The Blue Night of Jeju II
Episode 14 of Extraordinary Attorney Woo begins with Myeong-Seok in hospital. He has stage 3 stomach cancer and intends to get surgery when he heads back to the mainland after this case.
Young-Woo, ever the optimist, points out the stats surrounding survival rate which is only 30-40%. Young-Woo knows that Myeong-Seok needs to eat and wonders whether they should try and find the owner of Haengbok Noodles so he can experience this again in case he passes away. Surprisingly, even Min-Woo is all-in on this idea too!
So off everyone goes to try and find the owner, including heading to a rival noodle place and asking around the neighbourhood. No one seems to know where the guy is after shutting down the restaurant. It would appear that Haengbok Noodles just couldn’t change with the times but is there more to this story than that? We’re about to find out…
That night, Jun-Ho watches as a strange man heads up to the site of Haengbok Noodles. He’s actually one of the old chefs from Haengun Noodles (their rivals) and he grabs some cat food.
Caught in the act, Jun-Ho quizzes just what he’s doing. It turns out he used to work in the kitchen before jumping ship. The owner of Haengun Noodles recruited him but the man is quick to point out that Haengbok Noodles was the definitive original.
Haengbok originally did well because word got out about how good the restaurant was. This guy was then recruited to start cooking noodles for Haengun, meaning they essentially stole the same business idea, went bigger with marketing and promotion and stole all the customers. As a result, the owner of Haengbok was forced to close. It would appear that he’s gone off to find a place where “mountains and waters are nice.”
When Young-Woo hears this, she wonders whether it could be Mountain Water Nursing Home. So off Young-Woo goes to the Nursing Home. The owner’s mother actually stays there and the owner of the noodle shop showed up yesterday so they just missed him. It would appear he’ll be coming back in a month’s time but that doesn’t really help them right now.
After 17 minutes of this side quest, we finally return to the main boss of the game. That being, of course, the Cultural Heritage case with Mr Kim. Young-Woo steps up and breaks down the financial aid and the help this temple is receiving. She asks about the budget breakdown and whether it would be possible to check the money but her question is deemed sarcastic by the judge and the defendants, taking everyone aback. Even worse, the Cultural Heritage Act is pretty much a surefire thing so it doesn’t seem like they have much of a leg to stand on.
A frustrated Young-Woo heads to the hospital, asking Myeong-Seok for legal counsel. However, his ex-wife Ji-Su is there and naturally, Young-Woo brings up their awkward ties together. Uh oh! Watching the two attorneys chat, Ji-Su realizes exactly why she left him in the first place. She always felt lonely and wasn’t happy as a result.
Hearing this, Young-Woo speaks to her father and points out that she wants to be someone who makes Jun-Ho happy but isn’t sure whether she’ll actually be able to. Speaking to Ji-Su, she contemplates whether this whole ordeal will just make Jun-Ho feel lonely when they’re together.
Off the back of this, Young-Woo speaks to Jun-Ho and doesn’t think they should date. Annoyingly, she doesn’t actually tell him why she thinks this and instead, gets distracted when Jun-Ho tells her something that Abbot said about “being blinded by what you see.”
As she begins rattling on about the case, completely oblivious to how heartbroken Jun-Ho is, she begins walking away. Poor Jun-Ho is left dumbfounded over Young-Woo’s comments.
In court, Young-Woo points out that the highway is public property. Using this argument, Young-Woo deduces that Mr Kim can’t be charged because he used public property and there’s not a charge for using land owned by the local government, linking back to public transit. The judge nods in agreement and as a result, Young-Woo wins the case for the team. However, there are bigger problems afoot.
Young-Woo decides not to ride with Jun-Ho home, thanks in part to the uncomfortable atmosphere with Jun-Ho. While Young-Woo leaves, Min-Woo encourages Jun-Ho to drown his sorrows in alcohol. Min-Woo believes that visiting Seung-Hui and overhearing them speaking is the reason for the break-up.
While Jun-Ho ends up passing out at home, Min-Woo and Su-Yeon chat on the balcony. Su-Yeon is confused by Min-Woo’s newfound niceties and eventually Min-Woo learns that she likes him. While the pair stare at one another as if it’s the end of the episode, Young-Woo and the others end up seeing them and decide to head back to the karaoke there were visiting, with Geurami deciding that her shattered heart needs music to liven her up.
With the Hwangjisa ticket booth closed and free passage now allowed on the road, the gang stop by the temple at Hwangjisa one more time. Myeong-Seok speaks to the Abbott about the future of the lot of land. In fact, he decides they should get the local government involved and turn this into a foundation.
