1st Teaser for "The Night Watchman's Journal"

It seems like just yesterday that I was complaining that we had not seen any promotional material for the upcoming drama "The Night Watchman's Journal".  That has all changed as we receive a mass of stills as well as a new teaser.  The Night Watchman's Journal is replacing Triangle and stars Jung Il Woo and Yunho as a ghost seeing Prince and his body guard who head out at night to fight so said ghosts as well as a very interestingly dressed Kim Sung Oh (imagine movies Labyrinth, Legend, and Ladyhawke got together and made a very odd looking styled baby and that baby grew up into a fancy bad guy and then you would have our villain for this drama.)  I will admit that I am a little dubious about this drama although with low expectations, there is a lot of room for surprise on the off chance that it is amazing.  What do you think?  Is it going to be a hit or a miss?  Feel free to come to our FB page https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-crazy-ahjummas/336988683021748?fref=ts and let us know your opinions or just leave a comment in the comment section of the blog.

The Night Watchman's Journal Teaser

We Finally Get Stills From Upcoming Drama "The Night Watchman's Journal"

I have noticed that I have been focusing mainly on my recaps lately and just putting all of the trailers and stills from upcoming dramas on our FB page (If you are not already following us click here https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-crazy-ahjummas/336988683021748?fref=ts ).  So I decided to take a quick break between recapping and post some extra content.  I had mentioned previously that I am surprised that we have not been getting more photos or information for the upcoming drama "The Night Watchman's Journal".   Jung Il Woo plays a character who is a prince during the day and a Joseon Ghostbuster in the evening.  I am taking a wild guess from viewing the stills that we are going to have a lot more magical fusion then fact in this drama. 

Jung Il Woo

Yunho

Seo Ye Ji

Guessing that this is the bad guy.  One of my friends commented on why he had to wear a mask since there are probably not a lot of emaciated blond guys hanging around the country.  Had to laugh when I thought about that.

I am really hoping that this drama ends up being great, even though it does have the potential to be a hot mess.  I am hoping that the extension of "Triangle" and the lack of promotional materials is because of other issues and not because The Night Watchman is having problems getting its act together.  What do you think?  Will you be watching?

Gap Dong Episode 14 - The Killer was Detective Gap Dong in the Study with a Nunchuck

I can't believe it.  We had a well written, mostly well acted, and logical (except for the ending) episode that actually kept my interest for the whole hour.  Not only that but I am actually looking forward to what happens next week.  I would grade this episode around a B-, but considering we have had some real failing episodes lately, a B is nothing to scoff at.

At the end of episode 13 I actually made a checklist of some of the things I would like to see in upcoming episodes.  And surprisingly some of them actually got marked off (and at least one of them looks like it will be checked off in episode 15) so YAY for positive thinking, obviously the writers have been reading my blog.  Of course several of them were just dream segments, but I will take what I can get.  And kudos on the writers for realizing that you can use a dream segment for those more outlandish kdrama moments.  It makes your final product a lot more cohesive and realistic for us viewers.

SERIAL KILLER WEDDING...........CHECK

I don't know about you, but my fantasy wedding would not be in a mental institution.  But we get flashed to a scene where twit Ji Wool is walking down the isle on Tae Oh's arm, the institute fancied up via wedding motif.  All of the inmates are cheering and Dr Maria is staring in concern with her freakishly large eyes.  But luckily for us this is just a daydream.  For once Ji-Wool is actually being sensible.  She turns down Tae Oh and his mothers marriage offer, saying that when it comes to having sympathy for others they are the poorest of the poor and that she does not need their offer. Of course she ruins any points I awarded her when she has a meltdown in the middle of the precinct yelling at Moo Yeom for not loving her.  If my daughter was yelling that she only lived for a man (especially if she was not even dating so said man) I would Korean mother slap her so hard she would not be able to even think of men for a year.  This girl needs to set some priorities and watch less dramas since basing your self worth on a man nicknamed the Mad Monk is not a good life choice.

How long is that letter going to be hanging out with on the death board, next to the picture of the girl nicknamed "crybaby" and remain unnoticed?  Even Detective Gap Dong (He will now also be called DGD since writing that name out all the time is tiring) himself randomly stares at that spot, constantly missing the all important note..

