I find it interesting that everytime IkJun and Songhwa got together, the conversation would invariably end up to their med school years. While IkJun still has lingering feelings for Songhwa, Songhwa has never encouraged him.
Remember in S1, Ep 2, when she told her residents that she and IJ were only friends, and IJ publicly confessed to liking her? She didn’t look thrilled at all.
Then, on the car ride home, she shouldered his head brusquely off her. If fangirls think this is a sign of love, then they need to get their heads checked out.
The irritation she had for the drunk IJ was markedly different from the gentle indulgence she showed to the drunk JW.
In this Episode 7, we saw Songhwa block IkJun again went he tried to be sentimental with her.
Songhwa: You practiced “Sad Sea” with your guitar all through our freshman year. Why did you want to play a piano song with the guitar?
IJ: You have such a good memory. How do you remember that? Shall we listen to “Sad Sea”? I brought my Bluetooth speaker.
Songhwa: No.
IJ: Why not?
Songhwa: It’s bad manners to play music on a campground.
IJ: Then, what do we do?
Songhwa: We’ll listen to it another time. And it’s time.
IJ: Time for what?
Songhwa: Sleep. I’m about to fall asleep.
lol. We, Flower Gardeners, expected this to happen because we knew that she had friend-zoned (no! Twin-zoned) IJ from a long way back. But if she had twin-zoned him, then who was her first love in college?
We think it’s JW.
@pandamilktea wrote:
On JWon not thinking why he doesn’t have a shot with SHwa, my baseless theory is that he and SHwa sort of had an almost/unsaid understanding/tension in the past.
– S1, there was that awkward scene where Ju asks the lacking 5 if they had anything romantic happened among them before, and SHwa was looking at JWon (or vice versa? I forget). SHwa also said that she liked someone else. (Could not be IJ, no? Otherwise she wouldn’t have shot down his current hypothetical proposal.) — S1, E2
– the awkward tension between JWon and SHwa in the “let’s get married” scene — S1, E10
– the awkward non-response of JWon when Rosa asked him during the Jeju trip talk– “No. Why doesn’t SHwa like my son?” — S1, E8
– SHwa’s comment this season “No, I made a lot of mistakes in the past”, which to me (though I may be biased) seemed to hold more meaning beyond mistakes as an intern — S2, E6
My theory is JWon and SHwa both knew they felt something for each other before, but they didn’t do anything about it. I think an opportunity presented itself, but they chickened out and didn’t grab it. Maybe because JWon knew SHwa was already in relationship in med school that time? And SHwa thought JWon wanted to be a priest someday?
Anyway, it’s theory that is not based on anything concrete. 🙂 The writers can still spin anything any other way they wish at this point, so who knows? 🤷♀️
Thanks, @pandamilktea for making a list. Here’s more to add to the list.
1. From S1, Ep 1. We saw a flashback of how they met.
Here’s @Bulmagif’s gif. She slowed the eye motion down so you’ll see it clearly.
Note that Songhwa’s eyes looked towards JW’s direction first, before shifting to Iksun.
In Reply 1988, I told the folks at soompi to watch the eyes of Taek. (The JH fangirls didn’t want to believe me.) Every time he entered the room, his eyes gravitated towards Deoksun. I said the eyes are a giveaway.
2. Also from S1, Ep 1. “No means no.”
Her sternness here when she said, “My answer was clear. I don’t have time to be in the band” —
contrasts so nicely with her aegyo here.
I thought JW was speaking from a private experience when he said, “If she says no, she means it.”
3. From S1, Ep 2. Let’s go over that awkward scene with Director Ju.
Ju: You’re all good-looking. How did nothing happen between you guys?
IJ: (looks at Ju) Pardon?
JW: (glancing around the table, starting with Songhwa)
Songhwa: (glancing at JW then turning to Rosa)
Rosa: Why would you do that? Why disturb the calm water?
Ju: Ahh. Did I?
JWan: Oh, romance? (looks pointedly at JW to ask him) Has there been any?
JW was looking down but turned to JWwhen JWan asked him the question. Straight away, he looked at Songhwa.
Notice that Songhwa was already staring at JW. They exchanged eye contact and she looked away towards IJ. Songhwa’s reaction reminded me of somebody who was caught staring at her crush: she looked away.
IJ was absent-mindedly scratching his ear while looking at Songhwa. He then turned to look at SH.
SH: (side-eyes IJ then confesses) I told Songhwa I had feelings for he but got rejected.
If we’re going to apply the “Eyes are windows of the soul” adage to this scene, then JW liked Songhwa because he glanced at her first. And Songhwa liked JW because she was gazing at him when romance was brought up. She only shifted her eyes because she was caught staring at JW. She was flustered and turned to look at IJ to hide her embarrassment.
After that, they discovered that Songhwa rejected SH by using the “I like someone else” excuse. JWan and IJ thought that was a lame excuse.
But Songhwa maintained that it was true. She really did like somebody back then.
Sure enough, we found out this season, Episode 4 that she regarded IJ like a twin brother. She didn’t see him as boyfriend material.
4. From S1, Ep 2 flashback. Songhwa made a song request for her birthday.
She requested, “Introduce Me to a Good Person.” She turned down SH because she liked someone else. Then, she went to the band practice and asked IkJun if they could play “Introduce Me to a Good Person.”
