Friday, September 5, 2014

My Secret Hotel episode 6exy Back

Before even getting started into the actual recap here, I just wanted to point out something probably pretty obvious. There are things that you find in cable dramas that you just won't see in other network dramas. Things like scenes revolving around male genitalia and their performance or lack thereof. Scenes like a provocatively-dressed coworker trying to "get a rise" out of our male lead. Or even things like our female lead kissing another man. I can't think of any drama where the female lead kisses more than one man. Maybe you can. If so, please do share, because I'm drawing a blank. I'll go ahead an be bold and admit that these are some of the reasons that I prefer cable dramas, which is odd seeing as how the thing that drew me into dramas in the first place was just how innocent and clean they were when compared to American TV. Don't get me wrong, even with all this "risque" business going on here, it's still so very mild compared to the trash coming out of the West these days. Ooh hoo - Dongsaeng is on her soapbox here, people! Watch out! I'd garner a guess that I'm not the only one to have felt this way before though. There's a reason why we gravitate towards these shows, and I'd venture to wager that part of it is the lack of stupid trash. Just a wild guess though.

Stepping off my soapbox now and hopping into the actual recap. This episode was filled with so many feels! Emotions were running high and intense. And yes, we get a kiss scene, even though it is not, GASP, between our leading lovers. But more on that in a minute.

We start off the episode where we left off in 5, with the Director asking SH out. He talks about how it only takes three minutes to know if you love someone, and he gives her three to answer him. She stands there shocked and without reply, until at the very moment her time is up, a speeding car races by (HY at the wheel of course), throwing her into the Director's arms. Despite having his lady love in his arms, he takes her non-answer as an answer, gives her 3 days to decide, and leaves, admitting to being embarrassed by the whole exchange. She walks slowly back up to her home, and starts an inner dialogue about how the Director is wrong - it doesn't take 3 minutes but just three seconds to fall in love. Cut to a flashback of how our leading lovers met those fateful 7 years ago. She, a waitress, accidentally bumps into him with her tray, spilling all over him. Instead of getting angry, they have one of those scenes usually reserved for Disney-esque stories - boy sees girl, girl sees boy and they instantly fall in love. It is very romantic if not a bit (ie lot) far-fetched. Both are really cute though as they stammer and get all intensely awkward with each other. I loved the artistry of the two of them, back in modern day, both sitting there, unaware of the other, yet both thinking of each other. Ugh!!! If only these two would TALK!!!!! Talk and LISTEN to each other and stop misunderstanding each other! They are driving me mad! That really is their issue - a severe breakdown in communication. You know, until they can figure that out, they don't deserve to be with each other. At this point, even if they were to get back together, they still wouldn't make it because they haven't fixed the fundamental problem.

Okay, okay, okay....the scene about HY's man bits not functioning properly was hysterical. Hysterical! Fiance can't figure out why HY isn't all over her, even as she throws herself at him. Instead of doing the math and seeing that it's just because he isn't in to her, she starts to think that it is a malfunction in his hardware. This spurs a whole series of texts intercepted by his staff at the office and a giggly ahjumma watching all of this unfold (that's me). Ms Buttinski cracks me up when she declares that she is giving him up, what with being damaged goods and all, but first gives it one last ditch effort to "get a rise" out of him before abandoning him completely. 


Oh yeah, they went there.
 The goofy friend-guy also cracks me up with his reaction as he yells at HY for being impervious to her "charms". 

This drama is pushing all kinds of drama limits rarely before pushed.

HY is walking around in a major funk. Who can blame him? He's in love with his ex who he thinks hates him and he's just days away from marrying someone else. I'd be all funked out too. Of course I would also take the opportunity at that juncture to HAVE A CONVERSATION, but that's just me. The funk continues as he sits down to go over wedding deets with his ex wedding planner ex. She's showing him different concepts trying to get him to make a decision, but he's completely checked out. When he does volunteer an opinion, it is to describe the wedding that he wants with details from his first wedding. Yup, that's going to be productive. Getting frustrated, SH gets up to get him some coffee, and in doing so, unintentionally recreates the moment they met when she turns, bumps into him, and spills coffee all over him, Well, this is just too much for him to handle. The feels are through the roof and have maxed out and so he just lets it out, repeating what he said those 7 years ago and begging her, with tears in his eyes, to come outside and talk to him. He has something to tell her and will be waiting in the parking lot for her. Serious, serious, intense emotions thickly pervade the space between them both.

