Recap: What's Up Episode 2

At the moment, cable dramas are dominating my watchlist. And I have curiously started watching AND enjoying three very different genres. FBRS is sweet like candy, VP is gripping and addictive, and WU is...well, I'm not sure how to describe it.

Episode 2

Each of our leads receive notice of their acceptance to the University.

Jae-hun breaks the new to his mother in a roundabout way – the University must really suck…because….they have accepted him! Mum grumbles why he had to waste money on accommodation by applying to one so far away and Jae-hun replies cheekily that it’s for her own good – now Mum can meet guys without him getting in her way. Mum shoos him away but shed proud tears once she’s alone. Awww I love these two. This bickering mother and son are such softies behind their indifferent exteriors that I’m feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

It’s the first day of University and the kids are checking into their dorms. Park Tae-hee happily makes her away to her dorm when the ahjussi guard stops her – “That’s the boys’ dorm. You are a female student right? The girls’ dorm in this side”. Ha. I have a feeling I’m gonna like this ahjussi J

Next up is Ha Do-sung. Manager cum uncle tries to discourage Do-sung from enrolling in the University, warning that his identity as Hades could be discovered. Frustrated, Do-sung warns him that Mum will cut them off financially if she discovers he’s not at home – that shuts him up. Oh…Do-sung is doing this without mummy dearest’s approval…

Tae-hee unpacks while listening to some old vinyl records on a turntable, seemingly alone until we see that Dad is with her, teasing her for using such an antiquated record player. She banters playfully with dad, before tearing up a little when she looks at their photograph together – unhappy that he did not get to see her as a university student. I love how the music in the background brings extra poignancy to the moment.

Do-sung arrives at his room to find that his new roommate is none other than Jae-hun. The sweet innocent Do-sung is no match for the streetwise Jae-hun, who cleverly claims the unstained bed in the room after a springing a quick rock-scissor-paper match on the unsuspecting Do-sung. The other bed looks suspiciously urine-stained. Hihi.

Next, a girl is over the moon after discovering her roommate is the famous actress, Eun Chae-Young. To her credit, Chae-young is polite to her star-struck roomie.

Dorky Kim Byung gun’s bright-eyed enthusiasm fades quickly when a guy lounging against the wall outside his room warns him that his roommate is a difficult second year senior, who has managed to drive away all his previous roommates within two weeks. Byung-gun finds the room in utter mess and complaints to the stranger about the room looking like a dump and that the owner must be a mess himself. Stranger boy coolly goes to sleep on one of the beds, leaving Byung-gun open-mouthed in surprise. Uh-oh. Haha. Stranger boy would be his new roomie.

Meanwhile, Oh Doo-ri finds herself face to face with Lee Da-jung, a second year student in charge of the girls’ dorm. Da-jung sticks a bunch of papers on rules and regulations in her face and reminds her that newbies are expected in the gymnasium at 5pm. Doo-ri asks for a pair of scissors instead. She chops off her long locks and changed into a decidedly funkier outfit, a total change from her princess image. My my …rules? What rules? I have a feeling she’s not gonna need those rules. J

Jae-hun is relieving the memories of that fateful night in his dreams, except that we see some extra flashbacks of him losing it in front of his friends and rushing out of the car into the traffic. He wakes from the nightmare and finds that he’s late for the newbies assembly.

Jae-hun is the last to reach the gym, disappointed that he’s rushed here all for naught. Suddenly, doors are slammed shut, blinds are drawn and lights are switched off leaving the newbies in total darkness. Just as suddenly, the newbies are bathed in spotlight with a group of people advancing menacingly, one holds a baseball bat.

And lo…we have some good old initiation rites by the sunbaes (seniors). Everyone follows orders obediently except…Jae-hun who stands and watches, unimpressed.

