[Drama 2018] Misty 미스티

[mrsdimple]

Everyone is going crazy watching the preview for ep11.  

I was literally screaming and praying that Friday comes faster. I was super glad that Ji Won is on Team Hye Ran now. Go and kick their richard simmons girls!

 

[40somethingahjumma]

Phew... that was one episode that had me at the edge of my seat the entire time. I'm not surprised that it's doing so well ratings wise. It's probably the best thing on cable right now.

 

I know I said that I would take a deep breath while watching the interrogation scenes and I did... but I didn't think I had to hold my breath for that long. That was the biggest load of malarkey. And it was very hard to stomach.

 

I don't care if this is fiction, I just need to vent at the prosecutor's lack of professionalism. At the end of day he's nursing a bruised ego and it's just a p****** contest for him.

 

"Oh, it must have been hard on you." Please... why don't you start playing the violin... Mr Prosecutor?  

 

No connections... so you cheat... I hope it comes back to bite you. You're as disposable as KTW was. Here's hoping the door hit you on your way out of the Sky Lounge

 

Now that I've got that off my chest... 

 

So we have a perfect storm... GHR reports on Hanile Steel, EJ goes to the cops and TW decides not to pick up, drowning his sorrows... What a great excuse to raid the offices of JBC and get incriminating stuff on Hanile Steel. The prosecutor and the cops are mere pawns in a larger game between Big Business, Big Media and Big Government.

 

I'm still okay about the detective. I feel that he genuinely wants to solve the mystery of Kevin's death.

 

Yes... Seo Eun Joo... life is unfair... You don't know what GHR has done to deserve such a good man who will stand by her side. I don't either to be honest. But at the end of the day, it isn't about her... it's about you... your choices. Your choice to marry Kevin, your choice to hang around even knowing about his womanizing ways. And it's your choice to let your jealousy take control of you. It's also about Kang Tae Wook who made his choices all those years ago and more recently to be the kind of husband that you wished your husband was more like.

 

Sadly, I was right on the money about what was to come. Even the part about why the prosecutor decided to go after HR. Human beings... sigh... there's nothing new under the sun.

 

Kang Tae Wook is a thoroughly yummy man. I think men like this do exist but they're few and far between. But I suspect there's a part of him that feels guilty and this is his penance for being absent in her life for so long. It's this highly developed sense of responsibility that is so admirable. In that headspace he knows that HR is now vulnerable in so many respects because he wasn't there for her, supporting her. JJH has certainly come a long way since Dae Jang Geum. But I can't help but see the comparisons between his character there and this one. Steadfast, longsuffering and self-sacrificing.

 

C'mon GHR give him a baby already... you know you really want to.

 

(Off to watch Episode 10)

 

 

[40somethingahjumma]

Squeeeeeeeeee...

Ahem... Keep calm... it's just a preview. It's just a preview. It's just a preview. It's just a preview. It's just a preview.

 

Okay... back to the humdrum stuff of Episode 10

 

EJ's miscarriage only serves to demonstrate once again why she just can't get it together time and time again. It's a terrible thing to have to say about a woman who's suffered the loss of a baby but if she had put more thought into caring for herself and her child than focusing her energy on this revenge plan, things might have turned out a lot differently. It's obvious that her miscarriage parallels the miscarriage of justice that she was trying to bring about. I hate to have to say this... but it does beg the question as to whether she really cared about the child if she prioritized her revenge plan over the welfare and safety of an early term baby. Especially when she has a habit of refusing to accept some responsibility for her own part in disaster after disaster that's overtaken her.

 

The ironic thing is that the detective is the only person who really cares about the Kevin Lee case. The only person who actually wants to investigate it to get to the bottom of things. Nobody else does. He's the only one who calls it what it actually is... The Kevin Lee Case. Everyone else frames GHR as the centrepiece of the incident working on the assumption that he was murdered. But it's clearly become a political football for vested interests and even the woman who was his wife doesn't care a fig about finding the truth. Her only interest in it now is to pin his murder on the woman she's profoundly jealous of and hates passionately. Now that EJ has lost her baby, the only thing she's got left is the role of the pathetic grieving widow who was badly treated.

 

In fact, if there's anyone who is more likely to kill Kevin in this kind of threesome, I would think it would be the wife in a fit of rage. Not that I think EJ did it but just saying...

 

Of course we know that she's being ludicrous trying to portray herself as the injured party... the woman who was wronged by her womanizing husband and then wronged again when her husband was making a play for her friend. She doesn't go after HJW of course to try and pin it on her when she's the one whom she had knowledge to be actually sleeping with Kev. But apparently because they're not friends so it doesn't matter. I could call her stupid but her problem is much more serious than that... it's a complete lack of self-awareness. It blinds her to the reality of why bad things keep happening to her.

 

Well, now it's interesting how the prosecutor has now gone the way of the slippery slope and he's nothing more than an errand boy for the whims of the Big People. Nothing good was ever going to come of lying in bed with them except in the short term. He proves the adage... You are the company you keep.

 

Apart from being extraordinarily gutsy, the other thing that I've decided that I like about HR is a strong self-awareness... the ability to reflect on her own weaknesses and address them. It's what makes her a such an effective journalist and a force to contend with. She's a breath of fresh air and unpredictable. The standards of journalism in our day have certainly fallen to new lows and it isn't just the egregious bias that's galling but the political tribalism that's so rampant. So it's refreshing to see someone who is able to confront her own shortcomings head on.

She's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination but I sense that she's changing in the right direction. I like to think that TW is part of the reason why the cynicism is diminishing bit by bit.