Why are the dots not being connected in this Gap Dong puzzle?  Clues are starting to pop up left and right screaming the identity of Gap Dong and yet all of them are being tossed to the side.  For an inspector who literally was suspicious of everyone, I find it surprising that Moo Yeom refuses to even think that his hyung might be involved.  If Moo Yeom grew up with Detective Gap Dong being his hyung and role model, why would he not recognize the sketch of the younger him? They were already hanging out at that time learning nunchucks, so he should have remembered. He now has the identity of the body and proof that she liked Detective Gap Dong, and yet instead of suspicion he actually tells the victim's mother that DGD will be sure to catch the killer. 

The same can be said of Dr Maria, you have an aged sketch of the killer that looks A LOT like Detective Gap Dong.  Detective Gap Dong is mocking you by saying the same phrases he told you 20 years earlier.  Let's use our brains and make the logical hypothesis already.  I have to admit that I am very surprised that DGD is purposefully taunting the one person who could put him at the scene of the crime.  There is a good chance (especially with the intelligence level of Dr Maria) that she would never make the connections if he had just stayed out of her way.  But begins to make the connection she does, of course it would take a total complete idiot not to figure this one out since he is practically yelling his identity from the rooftops.  I guess he is feeling safe since the statute of limitations has lapsed.

That feeling of security leaves as he discovers that Moo Yeom has been lying to him.  Detective Gap Dong begins to wonder if he had somehow been discovered?  Had Moo Yeom cracked the case?  Nope, the problem was that the 8th victims mother had asked Moo Yeom to deliver the love letter to the person it was meant for (Does anyone else think that is a little weird to send a letter to your daughters one sided love when 20 years had passed?).  Thinking that this would cause his hyung distress, he had lingered over the delivery. Unfortunately for DGD, his reactions were just slightly off when he discovered what Moo Yeom had been hiding from him.  Add in the fact that Moo Yeom sees DGD destroying the letter afterwords has his cop radar pinging and all the clues finally connect into one big DGD picture..

MORE NUNCHUCKS.......Check

Our Mad Monk finally has figured out who Gap Dong is, and goes to confront him right away.........with his nunchucks.   Oh writers, you sure did not disappoint, your nunchuck fetish always gets a chuckle out of me.  He rushes DGD and we see blood spray across the desk, and then Moo Yeom wakes up.

I guess I have to commend the writers for keeping their crazy within the dreamscape, but it says something that we viewers are not instantly aware what is the fantasy and what is the reality.  But now the big picture starts to settle into focus.  He knows who Gap Dong is and has considered him a friend for the past twenty years.  There is not going to be any type of jail time for him, even if he does get enough evidence to prove that he is indeed Gap Dong.  So what is one to do when justice seems to have failed in punishing the murderer? Karma has obviously not been swift in this case.

But never fear, since in true Kdrama fashion, when there is not a real logical way to get a conviction, then make one up.  Moo Yeom sends the prosecutor a note asking for them to help make an exception to the statute of limitations.  Because if someone is evil enough, don't they deserve to go to prison and the heck with legality.

Random Thoughts.
How much time did Dr Maria spend pacing, fretting, and angsting over things in her trailer.  It got to be a little boring for us viewers.  Can't she drive to the river front to brood like every other kdrama character?  Although seeing the old picture of DGD and coming to the realization that her search for Gap Dong was over, was by far the best acting she has done in the whole drama.

I like how we see DGD facade begin to crack over the love letter.  His extreme anger and overreaction really painted a psycho bullseye on his head.  The first time seeing the scene (without the extension) I was wondering what had made Moo Yeom so certain that he was Gap Dong.  Seeing the extending scene I think we have our answer.  The guy is a tad bit crazy.

So sad the plot seems to be ditching Tae Oh, who is still languishing in his jail cell.  Every twenty minutes or so they will do a quick shot of him sitting there, sad that he is not still the main focus of the drama.  Poor Tae Oh.... We miss you too. (oh wait I wrote too soon)  

BAD ASS TAE OH IS OUT OF PRISON............CHECK!!!! 

It looks like Moo Yeom is slapping a locator anklet on our favorite hottie killer and taking him out to help in catching DGD.  Because nothing is smarter than leading a leashed wild lion to hunt another wild lion.  It is bound to work out. 

Oh! Did I forget to mention the episode left off with a chicken race?  WHY?  WHY?  They were doing so well in keeping the crazy to a minimum.  Guess we will have to see who wins, and what exactly the winner gets, in episode 15. 

Til then,
Kmuse

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Gap Dong Episode 13 - Do I Hear Wedding Bells?

