"The Girl Who Sees Smells" Eps 7 and 8 - Of Kisses, Murder, and Foiled Plans

Wow, “The Girl Who Sees Smells” sure brought its A-game this week with two episodes filled to the brim of detectives playing cat and mouse with their barcode murderer, Chef Kwon Jae Hee (Namgoong Min), plenty of danger, and even more beautifully sweet moments for our OTP, Choi Moo Gak (Park Yoochun) and Oh Cho Rim (Shin Se Kyung).

It is usually my habit to begin compiling my thoughts into words as soon as I finish watching the episodes, but it was a little different this week since I… kind of had to learn how to breathe again. Was I hyperventilating from the detectives’ risky game, shocked by the latest developments in the barcode murder case, stunned by the fierce change in demeanor from our Chef-nim, or suffering from wild heart palpitations from the lovey-dovey MooRim couple’s skinship? Well, I’ll leave that for you to figure out as I slowly come back to my senses.

The Sense of Humor

I always enjoy a good romantic comedy and it’s definitely my go-to genre, but something about the humor in “The Girl Who Sees Smells” just settles so perfectly with me that it’s one of the aspects I love most about this drama. The wittiness isn’t limited to the main leads who naturally fuel each others’ inner comedian, but to the supporting characters as well. From every chuckle I experience when hearing Detective Ki (Jo Hee Bong) say “Elena Vashilivnashivanova” to Ma Ae Ri’s (Park Jin Joo) light teasing, from Cho Rim and Moo Gak’s playful banter to the shenanigans of the police force, there is plenty of that wonderful lightheartedness to go around.

I lose count of how many times I end up laughing like a crazy person, especially when paired with Moo Gak’s absolutely priceless facial expressions, that I should probably get tossed into a mental institution, but I digress.

The Sense of Mystery

A moment of silence, please, for our misunderstood doctor, Chun Baek Gyung (Song Jong Ho). I actually felt a little sad to see him go so soon, especially after his facade had finally slipped away and his concern for Cho Rim began to shine through. But true to his form, Doctor Chun didn’t leave without a bang and I couldn’t help but applaud for him when Chef Kwon figured out his little puzzle. Other than casting that much needed fear and doubt in Chef Kwon’s mind, it was also clever of him to send his former friend running to his storage for the two novels needed to solve the riddle, which also bought the detectives more time in solving the case.

I hope with the startling knowledge that his witness from three years ago, Choi Eun Seol, is still alive, our ever careful villain will finally begin to crack. It was fun watching him act all intelligent and devilish, but that arrogance is chipping away at my patience now and I want justice to be served. Like, immediately.

The Sense of Luuurve

Ahem, I mean… love.

Initially going into “The Girl Who Sees Smells” with excitement and anticipation, I had still sorely underestimated just how much I would love the chemistry between Moo Gak and Cho Rim. Sure, I thought they were a cute pair, but I didn’t think they would sizzle. Yet, that’s exactly what happened here this week. We got, not just one, but two kisses… and I just about died from the adorable awkwardness, the thick tension, the charming comfort levels, and the squeal worthy skinship.

It is during Moo Gak and Cho Rim’s interactions that I found the attention to small details again, such as in the way Moo Gak held Cho Rim close to his side during the amusement park ride, the way he so comfortably moved to console her when she cried, and even the way Moo Gak gave her a deadpanned side glance when she exclaimed that he wasn’t her boyfriend to the shoe store owner…. just before he carelessly tossed the pair of red shoes he had been admiring back on the shelf.

I honestly love how the relationship between the two have been developing and there’s just something so genuine and unassumingly raw about them as a pair. It’s invigorating yet addicting, which means I just can’t get enough of them, but, hey, I’m not complaining!

The Sense of Foreboding

The moment I’ve been dreading yet envisioning out of curiosity – when Cho Rim starts to remember her past. This is definitely just the beginning, but it’s more than enough to offset the journey into unveiling the truth. I knew this was coming when she and Moo Gak had their heart to heart conversation about their past. For him, it was the revelation that although he can’t taste the food, eating a certain dish still warms his heart because it’s associated with the memories of his mother. For her, it was the confession that, although she can’t recall her life beyond three years ago, staring at a photo of her parents still leaves her with nothing but emptiness.

What ends up bringing her to unexpected tears, without a known explanation, is seaweed soup with sea urchin and abalone shells. I can sense the angst just around the corner now…

The Sense of Bewilderment

Chef Kwon is a very meticulous person. The steps he takes to ensure that his identity is not revealed when he leaves behind the corpse is… absolutely praiseworthy, but that’s not why I felt bewildered (although hiding a small vehicle inside a large truck to safely transport it is pretty genius).

It’s because we finally find out how Kwon Jae Hee murdered the wrong Choi Eun Seol and it’s because he suffers from Prosopagnosia. Honestly, that’s all fine and dandy as it solves the initial confusion, but a famous chef with Prosopagnosia is straight out of “Surplus Princess” so I felt a little cheated, even if, logically speaking, I’m sure the disorder affects plenty of chefs in reality.

I also found it incredibly idiotic that our team of detectives, while knowing how sneaky the barcode killer is, would still flash their guns around inside Moo Gak’s hospital room as they wait for him to show up and finish the job. And they were surprised to find that Kwon Jae Hee was one step ahead of them? Wait, did they expect him to go storming in there anyway?

Lastly, I’m pretty disappointed in Kwon Jae Hee for being a fraud. As a famous chef with his own television show, shouldn’t he be coming up with his own recipes? Why is he stealing the recipe from Cho Rim’s mother and even using her own words to describe the dish? (Okay, okay. For the sake of plot, I get it, but still, create your own recipes!)

All in all, yes, “The Girl Who Sees Smells” is still littered with plenty of flaws, but I’m still enraptured in their world and waiting to see what happens next. We’re only at the half way point right now, so I’m eager to find out what else the plot and the characters have in store for us. While I count down the days until episode 9, I will content myself with re-watching some of my favorite scenes, like the runaway wheel chair one, for instance!

What did you think about this week’s episodes? Are you enjoying the growing relationship between Choi Moo Gak and Oh Cho Rim? Or do you prefer watching the mysterious and evil Kwon Jae Hee in action? Let me know in the comments below!

For all “The Girl Who Sees Smells” recap, please click here.