Hyde, Jekyll, Me Episode 16 Recap

Forget whether you think Hyde, Jekyll, Me is good or bad, and just raise your hand if you actually understand what the heck is going on now? Because I certainly no longer have a clue, this coming on top of barely making sense of it before. With Tae Joo out of the picture, one would think that the drama would focus on Seo Jin and Robin’s DID conundrum finally. Except that doesn’t happen either, nothing really happens for an entire episode other than everyone walking around and talking, forever walking around and talking and going nowhere. Cousin Seung Yun gets increased screentime now that the story can’t milk the Tae Joo cow anymore, too bad he’s as fail of an antagonist or comic relief as this drama has failed at telling an interesting story.

Seo Jin keeps trying but his efforts feel much like this drama being produced and then doing nothing with it. With four episodes, left his romance with Ha Na is as promising as Seo Jin grabbing a random eligible young lady off the street and propositioning her. I’m of a mind that he do that, actually, because Ha Na has turned him down flat so many times (with as flat of a monotone delivery as possible) that she’s not into him that way. Which is fine, she’s free to like whomever she wants, except when she likes Seo Jin’s manufactured personality Robin then that’s a problem for me. Because she knows and he knows and people around them know – Robin does not exist. So why is she still dating him like it’s no big deal rather than working with Seo Jin to find a way so she can love both sides of him, which is really what it’s all about.

Episode 16 recap:

Seo Jin asks Ha Na if he can love her, which is very polite of him since most chaebols would just go ahead and love regardless. He wants to learn to have a caring heart like her and to live a happy life. Ha Na claims not to know why she’s helped Seo Jin so far, whether she simply pities him or actually has romantic feelings for him, or neither and she sees him as Robin’s younger brother that she wants to take care of.

Seo Jin asks if Ha Na knows the answer but she doesn’t. She gets comfort from Robin while she gives comfort to Seo Jin, but love should be the two coming from the same person. She wonders if she was lonely coming back to Korea and fell for Robin. But love can’t be a healing medicine, just like she can’t be that for Seo Jin, she is also aware that she has looked towards Robin for comfort in the past. Ha Na urges Seo Jin to rethink his feelings for her, suggesting he’s just mistaken, but Seo Jin simply asks that she doesn’t keep her distance from him or invalidate his feelings for her. He reminds Ha Na to take the medicine and not get sick. He also takes note of what she says about love being happy and comfortable together.

Ha Na looks concerned. Or constipated. I can’t tell anymore. She calls Jin Joo to come pick her up immediately, claiming she wants to be able to rest starting tomorrow. She then picks up a pen and starts writing. If Ha Na thinks love is about being happy together and whatnot, then she should also start thinking of love as being with a person who actually exists in this world, rather turning Seo Jin down but then then having no issues dating a personality figment conjured up by a guy she claims she has no feelings for that way.

Robin wakes up with the memory of Ha Na hugging Seo Jin after the latest kidnapping, as well as her yelling at Seo Jin to hang in there and not run away, i.e. not to let Robin take over. Robin realizes that Ha Na effectively prevented him from coming out. He gets out of bed and passes the mirror, stopping to smile and repeat that he’s Robin and he exists. Robin finds Ha Na’s room empty with a note for him explaining that the danger has been resolved and she’s moved back with Jin Joo. She also asks Robin to deliver her other note to Seo Jin, explaining that it’s just a thank you note.

Cousin Seung Yun and his lady love have parked themselves at Publisher Min’s café waiting for Robin to show up at night. Seung Yun claims his detective work has revealed that the café owner is also the publisher of Robin’s work hence Robin will definitely come by at night. Publisher Min takes a call from Robin and Seung Yun immediately tries to eavesdrop. Publisher Min gives Robin an address for an officetel which Seung Yun notes, as well as Robin’s request for an ID number and to give an interview. When Publisher Min notices Seung Yun lurking, he immediately buys 10 of each cake to cover his tracks.