Clearly, the person she liked couldn’t have been IkJun. The song was a hint. It wouldn’t make sense for her to ask him to introduce her to another guy if she was already in love with him. To me, she was using the song to hint at IJ to act as her go-between because she liked JW.
Notice the camera shots, too. JW was always in the picture with her.
But of course, Director Shin and Writer Lee could always do an about-face, and make IJ and Songhwa the endgame to pander to the IkSongers.
On a sidenote: Remember Songhwa’s scruffy shoes? That was another unresolved mystery…if ever it was a mystery.
In S1, Ep 2, we wondered whether Songhwa’s ten-year-old shoes had a special meaning for her or not. Although she wasn’t the type to skimp on personal effects (e.g., she bought expensive camping equipment), she didn’t want to buy new shoes. She said her old pair could last her ten more years.
Well…she’d been exercising her tired feet in front of IkJun in Episode 5, and Episode 6.
In my opinion, IkJun didn’t buy her the shoes. If IJ had been the mystery shoe-giver eleven years ago, then either Songhwa or IJ would have casually mentioned them. Just like she asked him about the “Sad Sea” song that he played back in college.
Also, if he truly cared about her well-being, then he could have bought her a new pair…just like what Capt. Ahn did for her birthday. Capt. Ahn noticed that she was massaging her feet at the meeting, and he thoughtfully bought a new pair.
But then, the Director could be keeping this shoe mystery a secret for the great reveal in the finale. He’d have bragging rights to fooling the entire audience for two seasons.
I thought it was interesting that in both episodes 2 of Seasons 1 and 2, ended with a “mystery” gift for Songhwa. The shoes in Season 1, the coffee in Season 2.
5 . From S1, Ep 6. The timing of Songhwa’s entrance.
I know I wrote about this multiple times but I’m posting this here because we’re making a list.
Songhwa saw IJ and Jwan leaving the freshman concert hall.
If she had followed them out, then she should have arrived at the storage room soon immediately after the two guys. The order of arrival at the shed should have been:
first, IJ and Jwan,
followed by Songhwa,
last, SH and JW.
But she arrived after SH and JW.
SH and JW sat in the concert hall till the “Lonely Night” song ended. They even listened to part of the comedy skit. Then, they got stuck hiding outside the bathroom. It took them quite a while to reach the storage room because they were hiding from the seniors.
So what was Songhwa’s excuse? If she was chasing IJ, why did Songhwa come after JW and SH?
Either this director messed up his timeline or he has another trick up his sleeve.
6. Also from S1, Ep 6.
Don’t you think that it was odd that SH chose to cry on IkJun’s shoulder, instead of his best friend JW? When the police checked SH’s phone log, they only saw IJ’s number.
Last season, I gave a couple of reasons why he didn’t confide in JW.
A: SH was being manipulative. He suspected that Songhwa liked IkJun, and he wanted to block IJ from making a move on her. If he cried on IkJun, he could guilt-tripped IJ into not proposing to Songhwa.
B: SH was being kind. He couldn’t unburden himself on JW because he suspected that Songhwa liked JW. Being a good friend, SH didn’t want JW to feel guilty about going after Songhwa.
C. JW was busy after the band practice.
Based on what I know of SH’s sensitive personality, SH wouldn’t sabotage his friend’s chance of happiness so I’ll go with Option B. Of course, ShinLee could throw a curveball at the end of this season and depict SH as a manipulative jerk.
Sidenote: Thanks to @Bulmagoku for spotting the ring connection, that is, IJ, JWan, and JW all bought rings for their girl.
IJ’s ring ended up in the trash bin.
By the way, do you remember what IJ said to the jeweler? He told him that his “girlfriend” was cute. He was being presumptuous. One, he didn’t know whether Songhwa liked him as a boyfriend or a sibling. And two, Songhwa hadn’t even said yes to him.
JWan’s ring was returned to sender. He, too, was being presumptuous. IkSun already told him that she didn’t want a ring.
As much as I deplore IkSun for JWan, I think they’re the endgame.
And JW’s ring?
The Mother of God intervened. The camera panned slowly from left to right. We saw the statue of Mary on the left, and the closed doors on the right. JW was sitting on the bench and behind him is the replica of the Michelangelo’s Pieta.
To me, the director’s message couldn’t be any more explicit. The deities are closing the doors on this delusionary chapter of JW’s life. It’s high time for him to wake up to reality.
What’s reality?
One, he has nothing in common with Jang except the medical profession.
Two, what little he knows about her could fit a thimble. He knows her only superficially.
Three, she continues to keep him at arm’s length: physically, sexually, mentally, and emotionally.
Four, he’s trying too hard but the communication gap is something he can’t overcome on his own.
And the list goes on.
Will the ring be reunited with Gollum…errr…Jang? I hope not. But then again, the Director and Writer seem to have sold their souls to the devil…errr…fans of Jang.
As for the curse of the rings, I don’t think there’s a curse. Instead of a “curse,” I think the common theme here is presumptuousness. All three men were premature in their ring-giving. They precipitated the event in their (faulty) belief that the women would be delighted to receive a token of love and commitment.
7. From S1, Ep 10.
Here’s the proposal scene again, courtesy of @Bulmagoku. @Bulmagoku slowed it down.
But you get the point, right? JW reacted to her “Jeongwon, let’s get married.” For a moment there, he thought she was proposing to her. If he felt nothing for her, he didn’t have to break his stride and turn to her with a quizzical look.
