[Drama 2017] Criminal Minds 크리미널 마인드

[pixelsticks]

I came in here to see/read many reviews/reactions to Episode 4 and it seems pretty quiet in here. It was a difficult episode.  It was hard to take notes during the last 25 minutes. 

Episode 4
Scenes From a Mall
Love the Double Exposure HJ and CCTV Mall shots - this show is letting us stare at JG staring at ??  A lot. 

Reaper didn't want to reap what he had sown yet and let Han Byul go.  Such a tease. 
LH being a clueless dork bringing up the Reaper in front of the kid. 

Car Ride Confessionals - this show loves them!
HJ gets to hear the impact the bombings have had on KKH.  And HJ tells another person he will protect.  HJ - taking it  ALL on. 

Girls Night in the Morgue
SW finds out that the Reaper may have medical skills. NNW sulks & worries.

Witness Protection Program
Some unknown slightly cute agent takes away KKh's family.  He's gonna die...isn't he? 

Back at the Base: 
Everyone puts in a word...except for LH. Seriously? 

Let' Go Shopping again... T& J Adventures Part 1
Perp (perpetrator) freaks and runs...but then stops?  Huh? This allows T&J to catch up. HJ, ever the gentleman waits because he sees that smirky face from SW.  Well, we thought he waits...he calls the perps name and grabs the lady by her apron to yank her away. Yowza! Not to be outdone, SW rolls the perp over her shoulder and tackles him on the ground. Double Yowza!  HJ is probably tingling a bit right now.  (Aren't we all?)  And doesn't hide his amazement. 

Back at the Base: (Which base is it?-wink wink)
HJ gets to lose his NCI interview virginity! Shows him nasty pictures, talks tough, gets rough (are we sure he's a virgin? Just kidding.) SW, the "experienced" profiler, let's us know the perp isn't a virgin. And that gives him his alibi. No climax yet. 

T&J Adventures Part 2
SW, still getting no respect from the guys. HJ needs to teach her Systema! 20 words and 3 moves and it's done!

Isn't it Bromantic? 
Finally Lee Han time! 4 words? For a genius, he barely uses his extensive knowledge of words.  It's spent watching Flamboyant Team Manager (or was it Gangster beat up in the hospital) recount his finger story.  (no...not this one....KWH is a great actor but this just doesn't leave the mind easily!)

If you're Happy & You Know it...
HJ is having the most fun! Look at that smile?  Is he really a tough guy?  (Or is he listening to KoKoBop-you know his little Wang Brother's Baekhyun's new song- oops I'm wrong...it's NCT-Cherry Bomb - get your Kpop right Pixel)

 And the loud NNH had a secret, but it's out now.  Dang, these people make everyone look bad.

 
When it Rains it Pours:
Reaper at it again. He's like the USPS. "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."

Geez this show is a TEASE.  LH-Speaks!!- Just 2 sentences.  Ahhh.  Team investigating Photo Studio - 1 minute. Okie Dokie  HJ taps LH...a bro moment? No...over.   HJ enters NNH computer room...oh boy here we go <<fangirl mode activated>>>.  OK not.  

Strike a Pose! -Vogue: Thank you to @jeonghyang for pointing out the "riddle of the Model" to me.  Makes me giggle now. And gave me the title to the motorbike scene!

Let's Talk About You & Me...
SW & KYC talk about family. KKH & photographer talk about the murders. Even LH figures it out and talks to the suspect. Squee!  But dang HJ has to come in and be all tough guy.  Even the NCI computer is forced to talk to KYC.  KYC has computer skills too?  What is this "man/monster" not good at?

Another One Bites the Dust: 
I think I've seen more killings on this show than I have in Game of Thrones.  And yes, cute unknown agent is left in a barely alive state. To send a message to KKH.

 
QUESTIONS: Wouldn't a witness protection program have a code word or something? So TL wifey would know who is safe to talk to? But then again, if KYC had broken into the NCI database, he would know it all? And yes, why not send in all the calvary (local cops, fire trucks, ambulances) to the scene to stop an impending murder? Heck HJ just left the Police...I would have thought he'd call his friends/partners.  Maybe it's a jurisdiction issue? Or it was more dramatic to have just KKH responding.  

