I'm more interested with the zombie hunting plot. Hahahaha.For a show that is primarily to make us laugh, it's…
Yep!!
They showed the 'norms' of society and expectations of people, and how one is branded this and that just because a person is different. At the same time, even though Haru is a type of person who decided "I don't care about other people's opinions, this is who I am", at the end of the day, he quietly and deeply thinks about these things, and do desire to be accepted for who he is instead of being judged.
In the end, it was revealed that even Dr. Hwang have that desire, unfortunately, he chose the wrong path. While Haru have people around him which gave him what he needs when he needed it (like memories), people who did not give up on him and did not care if he was different.
I wish we live in a society like that. The world would be a better place, and probably we've reached the stars already.
I'm more interested with the zombie hunting plot. Hahahaha.For a show that is primarily to make us laugh, it's…
You're a psychopath! Just kidding. Yep, there are a lot of reasons why a person is can not, or choose not to, or find it hard to connect emotionally. One such is trauma.
For Dr. Shin, his trauma triggers his hidden emotion of fear and anger. But there are people with trauma which resulted into a complete detachment from their emotions.
I'm not saying you have trauma, but there are a lot of reasons. We probably haven't even scratched the surface of what makes a brain extremely logical or emotional, or average balance. (And that's what makes the brain the most curious thing to study, IMO.)
Curious, how many of us started this drama for the main leads? I did it for cha Tae hyun. Wasn't super invested…
Same. Cha Tae Hyun is one of those few actors I knew who would only take on a project if they like it, and they'll do well in it. That's the name he made for himself.
I mean, let's admit it, not every story, not every character, can be played by an actor no matter how great their acting skills and talents are. I'm not saying that it is wrong to take on a project in the name of income, we do need to work after all. Just that, there are actors who are ready to stake their income just to ensure the project they take fits their style and talents.
Cha Tae Hyun is one of those I categorised that way.
(Again, nothing wrong otherwise; especially for actors who are still under complete control of their agency and have little say on which projects they should take.)
Hooking up two people to wires and a computer and making them watch videos and images of distressed people while…
Re: “female detective walking in to the trap when both men are shaking their heads”
I do thought of the same time, but when I placed myself in her shoes, I quickly realised that their shaking heads was them panicking and calling for help.
I think the mistake of that scene was she did not act as a police officer, that is, checking her surroundings.
Then again, it was established early on that she doesn't have field exposure, she was practically a desk Captain. Which is common, if the agency recognises one's skills instead of putting too much emphasis on field work.
So, I think, for her part, it was understandable why she acted that way.
The chief is the one that was definitely weird. He would have known to call for back up during a search, especially when a police officer, and a hired consultant under their care, disappeared, while there is a psychopath. They may not have made the connection at that time, but still, it is something detectives would suspect.
Unless there are things about Korean police agencies that we are not aware of. For example, they probably need a very strong reason to justify calling for back up. For example, they don't consider a missing person's mission unless 48 hours passed. And if that missing person contacted them and told them not to look for them, or they fled, then it is no longer possible for the police force to conduct an investigation… even if the missing person made that call under duress.
Personally, that missing person rule is twisted, especially for a country with one of the world's highest suicide rates. However, it is also understandable. If there is no such rule, then the police force would be obligated to deploy for every missing person's case, and that will put a strain on them, and the force will eventually collapse.
---
For the setup. Well, Dr. Hwang wants to prove his hypothesis, so he has to setup a scenario wherein Dr. Shin would be in the most extreme situation.
From a scientific perspective, if you want to prove something, you have to set the conditions in the most extreme way possible to answer all doubts.
Imagine if Dr. Hwang did not set it up that way, let's say Dr. Hwang's hypothesis ended up correct. There will always be doubt because then, Dr. Shin, and others for that matter, would claim, "well, they weren't in their most damning situation, we need to do more tests".
But, because Dr. Hwang placed Dr. Shin in the worst possible situation, to the point wherein there can be no more doubt, he himself (Dr. Hwang) was surprised when Dr. Shin showed sympathy for the Detective.
Which effectively disproved his hypothesis beyond any reasonable doubt.
And to finally close it, his last attempt was to test himself and Dr. Shin. Since Dr. Shin finally understood what Dr. Hwang wanted from the beginning, Dr. Shin laid down the ultimate question.
Once again, Dr. Hwang was so surprised because his own brain doesn't agree with his own hypothesis. That is the worst thing that can happen to a neuroscientist who believes that we are forever a subject to the limitation of our brain.
