Myung-wol the Spy: Episode 18 (Final)

223 September 6, 2011January 24, 2016

by girlfriday

Oh, Myung-wol. It saddens me to think of the drama you could’ve been, when you were at the height of funny. You were quirky and offbeat and something new, and the possibilities were endless. But you caved to some of the laziest writing and directing known to man, and worst of all, you lost your quirky charm, your sense of fun, what made you… you. Despite it all I held out hope for a good ending… because I’m a glutton for punishment that way. What say you, one good episode, for old times’ sake? Why do I feel like I’m about to regret asking?

FINAL EPISODE RECAP

Kang-woo finds Myung-wol in the cave and tells her that he can’t live without her. Heaven or hell, he won’t let her go, and if they die, they die together. She still refuses (after that?) telling him that she doesn’t have it in her to stay here with him.

She tries to walk away but he backhugs her and asks if she’ll let him stay with her on her last night here. It’s a last-ditch effort, but he says if she leaves, he’ll never get to see her again.

Meanwhile, outside the cave, Ryu fights off Chairman Joo’s minions who have come after them, and finds In-ah hiding, having followed Kang-woo. He gruffly walks her down the mountain grumbling at her for coming up here, and finally snaps off her heels when she starts complaining.

He asks why she came, and she confesses that she was worried about him. He asks how much she knows, and by her evasive look, he can tell she knows everything about who he is. He asks why she’s still here then, if she knows.

In-ah: “Because I like you! You don’t know women. That’s why you’re always getting dumped.” Haha. One point for the princess. She adds, “You only see the woman you like. You can’t see the woman who likes you, can you?”

She asks him to turn himself in, but he tells her not to like someone like him. He apologizes and tells her that he can’t accept her feelings. She starts to cry and he’s startled by her tears, perhaps not realizing that she was serious until that moment. Aw, I actually feel bad for In-ah. (I know!)

She goes home and cries, and he contemplates the scarf she had given him to wrap around his knife wound the night before.

Back at spy central, Dae-kang rushes over to tell Hee-bok the big news that Myung-wol is a spy. He then deduces that Ok-soon must be a spy as well, since they’re mother-daughter. Eyes wide, he yells, “You were conned into your marriage!”

Hee-bok pretends to faint at the news, and wonders if he should just turn them in for the reward money, since no one suspects him. Sure, there’s no way that plan will backfire on you.

In the cave, Kang-woo leans on Myung-wol’s shoulder and they sit by the fire. He reminisces about their first meeting, and she’s surprised to hear that he knows it was in Singapore, when she chased him down for an autograph pretending to be the crazy fangirl.

He asks if she won’t run away with him, to somewhere where they won’t be recognized or found. That’s what I’m sayin’! But she refuses, asking why he should have to give up everything in his life for her.

She says that she won’t be happy that way, and has decided to think of it all – her being born in the north, falling in love with a man from the south, their having to part like this – as fate.

And she adds that if they’re fated to be, they’ll meet again. But… that’s… so passive and lame. Guh.

She wakes up the next morning and comes out to meet Ryu and asks why he led Kang-woo here. He asks if she wants to change her mind there’s still time…

She tells him that either way she’ll regret it. But she’d rather regret it alone than to watch Kang-woo suffer as well, and says that she’ll carry that pain on her own. Sigh. I’m not even going to argue with you anymore. Go ahead and be alone with your pain. I hope you have a lovely life together, you and PAIN.

Kang-woo wakes up alone and finds Myung-wol’s ring sitting next to him. He comes out of the cave and shouts her name over and over, breaking my heart. She stops when she hears him, but keeps going forward with determination.

They stop in to say goodbye to the spy parents, and Hee-bok sends Ryu off with worries over their well-being, and they thank each other for everything. And then Ok-soon cooks for Myung-wol, wanting once to make her food like a real mom.

With tears, Myung-wol thanks them for being like her real parents, and Ok-soon in turn thanks her for being her daughter when all she ever really wanted was a family of her own. Aw, can’t you guys stay and be a fam-uh-ly? *sniff*

Ryu waits at the dock for Myung-wol to arrive, and she manages to evade the NSA agents, but someone chloroforms her and grabs her just before she can get to Ryu. Chairman Joo gets the call that they’ve succeeded in nabbing her.

Ryu panics and heads to Kang-woo’s, searching for Myung-wol. Kang-woo hasn’t seen her either and then both boys start panicking. Just then, Kang-woo gets the call from Chairman Joo. He has Myung-wol, and he’ll kill her if he doesn’t get two things: the evidence of his involvement in his father’s murder, and Ryu’s file on the decoded books.

In-ah happens to overhear the phone call, and is appalled to find out just how scary Grandpa really is. Um… the house full of minions clad in minion-wear didn’t tip you off?

She can’t believe that he killed Kang-woo’s father and is threatening to kill Myung-wol, and insists that there’s time for him to back out now. But of course he’s way too far gone to do that, and orders the minions to lock her up in her tower.

