Recap: The Heirs Episode 3

That child, rejected and longing for love, is what comes out to hope for his brother’s welcome, approval, and love. It is that child, who grew up alone in that big house away from his family, standing there in the orchard as Eun Sang comes to comfort him.

Written before live recap

I remember the exact scene in which I fell in love with Secret Garden, and it was when Joo Won was watching Ra Im laughing with her fellow actors at the action school during auditions for the rookies. The house pool scene in this drama reminds me of that one in Secret Garden, where we fall in love with the drama as the hero falls in love with the heroine. Honestly, I didn’t fall in love, at least not as hard as I did in Secret Garden.

But there is a gentle quietness to this drama that moves me. This drama is not crack, throwing my emotions into upheaval like the way Secret Garden or Boys Over Flowers did in dangerous addiction. The Heirs is like a cup of coffee drunk on a chilly autumn day, warming me from the inside. I can’t exactly put a finger on the reason why, but perhaps it is because I see potential for this drama, and I am willing to wait patiently for that warm cup of coffee to become a caffeine addiction.

Enjoy the drama!

The live recapping process will go like this. I can’t post updates while the drama is airing, unless the episode is moving slowly. I will be trying to capture as much as possible while I am watching the episode.  When the episode is over, I will go back to my notes, fix them up a bit and update part by part on each recap post while waiting for the torrents. If you can leave a link here, that would be great. When the full episode is available, I will fill in more blanks and screencaps, and continue to update. Finally, I will leave my comments.

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Character Index

 Kim Tan

 Cha Eun Sang

 Choi Young Do

 Kim Won, Kim Tan’s half-brother, President of Jeguk Group

 Lee Bo Na

 Yoo Ra Hael (Rachel Yoo)

 Yoon Chan Young

 Lee Hyo Shin

 Jo Myung Soo

 Kang Ye Seul

 Jun Hyun Joo

Han Ki Ae -Kim Tan’s birth mom

 Kim Nam Yoon- Kim Tan and Kim Won’s father, Jeguk Group CEO

 Park Hee Nam- Cha Eun Sang’s mom

 Yoon Jae Ho- Yoon Chan Young’s dad, Chief Secretary in Jeguk Group

 Jung Ji Sook- Kim Nam Yoon’s second wife, birth mom to neither Tan or Won.

 Esther Lee- Yoo Ra Hael’s mom, RS International CEO

 Choi Dong Wook- Choi Young Do’s dad, Zeus Hotel CEO

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Episode 3 

We start at the theater. Eun Sang can’t understand the movie so Tan starts translating. “I had to come to make sure he wasn’t after you too.” “If I am going to trust, I need to know who you are.”

Eun Sang asks Tan, “You weren’t sleeping?”

Tan continues to talk, but he isn’t translating anymore, really. “He met a girl yesterday. And that girl’s name is Cha Eun Sang.”

Eun Sang: “How did you learn my name?”

Tan: “But now he has something he wants to know from Cha Eun Sang. Perhaps…”

Tan turns to face Eun Sang. “Do I like you?”

Tan’s words hang heavy in the air with its significance, and Eun Sang knows this. Afraid, Eun Sang answers, “Probably not.” Tan: “Why?” Eun Sang explains, “You’re engaged.” Tan insists, “Still.” Eun Sang, ever realistic, replies, “It’s like a movie.” Tan keeps pushing. He claims, “It’s Hollywood. Things like that happen.” Eun Sang exclaims, “Really? Hollywood!!”

Outside, Eun Sang is excited it’s really Hollywood, but she is also trying to turn the conversation. Tan tries to bring her attention back to the fact he basically confessed he likes her, but Eun Sand doesn’t budge, and Tan takes the hint. He tells her he will take her to Hollywood, but Eun Sang declines. She doesn’t want to be a burden to him: “I’ve already asked too much from you.” She just wants to get her stuff from him, and Tan, disappointed and almost petulant, walks away.

