Dramatic Friday Review: King 2 Hearts ep 14

Unnie is a couple of time zones ahead of me, so she got to watch this episode before me.  This meant that I woke up to her taunting and teasing me because I had to review this one which is so drama-heavy.  She said that I would have trouble finding any lighthearted or funny comments to make.  Oh, Unnie, that's where you're wrong.  I can make jokes out of serious situations.  For example, did any one else see that a lot of this episode revolved around bathrooms?

The first scene at the WOC dinner/conference/gathering...

(Remember this?  The "aw, crap!" look? Classic!)

Remember the politics in the bathroom scene where Rhee Kang Suk gets insulted by the U.S. and Israeli officers and reacts with a teeny tiny bit of violence that turns up being an international affair?  Afterwards, Jae Ha is talking to him and reasoning with him like a man, saying,  "They got hit while they were doing their business in the bathroom." and continuing on to basically say, "dude, you know that's not cool for anyone."

Skip ahead, oh I don't know, almost the entire rest of the episode and we once again get some potty talk and action.  Like when the US team enters the Korean bunker when almost all of the team is out.  Only goofy Yong Bin, key bearer, and his partner, who is sitting on the can, remain.  The US team comes in and starts shooting.  Poor guy sitting on the toilet.  That'd suck.  Good thing he went in armed.  Then, in order to save the key, Yong Bin who has been captured swallows the key.  Back at the US bunker he proudly exclaims that he is constipated and will never poo!  Well, until they stick an enema patch on him.  Didn't even know that those existed, enema patches.

Okay.  See, lots of bathroom "humor".  Hey, I'm doing the best I can here.  Unnie was right.  There just wasn't much to work with as far as keeping it funny and lighthearted.  Dang.

Alright, I guess I'll just get on with it then.  *puts on serious face*

Backing up to the beginning, we get the scene at the peace dinner on Jeju.  The one that Princess Jae Shin is presiding over.  She enters, and then the music starts.  You know, the music.  The music that makes her panic and freeze.  Then crazy psycho girl Bon Bon shows up in the back of the room, further terrifying Jae Shin.  She starts to "run" off the stage and ends up falling out of her chair.  Guess who changed the music?  Uh huh.  Dear Gyu Tae at the request of Bong Gu/John Mayer.  Oh dear, oh dear.  That man needs to get out from under that guy's thumb now, before any more (unintentional on his part) damage is done.  Now he thinks he is protecting his son, but hasn't he learned his lesson yet?  It's just going to end up backfiring on him and the royal family and most likely Shi Kyeong once again.  Just you wait.  

Shi Kyeong arrests Bon Bon and we find out just how scary crazy this lady is.  She claims to be researching fear and panic and self-destruction using those tools.  She has tortured and murdered many, including her own mother.  She is 100% off-the-deep-end crazy psycho scary.  A big brouhaha erupts over her arrest.  Turns out that they don't have enough to hold her on and they release her.  Of course it was all a trap set by Club M.  How about that part where they are releasing her?  She gets all 'mind game-y' with Shi Kyeong asking him if he's slept with the Princess and so-on-and-so-forth.  He gets so angry and wants to hit her (and thus falling into Mayer's plan who has set up a camera to record it when he loses his cool). 

But he has his shining moment!  Oh yes he does!  He keeps it together, doesn't hit her, and instead turns the tables by throwing out his own accusations against her.  He starts with the torture and murder.  She's unfazed (you know, due to the crazy that she is).  When he brings up the fact that she killed her own mother though, oh yeah, that gets her.  Turns out that that's her hot button. 

 She FLIPS!  Calls him names, screams and is dragged out, kicking and screaming and threatening to kill him.  Heck ya!  Go Shi Kyeong!

And his shining moment doesn't end there. Oh no.  He gets even cooler.  Mayer, impressed by his style and fortitude pulls him aside and pretty much tries to turn him.  Asks him why he has to trail behind Jae Ha eating his crumbs when he, Mayer, has plenty of snacks.  Shi Kyeong's response is AWESOME when he says, "I don't eat rotten crackers."!!!!  I LOVE this man!!!  

We then go to the WOC war games, which basically is one big game of capture the flag.  There is a boat that will get them off of the island they are on.  Each team has a key for that boat, but you need both keys to start the boat, therefore you must get the key from the other team.