8. From S2, Ep 1.
It seems to me that JW was speaking from personal experience when he told Jang, “No one keeps visiting forever. She, too, will stop eventually. Because we all have to forget and move on.”
I thought he was thinking about his long history with Songhwa. In retrospect, he’d been waiting all this time, and he had to move on.
9. From S2, Ep 6.
Again, we may or may not be reading much into this. But yes, I wouldn’t be surprised if she was alluding — not to medical errors — but to personal regrets in her private matters.
This list will be updated as we go along.
“I did a lot of stupid things.”
I don’t why I seeing her remembering all those failed relationships of hers. The decisions she made before that has come to this end. PG x Shwa seem like just going through the motion… on auto pilot.
Thank you @packmule3 for this compilation. The possibility can be either this or that. If ever there is gonna be a great reveal which being tagged as iksong x wg wedding then I would say ShinLee need to recheck their dictionary on the meaning of the word.
Thanks for compiling it @packmule3
When SHwa stuck her feet out after telling him to say “molting” to UJu, I thought she was “flexing” 😂. She knew UJu better than IJ did. And she was right. UJu knew exactly what molting was. I think PaBo gave her the shoes. But I think he did so anonymously. Like he did the coffees.
When PaBo talked about “no one keeps visiting forever” I had the impression he was talking about SHwa. She had left for SokCho. She kept visiting Seoul didn’t she? I assume she stopped? And we had the time jump. I guess PaBo was a case of “if you can’t love the one you want (SHwa), you may as well love the one you’re with (Jang)”?
Hmmm… are things reversing towards the dynamic in S1 Ep. 2, and the relationship 20 years back? S2 really looks like a reverse is in motion, slowly but the wheel is moving towards that.
PG running in S1 to check on ditzy girl. Now he is running probably to meet Rosa/ Shwa at ER. 🤷♀️
Rosa going back to her first choice, Shwa. The one she talks to when she planned a VIP audience of the band practise with Jongsu. The girl she hopes her can lean on. 🤷♀️
Thank you for this uplifting compilation! 😀
Regarding SHwa birthday, I always thought that the bday cake was important and that JW bought it (we have had many strawberry references this season). We can see that Ikjun is wearing the same shirt on her bday as when he is buying the ring so this means he didn’t plan to offer her something, he probably went to the jewerly after band practice (and it makes sense with her text message).
We know Ikjun never goes after the girl, he only makes a move when he feels someone else is interested. We see that with Captain Ahn…only when he notices that he likes SHwa is when he starts hitting on her. So I guess that was happened back then too…JW gave her the cake, so he went to buy a ring. Maybe on the way back he bumped into SH. The question really is..where were the other 3? Also he only buys 1 ring…JWan bought 2 (so 1 means nothing, 2 means endgame).
And about the song and “introductions”..in the dinner episode 2, season 1 Ikjun tells “JW is my ideal friend. I would set him up with my sister”. Well, Ikjun and SHwa are like brothers now :p
Regarding the time lapse in the entrance of the storage room, I always assumed she went to get the camera at “home” and so she was surprised when she found 4 boys and not 2 (explaining the eye movement). But I also prefer if it means something else 🙂
In the office lunch episode 3, season 1 we see Ikjun pick up SHwa shoe, measure it with his hands and thrown it – i always thought it meant he is not the One but also that he had no idea of her shoe size (a hint he didn´t buy her the shoes). She received the shoes on the day the twins mother died (the twin boy mentions they had the tag on) so I guess she didn´t reciprocated JW feelings back then because of professional reasons (she decided to focus on her career). One important thing is that Ikjun on his last internship year was not on Seoul, he was working on his hometown (dating the actress).
He also had many “Cinderella” references with JW..the twin boy (which for me represents JW with his love for the kids) passed out during surgery in pediatrics losing one shoe. When JW tells his mother we will go away to become a priest, she throws away his shoe and hat with a “S” together, and the other shoe later on.
I’m hoping SH also helps FG reunion! For me, he is their shipper 😛 When he decided to get the band back together he only asked JW and SHwa, and he lied (in SH fashion) to SHwa about asking Ikjun. He said Ikjun said no which was clearly a lie as we see latter in the episode on the contracts reunion…Ikjun is the first to accept the idea of the band and he was surprised with the suggestion. Now with the preview, we see he mentions the Gongnyong ridge which according to Dr Bong is related to the “first love, old love”. [I also think that this means he wants to go to Minha father inn]
Regarding Gollum and the rings, I thought it funny that JaeHak told Jwan he was his precious 😛
@KattieR Daebak. Your observations are on point regarding the birthday cake, the shoes and the ring in 1999. Later on, we also have Jang’s shoes that she left when she chased the child abuser. Jwon didn’t pick up her shoes.
@pm3 what a wonderful compilations. There’s definitely something going on between them before, but for some reason it didn’t work out.
I have a suspicion for some reason that IJ gets in the way for them. We see how territorial he can get with Chihong, and how he claims songhwa was his gf. Even if he didn’t mean to, he could’ve blocked JW’s interest in Songhwa.
This could also explains how JW was so irritated every time Songhwa laughed at IJ’s jokes. He’s petty and can calculate things when they’re not going his way. Now that he’s no longer going to be a priest, it might triggered his old emotions on how close Songhwa is to IJ. Just like how he didn’t like him saying “uri” about Jang.
