Dramatic Friday Review: Rooftop Prince ep 11

Before we start reviewing episode 11, I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents from ep 10, you know, now that I'm not basking poolside anymore and finally got to watch it.  ;)

Dongsaeng's 2 cents on episode 10 of RTP:

First and foremost, this episode was a vast improvement over the last couple that
I kind of was hard on. I appreciated the progression of the storyline and the
smoother flow of action. I am glad that poor Bak Ha now knows a bit more
about why the Prince and the J3 have shown up. It was hard news to take, but
better she understands now. I'd want to know if my crush had travelled forward
300 years in order to meet my evil reincarnated crown princess sister. That's one
of those things you want to be aware of up front in the beginning of any
relationship. Wonder if sites like eHarmony or match.com include a question like
that in their profile questionnaire? If not, they may want to reconsider that. I'm
with Unnie on this one - I don't think the Prince is that into Se Na. He just thinks
he should be since she's his princess reincarnate. I mean, it's solid logic, but hey,
the heart wants what the heart wants. Hard to argue with that. I had a 'yell at
the tv moment' when they (SeNa and the prince) were at Namsan Tower
together and he asked her if she was better looking from afar or up close
(meaning are you a good person at your core or do you just put on a good front).
Obviously we all know the real answer to that one, so when she was all cute and
coy and playing the sweet innocent one, well, the tv had a stern talking to right
about then. Good thing the family was away at work and school and I only got a
half-interested head tilt from the dog. Okay, so it was more of a roll over to her
other side with a grunt because she's kind of used to my outbursts by now.
Anywho, so we end the episode with SeNa returning to live with momma after
Tae Mu's dad emptied their apartment, the J3 being homesick and ready to
git-er-done as far as solving the mystery and returning back home, and of course,
the post-text cliffhanger between Bak Ha and Lee Gak. What will happen next?
Can't wait to find out.

Okay, now that that's out of the way, we'll continue on with the real reason we're here - episode 11!

Yay!  It's celebration time!  We have it!  We finally have some wonderful, amazing, fulfilling PLOT DEVELOPMENT of significance!  I am so happy I could squeal like a little girl!  There was so much in this episode!  I'm afraid I won't quite do it justice.  I took a ton of screenshots but no notes, so let's see how this shakes out.  *fingers crossed!*

This is what the Prince looked like after he read the text.  He's obviously concerned and worried for Bak Ha.  He obviously has feelings for her but feels he can't act on them.  See the look of torture in his face?  It's because he loves her and doesn't want her to hurt.  Really.  I can read it all over his face.  Bet you can too.

This was followed by a very, in my humble opinion, gallant move on his part when he pretended that the phone didn't work and that he hadn't read the text.  This of course gets him yelled at later, but I thought it was very sweet of him.

Then 'the phone' resurfaces.  No, not the one with the "I like you, I love you" text that was buried, but the phone.  The one with the evidence that Tae Mu did indeed meet up with his cousin in New York two years ago.

Meanwhile, Chi San suddenly develops acute appendicitis right before the BBQ and is rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery.

Afterwards they're in the hospital room and Bak Ha brings some food.  Call me immature, but I thought that this was an awesome line...

 Awesome enough to back it up and get a screenshot to share and relive the moment with you.

Then there's the scene where the Prince removes the lotus/lily sprout and replants it by itself.  This is somehow supposed to be symbolic, but the exact meaning was lost on me.  Couldn't figure out what he was trying to tell her.  I know that she is the lily plant, but what did he mean by removing her and replanting her and saying that that was his intention all along?  Is he trying to let her down gently?  It would seem so based on what comes next.





After a whole lot of awkwardness and tension between the two of them, Bak Ha and Lee Gak finally have the  confrontation where it comes out that he did actually read the text but he tells her that she shouldn't like him.



There's even a hand and shoulder grab thrown in to give our hearts a flutter.

Poor Bak Ha.  She's heartbroken.  Poor Lee Gak/Tae Yong/the Prince.  He's heartbroken.  It's very tense and sad between them.








The Prince finally unlocks the phone.  Remember how they tried to do that earlier but it "mysteriously" disappeared when Tae Mu stole it?  Well, now Lee Gak can see why.

The evidence.

It's glaring.

So obvious that something is up.  He's on to his dear cousin.

He starts to put things together like dates and events.  When he sits down with Bak Ha to discuss the postcard and circumstances surrounding it, it becomes evident that somewhere between when the pictures on the phone were taken and when she was supposed to meet Tae Yong in New York, that's when something happened to Tae Yong.

Then he drops this bombshell...

"The reason he didn't meet you...was because he died".

"Oh, and you were obviously fated to meet him, but his dying interfered with that fate."  Oooh!  Whoa.

So he figures out the window of time where Tae Yong disappeared. It's a small window.  And Tae Mu is obviously involved.  He and the manager (Korean Harry Potter/dog man guy) discuss the events and the boat.  The clues are just piling in.  Manager Dog Man (really wish I could remember his name or at least find my notes where I wrote it down - sorry) states that they know when Tae Yong disappeared and that a boat and Tae Mu were involved in the incident, they just need the evidence.  Oh, like a cell phone with pictures of the two of them together and date stamped with the date in question?  Oh yeah.  They've got evidence.  Evidence to nail the son-of-a-gun to the wall!

Which leads to the next confrontation.  The cousins are at a bar.  Now, I know there must be some reason why he does this, but in my opinion, I think that Lee Gak shows his hand a little prematurely here.  He all but tells Tae Mu straight out, "I know what you did".

