Yep Ari is Jeremy. I don't think any adaptation will make me forget him.
It took me a while to separate Kevin Dillon from his brother. They look a like and they've both matured in their acting as they got older. I didn't think Matt's acting was squee worthy back then beside his good looks lol.
(My mom's generation. She still thinks he's hot in his 50s lol).

ET: "could have risen above the script, like Song Yoon Ah"

The problem is that rising above the script pretty much sabotages it. It's kinda like a choir. Each has a part, and overplaying a part ruins the whole. The fact is, a drama is a team effort that relies on everyone playing his/her role. There's really no room for a loose cannon.

As much as I admire Song Yunah's skill, I grimaced every time the camera lingered on her smoldering eyes. The wheels start to come off the script when the villain's secondary storyline takes precedence over the hero/heroine's primary storyline.

The result is illogical, a backstory that rises above and negates the main plot. Song Yunah blatantly hijacks the script by overplaying her role and fueling the desire of the large audience of older female viewers for a May-December relationship, romantic or otherwise, between Yoojin and Jeha.

There is nothing in the storylines to support this type of chemistry -- except Song Yunah's histrionics. Also, a hijacking, once aired, can't be undone, and it impacts the remainder of the script.

There's a fine line between constructing an anti-villain who serve as a foil and earns our sympathy and an anti-villain who overshadows the main storyline. In this case, the director allowed Song Yunah to overplay her part and eventually dominate the script to the point where the entire drama loses coherence.

What we have in the end is a drama that began as a Romeo & Juliet love story (Jeha & Anna) set against a backdrop of political intrigue and murder mystery but ends up as the tragedy of a badly misunderstood villain (Yoojin) whose monstrous evil over 15 episodes is undercut by her deathbed revelations of humanity in the 16th and last episode.

The final result is confusion: A Yoojin tragedy that makes no sense in the overall logic of the script and a Jeha-Anna romance that's so poorly developed that it's almost irrelevant.

Other loose ends: (1) Master Song as Hyerin's murderer, (2) Sejoon's decision to heroically die with Yoojin, (3) Choi Sungwon's stupidity, (4) Kim Dongmi's human side revealed, like Yoojin's, at the very end. These revelations are so poorly developed that they're laughable. The disconnects with the internal logic of the script are so obvious that the viewer is left with only one response -- Huh?

Song Yunah's overacting hurt the drama. The majority of viewers were initially drawn to "The K2" by the main stars, JCW and Im Yoona. Song Yunah is an accomplished actor, but she has little or no drawing power. In other words, a Jeha-Yoojin story would never have gotten off the ground.

When the Jeha-Anna love story began to be eclipsed by the Yoojin tragedy, viewer interest quickly waned. Whether this flip was by design or accident is irrelevant. The result is the same: An outstanding cast, excellent production staff, and a promising script that was eventually undone by Song Yunah's overacting.

Song Yunah will win awards...

@AsianDrama16

Ideally we'd have all three leads rise above the script and bring life to their characters. If we can't have that, I'd rather take one outstanding character than have Song Yoon Ah tank her own performance to match the level of her co-leads.

The K2 is not a live show, Song Yoon Ah can't just hijack a story because she wants to. Nothing gets aired without going through approval and editing first. If the director disagreed with her acting, then he would've made her reshoot the scene.

The dramatic music and slow motion during the car accident scene, or the entire umbrella scene scenario are moments where fans gained interest in the interaction between Yoojin and Jeha (and please, plenty of us younger viewers find their relationship dynamic interesting). Even if Song Yoon Ah is the best actress in the world, she can't make those moments happen on her own. It was a deliberate choice on the production team's part to write the scenes the way they did, shoot the scenes the way they did, and pair it with the music they did. She wasn't doing it on her own.

You seem set on thinking The K2 was supposed to be a Romeo & Juliet type story, but have you considered that maybe you just expected wrong? Do realize that Song Yoon Ah is billed as a lead just the same as Im Yoona. And that this show is tagged as an Action/Thriller just as it is tagged Romance. The direction the show went could've been it's intended direction this whole time, and it would've remained true to its original description.

