Mask: Episode 5

by LollyPip

The river is rising, and it’s time for the frog and the scorpion to start thinking about allying if they both want to survive. Not only are they discovering that they may have an unexpected partner in the other, but flickers of a deeper awareness are starting to spark. And if this is what they can accomplish when they still don’t trust each other, then their strength when they do finally let themselves open up is going to be breathtaking.

EPISODE 5 RECAP: “The Poor Rich”

After finding her mother near her sister’s memorial tree, Ji-sook and Min-woo ride in the ambulance with her. Ji-sook says all the things she’s been wanting to say to her unconscious mom, like to be sure and eat well, and move to a nicer house. Suddenly someone runs in front of the ambulance, forcing them to stop.

It’s Ji-hyuk, with Dad not far behind, and he very nearly gets a glimpse of Ji-sook before she hides her face. It’s enough to make him suspicious, and he peers into the window at her. But just as Ji-hyuk’s about to open the door, Dad gets the news that Mom has been found, and the two head off on their own. Rattled, Ji-sook chokes back her tears, and shakes her head that she’s not okay when Min-woo asks.

Seok-hoon wakes up in the hospital to find Mi-yeon clutching his hand worriedly, but she stops him when he tries to leave and demands answers for Ji-sook’s behavior at the luncheon. He puts on his concerned face and pleads for her to let him go to the meeting, but Mi-yeon is determined.

Seok-hoon concocts a story about Ji-sook’s childhood nanny, justifying the lie by saying that he just wanted the meeting to go smoothly. Mi-yeon points out that if things go well, it would benefit Min-woo, and damn if Seok-hoon’s But we’re all family wheedle doesn’t seem completely sincere.

In another part of the hospital, Min-woo gently reminds Ji-sook that the meeting is starting soon, and she reluctantly follows him. But first she signs as her mother’s guardian, as Min-woo looks on.

Mi-yeon isn’t fooled by Seok-hoon’s innocent act, but she relents for now. He reminds her that he was always a bad match for her, coming from a poor family himself, and no matter how hard he works her parents don’t take him seriously. He tells her to forget her hopes of inheriting any of the company.

He also knows she’s been suspicious of him and Eun-ha, and gives her his very saddest eyes as he asks how she could possibly think such a thing. It’s a not-so-veiled threat for divorce, as he says he came with nothing and will leave with nothing. He starts to walk away but Mi-yeon grabs his wrist, and a sly smirk crosses Seok-hoon’s lips before he turns back to her.

Ji-sook requests that Min-woo not mention anything to the police about her finding her mother, so he reminds her that they promised not to get involved in each other’s lives. He does mention that she owes him a favor though, which I think will come back to bite her later.

They run into Seok-hoon and Mi-yeon on their way out of the hospital, and Seok-hoon is careful to ask Ji-sook about the nanny she was looking for. She says she found her, and Seok-hoon makes happy noises while Min-woo seems to get a sense that something is off. Mi-yeon is suspicious too, but everyone plays nice for now.

Back at the luncheon, Butler Nam-chul laments the waste of such beautiful eels (believed to be an aphrodisiac), and Maid Yeon-soo feeds them to him since they would have wanted someone to use him. HAHA, the seductive expressions she shoots his way are hilarious.

Unfortunately, the mayor is gone by the time everyone gets home, and Min-woo and Ji-sook beg forgiveness and promise to make the business deal happen anyway. But Dad says he’s not upset, because to be upset you’d have to have expectations, and OUCH.

He reminds Min-woo that the Director position will be vacant soon, informing him that Seok-hoon will be the one getting the job. Double ouch. Meanwhile Stepmom tells Seok-hoon that the mayor is having second thoughts about selling them the land because of protests being held by local merchants, and Seok-hoon sees his opening to make a good impression.

Having finally found Mom, Ji-hyuk asks her to please let them know where she’s going from now on. She says that she saw Ji-sook, and the family finds out that the “mountain climber” that found Mom paid her bill, and said not to worry about thanking them.

Seok-hoon meets with an informant, and they discuss his plan is to force Min-woo to illegally lobby the mayor to approve the mall construction, then Seok-hoon will out him to the police. Min-woo will be arrested at the big anniversary party, and Seok-hoon will be given the Director job.

The protesters are outside the city hall building when Min-woo and Ji-sook arrive to talk with the mayor, and Min-woo tells them that SJ Group will share their business secrets if they’ll stop. When Min-woo tries to calmly discuss it, one protestor throws an egg at his face.

Cut to: a clean Min-woo, and his assistant Chang-soo with egg in his hair. HAHA. Ji-sook makes the mistake of asking if they really need to build that mall since they have plenty of money, but Min-woo argues that they aren’t the only company wanting to open a mall there. The merchants will lose their store space anyway.

