Girl Who Sees Smells: Episode 16 (Final)
by LollyPip
This final episode is Girl Who Sees Smells is a bit of a mishmash, but we do get plenty of excitement, and some surprises, too. But first Mu-gak has to do his best save Cho-rim, and hope to finally avenge his sister and her parents in the process. Jae-hee has a few new tricks up his sleeve, and the team will have to think fast on their feet if they want to rescue both of their friends before disaster strikes.
EPISODE 16 RECAP
Cho-rim is discovered to be missing just as the wedding starts, and everyone goes running to look for clues as to what could have happened to her. It’s not until the team checks out the CCTV from the parking garage that they see Jae-hee putting an unconscious Cho-rim into an ambulance. He stops to stare straight into the camera, making sure they know exactly who’s responsible.
Detective Kang assures Mu-gak that he’s got every available cop looking for Cho-rim, and gives permission for Mu-gak to participate in the search. Kang says it may not be helpful, but he’s sure Cho-rim will be okay.
Lieutenant Yeom volunteers to be in on the investigation too, and she begs Mu-gak to please follow police procedure this time. Something in Mu-gak’s face tells me that ain’t gonna happen. Detective Ki tells them they’ve located Jae-hee’s van in Paju, and the team leaps into action.
Still tied up in the van, Cho-rim watches Jae-hee fiddle with a homemade bomb, and asks him what he’s planning. He tells her calmly not to worry — the bomb is for Mu-gak. He says not to ask questions, and she’ll see everything soon enough. Cho-rim thinks fast and takes off her engagement ring, drags the diamond through the explosive plastic, and throws it out the window. Smart girl.
The van and it’s occupants are gone by the time Mu-gak and the cops arrive, but he quickly spots Cho-rim’s ring and knows they’re on the right track. He sees the strange material on the ring and hands it over to forensics to analyze.
Back at the station Yeom points out that Jae-hee’s goal must be more than his usual kidnapping/murder, since his pattern is different this time. Knowing what she knows of criminals, she assures Mu-gak that Jae-hee will contact them to let them in on his plan.
Jae-hee takes Cho-rim to the apartment building where she and Mu-gak recently rented, setting up shop in the showroom unit. It’s especially eery, knowing that Jae-hee has been watching them that closely. Cho-rim seems more angry than scared, and demands to know what exactly he wants, and Jae-hee says that he’s deciding which of them lives and which dies.
She asks why Jae-hee killed her parents, saying that she’s remembered every despicable thing he did back then. She yells that she’ll never forgive him, and Jae-hee almost seems to experience a moment of remorse, admitting that those words feel different coming from her.
Sure enough, Jae-hee does call Mu-gak soon. He says that Cho-rim is fine, and that it’s really Mu-gak that he wants. Mu-gak wants proof of Cho-rim’s safety, but that upsets Jae-hee, who says Mu-gak is in no position to give orders. He tells Mu-gak to go to Cho-rim’s old house, and wait for further instructions.
He orders Mu-gak to go alone or the proof he sends will be of Cho-rim’s death. So Mu-gak does his best to casually leave the station without attracting attention, but Yeom notices that the moment he’s out the door, he breaks into a run.
When he gets to Cho-rim’s old place he sends a picture of himself to prove it, and in return Jae-hee puts Cho-rim on video call, though her mouth is covered in tape so she can’t talk. When Mu-gak tries to assure her he’ll be “home” soon (assuming she’s in their actual rented unit, since they also rented the same furniture as in the showroom), she shakes her head frantically.
Jae-hee takes over the call and tells Mu-gak not to move or Cho-rim dies, warning him not to provoke him. Mu-gak is helpless for the time being, and he struggles to stay calm and he waits for another call.
Jae-hee shows Cho-rim the bomb, and tells her that he plans to set it up in their actual rented place. When Mu-gak goes there, thinking that’s where he’s being held, he’ll step on it, and… BOOM. He creepily comforts her that she won’t be without Mu-gak for long, as she’ll be joining him directly afterward.
When the team realizes that Mu-gak’s gone off on his own (told ya so) they track his phone, and find him still at Cho-rim’s old place. Kang trusts him now and says they should give him time and see what he’s planning, but Yeom seems to get an idea and rushes off alone.
Jae-hee arms the bomb at Cho-rim and Mu-gak’s apartment, setting it under the entryway mat so that Mu-gak will step on it when he walks inside, and set it off. He calls Mu-gak with another video of Cho-rim, still shaking her head, and tells Mu-gak to come to his new place at three o’clock sharp.
The guys see his tracking signal start to move, and Yeom tells them that the material found on Cho-rim’s ring is one used to make bombs. Okay, now they’re getting an idea of Jae-hee’s plan, thank goodness.
Jae-hee goes to the building across the street from the apartment to watch, and precisely at three o’clock, Mu-gak lets himself into the unit. Jae-hee sees a fiery explosion and smiles to himself in satisfaction. He heads back to the showroom apartment where Cho-rim is hidden, informing her that it’s all over — Mu-gak is dead.
He pours some chloroform on a rag, promising not to kill Cho-rim as cruelly as he did Mu-gak. He approaches her with the rag, but suddenly Mu-gak appears from the next room and kicks him away from her. As Mu-gak is untying Cho-rim, Jae-hee pulls a knife, but Mu-gak steps in front of the vicious slash meant for Cho-rim and takes a wound to the torso.
Jae-hee flees out the door and up to the roof with Mu-gak right behind, and the two men fight with kicks and punches. Jae-hee hits the ground several times but keeps getting back up, until finally Mu-gak flips him over his head and follows it with a hard kick to the face. He picks up a pipe but just before he can smash Jae-hee’s skull, Jae-hee calls out, “Wait!”
He’s beaten, and weakly asks Mu-gak not to kill him, though Mu-gak screams that his life isn’t precious enough to save. Jae-hee gasps that killing him won’t solve anything, and laughs. Mu-gak isn’t scared to get his hands dirty, and Jae-hee deserves to die, but he makes the right choice to follow the law and drops the pipe.
He orders Jae-hee to turn over to be cuffed, but of course Jae-hee instead grabs the pipe and goes after Mu-gak. He makes a few swipes then jabs it into Mu-gak’s stomach, using it to shove him to the edge of the building, intending to push him over. At the last second, Mu-gak twists and neatly flings Jae-hee over the edge, and all the way to the pavement below.
Seeing Jae-hee’s body lying there, Mu-gak realizes that this time, it’s truly over. Exhausted and bleeding, he collapses on the roof and cries. Kang and Yeom find Cho-rim and untie her, and the whole team go down to the street and stand around Jae-hee’s lifeless body. Their faces show relief as they understand that he’s finally dead.
Later at the station, Yeom asks how Mu-gak knew that Cho-rim was really in the showroom apartment and not their own. He says that in their wedding invitation video, they’d put a picture of themselves on the table, and that picture was not in the videos that Jae-hee was sending to him of Cho-rim. Her shaking her head “no” was really her nodding at the table, to point out the missing photo.
We see that after the material on Cho-rim’s ring was identified, a bomb squad went to the new apartment once Mu-gak notified the team of where Jae-hee was trying to send him. They diffused the bomb then set up a dummy explosion, so that Jae-hee would think Mu-gak was dead.
It’s Detective Ki who realizes that the wedding was never completed — are Mu-gak and Cho-rim married, or not? Cho-rim says not since she never even entered the hall, but Mu-gak insists that she wore the dress, so they’re married. Um no, that’s not how that works, but their bickering over it is cute.
Either way, the next thing we know, the couple are decorating their new place with their wedding photos. Detective Oh comes to see them and they bow to him formally, and he tells Cho-rim that she should go back to using her real name, Choi Eun-seol. She says sweetly that she’s still his daughter, and she’ll keep the name he gave to her.
Unable to afford another full wedding, Cho-rim and Mu-gak instead apply for a wedding license. They need witnesses, and they each say they were going to ask someone dear to the other, but it’s a surprise.
Cho-rim meets with Lieutenant Yeom at Ae-ri’s coffee shop, and Ae-ri is adorably annoying that she wants be a witness, too. Cho-rim says that Mu-gak considers Yeom to have changed his life, and that she’s sometimes jealous of their friendship. Since Mu-gak saved her life, Yeom is honored to witness for them.
Mu-gak ends up taking his copy to the Frog Troupe director, which seems like a strange choice. But Cho-rim also thinks of him as having changed her life. Her sunbae Woo-ya pouts that she’s jealous, because the director is so nice to Cho-rim these days. She cutely threatens to beat up Mu-gak if he ever makes Cho-rim unhappy, and he congratulates her on her recent TV debut.
The director signs the papers and says that he’s learned one thing in his life — he could only make people laugh if he considered them to be above him. Maybe because fools and idiots make people laugh. He asks Mu-gak sincerely, “Make Cho-rim laugh.” In other words, put her before himself.
A man is found stabbed to death in his apartment, and the detective team discuss his life while they investigate the scene. The forensics team isn’t finding much, and Kang thinks it will be a difficult case to solve. Ki says there must be scent clues around too, and Kang lights up to hear that Cho-rim and Mu-gak haven’t left on their honeymoon yet.
Mu-gak and Cho-rim enter their apartment all wound around each other, it being their first time arriving home as a married couple. Mu-gak gives Cho-rim their first kiss as a married couple, then goes off to take his first shower as a married man. Alone, my good sir?
Cho-rim answers the door to find Kang there with his biggest grin, and he asks if married life is proving difficult. He begs a favor, pouring on the guilt that his future is on the line and giving her his best puppy-dog eyes.
When Mu-gak comes out in his bathrobe, clearly anticipating some more first-as-a-married-couple moments (rawr?), he finds Cho-rim gone (aww, no rawr). She left a note saying she was going with Kang, and Mu-gak’s own neglected-puppy-dog eyes are pretty formidable, if you ask me.
Cho-rim looks around at the crime scene, noticing a strange scent of squid and octopus wafting from under a table. Yeh finds a button there that just reeks of seafood, noting that it has no dust on it so it must not have been there long.
Ki and Yeh visit a seafood place in one of the buildings owned by the murdered man, that just happens to be having a special on the same seafood that Cho-rim saw. The ajumma-owner seems to be acting strange, and when she removes her apron, her jacket is missing a button. They arrest her as a murder suspect and take her in for questioning.
Kang is happy as a clam with how this investigation is going, and Yeh figures it’s because Cho-rim is back helping them. Kang wants to treat her to dinner but she and Mu-gak leave for their honeymoon tomorrow. Kang says it makes him think of his honeymoon, and Yeh deadpans, “You have seven kids. It’s like your honeymoon never ended.” Badum-tssh!
Cho-rim pouts as they pack, and not even the mention of Cho-rim’s bikini gets him out of his funk. Aww, he’s feeling left out that he wasn’t asked to help in the investigation, too. Some wifely snuggles and Cho-rim’s insistence that she can’t investigate anything without him snap him out of his grump, and they end up in a cute tickle fight. Rawr, finally?
They head off for their tropical honeymoon, both in a fine mood, at least until they’re pulled over by a cop. HAHA, it’s Detectives Ki and Yeh, who’ve come to fuss at Cho-rim — the restaurant ajumma isn’t the murderer. Her son has come forward and confessed. Wait, you have a confession and you interrupted their honeymoon?! Anyway, both mother and son are confessing, and the guys need their help.
