[Drama Review] 'While You Were Sleeping' � Episodes 13 & 14

AKP STAFF

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING � EPISODES 13 & 14

So now we find out whose dad died on the bus. And so another precognitive person is revealed...

Jae Chan arrests Dae Hee after a fight. Yoo Bum leaves him to his fate. Hong Joo and Jae Chan agonize over Woo Tak being gravely injured�and feel a sense of obligation. A cable guy creepily drops his smile once he leaves an apartment, and leaves an ominous post on social media. Woo Tak "likes" the post.

As a boy, we see Woo Tak runoff during a funeral with the boy whose father died on the bus and watches the boy rage at his uncle. We finally get it -- he's Do Hak, the cable guy. In the present, the cops investigate what appears to be a ritual murder, and it's the woman who summoned the cable guy.

We find out that Woo Tak was only so demanding so that Hong Joo and Jae Chan would feel unburdened -- he dreamt about them agonizing over him. That night, Hong Joo calls Woo Tak and presses him about his relationship to Do Hak (thanks to her dream), but he denies knowing him. Not too much later, we see Do Hak there, asking Woo Tak to prove his innocence at all costs, while Hong Joo races to his aid... �

The bus. I was wondering about that. I always figured it was Woo Tak, but it's not. So that does confuse me. Where do their powers come from? How does one get from normal to having dreams about the future? What is the link? Or is there even a link to ponder? If they bring them all together, then what happens?

I like the idea of the obligation to Woo Tak. They always danced around the issue somewhat in K-Dramas, but they never brought it to the front as a plot point. At least not so obviously. I like the way they brought that out -- and the way Woo Tak solved it was cute. They just keep cementing the fact that Woo Tak is your classic nice guy. But, I was hoping for some flaw that would maybe tarnish his knight's armor, and maybe Do Hak is that flaw.

Speaking of Do Hak, I wonder why he maintains his innocence? The circumstantial evidence certainly points to him. And what of the social media post -- "should I teach them a lesson?" is pretty foreboding as a post. And the ritual murder -- that's odd as well. Maybe it's a split personality caused by witnessing his dad's death?

I think these two episodes were particularly effective they way they balanced light and dark. Shopping at the store while Woo Tak makes unreasonable demands? Fun and light. But the ritual murder near the end of 14, and the fight at the beginning of Episode 13? Non-stop amusement park thrill ride. I'm loving this drama, and hope they can keep this up. �

This installment was amazing. Almost as good as the first two. One thing I was grateful for is they didn't seem to re-use much�if any, footage. The episodes are usually so tight, they don't need to. I think the half-hour format is effective for this, and maybe this is the future of dramas? I can't say. What I can say is that they did a fantastic job here.