Back at Tan’s house, Eun Sang’s suitcase is outside. Tan looks at the suitcase wordlessly. Eun Sang also silently picks up her suitcase, sorry to have upset him but scared to go any further. She asks one more time for Tan to check if her friend has replied yet to her message. Tan doesn’t answer so Eun Sang decides to just thank him and go. Before she can leave, however, Tan just picks up her suitcase and takes it inside.

Tan checks his cellphone and yes, Chan Young has answered, worried about her and telling her to contact him immediately since he is in the U.S. too. Eun Sang comes into the house and asks where her suitcase is. Tan asks what happened to her suitcase; he noticed it was cracked. Eun Sang doesn’t answer. Tan tells her that the suitcase is in his room. Before Eun Sang can go get it, Tan hurries up to his room, telling her he is going to take a shower (in his room) and dares her to try to take the suitcase now. Tan just tells her to wait until her friend replies. Heh, we definitely know who is the mature one in this relationship.

Rachel left the photo of their engagement photo in Tan’s room along with a note that tells him that she ate lunch ALONE, but they should eat together together. Tan sighs.

Secretary Yoon calls Tan to tell him about the meeting at the almond orchard with Jeguk’s stockholders. The CEO wants him there. But Tan wants to know if the president, his brother Won, know if Tan is going and more importantly, if Won wants him there. Secretary Yoon just tells him his dad wants him there. If he wants to know want Won think, Tan needs to go and ask him directly. After he hangs up, Secretary Yoon gives a sigh of pity. My heart breaks a little here for Tan.

Secretary Yoon called from Jeguk High, to which Bo Na has come to even during her vacation to worok on the short films festival. Bo Na calls Secretary Yoon “Father-in-law” and Yoon corrects her. It’s “Ahjusshi.” (Later Bo Na says “Ahjusshi is Won Bin. Ha!) Bo Na complains that CY is not calling her so Yoon says he has raised a bad kid. Bo Na can’t here anything bad about Chan Young from anyone else, except her, and tells his dad to not say such harsh things about her boyfriend. Uh, Bo Na, Chan Young is his SON.

Bo Na goes to the school’s broadcast club room. Lee Hyo Shin is there. First year students are there to give food to Hyo Shin, claiming they made it themselves, but Bo Na can recognize it’s all store bought. The girls and Bo Na argue, which Bo Na ends up winning her with “Mega Entertainment” background. her dad being the CEO of “Mega Entertainment.”

Lee Hyo Shin tells Bo Na that another member has left the club because his parents find out that he is in this club Bo Na is amazed that Hyo Shin hasn’t been found out yet. Hyo Shin wonders if he is hiding it well or if his parents are hiding it well.

Tan is dressed up to go to the party. ES says she will leave since he won’t be here and she doesn’t want to keep causing him trouble. Tan yells at her to stop saying she will leave and saying she is causing him trouble. 

Jay is back at the house……….forcing Tan to take Eun Sang with him to the party.

As Tan and Eun Sang drive to the party, they remain silent in the car, but Tan can’t keep from looking at her time to time.

Tan’s mom, Ki Ae, is at country club with her rich friend. This friend is advising Ki Ae that the best way to get Ji Sook and Kim Nam Yoon to divorce is an extramarital affair. Friend suggest that the Ki Ae hirer a guy to get Ji Sook into trouble. We should note that these two are not speaking in Seoul dialect, but the dialect of another province, which marks these two in broad strokes as less distinguished than what real rich people are supposed to be.

Back at the Kim mansion, Ki Ae is making a call to hire for the trap but walks into Eun Sang’s mom. Ki Ae blames Hee Nam for eavesdropping, and the two go back and forth in a manner that shows that Hee Nam is used to Ki Ae’s antics and lack of intelligence. It’s cute. For now.

Tan and Eun Sang have arrived at the orchard. Tan says he doesn’t know if he will be kicked out in five minutes or kicked out later. He tells Eun Sang to look around and just be careful of one person- the coldest looking person here.

Tan prepares himself to meet his brother, nervous. He walks close to the party but dare not go in…yet. Won sees Tan, and the smile on his face immediately disappears. Tan keep smiling softly at his brother, half expectant, half forced to hid his nervousness.

