Miss Ripley: Episode 14

164 July 12, 2011January 24, 2016

by javabeans

The shit, it meets the fan, and for more than one person. I do appreciate the speed with which this drama blows the lid off of all its secrets, letting us speed past the inevitable angsting about whether they’ll be revealed (’cause we know they will) and head straight for the fallout. It’s an episode of revelations — for those Miri has swindled, as well as Miri herself, and that ever-present spoiler, The Media.

SONG OF THE DAY

Shin Hye-sung – “조금 더 가까이” (A little closer) [ Download ]

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EPISODE 14 RECAP

Miri runs away sobbing, clutching the photos dug up by Lee Hwa. Yoo-hyun chases her out after seeing his stepmother leaving, too late to stop her from leaving in a taxi.

The next morning, Yoo-hyun gives Lee Hwa the cold shoulder on his way to meet a contact who has information about Kim Jung-soon, aka Miri’s birth mother. It’s a manager at the bank, who confirms (while bending a dozen rules, I’m sure) that after a long period of inactivity, her account has had recent transactions. He’s unable to give Yoo-hyun any contact information, but Yoo-hyun thanks him for his help.

At the same time, Lee Hwa goes to her deposit box and takes her passport and documents with her. She’s called back at the last minute — when she’s just a few steps away from Yoo-hyun, whom she misses seeing — to sign something she’d missed. He recognizes the name and freezes. Dun dun dun!

Turning, he sees Lee Hwa clearly, answering to the name Kim Jung-soon, and the realization hits him. I guess it’s better that he learned before the wedding that his fiancee is his stepmother’s daughter, eh?

Hee-joo gets her ten seconds of screentime in this episode, but she may as well be absent because she’s just sharing screen space with Miri, who’s the focus of the scene: Prosecutors arrive to take her in for questioning. Miri has been slapped with a lawsuit for forgery and obstruction of business. The plaintiff? Hankook University.

Hee-joo calls Chul-jin in a panic, who relays the news to Yoo-hyun. To Chul-jin’s surprise, Yoo-hyun isn’t taken aback — in fact, he’d been expecting the other shoe to drop, although he wasn’t sure what form that would take.

Chul-jin takes him to task for not swooping in to do damage control the minute he knew, because this is about to get very ugly for him and the company. Yoo-hyun bites back that he could barely process the truth himself, much less know what to do with it.

Lee Hwa bites off Myung-hoon’s head for letting this happen, after he’d promised to take care of the Miri situation quietly. Oh, but how I wish it were his vindictiveness (or just plain hurt) driving him to aid the lawsuit. Instead, he apologizes for being unable to persuade his colleagues to back down. Sigh. I guess everyone’s determined to fight for Miri till the bitter end, even as their enabling actions are what allowed things to progress so far. In this way, she’s the perfect example of a femme fatale, bringing men to ruin with her siren call, even as they know full well what they’re doing and insist upon continuing.

Lee Hwa tells him ominously that his job is on the line. Myung-hoon has some spine, though (yay!) and says firmly that his relationship with Miri was his own personal matter, and that he is working to address this problem.

This meeting is interrupted with the news that Yoo-hyun has sent their lawyer to the prosecutor’s office to aid Miri, which effectively links Mondo with her. Something Stepmom will not stand for. She bursts into Yoo-hyun’s office to tell him to butt out of Miri’s business, because associating with her will ruin the company’s image.

Yoo-hyun bursts out that he can’t leave Miri to face this alone, then concedes that now he understands why Lee Hwa so fiercely opposed their marriage. She doesn’t care to hear his reasons, but he insists upon telling her, saying she must know.

A nervous Miri is questioned by a prosecutor — cameo by Eom Ki-joon! — because the school has discovered that her credentials are faked. He asks if she admits to the forgery, citing the year and a half of prison time she’ll be facing. Mention of incarceration triggers her self-preservation mode, and Miri falls back on her lies, insisting that the lawsuit has it wrong.

The sharp prosecutor doesn’t buy her protestations of innocence, and asks specific questions that poke holes in her assertion, such as whether her diploma was issued directly from the school. Flustered, she stammers, “Well — that — no, internet — no, fax —” before she stops herself.

Then, it’s like she slips into a trance-like state as her composure asserts itself, and Miri says calmly that she did in fact graduate from Tokyo U. She’s retreated behind her wall of safety and self-denial, to such an extent that I’d bet she’d even pass a polygraph. Chills, I swear. It’s like she’s hypnotized herself into believing this as truth.

She adds that she’s about to marry the Mondo Group heir, saying intensely, “These truths do not change. They must not change.” Then, crying, “I’m not an orphan.”

With the timely arrival of Mondo’s Lawyer Kang, Miri’s able to get herself released, and goes home.

Yoo-hyun meets with his father’s aide seeking answers about this mother-daughter mystery. He learns that the lie (about Lee Hwa being unmarried and childless) began because Yoo-hyun’s paternal grandmother had necessitated it. With a young grandson to think of, she had strongly opposed the idea of her son’s new wife bringing a child of her own into the marriage.

Ooh. Interesting. This means Yoo-hyun is the reason for Miri’s abandonment, at least on one level. We’re not about to forget that it’s really the horrible mother’s responsibility for ditching her child. But Yoo-hyun makes the connection, saying, “Then it was because of me…”

The aide confirms that his father had known of Lee Hwa’s past, but had been so in love with her that he’d participated in the cover-up, helping her change her identity with the aid of a convenient, identity-laundering trip to the States. Wow. What a massively assy thing for Dad to do. It’s one thing not to have known and then covered it up. It’s quite another for him to not only condone the act, but proactively help her to act despicably.

Ergo: disillusionment. Yoo-hyun’s hurt to realize that his father was part of this, and one of the architects of Miri’s misery.

Yoo-hyun goes to Miri’s old, rundown apartment and thinks of young Miri playing there as a child. He imagines the scene unfolding of the day Kim Jung-soon left her family so she could join his.

He pictures Little Miri walking by him, stepping right through his reflection in a puddle. (Symbolism! She shatters his view of himself, upside-down and fragile and fraught.)

Yoo-hyun imagines kneeling to speak with Little Miri just after her abandonment, talking to her simultaneously like she’s the 9-year-old and the present-day Miri, asking if she’s missed her mother and gone through a lot of pain since then. Voice trembling, he takes her hand and asks what he ought to do about her: “What can I do to receive forgiveness for all the wrongs you’ve faced?”

Aw, this is so sadly moving. Yoo-hyun fights tears of pity and guilt, but Little Miri shakes her head and smiles, saying he’s done nothing wrong, and that she’ll be fine if she just meets her mother. “If my mother returns, everything ought to change. Then, I’ll be able to study, and go back to school, and I won’t have to go back to the orphanage.”

So it turns out she’s the one to tell him not to cry, assuring him that everything will be okay. She says he seems like a good man, and walks away, leaving him staring into the distance after his mirage.

Lee Hwa shows up at Miri’s door that evening, presenting her with a plane ticket and cash. Icily, she tells Miri there’s no reason for her to call her “Mother” anymore.

Miri asks sadly, “Did you hate me that much?” She explains that Lee Hwa was the first person she’d ever wanted to call Mother after being abandoned by her own. Lee Hwa says coolly that it’s because of Yoo-hyun, not her, and leaves with a wholly insincere, “It was nice to meet you.”

Miri has a fitful sleep that night, mumbling for her mother while clutching her pendant.

Hee-joo digs in her heels when Chul-jin asks her to make a statement against Miri. She argues that while she’d once agreed with his stance that Miri’s lies merit punishment, now she isn’t so sure. “Is Miri solely to blame?” Asked the enabler.

Yoo-hyun works up the nerve to ask his father about Kim Jung-soon, and Dad’s face falls as he realize it’s time to come clean. He explains with a heavy sigh that everything was the result of his own greed. After learning that the woman he’d fallen for had a child, he’d tried to get over her, but couldn’t.

Yoo-hyun says that he can understand that much, because he knows love isn’t something you can control. “But what about that child? Because of your greed, and mother’s greed, that child lost her parent and suffered — what about her, Father?”

Yoo-hyun asks why his father didn’t search for the child — he should have done that much. Dad recognizes his own folly, and admits, “I just hoped she’d be okay.” Not a good enough answer. Not for us, or for Yoo-hyun.

Dad says he learned of the girl’s father dying much later, and her adoption. He thought tracking her down would be an easy matter, but that making contact would shake Lee Hwa’s resolve to stay with him.

