I’m doing a bait-and-switch scheme. This commentary is my “quick takes” but it’s a “looong read” for you.
1. Mr. Park’s suicide
The episode started off with the subdued Mr. Park and Mrs. Park awaiting the results of the mayoral election. This is what I wrote about in the comment section.
I took it for granted that Mr. P committed suicide on his own with Mrs. P’s tacit consent. Why? Because of their behavior that night in the hospital while they were waiting for the news of the elections.
a. They were in the hospital instead of at the Civil Party’s campaign office awaiting news. Typically, the candidate and his family are standing by ready to come out when he is declared the winner because he has to give a congratulatory speech and thank his volunteers.
Mr. P didn’t. He knew it was a hollow victory. He won but it was doubtful that he’d serve his tenure. He wouldn’t be able to stop the homicide investigation.
b. Mrs. P was peeling and slicing an apple. (At least, it looked like an apple to me.) In kdrama-speak, when somebody gives an apple to another person after an argument, it means she/he’s apologizing. That’s because the Korean words for apple and apology are homonyms: sagwa.
The camera focused on her hand taking out the seed with a knife. I interpreted that as a foreshadowing.
c. Then, when Mr. P was announced as the winner, Mrs. P didn’t say a word. Mr. P broke the silence and congratulated himself. He said, “You’ve done well. It’s time to start all over again.”
Those are the words he actually wanted to hear from her. He lived for her praises and approval, remember? But she didn’t look at him, smile at him or squeeze his hand in comfort. She kept silent.
Then, she moved the plate of sliced apples between them.
Apple = apology. She’s probably saying, “Sorry. Not sorry. You failed.”
He looked down at the plate and half-smiled. He took a slice and bit it. Wordlessly, she did the same.
d. She made her disappointment and displeasure clear to him. He failed. Her non-reaction to his win should be enough to drive him to suicide.
He could have been given the Blue Orchid as a memo to kill himself. Or he could have taken the Blue Orchid himself as a sign that he was taking his own life for the sake of the Jeongran Society. Either way, the outcome is the same: he was dead.
But if he was given the Blue Orchid, then we have two possible people who ordered his death:
1. Mrs. P
2. Jang SaPyeongApart from Choi Senior, they’re the two remaining members of the Jeongran Society with vested interest in keeping the society alive and secret.
Lol. The director and screenwriter withheld the important info to create a plot twist. But we were expected this. When she moved the plate of sliced apples, the Blue Orchid was beside the plate.
The reason he half-smiled was because he received the “memo” from his wife, Won Sang-A, to kill himself. He brought the flower with him when he went to the building.
This was the same run-down building that he brought IK too. He told her that it was about to be demolished to make way for something more magnificent. It’s pretty symbolic then that he ended up coming suicide at this site because he had to be “demolished” to make way for his wife.
I also said before that it reminded me of the Devil daring Jesus to throw himself down from a parapet of a temple, and ordering Jesus to worship and serve him.
And though Mr. Park is no Jesus, he did what his devil of a wife ordered him to. He jumped off the building because he worshipped and served her. He was in a cult; her cult.
He never told his wife the words running in his head, “I know why you married me. You knew I could die for you anytime without hesitation.”
Instead, he took his leave.
Park: I’ll get going now.
SangA: Stay a little longer. I’m not done eating yet.
How wicked was she? She didn’t want him to leave just yet because it would ruin her appetite knowing that he was about to kill himself.
He nodded.
Meanwhile, she was thinking to herself, “But why did you marry me? I wouldn’t have died for you.”
How wicked was she again? Although she wanted him to die for her, there was no way on earth she’d die for him. He wasn’t worth it.
Her crying scene is so annoyingly makjang. Why was she crying when she was the one who put him to death?
Remember my explanation about Ariadne, back in Episode 3?
