[Drama 2020] Forest, 포레스트

[cenching]

So much happening with so little time....I hope no hanging ending...

 

Will he experiences amnesia?? Really, Writer-Nim?!?! In the last episode???   I hope I am wrong 

[Ameera Ali]

 

 

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[an-naum]

Aigoooo.. This couple OBM n CC, high schoolers lovers.  "I'm not jealous at all!".

 

[nonski]

Hello Foresters! Sorry that I had been away.  

Real life had been to hectic.  Brought a lot of work at home and it's getting harder to focus on watching kdrama when COVID is everywhere.  Just finished watching the nightly updates from the Office of the President.  

I hope I can join tomorrow for the finale but if not I would still like to thank everyone for a wonderful time here inside the magical forest.

Thank you chingus.  Keep safe!

[an-naum]

Yes, its been two days my office doing arrangement for staff to work from home. The beauty of cloud technology. The only problem is their integrity since less supervision. 

So, I cannot wait for live recap and dive in for the tonite RAW. I dont understand korean, but... Its ok. Cannot wait, rite? 

Hope for happy ending for both our couples. 

[Table122000]

I have watched to Ep. 24

 

Question: So I don't understand the business dealings. Did SH already buy all the land from the villagers or not? Also, the development company that SH owns wants to build an eco-resort in the mountains, right? Why, exactly, is this a bad thing? Since it's an eco-resort they are going to be careful with the environment and preserve the natural beauty, and the resort would also provide jobs in the community which doesn't have a lot of employment options. They have to move the rescue station but the other rescue worker said that the station is too far away and it takes them longer to get the helicopter, so moving it would actually help everyone be safer because the rescue workers could respond faster. So I don't understand why the drama is saying that SH is a bad person for wanting the eco-resort? Obviously, I'm missing something here or the script is weird.

[nrllee]

Sorry Foresters been flat out busy with the chaos that is COVID19.  Will try to catch up with the episode today and recap if I can. 

[Beycuteful]

I was so excited and had been anticipating since the other day but when the show was about to start I fell asleep.   

So I just woke up...     And my internet connection works better now. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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This was the episode when they surprised her on her birthday  

 

 

 

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Swipe (look for the arrow on the right side) to see the video:

 

 

 

 

[40somethingahjumma]

4 hours ago, Table122000 said:

I have watched to Ep. 24

 

Question: So I don't understand the business dealings. Did SH already buy all the land from the villagers or not? Also, the development company that SH owns wants to build an eco-resort in the mountains, right? Why, exactly, is this a bad thing? Since it's an eco-resort they are going to be careful with the environment and preserve the natural beauty, and the resort would also provide jobs in the community which doesn't have a lot of employment options. They have to move the rescue station but the other rescue worker said that the station is too far away and it takes them longer to get the helicopter, so moving it would actually help everyone be safer because the rescue workers could respond faster. So I don't understand why the drama is saying that SH is a bad person for wanting the eco-resort? Obviously, I'm missing something here or the script is weird.

 

All will be answered in subsequent episodes...

 

The notion of developing an eco-resort is a cover story for what is essentially a man-made environmental disaster: arsenic contamination due to mining rare trace minerals. There is no plan to have a resort built on the mountain. KSH doesn't know that at first so he's busy trying to get all the stakeholders to sign off on it. 

 

Many of the long-term residents of the mountain have cancer symptoms or died from cancer. This is what JYJ is looking into.

 

The script is not the best sadly but it is reasonably clear from Episodes 13 and 14 (25-28) that Taesung have no intention of building a resort. The company has been secretly mining the mountain for over 2 decades.

[nrllee]

Ep 29

 

SH in forest looking for something.  Finds a pile of rocks and a plank with a name written on it. It’s his sister’s grave site? Memorial where she died.  He tears up. Flashback to when they were kids.  They are outside their apartment.  His sister is sitting on the kerb distressed and covering her ears. In the background their parents are fighting and arguing loudly. SH is seething. He turns and sees her crying and tries to comfort her by singing the Wild Rabbit song (the one he sang to YJ at the hospital). 
——

Bus ride (young SH, sister and his mother). His sister is marvelling at the scenery.  SH is quiet, he knows something is up.  