Kang-woo contemplates the deal, and decides that he’ll do as Chairman Joo asks. Ryu says that there’s no guarantee that he’ll do as he promised, and offers his help – they’ll rescue her together. Aw, team-up! It sure took an awful long time for you guys to give in to the bromance.

Meanwhile Hee-bok heads to the police station, ready to turn Ok-soon in for a bundle of cash, but he catches sight of a pretty lady who reminds him of Ok-soon, and turns back around.

On his way out, he runs into Ok-soon who’s here attempting to do the same thing. They both accuse each other of betrayal, and then both confess that they couldn’t do it. They decide to go surrender together, holding hands. Aw.

Kang-woo meets Chairman Joo and hands over his last bit of evidence in his dad’s murder, in exchange for Myung-wol’s location. He decides he’s going to trust Joo one last time. Hello, mistake!

Sure enough, as soon as Chairman Joo gets what he wants, he sends his minions to beat Kang-woo, and sends Ryu to the wrong location, and straight into a trap.

Kang-woo takes out the file that Ryu had given him. It contains the books’ contents as well as a record of all of Chairman Joo’s misdeeds, that he entrusted to Kang-woo.

Ryu asked him to take it to the NSA in exchange for Myung-wol’s freedom. It was the last thing he could do for her, essentially betraying his country and exchanging his own freedom for hers.

Chairman Joo arrives back home, and Ryu meets him at gunpoint. He tells him that Kang-woo is on his way to give the books over to the NSA, and orders him to free Myung-wol, so Joo picks up his phone and calls his minions… and orders her killed.

Well duh. What kind of hostage negotiator doesn’t see that coming? Tsk, tsk, the spies in this world. They all went to Low-Rent Discount Spy Academy. Ryu is furious that the murdering backstabber… backstabbed him… AGAIN (never heard, “fool me twice, shame on me”?) and raises his gun to Joo’s throat.

In-ah rushes in and begs him not to do ite, and stands between Ryu and Grandpa, pleading for his life. Ryu gives in, of course, and leaves. In-ah follows him out and tells him where Myung-wol is being held.

Soon after, NSA agents bust into the house and arrest Chairman Joo for his crimes.

Ryu rushes over to save Myung-wol just in time, and tells her they’re headed to meet Kang-woo, so that she can start her new life, free and clear. She smiles in anticipation and so does Kang-woo, as the two cars speed toward each other on the same road.

But just as they spot each other, the North Korean sniper assassin appears and fires a shot at Ryu’s car, which sends them careening off the cliff.

The car flips over and bursts into flames, and Kang-woo collapses to the ground in tears, screaming her name.

One year later, Kang-woo continues to have dreams about Myung-wol and their happily married life that could have been. He plans to head to the States to clear his head and do some studying, and says goodbye to Dae-kang and In-ah.

In-ah has taken over her grandfather’s hotels, and being a CEO certainly suits her bossy style more than being a lousy actress. She still thinks fondly of Ryu, remembering him every time she trips in her heels.

Ok-soon and Hee-bok are married and doing well with restaurants and coffee shops. Ok-soon opened a Pyongyang Noodle Shop that’s booming, and Kang-woo comes by to visit and say goodbye on his way to the States.

At the airport a woman brushes past him, and though he can only see her from behind, she’s dressed exactly the way Myung-wol was, on the day he first met her. He chases her down and loses her.

He stands there, lost, confused, and then his baseball rolls toward him and stops at his feet. He picks it up and stares at it in shock.

And then Myung-wol’s voice calls out to him, “Have you been well, Comrade Kang-woo?”

He turns around in disbelief, as she tells him that it’s been a long time. She holds up the meanie face autograph he gave her on the day they met, and tells him that she’s going to get his autograph this time, and marry him and live happily with him here.

His eyes fill with tears and he finally breaks into a big smile. She tells him that it took too long to get to this point, and that she won’t ever leave him again. She runs flying into his arms and he hugs her tight.

Aw, despite the circumstances and her whole disappearing-reappearing act being TOTALLY ridiculous, I’m happy for him because he looks so happy in the moment.

Wedding time! Myung-wol and Kang-woo finally get their dream wedding with the spy parents and everyone else in attendance. Dae-kang asks the spy parents where Myung-wol’s been this whole time and they say she wouldn’t tell them. They’re just happy that she’s back, but sigh that it’s too bad for Ryu.

In-ah hears this and leaves, saddened at the mention of Ryu, and comes out to find her scarf on her windshield – the one she gave him. She clutches it and looks around, hope filling her eyes.

Though he doesn’t show himself, he watches the wedding and In-ah from a distance, burn scars showing on his arm and his neck. Why am I more moved by this couple than the main one? Sigh.

Newlyweds Myung-wol and Kang-woo drive off, calling each other by their insulting/endearing nicknames. In the distance a billboard announces the news of their wedding and Kang-woo’s return to showbiz, in the drama Myung-wol the Spy.

COMMENTS

Sigh. The thing is, that death fakeout was so obvious that it was hard to feel the kind of dramatic tension that the drama was aiming for. In fact, most of the dramatic tension in this finale was pretty much moot, because we were just re-treading the same ground as before.