Plenty of people admitted they only stayed watching the show for Yoojin. The production team could've decided to use the other leads' drawing power, but needed Song Yoon Ah to "carry the show" as many people believed. On your ratings comment, the first few episodes featured heavily on Yoojin and saw a steady rise in ratings. When we actually started getting romantic interactions between the main couple, the numbers dropped and never reached the peak again. So I interpret the ratings differently.

You seem intent on blaming Song Yoon Ah for everything that went wrong with the show, but I'm just thankful for her acting because there were so many weaknesses with the show that without her I think we'd end up with the same messy plot, but one less interesting character to root for.

I like when die-hard fans feel that they have to become jealous on behalf of their idol.
To be honest, Song Yoon Ah couldn't have stolen the show, no matter much as she tried, if there were star-power from what were supposed to be the leads. When paired with a strong actress, Ji Chang-Wook did a convincing job. I felt that, each for his own reasons, the two bonded in a weird camaraderie with some undercurrent sensual tension. When paired with Yoona, he acted like some sort of limp Romeo because the script said so. I could feel no tension there, called chemistry nowadays. They were like distant planets brought together by a galactic accident.
I am convinced that Yoona works hard, but apparently this is all that she does. In any of the dramas where she had a part, I couldn't see anything else but Yoona. Is she typecast? Probably. Would she be able to convey a strong-willed, powerful, bada** girl? I think you know already the answer.
And I agree with Lily, without the whole team that worked for this drama, Song Yoon Ah could have acted strong,trying to hijack the show, but would have felt awkward, if her acting weren't doubled by editing and music and all the rest. Song Yoon Ah isn't the biggest rating-maker out there because she isn't 20 anymore, she is too married and she is not an idol. But please, do not deny her ability to become one with her character. I was convinced by her acting even when she had that absurd, out of the blue moment of honesty in the end. She convinced me somehow that she was sure she would die, she felt that she had no escape and she could finally be honest. Yoona had the same blank, expressionless face throughout this (what should have been a) WTF moment for her, like throughout the drama, no matter what happened to her. Sorry, but for me Yoona is a cute bland expressionless doll. So pretty, but so stiff. I think she may be too self-conscious of her status and cannot/ does not want to let herself go, to become the character. I think this is the biggest mistake in a profession where to shine, you must tarnish the pristine image you project in your daily life, if the role requires you such a thing. This is why Song Yoon Ah had us eating from the hands of her devilish Choi Yoo-Jin and some loved to do so.

@Lily

Lily: "If the director disagreed with her acting, then he would’ve made her reshoot the scene."

In the very early episodes, the director might've assumed that viewers would understand that Yoojin's seductive facade is a simple ploy to manipulate others. It seems obvious to most viewers. However, later, based on viewer feedback in discussions such as this, they realized too late that viewers were reading in much more than was there and ignoring other clues.

It's obvious that the director tried to strengthen the clues by showing Yoojin turn from sympathetic character to maniacal monster in a split second. But many viewers still didn't (or refused to) get it.

The writers then gave Jeha bored expressions whenever Yoojin tried her misty-eyed charm and sultry voice on him, but many viewers still didn't get it. They were convinced that Jeha and Yoojin had some kind of "chemistry."

The die was cast. The error couldn't be undone. Many in the audience had already become diehard Yoojin shippers, and the writers had no choice but to revise the script.

Please don't misunderstand. I have no quarrels with Yoojin shippers. The only point I'm making is that the emphasis on the Yoojin tragedy doesn't make sense when you look at the structure of the plots in the early episodes. The only reason it floated to the surface was Song Yunah's overacting.

If you feel her over-the-top acting is great, that's your choice. I'm cool with that. All I'm saying is that it's warped the script. If you feel that's great, too, I'm fine with that, too. We all have our preferences.

