I'm Jessica and this is T about K Rambles. We're a couple of friends review Korean dramas and we're back for another season 6 episode. We're going to cover when the phone rings and I got with me my friend Carol from the K Drama Musings podcast. Carol, what is up? How are you? New year, what's going on? Hi. Hi, everyone. This is my first podcast recording of the year. I'm very excited to be here. I'm doing OK.
I'm just getting off of a cold, so forgive my voice, but I'm doing OK. I'm ready to talk about when the phone rings. Listen, the show had me in a chokehold until it didn't. And I'm trying to. I was telling Jess, I'm trying to figure out, am I going to like go hard and be in defense of the show or am I? We'll see. We'll see, We'll see.
We'll stay tuned. So this episode came about because we were set to record an episode on Love Next Door, and what ended up happening was I dropped that show and Carol, you managed to finish it. And so we ended up getting together for a debrief. Episode. On just the Patreon feed and we had a lot of fun. We talked a lot of shit and I I was like, well, we had to like do something else because I really do love recording with
you. I I want to get something up on the on the real feed for Tibock. And when the phone rings was taken the Airways by storm. Everyone was watching when the phone rings. You were really excited about it and posting about it on social media. And I was like, Carol, if I start when the phone rings, like do you want to make that our replacement Love Next Door episode on the Tibock feed? And you said, yeah, absolutely for sure. Yeah. I almost didn't even finish when the phone rings.
You were at. One point, like you got real quiet about when the phone rings on your social and I was like, this isn't looking good. And I messaged you and I was like, Carol, are you still on for that? Like, 'cause I can push through and like finish this show if you want to do the episode. And you were like, we don't have to like you were even like, we don't have to do anything. And I was. Like. Are you sure? Long story short. We're here, we're going to do it.
We have gathered some thoughts together about this show, about this experience, and we're ready to like do a mini deep dive. I really don't expect us to be here for like a 2 hour shindig, but like, here we go. But before we do all this, before we unleash, if this is your first time listening, go ahead and subscribe on your favorite podcast app. What an interesting episode to jump in on. We are on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast and many
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Oh, I'm Pam. Pam, new patron, thank you so much for being patrons. And thank you so much for all of the free patrons as well. All right, we're gonna get into this, Carol. OK. OK. I have a disclaimer. Yes, please. Please, any trigger warnings, disclaimers, anything you wanna put at the front of this. Two things #1 if you do follow me on social media, by now you've seen the trend of me going so silent.
It just it just, you know, it could either mean I hate it, I'm embarrassed, I don't want to talk about it anymore, or it could be like just a personal experience for me, OK. Yeah. #2 this was a fever dream and I stand on back when the phone rings was a fever dream that I am here to defend. So let's get into it all right. So the My Drama List synopsis reads picks on. The youngest presidential spokesman in Korea comes from a prestigious political family.
His background includes roles as a war correspondent, OK hostage negotiator and news anchor. Three years ago, he married Hong Hiju, a mute sign language interpreter and the adopted second daughter of a newspaper proprietor. Maybe you could say media mogul. I feel like that's a better way to say what her family is and does. Their marriage, based on convenience has been distant and cold. However, when Hiju is kidnapped, their lives and relationship are changed.
This show is adapted from the web novel The Number You Have Dialed by Con O Munyo. I hope I said that right. It has taken us by storm in just a few months, November 2024 through January 2025, it was airing. And I think it was delayed a few times because of, I don't know, the impeachment of the South Korean president. And some other factors have pushed some episodes into 2025. Because it's only 12 episodes long, there really should be no reason why I was airing for three months.
But here we are. It's directed by Pak Sangu. He's also directed The Forbidden Marriage, Never Twice and My Secret Terrius, which I really do want to watch My Secret Terrius. I've heard really good things about that one, and I personally liked The Forbidden Marriage. Have you seen this director's work before? Yes, I've I've seen all of it and hit or miss, but generally I like it. All right, this show is written by or adapted you could say by Kim Jong Un.
She has written Melancholia, Doctor John, Hi, Juggle me and Tong Dong Dong Alice. When I saw she had written Tong Dong Dong Alice I was like what a throwback. That is a 20/12/2013 show that I remember vividly dropping. Did you watch these shows? I did. I did. I OK. Chung Dung Dong Alice with Mungo in, I believe her name was. Yeah, I watched it. I didn't drop it back then. I didn't know how to drop a drama.
It just wasn't. Yeah, but hi, Jekyll and and me, I watched it and I think I liked it at the time, but I tried to watch it again recently and I was like, Oh no, no, OK, but I haven't watched. I didn't watch Melancholia. It's not my genre. This show stars you young suck as Pixon. He's our male lead. He is 40 years old. I just wanna say that 'cause I feel like there's a movement online that's like, you can't have age gaps, You can have people that are different ages.
And I'm the first one to cry about an inappropriate age gap. He's 40 years old. No one said a word. No one said shit about him being 40. Chase Subin is the female lead playing Hong Yi Jo. She's 30. That's a 10 year double digit age gap here. OK, 10 years. Ten years. No one said anything about it but like The thing is, it's the same people that are salivating over this show with a 10 year age gap between the leads. Yeah. That bitch about the four years
in 2521? Between those. 2 characters. Well, if you think about 30 and 40, that's different from 20 something and whatever they were and. People were like, she's in high school. He's a grown man. I'm like, it's four years, OK. I don't want to get into 2521 'cause I feel like I did. We did cover that aspect in the review for it, but oh, I wanted to say we did cover Mr. Sunshine from 2018, which is a Yu Yun Suk drama that is the best he's ever looked. I I was going to say I agree but.
Where are you? Where are you drawing the line here? I personally like him. I like Yu Yun Suk in terms of the best. You know that. I call it the mane of glory, the little mustache that was sexy, that was sexy, that was really, really hot. But in this drama, I don't know whether it was just him wearing black. Maybe it was the whole like, I don't know. I don't know. It worked. It worked for me. Yeah, it worked for me.
OK, that was a discussion that I was having in the DMS too, because I was like, I don't really get. I mean, he's a wonderful actor. I've seen him in Mr. Sunshine Hospital Playlist, a werewolf boy movie from 2012 where he's just awful, awful feeling character, the Royal Taylor, the beauty inside, more, more of his movie stuff. I vividly remember watching Reply in 1994 and thinking this
guy's ugly, so we're here. We're here all these years later, over 10 years later, and I'm now realizing that people really think he's attractive. You know. And that's why I was like, oh, that's a sword for me. But I, I. Swear for me but that's OK, I'm not going to yuck your Yum. But it's surprising especially now because he's ever since hospital playlist I feel people have been talking about him. He's he's around circulating on the socials and that's fine. Great love to see it for him.
Love that for him. But personally, he is baseline, not my cup of tea, OK? For me personally, please don't come for me and be like, oh, how can you think that way? It's me. In my opinion, OK doesn't do it for me, except for Mr. Sunshine. Oh my God, I was losing my shit at Mr. Sunshine. He was fantastic. Fantastic. He was, he was amazing.
Performance wise, looks wise. Just the the outfits he was wearing and I think he is. I think a little bit more flesh works for me. I feel that I'll just leave it at. That I feel that, so I want to put that at the top. Chesubin, What's your experience with Chesubin, the female lead? Oh, I was. I was going to come on really strong and I had. To I thought you like check yourself. What happened there? I remember it. I got to be politically correct. She's not my favorite.
I do not like to watch her. In fact, I had no plans to watch this drama, so I didn't know anything about the drama. And when I hit episode one play, I was really watching for him and I was like, you know what? Her expression is the same from episode 1 to 12, but it works for her character, so let's move on, OK? Let's just move on. I really loved I'm Not a Robot, and that's the thing that I remember her most from. Me too with the. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Yui Sung Ho. Uh huh. Yes.
Yes, that was good. That was good. So what did you think about when the phone rings, Carol? OK, with the mind that it was a fever dream, right? OK, I thought it was really entertaining. I will Episode 1 to like four. I was just like, OK, it took me a while, but the endings always had me hooked to see what would happen next. So I was like, OK, OK, I'll keep watching. And then you rolled up.
It's just. The look on your face, the furrow of the brows, You're just looking and you're looking around the room like where's the where's the camera? And I was watching this and I was just like, I'm not even using my brain. There is like so much drama in my real life. This, this makes my drama look like peanuts. So I'm enjoying it, right? And then we get to like 5 and 6 and I'm like. When the Nigerian comes out, I just, I love it. Didn't this guy say he's really smart?
And what's going on? I don't know. No. OK, Carol, just keep, just keep trucking along. By like bring it in. Really. Episode 6. Wait wait wait wait. No spoilers. Not spoilers, but you could say episode 6. OK, episode 6 just the we woke up in episode 7 and it was just like, Oh yeah, episode 6 happened. I was just like, oh, you guys are taking me for fools. Oh, oh, so I'm, I'm really sitting here. You didn't even give me memory loss. I would have preferred memory loss.
I would have loved a little bit of amnesia. It would have felt like home, but you robbed me of a memory loss. We're going to have to start there in the spoiler section, but I'll jump in here and say I started watching the show again. Didn't know any, never read the webtoon, never read anything or knew anything about the drama. I just knew it was popular and people were really enjoying it. And you young suck as a panty dropper.
