Lie to Me Episode 14 Recap

I was supposed to be writing this recap, but instead I spent a good thirty minutes reading and laughing my head off, having heard whispers and now confirmation, that the plot of the second half of New Gisaeng Story went to the wolves. So some dude name Andre (*cough Thundie cough*) recapped NGS. Reading said recap made me realize once again that it sucks loving an OTP when the story goes to the wolves. Thundie’s sadly stuck with a 50 episoder (plus extension, mwahahaha, sorry Thundie babe), but I merely have 2 more episodes with my beloved Ki Joon and Ah Jung. Hence, no wolfy plot in Lie to Me will derail my love for them!

Do I care about the China investment? No. Do I care about Ah Jung keeping her job? Not really. Do I care if Ki Joon and Ah Jung continue to be the cutest, funniest, most chemistry-laden couple this side of the Mason Dixon line? Oh hell yeah. I demand boating, more kissing, and a giant fricking wedding to end this sucker next week. And afterwards, I want HwanHye to come out of the secret love closet they’ve been not so secretly cloistered in. At this point, this drama has become “let’s watch Kang Ji Hwan and Yoon Eun Hye date each other in a drama and ad-lib half their lines and gestures”. I have no problem with that at all.

After watching a few episodes of the new writer’s work, I think it’s a toss-up for Lie to Me fans as to which one is preferable. The first writer created a very unique mood, character flow, and situational set-up for her drama. It reminded me not of a K-drama at all, but like a TW rom-com with a big budget and great actors. It was mood and possibility over narrative. The second writer is going plot over mood (missing the aura of romanticism), but in a hodge-podge way because it’s hard to write the second half of the novel when you have to follow the ground work laid out in the first half.

LTM can’t even be considered an online mania drama anymore, as the middle-drama surge of interest has noticeably waned as well, leaving a loyal and devoted group of folks (myself included) who still really love this couple. The more LTM gets closer to its ending, the more I am absolutely convinced it suffered from the exactly same problems as Mary Stayed Out All Night.

It all boils down to the original scriptwriter not being able to properly execute her story from the very beginning. It’s like a sprinter tripping the first step out of the gate, so the second writer is forever playing catch up. I’m glad I can see all its flaws and yet still love watching it, because I alternatively laugh at it and with it depending on what works and what doesn’t, enjoying myself every step of the way.

Episode 14 Recap:

Ah Jung stands before the throng of reporters and reveals her culpability in the current media scandal. She explains that she told a lie to her friends that she was married to a successful man like Hyun Ki Joon, and she also pretended in front of Chairman Chen that she was President Hyun’s wife. Because of her actions, Ki Joon had no choice but to continue the lie in front of the Chairman. She lays all the blame at her feet and absolves Ki Joon of any involvement.

The press asks why Ki Joon went along with it, and Ah Jung mentions that she got scared and wrote up a contract asking that it be kept a secret. Ah Jung is asked if she had any ulterior motives when approaching Ki Joon. The press surges closer to ask about the contract, and Manager Park and other hotel employees have to intercede and quickly extricate Ah Jung, who drops her cell phone in the process.

Ki Joon leaves the airport and gets into his car and is whisked away from the reporters hounding him. He asks Park Hoon if Ah Jung has been swept up into the scandal, and Hoon says not yet. Too bad Aunt calls right at that moment and reveals that Ah Jung just announced to the press that she’s completely responsible for Ki Joon’s scandal. Ki Joon’s face freezes and his eyes reveal his pain and heartache for his Jungie. Aunt wants to see Ki Joon immediately, but once Ki Joon hangs up the phone he screams at Park Hoon to turn the car around towards Ah Jung’s place.

Ah Jung leaves the hotel, declining Manager Park’s offer to get her a car, and takes a taxi back home. In the car ride, she reminisces about her past moments with Ki Joon. Ki Joon can’t reach Ah Jung or find her at the park. Ah Jung notices all the missed calls but doesn’t answer her phone. Ki Joon sees that Ah Jung’s face is plastered all over the papers.

