Welcome to the Spoiler Zone, everyone!
This is for those of you who want to discuss spoilers, from a “I’ve seen the show and WOW now I’m noticing all these other details in retrospect” sort of angle.
Here’s a Spoiler Zone for you to dig as deep as you’d like, into spoiler territory, WITHOUT the need for spoiler tags or other warnings.
My only request is, PLEASE BE EXTRA MINDFUL OF WHERE YOU ARE COMMENTING. Meaning, please don’t get mixed up, and start talking spoilers in the Open Thread, which could seriously mar the watch experience for a new viewer, OR, a viewer who would really prefer to have the rewatch feel as fresh as possible.
Other than that, READER BEWARE: SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
For the main discussion of episodes 13 & 14, which only deals with spoilers up to the point of the group watch, go here.
ENJOY YOUR SPOILER ZONE, MY FRIENDS! ❤️
@MariaF @actionscript and others: A lingering question that I have not had time to look into: Do you recall off the top of your head if Dong Hoon was actually demoted (and, more importantly, paid less) when he was moved from the Design Team to the Safety Team? I had the strong impression it was a lateral move, but I re-read an old post on Soompi where even I said he had been demoted.
@the_sweetroad
Off the top of my head, I don’t remember DH being demoted (I mean technically, with less money and/or a lower title).
But it was definitely a demotion in terms of prestige and a quality of work.
The Design team was considered the shining star of the company, and DH was a rising star there.
The design team got to work directly with architectural firms, evaluate their designs, conduct research, recommend what types of materials to use (these materials also could’ve been totally new), and possibly advise these companies on design changes, necessary to ensure stability of the new buildings.
It was an exiting and, most importantly, creative work.
So it’s not a coincidence that the second candidate for the Director’s position was from the design team.
The Safety team was running around old buildings, looking for cracks, taking measurements and using formulas to ensure that these old buildings don’t fall apart.
I don’t want to make it sound like safety work is not important. It’s very, very important and it requires expertise, but there is very little creativity in it, if at all.
Next time I watch the show, I’ll pay attention to this.
Oops, I posted a reply in soompi before I saw this response. But very well said, it was a demotion in terms of prestige and quality of work.
Hi actionscript,
I’ve read your answer on soompi. Very well written and I agree with everything, except for one thing: I just don’t see DH doing safety checks only, and giving up design work. He loved it. And he missed it, when he was in charge of the safety team at Saman.
When DH was talking with his client about necessity of an additional staircase, it could’ve been part of either discussion: a new construction or a renovation. So I think they did it all.
Also, even if the chairman did invest in DH’s company, I don’t think he was terribly afraid of the competition. His is a big, well established company with excellent reputation and loyal clientele. DH’s company is small potatoes. At least for now.
Oh you’re right, he loved doing design work! I was just toying with the possibility, as it makes business sense for a startup. But it’s definitely not limited to just doing inspections, that’s for sure! What I meant is his company could be focusing on a niche: safety-related consulting and advisory work, which could of course include design & construction, and inspections as well. The phone conversation seemed to point to potential work borne out of a safety issue – the need to be able to evacuate 4000 people in 20 minutes during emergency situations. The current design is faulty or lacking as it won’t have the desired capacity.
And in DH’s new office, the cubicles of his safety team are situated right outside his room, indicating that could well be the company’s main activities.
I agree with you regarding the Chairman, his decision to invest in DH’s company or not certainly won’t rest on whether it would be competing with Saman’s business or not.
What I meant is his company could be focusing on a niche: safety-related consulting and advisory work, which could of course include design & construction, and inspections as well.
I misunderstood. But this makes sense. During his interview for the Director’s position, DH mentioned that his previous experience with working in a design team helped him to identify safety issues.
So you might be right: it would make sense for him to focus on safety-related consulting and advisory work, given his combined experience.
These is another minor point re your soompi comment, but I can’t edit my earlier response any more.
I’ve got an impression that DH being a rising star of the design team wasn’t the only reason for the transfer.
It was customary for a direct supervisor to nominate an employee for a promotion. The idiot director (can’t remember his name) even objected to DH’s nomination on these grounds. But I don’t think he oversaw the design team.
So DH was transferred to the safety team, so he wouldn’t be nominated for a promotion.
Thanks MariaF and actionscript, your thoughts are very helpful. I completely see that the Design Team was the desired place to be, and the fact that the ace, Dong Hoon, was moved to the Safety Team was a blow for him. Glad to know neither of you believe it was an actual demotion as far as position and salary.