Mu-gak is pulled in to question the ajumma, who insists that she murdered her landlord and her son wasn’t involved. Mu-gak says that they think that the man was already dead when she went to his apartment, but she recognized the knife from her restaurant and knew her son did it.
But the ajumma sticks to her story, refusing to change a word no matter how many times they ask. So Mu-gak interrogates the son, who swears that his mother wasn’t even there — she’s giving a false confession to save him. But he says he doesn’t remember what really happened, and something tells me they’re both lying to save the other.
From behind the one-way mirror, Cho-rim notices that the son’s shoes are giving off two different scents. One smells like fish as expected, but the other seems to be herbal-scented. She tells Mu-gak that she noticed something strange at the crime scene — there was a set of footprints leading away from the dead man that were of two different scents, like the shoes the son is wearing now.
But there’s a catch… the scents are on the wrong shoes. At the scene, the fish scent is on the right footprint, but it’s the son’s left shoe that carries the fish scent. Mu-gak goes back into the room, and asks the son if he knows anyone with a pair of the same shoes as the ones he’s wearing.
He says that recently a man started living with them, and his mother bought them each a pair of the same shoes. Moreover, the friend works in an herbal medicine store. Bingo. Yeh brings him in and sits him next to the ajumma’s son, telling him that he’s under arrest for murder. Ki found cash in his work locker, proving that he’s the murderer.
He’d broken into the landlord’s apartment to steal whatever he could find, but the landlord had caught him in the act. He’d stabbed the man and left with the money, and when the ajumma came to pay rent, she found the landlord dead. She saw the knife and assumed her son did it.
When the killer had left the house in a hurry that morning, he’d accidentally taken one of his and one of his friend’s shoes. So the scents on each shoe, and also the wear on the soles being different, proved he was the one who did the killing. Once again, Mu-gak gives Kang all the credit for figuring it out, just like old times.
Cho-rim and Mu-gak miss their Thai honeymoon, and Cho-rim cooks up a big dinner that night for her new husband. Most of the side dishes are gifts from their new neighbors, in thanks for Cho-rim helping them out with her ability, hee. Mu-gak says the other side dishes are awful and asks who made them — oops, Cho-rim did.
At almost the same time, they get calls from Kang and Ki, but ignore them this time for fear they’ll never get to leave for their honeymoon tomorrow. The team are desperate for help on all their cases, and actually stake out the newlyweds to try to catch them before they can leave for Thailand.
They’re unsuccessful, but Kang is surprised when Lieutenant Yeom shows up at the station. She says that there will be a new special cases team, and she’ll be heading it up. Hooray, she’s staying!
The reason the team couldn’t stop Cho-rim and Mu-gak from leaving on their honeymoon is that they never left. Instead, they turned off their phones and went on a “bicycle honeymoon,” though Mu-gak is disappointed he won’t get to see Cho-rim in her bikini. She shyly admits that she’s wearing it right now, and her new hubby demands to see it, hee.
They stop to rest, and Cho-rim says that she’ll never forget this moment. She gets a little weepy and Mu-gak calls her a crybaby, then asks her to call him something else besides “Officer Choi.” In an echo of his first confession, she tells him, “Yeobo, dangshin, jagi.” (Essentially wife, darling, honey.) “Pick one.”
“I love you, yeobo.” That makes Cho-rim cry again, and she responds with her own, “I love you, dangshin.” They snuggle, and Mu-gak’s phone rings with a call from Lieutenant Yeom. She’s almost certainly offering him a place on her special cases team, but it goes ignored for now.
They ride the bike a bit further, and Mu-gak casually asks if they should go solve a case. Cho-rim fusses that he must have answered someone’s call even though they agreed not to, and he admits that Yeom called him. She did offer him a place on her team, and there’s already a very interesting case that needs solving.
Cho-rim tries to act like she’s annoyed, but clearly the case sounds compelling to her, too. They both bluster that hey, nine people going missing all at once can happen any time, it’s no big deal, and they’re not at all curious. Then they smile at each other, turn the bike around, and head back to go join the team.
COMMENTS
Well, I’m conflicted. On the one hand, it was a cute and interesting ending to a cute and interesting show, and I felt that the final showdown between Mu-gak and Jae-hee was sufficiently dramatic and satisfying. I felt from the beginning that the show would end up with one of them dead — after so many heinous murders, Jae-hee didn’t deserve a nice cell and three square meals a day. And I honestly feel that Mu-gak and Cho-rim needed the closure of knowing that the man who destroyed both their families was gone from the world, one way or another. So in that sense, I’m happy with the way the Barcode Murder case ended.
But on the other hand, where were our answers? So many fascinating questions were raised during the course of the drama about psychopathic murderers and what makes them do what they do, and I was so looking forward to some discussion on that by the characters. Jae-hee’s method of murder was so unique and (sorry to say) interesting, and I gave the writer the benefit of the doubt that they were going to give us some really great reasons for his actions. But instead we got… nothing.
We don’t know how Jae-hee’s being adopted contributed, if at all, and we never found out when he started murdering and why. Was he abused? Was he just sick in the head? And why books and barcodes? What did those represent, and what did the books mean to him? Why was he compelled to kidnap people and force them to write their life stories, and why did he become so emotionally invested in the books? How did he choose his victims in the first place — the show made a point to say the victims had nothing obvious in common, so surely there was something about each of them that made their lives something Jae-hee felt was worth killing them to own. I’m left with a feeling of dissatisfaction, because I find human psychology such an engrossing subject, and I was all excited to finally find out what it was that made Jae-hee the monster that he became. But what I got instead was a fall from the roof and a new case-of-the-week that had nothing to do with anything.
As a whole, I did think the show delivered a pretty fun and unique story and I did enjoy the ride most of the way. The premise of a girl who can actually see smells had me head-tilting when I first heard of it, but in my opinion, that’s the thing the show did best. Cho-rim’s ability was much more useful than I anticipated, and was executed in a way that left me wishing we’d gotten to see even more of the pretty scents that only she could detect. The way the scents were used was fresh and fun, from allowing her to help solve crimes to giving us one of the sweetest tailor-made drama proposals ever, and if I have any complaints about it, it’s that I wish it had been used more. Cho-rim’s ability, in the end, didn’t have any part in bringing down the killer. Since the show was all about her gift of seeing scents, it would have been nice if she’d had a chance to use it to bring her parents’ murderer to justice. Instead, Mu-gak did all the work while she sat tied to a chair.
But I digress again. I won’t deny that there’s a lot that Girl Who Sees Smells could have done better, especially after such a strong start, but there’s a lot it did very well throughout it’s run. The characters were all so endearing, even down to the smallest side characters, and the bumbling but well-meaning detective team will be remembered for their heart (if not their brains) for a long time to come. It was lovely to see our leads end up with a family in the end, even if it was an unconventional group of misfit cops (I love that they all will end up working together after all, which seems to make them the most happy). The murder mystery was one of the most interesting I’ve seen, and even though we didn’t get a lot of the answers we hoped for, it was never a boring ride. And the main couple will have a place in my heart as one of my all-time favorites. They fit together in a way that felt natural and lasting, and they always communicated with each other and trusted the other to keep them safe, physically and emotionally. I won’t soon be forgetting the damaged boy who couldn’t feel, and the girl whose beautiful way of seeing the world gave him back his life.
RELATED POSTS
- Girl Who Sees Smells: Episode 15
- Girl Who Sees Smells: Episode 14
- Girl Who Sees Smells: Episode 13
- Girl Who Sees Smells: Episode 12
- Girl Who Sees Smells: Episode 11
- Girl Who Sees Smells: Episode 10
- Girl Who Sees Smells: Episode 9
- Girl Who Sees Smells: Episode 8
- Girl Who Sees Smells: Episode 7
- Girl Who Sees Smells: Episode 6
- Girl Who Sees Smells: Episode 5
- Girl Who Sees Smells: Episode 4
- Girl Who Sees Smells: Episode 3
- Girl Who Sees Smells: Episode 2
- Girl Who Sees Smells: Episode 1
Tags: featured, Girl Who Sees Smells, Micky Yoochun, Namgoong Min, Shin Se-kyung, Yoon Jin-seo
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1 ilovekai
May 24, 2015 at 3:17 AM
" I’m left with a feeling of dissatisfaction, because I find human psychology such an engrossing subject, and I was all excited to finally find out what it was that made Jae-hee the monster that he became. But what I got instead was a fall from the roof and a new case-of-the-week that had nothing to do with anything." this is perfectly written. I really hoped that they would have explained jae-hee's character arc. The otp had been really cute but a lot of things could have been explained better but i really had hoped they would address jaehee's past so that was disappointing.
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iloveshoon
May 24, 2015 at 3:21 AM
Yeah! I really wished they elaborated more on Jaehee's murder intentions and showed more about his abusive? childhood which led to him being such a ruthless murderer. They could also have showed more murder processes (not only Yeoms') because it was really interesting how he conversed with the victims and viewed them. But I'm really impressed by how he managed to carry out so many successful murders without a permanent and loyal accomplice HAHAHA
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Ivoire
May 24, 2015 at 4:39 AM
I will add to what @ ilovekai has said, and to the portion of @ LollyPip's comment that was highlighted. And, like @ LollyPip, I feel somewhat conflicted as well. I felt that the writer spent some time making JH's character interesting, and important to the plot. He really created a lot of the suspense, and his scenes with Let. Yeom were so intense. In a way, I felt that some of my expectations of this drama were elevated because of the many questions that were raised during the course of the drama. Many of those questions came out of JH's actions, which many of us tried to make sense of. Because we (definitely I), had gotten so engaged mentally (and to an extent, emotionally as well, at least for me), we (definitely I) was hoping for an ep. that would address JH's character's arc, his past, and the reasons behind his actions, murders, etc... whether I ended up liking the answers or not.
I thought that we would have these answers in ep.15, and have ep.16 focus on the lead characters, and the side characters (what happened to them). I thought ep.16 was where a lot of the cute scenes would be, not that I minded them in ep.15. So I comforted myself by telling myself that we might get all those answers in the last ep., as a way to close this drama. To then find out that at the end of the drama, I still don't know that much about JH, left me feeling disappointed, and deflated. I felt that because I was given a strong character in JH, I wanted a strong finish, which would have included getting answers to the questions we had raised while watching this drama, or at least getting answers to many of them (answers to the important questions).
I did feel that JH would have to die as well, because in many ways, he showed himself to be smarter than the police (I also thought it was funny when the motto of the police was shown. Something along the lines of "to protect the country," when that squad, and many of the policemen were quite incompetent. How would the country be protected? Effectively, that is?)
I felt that if JH had lived, he would have been able to get back to CR and MG, who would have not been able to live happily ever after. So I was OK with JH dying, only that I would have preferred him dying AFTER we got our answers. The best thing I take from JH's character, is the performance by NGM. I was so curious about how JH had managed to create an accident, and flee, with 5 policemen to make sure that he would not flee. I was not surprised that that had happened, I just wanted to know how, along with the other questions I had about JH.
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growingbeautifully
May 24, 2015 at 5:30 AM
Hi Ivoire
I felt the same thing. I was kind of deflated. Like you said, with such an interesting person as a killer, and such an interesting method of victimising the victims, I felt that we viewers were owed a story that filled in the blanks and rounded our JH more fully... all the whys and hows...so many questions raised. What we seem have been shown is a smoking gun, the shooter and the victims but little else to make sense of this.
