Note to Self:  Next time I get kidnapped, take me to a nice place like this.  It’s even got a POOL!!!

Ji-ho is brought out by the kidnapper thugs to show Yeong-rang that he’s still alive.  For now.  Now Attorney Choi wants his money pali pali!  Yeong-rang tells him that she doesn’t have access to that amount of money but it will arrive shortly, so hold your horses, buddy!

Attorney Choi reminds her that wasn’t part of the promise – she was to arrive alone and packing wads of cash.  For that, Yeong-rang gets pushed to the ground and then Action Jackson Ji-ho springs to life, taking out five of the thugs and vaults over the railing in order to get to Yeong-rang.

Even Attorney Choi takes a run at Ji-ho before he is tossed aside like a sack of potatoes.  Running over to force Yeong-rang to run for it, Ji-ho gets smacked good and hard while Yeong-rang says she ain’t going anywhere without Ji-ho!

A couple of thugs get tossed into the pool, which gives the perfect diversion for Attorney Choi to pick up a board and charge Ji-ho with it.  Except that Yeong-rang sees Ji-ho about to get hit, and runs over to protect him.

THWACK.

Back to Slow Motion Camera Theatre, as Yeong-rang slips out of consciousness while still holding on to Ji-ho.  Jung-wook’s thugs arrive just in time and start to rumble with Attorney Choi’s thugs.  Jung-wook himself finally arrives to see Ji-ho holding Yeong-rang’s head all covered in blood.

Jung-wook runs over and both he and Ji-ho try to shake awake Yeong-rang. (Uh, you think that’s a good idea to move her spine around like that?)  In the resulting chaos, Attorney Choi makes a run for it.

Back yet one more time to Gangnam Hospital, Jung-wook and Ji-ho pace as EvilStep and In-ha run up to find out what happened.  Jung-wook said there was an accident and that Yeong-rang is in surgery right now.  In-ha doesn’t waste any time by going over to Ji-ho and blames him for his mom’s injuries – because if something happens to his eomma, he will KILL Ji-ho!

EvilStep interjects and said it was an accident, so why is In-ha blaming Ji-ho for all this?  In-ha says it’s freakin’ obvious – Ji-ho is the one that will not give up until he and his mother dies.  EvilStep orders Ji-ho to go home; she will let him know when Yeong-rang wakes up.  Ji-ho can barely stand on his own two feet, but eventually shuffles off…

… to wait at home like a good boy.  His phone eventually beeps with EvilStep’s text that the surgery went well and to not worry.  Only then does Ji-ho let his emotions get the best of him.

Yeong-rang does finally wake up to a frantic In-ha fussing over her.  She asks him what happened and why is she in the hospital?  Having a flashback to the big fight, Yeong-rang bolts upright in bed and asks about Ji-ho and if he’s hurt as well.  In-ha’s shoulders slump and wonders why she’s so interested in Ji-ho’s health.  Is that the reason why she went to save him without saying a word to him?

Yeong-rang can only stare at In-ha, as he tells her this all happened when she was trying to save Ji-ho, so WAE?!?  Is Ji-ho’s life more important than hers?  Yeong-rang tells him she couldn’t stand by and watch her child get hurt.  That’s not important to In-ha, as he reminds his mother exactly in great detail what Ji-ho has done to their family.  Is it worth dying for that jerkwad?

Yeong-rang assures In-ha that she’s fine… everything will be fine.  But In-ha continues by asking what will happen to him if something goes wrong with her.  Did she even think about In-ha while she was running off to save Ji-ho?  Fortunately, EvilStep arrives and chastises him for yelling at a surgery patient.  How is the patient anyway?

EvilStep surmises that In-ha acts like a spoiled brat because Yeong-rang lets him get away with it.  He deserves a spanking more than anything (say!), so if In-ha is going to make his mom upset, don’t bother coming to the hospital.  In-ha says that was his plan in the first place – he’s not needed anymore since Yeong-rang has another child who will take care of her now.

Yeong-rang tells EvilStep to just leave In-ha alone; he has every right to be mad at her.  But In-ha looks like death warmed over – is he eating and sleeping at all?  EvilStep chides Yeong-rang for worrying about Bratty In-ha when she was brought back from hell with 30 stitches in her head.  Ji-ho even stayed up most of the night worrying about her.

Yeong-rang asks about Ji-ho’s condition, as EvilStep says she had to send him home t keep In-ha from beating the crap out of him.  But he is definitely worried to death that something may go wrong with Yeong-rang.  Blood is truly thicker than water, because she thought Ji-ho would hate her until the day he died.  And he’ll be around later, okay?

