Blood ep 20 recap kdrama – final episode

Blood 블러드 episode 20 Final

The time has come to say our final farewell to a kdrama that has enjoyed international popularity. My site has received a lot of love and views that far exceeded my expectations. Thanks to all of you for supporting my first recapping effort. It made the hours of viewing and writing worth it, and I appreciated the  points of view expressed in the comments. So, let’s wrap this thing up.  Kochenia power, fighting! ♥

The realization that Hyun Woo is dead hits Ji Sang hard. Ri Ta is rightfully worried when Ji Sang asks her to watch over Hyun Woo. She can only imagine that he’ll get himself into a dangerous situation if he goes after Most Evil Director. But the look in his eyes tells her there is no stopping him.

He is welcomed by  a vampire pack along with Dr. Creepy at the Director’s apartment. Although he puts up a tough fight, Ji Sang is outnumbered and ultimately subdued. Evil Director sadistically blames him for Hyun Woo’s death for keeping the research to himself. In a condescendingly arrogant manner of only the most ruthless, power-hungry narcissist, he tells Ji Sang that Hyun Woo’s death was his punishment for not sharing the research. A quick phone call reveals that someone is with Ri Ta – another blow to Ji Sang. Evil Director makes it painfully clear that Ri Ta’s life is in his hands and Ji Sang’s cooperation will determine which way that goes. Evil Director tells Ji Sang to accept his limitations and do what he asks. Poor Ji Sang is at a low point – he has lost so much already –  and is coerced into agreeing to do exactly what Evil Director wants. When he gets back to the apartment, he is relieved that Ri Ta is all right. He holds her closely. They send off Hyun Woo with such deeply felt sorrow. Ji Sang tells his one and only friend to make sure that in his next life he is born far away so they won’t even meet by chance.

Ga Yeon, who has given Evil Director the benefit of the doubt all this time, realizes that he ordered Dr. Creepy to kill Hyun Woo. Evil Director doesn’t flinch, and tells her that his order to kill Yoo Ri Ta still stands. Her loyalties are more conflicted than ever. With Hyun Woo gone, Ji Sang turns over Ward 21A research responsibilities to Dr. Jung. Stopping the side effects is the number one priority. (Unfortunately, that is what Evil Director wants too, so he can continue on his path to create superior beings.) Dr. Jung comforts Ji Sang and says that giving their lives for the patients is what they do if duty calls, like Hyun Woo did, and not to blame himself for his death. Ji Sang and Dr. Jung have grown to trust one another. Dr. Jung tells him not to grow weary and that he is their inspiration to find a cure.

It is a sad scene at the house with everyone dressed in mourning black. Ji Sang holds a memorial picture of his dear friend. There are no words.

LUUVY made it! He has a recorded birthday message from Hyun Woo that brings everyone to tears. It is a memory to keep forever, an endearing bromance message that Ji Sang wouldn’t trade for the world despite the anguish it brings to see Hyun Woo. His final message, “I love you, Ji Sang,” is almost too much to bear.

Ri Ta marches into Aunt’s office, tells her to get her things in order, and get out. If she dares to show up at the shareholder’s meeting, the recording of Aunt and Uncle will be playing loudly. Ri Ta has a completely new view of Ga Yeon and tells her she shouldn’t remain with Evil Director. However, Ga Yeon keeps her emotional distance and tells Ri Ta that this is the last time they can meet alone. Next time, she might hurt her. As she leaves, she tells Ri Ta to stay by Ji Sang’s side; she has orders to kill her. However, it is not Evil Director who has given the latest order, but  Assistant Director Aunt. (Well, yes and no. Ga Yeon was ordered by Evil Director at least twice to kill Ri Ta and he is only too happy that Aunt has enough of an axe to grind with Ri Ta to ask for his help.) Of course, at this point, it isn’t even shocking information to Ri Ta.

