After trying his best to protect Jae Myeong and In Ha by lying here and there, Dal Po resolves to focus on being a good reporter and get his family justice via the news world rather than on being a good brother or a good boyfriend.

SEE ALSO: Park Shin Hye is praised for her timeless appearance

Dal Po has had this desire to be more truthful in broadcasts for a while now--ever since episode 7--but we've definitely seen him stumble after realizing the likely possibility of his brother being a murderer. Conflicted over wanting to protect his brother, he covers for Jae Myeong, allowing him to enjoy his moment of fame for just a bit longer. His feelings for In Ha have also hindered him from going against his enemies in the news world with full force. We saw in episode 10 that when Dal Po finally had the opportunity to "howl" at Cha Ok in front of everybody, he couldn't do it with In Ha in his peripheral vision. In the end, In Ha had to step up and do the public rebuking for him.

Dal Po realizes that in order to be the just, truthful reporter that he wants to be, he has to turn Jae Myeong in to the police and (temporarily?) take a break from In Ha. Surprisingly, both Jae Myeong and In Ha are already steps ahead of Dal Po; they both make the first move, showing Dal Po just how much they want to see him accomplish his goals. While Jae Myeong texts Dal Po evidence of his murder to nudge him in the right direction, In Ha breaks up with Dal Po.

I like the progress this episode made, but I have to say that the plot twist pulled at the end, when Jae Myeong reveals that he actually wanted Dal Po to turn him in all along, was a weird surprise. This drama is usually good at shocking the viewers, especially with its fast pace when it comes to revelations and developments, but for some reason, I had a hard time accepting that Jae Myeong would set this up. I know that Jae Myeong is a kind soul deep down, but prior to this, we saw a really dark side of him, so dark that he was going on a killing rampage. He hasn't just killed one person--he's killed three, and he was on his way to making that murder toll go up to five. He has been really committed to this revenge up to now; it seems strange that he would allow Dal Po to take his operation revenge down a more peaceful, less violent route. 

 

I'm also really curious as to what Dal Po's idea of revenge is. Does he plan to just make Cha Ok look bad on TV? Destroy her news channel? Ruin her news career?

As for Dal Po's breakup with In Ha, as sad as it was, we K-Drama viewers knew it had to happen at some point. K-Dramas always invent a way to separate the lead couple and then bring them back together in the end for a happy reunion. Usually K-Dramas use reasons such as family disapprovals, car accidents, amnesia, secret illnesses, etc. to tear their star-crossed lovers apart. I appreciate that In Ha and Dal Po's breakup didn't rely on such cliches and was actually for Dal Po's own good. I'm predicting that they will probably get back together once Dal Po gets his revenge, so I'm not too worried about this couple's future. 

Highlights:

We start with a reminder of what hyung said in the past...

... and what actually happened. Sad reunion is sad :(

And then the awkward small talk. I expected more hugs and happiness than this, but considering the circumstances, I guess it makes sense that they're not leaping for joy. 

In Ha manhandling Beom Jo like a bawss. 

Leaving Beom Jo to feel like a loser. Aww, poor puppy. 

Wow. Gong Joo is one of the nicest bosses ever, giving In Ha a day off for giving a higher up a verbal smackdown in public. Would this ever happen in real life? Probably not. 

Go Dong makes another really nice boss, letting Dal Po do whatever he needs to do to protect his brother from the news. Would this ever happen in real life? It would be nice if it did. 

]

Of course, Yoo Rae doesn't find Go Dong so nice, assigning her awesome story to Dal Po instead of her. Dat pout. 

Okay, the blame game here was a bit ridiculous. You can't blame a guy who was in high school at the time for his mother's decisions. You don't know he could've stopped her. You don't know that she wouldn't have just tried again and again. 

You can't completely blame Cha Ok, either, because, again, it was the mom's decision in the end. Not anyone else's. 

You can't blame yourself, either, because it was your brother's decision to murder!! Of course, it's understandable why Dal Po would blame himself, why Jae Myeong would decide to just waste his life away killing other people, but if the awesome drama 'I Hear Your Voice' taught us anything, you're responsible for your own actions (Min Joon Gook, I'm lookin' at you). You can't blame anyone for provoking you. You have a choice. You can stop yourself. 

Looks like Yoo Rae had one too many shots of soju.

"Ew." 

"Nah, nah it's good. I'll just attach this bag to ma face." #drunksolutions

'Kay, back to reducing Dal Po to an eggroll.

We've all seen this before. Second lead has a chance to be the hero. 

But I don't think I've seen this before! Second lead does the most heroic thing possible and calls up the boyfriend. Major, major, MAJOR points, Beom Jo. 

When your daughter looks like she's gonna vomit...

...just cover her with a coat.  #DalPyeongsolutions

Ohayyy, couple shirts! 

Oh, is he? I wonder what Dal Pyeong's been up to lately. 

Drunk In Ha is strangely nonchalant about the idea of Dal Po leaving her. Guess alcohol makes you numb to both judgment and emotions. 

D'awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. 

In Ha continues to be a bawss this episode as she tells Dal Po to get it together. 

Then proceeds to give him the saddest. Kiss. Ever.

The heart wants what it wants, bruh. 

Ahhh the dream he had about In Ha and his family back in episode 3 makes sense now. Dal Po's wish is to live in harmony with his family and In Ha, but in reality, his family has broken down and In Ha is a distraction from his getting his family's revenge. 

Soooo... how did Dal Po not recognize his brother's phone number? Did Jae Myeong get a new phone just so he could set this all up? Why did Dal Po not question how his informant knew his number? 

Well, with this random plot twist, Dal Po now moves onward to get his family's revenge. 

Caption Contest: 

And now for the caption contest winner! Last week, we asked for you to come up with a caption for an episode 9 screencap. Congratulations to RhondaGore for coming up with the winning caption!:

Your prize? San E's autographed second mini album 'NOT'! You'll be receiving a private message shortly for further instructions on receiving your prize. Congratulations!

Here is another screenshot for our next caption contest! Remember, in order to win, you have to write a caption for the following screenshot. Simply write in the comment below how you would caption the picture. Be funny, be clever, and keep it short. We will pick a winner next week on December 26! 

Give your funny bone a tickle and get to commenting! Please keep in mind that those who spam will be disqualified. Good Luck!