A Girl in Trouble is a Temporary Thing <<<but it's not>>> 
It's becoming a KKH *&#storm.  How much more can go wrong for one man? So difficult to watch the last 15 minutes. But wait...the reaper found Han Byul but didn't shoot him? Why not?  And those ties on the hanging rack? Tears. 

No cliffhanger this time. Or you could say the cliffhanger was the News about Reaper's breakout. 

Final Thoughts: 
I like how they are letting different team members give the quotes. I don't like that the Reaper escaped (already). We got brief exposures to each character's personal life. Except for Lee Han..... AGAIN. They just ignore this poor genius boy in this show! And I don't think an accusatory convo between KKH & HJ will happen over the bombing incident now. KKH just lost his wife due to his "choices" this time. It would be pretty petty to bring up the other incident. 

How does one expect KKH to be a fully functioning human and profiler now?  (If you need therapy, I do not suggest seeing the psychiatrist from Haebak)

Episode 5 preview...bio terrorism and

WOOT WOOT!!! Cheer up everyone!!!  The NCI sign behind the Chief is FIXED!!   

[Uniform Victory]

@pixelsticks Thanks for the lovely recap. You should do this kind of recap on every episode.

[haniiiii]

@dforte I love your reviews, man's perspective is really refreshing  And I have probably answer to one of your questions/trouble points - how a man could drag a child along when he is masked and suspicious. Well, I checked the 4th episode again and in the shopping mall the Reaper doesn't have his "full"mask on, just a textile face mask from middle nose to chin and this one is pretty normal in Korea. Dozens of Koreans wear them when they are ill/ don't want to get ill/ in bad air conditions. And girls and women often wear them just because they have no makeup on their face and don't want to show pimples or not totally perfect skin hahaha (true story). And they wear it everywhere. So it is really not disturbing to anybody, even in that black color. When I was in Korea, I bought one of these masks as well, you can buy it on every corner and super cheap   

[pixelsticks]

2 hours ago, dforte said:

And this is to @pixelsticks! I was going to put this in my third post but I've decided not to write it.

Just wanted to say, I am thoroughly enjoying your wonderfully quirky notes. Your way of 'stream of consciousness' analysis is something I really admire but could never emulate. So thank you very much for that. The only reason why I haven't been quoting your posts for response is that I find our styles much too different for me to make a proper response to yours. Whatever I write wouldn't have done justice to the snark and wit you portray in your writings. So please know that I look forward to these after every episode.

 

Wait....what?   Dammit..you aren't gonna write the 3rd post?  Grrrr!  <<<where's the slappy/spanking emoji>>>

And yes, I write like I think (and talk)...which is with snark (and fangirl love)...and periods...and jumps all around...and tries to find strange connections.  People around me call it Pixelisms. Not always in a kind way.  So thanks!  I'd love to write/think like @40somethingahjumma and @zi4r and many others on here,  but I cannot make my mind commit to it.  

49 minutes ago, Uniform Victory said:

@pixelsticks Thanks for the lovely recap. You should do this kind of recap on every episode.

I am gonna try.  I have some big projects and long term visitors for the rest of the month...in that concept called Real Life  <<<which is why I started watching KDramas-- to get away from RL angst>>>.  

[haniiiii]

I love the behind the scenes video which was posted on V LIVE today. We can say that adorable quirky Joon Gi is showing us how he does magic with his fans' hearts ♥♥ 

 

(☆Watch with both eyes opened. Hyun Jun is doing magic for you~☆) 

 

 

 

 

 

(Magic~!) Magic it is indeed lol 

 

[sakura2016]

 

 

[zi4r]

Shhhhh..... Hubby is cooking and I can't stay away! 
(Also because a certain pixel wasn't answering me on IG chat. @pixelsticks RL or not, if you disappear, I'll hunt you down! )

Very glad I decided to stop by though. Saw a lot of great reads! 