Later that night, Ah Jung walks towards their bench and sees Ki Joon walking towards her. They stop and face each other, neither making any big movies. Ki Joon chokes back his tears, his voice quivering as he breaks the awkward silence by asking her if she ate? Ah Jung responds in kind, choosing small talk over the giant pink elephant in the room, asking how his trip went? Ki Joon follows up by asking if she’s been well? Ah Jung finally breaks down and cries, saying that she’s been well.

Ki Joon, tears falling from his eyes, steps forward and pulls her into his embrace. She sobs into his shoulder, and he silently cries while holding her. They comfort each other without words.

Ah Jung’s dad is reading the newspaper the next morning when Ah Jung walks out of her room. She apologizes for disappointing him, explaining nevertheless that he shouldn’t trust what the papers say. Dad says the law will find out the truth, who was right and who was wrong. But sometimes the truth is impossible to determine. That’s the reality of life. Dad says he believes that Ki Joon is a good guy, because he drank dad under the table. Ah Jung jokes that it’s not solid evidence. Ah Jung asks what’s going to happen to her. Dad hugs her and calls her his beautiful daughter, saying that everything will be fine.

So Ran sees the news about Ah Jung, which accuses her of spreading rumors of a fake marriage to Hyun Ki Joon and using that to threaten him. Jae Bum confirms that Ah Jung came by yesterday asking for his help. So Ran wants to call her, but Jae Bum says Ah Jung won’t answer.

All of Ah Jung’s co-workers are stunned by the news and discussing it amongst themselves. Ah Jung arrives at work and apologizes to all of them, especially with the newspapers alleging Ah Jung gave World Hotel special treatment. Ah Jung’s boss speaks with her privately and wishes she told him beforehand. He asks her to explain in detail what happened, but Ah Jung simply wants to take responsibility and resign. Ah Jung is told that the Minister will contact her later so she needs to be prepared. The other co-workers wonder who tipped off the press on the allegations of bribery and special treatment, and Hyo Joon pretends he has no idea. What a turd.

Ah Jung meets with the Minister and is informed that their homepage is down due to increased traffic. He asks Ah Jung to explain herself since she is such a straightforward person. But she still does not, only apologizing and asking to take responsibility. The Minister gives her one final chance, explaining that disciplinary action may be taken against her. Ah Jung accepts these possible consequences.

Aunt meets with Ki Joon and lays out the damage – World Group stocks have plummeted. Ki Joon asks Aunt to wait on Chairman Chen’s decision. Aunt calls Gong Ah Jung something else to cause all this damage. Ki Joon accuses Aunt of paying off Ah Jung to take the fall but she’s incensed by the assertion. She tells Ki Joon to forget about Ah Jung for now and focus, saying that he’s no longer the Ki Joon she raised. I think that’s a good thing, Auntie, since the Ki Joon you raised sorta had no life.

Ah Jung packs all her belongings at work and walks out. So Ran runs into her in the lobby. So Ran asks why Ah Jung resigned, and is worried this will forever taint her reputation and she won’t ever be able to get married. So Ran is further incensed that Ki Joon hasn’t stepped forward and is hiding behind Ah Jung’s skirts, letting her take the fall. Apparently the papers are making it seem like Ah Jung tried to lure Ki Joon with her lies.

Ah Jung thanks So Ran for her concern and coming by, to which So Ran says that Ah Jung is having a hard time so she came. Ah Jung tells So Ran that she asked for Jae Bum’s help as a lawyer, in case things get worse and she needs legal assistance. So Ran explains that internet antis can’t be stopped by any legal action. Ah Jung laughs about having antis when she’s not even a celebrity. She tells So Ran again that she is fine.

Ki Joon asks Manager Park to schedule a press conference so that he can explain the situation. Manager Park refuses, lecturing Ki Joon on his responsibilities over a series of World Group enterprises. Everyone relies on him as the President, and all his employees livelihood and stock prices are all tied to Ki Joon’s every action. She tells Ki Joon not to focus on his personal life, also consider his professional duties.