——

At village. SH’s sister approaches a group of children playing cards.  One boy teases her about not having any playing cards (?) and says she has no parents. She’s pushed to the ground and cries. SH walks by and sees her distress and comforts her. 
——

In forest (still kids). They find a tree hollow.  SH hides a card (?) there and tells her that it will multiply by magic like the stars. Once they get 100 stars, he promises her he will get her a playing card . He tells her the tree hollow is their secret place and not to tell anyone else about it. She is delighted. And she tells him a particular boy is a bully and SH promises to teach him a lesson. SH says not to worry, he will always protect her. 

——

Forest fire (still kids).  SH loses his sister in the fire.

——

Present time. SH is crying as he recalls everything. SH is upset that he couldn’t keep his promise of protecting his sister and he even forgot about it (because he blocked it out of his memory for so long). He repeatedly says, “I did wrong.”

——

Timber mill. SH confronts CC’s dad. CC’s dad is blasé about it, “so what? You can’t change the past? Where’s your evidence?” SH admits he doesn’t need evidence.  He says the biggest injury he suffered from that fire long ago was the loss of his sister.  He says as payback he would attack CC. CC’s dad gets mad and attacks him. SH threatens him and says he will take CC down (?).  SH says he will reveal everything to CC and asks if dad has ever thought about how his misdeeds would affect CC.  SH says he will send CC to hell.  (Not sure if he means figuratively - as in the pain of the revelation that his dad is evil would be like hell?).  Dad is distraught.  He asks how he can pay for his misdeeds. He doesn’t want CC to suffer on his behalf.

——

SH in car. Talking to Sec about digging up evidence. Sec says when SH agreed to save YJ he signed a confidentiality agreement with Taesong regarding the pollution (from recent water toxicity reports).  SH says to bypass that by finding evidence from 25years ago about the company burying the toxic waste instead. 
——

Hospital transfer? Ahjumma comes out of ambulance and talks to YJ telling her how she

was treated so well by the company and wants to sincerely thank them.  YJ looks surprised.  Flashback- YJ remembers asking SH about this Ahjumma.  She had asked him if he was the one hiding her (YJ thought he had hidden her away to cover up the water toxicity). SH said he did it to provide her with treatment she couldn’t have afforded (YJ didn’t believe him then).  YJ tells the attending doctor to keep her updated on Ahjumma’s condition. 
——

BM at office. Searching up something on her laptop.  Looks like public complaints. Flashback BM at someone’s funeral chasing up evidence. BM asks about getting an autopsy on the deceased?  The son said he was cremated as organized.  She notices the public complaints/reports (?) were also conveniently deleted and wonders who has the power to cover it up like that.

——

YJ at hospital with nurse and Dr Park talk about the how it is the Environment Ministry (?) seems to ignore reports of contamination. They all agree to conduct investigations on their own and reveal all.  Flashback Dr Park at someone’s funeral. He’s accused by angry family members for losing his patient. Dr Park says he has nothing to lose, his reputation is bad anyway. Nurse says the same, she has to save lives and her reputation isn’t important. 
——

They take blood tests and examine Villagers. Collect local water samples. 
——

Back home. YJ lying in bed thinking. Remembers SH rescuing her from pool and other things he said to her about surviving in water. She practises floating on her bed. 
——

Sec and SH at hotel. They talk about the fire from 25years ago. They talk about how Taesong tried to distract Villagers with gifts and fanfare about a new development whilst secretly conducting tests (?) in the Forest (maybe using the illegal methods of getting the precious metals which resulted in contamination of soil). Sec says all the evidence seems to have been destroyed. Employees from the past were dismissed, the company changed their name. SH says they need to take a different tact. They go to the Forest site and a backhoe digs up soil whilst Sec films. SH says they will use the media. Back at hotel.  SH gets a call from evil CEO.