The phone call about evacuating 4000 people in 20 minutes does seem to be on the design/ construction end of things, so I’m glad DH still has his hand on the front-end of the building process, rather than just looking at old buildings for cracks and damage.
actionscript – your idea about DH and his new company filling a safety niche, which includes design and evaluations, is a good one. He can bring it all together. I did appreciate that in his interview for Managing Director, he said he personally went annually to inspect the buildings he had designed. He is a caring engineer 🙂 .
Yup, Director Yoon conspired to move DH to the Safety Team (which was under his jurisdiction) so that DH wouldn’t have the possibility of promotion. What a jerk.
The writer actually uses KH’s plots to profile DH loves JA and uses SH’s plots to profile DH divorced.
And actually, KH and YR’s plots just the writer uses DH and JA’s plots to change a little bit to write down.
Thus, in other words, DH and JA’s plot is truly a love story because its plots can be used to become another love story. (KH and YR’s)
I had already written two articles about these.
Please take a look at Soompi Forum’s articles.
KH: https://bit.ly/3pKyLMK
SH: https://bit.ly/3MsRgyT
@j3ffc, So glad you got to finish the show. What did you think? Anything really strike you?
It really hit me in a way I never expected the first time I watched it. Then I watched it again, and again, (and again, etc) and picked up new things every time.
Here’s a link to the fan site where many fans have contributed analyses, deep dives, and looked at many of the symbols and “code” that are woven throughout MM. I found it shortly after I watched the show and learned so much. I couldn’t believe viewers had seen things that completely went over my head upon first watch. So then, of course, I had to watch the show again to see all these things I had missed 🙂 https://givemeslippers.wordpress.com/
And the Soompi Forum My Mister thread, where you can discuss what you noticed, post screenshots and GIFs, ask questions, and dive into even the smallest detail with the rest of us relatively-new MM viewers. https://forums.soompi.com/topic/408082-drama-2018-my-mister-%EB%82%98%EC%9D%98-%EC%95%84%EC%A0%80%EC%94%A8-best-drama-at-2019-55th-baeksang-arts-awards/
(Skip to the last page to see the most current discussions)
Enjoy!! And congrats on finishing one of the greatest shows in television, ever :). If you’re like many of us, your life will never be the same. 🙂
Thanks so much @the_sweetroad! This is my first visit to the Spoiler Zone; I feel as though I’m finally invited to dine at the adult table at the dinner party…
I really appreciate all of the links; I will definitely check them out. This was one of the shows where I definitely knew that there were details that I was missing as I watched, but tried to not let it bother me and watch in the moment. Unfortunately, the only time I’ve ever re-watched a show has been through the Group Watches, so I won’t have that opportunity here. But it’s definitely one that I could see re-watching somewhere down the line. (I did just that with Someday or One Day, which I definitely got more out of the second time, mainly because my head didn’t hurt as much. Oh, and finishing My Mister and Someday on the same weekend…oof.)
In terms of my impressions, I hafta admit that it’s going to take me a while to process everything. I enjoyed pretty much every aspect of the show, from the real-life vibe (except when they wanted to style it up, which was great when they did that) and the focus on the things that are most important, like the different flavors of love and the importance of human connection. All of that felt genuine and deep. I love how all of the different relationships got their time, and none of them felt idealized or forced. If I had to mention one thing that struck me oddly, during the watch, it seemed that JA suddenly started to warm to DH. But looking back at it, I think the signs were there and I just hadn’t picked up on them. Overall, performances were great but, again, my initial impression was that IU really downplayed her character. But look back at it, I think it was a powerful choice to have such a tough character be so understated in her interactions.
Thanks again for the invitation to the Big Table and your thoughtful links. It was such a destination drama for me and I’m not disappointed. Hopefully the next few watches will bring their own pleasures.
Haha, welcome! Sorry if it felt like this was the Big Table…here we were mostly talking about DH and YH getting a divorce and in what ways DH loved JA :). Among other things! Actually I think the Open Thread had more comments than the Spoiler Threads every time. But I could be wrong.
Yes, it was so interesting that both Ji An and Dong Hoon were more introverted characters. I know the director wanted Lee Sun Kyun to play Dong Hoon in a very muted way, too, at least in the beginning. So it’s so powerful to watch him become passionate, emotional, and even more of a fighter as the show goes on.
I love how all of the different relationships got their time, and none of them felt idealized or forced.
Good point! The relationships did seem quite natural and they developed at a steady pace. There was a big cast of characters but they all seemed essential to the story.
I tried watching Someday or One Day a few months ago and couldn’t get into it :). I’ll need to try again sometime. I hear such good things about it.