Ki Joon screams that if he doesn’t step forward someone will be hurt. She asks him to think of the thousands that rely on him instead of one woman. Ki Joon asks if he should cowardly hide behind a woman then? Manager Park says she would that that if she was Ki Joon, she could do even more cowardly things if necessary. If Ki Joon can’t do that, he needs to step down. If he isn’t willing to step down, then he needs to stay put.

Ah Jung carries her box and meets up with Sang Hee at the park. He asks if she’s about to fired, and she wonders why he says so it so easily. Sang Hee ribs her for being so thoughtless. He tries to cheer her up by singing a horrible off-key rendition of a song, which does make Ah Jung laugh. They are such kindred spirits, but really in a friend way. I never feel like Ah Jung and Ki Joon are in any way similar, whereas Ah Jung and Sang Hee remind me of good friends who just get each other. Ah Jung and Ki Joon’s explosive chemistry, on the other hand, is predicated on them colliding and making each other come alive.

Sang Hee wonders why his older brother has to allow the woman he loves to hurt right now? Sang Hee says that even though Ki Joon is his brother, he’s not so likeable right now, is he? Sang Hee notes that it were him, he would never do this (to her). She laughs and says that she’s not hurt now and won’t be hurt in the future. She doesn’t have any regrets.

Suddenly Ki Joon calls and asks Ah Jung where she’s at. She teases that he’s not working and he replies that since he’s the president he can play whenever he wants. Sang Hee smiles a genuine contented smile to overhear their conversation. God, I LOVE that he’s worked through his own issues with liking Ah Jung and knowing she likes Ki Joon. Way to be a mature adult, Sang Hee.

Ah Jung carries her box and meets up with Ki Joon by his car. She teases that she quit her job because she’s got a wealthy boyfriend and no longer needs to work. Ki Joon’s not amused – he’d be fine with her quitting but he knows that she’s been forced by circumstances to quit and he can’t accept that. Lord, he loves her so much, and feels so bad, because his voice just breaks that tiny little bit when he says he can’t accept her losing her job because of him.

Ki Joon drives Ah Jung, watching as she rolls down the window and sticks her hand and later her head out to enjoy the breeze. Okay, LTM totally stole one of my favorite scenes from City Hall (which had about a million favorite scenes of mine, I concede), but since I adore Ki Joon and Ah Jung, they are allow to re-enact the same car window scene that Mi Rae and Jo Gook did.

Ki Joon takes Ah Jung to a public square. They stand there holding hands, with Ah Jung embarrassed by this public display of affection. Oh girlfriend, just you wait to see what’s coming next. Ki Joon waits until more people have gathered, and then he pulls Ah Jung up on a center island. Ki Joon screams on the top of his lungs “I, Hyun Ki Joon, love Gong Ah Jung. I sincerely love Gong Ah Jung very much. When I can’t see her for even one day, I miss her to death. I really love her.”

The crowd goes wild and hundreds of camera phones are whipped out to take pictures and record video of this public declaration. Ah Jung is embarrassed and tries to stop Ki Joon from blurting more out but he grabs her tight against him and holds up two fingers for a victory symbol.

Yoon Joo watches the video in her house, the extent of Ki Joon’s love for Ah Jung undeniable even to her. She cries. I hope she’s crying her final tears over Ki Joon, because it’s so not worth it, girl. Seriously, please remember your own self-worth and stops chasing after something that isn’t yours anymore.

Reporters are congregated outside Ki Joon’s office and are turned away by Park Hoon. When pressed, Hoon says that he knows nothing about the president’s personal life. Manager Park comes by to deliver the China-Korea Festival paperwork to Ki Joon, and shows him the newspaper where his public declaration of love made the front page news. Manager Park compliments him on doing everything right – salvaging his scandal, making Ah Jung not hated, and not ruining the company.

Ki Joon says he didn’t plan it, it just happened. It’s because he’s gone crazy, crazy for Gong Ah Jung. Manager Park says she keeps learning things from Ki Joon, and she’s sorry about what she said yesterday. Manager Park says she respects Ki Joon. As a woman, she hopes that Ki Joon loves Ah Jung more, rather than have Ah Jung have no choice but to love Ki Joon. Ki Joon smiles asks her to meet him later outside the office.