Now Yoo-hyun makes the shocking revelation: “That was Miri.”

Back to the orphanage he goes, asking the nun to help him in meeting Miri’s mother.

News breaks of Miri’s lawsuit, bringing a swarm of reporters to Hotel A. Lee Hwa gives a press conference to “clarify” facts, announcing that the engagement between Miri and Yoo-hyun has already been called off, and that they are considering taking legal matters against Miri for damaging their company’s name.

Essentially, she distances Mondo Group the hell away from the scandal, heaping the burden on Miri’s shoulders as her personal, individual matter. Miri understands that she’s been thrown to the wolves as she watches this unfold, alone.

Lee Hwa meets with her (and the president’s) trusted aide, handing over Kim Jung-soon’s passport and identification, asking him to “take care of it.” She says she’s held onto the papers (and her identity) for too long, which I suppose we can interpret to mean that despite her icy-bitch exterior, there’s a part of her that wanted to retain a connection to her previous life and to her child.

The aide tells her that a request has come from her daughter (or rather, her daughter’s “people”) to meet her mother. Lee Hwa immediately refuses, horrified at the idea, saying that there’s no way she can meet that child.

Myung-hoon tells Yoo-hyun of his intention to turn himself over to the prosecutors’ office tomorrow, having deemed it time for him to give up his place in the hotel. He presents his formal resignation, which Yoo-hyun says he cannot accept if the reason for his decision is Miri. He argues that Miri is an employee of the hotel, and therefore Myung-hoon can’t martyr himself to take responsibility for this on his own.

Myung-hoon agrees to help Yoo-hyun, but points out that it’ll be more difficult if he remains in his position, and asks him to let him take on this burden. The result: Another media flurry as the press catches wind of Myung-hoon’s role in the scandal, and the juicy gossip about his personal relationship with her.

Holed up at home, Miri watches this on television in alarm, remembering his words about being the one to turn her into this person.

Hirayama shows up at her door and demands entry, then starts packing Miri’s bags. He tells her it’s time to go, anticipating that arrest warrants are probably on the horizon for both her and Myung-hoon.

Miri refuses, arguing when he calls her crazy, declaring her immense regrets over not rejecting his advances from the very start: “But you want me to follow you back to hell?” She blames him, saying she would never have turned out this way if not for him. Ah, now that’s the Miri we know, always ready to pin responsibility for her foibles on a man in her life. Hirayama says as much, countering, “You made the choice yourself.”

She begs him to leave her be, screaming that she hates him. Aw, is it twisted that I feel sorry for the badass pimp/host? He backs off, telling her he’ll leave her today, but warns that time’s a-tickin’: “Those bastards can’t save you. You know who can save you? Hirayama.”

Myung-hoon is questioned about Miri, and confirms the story — the meeting in the street, the hiring, the visa extension, the recent revelation of her forged diploma. The prosecutor reviews the facts, then cuts to the chase: “Then isn’t it really you who made Jang Miri into this?” Et tu, prosecutor? Will you absolve Miri of a full load of guilt as well? Good lord, what does it take for the men in this drama to pin the blame on the one who pulled the trigger, rather than the one who told her to shoot? There’s complicity, and there’s responsibility. Two different things.

The skeptical prosecutor finds the story of Miri’s upward mobility preposterous, and proposes that none of this is likely if the two hadn’t had a personal relationship.

Deciding to confront her past, Miri takes a bus out of town, leaving behind a goodbye letter to Yoo-hyun:

Miri: “I’m sorry, Yoo-hyun-sshi. I’ve thought long and hard about what I should say or do. All I can think to say is ‘I’m sorry.’ It was after meeting you that I first understood what happiness was. I learned about love daily. But I also grew more tormented, the more I felt happiness. But I couldn’t turn back — I’d come too far. Where did I go wrong? Everyone thinks that everything sprang from my greed, and I regret everything. But can I really not turn things back now? Was I always this kind of person? You may not believe it, but I want to recover my youthful self — no, my real self — so I’m leaving. I was happy. Receiving respect, love, and recognition for the first time in my life — if not for you, such a thing would have been impossible. Thank you. Sincerely, I thank you. And although I don’t have a right to these words… I love you.”

Back in Seoul, more news breaks, and this is the big one: Miri’s past life as bar hostess surfaces and is plastered all over the news, with tarty photos to add to the salacious factor. The furor is compounded by the existing scandal of her falsified identity, as well as her elevated profile as the Mondo heir’s ex-fiancée.

Miri arrives at the orphanage to retrace her roots…just as Lee Hwa also arrives, battling her own fears. She’s been called here by the nun, per Yoo-hyun’s request.

Lee Hwa is given a box of old letters, written by a young Miri over the years after her adoption. The nun confirms that Miri never recognized that she was an orphan, which is supported by the contents of the letters that Lee Hwa reads. (“You might go looking for me at the orphanage but I’ll be here. What do I do?” and “I’ll find a way to return to Korea” are among the sentiments expressed.) Miri had continued to send letters to the orphanage through middle school, asking whether her mother had come back for her.

This is too much for her nerves, and Lee Hwa trembles and tears up. Desperate to get away, she tries to leave, though the nun tries to keep her until her daughter’s fiancé arrives, arguing that this isn’t God’s will. Crying, Lee Hwa admits that she wants to meet her daughter, but can’t.

After waiting for some time for the nun to come meet her, Miri heads over to the main chapel in search of her. She arrives in front just as Yoo-hyun does, rounding the opposite corner, and they both stop short upon spotting the other.

Both are startled to see the other here, but their attention is diverted by the voices sounding from just inside the chapel doors. Yoo-hyun steps closer and recognizes Lee Hwa, and she stares back at him in shock, asking, “What are you doing here, son?”

The nun looks at them in surprise — wait, the fiancé is the son? Ohh, brings new meaning to the phrase “not God’s will,” doesn’t it?

The pieces start to fall into place for Lee Hwa, as she registers that the nun recognizes Yoo-hyun as her daughter’s fiancé…

…just as Miri steps forward, and into view. And then the realization hits like a ton of very anguished, painfully ironic bricks.

COMMENTS

Woohoo, the secrets are out! Every time we’ve had a big secret move into place, I’d been wary of the drawn-out angst that would surely accompany its slow, torturous exposure, so it’s great that we get right to the point. It’s a relief.

I admit I was not a huge fan of the birth secret, just because I feel like this drama could have been sustained without such a familiar makjang convention. But given that it’s here, I like what they did with it today, in giving Yoo-hyun that added burden of guilt in realizing that his family had a part in making Miri into the person she is today — if not a monster, then at least the desperate, morals-bending, selfish manipulator we know her to be.

It seemed for a while that they would give Yoo-hyun’s and Myung-hoon’s characters a darker twist upon their discovery of Miri’s lies. I was looking forward to that and therefore kind of bummed that they barely went there, but at least this direction takes Yoo-hyun out of simple victim territory. I don’t think for a second that Yoo-hyun has anything he ought to feel responsible for — he can pity Miri, but he’s not responsible for his father’s cowardice or Lee Hwa’s cold abandonment — but this is a K-drama, where sins of the father are transferred to the son, at least on an emotional/psychological level. Especially knowing the tidbit that Grandma insisted upon her arbitrary daughter-in-law criteria for his benefit.

And it’s not like the drama doesn’t know that — it’s certainly not piling the blame on his head, and Little Miri even tells him he’s got nothing to feel bad about. Speaking of which, the scene with Yoo-hyun and Young Miri is my favorite scene in the episode, and probably the whole drama, because it’s such a heartbreaking way to express Yoo-hyun’s sorrow over having a hand in Miri’s misery. It’s also lovely the way he speaks to her as a little girl, but as though she’s already been through her adult tribulations. He sees pain in that girl’s future and is helpless to prevent it, because it’s already happened.

164

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1 Tha

July 12, 2011 at 8:32 PM

I've been refreshing since 9AM this morning!!!! YAY!!!

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rB

July 12, 2011 at 9:23 PM

lol! Same :D

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2 Tha

July 12, 2011 at 8:33 PM

Breathe. Now I can read with pleasure!!!

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3 ck1Oz

July 12, 2011 at 8:35 PM

Thank you so much.
I gave up and actually watched the ending for ep 13 and read the spoilers for ep 14.

This series is gripping by recaps alone.I have no idea how you guys take the suspense and who to cheer for each week.

