Live Recap: Trot Lovers Episode 11

Geun Woo serenades Choon Hee? And we find out if Joon Hyun has amnesia or not.

Shin Sung Rok is singing for “Trot Lovers” OST! As well as being a drama actor, he is a musical actor too.

신성록 Shin Sung Rok-  펄펄 끓어요 Boiling ( ‘트로트의연인’ ‘Trot Lovers’ OST)

Live streaming link –

http://www.kbs.co.kr/player/player_playlist.php?ch=12#kbs

http://www.kodhit.com/kbs2-online

Character Key for live recap shorthand

Leads

 Jang Joon Hyun (JH)- Hot kpop star

 Choi Choon Hee (CH)- loves the unsophisticated trot music

 Park Soo In (SI)- singer in training at Shine Star agency

 Jo Geun Woo (GW)- Shine Star’s CEO

Leads’ families

 Choi Byul (CB)- Choi Choon Hee’s sister

 Choi Myung Shik (MS)- Choi Choon Hee’s dad

 Yang Joo Hee (JH)- Park Soo In’s mom

 Jo Hee Moon (HM)- Jo Geun Woo’s dad

 Shine Star staff

 Na Pil Nyeo (PN)- Shine Star trainee for 10 years

 Director Wang (Wang)- a director (not film, just a title at company) at Shine Star

Other minor characters

 Kim Woo Gab (WG)- Midas CEO

 Team leader Nam (Nam)- Heads planning team at Midas

 Seol Tae Song (TS)- Jang Joon Hyun’s manager

 Lee Chul Man (CM)- loan shark

 Lee Yoo Shik (YS)- loan shark, Lee Chul Man’s cousin

 Bang Ji Sook (JS)- Choi Choon Hee’s marathon coach and mentor

 Shin Ho Yeol (HY)- Jang Joon Hyun’s rival

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Episode 11  

GB9- “Remember Me” (Trot Lovers OST)

CH keeps banging on the ambulance door, begging to be let in, but the ambulance drives away with JH and SI. CH collapses onto the floor, crying.

JH is rolled into emergency surgery and SI cries outside. She furiously washes her bloody hands in the bathroom, crying in a panic that she didn’t mean to do this. She only wanted CH to get hurt. Suddenly, she fears JH saw her. She thinks back and she is sure JH saw her; he caught her eye.

CH has finally arrived at the hospital. She stands outside the surgery room, crying. She asks out loud, “Do you hear me? Don’t be scared. Come out of the surgery well.” SI sees CH at the door and behind the wall.

Wang informs Yang (SI’s mom) that JH got hurt and that SI went to the hospital with JH. Yang asks why SI was there, was she hurt? Wang replies no. He shows her the CCTV recording of SI behind the stage with the pulley.

JH is out of surgery but guards won’t let CH since he needs absolute rest. Inside the room, the doctors tell SI the surgery was successful, thanks to the immediate care JH received at the scene. She is relieved.

SI watches the news in JH’s room. HY is caught in a rumors involving a gold-digger, and along with this, it is revealed that JH was framed by this gold-digger too. It is also reported that SI tried to save JH. JH receives gifts from his fans. Nurse tells SI to cheer up- he will wake up for her.

CH sits outside in the hallway bench, praying for JH to wake up. “I will do anything; just let him wake up.”

SI wakes up in the hospital room and sees JH standing behind her. He yells at her, “Why did you do this?!” SI begs for forgiveness- she didn’t mean to hurt him, she just didn’t like CH. It will be the end of her if this incident becomes known. “Please forgive me.” SI wakes up. It was a nightmare.

Yang comes to the hospital. She talks to SI outside in the hallway. SI tells her mom that she has stay with JH- she has to be there when he wakes. Yang asks if it is because she is afraid JH will reveal the truth. Yang scolds her daughter for trying to do such a thing. SI asks what she can do, should she turn herself in? If JH wakes up, her singing career is over. Yang tells her it is too late. Fortunately, things are going SI’s way. Wang took care of the CCTV footage and the news is reporting JH got hurt trying to save SI, the woman he loves. SI asks what if JH wakes up? Yang says it doesn’t matter, she will threaten JH with the “scandal” between SI and the politician (Congressman Pyo) if he tries to reveal the truth. Yang is putting the guards in front of JH’s room so SI doesn’t have to worry about CH. Yang hugs and reassures her daughter.