Da-mi brings a present to Nam-joo since she got paid: supplements to take since she’s been looking quite haggard lately.  Nam-joo thanks her and tries for the gazillionth time to get her to quit Gloria and resume her piano studies.  Da-mi says she doesn’t want to, since working at the Company is fun especially with the merger and everything.

Nam-joo is more worried about Da-mi sticking to Ji-ho like a leech and can’t make a clean break with him.  Quit the company and go back to school; out of sight, out of mind.  There are plenty of other good guys in the world.  Da-mi takes her hand and says she’s having a hard time with Ji-ho pushing her away, so cut her some slack and don’t add to her misery, arraso?!?

EvilStep arrives with a basket of roses and says she’s needed down for more tests.  There Yeong-rang finds out that her optical nerves have been damaged because of the blow to her head.  Doctor Kim tells her that her eyes are fine, but there was a severe concussion to the side of her brain which controls the optical nerves.  And because of this damage, she will slowly lose her eyesight.

Yeong-rang is stunned and wants to make sure she won’t go blind.  No way, right?  She can see just fine – she just can’t go blind!  Doctor Kim explains that this will not happen overnight… everything will start to get hazy first, and then she’ll eventually lose her sight.  Yeong-rang swallows hard, and says then schedule her for some sort of surgery.  There’s no way she can go blind.  NOT NOW.

Yeong-rang wanders back to her room with Doctor Kim’s voiceover saying surgery is not an option.  Her corneas are fine; her optical nerve is ruptured.  He apologizes that there is nothing he can do for her.  EvilStep comes out to her news that everything is fine; she needs to rest well to recover quickly.  EvilStep is relieved, because during the surgery the doctors said something was wrong with Yeong-rang’s optical nerves.  Darn, she worried over nothing, so go on into your room.  Ji-ho is here!

You could cut the tension in the air with a butter knife, as Ji-ho asks if Yeong-rang should be up and moving around so soon.  Yeong-rang spits back that she’s fine and can do what she wants.  Ji-ho says it’s a good thing she’s fine, but Yeong-rang tells him there’s no need for him to be sorry.  He’s confirmed that she’s not dead, so he can leave now… she’s uncomfortable seeing his face.

Ji-ho wheels around and asks why she came to rescue him – it doesn’t matter whether he lives or dies to her, so why the sudden change in demeanor?  Yeong-rang giggles and asks if Ji-ho thought she was sincere?  Just because she gave birth to him, should she forgive him for putting her through a trial, making her a laughingstock and ruining In-ha’s life for good?  He should just those thoughts out of his head, because she has no intention of being on good terms with Ji-ho.

All Ji-ho wants to know is why she came all the way there to save him.  Why did she get hurt instead of him?  Explain WHY!  Yeong-rang said she did it to prove to Jung-wook her motherly feelings towards Ji-ho, because only after that Jung-wook will forgive her and return Boosung to her control.

Ji-ho is stunned to hear that she didn’t come because it was for Ji-ho; she came so she could put on a show for Jung-wook?  Geez lady!  Yeong-rang reminds Ji-ho that she has only one son, and that son is In-ha.  There is no way that she will even think about Ji-ho as her other son.  NEVER.  With one tear running down his cheek, Ji-ho demands to hear that she’s lying and will give her one last chance to say she’s sorry.  If she can, then he will stop everything right then and there.

Yeong-rang falters for a moment, but says she’s not sorry for anything.  Just because you give birth, it doesn’t mean you become a parent.  Hate is hate in any language, as Ji-ho yells at her to stop… because at one time in his life, he actually thought she could be his real mother.  But because of this crazy world… Ji-ho cannot continue and stomps out past EvilStep pleading with him to understand his mother.

Ji-ho retorts that he has no mother.  Even the worst mother in the world wouldn’t act like that.  Even if Yeong-rang dies, don’t bother to contact him to say so.  Of course, Yeong-rang has heard everything and breaks down sobbing.

Next thing we know, the Feds arrive at the Yoo Residence and flash a Seizure of Assets paper at the maids.  The standard red tags get stuck all over anything that’s not moving – especially the Butt-Ugly Piano!  OH HAPPY DAY!!!  Ji-ho tells the seizure agent he’s done a good job, but continue turning over rocks for their hidden wealth, the buildings and seize everything in sight.