The Set Up

Evil Director watches as Ji Sang goes into surgery. Ri Ta is at home, reading the 100 Vampire Questions. To the question, “I you could die, what would you do before you die?” Ji Sang answered, “Watching the sunrise with the person that I love.” Without a sound, a hooded Ga Yeon and Chul Hoon enter her apartment and kidnap her. Ji Sang comes out of surgery, receives a phone call, and takes off running down the hall. Two other people get a text picture of Ri Ta tied up and gagged. Evil Director gets a call from Chul Hoon: the body was thrown in the reservoir and Ga Yeon is trying to calm down since this was her first time. Evil Director is satisfied. The second person is Aunt who is now assured that Ri Ta is out of her way and she can proceed to take Taemin Hospital for herself. Ji Sang shows up at Evil Director’s and asks where Ri Ta is. Evil Director assures him that she is alive, but Ji Sang must fulfill his duty and speed up the research to take care of the side effects. Only then will he tell him where Ri Ta is. (Evil Director tells Ji Sang that Ri Ta is alive, even though Chul Hoon just told him they’d thrown her in the reservoir. He is messing with Ji Sang.) As Ji Sang leaves, he strangely smiles.

The Tables Are Turned

Well, this is an interesting change of fate. Ga Yeon is with Ri Ta at her apartment. So, they (Ri Ta and Ji Sang) got Ga Yeon and Chul Hoon to step into the light. Ri Ta wonders how Ga Yeon got Chul Hoon to agree to go against Evil Director. Ga Yeon says that they trusted the Director unconditionally. Too much trust, like love, can make one blind. In the end, they followed their feelings. But, what happens when Evil Director finds out….

Dr Jung has the heavy burden of informing Ji Sang about Hyun Woo’s final findings. As he begins to explain it, Dr. Creepy is simultaneously explaining the same thing to Evil Director (remember, Hyun Woo gave him the files before they killed him). Here’s the deal: Ji Sang’s decomposed blood has a unique feature that can prevent the VTH-16 antibody from killing all cells. (This was always the problem – healthy cells along with infected cells were killed, resulting in death.) Hyun Woo isolated and named the enzyme Julino-01. Snag #1: it is released only after the infected dies. When mixed with VTH-16, it will be completely successful in returning the infected back to human because only the infected cells from the VBT-01 will die. This is exactly what Dr. Jung wanted to do – or, rather, undo what his father’s original research caused. Snag #2: Ji Sang’s blood is the only blood that can culture this new antibody (he is the only one who has ever been born of two infected parents). Snag #3: Ji Sang has to die to make the culture.

Dr. Creepy lays it out for Evil Director like this: Ji Sang must die so that Julino-01 from decomposed blood mixed with VTH-16 creates the new antibody which, in turn, is the perfect antidote to VBT-01. When injected into the infected all side effects will be gone, and there will no longer be anyone infected. Of course, this means Evil Director’s plans will end. Evil Director thinks all this is good to know. Been nice knowing you, Dr. Creepy, but your usefulness has expired. Evil Director didn’t bring him back to be his best bud, and hands him over to Chul Hoon who has been chomping at the bit to do him in, anyway. With a dose of his own medicine, literally, Dr. Creepy is gone. Evil psychopath dictators always dispose of their right-hand men; he must have forgotten that history lesson.

Ji Sang wants Dr. Jung to prove this theory, but Dr. Jung says there shouldn’t be any more lives sacrificed. Ji Sang insists and says that this will make Hyun Woo’s death mean something. How can Ji Sang even think of relaying all this to Ri Ta? She is dumbfounded and tells Ji Sang that, of course, she is opposed. He is the only person left who is close to her, shouldn’t she have just one person who brings her happiness? He holds her close, but his words, “Please understand and forgive me,” are the last thing she wants to hear. She tells him she can’t understand and won’t forgive him, and begs him to stay by her side. His silence is like a death sentence to her.

Aunt, who thought Ri Ta’s body was neatly dumped in the reservoir, must surely think she is seeing an apparition when Ri Ta enters her office. She defends her actions and tells Ri Ta that, if she were in her position, she would have done the same thing. Not so, Ri Ta replies. The police handcuff Aunt and haul her away. Everything is over now. Finally, there is at least some small justice for the murder of Ri Ta’s parents. Crazily enough, the police enter Evil Director’s office and charge him with Ri Ta’s attempted murder. He leaves behind a roomful of badly injured or dead officers, and now he is on the run. He knows Ri Ta is alive,  and that Ga Yeon, Chul Hoon and Ji Sang all went against him.

Back in the lab, Dr. Jung and Dr. Choi have the vial prepared and ready to inject into Ji Sang for it to cultivate (meaning, he must be dead for 20-30 minutes). What a strange comment by Dr. Jung, though, that Ji Sang’s unique blood auto-genesis may mean that he may even be able to live without a heart. Rather than the heart circulating the blood, it is the blood that makes his heart beat. There is one more new discovery: when Dr. Choi put the most decomposed blood into the infected blood, the telomerase began to separate.