So if we can draw any conclusions at all... based on Yeom's profile of JH.
He suffered trauma which seems to have brought on Prosopagnosia. Yeom thinks that he decided to take possession of others' lives maybe to compensate for not being able to identify people by their faces. He seems to have chosen people of different ages, maybe to get a taste of the lives of different age groups of people. Based on his reaction to MG's burning of a book, he is insane enough to value the books above anything,... so I surmise that he sole aim was to just possess more and more books/lives and feel more fulfilled by that in some way. And that's as far as I can go... without going wildly crazy in guess work. :)
Let's hope for a good next show. I'm enjoying Orange Marmalade now btw. :)
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chunnie
May 24, 2015 at 6:56 AM
Can the reason of the murderer case are not elaborated bcoz jaehee is not the lead?like if there will be so much time use to talk about his history and people attention will be towards jaehee the barcode murderer while the purpose of the drama is for chorim the girl who can see smell..therefore they just leave it as jaehee the psycho who cannot be redeemed..no need explanation.
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growingbeautifully
May 24, 2015 at 7:34 AM
@chunnie
What you say is possible... it could be the reason that the writers/PD do not bother to give more back-story and elaborate more on the JH end ...
It's just that this was introduced to us as a murder-mystery first which turned into a psychological thriller and with a very compelling crime and criminal. It was a very strong start. The romcom aspect and the main couple was always meant to be the main thing, however, it was pushed out of sole main focus the minute the crime mystery was underway. Viewers had a right to expect that some balance would be given to both mystery and romcom, and likewise that the characters involved should be better fleshed out.
To make it more irritating, it was not as if there was no time to have those backstories or explanations, ie there were many scenes which were just filler which we could have done without. In fact I find when looking back, that most of the Daddy Oh scenes were unnecessary. With 16 episodes, so much more could have been revealed.
But like you say, "... if there will be so much time use to talk about his history and people attention will be towards jaehee the barcode murderer while the purpose of the drama is for chorim the girl who can see smell..." So... the reason we did not have the reveals was very probably simply that they were not written in the first place or because they were not in the plan, the live shoot could not accommodate it. From a viewers' point of view, it was very remiss of the Production Team. From the Production Team's p/v it was not necessary. But isn't the job of a show maker to entertain and please its viewers... so that there'll be more viewers and more money coming in from the ads etc?
Where they planned it properly ie the romcom part, it was actually well executed. If it had been against a backdrop of some other events that brought the OTP together, it might have garnered greater love and success. The pity is that it was set against a super interesting serial killing by similarly interesting psychopathic killer... but the planning and execution for this mystery/thriller part was sorely lacking.
We cannot (not all of us and not) entirely give this show a pass, but we appreciate the good parts and understand why some parts are not good. We've enjoyed what we could and thank the show makers for their effort, and are happy now to move on. :)
Georgie
May 24, 2015 at 11:52 AM
A cop-out ending... Could have been one of The best Korean dramas, instead... The writer/director really disappointed the viewers. The new case at the end was totally waste of time, should have talked about JaeHee...
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2 chunface
May 24, 2015 at 3:17 AM
Awwwwww, what happen to chorim also happen to mugak. I think this is the one of the reasons why we adore this couple sp muchhh.. I will miss you guys, murim couple! Of course, hoping these two will star in another drama together again in the future~
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chunnie
May 25, 2015 at 4:54 AM
Writer nim really loves doing that...and remember the pettiness of both murim..lol..and i really loves that we can compare the scene between mugak and chorim..ahh..isnt it be better if the writer had someone to help write the barcode case?he had written such a fantastic love story just to be dampen by the barcode case..but i still cannot hate him since we have our most adorable murim couple...i havent been this enthusiastic with yc pairing since rtp...but now the fever has started again XDXD
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3 erika04
May 24, 2015 at 3:32 AM
Love this show.will miss moo gak and cho rim so much
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Neutral
May 24, 2015 at 8:53 AM
Me too! Already..
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kiwichan
May 24, 2015 at 4:35 PM
me too! now replaying all their parts only
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chunnie
May 25, 2015 at 4:31 AM
I keep watching parts from episode 7,8,10,15,16...lol..i guess i need to marathon the whole series again...hahaha..still havent gotten enough of them..XD
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4 Elena
May 24, 2015 at 3:35 AM
I really hope there will be a season 2, want more Mu-rim cuteness, more fun while solving mysteries with the cops, and maybe some skit rehearsing again?... :D
I love how they have created this small 'family' that is the investigation group. Also the funny parts and how Mu-gak and Cho-rim seem to belong together, in such a natural way...this show had many good things, and despite some flaws, I have enjoyed the ride like a child, haha!! :)
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5 Ivoire
May 24, 2015 at 3:43 AM
Thank you for the recap, @ LollyPip! I liked this drama because it showed me that PYC could be funny, and that he could have good comedic timing. Same goes for SSK. I was able to see her in a different genre, and she was good in this drama. NGM (as I mentioned yesterday), shined as well, and he was a character I always enjoyed watching, so in a way, he was a revelation to me as well. I had never seen him as a villain, and he was as important as the leads, because he added so much to the drama.
I loved the idea of the Girl Who Sees Smells, I thought it was a novel idea. Having said that, many things in this drama could (and should) have been handled and written better. I was not totally sure what to make of this ep., besides the fact that it was the last one, and the writer wanted to end it with some (more) cute scenes. I guess that was what we got? (in many ways?)
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Neutral
May 24, 2015 at 9:04 AM
@Ivoire
"Having said that, many things in this drama could (and should) have been handled and written better."
Gotta agree but I personally think both the rom and com parts are almost flawless (thanks to the amazing casts who brought his writing to life). So, Mr Writer, you just need to brush up on your mystery writing, okay? C'mon, you can do it, lol
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6 lc
May 24, 2015 at 3:47 AM
I'm very satisfied with the last 2 episodes. Ok so nothing on the back story of Jae Hee. But that's the way life works sometimes.
Love that these 2 episodes dwelled on the OTP and the side characters carrying on their day to day lives, and that everyone from the police officers to the comedy troupe provides such love and support to Mugak and Cho Rim.
This is my first time watching Park Yoochun, totally won over by him, who knew he can be so adorable? ❤
And Shin Se Kyung girl, you are to pick good projects and not allowed to regress after this, hear that!?
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Neutral
May 24, 2015 at 9:18 AM
@Ic
"I’m very satisfied with the last 2 episodes."
I'm just glad that I'm not alone.
"Ok so nothing on the back story of Jae Hee. But that’s the way life works sometimes."
I know, right? Or maybe, in actual fact, there's just no special reason to his despicable actions, lol.
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Neutral
May 24, 2015 at 9:26 AM
@Ic
And please tell this Park Yoochun guy, I'll be following him, I find him interesting. In singing, there's a thing called vocal range, what do you call this in acting? Or is there such thing? His range is wide, he can move you to tears in no time and make you laugh like an idiot effortlessly, that's what I wanna say, lol.
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lc
May 24, 2015 at 3:52 PM
@ Neutral,
I don't know anything about range, just feel that Yoochun is suited for comedy and he's really enjoying himself shooting this drama. He's also not considered a good looker in my book, but he's really endearing and adorable and that's the most important thing.
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chunface
May 24, 2015 at 5:38 PM
IMO, he is handsome not reallyyyyy handsome. Most of the k-actors are sooooooo beyond good looks that's why his looks is overshadowed by others..
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Maxene
May 25, 2015 at 5:37 AM
I, too, think he IS handsome. It's just not the "vampire" kind of handsomeness, like stony and distant and icy out of this world. His is more human: warm and "touchable". More like a boy-next-door handsome? I swear don't know what I'm saying haha! I just want to say that Chunface is reallyyyy handsome in my eyes! :D
growingbeautifully
May 25, 2015 at 2:49 AM
@ Neutral
Yes, in acting there is also 'range' and I believe you described it accurately.. an actor with range can make us feel all kinds of different emotions with him. Park Yoo Chun has it and has developed it well over time. :)
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7 nara
May 24, 2015 at 3:47 AM
a happy ending and sad goodbye
thanx for recapping lollypip
i enjoyed it very much
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Neutral
May 24, 2015 at 9:28 AM
Indeed!
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8 hibeautiful
May 24, 2015 at 3:50 AM
"I won’t soon be forgetting the damaged boy who couldn’t feel, and the girl whose beautiful way of seeing the world gave him back his life" <--- THIS
I gave up questioning all the downsides of this drama and ended up enjoying the chemistry between lead wholeheartedly. Mugak and Cho Rim saved the show. The fact that PYC did adlibs for their kiss's scenes (according to his fans in his fanmeeting today) really made my day! Because I had felt almost all their scenes were too natural.. Even the shy Cho Rim! Hahaha. I'm gonna miss them so bad :(
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Ivoire
May 24, 2015 at 4:51 AM
@ fls,
About this, "the fact that PYC did adlibs for their kiss's scenes (according to his fans in his fanmeeting today)." Did they say if PYC adlibbed for all the kiss scenes (in the drama), or only the ones in episodes 15 and 16? For some reason, I could see PYC adlibbing for their kiss scenes in those two (last) episodes. I am assuming they got more comfortable with each other, and I sensed that PYC did like kissing SSK. I sensed that a while back.
Was it because PYC adlibbed that we got 6 (or 7) kisses (or pecks) in ep.15? I am now curious about that, funnily enough.
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growingbeautifully
May 24, 2015 at 5:33 AM
I want to see a BTS of this. Was it ad libbed or directed? I felt that the way he hugged and squeezed her was just right and the way the hugs book-ended nicely those happy, confirmation kisses was great!! :)
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Neutral
May 24, 2015 at 9:55 AM
@Gb
"I want to see a BTS of this."
Who here doesn't? lol
"Was it ad libbed or directed?"
From what I've read (I might be wrong though), it's scripted "deep kiss", but he managed to convince the PD that short pecks are more appropriate.
"I felt that the way he hugged and squeezed her was just right and the way the hugs book-ended nicely those happy, confirmation kisses was great!!"
So agree with you. Everything from the smiles on his face, to the hugs, to the kisses were done just right, it's a pleasure re-watching this scene, I must say, hahaha.
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Neutral
May 24, 2015 at 9:42 AM
@Ivoire
I went stalking a bit :p
@fls is right. Apparently, there's supposed to be a deep-kiss scene after the proposal (btw, most unique proposal ever!! I love it!!!) but PYC thought short cute pecks are more suitable (which I totally agree), so he did what he thought is right. I love actors who've minds of their own, my respect for him.
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hibeautiful
May 25, 2015 at 3:29 AM
Omo! I'm sorry I didn't reply to @Ivorie question here sooner. I've just checked this post again and noticed you girls were asking me about the adlibs. Thankfully @neutral has answered it ^^
I saw the info from Twitter... Although we didn't get to see the BTS for the proposal scene, we could actually feel the naturalness right?
I shamelessly admit I rewatched that part more than ...errr I don't know how many times :"D
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Maxene
May 25, 2015 at 6:40 AM
Hi @Ivoire! :) How are you?
