Mask Episode 10 - Team Min Woo VS. Team Seok Hoon

Woot!  There is finally progress on all fronts, and while I still remain slightly miffed at our leading lady, things are beginning to look up.  All it took was for Ji Sook to realize that Min Woo is part of her family (for real, not just in name only) and it is full steam ahead on the protect Min Woo train.

I had great hopes that when Ji Sook was caught in Min Woo's secret room, the gig would be up and she would actually admit to her lies.  But no, that was too much to hope for as Ji Sook says "it was open" and Min Woo goes along with it.  To his credit Min Woo does attempt to prove that she is not telling the truth, but Seok Hoon is one step ahead.  Seok Hoon has the crooked maid support the open door lie and a 2nd copy of the key put back into his office, so while Ji Sook can suspect he has been played, he can't prove it.

Team Seok Hoon - 1
Team Min Woo - 0

Thanks to his renewed drugging and a rash of rumors started by Seok Hoon and his minions at the office, Min Woo starts, yet again, acting erratic.  To the point that even Ji Sook begins to become concerned.  And while she covers for Min Woo when possible, Ji Sook also believes that he is a danger to himself.  Thanks mostly to the influence of evil psychiatrist.  Remember him?  The one that is under Seok Hoon's thumb, that planted the false strangling memories in our hero's brain.

It always amazes me how you can just randomly put anyone you want into a mental institution if you feel it is needed.... or if you are trying to discredit someone.....or get rid of pesky poor daughter in laws....you know, stuff like that which is totally worth committing someone.  Sometimes I imagine that the Korean crazy houses are filled, not with mentally insane inmates, but a bunch of rich people, dressed to the nines and claiming their innocence.

And due too a broken lamp, Min Woo is about to join those poor innocent souls.  At least if 2/3rds of his family has anything to say about it.  I am not sure if Min Woo's father really believes all of the lies, but according to him he needs to see if Min Woo is man enough to solve his own problems.

Team Seok Hoon - 2
Team Min Woo - 0

The "frame Min Woo" plot continues to go forward when the police suddenly show up with a warrant to search the mansion for anything connecting to dead Sleazeball and bribes.  When mom asks if she should call the higher ups to get this stopped, Dad just says to let it go.  He wants to see how Min Woo will handle the situation, and I suspect he also wants to know what they will find.

Daddy Choi is a little shocked when he discovers the "who killed my mom suspect list" in Min Woo's secret room, but it was the large bag of drugs hidden in the binding of the Shakespeare book, that was the clincher.  Before you start going "what the heck is he doing with that much drugs?" and "why isn't he arrested for life?" be aware that the drugs are not cocaine, but the inside powder from Min Woo's crazy pills.  This makes it look like Min Woo was purposefully hiding that he was not following the doctors orders.

Looks like Seok Hoon guessed that Ji Sook would not leave the evidence of Min Woo being bribed and set up a secondary plan.  Either way Min Woo gets screwed.

Team Seok Hoon - 3
Team Min Woo - 0

But there were a few good things to come out of this new attack on Min Woo's life.  The first is that Ji Sook is slowly realizing that Min Woo is not crazy.  It might have been the fact that the drugs were delivered to the room by her hands or maybe Seok Hoon's satisfied smirks.  But the clincher was when she saw Seok Hoon and Min Woo's doctor acting all chummy.  Ji Sook put one and one together and with a ton of effort came to the realization that her husband was being framed.

Min Woo is not standing still himself.  He is busy obsessing on whether Ji Sook was lying about his secret door being open.   Min Woo sits and ponders in his office, to the point that he is staring mindlessly at the floor.  A floor that is marred by a single female hair.  A hair which must of course belong to his wife.  A hair that totally confirms that she was in his office when he was not (since it could not have possibly dropped from her head during work hours).  This leads Min Woo to look inside his safe where he finds a single finger print on his wedding photo.  Ah ha!  Proof.  Outed by a single hair and a smudged finger print.  Sucks for Ji Sook who happens to be married to one of the few men who would notice

Team Seok Hoon - 3
Team Min Woo - .5 (since being OCD does not really deserve a full point).

There has been an interesting development happening over the last several episodes.  Mi Yeon is actually becoming a character I like, wine straw and all.  It began when I started feeling sorry for Mi Yeon's obvious love for her evil hubby and her desperate need to believe Seok Hoon's lies.  Than I felt even worse when Mi Yeon's desperate need for a family is used against her.  The clincher was her late night drinking chats with Min Woo where she was completely honest about her feelings.  

There is something so enjoyable about a 2nd female lead that will just tell you straight to your face that she hates you.  Mi Yeon's feelings have also been shifting the last few episodes.  I think that she is finally coming to the conclusion that Heok Soon does not love her.  Mi Yeon is also starting to care a bit more for her brother Min Woo (at least I hope it is not fake feelings).  She is defending her brother at work and pushing Ji Sook to help Min Woo.

Team Seok Hoon - 3
Team Min Woo - 1.5

FINALLY, after discovering that Min Woo is 100% being set up by Seok Hoon (not that he didn't literally tell her that more than once) and being prompted by Me Yeon, Ji Sook decides to fight for Min Woo.  While Ji Sook started by just covering for Min Woo's problems, by the end of the episode she decides to start openly fighting for her husband.  Min Woo is about to get kicked out of the company because of the many rumors of his mental instability.  Ji Sook bursts into the conference meeting and announces that she is Min Woo's wife.

Team Seok Hoon - 3
Team Min Woo - 2.5

FINAL THOUGHTS:
I like that while Team Min Woo is still behind, things are starting to slowly move in his direction.  As much as I love Seok Hoon's ability to manipulate people and events, it is time for the underdog to win one.  I especially love that Mi Yeon is starting to change to Team Min Woo, something I had not thought possible back in episode 1.   

I also enjoyed Ji Sook's storyline a bit more as well.  While Ji Sook continues to have her patented surprise face moments, they are at least interspersed with some backbone which makes them more palatable.

I hope that Min Woo can begin to move forward as well now that he has a support system on his side.  I suspect that he is going to be a force to be reckoned with as soon as he realizes that he has been drugged and is not actually crazy.

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