Early Access: Start-Up E2 (Patreon)

E2. Just like how we followed that flower petal's long journey to Do San's head at the end of our last episode, I feel like we're doing a slow pan of our drama world this episode, to shift our focus from Ji Pyeong to Do San. It's not instantaneous, but I can feel our focus slowly changing to be more Do San-centric. I currently still feel more connected to Ji Pyeong, because we've spent a lot more time understanding his context, but I do expect Show to help me feel more connected to Do San, soonish.

I can also feel Show peeling away Ji Pyeong's Good Boy image, to show us a little more of his cut-and-dry, calculated business side. We'd glimpsed a bit of this, when younger Ji Pyeong thought Gran had taken his money, and raged at her with many hurtful words. Now, we see how dismissive he is about new ventures that his staff shows him, and how he almost refuses to see Gran without an appointment, until he realizes it's Gran who's there to see him. I don't dislike Ji Pyeong; certainly, Show's done a good job of making him appear sympathetic, with his story of orphaned hardship. I can just.. feel Show stripping away some of the glow, and giving that glow to Do San.

I do still really enjoy Ji Pyeong's scenes with Gran. Oh, who am I kidding? Gran is currently my favorite person in this drama world, and is likely to retain that top spot for my entire watch. She's just so wholesome, loving and kind. It's like she sees all of our key characters as her babies. Dal Mi and In Jae are literally her grandkids, so of course she'd have soft spots for them. But there's also the way she's welcomed Ji Pyeong into her heart, with few questions asked and no hesitation whatsoever, plus she forgives him so readily, even after he spits out such hurtful words to her. I can just imagine her taking Do San under her wing as well; she's just that motherly and warm.

It's little wonder that Ji Pyeong's smiles around Gran are the sweetest, most guileless things (so much little boy about it, truly - in the very best way), and it's also little wonder that he'd go out of his way to grant Gran the favor that she asks.

I like the idea that Dal Mi is good at her job. The way she takes over the cafe while it's overrun with impatient customers, is very impressive, and she shows a savviness that I enjoy.

There's another facet to Dal Mi that we learn, though, and that is that she's consistently scared to get her hopes up. There's the way that she doesn't dare to hope too much for a permanent position, for fear of being disappointed. And there's the way she doesn't open the music box that her dad had given her, for fear that the music box won't work, or that she won't like the music. This fear of being let down likely stems from how Life has dealt her multiple disappointments in life, so I think one of our story's big arcs is likely to be around Dal Mi learning - and daring - to hope.

Do San strikes me as somewhat the opposite of Dal Mi, in that he's passionate and idealistic, and he dares to dream. He puts his money where his mouth is, and is doing his best to make good with his image recognition software startup - but he's failing hard, when we meet him. It's not that nothing gets him down - that woeful knitting scene on the train is proof of that - but the fact that he dares to dream in the face of obstacles, is something that Dal Mi doesn't have right now. I can see how Do San might be able to help light Dal Mi's ability to hope again.

What an odd quirk, though, that Do San knits. Given that he's a techie who's all about A.I. and other computer-related geeky things, it's quite amusing to me that he finds solace in knitting. That's so.. low-tech? But it is another form of geekiness, so maybe it's not so out of place after all?

It's quite a stretch that Do San and his friends would be able to own one decent suit among them, but Do San's glow-up is pretty cool, and his Cinderalla-esque entrance to the ball - er, networking event - gives us the desired fairytale effect. And of course, Nam Joo Hyuk cleans up nice; that was never a surprise, heh.

With that epilogue of Samsan Tech winning the CODA competition that they'd entered, it feels like things are set to change for our three geeky dorks, and I'm curious to see what new adventures lie ahead of them - and I'm ready to see our dorky three savor the taste of success.