I read that PYC ad-libbed for most of the intimate scenes and the proposal kiss. It was supposed to be a deep kiss but he convinced the PD to make it several popo and hugs haha. Just like how he changed "ehhhh" into "churrrr." It seems he has a way with PDs. And his ideas are bang-on, aren't they? Who among us here wouldn't agree that churrr is more fun than ehhhh? :D And those little popos and hugs seemed so natural, it felt like "PYC did like kissing SSK."
I miss them already. :(
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Maxene
May 26, 2015 at 8:06 AM
He did win! Oh my goodness Moo Gak won! But he didn't look like Moo Gak anymore haha!
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Maxene
May 26, 2015 at 8:09 AM
Oopps sorry, this comment is supposed to be for @ryanlee.
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9 tiadebella
May 24, 2015 at 4:11 AM
I am quite pleased, actually, that the show avoided facile psychological explanations for Jae-Hee's pathology. Instead it dropped intriguing hints to ponder, and a FANTASTIC portrayal by the actor.
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10 rainbowvows
May 24, 2015 at 4:18 AM
Thank you for the recap, Lollypip!
I would totally agree with the comments, there is something off with the final 2 episodes and that is, of course, the closure we want to see on Jae-Hee. The background story of what makes him the way he is, which was briefly discussed in earlier episode. I was also curious of how he was able to run away for 5 days around Han river and at the same time, got himself an instant bomb. Like, really? How is that even logically possible? Not to mention the aftermath of the stab Moo Gak took from Jae Hee's knife. Pretty disappointed with the writing flaws. Could have been better made.
Anyways, all the loopholes aside, thank you, Park Yoo Chun and Shin Se Kyung, our sensory couple. This OTP is too natural, I'd like to see them dating in real life. Ehehe.
The ending leaves us (at least me) with one conclusion, which is that Moo Gak and Cho Rim cannot rid themselves from the investigation team, no matter how hard they try. It seems to me that the couple wants to keep getting involved and solve cases together. Dangerously romantic. ?
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Ivoire
May 24, 2015 at 5:05 AM
@ rainbowvows,
I really like the points you make in your 1st paragraph, those are good points. And after reading your 3rd paragraph, I suddenly had this vision of MG and CR having babies, and the investigation team still calling them, to help solve crime. I would assume that the team would be respectful enough to leave them alone, what with having to take care of babies, waking up in the middle of the night, etc... Yet, I couldn't help but have that vision of CR having a baby in her arms, and being in the middle of a new case to solve. Kind of funny, probably not for the babies, though they would have some adopted uncles, and a Russian aunt, maybe? :-)
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lc
May 24, 2015 at 4:53 PM
How about if they set up Murim Consultancy Services? Where they take on crime solving engagements from Lieutenant Yeom and perform comedy skits in their free time?
All the while raising a family of course.☺
Win win for everyone. The CHURRS are too epic to go to waste.
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growingbeautifully
May 24, 2015 at 5:12 PM
@lc
+100 :D
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chunnie
May 25, 2015 at 4:34 AM
oh my,i can picture it already...it will be so fun:D
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11 dkaoru
May 24, 2015 at 4:19 AM
Thanks for the recap lollypip! I totally agree with your comments on the lack of proper explanations for a lot of things. This writer should have collaborated with the writer from Missing Noir M. The story set up was so good in the beginning that I feel the potential wasnt fully executed. I think this show is like a ballerina who dances beautifully but then tried to dance hip hop sloppily. Stick to your genre writer-nim.
Thanks for creating one of the most fun couple to watch. I really enjoyed Cho-rim positive outlook on life, no moping around. She is not a good on stage gag comedian but she keeps trying. What a good msg to send out, we all start as rookie and have to stumble and fall miserably, but if it is somethng you wanna do, just keep at it. Practice and have a good laugh and be persistent. I'm very happy that the ending showed Cho rim using her abilities to help others. For Moo gak as well am glad he ended up as a cop again, he is actually pretty good at it. I have liked Park Yoochun since rooftop prince, am glad he is getting better in his acting.
bye bye girl who can see scents, may you live happily ever after with moo gak solving crimes along the way!
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12 osmanthustea
May 24, 2015 at 4:39 AM
I want the whole team back as a detective series!
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13 ryanlee
May 24, 2015 at 4:44 AM
And the girl who see smells ended.i'm so happy and full because it ended success.and i am so sad too because i will not see moogak and chorim. I hope cast can get success and do well in the future.i love TGWSS. Thanks to cast who made a great drama for people.
Thank you!
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14 growingbeautifully
May 24, 2015 at 4:54 AM
Thanks once again LollyPip!
What I liked about this show: that they really did interesting things with CR's ability to see smells. It was not just an aberration but a means to give us interesting cases and ways to solve them. This last case of the mixed up shoes killing was a very creative way of giving CR the chance to shine once again.
The funniest bit: when MG and CR realized that their police friends would probably not let them get away on honeymoon and they said in all seriousness, "Let's pray" and they did!!! LOLOL!
And happily, one of the scenarios I had wanted as an ending was that CR would continue to solve cases with the team, and it came to pass. It was also good to have a glimpse of Daddy Oh one last time, giving his blessings and supporting our couple.
This was a show with lots of potential. It will be interesting if it could one day be re-written and re-produced (as so many manwha/webtoons are... why not shows?) with much of the same premise(s) and more backstory and character development for Yeom and JH. I would like to know if ever a serial killing could be a successful backdrop for a romcom... it would be interesting to try. Of course to find another winning and natural couple like SSK and PYC might be a tall order, but who knows?
I have mixed feelings about this show, but at least the last scenes put a smile on my face, reading the recaps and comments was fun and trying to analyse it to figure out why I feel the way I do about it was enjoyable too. Cheers All!
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Ivoire
May 24, 2015 at 5:42 AM
Hello GB unnie, :-)
I did see your comments to me yesterday, however I had a very long day, helping a family whose dad was sick. I spent the day with a 19 months old little girl, and with her soon to be 5 years old sister. And I braided hair in the evening, which made the day longer, because the 5 year old needed to take breaks... I didn't see my bedroom until 1am today, and I had been with the girls since 8:30am, the day before. So I will try and respond to your comments this weekend, and in the following days. I just wanted to let you know :-) Also, I left you a message on the group's page, I don't know if you saw it, FYI.
I thought about you, as I was writing my comment, and when I was done watching ep.16. I thought about what I liked about this drama, and what I felt was disappointing. And I remember thinking, "I bet GB unnie will let us know (once again), what she liked about this show (or about this ep., or both), and then touch on the other points." And sure enough, you did just that :-) Once again, I really liked reading your thoughts, the way you write, and the unique way in which you usually make me think and ponder things I had not thought about. I am glad we were able to comment and watch the same drama, once again (this might be the 2nd or 3rd one? I think it is the 3rd one. We started with Liar Game, then Healer, and now this one :-) We have a history, GB unnie :-) ).
I do agree with you that this show had a lot of potential. I would add that I wish some of the characters (as you mentioned) would have been written and developed better, like daddy Oh, and Let. Yeom.
I was surprised about this part, yet I liked it "The funniest bit: when MG and CR realized that their police friends would probably not let them get away on honeymoon and they said in all seriousness, “Let’s pray” and they did!!!" So I guess CR and MG never left Seoul, for their honeymoon? That seemed to be the case, right?
About having this show re-written and re-produced, I feel that it would be hard to do, for some reason. Would they get a good audience for it? This show seemed to have struggled to get an audience, and keep it, though it did reach 10% ratings at times.
So unnie, what show should we watch together next? Are you watching the Producers? The Man in the Mask? Warm and Cozy? I am interested in all three, but I have not watched any of them (yet).
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growingbeautifully
May 24, 2015 at 6:13 AM
Hello Dear Ivoire
Yes, we seem to have a history of watching and commenting together. This is indeed our 3rd show. I mentioned somewhere else that I'm now enjoying Orange Marmalade. If you can pick it up, that will be great for our mutual watch and comment funtimes!
I've watched the 1st episode of the Masked Prosecutor...found that they gave a rather lengthy back-story and another back-story within it as set up... plus our lead couple in the present - seems promising so I will continue for a bit. Just a bit slow for a beginning.
I'm having problems with Warm and Cozy. I'm beginning to feel that watching will be a waste of time and so have stopped for now, although I read something of the recap and will continue to do so. I may watch the end episodes once the most annoying parts are over!!! LOL!
The Producer does not grab me, and I do not have as much time for drama watching as I'd like, so I'll probably not start it seriously but catch bits.
About Sensory Couple:
"So I guess CR and MG never left Seoul, for their honeymoon? That seemed to be the case, right?" Yes, they decided to confound their needy police friends and stayed in Korea so they could not be traced on any passenger list. I have the impression that they merely took one day off to ride a bike and then decided it would be fun to join in the new investigation. Probably work is play to this couple since they enjoy using CR's abilities so much and solving crime. :) They might as well stay home and 'honeymoon' anyway, since they lack money and since their friends are so in need of their help!!!
About re-producing this show: Yes, I was not thinking about the audience for this show, just about maybe if someone else could have handled it better and given us better execution and more of what is lacking. It would be an experiment (again) in seeing if such different genres could work in one story (ie as in romcom with psychological thriller).
So I look forward to catching you again on another recap thread... and I'll check out our group's posts too. Cheers!
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Cocobeans
May 24, 2015 at 1:16 PM
i feel like the show would have been better if they actually did a new case every episode like they did now with the killing of the landlord and the serial killing chef as a side note ,keeping us unawere a bit longer untill the big revelation, it would have given them time for the cute, the shennanigans between our police and friends, more chances for our team to show their skills and would not have the whole killer chef thing dragged out into this state.
and i'm watching both warm and cozy (mainly for the So ji Sub cameo, he and sung si Kyung are on top of my mariage material list, a girl can dream) and the producers.
However warm and cozy is already starting to annoy me because of the typical second lead ex girlfriend / unrequited love. I might consider giving Ex-Girlfriend's Club a go. Oh and DO NOT watch let's eat 2 when hungry...you will end up raiding the fridge..it's pure food porn. :)
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growingbeautifully
May 24, 2015 at 5:23 PM
@ cocobeans
Yes, I like your idea. I had hoped in the beginning that they would have a new case every 1 to 2 episodes to give us more of how seeing smells could be used creatively.
It's true that if they never intended to give us depth to *the* murder mystery/psycho thriller part, then they might as well have given us more episodes of fun solving cases with CR, and then they could have just wrapped up the serial killer bit in the last 2 episodes. They could probably have still cut 2-4 episodes too and not have to write too many new crimes in. I kind of liked that aspect of Cyrano Dating Agency and the later Who Are You... even if in other departmens they did not do well. The new story each week thing kept them fresh.
As for shows to watch now... I'm sort of giving up on Warm and Cozy until maybe the end - yes I always get annoyed by the ex-gf interference thing, not sure if I want to continue with Ex-Girlfriend Club which was not able to engage me in 2 whole episodes, but will stick with Orange Marmalade. :)
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Fetch
May 24, 2015 at 11:13 PM
I think Ex-G Club is worth sticking with, if for no other reason than it regularly makes me think of the Bechdel Test: two women having a conversation that is not about a man. It would've been really easy to make that show all about jealousy, but the women are mostly motivated by ambition or reputation, and I find it really refreshing that the male lead is often absent. He's fantastic, I really like him, I just also love that the women see him as a non-factor in what is generally a professional business deal.
growingbeautifully
May 25, 2015 at 8:35 AM
Thanks @Fetch... I did continue ... watched Ex-girlfriend Club and marathoned the Episodes 3-5. Finally it had me laughing (I was wondering if it was just me that I did not find it funny... the opening credits seems to indicate it is a comedy). The facial expressions of everyone was spot on for each difficult situation and there were many and some hilarious situations ... pity it's not being recapped here.