Oh news to me. OK, so I showed up episode 1 and again, I bring it up because in episode 1 he comes in with a flourish and he's the talk of this party. But this isn't a spoiler, but people are going Oh my God, he's so handsome. And you can hear it in the bad English that they have circulating in this scene and in the subtitles. They're also calling attention to the fact that he's so good looking. And I'm like, unfortunately that's not working on me.
Like to to gaslight me into thinking that he's good looking but OK. The suits didn't work for you. No. He looks great. He looks sharp, he looks fresh when I stop him on the street and be like, can I have your number? No. OK, OK. No, but the again personal thing. So I was already kind of like thrown with the some of that
gaslighting too. It's the same thing that if an obviously good looking person is playing what's supposed to be an ugly character and everyone in the show is saying, God, they're so ugly, I'm like, what the fuck are you talking about? That's how I felt. Yeah, true. Oh, true beauty. Anyway, another episode you can scroll back to and listen to because that was another crazy one. But I'm already on my guard, on
guard here, like looking around. Where's the next thing that they're going to try and make me believe? And The thing is, I didn't have to wait too long. This plot is preposterous. It's ludicrous. This isn't a a spoiler, but like, she has selective mutism. That's the story in episode 1. And I'm like, all right, all right, it's a thing. It's real. But already I'm like, this is going down a path that I don't think I want to follow. But after episode 1, I was like,
you know what? Let me just shut my brain off. Thank you. You critical thinking babes. Yeah. I'm like, you know what? Let me just shut it down. I'll watch this. And I was coasting through each episode. I did not think it was particularly amazing. I did not think it was binge worthy. I did not think that this was the best show in the planet. I did not think their chemistry. I've never seen this kind of chemistry before in my life. No, no, no. I was just. That's true.
Chill. I was chill watching the show, happy as a clam. Like it was a nothing show, whatever. Then episode 6 happens and I was like, if you guys aren't going to fucking take this seriously, Like I almost, I almost shut off the whole show. I was like, you know what I remember? You DM me and she's like Carol, explain yourself. I'm like, what are you having? To explain. Because we had already agreed that we were going to do this
episode review. And I was like, Carol, you need to talk me through this because I'm struggling here. I can't believe they did this thing. It really didn't improve after that for me. Then I stopped watching at episode 10 and I was like, OK, I'll watch other things like Squid Game. I'll watch finish watching No game no love. I'll watch spice up our love. I'll I'll watch anything but this until this thing finishes and I got some time on my hands
to finish out the show. Girl, when I saw the visceral reaction to the final two episodes, I busted a gut from laughing. I was so entertained by the uproar, the backlash, so to speak, to the final two episodes. And I was like, oh, now everybody thinks it's a bad show. And The thing is. I don't know if people have necessarily watched Makjiang before. You know, that's a fair comment, This. Show was a crash course in Makjiang. Yeah, yeah, I agree. I agree.
By like episode 11, people had taken enough ibuprofen and they were just like, hang on, now I'm I'm getting some clarity. I'm. I'm gaining enlightenment here. It's. Like what is going on? A lot of questions, very few answers, plot holes that were really plot chasms and a lot of people didn't seem to care about it until the final episode. I was genuinely shocked and enthused by the reaction. I will. I will say I was one of those people who by the ending I was
absolutely pissed off. Not because I was just like, where's the growth of this character? Talk about it. Where is the sense with this character? You're supposedly a really smart go to person and then you pull a oh, I'm leaving to punish myself? What?
I thought you said you wanted this person in your life and you want to spend time with them and then you just ghost them because you feel so bad and you knew your wife knows and she still chose you and you still dipped and then you're now dashing people money in this economy left and right and you expect me to be OK with like I I just, I didn't understand why he ghosted her. I I can sort of I didn't like the whole job. Let's.
Keep Let's keep non spoiler section so we'll talk about the ending in depth and the spoilers like. My bad, my bad. I just got heated. No, it's OK. It's OK. We'll get real heated, I'm sure, in the spoiler section. But I I agree with you in that there were plot holes. I remember sitting in my couch and I was talking to myself and I was talking to like, I had two personalities. I was like, you know, I can excuse plot holes, but I draw
the line at incompetence police. And my other person is like, you can excuse plot holes. Yeah. What the heck? The cop incompetence police just pissed me off and I and that's when I was finally like I'm not really liking this show. I don't like incompetence police, but somehow plot holes are fine so we move. I have said this before and I will keep saying it.
I am a plot person. If the plot don't make no sense, I just don't coast by on vibes and aura like that doesn't work for me. Yeah, I get you. And The thing is, I can get interesting vibes, sexy vibes, whatever from a TikTok edit from a photo shoot that this couple does, and I can get that high from that. But if I'm sitting there to watch an hour long show and it don't make no sense, you're telling me a story like you're storytelling. That's that's what I'm here for.
And the story is not making no sense. That's when I'm like, you know what? No, and I've said this before too, I'm not a mock Jung person. I got scared by the last Empress. I got real scared. And. This show gave Last Empress vibes. It's real mock Jung and I. I don't think people were prepared for it. I don't know if it was necessarily marketed as such. I don't know. I don't know what went wrong. But you know, from episode 1, you could tell this was stupid. Like it was going to be
unbelievable. And yeah, you have to suspend your disbelief, but up to what point? Up to episode 6. Up to episode 6. For me, it was Episode 6. I wasn't going, this is a masterpiece. This is my favorite couple ever and and that's what I was seeing like everywhere. I don't. I will never say they were my favorite couple, but I will say that personally for me, when we are talking about top dramas of 2024 in my list, it's up there
because it gave me something. Yeah, I think it gave you more than it gave anything to me. Exactly. Which is why I was excited to cover 'cause I was like, OK, Carol loves it. Fantastic. And. Then I went silent. I just feel like last year did not give and to have that at the end of the year, and I love a mahjong, I'm always seated for a mahjong, but to have that at the end of the year felt very, it had me like dissing people out loud in my own space.
It gave me a reaction, which is what I wanted versus the trunk, which I didn't really react to it like on social media especially, but that has been on. I've seen it 6 Times Now, but that has like constantly been on my mind where I'm thinking. So that was my plot, if you will. I know that's controversial. That is controversial, okay. But when the phone rings gave me like crash out. It was. That's what it is. It allowed me to crash out and be like yes this is what I needed so.
There's a lot going on in this show and actually like, not that much going on too. But what was your favorite character like? Let's get some positives in here. My favorite character, you know, maybe he was so annoying, but he was entertaining the guy in his office who was like taking the couple pictures and giving him advice for his wife. Right. So that's Lim Chul SU is that actor, and he's been in so many things, right? Yes. Vincenzo. I remember him in that.
Yeah. I feel like he might have been in Queen of Tears. As well, I think because of Vincenzo and his character and that I really. He got talk about it. He did, but, but I really thought he would turn out to be a bad guy in this one. Like that's where my mind was. So when by the end, when I was like, oh, he's just, he's just just, I was like, well, that's wasted potential. Right, like we're expecting a subversion. Yeah, yeah.
Give me something. But yeah, I think I liked him and I liked the male lead because, well. Because, because Because. Like because he gives good kissing scenes I will. Not take that from him. No one's going to take that away from. I will not take that away from him. He's a wonderful kisser. What was he doing? He was like doing them open mouth kisses in this show and just like eating her up. And yeah, that was great. Love it. Not going to complain about
that. And she's got a good kiss as well in I'm Not a Robot. That's a damn big kiss that she has in that show, too. So it's not like she's far behind you young suck. But yeah, I would say my favorite character has to deal. Well, it's two. It's the second male lead and the second female lead who ends up being the second couple in the show because I was like, let's stick with them. I think there's something there. And I was expecting more exploration of their romance and
just flushing that out more. And we're on like the 10th kidnapping, and these two are like, nowhere to be seen. And I'm like, but they're so compelling. And I don't know, there was something, yeah, interesting about them. They don't get the time of day in this show. That's true. The second male lead, there was one moment where I felt like,
oh, is this my bad guy? Like this is what I mean by when I was watching this show I wasn't watching with any kind of sense because I wasn't like forward thinking. I was going at the pace the show is telling me to go and trying to figure out who the bad person or bad guy or girl is.
So there was a point where I thought the second male lead, he tricked me. In my opinion, he was driving her from that orphanage or that rich people house in the car and the way man turned and looked at her, yeah, and said I know you can speak or something like that. That moment was very threatening for foreboding to me. So I was like, oh, is this? Is this my bad guy? And that's how he's written, right?
He's presumably going to be the second male lead the love triangle between you and suck character Chase Subin and then this guy who's Ho Nam Jun that actor and he plays Sangu and that would have been fine. That would have been perfectly adequate. And then they changed it and were like, is this second male lead actually the villain and in on this plot and somehow pulling strings and you don't know and he sort of knows too much and what's going on here.
