[Drama Review] 'Angel Eyes' - Episode 9

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ANGEL EYES EPISODE 9

Ji Woon walks home in the rain, going over everything in his head, putting it all together, likely beating himself up over why he didn't see it sooner. Ji Woon is angrier than I've ever seen him here. He goes about his day with frown and furrowed brow, his trademark smile gone.� When Dong Joo transfers a patient to the hospital, Ji Woon does not receive him kindly. After they discuss their problem over drinks, Ji Woon actually punches Dong Joo and knocks him to the floor. That shocked me -- I've never seen him get violent before.

Ji Woon still doesn't quite get that Soo Wan is taken, or even why. They sit down and eat together, and he brings up that she didn't even like Dong Joo as Dylan until she found out his true identity. Ji Woon doesn't have all the pieces of the puzzle yet, and can't understand that Dong Joo hid himself precisely so that�Soo Wan and the people around her would not get hurt. She tells Ji Woon he's free to hate her.

Hye Joo has her own subplot, too. Teddy helps set her up as a babysitter for little Jin Mo while Woon Chan and he are at work. Despite his misgivings, Woon Chan agrees. It's so cute the way Teddy has a crush on her, and I love the way he talks about her. We don't see too much of it this episode, but when he says her American name, Ellie, it's extremely endearing. Hye Joo calls Soo Wan over to enjoy some pumpkin pie. Hye Joo is extremely sorry for having left without saying goodbye. She tells Soo Wan when Dong Joo came back to America, he was very hurt, and Hye Joo makes Soo Wan promise to make him happy.� �

Dong Joo is absolutely floored when he hears the tape of Jung Hwa's voice that Soo Wan plays while she cooks. Jung Hwa, before her death, recorded cassettes so that Soo Wan could prep and cook different dishes according to her instructions. Soo Wan plays them now to feel comfortable, but this is the first time Dong Joo's heard them. He listens to them, memories come flooding back to him; Soo Wan cradles his head while he weeps and kisses his tears away. Jung Hwa's death was a powerful thing; it affected just about every character profoundly, and seeing the flashbacks brought tears to my eyes.

Director Yoon will not be convinced that Dong Joo is right for his daughter. Soo Wan tries to persuade him, but to no avail. I'm still unclear on this. Let's get this straight. He loves Dong Joo like a son, he wants his Soo Wan to be happy -- so he doesn't want them together? I have a feeling it has to do with the guilt that he feels regarding�Jung Hwa's death. Director Yoon has carried this around for more than a decade, so much that it's become a part of him. Despite Young Ji's assurances, he knows there's no excuse for what he did.

Soo Wan and Dong Joo are at times cute, at other times tragic.� There's a beautiful sequence in which�Soo Wan playfully offers Dong Joo the use of a first aid kit, acting for all the world like an EMT calling in for medical advice, and then tenderly treats the split lip he received from Ji Woon. On a more serious note, Both she and Dong Joo hate themselves for not telling anyone about their love, but they agree to feel bad about what they've done to others, not to each other. Soo Wan confesses to Dong Joo that seeing Ji Woon smile when she told Ji Woon she wasn't meant for him was what hurt the most. The scene at the end involving Jung Hwa was bittersweet.

Young Ji had less screen time in this episode, but that doesn't make her actions any less creepy. Not only does she confirm that Director Yoon made sure Jung Hwa's eyes went to Soo Wan, she also orders her informants to dig into Dong Joo's past. Her actions make me nervous, and at the same time, keep me watching. So far she's been pretty low-key, but it will be interesting to see what she does with the information that her informants bring her on not only Dong Joo�but also Dr. Choi.

I like where this is going. Hye Joo's back, and they treat her as no less important than anyone else. Seeing Jung Hwa was nice, even if it was for a short time, and Dong Joo's reaction to hearing her voice was completely understandable. I really like the interplay between Soo Wan and Dong Joo. The two actors that play them really have a great chemistry, and my misgivings about seeing them as adults have been alleviated. It's not hard to believe at all that they were first loves to one another. Is it hard to believe that this is part of why I look forward to the weekend?
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