Eun Chang tenderly puts a bandaid on Woo Jung’s finger cut while the others snark at him making a big deal out of a small cut. Can I ship this whole gang off to the nearest snake pit? Why is this even a scene in the drama. Ha Na takes a call from Robin and meets him at a light fixture store. She looks at a lamp she thinks he would like while he’s choosing to buy a smaller one he think she likes. Ha Na tentatively asks why Robin isn’t curious about what happened last night? He claims everything is resolved so there’s nothing to ask about.

Robin does wonder why neither Ha Na or Seo Jin called him out when the situation was dangerous and could have gone wrong. Ha Na claims Seo Jin needed a chance to apologize and move on. He’s such a closed off person who cannot accept any stress but he’s finally willing to face the problem so she wanted to let him resolve it. Robin asks if Ha Na isn’t worried that Seo Jin would try to eliminate Robin after the danger is resolved? Ha Na has nothing to say to that.

Robin takes Ha Na to the officetel and suggests they decorate this place as their new office. Robin feels he doesn’t have anything that belongs to him, even when he publishes his drawings it’s under Publisher Min’s name. To even register an internet account he needs to use someone else’s ID number. But he can have something that belongs to just him and Ha Na, right? He wants to create that with her now. Ha Na doesn’t look thrilled at the suggestion but then walks over to hug Robin and agree to do it before giving him a small smile. Can they build their little love nest in another country, please, and get off the screen together.

Ha Na helps Robin pack up his things from Seo Jin’s house and notices that Robin doesn’t own a suit. Robin was just planning to buy one and explains he’ll be holding fan meetings and attending movie premieres when his work is adapted to the big screen. He plans to live his life out in the open going forward and Ha Na looks concerned when she hears this. Ha Na tries to ask Robin to do it slowly, explaining that Seo Jin barely resolved the last danger and is just getting his life back in order.

Robin explains that he’s sacrificed a lot for Seo Jin this whole time, helping him get through all the pain of his past. With the danger over, Robin faces an uncertain future where he might disappear at any time. If Seo Jin also loves Ha Na, then he should be the one to sacrifice this time, but Robin knows Seo Jin can’t do that, he can’t treat something as not belonging to him. Robin knows Seo Jin and the Chairman will try to remove him so Robin has to look out for himself so that he can love Ha Na and be with her.

Seung Yun suddenly has an epiphany over the information he overheard from Publisher Min. It means Robin is trying to establish an independent identity and declare war with Seo Jin so he can exist. Seung Yun decides to throw his lot with Robin, supporting his fight to exist, which will lead to Seo Jin being unable to return to the company. Ha Na zombie walks back home to brood.

Seo Jin wakes up in the morning and reads Ha Na’s farewell note, apologizing for moving out without telling him beforehand and thanking him for everything. Young Chan rushes in to hug Seo Jin happily and explains how long he’s served Seo Jin, coming so close to quitting many times, but sticking it through in the end. Young Chan hears that Seo Jin already knows Ha Na moved out, so instead brings up Tae Joo who is now in police custody and refusing to talk.

Seo Jin takes something out of his closet and pays Tae Joo a visit at the police station. Seo Jin knows Tae Joo is refusing to talk and reveals he also didn’t talk for a year after the incident. Seo Jin knows Tae Joo was the only one who did nothing wrong in that incident, and it was Seo Jin who betrayed him by leaving him behind. For that Seo Jin apologizes again. Seo Jin pushes an envelope over to Tae Joo who opens it to find some children’s drawings inside.

Seo Jin asks if Tae Joo doesn’t remember drawing those for Seo Jin, and Seo Jin ended up winning an award for it. He remembers Tae Joo was talented artistically back then, and a flashback shows us little Seo Jin having a hard time drawing while little Tae Joo has a hard time with his school work, so the two little boys switch assignments. Later they play at the amusement park and go watch a racy movie together, with Seo Jin trying to cover Tae Joo’s eyes from the making out onscreen.

Tae Joo remembers those happier times but still doesn’t talk to Seo Jin, who brings up Robin being talented at drawing so clearly Seo Jin still had Tae Joo on his mind. Tae Joo suddenly says “Seo Jin-ahhh, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for my father, and sorry for all the things I did to you. From now on, please don’t come anymore. Let us both let go.” Seo Jin counters “To this day, I don’t have another friend, other than you. I’ll keep coming.”