So Ran drags Ah Jung to a nail salon to get manicures. Ah Jung is recognized, but this time there is no censure directed at her. So Ran thinks Ah Jung got Korea’s #1 bachelor to yell in public that he loves her, which is pretty awesome indeed. So Ran wants credit if Ki Joon and Ah Jung get married, since the marriage lie was concocted purely for her benefit. Ha, sweet to see So Ran still mostly about herself. So Ran requests that Ah Jung buy her a new dress.

Manager Park goes to meet with Ki Joon outside of work, asking why the president asked her out so late. He says he asked her as a friend. She asks if its fun balancing work and a romance in a dizzying way? He says it’s fun, but wonders if this time it’ll work out? Manager Park notes that Ki Joon really loves Ah Jung, leading her to ask why?

Ki Joon says Ah Jung can be clumsy and not very thoughtful, but she’s refreshingly honest and direct. Like a child, she doesn’t use her head, but lives with her heart. She seems to live in a completely different world than him. Manager Park tells him to stop living with his head anymore, just jump into Ah Jung’s world and live with her. But he might have to give some things up. Ki Joon smiles and says that only Manager Park understands.

Ah Jung is waiting for Ki Joon while window browsing, with plenty of bystanders surrounding her. Ki Joon walks up and asks what she wants to do, eat or go see a movie? He grabs her hand, but she pulls away because she’s embarrassed. Ah Jung thinks the guy should pick. Oh nonono sweetie, never let the guy pick, trust me on this one. Ah Jung’s self conscious about doing things in public since they are so recognizeable now, but Ki Joon doesn’t care. In fact, he wants to tell the world more so that men won’t hang around her in the future.

Ah Jung and Ki Joon end up sitting inside his car enjoying the night view at the banks of the Han River. Ah Jung grumbles that they’re relegated to having dates inside the car. Why are you two not making out like bunnies in heat in the backseat of that car? C’mon new writer-nim, where is the hot and heavy make-out action? Ki Joon asks if being recognized bothers her, and she concedes that she wants to hold hands and go out on dates.

Ki Joon says they should go abroad, and she reminds him that he’s so busy at work. Ki Joon asks if he should quit his job then? Ah Jung says no way, especially since he makes so much money. This leads Ki Joon to wonder if she likes him because of him or his position? Nah, I think she likes you because of the way you kiss her. And hug her. And stare at her like she’s the only person in the entire world.

Ah Jung teases him that she likes both, which leads wuri Ki Joon to make a pouty face. Ah Jung laughs that he’s so cute when he’s like that. He tells her that starting from tomorrow she needs to conform to his schedule. Yes, morning =- making out, afternoon = afternoon nookie, evening = *not fit to print activities*

Sleepy Ah Jung walks out of her house and Ki Joon is waiting for her in the park. He’s dressed in yet another of his ridiculously matchy work out gear, but this time he has his hoodie on tightly over his head. He freaks Ah Jung out for a second until she recognizes him. Ki Joon suggests they go work out, pulling her hoodie over her head and pulling the strings tight so that only part of her face shows. He pulls her off and she yells that she can’t see. I dies of the cute.

They go hiking and stop by a watering station to get a drink of water. Ah Jung wants some water so Ki Joon gets behind her and holds the water ladle for her to drink saying that she can’t use her hands in the future, he’ll be her hands. Some ahjummas stop for water and recognize Ah Jung immediately since her hoodie is off. They also recognize Ki Joon and are totally complimenting Ah Jung for having such a wonderful man who loves her. They tell her that she is all the ladies idol, and to be nicer to him going forward. Omo, ahjummas you guys rock.