The leader punishes everyone else, playing on Jae-hun’s conscience to force him into submission. But no, Jae-hun stubbornly stands his ground, stressing that he owes sunbae-nim nothing because it was his mother’s hard-earned money that pays for his fees. Sunbae remarks that he’s not normal but the defiant Jae-hun says he might not be normal but the University would hardly expel him for that. Jae-hun apologizes to everyone but says he’s tired after a long day and wants to go back to sleep for now.  Sunbae is pissed with his insolent attitude and a few others go after Jae-hun.

Jae-hun flips. He slams chairs and topples a rack of basketballs, scaring the shit out of everyone. His looks says it all – come at me if you dare!

The newbies orientation continues the next day– they are ordered to wear only school uniforms (sportswear), assembles by 7am for some cleaning session, then engage in some exercise with seniors. They are also required to greet seniors and professors respectfully and if any one of them falls out of line, the rest would be punished together. Sunbae leader hears about Jae-hun’s no show – he’s actually still asleep, Do-sung timid attempt to wake him notwithstanding.

During the exercise session, Leader sunbae is looking mighty pleased with himself until he spots Doo-ri staring daggers at him. He’s about to approach her but she suddenly runs off looking as though she’s about to puke.

Inspired, Chae-young feigns injury, claiming that the push-ups yesterday injured her ankle. Leader sunbae is suddenly all anxious, blaming Jae-hun and explaining that he’s not that kind of person. What? Pfft. Leader sunbae has gone from no-nonsense and commanding to marshmallow-y soft. Chae-young takes advantage of his guilt and asks to be excused for the day. Leader sunbae is all awkward and accommodating faced with Chae-young’s damsel in distress display. LOL.

As it is, Jae-hun is not sleeping well at all, his conscience not so clear after all. We flash back to the face-off between him and Leader sunbae. Leader warned that he’d have to adopt more extreme measures to keep him in line but Jae-hun showed no signs of backing down. Jae-hun stressed his superiority in age (he finished army service) and proposed that they stay out of each other’s way. Flashback ends.

Agitated, he finally gets dressed and looks pensively at his wallet which falls out from his jacket. He stares pensively at the yellow slip of note, unable to push the memories of that man from his mind.

Jae-hun saunters around the campus, uncaring that he’s late for class. He’s all apologetic though when he finally joins the class much later but Prof Yang sends him and Do-sung, who did not wake his roommate out of her class. A moment later, Prof Yang looks on incredulously when Tae-hee shows up in tears, explaining that she was lost and joined the wrong class. Seriously?!

Jae-hun heads for the canteen but finds himself ostracized by the seniors. Unable to find a seat, he joins a reluctant Do-sung. Tae-hee also joins them, speaking cryptically on how she doesn’t want to live. The shy and very interested Do-sung tries to find out what she means but they’re interrupted by the commotion raised when Chae-young shows up.

Chae-young walks up to dorky Byung-gun and ask if there’s an empty seat. He nods nervously. Other girls wanting to get into her good book swarm to his table, forcing him to take his leave.

Byung-gun spots his roommate and brags about how he’s favored by the Chae-young. What he fails to notice is that his roomie cannot hear him at all, wearing earphones. A girl comes up seeking his roomie’s signature. Byung-gun is surprised to learn that his roomie is the famous Lee Soo-bin and on good terms with Chae-young. Haha.

A shabbily dressed man shows up in the campus with a trolley looking every bit like a homeless man. Mr.Ahjussi guard stops his fellow colleague from approaching the man, smiling in recognition.

Simultaneously, Prof Yang is speaking to someone on the phone, complaining that a certain “someone” has not turned up even though it’s the first day of classes. Her secretary rushes in to inform her that he’s here…that someone is …cue creepy music…and the camera pans to Oh Man Seok (the actor), who’s supposed to be a lecturer!

Thoughts:

We're in early stage yet and I still have no idea where the story will go...will it follow DH and give us awesome showdowns or will it veer more to character developments ? There's certainly lots of potential conflicts...Jae-hun and Tae-hee over her dad's death, Do-sung complicated relationship with mummy, etc. Whatever it is, I hope they give us more of the musical stuffs, I mean it is a campus musical drama right?