Professor Kang and the detective watch this meeting through the one way mirror, with Professor Kang seemingly quite pleased with the progress both are making. She sits down with Seo Jin outside the police station and jokes that he’s gotten better without her around which makes her feel useless. Seo Jin jokes that she is a bad doctor since Seo Jin turns out to be a great drinker. Professor Kang brings up the serious topic of Robin being stronger than expected and wishes Seo Jin healed his emotional pain before Robin showed up again.

Seo Jin doesn’t care about that, he just wants to live his life now the way he could be. He’s going to learn all the things to be better, including how he talks and how he’s so serious all the time. Professor Kang is happy to hear that but worries Robin is looking to live his own life as well.

Ha Na meets with Young Chan to ask what will happen if the world found out about Robin and Seo Jin’s connection? Young Chan paints a dire picture, with the company shares falling and Seo Jin being removed from office. Ha Na suggests telling the world they are twins but that doesn’t work, Young Chan explains the Chairman would have sent Seo Jin to the hospital already but for Robin agreeing to behave in a low key way in the past. Ha Na suggests Chairman Goo might act differently now but Young Chan explains in no uncertain terms that Wonder Group is the Chairman’s first son and Seo Jin merely his second son.

Seo Jin pays his dad a visit and Chairman Goo is quick uncomfortable with their changing interaction after yesterday’s phone call. Seo Jin gets right to the point, thanking his dad for the support and consideration yesterday. He wants to continue taking time off for now and the Chairman agrees to it reluctantly. Seo Jin leaves the office and breaks into a small smile.

The circus troupe is sorting costumes when Seo Jin surprises them with a visit. Eun Chang wonders if he’s here to see Ha Na but Seo Jin says no, he doesn’t necessarily need to see her. He hears they are fixing costumes after yesterday’s performance and tells them to go back to doing that, he just came to see them hanging out. They try to make excuses for Seo Jin to leave but he just sits down and watches them work, making everyone very uncomfortable.

Eventually Seo Jin brings up how his presence makes them uncomfortable, which happens all the time with him. But he has no plans to leave so they can choose to keep being uncomfortable or get used to it. Jin Joo accepts the challenge and puts Seo Jin to work helping them. He ends up holding a sparkly dress as Jin Joo sews the missing sequins on. Conversation turns to pop music and Seo Jin is clueless as usual and tries to learn more. The troupe changes the topic to the latest legal news which leaves Woo Jung clueless. The girls then talk about the latest lipstick colors while Seo Jin takes it all in.

Ha Na walks in shocked to see Seo Jin hanging with the circus and holding a dress up. She asks why Seo Jin is here and he answers matter of factly that he’s helping out. Ha Na drags Seo Jin out and the troupe lets out a sigh of relief. Ha Na wonders why Seo Jin is here and reminds him that she rejected him very clearly. He knows that but she didn’t prohibit him from seeing the circus. He wants to learn to hang out, to have fun, to live a normal life. He wants to become friends with people and didn’t know that she would feel uncomfortable about that, so for that he apologizes.

Seo Jin walks off and Ha Na actually looks rather remorseful so she follows him as he walks into a movie theater. She sits down a few rows behind him and watches Seo Jin as he watches the movie.

Professor Kang pays Chairman Goo a visit to discuss Seo Jin. Both are pleased with the immense progress Seo Jin has made to overcome his emotional pain. Now Seo Jin doesn’t need to hide behind Robin anymore, so soon he will be completely healed. Chairman Goo wonders why Robin is still around now when the childhood trauma that created him has been conquered. Professor Kang’s preliminary conclusion is that Robin still exists because of Ha Na.

Chairman Goo asks if Robin feels he can’t leave Ha Na because he’s in love with her. Professor Kang then brings up Seo Jin, suggesting that maybe Seo Jin likes Ha Na and that’s a reason Seo Jin hasn’t let Robin leave. He like Ha Na so he doesn’t want Ha Na to lose the man she likes. For that reason Seo Jin is holding onto Robin for Ha Na’s sake. Young Chan listens in on this conversation and looks really upset.