We have officially traveled to the halfway point in this drama as we find out who the original Gap Dong is, and having reached episode 13 it should all be downhill from here.  And I hope that it is not a literal downhill in writing since the writers seem to have finally found their groove.  More plot movement for the men, and we get to pretend the women are barely there.  Let's hope they continue on this vein since otherwise I suspect we will be back to the horrible acid induced plot lines from a few episodes ago.

The above paragraph is what I wrote before actually watching episode 13.  I should have known better than to tempt fate since yet again, the writers pulled out some crazy plot twists mixed in with some truly amazing scenes.  I kind of wonder if the writer or writers are bipolar since whoever writes for the villains (detective Gap Dong and Tae Oh) do an amazing job, but when it comes to the writing for the female characters (and any interaction between Moo Yeom and the female characters) the plot gets weird and awkward very very quickly.  Is it the acting (I swear if I have to hear Ma Ji-Wool's horrible fake cry again I will scream) or is it the writing?  It truly is hard to tell where the blame should go and all I know is that somewhere the concept gets warped.  I can appreciate the concept since you can see what the director and writers are going for, but then I just wince at the final results that somewhere took a wrong turn.  But since I am blogging I must carry on and try to make sense of what is occurring, or at the very least mock the stupidity of the plot.  So prepare yourselves for some mocking, because there were some really stupid moments.

WARNING:::  Having some serious writers block for this episode so if everything is not as themed and cohesive as usual please forgive me.  Trying to get this out between soccer games and screaming children today and it has thrown off my groove.

We finally get the big reveal of who the original Gap Dong was, and I could not be happier.  All the scenes with Detective Gap Dong (I know he has a name, but this is easier) take on a new sinister edge.  And I can't wait to find out why he stopped killing.  It is the last big mystery of the drama.  Also is something going to trigger him to make him come out of retirement?  My personal guess is that he gets so grossed out by Dr Maria and Moo Yeom relationship that it forces him to go on a new murderous rampage. 

Wanting to get Tae Oh convicted as soon as possible and get beyond the whole "search for the real Gap Dong" idea floating around the precinct, Detective Gap Dong tries to streamline things as much as possible. Unfortunately for him Moo Yeom and Chul-Gon are just not cooperating.  Refusing to give up on the search they continue to investigate the previous murders.  The case heats up yet again as a new body is discovered and they dig into the possible identification and connections to Gap Dong.  Detective Gap Dong wavers between a feeling of superiority over his fellow cops (LOVED the "you are my role model" scene with Moo Yeom.  That smirk and glint in his eye was masterfully done) and unease at the thought of a continued search for Gap Dong. 

Tae Oh has had a move in his character's development for the worse.  Don't get me wrong, Lee Joon is still killing it with his portrayal of our copycat murderer.  But the fight has gone out of him, and instead of the genius mastermind killer, we are forced to watch him fall apart into self reflection and despair.  Occasionally he pops out of it but mostly he just bemoans the fact that there is no solution to his killing urges.  This part is interesting in that, the writers tried so hard to let us know that he is a psychopath with no emotions past the urge to kill (seriously, the concept was drilled into our brains by every character in the show), so why now is he sad, reflective, and expressing emotions of regret?  

It just feels a bit off.  I keep expecting him to have some type of master plan to escape and begin his killing spree anew.  Just for my sanity's sake, I am going to keep living in my dream world and pretend that he does indeed have a brilliant plan that will get him out ASAP.   
 
One of my favorite twists in this drama is the fact that Tae Oh has the #1 enabling mama that I have ever witnessed in a kdrama.  When she first entered the series I thought she was terrified of her son, but it turns out she goes to extreme lengths to keep him out of trouble.  

Discussing with her lawyer on how to keep Tae Oh out of prison (even though he confessed to 7 murders) they come upon the decision to declare that he was affected by Affluenza.  For those like myself who had no clue what this was, Affluenza is a mental disorder where you are so wealthy that you become desensitized to real emotions.  And to add to their defense she offers Ji-Wool an insane amount of money to marry Tae Oh (Yes, you read right.  Marry Him???).  WTH???  How does her marrying him really help?  And what kind of crazy defense is that?  Even Tae Oh laughs and seems amused at his mom's big plan.  

Is it wrong to actually be hoping she accepts just because it would make my future blog mocking moments so much easier.  This drama plot point is so odd/horrible/acid induced, that it deserves it's very own Facewall and possibly the award for biggest WTH moment of the whole drama.

