Kill Me, Heal Me: Episode 15
by purplecow
Welcome to the episode in which no one is happy. Like, literally no one. In the midst of all this misery, Ri-on finally lays his cards on the table and Do-hyun struggles with the question of how best to protect the people he loves. But are there any good choices when your own family wants to destroy everything you hold dear?
EPISODE 15 RECAP
With blood smearing one cheek and tears coursing down the other, Do-hyun finally remembers that Ri-jin was with him in the basement. He struggles to stay conscious while his memories—not to mention Mom’s thugs—assault him, finally recalling the promise he made Ri-jin as a child: “Remember. 10:00pm—the time we promised to meet.” Overwhelmed, he sinks to his knees and then collapses on the ground.
Ri-jin is trapped inside the building, tormented by her own memories. Outside, Do-hyun forces himself to his feet once again, pushing himself past the limits of his battered body. He stumbles towards the thugs, but his attempts to fight are easily repulsed. The bad guys proceed to beat the shit out of him. Again.
Mom hears from her thugs about the guy who followed them, unaware that it’s her precious son. She tells them to retreat for now, to avoid getting caught by the police. The leader relays the orders to his henchmen, who are busy repeatedly kicking a prone Do-hyun in the ribs. Ouch.
Ri-jin struggles with the locked door, which triggers recollections of being trapped in the basement. She starts to hyperventilate and rummages through the shelves for a plastic bag, showing great presence of mind in the midst of her panic attack.
The door opens, and Ri-jin’s mind jumps immediately to when Do-hyun’s father would enter the basement. She runs to a pile of boxes and huddles behind them, burying her head in her arms. In voiceover we hear Do-hyun as a child, apologizing for being late.
Ri-jin turns around to look, and sure enough it’s Cha Do-hyun who enters the kitchen, looking like he’s been through a war zone. Ri-jin rushes over to him, asking about his injuries. “I’m sorry… I’m late,” Do-hyun says, echoing the words he spoke as a child. He collapses once more (is that three times in eight minutes? Poor guy).
Ri-on and Chief Ahn arrive at the hideout at the same time. Chief Ahn grabs Ri-on by the collar, demanding to know who he really is, but their confrontation is interrupted by Ri-jin’s distressed cries. They hurry inside, where Ri-jin tells them to call an ambulance.
Ri-jin stays by Do-hyun’s side as paramedics rush him to the emergency room, even giving orders to the other doctor. He’s all like, “Wait… aren’t you supposed to be at Johns Hopkins?”, but Ri-jin is in no mood for chitchat.
Ri-on finds his sister waiting in the hall for news of Do-hyun’s condition. He hands her a restorative drink and tries to get her to rest at home, but Ri-jin won’t budge until Do-hyun regains his senses. Ri-on gets upset because Ri-jin only worries about Do-hyun, ignoring his concern for her. He chucks his drink in the trash and storms off.
In the hallway, Chief Ahn learns that the villa where Ri-jin was taken is registered under “that person’s” name, and orders his informant to find the leader of the kidnappers. Ri-on overhears the call and demands to know who owns the villa, but Chief Ahn says that he can’t share information that isn’t confirmed.
“Then I’ll confirm it for myself,” Ri-on replies. “But if it’s who I think it is, I don’t know what I’ll end up doing.” He leaves Chief Ahn with that warning and calls his friend on the police force to ask him to investigate.
Ri-jin is waiting by Do-hyun’s hospital bed when Dr. Seok comes looking for her. He reminds her of her promise to have a consultation with him, and takes Ri-jin away while Do-hyun sleeps. But Do-hyun wakes seconds after they leave the room.
Ri-jin relates her feeling of déjà vu while trapped in the villa. She’s now certain that she plays a part in Do-hyun’s repressed memories, and she’s determined to regain her own forgotten past to help him heal.
Dr. Seok confirms that Ri-jin is really doing this for Do-hyun’s sake and not her own, and the camera pans to show us Do-hyun listening outside the office door. He hears Ri-jin say how they promised to fight together from now on, whether it was a fear of basements or anything else.
Do-hyun goes to the roof of the hospital and looks out over the city, the picture of Ri-jin as a child clasped in his hand. Ri-jin sees him and assumes it’s Yo-sub trying to kill himself again, so she pulls him away from the edge and scolds him for breaking the promise he made her.
“If you want to die, then die,” Ri-jin says. “But die tomorrow.” And if tomorrow he still wants to die, she says, then push it to the next day, and the next and the next. A day will come when he’ll be glad he held on. Do-hyun promises her he won’t die, because there’s something he has to do first—someone he has to protect.
Ri-jin hugs Do-hyun tightly, sobbing that this is the first time she realized how reassuring the words “I won’t die” actually are. With the picture of child Ri-jin still in his hand, Do-hyun can’t bring himself to return Ri-jin’s embrace.
Walking through the hospital lobby, Do-hyun asks Ri-jin to stop trying to recover her memories. She is living well and has many people who love her—Do-hyun doesn’t want her to suffer just to help him.
Ri-jin reminds him that it’s likely she was Se-gi’s first love, which means she could be Do-hyun’s as well. There could be wonderful memories that Ri-jin would recover along with the bad ones, and Do-hyun shouldn’t give up just because he’s scared.