Why is he inserting himself in this investigation? And I don't know. And maybe maybe the fact that he's a YouTube, what was he, he was like a doctor YouTube who, which have workout videos of himself, like shirtless and working out in the gym. And I'm like, OK, this guy exists. Like, first of all, second of all, yeah, I can believe a YouTube is sketchy and yeah, you know, has this double life or whatever, all of that taken together. It it was a lot of misdirections
and red herrings. And he is a big red herring in this show. I agree. Did I hate it? Not really, because it was it was almost like on the list of concerns, like he's wasted way down here on the show. But once they kind of clear his name, I'm like, give me more. Like I'm confused, he's fine as shit, why am I here? That's true. That's true. And honestly, even for the reporter or the is she a reporter or like a? Yeah, she was like a news. Anchor, anchor even for her.
They could have turned up the Mack Jong with her like really going after him in front of her face and she doesn't know she's the wife. And I expected a, I guess I expected a richer reveal, like she's the wife. And yeah, they could have done. It was just like a little with the second couple, like everything about them. Was. Was just a little lackluster for Dung Cutie that that's the actress who plays Judy, the news
anchor. I just thought she was so nice and precious and refreshing because I thought from episode one that she was going to be in this mean girl role because she could have easily been the mean girl to hate. You. And that just didn't happen. She was a lot more layered. And I like this, this character a lot. And again, and she's just shortchanged in this show. I feel shortchanged with them
too. You know what the show feels like and I want to shout out Marissa from the K3 'cause I visited her and she had this book of Korean, all the Korean actors, and it was sort of like a portfolio to sell them to Hollywood. This really like from beginning to end it felt like a promo video for you Yun suck to go on to bigger things, it really did. 100 percent, 100% because I'm not going to fault the show for having a pretty good male weed who can act his way through a shitty script.
Like I'm sorry to tell you like that happens all the time. Anywhere you go, Hollywood and obviously K drama land. You can have a great actors spinning a bad script into gold, but to me it always it's very telling that they're just doing the best they can off of a crap script. Yeah, with what they've got. With what they got like he can give 110% and he's. Like. Doing something stupid, ridiculous, and that's the whole
show. It's just a lot of ridiculous and they're doing the best they can. That's why I can't completely hate it, because they worked really hard and you can. I don't think I've seen. That I don't fault the actors. True, that's a story. They don't have anything to do with the scripts. They don't write it. They didn't write the web novel. They have really nothing to do with the issues that we're talking about because they're unless they were acting shit.
They did their job right. Like I'm not mad at Yu Yun Sok, Chesubin Ho, Nam Jun or Dung Cutie. They showed up to work like it's a paycheck for them and they did what they were supposed. To. They did Pak. Jayun who plays. The kidnapper. He showed up and did what he. Was supposed to do. He played crazy, he was chewing up seeing her, he had these facial ticks and shit. And I'm like OK, I hope that check. Cleared. Because he's doing it, he's doing it. He's showing up it.
It looks crazy, as it should, that whole storyline. Well, ridiculous. I don't know if we. Can get into it right now, but did you have a least favorite character? Least favorite? Character. Oh, I don't know, Actually, maybe No, I don't. Grandpa. The grandpa who died, OK. Yeah, that's Jung Dong Huang. He plays Pick Jungle. He's the patriarch who has giant portraits of himself and all of the properties the family owns.
That guy, I knew he was. Oh God, I knew he was villain from jump because he was the dad in the airs. Yeah, that's. Right. Yes, He's never gotten. Off my shit list ever since the airs. I don't care that the airs is a bad show. Like I consider it a bad show. It's not good. But he again did his job. He was terrible. Bile made everybody miserable, and I'm like, he's going to keep doing that. Honestly. Him and Hiju's mom, I feel like they deserve each other. They do.
Also the sister. The sister I did. Like what she did was shitty. Yes, we're gonna have to talk about. Her little and she was useless. Useless, useless. Character like her like. The sister and Hiju's dad. I'm just like what are you 2 people doing here? The story you just taking up space. Exactly. It can't go on without. You like the sister coming back made no sense to me 'cause I feel like the story would have progressed at the pace it would have even if she weren't there.
The dad who's in the facility, Hong E Ju's dad, yes, another completely. Like I feel like a lot of characters, side characters. Are just conduits. To push this ridiculous plot forward and they have like one line and then they do one thing and then they're they're written off like basically written off the show because they've served their purpose. And that's not how I view characters and so many characters right.
We just actually like 4 characters that do one shitty thing and it like makes everything fall apart or. Or they don't do a shitty. Thing, but they express some craziness or have a line that serves some function in this plot and I don't think that makes a good character, no. I don't think so too. Kind of like the secretary. The secretary of yeah, the like minion guy.
Peck sounds. Dad he had the most useless conversation that has ever happened in the history of K drama because I was just like he choose leaving. Can I get into it? OK, you know what? Let's just rate the show out of five soldier bottles and then we're going to get into the spoiler section and all bets are off. OK, I thought we went for the jugular in the non spoiler section, but oh, buckle up. So. What did What would you rate the show? Out of five soldier bottles, I'd
rate it a four. Over 5 no. I can't believe. It so you would still rate it high? I'm still rating it high. I'm still rating it high because just for the experience. Yeah, what? About you, I would well. I would rate it to OK what? Would you rate Queen of Tears? Well, I haven't watched Queen of. Tears number one. OK, then that's the. End. OK, that's it. I'm not gonna say. But I have several people in my DMS who I don't know quarterly tell me to watch Queen of Tears.
I'm here to set the record straight. I don't think I ever will watch Queen of Tears if you think that. What I'm? Saying on when the phone rings is harsh. I don't think you want me watching Queen of Tears. OK, I don't. And again, I am not here to to have a bad time watch AK drama that I didn't like. I tend to choose dramas based on if I will like them or not. And so I rarely drop dramas nowadays. I don't have high numbers of drops every year because I am
choosy. I am curating what I watch. You really taught. Me to drop dramas, I'm so glad. I'm so glad. So at this point I'm not about hate watching. I someone brought up alchemy souls in my DMS too. They were like, I haven't felt this way since Alchemy souls and I was like, I don't want to talk about alchemy souls. That might have been my. Last hate watch I. That was two years ago. I don't like to do that OK to myself or to others now that I have a platform. I don't like to hate watch.
This wasn't necessarily a full on hate watch because it was so crazy. I was like, you know what fuck it like but yeah, it wasn't good. I did not have a good time. Generally 2 soldier bottles I I pretty much disliked it. OK, but I. Found some. Merit. In it, there was something to latch onto and it wasn't the worst drama I've watched. It was not the. Worst. Drama I've watched but. It's it's. Pretty bad for like the current year, right? Like the current 2024-2025.
But that's where I want. To push back though, because 2024 was a shitty year for K dramas. So I'm just. Like Nah, this was for 2024 standard. This was a really good show. OK, I. I see where you're coming from. That's the bar is low. It's oh. The bat was in hell. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. OK. OK. Enough. Enough. We're going to get it to spoilers when the phone rings right after this. Excuse me, I can't tell. I can't. Tell you know I have no. Jingles. Oh, sorry. Swear, discussing shit.
What? All right, we're on the other side. Of spoilers, Carol, I'm just going to set you loose. Really. Like, what do you want to talk about? OK, OK. First of all, back to the useless conversation that I mentioned with the secretary. So we see Hiju leaving and so she came to her in laws to say find my man. Yeah. And then she's like, do something. And they're like, we'll take it into consideration. It's like, wild, wild. Yeah. And at this point, she doesn't know that he's not other
biological son. Exactly. So secretary comes out, he follows her and he's like, what else does he know about the kidnapper? And, you know, when he came into this house, he had surgery and his eye, like, they fixed up his eye and he doesn't remember. And I was just like, now hold on. Are you telling me that he's the twin of the kidnapper? Like, what is the point of that conversation? You just confused, babe. So, you know, when I watched that, I was like, you know what, Carol?
Just hold your horses. Maybe next episode they'll do, like, a flashback of the conversation and give it context. No, context, never. Context was not in the room with us. Yeah, that was a Rd. Closed type of clue that they dropped there. It was like, oh, I drove to the end of this, where's the rest? Where's the rest? And who were you talking about? Because Mr. Kidnapper still has mismatched eyes, eye colours. So I was just like, oh, you
wasted my time for free. OK, OK, let's move on to the next clue. Yeah, yeah. It was he because he made a point of stopping her. Yeah, the eye. He had his. Surgery to change his eye. Who had this? OK. Thanks. Yes. No. Make no sense. I. Yeah, I was. Really pissed off with that. And I know like, in the grand scheme of things and you know, the number of plot holes, it's really nothing. But I just, you wanted to talk about it. That one I wanted to talk. About because you wasted my
goddamn time. I wanted to say this. Quote from Time magazine when I saw this. Article I was like. Time magazine is writing about when the phone rings, so here is what. It says. The story of two people overcoming issues of communication to be together. This may be highly relatable, but the story elements are intentionally taken to the mock Jung extreme than they have in
parentheses. The descriptor mokjang is applied to a Korean drama that stretches its depiction of reality, putting its characters in increasingly extreme situations that heighten the stakes and emotions, and populating its world with toxic characters who often act contrary to any known system of logic. I spit up my water when I saw they're just defying logic. That is what a mokjang is. They go on to say.