 

So. Just two things I wanna share before I have to log off again.

First, about Subtitles

I've been getting messages on soompi chats and on IG DM regarding subtitles. I think it's because I translated the character descriptions and also mentioned subtitles in my previous analysis?

Anyhoo, just to clarify...

I do NOT sub Korean shows. I cannot. Because my listening is non-existent. I do not speak Korean, nor have I ever had formal training. I can read quite a bit, and with the use of dictionary and my knowledge of grammatical structure, I can do a better job at translating than google-translate. That's about it. So yeah, I'm sorry for any misunderstanding.

 

 

Now, for the more fun part. EP04 was very dark & depressing, but I found one scene that brought a smile to my face.

I have watched a ton of shows in my life, but I've never seen a detective or an agent save a woman by pulling on her apron! 

 

And adding to the fun, here comes our resident girl-crush bringing badass moves! 

 

And to end the whole scene with these two expressions...

YAASSS!! Perfection! 

 

Oh and @pixelsticks, anyone that says pixelism in an unkind way just doesn't have a good taste or sense of good fun! 
You, my dear, are awesome!

[antoniaclamens]

@lovelyrainy  thank you for the aclaration... I thought he was taking pills when talking to KH. It would have made more sense… 

About NH’s reaction about the hacking I must agree with you, @stroppyse and @zi4r, it was totally out of character! So dumb! But I have no problems to accept that NH used the USB without checking it first. Of course every person in the world who uses lent USB drives must know that they have to be checked first! But we have to see the situation and acknowledge HJ’s charms. HN’s was all gaga about HJ so is natural she didn´t think straight and made a mistake she normally wouldn´t do. All she cared at the moment is to look well in HJ’s eyes and do what he wished. That could have happened to me (in fact that happened to me, not with a USB, but I used to work with a guy that was so hot (and knew it) that everytime he was near I became nervous and didn´t control myself, quite shameful, my only consolation is that I wasn´t the only one) I wonder if a situation like this is going to happen again…

@stroppyse no worries, it wasn´t your fault. It was the stylist who dressed and liptinted LH like that! I hope they won’t use pink again…

@Uniform Victory thank you for your insights about profiling and our team work… must watch again … and I fully agree with your petition, please @pixelsticks do your lovely/funny review every episode!!!

@40somethingahjumma your take about evil is awesome, you give me a lot to think about the reaper motivations and the always used question in dramas: are monsters (in this case devil) born or created (White Christmas comes to mind). When HK was leaving the scene the reaper said “shot me”, why? Because he wished to die, or because he wanted to turn HK into evil?

@dforte  what can I say? I agree with most of the things you said about the train case. I’m very upset about how they’re treating HJ’s character too… but I still love every scene he’s in the most. The train case was the best of this week episodes for me. Your analysis about the reaper case was awesome… even when you said it was going to be a mess. 

@ashty thank you so much for the info. I always watch on tving.com but I don´t check if I am logged (I logged the first time though)

@glassnokamen  the v live BTS is love!!! I wanted my BTS of the magic chick scene and I got it! Thanks JG shi…

I almost missed your wonderful magic BTS caps @haniiiii

@zi4r I loved that scene,  so cool.  Sadly SW interrupted them because the suspect never answered HJ.  Why did he run? 
 

[Miky88]

3 hours ago, dforte said:

That's very interesting. I can't comment on that because I don't know korean. But if that is true, then yes. They should've chosen another actor with a more neutral accent. Especially since most of the acting is done through voice only.

That is an intresting point but just as well i can say it plays the viewer in korean if he is very familiar with the actor and will recognize if he is a bit more ears open even if the voice it's blurred and for international viewers being familiar with the actor/s and being a veteran dramawatcher(so mostly any trick can be seen unlike a newbie)...I've seen so many dramas over this 8 years that i can recognize their voices even with their tricks and the last one,the other big obvious thing that they usually make a big mistake,casting fair known actors for some key role like this one for ex.,it's insane thinking they will cast him just for some petty cameo,like all the others,it's like a big clue just in this choice...A better choice would have been to make this killers played by more unknown actors,the ordinary ones that u don't suspect at first guess and pass your eyes and that aren't that much known...