 

Really really liked how the trio took down the sleazy congressman. LOL. I was chuffed when HR smashed the emergency alarm system because it's what I said to myself out loud as to I would do in that situation.

More than that from that incident I sensed that HR is learning to be less of a lone wolf and more of a team player. In the past I've always believed that it was one of her major faults. She had high standards for herself and others but she wasn't interested in being supportive because she always felt that she got to where she was by her own bootstraps. So she rubbed people the wrong way... at times unnecessarily. She got so fixated with keeping her head above the water that she almost forgot why she became a journalist. The good part about her wrongful arrest was that it gave her clarity about what was important about being a truth seeker. It helped her to see that journalism could be collaborative and not necessarily competitive. A case in point. She didn't appear once on camera in that scoop but everyone knew she had to be behind it because of the sheer audacity of it and the timing. 

 

The only thing wrong about this excellent drama is the lack of TW. The odd shot of abs here and there don't do it for me. I'm also a bit weary of the poor man finding out things about his wife from other people. I know I keep beating on this drum but HR really needs to be more forthcoming with stuff about her past.

[bebebisous33]

@40somethingahjumma I loved your last post, especially when you pointed out the parallels between EJ's miscarriage and the miscarriage of justice.

EJ is not just blind, she is also deaf because if she had paid attention to GHR's words, she should have realized that GHR didn't love her husband. However, I feel that these words ("I wished, I had killed KL myself") are another reason why EJ is so resentful towards GHR. From the start, she wanted GHR to be jealous of her... she wanted so much to have switched places: in her youth, she envied GHR and in the present, she wanted GHR to envy her. But none of her expectations happened:

- she discovered that KL became successful because of GHR's words (she dumped him)

- she heard that KL always wanted to feel loved by GHR

- she discovered that GHR actually didn't love her husband so that she never envied her

To conclude, EJ had never been able to fill the place GHR had left in KL's heart all this time. KL didn't feel her love and we should ask ourselves if he was even seeking for her love. I guess, GHR's words about TW ("I need him") could mirror her own situation: KL needed her. I guess, EJ has always wanted to be loved unconditionally like GHR was by HMW. Now, she witnesses one more time that there is another man who would do anything for GHR again. If we observe EJ's behaviour, we can notice that EJ is very self-centered, while GHR is different: the latter has a goal in life (reveal the truth, seek for more justice)... EJ has no real goal in life in the end hence she is so obsessed with GHR. EJ's role is not over: she will again use her knowledge of the past in order to frame GHR. For her, GHR is a murderer but I sense that there is more to it. GHR might have been connected to the crime but we can not be sure that she really killed the man. From my point of view, EJ has again made a judgement based on her own ideas without knowing all the facts.

 

But now, I would like to talk about TW's father. It is clear that he tried to use the Golden Club in order to separate GHR from his son that's why he was offered the job. TW relied on the director until he realized that he had been played.

 

I really hope that BWH and his wife will fail in the end. Both were jealous of TW and GHR hence they always tried to hurt them (see the dinner) but due to their own lacking, they have given up on their morals and ethics. She kept harming GHR's reputation again but she is not really winning. 

[kdyes]

Ep 9-10 and ahead…Can’t believe how I’ve been “captured,” a bit drunk on Misty.  Addictive tendencies showing!  Is that lol or aaaaaaahhhh?

 

HR’s finally coming ‘round to facing the personal in living and being vulnerable to this man who loves her, being vulnerable to loving someone herself, moment by moment, loving someone right in front of her. 

 

It had taken me a while to accept that HR didn’t have a deep love for TW after all these years.  But I got over that when she said point blank: “You can’t divorce me” not with the Blue House investigation. (eek!) Yet, I also believed her regret in front of MIL about the abortion.  HR, so complicated and closed down emotionally. She said plain as day when TW proposed, “I don’t love you,” that she was “very greedy, terrible personality, selfish” (check, check and check) and all that unapologetic stuff about how she’d use him.  Right now, I’m so glad that TW was head-over-heels since it clouded this “elegant character’s” judgment (as HR described him); and he said confidently, “I can make you.” Yeah, right.  Both were way too reticent and complicated in their communications; that doesn’t nurture love and nearly killed their marriage. Typically, TW says, “it’s nothing” when HR asks what happened to his hand.  That was a whole lot of “nothing” as he drank himself into oblivion...as we know. 

 

Yet TW isn’t a shrinking violet, however patient and caring he may be: “Shall we have a drink, just us men?” he said to KL in Bangkok. He fights for truth and justice, too, not the domain of shrinking violets.  However, that “elegant character” is completely different from HR’s way of being in the world.  HR’s speech is full of confident pronouncements delivered just the way a charismatic leader would – she’s never off-stage it seems…till now.  But pronouncements don’t cut it in one’s personal life and certainly not in HR’s which has gone out of control.

 

Still she’s so sharp and strong under pressure as she demonstrates with the detective, prosecutor and faux lawyer during her 2-day detention and how she teams up to take down the congressman.  But now in ep 11’s preview, she’s acknowledging that she’d found her confidence all these years from certainty she did not love TW.  Yes, love has a way of kicking the confidence right out from under you.  Go, HR and TW, make up for lost time…we’ll be so happy, too!  Can’t wait to see how the writer and KNJ will handle HR vulnerable but all grown up.

[larus]

13 hours ago, maddymappo said:

Ah so now the detective is going to do a real investigation and the prosecutor is going to frame Hr.  It is no longer good enough to find the killer! or make someone the killer!  Now that Hr had the nerve to catch one of their own pleasuring himself with a High School girl - well we all know the rich powerful "men" of the world must protect their rights of the Senor.  How dare a mere woman embarrass one of her male masters!  These guys are scuzz balls .   I just hope they do not actually kill an innocent person in this one.  Perhaps goes with his feelings detective, will save the day and realize they are fixing the case against HR.