Feeling overwhelmed, SH shows up at the Director's door. There she confesses to him about her past and present. At first we think he's going to be upset, but instead he surprises us all by declaring that they will be dating and then he kisses her. 

A wonderful, amazing, spectacular kiss. Granted, a wonderful, amazing, spectacular kiss from the wrong man, but beggars can't be choosers at this stage in the game. I noted an interesting difference here between our heroine and her two men. With HY, it's always a miscommunication or misunderstanding. No matter what is said, someone takes it the wrong way. This is their problem. She doesn't have this problem when it comes to the Director. Take this scene as the perfect example. Instead of getting all butthurt that she hid the fact that her client is her ex-husband, he remembers back to the moments where she shared with him the difficulties she was having. He recognizes that this must have been incredibly challenging and painful for her, and instead of getting bent out of shape, he embraces her. Not to play Devil's Advocate here, but there's something to be said about that. The Director and SH do not have a breakdown in communication happening. In the real world, that's what helps a relationship go the distance, more so than falling in love with someone at first sight. Just sayin....

Let's focus on the fiance for moment. It would appear that she is indeed dating/in love with her driver. That witchy hotel employee (I'm going to call her Witchy Pixy for now) finds photographic evidence of fiance with another man in Hong Kong and blackmails her (this is why she wasn't there picking out the wedding details) for a big wad of cash. 
Witchy Pixy: Looks like a pixy, acts like a witchy

Now, don't hate me, but I'm going to say something a little negative. I didn't appreciate how they switched up Soo Ah's character so dramatically in the end in regards to her lover on the side. All along, she has been OBSESSED with HY and suddenly we're expected to believe that she really wants to be with her driver? Huh? Total switcharoo in personality that I can't bring myself to stay quiet on the matter and just roll with it.

And, so long as I'm being picky, WTH is up with this reason that is given for why HY and she are getting married in the first place?! I just assumed it was a business-related dealio. THAT I could understand. It's typical drama fodder after all. But no. No, the reason given is that HY's father refuses to have heart surgery until his son gets married. Huh? That's the freaking lamest stuff I have ever heard. Who does that?! That's just twisted. Dear writers, I'm sorry, but you seriously let me down with that one. Please, no more of that claptrap. Really. That is stupid. You're better than that.  Oh, but the good news is that Daddy Dearest apparently no longer needs heart surgery so I guess that that means HY is off the hook so we shouldn't feel bad for Papa later on when he and SH get back together. Phew.  That's a relief.  -_-

Okay, so HY has been rejected. He told SH that he had something to say to her, he waited in the parking garage as promised, and then he sees her walk out with the Director. She has clearly forgotten about him in that moment, as witnessed by her expression when she sees him sitting there in his car. 
oops.

The boy is no dummy. He quickly does the math and realizes that she has in essence dumped him. You know, him, the guy that is about to marry someone else. How dare she? He goes out drinking and ends up in front of her house, where he stays all night. 

Him, outside her place the next morning.

Nothing creepy there. Nope. Totally normal behavior. Especially for a man one day away from marrying someone else. Dude, seriously. It is past time for a major conversation. Maybe you should be a bit more proactive than just sitting in your car and stalking her outside her home waiting for her to suddenly realize all that you are feeling. The day before you get married. To someone else. Need I point out any more that we have now arrived at your wedding day??  DO SOMETHING!!! AND DO IT NOW!!!

I don't even want to talk about the next horrible scene. The wedding bells are ringing and there is our hero of the story, standing there in his white suit with his ex by the side of the aisle. 

He walks down the aisle. He dramatically looks up as he reaches the end, wishing for a dead body to once again fall from the ceiling. I'm sorry, but if another corpse landing at your feet sounds better than marrying the vapid wench you are about to tie the knot with, maybe, just maybe, you should reconsider this whole marriage deal. But no. He stays the course there at the altar as his bride walks his way. She reaches him and the ceremony begins. Sure, there's the very long, very dramatic pause as he is asked if he does. We are all on pins and needles wondering will he or won't he. 