But Do-hyun knows exactly how not-wonderful Ri-jin’s memories would be, and he can’t hold back his tears. He pulls Ri-jin into a hug, leaving her confused about what she said exactly that affected him so much.
Ri-jin’s mother visits a Buddhist temple, the final resting place of her old friend Min Seo-yeon (Ri-jin’s biological mother). A flashback shows Seo-yeon calling Mom twenty-one years ago, begging her to save her daughter. She promised to pick Ri-jin up in a few days, but must have died in the car crash before she could. In the present, Mom scolds Seo-yeon gently for passing on without keeping her promise. She tears up as she says how well Ri-jin has grown up.
Just outside the temple entrance is a thug in a suit, who calls Ki-joon’s dad to confirm that he’s discovered the identity of the person who raised Seo-yeon’s child. Dad reminds him to move carefully, and Ki-joon observes that something big must be happening if Dad is mobilizing his troops. Dad says he’s simply aiming for his opponent’s weakness, which he must take advantage of before his own is exposed.
Ki-joon’s mother takes Chae-yeon out to lunch to scold her (politely, of course) for being seen drunk in public with Cha Do-hyun. She doesn’t make a big deal out of it, saying that she trusts Chae-yeon not to make another mistake like this. “How can you trust me when I don’t trust myself?” Chae-yeon asks. She stands up, pays her respects, and excuses herself like a boss.
Chae-yeon’s mother gets a call from Ki-joon’s mother, who is not happy about what just went down. But Chae-yeon’s mom fires back, saying her daughter is every bit as great as Ki-joon and they should just break off the engagement.
Chae-yeon returns her engagement ring to Ki-joon. She says there is someone else she wants to have, and it’s wrong to play with Ki-joon’s heart like this. He demands to know why she’s started worrying about him now, and Chae-yeon only apologizes and takes her leave. Ki-joon chucks the ring away, cursing Do-hyun.
Ri-on brings some things to Ri-jin at the hospital, but she’s already on her way to Do-hyun’s house. Then Ri-on gets a call from his detective friend, who has discovered the owner of the villa where Ri-jin’s kidnappers went.
Do-hyun hears from Chief Ahn, who has also confirmed without a doubt that it was Do-hyun’s mom who orchestrated the kidnapping. He wants to confront her immediately, but on his way to check out of the hospital he gets a call from Ri-on.
They meet in the hallway, and Ri-on grabs Do-hyun by collar and slams him against the wall. Ri-on is near the limits of his self-control, screaming that Do-hyun should never have created more ties with Ri-jin. Do-hyun remembers what Ri-on told Se-gi, about having no right to be with Ri-jin because he’s a son of Seungjin Group. Tears spring to Do-hyun’s eyes. “Why did you ignore my warning?” Ri-on cries. “Why? Why? WHY?”
Ri-jin stops by Do-hyun’s apartment to pick up some of his clothes. She finds the box of toys that Se-gi bought for their date, including the pop-up clown and the evil dancing monkey. She smiles as she recalls how Se-gi tried so hard to impress her.
The toy train sparks a different set of memories—Ri-jin hears a child’s voice promising to meet her every day at the same time. Ri-jin stares at the empty room and sees a child playing with a toy train, though it’s not yet clear to her that it’s an actual memory.
A call comes from Dad who wants Ri-jin to stop by the restaurant to check on Mom. She overworked on the weekend, but she doesn’t want to go to the hospital, so Dad asks Ri-jin to swing by and give her an IV. Ri-jin leaves at once.
Ri-on meets with Do-hyun and explains everything about his past with Ri-jin. He always tried to allay her fears and explain away her nightmares, but now Ri-jin is seeing flashes of her past more frequently after meeting Do-hyun.
Ri-jin will be in danger from people who fear her existence, and her memories will make her miserable if she discovers them. For those reasons, Ri-on asks Do-hyun to send Ri-jin away. She won’t listen to her brother anymore, but she might listen to Do-hyun.
With his head bowed, Ri-on begs Do-hyun to help. Do-hyun agrees, but asks for a single favor in return.
Ri-jin hooks up an IV for her mother and scolds her for not taking care of herself. Ri-jin boasts that she doesn’t make house calls for just anyone, so Mom had better listen. Mom jokes back, wondering where Ri-jin inherited her looks and poise, but the oblique reference to Ri-jin’s real parents turns the mood somber.
“Aren’t you curious about your real family?” Ri-jin’s mom asks. But Ri-jin says that she is content to find out later. Ri-on overhears from the doorway, and in voiceover he asks Do-hyun not to take away Ri-jin or his family’s happiness.
Speaking of taking away happiness, Do-hyun’s mom arrives at his apartment. She asks Chief Ahn why Do-hyun called her out, and the chief replies that it’s probably for the exact reason she fears.
Mom apologizes to Do-hyun, saying that she went too far. She insists that she wasn’t really kidnapping Ri-jin, just investigating to figure out why she approached Do-hyun.
