New and Improved!

lol. I edited a lot because half my brain was missing when I typed this. My pronouns were errr/hmm/zzzz/duh.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Let me go over the important characters in this kdrama.

1. The orchids

They deserve top billing because they showed up so often.

Orchids have personalities, according to the Unnie (I’m not going to clutter my brain with her name). She said, “If you mix too many types together, they’ll get annoyed with each other and wilt.” She then proceeded to name a few:

Oncidiums which are mean and cruel,
Cattleyas which are realists,
And the Princess of Thieves which is the outcast in the bunch. It looks unimpressive but once it blooms, it’ll a true princess.

The female lead, InJoo, asked her Unnie if the Princess of Thieves was her favorite flower.

Though the Unnie didn’t reply, it would become obvious as the story progressed that she identified with it. She aspired to become the “Princess” among thieves in real life. Her plan was to disappear with 70 billion that she and her boss, Financial Director Shin, embezzled from the company.

InJoo also asked her Unnie what she would do if she had a lot of money. The Unnie replied, “I’d do nothing. I’d cash everything out and go somewhere where I can be completely alone.”

She wasn’t kidding.

It turns out that she already made arrangements to disappear in Switzerland with the money. She had organized her departure well.

First, she lent InJoo 1.25 million won. InJoo thought her Unnie was being generous, especially when she had her own father’s health to take care of. She accepted the money and promised to pay it back.

However, since I’m a cynical sort of person, I suspect that 1.25 million won was a small price in exchange for InJoo’s signature on the contract. To me, the Unnie wanted InJoo’s signature on the contract, knowing full well that InJoo couldn’t understand what she was signing on because it was written in English.

That’s a red flag. The Unnie could be setting her up as the fall guy, the one who’d take the blame.

But InJoo trusted her Unnie completely. The Unnie told her that she was signing paperwork for an accounting software that she created, a software that she’d named “Bookkeeper from the Future.” It didn’t enter InJoo’s head that the papers could somehow implicate her in Unnie’s legal (or illegal) activities or that she could be held legally and financially accountable for the terms stipulated on the paperwork. She was that naïve.

Speaking of names, the company they were working for is called “Orchid E&C.” Another reference to orchids! I’m guessing E&C means Engineering and Construction, not Embezzlement and Conspiracy.

After lending the money to InJoo and getting her signature, the Unnie arranged for a cosmetic surgery. No doubt she planned this because changing her facial appearance would make it easier to evade capture after she ran off with the money. But she died.

In the news about her death, the reporters made it sound like she was suffering from low esteem and depression. They rushed to classify her death as suicide, and ignored the possibility of a foul play. Didn’t they even consider it odd that somebody who’s hoping to change her life with a new face and new wardrobe, would suddenly abandon all hope to live and hang herself?

Lastly, the Unnie made sure that InJoo was given 2 billion won as a goodbye and thank you gift. On one hand, I thought this last act was pretty decent of the Unnie. She remembered that InJoo dreamt of living with her sisters in an apartment with nice windows if she became rich.

But on the other hand, I thought this could just be a salve to her conscience. She embezzled 70 billion, and gave 2 billion to her clueless sidekick and fellow outcast.

But unfortunately for the Unnie, her plan to become a “Princess of Thieves” was uncovered by the “Oncidium” or the mean and cruel human. And she was killed for it.

To me, her suicide was final. She wouldn’t come back. That was no fake Unnie hanging in the apartment. That was the real Unnie.

Her suicide was meant to cover up a homicide. The reason her suicide note wasn’t handwritten was because she left no such thing. Her murderer had to create on by typing it and quoting lines from her old posts on social media. But she didn’t hang herself. Someone else did.

Unnie’s suicide wasn’t the first time the murderer faked a suicide. As InJoo found out in Episode 2, the killer also killed Yang Hwang-Sook in 2011.

Yang Hwang-Sook was the original orchid caretaker. She was also a bookkeeper. She used to work with Director Shin at Wonryeong Construction. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was the “office wife” that Shin was rumored to have affair with at his former workplace.

However, I don’t think Shin was the murderer. Shin was known to have a shoe fetish and was the son of a shoe repairman. So the real killer sent the red shoes in Shin’s name so the shoes wouldn’t be linked back to him.

Noteworthy: the three-of-a-kind heels that Shin supposedly bought for Unnie was called “Velvet Orchid.”

