I’m reposting @chowchow’s comment here and adding mine. Thanks, @chowchow. 🙂
Underrated scenes that I loved in episode 12:
Hurray for the underrated scenes! Like you, I love how these side stories add context to the North and South divide without being in-your-face about it. I really wish I could write more about these little details. But I’m always pressed for time.
– When the comrades finally arrive at Seri’s home for the first time and the 3 of them are in the bathroom and are fascinated by: the continuous warm water, the endless electricity and warm heating of the floors. Water, light and heat are all the basic necessities that developed countries have yet lack in North Korea. Not to mention, the meat they were talking about (food) when they reunited. It was a funny but a poignant scene.
I like her never-ending insulting match with Chisoo. At dinner time, he told her that he was going to eat a lot as revenge for her emptying Captain’s Ri stock of food. He’d everything so she’d starve in the future. So, she dared him to go on ahead and make it his life’s goal. “If you want me to become broke, you’ll need to eat all the beef in this country.” He thought she was bragging.
Although we know that Seri is a chaebol, and her lifestyle isn’t the normal depiction of life in South Korea, I agree that electricity, hot and cold water, heating/air-conditioning, internet, and telecommunications are just SOME of the things considered *basic necessities* in parts of the world which North Korea lacks.
This scene brings home that what constitutes as basic and necessary in life is largely determined and influenced by society we find ourselves in.
Flowing hot and cold water. And potable. (Unless you were living in Flint, Michigan, Tsk.tsk)
Electricity 24/7. No power shutoffs (Unless you’re in California. Sorrryyy.)
Warm houses in the winter. (Unless you’re homeless in America. Sigh.)
Seriously speaking, what’s deemed necessary might not really be that essential at all, but just “conveniences.”
Also, their first dinner reminded me of what EunDong said in Episode 2.
JH: What are you looking at intently?
ED: Back in our hometown, we still use fallen leaves and weeds as firewood. It’s so fascinating to see a briquette.
JH: Soon enough, your hometown will modernize, and you will use these too, comrade.
SR: If briquettes are considered modern, then how advanced are gas boilers? (JH stared at her.) What? I was talking to myself. Is that forbidden as well?
And here’s Seri’s tabletop, gas-operated, smokeless, barbecue grill.
But what struck me as jarring about this dinner scene was that in the previous moment, we’d seen the North Korean ladies taking care of one of their own, the Captain’s wife.
They shared their ration of potatoes and fermented bread to eat, and JH’s #1 ahjumma fan delivered firewood on a hand cart. All these things they brought to the Captain’s wife house, knowing full well that they could be punished for this.
That’s why the Captain’s wife hadn’t left her home to talk to them, and she had forbidden her son not to hang out with his friends. At first, I thought it was shame that made her avoid her friends. She lost her status in that small village, so she was keeping to herself.
But in this scene, I realized this was her way of protecting her friends, too. She and her son were “dangerous” people now. That is, it was dangerous for her friends and her son’s friends to associate with them.
Scary, no?
Commentary: But then, to some extent, people in South Korea ostracize their own, too. When a “scandal” hits and an individual falls into disfavor with the public, he/she also feels the need to hide from others. True, it’s not the totalitarian government who goes after him/her, but the general public and knetizens can just be as punitive and oppressive.
– When Captain Ri arrives with the shoes and not only gives it to Eun Dong but kneels down and puts the shoes on for him. I love Ri’s character in that he shows his love to others through service. He is a humble leader. (I’m also a Christian so it reminded me of Jesus and how he washed his disciples’ feet, hehe). This is probably the most wholesome character Hyun Bin has ever played.
Thanks for bringing this up. Let me post their conversation.
Chisoo: I freaked out because of this EunDong. What happened to your shoes?
EunDong: Oh no. I was in such a hurry back there. I forgot them.
JooMook: You should’ve been careful. It’s freezing out here. Sit down.
Chisoo: Why on earth were you sleeping on that bed? Was sleeping our mission?
