[Drama Review + Giveaway] 'Pinocchio' - Episode 9, Winner Announced, + Caption Contest Giveaway!

Park Shin Hye, Lee Jong Suk, Lee Yu Bi, Kim Young Kwang

While Cha Ok's cold exterior finally starts to thaw, secrets are unveiled, alliances are drawn, and danger in the form of Jae Myeong draws near. As usual, we have another jam-packed episode, but how do the viewers feel about these new developments?

First topic I would like to comment on is Cha Ok's character. In this episode, I think we get to see that Cha Ok isn't a completely heartless woman. She did love her daughter at some point and seeing all those text messages In Ha sent her over the years did move her. When In Ha mentions that Cha Ok used to give In Ha the whites of her eggs, In Ha also indicates that the mother-daughter pair used to have a more loving relationship than what we see now.

Cha Ok seems to have once been a loving mother, but in the end, she chose her career over In Ha, and I can't help but wonder why? Why is she so committed to her career that she puts it above everything else, even her own family? Maybe she's trying to prove something? Maybe she just loves the news world that much? Whatever it is, I hope that her stubbornness subsides just a bit so she can maybe focus less on news and more on bonding with her daughter because In Ha's love for her is too adorable not to reciprocate!

Except now that In Ha has found out about how cruel Cha Ok was to Jae Myeong and Dal Po, I'm not sure her love for her mom will ever be the same. In fact, during this episode we even see In Ha and Dal Po slowly turning away from their families because they disagree with the choices their families had made. While In Ha is horrified by her mother's cold-heartedness, Dal Po is in shock over the likely possibility that Jae Myeong is a murderer. In Ha and Dal Po don't like what their families have become and are now even protecting each other from their families. While In Ha immediately runs to Dal Po and crumbles at the thought of his pain inflicted by her mother, Dal Po tells In Ha to stay away from Jae Myeong because he regards his brother to be a dangerous man.

In a sense, In Ha and Dal Po seem to be choosing each other over their own families. At this point, they no longer ally themselves with their flawed family members. Instead, they stick to each other, not only because they're currently boyfriend and girlfriend but also because they've already been a family--a team--for so many years. Despite not being blood related, they know each other best, even better than their estranged family members do. As sad as it is, it makes sense for In Ha to defy her mother for Dal Po or for Dal Po to protect In Ha from Jae Myeong because in the end, they were the ones who were there for each other through thick and thin--not Cha Ok, not Jae Myeong.

It's refreshing to see a drama that shows a romantic pair choosing each other over family, a pair that doesn't feel leashed to their family members' decisions just because they're blood-related. It's kind of sad too. Maybe I'm too traditional, but as I watch In Ha turn away from Cha Ok and Dal Po face off Jae Myeong, a part of me dies on the inside seeing these families breaking down.

Highlights:

Interesting that Dal Po decides to go "Cap" Gyo Dong first for advice on how his brother might possibly be a murderer. Guess "Cap" is like a mentor to Dal Po now.

Okay, WHAT is Gong Joo getting sprayed by here?! A bidet?! Whatever it is, grossss.

Wait, is this allowed? I mean, I'll go along with it for the drama, but I'm wondering if in real life, reporters are allowed to ride the ambulance with a victim and record them on their phone (without victim's permission?). And should the ambulance riders really be telling a reporter what they think is wrong with the victim?

Is even the nurse allowed to tell just ANYONE the victim's condition? I don't know, I feel like this violates the victim's privacy or something.

Cameraman Joo Ho is sensing them murder vibes.

D'awwwwww, the TRUST.

Beom Jo's hand continues to suffer from In Ha's love for killer high-fives.

Awwwww she gets so happy over every nice thing her mom does. It's cute <3.

Round two!

No reaction? Nothing? AT ALL? WHY ARE YOU NOT MOVED--HE THOUGHT HE WAS SAVING YOU.

Elevator squish! Beom Jo wins points for making this happen.

And this too! Awwww, well, when you say it like that Beom Jo-ya, it makes your 13 years of text message hoarding a little less creepy. Just a little.

Ho Sang's name is finally cleared and he gets the post-mortem respect he deserves.

Meanwhile, Ho Sang's sons are starting to become enemies as Dal Po gets closer to the sickening truth that his brother is a murderer.

Dal Po continues to try to protect Jae Myeong, probably conflicted as to how to deal with this. Poor Dal Po....

Oh damn--I knew that trophy was too sharp not to be used as a weapon.

Eek, to top off having his dead father villainized by the world, Jae Myeong wasn't home the night that his mother and brother decided to commit suicide.

Dayum. Even after all he's been through, Cha Ok still has the guts to tell him what she thinks. Did she say this to deflect his accusations? Or because she really believed that he came from a family of pathetic villains?

Whatever Cha Ok thought, In Ha is done with her. Awww... just when they were about to revive their mother-daughter bond.

Wow, such a small detail, a single shoe, turns out to be the puzzle piece In Ha needed to figure everything out. Pretty cool that the drama planned all this out!

Now that In Ha finally knows the truth about Dal Po's family, what does this mean for our couple? My guess is that this will probably make them closer as a pair with In Ha wanting to protect Dal Po from the news world that hurt him and Dal Po wanting to protect In Ha from his brother.

Caption Contest Winner:

And now, what you've all probably been waiting for--the caption contest winner! Last week, we asked for you to come up with a caption for an episode 7 screencap. Congratulations to sjktaslchristine for coming up with the winning caption!:

Your prize? Ailee's autographed first mini-album 'Invitation'! 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 caption 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 18!