Highlights: "Pinocchio" Episode 8

This was an episode about the gap between expectations and reality, and that felt particularly appropriate for “Pinocchio.” I feel like my expectations for every episode are so high—higher than any drama could fulfill. But here’s the thing: while “Pinocchio” is never as perfect in reality as I might like it to be, it’s so much fun, and it makes me feel so much, that I don’t even care. This episode was no exception.

These were my five favorite scenes from “Pinocchio” episode eight:

1. “Can I call you hyung?”

Dal Po’s first meeting with his brother was just so sweet. What really got me was that Dal Po immediately figured out that there was a sinister connection between hyung and the man that framed their father. He knew that something was off, that the Jae Myung he’d known as a child had changed for the worse. But he still protected hyung from the police, and insisted that they looked alike, and asked to call him hyung, because that old love is still there. I’m afraid that Jae Myung is going to utterly break Dal Po’s heart, but like Dal Po, there’s a part of me hoping that somehow everything will work out.

2. In Ha speaks up

I found this scene so satisfying—it’s so nice to see In Ha standing up for herself to her mom, and demanding to be treated like any other newbie. Sure, Song Cha Ok shot her down coldly, but I’m so glad that In Ha won’t take her mother’s cruelty lying down. She knows that she deserves better.

3. KISS

Well this was wonderful! Yes, it’s early in the drama’s run, but I’m not complaining. I actually find it refreshing that we have two adults who are being honest about their feelings! And really, that honesty is what I loved the most about this kiss scene. After an evening of normal uncle/niece behavior—eating dinner together, discussing In Ha’s issues with her mother at work—In Ha asks if they can’t just go back to the comfortable way that their relationship used to be. She insists, hiccupping, that she could return to just being Dal Po’s niece. And hearing that is the push that Dal Po needs to (finally) be truthful about his feelings for In Ha.

I also just loved how the kiss was filmed. The way that Dal Po kisses In Ha’s hand first—not aggressively, but just to show her that he’s completely serious. And then when they kiss for real, it’s completely mutual, and just beautiful, in the middle of the street, under the holiday lights. What a great scene.

4. Proud dad

Admittedly, In Ha’s on-air “debut” didn’t end up working out, but how great was it to see her father bursting with pride, announcing to every single person he met in the police station that his daughter was Choi In Ha, yes, that Choi In Ha, who is making her debut unusually early?

5. “What a relief, Ha Myung. You’re all right.”

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again—Jae Myung is a difficult character. I think part of the problem is that he’s just underwritten; we haven’t seen enough to fully understand who he is. But the last scene of this episode had me tearing up as Jae Myung drove his car into a truck to stop the truck from hitting a young boy. Even more heartbreaking was the moment when, bleeding from the head, Jae Myung staggers from his car to the boy, who is about the same age as Dal Po was at the time of his “death”. Delirious, Jae Myung calls the boy Ha Myung (Dal Po’s real name), and tells him how good it is to know that he’s all right. I actually gasped at that moment. Admittedly, it wasn’t shocking to see that Jae Myung is stuck in the past. I think that moment just reinforced for me how pitiful Jae Myung’s life is. If only he knew that Ha Myung is still alive—though I fear it’s too late for that knowledge to make any real difference.

Let us know your favorite scenes from this episode in the comments below!

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