Do-hyun reveals that Ri-jin has no memories of her past, so Mom’s attempts to find out how much she knows are useless. Mom is instantly relieved, which disgusts Do-hyun even further. “Are you even human?!” he demands. He asks if she has the right to call herself someone’s mother after acting this way.
Grandma Seo sits next to Joon-pyo’s bed and scolds him for running away for six years, then staying in a coma for the next twenty. She thinks back to twenty-one years ago, when Joon-pyo finally returned to the house with Do-hyun in tow.
In the past, Grandma Seo greets Joon-pyo just like a mother happy to be reunited with her son (and not the Mistress of Evil we know her to be), but she is put off when Joon-pyo requests that his son be added to the family register. Then Seo-yeon appears, with a daughter that Joon-pyo doesn’t recognize. The adults are tense and wary, but the children share shy smiles.
Back in the present, Grandma Seo reflects that if only her husband hadn’t brought Seo-yeon back to the house, if only “that child” had really been Joon-pyo’s, this whole tragedy would never have happened. Now she doesn’t know where to begin to start straightening things out (unplugging Joon-pyo’s respirator might be a good place to start, honestly).
Do-hyun gives his mother one last chance to atone for her greed: She can pack everything and leave for America with him. Mom isn’t even willing to consider giving up now, when they’re so close to the finish line.
Do-hyun explains that he can never be Seungjin Group’s successor, because he has D.I.D. He tries to get his mother to understand how her greed, her sins and her husband’s, made him this way. Mom’s only thought is that he can’t let anyone know, or else he’ll lose his chance to own Seungjin Group.
“I’ve finally figured out how to end your insatiable greed,” Do-hyun says. He’s going to reveal his illness to Seungjin Group, to the whole world, thereby ending all possibility of Mom gaining prestige through her son. Do-hyun asks Mom once again if she’s willing to leave for America with him.
Ri-on drives Ri-jin to Do-hyun’s apartment. He suggests that Mom’s sickness is because of her shock that Ri-jin knows she was adopted, and asks why Ri-jin is suddenly so determined to recover her memories.
Ri-jin says that she thinks it is the right time, and she is strong enough to look back on her past without crumbling. Ri-on wants to know if her new determination is because of Do-hyun, and Ri-jin says it’s possible, but she won’t say for sure.
They see Do-hyun waiting in front of his apartment, sitting in a folding chair and looking morose. Ri-jin wonders what he’s doing here when he should still be in the hospital.
Ri-jin asks Do-hyun if he was waiting for her, laughing that her dog Ri-na does the same thing. She holds out her hand like she would for her dog, and pets Do-hyun’s head. He plays along, but he looks like he’s on the edge of tears.
We see a flashback of Do-hyun’s conversation with Ri-on, when he promised to send Ri-jin away. His condition was that he spend one final day with her—Do-hyun wants to make Ri-jin smile brightly just once, since he’s always been the one relying on her.
Do-hyun asks Ri-jin if she will go with him on the Snowflake Train, since he wants to make up for cancelling their trip before. Ri-jin immediately agrees and starts dancing for joy, seemingly unaware of Do-hyun’s inner turmoil.
Once more we cut back to Do-hyun and Ri-on’s conversation, with both men crying buckets. “Far in the future,” Do-hyun tells Ri-on, “when Ri-jin doesn’t feel anything even if she thinks of me, and if she happens to be hurt by her past, tell her this: It’s not because you did something wrong, or because you don’t have the right to be loved, that you were abused.”
Ri-jin does have the right to be loved, Do-hyun insists. So she should forget about the past that’s never done her any good, and live her life while being loved. In the present, Ri-jin beams happily at Do-hyun, and he smiles sadly back.
COMMENTS
I feel like I’m watching a completely different drama than the one that has been exceeding all my expectations for the past two months, and I want to trade it back. Much of what I love about Kill Me, Heal Me is its ability to find humor even—or especially—during moments that are supposed to be serious. This episode was nothing like that—it was just pure, unabated misery. For everyone. And while this unrelenting misery certainly makes sense given recent events, it doesn’t always make for a pleasant viewing experience.
Do-hyun’s alters used to allow the show to mine comedy from any situation, without losing sight of the emotional trauma our hero suffers. Now we have all the suffering you could shake a stick at, and instead of Yo-na or Perry Park to lighten the mood, we get flashbacks on flashbacks.
Intellectually, I think I understand why the opening scene featured over six minutes of flashbacks, interspersed with Do-hyun fighting a losing battle against Mom’s thugs. That moment was the culmination of Do-hyun’s nightmares—twenty-one years of confusion were cleared up in an instant, and the truth was every bit as awful as he feared.
In that sense, the flashbacks added to the weight—or maybe density–of the moment, going through Do-hyun’s mind and crystallizing in a single, horrible eureka moment. The problem is that for us, watching repetition after repetition, those memories streeeetch out until it’s hard for us to fully inhabit Do-hyun’s emotions, to feel as he feels.