[girlyponytail]

Hi, everyone

This week show successfully took me on emotional rollercoaster. At first, I was super excited with train scene, a simple case but executed very well. I really enjoyed it. HJ blew me away. This is what I expected when a smart field cop join NCI team. HJ is a man of action, he is a practical person, back up with NN finding about previous culprit's crime record, he cleverly deceived delusional man and his kick strike down two criminals at once.

Reaper case is totally unexpected, heartbreaking indeed. I think i was sooo nervous watching it that i didn't notice all things that you noticed guys (your analysis amazes me as always). Well, I am not good at guessing who the reaper is, I even guess the reaper is the reporter LOL. Thank to lovelyrainy explanation, I didn't know that the reaper ate mint candy, I thought it was his medicine LOL.

I can feel how helpless the NCI members by standing just like that and listening to KKH and his wife conversation is. (the idea to call local police maybe quite logical, but i think it will distract the audience from the helpless situation among KKH, his wife and NCI members), and yes, thank God the kid is save.

Also, how this reaper case ended and influenced the NCI members is very memorable for me. When you watching your friend (KKH) lost his beloved one, you will think yours, and very grateful that you still have them. The scene when MY put blanket on her sister/daughter, HJ visited his mother, SW looked at her parents from afar make me think shouldn't you do your best to your beloved ones while they're still live around you.

I didn't expect it affect me that much, still sad yet grateful, well it happened anyway. Another good show for me. I am looking forward to next episode.

Good night.
 

[vangsweetie637]

Finally caught up to episode 3 and 4. Reaper case came fast!

Before I gather my thoughts together, I must first gather my tears from crying with the team and especially Chief Kang. This version of the Reaper case followed the ending of the US version. Both deaths..Haley and Hae Won with Jack/ Han Byul hiding as a code to help their dads 'investigate a case'.

I cried in the US version and now crying again here too. I was wiping tears guys!!

One of the saddest moments in Criminal Minds. That helplessness from Chief Kang..that realization that he won't reach her in time. That sound of the gun shot...

@zi4r awww..but all in all chingu, I am just glad you and everyone else is safe and sound

****

Will be back with my full thoughts later after my emotional roller coaster has settled.

 

 

[Mona Ys]

thank you all for the reviews and discussions, for me ep. 3 was much better than ep. 4, just because ep. 4 seemed too fast, too depressing, and everything felt so rushed. I am a bit depressed after watching both episodes tonight (to much violence in one night, specially ep.4) but reading all your discussions here actually make me feel better (thanks for the JG & MCW gifs and I specially love the remarks about LH resembles Yoona/Ji Sung character in KMHM, I just cant stop laughing!!! LOL).

Anyway, yeah... I feel better now, and looking forward for next week's episodes. 

 

[hiluna]

On 8/3/2017 at 9:52 AM, sava2sava said:

@eunjangdo  I expected this to happen a lot of people isn't into these kinds of drama..saw some terrible editing

Hello All, I viewed terrible editing in episode 3. It was kind of a turn off to me as much as I anticipated the episode.. No wonder the ratings drop. I'm still currently wondering is it something that the director or the editor overlooked..  Now in episode 3 we saw two people get shot but never viewed how the bodies was removed from the middle of the train floor or what happened to them at all.. It's still a big mystery to me but did enjoy some parts of 3.. Good seeing LJK in action on the train.. Hope we will see a lot more action scenes from him..

