Can you believe that we are in the final homestretch of this drama? It totally caught me by surprise. I was just plugging along, not even paying attention as the episode numbers grew bigger and bigger and ever closer to that final #20. That's surely a sign of a good drama, right? When you don't even track how much longer until it's over. Almost like you just expect to go on and on indefinitely. But indefinite it is not, and that's okay. We will make sure to enjoy this final stretch and anticipate the big hurrah that the finale will certainly be.
This episode was so incredibly chocked full of stuff. So much stuff to talk about. I had a hard time narrowing it down to just 7 talking points. Hopefully I caught your favorite or most significant parts along the way!
Without further delay, here are my top 7 events of Pinocchio 17....
1. Confronting the Moms and Discovering Even Bigger Fish to Fry
Both In Ha and Texting Hottie confront their respective mothers after extracting the deleted texts from the old cell phone. The texts that incriminate Mommies Dearest in the cover-up of the fire 14 years ago by using Dal Po's father as the scapegoat. Both of them are appalled at the glaring evidence against the women that they should be able to trust the most in this world. I can't even begin to imagine the betrayal, shock, and disgust they must be feeling at this moment. During the confrontations however, our back story deepens and spreads a bigger net, catching an even bigger fish - that one dude that is always kind of there in the background at MSC and in interactions between the Chairwoman and Ice Mom. It would seem as if the real stooge is that guy and Ice Mom only became involved after discovering their connection 14 years ago. She was about to blow the whistle, being the once-righteous reporter that apparently she used to be, but instead was recruited to join their team of dastardly deeds. She did it to save her own neck and ended up benefiting from it career-wise. One could argue that she sold her soul to the creepy smiling devil lady while another one could argue that she made the best choice she knew to make under the given circumstance. Either side of the fence you fall on the whole situation, it would appear that the real masterminds were that dude and the Chairwoman and their dirty politician friend. *Or is he the politician?* *He's not, right?* *agh! I just don't know anymore!*
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| Oh, Creepy Mystery Evil Man, just who are you? You've always been lurking evilly and creepily in the background, but I haven't paid you much attention until now. |
2. Daddy's Girl
Another shocking revelation that In Ha receives relates to her father and his personal back story. What exactly did happen that facilitated not only the divorce between her parents but also she and her father running away to some remote island all those years ago? Well, it would seem as if the whistle-blowing apple doesn't fall far from the whistle-blowing tree. Apparently it is a trait that runs in the family. Appa was some big whig bank manager once upon a time who discovered the CEO of the bank embezzling funds. When he blew the whistle on the CEO, he was the one ostracized at work and driven away to live a life in obscurity. Hardly seems fair, but there it is. In Ha's mom tries to use her father as an example of what not to do, except that she is her daddy's girl after all. Is it any shock that she would choose to emulate the parent that actually cared for and raised her? I mean, duh. Ice Mom obviously doesn't know her own daughter if she thinks a cush job is enough to shut her sense of justice up. Especially when the injustice she would be burying directly affects her boyfriend. We know her and we know what she's going to do. It's a no-brainer.
3. Here They Both Go...Again. The Avenger and His Sacrificial Lamb
What does she do? Upon discovering that she herself and especially her company cannot or will not reveal the truth, she goes to the competitor - handing over the deleted text records to Dal Po. As he reads the texts and the truth of what happened 14 years ago begins to unravel right before his very eyes, he is, needless to say, emotionally charged. Which I assume is the reason he didn't pause to think what In Ha giving him this information means to her and her job. He is oblivious to the fact that her career is ending. The day after turning the evidence over to Dal Po and YGN, she turns in her resignation (immediately following being told that she's just been hired as a full-time employee nonetheless). She's given up her dream job and knows she will forever be labeled as a whistle-blower, becoming an unemployable pariah in the reporter world. She will never work as a reporter again. She is giving up everything in order to right this wrong the best she can in place of her mother who she knows won't do it. "Self-sacrificing" doesn't even begin to cover this girl just as "oblivious in the face of his revenge" doesn't even begin to cover Dal Po. We know the boy. We know he doesn't mean to be clueless, but golly, he sure can be. He takes this evidence and runs with it, presenting it to his teammates at work. It's all hands on deck as they begin to prepare to blow the cover off this mess. Cap Hwang, at first totally gung-ho on pursuing this and crushing Ice Mom and Chairwoman Park and their evil little news-altering clique, soon learns the truth of where this info came from and that In Ha has quit her job over it. To his credit, because he really truly does rock and I am so in love with him because of it, he instantly puts the brakes on the story and pulls oblivious Dal Po aside. Once again (how many times is this now?), Dal Po is brought out of his fog of revenge and sees the light. At least it's becoming easier every time to snap him out of it. It doesn't take any cajoling on Cap's part this time. Maybe someday he'll be able to figure it out on his own without someone having to smack him in the proverbial face or upside the proverbial head.