Evil Director has gathered his enemies – Chul Hoon and Ri Ta – and is holding them in the old abandoned lab. He demands to know where Ga Yeon has run off to, but Chul Hoon tells him to let her go. Chul Hoon offers to kill Ji Sang if he will let Ga Yeon go, and vows that he only wants to help Evil Director with his research. A call to Ji Sang lets him know Evil Director has Ri Ta. She yells for Ji Sang not to come, that they will kill him. Dr. Jung tries to stop him, but of course he must go. Dr. Jung wishes him luck and gives him something to take with him. Ji Sang says he doesn’t need luck and that he will be back.

The vampire fight is on. Now that he is here, Ji Sang tells Evil Director to let Ri Ta go. Such a waste, the Evil Director laments. They could have been such good partners. That would never happen, Ji Sang tells him. Evil Director has lost all patience; it’s time to end things. Suddenly, Ga Yeon pops out of nowhere and begs him not to do this. Evil Director tells her that she is his enemy now, and that she should have just run. She wants to hear that he is still her father, she pleads. As his anger flares, Chul Hoon steps between them to stop him, but it is a fatal move. Evil Director, cold as a tombstone, tells Chul Hoon that he gave him life so now he is taking it back. Only an egotistical monster could utter such villainous words, ‘You no longer have the right to breathe for me.” Poor Chul Hoon avows his complete loyalty until the very end. Next, Evil Director turns to Ji Sang. It’s curtains for him, too. As he thrusts the stake towards Ji Sang’ heart, Ga Yeon jumps in front and takes the blow. Evil Director has killed his own.

Ji Sang and Evil Director violently battle it out ’til the end: a syringe to the neck for Evil Director and a stake to the heart for Ji Sang, what else is left? It is a pitiful scene with more senseless deaths, as Evil Director can only think that all this means taking steps backwards in his master plan. Ji Sang says that, rather than leaving a wound on humanity, it is better this way.

Ri Ta brings the wounded Ji Sang to the lab. When Dr. Jung tells him he should be in ER, Ji Sang replies there is no hope for him, now. He asks for the blood. It must be cultivated today, minutes after his death. Dr. Jung hesitates, but Ri Ta speaks up and, with a heavy heart, tells him to do as he says. “Please do this for me,” he tells Dr. Jung. It is a most solemn moment, indeed.

Evil Director is aging rapidly towards death. Facing the huge, grotesque relief on his wall, he remains unrelentingly steadfast to his cause. Depraved until the bitter end, he will not relinquish his position and, whether speaking to himself or deity utters, “Angels make the world a beautiful place, but changing the world is the work of the devil….I gave up being human and I became the devil.” Fully delusional, he has no regrets or remorse and vows to come back again. (My theory is that when Ji Sang went to meet Evil Director at the abandoned site,  Dr. Jung gave him a syringe of the serum that separated the telomerase that Dr. Choi just discovered. When Ji Sang stabbed Evil Director with that, the telomerase effect of anti-aging broke down, causing Evil Director to age rapidly and (we assume) die.

The Parting

On the rooftop, Ri Ta and Ji Sang watch the sunrise. It is his last wish – to see the sunrise with the one he loves. Dying seemed like going on a long vacation, but now, Ji Sang, admits, he is scared. Dying has always been scary, Ri Ta comforts him, it’s just that everyone pretends it’s not.  No, Ji Sang, doesn’t mean that. What is scary is leaving someone behind. He can no longer protect that person. And that he will have to miss that person…forever. Ri Ta tells him she will follow his footsteps someday soon. Ri Ta helplessly watches as the sunlight decomposes Ji Sang’s body. He wishes they had met earlier and that it was such a waste that it was so short. Better than not at all, Ri Ta tells him. He says they will meet each other again somewhere. No matter what, she answers.

Looking at the sunrise Ji Sang says, “It really is beautiful.” His eyes close. Ri Ta holds him in her arms and sobs.