So now it's OM and EGC on my 'currently watching' list (with a couple of other shows :) )
Neutral
May 24, 2015 at 10:04 AM
@Gb
"The funniest bit: when MG and CR realized that their police friends would probably not let them get away on honeymoon and they said in all seriousness, “Let’s pray” and they did!!! LOLOL!"
That's when compatibility comes into action, and these two are totally compatible. LOL!
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growingbeautifully
May 24, 2015 at 5:28 PM
@ Neutral
IKR... I recall that we discussed how these two seem made for each other by how they complement each other so well.
The fact that MG hit on the best idea to write "Will you marry me?" in scent in the air shows this without a doubt.
I've been thinking about the resolution about the OTP... and realised that although MG said he felt full in the previous episode, no further mention is made of whether he got back more of his senses. That would have been a nice thing to leave us with... a clearer idea that he has been healed. :)
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chunnie
May 25, 2015 at 4:45 AM
Yeah we weren't given the confirmation that he had completely healed...but i think he still loss his sense of pain while back to normal for his other senses..but isnt it good that the couple still has "specialness" in them despite being so normal ?^_^
p/s:i wonder if they have daughter..will she inherit the super-sense too..imagined chorim tried to hide chocolates from her daughter..but she can see it..lol..
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15 Nemo
May 24, 2015 at 5:05 AM
At least the writer gives us this wondeful characters such as MoRim couple, detective yeom and the gang, and one of the most creepiest villain I have seen in dramaland. And this drama is an example that chemistry between our OTP is important. It overshadowed the flaws. So kuddos to Yoochun and Shin Se Kyung. And I have to agreed to the director when he/she said that it is a blessing in the sky that Shin Se Kyung accepted this drama. Now I know what he/she means hehe.
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kecik
May 24, 2015 at 5:50 AM
I also love the casts. This drama will be in my rewatch list~ <3
Where else can we get the adorable, sweet, funny and trust each other of our OTP? Only Mu-gak and Cho-rim! Their bike scenes are cute~~
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Neutral
May 24, 2015 at 10:14 AM
@kecik
They are deprived of their planned honeymoon in Thailand, poor thing, but no one's complaining cause their honeymooning riding a bike in Seoul is just too beautiful and cute to watch.
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16 Chloe
May 24, 2015 at 6:06 AM
what a disappointing ending. So why did he choose to kill Cho-rim's parents?
I find the explanation for books and barcodes too uninteresting, considering the buildup and focus on them.
I've got to admit I ended up reading the synopses for the last few episodes because it got too boring, so perhaps I would feel differently if I were to watch them.
This show is just 'meh' to me. Hopefully Who Are You doesn't disappoint.
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17 chunface
May 24, 2015 at 6:07 AM
That sawadikappp scene is cute, overall this drama is so cute. I can't even think of anything else beside cute and sweet XD
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18 Shalini
May 24, 2015 at 6:11 AM
Oh Jaehee, Jaehee, Jaehee
Here’s an ode to your creepy stares and demonic rage and how upset you got when Moogak ‘burnt’ your books.
(To be sung to the tune of Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer)
Jaehee the Barcode Killer (killer)
had quite a lovely smile (and a sexy bod!)
and if you ever saw him (saw him)
you would think him just your style (he’s really hot!)
But Jaehee the Barcode Killer (killer)
had a secret he couldn’t name (due to trust issues)
for he couldn’t recognize faces (faces)
so he’d wait until you said something (prosopagnosia)
Then one foggy Seoul midnight
Jaehee began to play (ha ha ha)
weaving alibis quite airtight
he kidnapped someone that night
And seven days from that one, (in a white cell)
Jaehee would do the deed, (suffocation)
the victim would turn up quite dead (but who cared!)
Jaehee had a book to read!
*waves hankerchief* I’ll miss you, Jaehee.
Extended thoughts on the finale over at: unstoppablesun.com/2015/05/22/the-girl-who-sees-smells-finale-review-and-i-seriously-love-you-nam-goongmin/
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growingbeautifully
May 24, 2015 at 6:34 AM
LOLOL! Shalini!!! You've outdone yourself! Thanks for this - excruciatingly funny and memorable. :)
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Nana
May 24, 2015 at 6:40 AM
Lol.. i was actually singing along..
So clever!!
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poliwag
May 24, 2015 at 6:52 AM
This was beautiful. Also I was kind of hoping slightly for Jaehee to go insane- as in, he could only regurgitate the contents of the death books he collected (including Lt. Yeom's) because he loses himself trying to collect the lives of others. I might've also wanted Yoo Jinseo and Namgoong Min to cross swords one final time, but I digress. Great show, curtain calls ;w;
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fabdrama
May 24, 2015 at 7:25 AM
ROFL! Better than most of the Eurovision lyrics, well done Shalini!
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Izzy
May 24, 2015 at 9:17 AM
nooooooooooooo, this was too good lmfao!!
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August
May 24, 2015 at 12:09 PM
Ha-ha! Good one, thanks for sharing.
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19 toni
May 24, 2015 at 6:38 AM
"I won’t soon be forgetting the damaged boy who couldn’t feel, and the girl whose beautiful way of seeing the world gave him back his life." This last sentence got me right in the feels omg your way with words is awesome, LollyPip-nim!
Gonna miss this series! It's not perfect with all its logical flaws but still, it got me in the heart big time. Moo-gak and Cho-rim are definitely not forgettable.
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20 wackycashew
May 24, 2015 at 6:49 AM
Thanks for the recap, LollyPip!
I really enjoyed the MoRim couple sweetness and cuteness as this series wraps up, but like you, I'm also very curious what made Jaehee tick. Wish they had given explanations for his murders instead of leaving so many questions unanswered. In any case, I'll always be fond of this cop family and how PYC and SSK portrayed their roles here. =)
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21 My Favorite Dream
May 24, 2015 at 7:38 AM
Thank you for the recaps, LollyPip! I enjoyed your enthusiasm for the characters (especially the killer and our adorable OTP), as well as reading your various take on events.
To be honest, though, I was disappointed with this show. It started off so strongly, but as it went on, it became apparent that the writer had no idea what they were doing. Characters made idiotic choices, the police were incompetent and ridiculous, inconsistencies ran rampant, and there were too many unanswered questions regarding the killer's motivations. I still want to know why he killed both of Cho-rim's parents rather than just one. Was he after the mother and the husband just happened to get in the way? Was there a reason he waited around in their house to confront Cho-rim after hearing her message on the answering machine? Why did he choose to kill his girlfriend when he knew that would make him a prime suspect? Was there something incriminating in the diaries he stole?
Perhaps my expectations were too high for the final two episodes, but I was hoping something substantial would be addressed. Or at least make sense. I still didn't understand why Mu-gak quit the police force to return to the aquarium if he was going to keep solving cases regardless . . . or Jae-hee's sudden (stupid) interest in making bombs. For someone who seemed to value the killing process just as much as the kill itself, his actions were waaay too big a departure from his established MO. If Mu-gak was his real target, why not kidnap him and make him write his life story like he did with his past victims? Why take Cho-rim as mere bait, when she was the one he'd been wanting to "kill" all along? His sudden decision to let her die easily, to focus completely on Mu-gak, was not only disappointing, but out of character. If it was only revenge he was after, nothing could've done the job better than killing Cho-rim outright and rubbing Mu-gak's face in it. Basically, there was so much care put into his motivations before, that it felt out of character to suddenly have Jae-hee take the easy way out and try killing him with an explosion.
I know this drama had it's moments, but I don't think this is one I'd readily recommend to people. There were too many noticeable flaws . . . especially when you consider all the amazing rom-coms out there that are well acted AND well written. All of those put this one to shame. I'd give it 3.5/5 stars, saved only by the killer and its cute OTP.
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Kaybee
May 25, 2015 at 12:27 AM
I agree... Sometime back I left a comment saying "how silly the plot has become"... it seems I touched a nerve with some die hard fans of the drama.
I left the drama at Ep.13 which is almost towards the end...Guess I was waiting for the drama to redeem itself. The epic Good vs Evil ending and the grand revelation on Jae Hee's past didn't come through...
It started off well...I was quite enjoying it until the plot starting making no sense esp. the Direction and the story. Even Blood's plot was not this lacking...
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My Favorite Dream
May 25, 2015 at 6:28 AM
Considering how strong it started, I hung in there, but yeah, it was a waste of time. You were smart to drop it when you did . . . there really was no improvement (though the OTP continued to be adorable).
It's too bad you touched a nerve with die-hard fans. Some people get sensitive very easily, but I think the criticisms are just as important as the praises, and we deserve a voice just as much as the people who loved it. After all, we put in all that time watching it too, and have a right to our opinion.
And I really don't see how anyone could fault you for pointing out its ridiculous plot . . . because it was ridiculous, lol.
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growingbeautifully
May 25, 2015 at 9:00 AM
@ Kaybee and @ My Favorite Dream
Thanks for your thoughts ... which resonate with me.
I was a little stung when I saw some criticism or sarcasm with regards to comments pointing out the faults of this show ... it amounted to saying that nay-sayers were spoiling the fun of those who enjoyed it... that it made lovers of the show feel they could not express their love for the show...??? So far, as I have read, nay-sayers have only spoken about the show's execution, writing etc and not about comments about it or commenters. So as our characters often ask "What have we done that is so wrong?"
We watch, we think/analyse if we choose and don't bother if we don't choose and so if we feel moved to leave a comment it is again to share a thought or opinion, or a feeling.
Critique in comments (which may approve of or be critical of the show) are shared not to spoil the fun of others but to express the thoughts and analyses. That is after all the same thing as what DB does in recapping and leaving the comments at the end of each recap...
They give us more to think about should we choose to, and are to be welcomed. This is after all the aim of commenting and reading comments. They are also a means of enjoying a show more for many who enjoy analyses (so ironically it was the other way around, ie ... the fun of analyzers was affected by what the lovers of the show said because they commented on the comments LOL!)
So as long as we keep to the rules of commenting politely, I find it perfectly OK to criticize as well as praise where it seems fitting.
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22 pastmidnite
May 24, 2015 at 8:00 AM
Cute ending. We didn't get answers we're dying to know throughout the series, but oh well, at least our cute couple gets a happy ending afterall! Good bye CR-MG! RIP (or not) JH, my favorite villain!
It's been a fun ride with you, LollyPip, and all smelly beanies :-D
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23 mutantreptile
May 24, 2015 at 8:24 AM
This show was full of plot holes, but the one that kept bothering me the most was Daddy Oh. He adopts her in order to protect her, but then is never at home. He never gets suspicious about Mu-Gak dating the witness of the case he's investigating, which a normal father would do. He doesn't even go to her wedding! (At least, I never saw him, maybe he was hiding in the background) He randomly shows up on the last episode to give his blessing and promptly disappear once again. Scheduling conflicts with the actor? I noticed he also has a bit part in School 2015.
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24 Neutral
May 24, 2015 at 8:35 AM
I.LOVE.THE.FINALE!!
Couldn't ask for more.