Deal gone wrong with Chairman Joo? Check. Warehouse kidnappings? Check. Guns ablaze and no firing? Check. I at least thought that everything with the NSA and North Korea would come to a head in the final episode… but all the stuff I wanted to see “happened” offscreen, which is the lamest cop-out in the book.

Where did they go for a year? Why did it have to be that long? Did they make a deal with the NSA? What were the terms? What about North Korea? Even if the fake death made the North think they’d succeeded in assassinating them, doesn’t her very public marriage to Kang-woo negate all that? So then what the hell was the point of disappearing for a year?

What kills me about this drama is that it started out so funny and absurdist and wacky, with such potential for a fun take on the spy world with hijinks and showbiz meta. But the writing lost all of that initial creative flair and regurgitated one conflict over and over and over and over… until I stopped caring.

I’m glad that they got their happy ending, but I honestly couldn’t have cared less, especially since I knew they’d get their romantic happy ending. What I was curious about was HOW they were going to tie up all the high-stakes loose ends and earn their well-deserved peace. But this drama was all setup and no payoff.

If the solution was going to be this easy, then why did we have to go through all the leaving, not leaving, hiding, dealing, kidnapping, and fake death? When Kang-woo finally got shot to save Myung-wol, my hopes went back up a tiny bit, thinking that at least danger was afoot with the North Korean assassin, and that we’d see a big face-off at the very end. But I suppose if I kept going on about all the things I wished this drama had done, we’d be here till next year.

In the end I guess the only thing I really liked was what the drama used to be early on, and Eric’s performance throughout. He held on to the very end, acting his heart out, despite no one else really being in the game. While I liked everyone else in their roles and have no major complaints about them (unlike my gripes with the writing and directing), his was the only performance that stood a cut above the rest. While I didn’t love his character, I thought he brought an edge in his portrayal, which surprised me.

You know what this feels like? A breakup after you give a relationship a second, third, fourth, fifth chance, because you’re still clinging to the memories of the happy times… until it dawns on you that now the angst outweighs the happy. Sigh. Ain’t love a bitch?

223

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51 Christine

September 7, 2011 at 12:27 AM

I love it! I can't think of another appropriate ending.

Thanks for the recap dramabeans.

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52 Christine

September 7, 2011 at 12:35 AM

A sequel for Ryu and In-ah, please! :D

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53 Small Birdy

September 7, 2011 at 12:51 AM

Agreed. Acting before and after HYS debacle was seamless albeit all the actors looked rather tired from episode 12-13 onwards.

It was the writing that killed everything. The actors are doing everything that the director is telling them should be done with the script. The director is just trying his best with the material on-hand. So, bad writer = lousy show.

In this day and age, the talents will still get jobs, perhaps HYS will have to try harder and grovel for top jobs but with enough popularity, people will still use her. From what I see, she is mighty popular (and cute to boot!)

The management of the production and the writers should be reprimanded severely for letting it go wrong but the crew and talents should be commended for pushing on like they did.

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Hya

May 14, 2012 at 8:26 PM

She shouldn't have to grovel.

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54 davidkim

September 7, 2011 at 1:14 AM

for some reason i more interested ryu and in ah couple,for somehow i find they two looking suited together,..

and I think I have same kind character as Ryu
and I really glad if In Ah loves me like Ryu was even I always noob and slow about girls~

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55 vic

September 7, 2011 at 1:34 AM

a bad korean drama

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56 glencorajane

September 7, 2011 at 1:52 AM

Thanks for the recaps. when the hys incident happened, I stop watching and just read the recaps.

yes, this drama could have been so much better, it was suppose to an award winning script right? If it had been pre produce, I am sure the story wld hv been tighter.

yes and I agree that Eric's performance is good and that he is the one that hold on till the end emotionally vested. this drama shd hv been called Kang Woo the star vs the spy.

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57 Madita

September 7, 2011 at 2:22 AM

Finally the Final....

Thank you very much Javabeans and Girlfriday for your beautiful recaps. They were much better then watching the drama itself.

Spy-Myung Wol - I kept with it because of HYS and also I started watching it. Then, I am a curious person who dont like uncomplete informations, I had to know how it would end even this drama was no top K-drama-hit for me....I blame it to the medicore script !

The actors were great. I am a HYS-fan since Fantasy Couple and will watch every drama she plays. I liked her acting in SMW. Even after the scandal she caused, she played very well after it - kudos.

But what I did like the most in this drama was, that it introduced some "new" K-actors to me I did not know before.

I heard, read from Eric before - but never watched any drama with him till SMW. So I am positively surprised about his good acting and fine looks. He is now on my favourites-list, too.

Then Lee-Jin Wook as Choi-Ryu. Never heard and seen him before. But wiht SMW, I have fallen for him. At first I thougt he is an wooden-actor because he was so stern and so stingy with his mimic as CR. He proved opposite in his special moments with MW (picnic) and In-Ah. And he also had all the time a kind of strange but appealing charisma. So I googled him, and now picked the drama 'City of Glass' in which he seems to play the main-lead as next to watch.