EvilStep returns home with Yeong-rang while bitching her out that she’s been released too soon.  (And with a full head of hair – I’m invoking the NO WAY Doctrine again!)  Yeong-rang says her trial is coming up and she has a lot on her mind that she can’t take care of while cooped up in the hospital.

Yeong-rang finally notices the seizure stickers all over their possessions, as EvilStep tries to soft-pedal the situation by saying she’s swapping out all the furniture and has dismissed the maid staff as a cost-cutting measure.  Surprisingly, Yeong-rang isn’t even swayed by that news, but she turns suddenly and runs into a lamp.  Looking up at the couch, it suddenly becomes all blurry for a few seconds before coming back into focus.

Rushing to her room, Yeong-rang has another blurry attack and reaches for her lutein pills.  (Like they’re going to help now?)  She rummages through her drawer for more pills but they go flying.  Trying to pick them up off the floor, her sight gets blurrier and blurrier.  All of a sudden we hear In-ha’s voice screaming at Ji-ho why he has the balls to return to their house!!!

In-ha asks Ji-ho if he came to gloat over the seizure stickers, but Ji-ho has other news for them… and it’s in an envelope he hands over to In-ha.  He rips it open to find a Notice of Auction and Change in Ownership.  Ji-ho is now the new owner of their house!  Yeong-rang is speechless, as Ji-ho says he has a lot of memories in this house and doesn’t want to give it to just any buyer.

In-ha wants to know if this is as low as Ji-ho will go, or does he have something left that he hasn’t told them?  Of course he does – Ji-ho tells him that a verdict on Woo-jin’s trial has been reached.  Both he and Yeong-rang will be serving prison time; In-ha’s looking at least a year in the Big House.  EvilStep wants to know why Ji-ho is being like that.  Yeong-rang was just discharged from the hospital today, so why is he asking an injured person to leave their home, fer chrissakes!

Yeong-rang tells her to STFU, but EvilStep shouts her down by saying her pride isn’t going to put food on the table.  Yeong-rang is no longer the Boosung President and they’re as poor as church mice now, so how can she still talk a big game?

Yeong-rang tells Ji-ho do whatever the hell he wants.  She doesn’t care and won’t even blink an eye.  (Um, bad choice of words there…)  Ji-ho says he wasn’t going to cut 1/10th slack even if she begged, but he’s curious what Dead Burnt-Up Dad would say about Ji-ho taking over both Boosung and this house.  Did Ji-ho finally fulfill his last will?  In-ha wants to know about what last will what now?  Ji-ho turns and says that the will said Boosung is his and to not trust his mother.  Yoo Man-se will definitely be happy that he fulfilled both of his wishes, and maybe now Ji-ho can sleep with ease!

In-ha orders Ji-ho to stop spouting such nonsense, since that will was meant for him – his father’s only child.  Ji-ho begs to differ, because once a child, you are forever his child.  Or in Ji-ho’s eyes, one day you’re a child… and the next, you’re an enemy.  EvilStep tries to diffuse the situation by saying that Dead Burnt-Up Dad must have loved Ji-ho somehow?  Ji-ho thinks differently by saying that he was used and abused by his parents, so maybe he should do the same for them.  He turns towards a teary Yeong-rang and asks like parent, like child, right?

Ji-ho leaves the house, and In-ha wants to know if after all that, was it worth risking her life to save him?  Is he still buried in her heart?  She’s such a pitiful person being abandoned by Yoo Ji-ho; even he’s going crazy because he hates her so much.  Yeong-rang just stands there taking it all in.

In-ha decides shopping for new clothes heals all wounds, as he runs rough-shod through the Boosung Shopping Centre buying stuff right and left.  When the salesclerk asks him how he’s going to pay for everything, In-ha whips out a thick stack of bills and throws it on top of his purchases.  Looking like a man with a mission, In-ha leaves the mall with tons of bags and a glassy look on his face.

Meanwhile, Yeong-rang is prettying herself up to go somewhere.  And that somewhere is to see So-yeol, who is finally back from visiting her Professor Father.  EvilStep wants to know why she didn’t come to the hospital to see Yeong-rang… but why is Yeong-rang’s arm all bruised up?

And that she does – meets with So-yeol, who looks totally uncomfortable meeting with Yeong-rang.  (I would too, wearing some sort of dead animal around my shoulders.)  She tries to butter up So-yeol by offering up some fancy cosmetics and then asks how Professor Ha is doing.  Yeong-rang feels so ashamed that she and In-ha couldn’t set a wedding date because of all the problems in their household.