 

The detective did not have enough evidence to make a strong case but it was the prosecutor who wanted to pressure Hye Ran knowing all well that it is a weak case anyway. The detective was also wrong but at least he is not jumping to convict an innocent person, he actually is genuine wanting to find the killer. I hope he will use his head and will investigate to find the real killer.

 

12 hours ago, anhhochucquynh said:

I feel like Hye Ran, Myung Woo and Eun Joo all involved with the murder case in the past and Eun Joo will use this to bring Hye Ran down no matter what. To me, Myung Woo and Hye Ran story is such a beautiful friendship and love. Myung Woo sacrificed himself for Hye Ran, he protected an innocent person and Hye Ran never forget him and became the reporter to fight for the injustice that both Myungwoo and her have to face.

 

I was thinking that Eun Joo was also involved somehow in the old case. We know how Hye Ran and Myung Woo was involved but I can`t say exactly how Eun Joo fits in the picture. Myun Woo seems to protect Eun Joo also. The thought that Eun joo and Myung Woo are brother and sister passed through my mind. Maybe the three of them were close in the past. Eun Joo is hurt and have a lots of/ problems lately, frustrations accumulated over time. She convinced herself that Hye Ran must be one who killed her husband. She doesn`t want to listen to the reason, she needs a scaregoat. It is her way to cope with grief. Unfortunately, all this stress made her lose her baby, as I suspected.  Eun Joo knew what Hye Ran did 19 years ago but she kept the secret. She did not say anything for so long, except she said it now toTae Wook , when she is angry at Hye Ran.  Eun-Joo was also a victim of that man? I think that man abused other young women until Hye Ran killed him, defending herself.

 

I don`t think Han Ji Won killed Kevin Lee but I am glad that the police addresed the posiblility. Soon Tae Wook will be on that list. Just like Ji Won said in the preview, how come they did not question that sooner, how come only Hye Ran was on the suspect list? Another evidence that it was a poor investigation. 

 

 

 

 

[jongski]

Oh boy! Just finished all  the episodes up to the current ep 10. Still best kdrama airing  at the moment (for me anway).  Kim Nam Joo better win an award for this! Haven't done any back read in this thread after my last post so so I don't know what theories you chingus have on who may have killed Kevin Lee.  I 'll check later after this post.

 

After watching  the recent episodes. GHR is  the luckiest to have TW as husband.  If she was honest with him from the start. Would things turn out differently? Well she was honest to the point that she told him she doesn't love him. (she's not said the words I love you to him, once in this dramas. Correct me if I'm wrong). Would it have made any difference had he know what GHR went through all her young years. 

 

I understood much better why she is how she is and why she's like that.The flashback during the high school years when she was trapped and likely got molested. MW took the blame.  EJ knows what happened back then. I wouldn't even be surprised if she did something  to that garage door closing ( during flashback). This is the secret to the grave GHR mother was talking about how she killed a man, got a way with it and  someone took the blame and spent 19 years in jail.

 

EJ,  jealous of GHR I'd say ever since high school. We need brief flashback (again) to see why the  hate and the envy for GHR. After Kevin Lee's death, I wanted her character to be gone already. Go back to the US and all that ( not the mean to the actress. it's just the character) but  EJ staying is tied up to that MW incident so.. can't really just have character gone.   or there will be story plot holes. Do I suspect her as a the one who killed  her husband?  Not quite leaning on that ( yet) But if she can be this envious of her back in high school ( I've already come to that conclusion) . She could  do something worse. Heck, she knew GHR hated song.  Kevin Lee died with a bruise on his on his wrist ( as per autopsy.. not sure if it has merit on my theory). There was  commotion or a struggle.  Who would gain the most in killing the golfer? that is the question.  The least you suspect is the one that killed him.  The one person who was not impress with  GHR was the father in-law. I still haven't eliminated him.

 

But with  murders case,  GHR past will be will be revealed. It will be out in the open. How will TW react to that?

 

And after 10 episodes. GHR love for MW is stronger that that  for  TW or KL. It's a different kind. One where she strive  to do something and became stronger and smart and make sure that she becomes successful.  MW shoo her away when she visited him in prison. But the end game for this  of course TW and  GHR  But please... I hope  for our sake he didn't kill Kevin Lee.  I mean who knows what  the writer will give us, right.

[TAoJC]

The amount of love I have for this drama ! Seriously during the Jung Dae Han's prostitution case, I was seriously amazed that I even wanted to take part in this drama hahahaha ! THAT DOPENESS

I can't with Eun Joo bringing up the past, girl you kkojo ! 

 

Ji Won didn't kill Kevin, she probably called Kevin to inform him that she met with his wife. I really can't think of who might have been the killer, what if it was an accident after all, just an accident...

[bebebisous33]

@jongski MW couldn't have killed KL as he was still in prison.

I agree that EJ shouldn't be eliminated from the suspect list... We never saw what EJ did that night after KL left the house. She has no real alibi, since she was alone. The CCTV can not be used as an evidence. Moreover, the brooch in the car is another clue. GHR still had it on, when she met EJ at the cafe. She helped EJ in the restroom, maybe that's how EJ had it.To me, the murder wasn't planned... but I must say that if EJ committed it, then she needed someone to fake the car accident. As for her motive, since EJ was the one who created KL and the latter wanted to leave her for good, she should be the one who should destroy KL as well.