I think Mrs. Park isn’t as helpless and innocent as she looks. Like the ending of the Ariadne’s myth, she could be scheming to betray her husband, too. She could have known of his affairs and his slush funds, and disposed of the Unnie, Director Shin, and Bobae Savings Bank informant all on her own.
It came true.
2. The Jeongran Society is a cult.
In my Ep 9 Quick Takes, I pointed out that the secret society wasn’t only a criminal organization, it was also cult.
There were instances in this episode when the cultish elements were displayed.
a. When Ms. Go praised her Mr. Park for his suicide
SangA: Ms. Go. Who am I?
Lol. I thought she was going to copy General Won’s “Who am I” stump speech. Lol.
Go: You are Director Won SangA. Mr. Park Jaesang’s wife.
SangA: I’m my father’s daughter. And now, I’m his sole remaining heir.
Interesting, right? She was correcting Ms. Go’s impression that she was a mere wife (or appendage) to Park Jaesang. She wanted to emphasize that she was General Go’s daughter first and foremost, and she was the leader of the cult.
SangA: (continuing) You were good to Hyorin’s dad. Do you not hate me?
Go: I’ve encountered countless deaths in my life, but no other death has demonstrated our faith better than Mr. Park’s death. He gave up rising to the top to save everyone else.
Faith?? She probably meant their belief, conviction, and creed. Mr. Park’s suicide is a testament to the rightness of their cause. He sacrificed his life for their cause.
Go: (continuing) If you’re uncomfortable having me around because I worked for Mr. Park, please do whatever you see fit.
SangA: You’re cut out for this job. Not many people are as cruel and mean as you are. I’m going to give you wings. From now on, we don’t need to keep up appearances.
Go: In that case, does that mean I have permission to kill Oh IJ and Oh IK?
SangA: I know that you want to kill them. But if you kill them now, it’ll be obvious that I’m behind it. Let’s toy with them for the time being and wait for our chance. Don’t worry. I promise it’ll be entertaining.
If you ask me if she loved Mr. Park, I would say no. Her devotion is to the cult, which is essentially a cult of personality. Mr. Park’s death is collateral damage to protect her.
b. When InKyung convinced Jang SaPyeong that the Parks were bad
Jang: Did I ever tell you that I received training from the CIA? I learned how physically and mentally fragile humans are while I was there. They believed that people had souls. They teach you how to destroy someone’s soul completely. But I refrain from resorting to torturing because torturing ends up eating away at my soul as well.
This is good to remember: Jang SaPyeong’s righteous attitude recycles Socrates’ teaching on injustice. More than two millennia ago, Socrates taught his students that it’s better to suffer an injustice — evil acts, like torture, included — than to commit injustice. Why? Because the soul remains unharmed when an individual is made to suffer an injustice, unlike when the individual himself commits an injustice. When he commits an injustice, he corrupts his soul.
By extension then, we can say that there’s no such thing as a victimless crime. There’s always a victim in any unjust act: the wrongdoer’s soul.
I think this is the much better lesson from this episode, nay this kdrama, than the “greed is evil” that InJoo would moralize at her trial. That one is so trite and hackneyed.
Jang: (continuing) But there is one thing that I cannot tolerate. An insult against the General!
Here. This is cultish. His devotion to the General was so absolute that he was willing to compromise moral and ethical principles for the General. He was willing to kill for his leader. Jeongram Society was a cult of personality. Jang SaPyeong was a member who idealized his leader. Creepy.
Jang: I told you about the General and handed over the valuable information because I liked the look in your eyes. But you turned out to be a spy.
IK: (whimpering)
Jang: (removing her duct tape) Tell me. What was your goal?
IK: “Miners, farmers, sailors, shoe repairers, day laborers, bellboys…” Those were the only type of people the General recruited.
Jang SaPyeong let go of her neck. Why is that? Because IK’s words were seeping into his consciousness…or rather his UNconsciousness.
IK: Those were just as capable but were in the lowest place. People who were exceptionally loyal and willing to sacrifice themselves for a greater cause.