Young Chan talks privately with Professor Kang outside the office, explaining that Ha Na is very important to Seo Jin. If Chairman Goo heard Ha Na is keeping Seo Jin from healing completely, he’ll send Ha Na away and that’ll make Seo Jin worse. Professor Kang counters that she’s a doctor so her job is to heal Seo Jin, her job is make Robin disappear. Robin may be a great guy, but he’s like a pretty tumor that still must be removed in the end.

Seung Yun hears from his lady love that Professor Kang and Young Chan was talking about Jang Ha Na, then after they left the office Chairman Goo called Ha Na in to see him. Seung Yun deduces that Ha Na is the reason Robin hasn’t disappeared so Chairman Goo is trying to send her away to get rid of Robin. Seung Yun decides to take matters into his own hands to keep Robin around.

Chairman Goo asks Ha Na to relax, explaining he’s here talking to her as Seo Jin’s dad. He wants to know her relationship with Robin and asks that she be candid. Ha Na admits she’s dating Robin but doesn’t have that relationship or feeling for Seo Jin. Chairman Goo brings up Seo Jin liking Ha Na but she chalks it up to Seo Jin being grateful for all the help Ha Na provided so he confused it. Chairman Goo thanks Ha Na for all her help in getting Seo Jin to stop hiding behind Robin and face his own fears.

Now Seo Jin doesn’t need Robin around anymore, so why is Robin is here? He suggests Robin is still around because of Ha Na, but as Seo Jin’s dad he only cares about the wellbeing of his son. He wants Seo Jin to live his own life in one piece, and one day he’ll hand everything to Seo Jin to run. Ha Na tells Chairman Goo to speak openly so he asks Ha Na to leave Seo Jin’s side. Only then can Robin disappear that Seo Jin finally become normal. This is his wish as a father for his son and he asks Ha Na to please understand and consider his sincere request. After the meeting, Ha Na remembers Robin wanting to stay alive and protect himself, but also Chairman Goo’s request for Seo Jin to live a normal life, which is also what Seo Jin wants.

Seung Yun buys food and drink for the circus and claims he wants to grow the circus for the sake of Wonder Land. He hands out bonus money for the circus while waiting for Ha Na to come back. Ha Na returns and takes a walk with Seung Yun to discuss the circus. He compliments the recent circus performances and suggests planning a theatrical to better promote the circus. He then tries to ask what Chairman Goo spoke to Ha Na about and claims to support Ha Na in staying strong and doing whatever she thinks is right.

Seung Yun walks off which is when Ha Na notices Robin standing there having overheard the conversation. Robin demands to know what Chairman Goo spoke with her about, was it to ask her to leave. Ha Na lies and says that’s not the case, he just wanted to thank her for all her help. Robin doesn’t really believe her since that doesn’t sound like Chairman Goo’s way of doing things.

Robin and Ha Na return to the officetel where he tries on his first suit for her. Robin is preparing for her first interview with reporters and he’s especially nervous since he’s never gone public this way before. Ha Na doesn’t look excited and asks if Robin has to do the interview, suggesting now is not a good time. Seo Jin just got his hope in life back so if Robin appeared to the public then it would place a heavy burden on Seo Jin.

Robin asks directly if Ha Na like Seo Jin? Ha Na claims she doesn’t, and even if she doesn’t like Seo Jin she can worry about his life. Robin asks if she worries about his life? Ha Na just says now is not a good time and asks Robin to reconsider the interview. Han walks home brooding while Robin does the same in the officetel.

Publisher Min checks the stats on the news that Robin will be giving his first interview, pleased that the reaction is so high among his fans. He then gets a call from Robin calling off the interview. Seung Yun also gets a call from his reporter contact that the interview with Robin has been cancelled, which annoys him since he was so close to succeeding. He decides to take matters into his own hands.