Well, take that right back.
Maybe some revelation on what motivates this serial killer to kill
or some Chef Kwon's backstory won't hurt, but
I'm not going to complain because setting this aside
the rest are all very well attended to.
I'm a happy TGWSS follower.
Please allow me to say this one more time;
I love you, show!!
Murim is topping my favourite OTPs, it's official now, haha.
They've set the bar so high, how am I going to find another pairing as compatible and as adorable as this pair?! *sigh*
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25 Neutral
May 24, 2015 at 8:42 AM
Absolutely agree with @LollyPip
"The murder mystery was one of the most interesting I’ve seen, and even though we didn’t get a lot of the answers we hoped for, it was never a boring ride. And the main couple will have a place in my heart as one of my all-time favorites. They fit together in a way that felt natural and lasting, and they always communicated with each other and trusted the other to keep them safe, physically and emotionally. I won’t soon be forgetting the damaged boy who couldn’t feel, and the girl whose beautiful way of seeing the world gave him back his life."
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26 Aigoooo
May 24, 2015 at 9:05 AM
This was a good ending for a somewhat shaky drama. Yoo Chun should do more silly rom-coms. This was the first drama I have seen him in where he actually cracked a smile or be goofy. I feel like this drama would have been great if it was a pure rom-com. The suspense/thriller part of the drama was passable and that's only because Nam Goong Min did such a good job as the villain. The dad character never made sense and it seems like the writer just got frustrated and decided to faze him out of the story. Not to mention, a lot of things never got a proper explanation. How the villain became that way, how he managed to kill his girlfriend while being abroad, how does he pick his targets..etc.
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27 Wag_a_Muffin
May 24, 2015 at 9:23 AM
I still haven't watched the final four episodes. (I will. I just haven't yet.) But after reading the recap (excellent job, Lolli) I want to see a sequel, or sequels of the couple solving crimes. Is that weird or what? I haven't even finished the current show, but I'd rather watch a not made or even written one?
I like the characters. (If they made sequels I'd miss the superbly acted villain, but please, don't bring him back from the dead. Zombie villain book binder?)
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Neutral
May 24, 2015 at 10:24 AM
LOL! @Wag the weird Muffin.
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risa
May 24, 2015 at 10:32 AM
Hi Wag_a_Muffin--
I want to thank you for having shared with us some of your personal experiences with prosopagnosia. I didn't know anything about it before this drama, but I've since learned a bit, and I find it fascinating. It's even more interesting that there are also people who are "super recognizers" who literally never forget a face they've seen.
I'm wondering how having prosopagnosia affects your drama-watching experience. I'm guessing that you rely on voice, clothes, hairstyles, mannerisms, and settings to recognize characters when it's not obvious who they are. I imagine that identifying characters in Korean shows may be a little easier for you than in western ones because characters are constantly referring to each other by name or title. OTOH, there's a lot more uniformity in the way people dress and wear their hair in Korean shows. So, what's it like for you? (No worries if you don't have the time or inclination to answer.)
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toni
May 25, 2015 at 5:59 AM
Omg same! I also want to see a sequel wherein they solve cases together with the detective team.
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28 bebeswtz
May 24, 2015 at 10:21 AM
Thank you so much for the recap!!
Here are my thoughts and some of my thoughts in regards to the addressing of Jae Hee's character and motive as the Barcode Killer.... since this seemed like the biggest "issue" or kerfuffle that most of the readers seemed to not be able to reconcile with... One thing I will say, though, is that I do not remember or keep track of what things were said in what episode, so I cannot tell you where I got each of these parts from:
It was addressed that Jae Hee was adopted into the U.S. as a child (baby?? I forget), but growing up, he was made fun of and discriminated for being Asian (re: Korean) and a part of a minority group, and Jae Hee felt that things, in regards to that, had just esculated by the time he got into university (he got into Harvard) because when he went and took the evaluation exam to try to get into (Harvard's) med school, he didn't pass, because he was told he "lacked something" but was never told what, which made Jae Hee, once again, feel like he was 'not good enough' and, once again, being discriminated against. Once he figured he could not get into med school. but also discovered that he had a talent with the knife, as sick as it sounds, he used his skills with the knife to carve barcodes into his victims.
As to why he chose books and barcodes:
He felt that he had no life during his childhood years, and had only 'found life' in the books and stories that he read, and ended up getting VERY emotionally attached and invested in all that he read, but still felt that something was missing, that was control.
Which gives is his M.O.:
Jae Hee chooses to make his victims write out their life stories in books, so that once they are dead, Jae Hee, himself, would be the "owner" and "controller" of these 'books' written by his victims about their life stories, making Jae Hee also feel like he owns their lives, or just a life, in general, because Jae Hee grew up feeling like he had no life, and a barcode is an indicator or a symbol found in all books of the ownership (re:copyrights) of the book (i.e. the publisher), so when he carves a barcode into his victims, it mades him feel like he now owns their lives
Whew!! Apologies for the long post, but those are just some of my thoughts, and what I had also thought was also already explained at some point in the drama, but was maybe lost in translation for some people, so I typed it all out =)
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freshmint
May 24, 2015 at 10:38 AM
@bebeswtz
A+
It's safe to say that the writer is expecting the viewers to join the dots on their own. Thank you for the long post which makes absolute sense.
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Lotus_Blossom
May 24, 2015 at 6:22 PM
I am fine with the final episode--not exactly what I was expecting, but the cute and heartwarming ending makes sense.
Regarding more backstory about Chef Kwon, I thought Profiler Yeom has tried to explain as best as she could throughout the drama already. Serial killers are a complex group and still hard to figure out even for those professionals who have studied them for many years. The confrontation between Chef Kwon and Det Yeom in ep14 gave the best summary. Det Yeom called him a "generic" serial killer because Chef Kwon has pretty much the same general characteristics as other serial murders. Most notable are a difficult/abusive childhood and sadistic tendencies.
What's uniquely Chef Kwon is that he developed facial recognition disorder as a coping mechanism. And as a collector killer with prosopagnosia, he prefers to collect their autobiographies instead of the more common collectibles--body parts; and since his victims became empty shells after done writing , he carves barcodes on them because they are just mere "notations". As for how he picks his victims, he will pick whomever interests him.
After Chef Kwon's arc didn't end in ep15, I was expecting the writer to wrap up the thriller part in the first half hour and focus on the otp and their newfound family thereafter. Personally, I though the thriller part was getting draggy already. The new-case-of-the-week also seem random at first, but in the aftermath of the Chef's Kwon's death, lives do move on for everyone. So instead going back to the aquarium and the gag theatre, Murim couple found a new passion.
The cast did a great job. The writing and directing are ok. The execution could have been better. Overall, I really enjoyed this drama. It's good entertainment. I side-eyed the investigative works quite a few times, but then again, with the exception of Let Yeom and Mugak, the police force was not written as a crack team. So, instead of pulling my hair out over manufactured otp angst and conflicts created by manipulating parents and clingy seconds leads, I rather enjoy yelling at a bunch endearing yet bumbling detectives and a serial killer that just won't let go.
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Lotus_Blossom
May 24, 2015 at 6:29 PM
Er, sorry folks, this is supposed to be a new post, not exactly a respond to @bebeswtz's post.
but +1 to @bebeswtz for the insights!
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growingbeautifully
May 24, 2015 at 7:02 PM
@ bebeswtz and Lotus_Blossom
Thank you for taking the time to write out the 'dots' for JH's motivation and back-story, and giving us coherence and more 'closure' so to speak.
I was under the impression that the reason JH could not continue with his Medical career was that already the psychological profile of him showed something not right in him and that he would not make a good doctor/surgeon. So I took that as an early indication that he had already manifested some psychological disorder.
His assumed abuse (assumed by Lt Yeom?) was it ever confirmed ie were there records showing that he was put in protective care or that his adoptive parents were taken to task?
Among the dots that we join as @freshmint rightly says we are expected to do, it would be good to have some as confirmed dots so that we know which direction we can move from there. However what you both say is probably correct (I will need to re-watch meticulously to catch it) and does hang together well. :)
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Lotus_Blossom
May 25, 2015 at 12:53 AM
In ep 13, it was revealed that he dropped out of Harvard Medical School and decided to become a chef instead. I think JH realized that he had an abnormal desire to kill, so perhaps working at part-time at a sushi restaurant partially satisfied that urge. The medical career suitability test just confirmed what he already knew--that he is unsuitable for a profession that is about saving lives. And I agree with Mugak when he theorized that Chef Kwon wanted to become a chef because it's a profession when one can justifiably kill living things.
There were no records showing he was abused as a child. But in ep 14, when Det Yeom told him that he developed facial recognition disorder because he was abused and that this was his way of coping with his fear of people as a child. Chef Kwon said, "score". When she said, " you brain is refusing to see people", he said, "score again". And then , " when you realized you had the desire to kill people, instead of that person's face, you decided to see that life." Chef Kwon, " score three in a row".
I thought ep13 and ep14 gave us a lot of info on Chef Kwon, so I was expecting the writer get rid of him by the end of ep15. I think they should have had Mugak narrated a brief summary of the Barcode Case in ep16 to clear away any lingering confusions and also to provide some closure for those viewers still interested in Chef Kwon. Since I have already watched many shows featuring serial killers, I didn't find Chef Kwon that fascinating. Once the link between his facial recognition disorder and his pattern of serial killing is explained in ep14, I was ready for him to go.XD
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joykim
May 25, 2015 at 8:01 AM
A+ Thank you for your theory. It's believable and well explained.
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29 pogo
May 24, 2015 at 10:41 AM
It's a cute ending, but the unanswered questions about Jae-hee (AFTER the show spent so much time making a big deal out of his MO and psyche) do bug me. I get that he had to end up dead but it felt weirdly anticlimactic to have him fall over the roof and then spend the next half hour solving random case-of-the-weeks with fanservice fluff thrown in.
I guess that's just a reflection of how weak the murder/police plot of this drama was, and how much of its suspense relied purely on Namgoong Min tearing it up as Jae-hee - he made a fantastic villain, and was even creepier because of how disarming he could be.
and let's not even get into the pure sparkage I felt between him and Dt. Yeom when he had her in that cell. Probably not a good time to be imagining how this could play out if he wasn't a murderous maniac keeping her prisoner, but full credit to the actors for that.
but we did get a very cute romance, and I do like that our hero isn't the asshole type. Full points to Yoochun and Shin Se-kyung for that. If he's about to take off to military service after this, it's certainly a high note to go on.
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30 freshmint
May 24, 2015 at 10:43 AM
I'm just glad that there's no open ending to this series. Love this series, the ending scene is just too cute.
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31 canxi
May 24, 2015 at 11:12 AM
I would definitely give this drama a solid B. Not at all bad but you can see the places where it could be improved.
I really loved the cast and how no one disappointed me (I believed in everyone and they came through *cries*!!!) . It wasn't badly written all it needed to be was tighter! I think if we maybe had another partner skilled more in the thriller department with which the writer could blend well this would have been A+. The serial killer, played wonderfully by Nam (as always) was a super interesting one and while I wouldn't have minded at all if he had taken the mustache twirling route and explained his whole life I can't say I disliked what we got from him.
Lt. Yeom was also interesting and I'm glad she didn't come out permanently scarred from her nerve-wracking stay in the white box of doom and writing. But I guess being a profiler one gets used to the disturbing every now and then. Would love a spin off of her dating life, lol, where she profiles someone and he doesn't run away HAHA.