Jang was listening to her. He then glanced at the inscription on the wall, “From the lowest and darkest place. To the highest and brightest place.”
To me, this moment was crucial. IK was able to pick up on the best method to calm him down. She could do it by reminding him of the ideals of the Jeongram Society.
Remember: we’ve seen how this self-soothing technique works.
We watched it once with the Bank CEO back in Episode 4. He was agitated and frightened that somebody was going to kill him, but he quieted down when he repeated Mr. Park’s words like a mantra.
Mr. Park: The war isn’t over.
Bank CEO: “The war isn’t over.”
Mr. Park: The General is waiting.
Bank CEO: “The General is waiting.”
Mr. Park: How high do you think that someone from rock bottom can rise up to?
Bank CEO: To the highest and the brightest place.
Then, when Mr. Park gave his primary election speech, he copied the sentence structure of General Won’s military stump speech. From Ep 5, timestamp 25:00:
Mr. Park: Dear Party Members and the great citizens of Seoul, who was my enemy in this election? It was none other than myself. Who am I? (IJ butted in, “A serial killer?”) The son of a miner. A breadwinner. A lawyer who fought for pneumoconiosis patients and Agent Orange victims. I, Park Jaesang, will fight for Seoul.
IJ noticed that his speech was styled after General Won’s speech.
General Won: Who is the enemy in this war? It is ourselves. Who were we before we came to the battlefield? Who am I? … factory workers. Shoe repairers. Miners. Farmers. Carpenters. Sailors.
When the comatose General Won heard Mr. Park’s speech, he exhibited a momentary change. From Ep 5, timestamp: 26:29:
Nurse: We had the TV on because we thought the General would like it. And right at this part of the speech…
Sound from the TV: Who am I? The son of a miner. A breadwinner. A lawyer who fought for pneumoconiosis patients and Agent Orange victims.
Doctor: He breathed on his own for about 20 minutes. It’s unlikely that he’ll recover his consciousness, but this is quite encouraging.
To me, these two incidents — with the Bank CEO and General Won — indicated that a mind control technique or a mind programming was used in cults to manipulate thinking and to exercise mind control over the members.
And in this scene, IK triggered this (coincidentally or knowingly?) when she uttered the words, “Miners, farmers, sailors, …” She caught Jang SaPyeong’s attention.
And that’s how she got Jang SaPyeong to open up.
Jang: We were called “rice grain.” When the General formed a unit, made up of us rice grain, he told us, “We are stronger than anyone.” “Our strength came from the fact that nobody knew us.” “We are going to secretly infiltrate Korean’s society ghosts.” “Before we knew it, we will have everything.” That’s how we’re going to be the greatest and the strongest.
IK: You were different from the other members of the unit. Because you were an elementary school teacher.
Lol. Remember what I said about Jang SaPyeong?
I think it’s hard to predict which way Jang SaPyeong will go.
On one hand, he seems to be a diehard disciple of General Won. Given that General Won was such an evil man that his wife preferred to be locked away in solitary confinement for eight years than to be married to him, Jang SaPyeong would have to be either blind or complicit in his plans.
But on the other hand, General Won could have his own reason for leaving Jang SaPyeong alone. Jang SaPyeong might not have belonged in the inner circle of the secretive Jeongran Society. His orchid wasn’t grafted into the Father Tree in the secret room.
It’s possible that he alone didn’t need financial assistance from the Jeongran Society so he wasn’t indebted to the group. Or he could have been set apart from the group because he was running the school to create more junior members of the society. As an educator, he would’ve been appalled to associate himself with the likes of Mr. Park, son-in-law of General Won. He seemed so idealistic like General’s son, Won Sangwoo.
Jang: (reminiscing) When you live in an impoverished area, you can witness even the brightest children wither. The General promised to foster those children with care. I provided children for Jeongran Society.