Tan starts to say “hyung,” but Won immediately calls him away from the party.

Eun Sang is in the orchard looking around. She sees Tan and Won from behind the trees.

Tan says “Long time no see” very softly to his brother, but Won just asks if Secretary Yoon told him about this party. Tan asks with a smile on his face how Won has been doing, but Won only cares that Secretary Yoon called him in the end. He adds, “Did you judge this was a place you can come to?”

Tan says he couldn’t not come since Won is here. Won calls Tan a child. How could he come here only because Tan wanted to see him. “You don’t even know what your attendance here would mean.”

Tan: “It’s been three years since I last saw you.” He smile and tells his brother like a child, “I’ve grown tall.”

Won coldly asks, “That’s all you’ve done so far, right? Good. Do just that. Leave. Coming here was already overstepping your bounds. Leave.”

Tan stands there, hurt. Eun Sang watches him with pity. The sprinklers come on, but Tan stays, getting wet. Eun Sang walks toward Tan, and they stand facing each other, wordless.

Eun Sang asks, “Are you okay?” Tan: “I’m not.” Eun Sang: “Your clothes are going to get all wet.” Tan: “Why did you eavesdrop?” Eun Sang: “So I can take your hand after counting to three and run if you are in danger.” Tan: “Then why didn’t you? The whole time you were watching, I was in danger.” Tan walks away.

Tan and Eun Sang head back. Tan is silent in the car and Eun Sang looks over at him cautiously.

Tan breaks the silence. “Forget what you saw.” Eun Sang replies, “I was going to. I’m just in a dream. A dream that is going to end when I wake up. Just a midsummer night’s dream.”

Tan crashes trying to avoid the boulders on the highway. The car is now stuck, and Tan is not getting cellphone reception. Tan asks, “You can’t drive, right?:” Eun Sang ends up trying to push the car out of the rut.

Tan decides to leave the car and go look for a maintenance shop before it gets dark outside. Eun Sang thinks those places might be too dangerous because of all those horror movies she has watched.  Tan jokes, “Just stay here then.”But Eun Sang doesn’t want to be left alone and chases after him. Aw, these two are cute.

They are walking to a roadhouse. Beside the cute, Tan is curious to know what Eun Sang will do when her friend replies. Eun Sang tells him she plans to borrow money to buy a ticket back to Korea. Tan says she can borrow from him, but Eun Sang asks, “With what as collateral  My kidney? I must seem very trustworthy to you?” Tan doesn’t reply. He just tells her that her friend replied.

The gas station/maintenance shop is closed. So they have to stay for a night at the roadhouse/motel. Inside the room, Tan gives Eun Sang a shirt to change into out of her dirty clothes. Tan starts to change, surprising Eun Sang. She quickly turns around, joking around that the plan is to be mistaken for a couple? Tan says, “Keep dreaming.” He changes and leaves. Eun Sang then reveals her perverted self. She says, “Darn, I should have looked.” Ha! Here, you guys can look all you want.

At the diner, Eun Sang jokes that she is an alcoholic, and Tan smiles. “You’re kinda cute.” Eun Sang throws right back at him, “Good you know.” Tan is totally smitten and stares at her with a huge grin on his face.

Eun Sang tells him to stop looking or she will ask him about the things he doesn’t want to reply to. Tan says, “What questions? Who is the person at the orchard?”

Tan: “The person I like most in this world.” She jokes about him being gay or being in love with his brother, and Tan’s yell scares her. She almost falls out of her chair, but Tan catches her. And we have that slow-mo and staring. Tan: “You’re an idiot.” Eun Sang: “What?!” Tan: “You almost got hurt.”

Now siting upright, Tan teases her, saying her face is red. Eun Sang says she is not getting red. She is just mad that she came all the way to the U.S. and she didn’t get to eat pancake. It’s something she always saw in movies as representative of America.

Tan says there is a good pancake house in LA. “Let’s go together if you to to LA.” Eun Sang scolds him. “Don’t keep making promises like that! If you don’t keep them, you will die!”