I would like to correct you on the removal of the bodies. I believe the police removed them when they evacuated the train and if I am not mistaken they were carrying stretchers. Correct me if I am wrong though, maybe my brain filled in the missing link , I will have to watch the episode again. I did find that in this kind of show where the story moves fast it is very easy to miss nuances and details, the show improved for me after a third time round. For instance in the bombing incident I missed the hesitation of TL Kang when the commissioner asked if he was sure (i.e. by-pass) and that was why he felt guilty, that he didn't have enough confidence in his answer to avert the disaster. When you watch it the first time you get caught up in the action, story and tension. Second time round you can relax and enjoy it and the third time you can focus on all the little details that you missed. The third and fourth episodes are a bit slower but I had to skip the murder parts  so I don't think I could watch it again, it was so sad 

[hiluna]

17 hours ago, lovelyrainy said:

@antoniaclamens the Reaper ate mint candy when he talked with Ki Hyung, and even with Sun Woo, he always grabbed that mint candy box. KH also figured out by remember the story about the curl up finger of the Reaper's gf.

Now is my pov. Such a  tragic episode, that's being said, I don't know how to feel about this episode.

• Sun Woo is a real deal, I love her action scene thought it was too short, hope more to come in the future.
• I'm familiar with Kim Won Hae (the Reaper) so even though I didn't watch the original, I already predicted who he could be. He's a good actor and I knew there's no way they casted him just to be the almost died victim. So yeah, it kinda spoiled the fun for me. It also looks like they make him the main villain of this remake, seeing how he escaped at the end
• Again, I don't like how they used 2 mins at the beginning to repeat ep 3

 

The logic bugged me too (maybe I'm the illogical one here so if anyone can correct me, I'm pleased to be enlightened): 

• Dialogue problem: the writer added too manly typical dumb situations/ reactions/ lines in K-dramas. In this episode, when the computers at NCI were hacked, Nana's supposed to be a tech expert but she got panicked in a very stupid way, the only thing she did was saying basically "omg we got hacked". She didn't even know it was the usb until HJ pointed out and Lee Han then took a look at her laptop. It'd have been better to let her find out about the usb and explained what she tried to recover the system instead.
• Why didn't Ki Hyung know his wife's new number? I know it's witness protection program but shouldn't he at least be informed about it?
• While Ki Hyung was on the run for his wife, the NCI team were standing there, doing nothing. Absolutely nothing, at first I thought maybe they're too far away from his house and it's useless even if they tried. However, it doesn't seem like the case. Remember when Ki Hyung arrived, found the Reaper, had a fight with him and NCI team charged in? They departed AFTER the entire phone call of Ki Hyung & the Reaper ended but arrived only a little later than Ki Hyung, That means they're closer to the house, even if they couldn't make it, shouldn't at least 2 of them tried something instead of just standing there exclaiming about the conversation?

 

I sound too critical today lol, true is I like this episode, it's just these few points bother me

I agree with you on all points. I think there were a lot of holes but the tension was there. I also couldn't believe that nobody had his wife's phone number, and I don't think she was in a witness protection program but just under protection so there should have been more than one agent with her at all times. Na Na lost a few points with me with her idiocy, any IT person would realize that it was the USB, and instead of running around like a chicken without a head she should have been working on a solution. 

They certainly brought in the "kdrama" in this episode, the emotions, angst and feels were all there. Hope it brings back some viewers next week.

[Schiau]

This weak did not change m opinion on this drama, it got even worse. Now I think it's just a cheap rip off of the original. It't driving me crazy seeing how bad they change he characters.

1. What did thy do to Reid? It was HIM that did the magic trics and had a special relationship with children. Why did they give all those to JK, just because he is the main lead? This is why I hate his character now, he is so impulsive, acts too violent and thinks he is so smart. Meanwhile, Lee Han is just a puppy waiting to get attention from the others. Since when is he an IT expert, he's supposed to be the best at observing among the team!

2. Why only 2 or 3 characters get more screen time? I like Moon Chae Won and JK, but I'm tired o only seeing them on the action. The focus should be on the whole team !!!

3. What the heck happened to that "NaNa"? The actress does not portray Garcia at all, she's only like a korean primadonna dresssed like a drag. Where are the honest and natural reactions? 

 

[lovelyrainy]

first @zi4r @stroppyse thank you for clarifying my questions. I love your post as always <3.

