The Penultimate Episode of Who Are You is Filled with Tears of Sadness and Rage for Oppa

Screw you, drama! Seriously, screw you and your nonsensical police procedural plot and your oppa-dangling fan exploitation. I kept my expectations dialed way way way down for the final two episodes of Who Are You, and even then episode 15 of WAY managed to both suck and blow. Well…..without a written or video preview for episode 16 who knows if something crazy and unexpected might happen, but if I take what happened at the end of episode 15 at face value, then I can safely say that the screenwriter wrote the most amazing character in Hyun Joon and then royally screwed him over. She screwed him over in every way possible whether in the past time line or in the present. But what she couldn’t do is screw him over in the hearts of the viewers, because he’s the sole redeeming aspect of WAY and without him there is no drama. I don’t even know what the purpose of tomorrow’s final episode 16 would be, because from the looks of it there is no more story left to tell. The drama can stick Kim Jae Wook in the same outfit of blue shirt, white tank top, and black jeans for 11 episodes straight, complete with white pasty pancake make up, and he’s still more mesmerizing and alive as a character than the living folks in this drama.

Clearly Gun Woo isn’t going to die after getting stabbed, but it’s pretty funny that I didn’t give a fig either way. I like him but he’s about as consequential a presence in this drama as a pretty potted plant in the middle of a hospital room. He and Si On together would probably make one whole brain between the two of them. What I care about is Hyun Joon oppa, that he gets closure, that he gets some measure of happiness in whatever capacity is possible, that he gets everything he deserves even if it’s imaginary or fleeting. This episode tossed in yet anther Oppa-rrific flashback involving Oppa drawing a future house layout with Si On and cajoling his future wifey to have three kids with him. I was already sniffling during that scene, but then the drama dropped a fucking grand piano of angst on top of my head with Si On and Hyun Joon’s conversation in that hospice room. I no longer care about healthy grieving, moving on, Gun Woo being a real good dude – I only care that my Oppa turned into shiny golden light at the end of episode 15 and I was sobbing my guts out while screaming “I am going to pluck all your toenails out, you cruel and inhuman screenwriter!” After watching this, I need to go lay down now.

After telling Si On that he saw Hyun Joon, Gun Woo faints again and Si On cries that he can’t die. Si On summons the doctors to come save Gun Woo.

Gun Woo goes back into surgery while Si On heads to the office. She thinks back to Gun Woo’s confession to her and their times together. Seriously? You want to keep going there, drama? I like Gun Woo, I really really do, but he has about as much sexual or romantic chemistry with Si On as a panda has with a stalk of bamboo it’s nonchalantly gnawing on.

In the most ridiculous solving of a major conspiracy EVER, Police Chief Moon gets a minion to take out his head minion by thwacking him over the head with a bat. The dude is beat up but not dead. The cops arrest him and Si On suddenly puts on her thinking hat and gets the guy to turn on the Police Chief during a bout of interrogation with zero intensity.

Armed with evidence, Si On takes the cops and arrests Police Chief Moon in the middle of a big wig police meeting.

Gun Woo is out of danger and Si On sits by his bedside. She tells him to wake up and come back to her – the question he asked her about wanting to stay by her side, she accepts him and tells him to come when he gets better. That is her answer. I can’t believe Si On chooses Gun Woo in this clinical a fashion, as both a hope for him to get better and forcing herself to let Hyun Joon go. Nowhere does she say she loves or even likes him. It’s just that it’s the right thing to do. Blah.

Si On goes home and takes out her tin of Hyun Joon oppa mementos and this time it’s a sketch of a house interior layout. She flashbacks to Hyun Joon drawing the layout as they planned their future home together. Hyun Joon draw a lot of rooms because he wants three kids with her so they need to have enough room for the kids. He says because she’s so afraid of being lonely, that is why they need to have more kids. *sniffles*

Si On cries and tells her Oppa that she is finally letting him go. She asks Oppa if she did well?

Hyun Joon meets with Hee Bin and thanks her for all her help. She asks if he’s said his goodbyes and Hyun Joon says not yet…….

Si On brings a meal for Gun Woo at the hospital and I don’t know if she’s feeding one man or a small elephant. Gun Woo finally tells Si On that he saw Hyun Joon, not the guy’s spirit but his real body. This scene underscores and highlights why the drama’s insistence on this couple will never ever work – she’s like a nice older sister coming to check on her wayward brother in the way she talks to him.

Si On takes a cab over to the hospice and finds Hyun Joon laying in the bed. She naturally cries buckets of tears over his comatose body, asking how this happened.

SI On hears from the doctor that Hyun Joon is in a coma, but unlike coma patients who feel no pain, Hyun Joon appears to be in distress and seems to be clinging on to life. DA FUQ! Drama, you already screwed Oppa over six-ways to Sunday, and now you want to tell me his physical body is in PAIN as well? I fucking hate you, drama.