Can't believe it but am actually feeling sorry for Miri this time round.She could have done things differently but it still doesn't negate the terrible experiences that she had.Poor kid.

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4 jane088

July 12, 2011 at 8:36 PM

thank you so much!! what an INTENSE EPISODE!!

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5 Dalena

July 12, 2011 at 8:48 PM

FUUUUCKKKKKK! NOW I CAN'T WAIT FOR NEXT WEEK!!! >:O

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lishuys

July 13, 2011 at 10:20 AM

lol:)

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Joanne

July 13, 2011 at 2:47 PM

I always can't wait for next week, haha.

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6 laya

July 12, 2011 at 8:48 PM

Wow! Thanks for the recap!

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7 sb

July 12, 2011 at 8:50 PM

WOWZERS. Thank you!

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8 nonski

July 12, 2011 at 8:53 PM

thanks so much, this is really an awesome episode!

i'm so anticipating every episode that is coming out.

can't wait for next week.

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nonski

July 12, 2011 at 10:08 PM

*sighs* i cried on the last scene! with Miri facing the shoched Lee Hwa

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9 Noelle

July 12, 2011 at 9:00 PM

Yes its up!

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10 ...

July 12, 2011 at 9:06 PM

thanks for the recap! now going to go watch... hehe. couldn't resist!

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11 Betsy

July 12, 2011 at 9:09 PM

Love that all the secrets are finally out! Can't wait to see how it all ends next week.

What happened with Hee-Joo's character?? She was great at the beginning of the drama and then just faded away. I thought she was going to be a great rival against Miri and a potential love interest for Yoo-Hyun, but it seems like they just stopped writing any story for her character. Such a shame.

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Maho

July 12, 2011 at 10:21 PM

Great pacing on part of the drama writers...

But still I hope Kang Hye Jin got a sweet deal to be part of Miss Ripley...Seriously I haven't seen any other drama where one of the leads just disappears into thin air. Majorly underused, totally wasted.

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12 purplemay

July 12, 2011 at 9:12 PM

gosh.. been waiting for this~ thank you so much!

Yoochun's emotional scene with the young Miri is my favorite as well...
The scene is so well executed and so heartbreaking... I even shed a tear though i didn't understand when i watched it...
Yoochun's acting in that scene is so great... he has really matured a lot. <3

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13 La fureur et l'horreur de Jacqueline...

July 12, 2011 at 9:14 PM

@javabeans
I see that you love to use French so just wanted to let you know something:

"Et tu [...]" is incorrect and means absolutely nothing.
I think you wanted to say, "And, you" BUT w/ an informal pronoun, "Et, toi [...]". Since you're not familiar w/ this character/person, you have to use a formal pronoun, "Et, vous"

Example (quoting an exerpt of your recap where the mistake was made):

“Then isn’t it really you who made Jang Miri into this?” ET, VOUS prosecutor? Will you absolve Miri of a full load of guilt as well? "

I hope I don't sound condescending...
You're a great recapper and I certainly enjoy coming on here and reading your work. However, I just want you to not be "trapped" by the misuse, or nonsensical wordings or inappropriate/wrong spellings of foreign languages.

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La fureur et l'horreur de Jacqueline...

July 12, 2011 at 9:16 PM

*[...] excerpt [...]

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titi

July 12, 2011 at 10:08 PM

Please freely correct me if I'm wrong, but I think she refers to this :

"Et tu, Brute?" (pronounced [ɛt ˈtuː ˈbruːtɛ]) is a Latin phrase often used poetically to represent the last words of Roman dictator Julius Caesar to his friend Marcus Brutus at the moment of his murder by stabbing. It can be variously translated as "Even you, Brutus?","And you, Brutus?", "You too, Brutus?", "Thou too, Brutus?" or "And thou, Brutus?"[1]. Immortalized by Shakespeare's Julius Caesar (1599), the quotation is widely used in Western culture to signify the utmost betrayal.

(Wikipedia)

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titi

July 12, 2011 at 10:11 PM

Big oops, my butting in is not necessary...sorreee..

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Javabeans

July 12, 2011 at 9:25 PM

@La fureur et l'horreur de Jacqueline...

I see that you have mistaken Latin for French.

Et tu, Brute? Google it, I promise it's neither nonsensical nor misused.

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La fureur et l'horreur de Jacqueline...

July 12, 2011 at 10:25 PM

I see the literary reference, my apologies! Latin is very close to French. and it has helped a lot in my compositions, thesis and essays while at la Sorbonne. I did 2 years of Latin during my lycée years. It was quite fascinating but I was more passionate about Italian so a lot of things now can definitely pass me by. It's that when I was reading the recap that famous quote did not come to mind...

I stand corrected! :)

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michigan

July 12, 2011 at 9:38 PM

uhhhh... Javabeans was referencing shakespeare's Julius Caesar. And her reference was right on. latin, not french.

Thanks for the recap! not watching but love reading about the episodes!

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michigan

July 12, 2011 at 9:40 PM

oops, didn't see the 'correction' was already corrected! thanks again for the recap!

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rilanna

July 12, 2011 at 9:41 PM

I'm no language expert but I believe Ms. javabean is taking from Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" when she is using: 'Et tu'
In a way, she is remarking how backstabbing, or hypocritical, the character is...

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rilanna

July 12, 2011 at 9:42 PM

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14 YerVang

July 12, 2011 at 9:17 PM

You guys are fast. Thanks. ;)

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YerVang

July 12, 2011 at 9:34 PM

Finally all the secrets are out ;)

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15 CoH

July 12, 2011 at 9:17 PM

ohmygod........poor yoohyun, having that weight on his shoulders. and although miri was the one who pulled the trigger, i dont hate her at all. two more episodes! i hope the ending is good.
thanks, JB!!!!

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CoH

July 12, 2011 at 11:10 PM

i just watched the ep. the last scene- lee hwa's reaction was heartbreaking. and yoohyun's dad- what the heck? "oh, i just hoped that child would be okay" yeah sure. way to be a loving husband by making your wife abandon her daughter.

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16 halom

July 12, 2011 at 9:20 PM

JAVABEAN NOW YOU BECAME MY BEST FRIEND
YOU MAKE MY DAY
WHAT COUL I DO FOR YOU IN RETURN

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17 malta

July 12, 2011 at 9:26 PM

The look on Lee hwa's face...damn.

Sins follow you when you try to bury them.

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18 Chewy

July 12, 2011 at 9:27 PM

What a great episodes to wrap up next week's ending & also a shocker to see that YH dad's was part Miri's departure from her mom. I definitely can't wait tell next week.

I, too, agree w/ Javebean about YH scene w/ young Miri. It was heartbreaking, I had tears roll down my face watching it. Yoochun did a great job.

Also, I now understand why YH and Miri relationship never seem so real. Since the writer planned this story out that both are step sibling, it makes it easier to believe or transition their relationship to a real brother/sister love later on. The fact it both of them were never touchy toughy or lovely-dovey to begin with. So if this story ends w/ both of them being there for each other (like siblings), I can see both of them recovery and starting to live their lives peacefully in the end.

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purplemay

July 12, 2011 at 9:43 PM

but they're not related by blood... so.. its ok for them to end up with each other

and even though its hard to believe.. I think Miri comes to love Yoohyun afterall. ^^

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ahjummabunny

July 13, 2011 at 5:46 AM

I hope they don't do that. I think the opposite is true about the writer planning that they evolve into a sibling relationship. I think it was pretty clear the kind of relationship that lee hwa and her step son had from the way they were always cool. If anything, logically this family will have nothing to do with each other. he can never look at his parents the same way, he will have assuaged some of his guilt by letting miri meet her mother, but he'll always feel sorry that he took her mom and lee hwa's guilt will finally surface. I think she has been crying in secret over the years but consoling herself with the duty she fulfilled as a stepmom and while she's been unkind to miri she hasn't done anything that a mother should never do to a child she's indebted to.
I've been thinking this drama is very much like temptation of an angel but with sharper teeth. While temptation of an angel gave it's femme fatale revenge as a rationale ripley doesn't seem to have anything other than mad greed. I didn't buy that miri had a reason to live like that and that is most unsettling.

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malta

July 13, 2011 at 6:23 AM

/"she has been crying in secret over the years but consoling herself with the duty she fulfilled as a stepmom and while she’s been unkind to miri she hasn’t done anything that a mother should never do to a child she’s indebted to."/

I think she's been consoling herself with her work as opposed to the mother/son relationship she has with Yoo hyun....she isn't exactly the dotting mother making up for not being able to take care of her own daughter. I kinda want to know how Lee hwa and Yoo hyun's relationship got to be the way it is...

