Frankly Speaking - Episode 3-4 recap
Our news anchor makes a low-key return to work, only to face a pivotal crossroads. Will he keep up the façade to please those who underestimate him, or will he dare to speak his truth and break free from the lies? It’s a high-stakes decision with far-reaching consequences, but thankfully, our determined variety show writer is by his side, ready to guide him through this crucial moment of reckoning. The tension mounts as Ki-baek navigates this critical choice…will he find his voice or remain trapped in deception?
This week’s episodes dive deep into Ki-baek’s origin story, revealing his turbulent childhood. As a young boy, he faced even harsher financial struggles than he does today. When loan sharks threatened their family, his mother would whisk Ki-baek and his brothers away to a nearby playground, using it as a refuge to shield them from the danger lurking at their doorstep. This glimpse into his past sets the stage for understanding the resilience and struggles that define his character today.
As a young and innocent child, Ki-baek couldn’t grasp the full extent of the danger posed by the loan sharks, nor why he should lie, something he’d been taught was wrong, to keep his family safe. In a pivotal moment, his mother reveals a crucial lesson: sometimes, lies aren’t just permissible but essential, especially when they serve to protect those you love. This eye-opening revelation sets the stage for Ki-baek’s complex relationship with truth and deception, shaping his character’s moral compass in unforeseen ways.
As time goes on, Ki-baek becomes increasingly adept at weaving a web of lies to blend in and craft a more appealing image for himself. He masterfully employs lies of omission, carefully avoiding the truth and letting others' misconceptions about his life go unchallenged. His ability to manipulate perceptions and maintain a façade reveals the lengths he will go to project an idealized version of himself while concealing the reality beneath.
Take, for instance, a recent night out with his coworkers. Ki-baek casually mentions that he lives in a posh high-rise nearby, but conveniently leaves out the fact that he’s merely house-sitting for his sunbae, the same sunbae we discovered last week is coming back to Seoul and plans to evict him. This clever omission perfectly encapsulates Ki-baek’s talent for maintaining a glamorous façade while hiding the uncomfortable truth.
In the present, we find Ki-baek and Woo-joo stranded on the beach, having washed up from their chaotic cliff-diving adventure. As they splutter and cough up sea water, their bickering escalates, each retort revealing the tension between them. It’s in this heated exchange that Woo-joo finally grasps the stark reality—her well-meaning rescue attempt was utterly misguided. This moment of clarity sets the stage for deeper revelations and the unraveling of their tangled fates.
Ki-baek storms off in a fit of frustration, only to discover that Ji-hoo has left for Seoul without him. Swallowing his pride, he turns to Woo-joo, pleading for a ride back to the city. But Woo-joo, determined to keep her brand-new car pristine and free from sea water, insists they both change into some hilariously awkward Men on the Run outfits. This comical turn of events sets the stage for a memorable and entertaining ride back to Seoul, full of awkward encounters and unexpected revelations.
The outfits are so outrageously attention-grabbing that our OTP can’t possibly enjoy a peaceful car ride. Enter the drama gods, who orchestrate a twist of fate that turns Ki-baek’s “RUN BRO” butt cheeks into an accidental spectacle. As if that weren’t enough, the situation takes a dramatic turn when Woo-joo succumbs to mild hypothermia, leading them both to an unexpected hospital visit. What began as a car ride filled with cringe-worthy fashion becomes a chaotic series of events that only heightens the drama and tension.
The hilarious sequence of events takes a darker turn as Ki-baek resorts to coaching a child to lie in order to finally get the hospital staff to attend to his unconscious brother. Amidst the laughter, this poignant moment underscores a harsh reality: in a world where fairness is elusive, deception can not only serve as protection but also as a means to advance. The scene strikingly contrasts the levity of their situation with the somber truth that lies can often be a necessary tool for survival.
Returning to work after his enforced break, Ki-baek finds himself shunned by his co-workers and sidelined with no assignments. As if that wasn’t enough of a blow, Manager Kim dangles the news anchor position in front of him, except it’s clear the slot has already been filled by someone else. Despite the interview being a mere formality, Ki-baek shows up, driven by a fierce sense of pride and a refusal to let the system crush his spirit. This tense moment highlights the harsh realities of his professional world and his undying resolve to stand tall against the odds.
Meanwhile, Woo-joo is facing her own storm of workplace challenges. Her new variety show concept is being slammed as stale and uninspired, adding to her growing frustrations. To top it all off, her former junior, LEE HA-YOUNG (Lee Bom-sori), has joined the team. Once a clumsy novice under Woo-joo’s guidance, Ha-young has now leapfrogged into a prestigious head writer role, surpassing Woo-joo’s success. Though Woo-joo still holds the head writer title for their upcoming project, Ha-young's higher salary and newfound acclaim only deepen Woo-joo’s struggle and sense of professional inequity.