To make sure this isn't missed, in case some viewers still missed it, they showed one last scene of Dr. Hwang where he said he can never be wrong. His ultimate experiment, and his final attempt, both failed.
He never wanted to kill the family. If they pass the test, then they can go. Even the other psychopath understood it so well. If they pass, turn-off the valve. That's the deal.
Dr. Hwang is a type of psychopath whose objective is to prove his hypothesis. He will do anything to prove it.
Unfortunately for him, Dr. Shin caught up with his goals and realised how to corner him (by giving him a question his own brain would disagree with).
I'm more interested with the zombie hunting plot. Hahahaha.For a show that is primarily to make us laugh, it's…
I'm more interested with the zombie hunting plot. Hahahaha.
For a show that is primarily to make us laugh, it's a perfect 10.
For the information about brains, a 9. On handling the information about it, it's an 8, again, they did not handle suggestions and hypnotism well.
Also, it is unfortunate that they did not expound on what love is.
One other thing that I think should be mentioned. To the public, I hope you do not assume, or conclude, that people who show less empathy have psychopathic brains. Also, having a psychopathic brain and being a psychopath, are two different things in psychology and neurology. A person can have a psychopathic brain, but not necessarily a psychopath. One can say that, “all psychopaths have a psychopathic brain, but not all psychopathic people are psychopaths”.
It is also well-known that a genius and a psychopath are simply two-sides of the same coin. That coin is having a psychopathic brain. Then again, not everyone who have psychopathic brain are geniuses either.
In other words, do not assume nor conclude anything.
For example, many autistic people, like myself, are detached from our emotions. If there is bird watching, we have what we call people watching. Because we have to regularly watch people to understand social necessities and all that stuff. In addition, many of us can not read facial expressions, and thus, can not express our emotions through our face. But it does not necessarily mean we are lacking emotions and empathy.
I hope, no one will assume, and conclude, that many autistic have psychopathic brains just because we do not show emotions and empathy. I was like Dr. Shin in the last episode, I don't know what to feel and how to react to those videos and photos. When the Detective tried to explain “compassion”, it didn't make sense to me. I know the word “compassion” and all the meanings that come with it, but I can not relate to it. I understand it intellectually and that's it.
Do I not feel compassion? I did, and I do, but only in very specific scenarios. And again, that's just me. It doesn't mean every other autistic is the same. Nor does it mean I have a psychopathic brain.
Then again, I have a desire to open people up because I want to see a live human body exposed that way. You know, like in an operating table. Maybe I do have a psychopathic brain? If so, then are OR doctors psychopathic?
See what I did there? (Ironically, there are psychopaths who do open people up for intellectual reasons, I think we also had one or two TV series around that plot.)
Hold on. Come to think of it, my number two childhood dream was to become a neuroscientist (a scientist who studies the brain/neuroscience). (note: Someone who operates on brains is called a neurosurgeon; and someone who studies mental illnesses is called a neurologist.)
Yes, like Dr. Shin and Dr. Hwang. So, perhaps, I have a psychopathic brain! MWAHAHAHA.
Okay, kidding aside. Do you see how we shouldn't assume and conclude that someone has a psychopathic brain just because? To start, I am autistic, in other words, I do have specific interests other than neurologically disconnected from my emotions and empathy. My brain is literally wired differently, so I think differently and see things from a different perspective.
It is not surprising that I am showing similarities with what this particular show (and other dramas for that matter) defines as a psychopath, or a person with a psychopathic brain. However, there is more to a psychopathic brain and psychopaths, that, believe it or not, will clearly show how different their brains are from an autistic brain. We may be showing __observable__ similarities, but neurologically, we diverge greatly.
So, for the nth time, I do hope no one would use what they've learned through this show as a way to identify, or categorised people, especially strangers. A friendly reminder, as always, fiction is half-fact half-fiction, that's what makes a good TV/film story. And K-drama writers are very good at it, compared to Western writers whose objective is to get ratings and make money for their 'bosses'.
The facial expressions are similar, and the shape of the face as well. It's just hard to nail if it was him because he only made an impression to me in Dr. Romantic S2. I remember him in Ghost Doctor, but not much of an impression.
Also, his role here is far different from his serious characters.
There are spoilers because it is what this show is about.
…
Final warning. Spoilers.
…
…
As the title says, “Strangers Again”, so you shouldn't be surprised what the story is about: break-up.