So-yeol asks her if she’s heard from In-ha at all, because she broke off the engagement ages ago.  Yeong-rang obviously hasn’t heard that, as So-yeol said that she couldn’t handle his volatile temper and constant mood swings.  His quest to always be first at everything depressed her to no end, so she decided to call it quits and return to her father’s home.

Yeong-rang grabs her hands and says she can’t do that, since In-ha has nothing now.  Yeong-rang promises to do well in the future, but she’s begging So-yeol to help In-ha make a happy family!  So-yeol apologizes that she’s leaving when the family is in so much turmoil, but she has no choice.  Yeong-rang yells after her to stay, to no avail.

We see Attorney Choi holed up in a PC bang, wearing his Magic Incognito Baseball Cap, and logging on to his Daum account (Mutsuki?  Jeongmalyeo?), where a total Boosung IT Department FAIL by not blocking access to his work account results in him being able to pull up the entire stack of Geumdan contract documents.  But the activity is reported back to Jung-wook as they have traced the access to Sillim-dong.  Unfortunately, his minions were too late in catching the rat bastard.

In-ha is treating Yeong-rang and EvilStep to a luxurious lunch and brought the clothes for them as his treat today, so don’t worry and eat up!  EvilStep thinks In-ha is unnecessarily hemorrhaging money and Yeong-rang wants to know where he got the money since his cards are all suspended and his savings are tied up in the courts.

In-ha also hands them both envelopes of pocket money and says they don’t need to feel poor since he’ll take care of everything.  Still demanding that Yeong-rang will not eat a bite until she finds out where the money care from, In-ha finally admits that he sold his car.  (NOOOOO!  Not the John Cooper Limited Edition Mini that retails for $65,000 USD!!!)  Yeong-rang yells that he had no right to do that, as In-ha says he’d rather die than live like a pauper.

Yeong-rang hauls off and slaps In-ha to make him come to his senses.  EvilStep is aghast, as Yeong-rang follows up her slap with the news flash that they’ve lost all their wealth and buildings and businesses and don’t even have a house to come home to anymore.  In-ha is the breadwinner of the family now; if he doesn’t find some sort of job, then yes they WILL starve!

Welts rising on his face, In-ha is more than stunned and asks how his mother could hit him.  Yeong-rang reminds him that his eomma cannot be by his side forever because she no longer has the power nor the strength to protect him now.  So why does he still live like a spoiled brat?

Still not stepping onto the Clue Bus, In-ha asks if she even has the right to say that to him – who was it that made his fingers all disfigured?  Who was the person that made him lose to Ji-ho?  Yeong-rang says it was all In-ha’s fault that he lost to Ji-ho was that he was lacking in his abilities.  It wasn’t her fault nor was it Ji-ho’s fault – why can’t he see that for himself?  Why does he keep blaming others for his unhappiness?!?  Going in for the final blow, Yeong-rang admits that in life… and in music… In-ha has lost completely to Ji-ho.

In-ha screams at her to stop, but Yeong-rang says he needs to listen to the truth for a change.  In-ha needs to fend for himself going forward, because his mother will not be able to back him up anymore.  In-ha tells her to speak honestly then – that she’d rather be the mother of a rich Ji-ho instead of being ashamed to be the mother of a bastard like him.  When Yeong-rang does not answer right away, In-ha hits the bricks instead.

EvilStep goes after Yeong-rang for slapping her son for the first time ever.  WAE?!?  Yeong-rang sinks to her knees sobbing that she didn’t raise that boy right; that’s why he’s such a selfish son.  She was an idiot and she doesn’t deserve to be a mother.  EvilStep cradles her so she can cry it out… but damned if Yeong-rang’s right on that fact.

Yeong-rang returns for a follow-up with Doctor Kim, who states that he eyesight is getting worse faster than he anticipated.  And she still has not told her family yet?  Yeong-rang says she’s not ready, but how much longer does she have?  Doctor Kim says it won’t be long now and she should make her plans.  Yeong-rang says that she will not ask Doctor Kim to cure her blindness, but she begs him to help her to keep her sight for at least another month… just long enough to where she can remember her sons’ faces before she can’t anymore.

She heads off to the columbarium where Dead Deaf Dad is interred.  Telling him she’s really really really really really so so so sorry she is so late to come see him, her visit is interrupted by Nam-joo sniping at Yeong-rang that she has no right to be stepping on this holy ground to visit her husband.  But Yeong-rang is nonplussed and asks if they could step outside to talk.