On a positive note, I’d like to applaud both Chae-yeon and her mom, who carried themselves with some serious class this episode. Chae-yeon finally acted on her feelings, mustering the courage to admit to Ki-joon that he doesn’t own her heart, and that it would be wrong to string him along. Chae-yeon’s mother’s scene was possibly my favorite of the episode—she is a minor character, but it was still a lovely moment to have her stand up to Ki-joon’s mom when she was badmouthing Chae-yeon. Chae-yeon’s happiness comes first for Mom, even before the wealth and prestige of Seungjin Group. I think Do-hyun’s mother and grandmother ought to be taking notes.
The biggest reason why I’ve come to dislike the frequent flashbacks so much is that they take away time that could be devoted to more scenes like this one—scenes that flesh out characters who are rarely in the spotlight. Chae-yeon in particular could have benefited from a few more scenes over the last four or so episodes, which would in turn improve the show overall.
I am—to put it bluntly—seriously pissed off at Do-hyun. The way he acted this episode made me question his intelligence, his judgment, and even his love for Ri-jin. Essentially, I think he’s taking the Noble Idiocy train to Asshole City, and the reasons he gives for pushing Ri-jin away don’t hold water.
Here are Do-hyun’s two objectives: 1) To keep Ri-jin from remembering a past that would make her unhappy; and 2) To keep Ri-jin safe from all of the factions fighting for control of Seungjin Group. Sending Ri-jin away does not make her safer, not in any rational universe. Whether Ri-jin recovers her memory or not, she will always be a threat to Ki-joon and his father, Grandma Seo, and Do-hyun’s mom. All of them are threatened by her existence, and Do-hyun has already seen how they deal with threats. The kidnapping attempt alone should have been enough to convince Do-hyun that his mother is not in her right mind, and attempting to give her an ultimatum is like backing a rabid dog into a corner: Someone’s going to get bitten.
All Do-hyun accomplishes by sending Ri-jin away is to make her more vulnerable to her enemies, without warning her that she will be a target. If he really wants Ri-jin to be safe, he should be offering to run away to America with her, not his bat-shit crazy mother.
As for wanting Ri-jin to be happy, in Do-hyun’s mind that apparently means keeping the truth from her. That, pardon my French, is bullshit. If Ri-jin is strong enough to be Do-hyun’s supporter, physician, and ally, then she’s strong enough to decide for herself if she wants to learn about her past. Of course her memories won’t be pleasant, and it’s insulting to Ri-jin to suggest that she thinks they will be. Children don’t repress years of memories or develop a crippling fear of basements because they had good experiences. As a psychiatrist, Ri-jin has definitely dealt with patients who were victims of abuse, and now that Ri-jin knows her own memories have been suppressed, the possibility that she was abused is going to be top on her list of explanations—anything else would be absurd.
Given that Ri-jin frequently states her desire to find the truth in spite of her fear, the Do-hyun that I thought had developed over the last fourteen episodes would honor his promise to support Ri-jin the way she’s always supported him. What he’s doing instead seems like cowardice to me; and worse, it seems like he’s treating Ri-jin as a fragile doll who can’t be trusted to make her own decisions. I can only hope that when Do-hyun tries to send her away, Ri-jin will tell him to get his head out of his arse and work with her—only then will Do-hyun be able to do something constructive for a change.
RELATED POSTS
- Kill Me, Heal Me: Episode 14
- Kill Me, Heal Me: Episode 13
- Kill Me, Heal Me: Episode 12
- Kill Me, Heal Me: Episode 11
- Kill Me, Heal Me: Episode 10
- Kolorful Palette: Split [Kill Me, Heal Me]
- Kill Me, Heal Me: Episode 9
- Kill Me, Heal Me: Episode 8
- Kill Me, Heal Me: Episode 7
- Kill Me, Heal Me: Episode 6
- Kill Me, Heal Me: Episode 5
- Kill Me, Heal Me: Episode 4
- Kill Me, Heal Me: Episode 3
- Kill Me, Heal Me: Episode 2
- Kill Me, Heal Me: Episode 1
Tags: featured, Hwang Jung-eum, Ji Sung, Kill Me Heal Me, Park Seo-joon
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51 Shalini
March 1, 2015 at 7:52 AM
The requisite noble sacrifice is here, and rarely has a show handled this so well. This isn’t about Ri on and Dohyun knowing what’s best for Rijin and making decisions on her behalf without her input on the matter. Both men, Dohyun especially, have the horrible misfortune of being placed in an untenable position involving her. Dohyun can’t simply go up to her and blurt out that he’s recovered his memories. He can’t tell her what he’s learned due to how awful, disgusting and traumatic those events were for her. Due to how damn guilty he feels, even though it was something so far out of his control, and out of fear that he’ll shatter the life she’s made for herself. This was the same decision Ri on had to make all those years ago when he found the truth. Should he tell her and risk seeing her hurt and breaking the Oh family up? Or should he remain silent and bear the weight of it, watching her live her life as the bright empathetic person she is? He chose the latter and so does Cha Dohyun. Not because they don’t think her strong enough to handle the pain that will follow (both are quite aware and appreciative of what a strong person she is) but simply because they know it’s going to be long and arduous healing process. Learning that you were horribly abused as a child isn’t going to come easy. She’s going to wonder, why her? why didn’t anyone help her? Dohyun knows this because – and the reason is damn heartbreaking- he’s asked himself those same questions night after painful night. He, who wanted more than anything to love and be loved, knows what she’s going to feel, and never ever would he even think of putting her through that.