When the Phone Rings is one of the best Mokjang dramas we've gotten in a few years, with a plot driven by kidnapping, murder, contract marriages, arson, fake deaths, assumed identities and political intrigue. No. No, it's not OK. OK. I don't want to shade anybody, but of late, these writers, these reporters, Yeah, writing out of thin air. I'm just like me and you. We watch that show. What you're saying is not what was in the show, and I'll leave it at that.
This show, I think a lot of people class it as a guilty pleasure. It is a guilty pleasure. I'd say that too. I think I started all right, like. Episode 1 is crazy. The writing is on the wall on episode 1, but it starts out kind of intriguing. Like this whole thing is masquerading as an enemies to lovers because at the end of the episode you find out she can freaking talk. She has the ability to speak and she's speaking. In a kidnapping scenario, she is.
Mad as shit. She's angry with him, with what you overheard on the phone because he said like, bring me a body or something. Like I can't even remember what the line is. She loathes him and she starts with her blackmail shit, which was. Which was half baked at. Best it was home, girl was in over her head. How are you taking pictures? Of your thigh, Are you saying you're cheating? Like what was up? What was up with that? It was really. One of the worst plans I've ever
seen. She didn't take 2 seconds to think it through. Of course, the phone. Is. Tracked everything she does on it is being recorded like I was confused like she just thought oh I'll pick up this phone and continue this and get out of this merit. I was literally like, all right, let's turn up, I guess go off sis, like, OK, which was so. Wild to. Me. Because I said, wait, is he not the one who said she's so clumsy and he can? See right.
Through her, maybe he has selective vision, but he did not catch on at any point, even at the point where she's on the roof talking into the phone. No, honestly, I was just like. Now. Hold on, that was me the whole show. Like wait. Because wait, what? The other major?
Gripe I had was I remember a conversation and I don't read, I don't know what episode it was, but I remember Pixon talking to Hiju and saying, oh, the sister must have seen younger Pixon and that's why there was a hit on the brother. And so I swear that conversation happened. So at the end when he asked, oh, does Heju know? And he disappears? I was like, no, but you already knew Heju knew, so where did you go? Like what happened to that whole conversation you had with her?
And yeah, it was miscommunication. Even after they learned how to communicate 100%. What is that the? Only thing they know how to communicate. On is to kiss each other. And you know, I felt like this show overcompensated with with that. Because. It felt very much OK. The audience is getting pissed off that this doesn't make sense. Throw in a kiss. Oh yeah, let's just have a. Dream of a. Kiss Yeah, I dream of what could. Be if. They were communicating from day one.
I swear. Joseph did. Not have that many dreams in the Bible like I was just like OK another dream and another dream like no it's. Embarrassing really. It's embarrassing. The like montages and things. And it could have been 8. Episodes. What a tease. Like this whole show? Is just a tease. It is a tease. It is. A tease and then. Like he did it and the whole miscommunication thing. He married her and this was a whole reveal. Like that wasn't really a reveal. You obviously knew he had the
hots. For her he. Loves her, likes her, definitely knew about who he was asking for right when he swapped sisters in the contract marriage it was no. Surprise, I was like. I'm not surprised here. Yeah, he. Just didn't get to. Know her at all during the three years of their marriage. Because why? He didn't want to pressure her into a relationship that he thought she felt trapped in? Which, yeah, of course you'd feel trapped if you're not telling me what's going on. Shit.
Like you know so. It was just a prison of his own making. True, but. We've also The show also established that Pexon had no relationship experience, like he was clueless when it came to relationships. And The thing is. I'm. Looking at their professions as well, yeah, he is. A. Erstwhile war correspondent, maybe a foreign operative, I don't fucking know. Like they they just like threw everything at the wall that he could do. He was basically Jason Bourne by the end of this whole thing.
And currently he's a a spokesperson for the presidential office. Great. That means he's dealing with people all day long, fielding questions, taking interviews, talking to the press. And his whole thing is communicating. That's his whole job is to communicate a message and do it in in a proper way, in a way that makes sense to the Korean
public. So I'm like, OK, he is communicating all day long and he has no other problems with even other family members like his fake, you know, father and mother. He's telling it like it is. He's constantly butting heads with them and communicating that he's not going to just go along with their plans. And when it comes to Heju, he can't seem to get any word in
edgewise. Well, and I'm. Confounded. By the fact that it took first of all, they grew up together, they were basically neighbours. Never says anything when they're married and living in the same house again never says anything. I feel like it's just the toxic nature of how he got her into the marriage in the first place. I'm just like, let me just trap her. I'm doing it out of the best of intentions. I think she's got a terrible home life.
She's about to be married off to some skeeze ball who's going to treat her badly. I'll just marry her, fine, fine, and keep the good intentions. But after he's got her in the house and he's setting up all of these boundaries and putting up
walls and things between them. OK, beast, like, let's talk about it. I This is very Beauty and the Beast, true And I. Also believe that he really couldn't see past what he felt he was supposed to be doing, which is I do think I'd characterize him as a very narcissistic person because he's just so consumed with himself. And this whole thing of you were not part of my plan like Mana's tunnel vision focused on. I don't at this point, I can't even remember what the revenge was.
I was confused about his revenge. Plan too. Was it just like I'm not going? To. Be part of your presidential ticket ticket candidacy and involved in any way and speak good of you. Was that his the end all be all of his revenge just to not let the father become the president and use his clout? Oh it. Couldn't have been just that. That would be maybe it was had to. Do with just like bringing the whole family down and revealing his identity especially.
With the the. The ring that he put back on his dying grandpa. At that point, he thought he was. The grandpa and he was like, I need some dirt. I want to know what the hell is going on. I want to know who I am. Maybe I can get something out of it if I insert a camera into this signet ring and put it back on this man wheezing in the ICU. That maybe that had something to do with the revenge. But again, it's never really laid out A to B to C.
It's always just like, I can't. I guess I have to infer here how he wants to raze this thing to the ground. But Even so, I didn't feel like he was particularly gung ho on any sort of revenge, no. And also, I feel like by the time he was putting the ring on grandpa, he knew that was his dad, not his. It's so.
Ambiguous. It's not like he had a moment where he was like, I know I'm your son, I'm going to put this ring back on you because I think she's going to go down or I'm going to get something else out of you. No word about that, really. No clues there. I don't like this. Feeling of making me question why I read that it's a four out of five.
The thing is, they had a lot. OK, so the good stuff about this show is basically whenever these two, the female lead and the male lead, are trapped in a room together, sparks fly, I guess. And that was at one point he, like, tried to pull up her skirt to see her. Oh yeah. Mole or. Something. That she had. The. Birthmark. And she was like, oh, stop. Like it was very like, OK, it's very kind of icky because she obviously doesn't want him touching her. She doesn't want him to. Pull up her.
Skirt it's very sexual assaulty, a little whiff of sexual assault in here and people were salivating over the scene. They were like, Oh my God, he's so sexy. He just got done getting roasted in this weird fire that the kidnapper found his location and it exploded his secret office. See. But like. I, I did not like that scene, but in that scene I would have been asking hard questions because you have a bodyguard
with this woman. You know her schedule, when does she have the time to go have an affair and take a picture of her thigh and post it up? And just even the POV, like I just felt like critical thinking wasn't part of the characters what critical skill set there was. Not even thinking at. All anyway he was looking. Trying. To look up her skirt and see the birthmark, or if there was a birthmark, to basically Fact Check the kidnapper on the phone. Yeah. And then she's shocked.
That he's doing it and I'm just like, why would you be shocked? Why are you? Shocked you sent. Him the photo, it was such a stupid thing. Like to send her like he said she sent him like a. Boudoir. Photo and expected him to just take it and not like do any further investigating because he obviously at this point he's clueless doesn't know that's his wife on the phone. So he's like, Oh my God, does the kidnapper really have but the angle? Everything. About the photo that makes zero
sense and her. Retrying and. Retrying and retrying to take the photo. I'm like bitch, give it up. Like, yeah. Even the. Mom who gave. Her the lingerie, she wasn't even committed. Quit. I was just like, what's what's your angle? What's your point? Because I guess she was like. Oh, I have two rabbits stuck in a cage together. I have to get them to breed. Yeah. Otherwise this whole charade is null and void. So she is the. Real mom of Hiju, Yeah. And she got.
With. Dad and she dumped Dad and I guess she, this is me making up the story. I guess she moved into the House of the chairman. Oh, it was very the heirs. Coated. Yeah, it was very. Heirs coated, she, he. We had a mistress living. In the house, I don't know. Yeah, did where they actually. Married. And she? Was the official stepmom to to
biological. Kids. No, I was thinking. More she came in and the older Hayan's mother died and then she's sort of like a caretaker who has her daughter living in the house just like airs. And then it turns into something more and she becomes sort of like a step mom to Hayan and he drew as her daughter.
I just couldn't quite. Wrap. My head around the fact that the dad, he just step dad, left her in the house knowing everything, that she had been coercing her biological daughter Hiju to pretend to be mute, have selective mutism to maintain her position in this house. It didn't make sense and the dad knew the whole thing the whole time and he didn't. Say shit like that. Family does not care about Hiju no no. Nobody in the family cared about Hiju. At all, because otherwise the dad.
