Pinocchio Episode 13 (and what on earth is with everyone?)

Thankfully Pinocchio sets a less somber tone for this episode, than the weep fest (me that is) for the past two episodes. While I simultaneously love and hate about these characters is that they’re own their own, figuring things out. Sure sometimes MSC and YGN’s Cap will step in with some choice words of advice, but most of the time, they’re stuck in their own heads trying to make choices that no one should have to.

And Dal Po certainly has quite a quite a few to make. Either he gets his revenge in painting Cha Ok as the devil and makes hyung proud while breaking In Ha’s heart (and most likely his own) or he takes the high road and releases nothing but the truth which results in his only chance to pin down Cha Ok vanishing. Truth as usual, is central to the conflict. To tell or not to tell. Honestly my heart sank when DP yelled at In Ha to keep her mouth shut. Honestly, the girl’s been through enough with their man she loves suddenly turning into the very creature he’s trying to bring down. And the fact that she just stood there and too it, not even knowing what to say, understanding what he’s going through but not knowing how to comfort him, is heartbreaking. This is Choi In Ha we’re talking about, who’s normally feisty as hell. I wanted her to go up there and kick some sense into DP, yet she chose to follow him (making me tear my hair out).
 
Why In Ha? Why? I suppose that sense of guilt she feels continues to overpower her common sense. Yet, for the life of me I find it so difficult to understand why she must feel guilty, her mother’s sins ARE NOT her own. I understand why DP would find it difficult to fight Cha Ok while being concerned about In Ha’s welfare, but seriously, separation’s not going to solve the problem. I mean just look at the issues it created in this episode alone. DP and IH should be showing a united front, instead they’re all over the place unsure of what to do and when to do it, and now Yoo Rae’s fallen for Dal Po, which is going to drive me even more insane, seeing that all these characters appear to have gone mad.

Such the nature of the human mind though, and their actions (however idiotic) are nothing but human. Hence why DP taking the higher road felt so satisfying. We all know what the right choice is to make, but he needs to come to it on his own terms, to struggle and struggle to reach the realization that he has to be more than Cha Ok to truly defeat her (or that defeat is meaningless). It’s not the most fun viewing experience, in fact it nearly drove me insane, but it’s pretty realistic.

At this point though, hyung appears to have more brains than Dal Po. I love Jae Myung so much, it’s crazy. Perhaps it’s because I’m a sucker for the whole vigilante type of thing, but I never really had an issue with him taking revenge on those three men. It’s only when he appeared to making menacing advances towards In ha that I began to dislike him. And as it turns out, he only really wanted to ask her question. Dang it, hyung! Couldn’t you just act like a normal person and ask her? What’s with that unnecessary scare? I honestly didn’t have much of an issue with him going after Cha Ok either, until she actually began to be nice to In Ha. But forget all that now, because the woman grows more and more irritating. Will she never learn a lesson? I thought she’d been properly humbled or even grateful to Dal Po for the rescue, but no. She has to go act like a prick to her own reflection.

This is honestly someone who’ll never learn, someone who takes few qualms in ruining someone’s else so long as she gets a scoop. There’s ice and spite all the way to the bone in her and I find her scarier than hyung will ever be. There’s something behind that resignation (which she never managed to turn in her favour while on air) and judging by the ominous music that continues to play whenever she’s on screen, this is going to be a long, hard fight.

But let’s return to hyung. I love this pair of brothers and how DP still cares for Jae Myung after all that’s happened. And I love that Jae Myung’s knocking some sense into him. That’s right, for goodness sake why can’t you just go to In Ha and apologize? For that matter, why do you two need to be apart anyway? *sigh*

And then we come to Seo Bum Joo. I honestly can’t blame him for giving this his best shot, even if he was a bit cruel to make Dal Po listen to the entire conversation. Anyone with eyes can see that he still cares for her, so umm…yeah, why kill the bromance? I did like how well the conversation was handled though, from him being upfront about stealing her texts for so many years to his confession. But I loved In Ha’s reaction even more. It’s as if the success (or is it?) of DP’s revenge has taken a great weight off her shoulders, and she’s nearly back to the feisty girl we all know and love. Her rejection was gracious and so…her. From agreeing to pay the bill, to the horror in her face at the cost, the moment was tinged with both humour and sadness, on DP and Bum Joo’s part.

Bum Joo has liked her for a while now (regardless of how creepily it all started) so I get it that he’s trying to gain her affection by any way possible but pity is a poor substitute for love as In Ha says, and the method he’s trying out is only going to lead her the same way her relationship with Dal Po was gone. In fact, it would be worse, seeing that she’d feel guilty towards Bum Joo because of his actions and affections as opposed to how she felt guilty towards DP because of her mother’s actions.

Dal Po continues to wander around in a state of constant confusion. Plus he’s now worried that In Ha may actually choose Bum Jo, which is stupid as hell, and he’s stupid as hell to put down the phone that early. Ugh, you idiot. See how breaking up only caused MORE PROBLEMS? I love how Dal Po channeled Hye Sung from IHYV by pausing in that revolving door. Oh the feels.