It leads to another question i have:Does JW have an inferiority issue with IJ (and vice versa)? Which is why JW apologized for being boring to Jang, and IJ switched the story of his mistake with JW?
@nrllee i agree with your comment. He is trying to express his emotions to his failed love to songhwa with Jang. After all, she is an obsessed fangirl.
@kattie i love your observation!!! Yes we never really know who the birthday cake was from, we just learned that she pointed at IJ and he nodded. But that could be because of convenience since they sit close to each other.
Tbh in my head, i feel like they both have feelings for each other but Songhwa decided to stop acting on it when he mention his dream to become a priest. Unlike a certain Jang, she didn’t want to hold him back because of her feelings. That’s why she lets nature takes it course.
I wonder if Rosa’s sickness will lead to her advising JW to not marry out of convenience like her and really chase after who he wants? Or maybe she’ll list the characteristics of ideal partners, then that should slap some senses into him and realized Jang isn’t the one.
Thanks, for the compilation, @packmule3! Great and extensive discussion, as usual. I laughed at the Gollum gif. 😂
I like your theory, @Sasa13! 🤔 There indeed could be an unconscious competition between them, with the drawer/tongue depressor story and the boring/funny need for validation. (Do we also count JWon’s petty complaint about IJ always riding shotgun? 😛)
It also fits well with @KattieR’s interpretation of IJ’s psyche re acting only when he realized Capt. Ahn liked SHwa, and her theory that JWon bought the cake and IJ bought a ring. In other threads, we have discussed IJ’s tendency to steal the spotlight, so yeah, I also can picture IJ blocking JWon in the past (whether intentionally or not). Maybe he acted too possessive around SHwa? Extra friendly, shared so many “inside jokes” for JWon to see? I mean, he even did that in relation to Jang (the “uri Jang” strawberry dinner). 🤷♀️
And yes, I like to think SH is an FGer. 😊 He is quiet, but he is sensitive and sharp and discreet. Surely he mustve noticed the things that… well… we have lol. (I forget now who among us did, but someone commented about that scene in S1 when the 5 were walking towards a restaurant for dinner — the main focus of the scene was JWan talking on the phone to IS. But in the background, SHwa amd JWon were walking side by side talking about the menu, and behind them was SH, as though letting them have that FG moment. 🙂 )
@BulmaGoku Yes, the Jang’s shoes scene is also a good one. Another way to guess who gave her the shoes back then is to see who SHwa thinks gave her the shoes now…the only episode of the mystery shoe is the number 3 (revelation is at the end). In that episode is the Aloha lunch scene in which she gives the special mug coffee to JW and is without glasses (like when she goes to a wedding) and without her medical outfit. It is also the only episode in S1 that I can remember when she randomly visits JWan and JW office.
@Sasa13 Yes, I also think that SHwa held back because of his wishes to be a priest (unlike Jang, she would had respected that). The observation about JW apologizing for being boring and Ikjun/JW inferiority complexes with each other I think is spot on! He hears Ikjun karaoke confession, knows something is up (tense moment in the car) and his insecurities/feelings are triggered.
Ikjun likes to meddle and steal spotlight, it would not surprise me if he was always getting in the way even not intentionally.
@pandamilktea Yes, I like that scene 🙂 And they talk about autumn.
I also found it interesting that SH announces that he already knew JW was dating but not to whom. So I payed attention to his reaction when JW says “I’m seeing GU”. I may be imagining things but he does not look pleased and he looks at Shwa.
We know SH is discreet, if people don´t ask, he doesn´t tell.
Thank you so much for this post @packmule3..Our booster to watch this week’s episode.
Keeep sailing FGrs!!!
Everyone, thank you for ur comments too..
Annd @Katie R welcome to the blog.. and thank so much for your insights 🌷🌷
On why SHyeong told Ikjun when he was rejected by Shwa, and not told JWon even they were supposed to be closer since they’ve been friends for a longer time:
I’m going with option B.. I remember that I was confused why SHyeong going to Ikjun and not Jwon. It must have been because he knows either that Shwa likes Jwon, or Jwon likes Shwa, or he knows that both of them have feelings for each other.
Xixixii
Thanks @packmule for the wonderful compilations.
My take from their storage room encounter is Like Ikjun got smitten(am I writing it right?) by Shwa on their first encounter, Shwa must have an idea of who Jwon is.From Jwon’s character he is someone who notices even a little thing.From Jwon’s reaction he must not have any idea who Shwa is by the time.
And from Jwon’s talk “no one keeps visiting forever”, I think he might have tried propose Shwa, ofcourse not explicit but in a subtle manner but after some time he realised he is not the one for Shwa.
And I find it odd ep 6 we get to know all the 99ers reminiscing their mistake during their intern times except for Jwon. If it is easter egg or Am I noticing a lot..
@Kattie R your observations are on point.Thanks for on point explanations.
@Sasa13 I dont think its only Jwon who feels inferior to Ikjun. Its viceversa. I think even Ikjun feels inferior to Jwon. If he doesn’t feel inferior to Jwon he will drag then why did he drag Jwon under the bus while Jang asked Ikjun’s mistake.According to him Jwon is a just perfect. And thats my take from Ikjun and jang convo from s2 ep 6. Will catch you guys later , gonna prepare for my exams.