——

SH meets with evil CEO. Flashback - SH remembers him from Forest fire where he refused to help them.  They wheel and deal. I think SH still has the land rights (signed over to him by Villagers?).  CEO wants that and also for investigations to cease?  I admit I switched off here.  They make a deal (50-50) sharing the profits?  After SH leaves CEO and ED talk. CEO is suspicious of SH. 
——

SH at hotel. Remembering times with YJ. He looks at an article about the car accident that claimed the lives of her parents. 
——

YJ at home, gets a call...runs to get it and looks disappointed (she was hoping it was SH).  It’s BM.

——

BM and CC sharing a drink at cafe. YJ arrives to break them up. CC is surprised, he thought she would bring SH. BM fills her in on what she’s found out. BM says every Villager who’s died has been cremated. YJ is surprised because most Village folk prefer burials. BM says whenever she tries to find answers the people up top block her efforts. YJ says she’s encountered similar blocks. YJ says she will head to Seoul hospital herself to do more digging. She wonders why all the records of the old man have been conveniently “lost”. CC says he needs to convince one other person to do tests. 

——

Timber mill. CC tries to get his father to do a blood test just like all the other Villagers. Dad refuses. Dad drives off. He mutters he should’ve dealt with the youngster when he had the chance.  Flashback - dad enters hospital room and finds the bed empty. Nurse tells him SH (boy) was discharged last night. Dad pretends to be a relative and asks if the boy remembers anything.  Nurse tells him the boy has amnesia and can’t remember anything about the fire or anything from his past. Back to present. A car is following him.  He heads back to his office and is suspicious that someone (CEO?) is trying to kill him. He’s thinking about calling evil CEO. Flashback to SH warning him before.  SH tells him to conceal his identity - not to reveal that he is the kid from the past to CEO. He’s wondering what to do. He rings CEO and says to meet up. 
——

Business meeting at Taesong (?).  Business talk.  SH passes an envelope to ED. It has a tracking device in it.

——

Sec tracks ED. Finds a company address. I think this is the company that buried the waste which caused the toxic runoff. 
——

YJ at Seoul hospital.  She bumps into her old colleague.  Flashback - She met the Hospital Director and tells her the findings about the toxicity.  Maybe he didn’t do anything about it either so she is wary of him. She spots a patient who has skin lesions and tremors. She sneaks in.  Patient is Dr Park pretending - lol!! He is wheeled to Room 601.  They contact each other and he tells YJ which room he is in. Nurse has arrived pretending to be a visitor.  She brings coffee and food for her nurse friends.  She distracts them whilst YJ tries to find records for Room 601. 
 

END 

 

[ktcjdrama]

What a psychopath Chairman....

It's strange how the preview is showing that the finale episode will still have a lottttt of things happening?

[nrllee]

Ep30

 

YJ finds patient file for Rm601 and looks through it (I think it’s for the old man

who died?). She sees the list of drugs administered to him and finds an anomaly. 
——

Dr Park in his hospital room gets up and looks at the “secret room” for people sick from the toxic water.  He hears the doctor speaking outside his room and panics. He messages YJ with “119” (emergency?).  He pretends to be sick as the doctor enters. Doctor says he needs to be transferred tomorrow. There’s an announcement on the PA for the doctor administering the meds and he ducks out before giving it. YJ comes in to the room, takes the drug vial they were going to inject and Dr Park leaves with her. They (all 3 of them) leave in an ambulance?  YJ shows Dr Park the drug vial. And they find it odd. It’s cyclophosphamide, a drug used for cancer. YJ says all the patients have had the same treatment. YJ says they are using it to hide the fact that the patients are actually suffering from heavy metal poisoning. YJ gets a call and it’s the Director. 
——

At Rescue HQ. The team ask TL if he’s serious about accepting SH’s resignation. CC wonders why no one can get a hold of SH. Bald member says someone spotted his car in the forest yesterday. CC tries to change TL’s mind.