Would be like. Hey, I know we're sleeping together every night. I think you can let your daughters talk now. Right. I'm not going to kick you out. Like again, where is what does it cost for some people to open their mouths and communicate because I really don't understand why the secrets why would he keep that secret? I'm sure I can understand the stepmom. He just mom keeping it up for 20 years. But what's with the dad? So the dad hates he do. Is he getting a?
Kick out of seeing. Them squirm and try and no tiptoe. Around him with this. Lie. I don't. I don't get that at all. I fell flat. Yeah, so many things. But yeah, like people were just gravitating, I guess toward the skinship in the in the show, 100% the. I think it's episode. 2 where this is post the first kidnapping and she has some bruising on her neck and like a cut and stuff.
He brags her into some dark room and pins are up against the wall and it's like inspecting her neck and stuff that shit. It is K drama crack it is. At this point in episode 2, it was. It worked, right? It did, yeah. It's book. Talk. Magic. Like that's what exactly I'm. Not going to fault the show for that, but like the whip of sexual assault on the latter one that we were having talking about about the mole inspection. Yeah. I don't know if I would necessarily classify that as sexy.
Sure, he looks good, but you can see me disassociating like further into the more deeper into the show I get. I remember after like. Episode 2 calling him a green flag. No, you didn't. I did. I did. Was it episode 2 or maybe on a later episode? Because like you said, immediately you knew he loved her. Yeah, he cared for her for sure.
Yeah, he cared for her. And I just think I really, there was 1 scene that I appreciated which he didn't really even go all the way when they were lying in bed at one point. And he's like, just forget everything that you heard and that was said or something like that. I think I thought that was the beginning of an apology. He could have definitely gone all the way with an apology or an explanation, but it goes back to that lack of communication between them. But even with that, she seemed
content with that explanation. And I was like, OK, if it works for you, girl, it will work for me. Whatever, but I. Just found. There were moments of sheer panic from him at the thought of danger coming to her. Yeah, that's good stuff. Those those were the moments I. Really enjoyed because I just felt like his face. He was very expressive. You could see fear, you could see anger. I was like, OK. OK, Ian, suck. Do something here. You can give it some go off, go off. Yeah, but.
Yeah, so I I liked those scenes, but I did. That's not bad stuff at all, no. I'm not complaining about that stuff. It's, it's plot related stuff. And the show functions best when I guess you're watching it as it's airing because you do get that break where you can come up with theories. Yeah, about the show, where it's headed, who's who. And that's what's fun with the groupthink aspect of social media is you read a theory and you're like, Oh my God, I agree, or no, I don't agree.
Or, you know, something actually being right. Like you, you make a theory and it's right. It turns out to be right. That's the fun, I guess, of watching this unhinged show. I don't watch shows when they're airing, so I'm completely removed from this. I don't really get a thrill necessarily out of making theories about the show. I don't necessarily thrive off
of the. Theories and I feel like people were really excited to come and talk about the show and like who's the killer and who's the you know who owns the phone and suck a male lead. He's shady and all this stuff. I get it. I get it. I don't subscribe to that. I asked on Instagram for people to give me their thoughts, concerns, topics they wanted us to cover on this podcast. Some people said great couple. He looks great in a black shirt. Perfect. Yeah, that, yeah. Fine, fine, sure.
Argon plotline, super weird. Last two episodes look ridiculous and weird. It seems like mock young easy to watch actually. What's bothering me? How is the kidnapper so smart to control the female lead's car? Unless I miss something, I stopped trying to find logic and just enjoy the story without paying attention to some details. Truly messy show.
I think they pulled off being compelling and sensational at the beginning, but the writing relied so heavily on being sensational instead of writing their characters to be logical. Maybe this is just the mock Jong way. Someone else said cheese fest. All of these things are true, someone said. So much waste of potential plot holes galore in an absurd ending. Yeah, you're right. You're right.
So what's this was so funny. I love when people read a lot into it, as in like, they're squeezing milk out of an almond. You know what I'm saying? To get almond milk. And this person said Pixelmon is a man of his words. Heju is a woman of her actions. They were talking about the journey that he do goes on, which is, you know, she was
faking being. Her. Own kidnapper and blackmailing her husband to give her a divorce then she goes to transitions to trusting and loving him unconditionally and protecting him at all costs, even with a knife at. Her throat at. The, I don't know, 10th kidnapping, so on and so forth. And that's fine. Like, yeah, that sure. That's a journey. Did I care? No, no, that's my. Point. It's like. For me personally, man, I didn't give a shit. I feel you.
Are there any other? Complaints that you had about the show before we go into the last two episodes. Well, let's talk about the sister, OK? This girl comes. Back from. Overseas, she was Mia, they didn't know where she was for three years, fucked off on her wedding, leaving Heju to clean up the mess and be the substitute. Fine, we now know that Pixone orchestrated this whole thing, was in cahoots with the sister, and like, requested he choose to be his bride. Fine, fine, fine.
She comes back. Yeah, I did not like this character. I didn't like how they miraculously found some surgical cure to fix her vocal cords or whatever damage was done during the accident. As a child she never learned how to use sign language in all of the, I don't know, 20 years that she was mute? No, she wasn't mute. She. Was hard of hearing oh. Was it hard of hearing? Oh. Man, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Well, she would. Be mute because. She can't hear.
Was she mute? No, no, no, I, I think it. Was hard of hearing. She lost her hearing. You're right. Yeah, yeah, yeah, my bad, my bad. But anyway, surgical cure to fix her ears and her hearing and she never learned sign language in all those years. Nope. And I'm like. How? Much. Of a selfish, self pitying bitch you. Have to be. To not only not refuse to learn that you're silencing yourself. At that point you had 20 years to learn how to sign.
She doesn't. And instead she's holding out hope that she can just miraculously get cured. And she does. They give it to her that she does get cured. And then when she comes back and talks to Heju, she's like T he's sorry. I knew that you could speak all of these years and you made yourself be silent just to keep me company in my miserable state because I needed to bring somebody down here with me. That was trash. And.
It's experienced this. Calamity, even though you didn't need to, whether out of guilt or some misguided idea that you're getting a kicked out if you're whole Let's be friends that that was the whole. Speech at the aquarium. Yep, that was her. Arc actually she didn't even say sorry. She. Was just like I knew that you could speak. But now I can speak. So. All is well, all is forgiven. Let's pick up where we left off and I'm like fuck you, bitch. What the fuck do you mean?
No, she was a. Horrible person, just so selfish. She was very selfish. And I actually felt bad for her because she has a look of I'm going to be a bitch in the show. And so you're always anticipating her to do something shady, something that will harm Hiju, etcetera. And then she's just like, no, no, I'm endearing. I just want to be friends. I love myself. I've always wanted a sister.
I just don't like her mom. It it's just fell flat for me because, you know, I don't fault her too much for being a kid and pretending because she wanted someone to go through the pain with her. I I really don't fault her for that because at her big age though, at. Her big age though, How old was she she? Was older than. He do No, no when when? They had the accident. They were kids. Oh yeah, When they had the. Accident. They were kids, yeah, but as they.
Grew up. That's what I'm saying is like at her. Big age, that's true. She should have fixed it a long time. Where's the apology like you went to? College like you, your frontal lobe is fully developed that's true where's. The. Come to Jesus moment which to me tells. Me that she isn't a good person. No. If you were a kid, let's say you were like up to 14. She was like a preteen. The older sister was when she lost her hearing. Oh, she's not a good.
Person, we can't defend her in any way I can see maybe. Keeping it up until you're, I don't know, in high school, Yeah, yeah. I can't. There's just no. Empathy. Coming from honing that character and I couldn't get behind her character, couldn't get behind anything she did. Even the apology at the end of the show, I was like 11th hour, yeah. No, I. Agree so I felt like she shouldn't have come back and he I heed you is such. A old school female lead, right?
Yes. Being gaslit by everyone, even to the point of shouting stop gaslighting me I'm like bitch you knew they've been gaslighting. Like she's. Stupid and naive and very warm hearted. Innocent at heart and did everything just to be loved. And ain't no love coming from anybody in that family. Just got bamboozled and hoodwinked into shutting up for 20 years. Yeah, that. Type of female. Lead. That's very 2006, yeah.
Yeah, I agree 2024 we're. Getting this lead and everyone's like, Oh my God, poor Heeju, poor this. I'm like, this is very old school of a characterization. And something else about Heeju is that when she was signing, she was very animated, she was very feisty, she had a lot of gumption and. She was serving. Attitude and and you know, getting angry and things at people when she's signing at them, when she stopped signing, it's almost like all of those qualities go away and that's why
a man said. He enjoys, that's why he said he enjoys the heju that was on the phone with him. Matter of fact, they had to address. It in the final episode, in the final two minutes of the show, they had to address this crazy character switch that happened when she stopped signing. She lost a whole bunch of personality traits and she had to come and tell her like, hey. I want you to get angry with me. I want you to tell me what's going on and communicate. I want you to nag me and I'm
like, does that fix? It I. Don't think so, but OK, great on you for putting this the stipulation here in your marriage for her to open up a bit more because she was pissed when she was. Signing. She was she. Was and, you know, you know, I hadn't even thought of that. I think I was just focused on when she could speak, she was letting him have it. And she definitely met made him nervous or made him pay attention.