Min-woo expresses surprise that Ji-sook actually cares, since the “Eun-ha” he knows was just here for money. But now she’s arguing for him to think of the people first? He tells her to stop pretending — it disgusts him.

Mi-yeon isn’t buying the nanny excuse for one second, and she and Stepmom (Min-woo’s stepmother, but Mi-yeon’s real mother) assume that this all means that “Eun-ha” is the daughter of a mistress, and not her father’s first wife. They file away the information in case they need to rattle Congressman Seo’s cage at a later time, and task Seok-hoon’s assistant on getting DNA evidence.

Seok-hoon reports to Ji-sook that her mother is feeling better, and she confronts him for having Scar try to run her over while she was looking for her mother. He admits it, reminding her that he said he could kill her any time, and to prove it he shoves her back to lean out over the balcony railing. Seok-hoon whispers that they really aren’t so different, like she said, and warns her not to provoke him again.

When Ji-sook can’t sleep that night, Min-woo wonders if it’s because she’s still worried about her “nanny” and tells her to go see her tomorrow. Aw, he almost seems hurt when she says harshly not to worry about her. Though he claimed earlier that he was disgusted by her, now he murmurs softly that he’s envious that she has someone she cares enough about to cry for.

Ji-sook realizes what a huge admission this is for him, and looks at Min-woo in surprise. He’s actually smiling when he meets her eyes, but quickly slaps back on his no-nonsense face and stammers that he just gets emotional at night, stomping out of the room like it’s all her fault. Okay, that’s precious.

He goes to another part of the house to work, but his concentration is shot, and he recalls waltzing with his mother once when she was in the hospital. He didn’t know how, so she told him, “Just close your eyes and let Mom lead you.” HAHA, the servants walk in on Min-woo cuddled up to a coatrack, waltzing with it, and he just walks off all I totally meant to do that. Maid Yeon-soo wonders if he’s lonely and gives the coatrack a little snuggle, herself.

Mom talks about seeing Ji-sook, saying that she looked very elegant. Dad says it must be her spirit telling Mom she’s okay, but Mom insists she really saw her. Ji-hyuk is upset and tells Mom in a quavering voice that Ji-sook is dead — she’s not coming back.

He goes out for some space and runs into Myung-hwa, Ji-sook’s friend from her mall job. They try to get information on whoever brought Mom to the hospital but they can’t read Ji-sook’s signature clearly, though when Ji-hyuk says “Seo Eun-ha?” Myung-hwa gets a chill. She tells him who Seo Eun-ha is, and that she’s a dead ringer for Ji-sook.

Ji-hyuk wonders why the daughter-in-law of SJ Group would pay his mother’s hospital bill, and rushes home to look through Ji-sook’s journals. He recalls the familiar-seeming woman he keeps glimpsing lately, but he doesn’t find any concrete clues.

Min-woo prepares to meet with the protest leaders, and Ji-sook asks if he’s really prepared — does he know how market-sellers work and think? Of course he’s never even been to a local market, so she offers to take him.

HAHA, Min-woo tries to hide his face, and he can barely contain his horror at all the people and products that might touch him. But he loosens up as he watches Ji-sook haggle with the sellers, and as she in turn starts to smile more, he can’t help but notice.

They stop at a small restaurant, where Min-woo critically inspects the utensils for cleanliness. He grumbles that the merchants aren’t clean, don’t know how to display or sell properly — in short, they’ll all go out of business anyway. Way to justify your actions, dude.

He complains about the food even as he tucks in heartily, and he thinks she can’t have been to places like this often either, curious again why she pretends to care. Just then the protest leaders come in and recognize him, and HAHA, his “I’m busted” face is hysterical. They’re trapped, but Ji-sook grabs Min-woo’s hand and they run.

She literally drags him through the market stalls as merchants throw food at them, which has got to be giving Min-woo the serious heebies. They manage to shake the protesters, and stop to catch their breath. Unbeknownst to them, Scar is there, and he makes a call.

Seok-hoon meets with the mayor, warning him that if his corruption scandal gets out, it won’t matter if it’s true, his political career will be over. The mayor doesn’t look happy at all, and asks what exactly Seok-hoon wants.

Scar evidently called in the Brute Squad, who raze the marketplace and draw a crowd. Min-woo tries to find out who’s responsible, but Ji-sook walks into the thick of the destruction in a daze. The goons are destroying the place where they just ate lunch and the waitress and elderly owner re cowering on the floor, terrified. Ji-sook remembers Director Shim doing the same to her family when she was young.