@pm3 thanks again for this post. The list brings back all the good memories and why I got into HP in the first place 🙁 *sigh*
The scene in the cab where SHwa yanks her shoulder free off IJ’s head is very telling. There is like ZERO chance anyone can think that’s romantic for her, it clearly shows that she’s in pain because of the weight her neck has to carry and her sense of self-preservation kicks in, which is the opposite of romantic. And that’s why I feel like IkSong is a thing that’s made up on by IJ fans because SHwa isn’t in the ship at all, or the scales are heavily unfavourable towards her.
Similarly, after ep. 7, I saw a couple of Twitter posts that said that this shot – https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8Cr0kFVcAMNBhT?format=jpg&name=medium – was hot? Like, she’d just kicked him in the shin and that’s hot? 😂 I don’t get it. Also, the pat on the back – https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8BzrFsVoAI8Jpu?format=jpg&name=large – was so “bro”-like. If she felt anything for him then she’d have held his hand or brushed it softly, not given him a “bro”-pat lmaooo (contrast this to the scene where she leans *into* JWon during the package collection scene in S1E10).
@moonstar512, last season, I couldn’t tell whether SH had a grudge against IJ. I already explained this in a long post (now protected) so I’m rehashing things now.
I thought that Songhwa confessed to him that she liked IJ. In a fit of pique, he obstructed IJ from going after Songhwa by crying on his shoulder. That theory would tie in nicely why he didn’t tell IJ about raising the band.
But then, as we watch him in Season 2, we can see how passive SH is. Like with the case of his ex-wife, he didn’t seem to be the type to block anybody.
But who knows? If this director/writer duo is going to cave in the WG fangirls’ demands, then they can easily “neuralize” everything. lol.
@dashman1010, Don’t thank me. Thank @pandamilktea. 🙂 She was the one who got me to compile these.
Yes. that shoulder nudge was a BIG confirmation for me that Songhwa had no interest in IJ as a lover. How could she do that? If she was harboring tender feelings for him all this time, then his public confession should have given her warm feelings. She should have offered him her shoulder to rest on while he was drunk. Instead, she was impatient with him.
lol.
We KNOW that Songhwa doesn’t like IJ in a romantic way and we have receipts to prove this. But as I said in the Alfresco Thread, ShinLee can easily alter course by creating a bogus montage (like they did with Jang) and show aliens invading Songhwa’s mind and body in order to rationalize an IJ-Songhwa endgame.
Until now, viewers still haven’t been shown why and how JW fell in love with that girl. 🙂
@packmule3
Yeah I’m also thinking that SHyeong is not that kind of a person that will block anybody.
Lol and yes this Duo are like the “Gods” of this show. They can do everything they want.
Considering at how big the Ship of WG now..
Some might think that it’s unsinkable.
But, I remember a dialogue in Titanic movie,
Ruth: So this is a ship they said unsinkable.
Caledon: It is unsinkable, even God himself can not sink this ship.
And look at how Titanic’s fate was.
I think, it is so wrong to “play a competition” with God.
I’m waiting if ShinLee duo will “neuralize” this too?
😅😅
Great list and what insightful comments from everyone here. Admittedly I haven’t got that analysis and memory prowess to link S1 and S2 so reading these lists and theories and observations have really jogged my memory.
The camping trip in the latest episode was really puzzling as Uju was left alone the whole time. Probably the scenes together were “omitted” as part of the storytelling, so the fact that they’d focused on Uju being alone in all scenes were quite telling.
Anyway, all conversations at the camping site had little romantic tension and struck me as conversations I’d have with a close male friend that I’ve friendzoned 🙂
I agree with the observation of JW being quite annoyed with Ik Jun’s jokes in S2. It seemed more pronounced in S2.
@moonstar512 Thank you!
@dashman1010 I cannot believe there are people finding that camping hot or romantic! 😖 Are they in denial mode?
Ah, good times 😊 I remember my journey first seeing HP. First episodes I thought the romantic interest was between Ikjun or JWan, and JW was like a younger brother who is such a gentleman (i was like those people in the hospital watching through the glass when PaBo opens the door to GU). Then JWan is out of the picture because of bidulgi and so it must be Ikjun (specially after episode 6). But then came episode 10 (that aegyo and leaning really shook me) and FG finally appeared to me. Episode 11 really cemented it for me…that scene in the cab should be a ship-sinker and that small but gentle interaction between FG was very telling. Then the last minutes of episode 12 were like a stab in the back after such a tender FG episode.
It is so discouraging to think that they can simply neutralize the entire foundation that they build back then. This is my first experience with the duo…hope they don’t disappoint too much. But your comment about the Titanic is really funny and on point @moonstar512 🤣
Another thing to look for with episode 8..it was in that episode that Ikjun burned his hands when he touched SHwa precious coffee kettle (the best metaphor for their relationship). I wonder if he will try again and SHwa will need to be more direct.
I keep thinking about reversal theme… like shinlee created a wheel of fate (?) in their HP universe.
It is turning back to the beginning. Like PG reliving Shwa 20 years ago from that winter in 1999 when she decided to put a stop to her first love and started a relationship with her senior for few years before they broke up. Shwa said she made stupid mistakes. Right now we are seeing PG is in that situation. It’s not pretty. But somehow in order for them to meet again at ground zero, he had to get through this phase, as ugly as it is for a 42 years old guy like him to experience.