It’s more than noble, and it’s certainly not noble idiocy, as I honestly can’t think of a way out for them. It’s one thing with Choi In Ha and Dalpo, casting longing glances at each other whenever the other isn’t looking instead of fighting together and dispensing with the useless angst. THAT is noble idiocy, when you have a smarter option but you aren’t taking it because you want to be stupidly noble. What Dohyun is doing is far, far beyond that. He’s sacrificing the one person in life he holds dearest so that she will never have to fear anything.
Dohyun doesn’t just care for Rijin. This is something born out of far more than simple gratitude for how she understands him and doesn’t fear his disorder, his attraction to just bright warm and caring she is, and his general fascination with her. He -and I don’t think anyone who has seen today’s episode can disagree with this- adores her. I’ve never had cause to use this word in conjunction with a character’s relationship before simply because ‘love’ was always enough.
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Shalini
March 1, 2015 at 7:52 AM
But what he’s doing here goes above and beyond that. Ji Sung owns this episode, with the palpable agony in his eyes, with the awful heart-wrenching sobs he gives way to when realizing just how depraved his batshit crazy mother is. I honestly couldn’t stop crying along with him and Ri On when he spoke how just how wonderful Rijin was and how mch she deserved to be loved. This man is a gem, this show is perfection. I’m obsessed with this show
Further thoughts plus muchas screencaps over at: http://unstoppablesun.com/2015/02/26/kill-me-heal-me-ep-15-review-and-why-its-not-noble-idiocy/
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growingbeautifully
March 1, 2015 at 5:21 PM
@Shalini
I just wanted to shout out a Hi! to you. Glad you're so into this show! I cannot say I'm obsessed with this show but thoughts of what choices there are for our 3 main leads and how unfair circumstances were/are for them pop into my head when I'm supposed to be concentrating on something else. LOL! Read ya again!
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lara4liwa
March 1, 2015 at 8:47 PM
whoaah beautifully said, I could not agree more with all that you said, and I already read that screencaps too, thank u for this wondrous words of yours Shalini ^__^
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IncognitoIris
March 2, 2015 at 8:55 AM
Just want to say that was very beautifully put together. After reading it a couple of times I have to agree that most of what you said makes sense. Perhaps the problem is that we aren't thinking by putting ourselves in Dohyun's shoes. Cuz that is a broken man, no matter how put together he tries to be on the outside.
And yes, jisung owns this episode. As he does with most.
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52 Anvesha
March 1, 2015 at 10:01 AM
I think the angst and depression was necessary.. I mean otherwise, it will not have the same impact. But I also hope we steer away from that next week when everything is more or else in the open.
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53 aoiaheen
March 1, 2015 at 10:15 AM
Another good episode. But not great like the past episodes. Again, I just loved JSs acting all around. Even when he's being a chauvinistic noble idiot.
That beginning was to die for, especially that poignant "sorry for being late" line. I so love these moments.
But I cannot wait for the funny times to start again. I was honestly thinking to skip episode 16, but I'm glad I didn't
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IncognitoIris
March 2, 2015 at 8:58 AM
Skipping ep 16 would've robbed you of the opportunity to get your brain twisted :P
But, how is Dohyun chauvinistic?
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54 Grabby
March 1, 2015 at 10:16 AM
Thanks purplecow!
I actually did not like this episode. It was night and day from what made the show fun. Very difficult and felt like I was watching a different show. I am ok with taking things seriously, but to make the entire episode sad, was like why? It makes it hard to go through when you cant balance serious with fun for viewers (and what is more upsetting is THIS show knows how to do it).
No one is saying flashbacks are bad, but it is heavy handed. When you watch a drama and start to notice it, it is a problem.
I really got annoyed by how many flashbacks there were, when it really was not necessary. Why?! We cant create character development and plot movement because dont have enough materials for 60 mins, so lets fill it with previous scenes?!!
I rolled my eyes on the whole noble idiocy cliche. Why are we doing this?! Again, not necessary and weaknesses the characters. I was very annoyed because how the main characters were developed is now abruptly different. And not the characters I loved.
Lets hope it can do better. Please show.
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namedx
March 1, 2015 at 11:51 AM
"I actually did not like this episode. It was night and day from what made the show fun. Very difficult and felt like I was watching a different show. I am ok with taking things seriously, but to make the entire episode sad, was like why? It makes it hard to go through when you cant balance serious with fun for viewers (and what is more upsetting is THIS show knows how to do it)."
Thank you!! Spot on! This show was always good at deftly handling the more serious, and darker areas alongside the more comedic moments, which is why I found the last two eps rather perplexing. It's not that I don't welcome the angst, or find it unnecessary, just that it could have been handled with the same, if not similar, treatment as all the other 'darker' episodes. The show knows how to strike a balance, and could have done so in these last two episodes too - it's clearly a winning formula. The show was never meant to be an outright comedy given the nature of its topic, however, nor was it promoted as an outright melo - and that, they've made clear from the very first episode. The way the show merges the two genres together has always been the hookline for me.