Loan sharks distract the guards outside JH’s room so CH can go in. She tears up as she sees JH lying there, still unconscious. She sits besides him and clasps his hand. She says, “JH, I am here. I’m sorry for being late. Please wake up. Let’s go home. I patted you. You promised to make me smile once a day. So let’s go.”

Is it a dream? JH and CH sit in a field and JH is playing the guitar and singing the song he wrote for her. It seems to be JH’s dream. And it’s like he can hear CH say “Please wake up. Let’s go. I’m sorry.” JH’s fingers twitch.

SI tells Yang she will stay in hospital. Yang agrees since it will look good to others. SI hides again as CH is dragged away by guards.

SI sits in JH’s room. She says sorry but she blames it on CH.

Suddenly, JH wakes up, complaining his head hurts. SI asks if he is okay and tries to explain what happened but JH asks where the reporters are. “Where is that medal girl?” He hit his head on the van because of her. What happened to his scandal? Did the pictures get released? He asks for newspaper and sees the date. He asks, “Today is July 28?”

Doctor tells Yang and SI that JH has dissociative amnesia. SI wonders if his memory could come back later.

Outside, Yang tells SI to keep JH from things that might jog his memory. Still, SI worries, since he can just look up everything on the internet. Yang reassures SI that all news about JH has been taken down. SI just has to block TS. As for CH, she won’t be able to say and do anything. Nobody will believe her if Yang tells the reporters to write about the sponsorship between CH and Congressman Pyo.

CH tries to get into JH’s room, hearing that he woke up. But SI, coming out of the room, tries to stop, As reporters rush from down the hallway, CH pushes in and SI falls to the floor. Reporters continue to take pictures. JH jumps to SI’s rescue, worried about her, and calling CH “Rude medal girl (medal jinsangnyeo).” CH is in shock, can’t he remember her, what their relationship is? JH tells her to leave, saying he doesn’t want to know her name. CH grabs his arm- “We like each other…” JH leans into CH’s ear as he scoffs. “Are you crazy? I like SI. You’re just “medal jinsangneyo”).

JH orders the guards to take her out. CH is dragged out in shock. She is in a daze as reporters keep taking her picture. GW comes to her rescue, pushing off the guards, and takes her out of there. He reassures her outside that JH just lost his memory due to the accident but CH is sad and disappointed that JH can’t remember her.

CH’s dad notices on a newspaper a headline about CH, describing her as “disrupter of love.”

At the hospital, a fan approaches JH for an autograph, saying she loves his song “Remember Me.” (JH’s song about CH). JH doesn’t know what she is talking about.

TS is finally here to see JH. JH asks about the song “Remember Me.” TS starts to explain he uploaded online with JH’s permission. He is sorry about that but it’s really popular and it looks like JH will be a star again. “Again?”, JH asks. “Did I ever fall in popularity?” Before TS can explain, SI asks TS for a favor. She meets him outside. She informs him about the amnesia and tells him not to say anything to JH about his scandal before- it’s better for him since JH doesn’t remember that TS betrayed him. Also tells him not tell JH about CH because CH is in a bad situation right now. JH will try to help her and then get into trouble again. TS looks unsure and confused.

Yang is at Shine Star and CH’s dad, who has come worried after seeing news about CH in the newspaper, sees her and calls out to her. Yang and CH’s dad talk. He tells her that CH is his daughter and she acts surprised. She asks CH’s dad (MS) about CH’s mom. She heard she died from an illness. Yes, MS replies, the illness came because she couldn’t sing and it was all because of that accident. Yang asks cautiously, “They still didn’t know who the hit-and-run perpetrator is?” Dad replies he was too busy to find out, but he will before he dies. He asks Yang to watch out for CH.