@zi4r did you note down everything while watching? How can you do such amazing analysis? Here I am, having 100 things want to discuss but can only remember 5 when I start writing my post.

This just came to me (actually I already questioned while watching but forgot about it)

Isn't self-stabbing wound and wound caused by another person different? The depth and angle of these two wounds along with the force used (coming from someone standing in front of, side way, by one or two hands...) can easily be recognized through investigation, right? Why didn't police realize that the Reaper stabbed himself back then?

Was this detail explained in the US version?

[hiluna]

@jeonghyang the motorcycle pose is not so much a modeling one as it is a martial arts on a bike pose. If you transpose what he did to a taekwondo kick move or a sword attack, he moves past the opponent after knocking him down and looking in the forward motion direction then pulls back his body to look down at his opponent to the left. I love that shot but is it LJG or a stuntman? I know he rides a motorbike but the scene looks a bit risky for them to have him do it himself.

[violina]

9 hours ago, pixelsticks said:

It's becoming a KKH *&#storm.  How much more can go wrong for one man? So difficult to watch the last 15 minutes. But wait...the reaper found Han Byul but didn't shoot him? Why not?  And those ties on the hanging rack? Tears. 

Well maybe our dear Reaper/monster has a tiny ounce of humanity left in him and wants to give a kid, a chance to live.Notice how he also didn't kill those siblings in episode 3(The teenage boy HJ is mentoring, and his sister).Or more like his twisted way of thinking, he wants or wanted (if we wont see anymore interactions between him and KKH) to make Han Byul; Reaper the second.Remember while KKH and him were having the tussle, before KKH finally overpowered him and dragged him down the stairs? Reaper said something like this to KKH: "I will kill you and tell Han Byul that it is all his fault".Hence sowing seeds of monster-like attitude in him.

But why would he go as far as doing that to Han Byul? Remember how Hyun Joon said reaper feels empowered when he sees his target's weakness?.If KKH had compromised his belief/morals and made a deal with him.Perhaps the outcome would have been different and Hae Won would still be alive.But even when Reaper had a gun over Hae Won's head, KKH did not waver. Instead KKH was poking at reaper's emotional wounds(The story about how reaper grew up in an abusive home;how Reaper had to kill his parents at a young age, and saw women as weaklings because of his mother) and appealing to his human side while negotiating for Hae Won's life to be spared, instead of simply begging for Hae Won's side to be spared or making a deal like the previous police commissioner(Park Geun Hye) did.

So the way I see it, to reaper's twisted mind, just killing KKH would not have been enough, he had to punish KKH even in his dying moment, by letting him know that because he did not back down and did not acknowledge Reaper as a worthy opponent.He is going to drag Han Byul into his abyss.Also now that I think of it, of course it was already mentioned that reaper especially likes killing couples.But I think he also just doesn't like happy or seemly normal families.Hence why KKH was the perfect target on top of other reasons.Did you guys note how resentful he was of Sun Woo and her family background even when he was cos-playing as a victim.He seems resentful and bitter of the police perhaps; for not protecting him and his mother from an abusive man during his childhood.And to the world of robbing him of a happy family life.Not that any of this makes me feel an ounce of pity.He is still a monster.period.

Am scared for Sun Woo..dude..it didnt even take an episode for reaper to stay put in jail!When it gets to Sun Woo's turn to hit the spotlight..i feel we are going to have a lot of angst..so far we have had just a little insight into KKH and a little of HJ though I feel we have yet to dig deeper into HJ.(im still mad that what we know of him so far, was butchered by editing like bomb incident and Na Young rescue. So we didnt get to feel the same level of emotional punch like we felt for KKH and his family).