The name is significant.

Shin wasn’t orchid enthusiast. Remember, he denied having an affair with Unnie and clarified that he’d only gone to Singapore with her to attend the International Orchid Contest since the chairman wanted an orchid that won the gold medal. The name “Velvet Orchid” would’ve no significance to Shin, and he would’ve bought the pair of shoes for its construction and aesthetics, not the name.

Sure, the Unnie would’ve loved the shoes for their comfort and the name. She would probably think the shoes went well with the blue orchid tattoo on her ankle with the numbers 1022.

Only the killer would’ve appreciated the shoes solely for its name, “Velvet Orchid.” It was possible that the real killer instructed Director Shin to buy the pair of shoes and give it to the Unnie for him.

But the murderer had more victims than just these two bookkeepers/orchid caretakers. He also killed:

a. Director Shin, and
b. InKyung’s contact for the Bobae Savings Bank controversy.

His “calling card” was the blue orchid.

Updated 9/10/22 to add this: The Princess of Thieves orchid = blue orchid. The buds are pink but when it blossoms, the petals inside are blue. At least, that’s what the opening credits in Netflix showed us. (And thanks, @nrllee, for making me watch the segment closely.)

He gifted his intended victims with the blue orchid to signal to them that their time was up and that death was coming for them. This would explain the presence of the blue orchid at the Unnie’s apartment.

First, the Unnie loved orchids; her wallpaper pattern was orchid. But she wouldn’t have kept that blue orchid in a bottle at her place when she was planning to be gone for several days. It’s more sensible of her to ask InJoo to take her blooming orchid home in the same manner that she’d asked InJoo to care for her fish and feed them while she was away.

To me, the orchid was sent to her AFTER the fact that she decided to get away. It was a sign that her secret was discovered, and death was coming.

Hence, Director Shin was spooked when he saw the blue orchid at the Unnie’s place. He saw the blue orchid as a sign that his time was up. The Unnie was already killed because their embezzlement was discovered. He was next.

So, he decided to turn himself in because serving five years in jail was a much better option than being served death by the Blue Orchid Boss. But his fear came true. He saw the blue orchid on his dashboard just when he lost control of his car. And he, too, died.

The blue orchid was also found at the site of the car crash came from the same killer.

I think the killer left it on the dashboard of InKyung’s informant, just like he left it in Director Shin’s car. The blue orchid was an omen of death of the driver. It must have fallen out of the car when the car flipped over, killing InKyung’s contact. He had arranged to meet with her to spill the beans on Park Jae-Sung. He had proof that Park Jae-Sung had killed his client in the Bobae Savings Bank controversy.

InKyung’s male friend, Jong Ho, saw the blue orchid at the car crash scene. In real life, Jong Ho should have NOT tampered with the accident site. He shouldn’t have picked the flower up and brought it home with him.

And he shouldn’t have displayed it on the windowsill. It looks like a death note for InKyung.

Seriously, though. Who picks up a random thing off the sidewalk and brings it home out of curiosity? Would he pick up a cigarette butt? Chewed up gum? Broken glass? Roadkill?

But oh well… I blame the screenwriter for such an obvious and crude technique of propelling the plot forward and linking InJoo’s and InKyung’s crises together.

To sum up then, what’s so important about the blue orchid that it gets the limelight?

a. It’s the sole evidence that connects Park Jae-Sung to the Orchid E&C deaths and Bobae Savings Bank suicides. At least, for now, it’s the only linking. We’re only on Episode 2.

b. It makes Do-Il a suspicious guy because he works for Park Jae-sung. Mr. Park dropped in on Do-Il on his arrival at Orchid C&E.

I thought Do-Il was suspect from the rather brisk way he rushed InJoo out the door for his 7 am meeting. His manners plus his instructions for her to take the stairs, instead of the elevator clearly indicated that he want her running into his boss. What was he hiding?

Also, how convenient was it that he “charmed” InJoo to drop by her Unnie’s apartment that same day. To me, he started the ball rolling. If InJoo hadn’t stopped by, it would’ve taken a few more days till the death was discovered. But timing was critical. It was imperative that the missing 70 billion won be found as soon as possible because his boss, Park Jae-Sung, was on a tight schedule for his political campaign. Considering that he’d just opened his foundation for the poor, he couldn’t have a cash flow problem.

