[Drama Recap] Heard It Through the Grapevine : Episode 21

Things didn’t flow as expected in terms of ratings when it comes to the 21st episode of the drama. Oddly enough, it reached 9.3% and once again found itself in the second place behind Hwajung (9.4%) by the renowned by now 0.1% difference.

But still, it’s a pretty strong rating and it can’t hold back the multifaceted character of Heard It Through the Grapevine. Every figure was apparent and the 21st episode possessed an insightful vibe and progressed the storyline concerning the upcoming war in the vast territory of Hansong.


In Sang and Hyeon Soo are having a conversation concerning the veil of mystery surrounding Hansong and Daesan Group and everything becomes more apparent in In Sang’s eyes. Not only did Daesan Group siphon $2 million into an overseas account and Hansong gained 20% as a fee, Hansong has an overseas account as well and there’s even an account under In Sang’s name in the form of a trust! Attorney Han returns back home to find only Seo Bom is waiting to greet him at the door since In Sang is outdoors with his friends and Yi Ji had just returned back home and she’s taking a shower. He’s kind of disappointed, but Yi Ji hiding at the stairs proves that she didn’t want to partake in this parody of grandeur! Madame Choi will be the one to take care of discipline matters inside the almighty household as the new born lady regnant!

Seo Bom’s rushing towards Yi Ji’s room and her own retaliating is already in progress, the housemaid’s spicy goodies prove it! As for attorney Han, the monkey self-head-patting with the comb has appeared anew in his life, but madame Choi’s insightful! Just because he’s powerful and enforces restrictions it doesn’t mean that the children will respect him, especially when his boiling temper comes to the surface, but madame Choi doesn’t intend to follow blindly his mother’s schedule either, she will embed it in her own personality. As for attorney Han she points out that the strict father gentle mother motive doesn’t always work since times have changed. She presents various persons she considers as exemplary fathers when it comes to a father-daughter tough relationships like princess Anne and Prince Philip of the UK, resembling princess Anne to Yi Ji as not an exceptionally beautiful young lady, but reasonably attractive! The weight falls upon Clinton and Chelsea, emphasizing on Clinton’s scandal which was an indirect reference to attorney Han and Ji Young Ra’s romance; gulp!

Attorney Han wants to talk with his daughter, but Yi Ji tries to avoid him, it’s not possible this time and Seo Bom encourages her; the right to pursue happiness! As a major flatterer, attorney Han tries to captivate Yi Ji’s mind and succumbs to phrases he’s used countless times before in front of her and the Clinton-Chelsea example doesn’t help this time. Yi Ji grabs it and extends it from the surface of the earth to the stratosphere! She’s the voice of everything that attorney Han and madame Choi refuse to see! At first it’s a direct protest in front of her father who refuses to apologizes to madame Choi and then as soon as madame Choi arrives it’s an ongoing criticism on the almighty household’s sickening ambiance with madame Choi and attorney Han being the malevolent maestros of the whole disharmony and their blinders the instruments! It’s madam Choi’s turn to succumb to violence and she slaps Yi Ji who pleas for Seo Bom’s support! Seo Bom calls Yi Ji by her name and once again hypocrisy reigns supreme inside the almighty household, they can’t see the forest for the trees! Attorney Han pretends to be choking on his own waste of oxygen to enlarge the overall subject while Yi Ji seeks refuge anywhere else except for the living room! Attorney Han says that his heart is broken, dude, you have no heart, there’s a gigantic pounding testicle underneath your chest, admit it already!

 

Everything’s fine, no it’s not, yes it is, no!

Injustice suffocates Yi Ji, but Seo Bom’s insight prevents her from proceeding for the time being, more tension won’t help. Since Yi Ji knows too, madame Choi can’t overlook what has happened already between attorney Han and Ji Young Ra, he’s going to sleep on the floor! Hyeon Soo and In Sang’s conversation reaches an end, but all this information could only harm her mother, Hansong has various ways to subdue such malicious references. All he has to do is keep this a secret for the time being and he shouldn’t refer to her as his informant, all she needs is ten seconds, ten freaking seconds of a one-sided hug, but two would be just fine according to In Sang. I can only be sympathetic towards Hyeon Soo, such a brave yet broken soul!

Crime and punishment.

Just hugged oppa; leaves like a boss.

In Sang returns back home and he’s glad for his sister’s retaliation, happiness is overflowing him and he’s playful with Seo Bom who’s not in the same mood and restrains her feelings since things have just gotten serious anew. Madame Choi, like a tower’s ghost, was watching secretly from the main corridor’s door! Seo Bom is always the one to be blamed for In Sang and Yi Ji’s attitude, she’s the arch rebel, Prometheus that delivered the flame! She’s looking forward to the information he received from Hyeon Soo and it has to be good if In Sang doesn’t want to face his wife’s wrath! They refer to attorney Han as an onion since they can’t even imagine what else could be hiding behind all these layers underneath the surface and how many tears this onion may cause! In Sang is frightened since he could find himself right in the eye of the storm due to the hidden account under his name, but Seo Bom hopes the truth will shine.