That said I am happy that show reminded us that  Hyun Joon is the heart of the team in ep 4. By making TL Kang's wife acknowledge that Hyun Joon, the newbie profiler(not SW the more experienced profiler, or NNH,MY, and LH who have known their leader and his wife longer than him) is the one tasked with watching and taking care of Ki Hyung, and might be very instrumental in motivating KKH, to gain his mojo back after the tragic event.(not that the others or the upcoming cases wont help with that).It was as if the wife was foreshadowing her own death, when she asked HJ "to please take care of KKH".I am saying this because of that scene when they rescued HB at the shopping mall, when TL's wife was having that bomb incident conversation with HJ in the car.Note how Moonie was taken out of that scene, even when HJ and SW were together during the whole mall mission.

I was also impressed with how show reminded us in ep 4 like @zi4r put it, that Sun Woo is the spine or backbone of the team that keeps the whole team together.I say this because of how calm but firm, she was with Team Leader Kang and spoke reason into him, when he was on the verge of, losing his wits and punching reaper to death. He relented and stopped the punching, without resisting or screaming at her.She was also very calm when she was sitting in the room next to Hae Won's dead body.She might have been grieving inside; after all Hae Won was her "eonnie".(she called her that in the shopping mall).It was also the same in ep 2, when Hyun Joon was losing his marbles and punching the wall in the interrogation room, and she told him to "get his head on straight and stop acting like a child; if HJ really wants Na Young to be saved".  Its like she has an invisible leash on the team members.By the way, famous moniker of tom and jerry looks like it will come to life between HJ and SW in ep 5. HJ's impulsiveness looks like its about to rear its head in the next episode; let the head butting begin.

[vangsweetie637]

Alright my Profiling chingus i have put my thoughts together now..finally. All my thoughts are compiled from both episodes.

I really enjoyed the train scene because it was quite an intriguing situation. I did realize the editing problems however I don't often pay much attention to it. I really love the fact that we do see a bit more 'family' in the team although not enough yet. And I am still loving the character development of HJ. One thing the drama does well is the continuation of an inner conflicts within HJ and possibly SW. We easily saw she has some cold shoulders going on with her parents. In these episodes, it was mainly about Chief Kang and his inner conflict. It involved one of the most intense rivalry in CM: The Reaper. I am glad they brought this case into the Korean version and stuck to the same ending. I really love the connection HJ had with the kids. At first..i wondered why. I then realize it was because as a kid, or teen, he saw something horrible, which then most likely made him feel that kids are more impacted when something horrible happens (like the case when the siblings survived). He was able to relate and connect with the boy on a personal level. It is these little things that makes characters like HJ... human. He may come off as strong headed and temperamental at times but he does have his soft spots which i love seeing. I love his magic tricks and that wink click he did with Han Byul. Awwwww!!  HJ is the heart of the team. This, i agree.

There are some things which left me..sour. I haven't back read yet and I have fallen behind so i am not sure if anyone may share the same opinions as me: First, I apologize but Lee Han and Nana are not growing on me. I do not mind if HJ is given the special bond with children. In my eyes..anyone can have a special bond with anyone as long as I see the connection. LH..carries the essence of Reid (or is he supposed to be Reid?) yet I keep finding his characterization is off for me. At times..I am waiting for him to blow me away with his smarts, which will leave me jaw opened baffled. This is what I love about Reid..and if LH is to portray him..he is still falling flat on me. Also..Nana. I feel the writers are not using her IT skills to the maximum. The IT girl should know the most about computers and systems and yet she was really shocked when she got hacked..and panicked instead of using her IT skills to reverse the hacking. To me..both LH and Nana still has to allow me to connect with them. Their characterization is still inconsistent for me. Even so, I do enjoy Nana's fangirling over HJ and LH's skill of analyzing the scenes very quickly. 

Now..this leaves me with the Reaper's case and Chief Kang. I may be the unpopular opinion here. As much as I cried on the ending scenes of Hae Won's death and Chief Kang's helplessness as his wife is killed, it came way too fast. Imagine how much more of an impact it would have been..if we were to have just been given a few more episodes and interactions between Chief Kang, his wife and the team. The family dinner from Chief Kang felt so short that it left me wanting more. It is one of those heart warming moments that would have left us even more shattered if Hae Won got killed just a few episodes later. The connection HJ automatically had with Han Byul also felt abrupt. These two barely knew each other and already, seem so close. But..then I thought about it. It is because Han Byul is so innocent  (as a child should be) that he was able to trust the Reaper guy on the account that he was a friend of his dad's. This quick bond between HJ and Han Byul set the motion and understanding for us to know why the Reaper guy got a hold of HB so easily. Also..HJ has a special connection with the younger crowd due to his own personal experiences. It set the motion for when he got through with the brother of the little sister. 