But when she didn't speak, it was just like, oh, this is the chaser, Ben. I know. Yeah, this is. Why I don't? Watch her but surprisingly and like press tours and whatnot, she's very spunky like Chase had. Been the. Actress. So I was just like sis. Why are you? Always so dull. Yes, it's just just. So dull. Every time she. Wasn't on the phone and she wasn't signing. Was like she was a non playable character. Like she just like, where'd she go? Yeah, like a Sims. Character.
Just stuck and waiting for waiting for him to save her because. I can't lost count of how many times and she was kidnapped. Waiting to be saved. I mean, you fucking name it like they did it to this girl. Let's talk about episode 6 because we mentioned. Episode 6. Before the break, so. What had happened was. They went hiking as a group activity in the presidential spokesperson's office. This turned into an office romance. I do not like office romances, I have to say.
So when it turned out that she was starting to work with him alongside him, interpreting for him, I was like another thing that I can't just rubs me the wrong way. They go hiking with the rest of the group. And the guy that you mentioned, Nin Chilsu, who plays like the office manager or something. Yes, OK. So that guy he's in there for? Comedic relief. But he was climbing that mountain and he was huffing and puffing. He had two walking sticks.
People were like, wow, this is really hard to climb up the mountain. This is my train of thought. I was like, I feel seen because I fucking hate hiking. And I'm always that person who is 50 steps behind, always falling behind. I almost died in the the Canyon in Las Vegas doing like a fun little hike. Yeah, the fuck not. Hills and shit and rock scrambling. No, no, you're going to get a different Jessica. It's a mess.
I am a sight to behold. And when I saw that character, the office manager, I was like, Oh my God, you'd never see this in the K dramas where someone's actually struggling to do one of these mountain hikes. That's true. I hate. Hiking I hate hiking and. Then they come to the lookout point. He gets inundated with fans trying to take selfies. He gets her shit rock. She gets pushed off of this lookout point. It's a sheer drop. She falls off a mountain. It's a basically a Cliff and
I'm. Like, Oh my God. She died. Like I was like, there's no. Way. There's no way she survived that fall. Not only did she survive, she thrived. She had no broken bones near a scratch. She was fine Babe. People break ankles. Just missing. A step on the stairs. It was hard on. Me. This is the point where I said, you know what? I don't have to finish this show. They're not. Taking this seriously? This is insulting that.
They would even think. That I would suspend my disbelief that this girl would survive a severe fall. They were so serious when he's trying to find her, calling her and getting of her to call him on the kidnappers phone and where are you and of this roundabout thing and him like traversing the mountain at night by himself. It was done sincerely. It really was. And I'm like get. The fuck out of here. Listen, he was like just beside. Himself wanting to save her,
couldn't get to her. You've got to be joking. I you. Listen, I loved seeing him in pain, seeing him in anguish, seeing him desperate. I loved that. But I. Also understand what you're saying. Oh my God. When episode. Six happened. I shook my head. I was like, no, we can't keep going. They have all this great hospital like time and he's taking care of her and he never left her side and I'm like, she should be dead. She should. Be in a body bag. I was beside myself.
So then episode 6 happened. I check out, I checked out. I was like, there's nothing they can do that's going to be like worse than this because we've reached a big low here. Oh my God, the unraveling the spaghetti in the last 6 episodes to figure. Out. Who the real kidnapper was and how Pakhtoje, who was his right hand man, was like a. Kidnapper. And hacker extraordinaire and that he was a twin at the orphanage school who lost his twin back in the day, presumably
from the murders that happened. And I mean, it escalates from there. Yeah. I was messaging. You going? How the fuck did? Pacto. J the right hand man fall ass backward into enlisting the real murderer AKA the real Pakhseon into being his puppet and exacting this revenge and kidnapping ploy. That was not it. And then he was, I was like, how did? Even Pakthoje get all of this information about the murderers because that was under lock and
key. That family LED none of that slip of who was the real culprit and there was no police investigation. I'm like did he sniff the leaves? Like I'm did he put his ear to the ground and just the earth told him? Like I'm confused about how even that dude got his Intel. Because. No one. Gave it to him. No one gave it to him. He was. He just divine it, just figured it out. But how?
Maybe his brother who? Had died, visited him in a dream and told him and you know that the show could have gone with that and we'd have to believe but. That didn't make. Sense and then the whole and they tried to explain why he got together with the real pyxeon and I was just like, this is so lazy. Like what are we? What are we? Doing so that. Was they let that guy? Go like the real pixon slash kidnapper.
They let that guy go, I don't know, half dozen times he escapes after kidnapping people and clobbering them over the head. And lots of attempted murder here. I don't understand why the real kidnapper was mad at the fake pixon like that. Seems a little misguided because obviously that's not the guy who that's. Not the guy you should be.
Exacting your avenger. Like I don't know why he chose Pixon Yu Yun Suk's character as his target because that kid had nothing to do with the switcheroo that. Happened. And you almost dying. I think he really. Thought Park Dolce Really thought Pexon killed his brother. Yeah, but I'm like, how'd you get? That name? No contacts. No contacts. No. Nothing there. They're just like, he's just like, I thought it was you and you were my main suspect. Then I had to figure out if it was you.
And so I hatched this kidnapping plan with the real guy. They'd like tried to explain it. They were like, oh, he was coming out of the office building talking crazy, threatening Pixel. And he's like, OK, perfect blunt instrument to use this stupid plan. I was just floored. Yeah, I agree with. You, it was very much the enemy of my enemy is my friend. I think that's what they were trying to go for. Absolutely. And.
I feel. Like man was on a fool's errand, like his whole life was a joke and I just felt so bad for him. I feel like if he had partnered with Doctor Slash YouTube, oh that would make more sense because Mr. YouTube had something to work off. He had incomplete files. But at least he had a memory to go off of. And he was like, oh, I saw this kid and I played with him. Yeah. And the kid was near. Yeah. But the whole the other part is why couldn't young pixel on be outside?
And why was it such a huge secret like someone had seen him because he had sociopathic. Tendencies. And they were like, oh, he's killing the squirrels, we need to lock him. Away. And then the locking key was nothing to this little murderer because he went out to the local orphanage and was really having a ball. Like he I think he took out like 4 kids, yes. And they knew about it. Because they were consistently getting rid of the bodies. It's wild. So I. Was like wow. Wow, wow, wow.
Like what else? What else? And I think the the. Thing that drove me nuts a little bit. One of the very few things that drove to nuts. Is you know when you. Watch that show with Ijungi where he takes the place of the murderer. It's that flower of evil, right? Flower of Evil. Oh, it is. Yeah, it is Flower of Evil. So in Flower of Evil he is very much like you see the parents actively covering their kids tracks and and whatnot. But in this show, the parents
don't really cover his tracks. They're not invested. It was grandpa who was invested in covering everything and they were just hating on grandpa. So even the real Pex Allen's parents weren't as invested in their son. And it just made it feel like you're such a lazy villain. I don't even understand because they didn't even know that Hiju's dad had a deal with grandpa. Like they were just in the show. Like we were watching Clueless. Oh. But you know going into.
The final two episodes that mom lost her shit. She did that, mom. Lost her ever loving. Shit. And she crashed out. I was. Not following. Her line of logic, and maybe you're not supposed to. She was just mad. She was mad at the old man. The grandpa. Yeah. That he hoodwinked her into raising his own child. Because that's who Yu Yun Suk's character is. Nice. We don't know who his mom is, but his daddy is the grandpa character.
Yo, I was waiting. For the show, because she hated and that was the theory too, that people. Had you had this theory too? Yes, I was. Waiting for the show to tell me that maybe grandpa sexually assaulted her and the fake pixel on is actually her son. That's why she loathed the old. Man, yeah. So I was just she was spitting on his portrait. And shit and just, yo, she was she. Was ready to host. Yeah, she. Killed him. So I just felt like OK to even
be mad. After years later that you've he stuck a pillow in his face and he died at your hands, she still don't feel. Like he's. Gotten the what? He deserves punishment. Yeah. What he deserves. Yeah, she's still spitting. On. Him and kidnapping some innocent girl here, you know she kidnaps Heeju. It's all to fuck with Pixel and Yuyun Suk's character, the fake Pixel, and I'm just.
Like why? What what was the her long con was literally I'm going to keep this girl hidden for 20 years, same as my son was missing for 20 years whom I thought was dead and I'm going to make. Sure, Yuyun Suk. Is in pain. He's suffering. He thinks his beloved is dead. And then I'm going to pull the rabbit out of the hat and here she is. You've lost. 20. Years of time together again. This doesn't seem it's very much the same as he do. Calling you gonna suck every night half baked.
Intriguing. Plot. Intriguing thought lady, but 20 years? You think you could keep this up for 20 years? Yeah, No. It didn't. It didn't. Home girl. Yeah. So who would you say? Which character made sense on the show? Which character made sense? I would say the dad like. The presidential hopeful dad OK 'cause he. Was pretty. Not easy to read, but I would just say he made sense. He made sense. He was focused on being the presidential candidate, on winning that. He's highly regulated.