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| We know, Cap, we know. At least he's cute though, right? Cute little clueless pup. |
As soon as he learns what In Ha has done and the implications of her becoming a whistle-blower, Dal Po rushes off to find her. She's begun prepping for her new life of not being a reporter. She's started English classes. She's learning to drive from Chan Soo's wife. She's preparing to take the civil service exam. He finds her hanging out at the police station with Chan Soo and Mrs Chan Soo following her (very entertaining) first driving lesson and angrily pulls her outside. Once outside, he chews her out, with passionate love of course, for sacrificing herself once again. They both pull the "put yourself in my shoes" thing, and both are right. They would do exactly the same thing if roles were reversed. And would have the same reactions as well. Dal Po eventually persuades her to un-quit, telling her that he will still expose the truth, just not using the evidence she gave him. He's putting away the smoking gun and going the longer route of searching for more evidence in order to save her. Ah, these two love birds. I'm glad they're learning how to handle all of this so well. They're really getting this all down to an art, aren't they?
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| Hugggsss!!!! |
4. Breaking Out the Ice Pick
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| Did you hear that? The ominous sound of an iceberg beginning to weaken and crack? |
5. Oh No Bum Jo! Say it Ain't So!
Let's pause from our In Ha focus and turn to our other victim of the Dirty Mommies Club - our Texting Hottie Bum Jo - for a moment. As you will remember, the episode started out with him confronting his mother as well. He is filled with righteous indignation as a good boy should be, only, this conversation ends up taking a different turn than the In Ha-Ice Mom conversation. It will come as no surprise that Dirty Mommy #1 is far more manipulative and evil than even Ice Mom. Just to illustrate her control over him and the situation, she promises that she'll answer his questions only once he's no longer a reporter, prompting him to immediately pick up the phone and quit his job right then and there. Smiling with that sickening sweet smile of hers, she keeps her promise and answers his inquiries. Yes, she sent those texts. Yes, she ordered the focus of blame to be turned to Firefighter Ki. She didn't mean for it to blow up out of proportion as it did, but she did what she had to do. Her reaction to the evidence against her? She pretty much just shrugs it off, declaring that what she did wasn't illegal, it was 14 years ago, and that, sure, if the evidence against her was released to the public, there would be some backlash against her for it, but it probably wouldn't be too bad given the first two reasons. Her public image might suffer, but it wouldn't destroy her. Her argument then becomes whether or not it is worth it to Bum Jo to pursue this avenue. And then she points out that everything he has grown up with, the comforts of their life, were due to her past decisions and dirty dealings. Everything that he stands to inherit is linked to this past. Their wealth is tainted by the truth of her unethical business dealings.
Now, fast forward. The next time we see Bum Jo, things have changed with him.
Angsty shower scene,
new duds,
new job following Mom around and learning the family business.
He even at one point has a confrontation with In Ha where he tells her to not bother going after his mother, that it won't affect her and she should just stick to her own ground and not go barking up his mother's tree. I honestly am not sure exactly what he is trying to say or do here, and In Ha looks just as gobsmacked as I feel.
Through all the scenes given to convince us that he has indeed turned to the dark side, I just can't believe it. I just don't. I think he's got another agenda in play. I think he's a double agent, sticking close to Mom in order to have her believe she's won, all the while working against her. My theory is later supported by a very curious shot of him holding his cell phone, almost like he's holding a recording device, as he walks around with Mom.