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55 9666
March 1, 2015 at 11:58 AM
It's not noble idiocy- he doesn't even know if they may be related! And you can see from what he said and do- he wasn't leaving her, "he still have someone to protect. ". He wants to find out the truth first, before deciding anything else.
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56 9666
March 1, 2015 at 12:02 PM
They share the same mother and possibly father for goodness sake!!!! How is that noble idiocy to stay apart for now?????
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jomo143
March 2, 2015 at 11:01 AM
It has been established that they do not share any parents.
CDH was listed on the family registry as the son of RJ's mom.
He was adopted by her, so to speak.
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57 sargevee
March 1, 2015 at 12:21 PM
Thanks Purplecow for the well written recap.
I'd say I will give Do Hyun credit. He's grown up after all in a hell hole of a household where it would only make sense to be on guard....and with the things he's discovered over the last few days leading towards this episode, it's no surprise he'd like to shield Ri Jin from all the ugliness. I'm sure he's feeling sorry that he's got her into this mess. That she'd have to remember being in a sorry state rather than have memories of growing up in a love -filled environment. It's not his fault that he is so distrustful of reality.... Heck he even had to crate multiple personalities to escape reality himself! No matter how strong he believs Ri Jin to be, ones confidence is only stretched up to what one sees as achievable and no matter how much confidence Do Hyun has in Ri Jin, he is more protective of her than confident so forgive him please for being so cowardly.
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58 aoisakura
March 1, 2015 at 3:33 PM
KMHM is one heck of a roller coaster. I love every bits and pieces of it. I somehow agree with Purplecow about this episode, “no one is happy”.. coz I’m still crying buckets over this week’s episodes.
As expected amidst all the misery we encountered, I’m not at all disappointed but instead I was able to appreciate why the writer chose the characters to act the way they are, CDH the world is on my shoulder attitude, ORJ the hyperactive Dr. and ORO the villain DID but not.
I guess, after all the flaws. I somehow understand it all. Reality bites! Nothing is perfect except “we know who”. The writer is just being realistic. Yes, he is… I’m happy to realized, that yes this things actually is happening in real life, and yes he utmost did his research about DID.
People who decide to protect their loved ones don’t actually ask them if they want to be protected, but instead they just instinctually do it at any cost, aka the law of nature.
Something must be utterly wrong with me, coz I’m still justifying every characters action. But I guess it’s innate of me to feel this way because I’m in the medical profession (empathy is next to Godliness)… I totally get where the writer is going with the story because I've dealt with a similar case before. KMHM’s still one of the best!
Domo Arigatogozaimashita Purplecow!
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lara4liwa
March 1, 2015 at 4:15 PM
yep Aoi, reality bites sometimes, and most of the times for some people, thats one of the reason why I love this drama, because I can feel the reality in there, that life is full of ups and downs, its how we cheer and overcome it that what matters
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aoisakura
March 2, 2015 at 8:20 AM
Yes, I so love this drama too ❤
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sancheezy
March 1, 2015 at 7:23 PM
true, I kind of shock when I think I am the only one who is being fine with the situation,
it's not noble idiocy or something, it just a situation that makes you think, It was better to done this way
and I can't make any sentence if I am going to explain to her about that, it's like a cruel things to do,
I prefer she is asking after she get some insight and feel there's something wrong
it's like telling someone you are the one who crush them in accident that ruin their skin(the scar can't disappear). cost their money but after they recovered all the damages and you never been caught
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aoisakura
March 2, 2015 at 8:22 AM
Yes, I agree?
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59 Camille W
March 1, 2015 at 4:33 PM
We need to think as if we were in the character's shoes. With the horrible revelations rolling out, there really is nothing to laugh about. Everything seems to be catching up. As papa Oh said, we were due for a lot of pain from a while back.
If I was Do Hyun, I probably wud do the same. It's all so sad. I want to sympathize with CDH. If I was in his shoes, idk wat I'd do. I'd be thinking abt protecting my loved one. In his case, guilt is eating away at him. Ri Jin really needs to confront these secrets and assure CDH that he is sans blame.
So in the end, i think that the only way for our OTP to get back up is to stop running (CDH I'm looking at u) and just take these revelations as they come, but together.
After reading some comments, I've come to the conclusion that these reactions are reasonable. I'm willing to pass off this angst as some thing that has to be. The next episodes will really define the relationship of our OTP. And, I'm looking forward to seeing Mr. X :)
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Aria
March 1, 2015 at 6:01 PM
I love your post :) <3
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lara4liwa
March 1, 2015 at 6:42 PM
+1
same here
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sonia
March 2, 2015 at 12:21 AM
+1
Great post
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gem28
March 2, 2015 at 3:16 AM
I haven't said it out loud but will now. We are watching a drama. We need to cut the writers some slack. The situation that they are in, if it were happening to two people in the real world none of them would want to do anything with the other. Atleast I think when two people have that many shared painful memories, they are better off with other people building a happier life than stick with each other and be more miserable. The relationship will not last in real world.