EunDong: I’m sorry. I’ve never been on such a comfortable bed before so I…
Manbok: That’s enough. It’s not like he wanted to sleep there. He was just exhausted.
Chisoo: Wear these.
EunDong: No, thank you. I’m fine.
This was sweet, too. As we’ve seen with his interaction with Seri, he nags the people he cares most about. Here, he offers his shoes after scolding EunDong.
Chisoo: You punk. What if you injure your feet? We can’t even go to a hospital, you know? Wear them.
EunDong: I’m sorry.
And then their Captain Ri/JungHyuk showed up with EunDong’s sneakers and put them on for him.
Like you, I thought of Jesus and when he washed the feet of his followers and told them to do unto others what he’d do to them. We are a product of our upbringing. 🙂
It’s only on subsequent viewing that I’m reminded of a much-beloved Korean folksong called “Arirang.” It’s said to be their second national anthem (kinda like “America the Beautiful” is regarded as the replacement for “The Star-Spangled Banner”). I believe most Korean children learn this as a lullaby.
The first stanza is the relevant one.
Arirang, Arirang, Arariyo…
You are going over Arirang hill.
My love, you are leaving me
Your feet will be sore before you go ten ri.*
*about 2 miles.
To me then, this scene about JungHyuk’s reunion with his men, and his realization that his loyal men had gone to find him. Because of him, they traveled to unknown and enemy territory, and put their futures and families in jeopardy when they return to North Korea.
Putting on EunDong was indeed a sign of his humility, but it’s NOT the Jesus Christ’s sort of service and humility. It’s actually the reverse. To me, it’s JungHyuk who was humbled.
He was deeply moved and humbled by their act of loyalty, courage, and friendship. He knew even before he asked them what they were all doing there, that they had come in search of him. It was the least that he could do to put EunDong’s shoes on for him.
And at the dinner scene in Seri’s apartment, he acknowledged it. He said just thinking of the extreme difficulty they encountered to get there broke his heart.
So, yes, this was an underrated scene.
– Man Bok and his involvement with the rest of the ducklings. I’m so happy that he is now part of a happy gang, redeemed and away from his terrible past with CCK. I love his comic performance as the “eavesdropper”, especially the scenes where he pops out of nowhere and the scene where he sneaks through the doors (such clever blocking using the doors on the left and right!) thinking that he’s not caught. This actor can truly act – performing one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the show to now becoming an endearing cute pie that can cause the audience to laugh with him. I am going to miss him if he is really going to die/not return to NK.
That was comical when he was passing through one fake door to another. He didn’t know that in furniture galleries, the rooms are all laid out like separate living spaces. So Manbok was confused and thought he was moving stealthily from one room to another when he actually was attracting attention because of his strange behavior.
I thought that was clever of the director.
I appreciate that even the side stories add color to the characters and build up the themes of the kdrama. They’re not a distraction or a filler. Even the romance between Alfredo/SungJoon and Seo Dan is interesting. Too bad, however, I don’t have time to write about it now. But if anybody wants to write about it, I can post his/her comments up here with my rejoinder.
I thought the putting on shoe scene was very humbling. They didn’t need to show JH their friendship and loyalty but they are actually there with him knowing the full consequences is very dangerous too not just because of CG. He was really touched.
I agree too with the side comment about some netizens being so harsh when a scandal breaks. It’s like that person can never be forgiven.
I liked the dinner scene too. 😍
OT, with JH finding the recording on Seri’s desk. I thought it felt that he didn’t realised Seri was the suicidal person then. Someone asked it here before but I felt it too. But maybe JH is just affirming his belief that it was fate because he just heard their first conversation?
Why just netizens ? Recently, our top management changed. And you wouldn’t believe (actually, that’s rhetorical. You would believe. All of you are professionals)… But anyway, some people fell out of favor faster than rocks fell from tower of Pisa and suddenly yesterday’s stars were company’s enemies. I know some of those people. They’re just some regular individuals who there is no evidence did anything wrong.