Also, I'm not Miri's biggest fan, but I hate how Lee hwa slapped Miri, twice at that. She was so degrading and self-riteous when she did that. Ugh. And to think Lee hwa was doing it to her own flesh and blood who she is indebted to for abandoning.

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ahjummabunny

July 13, 2011 at 9:37 AM

It's true she was unmasking miri, but at the same time she was doing her job as a mother. a mother is supposed to correct her daughter if she goes the wrong way, even if the mother herself has gone the wrong way. I think she resents yoo hyun I think their relationship is one of rivals.

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imogene_af

July 13, 2011 at 10:29 AM

Just because she gave birth to Miri it does not make her a mother.

Abandoning her child for her own GREED.

Living comfortably with her old man chaebol husband while her daughter gets abused in Japan somewhere...

she lost her mother card, a long time ago to be honest.

19 jp

July 12, 2011 at 9:31 PM

still watching ep 13. i think i will cry in ep 14. anybody cried? T_T

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Mel

July 12, 2011 at 10:13 PM

I cried eventhough I didn't understand a single word they said. Sub please!

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20 Noelle

July 12, 2011 at 9:32 PM

Is it weird that I'm gleefully happy about Lee Hwa finding out. I new she had to at some point. I'm just so happy that the women she despised and slapped and humiliated turns out to be the daughter she abandoned. Like all those well wishes sent through the verse of just hoping she's doing alright get slapped in her face. God it just feels good.

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ar

July 13, 2011 at 6:36 AM

I feel exactly the same way!

(and thanks for the recap, javabeans!)

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reesh

July 13, 2011 at 5:52 PM

me too, i felt exactly the same way!

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imogene_af

July 13, 2011 at 12:50 PM

i had the exact same reaction.

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21 Ramennoodles

July 12, 2011 at 9:36 PM

I think she was using latin....

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22 rilanna

July 12, 2011 at 9:37 PM

OMG!!
the ending was a good way to reveal the birth secret! in a way, it somehow lessen my disappoint that the plot had this twist
i wonder how lee hwa is going to act and how miri will take this? and i guess yoohyun a little too...

no, oh my heart~! i cant believe yoohyun's father play a role in miri's abandonment! he looked so good-natured and innocent bystander-like to seem to have a part in this horrible tragedy!
k-drama land, you have surprised me for once and i bow in appreciation and approval.
i wonder how the ending is going to happen; i cant predict it this time!

i wish heejoo had been in this melodrama more, but i want her less mopey and pushover
i want chuljin to have appeared more; boy is too cute to get so little screen time
i love badass hirayama! is it weird of me that i want him to get a nice ending when everything comes to a close?
god, myunghoon needs to seriously lessen his love and care and whatever else he has for miri! he is walking toward his demise quicker because of her!
i dont know what to say about yoohyun right now... my yoochun bias makes me feel that this BLINDING PUPPY LOVE(SICKNESS) needs to end! i dont want him to end up with miri. yes, in some indirect way he is responsible but he was a child too!
myunghoon and yoohyun can help dig miri out of the trench[es] she made for herself but after, watch their hands of her!!

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ahjummabunny

July 13, 2011 at 5:50 AM

I actually don't think lee hwa will be remorseful probably angry. If she is remorseful then the show will be a fallen souffle. Even though I didn't see the actual scene I think something like what happened in thornbirds when the mother pleads with her daughter not to end her career and doesn't acknowledge her publicly, but miri does it anyway would fit nicely.

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malta

July 13, 2011 at 6:34 AM

It's such a dilemma for me because imo the one person who has the most reason and for whom it would be most logical to feel remorseful towards Miri would be her Mom, Lee Hwa. BUT the problem is that if Lee Hwa is remorseful then that means everyone is basically ok with what Miri did, Yoo hyun, Muyng hoon, and Hee joo!

I mean only Chul jin is still holding out on basically absolving Miri of her crimes/sins. So I agree they need to make Lee Hwa mad or else the show has no bite...No one is raging mad at Miri?! They all understand and pity her?! How can that be?!...plus I think the fans who are fed up with her lies need an outlet, someone with the backbone to stand up to Miri that we can cheer for. I so badly wanted it to be Hee joo, but she is completely M.I.A.

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ahjummabunny

July 13, 2011 at 9:48 AM

I definitely see lee hwa on the defensive. I think it's possible for miri to get redemption but I don't think lee hwa should be the one responsible for reforming miri. I think she should be disinterested or damn her to hell. That stuff doesn't ring true. I just saw something similar in "smile, mom" and while it was cute it was also madness. I don't think cute would fit in this story.

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malta

July 13, 2011 at 11:27 AM

...I can't wait to see what happens next week! All this speculating is killing me. Gahh!!!

yaya

July 13, 2011 at 12:44 PM

I think the point is that they all don't care about Miri enough to be mad at her, exactly as Hirayama says.

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ahjummabunny

July 14, 2011 at 5:37 AM

you know that's exactly what I was thinking. but, I thought that was too cynical a view. ha!

23 Shir~

July 12, 2011 at 9:41 PM

WOW Thanks dramabeans!! I've been giving up watching and instead just reading the recaps for this show for quite a while... and ep14 seems to be a turning point now...

the big secret, although we've been hinted for quite some episodes, is finally revealed to everyone, well everyone that matters. And at 2 ep from the end this big realization still works to leave us plenty of suspense. the writers sure have maintain the tempo of the plot quite nicely.

but i really would wish for a heavier part on hee-joo in these later episodes. Now it seems like she was only in the drama to provide a diploma to be stolen from. that is not interesting, and definitely not enough for a second lead...

the imaginary scene is intriguing me to watch it in video form, i like the interaction between Yoo-hyon and young miri too... and also, the cameo by Eom Ki-joon... miss him so much on screen and that prosecutor looks smarty hot!!

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24 crazedlu

July 12, 2011 at 9:51 PM

whabam! geez. the pacing of this show's been incredible. can't wait, can't WAIT for the end.

ughh. i know i've been saying it in just about every post i've submitted here, but someone please pick up warrior baek dong soo. it's UH-MAZING.

hello, hello, hello. can anyone hear me?? gf? haha. somebody?

okay, no one has to pick it up. i'm actually watching it because it's that good, so i'll just put in a plug for the show.

everyone, watch warrior baek dong soo. i'm invested. it's that good. the child actors are doing a freakin' good job. they're so good and cute i'm actually looking for ji chang wook and yoo seungho to live up to what the kids have done.. the girl leads too.

mondays and tuesdays. ^^

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Cynthia

July 12, 2011 at 10:25 PM

DITTO!

WBDS really is terrific, but I can't wait for the "big boys" to show up - I'm impatient for the pretty!

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25 yaya

July 12, 2011 at 10:02 PM

I don't know why everyone expected MH and YH to act like little bitchy girls... they are smart self-confident men..

also I don't think MH or YH are trying to save Miri, Hirayama is right they willn't help her. all that MH and YH are doing they are doing for themselves.

also it is so weird for me why you do not see MH's fault in all this scandal, he is the director he takes responsibility for his employees it is always like that. it is his full fault that he hired her in the first place.

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Pikachu

July 12, 2011 at 10:47 PM

so her manipulativeness and everything else should be forgotten?
Its not like Miri did everything to survive either
i think not if we were to play the blame game it oeuld be
1.Miri
2.Miri
3.Miri
4.Miri
5.lee Hwa
6. Horrible people who adopted her
7. Mr.Song the enabler senior
.
.
.
.
. and then way down on the list is
Myung hoon for letting his persoanl feelings get in the way
Heeju for letting her get away with her manipulative ways

yoohyun comes clean because Miri was the one who saw the dollar signs and went for it
its not his faullt his family is F'd up

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yaya

July 13, 2011 at 12:26 AM

Myunghoon made serious professional mistake by hiring her, it has nothing to do even with their relationship.

he didn't check her properly, he didn't auditioned her properly, if it was not Miri but another person, it still would be like he hired someone who doesn't fit requirements, it is his fault.