The common thread running through all the plots is the development of Anna and Jeha. Yoojin is an antagonist, and her psychological development is a minor backstory that's sketchy at best, and only at the very end do we learn that she might have been a good person at one point in her life before she embraced her dark side.

Of course, this is all conjecture. Maybe the writers and the director planned this structure all along, but I seriously doubt it. No matter how you slice it, a tragedy involving a middle-aged woman who has turned into a monster borders on morbid curiosity and has no appeal to most viewers. What's to cheer for? One baddy killing another baddy?

The only thing that keeps most viewers coming back is the story of Jeha and Anna and how they'll triumph over all the bad guys. If this aspect had been emphasized and developed more fully, the ratings, which are very good for cable dramas, might have reached 10% or better.

Let's face it. Im Yoona and JCW are beautiful people, and just putting them together in any scene creates sparks and explosions. That's what sells.

@ Mia

Mia: "[Yoojin] convinced me somehow that she was sure she would die, she felt that she had no escape and she could finally be honest."

I won't respond to your comments about Im Yoona. Your animus is obvious, and I don't want to go there.

However, I will respond to the quote above. To put Yoojin's final and overly dramatic deathbed scene in perspective, keep in mind what she said in an earlier episode: Death is not the worst fate. The worst fate is to be denied the opportunity to compete for power. Everything else in life, including death, love, and the lives of others, is of lesser value.

Park Gwansoo shares this view, and for him, in the end, death was preferable to life without the possibility of power.

We get a hint in the scene where Anna sings "Amazing Grace" that Yoojin's tears are ambiguous. It's obvious that they are signs of anger and fear that Anna might reveal her relationship with Sejoon, but there's also a strong possibility that her tears are for herself, self-pity, a deep sadness that she long ago gave up the possibility of redemption and grace.

The interpretation of her death scene that makes the most sense to me is that Yoojin is in character, reprising one of the bipolar roles that she's played throughout the drama -- sympathetic anti-villain with a glimmer of humanity. The irony is that her shippers in the audience will buy it and feel sorry for her when she actually feels that there's no value to life if she can no longer become the first lady and wield that power for her own ends.

In other words, "honesty" is just a ploy in Yoojin's vocabulary. It's something to be used. It has no more weight than "lying." To the end, she has only one goal, and that's to control and manipulate those around her -- and by extension, the audience.

CEO Gook, before Yoojin forces him to commit suicide, says that he looks forward to seeing Yoojin in hell. And this is what this drama is all about: Anna's grace and the prospect of redemption vs. Yoojin's cruelty and the prospect of hell.

The end is clear: Sejoon, Master Song, and even chief secretary Dongmi and CEO Gook are redeemable because they've shown some signs of altruism. Park Gwansoo, Choi Sungwon, and Yoojin are not because they cared for no one but themselves.

The message is also clear: This is a story of love -- not just romantic love but love as compassion for others -- and not the blind ambition and greed that drives the political plots.

So Song Yoon Ah is the 'villian' who single-handedly destroyed a potential masterpiece that was K2?

The result is the same: An outstanding cast, excellent production staff, and a promising script that was eventually undone by Song Yunah’s overacting.

At first, I thought Song Yoon Na stuck out like a sore thumb which I supposed was what you referred to as 'overacting' and 'histronics'. Then I realized it's because JCW and Yoona paled in comparison. Well, I supposed if they had cast an actress more in line with their acting capabilities, the disparity wouldn't have existed. Romeo and Juliet could have the viewers' undivided attention and bore them to sleep.

I'm not a fan of Song Yoon Ah. She is a good actress but there are quite a number of good actresses of this caliber in her age group. If SYA was in a different drama or with more experienced co-stars, I don't think she could have stolen the limelight from anyone.

You won't believe me but I rooted for Yoona since she was cast. Not that I know much about her beyond the fact that she's a popular member of SNSD. I just like to give actors a chance whether idol or not. Now that I've watched her as Anna, let's just say I have a better idea of her capabilities as an actress.