As it’s difficult to communicate with the government, Myeong-Seok decides that as they’re a law firm, they can help him out. Hanbada has a dedicated team that can straighten this out and get them the help they need. The Abbott decides to think it over but for now, he joins the other monks to share food.
Funnily enough, the noodles taste just like the ones Haengbok Noodles used to serve. And then it clicks. A place “where the mountains and waters are nice.” Yep, it turns out the chef here is actually the same one from Haengbok Noodles!
Young-Woo decides that, as attorneys, they can help out and stand by his name and claim unfair competition and the litany of laws and rules around that. Everyone rallies around this cause, with Myeong-Seok standing proudly as he hears his staff helps this man out.
As Myeong-Seok tastes the noodles and smiles, mentioning how good it tastes, Young-Woo watches Myeong-Seok’s smiling and happy face. Eventually it comes time for everyone to head home, where the attention turns back to Young-Woo’s parental ties.
Reporter Lee shows up to see CEO Han and tells her that Young-Woo is Su-Mi’s daughter. He knows this to be true… and Han even confirms it to him! She promises to tell him everything on one condition – he needs to publish the article right before Su-Mi’s confirmation hearing. He’s also forbid from speaking to Young-Woo until after the article is released too. A sly smile crosses her lips.
The Episode Review
Episode 14 is all about the character subplots, as we take a proverbial deep breath before next week’s final two chapters. Young-Woo ends up breaking up with Jun-Ho, which is quite the heartbreaking resolution to their issues, while Min-Woo and Su-Yeon are suddenly shipping each other, which feels like it’s come out the blue.
However, in reality there have been a lot of subtle scenes hinting toward the fact these two could get together. They’re quite similar and we’ve seen some awkward moments between them across the episodes thus far. Is it enough to redeem Min-Woo for his actions? You guys will have to be the judge of that one! Personally, I can understand why Min-Woo has acted in the way he has, especially after learning about the hyper-competitive work field in South Korea, as well as Min-Woo’s struggles back home.
Speaking of struggles, Myeong-Seok’s past and his dedication to work end up causing one heck of a moral dilemma for Young-Woo who sees a piece of herself and Jun-Ho’s future in the way these two interact. Realizing that Jun-Ho will always be second best to her work (and, well, third best if you count whales and dolphins!) it seems she’s done this to try and save him the bhurt further down the line.
Either way, the case basically plays second fiddle to this character-driven ensemble again, with everything here hearing up for a dramatic final two episodes to come. Will our characters find happiness? We’ll have to wait and find out!
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Episode Rating
What’s the 2nd song Kim Min-sik is singing karaoke. It has 🎶 My love…. Sorry, I’m not Korean but liked that song back in the 90s.
I was so disappointed myself in the Jeju island episodes. I just finished episode 15, though better than The Jeju island story arc, I am still quite disappointed in Lee Jun Ho. Why does he not fight for Attorney Woo? I loved this drama till episode 12, not sure who wrote the subsequent episodes though. They never quite declared their love, like Caro had expected that aspect to be addressed in the Jeju island episodes. Could not understand why the good girl is shipping the tactician out of the blue. And why on earth is Lee Jun Ho so passive when it comes to convincing Attorney Woo of his love. This Kdrama romance is falling short of the deep love shown in other Kdramas unfortunately.
I disagree with Caro on one point, they need not have shown he has an autistic sister. Because that perpetuates the idea that you can only love an autistic person if you have some similar family member. It is sort of that same pity story. I love the fact that this show showed that Lee Jun Ho fell in love with Attorney Woo just like any man falls in love with a woman, no rescue complex here.
Caro’s script ideas in the comments above are SO much better than the actual episodes 13 and 14. I think whoever wrote those scripts should be fired and hire Caro instead.
With only 2 episodes left I am so nervous for how EAW will end. For me EAW peaked at episode 10 and picked back up on 12, but am disappointed that 13 and 14 seemed to have gone downhill for me.
Episode 13 was hilarious though and I appreciate the scenery change of Jeju island. Myeong-seok dressed in a bright orange Hawaiian shirt while singing and clapping with Geurami and Hairy is priceless. While cancer is arguably a cliche Kdrama disease, it’s not unrealistic in this situation and I appreciate this show addressing the legal industry’s culture of overwork that’s driving many lawyers to neglect their health and love life in the name of career advancement.