Si On gets a box left by the now-departed Detective Choi and inside is Hyun Joon’s belongings from the night of the ship raid, and a letter he left. The letter explains that he saved Hyun Joon and kept him hidden from the real mastermind Police Chief Moon. Turns out that night, he called in a favor and asked a first responder cop to squirrel Hyun Joon away to safety. When Detective Choi shot Hyun Joon that night, his heart died along with Hyun Joon. He tells Hyun Joon never to forgive him. Si On cries as she reads this.

Gun Woo is at the hospital and gets out of bed to hie himself over to the hospice. I feel like the many faces of Taecyeon in pain must be shared with all.

Si On goes to the florist and buys a potted plant for Hyun Joon’s room. It’s a balloon flower, which has the meaning of never-ending love or a love that has no words.

As Si On sits and talks with Hyun Joon, suddenly she hears him call her name – “Si On ah”. Guh, just spork my heart out right now. I don’t think I can survive what’s coming up next. Si On turns around and sees Hyun Joon’s spirit standing in the room, and he speaks with her for the first time. He smiles and tells her to be happy, he wants to see the Si On of old who is cheerful. Si On cries and says how can she when Oppa isn’t here anymore? Good point.

Hyun Joon says:

“I thought in this world, there could be no one else who treasured you as much as I do. But now I can leave. Si On ah….I died six years ago. That is not me, that is just an empty body. Please don’t cry. I’m fine. Don’t be sick, and learn to drive yourself around. Have beautiful children with the person who loves you. Be happy and live your life well.”

The heart monitor starts to beep as Hyun Joon’s body codes. Si On hovers over him sobbing while Hyun Joon’s spirit watches. She cries and keeps screaming no.

Hyun Joon smiles as his spirit glows and then disappears.

Gun Woo arrives and his body fills the frame exactly where Hyun Joon’s spirit was before he evaporated. As if we didn’t already get that Gun Woo is Hyun Joon’s replacement in EVERY WAY, we need this added visual where Gun Woo physically inhabits the space Hyun Joon was just standing. Hateful sadistic screenwriter. Hyun Joon’s heart monitor completely flatlines….

Let me say a farewell to the best character in this drama and one of the best male leads ever. For the many things Hyun Joon did not say to Si On but this is what he felt.

I had it all prepared – the house we were going to live in, the ring, the proposal…… For 20 years we were childhood sweethearts turned lovers – I was your best friend, your driver, your protector, your oppa, your lover. For six years I wore the couple shirt you got me. But this is as far as I can accompany you. Don’t worry, I’m fine. Please be happy, all I want is for you to be happy….

Ugh, imma go buy another box of tissues. Don’t know if there will be anything worth recapping or discussing in tomorrow’s episode 16. For all intents and purposes, this is the last episode of WAY for me.


Comments

The Penultimate Episode of Who Are You is Filled with Tears of Sadness and Rage for Oppa — 30 Comments

    • I liked Koala’s comment about how they hit us over the head once again with Gun-Woo as replacement male when he fills the same space that KJW just vacated. Only problem is, that just highlights how epically he cannot fill that space in anything but a physical way. When oh when is someone going to realize that this kid cannot act????

      And thank you, Koala, for falling on this particular grenade for me. There’s no way I am watching this show now. I will content myself with your lovely screenshots of KJW.

  1. no offense but this drama was a huge disappointment (in my opinion). honestly i didn’t have any expectation but i was still disappointed. only watched it for kim jae wook AND continued watching for kim jae wook and i guess this is officially the end for me…

  2. I wasn’t surprised but still emotional, VERY emotional at the end of this episode. I’m curious to see what will the ratings be for eps 15 and 16. I wonder if we will see a drop… *Bad loser*
    We’ll miss you oppa… U.U

    • I just noticed in the last screencap of Oppa flatlining that he’s freaking CRYING! A tear is trickling down his right eye. T____T I refuse to accept he’s dead. Dead people don’t cry.

  3. I don’t even watch this drama (not even for Oppa) but while reading your recap I MAY have got a tear my eye. MAYBE.

    Screw this screenwriter. She obviously hates the world. This show is not worthy of Oppa T____________T

  4. Too funny. Sorry you had to do this drama. I agreed too long ago with your panda/bamboo analogy to stay.
    Taec puppy is cute but no smexy.

  5. NOOOOOOOOOO. No he can’t die. Oppa Heong Gyun can’t die. No matter how much Gun Woo can try to fill the space of HG oppa, he can never fill it.