Ha Na returns home and gets a text from Robin that the interview has been cancelled. She texts back an apology and a thanks, then another text offering to cook him a meal tomorrow at the time the interview was supposed to happen. That makes Robin smile. He writes a note for Seo Jin before going to bed. Seo Jin wakes up to a note asking him to check the video message. Robin reveals Chairman Goo spoke privately to Ha Na but she won’t reveal that the conversation was about. That worries Robin so he asks Seo Jin to find out.

Jin Joo accompanies Ha Na to the offictel to bring groceries over for her to look later that night and jokes about why Ha Na needs to live with her when she can live here. Ha Na stares at the lamp and thinks about Chairman Goo calling Robin a freak that shouldn’t exist.

Seo Jin hears that his dad wants Ha Na to leave before Robin reveals his existence to the world. Seo Jin asks if Ha Na doesn’t need to leave if Seo Jin reveals the truth to the world first? He plans to not protect his dad anymore, he will protect himself going forward.

Thoughts of Mine:

Help me. Heeeeeelp me. *whimpers* How can this drama keep getting worse, how is that even possible. This episode was basically devoid of any energy or momentum. Only one day passed in the story but it felt like a year, an interminable year where everyone just skirts around the Robin issue. That’s exactly what he is, an issue that needs to be addressed, not a person who deserves personhood to the point of getting his own residence and ID card and holding press conferences. How can Ha Na just go along with it, other than being afraid Robin might go off the Terry deep end, or maybe there is no Terry deep end since he’s never been discussed again. Yet Ha Na’s reaction to Robin doesn’t seem to be handling him with kid gloves, she keeps on dating him while looking out for Seo Jin’s best interests, making it a total mess that she’s perpetuating. If she wants to be with Robin then she ought to be going along whole heartedly with his identity reveal to preserve his existence. Nothing about her thought process makes any sense, on top of her having the personality of a dim turtle.

I actually had no issues with Chairman Goo in this episode, even if his turning into a decent human being all of a sudden has zero basis for the transition. But then again, the drama never convinced me why he was such a cold asshole to Seo Jin to begin with, and being a cheapskate who won’t pay a ransom doesn’t cut it. The way he asked Ha Na to leave for Seo Jin’s healing was fine since he explained his reasoning to her and asked for her understanding, leaving the ball in her court rather than forcing her. It’s what any concerned parent would do, and it’s better that he ask Ha Na rather than have her waffling between Robin and Seo Jin to exacerbate the balance between them. I never thought Seo Jin could be subconsciously keeping Robin around for Ha Na, I think it’s a stretch but clearly the drama looks to be hitching to that explanation. It would work if Ha Na falls for Seo Jin and therefore doesn’t like Robin anymore, giving the story an easy out to shuffle Robin off. I know Robin is supposed to be sympathetic but he’s operated more as a plot device for me in this story, I have no connection with him even as a character, so his insistence on his right to live just comes off as delaying the inevitable.

Maybe there is no story left so the drama will delay Robin’s presence until the final episode, which once again strikes me as majorly stupid. There is no romance between Ha Na and Seo Jin, if the story wants to end with that then it sure as heck needs to send Robin off so that the correct OTP gets time to unfold rather than feeling like an add on. Seo Jin was nice and sweet and thoughtful in this episode, continuing his major personality transplant exploration, even taking it so far as to reach out an olive branch to incarcerated Tae Joo. That works since Seo Jin has accepted his own responsibility for leaving Tae Joo behind regardless of what happened before or afterwards. Tae Joo will get his due punishment, it needn’t come from Seo Jin, and ultimately Tae Joo was a victim as well. I was rather moved by Seo Jin admitting he’s only ever had one friend and that was Tae Joo. Even though Seo Jin is the only main character I like and care about in this drama, his personality development remains at the whim of whatever the story telling requires. His final threat to out his condition to the world so that his dad doesn’t send Ha Na away is just bizarre. If he chose to do it for himself that’s fine, but I have a hard time seeing how shooting himself in the foot in exchange for Ha Na, who still insists she doesn’t like him, makes any sense. Oh drama, you continue to one up your own ineptitude. *slow clap*