The phantom of the opera is a secondary role compared to her.

In Sang wonders whether he should inform Je Hoon or not, he could be helpful through a faster research, but they don’t know if they can utterly trust him for the time being. Seo Bom can read through the lines and she already knows that Hyeon Soo’s feelings are deep, otherwise she wouldn’t have shared all this information with In Sang! Seo Bom counting to ten made the truth behind the slight hug come to the surface, but she concurs In Sang’s honesty and indisputable feelings towards his wife! If he has to meet Hyeon Soo from now on they shouldn’t be meeting alone! A beautiful hug takes place and Seo Bom’s observant yet filled with love stare shines and he can’t hide anything from that stare!

He looks so guilty while being innocent! I did everything, but i didn’t!

Ji Young Ra through the housemaid is having an investigation on her daughter and her last night’s route! She contacts secretary Kim who can’t keep his mouth shut and asks him the time of In Sang’s arrival at the almighty household last night. Yi Ji and In Sang are leaving in a fast forward mode and everyone’s turning a blind eye on their escape! Madame Choi and attorney Han try to remain calm when they found out from Seo Bom that In Sang and Yi Ji had already left, they’ll have breakfast separately today. The almighty couple wants Seo Bom to prove that they didn’t make the wrong decision right in the very beginning of the story. Of course, secretary Kim told everything to Ji Young Ra, as for the house maid and butler Park, they found out that secretary Lee hasn’t read her contract either, she just signed it. This is going to be a big problem in the future, their camp seems to grow in numbers!

Attorney Han wants to know what kind of person Seo Bom, In Sang and Yi Ji think he is! Seo Bom’s rushed and refers to him as an onion, but she makes things right by infusing more meaning to her arch example saying that they get to know him one step at a time. Attorney Han warns her that they should be careful and leaves the almighty household along with his psychopathic stare! Madame Choi starts playing with Jin Young and Seo Bom’s having breakfast where the housemaid informs her on madame Choi’s highly displeased temper, but it’s a good thing that she can still smile at Jin Young and that the fact that Yi Ji knows everything is a welcome restraining parameter. It’s secretary Lee’s turn to talk to Seo Bom who becomes aware of the contract situation.

Attorney Han arrives at Hansong and Je Hoon informs him in detail when it comes to the Daesan Group case. Attorney Han doesn’t want him to worry about the firm’s moves and that he should focus on the settling before the trial he’s routing for with Je Hoon emphasizing that his client is Cheol Shik ahjussi; an indirect hit, but attorney Han receives its vibes. Secretary Yang tries to unearth information from secretary Min, but her friendly and cautious attitude doesn’t unveil anything. Je Hoon wants Cheol Shik ahjussi to find someone who’s willing to testify by his side, but it won’t be easy. In Sang has delivered all the information to Je Hoon, but it’s useless if he won’t tell him the name of the informant. Seo Bom’s words echo in In Sang’s head and once he sees Hyeon Soo alone he tries to escape, but Min Jae appears and he can approach them! Hyeon Soo finds out that Seo Bom knows every single detail about everything they talked about, plus the hug; awkwardness and embarrassment! Shortly after In Sang informs Seo Bom on the latest events and Seo Bom does the same according to the almighty household’s matters as their admiration for Yi Ji grows stronger!

 

Like father like son: go, no, aish, okay.

Secretary Lee delivers madame Choi’s message to the house personnel, she doesn’t want them to talk carelessly! She will review their medical records and even if time isn’t gentle upon their shoulders they will have to find a way to do the check-ups. Also, they shouldn’t get too close with neighbors or patrol officers. As for seeing their contracts, well, that’s another part of the story, a complicated and painful one! Secretary Lee would like to see hers too, but she can’t ask directly secretary Yang, but she tries to convince the driver and the kitchen personnel to do so, it’s an indirect method! The driver will be the one to accomplish the task and he thinks that recording the conversation would be important and secretary Yang reassures him that she will send him the contract as soon as possible! The vibes feel negative and she meets attorney Yoo as secretary Min informs secretary Kim that the Han Trust’s contractors’ papers are like blank paper, it’s almost like unregistered employment! Attorney Yoo informs secretary Yang that everything will be fine, but this doesn’t mean that the driver will be satisfied with the contract’s content! The contract arrives and butler Park wants secretary Lee to ask teacher Park’s insightful opinion on the contract parameters!

