Jack & Joker: U Steal My Heart! Special Episode
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by MelonIceCream2100
This review may contain spoilers
Some questionable plot points, not as good as the main story
I usually don't take special episodes as seriously as their parent series (as most of them are usually fun bonus side stories or re-imagination of the main stories) so while I have some mixed feelings about this special being a sort of continuation, it didn't have a big impact on my enjoyment of the main story (and I can just pretend the special isn't the ultimate "ending" unless they don't make a second season 😢).
𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗹𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱
POSITIVES (for me):
• With a returning cast, the 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆, tho i think the main series is still stronger in that aspect.
- I think Yin (Jack's actor) was able to show more of his acting chops here, especially in one particular scene of him crying alone (i honestly teared up a bit bc i felt bad for him, and i don't cry easily most of the time) as well as during the face-off with Carbon. War (Joke's actor) is still effective as usual, as well as most of the side characters (especially Aran, Tattoo and Hoy)
• 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 in my eyes. While im no expert in that regards, judging as an ordinary viewer i didn't have any complaints.
• 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀 (yay!). I'm a simple bl watcher, I love seeing bl couples being lovey-dovey with each other no matter how cringe or silly they may seem. I needed this sweetness amidst all the action chaos lol.
- I loved that scene with Jack and Joke in the bar, kinda parallels their first time meeting.
- I also like that Jack's family (esp his dad) seem pretty chill about their relationship and all, avoiding unnecessary "disapproving parent" trope.
- I also liked how despite the fortune-teller's not so good prediction about their wedding/relationship as well as some unfortunate events that did end up happening, their love remained strong. Might be cheesy for some, but ugh i love it when bl couples have an unwavering love like this. It's fiction after all and who doesn't like to see a "til death do us part" type of love in their romance stories?
• The 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿. If you stopped watching the episode before the credits, then please watch it again! It gave me some relief after that scene. At least it means this isn't the real ending of it all (right? RIGHT??? Please I hope it's the director/writer's way of telling us "yes we'll make a season 2 cuz we won't let it end that way" 😭)
LESS POSITIVE/MIXED FEELINGS (and some personal gripes):
• 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 (𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲) 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀. I mentioned in my review of the parent series that im kinda used to questionable, melodramatic or cliche plot points from my local telenovelas so those don't bother me too much. But I still couldn't help notice some of them here:
- The proxy(?) wedding. I can see how the idea of using a cardboard Joke for the wedding might look a bit silly for some, but not for me. Without giving too much details, i have seen birthday parties where a life-sized cardboard representation of a deceased loved one is displayed and interacted with as if it was them. It allows those left behind to somehow feel as if their loved one is still there. (for context, im from asia and while it's not some sort of cultural or spiritual norm/tradition, i personally seen this applied irl so it didn't seem too absurd for me).
- However, the event in the episode is a wedding and im not sure if this idea is appropriate for the mood of the occasion. Similar to some comments I've read, im wondering how the "you may kiss" part was done, like did Jack also kiss the cardboard? Or is the whole sequence just an imagination/fantasy/depiction of how it'll look if Joke is present? If i apply enough suspension of disbelief tho, it's quite a touching gesture of their undying love. But I believe not everyone shares the same amount of suspension as i do 😅
• 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻 aka the secondary(?) villain. While I hate his character since the main story, I honestly liked the actor's performance and I don't mind a one-dimensional psycho *sshole villain as long the actor did a good job playing them. However he felt a bit too over-powered and stereotypical for me. Like does that guy even have any weaknesses? Unlike the boss for example, his own greed and overconfidence led to his downfall. I would have liked if we saw a bit more of Carbon as a character, but he ded anyways so eh moving on.
- Speaking of Carbon, I kept wondering if Jack would have been able to save Joke when he and Carbon fell on the water. Unless there was strong currents, couldn't he have dived down to save Joke? How did Joke drown/disappear anyway? I don't remember it being showed in detail. Did he and Carbon struggle and he was overpowered and lost consciousness? (wc may then lead to him "drowning" but eventually being saved/washed away to dry land) Also, how did Carbon die? Compared to Joke, I don't remember him having a gunshot wound. Did he drown to his death? Was Joke somehow able to kill him while in the water? Was he eaten by piranhas lol? Or did I perhaps miss something? Hopefully we'll get some answers if a season 2 is made.
• Everyone (except Jack) seems to move on a bit too fast about Joke's "death". I think this was more of a limited runtime issue, like maybe they could have added more scenes of them mourning for him etc. especially Joke's family.
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
If you want more of Jack and Joke's moments, consider giving it a try. When it came to the acting and production, this special somehow maintains the quality (imo). However, story and plot-wise some questionable decisions were made. And be warned that the ending may not satisfy you. But stay after the credits, there's some hope for a second season (i don't mind how long it takes as long as they improve or regain the quality from the first half of the main series. If it ends up being a sh*tty second season i also won't care as long as i get to see Jack and Joke have a happily ever after 😭 kidding i do hope they give us a quality second season). I gave this an 8 with consideration to my bias towards the main story and the lead couple. Without it, probs a 7 or 7.5
Unrelated side note and personal gripe (not necessarily on this page but an overall observation on MDL): Is it just me or are some MDL reviewers such wackos? Why give low ratings for simply disliking how a story went, having bias against a show/pairing or some petty inter/in fandom fights but not putting into consideration other aspects of a show/movie such as acting, production, music etc.? Is it really okay to rate stuff this way? At least give credit where it is due.
𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗹𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱
POSITIVES (for me):
• With a returning cast, the 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆, tho i think the main series is still stronger in that aspect.
- I think Yin (Jack's actor) was able to show more of his acting chops here, especially in one particular scene of him crying alone (i honestly teared up a bit bc i felt bad for him, and i don't cry easily most of the time) as well as during the face-off with Carbon. War (Joke's actor) is still effective as usual, as well as most of the side characters (especially Aran, Tattoo and Hoy)
• 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 in my eyes. While im no expert in that regards, judging as an ordinary viewer i didn't have any complaints.
• 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀 (yay!). I'm a simple bl watcher, I love seeing bl couples being lovey-dovey with each other no matter how cringe or silly they may seem. I needed this sweetness amidst all the action chaos lol.
- I loved that scene with Jack and Joke in the bar, kinda parallels their first time meeting.
- I also like that Jack's family (esp his dad) seem pretty chill about their relationship and all, avoiding unnecessary "disapproving parent" trope.
- I also liked how despite the fortune-teller's not so good prediction about their wedding/relationship as well as some unfortunate events that did end up happening, their love remained strong. Might be cheesy for some, but ugh i love it when bl couples have an unwavering love like this. It's fiction after all and who doesn't like to see a "til death do us part" type of love in their romance stories?
• The 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿. If you stopped watching the episode before the credits, then please watch it again! It gave me some relief after that scene. At least it means this isn't the real ending of it all (right? RIGHT??? Please I hope it's the director/writer's way of telling us "yes we'll make a season 2 cuz we won't let it end that way" 😭)
LESS POSITIVE/MIXED FEELINGS (and some personal gripes):
• 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 (𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲) 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀. I mentioned in my review of the parent series that im kinda used to questionable, melodramatic or cliche plot points from my local telenovelas so those don't bother me too much. But I still couldn't help notice some of them here:
- The proxy(?) wedding. I can see how the idea of using a cardboard Joke for the wedding might look a bit silly for some, but not for me. Without giving too much details, i have seen birthday parties where a life-sized cardboard representation of a deceased loved one is displayed and interacted with as if it was them. It allows those left behind to somehow feel as if their loved one is still there. (for context, im from asia and while it's not some sort of cultural or spiritual norm/tradition, i personally seen this applied irl so it didn't seem too absurd for me).
- However, the event in the episode is a wedding and im not sure if this idea is appropriate for the mood of the occasion. Similar to some comments I've read, im wondering how the "you may kiss" part was done, like did Jack also kiss the cardboard? Or is the whole sequence just an imagination/fantasy/depiction of how it'll look if Joke is present? If i apply enough suspension of disbelief tho, it's quite a touching gesture of their undying love. But I believe not everyone shares the same amount of suspension as i do 😅
• 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻 aka the secondary(?) villain. While I hate his character since the main story, I honestly liked the actor's performance and I don't mind a one-dimensional psycho *sshole villain as long the actor did a good job playing them. However he felt a bit too over-powered and stereotypical for me. Like does that guy even have any weaknesses? Unlike the boss for example, his own greed and overconfidence led to his downfall. I would have liked if we saw a bit more of Carbon as a character, but he ded anyways so eh moving on.
- Speaking of Carbon, I kept wondering if Jack would have been able to save Joke when he and Carbon fell on the water. Unless there was strong currents, couldn't he have dived down to save Joke? How did Joke drown/disappear anyway? I don't remember it being showed in detail. Did he and Carbon struggle and he was overpowered and lost consciousness? (wc may then lead to him "drowning" but eventually being saved/washed away to dry land) Also, how did Carbon die? Compared to Joke, I don't remember him having a gunshot wound. Did he drown to his death? Was Joke somehow able to kill him while in the water? Was he eaten by piranhas lol? Or did I perhaps miss something? Hopefully we'll get some answers if a season 2 is made.
• Everyone (except Jack) seems to move on a bit too fast about Joke's "death". I think this was more of a limited runtime issue, like maybe they could have added more scenes of them mourning for him etc. especially Joke's family.
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
If you want more of Jack and Joke's moments, consider giving it a try. When it came to the acting and production, this special somehow maintains the quality (imo). However, story and plot-wise some questionable decisions were made. And be warned that the ending may not satisfy you. But stay after the credits, there's some hope for a second season (i don't mind how long it takes as long as they improve or regain the quality from the first half of the main series. If it ends up being a sh*tty second season i also won't care as long as i get to see Jack and Joke have a happily ever after 😭 kidding i do hope they give us a quality second season). I gave this an 8 with consideration to my bias towards the main story and the lead couple. Without it, probs a 7 or 7.5
Unrelated side note and personal gripe (not necessarily on this page but an overall observation on MDL): Is it just me or are some MDL reviewers such wackos? Why give low ratings for simply disliking how a story went, having bias against a show/pairing or some petty inter/in fandom fights but not putting into consideration other aspects of a show/movie such as acting, production, music etc.? Is it really okay to rate stuff this way? At least give credit where it is due.
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