This is a very rare topic in TV series, after all, who wants to be reminded of their painful memories? Thus, I applaud the entire team for taking on this project even though there is risk it may, or may not, become a success, maybe forgotten after a few months.
However, it is important to note that there are lessons in this story, and here are some of it:
1. Love is not as simple as we assume it to be.
2. People are unique.
3. Relationships are not easy to handle.
4. Yes, break-ups are painful, but how you handle it defines if you are a mature adult.
5. Moving on is not about hating each other, not wanting to see each other's shadows, rather it is about if you can become “Strangers Again”.
Another winning aspect of this show. It is rare to see the Second Leads end up happy and the Main Leads go on their separate ways. In many stories, not only K-dramas but in other countries as well, the title points to one thing then still end up with “they happily live ever after”.
This show? The title is what it is about, “Strangers Again”. Huge plus for me.
If you want to learn something about life, love, relationships, breaking-up, and moving on, then put this show in your list. However, if you are looking for a fantasy, this is not it.
Wow, I can't believe they showed in a TV drama how to plant suggestions in a person, without properly explaining the dangers about it. That was very careless and irresponsible of them.
I don't know. As far as the three-body problem is concerned, it makes it hard scifi. The three-body issue is real,…
Re: Flying daggers, at least in Tencent's adaptation, no, nothing much was explained about it other than it's nano technology. In the book, not sure. But since the novel was written in 2008, I wouldn't hope much about it having explained nano technology, other than the basics, probably more fiction.
The universe flickering, yeah, that one is totally fiction. I agree with the scientist, if the universe does flicker that way, the universe is dying, LOL.
Although, I think it was also faked even in the story, probably produced by the satellite of Evans. Or, they hacked all the other satellites, thus creating a global phenomenon which allowed all other observation stations to witness it.
The radiation affecting only a small area is possible. I think they implied that they tested everyone, and those below a certain threshold were given free rein to walk, or go to prison. However, if they did not imply that, then that was a very weird SOP. If there's a radiation leak, everyone has to be tested first.
What's questionable is a small-size nuke. I'm not too sure any military even bothered developing a small-size nuke. Not even terrorists. AFAIK, small-size nukes are only seen in fiction. It's doable, but I'm not sure if anyone even bothered creating one. They (military and policies) all love a MOAB instead. (Then again, I'm glad no one bothered, the scariest thing is seeing small-size nukes sold in the underground.)
> you can't simply sit next to a radioactive patient and cut apples for them
No idea. Hehe. If I will take a guess, the Captain was probably no longer radioactive. We actually use small doses of radioactive materials in hospitals. Considered generally safe because they maintain it at a certain level, which doesn't make a person radioactive.
So, just a guess, the Captain was probably no longer radioactive. Unfortunately, his massive dosage of radiation already damaged his cells.
1 
They showed the 'norms' of society and expectations of people, and how one is branded this and that just because a person is different. At the same time, even though Haru is a type of person who decided "I don't care about other people's opinions, this is who I am", at the end of the day, he quietly and deeply thinks about these things, and do desire to be accepted for who he is instead of being judged.
In the end, it was revealed that even Dr. Hwang have that desire, unfortunately, he chose the wrong path. While Haru have people around him which gave him what he needs when he needed it (like memories), people who did not give up on him and did not care if he was different.
I wish we live in a society like that. The world would be a better place, and probably we've reached the stars already.
For Dr. Shin, his trauma triggers his hidden emotion of fear and anger. But there are people with trauma which resulted into a complete detachment from their emotions.
I'm not saying you have trauma, but there are a lot of reasons. We probably haven't even scratched the surface of what makes a brain extremely logical or emotional, or average balance. (And that's what makes the brain the most curious thing to study, IMO.)
---
Walang anuman! ^_^
I mean, let's admit it, not every story, not every character, can be played by an actor no matter how great their acting skills and talents are. I'm not saying that it is wrong to take on a project in the name of income, we do need to work after all. Just that, there are actors who are ready to stake their income just to ensure the project they take fits their style and talents.
Cha Tae Hyun is one of those I categorised that way.
(Again, nothing wrong otherwise; especially for actors who are still under complete control of their agency and have little say on which projects they should take.)
I do thought of the same time, but when I placed myself in her shoes, I quickly realised that their shaking heads was them panicking and calling for help.
I think the mistake of that scene was she did not act as a police officer, that is, checking her surroundings.