The bruise on his wrist could be seen as a clue that someone wanted to destroy his career as golfer. I mean, for a golfer, hands and wrists are really important tools.

I am wondering what HJW talked about, when she called KL before his death.

[mizkorea]

They kept her for 48 hrs but failed to ask her about the brooch. And here I was dying out of curiosity to hear her answer. Bad fail Mr desperate- to-join- the-golden- door prosecutor!! Did they even process that brooch for clues??

 

 

 

 

[zenya22]

I love how the writer once again subtly used the trusty detective to move the trajectory of the story from who killed JY, to delve into buried secrets of the past then to the present dawning and rising of a revolution or societal evolution. The charge for change are led by brave women and few brave men who love and respect them. Certainly, these brave characters realize from their past that there is a necessity for a change in attitudes, perceptions as well as the structuring of their society. There is a belief articulated by some characters (mostly men) that there is a divide that separates the powerful patriarchal few from all the rest of the lower classes, a divide that cannot be broken especially by women. The lawyer assigned by Yool Law Firm to HR told her that he was once an ace lawyer, but he had no connections and no power and now is relegated defending useless cases such as hers. That HR should just settle for a woman’s job, being a housewife serving her husband and her children. The noisy male PD told JW to protect her job, that she had no business investigating and exposing the truth, she has no power to protect herself. But now, these brave characters’ consciousness has been awakened. If they want a change they must begin with themselves. Here comes HR who puts everything on the line to start the change. There are a mess of secrets buried deep in time akin to hot lava slowly seething in the belly of a dormant volcano that cracked an opening with the death of Kevin. Detective Kang followed his instincts and led an investigation which blew the mess wide open. Detective Kang took the wrong way to start with but that wrong way led to an inspired movement of change, for transparency, and accountability especially from the powerful few.

 

Tae Wook: Points, points, points for him: He is steadfast, unshaken and solidly law abiding in his law practice and determined to be available to the common class needing legal help. His mission is to be of service. Even in a troubled marriage which teetering on the edge of divorce, he is committed to work it as he had promised that he will patiently wait for HR to love him. He went to the airwaves to reveal the wrong law practice of the prosecutors regarding the arrest to his wife. At the release of HR, he told the reporters that he wished a proper investigation of Kevin’s death and the connection to HR be laid to rest. I love him for that. That the law applies to all that even Kevin, however he lived, as a human being deserves protection of the law and the proper investigation of his “accident”. I applaud.

 

Hye Ran and Yoon Song Yi: These two beautiful ladies moved me to tears. Whenever the scenes show these ladies together or apart talking on the phone, I start crying. Their story, their friendship, their struggles as women, the helplessness and frustrations made them bond strongly. They understand, they support and advise each other. HR who needed and protected her job was helpless to protect YSY and regrets it even though YSY tells her she understands and even warns HR of the danger in rocking the boat. HR says, she has been arrested and gossiped about, she has nothing to lose. She has compromised before and has been stepped on. It is about time to challenge the status quo.

 

JW: Inspired by her Sunbae, she jumped into the fray of accurate reporting. Somehow, the executive management learned about her intentions and called to threaten her with the Kevin pictures. Now we know that those pictures were not taken by HR. It also makes me believe more and more that Kevin’s death was not an accident.

 

Detective Kang endured a knock out punch from the media and his pension threatened but I admire his persistence. He is one who does not give up either. He learned to admit his mistakes. Maybe, this will lead to the cooperation of the media and the police?

 

Station boss Jung: what can I say, he is my hero. He knows his stuff.

 

EJ and MY: are they siblings? MY was a law student??? and if EJ were his sister, she might have even helped to support his schooling. Or is MW just a caring and kind human being and friend? 

 

 

[bebebisous33]

@zenya22 SEJ and HMW can not be related because after he went to jail, she had no idea where he was. She never visited him, unlike GHR. No, to me she was in love with him. That's why she called him " a stupid boy".

[maddymappo]

6 hours ago, mizkorea said:

They kept her for 48 hrs but failed to ask her about the brooch. And here I was dying out of curiosity to hear her answer. Bad fail Mr desperate- to-join- the-golden- door prosecutor!! Did they even process that brooch for clues??

 

 

 

 

At this point "process" is being flushed down the toilet and there will be an all out frame up.

 

Lots of weak and jealous characters they will round up to make the fix.

• KL's manager with all his debts, his grudge against Hr (I guess he knew she got pics of KL and HJw, or perhaps he likes EJ and doesn't like KL was in love with her - but regardless he will easily give "testimony" for the mobbed up prosecution. He also took those pictures if KL and Hr in the Thailand
• The Director - Hr took his job as anchor for the 9 O'clock News.  He has made no bones about wanting to push her out and replace her with HJw.  What he knows?  He saw those pics of HJw and KL together - he knows Hr was behind it.
• Lee Yeon-Jung   The prosecutor's wife and morning tv achor (who didn't show up the morning after KL died) -  she bursting at the seams with envy and jealousy of Hr.  What she knows?  We know that she was in the toilet while HJw confronted Hr at the sink about those  pictures of KL and JHw.
• EJ  -We know about her issues. She is mad with loss and anger.  She knows a lot - Hr' past, and of course the scene in the car and she also saw the pictures of Hr and KL in Thailand.
• HJw - (edit addition) - I think the prosecution may have a lot on her - regarding affair with KL and possible murder suspect, they may intimidate, threaten and try to use her to their purposes, it will be interesting see if she bends or tricks them etc.