DS first felt touched by Taek was in Ep. 16 (towards the end) when he carried her and ran across that field. It was the last 5 ep. This ep. 8 is our last 5 ep. What is going to happen at the end of that ep?
The more I think about it, right now the flow of HP eeriely is following R88. In Ep. 18, the title is Goodbye First Love. However, the only goodbye was by Junpal to his first love, Deoksun. While the other first loves reunited on the same day where it was raining on a sunny day, a sunshower or famously known in Korea as the Tiger’s wedding day. It was said anyone married on sunshower day will live a life of fortune or will live happily ever after. In R88, no one was married that day. But those who reunited with their first love lived happily ever after.
So I wonder about 1st March, the day Shwa returned to Yulje. It was sunshower day. PG was the first to meet her upon her arrival. Just like Taek was the first to meet DS at the concert.
If ShinLee still ‘on’ with their tricks and did not succumb to the masses, I expect to see similar development of our FG by end of Ep. 8 onwards, some indication on PG’s part. Ep 18 in R88 is where all couples are finalised. For HP, it would be Ep. 10. *sigh* feel really like a long marathon still…
Thank you @pm3 for this post 🌼
Indeed, the bet on SW’s first love is still on JW. If it’s IJ, and if she still likes him, then she should have just accepted his confession episodes ago. There’s really no use dragging out SW’s love line if it’s just IJ. They could just show her POV in their med school days and their relationship would already be established. But seeing that they are still withholding SW’s first love, then there’s definitely something there that could change the course of the story.
@KattieR @pandamilktea I am with you both on SH as the one helping in bringing FG together. As SH’s character, he knows a lot of secrets but he never spills unless asked or if something is already revealed. I really do hope he could knock some sense into JW’s head, being his oldest friend.
@Sasa13 If JW had any inclination that IJ likes SW back in ’99, then he could have also kept his feelings because of his friend, just like how IJ chickened out when he knew of SH’s feelings for SW. Cancelling on a love confession because of someone close seems to be a running theme which was also in Reply 1997 and 1988.
Rosa’s sickness could also be considered as one of those that SW said regarding letting nature take its course. Something will happen that will once again bring them closer. After episodes apart, this is indeed something that will cause the both of them to once again share the same frame. But of course, I hope Rosa’s condition is not that dire and that she’ll still be okay.
@Miracle23 @dashman1010 chingudeul…if our calculations are correct then it’s Ep 8 is a transition period to the 3rd theme, there should be crack in WG’s relationship and we should have FG more, one way or another. And yes, I agree about the R88 pattern. Now it feels like HP2 is going in that direction. Iirc it is in the last 2 episodes that Deok-Sun Taek finally sealed their ship. I remember someone told me that even after Jungpal confession, many people still convinced that he would and should end up with Deok-Sun. But, ShinLee is the GOD of their univers. Let’s knock on wood they will not succumb to the fangirls.
I mean, they can’t let SHwa, the only Female Lead, end up with nobody, no? And obviously IkJun is not the ONE. Why else they showed us that unromantic camping trip?
I will not worry about Rosa. Her dementia won’t drag… probably becomes convenient plot device to serve other purpose 😎. Just like DS’s mom cancer scare for her children to understand their mother’s sacrifices for them, Siwon’s dad cancer scare to bring them close together, and Najung’s mom health issue which was actually her getting pregnant again😅. Let’s see how rosa getting sick will change the course of their story. 😊
@pandamilktea @kattie @bluepearl yess i agree with all of your points on this. JW as the petty one’s more vocal on his irritations to IJ. From the car seat, how he switched the stories and also don’t forget the times he always make jokes in FG moments to steal the spotlight from him and DLL? But just like Songhwa, he speaks his mind about this irritation.
IJ in comparison is more sneaky. He dragged JW down on purpose. From talking bad about him when Jang confess her crush, steal his “thunder” by making jokes during FG moments to the switched story. This shows he has a malicious tendency, a bit like Jang’s snide remarks to Minha.
@pm3 @moonstar based on the prev eps i think we can see how passive SH is. He is a good secret keeper but he’s not one to meddle intensely like IJ did with WG. So i agree with the theory he is a FG shippers. I think i remember in the character desc that SH is sorry with songhwa, his first love? Based on the escalation of the confession, it doesn’t seem like she is offended by his love confession and there is no awkward moment between them.
I am still struggling to find why he’s sorry about her. Is it because JW suddenly found out SH likes her and decided to back down, even though songhwa likes him?
Or alternatively Songhwa asked her to sworn in secrecy about who she likes so JW can focus on the priest dream?
That’s why he decided to make it up when he’s back from the fellowship by putting the band back together?
I also love @pm3’s highlight how JW understand her no means no. That basically contradicts all the Iksong shippers and IJ included on the delusions that Songhwa can change her mind just like that.
@dashman1010 i can’t believe they’re still trying to romanticize all the scenes between them when literally nothing happens! I kinda blame the director on writers of rubbing us with all Iksong scenes when there’s no meaningful development. They’re really baiting iksong shippers during each preview.
@miracle23 thanks for shedding the light on the “last 5 eps”! It makes me looking forward to the next ep. It’ll be too little to late if they only build FG on ep 10. It won’t be enough to bring a strong case.