Then again, it was established early on that she doesn't have field exposure, she was practically a desk Captain. Which is common, if the agency recognises one's skills instead of putting too much emphasis on field work.
So, I think, for her part, it was understandable why she acted that way.
The chief is the one that was definitely weird. He would have known to call for back up during a search, especially when a police officer, and a hired consultant under their care, disappeared, while there is a psychopath. They may not have made the connection at that time, but still, it is something detectives would suspect.
Unless there are things about Korean police agencies that we are not aware of. For example, they probably need a very strong reason to justify calling for back up. For example, they don't consider a missing person's mission unless 48 hours passed. And if that missing person contacted them and told them not to look for them, or they fled, then it is no longer possible for the police force to conduct an investigation… even if the missing person made that call under duress.
Personally, that missing person rule is twisted, especially for a country with one of the world's highest suicide rates. However, it is also understandable. If there is no such rule, then the police force would be obligated to deploy for every missing person's case, and that will put a strain on them, and the force will eventually collapse.
---
For the setup. Well, Dr. Hwang wants to prove his hypothesis, so he has to setup a scenario wherein Dr. Shin would be in the most extreme situation.
From a scientific perspective, if you want to prove something, you have to set the conditions in the most extreme way possible to answer all doubts.
Imagine if Dr. Hwang did not set it up that way, let's say Dr. Hwang's hypothesis ended up correct. There will always be doubt because then, Dr. Shin, and others for that matter, would claim, "well, they weren't in their most damning situation, we need to do more tests".
But, because Dr. Hwang placed Dr. Shin in the worst possible situation, to the point wherein there can be no more doubt, he himself (Dr. Hwang) was surprised when Dr. Shin showed sympathy for the Detective.
Which effectively disproved his hypothesis beyond any reasonable doubt.
And to finally close it, his last attempt was to test himself and Dr. Shin. Since Dr. Shin finally understood what Dr. Hwang wanted from the beginning, Dr. Shin laid down the ultimate question.
Once again, Dr. Hwang was so surprised because his own brain doesn't agree with his own hypothesis. That is the worst thing that can happen to a neuroscientist who believes that we are forever a subject to the limitation of our brain.
To make sure this isn't missed, in case some viewers still missed it, they showed one last scene of Dr. Hwang where he said he can never be wrong. His ultimate experiment, and his final attempt, both failed.
He never wanted to kill the family. If they pass the test, then they can go. Even the other psychopath understood it so well. If they pass, turn-off the valve. That's the deal.
Dr. Hwang is a type of psychopath whose objective is to prove his hypothesis. He will do anything to prove it.
Unfortunately for him, Dr. Shin caught up with his goals and realised how to corner him (by giving him a question his own brain would disagree with).
For a show that is primarily to make us laugh, it's a perfect 10.
For the information about brains, a 9. On handling the information about it, it's an 8, again, they did not handle suggestions and hypnotism well.
Also, it is unfortunate that they did not expound on what love is.
One other thing that I think should be mentioned. To the public, I hope you do not assume, or conclude, that people who show less empathy have psychopathic brains. Also, having a psychopathic brain and being a psychopath, are two different things in psychology and neurology. A person can have a psychopathic brain, but not necessarily a psychopath. One can say that, “all psychopaths have a psychopathic brain, but not all psychopathic people are psychopaths”.
It is also well-known that a genius and a psychopath are simply two-sides of the same coin. That coin is having a psychopathic brain. Then again, not everyone who have psychopathic brain are geniuses either.
In other words, do not assume nor conclude anything.
For example, many autistic people, like myself, are detached from our emotions. If there is bird watching, we have what we call people watching. Because we have to regularly watch people to understand social necessities and all that stuff. In addition, many of us can not read facial expressions, and thus, can not express our emotions through our face. But it does not necessarily mean we are lacking emotions and empathy.
I hope, no one will assume, and conclude, that many autistic have psychopathic brains just because we do not show emotions and empathy. I was like Dr. Shin in the last episode, I don't know what to feel and how to react to those videos and photos. When the Detective tried to explain “compassion”, it didn't make sense to me. I know the word “compassion” and all the meanings that come with it, but I can not relate to it. I understand it intellectually and that's it.
Do I not feel compassion? I did, and I do, but only in very specific scenarios. And again, that's just me. It doesn't mean every other autistic is the same. Nor does it mean I have a psychopathic brain.