About the "good" detective:

 I know there is a difference of opinion about his ability and his intentions.  But I need to point out:

These questions about his motives was obvious - before we knew for a fact he had something to do with he murder investigation 19 years ago -  it was mentioned by me and others that there was something strange about him jumping to the conclusion that Kevin's death was murder not accident. And then he focused exclusively on HR.

• He knew that pin was Hr's almost immediately, 
• He leaked to the press that she was the "prime "suspect" in a murder, when it as just an accident investigation,  and all he had was a pin? and there had been no investigation whatsoever..
• he brought her in for questioning in a circus atmosphere,
• He pressed the coroner to  explain his "feeling" about the death, not to stick to facts. And he became excited about the possibility it could be a murder.
• He went after KL' manager to find out what he had on Hr = he never asked him about anything else - who were KL's enemies?   When did he last hear from him?   Did he have girl friends?
• Everyone - mentioned it was strange he did not try to get  KL's telephone records
• AND adding as an edit:  We all are still wondering why the emphasis was finding that chip in Hr's car - and no mention (or did I miss something) about the blackbox chip or other cameras in KL's car - would that show what happened during the accident and who was there?   Why is there no mention of it?  Maybe the writer has not come up with a reason for it being destroyed or useless? but it is a glaring omission.  Will it turn up? And we will then see that HR really was there?

It was only after all this that we learned from a flashback that he knew Hr was involved 19 yrs before in another investigation.

 An investigation isn't deciding in your gut someone is guilty because of something you know from 19 years before -  w/o any knowledge of anyone else involved and then just running around trying to prove your feelings are true. And that is what he did.  Well intention or not he did a crappy job. 

 

It was laughable funny when

• He had a shocked look on his face when he found out JHw was the  one who called Kevin.  How could a detective who did a good trustworthy job fail to look up KL's records?  When EJ said she thought Hr called - why didn't he ask her then and there for KL' s cellphone or for permission to view his records if there were privacy issue?
• The Detective's rooky assistant, said "whoops" gee whiz I should have found out who called.  You think??????  These guys were like the keystone cops.

Yes it does appear now that the detective has caught on that Hr's enemies are powerful forces she is reporting on but he lives in South Korea and watches Kdramas like the rest of us and for the first part of this drama he has been out to lunch.

[40somethingahjumma]

9 hours ago, larus said:

 

The detective did not have enough evidence to make a strong case but it was the prosecutor who wanted to pressure Hye Ran knowing all well that it is a weak case anyway. The detective was also wrong but at least he is not jumping to convict an innocent person, he actually is genuine wanting to find the killer. I hope he will use his head and will investigate to find the real killer.

 

3 hours ago, zenya22 said:

 

Detective Kang endured a knock out punch from the media and his pension threatened but I admire his persistence. He is one who does not give up either. He learned to admit his mistakes. Maybe, this will lead to the cooperation of the media and the police?

 

 

I don't think the detective is a villain here either. He certainly made some serious errors in judgment (working with the prosecutor BHW, trusting EJ and not following up on Kevin's call record) but he wasn't wrong in believing that HR was lying to him in the initial interrogation. She was lying about the nature of her relationship with Kevin Lee and EJ. She couldn't account for the appearance of her brooch in his car either or the missing card from the black box. But to focus his energies entirely on her as his primary suspect without looking into other possible avenues was unprofessional to some extent. In his defence he also did try to follow up on Kevin's manager and found GHR at the end of that inquiry. Admittedly though... his hands were tied.

But I always find it interesting that he seldom ever says what he's thinking about the case to anyone even when probed. Even when his colleagues and sidekick are commenting and making moral judgments about the prime suspect or the case, he is almost always reticent about coming to conclusions. 

 

It was fascinating when he came face to face with HR in Episode 9 and said this to her:

 

"This is what I think. Kevin Lee and you were in a relationship that no one could talk about. In that relationship, Kevin Lee's manager played a crucial role. That's why he threatened you. [Though] I could not find the evidence in 48 hours, I feel you are the prime suspect."

 

His instincts though flawed are not completely off the wall. He knows she's hiding something but what exactly... he's not certain. Even when he looks at his old notebook and ponders over it, he hasn't used it as evidence or told anyone what he thinks about the relationship between this case and that one.

 

[maddymappo]

12 minutes ago, 40somethingahjumma said:

His instincts though flawed are not completely off the wall. He knows she's hiding something but what exactly... he's not certain. Even when he looks at his old notebook and ponders over it, he hasn't used it as evidence or told anyone what he thinks about the relationship between this case and that one.

I apologize, I know I am jonny one note on this, pet peeve, about the detective and his instincts may be right for all we know - but he did not do a thorough investigation before announcing a "prime suspect" he knew nothing else about Kevin, he didn't check the telephone records, he rushed to judgement and let it be known to the world.   It was more than poor judgement - it was unprofessional.  In the end he may have been right -HR may have killed KL- that could be the great twist - but you got to do your homework, go to elementary school before you take college exams - he did not do the hard tedious background checking  work behind  building his case.   Sure KL's manager did threaten her as he suspected - but it is  with a sex scene that was forced on her by KL. He knew nothing of JHw's involvement - he finds out only when it is thrown in his face.  (sorry, here I go again)

[il23]

Love this post. Gives a lot of clarity to 

4 hours ago, zenya22 said:

