he comes in regular contact with doesn’t feel surprising - yeah that’s uri Ik-jun!
And to our whipped couple – it makes sense that the time is not yet right for the proposal! Gyoeul hasn’t opened up to Jeong-won about her family after more than a year feels a bit unrealistic to me. I understand why it’s hard for her, keeping him in a pedestal but at the same time one year is a long time for this topic to not have cropped up. Because Jeong-won’s love is so unconditional like your pet dog’s! He will love her no matter what and it is almost therapeutic! Given that, she would find it to her benefit to share her family story with him.
Just coming back here to say that I love your blog and the comments! I am so GRATEFUL for this community. Everyone is so warm and smart hehehe Going here always helps me understand every hosplay ep deeper. Coming here after every ep has definitely become my favorite habit ❤️
I can't believe I lost a whole essay/comment on your post because I accidently pulled my phone's screen. Arrrrgghhhh...
But anyway I have a little different take. There were three instances where we saw a patient's family lost it; the brother whose sister was going through transplant surgery, Yunbok who remembered her own hellish experience and a pediatric doctor who screamed, cried and begged the doctors to check on her child despite taking care of sick children was her daily job. In all those scenes Gyeoul was there, she observed, but unlike Yunbok and Ikjun who immediately understood how it felt based on their own similiar experiences, Gyeoul only nodded because she's never been in the situation (?).
In the last scene, she suddenly received that emergency call. Her mother needed emergency sugery and they needed her verbal consent. That meant her mother was in the verge of death and she had to undergo surgery right here right now and for a very bad reason they could not ask her husband's consent (was he unconcious? Dead?).
When a doctor receives an emergency call, her mind goes blank. A life is at stake. Must get there immediately. All while monitoring the patient's vitals via phone. Seokhyeong speed through redlights, Junwan left the bandpractice, Gyeoul left her untouched noodles. Imagine Gyeoul receiving an emergency call about her own mother.
The fact that she took time to write to Jeongwon during that extreme condition itself was amazing. Meant she didn't forget him even as her world was collapsing.
Gyeoul's calm voiceover as Jeongwon read her text.. I take that was the way Jeongwon read her text, not the way she wrote it?
She introduced herself in a text to her own bf and her repetitive "later.. later.." could indicate she barely able to put her thoughts together.
I meant no offense, but I think it's too early to judge Gyeoul 'needed to open up more to Jeongwon' because she failed to show up on the day he planned to propose or tell him immediately about her current situation.
All in all, I really enjoy your review. I hope you'll be able to continue to post regularly even though the lockdown has been lifted. :)
I'm taking the risk you may hate me for bombing your post with my comments because I would really value your opinion on my interpretation.
As I read your review again, I strongly disagree with 'Gyeoul keeps secret'. She was an open book right from the start, when Jaehak asked him, "Do you like prof Lee?" She said "yes" (albeit not in the way Jaehak thought). She asked Ikjun to ask Jeongwon about her, when he said Jeongwon might know she liked him she said "I don't mind" she was just too shy to tell him herself. When Minha said if she likes Jeongwon, she admitted. She made funny, uncomfortable face when she pretended to date someone (courtesy to Ikjun's 'evil'plan to make Jeongwon jealous). She said herself she could not lie and Minha confirmed it. She could not lie to the professor to the point she thought of just telling them she broke up with the (fake) bf who proposed to her in season 1. She has that honesty of a child that Jeongwon likes. When she's upset, when she's sad, when she's happy, when she's jealous... it's all written on her face.
She didn't tell Jeongwon about the trouble in heart procurement and her mother's 4 am call, she also didn't ask for help in regard to the husband abuser. I don't think it's because she's hiding things, she just used to handle things alone (the only GS resident in 4 years). She finally learned from Jeongwon that she needed to ask for help if something beyond her capability ever happened again. And we should trust her when she said, "Now everything is fine. Aside from the fact that I made my patient suffer because I'm incompetent and dumb." The procurement issue was solved and I think, so was her mom's 'suspicious' call. Gyeoul could not lie.
The master of secret here was Ahn Jeongwon himself. He's the one who hides the fact he was a chaebol from his closest friends for 20 years. He initially denied his feelings for Gyeoul. He denied he'd said 'annyeong' to Gyeoul to Ikjun who eye-witnessed him doing so literally seconds ago. He lied to Gyeoul that he had to visit his mom. He kept straight face when he heard Gyeoul was dating. He lied when Ikjun asked whether he liked Gyeoul. He kept his identity as Daddy Long Legs a secret. He kept it a secret from the chairmain about what he did with the VIP funds. He lied to her when she asked how did he know Minha was staying with her the whole night she was in ER.
If I may be as bold, I think it's not Gyeoul who needs to open up more, it's Jeongwon. Did he tell her he was Daddy Long Legs? His patients' shelter? His dream of comprehensive children's hospital? After all, Jeongwon is the main character here. This is his journey. It's his life changing experience from priest to bride. Gyeoul is just waiting for his garden to open for her.