Yang sits in her room, worried that CH’s dad will go to GW’s dad and talk about CH’s mom’s accident. Wang, coming in, informs her that CH’s concert is canceled and Yang orders him to release the scandal news about Congressman Pyo and CH- “Break her completely so that she can never rise again.”

GW has come to see SI at the hospital. He asks what happened the day of the accident. SI says she called JH to talk on stage but the prop fell. GW asks if that is all- the reports say JH got hurt trying to save SI and the two are dating. Not wanting GW to think she is dating JH, SI cries out anxiously, “That’s not it.” GW gets up to leave so SI calls out, “It was a chance for me. I want to keep singing. If I want to put my drunk driving scandal behind, I needed to use this situation to my advantage. You won’t understand me.”

SI sits in JH’s room and shows news to JH about CH and Congressman Pyo. JH reads it and can’t believe the medal jinsangnyeo became a singer, a trot singer at that. TS has come in and informs JH he can leave the hospital too. He asks how JH is doing, JH tells him he has a headache thinking about the medal jinsangnyeo and orders TS to keep that girl away from him.

CH grabs TS in the hallway and asks if JH recognizes TS. Why can’t JH remember her when he remembers SI and TS? “Something is wrong.” SI asks CH to talk separately. She tells CH to stay away from JH, since her scandal with the congressman can harm JH, who is becoming popular again. CH wonders why SI is like this when she tried to help them out before. SI replies that she realized how precious JH was to her. She tells CH to go back to where she came from. CH asks why SI is not telling the truth- why is it being reported that SI saved JH- SI knows that CH tried to save JH. SI replies coldly, “You want to believe that.”

At school, kids push Byul, making her drop her ukulele and the string breaks. Little brat says to Byul that she didn’t deserve the prize anyway since she brought someone who wasn’t family to the kitchen competition and won. Byul yells he is her family. Little brat says her mother told her not to play with Byul since she lies just like her sister. Her sister is a bad person and that is why she is on the news everyday. The little unbearable brat calls Byul and her sister a liar. Byul yells, “Do you want to get beat up?” The girls surround Byul.

CH gets a call from coach, who says Byul has disappeared. CH runs to the school and asks another little girl about Byul. The girl tells her about the fight. CH looks for Byul along with coach. They can’t find her until nightfall in front of her house. Byul has scratches on her face. She bravely says if she looks like this, those kids she fought look even worse. But she is worried that the kids’ parents will come see CH. CH hugs her to reassure her and says fondly, “You should have only punished them a bit, but you beat them up?” Byul nods. CH: “Still, it’s okay.”

While cleaning up Byul’s scratches, CH is asked by Byul if people don’t like her anymore and won’t listen to her songs anymore. CH reassures her that this will pass soon and tells her the happy news that she has paid back all of their dad’s debt. Byul hopes their dad will return soon then.

JH and SI leave the hospital, where fans are crowding around. JH is once again a well-loved star. TS comes to pick them up to take JH back to his old house. TS gives him a new phone, same number. JH’s phone disappeared during the day of the accident. JH asks for his guitar. TS doesn’t know where it is, though. JH searches for it.

CH looks at the guitar in her house sadly.

SI takes JH to Shine Star and his private practice room there. JH is back to his old self. SI eyes him cautiously.

In her office, Yang tells JH to keep it a secret that he lost his memory of the past few months. He’s popular now and that news won’t do him any good.

SI and JH run into CH in the hallway and SI informs a surprised JH that CH is in the agency now. JH can’t believe someone like CH has become a singer, he gets a headache just seeing her! CH looks at him sadly, and this annoys JH, who tells her to go away.

JH goes to see GW in his office. He greets GW with a “It is nice to meet you,” and GW stares at JH, fascinated. JH thinks it is because GW is a newbie to the industry and that is why he is staring at JH, the music god, and also signed someone like CH. JH tells GW that CH is his stalker so GW should send him out. GW tells JH to mind his own business. Outside in the hallway, JH mutters, “What is that? That psychopath gaze?” LOL.