I love how the writer once again subtly used the trusty detective to move the trajectory of the story from who killed JY, to delve into buried secrets of the past then to the present dawning and rising of a revolution or societal evolution. The charge for change are led by brave women and few brave men who love and respect them. Certainly, these brave characters realize from their past that there is a necessity for a change in attitudes, perceptions as well as the structuring of their society. There is a belief articulated by some characters (mostly men) that there is a divide that separates the powerful patriarchal few from all the rest of the lower classes, a divide that cannot be broken especially by women. The lawyer assigned by Yool Law Firm to HR told her that he was once an ace lawyer, but he had no connections and no power and now is relegated defending useless cases such as hers. That HR should just settle for a woman’s job, being a housewife serving her husband and her children. The noisy male PD told JW to protect her job, that she had no business investigating and exposing the truth, she has no power to protect herself. But now, these brave characters’ consciousness has been awakened. If they want a change they must begin with themselves. Here comes HR who puts everything on the line to start the change. There are a mess of secrets buried deep in time akin to hot lava slowly seething in the belly of a dormant volcano that cracked an opening with the death of Kevin. Detective Kang followed his instincts and led an investigation which blew the mess wide open. Detective Kang took the wrong way to start with but that wrong way led to an inspired movement of change, for transparency, and accountability especially from the powerful few.

 

Tae Wook: Points, points, points for him: He is steadfast, unshaken and solidly law abiding in his law practice and determined to be available to the common class needing legal help. His mission is to be of service. Even in a troubled marriage which teetering on the edge of divorce, he is committed to work it as he had promised that he will patiently wait for HR to love him. He went to the airwaves to reveal the wrong law practice of the prosecutors regarding the arrest to his wife. At the release of HR, he told the reporters that he wished a proper investigation of Kevin’s death and the connection to HR be laid to rest. I love him for that. That the law applies to all that even Kevin, however he lived, as a human being deserves protection of the law and the proper investigation of his “accident”. I applaud.

 

Hye Ran and Yoon Song Yi: These two beautiful ladies moved me to tears. Whenever the scenes show these ladies together or apart talking on the phone, I start crying. Their story, their friendship, their struggles as women, the helplessness and frustrations made them bond strongly. They understand, they support and advise each other. HR who needed and protected her job was helpless to protect YSY and regrets it even though YSY tells her she understands and even warns HR of the danger in rocking the boat. HR says, she has been arrested and gossiped about, she has nothing to lose. She has compromised before and has been stepped on. It is about time to challenge the status quo.

 

JW: Inspired by her Sunbae, she jumped into the fray of accurate reporting. Somehow, the executive management learned about her intentions and called to threaten her with the Kevin pictures. Now we know that those pictures were not taken by HR. It also makes me believe more and more that Kevin’s death was not an accident.

 

Detective Kang endured a knock out punch from the media and his pension threatened but I admire his persistence. He is one who does not give up either. He learned to admit his mistakes. Maybe, this will lead to the cooperation of the media and the police?

 

Station boss Jung: what can I say, he is my hero. He knows his stuff.

 

EJ and MY: are they siblings? MY was a law student??? and if EJ were his sister, she might have even helped to support his schooling. Or is MW just a caring and kind human being and friend? 

 

 

Love this post. Gives a lot of clarity to HR's actions.

HR’s character seems to impress most on this site for her unrelenting quest for honest journalism and social justice. She is a strong, powerful woman that doe s not back down in the face of a male dominated society. She is cunning, and resourceful and uses all her connections to achieve desired results for her personal ambitions and her quest for what she believes are societal wrongdoings. She is however dependent upon men which is completely in opposition to the strong, capable image that she confidently portrays. Mung Yoo went to Jail for her- We don’t  know for sure whether she killed while being sexually assaulted or Mung Yoo actually killed the man. What we do know is that she was there and could have gone to the police and lent clarity to the case. Where is the justice in this case. Her personal well being overrode any sense of personal responsibility  to the welfare of her friend. We have a Love Struck Boy at the time who gave 19 years of his life and who now continues to protect this woman.  IN THIS PATRICAL SOCIETY, IF HR IS AS COMPETENT AS SHE PURPORTS , WHY DOES SHE NEED  3 MEN TO PROP HER UP AND PROTECT HER?

 

TW is so love struck, when he gains additional knowledge of HR’s relationship with Kevin Lee,  he gets drunk to oblivion rather than talk to his wife and ask for an explanation. We all know that no matter what HR would say, TW would accept it and continue to love HR. TW  is protecting HR’s pride, helping her to save face from the embarrassment of the realization that he knows that she is not without weakness.

 

The Boss at the TV station has been her mentor and her protector. He supports her at every turn even when she goes against his advice. Her ambition has always been the driving force of her success but has also been her Achilles Heel because it has lent itself to Greed. Her boss told her to step aside and let the younger person take the News Nine Spot and she could eventually have his Job. She said no. She fought tooth and nail and played dirty to keep that News Nine spot and then used connections to get the Blue House Spot. In the new ep 11 preview she has been offered her boss’s job by the powers to be  and appears to be challenging her boss for it.  This behavior to me is indicative of who she is. She lacks integrity.  

“My husband loves me”. He will use his social standing to support my personal ambition. I repay him by aborting a baby he wants because a position I wanted became available.

 

“My Friend Goes to Jail for me”. I get engaged and send my friend an invitation. I never report to the police my connection to the case.

 

“My Boss supports and gives me every opportunity possible” and I challenge him for his position when every other door closes.

 

Rather than this BadAzz Truth teller. I see her as a smart, competent, arrogant, ambitious, troubled  woman that lets her pride prevent her from having a honest open relationship with a husband that she loves and who unconditionally loves her. She is a professional journalistic truth teller but she is also person involved in personal relationships  that she consistently has no clue how to maintain.

[zenya22]

1 hour ago, il23 said:

IN THIS PATRICAL SOCIETY, IF HR IS AS COMPETENT AS SHE PURPORTS , WHY DOES SHE NEED  3 MEN TO PROP HER UP AND PROTECT HER?