Moo Yeom is in full speed when it comes to identifying those old remains that he for some reason thinks is a Gap Dong murder.  He begins to plaster photos of missing women all over precinct walls, including around a love letter that was posted up on one of the kill boards, with a big question mark on who it belonged to (it was in an old book belonging to Detective Gap Dong and indicates his involvement).  

I have several questions to ask in regards to this note in between eye rolls. Such as, What police station keeps a love letter on the kill board when it is unknown whose it is.  Why would a person even suspect that it was someone in the precincts love letter when you work in a busy building and so said letter was found unattended on the ground.  A normal person would have just called it junk and chucked it away.  Who gives a flying fig about whose letter it is enough to go through security tapes to identify who dropped the letter in the first place?  Is there no crime in this town?  I know that they are hinging a lot around this "letter" for the eventual discovery on who the original Gap Dong is, but the whole thing is so nonsensical that it borders on stupid.  Not to mention that the only thing more embarrassing than being outed as a serial killer by trashed love letter would be being outed by Dr Maria.

Talking about Dr Maria, she of course has been up to her usual annoying brooding and obsessing that has driven us crazy for the last thirteen episodes.  It is getting to the point where the sound of her voice and the sight of her overly large eyes is starting to make me sick.  Tae Oh begs to see Dr Maria again since she promised him she would visit if he asked.  But instead of professional Dr Maria, Vixen Maria arrives and taunts Tae Oh over his imprisonment.  

Let's ignore the fact that it is ethically wrong to emotionally taunt your mentally unbalanced patient.  It is also just really stupid.  The man has killed 7+ people and probably should not be taken so lightly.  Obviously on an emotional high Vixen Maria goes to the scene of her BFF's murder.  As she walks down the deserted path, you almost expect the killer to jump out and attack her.  But instead of the killer, Moo Yeom startles her, forcing her to go into full killer ninja mode and she takes him down.  Upon seeing that it is not the killer, she breaks down and says that she will be strong and now she can recall the killers face.   

Hmmmm, color me skeptical that a girl who tasered herself and froze last time she was attacked, could suddenly learn such intense self defense moves.  There is only one possible conclusion we can make from this..........She is part of the Matrix and just learned Kung Foo.

At the conclusion of episode 13 I made up a list of things I want to see happen in the upcoming episodes.  Figured it could not hurt to put the idea's out there into the universe, maybe we will get lucky and some of them will actually happen.  

My wishes are as follows:
#1 More Tae Oh.  And lets clarify, we want the scary Tae Oh.  Not the emotionally needy convict but the scary killer.  The writers really need to give him back his edge... What happened Tae Oh, you used to be scary.

#2 Meeting of the psychopathic mind.  It does not seem like Detective Gap Dong is that interested in having a protege.  But since this is my wish list I am asking that he and Tae Oh team up somehow since two talented serial killers is better than one.

#3 More nunchucks!  I am still hoping for a take down by nunchuck scene.  That would be awesome.
 

#4 I want to see the stupid girl marry Tae Oh because that would truly be the crazy cherry on the sundae of stupidity. 

#5 The writers answer this question (has been driving me nuts for a couple of episodes now).  How did the fake loser Gap Dong know the whistled tune?  I don't think it was one of his signature signs that anyone other than the shows audience would have known, so how did he learn it? 
Hopefully all our wishes and questions will be answered in the upcoming episodes.  Until then  I will just continue to try and wrap my head around the whole wedding plan-insanity because of wealth plea and continue on.  Thanks to everyone who suffered through my writers block induced recap and I hope it was not too rambling for you all.  

Till next time,
Kmuse

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Gap Dong Episode 12- A Plethora of Killers

Is there anyone in this drama who has not murdered, accidentally murdered, attempted to murder, or even just seriously injured someone?  Writers, this is getting ridiculous.  You must realize that.  RIGHT??  RIGHT??  I know they are trying to drive home the idea that anyone can be a Gap Dong (killer) given the right circumstances but it is getting to the point where you should just kill off the whole town and call it a day.  (If you want to see this concept done right, hunt down the 8 episode drama called White Christmas.  It was a brilliant look into the question of whether a psychopath was born or created by circumstance.)