Feeling disheartened after another day of hearing doubts about her abilities, Woo-joo stumbles into Ki-baek’s interview, only to find it unraveling spectacularly. The switch has been flipped once more, and Ki-baek is barely holding it together as the film and production crew mercilessly mock him through his earpiece. The scene is charged with tension as Ki-baek’s struggle to keep his composure becomes an open spectacle, and Woo-joo’s unexpected arrival sets the stage for a dramatic clash of professional turmoil. Ki-baek is on the brink of exploding, itching to unleash his frustration on the mocking crew. Sensing his distress, Woo-joo bursts onto the news set, under the pretense of being his stylist. With a determined look, she delivers a high-stakes pep talk, her words echoing their earlier conversation about staying strong. As she pats his chest and urges him to "protect his heart," she reminds him to keep his spirits up despite the chaos surrounding him. This impromptu intervention adds a charged layer to their relationship, setting the stage for an electrifying turn of events.
Woo-joo’s words work their magic, soothing Ki-baek’s anxiety and helping him nail the sample news script with flawless precision. The crew, initially derisive, grudgingly praises his delivery. However, their begrudging admiration comes with a caveat: they assume Ki-baek is merely a pawn in the network’s grand charade, designed to feign fairness in their hiring process. The tension mounts as Ki-baek’s perfect performance is overshadowed by the underlying skepticism of his true prospects. As Ki-baek overhears the scathing comments through his earpiece, he’s jolted back to a poignant moment when Woo-joo asked him what the news means to him. Seizing this crucial moment, he takes a deep breath and boldly answers the question, declaring his love for the news stems from his passion for truth. His heartfelt confession cuts through the mockery and reveals the driving force behind his dedication, turning a moment of adversity into a powerful statement of his integrity.
Ki-baek’s reveal hits hard, deepening the sympathy for his character. His entire life has been a relentless pursuit of fitting in and proving his worth through a carefully crafted facade. Burdened by the weight of his own deception, he chose a career where he could finally embrace unfiltered honesty. His dedication to the truth becomes a poignant testament to the personal sacrifices he’s made, and the weight of his past lies only intensifies our emotional investment in his journey. Ki-baek’s recent trials have revealed a harsh truth: while the news he delivers is honest, the network and his coworkers are anything but. Fueled by this revelation, he delivers a passionate monologue about his commitment to truth and, in a dramatic twist, walks out of his job mid-interview. His sudden departure isn’t just a resignation…it’s a bold stand against the deceitful world that surrounds him.
Manager Kim storms onto the scene, furious that Ki-baek is quitting on his own terms instead of letting him drag it out. Seizing the moment, Ki-baek unleashes all his pent-up frustration, calling out Manager Kim’s foul-smelling feet and delivering a truth bomb so explosive it’s censored with comical animal noises. As he strides out, he shoots Woo-joo a confident wink, leaving her visibly impressed and the audience eagerly awaiting what’s next.
After his dramatic exit, Ki-baek finds himself in a battle of inner dialogue, enhanced by CGI, questioning whether he made the right choice. Now jobless and evicted from his cushy house-sitting gig, he’s forced to move back with his family, cramming into a space once used as a storage closet. In a twist of fate, Ki-baek's new home is in the same building as Woo-joo. Their paths cross again in the building’s rooftop garden, where Ki-baek, despite his dire circumstances, confides in her that he would make the same choice again, no matter how rough things get.
Despite his recent stand for honesty, the weight of providing for his family looms larger than ever. His cramped, dismal new living situation becomes a daily reminder of his fall from grace, a harsh reality he confronts head-on with his brothers. As tensions flare in the family home, Ki-baek’s desperation to find a new job grows. But his newfound commitment to unfiltered honesty proves to be a double-edged sword, making his search for employment even more challenging.
Ki-baek’s perspective shifts dramatically after he reconnects with a respected sunbae, now thriving as a freelance announcer. Far from the glitzy newsroom, this sunbae has reinvented himself as a charismatic host and performer at intimate community shows, captivating audiences mostly made up of ajummas. Witnessing this transformation, Ki-baek starts to see that success and fulfillment can come from unexpected places. Ki-baek initially views the sunbae's new gig as beneath him, yet he's taken aback by the unrestrained joy radiating from his mentor. Whether it's sheer love for this new path or a profound acceptance of life's curveballs, Woo-joo hints at the latter, his sunbae's contentment is palpable. Before parting ways, the sunbae offers Ki-baek a powerful reassurance: "You'll find your place and thrive," a glimmer of hope that fuels Ki-baek’s determination to forge his own path.