Seo Bom checks the contract in the first place, but she will definitely need teacher Park’s insightful opinion, it’s something secretary Lee will arrange! Madame Choi is thankful towards secretary Lee’s attitude lately and she informs her that when the time feels right she will be rewarded. Madame Choi seems to be mistaking her own and her husband’s beliefs with the teacher’s point of view, just because your opinions differ it doesn’t mean that he can neither see any future in Seo Bom nor work on it! Ji Young Ra’s alimony suit seems to have flown pretty well and she won’t need to receive the investment money. Everyone’s relieved and she acknowledges her mistake with attorney Han, especially due to Hyeon Soo’s behavior. Secretary Lee appears and announces madame Choi’s forthcoming arrival as the queen of formality! Her poker face with the good old fake smile “glows” and the ambiance flows in “friendly” vibes.

Secretary Yang has contacted the jeet kune do teacher in order to sign a new contract and get back to work. She also informs attorney Han on the house personnel’s complains, something that enrages him since it feels as if they were questioning his family’s tradition and grandeur; his hair are the first one to dwell in oblivion! Noo Ri’s concerned about everything going on, but Je Hoon urges her to follow him and listen to his conversation with Cheol Shik ahjussi, he considers it essential since it would make her feel better. In Sang’s information was pretty useful to him, all that remains is to confirm it and use it according to plan!

Hyeong Shik ahjussi tries to prevent his brother from proceeding and asks him to meet attorney Han in person and settle things down, but Jin Ae ahjumma’s thoughtful enough that’s it’s not only about compensation, it’s also about setting the example for other like-minded cases. Hyeong Shik ahjussi doesn’t want to listen to them and leaves before Noo Ri and Je Hoon arrived. Noo Ri tries to convince her father, but he doesn’t intend to partake in this unrealistic scenario. Noo Ri’s parents and Noo Ri herself are worried about Je Hoon’s future at Hansong, but he reassures them that he doesn’t intend to become like attorney Han.

Teacher Park arrives at secretary Lee’s house and secretary Yang greets him. He’s the one to analyze the contract to the employees and the moment of his return feels near, after all everyone missed him, including secretary Lee. However, neither the bonuses appear in the contracts nor specific parameters are being described in clause and he refers to generic sentences that leave an open window for massive exploitation of the employees anytime in any way the employer wants to. Tension rises between teacher Park and secretary Lee, he wants her to stand for her rights, but she insists that her lower position prevents her from doing so in a teacher Park oriented way. Being his woman whom he dearly loves yet she’s being treated unfairly, he can’t accept it! Now that’s a good basis, it wasn’t just bragging in the fields of righteousness!

Attorney Han informs madame Choi on teacher Park’s forthcoming return and he states that he offered him a pretty high salary, but he’s concerned about the employees’ discomfort, it could be a huge problem and one of the reasons why teacher Park is going to be back is to supervise the house personnel and secretaries inside the household. Madame Choi thinks even further, is it good to keep Seo Bom studying? The more she learns the more frightening and insightful she becomes and it’s something they don’t like. Wealth may be power, but knowledge is the real power and it is becoming a power struggle between the imbecile nobility and the noble ones in terms of heart and soul. In Sang’s excited with the house personnel’s protest and teacher Park’s arrival makes things more interesting.

Ji Young Ra tries to unearth some answers concerning Hyeon Soo’s latest activities, but Hyeon Soo doesn’t seem to respond. Ji Young Ra informs her that the time to meet someone from her father’s side concerning the divorce has arrived, but she doesn’t intend to do so, if she has to meet someone then that person is no other than her own father. As for presents, she doesn’t need them, all she wants from her mother is to keep the incident between her and attorney Han a secret during the divorce process, she doesn’t want such a scandal to erupt for the sake of both families, but she doesn’t want to blend In Sang and herself in this maelstrom. Ji Young Ra informs madame Choi about a rumor going on when it comes to In Sang and Seo Bom and queen regnant becomes suspicious. She observes both of them through the studying room’s glass and she looks like a spider with the extra eyes getting reflected! In Sang’s happy staring at Seo Bom, but as soon as he notices his mother he gets startled and along with Seo Bom they greet her. She puts on the civilized and caring mask and doesn’t invest more on the information she received, but we all know she’s boiling on the inside!

Thoughts: The 21st episode was dedicated to all the side-missions going on in the background between the two major camps. The first one consists of madame Choi and attorney Han and despite their immense problems lying underneath the surface it’s the most concrete team due to absolute unison. Even when there’s slight collision between them, they always focus on the higher cause which requires both of them soaring to the sky. That’s why they are always one step ahead, but many steps behind at the same time. They are on their own, but with the help of a few teams that stand right in the middle and cooperate with both sides they manage to keep their superiority for the time being, but the strict core has already been cracked and chances are high the dam will collapse and the torrents will devour them in the near future.