In his van, JH can’t eat. It’s organic and healthy just the way he likes it, according to TS, but JH finds it bland. He looks outside the window and comments it’s a nice day to hang laundry. TS looks at him strangely.

CH and Byul crouch by Byul’s lettuce garden. CH falls into a memory of JH and she doesn’t want to pick the lettuce anymore. Byul asks if they can see JH only on TV now. CH doesn’t answer. Inside the house, CH looks at the “Love Contract” she and JH signed and the scarf he always told her to wear.

JH does laundry at his house, even though he can ask the dry cleaning to do it. He also asks TS to buy a fan- he likes fan wind over A/C.

CH, wearing the scarf, pours a bottle of tea to leave it at JH’s private practice room at Shine Star. She pats herself on the head, like the way JH should have, saying, “I did something deserving of a compliment today.” Looking at the picture of JH, she says she will make tea for him everyday now since this is the only thing she can do now. She pats the forehead of the picture.

CH sits practicing piano and imagines JH there to teach her piano. This is all tortuously sad.

In his practice room, JH holds the bottle of tea and asks if SI brought it for him. She says no and as JH starts to open it to drink it, SI takes it from him, telling him not to drink- someone could have poisoned it.

CH sits at coach’s restaurant and coach comforts her and worries over her. A customer recognizes CH and scowls, saying CH is that singer who got into all those bad scandals- trying to get between JH and SI, and the sponsorship rumor with the politician. Before coach can kick them out, PN arrives on the scene and yells at them. They leave.

CH and PN make up over some health drinks.

CH sits outside her house and sings a sad trot song. GW’s dad lip-syncs along, moved by her singing. He claps. He sits down besides her and tells her that he used to run a record label. He once had a singer that he allowed to quit when something bad happened and he regrets that now. GW’s dad asks if CH will quit too over something like this. CH asks if that person regretted quitting? GW’s dad answers- probably. CH says her mom missed singing too.

CH tells GW the next day that she will continue singing, however small the stage.

CH sings in front of a small and disinterested audience. A drunken man throws a tantrum, but she keeps singing, bravely, and GW punches the wall in anger.

GW goes to see CH after the performance and she is surprised to see him. GW says he came to see her. CH tells him that she has to go to the next event but GW informs her they called to cancel. “So play with me instead.”

GW and CH go to the Han River and ride the duck paddle boat. But CH has to do all the paddling, GW’s excuse being that physical work will help distract CH.

GW and CH have come to the jazz bar. There is some time until the performance starts so GW asks to play that game again of trying to make each other laugh. GW succeeds in making CH laugh, it seems, but in actuality, = CH is covering her face crying. She apologizes, “Sorry, my heart hurts so much. I’m sorry.”GW kneels besides her and takes her into his arms.

Ah, fate. JH and SI have also come to the bar. SI and JH see GW and CH hugging. JH looks on curiously while SI’s face hardens.

GW goes on stage. He announces, “There is someone here I want to make laugh today. I am singing this song for her.” He leads people to clap and starts singing.

JH sits staring at CH, who is both crying and smiling at the same time. GW is on stage forming hearts toward CH and also doing a cute “boiling” motion for his song, “Boiling.”

JH mutters the medal jinsangnyeo finally caught someone after flirting with so many people. And that GW! He has some taste! Upset, SI asks to leave. CH finally notices JH. Jh gets up to leave.

GW drives CH home and she thanks him for the day and compliments him on his singing. CH enters house. GW gets a call.

GW goes to the bar he likes and SI is there drinking.

Drunk and upset, SI cries she resents GW- if it wasn’t for him, if he liked her just a little, things wouldn’t have come this far. She doesn’t know how it came to be like this, what she is supposed to do. She didn’t mean to do this but she doesn’t know how to solve it. SI says her actions became fetters, preventing her from going to GW. She is being punished.

GW enters his office, scared by his dad who is just sitting there. Dad asks about CH and her scandals. GW replies CH isn’t someone like those scandals say. Dad agrees. But why is JH doing nothing? GW explains JH lost his memory. Dad asks what is GW doing? GW replies he is doing fine since dad raised him to be a business man- in work and in love.