We have a flashback where Chul Gon is on a stakeout.  An unauthorized stakeout since he had been taken off the Gap Dong case.  He sees what he assumes is a suspect in a raincoat turn and run away.  As he gives chase, the suspect falls down an embankment, dying from injuries sustained from the fall.  It turned out that it was actually a woman, dressed in a man's rain jacket running from someone she assumed was Gap Dong.  Dropping his badge at the scene, Chul Gon goes drinking to get the courage to turn himself in.  

But the next day the body is found tied with Gap Dong's signature knots and added to the death count of the serial killer. (Did anyone else love the fact that the killer was watching him the whole time and claimed the victim?  I thought that was a clever addition to the story.)

Han Sang Hoon had found his police badge at the crime scene and suspected the truth behind this death.  However he hid it because he did not want to ruin Chul Gon's career.  Or was it secretly because he was Gap Dong?  Either way the information was suppressed and preserved in the form of a bloody badge that was found by Moo Yeom twenty years later in Sang Hoon's office.  

After retelling Moo Yeom the story, Chul Gon turns himself in, along with the written confession he had been carrying around since the incident.  But of course this being the profession of cover ups, the big boss's of the police department decide it was an accident and since the statute of limitations has already expired they only dismiss him from his job.

I was wondering how Tae Oh was going to get out of the whole murdering a flight attendant on a plane situation.  It seems that this time he truly might be caught for good.  When the body is discovered, rather than finishing the flight, the pilot turns back to Korea and Tae Oh is arrested upon landing.  

Brought to the Police Station he encounters twit girl, Ji Wool, who is busy blaming herself for the latest murder.  It seems that Tae Oh had asked her to come with him, to be his emotional brakes, but she declined his offer.  Now that he killed again, she is busy weeping and wailing.  Ji Wool literally is still unable to grasp the concept that he is a killer since as she puts it "he looks so good".  Sigh... Sad the opportunity for her death has passed, because I know a sure fire way to make this show reach a higher level of intelligence is to just kill off both females.

A very subdued (yet still smoking hot) Tae Oh sits in the interrogation room.  Nothing seems to catch his attention until Han Sang Hoon (who is profiling him) makes a comment about profilers not going to the restroom til they are all finished.  WTH???  Seriously?  I'm confused, is this a real thing?  Because I don't know if they do things differently in Korea then here in the US, but I have never heard reference to adult diapers on an episode of Law and Order.

Tae Oh is put back into the mental institution for the time being.  Because someone had filmed him while on the airplane, there is little chance of getting away with the murder according to his lawyer.  Tae Oh seems resigned, but his lawyer simply says that it might be time for some extreme measures.  What are these extreme measures that you speak of?  Is it some type of bribery, hiring a fall guy, just mass murdering the whole facility and escaping in the choas?  I have no clue what they are going to do to avoid jail time, but if it gets Tae Oh back out on the streets and being evil then I am all for it.  I will even give the writers some slack on my snarky realism comments if they actual succeed on jump starting the life back into his character.

Did anyone else get kind of an icky feeling when Dr Maria and Moo Yeom kissed?  Was not sexy at all and made me want to gag.  Let's just accept that no romance should ever ever happen between the two female leads and pretty much anyone.  It would be a great tragedy to allow them to produce offspring and pass on their lack of common sense/intelligence to another generation. 

Luckily (since seriously I was about to push the FF button when Moo Yeom spouted the line "I can't stop" in regards to their intimate situation) we are saved from further gag worthy making out moments by the buzzing of Dr Maria's phone.  Tae Oh is having an epic psychotic meltdown (hmmm.  On purpose?) and demanding to speak to her.  

Calming him down and searching for a confession, Dr Maria asks him to start at the beginning, with his hero worship of Gap Dong.  And as our hottie psycho starts speaking we see a figure walking through the reeds, whistling a creepy tune.  And as the camera pans to the persons face we see chief Cha Do Hyeok,  

I KNEW IT.  Ugh I was even going to mention that he was my #1 suspect in my last blog post (even took a screen cap and everything) and then forgot to add it at the last minute.  Now my kdrama sleuthing skills will go undocumented and you will just have to take it on faith, that I totally figured it out several episodes before the big reveal.  

I personally am happy that it was him and not one of the other suspects.  It would be annoying if it was the profiler or the monk since neither actor really has the depth to pull off controlled crazy.  I have watched Jung In Gi act in many dramas, and whether it is a bad guy or a good guy, he always does a superb job.  Now if only we can have some interaction between him and Tae Oh, then I would be one happy kaddict.   Anything to keep the romance between Moo Yeom and Dr Maria would be happily welcome.

Kmuse 

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