Actual giggles at Gollum. That suits Maggot quite well (Maggollum?). Selfishly I’m a bit annoyed that she’s getting cast in so many new dramas (latest one here: https://www.soompi.com/article/1482878wpp/shin-hyun-been-goo-kyo-hwan-kwak-dong-yeon-nam-da-reum-and-more-cast-in-new-horror-drama-by-train-to-busan-director) – I’ve so turned off her in HP that I don’t think I want to ever watch anything else that has her in it.
I know it’s unfair and that I’m having a hard time separating art from artist. Is she just a one note terrible actress with no range? Or is that how the character is written and she’s actually a fantastic actress who is playing it well?
Thank you @packmule3 for this compilation and catching the subtle nuances.
My ideal next scenario: Maggollum returns home to help her mom, and realizes she must stay there long-term as she is needed there and can’t return to Yulje.
She’s so guilty with how she left things with JW that she breaks up with him and never contacts him again. JW realizes that he isn’t that heartbroken at all, and that it was never Maggot he was in love with…and we see FG finally come to fruition.
Madness and silliness I know, but it cheers up my grumpy self after the last 2 episodes.
@sasa13, if I remember correctly, in R88 Taek revealed his feelings quite early in the series. From ep. 14 or was it 15(?) we have DS started looking at Jhwan as her love interest. At the same time she still cares for Taek. And Taek still only has eyes for DS even when DS is eyeing for Jhwan’s attention. Jhwan hesitated. That was his biggest mistake. Then Ep. 16 happened and Jhwan lost his chance for good. Even when he confessed in ep. 18 DS no longer takes him seriously because she only has eyes for Taek. Let’s see how Shwa x PG will deal with their current situation and find ways to each other.
@Miracle23 don’t do that, don’t give me hope, unnie 😭 I want to be wary of this duo right until the finale episode 😫
@BulmaGoku first, thanks sooooo much for the fabulous GIFs, they really are a sight for my sore eyes 😭🍪 Yesssss, sincerely hoping that E8 will be the darn end to the superficial ship that shall not be named, and let’s crack on with the real deal.
@Mrsrjh1 @maggollum hahahahahaha nice one! I don’t really care about what SHB gets on to after HP, have never followed her in the past and will maintain that stance in future as well (good for me that I’m ambivalent about Song Joong-ki as well, so that chaebol drama is an easy pass hehe)
Well if Magollum is being typecast as the gold digger then JoongKi’s new drama is her cup of tea 😂. I thought the drama had to do with the son of a Chaebol?
I think ShinLee have matched her with Prof Cheon. That scene where he was in ER performing that procedure and everyone was grimacing? Ep3 I think? Parallels Maggor scene in S1E3 where everyone was grimacing watching Jang remove maggots.
I don´t know if here is the best place to write this but I remembered something! The patients of DDL that needed the liver transplant and that where from the hospital of Ikjun rival were “Jang” also. SHwa tells Ikjun that the hospital (the rival is the director) is in Mokpo and that they are short-staffed, performing transplants there isn´t easy. Well…Mokpo is near Gwangju…GU hometown. Maybe that is the connection between Ikjun and GU, he helps her get a job there, near her mother.
Bye Bye GU!!😁
I think Rosa will be the one to break up WG. She started it. Fairy Godmother. 😂. Jang went along with it. Then liked the dreamscape relationship so much that she just went on her magic carpet ride as a form of escapism. Rosa’s illness ties in with Prof Cheon’s story.
Prof Cheon (mean CS Prof) was introduced in Ep5. Shin chose to focus on his Crocs. He had one shoe off. Ep5 was also the ep where Jang took her Crocs off. Both Jang and Prof Cheon are cold and brusque. Then there was that weird case where Cheon was performing a procedure in ER and everyone was grimacing. Same when Jang was maggoting and everyone was grimacing. And JWan doesn’t like Cheon. Just like he mentioned how he never liked Jang (SHwa’s ex).
The conversation in the courtyard about his impending marriage to the CEO of a Credit Union. (Pink piggies anyone?)
IJ – I’m sure he’s very worried. She’s a competent business woman and has a great personality but she has low standards for men (Speaking about PaBo maybe? And IJ will step into the role of the Chairman because I think he’s the one to find out about Jang’s secret for wanting to marry PaBo. So he’s torn…like the Chairman was. Should he tell PaBo or not?). Prof Cheon is obviously after her money, so I bet the Chairman is torn as to whether or not to intervene. (Looking at JWan) Is he really NOT a good person?
Jwan – That’s right. He’s a total jerk. He’s really horrible. I’d describe him as a villain.
SHwa – What’s a villain?
IJ – it’s a compliment. Run to get and pay the bills. It means a hardworking person who always does his best.
SHwa – really? (Looking at her watch) Okay I have to do my rounds. See you later guys.
The other way we can read how IJ described villain is that he’s describing Jang. He said before that Jang is hardworking and always does her best? There are too many similarities for it not to be linked. And IJ will be the one who is like the Chairman in the conversation because he finds out about Jang’s secret and doesn’t know what to do.
Ironically, the song that tells us what happens to this sham relationship/marriage is the one about “PaBo” 😂😂 (the Ju/Rosa concert). We named him well. As for how the whole incident will tie in. Well, Prof Cheon was busted when his fiancé’s mother was sick. Rosa is sick this coming ep. In Prof Cheon’s case, the daughter/mother was the one who revealed all. I think Rosa will come clean about how she manipulated Jang in the courtyard? She needs to confess to PaBo.
