Last Scandal 14-16. We have reached the end!
I took 1463 caps of episodes 14-16 which is...rather insane. I did, however, narrow them down to 160. I had to leave a lot of awesome scenes out to do it, though.
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Even more when he mutters to himself '(she) always has to have the last word...'
How are they so adorable, how?
Bicker, banter, UST, tenderness... yes, all is right with my DC-SH 'shippy world again.
And so quietly, and unspectacularly, but more wonderfully for all that, he tries to tell her the truth and she tells him she already knows.
I don't know whether it came across in the subs, DC repeats those words ('I see through you') when he texts her in ep. 15 (wishing her goodnight from the basement). LS is catnip for continuity freaks.
Secondary Girl wants to expose the truth and he decides he should do so himself (I love how, while he might be kiddish in a lot of ways, when it matters he always does what's right). And he asks Sun Hee to come with him.
I loved the imagery here, the sunny day, the domesticity, DC gazing up for the longest time, as if she's the light of his life, and SH smiling back without reservation. (I often thought what was so special about CJS's smiles was that they not only dazzle, they also warm the heart.)
So amazing.
DH did a great job raising Hoon, but dear god if DC isn't just as wonderful with him...
And he discloses everything - his real age, the fact that Hoon is his son. That he wants to be with the woman he loves. Everything. I love that he is scared out of his mind and then looks at her and that gives him courage to proceed.
JJH was PHE-NO-MENAL, I felt so 'right there,' 'in the moment,' with DC--the unbearable tensions, the heavy sense of responsibility & pain as he disclosed everything one by one, the love & strength he found from SH's presence, and ultimately the soul-cleansing experience as he unburdened himself & declared before the world his love for his son & for SH. And I think the strength of that declaration just melted away any remaining fear she might have had about loving him back.
GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH
I died a thousand times on that rooftop. What a wonderful payoff to see them share such an abashed look of pure love. Or when he rocks her & you can't tell who's comforting whom.
Even the music cue is a pay-off. They played the same melody strain over some of DC & SH's saddest scenes in eps. 12 & 13 (when he asks her on the walkie-talkie whether she has any last thing to tell JDC; when she hugs him back in the basement & he just breaks as he holds her tighter; when they're scribbling to each other later in the same ep.), and it's just so nice I can now associate it with such a tender & happy moment as well.
I loved this scene of the brothers getting drunk - somehow it rather comes across as joyful despite all the stressful things that happened.
I loved how they got to clear the air one thing at a time, esp. on DC's initiative--praising DH for raising such a fine boy ('he takes after you'); apologizing for the mess; and finally, thanking him. (I liked the little pause, before he added 'hyung.' A weaker man would have cried right there on the spot.) Only then did the fun part begin... And my goodness, is there anything JJH can't do?
Jae Bin finds what Sun Hee wrote on the wall
I have to say that was my burning question--when is he going to find it, and what the h*ck has she written? They strung us along well, cleverly leaving the last one for the proposal set-up.
My favorite scene in the drama. Scumbag told the reporters who Jae Bin's OTP is and they have descended in hordes and Sun Hee is hiding terrified and Jae Bin rushes in, heedless of cameras. There are no words for the awesomeness of the scene.
I just love how he confronts every crisis head-on...
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I especially love that he was looking up at her and she was looking down at him - once again like a Princess in the fairytale (the way she dreamed in the beginning) - it was also fitting because of the way he adores her.
I have to say that was my burning question--when is he going to find it, and what the h*ck has she written? They strung us along well, cleverly leaving the last one for the proposal set-up.
And what she wrote was so wonderful - such a change from her friend/dream comment earlier.
I just love how he confronts every crisis head-on...
I love that too - he never shirks or avoids.
JJH was PHE-NO-MENAL, I felt so 'right there,' 'in the moment,' with DC--the unbearable tensions, the heavy sense of responsibility & pain as he disclosed everything one by one, the love & strength he found from SH's presence, and ultimately the soul-cleansing experience as he unburdened himself & declared before the world his love for his son & for SH. And I think the strength of that declaration just melted away any remaining fear she might have had about loving him back.
He is such an antithesis to Scumbag who hides everything, never faces up to anything - I think that must make SH feel very secure. But yes, that scene at conference was wonderful, one of my all-time favorites because you could see how much doing all this cost him and yet how he did it anyway. He did something right and good while understanding the costs full well and despite his very visible fear. I adored that.
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I especially love that he was looking up at her and she was looking down at him - once again like a Princess in the fairytale (the way she dreamed in the beginning) - it was also fitting because of the way he adores her.
Sometimes I feel a little self-conscious I'm enjoying 'the way he adores her' so, so very much, but... it's hard to dislike something that feels so right. Certainly doesn't emasculate him (ha!) nor make her look weak. They both have very strong personalities, and can stand on their own. It's just that they're SO much better when they're together. And I find myself totally engrossed in everything they do, every gesture, every reaction, every awareness of each other.