——

CC’s dad at office on phone and says he’s leaving now. He seems shocked by what the person is telling him. Voiceover- you have Stage 3 cancer. Please come to the hospital to get a full check up. You need to book in for surgery ASAP. He can’t believe the news. He goes home and looks through an old photo album sadly. CC comes home. He hands him a gift of BB cream and puts some on his face. CC tells him to never grow old. Dad nods and starts to cry. CC asks what’s up. Dad doesn’t tell him. 
——

SH in car park walking to his car. He’s followed by another car. A drone also follows his car. They find where he’s staying. Sec from upstairs sees the pair who followed SH downstairs.

——

SH is in another car? Drives to the company (HS) that they discovered was part of Taesong’s plan. Sec gives him run down on what the company does. SH heads into the HS, finds a man playing games on his phone. He asks the man about what happened 25years ago wit Miryeong. SH offers him money and asks him to testify about what happened back then. He assures him he will protect him and give him a new identity overseas. He drives off and arranges to meet someone (whom I don’t recognize?) and hands him documents. 

——

CEO arrives at office and SH is not there. ED runs in to tell him the bad news. News breaks about Taesong and the contamination. Flashback to SH filming the guy testifying (he’s given the footage to media). O the guy he meets must be a reporter. He’s passed on all the information to him to publicize.

——

Miryeong hospital. YJ, Nurse and Dr Park follow up on patients that they tested recently.  Nobody seems to be cooperative. Dr Park is frustrated.  YJ receives a call and is told to watch the news. They turn on the TV and watch the news report about the contamination.  Suddenly they start receiving calls from Villagers who have changed their tune. Flashback to YJ asking SH about the Ahjumma. She realizes that she wrongly accused SH. 
——

SH at his hotel. They talk about what their next move is. SH checks his phone and sees 2 missed calls from YJ and rushes out.

——

YJ at hospital. Nurse and Dr Park leave. She dials SH. No one picks up. SH arrives. YJ admits she wanted to see him after seeing the news. He asks if that was the only reason she wanted to see him. She says no.  He tells her he missed her and he doesn’t care if she scolds him so long as she stays with him. He wishes she would always stay within his reach. She apologizes and said she should’ve trusted him. She says she missed him too and kept wishing he would suddenly show up at home to look for her.  She waited for him every night. He draws her in for a hug. They make up. She tells him never to leave her again. He agrees. 
——

Outside hospital CEO stands next to his car.  His goons appear with cans of petrol/kerosene and they set fire to the hospital.

——

Rescue HQ. Team talk about the recent news. The receive a call out (fire at the hospital).  They head out. 
——

SH tries to put the fire out but it’s not working. He tells YJ to wait whilst he gets something. He returns with a blanket which he sets down.  He reminds her of his promise. Never to let her die alone. 
——

Team has arrived at the hospital and sees the fire department trying to control the fire from the outside. TL tells them SH and YJ are inside. 
——

SH wraps the wet blanket around YJ and they both jump out of a window. Rescue Team

head inside the building.  CEO has a hunting rifle aimed at SH. He’s shot.  YJ is distraught as she sobs and holds his collapsed body.  CEO sniggers. 
 

END

 

Preview

Voiceover - Likelihood of survival is low.

(YJ sobs)

KSH sacrificed a lot to achieve this.

YJ - SH Ssi do you recognize me?

CEO - KSH is still alive. What should we do? We need to use our special ticket. 
CC - I am sorry. 
JYJ signed this regarding the secret. (To keep quiet)

YJ - I only wished for you to be safe and not be hurt. 

 

[an-naum]

Hope I can watch Live streaming today after whole day Work From Home. I've been seating in front of tv/pc since morning (except toilet break, meal, prayer). This lockdown will make me fatter... 