Everything about him is a regulated, can't control his emotions, he's violent, he's has outbursts. And I was like, yeah, I get that guy. I think I got him. And I got Hanum June, yes, the second male. Lead. Yeah, the second male lead. Those are the only two people I got. He's just dad. I did not. No, I didn't get that. That step dad like. Hated her. I'm convinced the condone SIL. He condoned it basically for 20 years. Yeah, and then has a. Oh, she can talk. Oh God, so.
And I have my notes because I went ape shit taking notes on episodes 11 and 12. None of the other episodes I have notes for but 11:00 and 12:00. I was like let me sit down here and watch this and write some notes down I have here. Is she out of her fucking mind? If something happens. To her, these were her instructions, right? The mom's instructions where if something happens to her, she has the secretary.
Such bodyguard. I can't even say save my murderous son and kill he do. No sense whatsoever, No. Sense No. Sense at all She was like, I'm still going to go for the revenge and I'm still going to be behind my son who's literally murdered like four or five innocent children, a couple of people, I think fully grown adults, I think during the cross of the show, just completely unhinged, cannot redeem him or just medicate away this sociopathic murderous tendency. Yeah, let him out.
Let him free and kill this innocent girl. I just don't understand like the beef that she had was so deep and for what? Nada, Just. Yeah, the fucking underground. Chamber with the two bank vaults. Oh my gosh. And the the assistant. This I'm sorry. The secretary opens it with a key that slots into the lock on the old man's portrait and the lock was his signet ring. I have in my notes. What in the parasite in all caps? I was.
I was. Expecting I don't know why I was expecting that too, but the way the secretary was going hard for mom, I thought he was gonna be the father of oh the real pixon and maybe they had an affair like that's there's so many ways and The thing is what's sad is you're. Coming up with better mock John. That's what's sad is. That. Probably both of us can sit here and spitball a better show that's even more outrageous, but it works better than what we got.
That's true. That's true, but maybe that's what was sustaining me because my active imagination was just running wild with this could have and this could happen and and then I just get disappointed like and then you're just like, oh. Oh. I got mad when the. Secretary, let's heed you out. Yeah, which I felt like was very Snow White, Right, Snow White and the Huntsman type of deal where like the huntsman's like, she's after your heart run away and very much Snow White coated.
So she gets out and I'm like, OK, so she's been starving herself for four days. She has energy. And her hair looks perfectly. Clean. Her skin is moisturized and it just wasn't computing. If I don't get out of bed for a day, I look like shit. She was locked in. A bank vault basically for four days. Was not eating, barely drinking. She looks like she came out of the salon. She did crash her car. And then was taken. Yeah, she crashed into the. Fucking barrier.
So where's the neck brace? Like I'm, I was just like, Oh my God, this show just. Don't understand? Why? The cop was like, I'm going to follow closely behind you. I was like, OK. Great, great. Great, Got it. Noted that cop was 15 minutes behind them. Yeah, yeah. He was. I mean, what protection? What Police protection? That's what I. Mean by incompetent police I cannot do it and then. This fucking.
Guy you young sucks character. Once the real pixon comes up with a shotgun or a rifle and is taunting them from outside the vehicle, I'm like OK, perfect. Yu Yun Suk is. Going to step. On the gas and run this guy over. That was in my mind. I was like, OK, this is what's going to happen next. No, no, no, that's not what happens. Yu Yun Suk. Gets. Out of the car and I was like just run him the fuck over. You have a one like a 1 1/2 ton vehicle.
He's not going to brace himself and make it OK. It was baffling, baffling. That choice for him to get out of the car and face off against him one-on-one. Enough time for the cops to come and surround him. And then we see this nightmare scenario that happens in Heju's head, where kids get shot by the killer, by the real. Just stop. Just. Stop with it these terrible edits. Oh my gosh. And then the real pixel. On just says a word to him and his whole world crumbles.
What Listen to? Me. Hiju has never spoken about the stepbrother, has never shown interest in the stepbrother. We don't have a scene of her going to the mausoleum or the grave of this little boy and paying her respects and feeling so sorry and missing him and all that shit. We don't have any sort of relationship. That's a word. For her SO. What? Why does you Yunsuk think? Oh my God, I need to fuck off across the world to Argon and Ghoster.
You know what I thought? I. Really thought he was going to say or it was going to be revealed. It was actually grandpa who was killing the kids and framed the real Pixar on and got rid of him so he'd feel like, Oh my gosh, it was my dad. That's what I thought too. I thought. Oh, maybe that killer is just crazy because he was almost drowned to death by exactly a grandfather. So that's. What where all the ticks and all
of his mania comes from? But no, it's not what what you said, which was had this working theory that the old man was the real killer of all the orphanage kids. Yeah. And he was blaming it on PIXA and or just. Killing his grandchild because he's. Murderer, which would to me would also make sense with. Doctors Hutchins like investigation and who has seen this ring? And there used to be rich people who used to live here and the orphanage like that would have made sense to me.
But all you came to tell me was, oh, it was. He caught the hit on What's the. Yeah, no, it was stupid. It was stupid. I would have preferred that. He whispered in in his ear and said, hey, your dad is the real killer of all of these kids. I've never killed anybody in my life. I'm innocent. You are the son of a murderer. That would have been in five times that would have been. Way better of a gotcha.
Moment in that scene where you young sucks character is just crumbles yeah his world is shaken and he. Just. Fucks off for six months to. Do penance in. This form of self flatulation, yeah, because of the sins of the father thing that a lot of K dramas like to do. Again, it's very old school. Yeah, very old school. But I would have taken that, but I would have. Taken it. I would have taken that way over. Hey, you killed this little. Boy, your dad killed this little
boy, so not enough. Not enough. And it just reduced. I thought it was a character assassination. You know, all this growth and if you can call it all this growth over the course of the show of him and her getting to know each other and communicating and really expressing their wants and needs and falling deeper and deeper in love. He just like doesn't think, oh, she's going to hear about this. She's going to find out if she
doesn't already. And she's not going to forgive me. She's not going to be with me, baby, She ran her motherfucking car off a Cliff for you. Of course she's going to listen to what you got to say, and she's going to. Forgive you, She's a. Rider die literally ride or die like that bitch is crazy for you. Which is so wild because she wanted a divorce and. You know, I don't know man, I got mad even in episode 11 with the. Vignette of what could have been.
And it's like this whole Christmas thing. I got mad because sure. They had a. Christmas make out scene and it was sexy. It was hot. Sure, sure, sure. They were cooking steak in a toaster oven and I got offended. I was just getting mad at like any little thing in. This show. By the end of it, you just be triggered because you're triggered by. Every fucking thing. I was like. Is that a fucking steak? Are they cooking 2 steaks in the
toast oven and he burned it? It could have been an air fryer. It was no air fryer. It wasn't no air fryer. I was like, did they? Just put it in there to broil it, like after cooking it in a pan. And I had all these questions about the stupid steak in this Christmas vignette. Even her nightmare just didn't make no sense either. The nightmare of the police surrounding them, the police just letting the killer shoot. Union suck. What I was like, wait, wait. Wait, what? World.
Yeah, the gratuitous shot of the real pixon. They show him on television, on the news. His hand, his dead arm flops out from underneath the sheet. Never. That would never happen on television. Never happened on television. I even got mad at the mom who lost her shit, Pixon's mom, because they show her crying in prison over the flop, the arm flopping out and she's like, Oh no, my son is dead. She starts crying. I got mad at her Botox and filler face. I was like, she can't even cry.
Then they go oh. She appealed to get the death. Penalty because life in prison wasn't enough for her she want to be reunited with her dead son who's literally the worst problem and I'm like yeah, do it do it I don't care I don't give a shit and. Then. The male lead disappeared, gave all his assets away to charity. I was like, why? Why? You can live in luxury. There was no corruption to be like this is dirty money, why did you? Need Why give the money? Away. I'm confused. I'm like we.
Can go to Bora Bora when? You're back, Hun. Why are you giving all the money away? I was getting mad at everything. Everything. I was getting pissed at everything. I got mad at her Christmas tree. She had this dollar store Christmas tree and it just looked horrible. Horrible for a fake tree. I've seen Dillard's have better artificial trees. I was mad. I was big mad in the last two episodes because it just culminated right? Like I was already frustrated.
I was already picking this shit apart. But this is just me writing down notes at this point. I was mad at the six O 4 area code. Because he was. Calling her on a new number from Oregon that was four O 6 and she was putting 22 together 4O66O four. I was like babe fuck off, fuck off. Then they come and say, oh, he was a war. Correspondent back in the day.
That was a if. I looked away for a second in episode one or two and didn't see when they said offhand, yeah, he was a war correspondent. No, no, just bringing that back in the final episode. I heard so many people bitching online saying oh this was all in the book, This was how the web. Tune was written. Argon was in there. He fucked up Argon. It's all in there. I'm like babes, I don't give a fuck. I don't give a fuck. Let me tell you right now what's wrong.
Is that people don't look at if you read. The book, any book that something is based on, you're going to have all the context. You're going to have everything in mind already. And to me, movie adaptation or AK drama adaptation in this case, should stand on its own. Yeah, it's a separate thing, separate entity, separate piece of art. I agree. You can't come and tell me. Oh, it's all in the literature. I'm like, babe, no, the lit that I saw is right in front of me.