And then Jang Hee-In as In-Ah...maybe I was the only one who liked that bitch IA from the begining. Because I watched an Interview with her, HYS and LJW, in which she was such a shy, nice and lovely person. So I was the whole time totally amazed about her acting skills, HOW opposite to her real-self she was as In-Ah in SMW.

For JHI and LJW, I wish them main-lead roles in future dramas.

And yes, me too, towards the end I was more in the CR♥IA relationship, because I love opposite characters in drama-couples. The spoilt brat IA and the draconic/austere man CR. Those both relationship would have been worth for a drama itself. I would have loved to watch it...As a fan-fiction, I wished IA would have run-off after CR to North Korea. There CR would be responsible to watch over her....where she slowly and certainly would drive him mad...of course she would get with time a nicer person, and he would fall in love with her not realizing it till the end :P

But this script should not be written by SMW script-writers. SMW had such a good plot, but it was messed up with the bad script. Thanks to its great actors it was quite watchable. I am disappointed by SMW, despite my lovely HYS.

But at least GF and JB 's recaps, made it more bearable and entertaining.

Nevertheless, SMW had its big earning yields for me as:

♥ Eric
♥ Lee Jin- ook
♥ Jang Hee-Jin

Thanks a lot again GF and JB

Edit: and I wished you would have picked up Protect the Boss, too

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Mia

September 7, 2011 at 10:04 PM

agree! <3

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58 YY

September 7, 2011 at 2:25 AM

It's over, and despite all the glaring loopholes, I still love it a lot. The best thing about this drama is Eric; I came into this drama not knowing who he was, never having seen any drama of his. This was supposed to be Han Ye Seul's vehicle, but he literally stole the show with his powerful and moving portrayal of Kang Woo. Long after I forget the show's confusing plot, I'll still remember Eric, his beautiful deep deep voice which sends chills down my spine, those sad, sad, tormented eyes which capture all the bewilderment and anguish in his heart and that heartbreaking cry of rage and anguish that breaks on a gasp, wrenched from the depths of his soul. Nobody else holds a candle to him, or comes close. He is unforgettable as Kang Woo, and raises this character to a whole new level. Thank you, Eric.

I love Ye Seul, and I think she was very very brave to come back, and continue from where she left. She must have suffered a lot, looking at the dark puffy eyebags under her eyes, since she was in practically every scene , but she delivered her lines with true professionalism and I thought she looked beautiful in all her scenes. So thank you, Ye Seul. Good luck to you. I hope you continue to act.

In ah is a fine actress too, and I liked her vulnerability in the latter scenes. I never hated her at all, I actually liked her, and her Ryu scenes were touching and sad.

Ryu was a tad wooden for me, but I really liked his scenes with In ah....I feel he has so much more chemistry with her than with Myung Wol.

This show has so many weaknesses, but the good moments are so unexpected and amazing they just take my breath away. Like the finale, where the sniper suddenly appears in the bush, and the two cars come towards each other from opposite directions. Then the shot, and the tyre in flames, and the car veering off, plunging down the slope and bursting into flames - I was screaming NOOOOOOOO and just started crying....I think that scene broke my heart, and Kang Woo's face.....ah, such a powerful and moving scene....

So would I watch this show again? Definitely. One of the most enjoyable shows this year. It made me laugh and cry, from the beginning right to the end. A winner in my book.

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jhelen

September 10, 2011 at 5:57 AM

super mega agree!!!!

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59 YY

September 7, 2011 at 2:49 AM

Talking about hot guys, does anyone notice the big goon who's in every action scene? He's so hot he doesn't need to punch and kick. Yup, he just STANDS there looking hot and goony. And he's got only one expression on his face: ME BIG GOON DUH

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60 Ming

September 7, 2011 at 2:55 AM

hmmm..... the only question is, where did she go during this one year? to nurse Ryu? or to fake death for the North?

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Madita

September 7, 2011 at 2:59 AM

suppose both :)

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61 laya

September 7, 2011 at 2:59 AM

:d Well, that's over.

Thanks for the recap! <3

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62 Aphrodite

September 7, 2011 at 3:02 AM

Finally, its over.
Although I liked it, I feel relieved now that its over.

And yes, compared to SPW, Lie to me made more sense.

Anyway, what I liked more in this drama was Eric's performance. He did his best, and he was reaaaaally good....

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63 anne

September 7, 2011 at 3:33 AM

HI, thanks for the recap - I've always enjoyed reading the recaps :)

The first half of the serial was pretty hilarious and entertaining to me - it was humourous but yet not a slapstick. I don't quite understand whey the story just simply turns darker and gloomier as the plot thickens(thins out?)

I hang on to the last episode because I think Eric and the rest of the cast (minus the lead actress) have done a wonderful job. Especially so for Eric, despite all the "drama within drama", you can feel his angst , happiness and oversplling love till the very end.

Hope to see him in a better production next time.