Let’s face it. Im Yoona and JCW are beautiful people, and just putting them together in any scene creates sparks and explosions. That’s what sells.

If the product is a Subway or a CF, I agree.

This explains your perspective on this whole thing. I'm not saying you are wrong because K2 did average 4.8% in ratings and I'm sure it's not all due to Song Yoon Ah. As many stuck to the end for Anna-Jeha as those who did for Yoojin.

@ET

ET: "So Song Yoon Ah is the ‘villian’ who single-handedly destroyed a potential masterpiece that was K2?"

Yes and no. Yes, Song Yunah is the villain in the drama and in terms of overacting. By the latter, all I mean is that if she gives viewers the impression that there's chemistry between Yoojin and Jeha, then she's sending the wrong message. She's overacting. There's tension between them, yes, but not the kind of chemistry that so many are salivating over.

No, I'm not saying that this is a "potential masterpiece." All I'm saying is that there's a script and the Yoojin tragedy that we end up with in episode 16, with all the nuances of a sympathetic anti-villain, seems like a last minute attempt to correct for a misdirection that was introduced by Song Yunah's overacting.

As far as being a masterpiece, all we know is that there are a lot of loose ends that seem to be the result of the writers' effort to sustain suspense. Also, the long drawn-out scenes with close-ups of Yoojin's "award-winning acting" take up a lot of space in the episodes that could have been used to better develop the Jeha-Anna relationship. Whether this would have strengthened the drama, though, is unknown.

ET: "Then I realized it’s because JCW and Yoona paled in comparison."

Yes, I agree, but in my book, "paled" in the context of Song Yunah is not necessarily a bad thing. For me, "overacting" is the kind of acting that draws attention to itself, the kind that says, "Look at me. Don't you think I deserve a best actress award? Wouldn't you agree that I'm making the hoobae look like rank amateurs?"

JCW and Im Yoona's strength is their understatement, their ability to act without appearing to act. With very subtle nonverbal gestures, Yoona is able to represent Anna on point. No, Yoona doesn't emote like Yoojin in every scene, and that's a good thing. She's not a femme fatale like Yoojin who exudes sexual energy in every other interaction.

That's not Anna. She cries like a little girl because, like the innocent that she is, she doesn't dissemble. She rejoices in ramen because she has the capacity to find joy in the simplest things. In the end, Anna gives up all the power that Yoojin craved because that's not who she is. Naive? Perhaps.

JCW also underplays his role of the of the tough mercenary and bodyguard. The point of his character is that the use of force is justifiable and a warrior can still be pure and innocent when the cause is goodness. He doesn't take pleasure in violence, but will use it for the right reasons. But he does take pleasure in the kind of simple and innocent love that Anna represents.

So many pseudo-sophisticated viewers deride the Subway date scene, but that's the whole point of this drama. Happiness isn't fame or power or wealth. It's a simple date with the person you love.

@b-child

Thanks for taking the time to share your opinions with me. I actually agree with most of what you're saying -- including looking like an ass sometimes. You're right. I could be totally wrong in my opinions. It won't be the first time, and it won't be the last.

One thing I would like to clarify, though, is that I don't have a "distaste" or hate for Song Yunah the actor. I don't know enough about her or her work, except for "The K2," to harbor any strong feelings for or against her. Besides, I can't think of a single person in this world that I hate. However, you're right when you say that I dislike her rendition of Yoojin.

After the first few times the camera zoomed in on Yoojin's tragic dewy eyes in almost every scene (not just the ones with Jeha), I started to cringe. For me, she was blatantly overacting, and it was getting old really fast. This is all the more evident when we see that she's totally out of sync with the other characters in the same scene. They're playing their parts en pointe, so the contrast is even starker.

For other viewers, Song Yunah's acting is wonderful, and they couldn't get enough. I'm OK with that. As you say, we all have our preferences.

I'm looking forward to discussing future dramas with you and everyone else in this forum.