And it really doesn't track that. He was a spy, basically, and could survive six months in a Hut in Oregon. OK. He was wearing tailored suits the entire time we saw him, and now he's up here in tactical vests, and yeah, he looks good. He looks good. Great. I guess that's the only reason to put this in here is because he's rocking it. Yeah, but that doesn't work. Doesn't work. Doesn't compute. She gets kidnapped another time when she goes to Oregon and
trying to find him. Maybe this is the one kidnapped. What is she going? What was she thinking? I oh, I was so mad at her. Even her. Outfit to go traipsing. Along in the woods, I was like, I'm mad at that. Are you wearing slacks in the jungle? I was mad all around. Yeah. He basically just exiled himself because he felt guilty for ruining her life. He didn't do shit like he's the victim. And then he comes back. Where's the therapy like I need?
Therapy just as. Much as these characters, after watching all this bullshit, she was fine. She heard what he had to. Say about. His dad ordering the hit and she was like, I'm here, I'm in front of you. There's nobody to punish. You're only punishing me. Come back to me. I have this direct quote. I needed to punish myself. I needed an excuse. Oh my God, what happened to Don't let? Anyone tell you they don't want you twice or show you they don't want you twice?
I don't think she got that memo. Because the way oh you left after all this shit we've been through, we're done, we're done. Yep, the only thing she didn't do was catch a grenade for. Him. She did. Everything else, yeah, it went too far. And then you get this steamy sex scene in the self. Flatulent shack in Oregon with some crazy open mouth kissing and I'm like, I skipped too little too late yeah I was so pissed off I. Just. Skipped that. Whole scene and I was super
pissed. I remember being super pissed off with the background because I'm like, why does the background look like a life action cartoon that's not a real background? Like why does it look like an episode of the Survivor cartoon? Like I was, oh, I was pissed off. And then I turned it off and I was like, OK, let's go on to love Scout. Just let's move on. Because. He. I. Was shocked. That he even went so far as to say, oh, I came to Oregon because the sunsets.
I love sunsets, and the sunsets reminded me there's. Sunsets everywhere. All around the. World Why you got to go to Oregon in this active war zone or whatever the fuck. Go to Guatemala, go to Fiji. Go to Canada. Go to Japan like you can go anywhere and see sunsets and make yourself feel bad. I think they just wanted to give the. Folks who have read the book Like a token. He never showed an interest in sunsets before. Well, he. Did he did.
There was his phone background was a sunset and sorry I'm. Rolling my eyes. Can't see that, but I am and. I think he. It was because of. Her like he was watching her through one of like her windows or something like that. And he turns around and he takes a picture of the sunset. Something like that. He found a way to link sunsets to her. OK, you sound very skeptical. Well, I am. I am. It's the same.
Thing as the the war. Correspondence and Oregon and all these things that are mentioned just once in passing. Yeah. I don't feel like the sunsets were necessarily a token that I should have held onto. So no, that's true. That's true. They wear it and the show. That much for us to feel like, oh, that's unimportant. That's the sky that he took a picture of when he saw Heju for the first, it didn't have any
significance. I mean he should have just went to China where they manufacture phones. Since their relationship really started on the phone and they should have continued on the phone. Oh God, a lot of like. Just overtly. Sickeningly romantic things like he changes his name to Yuyang, meaning you and love. I thought that was silly because he would have had a name. While he lived with the fishing guy, what was his name? Then what was his name? Second couple babies get engaged.
We didn't see any of their romance or courtship. They're just engaged. It's a shame the mom reconciliation that again, I don't believe for a second, I don't think it was enough. It was just not addressed that the mom was so toxic and cruel to heed you throughout the show. And then at the end she's just like, Oh my God, my baby, she's missing. And then at the end she's all of
a sudden just devastated. We don't get closure with dad then 11. Final shove to push us over the Cliff. Is the controversial, what is it war-torn Ismail? Oh no. And some other country. I can't remember the other country. Which is. A conflict all too familiar to us today. It's just a stuff actively for. Israel. And the struggles in Gaza with Hamas, that really pissed me off and. Yeah, there was just no need. It was so controversial. It's such.
A hot topic, and no matter where you stand on the issue, for the creators to include this was just too controversial as to be stupid. It was really unnecessary. So unnecessary. That knocked it down another. Peg for me, so I'd give. It 3/3 social models. Yeah, three social. Models. Somebody told me that the. 2nd. Female lead that actress. Was getting a lot of hate on her social media pages for delivering the lines about why blame her. I'm like why blame her? She didn't write it.
Yeah, she didn't write it. That's. Ridiculous. Get smart, people. It was just too bold and stupid to have him. And then the whole thing was he was going to negotiate some hostage situation over there and presumably the Middle East. As an international audience especially, I think we're reeling. We're just like, wow, what? Yeah. I remember turning off my TV when I saw that. I was like. You just of everything, you just had to destroy it, make it go all the way to the bottom for me.
Yeah, I didn't. I didn't like that. I thought it was. It really cheapened it. Yeah. And the conflict is. Not. Something you just say by the wayside and think it's OK and move on. No, you're getting me serious. But let's just say I did not appreciate it. And I was very disappointed, but not surprised. They have a way of fucking things up at the end. It was just very insensitive. Yeah, that's the. Word. They could have made-up anything.
I agree they could have. North Korea is right there. Not even North Korea, if they. Wanted a fictional place they. Could have gone to that place in descendants of the sun. They could have revived that and it's it's all in the same universe. It would be a. You know, a multiverse of because the way they've set him. Up at the end it feels like he could actually be in a new show of Vagabond and it wouldn't make sense. So I just feel like they could have done just a Vagabond tie in
universe. No, Yeah. And I. Saw some people saying. This felt like descendants of the sun. Ending babe Descendants of the Sun ending did it better and it actually sort of made sense because he was a soldier and then he gets captured. He's kind of like this prisoner of war thing with the second male lead of the second couple. He like by some miracle makes it back. OK, fine, I'll take it. It makes sense. Like why he would even be over there, why he would even be
gone. And lest we forget, I think the final scene in Descendants of the Sun is they get an SOS call. There's an emergency. There's a volcano erupting in Canada. Don't get me started. And that's where we. Where do we end in the Senate? It's I mean, that's super out of left field, but Nah, you just reminded because I was so. Pissed off. They were like, we're in Vancouver. I think they were supposed to be in Vancouver and they showed the Seattle skyline and I got pissed off.
I was like, what the hell, like. Stop it. Also we've covered. Descendants of the Sun on the Tabak feed. So if you want to go. Back you can listen to our full thoughts and hear me and Rico just go into it go into it so. That's it. Like that's. The show a pappy ending. Yeah, I love how you said I don't expect this to. Be a long episode I did. I did say that. And here we are, two hours later. But we had some shit to talk about. We did I, I think I got it all off my chest.
Did you have anything? Else you wanted to add about this show, it was a ride for 20/24 and. That's it. I can't. I tried to rewatch it to talk about this and all of a sudden my brain was like absolutely not blocked What you needed from that. Time. You got. Oh, you don't need it right now. There was a season for this show and that. Season is gone. That season is gone. Yeah, you've benefited. As much as you could. From this show and now you're just going to set it down, leave
by the wayside. Yeah, the last thing I'll say, and this comes from Time magazine and I was like, oh, great point that same Time magazine thing thing that said this was the mock Jiang of the year. They said it's worth noting that, like the ending of other drama Lovely Runner, when the Phone Rings falls into the Magical Cure, or throwing off the disability trope, which links a happy ending to a character no longer having a disability. Oh, it goes doubly because the
sister got. Miraculously cured. And Heju also can speak barely using sign language. And then she decides at the end of the show I'm going to go back to interpreting. Yeah. And really, like, she doesn't have lasting consequences. She's not really disabled. Yeah. It's hard when, like a lot of K dramas, fall into this pitfall. Of. You know, you got somebody in a wheelchair, you got somebody who's deaf, somebody who's mute.
Somebody with amnesia. Somebody with whatever they did this in Good Bad Mother as well from 2023. And that really bothered me really bothered me in that show. And it's a blight another blight on the show too, as they put it in Time magazine. This trope can reinforce the idea that disabled people are unable to live fulfilling lives without being cured of their disability. And that's just not not a good message. It's not. It keeps the marginalized on the. Fringes of society.
And I don't think not. I don't think it's not a good message to send out with that. We're going to put a, put a stop on this. We're just not. We're not. Going to return to it. I, I'm sure that Carol would love to hear from you guys. Carol, where can they find you online to talk about when the phone rings? Well, with the landscape of social media right now. I am on Instagram as K Dramas musings and and on Blue Sky as K Drama Musings and you can find
me on those two platforms now. Nice, nice. You can talk to me or Carol. About when the phone rings, but that's a wrap. That's been our show. Thank you, Carol, for coming on and doing this extensive dress down when the phone rings. Thank you for having me. I had fun. I'm glad I have the show. Out of my system and we move on to the next. On to the next big one. That's our show. I'm Jessica and this has been the TEBA. Kia Rambles Podcast.