Yeong-rang asks Nam-joo to not be against Ji-ho and Da-mi seeing each other since they’re in love, but Nam-joo calls her out for being so shameless with such a request.  She’s still waiting for the hundred apologies on her knees outta Yeong-rang!  Yeong-rang says she’s going to receive her punishment, so leave Da-mi and Ji-ho be.

Nam-joo reminds Yeong-rang who exactly it was that killed her husband and put her son into a year-long coma.  But will Yeong-rang be able to accept her as family even after all that?  Yeong-rang then reminds her that she and Ji-ho are no longer family; she’s never once thought of him as family, so why can’t Nam-joo figure it out on her own?

Nam-joo says that Yeong-rang brought him up and is still hating him, so doesn’t that count as having emotions towards her not-son?  You can’t just turn off family ties like a water faucet!!!  Yeong-rang says she will have nothing further to do with Ji-ho, so don’t hammer a nail into her daughter’s heart.

Nam-joo yells after Yeong-rang that a person like her should NEVER be forgiven.  She feels so sorry from Ji-ho growing up in such a hostile environment, and Nam-joo will never ever ever ever ever ever EVER forgive her for that either!!!

Yeong-rang waits at the bus stop and pulls out her phone to call Ji-ho, saying she will vacate the house as directed.  But she needs to talk with him first, so come home tonight OR ELSE.  Later, we see she’s put out a food spread of epic proportions when the doorbell rings and EvilStep ushers Ji-ho inside.

Yeong-rang tells them not to worry since she summoned Ji-ho there, and since In-ha has just made his appearance on the stairs, she is happy that their family is together again after too long a time.  So let’s eat!

EvilStep spies a shopping bag on the couch, and flashes back to overseeing Yeong-rang packing up the second shirt purchased at the mall.  Thinking that maybe Yeong-rang’s heart has turned, she pushes everyone towards the dinner table.

In-ha says he’s not gonna eat with that jerk sitting across from him, and Ji-ho says he has suddenly lost his appetite.  If Yeong-rang has something to say, go ahead and spit it out.  EvilStep chastises them both for being insolent – their mom hasn’t cooked this much in forever and if you don’t eat, that will give her a sad face.   Ji-ho MUST try her seaweed soup!  (Uh oh… )

Of course In-ha throws a hissy fit and says he won’t eat with a guy who has no roots and calls Yeong-rang out on her misplaced emotions to finally serve a hot meal to her new son.  Ji-ho says he isn’t there to scam a meal off their family, but In-ha ain’t done yet.  Reminding Ji-ho that he was abandoned by his biological parents and stabbed in the back by Dead Burnt-Up Dad, it’s his destiny to be the son of a gangster father.

That’s it for Ji-ho’s patience, as he lands a clean upper-cut to In-ha’s right jaw and he goes flying over the foie gras on toast points.  Ji-ho asks Yeong-rang why she keeps provoking him when all he wants to do is BE LEFT ALONE!!!  Ji-ho hauls butt out of there with EvilStep right behind him… carrying the bag with the shirt.

EvilStep yells at Ji-ho for not realizing how his mother really feels about him, so then fine.  Don’t be a good son for not figuring out why he was being served seaweed soup and preparing a present to celebrate his birthday!  Ji-ho just stares at her as EvilStep reveals that TODAY is his actual birthday – that’s why she called her over to feed him.  So even if Ji-ho refuses to call her ‘mother,’ he is still her son.

She throws the bag at him and orders his to leave, but Ji-ho says no one asked Yeong-rang to make him seaweed soup.  The past is not going to be erased by one bowl of seaweed soup!!!  Why is EvilStep making him out to be the bad person?  All he had to hear from Yeong-rang is that she was sorry… so WAE?!?!

EvilStep returns inside broken and defeated, when she hears a crash from the dining room.  Apparently Yeong-rang has dropped a tray of dishes and is trying to pick up the pieces when her sight starts disappearing again and she cuts herself on a dish shard.  Yeong-rang fumbles around the top of the table looking for a rag and pulls more dishes onto the floor.  EvilStep finally gets her to stop by calling out her name.

Yeong-rang fibs and says her hands were slick and the plates landed up like this.  Ordering EvilStep to clean up, she says she needs to rest and slooooooooowly makes her way to her bedroom.  It slooooooooowly dawns on EvilStep that something is horribly wrong with Yeong-rang.