I don’t think ShinLee will paint Jang as a gold digger. But I think they will put the blame on Rosa for getting the ball rolling and Jang just went along with it. Then she liked being in the dreamscape relationship so much that she just decided to stick with it. That seems more tempered and makes her out to be less villainous.
Anyway that’s my theory. I have always wondered what part Cheon played in the whole plot and this could be it?
@Dashman1010, I am giving you extra hope at the alfresco 🤭🤭🤭… you know I have a mission: inspire you for your next chapter 😁😁😁😁
Disclaimer: it depends if shinlee still have their brains intact and functioning at 100% capacity, not bloated with maggot infestation 🤣🤣🤣
@nrllee, didn’t prof cheon said to shwa that his mom is also sick in ep 6? His line came out of the nowhere? Winter pollack mommies are both sick. Yeah, great coincident.😎
@miracle23 I know. I always wondered why he (Cheon) was there. His story seemed so odd and we kept getting details here and there (like his mom being sick) for no reason? I think it fits.
JaeHak said this (just before they introduced Cheon). And we know Jang is very hard on her patients. Getting them to blow the balls even when they said it hurt their surgical wounds.
https://i.ibb.co/dct1ByX/EE4-AC7-CC-61-BA-43-EF-90-ED-B3-EB1-C8-AF331.jpg
Immediately after JH said that, this is the cut where we first see Cheon (his Croc is off) – I remember because I thought, what an odd way to introduce a character. What did it mean? 😂
https://i.ibb.co/TqyKDSJ/F6-BBF6-BB-E114-46-CF-BDCD-DCDF31796-C46.jpg
As for how ShinLee will swing it so that FG is in the running to the masses? It will be SHwa’s first love (flashback). Everyone wants to know her point of view. Not just us. WGrs, IkSong shippers as well. When we get her story, it will be enough to push us into the running for sure.
Hello everyone,
Thank you @Packmule3 et al, about your insights…!
I read you, but I cannot comment at the moment.
Hang in there. Tomorrow is near…
I am just gonna throw this here, for science 🤪
“Even if you kiss and hold hands, it is just considered a fling until you state that you are a couple”. – Deoksun, R88 Ep. 19.
FLING = SECRET AFFAIR
#IDontWriteTheScript, right @Dashman1010? 🙈🙈🙈🙈
I don’t know where best to post this. But have you seen it? Is it BTS for a future episode?
https://www.instagram.com/p/CSbPRH8JGOm/
Is that Jwon’s hand telling IJ to lay off SHWa? 🤔
No. That is bts for poster shoot.
@miracle23 that’s gold! 😂
@CheekyChu I thought that was a poster shot BTS?
@Miracle23 Secret dating, no ILYs, failed proposal, we definitely don’t write the script 🤣 (gold spotting btw with the DS dialogue!)
@CheekyChu don’t go by BTS segments, the only IkSong moments their shippers are getting are from these clips – Lee family and whatnot lol It’s akin to how DS/JungPal shippers claimed that they only accepted the R88 canon because Hyeri/JunYeol (the actors) are dating IRL lmaoooo It’s quite telling what direction ShinLee are taking IkSong in when the only bread slices they’re giving shippers are these family shots *off-camera* while *on-camera* visuals are having the opposite effect on the narrative.
@miracle23 the full version – complete with their answer about when they “first kissed” 😂. Which of course led to them asking for the reshoot because of the disparity
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UniwpQumtMTk0O0Q2O3gBsIG_SCCAXfIPtwPRZdQ0xU/
Talking about poster BTS, I loved it when they were doing the surgical poster shot and they wanted to move the overhead surgical lamp? And YS’s hover hand over MiDo’s head protectively so it doesn’t bump her head 👍. Such a gentleman. 😂
Thanks for clarifying. Yes, I did find it in an iksong page, but I don’t find anything romantic about it. Ehehe
If anything, what I actually noted was the hand from the other side? Is that Jeong Won’s telling Ik Jun to lay off Song Hwa? That’s why I thought it was BTS for future episode. Like when his hand hovered over Mido’s head as mentioned by nrllee above.
Does YYS know something?
I also saw Mido’s Netflix interview when she hesitated when asked about “love triangle.”
Thank you @Packmule3 and @Pandamilktea for this compilation! It’s really uplifting and it summarizes the possible past of FG beautifully.
I finally managed o make some time to catch up inbetween of packing and changing location to my parental home. What a great discussion with so many theories. Thank you all!
I fully agree on that there might have been something more or less unspoken between JW and Songhwa in the past. She could be the one to not act on her feelings bc she wanted him to fulfill his dreams (not like Jang who pleaded him to do the opposite) like she did now with the DLL and patient guardian shelter.
But I can also see JW wavering in his dream of becoming a priest, bc he met Songhwa but someone might have interfered, deliberately (IJ?) or not (SH?)
I was also wondering if Rosa’s dementia can bring some satisfactional development considering FG. I wasnt sure when commenting on ep 7 alfresco. But I’ll try to give the duo some credit of trust. Maybe in her condition will Rosa “go back in time” and rememeber some things from the past (FG) and talk abt them like it was present day? Or maybe during her treatment is she going to see Songhwa an JW together, how well they fit as a couple and then undertand her mistake from season 1 when she took JW’s conversation with Jang as a sign of his hidden affection? Let’s see