Back at the room, Tan says he will take the bed. Eun Sang is just grateful he found them a place to sleep. He wonders how she can be so positive when it’s his fault he has cause her this much trouble. She replies it is not because of him but because of the promise. Tan purses his lips in frustration.

Eun Sang wants to sleep but Tan is not ready to sleep yet. He forces her up and asks her why she wants Jeguk group to go out of business. Eun Sang find out he has looked at her SNS account and tells him to log out. She asks why he is curious: “Do you have stocks in Jeguk?” Tan doesn’t answer. He just tells her to stay up until he falls asleep. “I am scared now because you keep talking about killers.”

In bed, Tan asks, “If you get in contact with that guy, when will you leave for Korea?” Eun Sang says sleepily, “As fast as I can.” Tan starts to say, “What if I…. ,” but Eun Sang has fallen asleep. And once again, Tan catches her from falling over hard onto the couch. Incredible cheesiness occurs here but I am giggling like a schoolgirl.

Tan just keeps staring and staring and falls deeper in love.

Next morning, Rachel gets a text. Chan Young thanks her for the address to Tan’s house. Rachel says spitefully out loud, “If you are grateful, then please clean her up.”

Tan and Eun Sang are back at his house, but before they can go in (Eun Sang doesn’t want to but Tan keeps insisting), Chan Young comes. Eun Sang looks happy to see him, but there is dark cloud over Tan. Chan Young exclaims he was worried about Eun Sang, and Tan snorts. Tan sharply tells them to come into the house.

Inside the house, Eun Sang thanks Tan and says she will be going to her friend’s house now. Tan asks, “Why? Stay here. Just borrow money from him.” Tan describes how he and his friend Jay caused him trouble, and how he is just paying her back by letting her stay here.

Chan Young reaches the bottom floor, and Tan is very aggressive and curt with Chan Young. Chan Young recognizes Tan, but Tan doesn’t recognize him. Tan asks, “Did I bully you during junior high school?” Chan Young replies that it can’t be explained that simply. He doesn’t reveal how he knows Tan.

The taxi is here, and Eun Sang leaves with Chan Young.

Sigh. Tan, our little kid,  all alone in that big house.

Eun Sang has explained to Chan Young how she ended up staying at Tan’s place. Eun Sang has also learned Tan’s name back then at that house with Chan Young. Chan Young is surprised that she didn’t know until now, and she explains that she didn’t ask because she didn’t want to talk about herself. Eun Sang is curious; “Is he really a bad guy? Did he bother you?” Chan Young answers, “We’ve just seen each other on passing, but he is not a nice guy.” Hmm, what did Tan do to be the bad guy and lose Young Do as his friend?

Chan Young is a good friend and comforts Eun Sang about her sister.

Eun Sang and Chan Young enjoy sightseeing. On the other hand, Tan is home at his beautiful house. Alone. Eating. Writing. He sees a status update of CY and ES’s date. He gets jealous. “So annoying!”

Tan looks at his engagement photo, and realizes that his anniversary is tomorrow.

Rachel is about to leave for Korea because she is mad. Just as she is about to leave, she gets a phone call from Tan. He knew Rachel would be mad and ready to go to Korea, so he has come to the hotel. Rachel tells the bellboy to change the ticket for tomorrow. Tan won’t see her after today.

Rachel gets a call from mom, Esther. Mom tells her that she is going to say that Tan wanted Rachel to come, not that Rachel wanted to go.

Ji Sook and and Esther talk. Esther compliments Ji Sook on how great she looks even after giving birth to Tan so late. Oooh, so everyone thinks Ji Sook is Tan’s real mother. Esther tells Ji Sook about her marriage. She asks about Tan and Young Do; did they fight? Ji Sook looks like she didn’t know that they two are not friends anymore.

Myung Soo complains about his photos. Young Do quotes Henri Cartier-Bresson, the French photographer, as he looks at a photo of him and Tan when they were young and friends.

“I tried to capture every decisive moment, but there is nothing in this world that does not have a decisive moment.”