CH is pouring JH’s tea in his practice room when JH catchers her. He asks if she poured anything into the tea. CH drinks the tea in front of him- “Okay now?” JH asks if this is how CH has been reeling the men in- it might work on people like GW but not on him. He pours out the tea. CH tears up. JH sees this and asks in surprise, “You’re crying?” CH just storms out without a word. JH can’t help but feel discomforted. He gets a call.

JH arrives at the jewelry store. Salesperson says the medal necklace he ordered to use to propose is ready but he hadn’t picked it up. JH can’t remember anything about this. The pendant says “MJ” and he asks, “MJ?” Woman asks, “Is MJ the initial s of SI’s real name?”

End of episode, no preview for tomorrow.

Comments:

I am sitting here, 2:00 AM, tired, with a mosquito that somehow got into this room drawing its blood from me numerous times, feeling the anger and frustration rise as I watch this drama again to update the live recap. I hoped against all hope that there wouldn’t be amnesia in this drama but k-drama gods are cruel and uncaring. I shouldn’t be surprised; I wanted to watch this drama because it sounded so quintessential k-drama and amnesia is an age-old tradition of the genre. I didn’t even mind the amnesia when it was first mentioned as a possibility by fans last week, but my dread steadily grew over the week. And that dark foreshadowing did not disappoint me.

It’s not the amnesia per se that I have a problem with. It’s what the story has to do to make it work. Take down all news about Joon Hyun from the internet? WHAT??? Korea does have fewer search engine options with a very strong monopoly by one so it just might be possible. But come on! Okay…maybe I could believe this is possible. Maybe I could believe that Joon Hyun is the type of person who doesn’t look up news about himself on the internet. Imagine, Joon Hyun with his personality wouldn’t be able to handle netizen comments. He loves himself too much to stoop as low as to search himself on the internet. But isn’t he curious? Curious at all about the past few months he completely forgot? Is he simply satisfied that things are okay for him now? Ugh, Joon Hyun, I am disappointed in you after all that progress you made.

Joon Hyun is back to the way he was before- that awful, bloated, conceited star. Yet, his body remembers the little habits he picked up while living with Byul and Choon Hee. That time is not all gone from his memory. Hopefully, Joon Hyun will piece everything together soon- the necklace, “MJ,” medal jinsangnyeo, Choon Hee, those unsettling feelings he gets around her, and his taste for fans and salty foods.

I want to point out some corrections I made during the rewrite of the live recap. I initially wrote about Ho Yeol and Choon Hee’s scandal because Pyo and Ho sounded similar to me, but the scandal Yang is talking about is with Congressman Pyo. Soo In also didn’t actually tell Geun Woo about what she did to Choon Hee. She only admitted she lied about being Joon Hyun’s girlfriend since she didn’t want Geun Woo to think she was dating him.

In addition to holding out hope that amnesia won’t occur in this drama, I also held out hope for Soo In’s redemption, oddly, because I pitied her upbringing. What a terrible mom to grow up under. But I can’t forgive Soo In anymore, not after the way she kept on blaming Choo Hee for what happened to Joon Hyun. It’s what I wrote previously about villains in dramas- their biggest fault is their inability to take responsibility for their own actions and accept that the world doesn’t revolve around them. But Soo In is getting what she deserves since she can’t go to Geun Woo because of her “involvement” with Joon Hyun. Not that she had a chance and not that she doesn’t deserve more punishment, but at least Soo In is miserable in her own grave that she dug.

We found out today how CH’s mother died- the hit and run, likely caused by Yang, somehow caused CH’s mom to be unable to sing. This depressed her, made her ill, and she died. GW’s dad seems to hold the power to solve this mystery of the hit and run perpetrator, and hopefully, Choon Hee’s dad will talk to him soon.

Byul has to be the best character in this drama- smart, cute, bright, and tough. She took those girls on and gave them a run for their money. Can she beat the amnesia out of Joon Hyun?