Then again, I have a desire to open people up because I want to see a live human body exposed that way. You know, like in an operating table. Maybe I do have a psychopathic brain? If so, then are OR doctors psychopathic?
See what I did there? (Ironically, there are psychopaths who do open people up for intellectual reasons, I think we also had one or two TV series around that plot.)
Hold on. Come to think of it, my number two childhood dream was to become a neuroscientist (a scientist who studies the brain/neuroscience). (note: Someone who operates on brains is called a neurosurgeon; and someone who studies mental illnesses is called a neurologist.)
Yes, like Dr. Shin and Dr. Hwang. So, perhaps, I have a psychopathic brain! MWAHAHAHA.
Okay, kidding aside. Do you see how we shouldn't assume and conclude that someone has a psychopathic brain just because? To start, I am autistic, in other words, I do have specific interests other than neurologically disconnected from my emotions and empathy. My brain is literally wired differently, so I think differently and see things from a different perspective.
It is not surprising that I am showing similarities with what this particular show (and other dramas for that matter) defines as a psychopath, or a person with a psychopathic brain. However, there is more to a psychopathic brain and psychopaths, that, believe it or not, will clearly show how different their brains are from an autistic brain. We may be showing __observable__ similarities, but neurologically, we diverge greatly.
So, for the nth time, I do hope no one would use what they've learned through this show as a way to identify, or categorised people, especially strangers. A friendly reminder, as always, fiction is half-fact half-fiction, that's what makes a good TV/film story. And K-drama writers are very good at it, compared to Western writers whose objective is to get ratings and make money for their 'bosses'.
Anyway, I think I got off-topic there. LOL.
For a show that is primarily to make us laugh, it's a perfect 10.
The facial expressions are similar, and the shape of the face as well. It's just hard to nail if it was him because he only made an impression to me in Dr. Romantic S2. I remember him in Ghost Doctor, but not much of an impression.
Also, his role here is far different from his serious characters.
^_^
Majority of people in the world give great advises to other people, but can not apply those same advises to themselves. ;)
There are spoilers because it is what this show is about.
…
Final warning. Spoilers.
…
…
As the title says, “Strangers Again”, so you shouldn't be surprised what the story is about: break-up.
This is a very rare topic in TV series, after all, who wants to be reminded of their painful memories? Thus, I applaud the entire team for taking on this project even though there is risk it may, or may not, become a success, maybe forgotten after a few months.
However, it is important to note that there are lessons in this story, and here are some of it:
1. Love is not as simple as we assume it to be.
2. People are unique.
3. Relationships are not easy to handle.
4. Yes, break-ups are painful, but how you handle it defines if you are a mature adult.
5. Moving on is not about hating each other, not wanting to see each other's shadows, rather it is about if you can become “Strangers Again”.
Another winning aspect of this show. It is rare to see the Second Leads end up happy and the Main Leads go on their separate ways. In many stories, not only K-dramas but in other countries as well, the title points to one thing then still end up with “they happily live ever after”.
This show? The title is what it is about, “Strangers Again”. Huge plus for me.
If you want to learn something about life, love, relationships, breaking-up, and moving on, then put this show in your list. However, if you are looking for a fantasy, this is not it.
The universe flickering, yeah, that one is totally fiction. I agree with the scientist, if the universe does flicker that way, the universe is dying, LOL.
Although, I think it was also faked even in the story, probably produced by the satellite of Evans. Or, they hacked all the other satellites, thus creating a global phenomenon which allowed all other observation stations to witness it.
The radiation affecting only a small area is possible. I think they implied that they tested everyone, and those below a certain threshold were given free rein to walk, or go to prison. However, if they did not imply that, then that was a very weird SOP. If there's a radiation leak, everyone has to be tested first.
What's questionable is a small-size nuke. I'm not too sure any military even bothered developing a small-size nuke. Not even terrorists. AFAIK, small-size nukes are only seen in fiction. It's doable, but I'm not sure if anyone even bothered creating one. They (military and policies) all love a MOAB instead. (Then again, I'm glad no one bothered, the scariest thing is seeing small-size nukes sold in the underground.)
> you can't simply sit next to a radioactive patient and cut apples for them
No idea. Hehe. If I will take a guess, the Captain was probably no longer radioactive. We actually use small doses of radioactive materials in hospitals. Considered generally safe because they maintain it at a certain level, which doesn't make a person radioactive.
So, just a guess, the Captain was probably no longer radioactive. Unfortunately, his massive dosage of radiation already damaged his cells.