2. Park Jae-Sang

Let’s just call a spade a spade. He’s the evil guy in the story, alright? All the deaths and illegal activities lead to him.

Here’s the list of deaths attributable to him:

a. Yang Hwang-Sook, the original orchid caretaker and bookkeeperr
b. Unnie
c. Director Shin
d. InKyung’s informant
e. the four men indicted for embezzlement in the Bobae Savings Bank case.

Park Jae-Sung was also the attorney of those four men who died of suicide.

Here’s the transcript from Netflix, so I won’t forget the details:

InKyung: There were 32 people arrested during the Bobae Savings Bank case, and four of them committed suicide. Of the dozens of attorneys representing them, only Park Jae-sung was in charge of all four of them. Isn’t that statistically significant?
Boss: What’s the use of that? There’s no proof?
InKyung: Who benefited from these four suicides. I drew it out. Simply put, what happened in the Bobae case was that 400 billion won entrusted by 30,000 people disappeared. Part of that money, which equaled 140 billion won was transferred to one party. These four men’s deaths erased all traces of that?
Boss: Where did the money go?
InKyung: The CEO of Wonryeong Industry. He was planning project financing. He was General Won Gi-seon’s son and the older brother of Park Jae-sang’s wife.

But his wife and daughter are no good either. The mother lied about the art activity and the cabfare while the daughter passed off InHye’s artwork as hers in an international competition. What a nice family, right?

Mother: I hope you don’t misunderstand. I happened to see her paintings and loved them. So I asked her if she could paint with my daughter, Hyorin. I thought they’d be a good influence on each other. The money was for cab fare.

I don’t know if the subbers got it wrong but the Mother wanted to give the impression that the two girls were painting side by side. In truth, InHye was painting her daughter.

Also, the envelope contained a lot of bills for a mere cab fare. InJoo was right to return it.

3. InHye, the youngest sister

Judging from InHye’s furious pencil strokes on the paper, there was no way she consented to Hyorin entering the portrait as hers.

Frankly speaking, though, I felt schadenfreude. InHye was already warned by her older sister, InJoo, but like a typical teenager, she thought she was knew better. It serves her right that she was “robbed” of her work.

InJoo: You won’t take money from me, but you will from your friend’s sister?
InHye: I was happy when Hyorin’s mom said she’d pay me. I was making money purely on my own. Is that so wrong?
InJoo: It’s wrong.
InHye: Why? Because we’re not beggars.

Sigh. Kdramas really present the wrong example of parenting. In my opinion, this was the wrong approach. She should have told InHye that:

a. InHye was unbelievably talented.
b. While there were good people who would help her reach her full potential, there were also bad people who might take advantage of her or exploit her talent. They have to be careful distinguishing one set from the other.
c. It was just age-appropriate for her to focus on her art, her love for the art, her development as an artist, and her exposure to great works of art. There would be plenty of time in the future to MONETIZE her artwork and artistry.
d. This was the gift that InJoo and InKyung would like to give to their most-beloved sister. It wasn’t a hardship for them because they were a family.

InJoo: (continuing) There are people who give us things because we seem poor. They give us food and their old clothes. If you take it, they’ll treat you like a beggar. They’ll pity you. I won’t let people think that way about you, too.

Whoa! InJoo has a big chip on her shoulder.

If I had a daughter like InHye, I would’ve handled this differently. This was such a teachable moment. Personally, I think the saddest thing in life is not poverty, but the loss of dignity.

It’s okay to accept food, old clothes, and financial help. There’s no need to feel pitiful or stigmatized. A person’s self-worth isn’t connected to his/her economic status. Just because an individual is lacking in material possessions doesn’t mean that he has lost his dignity and value, too.

Moreover, poverty is temporary. As it was, their financial situation isn’t so bleak as before because two sisters, InJoo and InKyung are gainfully employed and have pooled their resources as a family. Once their circumstances have improved, they can repay their debts in kind or pay it forward.

So again, poverty is not the issue, but the concepts of self-worth, self-dignity, and self-confidence.

These are just some of the values that InJoo needed to incalculate in her younger sister InHye. But I don’t think she could guide InHye herself because she herself appears to be rather…hmmm…what’s a tactful word here?… impoverished in her world perspectives.