Min-woo wants to leave while they can, but Ji-sook says in a steely voice that she’s going to try and stop this. She runs in and steps in front of one goon just as he’s raising his club to strike the women, saying in a shaky voice that this is a place of dreams for these people. He rears back to hit her, but a hand grabs his arm, and it’s Min-woo. Another goon breaks his club over Min-woo’s shoulder, but his lack of response startles them, and they run away. He tells the owner that he’ll pay for all the damages, and Ji-sook can only stare in surprise.

On the drive home Ji-sook asks after Min-woo’s shoulder, but he ignores her to ask in turn why she really took him there. He assumes she’s made a deal to make him fail, which would be shockingly close to the truth if she were the real Eun-ha.

She points out that he was genuinely concerned for those people, and says that she only wanted him to understand them. He orders her out of the car, asserting that they’re only business partners so she doesn’t need him. She gets out and watches him drive away.

Min-woo’s father sees the photos of the riot and his son getting into the thick of it, and Stepmom placates him that it wasn’t his fault. It doesn’t work, and Dad storms out of the room, furious. As he goes, a tiny smug smile crosses Stepmom’s face.

Seok-hoon’s assistant tells Min-woo that he’s got one more chance to win over the mayor, and tells him to transfer cash to him hidden in apple boxes. Min-woo asks who he’s working for, and tells him that he’s well aware of the importance of this deal. Later Seok-hoon informs someone (the police?) where the money exchange will happen, during the anniversary party.

Ji-sook watches as her dad visits Mom again, and talks wistfully about their dating days. He begs her gently to let go of Ji-sook, and grab hold of his hand like she did back then. This finally gets through to mom, and she gives him the tiniest of smiles. As she looks on, Ji-sook smiles and nods.

Ji-hyuk approaches the Choi home asking to see Seo Eun-ha, but he’s turned away at the gate. Mi-yeon arrives home just then and asks who the young man is, but her driver doesn’t know. Later she’s cautious when Seok-hoon seems in a good mood, but goes along with it out of curiosity.

Min-woo tries to work that night, but he’s distracted by his memories of Ji-sook at the market, happy at first then distraught by the destruction. Ji-sook, in turn, lies on her couch remembering Min-woo standing up for her. She sits up to look at him, and notices blood on the shoulder of his shirt – he was injured at the market.

She runs to fuss over his wound, but Min-woo gruffly moves away from her touch to change his shirt himself. Something tells me that had less to do with cleanliness and more to do with him being afraid to let her touch his bare skin. Ji-sook apologizes to him, and he accuses her of playing nice again — but this time, she says that maybe an evil person can become nice, by pretending long enough.

Ji-sook practically dares Min-woo to do what he wants with this project… not what he thinks he should do, but what he truly wants. though he gets angry because he’s unsure what she means, she stands firm and tells him that if he does what he wants, it will be the right thing. Min-woo vows that he’ll make this project work, and become Director of SJ Group — that’s what he wants to do.

Later, after Ji-sook is asleep, Min-woo finds a bandage that she left on his desk. He starts to throw it out, but instead goes to Ji-sook and covers her with a blanket. Then, he even picks her up and carries her to the bed and settles her in. His unsure expression when she throws her arm around his neck is just the sweetest.

As he watches her sleep, Min-woo experiences a series of… visions?… memories?… of Ji-sook. She stares in shock as he bleeds from a head injury in a car, then she stands over him and tucks him into a hospital bed, an expression of caring on her face. Min-woo shakes himself awake, and goes to his hidden room to prepare the apple crate of money for the mayor.

It’s the anniversary party, and Ji-sook looks nervous (but lovely) in her ball gown. Hee, Min-woo actually looks her slowly up and down as she approaches him. He lets her think that she climbed into his bed in her sleep, telling her not to do it again, but not sounding very stern this time. Mi-yeon makes a bitchy comment about Ji-sook’s dress, and Min-woo tellingly jumps to his wife’s defense with a rapid-fire insult of his own.

Min-woo steps away to greet the mayor, as Seok-hoon looks on smugly. Outside, Ji-hyuk makes plans to crash the party, determined to get a look at the woman who supposedly looks exactly like his sister. When a swarm of police arrive with a warrant, Ji-hyuk slips in with them.

Min-woo’s father gets up to give a speech, and Ji-sook looks a bit nervous that Min-woo is still nowhere to be seen — he’s in the parking garage, overseeing the transfer of the apple crate to the mayor’s car. According to Seok-hoon’s plan, they’re discovered by the police, right in the middle of the transfer.

