Daemul - eps 9-12

[dangermousie]

This was going to be a much earlier post, but then the end of ep 12 happened and my heart sort of died.

But eventually I revived enough to cap because this stretch of eps is simply amazing and I felt I had to make a post on them.



So here it is, better late than never.



Here for the pretty:




The scene in prison is, hands down, my favorite shippy scene so far. That she is realizing how much she cares for him, that even in the midst of his life falling apart he is still concerned about her, the chemistry, their faces, everything!

















OK, this is just adorable, especially the part where she checks out his face while he's asleep and hides her face quickly when he momentarily wakes up. The thing is, their relationship manages to be both tentative and yet adult (I cannot stand when 30/40-somethings behave like 17-yr-old kids and this is not the case here).
















I would love an entire drama about Tae San and SI. They are magnetic and repulsive and just - the headgames that could be! Tae San scares the hell out of me, but he is also fascinating to watch and SI's darkness and damage are a match. I don't think they love each other, but she feels deep sympathy for him because she sees her own damage reflected in him, and he lets her in and lets to see his weaknesses and yes, his damage, when he doesn't let anyone else beneath the facade. Also, they are united in their vengeance plans against the same man - who happens to be her father. Seriously, they could be the Macbeths of this drama. The fact that they are committing adultery with this scene (he is married in a cold, arranged marriage) is the least of the moral issues between them. And it's totally hot and I want more! If Hye Rim and Do Ya are idealists, innocents let loose in a corrupt violent world, TS and SI aren't anything of the sort and know how to make the rules of that world work to their advantage.

















And afterwards, he is all "let's make this a one-time thing" to which she replies not to worry about it and accepts it coolly. I would seriously watch the hell out of a show centered on them.




I love them so much! Whatever else is dark, dirty, or complicated in their world, the two of them together never are.



And then this happened. This was seriously brutal to watch and emotionally kicked me in the stomach and then this post got delayed for hours while I processed. This was horrible horrible horrible. Side note - Kwon Sang Woo is a frelling amazing actor. It's easy to forget because he hasn't had to bother with some of his latest dramas - Cinderella Man, anyone? - but when he has a role that requires he does more than stand around looking gorgeous, oh boy does he deliver! This was viscerally uncomfortable to watch.







He calls Hye Rim but he can't really get the words out, she assumes it's not important and tells him she will call him later. Shaking here.




And then she finds out what she did.



At the funeral. Stop breaking my heart, drama!





I really wish more people on my flist were watching this - this is such a solid, well-written and phenomenally-acted drama. I know thought of 26 eps and politics may seem off-putting but the politics brings a dark, complex overtone, the leading characters are amazing, the supporting ones are interesting, and the love story is to die for!