YD gets calls from dad. They do judo together. Dad keeps winning.

Dad complains about YD not doing his work. Do you know why you keep losing? One, you’ve never beaten me. YD: Cuz I’m more like mom than you.

Dad: 2) you attack more than you need. Go pick up R at airport.

R thanks Tan for spending time with her. Tan: I like shopping with you. If it was anything else, it will seem like we are really dating. Mad, R asks about ES. Tan says it happened the way R wanted. “You gave the address to him.” R: “Let’s stop talking about her.” Tan: “You brought it up.”

YD calls R. He complains that she doesn’t need to be picked up. 

Tan asks if YD is doing well. R says YD is doing all what the two use to divide up.

R suggest pancakes at the place Tan likes. Tan remembers what ES said about liking pancakes. He wants to go the other pancake house. He is open to R about hoping to see ES there. R says let’s bet if she is there. What, does he get this feeling of destiny? LA is really big! Tan: “It’s just a feeling.” *note: He might have said let’s not go there because he doesn’t want to meet up with ES with R by his side. Actually, that makes more sense.*

Eun Sang is really there at the pancake house with Chan Young. Tan sees her. R asks if they made a promise to meet each other here or something. Tan says, let’s leave, claiming he is trying to  nice to R. But R is now mad and wants to go eat with them.

CY and R are talking for the first time although they recognized each other as school mates. R says CY is receiving support to go to the school and she doesn’t talk to people like that. Tan: Get up. R to ES: “It’s our engagement anniversary.” Tan gives up and sits.

R asks how CY and ES know each other. CY: we are childhood friends.

CY  reveals they came here because ES wanted to come here to this pancake place. R: Wow, this is a great coincidence. but I think my fiance and her seem to think this is fate.

R brings up that Tan dated BN before. R criticizes ES for hanging out with someone who has a fiancé and someone who has a girlfriend. Tan takes her out of there.

CY asks what he can do for her. She says order so they can eat and buy plane ticket. She wants to go home fast to mom and start working.

Tan and R. Tan: “we met when were were ten. At ten I thought you were smart. At 14, you liked Won. You called me a child in comparison. When we got engaged, I realized I was really a kid. For 8 years in my memory you were smart and pretty and mature but right now you don’t seem like that to me. if this is because of me, don’t. I’m not worth it.”

R and Won. They’ve avoided YD’s Zeus hotel chain. Won and R both give vague answers about meeting Tan. R wants to follow Won because she doesn’t want to be alone and just wait for a phone call.

Won is at his birth mom’s grave. Mom was a country girl (made wine and stuff) and got married to a rich guy. Hard life for her. Mom made a wine called Won.

Won has never taken Tan here. R is the first. R says Tan will be jealous that she got to come.

Won tells secretary Yoon that he is staying in the US but tell CEO that he is in singappore.

Yoon and Esther meet with YD’s dad in the elevator. Tension.

Yoon and Esther exchange convo. 20 years ago, Esther got engaged to someone else. Esther pushes Yoon’s buttons.

Tan calls Yoon. Yoon lies that Won is on his way back to airport. Tan learns that CY is Yoon’s son. Tan calls CY. Tan wants to talk to ES. “Tell her to call me.”

Sis still hasn’t come back. CY tells ES about Tan. ES decides not to call. “I won’t see him anymore after tomorrow, anyway.”

Tan waits for phone call but nothing.  ES has left her socks to dry outside but she forgot to pack them.

ES writes message on University wall, “It was like a midsummer night’s dream. Now I am disappearing. Like a dream you dreamed last night. Bye.”

Tan has come to take R to airport. R asks if he has any plans to return to Korea. Tan: always but I don’t have the courage. R: you need courage? Tan: yes. Rash courage. 

R hugs Tan. “I haven’t forgive you. I don’t like you.” T doesn’t hug her back. “I Know.”

ES sees this. Darn. Tan sees ES leave and calls out to here. “Cha Eun Sang, stop right there.”

*italicized part is the first draft I didn’t have time to make nice, but it has been filled in with important info.