Yeong-rang loses the fight with a bandage wrapper, as EvilStep comes in demanding to know how long has it been since she lost her sight… why did she hide it from her?  Let’s go to the hospital right now!  But Yeong-rang insists there’s nothing wrong with her – EvilStep is making a federal case over dropping a few plates.

EvilStep says fine and dandy, then.  So tell her what kind of clothes she’s wearing… what does it say on this magazine… what does it say on this other magazine?!?  All Yeong-rang can do is sit there and stare blankly at her stepmother.  EvilStep starts shaking like a leaf…

Yeong-rang demands that nothing be said to Ji-ho and In-ha.  It’s true; her optical nerves are damaged and there is no cure.  EvilStep needs to know if this is the result of the accident… where she went to save Ji-ho… and she’s cut off with an angry Yeong-rang saying that wasn’t it.  Her luck in life has finally run out, so if she says anything to Ji-ho or In-ha, she’ll be next on the receiving end of an I Won’t Forgive You Ever!

EvilStep wants confirmation that was why Yeong-rang was so cold to Ji-ho by saying something so harsh and pushing him away?  WHY DID SHE DO SOMETHING SO UTTERLY STUPID?!?  Yeong-rang asks what she IS to do?  She could do nothing for him all his life, so she’s gonna lay a guilt trip on top of that as well?  Aniyo, she’d rather die!  She harassed him all her life and he should feel sorry for her eyes failing?  EvilStep still asks if there’s something the doctors haven’t tried yet – how about surgery?  Can’t EvilStep give Yeong-rang her eyes instead?  (Sorry, but I had to laugh for a few minutes after that line.)

Yeong-rang insists that she’s fine and she doesn’t need anyone’s eyes.  (BWAHAHAHA!!!)  EvilStep knows that she’s NOT fine, and does she want to add to her sons’ burdens by losing her sight?  There’s got to be a cure somewhere!  Yeong-rang finally gives in and grabs onto EvilStep for dear life, saying she’s scared to death since little by little, her world is going dark.  So what are they going to do?!?!?

Jung-wook is leaving the Geumdan offices when a shady voice yells out at him.  Hiding in the bushes is none other than Attorney Choi, so they go back upstairs to find out why Attorney Asswipe decided to ruin Jung-wook’s day with a visit.  Attorney Choi is still looking for his share of the Boosung Pie, as Jung-wook says his greed is going to catch up to him someday.  Hopefully sooner than later, so he doesn’t have to look at his ugly face again!

Attorney Choi tells Jung-wook them’s big words for someone who being investigated by the Financial Supervisory Services (combination of the Korean FBI and IRS), but they have been stonewalled since there’s no real proof provided… but he’s got the goods right here.  Tossing a copy of the loan contract between Geumdan and some gangster outfit, Jung-wook asks Attorney Choi if he plans on leaving the building alive?  Attorney Choi said he has to, because if he doesn’t walk out on his own two feet, that document goes straight to the FSS first thing in the morning.

Jung-wook reminds him that he’s already on the Top Ten Criminals List, but Attorney Jerkwad doesn’t care.  He only has two conditions that Jung-wook should meet:  Cash out all his Boosung Group shares, and let him leave the country safely.  Not too bad a deal, ne?

In-ha wakes from a deep sleep (hang on, let me pause this for a few minutes… okay, I’m ready now) to see EvilStep sitting on the side of his bed watching him.  He gets all annoyed but EvilStep orders him to wash his face first because she has something to tell him.  In-ha says tell him now, and she does:  From now on, don’t you ever make his mother cry.  Her eyes are bothering her and if they get swollen because she’s crying over In-ha, EvilStep will beat the crap out of him.  End of story.

In-ha runs down the stairs but stops short to watch his mother slowly make her way to the couch and read the morning papers, except they’re upside down and Yeong-rang doesn’t notice it.  EvilStep warns In-ha he’d better not let on that he knows – his mother’s pride is too strong for him to go against Yeong-rang’s wishes.  In-ha breaks down and has to clamp his hand over his own mouth to keep from being heard.

Ji-ho opens his birthday present from Yeong-rang, and suddenly decides to pay her a visit.  Which he does wearing his new shirt, but Yeong-rang mistakes Ji-ho for In-ha and chides him for going out so early in the morning.  She gets up to serve him some juice, but trips and falls right into Ji-ho’s arms.  And upon realizing that, boy is her face red now!

Yeong-rang tries to run away but knocks over a lamp in her escape.  Ji-ho cannot put his finger on what’s wrong with her, but fortunately EvilStep is there witnessing the whole thing.  As Ji-ho returns to his car, he’s obviously been given the scoop by EvilStep, because he suffers his own breakdown over the news.