Thanks so much for all of your comments, both here and in the main thread. I can definitely tell that there is so much more to this show than certainly I got the first time around.
Similarly, I do hope you’ll give Someday or One Day another try. I thought it was good the first time around but really remarkable on the second watch. It was so well scripted and acted, and despite certain fantastical elements, never lost sight of its heart.
Someday or One Day sounds like it could be at My Mister-level, so I will have to give it another chance for sure.
Really love all the insights you’ve drawn from MM!
It wasn’t an adult table, really.
The main advantage of having spoiler threads is for viewers to be free to ‘time travel’ in any direction between episodes and connect any events, without reservations.
Although, I have to admit that I found this show be more nuanced during my second watch.
Was this only your second watch of MM, MariaF? Wow! You picked up so much that I only did after multiple watches.
Since this is the last Spoiler Zone for MM, just wanted to say THANKS to KFG for doing this re-watch and putting up spoiler threads for all of us to enjoy :).
Also, the moment that opens up Ep 13 – when Dong Hoon and Ji An are slowly walking through Hugye’s beautifully-lit streets, is one of my favorite moments, and a bittersweet one as well, as it’s the last time they’re actually together until DH finds JA in the shack. This moment is the calm before the storm.
”The calm before the storm”
So true. Well said!
And soon after finding her in the shack, DH will loose JA again, and they will not see each other for years, until they accidentally meet at the coffee shop.
I know 🙁
If it’s any reassurance, in one of the behind-the-scenes videos, IU herself says that Ji An is “22 years old” in the final cafe scene. Which would give credence to the idea of a one-year time skip (as shown in the montage when the seasons change) instead of a multi-years time skip.
When the show starts, Ji An is 20 years old (born 1998) but 21 years old in Korean age. So if IU believes Ji An is 22 years old in Korean age at the end, then they weren’t separated for too long. Thank goodness.
Yes, thanks goodness. Because DH isn’t getting any younger.
Ha!!
@MariaF, I just received the MM script books in the mail today! They re-released them and are on sale. Anyway, in the script itself it does say that in MAY 2019 Ji An and Dong Hoon meet again. So it’s confirmed; the time skip is only one year :). (There were plenty of dates on forms and computers pre-time-skip that had “2018” in them). Hurray!
During the show I never felt the feelings Dong Hoon had for Jin Ah were anything else but platonic, but the romantic in me believes that this situation could change when they meet again a year later… Jin Ah is in a better place, has more confidence, friends, a career… Dong Hoon could easily start to think about her differently and develop romantic feeling for her and, if she’s still in love with him or starts falling in love with him again, romance could happen between them. The show definitely left the door open for it! 👍
Hello Gloglo! Hee hee, that’s exactly how I felt the first watch, that DH only had platonic feelings for JA. I didn’t even get as far as thinking there were any romantic possibilities by the end of the show, either. (That’s how firmly I believed in a platonic soulmate connection and didn’t see anything else.) Now after multiple watches, I see DH’s love for JA (including attraction) in many places starting by Ep 9 or so and can’t unsee it. (It kind of drives me crazy, really.)
Like you, I’m so glad Ji An ends the show confident and independent. Her narrative arc is so beautiful to see.
I think it helps that JA is (presumably) no longer being stalked by Psycho Eyes.
Definitely not. JA moved away, and Psycho Eyes (lol) has been transformed. All good.
Many people might think at the beginning of this show, that it is gloomy and depressing. But it’s not! It’s inspiring and kind. Here is another unexpected twist: after watching “My mister”, viewers become optimists.
Psycho Eyes’ act saved Ji An from going to jail. That’s good and I won’t have it any other way. I just don’t feel good that he still got away from 3 counts (much more I’m sure) of physical assault.
But in the bigger scheme of things, that’s not important anymore. Ji An has moved on to bigger, better things in life.
And from my interpretation of things, it’s definitely a happy, fairy tale ending. And given the depressing start of the story, the trajectory of the character arcs, their transformations, were greater in magnitude than in any drama I’ve watched. That’s why it felt so uplifting and inspiring.
I think the transferred director mostly saved JA from going to jail, when he agreed to withdraw the complaint against her at the company owner’s request.
But the Psycho Eyes definitely put the CEO in jail.
And I’d like to believe that listening to the recordings changed him, made him a human again.
Nice way to put it. When I finished the show the first time, I couldn’t believe what I had just gone through. It ended on such a different note than it started, and it packed such a powerful, uplifting punch.
Yes, getting free from debt and from Kwang Il’s intense whatever-he-felt-for-her was a milestone for her. She could finally live in comfort. Thank goodness Kwang Il found that redemption without it going more violently for him.