Thankfully, its dramaland and the KMHM version of separation made more sense than a lot of noble idiocy that I've seen in Korean dramaland. So everyone its to calm down. Do-Hyun has recovered his memories so far Ri-Jin doesn't want to remember them for herself so if Do-Hyun chooses to walk away that is for himself not because he is trying to be noble. Its actually a bit selfish but human's aren't that noble to begin with. The fact that he'd rather not confront those memories and make the new memories of love, happiness and warmth that he has with Ri-Jin impure is understandable. I still don't think it noble idiocy. Two guys are scared and insecure and are desperate to make sure their world won't fall apart. That's light years away from being noble, that's sort of real and really very sad.
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lara4liwa
March 2, 2015 at 3:39 AM
--That’s light years away from being noble, that’s sort of real and really very sad--
well said Blue Winter Rose, as a human being with the same flaws and insecurities, it felt so real there, I'm on the verge of crying again after reading your post huhuhu
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aoisakura
March 2, 2015 at 8:24 AM
Well said, my thoughts too
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60 lara4liwa
March 1, 2015 at 4:35 PM
thank you so much Purplecow for the always insighful recap, and congrats for the show on giving me emotional breakdown in last week episodes
I want to admit that despite all the angst, tears, flashbacks, noble idiocrazy wannabe, flaws, I still love this show so so much, tho I didnt have the courage to watch this episode until I read some recaps I found on the web -coward me-
For the first time on my watching history of dramas, I find many things to be learn from this piece of work, awareness of mental illness, emotional and physical abuse, the importance of family and its value, even I can learn that life sometimes full of funny, sweet, silly, happy moments, and on the other hand full of angst, sad, hurt, pain, unbearable moments, but its life in real even life in kdramaland
I dont have insightful and smart theories about the show like all those amazing comments that make me always comeback here to read all of them -thank u guys- but one thing for sure, that I will say it loud and clear that I love the show and it will have a very special place in my heart for very long long time
And all I can do now is, pick up my heart and brain that are torn into pieces, while waiting for the last episodes with whatever unimaginable sick twist that I'm so afraid even just to think about it from this brilliance writer...please dont be so cruel to us writer-nim huhuhu
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Aria
March 1, 2015 at 6:05 PM
huhuhu..hugs here chingu :)
Actually, during the past, I've always wondered what would happen for the next weeks episodes and the same goes the week after that.
But now, I am feeling sad for the drama that I have come to love is nearing it's end that's why I don't want to speculate anymore. Instead, I'll just trust the writer and enjoy the few remaining episodes that are about to be shown :)
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Beebeestar
March 1, 2015 at 7:25 PM
LOL. Same here. I'm trusting Writer nim wholeheartedly. She delivered a good 16 episodes, I know she won't disappoint us in the last 4. :D
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sancheezy
March 1, 2015 at 7:27 PM
true, even if people said it's painful and I managed to watch it,
I think it because my heart is with them, and I want to take that sad journey after all the happy and lovely scene they bring
but they executed that sad scene so well, I mean it is just great execution and melodrama is not everyone meat and the fact that I watched and cry make me feel I already accept it for what it was and find it reasonable in my shoes however I think about it
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61 eugene
March 1, 2015 at 4:55 PM
I adore Oh Ri Jin more than anyone else in this show, she is such a sun in the end of tunnel kind of girl, one that can make people believe there is happiness waiting
if i were her mother i would be so proud that my daughter has grown up to be such a smart and strong girl, this is why i feel most thankful toward her family especially Oh Ri On
So i kind of understand how from do hyun side making this shining girl remember her darkest days feels wrong in any kind of way, she has lived her life happily and though she will continue like that, remembering the day you got abused and all will leave a big scar on her
i know Do-hyun decision is seems like underestimating Oh Rijin but all that he think of is not to turn the light of this girl
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Aria
March 1, 2015 at 6:15 PM
I also love her and probably will be the best female lead I will love in a drama. I love how she is true to herself, brave, smart, loving and funny. She just acts sometimes like she doesn't know but in reality, she has known all along what other people try to hide from her. She's very observant that's why she already noticed DH's DID in the first place, her HS crush and the rest was shown in Episode 16.
Actually, during the time when Mama Oh visited the late Min So Yeon in the temple and told her how much her daughter has grown into a beautiful woman and she also have a man of her own, I felt a pang in the heart because I myself am proud of ORJ that it is very sad that her birth mother never saw her grow into what she is now.
I hope she doesn't let go of DH and stick to his side in Episode 17 because it is really the time he needs her the most.
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lara4liwa
March 1, 2015 at 6:45 PM
--I hope she doesn’t let go of DH and stick to his side in Episode 17 because it is really the time he needs her the most--
I hope this too Aria, with all my heart, dont know if I can take other heartbreaking scenes of our beloved OTP anymore huhuhu
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Beebeestar
March 1, 2015 at 7:32 PM
THIS!
I absolutely adored Rijin's character development. For once, the writer and PD-nim didn't assume the audiences / female lead are/is stupid. They made her smart and know what is going on and finding the truth subtly so that it won't hurting anyone in the process.
