My Secret Hotel Episode 3 - How to Romance Around a Tragedy

The mystery part of the drama (Who murdered Ice Pick McCreeper?) takes the forefront as our hero gets a reprieve (he seriously did not seem broken up that the wedding was off) and the heroine becomes the focus of her coworkers death.  Who killed McCreeper?  Why are there so many secrets in The Secret Motel.  Why is it called "The Secret Motel"?  Is it wrong that my mind raises straight to mistresses, hidden children, and idols in hiding?  At least a few of our questions will NOT be answered this episode (laugh...... it is a secret after all) but we do get some fun scenes as we go through the "who done it" journey.

My awesome friend Patty pointed something out last week in regards to the feel of this drama.  My Secret Hotel is the Korean John Hughes meets cult classic movie "Clue" 80's style drama that we did not even realize we had been waiting for.  The music (notice the techno beat and the emotions that the main theme song bring every time you hear it), the quirky side characters (Cowboy Cop, Bad Hair Frenemie), and our very own Korean Molly Ringwald (Yoo In Na), all combine to create that feel of a great romantic character driven 80's comedy.  My nostalgia for my childhood must be kicking into high gear because I can't get enough of this drama.

Before we were even able to pick a nickname for the creepy ice pick carrying coworker, he is dead.  Yup, we officially have our murder victim and it is Mr Suspicious Creepy McCreepster himself which makes me a tad bit sad since he was quite adept at being sinister and suspicious.  Now we can start to question who, in the long line of suspects, murdered him.  Was it Colonel Mustard with the Ice Pick in the Ballroom?  Hahaha.

Enter the high profile crime detective Kim Geum-Bo (aka.  Urban Cowboy Cop, love his fancy decked out boots and torn jeans.) who is one trail of the murderer.  Geum Bo shakes things up as his loud personality shakes everyone up wondering why he is always winking?  Does he know everyone's secrets?  I do believe I recognize this rebel cop.  He is played by Ahn Kil-Kang who is doing double drama duty for TvN, also playing my favorite witch in Surplus Princess.  Just when I think I have him pigeon holed he changes his style channeling Miami Vice.  Yup, he is just proving my 80's cult classic theory.  Congrats Ahn Kil Kang, you win my award for favorite side character in a drama/or dramas as the case might be.

I believe that my ears started bleeding at one point from listening to the high pitched wails that the female second lead, Yeo Eun Joo (Lee Young Eun), emitted forth in one of her many tantrums.  It is always a relief when they make the fiancee, who is about to get dumped, truly horrible.  Then I, the viewer, don't have to reflect on the jerk move of almost leaving her at the alter.  The writers have succeeded spectacularly at making Eun Joo unlikable and you almost wish that she had been the one slapped during her post wedding rampage.  Blaming poor Sang Hyo for her wedding woes, she demands some kneeling and apologizing satisfaction.  Of course Hae Young interferes and tries to keep his wayward bride from striking a second time.  Things were quickly getting out of hand when our, (kind of hot if you like that type of look) puts Eun Joo in her place and sending Sang Hyo away from slapping distance.  Eun Joo seems highly impressed by Sung Gyeom's strong presence, but Sang Hyo is just pissed at seeing his supposed rival. 

And let the competition for the fair Sang Hyo's affections begin!  Hae Young loses no time in flexing his proprietary "she is mine" muscles (even though no one knows that is what he is doing yet) when he meets his pretty boy nemesis Sung Gyeom.  He even vocally warns Sung Gyeom to not do anything for Sang Hyo, you know, since she is his.  But the threat was lost in translation and went totally over his fiancee and Director's heads.

Driving back from the hotel, the ever annoying Eun Joo, is full of chatter over how masculine and perfect Sung Gyeom is.  Hae Young gets crankier and crankier as Eun Joo remains oblivious, the nail in the jealousy coffin is when she comments that the director is perfect for Sang Hyo.  Hae Young pulls over and promptly goes into a rage destroying all the flowers and balloons covering their car (remember they were supposedly going to be married at this point before the murder).  I could not stop laughing at the way his rage was expressed, very amusing moment.

Oh snoopy, stalker, reporter girl, you are all that is wacktastic in a "I will randomly insert myself into the plot even though my character is just kind of here to create havoc" way.  I personally want to know how she knows these two were married.  Was she an uber stalker even way back when?  And more importantly, did she have anything to do with the eventual demise of their marriage?

Not that I think Hae Young is the actual murderer, but the writers are doing an excellent job of creating doubt.  From the lost wallet, the maybe confession to wacktastic stalker girl, to the flashback of Hae Young being all sexy protective and putting McCreepy in his place, all signs are pointing directly at our hero.  Hmmmmmm, I don't think that I have actually seen a drama where the lead is put in prison for murder and still got the girl?  Do you think we will see the writers jump out of the box, douse the box in gasoline, and then light it on fire?  Somehow I doubt it, but you never know... could be kind of amusing.

Ice Pick McCreepy, you were creepy in life, yet that is nothing compared to how creepy your ghost is after your demise.  I have a feeling I might wake screaming from nightmares induced by your blue tinted apparition.  I actually liked that Sang Hyo kept imagining her coworkers ghost everywhere.  It kept the suspense part of the plot front and center throughout the whole episode and even helped move the plot along during the long stretches of story without the OTP being together.  Which leads into my rant of the day.

 Don't get me wrong, I loved this episode very much.  However........WHERE WAS MY OTP (one true pairing) ACTION DURING THE 2ND HALF OF THE EPISODE?  We get one small scene with the two of them together, and while it was really cute, it did not satisfy my romantic needs.  I needed more longing stares, I needed hitched breaths and cheesy 80's style repetitive Secret love music.  Instead I got a whole lot of Sung Gyeom putting the moves on his subordinate.  It is a good thing that I don't drink, let alone attempt the "Sung Gyeom says something that could be construed as sexual harassment" game, because I would be 100% sotted at this point.  From comments ranging from, "You are beautiful", to "take off your pants", he ran the gambit on words you should not say to a female employee.  I know it was meant to come across as 2nd lead romantic, but to me it definitely had a "my boss is a perv" vibe instead.  It does not help that I just don't like Namgung Min to begin with.  His character in "I Need Romance 3" enraged me with his neanderthal personality and I think my dislike for his previous work is coloring my feelings for him in this drama.  I will give him props for his beautiful hair this time around, but that is all I am willing to concede.  Death to the 2nd lead since I need my sexy Jin Lee Han to get the girl.

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