Assistant Guy brings the stock sale money to Jung-wook, asking if this is the right thing for him to do.  Jung-wook says he’s doing it all for Ji-ho and make sure Attorney Dickweed’s passport is in order.  Ji-ho suddenly bursts into the office and demands to know where Attorney Creep-Face is… because he’s GOING TO KILL THAT GUY.

Nighttime at Incheon Airport, Attorney Butthead approaches a man who was sent by Jung-wook in order to receive his funds and new passport.  Reaching down for the bag by the guy’s feet, Attorney Dumb-Bunny takes off towards the gates… but is grabbed by Ji-ho instead.  Seeming completely stunned to see Ji-ho there, Attorney Choi is told that the two of them have unfinished business to attend to.

Attorney Choi attempts to run away, but is surrounded by Jung-wook’s henchmen on all sides.  Somehow, he invokes his Lawyerly Powers and gets away from the thugs, running up the escalator to get away.  Jung-wook gets a call to head over to Incheon right away, but then he’s interrupted by In-ha, who tells Jung-wook that the two of THEM have unfinished business to attend to.  In-ha wants to know the whereabouts of Attorney You-Hurt-My-Mommy-And-You-Will-DIE as well!

Welp, Our Boys’ questions are about to be answered, since Attorney Choi is caught on the landing between gates and in the middle of two groups of thugs waiting to haul ass on him.  Except Ji-ho parts the group like the Red Sea, all the while Attorney Choi asks if he’s there for revenge for his mother.  Ji-ho answers that with a nice right cross to Attorney Bullshit’s chin and he goes flying.

Attorney Choi tells Ji-ho to just kill him then.  Ji-ho is definitely his mother’s son, so killing someone would be a piece of cake, right?  Ji-ho decides he likes cake, so he pushes Attorney Choi almost over the edge of the railing.  At that same minute, Yeong-rang drops another coffee cup in the kitchen, possibly foreshadowing that something is horribly wrong?

Ji-ho dangles Attorney Choi a bit farther over the railing, while telling him what a state Yeong-rang is in because of him.  Wait a minute… Ji-ho revises that statement to say what a state HIS MOTHER is in because of Attorney Choi?!?

Attorney Choi tells Ji-ho he shouldn’t have come back after leaving for the States.  It’s all his fault, since Attorney Choi wouldn’t have gone this far.  Ji-ho thinks he needs to lift more weights, as he pushes Attorney Choi farther over the railing.

At that moment, In-ha arrives and yells at Ji-ho to stop!  Ji-ho barely hears him, and instead orders Attorney Choi to beg his mother for forgiveness!!!  Ji-ho lifts Attorney Choi up one last time, as In-ha screams out ANDAYEO, HYUNG!!!  We close out Episode 28 frozen on In-ha’s pleading face!

Air Date: 18 November 2012

Ratings: AGB Nielsen Nationwide 12.3% (7th) / Seoul 12.7% (7th); TNmS Nationwide 11.5% (8th) / Seoul 11.9% (7th)

Flowers and Brickbats

Episode 28 should have been subtitled “And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Tears.”  I think I went through an entire box of kleenex on the first viewing (and I’m amazed I didn’t wake up my neighbors that early with my sobbing), and couldn’t hold back again upon this viewing.  Not a moment too soon to make with the Redemption Theme, though — we only have two more episodes after this one, and it would feel too rushed and forced if the PD-nim waited until Episode 29 to start the process.

And we have come full-circle, with almost-deaths due to blows to the head to both Yoo Man-se and Chae Yeong-rang… only Yeong-rang actually came out of hers alive, and if Dead Burnt-Up Dad actually survived the fire, he probably would have as well.  But then we wouldn’t have a show now, right?

Funny how the episodes go in arcs, with certain characters playing a featured part in each.  Episode 28 was most definitely the Yoo In-ha Show, with the highlight being Yeong-rang finally figuring out that her poor widdle In-ha is exactly a carbon copy of his dead father and she should have dealt with him AGES ago, but was sidelined by her intense hatred for Ji-ho instead.  I was half-expecting In-ha to formulate one last evil chance to regain control of Boosung, but after the seizure of all the household goods to satisfy the bankruptcy, you could see the look of resignation in his eyes.  In-ha had several chances to visit Crazy Land again — which I was half-expecting him to do —  but stick a fork in him; he’s done.  Still had to needle Ji-ho one last time, eh In-ha?  Hell, if I was Ji-ho, I wouldn’t have cold-cocked you into the appetizers; you’d be dangling off the balcony of the hospital again like in Episode 5!