And the couple. MuRim is so so adorable and I'm glad I got to see Yoochun and Shin Se Kyung work together. They just worked so well and really bounced off each other it was hard not to fall in love with them falling in love. I would be so happy to see them work together again in the future. All in all, it was an enjoyable show that I didn't at all mind filling up 16 hours with. ^^
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pogo
May 24, 2015 at 11:41 AM
white box of doom and writing
lmao this is so accurate. But she did great in there (surprisingly pristine after 6 days with the same clothes and no bathroom, but this is a drama after all). I thought her just making stuff up to write was the coolest thing ever, like she refused to give him even a little of what she wanted.
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canxi
May 24, 2015 at 12:11 PM
True! before her stay, I was really wondering how he got people to write down their loves so intimately but I guess he didn't stick them in that stark room for nothing. I imagine even I would go crazy and want to do /something/. And I feel like it's natural for people to want to leave something behind when they feel they are going to die. I admire Yeom for fighting against that because it had to have crossed her mind more than once but Jae Hee was all about the control and I'm glad she was basically telling him you can't have everything.
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32 August
May 24, 2015 at 11:47 AM
Thank you for choosing to recap The Girl Who Sees Smells! You've done it again LollyPip with a wonderfully written finale recap.
"The murder mystery was one of the most interesting I’ve seen, and even though we didn’t get a lot of the answers we hoped for, it was never a boring ride. And the main couple will have a place in my heart as one of my all-time favorites. They fit together in a way that felt natural and lasting, and they always communicated with each other and trusted the other to keep them safe, physically and emotionally. I won’t soon be forgetting the damaged boy who couldn’t feel, and the girl whose beautiful way of seeing the world gave him back his life."
Thisssssssssss! Whether it's Mu-Rim/MooRim/Choi-Rim :) - what a lovely change of pace to see such an adorable and sweet couple in a healthy relationship. From their initial meet & greet...leading to teamwork solving crimes & doing comedy skits...to getting to know one another...growing into a friendship...eventually evolving and turning into love. Simply delightful. Their organic and natural chemistry; their compatiability with one another (personality, left-handedness, both dealing with bereavement for loved ones, etc.); each time they bickered or displayed moments of pettiness you always knew they were well matched for one other; and whenever they had a disagreement which led to both having to compromise with one another, you just knew that in the end they would both be acutely sensitive to each other's likes and dislikes. Oh, by the way did anyone else notice that we didn't have to contend with storylines of an out the blue sudden illness, parental disapproval, and annoying 2nd leads vying for their affections.
I squealed and was grinning with glee to have so many ChoRim/MuRim scenes in the last 2 episodes. So often in a finale, viewers and fans are left with rushed scenes and a feeling of being shortchanged by too few OTP moments.
Park Yoo-Chun: glad to see you in another drama before you enlist. Great job as Choi Moo-Gak!
Shin Se-Kyung: Who knew you had it in you? You certainly surprised quite a few of us. Kudos for the lovely job you did as Oh Cho-Rim / Choi Eun-Seol.
Nam Goong Min: so great to see the acclaim and heaps of praise that you are receiving for playing against type and nailing your portrayal of bad-guy/villan/psychopath/serial killer Chef Kwon Jae-Hee.
Of course I had some pet peeves with TGWSS - unfulfilled potential, uneven writing, glaring plot holes, keystone cops, etc. Even so, early on I pretty much made up my mind to just go along for the ride. The answers behind Jae-Hee's reasons and motivations for killing like he did, I was able to overlook not having them because in the real-life, police/law enforcement aren't always able to solve cases and uncover the reasons behind murders either. Still, I will say that glossing over incompetency and accepting it as the norm when it comes to a career/job in public service...
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August
May 24, 2015 at 11:50 AM
Still, I will say that glossing over incompetency and accepting it as the norm when it comes to a career/job in public service and/or in the public sector is a big time NO for me. When it comes to professional incompetence, I doubt if you'll be able to convince me otherwise.
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33 namedx
May 24, 2015 at 12:12 PM
Ah, loved this drama when the killer was on the loose!! Jae Hee is what gave this drama life, for me at least, so it was sad see his character given such a brisk and somewhat lacklustre closure! After all the thrilling excitement they kind of just bombarded us with sunshine and rainbows - two very different dramas! Sigh, coulda, woulda, shoulda.
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Gr8*
May 24, 2015 at 4:48 PM
I totally disagree. The writer did the right thing by not glorifying the killer's death or delving into his psyche. Crime does not pay no matter how cool or glamorous the killer was made out to be in the drama.
If Jae Hee was really smart, he should have remained in the US and even when caught, he could publish his memoirs while in prison. Put his face and sexy abs on the cover with the title ,"Who wants to be the Next Barcode Victim?" and you will get an instant best seller because some people are suckers for such things. There may even be snaking queues of people waiting to be auditioned and Jae Hee may even get to be invited to a talk show.
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tgwss-er
May 24, 2015 at 7:08 PM
@Gr8*
"The writer did the right thing by not glorifying the killer’s death or delving into his psyche. Crime does not pay no matter how cool or glamorous the killer was made out to be in the drama."
THIS. I couldn't have said it better.
A good-looking soft-spoken guy with a hot body like Chef Kwon can't be that cold-blooded, he must have reasons to support his actions and all.
Now, it'll be interesting to see if KJH's played by a balding greasy ugly dude with no sexy abs but a huge beer belly, will the response here be the same? :)
On a side note, I would prefer for KJH to die an even uglier dead for all that he's done.
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namedx
May 25, 2015 at 4:06 PM
I made no mention of "glorifying" his death, rather it's about giving his death a more satisfying resolution so that it remains in line with the rest of the drama seen as though the killer was a major part of it. The ending to the case was not only rushed, but also anti-climatic in comparison to the build up. It's not about wanting a neat closure with logical reasoning; he's a cold blooded murderer and he chose to kill (that's all there is to it), but regardless of that, the end to the murder mystery was still sloppily done, especially from a dramatic point of view.
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Gr8*
May 26, 2015 at 7:15 AM
But that is precisely the point. Why is there a need to dramatize the death of a killer? I think the show did the right thing by making his death anti-climatic because it is a strong signal sent to all would-be copycats who had been so impressed by the omnipotence of the killer that in reality, killers don't die in a dramatic fashion.
You won't get scenes where the killer, surrounded by a dozen police cars, collapse in slow motion under a hail of bullets to the sound of languid music in the background. You just die. Full stop. No glory, no headlines.
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namedx
May 26, 2015 at 4:32 PM
"But that is precisely the point. Why is there a need to dramatize the death of a killer?"
Errr, because it's a drama.
JCW Mesmerizing Eyes
June 8, 2015 at 8:15 AM
I think it was the genre imbalance (drama? crime mystery? or romantic comedy) and pacing of this show. Like most of the viewers have said, it started great with a good balance of genres but then it got confused. So like Namedx, I wanted a conclusion for my villain regardless of his appearance and not the “out of character” actions in ep 15 & 16. When he flew off the building, I was thinking, did I miss the motives for his killings? Did I fast forward too much? But of course when I came here on DB, apparently I didn’t miss a thing.
Instead of being the meticulous serial killer that couldn’t be caught for years, he was dumbified like the police team. I've already accepted the incompetent police team but not the villain. I get it if we were short of time, but we had a whole episode of filler stuff. If you threw in the cases earlier on as part of the show like it was doing in the beginning then it made sense. It just looked like the pacing of whole drama was off. A great show should be able to create the right balance among the genres of drama, crime mystery and romantic comedy that were introduced to us in the beginning of the show.
34 DHM
May 24, 2015 at 1:39 PM
I thought we got the answer to why he decided to kill OCR's parents (and anybody else), in the brief but very chilling moment when he was chatting with her and suddenly looked at her with new interest and said something like "Suddenly I'm very interested in getting to know you better and hearing more about your story." I felt it was very clear that at that moment, he'd decided she would be his next victim.
From the trauma of being adopted and taken to a new culture, to the trauma of abuse so serious that he lost the ability to distinguish human faces, this villain lost the ability to really connect with other human beings at all, and he has no back story of his own, since he doesn't know who he was before adoption and the trauma of the post adoption abuse cut him off from having a current story.
So he kills people only when he gets interested enough in them to see them as somebody other than just random nobodies around him. He wants to own their stories, and being a psychopathic collector, he wants to be the only one to own those stories- which is why he has to kill people have he has their stories. They can't be allowed to go on with those stories. That's why the only really strong emotion we see in him is when CMG touches his precious, precious books.
I would have liked more backstory for Lt. Yeom, though.
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growingbeautifully
May 24, 2015 at 6:51 PM
@ DHM
Thanks for this. I feel the clue(s) was/were too subtly left for us viewers. And what you've written is really more from you who are able to fill the holes so nicely, from the little clues there are. So yes, thanks again for helping us connect with JH.
I guess we cannot have completely what we want, which is clearer confirmation of our guesses and the hows of certain outcomes. :)
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35 foxvanilla
May 24, 2015 at 2:05 PM
thank you @lollypip for all your recaps week after week without fail.
well, i enjoyed this show tremendously, mainly due to the OTP's unquestionable chemistry and cuteness right from the start to the very end (and even in the BTS scenes).
and who would have thought that PYC-ssi & SSK-shi were perfectly "fated" to be the ever adorable & lovable murim couple ?
the rest of the casts were intended to fill in the show, all of them, no matter how goofy or brainless they are made up to be, still made the show very enjoyable. and that is where it counts.
the drama has finished, writer-nim god has chosen that's the way the story shall be, you can rant all you want, and complaint about how the story line should have been this way, or should have been that way, or how illogical as it may sound but there's nothing much to care at this point, it's a ROM-COM not CSI Miami, no matter how perfect it could have been, it'll never ever satisfy 100% of the audience.
i'm really gonna miss these two. murim couple will be one of my favourite OTPs of all time.
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36 kiwichan
May 24, 2015 at 4:55 PM
Thank you so much @lollypip for all the recaps & bonus 1 recap from @javabeans. *bows*
I enjoyed the whole 16eps, it didnt disappointed me that much, of course some scenes make me mad & out of logic but the comedy & OTP are truly GOLD! eventho I feel it's perfect to have 16eps only but I still feel so hard to let go our Murim! Thank you so much, you two make this show alive & colorful..this is what I want to see from Kdrama couple!
I wanna share this proposal song from Yoochun's FM..this time is real guys hahaha..and awww his voice is so soothing~
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_8Vwyc6HTw
final words from me, churrrrrrrr to everyone :lol:
till we meet again & hats off to the all the cast!
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Maxene
May 25, 2015 at 6:02 AM
Sigh. Why couldn't they have gotten him to sing at least one song from the OST?
Thank you @bluesky! ;)
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37 4D
May 24, 2015 at 5:36 PM
I agree with the commentary so much. What they did right was the rom com. For some reason episode 15 didn't work for me but I felt the adoration again this episode. They were cute, quirky, charming, and felt like equals. I really enjoyed the time with them.