Since we got only one short family moment with Chief Kang, his wife and the Team, I am left wondering why we couldn't have more? We should have had more so that when she does get kill, our hearts will shatter alongside Chief Kang and the team, fully understanding that this woman is like a 'mother' and 'good friend' to every one. We know she is accepts the kind of work her husband does. And likes having his team over for dinner casually (from the reactions of the other team when he said his wife wanted to make dinner for HJ as a welcoming. Everyone reacted happily except HJ who was still a bit awkward) But we were not given enough chance to see these kinds of heartwarming happiness. At the end..we as the audience could have been rushed and forced to feel the loss with the team and Chief Kang. The question then is..why was I tearing up? Honestly, Chief Kang and Hae Won nailed their emotions for me. That is why I believed them so sincerely. I sincerely believed this would be the end for Hae Won and cried at the helplessness Chief Kang must have felt..when that gun shot went off. I saw the anger in him as he beat the Reaper off..about to kill him if not for the team (btw where were they to begin with?) And as I remember the US version..seeing it in the Korean version is just as sad and heart breaking. Haley/Hae Won's death is one of the most saddest moments in CM. I am glad the writer stayed true to this route because the Reaper guy will be one of the biggest nemesis to Chief Kang. But..i would have loved to know Hae Won just a bit longer so that I can truly feel the loss without being rushed towards it.

Also..at the end..it shows HJ, SW and MY with their family moments. But why exclude Nana and LH? Didn't they feel the same sadness too when Hae Won died..so how come we didn't get to see their family moments..those rare moments that let us know 'don't take anyone for granted as tomorrow is not promised'. It is details like this that may make me feel LH and Nana are not as important as the other characters. Perhaps..they are just the supporting backbone of the team. Don't get me wrong. I know they contribute to the team. But my pondering is..if such is the case..why didn't we see their family moments too? 

Of course. I have 16 more episodes to see this. But these are my insights for this week. 

As for the ratings..I think viewers are disappointed. First..the profiling happens too fast, leaving viewers no time to digest fully. And the editing is not something we can ignore easily. Also..some viewers cannot handle the blood and gore. I also read at a site that viewers are upset at how much screen time HJ is getting. Some reasons are not understandable such as HJ's screen time. I see no problem with that. He is the protagonist (right?) So of course he needs his screen time to show us who he is and how he is. The blood and gore is fine for me. It is a crime show. But I do agree on the editing mistakes and at times..i do feel the profiling is too fast but I am able to catch up if i think about it more thoroughly. But for others..it may be overwhelming. 

Looking forward to next week! Supporting my bias LJK!!

 

 

 

[vangsweetie637]

44 minutes ago, stroppyse said:

 

The Reaper did not find HB. That entire sequence was actually supposed to represent KKH's thoughts as he's pounding the Reaper. So, he imagines if the Reaper had found his son, just as he imagines the Reaper killing his wife.

The Reaper finding HB had not happened yet, since the Reaper had just said to KKH that once he's killed KKH, then he'll go find HB, show him his dead parents, and then tell HB that it was HB's fault that his parents died. And, KKH's wife dying had happened, but both of those events are in KKH's mind visualizing it which is why he's so savagely beating the Reaper. 

 

Agree. At first..i thought maybe HB was killed. However, it flash back to the reason why HB hides in the little storage. Thus all the thoughts that happened when Chief Kang was beating Reaper up is his own thoughts of 'what ifs'. 

That scene was really good. Chief Kang did not waver when Reaper wanted to make a deal with him. But..he snapped momentarily when he realized his wife was shot and his son could be dead.