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64 kaekaed

September 7, 2011 at 5:15 AM

I still have 2 episodes to actually watch. But I think this thing would have been a whole lot better if they hadn't stretched it out. I think with pruning this would have been a good 16 episode show.
Some bits were great: the fishing date, can't you see I'm proposing, and others but they were too far apart. And the repetition is a killer who actually fires a gun when he points at someone's head.
If they had kept it to 16 episodes, got rid of the repeated kidnappings, near/fake deaths etc, and had the epilogue be them happy ever after as superstars (maybe with her preg) and In Ah and Ryu living together in North Korea where she is the biggest movie star. (wait, that is my revenge fantasy on In Ah)

(Oh and on the four ancient books that point out a treasure - of rare earth metals - how on earth did the person who went thru all the trouble to code it know that 100s of years in the future people would want these minerals. (and of course make the 4 books good enough to withstand being tossed around and kept in bathroom closets and under pianos etc. Good night - I am surprised they lasted as long as they did.

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65 sara

September 7, 2011 at 5:49 AM

damn it Ryu I wanted to see you in miami lying in the sun with a cocktail while thinking: Damn, who cares about my first love -.- you really make me depressed to the last minute of your face but still I hope you will find the right girl!
What I don't get is what about North Korea and where were the for a whole year? What the hell is with this strange ending even the city hunter ending with just smiling at each other was better than this crap!Oo who came up with this?

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66 oddworld

September 7, 2011 at 6:30 AM

Man, Lie to Me, Heartstrings, Myung wol the Spy.....how much more disappointments can I take?

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67 MeeisLee

September 7, 2011 at 6:54 AM

Oh wait, what? I thought this was ending next week O,o. Eh, anyway, I lost interest during the drama over the drama debacle. I meant to catch up to the series today... but I feel lazy. I'll read through the recaps though.

Thanks for sticking with it guys :).

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68 Larissa

September 7, 2011 at 7:04 AM

What a weird ending. A happy ending for the main couple and an open ending for the side couple... that sucks. Just a thought though, is it possible that during that one year, Myung Wol and Ryu went to another country to recover from the burns... and perhaps Myung Wol got plastic surgery for the burns?

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69 Evie

September 7, 2011 at 7:07 AM

Oh man, the ending was okay. but it left me hanging with questions. This drama started off well, but somehow from episode 14 onwards, i was getting a little huh-expression. the books, kidnapping kept going round Chairman Joo, KW and Ryu.

Sigh, I have to confess that I was so sick of this pyramid game of kidnapping and threatening that I fast-forward every time Chairman Joo starts talking. There was nothing new except for the addition of the sniper. What happened in the north and how MW ended up staying in the north was a big question mark. To be honest, I held on to this drama was because of Eric. I am not a fan of his nor have I seen any of his shows. But I thought did well portraying KW. I love his expressions as KW.

Sadly, I felt that the writers kind-of messed up the story and it seemed like they were just writing because they promised 18 episodes.

All in all, I love the recaps. THANK YOU!!!

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70 babyfat

September 7, 2011 at 7:18 AM

Thank you for all your fantastic recaps - I've enjoyed each and everyone of it - I'm a big fan of all 3 lead actors - so i stick to my post - i love the drama . Eric Moon and lee Jin wook post-army come back they're acting were great - a newer fan of Han . I wish them all the best in their career ...until next drama , Thank you everyone - Have a nice week

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71 tinnybo

September 7, 2011 at 7:31 AM

I am one of those who stopped watching, but continued through recaps, so thanks JF.

I am happy it's over, but i only have one wish and that would be for Ryu and In-ah story to continue on. He could work for her as a bodyguard, cause we all know he as the skills. That would be a story worth watching.

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72 misachan

September 7, 2011 at 7:34 AM

yeah..... i stopped watching this drama long ago.....
I simply resorted to reading your recaps (thanks for sticking through it for us!!!)

Because, really, the first few episodes got me laughing and enjoying myself for the wacky-ness....

After awhile, it's just whack.

Oh Myung Wol, go join the others in the shame corner....

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73 Myn

September 7, 2011 at 7:37 AM

UGH. I couldn't even sit through the last couple of episodes, especially these final two. Ugh, missed opportunity.

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74 Sethe

September 7, 2011 at 7:46 AM

Caveat -- I haven't seen the last two episodes. But overall, I enjoyed this drama. My take-homes:

1. Lee Jin-wook is REALLY smolderingly sexy (although the ear-twitching should go, I agree).

2. I should give Que Sera Sera another chance (and maybe stay awake this time).

3. Han Ye-seul and her professionalism... sigh... I think people who want to judge her might take a step back and think of all the stories we hear/read about actors getting sick, getting in car accidents, clearly losing tons of weight... because of this crazy live-shoot system. Bottom line, what is the necessity of having dramas filmed/aired in this way that makes the obvious suffering of these actors essential?

4. People who protest unnecessarily inhumane treatment in a field certainly seem to be labeled "wimps" or "unprofessional" or some variant that suggests that they just don't have the ability/toughness to get the job done. But lost in this judgment is the question of whether there's any absolute necessity for the field/work environment to be so harsh in the first place. Yeah, I love my kdramas, but I don't think they're worth the price of the actors' or producers' health and happiness.

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jomo143

September 7, 2011 at 10:48 AM

Amen to all!

