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| Image via SBS. |
God's Gift - 14 Days, that Monday-Tuesday SBS drama airing at 21:55, has finally come to an end. Though I've already been spoiled as to how the ending played out prior to the subs being released, reading it and actually seeing it are still two entirely different things—with seeing being much much worse than just reading a recap. That final episode was sort of a pain to watch it gave me the sudden urge of wanting to smack someone... anyone... so, so bad.
Like, how can you do this, writer-nim? How can you do this again?!
Ki Dong Chan (played by Jo Seung Woo) is one of the very few male leads I have come to like character-wise, probably because he has the most developed character arc throughout the entire show. Not to mention that Jo Seung Woo was super awesome in bringing Dong Chan to life. I so love how clever and perceptive he is, how loyal he is to the people he love, and how selfless he can be to those he wanted to protect. He's a stealer who'll grab your heart despite his many flaws. So why? Why does he have to die like that?
When I first found out it was Choi Ran who wrote this drama, I was like: "No wonder.
But heh. Was that an excuse? Can God's Gift's ending be justified just like that? Well, I don't think so.
I think Dong Chan's death was a little uncalled for because rushing the ending of an awesome show that way felt sort of a cop-out. I get that with the way things were going, it was impossible for Dong Chan not to be the culprit, let alone die. Narratively speaking that was actually pretty clever, since you usually least suspect someone that you like. But to think that he was made to die by actually buying that prophecy at the very end is @#$%^&* ridiculous... and totally out of character. Man, he didn't even think about it twice and just went along with it. What happened to the Dong Chan who was the most sensible and perceptive out of all people in God's Gift? Wasn't he the most grounded? The most awesome?
But heh. Was that an excuse? Can God's Gift's ending be justified just like that? Well, I don't think so.
I think Dong Chan's death was a little uncalled for because rushing the ending of an awesome show that way felt sort of a cop-out. I get that with the way things were going, it was impossible for Dong Chan not to be the culprit, let alone die. Narratively speaking that was actually pretty clever, since you usually least suspect someone that you like. But to think that he was made to die by actually buying that prophecy at the very end is @#$%^&* ridiculous... and totally out of character. Man, he didn't even think about it twice and just went along with it. What happened to the Dong Chan who was the most sensible and perceptive out of all people in God's Gift? Wasn't he the most grounded? The most awesome?
There's nothing wrong if writer-nim really intended that Dong Chan must die—that could've probably worked. It's only that his death hasn't been delivered properly that it has become a little bit... off. I, for one, would've probably accepted his death had the set-up been different... like a situation which he and Saet Byul really really couldn't get out of unless one of them dies? Because that, eventually, will lead to him sacrificing himself in exchange for Saet Byul's safety. But no, in the ending's set-up Saet Byul was alive. He was well aware (okay, maybe half-aware) that she was alive. There were no other immediate threats around, the president had already sent the cops for back-up, and Soo Hyun was already on her way near the riverbanks. So why die, Dong Chan? Why did you still have to die?
Gah. SBS should really release a special—an epilogue sort of special and not just some mashed-up BTS—because Dong Chan deserves soooo much more than this. If he couldn't get anywhere near awesome when he was still alive, at least give the man a decent funeral. Though of course, I still would have preferred that he lived.
Edit 04/28/14: So... SBS did release a special—a rebroadcast of episode 16.
Yet still, why didn't it sit well with me? Probably because they still didn't explain much more about Dong Chan, which was what every fan was really looking forward to... :( That rebroadcast of episode 16 wasn't anything much except that the baddies finally got their due. And oh, there's also the Woo Jin/Dong Chan bromance, although I would probably have loved that even better had it been shown in the original broadcast. Also, even in the rebroadcast Captain Awesome still didn't answer Saet Byul's question... thus the ending remains as ambiguous for me (at least). And though I'm not dismissing the show as a whole since it's really been a great ride, it still could've been a lot lot better had the ending been different.
PS. If I could rewrite the ending, I would make it so that Dong Chan lives... make him retell the ending of the Story of a Mother very much alive, with Soo Hyun smacking him in the head for saying that the knight survived after awesome mom saved him because mom likes him very very much... in response to Saet Byul's question. But... if it is really inevitable that Dong Chan dies, I would make it much much graceful than blank screens and water splash... with cameras panning in the far off field where Soo Hyun walks afterwards, and Dong Chan plus Saet Byul in voice over.
PS. If I could rewrite the ending, I would make it so that Dong Chan lives... make him retell the ending of the Story of a Mother very much alive, with Soo Hyun smacking him in the head for saying that the knight survived after awesome mom saved him because mom likes him very very much... in response to Saet Byul's question. But... if it is really inevitable that Dong Chan dies, I would make it much much graceful than blank screens and water splash... with cameras panning in the far off field where Soo Hyun walks afterwards, and Dong Chan plus Saet Byul in voice over.
Saet Byul: What about the knight? Did the knight live too?
Dong Chan: What do you think?
What do I think? Well... I still like to think that he did.
[Spoiler Alert] (Just in case)...
ReplyDeleteI just finished watching the series and I have to say, I completely agree with everything you said. But, I think I understand why Dong-Chan "killed" himself. As he didn't know that Saet-Byul was still alive, I think he came to the conclusion that he can only save Saet-Byul by him dying - whether him sacrificing himself will revive her or that the cycle will only truly stop with one of their deaths. One of my questions is, who is he referring to by "Is that why you sent me back...?" Does him mean Soo-Jung, God... etc.
Also, I think the 3rd mystery person who greets Dong-Ho is actually Ho-Gook rather than either of the two. - hair color and style is like his. But I understand that its really part of the Opening ending...
As for the ending itself: Does this mean that Soo Hyun, her mother and Saet-Byul went back to the place .. meaning it's more likely he died.