Certainly, Jang SaPyeong was proud of his accomplishments. But did you notice that InKyung was still visibly trembling as she listened to him? Jang SaPyeong resembled Mr. Park when he talked about his ambition. They both demonstrated a chilling tunnel-vision.
Jang: Those children now lead this society in their respective fields. To have these children grow up and spread the General’s spirit. That was my dream.
IK: Today’s youth will surely welcome the General’s spirit with open arms. But Park SaeJong betrayed your dreams. He accumulated wealth and murdered people for his own glory and interest.
Here, InKyung was using cult’s language on Jang SaPyeong: “Today’s youth” “General’ spirit” “Betrayed your dreams.” She was planting enmity or division in Jang SaPyeong’s mind. She was implicitly asking him the question that General Won would ask in his speeches: “Who’s the enemy?” And she was saying that Park SaeJong was the enemy because he went against the General’s plan.
Jang: (looking at her)
IK: And director Won murders people to keep herself entertained.
Jang: (agitated again) How dare they kill the General’s son? That is unforgiveable.
Note this: when he had dinner with Mrs. Park/SangA, he only looked bothered but resigned when he learned that they did actually kill Won Sangwoo. In stark contrast, he voiced anger now when he was reminded that Won Sangwoo was murdered.
IK: You’re the only person who can put things straight. You’re the only remaining successor of the General’s spirit.
Again, IK was using cult language here. She really didn’t believe that the General’s spirit would live on in Jang SaPyeong. It would be horrible if it did because General Won was a madman himself. He ordered all the killings. But she was using the same language of indoctrination to persuade Jang SaPyeong to take charge of the situation.
Jang: Of course! That’s why the General left his memoir to me.
And IK’s trick worked!
Hmmm…Interesting. What’s in it? He looks proud of the fact. Can it be something about the real reason his wife was locked in the Closed Room for ages? Was he talking about the three children?
IK: Memoir?
Jang: I raised all those children myself. It was my duty to correct them if they steered off course in the name of Jeongran Society.
The way he kept talking about “those children” gives me pause. Did he mean the the Won siblings and Park JaeSang? If he did, then he failed to instruct them well, and he should have seen the red flags in their dealings.
If he meant the school, then this is worrisome, too. Although the school was built for a worthy purpose (i.e., uplift the poor), I think the methodology (i.e., indoctrination) is wrong.
3. The makjang IJ’s scene
No one should act like this. No one. Her hysterics annoyed me.
And I couldn’t relate to this either.
Kudos to Kim GoEun for great acting. But in real life, if she did that, I’d tell her to cut it out and get a grip.
One reason I hate makjang dramas is that they normalize such histrionics. These makjang writers make over-the-top reaction and theatrical emotionality look banal.
Awful and sexist writing. Why are men cool under pressure, during depositions, interrogations, and investigations, and even at committing suicide, but women are prone to quivering lips and nervous breakdowns? 😒
4. JongHo
Yes, he’s deus ex machina. He’s the deity of internet googling.
What will IK do without him? He can ferret just about any info she needs.
Remember? He picked up that Blue Orchid at the scene of the car accident and brought it home. He found the book on the Blue Orchid. He set up the interview with the Orchid writer. He got them to interview Jang SaPyeong. He figured out that the Great Aunt’s study had to have a secret room. He was classmate with Choi Doil at Wharton (?) and heard that he was hired by a Russian money-laundering company. He discovered that Choi Sr left property to a son who turned out to be Choi Doil.
Again, he found the missing fur coat online. Lol.
What can’t this guy do? I was always suspicious of him because he was ubiquitous and omnipresent. But as it turns out, he’s just this screenwriter’s convenient deus ex machina.
Lousy writing.
5. Self-defense??
This is the reason that mainstream media should not be in bed with politicians.
“It seems that Candidate Park’s murder may have been in self-defense.”
Seriously, how are the TV host and lead reporter not skewered for making such a ridiculous claim on national tv?