How far did you get with QSS?

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Bybyfat

September 7, 2011 at 12:00 PM

oh, you should - one of the best kdrama for me " Que Sera Sera " - Eric Moon was amazing in that role - fit him to like a glove . I think it was on of his best - The twists - suspension-heartbreaking-betrayed and awww !! true love - they conquers it all in one drama - i recommened all the way . I was a bigger fan of Eric after that

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Sethe

September 7, 2011 at 2:48 PM

Thanks for the recs. I tried to watch Que Sera Sera several times, but I don't think I ever made it past the 2nd episode. I just kept falling asleep, and then I'd try to watch again, but I guess it just wasn't meant to be at that time...

Now that I like Eric, though, I have stronger motivation to stay awake for it :)

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75 mya

September 7, 2011 at 7:59 AM

I know I remembered the exploded car scene from somewhere... definitely Kim Bum So's MV... cos, I really love the song... similar theme, spies lover but the girl got captured and the bf arrived late just in time to see the car explodes... sigh... I think I feel relieve not continuing watching the series... anyway, you guys did a good job recapping... Thank you!! and keep it up! ^^

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76 jomo143

September 7, 2011 at 8:17 AM

Thank you, JB and GF for sticking it out through the 18.

I am starting to understand the lure of straight melos, and why CSW has shown an interst in doing one of those next.
Success inside the restrictions of romcom is limited not because it is an easy genre, but verr verr difficult.

It really is a wonder, isn't it, that the same basic ingredients of Best Love could end up a dessert disaster of Myung Wol proportions.

There are a lot of excellent moments in all the shows out there, but few series manage to maintain that standard through the 16 - 20 episodes.

MSOAN, LTM, I'm with Stupid/HS/Festival/YFFM, too.

These shows make me appreciate how difficult it is to make really good romcoms: BL, PTB, DH.

And with SKKS, MP, SG, how confused writing can derail very good to excellent performances.

No matter what, we are lucky to come here and help decipher these shows!

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77 Razinfa

September 7, 2011 at 8:45 AM

Well Jomo... I suppose ur hypothesis on MW getting pregnant was a null... Which ever way, the ending sucked...too abrupt, as if the writers just gave up with 'what ever' attitude... Shuld have ended it by ep 16.....

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jomo143

September 7, 2011 at 10:41 AM

She shoulda - then came back with their little Hallyu baby!

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78 Razinfa

September 7, 2011 at 9:20 AM

Putting aside the frustration and disappointment from how this drama ended, I still want to cherish the best performance of all characters at the initial and middle parts.. Especially the budding love/hate relationship between KW&MW.... and of course CR's longing to be loved... Let's not forget the great n touching songs in the background... (i'm just gonna disregard the ending and put my ending,my way instead)

And so, i wish there is a compilation of these songs made available..so, i could keep them in my ipod.. For keepsakes.. ;p just like the two men who kept their pictures in their smartfones...!!

Thanks GF for ur persistence in updating us (the non-korean speaking fans) with the recap.. U gave us dignity in watching this drama... Thanks again!!

And to the rest of you all... I had fun reading ur comments/thoughts... So great that we could share some common interests..from different countries....and cultures.. Nice to hv met you all....

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79 AquaaM

September 7, 2011 at 12:23 PM

So basically Ryu was in the car or saved her or something because when you mention the burn scars, I'm thinking maybe he saved her and got burned in the fire instead....

anyway, I love anything with spies n when this show came on, i was sooo excited, but it dissapointed :(

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80 gusya

September 7, 2011 at 12:26 PM

loves definitely a bitch... we've been getting lots of dramas which could have been better, not sure why that is, is something wrong with the writers? they seem to lose their magic after the first couple of weeks...well at least this is done and over with, Eric oppa definetly needs a good project, poor guy, keeps having bad luck. Thanks for the recaps JB and GF, it took guts to actually go through with this dreary nonsense ^____^

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81 Ace

September 7, 2011 at 12:50 PM

Aaw. I know after City Hunter I'll be looking out for a drama as good, and I knew that would be rare and from the start Spy Myung-wol was no CH, but heck, I loved this drama. I really blame the writers because they had already extended this to to more episodes but they didn't use the extra time to wrap up everything in a satisfactory way. It felt so long during the last 4-5 episodes and I wasn't bored but I did some multitasking while watching (like playing with my iphone games which got more attention from me).

Drats. Anyway, kudos to Eric and Han Ye-seul for the effort. That's 2/3 good episodes for me, and 1/3 so-so ones. Wish them the best on their next projects. The only surprise I got during the last 1/3 of the drama was I unexpectedly liked In-ah. She really grew on me unlike Ryu who I still dislike.

Thanks GF & JB for the recaps!

Here's hoping that Poseidon will start off good and end better. Choi Siwon, 화이팅!!!

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Ace

September 7, 2011 at 12:52 PM

correction: ...to two more episodes...