Preview:

Rachel: Let’s say it was taken from you like this (Note: I really can’t hear her well so I’m taking an educated guess.)

Eun Sang: Hey!

Ji Sook: You can’t even get on the family registry.

Ki Ae: You can’t even have a child!

Ji Sook: Let’s see how well Tan protects his mom going against his brother.

Rachel: I told him that you are still evil and living well as usual.

Young Do or Tan: I wonder why the tiger isn’t in his own cave.

Kim Nam Yoon: Free your brother from his exile.

Tan: I’m here.

Tan to Won: The things you are worried about won’t happen.

Won: It isn’t something a child of a mistress can say will or won’t happen.

Hee Nam: This is the place we are going to live.

Eun Sang: Mom, are you crazy?

Myung Soo: Do you live here? Did Tan’s family move?

Ki Ae: You can’t use your eyes now either?

Eun Sang: I will go.

Ki Ae: Will you? You need to earn your keep anyway.

Tan: I keep seeing the back of a girl.

Ki Ae: The daughter of the housemaid lives here too.

Comment:

Tan is 18 in Korean age, which means he is really 17. He may be in his late teens, but deep inside, he is that small child that was told by his brother to not dream before he was exiled to the US. That child, rejected and longing for love, is what comes out to hope for his brother’s welcome, approval, and love. It is that child, who grew up alone in that big house away from his family, standing there in the orchard as Eun Sang comes to comfort him.

Eun Sang is the opposite of Tan, forced to mature quickly by her sister’s abandonment. She’s practical and realistic, knowing very well her situation in life. Tan is dangerous for her-this rich and engaged boy. She calls him and this whole experience a midsummer night’s dream that will be over when she or he wakes up. She doesn’t and won’t dream. How will she survive if she dreams or hopes?

Tan keeps hoping and keeps getting hurt because he is still that child inside who will get up when pushed down and keep wanting what he wants. So he dares to like Eun Sang and dares to go see his brother because he misses him. But his scars and Eun Sang’s hesitation keeps him from grabbing onto that rash courage and moving on ahead into maturity and going against his brother.

I like Tan a lot and see Eun Sang and him as very complimentary. Tan first saw her in her worst moment, and now Eun Sang has seen him in his. Both were rejected and/or abandoned by their older siblings, who stand as a beacon to them. Both are lost and hurt, I hope they both find through each other the courage to dream and take on their life to their fullest potential.

There was way too little of Young Do and too much of Rachel. I can’t even bother to screencap her. I was also slightly disappointed with Lee Min Ho’s acting in critical scenes, because I have seen him hit those emotional points better in previous dramas. Perhaps he, at this point of filming, was still trying to understand what his younger character needs to portray or perhaps he is feeling less of the chemistry with Park Shin Hye than with his other characters. I have no complaints in that area really and think they are doing fine for what appears on screen.

That quote by Henri Cartier-Bresson- “I tried to capture every decisive moment, but there is nothing in this world that does not have a decisive moment”- describes the way I try to recap because I think every line is important and then fail because it is just way too much. It is also related to Eun Sang’s decisive moment to go to Tan when he is standing there in the orchard when she could have just pretended to not have seen anything at that point.

I can see how Kim Eun Sook tried to make this drama different from all her other dramas. She (or the director) has slowed down the dialogue. (It also seems the director toned down the hyperactive energy of what we would normally expect from a Kim Eun Sook drama). She lowered the age, which should take out the question of marriage in this drama. Money and status is important at this stage too, but teenagers have different problems, and hopefully when they are all back in school, we will get interesting subplots. She also increased the number of characters so she can offer different stories in one drama, but I don’t know how well-wrapped up they will be in the end of the drama. It remains to be seen if these changes by her (or the director) will produce more quality and novelty in her work.

I like this drama a lot, and it has given me characters I want to explore. I look forward to every episode with a warm, fuzzy feeling in my chest, but it hasn’t “clicked” for me. But it did take me until episode 7 to go crazy for Faith, so hey, it’s never too late.