Tae Mu is Tae Mu and freaks out.
And starts threatening.

Dude gets scary when he's freaking out.  Lee Gak better watch his back.  And pony up the evidence real quick before things really get scary.

But then what would we do with the last 9 episodes, silly?

Okay, so this next one isn't necessarily pertinent to the plot, but I thought I'd include it anyway.  Bak Ha is walking down the stairs and trips.  I bring it up because this is common in dramas - our heroic heroines are often tripping and falling.  Ladies, you're beautiful, strong, capable women.  Maybe it's time to consider giving up the heels and sticking with flats?  Just saying.  It's got to be the heels.  Why else would just about every heroine in every drama be tripping?

I love that Lee Gak and Bak Ha finally (FINALLY!) have a sit-down where he tells her what is going on and why she shouldn't like him.  Again, probably hard to take, but a whole lot better to know that he's searching for the murderer of his 300 yr old bride and needs to recreate their marriage in order to catch the perp than thinking that the guy's just not that in to you.  That and he fully plans on returning to the Joseon era once the mystery is solved.  Now, that would be quite the long-distance relationship, would it not?

Then we find Se Na and the Prince sitting down together.  Se Na pretty much proposes to the Prince and they seal the deal with a good ol' handshake.  Warm and fuzzy don't you think?  Obviously it's more of a business deal to both of them.  Neither one of them have their hearts in it.  Se Na because she doesn't have a heart (ooh, slam!) and Lee Gak because his heart already belongs to Bak Ha.

Se Na goes to her mother to tell her that she is engaged but then basically informs her that her fiance and his family don't know about her real situation and so she's just going to keep hiding her mother for the time being.  Thanks kid.  Love you too.

Thankfully Mom has a good daughter that isn't embarrassed by her.  You know that that's what Mom was thinking when she and Bak Ha embraced after their night out.

We end the episode with a fire in the warehouse.  Bak Ha is trapped.

Lee Gak hears about it just as they are sitting down to an important meeting, and without a moment's hesitation rushes to the rescue.  Love that guy!

I am so excited for episode 12!  As you probably know, I was growing a little lukewarm with this series.  This episode turned it around for me in a big way.  It was chocked full of revelations and plot development, with a whole lot of romantic tension between Bak Ha and Lee Gak who are so totally in to each other but have a bit of a mystery to solve before they can be together (they don't know that yet, but we know, oh yes, we know *wink, wink*).  Let's keep it rolling here folks!  Bring on episode 12!

Unnie's 2 Cents:

I totally agree with Dongsaeng.  BEST episode in a really long while!  But I read an article on Viki saying that they ...well here ...

Um never mind.... I couldn't find the original article on Viki anymore.  But I did find it elsewhere...

"Each episode of SBS drama series Rooftop Prince is broadcasted in alarmingly dangerous state due the shooting has to be done hurriedly. The persistent ill of the Korean miniseries having to broadcast almost as live in the later half of the series is been duplicated in Rooftop Prince. The problem is script that comes too late.

An official of the drama said on April 12th, 2012, “The script for 9th episode of Rooftop Prince hasn’t come out yet. Screenplay writer Lee Hee Myung is working alone on most of the script, hence situation like this occurs. The shooting is divided into team A, B, C, but the lead actors have many scenes together, so it’s not entirely satisfactory.”

As for the cancellation of originally planned back-to-back episode 7 and 8 broadcast on the night after election on April 12th, 2012, it’s due to insufficient footage been filmed. ..."

To view the whole article click here.

I personally think having just one writer just trying to keep up with that kind of hectic schedule is what caused the bad scripts for the last couple of episodes.  They just weren't cohesive enough to hold it altogether.  The drama seemed all over the place & was losing my interest faster each episode. 

But THIS episode was compeltely different.  It made sense, was cohesive & straight forward.  Thank you Lee Hee Myung, for the better writing.  Thank you to the producers, who decided to give him a chance to catch up, by postponing the airing of the episodes, & thank you to South Korea for holding the parliamentary elections, at just the right time, so that, Lee Hee Myung, could hide out & write a better script.   So many variables all lined up beautifully. 

I find it interesting that Dongsaeng took almost all the exact same screen shots that I had taken when I watched the drama.  Great minds really do think alike.  And my favorite part, the one that touched my heart the most, was when Yong Seul, vowed not to eat till Chi San farted, as well.  What sacrifice & bravery!  Such a moving & special moment.  {giggle}   

And while I don't think they should ditch the heels, I heart heels the most, I do think the girls, if they're going to wear the high heels, should at least learn to walk in them better OR strengthen those skinny little ankles.  Come on ladies!  It's time to step up & be less clutzy & weak. 

And I agree w/ Dongsaeng, I think Lee Gak shows his, 'I know what you really did card', WAY too soon.  And what's more is my husband knows I think this too, as I woke him up, just as he was falling to sleep, when I spoke sharply back at my iPad's screen about the folly of revealing what you know, to the bad guy, too soon. 

I believe my exact words were, "Dude!!!  What are you some kind of idiot?!?!  You're telling the guy who murdered his cousin that you know he murdered his cousin & you aren't going to let him get away with it?!?!  Really???  REALLY!?!?!  What??  You think you're indestructable???  Why don't you just hand him a gun or knife right now?"   Then I had to apologize to my husband & put my headphones in & promise to not have anymore outbursts.  Otherwise he was going to take away my iPad.  I cannot wait to see what happens in tonight's episode.  Yay!!!  And yet I dread watching it because then the wait will begin all over again for next week's episode.  sigh. 

Sarang,