Eventually he squeaks out an "I do", she gleefully responds with her own "I do" and before we know it, "man and wife" has officially been pronounced. I gasp. Jaw is on the ground and I am in shock, about to abandon ship because I'm not putting up with an adultery-themed drama if this is the direction we are headed. How can they actually be married??? WTH???? This isn't how things are supposed to go!!!

Duh. I was too lost in my feelings of betrayal and shock to realize from the beginning that, of course, this is a dream. Phew. Just as all hope is lost, Romeo is woken up from his drunken stupor. It's still the morning of the wedding. There's still time. There's still hope. There's still a chance for our two lovers. The groom is less-than-anxious to get around to preparing. His friend is literally having to beg him to at least shower, shave and dress. HY doesn't seem very interested in putting all that much effort into the affair. Can you blame him? JUST CALL THE WHOLE THING OFF!!! What are you doing to me yourself?!?!  AGH!!! This drama!!!  How did I get suckered into this craziness???  GAH!  Madness I tells ya, sheer madness!  We end the episode with the dramatic crossing of paths in the hall between our Romeo and Juliette. He pauses to recognize her hardships she endured and says his goodbyes. And then walks off. Assumedly to continue with this stupid, ridiculous facade of a wedding. 

We are left with that. Horrid, horrid, horrid teasing and angst-ridden as it all is, leaving us to wonder why in the world we put ourselves through this. Or is that just me? Oh! The drama of it all!

And there we have it - the end of episode 6. I'm curious to see how the wedding falls apart the second time around. And if there will be an attempt #3. Oh dear me, please say it won't be so. Surely this whole Soo Ah thing needs to just go buh-bye. Give her her driver and let her live happily ever after. Let our leads talk and work things out. Let our Director and SH have a decent, but short-lived, relationship that peacefully and naturally ends as both parties realize that they aren't meant for each other. Oh Dongsaeng, you so funny in all your delusions. It's only episode 6. There's still plenty of this ride still to come. Buckle up and hang on!





P.S. So, being distracted by the romance side of things in this episode, I sort of kind of failed to mention anything about the murder-mystery side of it.  Let me take care of that now. Crying lady? Not guilty. She has cancer. Her whole story is depressing. She mentions a lost love. I have a suspicion who it is.
My suspicion? This guy.
Why do I suspect him of being the long-lost lover of the crying, dying lady? I just do. Let's just say it's because this ain't my first Kdrama rodeo. Any good addicKt knows that there is always a reason and a connection between every story told and every character and every placement of people at certain times. Add in the fact that he is seen by our heroine as a trusted father-figure, and the guy has "suspicious" written all over his face. Not that it's formulaic at all.  Nah.  ;)  Anyway, speaking of this^ guy and suspicions, he's acting mighty suspicious as relating to the murder. He and the head security guy.

Big Boss Man is talking to Head Security Guy about the murder victim and how he keeps on being a problem even now that he is dead. Then he tells Head Security Guy that he has a task for him. Duhn, duhn, duhn. Something fishy is going on.

As far as other suspects, we've ruled out the gangster with the hole in his hand as well as the pervy office molester. Not stand-up fellas by any means, but also not murderers. Aww, man! 

And...that should get us pretty caught up on the mystery in our rom-com-mystery story. Anything missed will just have to remain missed for now, or, better yet, discussed in our comments section below and/or on our Facebook page *shameless plug*  Now I'm done. For reals this time. Really.

:)

2 comments:

  1. Marriage, Not Dating's female lead has a pretty intense make-out session with the second lead early in the drama. It was a huge surprise, before that I had never seen the female lead kiss anyone other than the male lead! So I wasn't that surprised with it in this one, I was half expecting it. The genitalia scene was a surprise though, I didn't think they would go there... I agree with you, I watch Kdramas because of their innocence. But it's fun to see such things sometimes because they aren't overly done and stay within the limits.

    Honestly, I'm not as frustrated with the lack of communication. But maybe that's because I don't tend to take dramas too seriously. I agree with the Soo Ah's personality change thing, it felt unnatural to me as well.

    BTW I'm really loving the OST for this drama! All songs have been so amazing so far!

    Loved your recap! :D

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  2. Marriage, Not Dating was also the first one I thought of. Another one is I Need Romance 3. Namgoong Min was the one making out with the heroine in that one as well. 9 Ends 2 Outs the female lead was actually dating another guy for much of the drama.

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