4. InJoo, the eldest sister

Since I already discussed her above, I’ll add only a couple more remarks.

a. I can’t decide whether her character is more Meg or Jo from the original novel. Then, I’ll just say she’s a composite of the two older sisters. Sometimes she’s sweet and naïve like Meg, but sometimes she’s loud and confrontational like Jo.

Take for instance her behavior whenever she was around her Unnie. She would sound like the sweet and naïve Meg.

Injoo: You’re amazing! All the while learning English and computer skills. Anyway, I know I’m an outcast because I’m dense. Why are you an outcast?

In this moment, I thought she was cringe-y. She sounded a bit sycophantic. Or maybe it’s the way that Kim GoEun acted??

Unnie: (incredulous) You think that’s why you’re an outcast?
InJoo: Is it because I’m bad at my job? Because I dress funny? (making a cutesy face) Because guys like me?

Here, too. I don’t get why she was being cute here when a) at home — with her mother, especially — she’d shown her harsh, dominant, and overbearing side, and b) with her officemate earlier, she boldly asked for a cash advance on her wages. This display of aegyo and innocence are just inconsistent with the rest of her personality.

Unnie: BoYeong went to a prestigious university, and her uncle is a bank president. Heonji went to an Ivy League school and her father-in-law is a government minister. JuEun went to Ewha and her dad’s an exec at a large corporation. And then there’s you. What about you?
InJoo: I went to a two-year accounting school, and my family is poor. And I’m divorced.
Unnie: I’m a penniless high school grad. A reject with no hopes of getting married.

And I must add this: her hair is a horrible mess! A comb and brush don’t cost a lot of money. IMO, there’s no excuse for unkempt hair in a professional setting. She reminds me of the slobby resident doctor in Hospital Playlist. Ugh.

Unnie: (continuing) How can you not notice the difference?
InJoo: I guess it was beyond my control. I’m relieved for some strange reason.

True. I also found it hard to believe that somebody who was trained to be a detail-oriented like a bookkeeper couldn’t assess the differences between herself and her coworkers.

b. Now, that’s how InJoo behaved when she was around her Unnie. But when she was acting like THE Unnie to her younger sisters, she showed herself to be bossy and opinionated.

I already gave an example of her conversation with InHye, so here’s a dialogue between her and InKyung, the middle sister. They were talking about their great-aunt.

InJoo: She’s trying to bait you with a little money again. We know how she manipulates people with money.
InKyung: Which do you prefer? Rich but mean parents or incompetent but kind parents?
InJoo: You always talk nonsense. How could someone be incompetent and nice? Incompetence in itself is bad.

Lol. I must agree, though. To be incompetence isn’t nice; your incompetence can inflict damage, burden and anxiety on other people.

InKyung: I had a tough time living with Great-aunt. I guess I hate rich and mean people more.
InJoo: Like them or not, you’ve gotten used to a wealthy life. You’re the only one in our family who buys rich people’s ice cream like this.
InKyung: (chuckling) It was buy one, get one free.

Lol. When did an ice cream crunch bar become “rich people’s ice cream?”

InJoo: I never would’ve left Great-aunt’s house to come back home. I would’ve put up with her. Then, I would’ve been included in her will by now.

c. And this is when I realized that shoes were InJoo’s metaphor. She was the type to wear cheap shoes and to suffer the discomfort of wearing the wrong shoes just so she could get ahead. She was willing to spend time with their insufferable Great-Aunt, to be disparaged and demeaned by her, and to suffer indignities, if it meant being an heiress.

But her cheap heels snapped and she was bequeathed the exclusive “Velvet Orchid” shoes. This was foreshadowing.

d. While shoes were InJoo’s metaphor, her symbol was the orchid, “Princess of Thieves.” She was going to live up to its name. She’ll be like Robin Hood, the original “Prince of Thieves.” She’ll steal from the rich to give to the poor.

To me, that’s the meaning of the flower for InJoo.

5. InKyung, the middle sister

Last one, because I’m sleepy and I don’t know what I’m typing.

If Injoo’s metaphor was the shoes, the InKyung’s metaphor was the parrot in the cage. Why? Her great-aunt wanted her to behave like that caged bird: obedient, tamed, well-trained, and entertaining.

Honestly, I almost dropped this show because of her. Her emotional tears drove me nuts.

Ending here because I’m sleepy. lol. I’m still sleepy.