As Ki-baek wrestles with unemployment and searches for his next big break, Woo-joo makes a strategic but emotionally fraught decision: she puts aside her personal history and agrees to bring her ex, Jung-heon, onto her show. While Jung-heon is over the moon, Woo-joo struggles with the bitter taste of compromise, knowing that teaming up with her former flame is her only shot at salvaging her reputation and advancing her career.
The reasons behind Woo-joo and Jung-heon’s breakup remain shrouded in mystery, but Woo-joo drops a major hint: Jung-heon’s a liar, a fact we've already sensed. While Ki-baek struggles with a dual identity between his public and private selves, Jung-heon takes it a step further with his duplicitous nature. Behind his polished exterior lies a man who’s far more self-serving and manipulative than anyone realizes.
After enduring a cringe-worthy team dinner with Jung-heon, who’s putting on a show by feigning a love for spicy food, Woo-joo has an unexpected run-in with Ki-baek on her way home. Just as she’s about to be mowed down by a rogue moped, Ki-baek swoops in for a daring save, and Woo-joo lands right in his arms in a picture-perfect rom-com moment. The magic is short-lived, though, as Woo-joo bolts away in embarrassment—only to stumble into him again moments later, thanks to their shared building and neighborhood.
Resigned to her fate, Woo-joo joins Ki-baek for a spontaneous picnic on a park bench, where they unwind with drinks and heartfelt confessions. This time, Ki-baek takes on the role of comforter, presenting Woo-joo with his old inspiration journal he discovered while unpacking. He offers it as a lifeline, revealing how it once pulled him through tough times. As Woo-joo leafs through the pages, she uncovers the spark she needs to infuse her variety show with fresh, innovative ideas.
Meanwhile, Ki-baek hits a major breakthrough with his condition. He’s already pinpointed that sneezes trigger his uncontrollable truth-telling, but the key to stopping them had remained elusive. That is, until he discovers that Woo-joo’s touch on his chest miraculously restores his ability to lie. So, it turns out Ki-baek was fully aware and in control when he stormed out of his job and gave Manager Kim that unforgettable verbal smackdown.
Armed with the newfound ability to control his truth-bombs, Ki-baek rushes to find Woo-joo. Little does he know, she’s on a parallel mission to share the breakthrough she’s had for her new show. Their paths cross and diverge in a frantic game of cat and mouse until they finally collide on the rooftop of their building. As they eagerly vie to share their exciting news first, an empty can rolls into a soccer ball, setting off a spectacular Rube Goldberg machine that triggers a city-wide blackout. Seizing the moment of darkness, Ki-baek gently guides Woo-joo’s hand to his chest. As the lights flicker back on, he looks into her eyes and says, “Let’s give this a shot.”
DramaZen's Opinion
It’s clear that Ki-baek’s impromptu confession on the rooftop might have been less about romance and more about using Woo-joo as his personal truth-bomb switch, but we’ll have to wait until next week to unravel that twist. The rooftop scene cuts off abruptly, propelling us forward to the start of filming for Woo-joo’s new show. While the specifics of the show remain under wraps, it’s evident that Ki-baek has been cast in a crucial role. As he steps onto the set, the camera sweeps to reveal Woo-joo caught in a dramatic crossroads, sandwiched between her ex and her soon-to-be love interest, setting the stage for intense new dynamics.
Honestly, the prospect of this love triangle has me bracing for drama. Jung-heon, with his unlikable charm and shady past with Ki-baek, seems more poised to be a villain than a mere rival. Given the hints of his past and his potential role, I’m bracing for a storm of petty conflicts and simmering tensions. To add a twist that could make him a real threat to Woo-joo's heart, he might just be the father of her (possibly) son, Gu-won. If that’s the case, prepare for an explosive showdown of emotions and secrets.
It seems the drama is setting up Woo-joo as Gu-won’s overworked, television-station mother, but the true identity of his real mother remains shrouded in mystery. For Gu-won's sake, and for my own hopes of rooting for our leading lady, I really hope Woo-joo isn’t his biological mother. If she is, my judgmental side might just come out in full force!
Gu-won, longing for his mother’s attention, repeatedly laments that she never comes home early enough. Meanwhile, Woo-joo’s actions reveal a stark contrast, despite occasionally leaving work early, she rarely rushes home to spend time with him. The tension between their conflicting priorities is palpable and only deepens the mystery surrounding their relationship. It also makes for worst mother of the year award!
Once again, the drama leaves us on edge, revealing far more about Ki-baek and his family's intricate dynamics than about Woo-joo. This imbalance is frustrating and raises questions about the writer's intentions. If this lack of insight into Woo-joo is a deliberate choice rather than a sign of sloppy writing or acting, let’s hope it pays off in a big way. But given the rom-com genre, I’m bracing for the possibility that it might just be a misstep!