Final Episode Reaction
My love affair with Healer started from the very first episode – the moment Ji Chang Wook entered the screen topl…ok, scratch that, I’m lying. Lol oddly enough, the scene which reeled me in was when Healer was transporting his client on the train, and ajhumma hilariously opened up the wrong doors. They ran out and then that AMAZING instrumental started playing in the background. For some reason, I was sold at that very moment. Upon reflection, I think I fell in love with the dynamics between the lonely Healer and hacker ajhumma – both affectionate in their dialogue, yet still detached. Episode one was all about character for me, and Song Ji Nah has done well to give us well rounded characters on all fronts. Been time since I’ve felt so much for each and every character, including the bad uns, ok, perhaps we can leave out the evil gramps, but you gotta admit, even he left you with the chills in certain scenes.
Since that first moment, my love had steadily grown with each episode, knowing the ride would be a thrilling one from beginning to end. And I wasn’t wrong. Every episode delivered, so much so, that every episode became my favourite episode; the show had reeled me in good and proper.
Along with the characters, the plot had remained consistent too – never overdoing it, but quietly doing its work, bringing each and every component together, as if it were part of some elaborate jigsaw puzzle. And now, having watched episode 20, the satisfaction that you get with slotting in that final piece of the puzzle, is exactly how I felt. Admiration, pride and a rush of excitement – albeit, all held together with a tinge of melancholy knowing that it’s finally over.
Just like how one stands back to look at the accomplishment of their toils, I too stepped back, and thought long and hard about my feelings at the end of such a thrilling ride, which lasted 10 whole weeks. Did Healer end on a note I was hoping for it to end on? Did it live up to my expectations after obsessing over it for so long? In the short run, the answer is, YES! Yes, it bloody well did. And even though I had full faith in Song Ji Nah to deliver the goods right up until the very end, I think it natural for viewers to enter a phase of anxiety when the final episode rolls around, knowing it hits twice as hard when things don’t quite add up to how you imagined them to be. And with the love we had for Healer that pain would have been excruciating.
Therefore, I entered episode 20 with a ball of nerves, which abated once the end credits started rolling. My initial reaction…? A deep sigh of contentment; I happily relived the things that unfolded, heartily admiring just how well it all came together.
Upon closer reflection, I found it pretty genius as to how all the threads came together in this final episode, which due to my personal greed, seemed so short compared to the others!! The hour just flew past, leaving me asking for more! I demand a part 2!
I love how the nostalgia was back in episode 20 – it’s one of the things I loved about this show; the glimpses of past relations, flashbacks, character monologues and the change in generation. The past was significant, and remained so right up until the very end. The fact that Moon Shik’s past became the ghost of his present/future was genius story telling. In this regard, the past generation served a much higher purpose than mere lessons to be learnt, they enriched the present narrative as a way of serving justice and giving Moon Shik his just deserves. By the end of it all, despite his riches, his life became an empty shell and he became trapped in the very grave he dug for himself. The mere fact that he saw himself as Gil Han showcases just how pathetic he’d become. And yet, I found myself sympathising with such a sorry soul too. It was as if he wished for the life of the dead; an exchange for his present self – 30 years of living life which amounted to nothing in comparison to Gil Han’s life of 10 years, through which he experienced love, friendship and loyalty. Seeing his life through the lens of a friend he betrayed must sting. There was no doubt that Moon Shik was the green eyed monster, and it’s a destiny which he chose for himself. His seeing the ghost of Gil Han strongly reminded me of the ghost of Banquo in Shakespeare’s Macbeth – just like how Macbeth had murdered sleep, it seems appropriate that Moon Shik too would remain disturbed for the remainder of his life. They couldn’t have ended his character in a better way.
And how awesome was it that we got to hear the answer to that long lost question of freedom? Myung hee finally found the freedom she was seeking, and there was no better way to show that than having her leave Moon Shik for good, and letting her reunite with her daughter. Justice prevailed in the end, just as she hoped it would. And I do like how she became the voice for freedom right up until the very end, giving closure to the past of 1992.