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Pikachu

July 13, 2011 at 1:54 AM

hello?
miri FORGED her certificates
and later got rid of the evidence when he tried to verify in the beginning remember
he thought she was a todai graduate
She forged it not him. So we can lock her up in jail first and then talk about how much he is to blame

I dont want her to get a happily ever after mainly because her main motivation afterwards was GREED not survival.
It is an insult to everybody who has conquered their harsh circumstances without resorting, to greed and trickery, dishonesty and total lack of a moral compass

If we started painting her as a psychopath then we cant really justify her at all. Thats the way she is.
But she isnt a psychopath so i think she should "atone"/"pay" or whateveryouwanttocallit

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yaya

July 13, 2011 at 2:16 AM

any HR should be able to estimate the level of person, do you think people are hired only for their diplomas, she had no class and no manners, HELLO, she could come in her boss cabinet and interrupt business conversation, the way of her talking, her attitude etc Myunghoon should have seen by far that she is not acceptable.

so it was his mistake, idk why you think that I justify Miri though, I have no sympathy for her, because she is stupid, limited and pathetic.
though I kinda feel bad for her..

malta

July 13, 2011 at 6:46 AM

Miri lied left and right. Those lies came out of her mouth. She stole documents and took credit for other peoples work. And the worst offense of all imo, she lied to Myung hoon about her sincere feelings towards him when she dumped him cold to go after Yoo hyun. Myung hoon was in love with her and may very well have sacrificed himself for her if he found out about her past earlier. Meanwhile Miri just left him like he was some annoyance/mistake!

Miri is #1 responsible for her actions.

Just because you have a shitty life, does not give you the automatic right to be a lying, cheating, backstabber who doesn't have to take responsibility for your actions. I say, go ahead and lie, cheat and backstab, but when you get found out....well you're found out!!! Accept the responsibility just like you take the pity. This is what I hate about Miri and makes her such a pitiable character, she can't accept that she was playing a game and lost- big time! In her mind she actually graduated from Tokyo Univ. and the university is actually the wrong one!!!! Gahhhh!!!

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Soua

July 13, 2011 at 9:12 AM

:) I think she knows she's going to fall... she isn't begging anyone to catch her. She's asking for time only.

What makes me happy is that those that were hurt by her don't hold grudges the way we viewers do... They are pure right down to their characters...and so they still reach out to catch her.

Isn't that a lovely sight? The kindness of human beings showing onto those who have not been loved?

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malta

July 13, 2011 at 11:35 AM

It's true the other characters have been really kind to Miri. I think its because they see her as a lost person as opposed to an evil one. And I agree with them that she is an amoral person as opposed to an immoral one.

The thing that gets me though is that being kind to Miri also brings major negative consequences for these characters. Muyng hoon is in danger of losing his job and good name (not to mention his broken heart!), Yoo hyun's company Mondo and Hotel A are embroiled in a scandal. Hee joo was arrested (!) and put in jail when she didn't do anything wrong. How much do you take before you require the person you're being nice to be nice back?...

Miri! You're causing me anxiety!

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ahjummabunny

July 13, 2011 at 12:22 PM

I don't think it has anything to do with them being pure. If they were pure they would fall apart after calam-iri passed their way. I'm not implying that purity is weakness just her actions make you discount altruism or light in darkness. I think it has to do with the writer's idealized version of men and what it means to be a man. I like to see that in works.

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imogene_af

July 13, 2011 at 1:07 PM

but even Hee Joo wants to SAVE her and feels responsible for her. LOL. It's not just the men.

imogene_af

July 13, 2011 at 10:33 AM

but she IS getting consequences. You think she still will have a face to show to people in Korea after being publicized as a slutty, lying, diploma stealing little bar girl? There will be a public/media hanging.

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yaya

July 13, 2011 at 12:48 PM

how is it connected to Myunghoon's mistakes though?

all people lying at some point at job interviews, it is what HRs should consider and check, it is their job to hire right people even if they lie.

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imogene_af

July 13, 2011 at 12:53 PM

he is not at fault, i shall say but he feels responsible because he tolerated Miri who was really a bad worker for the sole reason that he was in love with her.

he shouldn't have done "street casting" anyway.

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Soua

July 13, 2011 at 9:11 PM

Miri was a bad worker? How? :D

imogene_af

July 13, 2011 at 10:06 PM

Did you honestly ever see her work? LOL her PR skills are mahvelous but even MH said she is not a very good worker.

Soua

July 13, 2011 at 10:08 PM

Hmm.. I must have missed that part.

We didn't actually see anyone work at all.. so can't judge on that.

yaya

July 14, 2011 at 7:46 AM

@Soua
do you seriously not see how she was a bad worker?? lol

Myunghoon himself said that she rather lazy, unprofessional or uninterested in work at the beginning of the drama, and all her co-workers understood she would be fired without Myunghoon.

26 Mel

July 12, 2011 at 10:07 PM

Love it! Thank God she will finally meet her mother, after all, she is the reason why Miri went back to Korea and the reason why she is desperate to stay. Miri doesn't deserve her past. I know it was wrong for her to do all those things but then she was desperate or else she gets deported.
I could see a happy ending for her, but I hope she would face all her wrong doings

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27 Cynthia

July 12, 2011 at 10:42 PM

I am SO satisfied with Miss Ripley - the pacing, character development and tight writing are really bringing in a home run.

What I'm exceptionally impressed with, and really haven't seen too many comments concerning it, is LDH's stepping up and turning in a superlative performance.
Learning that she had been cast for this drama was kind of a "huh?" reaction, especially after her lackluster turn in Chuno. She must be feeling pretty vindicated on that front these days. I'd like to see her on the podium come awards time. Girl deserves it.

Same thing for Yoochun - this performance should go a long ways in quieting down his critics. Good for him!

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Tha

July 12, 2011 at 10:53 PM

Lee Dae Hee is fantastic as Miri! Im sure she'll be recognized for it.

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muchoo

July 12, 2011 at 11:06 PM

Lee Da hae is fantastic in here, but as her fans for more than 5 years, I have seen her talent since Heaven Fate and she was just 19yrs old at that time. I think she has been recognized as a very talented young actress way before her East of Eden scandal, but was forgotten especially after another case in Chuno. Many new reader or new to kdrama world don't know about that-but to every producers and writters in Korea, she is not forgotten.

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imogene_af

July 13, 2011 at 12:44 PM

uhm been her fan for a while but she is way better here than any of her performances. she loses herself in this character, so much passion, frenzy, frailty, and heart. LDH has grown a lot as an actress. She should be sending flowers to the people who signed her up for this role.

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yaya

July 13, 2011 at 12:43 AM

I think all the cast did amazing job! I hope Lee Da Hae will get the awards at least on annual award show, hopefully more^^

the secondary cast are great as well, Jung Tae Se (I'm not sure I'm correct with the name of the actor playing Hirayama) is awesome! Lee Hwa is good too!!

I really like acting in this drama~~

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Mel

July 13, 2011 at 2:26 AM

agree with you, I believe that she is a good actress, I commented on her on the first few episode especially the scene in the powder room before she met myung hoon. I love Green Rose, My Girl, Robber ( although the rating was not good, but she deserved an acting award for that drama with Jang Hyuk). She actually did good in East of Eden but things went wrong for her. In Chuno the story was focused on the 2 actors. Finally she got this opportunity, I am so happy that she made this drama. Although there were a lot of Miri haters, this only proves that she played her role well. Great job Lee Da Hae! Expect an award this year, you so deserve it.

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28 celestialorigin

July 12, 2011 at 10:42 PM

All I can say is "THANK YOU!" I'm devouring it.

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29 anna

July 12, 2011 at 10:43 PM

I find that annoying too. Everyone blames themselves for making Miri the way she is, but she made the choices herself! She's just as much to blame if not completely to blame. I honestly want to bitchslap every men in this drama. So annoying.

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Soua

July 13, 2011 at 1:01 AM

:) Butterfly effect.

One person's choice affects another. I am glad that the characters in this drama recognizes the part they play in hurting another person...

This is what Miri lacks. She doesn't recognize that her choices harms others... but she slowly is learning... and all she can do now is cry at the mess she has made. Time cannot be turned... But at least she learned. :) And isn't that the point of mistakes? That we learn...lessons. :)

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malta

July 13, 2011 at 7:00 AM

Each person is ultimately responsible for his/her own actions. Sure Miri's life circumstances affected her, but that doesn't somehow absolve her of the responsibility to do right and act right.

Did Miri turn out like she did because her mother abandoned her, because she's poor, because she's uneducated and was pimped out in a bar. I'm not sure because there are others with the same background, but aren't like her.Miri could have gone a better route, but she didn't and that's on her despite the actions of others.