Team Korea is feeling like the underdog.  They are in their bunker strategizing.  All kinds of ideas are thrown out there.  My favorite was when Jae Ha, fearless leader that he is, suggests that they forget the boat and just swim.  Hahaha...silly Jae Ha.  He then starts coming up with, let's just say, less-than-honest ideas.  He sees cheating as their only way out.  He tries to spin it as underdog strategies from the past that worked, but Hang Ah refuses.  He's obviously concerned here.  Keep in mind that he literally has everything riding on this round.  If they lose, he loses his throne and his woman.  He is all in - everything is on the line for him.  He's backed in to the corner and desperate.  Hang Ah though says that she will not marry him if he cheats. "Only if it is done (won) fair and properly can I get engaged."  Well, dang.  Now what?

As already mentioned earlier, Team Korea goes on a recon mission leaving the two guys behind.  The key bearer is captured and swallows the key.  Eventually the key is "retrieved" and the US team, proudly strutting to the boat and their win, is surprised to find the boat missing.  Yup.  Team Korea has gone into action.  We don't know exactly what they're up to, but they're up to something, make no mistake about that.  But we'll have to stay tuned until next week to find out just how they're going to turn things around for themselves.  Darn cliffhangers!

One more thing that I need to add here before signing off for the day.  While I was watching this episode, Unnie called me up and we had a conversation about something that has been bugging us all along, but really became an issue in this one.  What is up with the ridiculous actors playing the foreigners?  Holy moly.  We've already discussed the awful henchman of Mayer.  That dude needs to go.  Unnie's ready to kill him off now.  But seriously, they all suck sooo bad.  Listen, I know that this is meant for a Korean audience, and that's all fine and good, but is that what they really think of us?  That we're all bumbling, racist idiots?  I know that we don't always have the best world image, which frankly, saddens me, but this is getting ridiculous.  I have to stand up for my fellow countrymen and just say, for the record, that this is not how most Americans are.  We, as a people, live in one big, huge melting pot.  Generally speaking, we live with, interact with and are friends with people from all over the world.  Are Unnie and I unique?  No.  We are two incredibly average American housewives.  We couldn't be any more average or unimportant.  Yet here we are, blogging about Korean entertainment with what I would hope would be a high level of respect.  We live in a heterogeneous society.  Are there dumb butts out there that harbor hatred and prejudices?  Of course.  We are still a nation of humans with  a wide range of beliefs.  In my experience, however, (and I have grown up in very predominate white America) this is an exception and certainly not the norm.  Pretty much everyone that I associate with (and I associate with hundreds of people) has a great deal of respect for other cultures.  They are not bumbling racist idiots.  I am certainly not going to get into a discussion of politics here because I am unqualified to touch on that.  I can only speak as an incredibly average American citizen in defense of others like myself out there.  

You know, one of the things that Unnie and I have most enjoyed about this new blog project of ours is reaching out and getting to talk to people from all over the world and discovering that we have a lot in common.  Like our shared obsession with the dimples of Lee Seung Gi.  ;)  As our world connects more and the distance between us shrinks thanks to technology, it is easier to see that we are all just people - people with similar interests, dreams and desires.  Sure we have our differences, but that's what makes the world a more varied and beautiful place.  

To the writers of King 2 Hearts I would just like to ask, "why?"  Why not hire halfway decent actors to play these roles?  Ones that are at least close to being on par with the amazingly talented Korean actors.  I'm not even saying that you have to like us.  You're entitled to your opinions and expression of those opinions.  Just at least get decent actors in there.  That's really all we're asking.  Why go to these lengths to paint Americans and other nationalities in such a negative light with crappy actors and cheesy lines?  Certainly there has to be better talent than that out there, right?  And on a grander scale, why can't we all just get along?  Contention never solved anything.  Putting others down doesn't make yourself look better.  I have the Pinterest pins to back me up on that.  Isn't this supposed to be a show about unity, peace and friendship?  You have friends and admirers out there, Korea.  Your culture is rapidly spreading throughout the world.  You've been thrust on to the international stage because of your sheer awesomeness.  Really.  We like you.  A lot.  At least these two ahjummas do.  We are head-over-heels in love with you.  Whatever we did to make you feel like you have to portray us as mean, intolerant idiots, I'm sorry.  Truly.  I'm not ignorant of our collective mistakes of the past, but how about we put the past behind us and just all get along now?  It's a new world and now, more than ever, we're all in this thing called "life" together.  So grab your bongos and tambourines, hold hands, and let's all sing "Kumbaya", okay?  

Stepping off my soap box now.  I truly hope I didn't offend anyone.  As a peace offering I leave you with one last parting shot.

Lee Seung Gi 

....and his dimple.  ;)  

Bringing world peace, harmony and bridging cultural divides one adorable dimpled boy at a time.  