Operation: undercover date continues, this time at the movies. Ki Joon, wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap, helps Ah Jung don her matching disguise, complete with her hoodie pulled over the entire get-up. She wonders how much longer they have to do this since they aren’t really celebrities. Lemme tell you, if you two start dating in real life, you better get used to disguises like this. Ki Joon tells her to stop complaining and just enjoy for now. Of course Ki Joon and Ah Jung are immediately recognized and chased by a pack of school girls who want their signature.

Yoon Joo meets up with her step dad. She asks him for a favor, involving the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Sports. She tells him to understand if she doesn’t behave too maturely. Okay, I think this scene has two possibilities – Yoon Joo either is genuinely trying to screw Ah Jung over, or she’s asking her stepdad to do it that somehow intending to help Ki Joon and Ah Jung in the long run (don’t know how). I think the odds are 50-50.

Aunt informs Ki Joon there is a World Group board meeting tomorrow and he’s in deep shit because of what he did that caused the company’s stock to plummet. Ah Jung sits before the Department Board and is grilled about the entire fiasco. She’s asked about her personal relationship with Hyun Ki Joon, and how the World Hotel was selected in the past as the venue for activities. More specifically, did she funnel business to the World Hotel because she was dating the president? Ah Jung denies that.

Ki Joon’s own board meeting is going on as well, and it’s not looking good for him as the board members are incensed at his own personal scandal affecting the company. When Ah Jung is asked point blank if she is in a romantic relationship with Ki Joon, she answers that she loves him. The board is about cast its no votes for Ki Joon as the next CEO of World Group when Manager Park enters the board meeting to announce that Chairman Chen has selected the World Hotel as its investment partner. Ki Joon is relieved and the board is thrilled with this sudden turnaround.

Ah Jung sits on the bench and recalls the day’s questioning. She plays with Ki Joon’s picture on her phone. Ki Joon arrives and says he doesn’t like that picture. He lets Ah Jung know that something good happened to him today. She’s happy for him, but reveals that something bad happened to her today. She explains her appearance before the sanctions board and how she needs to wait for them to render a decision as to her future as a civil servant.

Ki Joon reveals that he got investment from Chairman Chen, and notes that it’s not fair that he got the investment because of her, but she’s about to get fired because of him. Ah Jung smiles and reminds Ki Joon that he has to be good to her. He looks at her and grabs her hand, telling her they need to go. She wonders why he’s always telling her they need to go somewhere.

Ki Joon takes Ah Jung back to her house….so that he can kneel before daddy dearest and be taken to task for what Ah Jung has suffered because of him. Ki Joon says that it must hurt Dad to watch Ah Jung suffer and that it’s all his fault and he’s willing to accept any punishment. Dad sits there looking all stern and lectures our super successful hotel president, asking if he knows what he did wrong?

Why did Ki Joon go alone with Ah Jung’s lie? And if he didn’t care about the lie, why didn’t he take better care of her? Why allow her to cry and be subject to public scorn? Dad tells Ki Joon there is a line of guys wanting to date Ah Jung, to which Ki Joon finally pipes up and tells Dad that he can’t let that happen. Ah Jung asks Dad to stop tormenting Ki Joon.

Dad calls Ki Joon a bad guy, lecturing him that the purpose of life is to love and someone who doesn’t have love has nothing. From what Ki Joon and Ah Jung did for each other, it’s clear they love each other so much they can throw everything away for that person. So today dad is proud of both Ki Joon and Ah Jung, regardless if the rest of the world cast stones at them. Dad knows that Ah Jung did misbehave by telling a lie because of her own pride, but she owned up to it and she’s changed. She’ll continue to change even more, and this is all due to the power of love.

Ki Joon thanks Dad for his candid thoughts. Dad suggests they drink again, this time asking Ki Joon to prepare the snacks. Dad tells Ki Joon he won’t let Ki Joon win this time, and Ki Joon says he definitely is in it to win it as well. Ki Joon’s face beams as he quickly agrees and heads to the kitchen to prepare the food as requested.