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82 Goyangi

September 7, 2011 at 1:10 PM

Honestly, I really liked this drama...for the first several episodes. Then I sort of watched it out of habit (secretly hoping it'd return to its original tone.) Now, I haven't even watched it since episode 13. Reading the recaps here satisfied my waning interest. Gah! admitting this really pains me as I was so sure that this drama would be "the best things ever! (until the next best thing comes along-natch.)" but it just ... didn't.

The writing SUCKED! I can't say that excellent acting and good directing can't make up for (or, really, distract from) shitty writing ... but I think the effect tends to wear off when you finish watching the drama, all the pretty goes away and your brain turns back on. Unfortunately, the drama didn't have good direction. I agree that the actors did the best that they could, though, with sucky writing and, apparently, sucky working conditions. In future projects, I hope the cast is lucky enough to land roles in well-written dramas.

I thought I'd be the only one here that actually liked In-Ah but judging by some previous comments...guess not. Okay, I'm sorry but I must say that, at first, something about the actor's face bugged me. (I mean, other than eye surgery, there was something fake about her face.) But once I got over that hurdle, I liked her character. I'd like to see Jang Hee Jin in something else. Maybe Choi Ryu the Spy? Who do we call/bribe/blackmail to make that sequel happen?

Thank you, JB and GF, for your excellent recaps!

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83 Shel

September 7, 2011 at 2:41 PM

THanks for the recaps....saved me about 2 1/2 hours of being annoyed, lol.

I haven't watched 16, 17 or 18, just read the recaps, cuz it's faster. I may go back and watch 18, but with limited time, I'd rather watch PTB.

Such a shame, it started out SO fun, Eric was awesome (i'm looking forward to what he does next) and Ryu was a hottie...he shoulda got a girl, too.

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84 shareb

September 7, 2011 at 4:03 PM

me too! initially was pumped to watch this drama- read the reviews but held out watching- waiting for it to accumulate but by episode 7/8, I couldn't force myself too. the script seem lame n tedious.. bt I'm stil addicted to ur recap n see if the writers could save themselves. the onli good thg of this drama is Eric n Jinwook- period.

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85 eve

September 7, 2011 at 4:04 PM

Okay, I just read some comment describing this drama as this year's hot mess. And that, coming from someone who was over the moon for Lie To Me.

Give. Me. A. Break.

Admittedly, this turned didn't turn out as well as it should have, but I still say Lie To Me, Manny, and Paradise Ranch are the worst I've seen this year.

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86 Abbie

September 7, 2011 at 4:06 PM

Hoo boy! What a disappointing final episode. I usually go into long spiels about the drama and the actors, but I won't this time.

The drama started out funny and wacky, and everything I wanted it to be. But around the midway point it just sort of flat-lined. WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED?! The only actor I liked at the end was Eric, while I had a few problems with his character from time to time, overall he brought a lot to the drama and acted his little heart out. And for that, I thank him. I'm glad the show didn't replace Han Ye-seul and that she came back, but it seems that her heart wasn't really in it anymore. I think that, and the poor writing, is what did this show in, ultimately.

All the characters were great, even Chairman Joo and In-ah. Even though their characters were kind of redundant and pointless in the final stretch.

That said, Myung-wol the Spy was an interesting drama, and I stayed somewhat interested until the end.

Thanks for the recaps, Girlfriday and Javabeans.

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87 babyfat

September 7, 2011 at 4:19 PM

is anyone know where is ep 17 eng sub posted at ? thanks

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88 Noemi

September 7, 2011 at 4:36 PM

...just got these random Phantom of the Opera vibes seeing Ryu with his burn scars watching In Ah from a distance...he'd make a hot phantom... :D

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89 hoochie

September 7, 2011 at 7:11 PM

I started watching Myung Wol the Spy since the beginning because the premise of the drama was different from the usual which peaked my interest. I enjoyed the first ten episodes because of the show's quirky sense of humor but the drama became increasingly melo which I don't expect from a romantic comedy.

Concepts were constantly recycled i.e. guns shoved into people's faces, MW trying to ditch KW but doesn't get more than an inch away from him, the warehouse where at least one of the main characters gets held captive, etc. The SK agents that fell off the face of the earth and oh don't forget the NK council because I almost did.

I couldn't watch the final two episodes without tuning in and out. They could have wrapped up the story within 16 episodes. Although the real life drama might have made things awkward on the set, it was the writing that went down the drain. Did the four books serve any purpose? Couldn't one of two spies have killed the Chairman since he was so troublesome? For a couple of spies they don't do much killing.

Ugh and the last episode. Is it bad of me to think it would have been better off if they actually died in the car crash? Did they really expect viewers to be surprised that they survived especially with the one year later? Geez if they were going to do that they could have at least let her come back with a mini CR. And how does coming back alive keep MW from being assassinated?

After Scent of a Woman finishes this weekend, I have no dramas to watch or at least any upcoming ones that interest me. Guess I'll be waiting for IRIS 2 and Strangers 6.

Thank you girlfriday and javabeans for the recaps.

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houstontwin

September 8, 2011 at 5:00 AM

Try "Protect the Boss". It is really cute!