EvilStep also deserves great kudos for her tour de force performance.  Just like Man-se said at the beginning of the show when CrazyGran was diagnosed with Alzeimer’s that he wanted to ‘replace her brain at all costs,’ EvilStep wants her own eyes plucked out and given to Young-rang so she can see!!  I am unsure whether EvilStep meant that to help out Yeong-rang or that she saw her meal ticket slowly fading away since Yeong-rang was losing her eyesight.  (But I do apologize for laughing at that one line.  Mianhae.)  A character that we thought was only out for Number One turns out to actually have somewhat of a soft spot for her little nuclear family.  Applause!

And did the writers think that Ji-ho was going to completely dismiss over 15 years of mental anguish over being gifted One Blue Shirt?  In a nice riff-back to Episode 3, Yeong-rang bought Little Ji-ho a blue dress shirt to show her sincerity to him being brought into the Yoo Family Home.  Dang, if that was the case, I would have cornered the market on blue dress shirts in my lifetime!

But for Yeong-rang to finally accept Ji-ho as her son doesn’t really play into a ‘rehabilitation’ of her character per se; I feel it is more of a ‘persecution’ in that she was actually hurt trying to protect Ji-ho from the 1×4 and she’s going to have to suffer that guilt until she dies.  She always thought of herself as untouchable up until now, so for her household to go bankrupt and Boosung being taken over by Ji-ho/Gloria probably knocked her pride down a peg or two.  And blind people do still go to prison; it’s up to Ji-ho and Jung-wook to follow through on their plans to jail her and In-ha (as Ji-ho mentioned towards the end of this episode, In-ha’s lookin’ at some serious Big House Time).   Besides, her impending blindness isn’t that damaging to a pianist; you don’t have to be able to see in order to play (i.e., George Shearing as a great example).  I would have much preferred the writers to make her hearing-impaired instead.  THAT would make her world crash and truly bring everything full circle in her framing of Dead Deaf Dad with total karma payback for all her evil actions!!

Only one tiny scene for Da-mi in Episode 28?  I guess the writers decided they were tired of her, just like the viewers decided a few episodes back.  (Don’t hit!)  Actually, Jin Se-yeon was off filming ‘Running Man’ at the same time as the filming of this episode and I guess couldn’t be in two places at once.  Not like that’s stopped other more seasoned actors from taking on side projects and still fulfilling their day jobs.  Hmpf.  (OW.  I said don’t hit!!!)

A lot has been written about the scene at the luncheon between In-ha and Yeong-rang, where Chae Si-ra slapped Ji Chang-wook’s face hard enough to mark him for hours afterwards.  SBS posted a “Making Of” video with the rehearsal footage where the PD-nim was showing her how to slap him for maximum effort.  Normally actors are taught how to ‘stage-slap,’ where you use a cupped hand — it makes a lot of sound but doesn’t leave a mark where hit.  Changwook instead told her she needed to not hold back and slap him hard if they were going to be taken seriously, and she obliged him.  That was one helluva slap!  Of course, as soon as the scene was cut, she apologized profusely but My Precious had a difficult time breaking out of his character and both of them stayed quite emotional for awhile thereafter, with Si-ra hugging and comforting him like he was her own son.  Sorry I don’t have the extra cash to upgrade my WordPress account, or I would post the video so you can see for yourselves.  But until I win the lottery, I’ll just have to put up some stills courtesy of SBS and Yein Entertainment… as soon as I find them.  ARGH.

And both Our Boys can sure cry like there’s no tomorrow.  Although Ji-ho’s sobbing scene went on for a little too long to where I was getting uncomfortable, I can see why and how — you don’t give up 15+ years of frustration and grief in a lousy 10 seconds.  Oh crap wait… I’m tearing up again.  *sniff*

Music Nerd Ramblings:  Nothing to see here; move along.  Well, not quite… this is why I HATE IT when an OST is rushed to production and released prior to a drama’s finale.  The orchestral incidental music played underneath Yeong-rang’s realization that she’s not gonna be okay is wonderful and poignant.  It is another original composition that takes the main theme and variations it up enough to make it sound like an entirely different piece.  Sadly, it never made it to the Official OST and we are much sadder for that exclusion.  Hopefully the Music Director will more than make up for it in Episode 29.  Yakseo?

Two more shows to go!  아자 아자 화이팅!!!!