An Explosive End (Literally!) to "The Girl Who Sees Smells" Eps 15 and 16

Bombs, death, and wedding bells, oh my! “The Girl Who Sees Smells” sure knows how to give a fluffy yet intense finale and I, for the most part, loved every moment of it! Let’s dive right in to all the details, shall we?

The Sense of Panic

I was surprised when I saw that Chef Kwon Jae Hee (Namgoong Min) actually got arrested so early in episode 15. I honestly thought that he would be able to make his quick getaway and avoid the feeling of handcuffs on his wrists until, maybe, halfway through the last episode. The fact that Jae Hee went back for his trophy books was ultimately the source of his demise, but when it was revealed just how much those books meant to him last week, I would have expected no less.

It was also so amazingly clever and hardcore of Choi Moo Gak (Park Yoochun) to burn the blank notebooks, under the guise that they were the legitimate ones, in order to force Chef Kwon to talk. It was thrilling to see a deadpanned Moo Gak and the side of Chef Kwon that’s weak and childishly fragile.

The Sense of Overactive Imaginations

I knew that if Moo Gak’s sister, Choi Eun Seol (Kim So Hyun), hadn’t been murdered, he would have continued to be the chirpy, cheery, goofy, and warm man that he had been, instead of the hardened and burdened version of him. What I didn’t know was just how much of a goofball Moo Gak could really be once those layers of guilt and pressure began to shed away. His imagined scenarios on how he would propose to Oh Cho Rim (Shin Se Kyung) was side-splitting hilarious, especially the one where he got down on one knee in front of a crowd and began singing in a heavily accented, overly dramatic tone. (And did anyone else see the side shot of this scene where Shin Se Kyung wasn’t covering her mouth in an act of being touched… but to hide her laughter? LOL)

But what got to me the most, in a heart fluttering, swoon worthy way, was how Moo Gak ended up proposing when it actually happened. How unique, how loving, and how beautiful was it that he thought to use her unique ability to see scents… to spray out into the air, with her perfume, the question, “Will you marry me?”

Say it with me, Soompiers: awwwwww~~

The Sense of Family

One of the things I’m happiest about with “The Girl Who Sees Smells” is their consistently positive message about family. There are so many K-dramas out there filled to the max about dysfunctional families and parents with personalities so vicious, it should have prevented them from ever having children, but it’s different here.

Sure, we have Chef Kwon’s unfortunate past where he was abused as a child, but the stronger message is this: A family should be loving, positive, warm, and caring.

We had Cho Rim and her adoptive father’s relationship, which has always tugged on my heartstrings, especially after Cho Rim found out the truth about her past. I was incredibly moved when her father said it was okay for Cho Rim to take back her old name, but she declined, citing that she was also his daughter, so she would like to continue to be Oh Cho Rim.

We had Moo Gak’s double duty of parent and brother towards his younger sister, where it was never a burden for him to take her under his wing. We had the team of detectives who became close like family with the courage to so emotionally share the love for one another. We also had Lieutenant Yeom (Yoon Jin Seo) and Cho Rim’s older sister-younger sister friendship, in which they were both willing to sacrifice themselves for the other.

Lastly, we had our beautiful MooRim couple in a relationship in which they support each other through thick and thin. They clearly love each other very much and if the last two episodes weren’t basically just a feel-good ending with a side of wrapping-up-loose-ends, then I don’t know what is!

The Sense of Closure

Chef Kwon’s death, I felt, was rather unfortunate in the end. From the moment he got caught in episode 15, I was fully expecting him to escape somehow, go into hiding, stalk Cho Rim and Moo Gak, then plan his attack, which would fail – again. When he and Moo Gak took their fight up to the rooftop, it only further solidified my prediction on how the case would finally come to a close, so it was a little disappointing when the outcome played out exactly as I thought it would.

I admit though, that my breath hitched a little bit when the bomb inside their newlywed home went off because, even though I knew it couldn’t have been Moo Gak, I didn’t know who it ended up being… I’m just really glad that the entire team got themselves together in time to figure out Jae Hee’s game before more people got hurt.

Still, I would have liked to continue dissecting the enigma that was Chef Kwon, which made me a little sad that his grand fall towards the pavement took away that opportunity.

The Sense of Happily Ever After

The happily ever after to this drama had me fist pumping the air with utter glee. From the beginning, I have loved, and I mean absolutely loved, watching Moo Gak and Cho Rim together, so I would never turn down the funny, the fluffy, and the fantastic when it pertains to our lovely couple.

I particularly love the details that went into their wedding, offering us a deeper glimpse into the road they were paving to their future of happiness. Other K-dramas I’ve seen have always skipped over these steps in light of just giving us the walk down the aisle, but it was quite the opposite in “The Girl Who Sees Smells.”

Cho Rim never got the opportunity to walk, but we clearly got to see everything before it. The picking of the ring, the proposal, the house hunting, the adorable invitation video, the photo shoot, the congratulatory celebration, and even the preparations just before the ceremony. Somehow, it just clicks so well into place and I enjoyed it so thoroughly, I don’t even mind not seeing them taking their vows before their friends and family.

The happy endings don’t just, well, end with Cho Rim and Moo Gak either, as everyone else (except for Jae Hee, of course) also got theirs. Inspector Kang’s (Lee Won Jong) seventh child is finally a girl, but all of his children, cutely, sports the very same mole on their cheek. LOL. Detective Ki (Jo Hee Bong) rekindles his romance with Elena. Lieutenant Yeom becomes a criminology professor and does well with her students and Detective Ye (Choi Tae Joon) stands up to his father in defense of continuing to live his dream.

“The Girl Who Sees Smells” was an overall delight to watch and I’ve never adored a Park Yoochun pairing more than this one (my previous favorite was with Han Ji Min in “Rooftop Prince“). Of all the things I’ll sorely miss, it’ll be the lighthearted, refreshing comedy, the natural chemistry between our main leads (all those kisses!), and Yoochun’s freedom to go absolutely crazy with his “chur” faces.

But while I’ll miss being able to catch new episodes, I’m still content with having the sixteen wonderful episodes to fall back on as I try to find a way to let go. I find myself replaying a lot of the fluffier scenes and smiling just as widely as I did the first time I saw it, but also replaying some of the more mind blowing and action packed scenes for my weekly (sometimes daily) dose of intensity.

In other words, “The Girl Who Sees Smells” is the type of drama worth a re-watch or two, maybe more, because the sense of appreciation for the hard work everyone put into the production is definitely still present.

Were you satisfied with the finale, Soompiers, or did you wish for something different? What will you miss most about this drama? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

[tv]Catch Moo Gak’s proposal in episode 15 of The Girl Who Sees Smells on SoompiTV!

[/tv]

[tv]Watch their happily ever after in the final episode of The Girl Who Sees Smells on SoompiTV!

[/tv]

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