And what she wrote was so wonderful - such a change from her friend/dream comment earlier.
All this 19 v 39 theme also made me think that with LS, it's not an 'either/or' situation, and it actually has the best of both worlds. Yes, it's very much driven by a mature, experienced cast, dealing with such issues as divorces and parenthood, but it also got that undeniable charm and vitality of youth-oriented dramas/rom-coms, and I can't think of any other show where these two co-exist, or rather complement each other so well. CJS who was the trendsetter in the 1990s for those youth-oriented stories mentioned that she likes that 40-pushing leads are allowed to behave as 20-somethings and given the same freedom, to touch each other, needle each other, be impulsive, talk informal/casual. And I think it's quite apparent how vibrant, alive DC-JB and SH are (and how agile JJH and CJS are in navigating the extremes of their characters), when you realize the other characters are very much set in their ways (DongHwa, NaYoon, YuShik or JungSook who may be a romantic at heart but can't (re-) capture it with someone like YuShik).
Their scribbles also made me realize that's how I feel about the actors, esp. CJS (whose work I know better). I liked them when they were rising stars, but I love them as seasoned actors here--wiser, more mature, and infinitely more interesting & complex.
>I just love how he confronts every crisis head-on...<
I love that too - he never shirks or avoids.
What he was shouting at SH was such a perfect description of his character--he can't stand floundering in the middle, he's who he is b/c he's not afraid to hit rock bottom & climb his way up. (It's just that this time around, it means diddlysquat w/o SH by his side.)
He is such an antithesis to Scumbag who hides everything, never faces up to anything - I think that must make SH feel very secure. But yes, that scene at conference was wonderful, one of my all-time favorites because you could see how much doing all this cost him and yet how he did it anyway. He did something right and good while understanding the costs full well and despite his very visible fear. I adored that.
I also have to credit CJS for her wonderful, mostly silent work here. They took their time taking her character to a place where she could reciprocate DC's feelings without reservation, but boy was that moment powerful... the raw, naked display of emotions on their faces, the strength of their invisible bond as they held each other through the conference... Yes, this series is kind to the viewers with its pay-offs. And you're right it's that 'real'-ness that grounds this series and sells the sometimes far-fetched or cliched situations.
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Sometimes I feel a little self-conscious I'm enjoying 'the way he adores her' so, so very much
You shouldn't, I feel so too! I think because she deserves to be adored so very much and had never had it before - she's been so mistreated and ignored, that in a way the unabashed and open adoration of someone as societally desirable as Jae Bin is (even though without her consciously realizing it I am sure) like a balm to all the psychic wounds she's accumulated over the years.
I think it's quite apparent how vibrant, alive DC-JB and SH are (and how agile JJH and CJS are in navigating the extremes of their characters), when you realize the other characters are very much set in their ways (DongHwa, NaYoon, YuShik or JungSook who may be a romantic at heart but can't (re-) capture it with someone like YuShik).
I never thought about it but so true - JB and SH have an openness to new experiences that the others lack (that is why Dong Hwa was never much of a threat to JB/SH - he is too 'old' for her, parodoxically, to set to sweep someone off their feet). Jung Sook tries for romance but it's not genuine, it's an attempt to buy/counterfeit it, so it never truly works - she lacks the willingness to truly open up and be hurt.
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That's a good way of putting it, though I'd agree she doesn't consciously realize it. It's pretty obvious when she looks at him, she only sees Jang DC, not the superstar, and marriage wouldn't change that. But it does change how she is perceived by others, and that awareness can only challenge her to be more confident & forthright, to assert her self even in the limelight, which may give others a chance to see why she's loved the way she's loved. After all, all those who know her love her, with the exception of you-know-who's.
I never thought about it but so true - JB and SH have an openness to new experiences that the others lack (that is why Dong Hwa was never much of a threat to JB/SH - he is too 'old' for her, parodoxically, to set to sweep someone off their feet).
Also that openness, that quality only emerges when they're with each other. They're free with each other, in ways you never see them with the others. You can never predict what their scenes are going to be like, whereas with JB-SG or DH-SH, although the scenes might be interesting at times (heck, I like seeing JB ice-cold), it's pretty much melodrama templates or stereotypes.
re: DH-SH: I doubt TPTB ever entertained them as a possible outcome. They never did, or they did but JB-SH/JJH-CJS's chemistry pretty much erased the thought early in the game. I liked how the 'relationship' was used to shed light on DH's character, complicate the brothers' own relationship, and show why SH was worthy of their love. But it's hard to believe TPTB thought beyond those purposes and considered DH-SH as a viable alternative, when the bulk of airtime was devoted to JB-SH from early on. As for JB-SG, they couldn't have been more unequivocal he's not.interested.
This may be the most peaceful 'shipping experience I've ever had, ie. not witness/deal with fandom OTP fights.
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