Very good question. 

 

1 hour ago, il23 said:

Rather than this BadAzz Truth teller. I see her as a smart, competent, arrogant, ambitious, troubled  woman that lets her pride prevent her from having a honest open relationship with a husband that she loves and who unconditionally loves her. She is a professional journalistic truth teller but she is also person involved in personal relationships  that she consistently has no clue how to maintain.

ambition and work keep her busy from facing herself and her inner troubles. If she can only accept her imperfections as perfect and ok....maybe she will learn to be honest with the people she cares about  I also want to see her breakdown and cry, no holding back just cry her heart out

[kdyes]

Quote

@zenya22  Misty sure is a seething mass of lava...so enjoyed your long post which has already run twice above.

 

 

Quote

 @il23

cutting your post for length... red hi-lighting yours, green mine.

 

HR’s character seems to impress most on this site for her unrelenting quest for honest journalism and social justice. She is a strong, powerful woman that doe s not back down in the face of a male dominated society. She is cunning, and resourceful and uses all her connections to achieve desired results for her personal ambitions and her quest for what she believes are societal wrongdoings. She is however dependent upon men which is completely in opposition to the strong, capable image that she confidently portrays. Mung Yoo went to Jail for her- We don’t  know for sure whether she killed while being sexually assaulted or Mung Yoo actually killed the man. What we do know is that she was there and could have gone to the police and lent clarity to the case. Where is the justice in this case. Her personal well being overrode any sense of personal responsibility  to the welfare of her friend. We have a Love Struck Boy at the time who gave 19 years of his life and who now continues to protect this woman.  IN THIS PATRICAL SOCIETY, IF HR IS AS COMPETENT AS SHE PURPORTS , WHY DOES SHE NEED  3 MEN TO PROP HER UP AND PROTECT HER?  I'd say it is bcuz it is a patriarchal society...we are completely enmeshed, men are more mobile; we don't exist in separation within "a women's power structure," imo.  So to me it is a natural occurrence.  But that doesn't mean we slip to blackmail and other gaps in morality, e.g., I want to know more about what happened 19 yrs ago b4 commenting on HR, but for sure I have questions about why the truth wasn't told even if MW wanted to take the fall.

 

The Boss at the TV station has been her mentor and her protector. He supports her at every turn even when she goes against his advice. Her ambition has always been the driving force of her success but has also been her Achilles Heel because it has lent itself to Greed.  Yes, and even HR told TW when they were dating that she was "greedy" "terrible personality" "selfish."  Her boss told her to step aside and let the younger person take the News Nine Spot and she could eventually have his Job. She said no. She fought tooth and nail and played dirty to keep that News Nine spot and then used connections to get the Blue House Spot. In the new ep 11 preview she has been offered her boss’s job by the powers to be  and appears to be challenging her boss for it.  This behavior to me is indicative of who she is. She lacks integrity.  HR's definitely compromised. She even stooped to blackmail to get the Blue House job...it's things like this that made me call her a calculator on the inside....tick tick tick, as she surveys a scene.

“My husband loves me”. He will use his social standing to support my personal ambition. I repay him by aborting a baby he wants because a position I wanted became available.  Ugh.

“My Friend Goes to Jail for me”. I get engaged and send my friend an invitation. I never report to the police my connection to the case. Ugh.

“My Boss supports and gives me every opportunity possible” and I challenge him for his position when every other door closes. And Ugh!  Isn't it interesting to see the "valiant HR fighting for truth and a just society" but who fails to be a good human with people right around her?

 

Rather than this BadAzz Truth teller. I see her as a smart, competent, arrogant, ambitious, troubled  woman that lets her pride prevent her from having a honest open relationship with a husband that she loves and who unconditionally loves her. She is a professional journalistic truth teller but she is also person involved in personal relationships  that she consistently has no clue how to maintain. !!!  YUP!

 

These glaring contradictions are why I am so eager to see where we're headed with HR as she connects with her heart and personal morality.  How much will she change without losing the powerful leader-like side of her?  I hope she can live from both.

[maddymappo]

1 hour ago, il23 said:

HR’s character seems to impress most on this site for her unrelenting quest for honest journalism and social justice. She is a strong, powerful woman that doe s not back down in the face of a male dominated society. She is cunning, and resourceful and uses all her connections to achieve desired results for her personal ambitions and her quest for what she believes are societal wrongdoings. She is however dependent upon men which is completely in opposition to the strong, capable image that she confidently portrays. Mung Yoo went to Jail for her- We don’t  know for sure whether she killed while being sexually assaulted or Mung Yoo actually killed the man. What we do know is that she was there and could have gone to the police and lent clarity to the case. Where is the justice in this case. Her personal well being overrode any sense of personal responsibility  to the welfare of her friend. We have a Love Struck Boy at the time who gave 19 years of his life and who now continues to protect this woman.  IN THIS PATRICAL SOCIETY, IF HR IS AS COMPETENT AS SHE PURPORTS , WHY DOES SHE NEED  3 MEN TO PROP HER UP AND PROTECT HER?

 

 I don't think we know at this point enough about what happened 19 years ago to say the she showed no personal responsibility etc. and her age and terrible fear at the time needs to be considered.  As far as being as competent as she purports to be or portrays herself:  I think she really is extremely competent, she could not have gone as far as she did without nerves of steel and guts.  She has been playing a man's game, and men use each other and their connections as well. Even more so, since in a man's world there is systemic misogyny which keeps females in lesser paying or menial jobs.    Men love her and protect her because she is so intensely powerful a figure, as EJ even says about her old friend, HR always knew exactly what she wanted and all the boys were crazy about her. She has also showed time and again that she likes to handle things on her own.  She told her husband that she would deal with the manager who was blackmailing her,  she would not let him take care of it for her.   She also didn't expect him to ask the golden door club to keep her out of trouble  - he volunteered that and she was considerate because she knew it was really not something he would ordinarily do.    I don't think she leans on men, but the men jump right in and help her because they are dazzled by her, strength and independence. 