Just the the ajhummas in this drama,I tried to comfort one of them when I saw her crying. But again, like the wife in the drama,she exclaimed, what are you doing here? Don’t you see the cctvs? go back to your place! Don’t talk to me in public henceforth!
Why do humans do this to each other?
I was in India a while ago and in a make shift hospital paid for by rich folks for really poor villagers who traveled far and wide to get treated with surgeries from outside doctors they otherwise wouldn’t have access to. They traveled a long long way.
One very rich lady from Mumbai who helped financed the surgeries was in the waiting room. The poor villagers had very little and were dirty and sick and probably scared. This rich lady washed all their feet personally before their surgeries.
The shoe scene I loved.
Another couple of scenes are with the parents. Both fathers are vanguards of the two respective systems, and their wives fighting them. I definitely want to know more about the moms but personally I would love it if we can have more stories about the dads, to see them as humans too and that they too can change. Convention wisdom says it is impossible for these kinds of men to be moved, but somehow I hope they don’t remain powerful but empty figureheads in this show.
@Arihsi, the scene of loyalty, generosity and friendship between the village ladies and the Captain’s wife was one of the most touching scenes to me. They are all trying to comfort or protect. Your co-worker whose thought was for the safety of your reputation rather than accepting comfort – I hope that she landed on her feet somewhere else. 😥
I remember doing homework by candle light and practicing the piano in the dark because of electricity rationing. I also remember scooping water out of a bucket in order to bathe. I could totally understand JH’s crew’s reaction to unlimited hot water and electricity.
Loved the ahjummas helping their friend.
Loved Josie’s story about the rich lady washing the feet of the villagers.
We saw the same things but had different interpretation. 🙂
I remember my grandmother’s piano had these little candle holders built into the panel for playing the piano at night. I thought it was romantic. I remember taking a bath in an antique tub and the hot water was delivered in this giant kettle. I thought it was such luxury to have maids. I remember walking on a long street without lamps with my brothers, and when we reached the cemetery, we all started to run for no good reason at all except we scared ourselves silly. lol. My brothers and I still laugh about that.
But these moments for me were remarkable because I didn’t have to LIVE there in my grandparents’ house. We only spent a couple of summers so my memories were nostalgic. I’m sure if I had to live in candlelight and hot water bottles, I’d whined my parents’ ears off.
I thought ManBok’s comment was funny. When he saw the lights of Seoul, the first thought that entered his mind was he wanted electricity so his kid could study. lol. To me, that was a social commentary: whether in North or South Korea, Korean parents want their children to STUDY STUDY STUDY.
Yes, I think you’re right. The women (i.e., the mothers) here are presented to be “in touch” with reality more than the menfolk (i.e., the fathers). I like how JH’s mom told off her husband. Poor guy; I think he’s very much a product of the political system. That’s what he grew up with, and that’s how he survived and that’s how he’d retain his position as Director.
He definitely knew how to work the system.
But JH’s mother seemed to be an “outsider” to all her husband’s political maneuvering, just like the village women. They just go about their business.
We’ll see if there’ll be changes. We only have 4 more episodes, and I don’t want any loose ends.
Welllll, look at it this way, Arihsi: there’s still hope for humans if you’re still in it.
If you could comfort your coworker without fear of reprisal, then the good news is there was still at least one person left in your office who DID the *right thing” simply because it was the right thing to do. All hope is not lost yet.
But yes, this whole “guilty by association” should stop.
Oops. Does my comment makes me sound like a very righteous, “defender of justice” type of person? Let’s just say that if my 16 year old self were to meet me now, she’d be very upset to see my silence on such occasions of unfairness and injustice.
Hey parkmule3, wow thanks for reposting my comment. So humbled! I love your insights. You challenge my thoughts!
Thanks for reminding us that poverty and homelessness still exist in the first-world countries.
And yes, thanks for adding onto my comment that the humility is different from Jesus Christ but rather how he felt humbled by his loyal squad. It would’ve been weird to put them on the same level as each other anyway.