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sancheezy
March 1, 2015 at 7:36 PM
I'm glad that Ri jin have that conscience to understand what to do in order to give back what they give her, knowing her position and think before decide
even if the show handle a very cruel conspiracy regarding inheritance in chaebol family
it also shows how a warm and supported family can change a child life entirely
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62 Viki
March 2, 2015 at 12:59 AM
OMG I'M MINDF*CKED BY EPISODE 16. RECAP PLSSSSS!!!
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sonia
March 2, 2015 at 4:12 AM
Damnnnnnn that ending was unpredictable that's why i love this drama ❤ Recap for 16 ► ► PLZZZ :)
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Odessa Jones
March 2, 2015 at 12:04 PM
The end of 16 had me jumping up and down and screaming. I tried to figure out the possible chain of events 21 years ago here: http://www.koreandrama.today/recap/kill-me-heal-me-15-16-identity-theft/.
Both episodes this week left me soooo sad that I can't stop thinking about them. But I don't resent the lack of humor in them, because I knew somewhere in Act 3 things would get heavy. I would hate it if they didn't portray child abuse as deadly serious. Writer-nim is still doing a great job, with the characters reactions and dialogue not what I would have expected (well, most of the time).
The bits of noble idiocy in 15 and 16 are par for the course in a series that embraces EVERY K-drama formula and then plays it up to the max, right? We have Birth Secrets, First Love, Love Triangles, a Contract Relationship, Forced Cohabitation, and Chaebol Boardroom Warfare here, and the writer does creative, quirky things with all these tropes. Why not take on a little Noble Self-Sacrifice, too? I love how this show reinvigorates formulas and gives us something totally new. The story actually gets at deep stuff about what it means to have an identity, while being really, really enjoyable at the level of plot and character. Praying for good final episodes!
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63 coby
March 2, 2015 at 2:04 AM
haha! thought I'm the only one noticing a way too many flashbacks.
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Beebeeshing
March 2, 2015 at 3:00 AM
Nah. me too. I liked the flashbacks but I do agree it is used too excessively. I thought they should use the time to develop more CY & KJ's. :/
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sonia
March 2, 2015 at 4:09 AM
the many flashbacks don't bother me at all but that's only me i guess *♥ *
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64 sandra
March 2, 2015 at 3:35 PM
I love this drama, it is epic the lead actors are so good.they know how to bring out the emotion in viewers.
Ji Sung oppa os the best, I watched them in Secret and I am still watching, I am addicted to Ji Sung. Happy belated Birthday JI SUNG
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65 R
March 4, 2015 at 8:13 AM
Which episode did rijin's mum find out that she already knew she was adopted? Somehow I can't remember! Was shocked when she asked rijin in this ep if she wanted to know about her birth mum.
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66 Eimear
April 4, 2015 at 11:16 AM
Hello everyone! Only got the chance to watch this, but could someone mind explaining, I haven't finished watching it yet, but if Ri-Jin and Do-Hyun have the same father, doesn't that make them half-brother and half-sister, so their relationship is a bit iffy, if you get me? Since they have the same father, hence are blood-related somehow....
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67 Super_chick
June 5, 2015 at 5:12 PM
I am watching ep 15 and have the same question. Are't they brother and sister? Is it explained later?
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68 GrnDrgns&Appls
September 10, 2015 at 8:58 PM
I actually really liked this episode. This episode is meant to be dark. There is no way around it when you are dealing with child abuse. And one that seems as severe as they have built here. And I was glad the other personalities were not around to provide comic relief, there is a time and place for that and this episode wasn't one.
Also, I don't think it is noble idiocy of DH and RO to try to protect someone they love and care about. It's RJ's connection with DH that's causing the Seungjin group people's angst, that RJ will somehow use her memory against DH to take back the company. But there is no question now that DH is a legitimate heir to the family.
I know that dramas use noble idiocy way too often and I hate them because usually it involves conflict that is not even a conflict and could be resolved by the characters simply talking to each other. This is different. That's not the case here. RO wants to protect her sister from a horrible abusive memory and that's absolutely understandable and relateable. DH wants the same thing, but he has another reason that some may say is selfish: he doesn't want to stay in her memory as bad person. In his mind, he was a bystander and accomplice to the abuse. So he is afraid that she will regain her memory and will hate him. And he, rightly or wrongly, but understandably wants to stay positive in her memory.
I think it's easy to think that these characters make these decision as we see them as an audience. But I think if we were in the same situation, it'd be incredibly hard to easily let a loved one walk through the pain of an abusive past or memory. If we could, our fist instinct would be to protect them. So, for me, I thought this episode was well-handled and realistic. And I do like the flashbacks. Each flashback has another piece to it - it's like putting a puzzle back together each time, almost like the characters are doing with their memories.
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69 Bobor
January 6, 2016 at 5:58 AM
Look honestly, I respect all your opinions. But, you seriously can't expect this show to have humour in every episode, especially this one. This episode showed so much raw feelings and we needed to know the past of the characters to fully understand where the plot is going for the next few episodes. Some might have found the flashbacks to be stretched, but I found it to be perfect.
And of course, if he doesn't push her away, there wouldn't be drama right?
Then again, I do understand that the comment (not pushing her away) is the logical thing that should happen.
BUT KMHM HWAITINGGGG!!
And JISUNG DAEBAK FOR WINNING THE DAESANG
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