[40somethingahjumma]

2 hours ago, il23 said:

 

Love this post. Gives a lot of clarity to HR's actions.

HR’s character seems to impress most on this site for her unrelenting quest for honest journalism and social justice. She is a strong, powerful woman that doe s not back down in the face of a male dominated society. She is cunning, and resourceful and uses all her connections to achieve desired results for her personal ambitions and her quest for what she believes are societal wrongdoings. She is however dependent upon men which is completely in opposition to the strong, capable image that she confidently portrays. Mung Yoo went to Jail for her- We don’t  know for sure whether she killed while being sexually assaulted or Mung Yoo actually killed the man. What we do know is that she was there and could have gone to the police and lent clarity to the case. Where is the justice in this case. Her personal well being overrode any sense of personal responsibility  to the welfare of her friend. We have a Love Struck Boy at the time who gave 19 years of his life and who now continues to protect this woman.  IN THIS PATRICAL SOCIETY, IF HR IS AS COMPETENT AS SHE PURPORTS , WHY DOES SHE NEED  3 MEN TO PROP HER UP AND PROTECT HER?

 

TW is so love struck, when he gains additional knowledge of HR’s relationship with Kevin Lee,  he gets drunk to oblivion rather than talk to his wife and ask for an explanation. We all know that no matter what HR would say, TW would accept it and continue to love HR. TW  is protecting HR’s pride, helping her to save face from the embarrassment of the realization that he knows that she is not without weakness.

 

The Boss at the TV station has been her mentor and her protector. He supports her at every turn even when she goes against his advice. Her ambition has always been the driving force of her success but has also been her Achilles Heel because it has lent itself to Greed. Her boss told her to step aside and let the younger person take the News Nine Spot and she could eventually have his Job. She said no. She fought tooth and nail and played dirty to keep that News Nine spot and then used connections to get the Blue House Spot. In the new ep 11 preview she has been offered her boss’s job by the powers to be  and appears to be challenging her boss for it.  This behavior to me is indicative of who she is. She lacks integrity.  

“My husband loves me”. He will use his social standing to support my personal ambition. I repay him by aborting a baby he wants because a position I wanted became available.

 

 

It's certainly a valid interpretation of the character. An interesting perspective... some aspects I agree with... some, I'm more hesitant about saying "Amen" to.

 

For me, however, I don't necessarily see the characterizations and categorizations as being diametrically opposed. Even if they appear to be contradictory, it only goes to show how complex people are in general. I don't see how she can't be a badass truth teller as well as arrogant and ambitious. In fact, quite often people who care deeply about truth and absolutes can come across as being arrogant in their unwavering commitment to principles and ideals. It rather depends, doesn't it, on where you stand on various issues as to how people see you. To the news editor, she's arrogant because she uncompromising and bulldozes her way through the roadblocks in her way but to the average viewer, she's seen to be the voice of the people in the way she deals with corrupt officials and their bullying tactics.

If she seems without integrity in her private dealings... I think the same can be said for most people in this show... she's certainly not an exception. So it's par for the course in this universe. She probably believes, rightly or wrongly, that she has to play the game in order to get to where she needs to so that she won't have to do anymore dirty stuff the next time around. It's quite common for idealists to hold on to the belief that the ends justify the means... so they compromise their own principles in the belief that once they get to where they need to, they will change the system and make things right. Of course that's usually a pipe dream. My thinking about HR is that she's strong on the big issues... public policy, corruption in high places, the difficulties for women to get ahead in her profession but she's terrible in the way she handles personal relationships. I don't think that's unusual for public figures. They are so focused on the big picture that they lose sight of the details of their lives. Good king... terrible husband and father etc etc. That's why I seldom put people on pedestals nor do I demonize anyone unless they have absolutely no regard for human life.

 

That said, I think her lying, half truths and cover up have come to bite her so there are consequences for those even while she may not be culpable for Kevin's death. 

 

I don't have issues with her being dependent on the men to get on because in professions where men dominate the top positions, you will need to use men where you have to. TW chose to marry on her even while knowing she didn't love him. He promised to help her and until recently he didn't do all that much for her so I wouldn't say she depended on him that much in their married life to get ahead until recently. Weren't they living on her salary after he left the prosecutor's office? He certainly wasn't making much as a public defender. Her editor-in-chief once waved his job under her nose to keep her at the station so he can't complain too much if she decides that she's ready to take over. Besides, I'm sure he's benefitted in his career from being able to boast about grooming such a successful anchor. She could have certainly done more when MW turned himself in for a crime he probably didn't commit (although I'm still not sure what it is that she was supposed to have done) but she never forgot him. I imagine that some of her burning ambition comes from that she feels that she owes him to live her life in a blaze of glory.

 

HR is definitely a divisive character but there are so many aspects to her that I can't bring myself to dislike her at all. I may like her but I don't necessarily approve of everything she does. To me the writer has given us a complex, multi-faceted character which makes the show all the more interesting.

 

@maddymappo

I think we just have to agree to disagree about Det Kang, dear. 

To me it's quite alright that we have different perspectives about the characters. It's what makes this show fascinating... and honestly... better than most K dramas.