Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2

In the present, Mi-Jo is seen in her home, looking at a photo of herself and Mi-Hyun. She recalls how happy she was when she got the job offer from her mum and how excited she was to start working with her. She then remembers the day that Mi-Hyun went missing. Mi-Jo is seen again in the past, this time as a young girl. She is playing with a doll when her mum comes home from work and tells her that Mi-Hyun has gone missing. With tears in her eyes, Mi-Jo asks where her sister is. Her mum tells her that she doesn’t know but to stay put and not worry. Mi-Jo is then shown again in the present, where she breaks down in tears as she remembers what happened to her sister. ..

We flashback to the night of the fight between Seon-U and So-Won. Seon-U is angry with So-Won for breaking up with him, and he feels betrayed by her. He bitterly retorts that they’re not family anymore, which hurts Seon-U deeply as he struggles to hold it together.

So-Won walks back into the club and reflects on what Mi-Jo said. He sees the other women across the road and decides not to check on him. Mi-Jo immediately brightens up and heads off to get something to eat.

Mi-Jo speaks to Seon-U, who avoids eye contact and looks pretty anxious. Eventually he opens up, admitting So-Won is his sister.

Mi-Jo suggests she’s in a difficult place, but Seon-U shrugs her concerns aside, pointing out that she has enough on her plate as it is. ..

Mi-Jo’s doctor tells us that Mi-Jo is not having as many panic attacks as she used to, and he prescribes her some medicine to help her feel better. He encourages Mi-Jo to think about the good memories she has with Chan-Young, rather than worrying about the future.

Mi-Jo and Chan-Young are best friends. They share a lot of common interests, such as schoolgirls and walking. When Mi-Jo sees Chan-Young on the other side of the subway, she’s upset because she remembers their friendship from when they were both in elementary school.

The two seem to communicate without words, their expressions communicating everything they need to. They eventually meet up in the terminal, where they decide to go get food together. ..

Chan-Young admits that she wants Mi-Jo by her side, revealing that she doesn’t want to be alone and is scared about dying. Chan-Young is also reflective, thinking over all the moments in her life - and the people within that - which could have turned out differently. ..

Chan-Young and Mi-Jo walk together after finishing their dishes. Mi-Jo is encouraged by Chan-Young to pursue her heart and follow Seon-U. Chan-Young reminds her that he must be very important to her to have such a reaction.

Chan-Young tells Jin-Seok that she’s spoken to Ju-Won about the divorce and that she still won’t go to treatment. Jin-Seok is disappointed, but agrees to get treatment himself.

Seon-U heads to the club again, this time asking the owner for Su-Won’s address. When he shows up, he thinks twice about knocking and instead leaves a gift for her on the door and walks away. Seon-U does leave a message for her, letting her know he’s been there. So what’s in the bag? Well, it happens to be a watch. ..

Mi-Jo and So-Won head to the clinic together, where Mi-Jo asks So-Won to head for lunch.

Mi-Jo cancels her plans and has lunch with the other workers instead, who all start gossiping over whether Seon-U has a girlfriend. When Mi-Jo reveals it’s his little sister, the group quieten.

So-Won tells him not to ask her to play piano anymore. If he does, she’ll run away. She also side-steps around his question asking to live together, and reveals that she’s left the job at the club too. ..

So-Won apologizes and Seon-u thanks her for following his advice. The whole piano shindig is actually a direct result of their father, who Seon-U meets for dinner. He’s clearly brash and believes So-Won should be grateful for having such a good upbringing.

Chan-Young had several wishes to fulfill before she passed away that night. First, she wanted to help her friend Joo-Hee find a boyfriend. For Mi-Jo, she wanted to find her real mother. Despite Mi-Jo’s pleas, it was final that Chan-Young would not be able to find her mother. ..

Jin-Seok leaves Ju-Won, packing his things and preparing to go. He promises their son to talk soon, but when he leaves, he phones Chan-Young and tells her.

Chan-Young though has a bigger fish to fry, and that comes in the form of telling her parents what’s happening with her. She really struggles to get her words out over dinner, dodging the real crux of the issue as Mi-Jo sits awkwardly listening.

Chan-Young denies having an appointment with the doctor, claiming she has “inflammation.” ..

After dinner, Chan-Young gives each of her parents a hug and hands them a gift. Her mother has a feeling that something is wrong with her daughter, but Chan-Young regrets giving her parents such a burden. ..

Mi-Jo catches up with Seon-U, who tells her how he feels about not being a good brother to So-Won. Mi-Jo is surprised by how sad Seon-U is and decides to help him out.

Mi-Jo is questioning Seon-U’s mental state, believing he’s overthinking the situation. ..

So-Won is not sure what to make of Seon-U’s new girlfriend. She seems too strange and uncomfortable for him, but he can’t help but be drawn to her. The two share a few awkward moments, but eventually they head outside together hand in hand.

Seon-U phones So-Won in the morning and asks for help moving beyond first base with Mi-Jo, a very eccentric person. ..

Mi-Jo overheard Chan-Young and Joo-Hee talking and she thought he needed to know how to move on from his first base relationship with Hyeon-Jun. When Mi-Jo left, Joo-Hee told Chan-Young that she had helped fix their relationship. The girls were exasperated to learn that Mi-Jo had been helping Chan-Young. ..

As the episode comes to a close, Mi-Jo heads to meet So-Won at the clinic. Unfortunately, Seon-U’s father shows up too. The scared expression on her face reminds Mi-Jo of the anxiety she experienced from the orphanage, a reflection of her own past. She holds her hand, intending to guide her through this. ..

The Episode Review

Chan-young continues to dance around her diagnosis and telling everyone what’s happened, including letting her parents know. While I understand she’s just trying to protect them, it also feels a little mean given everyone else seems to know already. ..

Jin-Seok’s motives feel like they’re directly tied to Chan-Young’s terminal diagnosis, while we haven’t seen a whole lot of Joo-Hee again this episode, as she constantly feels like a third wheel to this friendship between Chan-Young and Mi-Jo. That’s pretty funny given her story with the chef is arguably the best part of this show next to Chan-Young. ..

The show is strongest when it focuses on the sisterly bond between Chan-Young and Mi-Jo. The script writer did a great job of capturing the conflicting feelings these two characters are experiencing. Unfortunately, Joo-Hee doesn’t have the same effect on the viewer. ..

Mi-Jo and Seon-u’s romance is plagued by coincidences, chance encounters, and a lack of chemistry. ..

I’m not sure if it’s just me, but there seems to be a lack of chemistry between the pair and the moments they get intimate feel very awkward. This is especially apparent during the kissing sequence, which felt really off. Mi-Jo looked really uncomfortable during that kiss and that’s something that’s projected through to us, the audience. ..

Despite its many perks, “The Crown” has not been as successful as it could be. ..