Until next week, dear readers, I bid you a fond farewell in the spirit of peace, unity and sisterhood.  And dimples, never forget the dimples.

Unnies 2 cents:  {this week it's way more than 2 cents worth...just sayin'.}

Annyeonghaseyo.  Another week of Dramatic Friday Reviews are coming to a close.  Honestly, I'm always sad when our official reviews are done.  It's always so exciting to me, the pressure of getting the review out, like a deadline for a major newspaper, it just feels exciting!  Will everyone like what we have to say? Will they come back?  Will they tell their friends?  Will they Tweet us?  Will they Like our FB page after reading our blog &/or will they become Official Followers to this blog?  Now don't get me wrong, I'm not completely delusional, I do realize that this simple little blog is in no way comparable to an actual metropolitan newspaper, but it feels that way to me.  I really do enjoy the reviewing, I don't particularly enjoy the incredibly late hours to get the review done.  But it's worth it.  Especially when I see the traffic on the blog pick up; like driving down the 405 freeway in Los Angeles during rush hour on a Friday afternoon/evening.  Yes, I grew up in So Cal.

The best part is seeing all the traffic we get from Singapore, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur...  So cool!  Either South East Asia is really bored, desperate to read any kind of review they can get their hands on, OR (& this is my preferred belief) they REALLY VALUE the opinions of 2, white, stay at home, American, moms on Korean Dramas.  No matter what the answer to that conundrum may be...thank you South East Asia.  You so totally rock dudes!!  {sorry the So Cal chick in me just has to be heard sometimes}

But the whole purpose of the 2 cents is first & foremost my chance to tell what I thought of the drama at the title of the post but only my 2 cents not a whole review & I bet you are so glad because I tend to be long winded.  Much like this 2 cents segment has been long winded...

Let me preface this by saying I am so glad I didn't have to review this episode.  Very drama heavy.  And it had a completely unsatisfying ending...cliff hangers are ok but this one just felt like they ran out of time so they ended it.  On Eat Your Kimchi, one of mine & Dongsaeng's favorite websites, maybe you've heard of it, they talk about "Flaccid Jaw Syndrome", because the pop stars always seem to have their mouths kind of hanging open...I think its because they think it's sexy but I agree w/ Simon & Martina after a while it just feels like their jaw may be broken & it's slightly awkward that no one is offering to take them to get that checked.  At the end of this episode I had flaccid jaw syndrome. (F.J.S.)  It just ended...oops ran out of tape.  My bad.  I hate those kind of cliffhangers.  I need, at least an attempt, at closure.  You're killing me here guys!!  Chincha!! 

My other issue with this episode was the way they made the US team/white people sound.  Do we really come off as Global bullies & bigots?  That's so sad...but I won't go any further or I'd go on for way more than 2 cents worth more like a $100 worth.  Let's just leave it at the white actors in this drama make white people look stiff, lame, stupid & racist.  And can somebody please kill off the sidekick to Kim Bong Gu (John Mayor)?!?!  He is the absolute worst of the bunch!  OMO I am ready to grab John Mayor's gun, you know the one he used to 'off' his quasi-girlfriend, & shoot the sidekick!  Horrible actor.  Just awful!  Bonus would be, I wouldn't have to see his ridiculous looking toupee anymore either.  Score!  It's a win-win in my opinion.  {That didn't sound too harsh did it?}

And I loved it when Hang Ah called Jae Ha a coward, for even thinking of cheating.  And then he got all (and I quote) "pissy" with her.  Awesome.  He said he didn't like sycophants in the last episode...remember? The stuck up little girl, first love, who only like him after she found out who he really was?  So I think Hang Ah is perfect for him.  Best part of the entire episode in my opinion was when Eun Shi Kyung faced off against "Bon Bon" in front of John Mayor.  Ah-ma-zing!!  He was so awesome!!  Definitely gonna blow up my Eye Candy Pinboard on Pinterest with him this weekend.  <3<3<3   

Now I have to wait another week for them to get more tape in the cameras.  Hopefully, fingers crossed, it'll be enough next week to not irritate me.  ;)  Wishing you & yours a great weekend & happy drama watching.  Remember, we really do want to hear what you have to say too.  Leave your comments below & tell us what you think, what you want us to review or talk about.  Share us, Like us, Tweet us!  We desperately crave your attention!  No seriously, it's better than actually paying for therapy.  At least for me.  Dongsaeng pretends she doesn't need therapy.  Can you say denial?  {Just kidding Dongsaeng!  You know I love you!}  {Seriously we're both a couple of whackadoos}

Sarang,