But Bum Joo did get something right.

Because DP has treated In Ha like one. He’s made clear that he finds it difficult to go after her mother because he cares about her, and because he knows that she’ll be hurt by what happens to Cha Ok. But in doing that he’s inadvertently made her feel guilty about caring for her mother, and that isn’t exactly fair seeing how he should get just exactly how it feels to care for someone who isn’t exactly loved by the world. He’s definitely not doing it on purpose, but small things like that outburst at the start of the episode do add up, and compounding that by holding out on an apology for so long is sheer idiocy. I know that you’re still finding your feet, fledgling reporter, but how about you don’t step on too many toes while doing so?

My heart continues to break for poor Grandpa and In Ha’s dad who are just the cutest family ever. I love how Grandpa dismisses any possibility for dissolving the adoption, and Dad literally calls DP his older brother (to the bemusement of that poor lady). They’re sticking by him no matter what, and they do understand a little of what he’s going through. DP still loves them as well, and everything about this scene just makes me want to fling week-old socks at the screen. Can’t we just hug and make up? It’s Christmas Eve!

And as it turns out, there’s nothing like the spirit of Christmas (and copious amount of alcohol) to get the truth following from out reticent hero’s tongue. I cheered when the Dal Po of old resurfaced, one who wasn’t burdened with guilty, and pity, and all manner of unnecessary emotion, who stole snacks from restaurant tables and happily present them to Granda and Dad with the world’s most adorable smile on his face.
  
I think it’s safe to say that they’re definitely aware of this whole martyr thing he’s trying to do now. Thanks Ahn Chan Soo, hope your wife doesn’t kill you. I loved how DP finally made his feelings clear, even if he thought it was all a dream and how patient and caring In Ha was with him. I’m glad to see that the necklace is back on as well, now that she feels no guilt (though you never really had to but I love you for your empathy anyway).

And we’re back to the love square, with YR dropping blatant hits, Seo Bum Joo confronting DP, and In Ha just sits in the middle of this wondering what on earth is going on.

They both make really, really good points here.

DP is taking the coward’s way out here. There’s honestly NOTHING, preventing him from going to In Ha and telling her that he’s always loved her. Poor hyung’s in jail, Cha Ok’s resigned (though something nefarious is brewing there) and you’re all reporters. Yay! Goals accomplished? (Besides Jae Myung being in jail that is) And SBJ has no right to use DP to convince IH to date him. Not that it would ever happen why do the two of you underestimate In Ha so much? Bum Joo actually seems to believe that his method will work, which just underestimates her intelligence, and DP believes that he has no right to her, which just underestimates her love for her. Stop the idiocy! Can we just all hug and make up now?

But no, we have the Santa thing to worry about. This goes on my list of lamest Christmas conflicts ever to be honest. I get it, the guy stole a bag for his poor son, and SBJ’s mom is channeling Cha Ok in being too harsh on the poor man. For heaven’s sake woman, it’s Christmas! Have some compassion! But nevermidn that for now, what was that unbelievably stupid scene outside the mall. In Ha, did you seriously just throw a shoe at him? And stand still while he ran at you? What show am I watching anymore? It certainly can’t be Pinocchio. What on earth has happened to In Ha, DP and Bum Joo? The round of ‘are you okay’s only cemented by incredulity. Thankfully, Yoo Rae lightened the moment.

This conflict isn’t really something I can get behind as it seems too bloody simple (like much of the conflict in this show) to me. I don’t think you can blame anything on the bags. What’s an inanimate object to do about the whole thing? It’s not like they asked to be priced ridiculously high or for people to value them far more than their honor and dignity. It just seems silly to me, that this conflict is being blown so high when it’s this simple. Yet much of the problem lies with Bum Joo, who still hasn’t properly recovered from the rejection and is even more furious that DP is pointing out flaws in his precious mother. I never really saw SBJ as a snob, but this scene sure did highlight the difference between him and the other three. Just like DP, he’s having serious issues with remaining objective about the fact that his mother’s probably even worse than Cha Ok in reality. But DP’s just as bad here, seeing that he’s taking out his frustration with not being able to pursue in Ha (AGAIN WHAT IS STOPPING YOU?) and using the case to do that. In Ha’s the only one with a brain (as usual) in telling them what they need to see both sides of the matter, but what does DP do but take that as a sign that she no longer loves him (what?) and goes off to mope. Now that InHa has actually stolen a second button off DP’s shirt and Dad is about to sew some more back on, when on earth with DP notice that she has the necklace on? JUST KISS AND MAKE UP ALREADY.

What on earth is with all these characters? Even YR has been afflicted by the sheer stupidity that characterizes the human mind. I might agree with how realistic their response to the situation is, yet it drives me nuts to see them play it out on screen, especially when there’s no real conflict keeping them apart anymore. Except perhaps Bum Joo’s not-so-nice-after-all mother, and Cha Ok, but we don’t even know what there’s up to yet! Can’t DP and IH just stand together, now that a new danger may be headed their way?