[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Pinocchio" Episode 2

Right after snapping back to the quiz show it's straight into another flashback- but don't worry, this one only goes back into recent history and deals exclusively with the adult cast, even if they're all garbed in high school uniforms. Dal-po is a bit of a lazy slob- or so it seems. Frequently this episode we get a good look at the young man's keen deductive mind. The way he's easily able to size up even faraway situations somewhat strains belief- but again, I'm willing to give "Pinocchio" leeway in this department since the contrivance matches up with the greater themes.

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Even if, as is once again the case, these themes aren't gone into in a great deal of depth. This is the very personal story of how Dal-po has been living his life for the past several years. It's not exactly a lie- for that matter it's not even terribly dishonest. Dal-po just chooses to ignore his potential, as well as nearly everything that's going on around him, until something happens that makes Dal-po mad enough to break character and make a big moral point.

Obviously this ends up being because of In-ha, but I was surprised at how I ended up feeling sorry for In-ha too, on general merits. The situation she finds herself in is, in fact, a pretty lousy one given her medical condition. Any girl that looks like she does is bound to run into a love confession but In-ha doesn't even have the choice of trying to let the guy off easy.

All the same, she really doesn't handle the situation well at all, and seems to be provocative mostly for the sake of being provocative. It's another discomforting parallel with her mother. With most of the last several years skipped over, it's clear enough from the preview that In-ha hasn't given up the romantic image of her mother as star reporter. Indeed, even her reaction to the end of the quiz show illustrates that In-ha is still a kid- and if the last several years in the boondocks weren't enough for her to get a grip, I doubt the next several will help either.

This manages to be reasonable stuff- as is suitable, given the nature of the narrative. Relievingly, though, we do get closer to a resolution of the tragedy which set Dal-po off on such a terrible course, as it's established beyond all doubt what happened to his father. For that matter, sooner or later the truth is going to have to come to light. Stuff like that can't just lie around indefinitely without somebody wondering whether it came from. So, too, do our characters sally forth to their destiny.

Review by William Schwartz

"Pinocchio" is directed by Jo Soo-won and Sin Seung-woo, written by Park Hye-ryeon and features Lee Jong-suk, Park Shin-hye, Kim Young-kwang, Lee Yu-bi, Lee Pil-mo, Kang Shin-il and many more.

 

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