But just as Seok-hoon is congratulating himself for his victory over Min-woo, Dad announces that SJ Group has successfully made a deal with the city to buy the land for their mall. He introduces Min-woo as the newly-appointed Director of SJ Group, and Seok-hoon’s mouth falls open as Min-woo struts to the podium.

As it turns out, Min-woo took Ji-sook’s advice, and there were only apples in that apple crate. Not only that, but the mayor actually used the opportunity to turn his own relatives in for their scandal, thus clearing his own name. That is so awesome.

Min-woo’s speech is all about a revelation he had while eating in the marketplace, that when two predators occupy the same hunting grounds, it creates competition. You must survive, or die. He decides to have this restaurant in their mall, along with many of the other local market vendors, convinced it will be their edge against the other malls. Seok-hoon looks confused and furious, while Ji-sook watches her husband, glowing with pride and respect.

Min-woo and Ji-sook watch the dancers, and she tells him that she thought he would pay the merchants and kick them out. He says he thought he would do that too, but this seemed easier. Ha. He holds out his hand for a dance, reciting one of their marriage rules — at public events, both parties are to look happy.

Ji-sook starts to protest that nobody is even watching, only to see Dad paying close attention to them. Min-woo leads her out and her reason for hesitating becomes apparent — she can’t dance. They growl at each other for a hilarious moment, then Min-woo tells Ji-sook to follow his lead, and slowly he guides her in a smoother waltz.

As they dance, the world falls away and it seems as if they’re the only people on the dance floor. The moment isn’t lost on either of them, but suddenly a voice breaks the magic: “Noona!” It’s Ji-hyuk, standing right in front of the woman who looks exactly like his sister.

And out in the hallway, Stepmom receives the results of the DNA test she ordered on Ji-sook.

COMMENTS

We’re finally getting into the meat of the story, and it’s every bit as juicy as I’d hoped. Seok-hoon’s motivations are becoming clearer, and it seems as if he’s primarily driven by revenge and jealousy. He comes from a poor family and somehow managed to land a rich wife from a powerful family, but no matter what he does, he can’t get the family to give him more than token acknowledgment. I can see how he would do whatever he can to try to take Min-woo down, ad it makes sense to get Stepmom on his side, since obviously whatever benefits Seok-hoon, benefits her daughter. For some reason though, they’re not letting Mi-yeon in on the master plan, which I’m guessing has something to do with the fact that her husband’s trump card was his mistress. I’m eager to learn more details about exactly what they’re trying to accomplish and why, because I have a feeling we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg.

But it won’t be easy, because their trump card got herself killed, and the backup plan seems to have a mind of her own. And this is even before she falls in love with her husband which, judging by the look on her face when Ji-sook was watching Min-woo make his speech, has already taken root. I like that they are starting to respect each other, even before they start to be attracted to each other, which bodes well for their bond later when everything really starts to go crazy and they’ll need that basis of trust to get through it together.

One thing I really love about Ji-sook is her core of strength and willingness to do what’s right, even if it puts her in danger. I have a feeling that she wasn’t always like this, because her early interactions with Director Shim showed her to be much more timid and willing to cave to his intimidation. But now she’s realizing that with her new identity comes some power, and she’s starting to use it to help others. When she bravely walked into that restaurant and stood in front of the goon with the bat, I wanted to cheer, she was so amazing. It’s telling that she’s more capable of getting things done when she’s protecting someone else rather than herself, which will come in handy when they start to discover what Min-woo’s family has been doing ot him to try to undermine his self-confidence and capability. I can’t wait to see Ji-sook go full-on Mama Bear.

And she’s not just becoming stronger herself — she’s also elevating Min-woo to a higher standard of behavior, though I don’t think either of them realizes it yet. He’s already affected by her caring for others, and even envious that she even has someone to care about, so I think that’s something that he’s wanted for a very long time (perhaps his whole life). It didn’t take him long, when he saw Ji-sook come to the defense of someone weaker, to stand right next to her and even put himself in danger for her. I literally had tears in my eyes, seeing him find his own strength in that moment. Then again later when she tells him to do what he wants with the project, and you can tell it’s the first time anyone has ever said that to him. Do what you feel is right, and it will be the right thing. It’s like she’s giving him the permission he’s always wanted, to do the right thing and not just what he’s told by his family to do. Nobody has ever supported and believed in Min-woo before, and it’s no wonder he reacts with anger at first — any niceness that’s ever been extended to him, has been to get something out of him. Of course he doesn’t trust it, for now. But it’s an exciting glimpse of the bad-ass team they will be soon, once they start to trust each other, and it’s even better than I expected. I was eager before, and now I’m super-crazy-thrilled, to see what they’re capable once they team up on purpose.

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