But the villain - they spent so much time building him up as this really interesting psychopath but then he started becoming inconsistent, his motivations are never explained, and also his brilliance was hidden? What really makes a great faceoff is yes, outsmarting the other. So congrats that he noticed the room was different. However, our villain was shown as being brilliant but they never suggested how. How did he have iron clad alibis? How did he get that car do go in the river and him survive with handcuffs on? Etc. He has all these unexplained brilliant moments and then when it came to the stuff we did see, he was actually pretty dumb.
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38 dls
May 24, 2015 at 7:44 PM
Lollypip, thank you for recapping this drama. I enjoy this show, and also the sweet OTP, how they build each other to move forward. I'm smiling after the finale. PYC + SSK are awesome.
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39 bizzybody
May 24, 2015 at 9:32 PM
A bit sad for the series to end. Despite all the unexplained facts and the annoyance of how dumb the police are, it was still quite enjoyable.
The 2 characters I like the most from this series is the villain and Lieutenant Yeom. Nam Goong Min suits the role so much and looks great in anything he wears. First time I felt the loss when a villain dies in a series.
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40 tgwss-er
May 24, 2015 at 11:32 PM
NO rich guy falls in love with poor girl or vice versa same old story.
NO triangle, NO four-angle love lines.
NO love which was already developed way back when the leads were just but a few years old.
NO authoritative fathers or mothers getting in the way objecting the leads' relationship.
NO school bullies.
NO leads who are big in their names but small in their acting.
I appreciate the writer's effort in getting out of the usual comfort zone, writing something out of the box, for once. And whoever did the castings, you deserve a trophy for this alone, good job!
"I'm not curious.
Right, me neither.
Who gets curious with this kind of stuff? Exchanged cheeky looks, turned the bike 360-degree around, let's go! beep beep~~~" Cutest ending ever!
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chunnie
May 25, 2015 at 6:29 AM
+1
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joykim
May 25, 2015 at 8:05 AM
+2
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kiwichan
May 25, 2015 at 4:22 PM
+1
also I always love to see the friendship between female lead & 2nd lead in drama. like here, they are helping each other to solve the case instead of b*tching each other to get the boy! so kudos for this writernim! I'm going to miss Murim for real now!
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dramadreamer
May 28, 2015 at 7:55 PM
good summary on 'nos'!! loved it!
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firda fachrin
July 13, 2015 at 9:03 PM
this
+1
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No1
October 18, 2015 at 2:56 AM
+1
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41 Valerie
May 24, 2015 at 11:33 PM
I can't help but remain insanely curious about JH even though the cutesy ending made me squeal. I can't help it okay? I study brains all day as a job and as a student :(
I feel as if JH is representative of Ted Bundy; both are suave, intelligent, handsome, and incredibly charming. Nobody understood the reason behind why he did what he did. The writers intentionally left things the way they are. Like most serial killers, it appears as if JH had a rather traumatic childhood. Prosopagnosia usually occurs after a traumatic brain injury; is that what had happened in JH's case? What I found particularly chilling about his crimes is that it has parallels to the Nazi extermination of Jews and those who they considered 'impure'. As humans, face recognition serves as both a memory tool and a vital social cue. Without that skill, we essentially loose our individuality. In Nazi Germany, the soldiers were trained to not think of their victims as people. Nobody was unique and they were all assigned a number, sort of like a barcode. JH even gased his victims in an enclosed space. I think subconsciously though, JH just wanted to escape this reality. He wanted to recognize someone, to feel something when he looked at someone's face. he was basically in a state where he knew no one. So, he relied on the books and the books acted as his outlet. The victims became friends who were willing to share their stories with him. When MG burned the fake copies, it was as if he lost the link to his 'friends'. They became just like everyone else, who he remained disconnected to.
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Neutral
May 25, 2015 at 2:37 AM
@Valerie
"Nobody understood the reason behind why he did what he did. The writers intentionally left things the way they are."
This is possibly the case here. How many times have we came across dramas or movies with open endings? Endings whereby viewers were shown a few scenes and thereafter were free to imagine and come up with their own little best endings?
Over here, the writer is somewhat doing the same thing except it is not the ending he had left open, rather it was the killer's back story which possibly led to his urge to murder others that was left open.
Lt Yeom's earlier probes in the white room did confirm a couple of things (by the killer himself) and in the scene where Mugak was seen briefing his seniors on the facts gathered from the US with regards to Kwon's background informed the viewers of another couple of things. A couple plus a couple, you do your own calculations from here, lol.
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Lotus_Blossom
May 26, 2015 at 1:12 AM
@Valerie @Neutral
Lol, Chef Kwon does indeed reminds my of Ted Bundy. He once called himself "the most cold-hearted son of a bitch you have ever met." His case caused quite a sensation because people just couldn't believe a regular charming bloke like him could be a sadistic sociopath who took pleasure in his victims' pain and the control he had over them to the point of death, and even beyond that.
I am glad the writer left things the way they are. Any further attempt with some facile answers would be a disservice to a very complex subject matter. The thing about serial killers is that nobody really knows why they take such abnormal psychological gratification in killing their fellow human beings. There are many studies and theories formulated, ranging from environmental factors to genetic predisposition. But none can really pinpoint exactly what caused certain people to become serial killers, while others, who also had similar life profiles, went on to become just regular folks.
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42 Daehoney
May 25, 2015 at 2:15 AM
Every time a drama that I keep track on from the beginning -- and become invested on -- comes to an end, I strangely always feel this weird void in me. And TGWSS is one of them.
I wasn't exactly satisfied by the ending, but I wasn't disappointed either. I pictured the wedding proposal to be the ending, and we'd have time lapse as the epilogue when we'd see they're already married with probably one child living all cute and happily ever after in Jeju -- but that's just my vision. What we've got is great too, but honestly they don't look like married to me, it's like they're just this cute dating couple living under the same roof. I want to see what Lollypip says as "RAWR" but that's probably never going to happen because of the target audience and the genre.. but, oh well, my shipper heart can dream, right?
Anyway, the biggest thanks goes to our two leads, they're so cute and natural and all that I can overlook all this drama's downsides (all mentioned already above -- mostly the brainless cops, plot holes, and absence of Jae Hee's character's explanation). I've never seen both of their dramas before this one, so I've got no comparisons with their past drama pairings, but I can say these two are made for each other. They're one of my top drama OTPs ever. I hope they will work on more future projects together.
And in the end, TGWSS thread is the first time I've ever placed comments on, and I've enjoyed not only the great recaps (thanks, Lollypip!) but also the comments and conversations. Churr to everyone!
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growingbeautifully
May 25, 2015 at 2:54 AM
I wish you many more good experiences with Commenting @Daehoney! :)
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43 Jan
May 25, 2015 at 2:35 AM
@Valerie,
Comparing JH to Ted Bundy and the nazis certainly raise the degree of chillingness to my bones.
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Neutral
May 25, 2015 at 2:47 AM
@Jan
Same here, very clever of @Valerie.
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Valerie
May 25, 2015 at 9:52 AM
Aww thank you guys ^ ^
I was so glad that they took this route instead of the insane mass murderer who killed in a grotesque manner simply out of pleasure. I thought JH as a character was constructed perfectly. There's nothing more scary than knowing someone who has incredible social acceptance/standing is the one who you should fear. Certainly reminds you never to judge a book by its cover! Sigh. I just want to study his brain.
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44 Evasion
May 25, 2015 at 4:40 AM
@lollypip, i totally agree. The twist was nice but i expected an epic reversal where jae hee fought mu gak head to head, with jae hee at the losing end trying to reason with mu gak of his actions. But nope, fillers...
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45 Giegie
May 25, 2015 at 10:13 AM
I don't know how to explain it but when I was watching TGWSS's final two episodes I felt like I was watching a different show. The finale was not that bad but it's not satisfying either. But at least Mugak & Chorim got their happy ending which was what matters. They deserved it after all the things that they have gone through. And I have to thank dramagods for giving us MuRim couple. I just love them! Both together and separately. Not as good as I had hoped but it's an enjoyable ride all the same. I had fun TGWSS!
Thank you for the recap LollyPip! ^_^ <3
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46 DesOk
May 25, 2015 at 4:49 PM
I am glad I watched this series even though I had many of the same thoughts as others. The idiocy of many things the characters did and the lack of back story for the main villain were annoying to me.
Although I like the main couple and think the acting was very good for this series, I felt the ending could have been done differently.
Don't get me wrong. I like that they decided to continue to work for the police to solve cases and the group is like a family. BUT, to ruin their time together as a couple to solve a case of the week and to keep butting in on their wedding day was a bit much and felt like, that if they really cared about this couple, they would not have been as rude as they were to even stake out the airport to prevent them from having a honeymoon or even a wedding night.
I feel that the actual proposal was very well done and unique and even loved the happiness they felt, but I think the failed proposals before were just there to drag out the show.
This series could have been shorter and more rom-com with less murder mystery if they were going to just end him that way, especially when they did such a good job setting him up.
Oh, well. I am glad I watched it and thank the recappers and the other commenters for their info. Hope to enjoy another series with all of you again.
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growingbeautifully
May 25, 2015 at 6:48 PM
@DesOk
+10 :)
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47 ryanlee
May 25, 2015 at 11:11 PM
i hope park yoo chun will win best new actor in film at baeksang art awards 51 th tonight.
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48 TrinPie
May 26, 2015 at 9:15 AM
I am only halfway through this show so haven't read this recap. But I want to thank 'Girl Who Sees Smells' for introducing my Mom to the joys of Kdramas. She used to mock and make fun of my obsession for Kdramas until she sat down and started watching this show with me and my brother this weekend. Sunday and Monday were spent watching hours of this show together. When I told her she can watch the show without me (I don't live with her) she told me 'Don't worry I will'. So thank you show for introducing my Mom to my obsession!
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49 ryanlee
May 27, 2015 at 12:46 AM
good bye the girl who see smells. This is one of my best drama in a half of 2015 with kill me heal me pinocchio and punch. I am so happy when yoo chun won the prize at baeksang 2015 last night with best new actor. Fighting
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50 dramadreamer
May 28, 2015 at 7:43 PM
YC fighting! He managed to hold off Lee Min Ho in the best new comer in movies category - yay!! and Park Shin Hye for most popular actress. Not to mention Lee Jung Suk. But since this thread is about GWSS, more of that later... GWSS, as with almost all K dramas, makes a strong start, gets saggy in the middle (remember all the barging into Jae Hee's house by the police repeatedly as tho it were a hotel? ) and picks up at the end, but does not fully answer all our questions about the killer, his motives and modus operandi. why why why? surely they could have added afew flashbacks to JH's life as child and suggested abuse? or was it a deliberate omission in order for viewers not to feel any sympathy for murderous murderer? the show is carried by the acting of the detectives, special mention to Det ki and Lt Yeom and even Chief Kang who manages make us dislike him less as the show goes on. totally did not get the last murder about the fisherman/fisherman's mother /fisherman
s friend whodunnit in this ep. it served no purpose except to kill time before the 60 mins were up! so, this was a v sweet rom com , which launched no one's career (and confirmed that Shin Se Khyung can vaguely do physical comedy ) but gave viewers fluffy popcorn and on the edge "oh no"s with its slasher antics . anyway, Yc has proven that he can do a wide range of rolls, from dorky, to wounded, to boy in love, to brilliant detective, to hand to hand combat (did you see his mile wide shoulders?!) not to mention his penchant for ripped jeans and leather jackets (which incidentally, pops up all over the place - including Rooftop prince :)). alllrighty... on to the next drama...
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