HIGH SOCIETY - EPISODE 13

?? "It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood, a beautiful day for a neighbor. Would you be mine? Could you be mine?..." ??

Nothing ever is easy in this series, and the evil sister drama intensifies:

After their altercation, Joon Ki continues to be petty to Chang Soo. Yoon Ha gets the news that her father has collapsed and heads to the hospital. Chang Soo meets with his mom, who is still arranging dates for him. He tries to reassure her that he's all about what mom wants, but neither Ji Yi nor Chang Soo can forget one another, and it hurts. Ye Won has Yoon Ha's safe replaced, after taking the SD card with the incriminating evidence. She visits her still-incapacitated dad and suggests marrying off Yoon Ha to Chang Soo.�

The next day, the mistress goes to visit Won Sik. Mom stakes her claim and ends the illicit affair. That afternoon, mom dines with Chang Soo's mother, and makes a marriage proposal for Yoon Ha. At lunch, Ji Yi gossips to Joon Ki, not only about Yoon Ha but also what the scuttlebutt is about him. That evening, they decide to inform Yoon Ha in person about a marketing win. Chang Soo meets with Yoon Ha to discuss the idea of dating. He leans in for a kiss just as Joon Ki and Ji Yi arrive...

Yoon Ha is caught up in some serious drama now (no pun intended). Her sister has stepped up her game, even going so far as to replace her safe with the same model number to get access to the contents of the original. Her family wants to marry her off to Chang Soo. Chang Soo doesn't seem to mind overmuch; he can't have Ji Yi and finds other women annoying, so why not? Even her supposed friend Ji Yi seems to be gossiping behind her back, which is just a bad thing. It really rankled me enough where I really can't distance myself and figure out whether she was trying to be mean or not. Joon Ki keeps trying to get close to her, but she keeps pushing him away and toying with him only to shoot him down.


"You call that modern art? That's not what I call it..."

Yoon Ha's mother has finally decided to settle into the business of being a mother and wife. When it comes to Won Sik, she's put her foot down, ending his relationship with the mistress (she'll still receive money as she always did), and insisting that he rest when he gets home. He took her hand as they walked out of the hospital, a sign that maybe things are improving. And she's finally addressed Yoon Ha with something approaching maternal care, so maybe she's finally seeing that being the ironclad, hateful matriarch is not what she wants to be. Maybe she can rule the roost by being softer and kinder.

Ji Yi really started to annoy me this episode. I feel for her not being able to be with the one she loves. I do. But she's turning into the office busybody you don't want around. Whether you're in school or at work, you know the type -- always has something to say about someone, always looks for a way to tell a story that has her smelling like a rose, when her odor really resembles what a rose might grow in. I'm not too concerned with her befriending Joon Ki, but I liked her better when she worked at the grocery store.


The wrist grab: an equal opportunity maneuver.

Things are taking shape in 'High Society,' but I'm hoping things improve for our protagonists. Obviously Yoon Ha and Ji Yi only going to be happy with the ones they love, but it'll take some doing to rebuild the trust, otherwise it'll come off completely contrived. And I want Yoon Ha to take Ye Won down. Hard. I want Ji Yi and Yoon Ha to be friends, as easy with each other as they ever were. What I wonder is whether Won Sik's collapse has helped him be more human. We've seen the effect it had on his wife. I'm hoping to see them be as affectionate as they were when they were younger.

I'm still watching. Even though there's a lot of contrived cliffhangers, at least they're trying. It's not terrible, but I want a little more. A little less teasing (the compromising situations with Ji Yi/Joon Ki-Yoon Ha/Chang Soo are getting stale) and a little more actual, discernible plot movement. I'll be watching as long as you are!

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