And Miri has yet to learn anything really. Maybe with Yoo hyun she is starting to learn about love, but she was still lying to the prosecutor investigating her. In her mind she really hasn't done anything wrong!

Psychologically, Miri is fascinating.

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Soua

July 13, 2011 at 9:16 AM

No. She knows she's done something wrong. I don't think she wants to believe it though... And yes, I'm glad you brought up the psychological part, because I do think she is damaged in that sense.

Look, it's both nature and nurture. You can't discern one form the other.

And what route should she take? Would it make the drama any more interesting? :)

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malta

July 13, 2011 at 6:51 AM

I agree. The "savior men" are getting on my nerves. I mean whatever happened to the spurned lover?!

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30 JLemonade

July 12, 2011 at 10:43 PM

This episode is very sad.... especially the part of young Miri with Yoohyun and the mother leaving Miri. I even shed tears watching this as it involved a young child being abandoned, deprived of parental love and fighting for their survival.

Among all men in this drama, only Yoohyun has brains and empathy. He was shocked at first after the revelation of Miri being a bar hostess and had to step backward for a while to release his stress. He just couldn't stop here and leave Miri alone, but went on to investigate what went wrong and how Miri turned out to be like this with the little knowledge he had. If YH did not do all this noble work, then everyone will point fingers at Miri and condemn her for all the lies (blaming attitude) and the birth secret will forever be buried and those responsible got away with it. I am eagerly waiting for next episode on the progress of this drama.

We know that Miri has confessed her love to YH in her letter, but I just wonder whether YH still loves Miri as before (as a couple) or his love has change towards family love. Can anyone give their opinion?

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Mel

July 13, 2011 at 2:32 AM

I would love for them to end up together, but if things change for them, It would be fine for me as long as she will be accepted in their family. I guess this is what she was looking for, belongingness, a family.

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JLemonade

July 13, 2011 at 3:27 AM

Me, too. But if they did not end up together, at least Miri now has a family she can depend on and she can catch up with all the lost years with them. She can also be happy this way. What about the lawsuit on forging the diploma and other lies? She still has to face it and pay for the wrong doings. She is not done yet, even after meeting her mother which is the objective of her coming back to Korea. Hope the family will stand by her when she face the charges.

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Cynthia

July 13, 2011 at 7:14 AM

I feel like a broken record here, but once again, the possibility of Miri ending up with either of our two men is zero.
The prologue IS the ending. Both men are reflecting back on their relationship with her and she's no longer part of their lives. She is seen running around with a bunch of kids, but that might be an allegory for her and her imagined childhood (a happy one) or possibility she might end up working back at the orphanage where she was raised.
But, one thing's for sure. She CAN'T have a happy ending because this is a Kdrama - and the Korean society is one that (at least seen in film) takes no prisoners when it comes to ethical transgressions - like faking school records.

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CoH

July 13, 2011 at 8:01 AM

"The prologue IS the ending."
Damn, I think you're right, but I wish you weren't. But yay for a drama where 1. No pretty bow-tied ending and 2. Pairings are broken without anyone killed off. Well, they won't kill Miri, right??

imogene_af

July 13, 2011 at 10:27 AM

+1 on Cynthia

Cynthia

July 13, 2011 at 12:42 PM

I think it would be a stretch to have her killed off - the writers won't be able to have her commit suicide due to the recent slap-downs imposed by the Korean FCC (49 Days was censured/fined for that very thing), so the only way her demise could come about would be through murder or accident, actions that the storyline simply doesn't support.
:)

imogene_af

July 13, 2011 at 12:57 PM

I feel like we are going towards the ~miri will go crazy route~

31 Tha

July 12, 2011 at 10:47 PM

Na Hee Joo. R.I.P.

Because you were the character that I had initially waited to see unfold...if good would overcome evil or if evil overcome good...But you really never were given chance...

I have rooted for you since the beginning. You were my favorite since your very first scene in episode 1 where you came into your design interview a "little scattered" but was "cheerful and energetic" and still is my fav...even when you only had a second airtime of each of these last episodes. I still cant get over the fact of the "what could have been"...you could have had major impact to the story of Miri's rise and fall but NO.

The writer basically wrote you off to the left of nowhere...so to you, I say, I'm sorry. I was hoping for a happy ending for you. But it seems the writer have ended your story eons ago. Would have been better to have a tragic love story with you in it then to have you not in the story at all.

Again. Na Hee joo. R.I.P.

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melonhead

July 13, 2011 at 12:51 AM

I agree. I had really hoped for more Hee joo, whether that meant her cracking and initiating Miri's fall, or just in general being more involved in the fall out. I can't help but feel she could have been so much more had there been no birth secrets or even evil step-mother-in-law, which would have made it a lot less makjang stereotypical and more an exploration on how Miri's actions could cause even someone like Hee joo to become darker and bent on revenge. Now she just feels a bit pathetic especially as she doesn't even come in and attack or defend Miri. She's just....faded away.

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Soua

July 13, 2011 at 1:03 AM

HJ is your typical korean heroine character. And that is why people keep falling in love over and over again with this type of character.

Eh. I will remember Miri's character in 20 years.. but HJ will be lost in the crowd of other silly, goofy, too nice for her own good, characters... Irritatingly cute. It hurts. -_-

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Cynthia

July 13, 2011 at 7:31 AM

Personally, I think the character of HJ should have been ended several episodes ago. This handling of her character is one of the few missteps the writers took in Miss Ripley.

I really didn't like her character from the beginning - the sweet, innocent (to the point of stupidity), clumsy (every scene drilled this in - dropping, tripping, falling, cutting, breaking bones, etc.) was just irritating. This girl couldn't walk and breath at the same time! Granted, she was written in as the vehicle that enables Miri to begin her machinations, and without HJ's presence there would have been no story, but the less I saw of her the happier my viewing was.

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meel

July 13, 2011 at 8:23 AM

I totally agreed with you on HJ, I didn't like her character at all so so silly.

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JLemonade

July 13, 2011 at 8:41 AM

Agreed. HJ was so clumsy and the actions/characters have been so exaggerated that she looked like a country girl who is so naive, docile and not exposed to the present world. She should have more influence, stern and the strength to advise Miri when she went overboard with her lies, considering the fact that she was better educated and exposed than Miri. Oh, I forgot! She could not do that because she was so busy managing her emotions on her infatuation with Yoohyun. Without Chuljin to remind her, maybe she might quarrel with Miri trying to win Yoohyun's affection.

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Tha

July 13, 2011 at 9:57 AM

Really?!?!?!? You must hate kdramas altogether then;)

I absolutely love Hee Joo's character and who she could have been.

She COULD HAVE been major in Miri's rise or desmise. And wagering love between the two for the guy would have been awesome. The writers did not give her an opportunity at all! The baseball date and the train ride home with her resting on Yoo Hyun's shoulders were my favorite parts..I can see chemistry building up to even when she was at the ophanage and Yoo Hyun following her there...I prayed with her there...oh, if given the chance...And how cool would it be if we have a story of pure love against a devious one. Yoo Hyun being in turmoil between pure love and a misconstrued one would have been fun to watch...which could have resulted in how his character would have been in forgiving Miri. I dont think he would have easily let her off the hook and then maybe also resulting in an even darker Yoo Hyun and only pure love could bring him back to the puppy we all knew and loved.....

If Hee Joo's character was developed and used correctly, we could have seen more of how the other characters would have been also.

Could have been....

After all that thoough. I havent been able to breathe waiting for upcoming episodes. Im so anxious to see what's next. Hehehehe.

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imogene_af

July 13, 2011 at 1:14 PM

Yes, I agree as Miri's interactions with Lee Hwa and Hirayama increased, Hee Joo sort of got pushed to the back burner.

I wonder how KHJ feels about this or was Hee Joo really intended to be like so?

imogene_af

July 13, 2011 at 12:39 PM

she's a mere plot device at this point. I wonder why KHJ took the role... they could have given this to a newbie.

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Cynthia

July 13, 2011 at 1:07 PM

There's an old saying - "At the end of the day, coulda, woulda, shoulda don't pay the bills".

I totally agree that HJ's character could have been interesting if it had been developed, but this wasn't a morality play between two personalities. It was only written as Miri-centric.
The central character is basically there to allow the adjunct characters fairly limited interaction. HJ loses importance as the mother-figure's interaction gains.
I think at this point in the drama, the writer has a clear take on her end game and won't deviate from that.