In a reversal of episode 5, this time it’s drunken Ki Joon staggering down the street and Ah Jung supporting him. Ah Jung asks if he’s alright, and Ki Joon says of course he’s alright, he’s Hyun Ki Joon 5-item set. Goodlooking, manners, responsibility, blah blah blah. Ki Joon hilariously says he’s happiest about the good looking part. Park Hoon arrives to help Ki Joon into the car, to which Ki Joon asks if Hoon knows what’s in Ki Joon’s heart. Hoon looks adorably alarmed. Ki Joon tells Hoon to wait in the car for him. OMG, Kang Ji Hwan is killing this drunk scene.

Ki Joon takes a deep breath and pushes Ah Jung backwards until her back is against a shrub. Ki Joon says that Ah Jung needs to be his. Her dad says all the guys are lined up, right? Ah Jung asks if he’s nervous, and Ki Joon says no, he’s jealous. He asks again if she’ll be his? Everyone knows about them now, so does she actually want to break up with oppa? OH MY LORD, Ki Joon pulled the oppa card on Ah Jung! Please lord tell me Kang Ji Hwan added that line, please!

Ah Jung asks if he is proposing? Ki Joon says this is just part of the process, and now he’s accepted Gong Ah Jung. Ah Jung and Hoon manage to shove Ki Joon into the car, with Park Hoon hilariously using the same line, telling Ah Jung that he’s “accepted” the president. Drunken Ki Joon pops his head out the window and hugs his Jungie one more time, muttering that she’s his. Once Ki Joon leaves, Ah Jung repeats “oppa?”, he thinks he’s an oppa, how cheesy.

Ah Jung sits in her room and cuddle her stuffed animals. She repeats what Ki Joon said – Gong Ah Jung, you are mine. She answers and says yes.

Chairman Chen and Aunt formally sign their investment partnership contract. Chairman Chen asks Ki Joon to bring Ah Jung to the party he is hosting tomorrow night. Ki Joon agrees to attend with her.

Ki Joon and Ah Jung sit in her favorite coffee shop and she worries about attending a party when she is jobless. She’s worried about showing her face at a place like that, but Ki Joon says why when she’s this pretty. Awwwww. Ah Jung wonders if perhaps she ought to open a coffee shop. Ki Joon says he’ll buy her one, but she immediately turns him down. She wants to get one through her own hard work.

Chairman Chen welcomes Aunt to the party, as well as Congressman Park and his wife. Congressman Park has brought a reporter to meet Chairman Chen for an interview. Suddenly Ki Joon arrives at the party with Ah Jung on his arm. Everyone turns to look, and Aunt’s face shows her displeasure.

Chairman Chen’s wife happily walks up to hug Ah Jung, explaining that she’s so thankful to be able to hug Ah Jung after the comfort she gave her when she lost her mother. Chairman Chen laughs that his wife really likes Ah Jung. Ah Jung says she did nothing, thanking them for inviting her. Aunt pulls Ki Joon aside and is upset that he brought Ah Jung to the party, especially with Congressman Park here. Ki Joon says that Chairman Chen requested to see Ah Jung.

Ah Jung is cornered by the reporter, who asks her how it feels to hear that Ki Joon has become the CEO of the entire World Group? Ki Joon steps in to extricate Ah Jung from this interview. The reporter throws in a final dig, asking Ah Jung how she feels being a Cinderella? Ki Joon smiles and says that the question isn’t correct, it’s he who has become a prince because of Ah Jung.

Congressman Park whisks the reporter away, which is when Ah Jung gets a call. The caller tells her that the board has decided and she has been fired. Ah Jung’s face falls, and she hurries to leave the party. On her way out, she trips and knocks down two ice sculptures. Everyone turns to look at her, but she picks herself up and runs out, sans her shoes.

Ki Joon finally chases after her. He asks her outside the party what happened? Ah Jung doesn’t turn to look at him, instead she continues to run off. Okay, I did not need a shoe-less Cinderella moment here to cap off the dumb-ass reporters assertion that Ah Jung was a Cinderella landing her prince. Still, poor Jungie, her pride which was the most important thing to her to start off the marriage lie, lies in tatters because of her love for Ki Joon. Her career gone and her self-worth under scrutiny. No wonder she runs off rather than have Ki Joon see her like this.