[Beycuteful]

Every scene is getting serious now... I'm in a medical field so I'm not really into business thing and so I really don't understand how things work in the business world. This is the reason why kdramas with theme as such don't appeal to me. I really enjoyed watching Forest because it's not the main focus but instead the romance and healing genre for the business scenes are shown only 1/3 of each episode. I rewatched it. This is as how I took it: Taesung Chairman Kwon put up Miryeong Rescue Center 25 years ago when he took his position.  They put up the Rescue Center to appease the villagers. That's why KSH was having a hard time relocating it because of the villagers. Taesung Group got agitated when KSH took over for the pushing through of the Miryeong Resort Project. then eventually he discovered Taesung Hi Tech illegal activities mainly the excretion of mineral waste in the forest and further discovered his sister's death in the forest fire was suspiciously their doing. (yet he has to find out the connections of CJM, Director Jo and Chairman Kwon's hunting activity in the forest fire that caused his sister's death). They wanted to kill him to prevent him from exposing their illegal activities. As well as targeting JYJ for doing research on the water contamination causing death of the villagers. Taesung was doing all the donations and getting connections with the key persons just to cover up their mining activities in the forest while getting all the timbers from CJM. I take it as simple as this but mainly what Taesung did in the past had caused KSH's and JYJ's sad past experiences and psychological trauma. (I think JYJ's past has connection with it too) I believe this will be resolved tonight by giving us revelations and then healing for our OTP. KSH's love for JYJ has changed him to make things right. He himself said he's evil. In episode 3 he said to his boss "I did all sorts of dirty work to follow your instructions (to bring profit)." He was a goal setter guy. Too bad he got back stabbed by his boss with all the hard work he did for him.

 

Meanwhile I'm still touched by the words of wisdom that this series imparted to us...

 

 

 

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[an-naum]

I miss a few minutes from opening. News of Covid-19 is a must to watch right now. 

 

KSH and his sec were badass.. 

TheTae Sung CEO is evil. He has no guilty conscience. He even smile when he was transported to jail. 

 

Happy ending to both couple. 

 

[Beycuteful]

My internet connection is slow...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Something her rescuer father revealed to her about her real parents...   

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Very brave JYJ...    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy ending!

 

 

 

 

 

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[cenching]

I have not watch this week finale yet since I need subs. But from whatever recaps, spoilers and snippets that I get from the net, I can say that Forest is absolutely a bizarre drama. It's made me feel that they have few writers assigned to write different parts, each didn't get the same memo and then they tossed it together without proper "glue". The editing also crappy. At least the cinematography and mountain setting are fab, those greenery and their house are breathtaking. Love love the aerial shots....I did professional photography as a hobby so I really appreciate Forest's cameramen....

 

I have to applaud whoever wrote the love line for the OTP though. All of their scene were terrific and heart fluttering whether it's sad, happy, sweet or even cringe-worthy. Their conversations were deep, simple and meaningful. Despite such stiff chemistry off cam , they managed to deliver an almost flawless performance and very very believable as a couple on cam . Super dedicated and professional actors indeed....

 

Our second couple is cute too especially Choi Chang who got his first gig in Forest. I like him a lot, he is a natural. The rest of the supporting done their job well. My other fav is YJ's dad.

 

I don't know what to say anymore about this drama without swearing... It's out of this world.

 

 

[Beycuteful]

I need to watch the subbed final episodes first before I give my comment about the ending. But watching the entire series feels like the series was initially set for 20 episodes that made shorter to 16 episodes...      But nonetheless I got hooked coz I'm very much entertained by the Forest team/ cast, most especially I'm very much sold with the OTP.    I had the same feeling when I watched The Best Hit. I enjoyed watching everything that was thrown at me without me knowing the series had already ended. This series came at the right time that it became my stress reliever.  

 

They were shooting when they celebrated KSH's secretary's bday. (sorry don't know his real name) That explains why PHJ's right hand had a bandage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[cenching]

@beyaruth

The OTP is the only reason I didn’t dropped Forest. I blinded and deafen myself when it wasn’t The OTP scenes.... I love everything Forest except the storyline outside OTP’s even though I love the supporting casts as actor. 

[Ameera Ali]

 

 

 

Wow , What a view oppa enjoying at final