Her scene with Yong Shin was beautifully done too. Nothing dramatic or overly sentimental…her going through Yong Shin’s childhood album was a beautiful way of capturing all that she had lost. Her emotions were open to us all so that we could share her joy and sadness along the way, knowing what a struggle it must have been for her to reach this point.
And what can we say about our Healer team 2.0!? How awesome were these four!!? Seriously, Song Ji Nah is a master at making the small details count. And this episode was all about the small details. Blink, and you miss it.
First off, Hacker ajhumma!! Ok, she is, hands down, the epitome of cool. Her colourful language, her no nonsense attitude, her abrasive attitude towards Hacker ajhussi, her endless knitting, singing & dancing, her being irked by Moon Ho’s pen rolling (LOL), and her constant replays of “heloooooooo” – ah ajhumma, you flipping rocked the entire drama! And though she’d hate to admit it, I do love how affectionate she was towards Jung Hoo, albeit in a crude way. Her interaction with every character was just brilliant, and a lot of that’s down to the way Kim Mi-Kyung played her. Oh, and I totally shipped her with Hacker ajhussi! Gotta love em.
Moon Ho ya!! Ok, who else squealed when Jung Hoo addressed him as “samchoon” – I swear my heart felt all warm and fuzzy afterwards. Such a simple yet endearing way to address someone, especially coming from Jung Hoo, who’s always shied away from forming close relations due to general distrust/for fear of losing them or getting abandoned. Equally significant, was for Moon Ho to hear that word, for he equally lived a life of loneliness and despair – living lukewarmly as he called it. It was a nice way of permanently re-forming their childhood bond, whereby Moon Ho had always been somewhat of a guardian to Jung Hoo.
By the end of it all, Moon Ho had no words left for his brother. That silence said it all. It was a great way of revealing how with every bond broken, another is formed. And in Moon Ho’s case, he got back a loving family that he’d most likely always dreamt of. Just he and his noona – that was enough for him to be able to live life fully again. As a character, I really appreciated how subdued he was. Yet, his presence in every scene always created that much needed impact, and that’s all down to Yoo Ji Tae’s skilful acting. His very presence demanded attention, and rightly so. Again, his interaction with each and every character was just overtly charismatic – be it with YS’s dad, his noona, Jung Hoo, Yong Shin, his brother, and of course, his co-workers too. And I loved the look of amazement he had on his face when he first caught a glimpse of Ajhumma’s true face – LOL so like Jung Hoo.
And that OTP…man, if ever there was such a delicious pairing, these two are it. So much trust, so much respect, so much sincerity in their love for one another. I loved how natural Yong Shin and Jung Hoo were in their interactions, be it as co-workers or lovers. Individually, they shined anyway, but together, they really did create something magical, did they not!?
Even though their love line became somewhat secondary in the final few eps, I loved how Jung Hoo always placed Yong Shin as his first priority, be it when he was fighting, dealing with the opposition, or remaining hidden from the rest of the world. She pretty much became his reason for living, and Ji Chang Wook expressed that through every single one of his expressions.
And it was a mutual kind of love, which I really appreciated. He didn’t just give, give and give, and she didn’t just take, take, and take. They helped each other along, became the other’s source of solace and communicated their feelings to one another with such honesty and grace, that it was refreshing to see.
Sometimes, the couple didn’t even have to say anything. Their actions (those tight embraces, those gentle kisses & those soul searching gazes) would say it all. By the end of it, their relationship was such, that they had no problem finishing each other’s sentences off. That scene where he fought off the bad guys, protecting both Yong Shin and her family – twas superb. He was so macho when fighting the thugs, but fumbled once he stood in front of Yong Shin’s appa, so much so, that Yong Shin ended up explaining everything on his behalf, and he just readily complied, LOL. What a great way to greet the parents! Loved how this scene was incorporated too, not only did he reveal his true identity to the dad, but also how sincere he was in his love for Yong Shin by always being there to protect her from harm’s way, and respect her knowing that she’s the daughter of someone. That almost kiss - you had me there Jung Hoo, lol. Must have taken a lot of self-restraint to hold back though...atta boy.