And truly, if the writer had allowed HJ to follow what you had hoped would happen in Miss Ripley, I'd be sending her my hospital bills.
Because I'd have attempted to brain myself with a Kdrama bat of frustration. A person can only take so much clumsy, doormat cheerfulness.
16 episodes of that?! Please - hand me the bat...
:)

Mel

July 13, 2011 at 4:33 PM

The drama is entitled Miss Ripley, naturally the focus is on Jang Miri, Hejoo's role is a supporting one. I'm sure KHJ is aware of this before she accepted the role.

32 Celest

July 12, 2011 at 10:59 PM

Can I just say how awesome this show is?

Seriously. So. Good.

The pacing and the acting are fantastic. There hasn't been a dull episode. I highly commend the writers for keeping me so tuned in and intrigued to a character that I love to hate. Or is it hate to love?

And I never got any satisfaction from watching Yoochun act before. SKKS really wasn't my thing, BUT THIS!...I must say that he's not bad, not bad at all ;)

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fulllove

July 13, 2011 at 8:12 PM

Agree with you, this drama get me too many kind of emotion...just i love SKKS but this drama YC improve alot ... he realy do excellent acting!!

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33 Love

July 12, 2011 at 10:59 PM

Thank you! This episode was great and heart breaking! I cried with Mi Ri in this episode...=(

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34 mommy

July 12, 2011 at 11:39 PM

THANKS!
love the episode even I didn't understand korean
it was a great end
hope that the 2 last episodes won't disappointed us

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35 Eliza Bennet

July 12, 2011 at 11:42 PM

Thank you for the caps!

The writers did a good job on making Miri sympathetic but I'm not buying it. There are a lot of abandoned kids but not everyone turns out like Miri. She had many opportunities to correct her mistakes but she stubbornly stuck to her lies and delusions.

Her letter was very touching but I find it hard to believe it.

Having said all of the above I want her to find a happy end, not necessarily romantic. It is good to be able to forgive and I hope that everyone forgives Miri and that she'll be able to lead an honest life from now on.

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36 jyj3

July 12, 2011 at 11:53 PM

Well I really cannot guess what will happen on next week! The writers did good job, and fyi miss ripley ep 14 reached about 14.5% , in it's last scene almost reach 20%! Wohooo! I pity YH and Miri, they obviously have heavy burden on their shoulder bcause of their parents :( Yoochun acting improved a lot, his scene with young Mir is heartbreaking

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37 b

July 12, 2011 at 11:55 PM

Thanks so much for the recap, javabeans. Et tu, girlfriday. Your words inspire me. I don't know if I used "Et tu" correctly. But anyway...

One thing I like about this drama is that the angst wasn't overdone and drawn out, as I expected it to be like a typical K-melodrama. Things happened at a brisk pace. Though I didn't think the secrets would be revealed and for things to wrap up so easily and without much ballyhoo. Then I realized we've already reached episode 14, so the time has come for that, I suppose. And I'm so, so happy this wasn't a 50-episode drama, which it could've easily been.

Despite all the things that happened in this episode, it felt too calm for me. Is it because there's a storm a-brewin'? There are two more episodes to go and I guess that's plenty of time for Show to throw a wrench or two at the proceedings. If it does, I hope it does it awesomely. In any case, it appears Miri is not hopeless and there's redemption for her after all.

Redemption is a funny word to use here because of its heavy connotation. Miri is not a murderer like some character in a Dostoyevsky novel who needed to be redeemed in the end. She not evil or vindictive. She believed that the injustices she suffered was caused by merely being at the wrong place at the wrong time. She doesn't hold a grudge on anyone. She doesn't even hold mom accountable for all her life's miseries. (Ok, she does blame Hee-joo a teeny, tiny bit.) And even though she believed she had to put things in their proper place, I don't think it occured to her to do it at all cost. I mean she could've easily put a knife in Hirayama's back in episode 1 instead of starting a fire in order to escape.

She does need to atone for her petty crimes and deception. Hmmm. Maybe atone is heavy as well. It brought to mind Atonement.

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Soua

July 13, 2011 at 12:45 AM

If deception and lying were sins... we would all be needing forgiveness...

Eh. I agree with you.

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malta

July 13, 2011 at 7:13 AM

Miri is not evil, but her crimes aren't petty. Like you, I don't know if heavy words like atone and redemption are right, but she certainly has some work to do.

The interesting thing is that there are two aspects to the wrongs that Miri has committed.

1 CRIMINAL. Forging her diploma and falsifying her work applications. Stealing Hee joo's diploma. Stealing Hee joo's work and claiming it as her own. These aren't petty crimes...she didn't steal a loaf of bread to feed herself. (Man made jail)

2 PERSONAL. To Myung hoon for using him and dumping him like she did. And for initially going after Yoo hyun for his money/status AFTER treating him like shit when she thought he was poor. (Self made jail)

Miri is fascinating. She is more an amoral person than an immoral person. That's a fine hair to split and this writer has done it with Miri's character.

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imogene_af

July 13, 2011 at 1:00 PM

teehee Atonement. Will Miri write a book like Briony did? haha

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38 imogene_af

July 12, 2011 at 11:58 PM

The scenes made me a bit emotional today.

My favorite scenes:

*when YooHyun was talking to little Miri it just breaks my heart. Seeing her as a child, you knew how strong-willed she was, you wonder... why did she turn herself into a monster? Little Miri always makes my heart ache. :(

*When Lee Hwa read little Miri's letters. GAH!

*When Miri wrote that letter to Yoo Hyun

* When Miri lost her marbles in the investigation room... it was VERY VERY EERIE but also incredibly gut wrenching

*Miri pleading to Lee Hwa, wondering why she hates her so much

*Hirayama and Miri screaming match

*Miri witnesses how the shit hit the fan via television

* Final scene with the three of them in a staredown

As I said, the only justification in THIS world for Miri and YooHyun's demented, unexplained love is they are a huge package of karma for Lee Hwa and Old Man Song. Lovers who were responsible for ABANDONING a child for their own selfish intentions.

It is written in fate that YooHyun and Miri will find this twisted, obsessive sort of love for each other because they are the PRODUCT of the sins of their parents. I like this ball of karma blasting to their faces. It is sad, messed up but also incredibly satisfying.

The writer is not apologizing for Miri or trying to ask you to sympathize with her... it is just a story of HER messed up world. It is not a matter of apologizing for her or demonizing her, but ARE YOU INVESTED in her JOURNEY? I sure am.

Everyone was so good in this episode... Yoochun, stepmom in her EPIC last scene...

but Lee Da Hae yet again, I wanted to hate Miri from last week but she pulls you back in to ACHE for her. What a raw and touching performance.

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39 glencorajane

July 13, 2011 at 12:02 AM

thanks for the wonderful recaps.

you know I love reading this better than watching the show itself because of all the analysis!

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40 diablita

July 13, 2011 at 12:02 AM

i admit that the actors/actresses were very good with their portrayals but i stopped watching and read the recaps instead. Reasons that I do not highly agree of lies anymore. No matter how twisted nor how painful Lee Da hae character's past lives it is still not acceptable to do what she has been doing. So no matter how exciting and beautifully made this drama, i choose not to watch it anymore. =)

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41 Nicole

July 13, 2011 at 12:28 AM

Epic episode. I cannot bring myself to hate/dislike Miri. I do like that everyone(MH & YH, YH especially) found out the truth about her, but the whole thing with Lee Hwa makes my heart hurt so much for Miri.

I really want Miri & YH to end up together, but I don't think it can happen.

and about Hee Joo.. I was satisfied with her role in the drama until I realized that.. she's actually the second lead. Only with that realization, I wish she had more relevance in the drama.

Even though, Miri did Hee Joo wrong.. I still feel like they're kind of like family in a weird way. I want Miri to make it up to Hee Joo, but I don't want Hee Joo to hurt her.. weird. & clearly, I never wanted Hee Joo to hook up with YH.

I'm so protective of Miri. ;x

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42 minheeboo

July 13, 2011 at 1:28 AM

where the heck is heejoo's facetime in this k.drama? though i'm only keeping this on track on recaps, i love hee joo's character!!! im awfully disapointed that she's just clearly flicked off and neglected in the show. ~totally pissed.

though... i love this episode!!!! super intense!!!! but it would be better if there if there is more heejoo facetime. hahahahahhahaha!!!! ~so i'm loving this, so i'm loving this!!!!