She's saying all sorts of incriminating things and I have a strong suspicion that he's capturing all of this on said phone. Maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part and an inability to face the truth that he's choosing money over conscience, but I don't think so. It's too out of character for him. We know him better than that. I think he's genuinely a good guy. I think he loves his Mommy, but I think he also knows what is right and will be taking that path. I haven't given up hope on him. Bum Jo, you hear me? I believe in you! Don't disappoint me Sweetie, ok? I have faith in you!
6. In Ha's Looming Threat
Like mother, like daughter - or so it would seem in Chairwoman Park's eyes. Guess who she has her sights set on now to bring into her inner sanctum of media minions? Yeah. Her solution to the threat against her is to bring In Ha over to her side just as she did with Ice Mom all those years ago. She's feeling threatened after her encounter with Dal Po (who totally caught her in her lie about the texts btw) (how awesome a scene was that???) and so she's bringing In Ha to the team, and instructs Ice Mom to set up the meeting. Ouch. Again with the visible pain on Ice Mom's face at the thought of her daughter falling under the same grasp she herself has been caught under all these years following that one fateful decision that ruined so many lives. Oh dear. What's a mother to do? She's been dancing with the devil and now the devil has her sights set on her child. And again with the super creepy sweetly smiling face of the Chairwoman as she chooses her next victim. Lady is evil with a capital Eeeck!
7. Global Warming's Got Nothing on Team In Ha/Dal Po When it Comes to Melting Icecaps
Guys and gals, I think we may have just seen it happen - the Ice Queen may have finally cracked. Little things have been chipping away at her all along, but I think that we have hit a major turning point here and we may soon see results. Tides may rise as this particular polar ice cap melts. Dal Po does the unthinkable - he turns all the evidence against Ice Mom over to her and tells her that he is expecting her to report on the story herself.
Not In Ha. Not himself or his station, but her. To blow the whistle on herself. It's the only way to right the wrongs done (obviously we can't reverse everything, but we can at this point at least set the record straight) without hurting In Ha. Dal Po is banking on Ice Mom regretting the decision she made all those years ago to become Chairwoman and the politician's stooge (isn't it interesting how she herself in a way is a Pinocchio in that she is a puppet with someone pulling her strings?? Oooooh - deep thoughts!). He is counting on the hope that she has a conscience and can see how her one fateful choice affected the lives of so many in such a traumatic and tragic fashion.
Honorable Mentions
Moments that maybe didn't spur the main storyline along, yet are very much worth mentioning.
The New Ship
This whole idea of a Cap Hwang and Yawn Girl thing going on is intriguing. And may just have a leg to stand on. It's at least cute to contemplate as these two characters are just awesome.
The Hair and the Girl
Confronted by his little brother about the mysterious long hair found in his apartment, Dal Po has no problem coming clean and assuring him that it was his daughter's hair that he found. I found it hilarious at how this is reassuring news to little brother/dad. At least initially, until he starts thinking about it later. heehee!
The Glasses!!!!!!
The On-Again Off-Again Roller Coaster of Love
I decided that there was plenty of other things to discuss in this episode besides the constant hot/cold relationship between our lovebirds. Good news is that they were more on-again in this one and had some sweet lovey scenes, including even a little PDA at work!
Alright Pinocchio fans! That's the end of this recap! Who's ready for finale week this week? Three more episodes to go and then it's a wrap on this one. Crazy how fast time has just flown on by! I look forward to seeing how they resolve everything and think that they will be able to do so in a neat and tidy fashion, barring any major upsets or surprises still to come. I hope nothing big is sprung on us from this point forward and that we can work on resolution. A happy resolution. Sad that that needs to be specified, but you know how these writers can get all rogue on us once in a while. Not that I expect that here, I'm just saying. Rambling even. Talking nonsensical stuff. Anyway, join us later this week as we take on the final 3 episodes! Until then, may many drama dreams fill your world. Back hugs and fish kisses to all!
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