I called you here to teach you the secrets of Tantra.

The second camp consists of many teams and it’s renowned for its variety of reasons, opinions and methods, but they share a common goal with different outcomes through the many transporting members. All teams communicate with each other in various ways and even though their starting point and destination are different, they cooperate in the intermediate steps to achieve Hansong’s ruin or humanization or simply preserve their own status and why not, empower it. It always depends on the individual and the bonds the members of every team have forged.

Team 1: In Sang, Seo Bom, Yi Ji

In Sang wants his father to embrace his human side and leave behind the strictly rationalist and careerist self he was forging since birth and for the first in his life treat In Sang like a father should. In Sang craves for paternal love and so does Yi Ji and their oppressed lives have started retaliating. At first it was In Sang, now it is Yi Ji’s turn as they don’t approve of the authoritarian policies that became more apparent recently inside the almighty household. Seo Bom wants her father-in-law to become more human as well and she wants justice to be served by uncovering Hansong’s wrongdoings. She’s been through a lot and the way her family was treated is one more parameter. Through her family she sees every working class family and stares at a brighter future, but a brighter future dawns after bloodshed and conflicts and this one is going to be civilized in the world of morals and ideals.

Team 2: Cheol Shik ahjussi, secretary Min and her brother

Cheol Shik ahjussi was harmed during the Daesan Group accident and after years of silence he seeks justice both for him, but also for his friend, secretary Min’s brother. Even now, fighting back means that if they emerge victorious more people will fight for their rights.

Team 3: Secretary Min, Je Hoon, attorney Yoo

All three have a different starting point. Secretary Min wants justice to be served when it comes to her brother and in case they win their attempt will shine like a bright example of justice for other people who went under the same or similar difficulties. Attorney Yoo’s reasons still lie in the shadows and the same applies to Je Hoon, even though he approaches the overall subject as a humanitarian attorney.

Team 4: Secretary Yang, secretary Lee, teacher Park, secretary Kim

Secretary Yang and her slush fund must be protected at all costs, that’s why she roams around the tents of each camp. Secretary Lee is almost everyone’s missing link in order to preserve her own position and why not, aim for a higher peak. Teacher Park was blinded by attorney Han’s grandeur, but his interactions with Seo Bom and In Sang, along with his love for secretary Lee, have turned him into a secret chieftain of fairness. The fact that attorney Han intends to use him as a spy and a settling machine between the protesting house personnel and secretaries will prove his real face depending on the way he will act. Secretary Kim talks more, understands less, he could be a category on his own.

Team 5: Butler Park, the housemaid and the house personnel

The whole house personnel had signed contracts without reading them and they never got a copy of the prototype. They’ve been living in the shadows for years and the whole dissonance inside the almighty household has enlarged the negative sentiment. It’s time to see with their own eyes what is written on the papers they signed.

Team 6: Hyeong Shik ahjussi, Noo Ri, Jin Ae Ahjumma

Jin Ae ahjumma is the wisest person within her family, even though sometimes her opinion may seemingly go against her daughters’ well-being she always stands by the side of truth and justice because it will be for the greater good of everyone she loves if everything goes well eventually. Hyeong Shik ahjussi and Noo Ri are on the same team for similar yet different reasons. They may care for the other members of the family, but they weight differently the circumstances. Hyeong Shik ahjussi is more thoughtful and his sight doesn’t reach the far horizon, he can only foresee the overburdened present and a slight part of the near future, as for Noo Ri, her personal ambitions outweigh everyone’s massive well-being, but both of them are kind people and you can’t hold grudges against them for being unable to reflect a deeper insight.

Team 7: Jin Young – one man army and the source of love.

Team 8: Ji Young Ra, Hyeon Soo, president Song, Eom So Jeong

President Song and Eom So Jeong care about the investment club, they also work as the United Nations army between Young Ra and madame Choi. Hyeon Soo even though she dwells in the fields of one-sided love when it comes to In Sang, she still wants to be on the same team, she’s jealous of In Sang’s golden era in terms of happiness and love alongside Seo Bom, but it’s right as rain jealousy, not envy. She wants to be in the same team even though it could go against her in the future. Ji Young Ra’s temper appears at ease lately, it’s due to the Hyeon Soo effect in her life. She would still like to see madame Choi on her knees, but not as much as in the past.

Go away, tarantula!

Heard It Through the Grapevine presents all the faces of society from old-fashioned beliefs to more humanitarian and honest ones and from narrow-minded people to visionaries with all the reasons, benefits and different backgrounds lying in between. It’s the societal pyramid inside a drama’s microcosm adorned with everything Heard It Through the Grapevine preserves in terms of visualization, storyline and acting.