But a few things bother me, especially regarding Yeong-woo and Jun-ho’s romance. We only got to see them kiss in episodes 10-11, but we have yet to see them make their relationship official (sorry Jun-ho) and go on dates that the both of them actually enjoy and find meaningful.
And before we have a chance to feast our eyes and hearts in some unbridled romantic moments other than that first kiss, we are now already presented with not one, not two but THREE fucking episodes where our whale couple’s relationship has been straining. And while I’m still a big fan of the show, my patience is running thin.
I think with Jun-ho upset that Yeong-woo said they’re not dating in episode 12, I would have liked to see Yeong-woo punished in episode 13. No lunch together. No dolphin talk. Yeong-woo asked Geurami what would have changed if she and Jun-ho officially declared their relationship. The point could have been made that if Jun-ho and Yeong-woo aren’t dating, they both lose the companionship that had been central to Yeong-woo’s stability at Hanbada. We could also see another girl flirting with Jun-ho now that he’s not eating with Yeong-woo or walking her home, and Jun-ho feeling torn apart because despite the legit options he has, it’s Yeong-woo who has his heart. This could have been an opportunity for Jun-ho to re-centre his perspective and for Yeong-woo to learn to step up her game in this relationship that should be a two way street. I would have wanted episode 13 to be about Jun-ho and Yeong-woo finding their way back to each other and making the home stretch count.
I think Jun-ho’s nuna is also a missed opportunity. If I were to rewrite this part, I’d write that Jun-ho got to see his whole family on Jeju, and we learn about his personal life, and likes and dislikes. He’d disinvite Yeong-woo, because, well, if she said they’re not dating, he has no business introducing her to his family. Punish Yeong-woo. Jun-ho would indulge in his mum’s cooking and be delighted for a break from gimbap.
I’d write that Jun-ho’s sister is younger and also on the autism spectrum, so Jun-ho’s mentioned volunteering work at the disabled organisation in Seoul is partly because he misses his sister. It would be interesting if the sister now works a simple job at a local business, but Jun-ho still provides some care for her. That’s why he’s working as a paralegal in Seoul–he decided against law school in order to be able to work years sooner and provide for his sister, but the sister is a lot more independent now. The sister would have been happy to see her oppa but disappointed that he didn’t bring his autistic girlfriend. Jun-ho would make some lame excuse, but his parents would see right through it and “whoa whoa” him, saying it’s maybe for the best. Because what would Jun-ho do in his old age, caring for not one autistic woman but two. The assumptions the parents make about Yeong-woo would push his buttons, but later in the visit Jun-ho would privately share a sweet moment with his sister.
Maybe the sister would show Jun-ho pictures of things like an autism professionals support group that she started and the difference they’re making to the community. Maybe the sister is in love with an autistic man in the group that’s on a different place in the spectrum, and shares funny misunderstandings Jun-ho can relate to and learn from. She assures Jun-ho that she isn’t worried about the future because despite the difficulties of her condition, she knows what value she does bring to the table, and with the help of a few loved ones she is ready to face the world. She makes Jun-ho promise to visit more often.
And then it would be the sister’s voice of reason that drives Jun-ho to re-pursue Yeong-woo early in episode 14. He would bring flowers and they would walk by the beach. He would apologise, because after all it is his fault for never having declared his love for Yeong-woo and just assuming she’s his girlfriend and being mad when she doesn’t reciprocate the unspoken assumption. He would explain that misunderstandings and hurt feelings are part and parcel of relationships–even neurotypical couples struggle with them, and the challenge is even greater for our neurodiverse whale couple. Yes, loving Yeong-woo is indeed hard, and being told they weren’t dating by the woman he loves is an example of that. That at the end of the day he’s human: he gets mad, he gets disappointed, his pride gets hurt, and sometimes Yeong-woo would be the one triggering these emotions. Likewise, vice versa. But as he said before he is still going to love Yeong-woo and they are both going to figure this out. While as the neurotypical person Jun-ho may need to be the one walking extra miles, it would also be an empowering experience for Yeong-woo to learn to meet Jun-ho towards the middle. They won’t always get it right, and hurt feelings will sometimes get in the way because they’re human, but what matters is that they both learn their lessons and keep trying. Saranghae. They kiss. Dolphins appear. They’re both elated.