Among other things, the self-defense argument requires proportionality. If A comes after Person B with a pillow, B can’t shoot him five times with his revolver. B is only allowed to use enough force to stop A’s attack. Anything in excess is a crime, not self-defense.
From the tape, Won SangWoo was already shown on the ground with Mr. Park holding the gun. This means that Mr. Park has effectively stopped SangWoo’s attack, and the threat is no longer there. The self-defense argument ends there.
Moreover, when Mr. Park fired the gun and the gun didn’t go off, he realized that the gun had no bullets. He was under no credible threat to begin with.
Sangwoo could be heard laughing and saying, “What now, you bastard. That’s the face I wanted to see. That is you. Your true colors. You always wanted to kill me since the days you used to steal my toys. You’ve never made that face in public, right? The face of a murderer.”
Then, in the second uploaded video, Mr. Park replied, “How do you think I came this far?” After that, he could be heard striking several blows on the supine Sangwon. As he did so, he said, “Do you have any idea how many I had to kill? You were simply lucky to be born into that family. But I had to prove myself. That’s why I am here.”
Sangwon answered, “You’re just like your father. Under my father’s orders, your father hammered people to death and ran them over with cars. He was very obedient like a loyal dog.” Mr. Park kept hitting him (or was it kicking?) a few more times. Then, he picked up a rock and pounded him with it. He knew that bashing Sangwoo with the rock was a faster way to kill than kicking or pummeling him.
Self-defense can’t be argued here. It can be second degree murder because Mr. Park intentionally caused the death without premeditation, or voluntary manslaughter because obviously the two men had a personal issue between them, and the killing is committed after substantial provocation from the victim.
Weak writing.
6. The return of Unnie
Whatever.
Contrived writing.
7. My highlight
I’m ending with the romance. From the very beginning, we knew that Choi Doil will give up everything for InJoo. It was a no-brainer for us.
Ms Go: But if what he said is true, I wonder why he sent you that money. He could have kept it. You don’t think he would give up 70B won for a woman he’s in a “some relationship” with, do you?
Mrs. Park: What nonsense is that? You’re getting on my nerves!
The interesting thing here Ms. Go had been wary of Choi Doil’s intention with the money all along. She raised the same issue with Mr. Park but Mr. Park just laughed it off. To me, it’s interesting because both husband and wife couldn’t see Choi Doil doing such an altruistic thing for any girl. It says a lot about their marriage when they couldn’t see love in action.
Then, while InJoo and her attorney were inside a conference room, her attorney was suddenly “called” away, and Choi Doil walked in.
Should I be surprised that he and the attorney worked this out?
Just a side note here: I just LOVE the little subtle move that Kim GoEun made her to show her annoyance. She blinked her eyes and turned her face away. She didn’t even have to pout or purse her lips like that other actress playing IK.
Choi Doil knew that he was in the doghouse again.
IJ: (sulkily) What was that? Do you think I’m an idiot?
Lol. She didn’t even thank him for his taking the fall for her. She zoomed in on what she found offensive: .that he thought her stupid and treated her like she was stupid.
Choi: Being financially illiterate doesn’t mean you’re an idiot.
IJ: You disappeared without a word, then you showed up out of nowhere and put on a show. That is you treating me like an idiot.
Choi: I’m sorry. Something came up.
IJ: I mean, you’re capable of doing anything. Was it so hard for you to let me know that you’re safe?
Good. Now she was showing concern about him.
Choi: (defensively) You ignored my calls and ignored my messages. I tried to send someone, but you were in solitary confinement.
IJ: (realizing her mistake)
But before he could say what he had come in to say, her attorney walked in to announce that their time was up.
I like this scene because:
a) he allowed her to nag him even when he had something more pressing to tell her.
b) he was cool and unfazed at the stand earlier when questioned about the money-laundering, but he looked flustered when she falsely accused of ignoring her.
c) she expected him to come through for her and he did.
This short scene made up for the misery I had to go through to watch this episode. 🙂