Friday, May 16, 2014

You're All Surrounded: Needs further investigation

This show is a mystery to me. It’s such an odd mix of heartbreak and hilarity. This doesn’t mean I’m not enjoying it. I am. Just . . . not as much as I thought I would.

You’re not who I thought you were
One thing I love about Lee Seunggi is that charming twinkle in his eye. That sparkle can make even the jerkiest of characters appealing (if you haven’t seen his turn as the spoiled prince in The King 2 Hearts, you must move that to the top of your drama list post haste). But this new character is too damaged to sparkle. The poor boy watched someone choke the life out of his beloved mother right in front of his eyes. He’s allowed to be broken. And I give Seunggi props for his acting. Let’s face it, he kind of had one stock character in his repertoire up until now. Bitter, vengeful stoneface is something new, and he’s rocking the wounded, silent crankypants. I just miss the twinkle.

I Need a Suspension Bridge of Disbelief
It’s a TV show. Not everything has to make sense. But I have a hard time swallowing some of the “dangerous” situations. We meet Ji-yong as a young boy who throws himself into a fray of crazy teenage girls for his secret crush, and yet he hides under a bed and watches his own mother’s murder. I know she stopped him from revealing himself, but it seemed unbelievable to me that such a passionate, courageous kid could allow himself to stay hidden. I get it. The plot needs a traumatic backstory, so I can let that go. But then we meet psycho partygirl, who takes out four, highly-trained detectives in a strapless party dress. Maybe the guys didn’t know where to grab, but what happened to karate-kicking Soo-sun? She should have taken her down in ten seconds flat. And finally, the pipsqueak stalker this week manages to stab his totally aware-and-on-the-alert victim in a public park. The girl saw the police weren’t backing her up. Why didn’t she get out of the car? Scream for help when they pulled over? Call her new boyfriend on her cell phone? Or just beat the creepy perv with her purse? Let’s face it. He wasn’t that big.

Where’s the romance?
I assume Daegu and Soo-sun are the OTP, but there is precious little evidence to back this up (unless you count the sweet yellow umbrella moment from the flashbacks). Take the scene from Week 1 where the perp pushes them down the stairs and he lands on top of her. There was no awkward moment, no nervous eye contact, no hint of awareness, just a mad scramble to get the bad guy back. What a wasted opportunity! The two spend more time together in episode three as they enter the partners phase of their relationship. Again, she’s sleeping in the car and it looks like he’s going to do the caring-cover-her-with-a-jacket-move, but instead he tosses it over her head to mute her snoring. It’s funny. I like it. But I need some hearts and flowers somewhere.

Mom and Dad got issues
Maybe the older couple is truly the OTP, ‘cause there’s no denying their sparks. We meet Kim Sa-kyung when she waltzes into the precinct in her skintight leather skirt and slaps the fire out of Detective Seo. Talk about unprofessional. The next thing you know, she’s casually asking him to put medicated patches on her bare shoulder. We are missing a LOT of information on these two, but the attraction is obvious. Daegu and Soo-sun could take a lesson from their sunbaes.

Daegu-Daegu
Such a little thing, but I just love how the others call him Daegu-Daegu. It’s the most adorable sounding nickname, for a guy who’s as prickly as a cactus. If you watch the group, they all take turns grabbing him, offering hugs, or throwing an arm around his shoulders. It’s like a four-way bromance, only one of them is a girl. Daegu is in no way welcoming, friendly, or affectionate, but the other three keep reaching out. Speaking as an introvert who takes a while to warm up to people, I’m so glad there are huggers in the world.

I expected something different from this show so I’m having to adjust my perspective. But I’m willing to buckle my seatbelt and hang in there. I may be a little scowly in the beginning, but hopefully the crazy antics of everyone else can win both me and Daegu over.

1 comment:

  1. Glad to see you back blogging! I did not realize the total lack of romance between the two until you mentioned it. But you are totally right. Now I wonder if they are going to really bring it in anytime soon. To bad they are such a conservative culture. She could be his new bunk-mate now that she is homeless.

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