    HG has to live. I refuse to believe that he died totally. Maybe he just flatlines but he will be back to his body. Please writer-nim, please bring back our Oppa. Huhuhuhuhuhuhu. *opens another box of tissues *

  6. God the screen caps of him are bloody beautiful. It’s like you sliced my heart reading your recaps.

    Then you dumped Gun Woo in the middle of the screen.

    I know the writer meant it as a contrast but first time I’ve wanted to sweep a male lead off the screen.

  7. Um. Sorry, Koala, I know you’re sad, but I laughed SO MUCH at your recap. It was even better than the recaps of that pottery drama whose name I can’t remember. I especially enjoyed Taecyeon’s acting faces.

  8. I don’t think I could have voiced my disappointment any more eloquent than you did Koala….well done….I feel your pain, and my pain. I really do not want to watch 15 after your recap. I think I will wait and read your recap for 16 (if any)…then throw my RAGE at the screenwriter….while savoring Kim Jae Wook’s excellent performance thus far!!!!

    But seriously….if Hyun Joon is not in episode 16….not going to watch it! It will make me PUKE to see Si On and Gun Woo all happy!!!

    I don’t always agree with you, Koala, but this one, I am 100% with you!!!

  9. omg……i thought hyun joon still alive…..well hope….she will end up with taec yeon……..can’t wait today’s last episode!!!!

  10. Ms. Koala,
    Just by reading your recap…I’m at a lost for words. Is the writer crazy? What?! What?! Why so cruel to oppa!!! 🙁 🙁 🙁 This makes no sense.

  11. So glad I stopped watching a couple of eps ago.
    WAY started out better than Master’s Sun, how they handled the ghost stories and some other stuff, but what little advantage they had, they squandered it.

  12. Koala, you are too funny – had me in stitches with the two pics of Gun Woo in pain. Thanks so much for the recap – because now I don’t need my box of tissues when i watch the episode.

  13. NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NOOOOOOOOO!!! PERFECT OPPA IS NOT DEAD I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT *flips tables* HE IS NOT DEAD! NOPE! NO! NO

    *rocks in a corner as tears stream down her cheeks*

    I DON’T CARE IF IT’S IMMATURE. I REFUSE TO WATCH EP 16. IT AIN’T EVEN THE FACT THAT OPPA IS GONE (WELL IT IS) BUT COME ON WHAT FUCKING LOVE BETWEEN SHI-ON AND GUN-WOO…..THERE WAS NOTHING…NOTHING ON HER PART. THEY ARE MORE BROTHER SISTER THAN LOVERS AND IT FEELS LIKE SHE IS PICKING HIM BECAUSE WELL SHE FEELS SORRY HE GOT SHOT CAUSE OF HER AND THE ONE SHE WILL ALWAYS LOVE IS DEAD! FUCK THAT WEAK WRITING BULL I AM OUT!!!!!! OOOOOPPPPPAAAAAA!!!!!

  14. Urrgghhh. Me cried from your recap alone. Me contemplating if me gonna watch this and make me heart broken. Me no want to be sad because me want perfect oppa too. Me hearts condition> ♥= \/\/\———————–˟Dead.

  15. Yep episode 16…..all fluff and bubbles…..after watching Hyun Joon die……. yet AGAIN! But I must say he does do it beautifully…. 🙂

    I think what irritated me the most about the last episode, was that during the credits they showed outtakes…..but there was only ONE shot of Kim Jae Wook, the rest were of the ‘other’ two! It was as though KJW’s character was an after thought, and that the whole series was about THEM!…….it kinda peeved me off!

    But for now, I will wait patiently for Kim Jae Wook’s next drama……and as always Koala, thank you for your entertaining recaps! 🙂

  16. So here are the episode ratings for WAY from dramawiki, and no surprises there. Anything above 1 point for cable TV (tvN is pay TV) is regarded as good. Highest ratings are for eps. 4, 9, 7, 10 in that order. Ep 4: when KJ reappears as the ghost of HJ. Ep 9 was when SO’s memory of HJ is restored to her. Ep 7 was the one where HJ tries to conceal SO from Choi Moon Shik in the Lost and Found repository. Ep. 10 is the one where we learn about the couple shirt that caused HJ his life. The rating for ep 15 is BAD and we know why – who wants to see KJ disintegrate into darkness? Aishh.. only silly ppl like me. Ep. 14 was good – and that’s the one that got everyone hiphiphooraying at the revelation of HJ’s alive body. Now we know who brings in the viewers.. Kim Jaeuck of course. I expect ep 16 to do well – traditionally finales tend to do well.. http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Who_Are_You

  17. what you said exactly how I felt and feel 🙁 I couldn’t stop crying after ep 15.. :'( I absolutely felt it was total waste that I watched the whole drama. :/ Hyung Joon oppa :* <3 he is the best.. :'(

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