Early Access: Our Beloved Summer E2 (Patreon)

E2. I still like this show a lot, but at the same time, I also think that the initial glow of happy shock that this show is working for me so easily, is perhaps wearing off enough, that I'm now starting to see more clearly, the elements that are rubbing me the wrong way.

I mean, they're rubbing me the wrong way in a gentle enough manner that it doesn't spoil my enjoyment of the show - but they're still there, and so I ought to mention them, yes?

The first one is, I find the treatment and delivery of Ung's assistant Eun Ho, too hyperbolic for my taste. Sean mentioned, in relation to E1, that he didn't like Eun Ho, in terms of how he interferes or tries to restrain Ung, and I have to agree.

Not only that, this quality of Eun Ho's is amplified several times over, this episode, and there were several occasions when I wanted to clunk him on the head for being so obtuse and slow. I mean, you'd think that he was trying to be Ung's enemy instead of assistant, the way he keeps working against Ung, and giving away Ung's privacy, instead of working with Ung, on how he wants to do things.

That said, I get that, so far anyway, Eun Ho is more of a plot device than an actual character. Because, without him being the blabbermouth that he is, Yeon Su might have never known, that Ung was interested in her project proposal.

Also, I concede that it's smart of Show, to make Eun Ho an old friend of Ung's. That would explain why Ung is so tolerant of Eun Ho's mistakes and his inability to read the room in a useful manner. If Ung had hired Eun Ho because of their friendship, then it makes sense that Ung would be ridiculously tolerant of Eun Ho's ridiculous behavior. So in that sense, at least, Show is coherent with regards to Eun Ho's character.

The other thing that bothered me this episode, is the general disregard for Ung's desire to stay anonymous, as an artist. The way Yeon Su approaches him, and also, the way Eun Ho pushes him, it's like nobody cares that Ung has stated upfront that he would like to remain anonymous.

As someone who chooses to remain anonymous in my work on the blog, I empathize with Ung. Yes, there are valid reasons that one might choose to remain anonymous, and with Ung becoming as successful as he is, privacy is definitely one such reason.

However, nobody in this drama world appears to respect Ung's desire - which has been overtly expressed! - to remain anonymous. I would've been so mad in Ung's shoes, because Eun Ho basically outs him in front of Team Leader Jang, without Ung's permission.

PLUS. The way Yeon Su approaches Ung to do the project, which would require him to reveal his identity, there is also no acknowledgment or consideration for this aspect of Ung as an artist. In fact, Yeon Su shows impatience with Ung, for turning her down right away, without listening to her full proposal.

In that moment, I couldn't help thinking, "But.. that's his prerogative, as an artist? And you've said that you're here to speak with him as an artist..?" I personally think it's unreasonable of Yeon Su to just launch into this, expecting Ung to forsake one of his fundamental rules as an artist, in order to collaborate with her.

I mean, yes, Ung doesn't carry himself very admirably either, with the way he sprays water at her and throws salt at her, but strictly speaking, as an artist, he hasn't done anything wrong, and I feel that Yeon Su fails to recognize this.

Of course, that's also one of the things that helps to bring out just how tangled the connection is, between Ung and Yeon Su. We're still not told what exactly happened between them, but it's clear that whatever it was, it had been bad, and feelings were hurt, badly, and it's now complicated, and difficult for either of them to keep things purely professional - because all those old, put-away emotions are now rearing their inconvenient heads.

From what we know, Ung had felt very hurt, so much so that he'd rehearsed how he would spray water at Yeon Su, and throw salt at her, if she ever appeared before him again. That gives me the feeling that it had been Yeon Su who had broken things off with Ung.

At the same time, we are given glimpses into what the relationship had been like, over the years that they had been together. And Yeon Su's habit of asking Ung those "what if" questions, while tiresome from Ung's point of view, definitely was coming from somewhere.

From what she says in her voiceovers, she'd felt insecure, from Ung's inability to articulate his feelings for her, and that had fed her desire to get some kind of verbal affirmation out of him somehow. It had manifested in those "what if" questions, which didn't help her get what she'd wanted, and had also served to wear down Ung's patience, so that's unfortunate. But it also feels quite true to life. I can imagine real people having these hang-ups, and attempting to deal with said hang-ups, in exactly this manner, with exactly this type of not-great results.

All that said, I still enjoy the way Show is peeling back some of the layers on both Ung and Yeon Su.

In particular, I like the beats where Yeon Su's vulnerabilities come through, and we get a fair number of those, this episode. It lends an important layer of meaning and depth, to Yeon Su's bluster. It's becoming clear that even though she talks big and acts tough, she's really a lot more vulnerable than she'd like to let on. I think Kim Da Mi does a great job of revealing those vulnerabilities to us, without the need for a whole lot of dialogue.

I'm not exactly sure of NJ's interest in Ung, but Show does seem to be hinting at a romantic interest, especially with that confirmation that Ung's exactly NJ's type. I'm mildly amused that a hotshot idol would skip out on rehearsals just to chase after Ung, whom most people in his "real life" consider a layabout loser, so I'm quite keen to see how her presence affects his everyday life.

Plus, NJ's widely acknowledged beauty, combined with her interest in Ung, will surely get a rise out of Yeon Su, I'm sure. And that ought to be entertaining in its own right, or so I hope.

As for Ji Ung, this episode, we get a more rounded sense of the situation with Mom and Dad. Even though Mom and Dad make a big deal over Ji Ung in front of Ung, their concern is clearly deeper for Ung, since he's their son. And this episode, we see Ji Ung look plaintively on, as Mom and Dad fuss over getting Ung some good tonics, because they hear that Ung hasn't been sleeping well.

From what we're seeing, it seems that Ji Ung has nursed a measure of envy towards Ung for a long time. There is definitely some envy there, in relation to Ung having a set of loving parents who care about him as much as they do. And, from what Show appears to be indicating, there also seems to be envy in relation to Ung having dated Yeon Su.

I could be wrong, but I'm sensing a love triangle here, where Ji Ung might have nursed a crush on Yeon Su, but she'd ended up dating Ung. And now, he's going to do this documentary that's going to reunite all three of them.

I don't yet understand how this is going to work, like, why should Ung or Yeon Su agree to do this documentary, since they've both expressed that they don't want to be around each other?  I mean, sure, it might be important to Ji Ung's job, but why should Ung or Yeon Su care enough to bend over backwards for this?

Whatever the case is, I foresee many opportunities for Ung and Yeon Su to cross paths in the coming episodes, and I'm happily curious, to see how that shakes out.

Next episode notes will be out on: Tuesday, 21 Dec 2021!