Thoughts of Mine:

I’ve learned considerable drama-watching zen long ago. Oh don’t get me wrong, I lose my temper at the screen and occasionally want to bonk a screenwriter, a PD, or an editor over the head with my Thor hammer because they are ruining something with so much potential. But I rarely try to harp on the what-could-have been, instead finding value in differentiating between how much I enjoy a drama and how good I think the drama is substantively. If I set aside the Franken-plot of LTM, I find that it’s just so darn earnest and heartfelt when it comes to the OTP.

It’s almost like the struggles of the drama in finding a foothold, how hard Kang Ji Hwan and Yoon Eun Hye are working to bring this story to a hopefully wonderful ending, mirror the struggles of Ki Joon and Ah Jung to deal with media scrutiny and job attacks within the drama. Everyone knows that both leads have repeated stated in interviews that they have always wanted to work together, and knew one day it would happen. Would I prefer they got a meatier drama? Maybe. But would it bring me the type of happiness if conversely I can watch them fall madly in love in this drama and just be amazing together? I think I’m good with how the drama gods allotted this deck of cards.

I really like Ah Jung, but I have to concede that if she was fired by the Ministry it was a firing for cause. I wish it didn’t happen because she is a great employee. But her lie and the continuation of it did end up causing considerable scandal for the Ministry. I hope she finds a way to get her job back, but if she didn’t, I wouldn’t be out there calling no fair. Same with Ki Joon losing the investment deal, if that had been the case. I think both need to struggle and suffer, realizing that it’s not easy to brush aside a lie that became greater than it’s intended target.

Sang Hee, relegated to like 5 minutes of screen time per episode recently, had obviously worked through his feelings for Ah Jung and is content with being around her and happy for her and Ki Joon. You can tell the man has found inner peace, even more so than when he just returned to Korea hoping to fix the Ki Joon-Yoon Joo separation that he was the cause of. At this point he’s a throwaway character, but I did find him oddly endearing throughout most of the drama. Just never fully developed.

I’m not sure what witches brew Yoon Joo is cooking up with her favor asked of her step dad. I think it’s easy and logical to assume she’s even more deranged after watching Ki Joon’s public declaration towards Ah Jung, so she’s taken even more evil measures. But for some odd reason, I’m hoping that watching the video was the final push she needed to accept that it’s never going to happen again with Ki Joon. And she rediscovers that caring about someone is about making them happy, so she’s doing something to help Ah Jung. I have nothing to back up my theory, other than a fervent prayer for the writer not to turn Yoon Joo completely and utterly insane by sabotaging Ah Jung and Ki Joon even further.

Watching dramas is mostly a bell curve experience for me, usually reaching the peak of my interest and excitement in the middle portions of the drama before winding to a soft landing conclusion. I sense that to be the case for most people watching LTM, even if we are all loving the OTP more with each passing episode. At this point it’s the only thing keeping my interest, which remains high, but even my lingering hopes for some narrative revival appears to be for naught.

For some odd reason, lately some of the drama couplings for co-stars widely accepted to have some of the best chemistry onscreen have come in very lowly rated dramas (and I do mean some, because other great couples in the past have gotten great ratings to boot). To name a few: The World They Live In, Prosecutor Princess, Mary Stayed Out All Night, Creating Destiny, and now Lie to Me.

Is it the chicken or the egg situation? A poorly written drama makes us notice the chemistry more? The chemistry is so scorching hot the plot goes to pot? Or just plainly a coincidence? Who knows, other than to lament that this couple couldn’t get a better drama, and that more people aren’t watching magic unfold onscreen. When Harry Met Sally, please move over, because When Ji Hwan Met Eun Hye, Koala met her drama OTP of all time.

If you asked me to pick between an either/or situation – a great drama that doesn’t hit all my emotional buttons at the gut level, or a middling drama that reaches right into my heart and imprints itself in my pleasure node, I’d personally pick the latter, while wishing and hoping each time that both possibilities can co-exist in one drama.