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hoochie

September 10, 2011 at 5:47 PM

Thanks for the recommendation. I've heard good things about Protect the Boss but stayed away because it sounded like the typical arrogant chaebol guy and hardworking poor gal romance. Plus I wasn't familiar with either of the leads. Since watching the first few episodes, I find it pretty funny and cute as you mentioned. Just hope it keeps the same momentum and humor to the end especially with the extension. Haha and I see why the General from NK never made another appearance in MW lols

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weissman

September 9, 2011 at 10:21 AM

My two cents

What happend

What they did is make a deal between SK and NK for the information in the four books (Rare Earth-Lots of cash+ something NK needs big time) and part of the deal is that the 4 spies can live openly in SK (That's what took a year). While the deal was being worked Ruy and HMY had to basically stay out of sight- Think temporary witness protection

A perfect spy (lets call it covert ops) is an invisible one - as far as kiiling people, in the situation they were in stealth is everything. Thats means you need to operate under the radar so to speak. Killing someone, or leaving a trace, is definetly not under the radar.

the real NK

http://news.yahoo.com/un-nkorea-footage-shows-malnourished-children-142751623.html

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hoochie

September 10, 2011 at 6:26 PM

Thanks for your input. I guess I was too disappointed that the big reveal with the books was just some metal to think of a plausible use for it. I figured it would have been something more epic since it took a pretty significant part of the story to play out. Your reasoning makes sense and SK gets to keep a happy Hallyu star.

True, a good spy would try to stay incognito. I guess I was thinking more of an assassin rather than a spy. But their identities were discovered by the Chairman. I would think they would try to eliminate him to keep him quiet but I have no idea what a real spy would do. Well if he did die, I don't think they would have been able to fill 18 episodes lols

Hehe I still think MW should have came back with a baby in tow. The mystery father being CR because I felt CR got the short end of the stick being scarred, defected, and lonely (well maybe not all three).

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90 SALLY

September 7, 2011 at 9:18 PM

I was so into this drama during the first two episodes but it was so tiring to watch it when it got extended.
& the ending was bleah, conclusion this drama wasn't worth it to watch.

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91 Mia

September 7, 2011 at 10:01 PM

agree! i think i'd like to know about Ryu/In-ah couple! >.<
i want to know how it turns out! ^^
thanks!

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92 joyce

September 8, 2011 at 12:10 AM

I think, in exchange to 4 book = happy peaceful living=>. 1 year trial between South and North Korea=>.

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93 eris

September 8, 2011 at 3:28 AM

I LOVE SPY MYUNGWOL ...period! i'm addicted to it. sorry for those who didn't like it but me and my mom love it soooo much!

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94 houstontwin

September 8, 2011 at 4:58 AM

Why are so many dramas like this? They start with such promise and then disintegrate! I kept watching for a long time because Eric was terrific (as girl friday pointed out) but good actors are not enough to save a drama with lousy writing (for example Lie to Me).
I guess the takeaway, after watching kdrama for a couple of years, is that it all starts with the writing. If there are deep flaws in the plot and/or character development very little can be done to rescue the drama.
I am amazed at all the time and money (not to mention human energy) that are put into half-baked projects.

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95 spazmo

September 8, 2011 at 5:17 PM

i loved this drama - mainly for the actors. they ROCKED - eric is HOT, i'm glad we didn't have to suffer through a change in actress - yeseul was cute, beautiful and "suffered" through it to the end. choi ryu is darling and sweet (wish they let him smile more often)! in ah was ditzy/funny/entertaining!

the stories are all the same, but it's the actors that bring life to the characters - so please stop complaining about the plot... it was a cute, funny, quirky, exciting, and endearing drama with really good actors who made it fun to watch, in spite of any mishaps, bad scripts or whatever you all keep talking about.

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96 spazmo

September 8, 2011 at 5:27 PM

forgot to give kudos to the spy parents - their scenes were a total scream each and every time! so funny, so quirky!!

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97 sarang

September 8, 2011 at 6:15 PM

Not everyone's cup of tea but to me I wouldn't mind having this tea over again, and again and again and again. I'm not going to try and convince those that have given up on it to finish it, I will however say to those that have not started this series yet, don't let others' opinions shape yours. To each their own. I thoroughly enjoyed this drama so I'll leave it at that.

Thank you girlfriday and javabeans for recapping this whole series. I will cherish these recaps. <3

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98 weissman

September 8, 2011 at 6:16 PM

I have to say I enjoyed it and I can at leats believe that they had to spend a year in hiding to work out the deak that would let them live, openly, in peace in SK

i.e . SK cuts NK in on a peace of the action on the rare earths in exchange for NK forgoing any action against our 4 spies. (Thats what took a year) .

I actually think In-Ah and Ryuy get together hence the scarf, thats the only reason I can think that he left it there.

I liked HYS, well I always liked HYS , she rocks
and I cheared at the ending-Hooah!

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99 jae

September 9, 2011 at 12:03 AM

thank you JB and GF for your hardwork recaping SMW.
finally it's over...so we can continue with our life ^^
all actors have good chemistry with each other
to bad the story not as smooth as viewer expected...
so good luck to all actors for their next project !