I actually kinda liked the hunt for the owner of Haengbok Noodles, but if I were to rewrite it, Jun-ho and Yeong-woo would be their own canvassing team. He would steal moments in their hunt to make it a date and show Yeong-woo the things he does like. Actually I don’t know what Jun-ho likes because EAW has never shown him doing anything in his spare time other than getting drunk. But I’d like to see him introduce Yeong-woo to his childhood pleasures that he could hardly do in Seoul, like scenic treks to waterfalls (after all they are looking for a place where the mountains and waters are lovely), kayaking at the beach, visiting a vintage bookstore and listening to a street busker with an acoustic guitar who happens to be singing about dolphins. Squeeze hug Yeong-woo to protect from sensory overload, but this time she’s smiling and relaxed instead of crying and hyperventilating.
One thing he can’t do though is take Yeong-woo to try the local foods he loves. So they join Hairy and Geurami, who happen to be searching for Haengbok sajangnim at the wet market to no avail. Jun-ho would talk about his food cravings, so the four of them go shopping for the ingredients to Jun-ho’s favourite dishes. Hairy and Jun-ho would cook the food Jun-ho likes, while Geu-rami and Yeong-woo use the same ingredients to invent a messy gimbap version of it.
I’d like Yeong-woo to also finally meet Jun-ho’s autistic sister at the team’s final visit to Hwangjisa Temple. Maybe the autistic professionals support group was going to collaborate with the Temple but now that’s not happening because Hanbada winning the case has cost the Temple a significant income source. So the solution: Myeong-seok’s whole proposition about Hanbada helping Hwangjisa start a foundation. That way Hwangjisa can not only keep up with the Temple’s maintanence etc but also support organisations doing good for the community like that of Jun-ho’s sister.
Also I’d like there to be a point being made about it taking a village to sustain a neurodivergent couple, and that despite the resistance he’s encountered so far, Jun-ho’s autistic sister and the Hanbada/Hairy’s people on this trip are Jun-ho’s village behind his love for Yeong-woo.
That’s how I’d rewrite Jun-ho and Yeong-woo’s relationship for episode 13-14. I think what they would have needed in episodes 13-14 was to find their way back to each other and rekindle the romance, because some rough shit is coming their way in episode 15, with Yeong-woo looking to be outed as Tae Su-mi’s estranged illegitimate daughter. I wonder if Jun-ho too would be outed as Tae Su-mi’s autistic’s daughter’s boyfriend, and whether this would jeopardise his career at Hanbada. This would take Jun-ho by surprise, and I think, not only test his relationship with Yeong-woo but also his friendship with Kwon Min-woo, if he somehow found out about the Tactician’s deal with Taesan.
I want more than anything for Jun-ho and Yeong-woo to have a happy ending, and for it not to be rushed. I read theories that later episodes would see Yeong-woo and Jun-ho stargazing for the Delphinus constellation (based on Yeong-woo’s bucket list) and they would get married in the finale, which up to episode 10 I could totally see happening. Another drama with a similar structure is Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, where the leads’ relationship hit a rough spot in episodes 13-14, but by 15, an outing of the man’s secret demons brought them back together stronger. But the difference is, in HCCC there is a balance of exposition between both leads’ lives and backgrounds. Whereas in EAW it has been a very Yeong-woo centred show and Jun-ho had only barely played second fiddle to her.
Since EAW episodes 12, 13 and 14 have seen an increasing strain on Jun-ho and Yeong-woo’s relationship, and how lonely the journey has been for him in the absence of a supporting village, I doubt that marriage theory would prove to be true. In fact I’m pretty sure that EAW won’t end with so much as a proposal, let alone a wedding. They’re so close to the ending but still at this “are we or are we not a couple” stage and it’s been dragging too long that there’s not much hope EAW would end beyond Jun-ho saying “Woo Yeong-woo byeonhosa–actually, can I call you Yeong-woo-ya?–will you be my girlfriend?” or the other way around. And given the current developments, I’m actually open to a 50/50 chance of whether our whale couple would even end up together at all, because the odds are so against Jun-ho and I don’t want a happy ending to come forced either.
The last two episodes of attorney Woo was exemplary. Bringing up the different concepts with the attorney becoming ill which saddened me but realistic from the stress and the things that he been through and then looking at what happened at jeju Island was unique within itself. I’m looking forward to the next episode about attorney oo and finding out about her mother but the dirtiness I’m waiting to see what’s going to happen.
I absolutely loved the first 12 episodes of this amazing series but I just feel heartbroken after these last two episodes 13 & 14)
How can this beautiful story filled with hope and insight possibly be concluded in any kind of satisfying way in the last two episodes? I’m so disappointed I don’t think I can bear to watch…