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43 Banu

July 13, 2011 at 3:16 AM

O__O..sooooo Miri was her daughter!!!
And she hit her so many times OMG.. How can she ever recover this.. XD

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44 juhli

July 13, 2011 at 6:29 AM

ohhh, this drama...i'm so glad that you girls are recapping this drama, because it's just TOO much for me to watch. my emotions would play craaazy, if i watched this. Alone the recaps are enough for me xD

I love when dramas initiate thoughtful discussions, it's very delightful to read ;)

Furthermore, I'm glad that the drama's ratings are rising again :]

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45 malta

July 13, 2011 at 7:18 AM

so I have spent way to much time on this page responding to comments. I don't know what happened, but Ep 14 just made me obsessed with this drama and now I can't wait for the last 2 episodes....before I was just following casually, but noooowwww. This is the latest I've ever gotten obsessed with a drama! Who knew it could happen so late in the game!

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Soua

July 13, 2011 at 9:21 AM

hahaha. Me, too. :D

This drama brings out the claw in all of us... Eh.

But it also reminds me that things like this do happen in real life... How would I judge such a person if I knew their history the way I knew Miri's?

*sigh

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malta

July 13, 2011 at 11:39 AM

Thanks for all your comments! I've enjoyed them.

Miri is fascinating to me. I'm obsessed with trying to figure her out, but I don't really like her... so weird. I do want her to find happiness in the end though.

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Soua

July 13, 2011 at 9:15 PM

I agree, she's an interesting character... but she's not exactly likable. (I just ache when people wish her to die...so I defend her. :D )

I do hope she finds happiness... not with another person, perhaps... But content with herself. :)

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46 sb

July 13, 2011 at 10:00 AM

I'm getting emotional whiplash from hating Miri one episode, to commiserating with her the next.

Major moments of hate occur when Miri tears Hee-joo apart, and since Hee-joo scenes have basically disappeared, I guess I'm a bit more sympathetic towards Miri's plight.

Anyone else think that the writers/directors were actually expecting an extension when first introducing Hee-joo? Because Hee-joo just fell off completely with no explanation; I think they wanted to expand and integrate Hee-joo into the whole plot, but since they only have two more episodes to tie up all the loose ends, they just let her go to the wayside. It's a shame though. All that buildup, and nothing to show for it. (Unless they surprise us later.)

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47 usha

July 13, 2011 at 10:17 AM

thanks for the recap. In regards to Hirayama , I do think he should take part of the blame for the situation and I hope he pays for pimping miri out and taking advantage of her horrible situation. I mean ofcourse miri herself was the one who lied and got herself in the mess, but I do think hirayama played a role.

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usha

July 13, 2011 at 10:18 AM

also upset about the lack of heejoo

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malta

July 13, 2011 at 11:22 AM

Hirayama is the creepiest character. He's the kind of man that ruins a woman's life forever by controlling her and using "Pimp Psychology" on her, making her believe she's nothing without him and that her whole worth is her body and the money she can get using it. Resist Hirayama women!! He is bad news! Miri had it right running away from him.

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imogene_af

July 13, 2011 at 12:17 PM

I find him interesting and Kim Jung Tae is a scene stealer adds so much energy in this drama... but I find the character wrong wrong wrong and bad bad bad bad news. I just find it funny that people actually sometimes portray him as more saintly than Miri. Some even justifying his pedophile tendencies back when Miri was 15. (i.e. BUT!HELOVEDHER! Didn't put her in the adult entertainment portion just had to ruin her dignity but at least she didn't do porn! He had a romantic story! So lucky to be loved by so many men! He only beats her up because he loves her!)
I find it quite sick and puts us women back 200 years ago or something.

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Soua

July 13, 2011 at 9:17 PM

OMG! I was just thinking the same thing as you two!

His character is creepy. He seems obsessed with Miri... and wants to control her completely... Scary indeed.

*shivers

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usha

July 13, 2011 at 10:29 PM

lol at people portraying him more saintly than miri, but then again I'm not surprised. if a guy does something wrong, oh well he's a guy, but if he women does something wrong, all hell breaks lose.

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48 imogene_af

July 13, 2011 at 10:24 AM

I wonder what they will do with the Hee Joo character? She has a weird sisterly thing going on with Miri... LOL I mean after she slapped her a few episodes ago, here she is like Robin to Miri's Batman... tending to her and giving her medicine. And making cute faces that her friend is sick.

Even feeling responsible for what Miri has become. I think she is just really there as a plot device as Miri's stolen diploma and for Miri's twisted logic like NYENYENYENYE your life is mine.

But other than that... she seems to bear no real significance. Even Hirayama has more impact than her.

And a pity because KHJ is such an amazing actress.

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49 Tha

July 13, 2011 at 10:57 AM

Hmmmm, how about a spin-off for Hee Joo and Chul Jin!?!?!?! How cool would that be?!?!?!?

One last week left. So excited! Cant wait to see the end. Finish off the Miri storyline and start a new one for Hee Joo!!!!

And it could you be named...Hello Hee Joo!!!!

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malta

July 13, 2011 at 11:24 AM

I sooooo want Hee joo and Chul jin to get together. xD

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50 Birdie

July 13, 2011 at 11:54 AM

Thanks once again for a great recap. An interesting drama ,told in such a way that it is open to debate and reactions from the viewers. Great script with depth. The cast did a good job especially LDH, who nailed her character.

Hee Joo character was kind of weak. She was not a good friend. She did not help Miri all the way nor did she try to stop her.So in that sense , I do not miss her.

No matter what ending, I think we will continue to debate these societal issues and how each of us relate to them.

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amg01

July 13, 2011 at 2:49 PM

*Jang-Miri *

(A reflection In the Mirror)

Mi love for the “Miri” character is something that will stay with me for many years to come, regardless of the final outcome of her journey.

The brilliance of tough, and the crafting of the Miri character, IMHO is in keeping step to a Shakespearean, or Greek tragedy, where the sins of the fathers are bestowed upon their children.

I love “tragedy” in all its forms, and the reason being is that; “It is the closest thing that we have, that resembles the reality, of the world we live in.

Her behavior makes us agonize, and arises in us all very different feelings, from the visceral, to one of love, and compassion.
We take sides and judge according to our “core beliefs,” at the end of the day we judge her by the way of our religious upbringing, or our secular morality, and our Judicial system's.
From the moment we are introduce to Miri we can clearly see that she is a woman that has made all the “wrong choices,” at the same time we can see that she is willing to take greater risk in order to scape her personal circumstances. We are lead to believe that she is a “Cold Hearted Snake.”
But little by little we are given a picture of the full story.

Some of us, our way of live has been shape in such a way, that we believe that “lying,” under no circumstances can be a valid form of proper behavior, while others can see the validity of “enhancing the truth,” or for that matter create a total “new reality,” as in the case of Miri to conform her surroundings to her way of viewing the world.

I am not going to minimize Miri's behavior, and the writer has done a fine job, showing us how evil, amoral, and immoral, she can be, and a lot of people in there comments have stated how much they hate Miri as a character, and rightfully so, since what she has done is not only morally wrong, but judicially wrong also.
But what I love about MR, and most other Literary tragedy's is what I call the “Ethical Equilibrium Factor,” where by the author shows the causes that drove that character to behave in such a heinous manner, and that where our “Heart and Minds,” find once again the never ending struggle between “God and Evil.”

All I can say is that if I am to judge Miri, just on the cold hard facts of her “lies,” yes I will find her 100% percent guilty as charge, and punish her accordingly,
but once I am presented with the background of her life story, and circumstances, I will still find her guilty, but where I differ is in the extent of the punishment against her, I will show as much grace, and mercy as possible, not because she is not guilty, but because her circumstances, do grant her, at lest that much.

I hope that she can survive her tragic life, but if the writer where to take away her life, her infamous life will be still among us for many years to come.

Miri IMHO is one of the most “Beautiful” character's that K-Drama has ever produce, and my love and respect goes to Lee Da-hae, since without her there will be no Jang-Miri, and to her credit she has prove that she deserves, to be called one of 'Korea's Finest Actresses.”

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imogene_af

July 13, 2011 at 3:49 PM

Wow. Well, I am thoroughly impressed with that. Nicely written.

I will miss Jang Miri ... both her beauty and destruction. Both her moments of frailty and her vile ways.
Once the final episode airs and fades to its last scene... I swear I might cry because I will miss her.