ah you guys keep coming up with super smart readings of the show that I hadn't thought of!!! So much to ponder!
How incredible would it be that for the entirety of the show they brought dysfunction into the relationship for the sake of the character growth and not for the sake of the plot!
I don't like it for them but in terms of character development I think it's a great move that the writers made Sarang hide her true feelings from Won when he asked her if she was okay. We know the ways in which Won has grown since the beginning of the show but so far there didn't seem to be a character growth arc for Sarang, and I think we've finally arrived to it.
Despite Won's insistance that she should let him know when she's upset, Sarang has gotten into the habit of hiding her true feelings to accomodate others - a trait she may have always had but that was certainly aggravated by the nature of her job. We can see it in the last episodes where she seems to be minimizing how upsetting the arranged marriage and leaked photos were to her. Her way of seeing these events may not have been unhealthy but she probably didn't allow herself to feel her emotions fully. She actually seemed more concerned about Won than herself even though she was the most impacted by both events (something her friends pointed out in the last episode). While Won has had to learn that smiling isn't always insincere, Sarang now needs to learn to express her true feelings even when she doesn't feel like smiling. Giving her this character arc makes our couple meet in the middle and I truly love the thought of that. I'm confident they'll move forward with even greater mutual understanding and communication from there!
It's very well thought out, especially since the situation with Sarang is very similar to what happened with his…
Yes, and you can see how much he has grown because had he not learned through Sarang that the workers only put on a smile because they're trying to do their job he would've probably snapped at her like he used to do with Sarang at times.
Hwa Ran is despicable in many ways but ngl I felt for her during the flashback of her youth when it seemed like her dad loved Won more than her. It doesn't excuse her behavior but I kinda understand why she's been acting that way toward him.
Oh oh oh!! I'm loving that the panic disorder comes back without Sa Rang! I mean long term that's not super great…
It's very well thought out, especially since the situation with Sarang is very similar to what happened with his mom. The person he felt closest to disappeared without notice and everybody around him just smiles the incident away and refuses to give him more information. It must have really sent him back to that trauma. Love how they added that to the show.
Please don't shoot yourself. 🙂In my opinion the episodes with the Arab prince and the one in Thailand helped…
I don't think it's 3 episodes, it's more that one episode in Thailand for me. I admit I was a little concerned at that one because yes, we had the other plots to wrap up in a satisfying way and there were only 6 episodes left. It felt needed for the show to go back to them, which is what they did. I also found it a bit weird how Guwon went to Thailand just after he said he wanted to take charge of the hotel and had to work on the 100th anniversary event to prove himself. Maybe they could have written that differently.
My point is I don't think this episode was unnecessary, or that it was a filler episode like some people think. I already said why. It's one of my favorite episodes in the show personally. And it's also probably because I care more about seeing the leads' relationship than the plots around them. I'm actually enjoying the show slightly less now that we are back on track with the rest of the story, which I find interesting because the opposite is true for some people. And as for introducing the mom plot at the beginning of the show, I guess it helped to make the audience understand why Guwon was acting so disapproving toward Sarang and the hotel's ethic at first. Maybe they shouldn't have made it a mystery but only a fact of his life then? I'm not sure it was necessary to introduce this as a plot, but some people would have been upset with the even greater lack of drama lol.
Yesterday's episode acting was so good that I wanted to shoot myself... Now I think what motivated the producers…
Please don't shoot yourself. 🙂
In my opinion the episodes with the Arab prince and the one in Thailand helped consolidate the leads' relationship and the viewers' attachment toward them. They may not have served the story with the hotel and the mother (especially the one in Thailand) but I can't tell you how many times I have found myself not caring for a couple in a romcom precisely because they skipped showing us cute and fluffy scenes like these. At least you agree that the leads' relationship is a plot in itself which doesn't appear to be the case for everyone.
And in case someone out there has that objection, I would agree that there is a way to consolidate two characters' relationship by making them overcome external obstacles together, I love that too when it's well written. I just don't think relationships only deepen through hardships. They also deepen by spending quality time and having fun experiences together, which is what this show is, for the most part, going for here. And they're doing an excellent job at it imo.
I have a question for those of you who have felt bored with the show but are still watching it: are you enjoying the last few episodes more (not necessarily fully, but more) now that there are more hardships befalling the leads and more of the plot with the sister and the mother? I'm genuinely curious.
Fair point. Personally i like being part of the community here and sharing thoughts with everyone after every…
Yes me too. Also I have so many shows to catch up on already (because I'm relatively new to Kdramas), I prefer to binge-watch those in between new releases instead.
Despite Won's insistance that she should let him know when she's upset, Sarang has gotten into the habit of hiding her true feelings to accomodate others - a trait she may have always had but that was certainly aggravated by the nature of her job. We can see it in the last episodes where she seems to be minimizing how upsetting the arranged marriage and leaked photos were to her. Her way of seeing these events may not have been unhealthy but she probably didn't allow herself to feel her emotions fully. She actually seemed more concerned about Won than herself even though she was the most impacted by both events (something her friends pointed out in the last episode). While Won has had to learn that smiling isn't always insincere, Sarang now needs to learn to express her true feelings even when she doesn't feel like smiling. Giving her this character arc makes our couple meet in the middle and I truly love the thought of that. I'm confident they'll move forward with even greater mutual understanding and communication from there!
My point is I don't think this episode was unnecessary, or that it was a filler episode like some people think. I already said why. It's one of my favorite episodes in the show personally. And it's also probably because I care more about seeing the leads' relationship than the plots around them. I'm actually enjoying the show slightly less now that we are back on track with the rest of the story, which I find interesting because the opposite is true for some people. And as for introducing the mom plot at the beginning of the show, I guess it helped to make the audience understand why Guwon was acting so disapproving toward Sarang and the hotel's ethic at first. Maybe they shouldn't have made it a mystery but only a fact of his life then? I'm not sure it was necessary to introduce this as a plot, but some people would have been upset with the even greater lack of drama lol.
In my opinion the episodes with the Arab prince and the one in Thailand helped consolidate the leads' relationship and the viewers' attachment toward them. They may not have served the story with the hotel and the mother (especially the one in Thailand) but I can't tell you how many times I have found myself not caring for a couple in a romcom precisely because they skipped showing us cute and fluffy scenes like these. At least you agree that the leads' relationship is a plot in itself which doesn't appear to be the case for everyone.
And in case someone out there has that objection, I would agree that there is a way to consolidate two characters' relationship by making them overcome external obstacles together, I love that too when it's well written. I just don't think relationships only deepen through hardships. They also deepen by spending quality time and having fun experiences together, which is what this show is, for the most part, going for here. And they're doing an excellent job at it imo.