Gangster ajhussi was super cool too, lol the moment he spoke up to him (Jung Hoo) in respectful terms, once witnessing how bada** he was when fighting, was pure comedic gold. I was so looking forward to their reappearance in one scene, and we got it!
And last, but by no means least, Jung Hoo and Yong Shin’s honest descriptions of each other, their likes and dislikes. What beautiful monologues. The dialogue between them has always been sweet and honest, yet, they managed to convey all the sweetness without it sounding overly cheesy. And that’s all down to Park Min Young and Ji Chang Wook’s natural acting. (That smile he threw her way, whilst she was interviewing in the toilets - even at such a crucial moment *whistles*)
The way they so lovingly described the other was just…seriously. This was one onscreen couple that made me blush even when they exchanged nothing but innocent looks. Ahh, just thinking back to it…there were so many satisfying moments to this final episode; it’s mind boggling how they fit it all in!
P.s. I almost died during the master fake out at the end – I literally paused the video when the gun shot sounded and Jung Hoo fell to the ground…cursing detective Yoon like there was no tomorrow!! Lol how awesome was that entire plan though!? I was pretty much *whooping* and *fist bumping* throughout it all!! And when Moon Ho gave that wink and forcibly covered JH's eyes *wipes tears* too good man, too good.
By namedx
2 comments
namedx dear, you said:
ReplyDelete"By the end of it, their relationship was such, that they had no problem finishing each other’s sentences off"
yes, that's the beauty of it all.. that this couple, could lift a few episodes to profound level of expectations and satisfactions mixed, that we can tell ourselves, we are satisfied with what their hands holding can portrayed, and we finally realised that hands can emoted too, ... and how we drown ourselves in those moments when they finished each others sentences monologue unknowingly and telepathically... Writer Song bring this "seventh sense" to a new league... new height, as we see the OTP able to sense each other's questions, and answered each others in each end of the phone, even without line connected... just like that rooftop snow scene and that cinema entwined hand scenes... not just a romantic hand feels involved.. .. thru it, Jung Hoo gave what he can only gave at that moment, Youngshin thankfully received contentedly, refusing to take more... just like what Youngshin said in her request for a date, "if you tell me not to look at you, I’ll cover my eyes. If you tell me not to speak, I’ll be still and won’t make a sound", ... we at the other end of the scene before our laptop... we are also contented, and moved, and are rewarded by that hands hold, because we too felt that sting in his heart, when ahjumma asked him to back off since he can't offer much to her,... we are drowned, and drunk, and intoxicated, by the little that was shown, ....much more than what past many k drama can do with their kisses and bed scenes... Healer stirred in simplicity, in sincerity, in smallest way,,... in her little, she tells alot.
that is why, after almost a month past, i refused to run away... "i don't know how to run away"... still thankful at the much i had "received" thru the little scenes of Healer.
"This was one onscreen couple that made me blush even when they exchanged nothing but innocent looks" said you.
yes, the nothing they exchanged ... the unspoken looks... was enough, to make us refused to run away... to another drama... be it Blood or “Hyde Jekyll, Me” whatever...
no, i refused to run away.
"Youngshin thankfully received contentedly, refusing to take more... just like what Youngshin said in her request for a date, "if you tell me not to look at you, I’ll cover my eyes. If you tell me not to speak, I’ll be still and won’t make a sound", ... we at the other end of the scene before our laptop... we are also contented, and moved, and are rewarded by that hands hold, because we too felt that sting in his heart, when ahjumma asked him to back off since he can't offer much to her,... we are drowned, and drunk, and intoxicated, by the little that was show"
ReplyDeleteBeautifully put, Mary of Bethany! Thank you for stopping by Morumoru Island!! ^^