Kochenia

Ri Ta strolls along the streets of Kochenia. Street musicians create a festive, old world atmosphere. In a store window display she spots Frumoasa Bestia (Enchanted Forest). She approaches someone in the square. It is lovely Young Hee with her guardian. They sit on a bench, Young Hee reads a letter from Ji Sang with doll at her side. “I love you, Mister,” she cries. It is a tender moment between them as Ri Ta embraces her. That night, Ri Ta sits at an outdoor cafe and looks at a picture of her and Ji Sang. As she leaves, she senses she is being followed. There is a shadowy figure. Her steps quicken. Then, she begins to run. Hooded figures chase her down a dark alley. Vampires. They surround her and move in for the attack. Just then, another figure arches through the air, seemingly from nowhere. Huddled against the stone wall, Ri ta watches, frozen with fear and amazement. Déjà vu. After a vicious fight the vampires flee.

The tall, dark figure approaches her and reaches for her hand. As their fingers touch and their eyes meet, Ji Sang and Ri Ta are united again in that place, far away, where it all began.

Comments:

 

Finished! Didn’t skimp on the treats, either. Delightful pastries from the Mexican bakery and coffee kept me going strong.

What did you think of Blood? I’m going to take a different approach in my final comments and pretend that the holes in the plot are dots that the writers created that can be, with a vivid imagination and searching for clues, connected in part for an ending that is somewhat satisfying. I have managed to avoid any comments about the final episode, but after this post is completed, I will read up on other people’s thoughts.

• Who is left? On Ji Sang’s side: Ri Ta, Dr, Jung, and Dr. Choi. Actually, that’s everything, though. Hyun Woo left behind the theories and serum concoctions and Dr. Jung proved them. Even unproved effects can be assumed that can answer how Ji Sang returned. (Come on, he is the main character and a unique vampire at that; of course he didn’t die.) Ji Sang’s blood that can pump a heart that even had a stake driven through it is its unique quality. Other unique, undiscovered features might exist, as well. Dr. Jung (by virtue of his father’s original research and his desire to reverse the effects of his father’s discovery of vbt-01) and Dr. Choi (by virtue of her relationship with Hyun Woo and her desire to make his death meaningful) have deeply vested interests in the ongoing research and application of the findings to end this nightmare for the patients. In my mind, they are busy the hospital injecting the antibody that was cultured in Ji Sang’s blood after he died in the patients to return them to fully human status.
• Ri Ta followed through and traveled to Kochenia to meet Young Hee and bring her the doll and letter from Ji Sang. It was her way of paying tribute to Young Hee’s and Ji Sang’s special ties, and to close the chapter for Young Hee (and herself) in a meaningful way.
• But, now I have a dilemma. I was certain that the results of Dr. Choi’s research that separated the telomerase (anti-aging) aspects of the virus brought down Evil Director once and for all. Putting two and two together, it looked like Dr. Jung gave Ji Sang a syringe filled with this new telomerase-obliterating potion as he headed to the final encounter with Evil Director. We saw Evil Director age rapidly before our eyes, but his ominous comment that he would return left the door open. (Although, how he would return, I can’t come up with a scenario that I am satisfied with. This is a plot sinkhole.)
• Yet, who else would send a pack to stalk Ri Ta in Kochenia and attack her? There isn’t anyone left, other than to assume Evil Director did not, after all, die. Or at least, he didn’t stay dead. Hopefully, Dr. Jung and Dr. Choi took care of all the Ward 21A patients (poor souls, what a rotten lot in life). But, there were at least four vampires who attacked Ri Ta, and another unidentified figure who drummed his fingers at the table at the outdoor cafe on the streets of Kochenia. Evil Director? Obviously, someone is keeping other infected alive with the despicable reconstituted blood from children from the black market in India (horrors). I’ll admit that Evil Director’s existence is a hole that I can’t fill, hard as I try.
• Finally, there’s the return of Ji Sang, looking more handsome than ever. He and Ri Ta can burn the remains of the vampire corpses at the Kochenia gravesite where it all began, and obliterate vbt-01. Then, all they have to do is inject the remaining infected with the cultured VTH (including Evil Director), and the nightmare will end.
• An aside: did I miss something in Hyun Woo naming the enzyme Julino-01?

Or is that just too much of a stretch? 🙂

Thanks for joining me at http://www.cimiart.wordpress.com for the last few months. Now that I’ve been bitten by the recapping bug and have one kdrama recap under my belt, I am anxious to find another one that will generate as much exciting discussion and bring such a loyal following.

안녕

annyeong



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• Ahn Jae Hyun
• Blood kdrama review
• Blood recap
• 블러드
• Ga Yeon
• Gu Hye Sun
• Hyun Woo
• Ji Jin-Hee
• Kochenia
• LUUVY
• sunrise
• vampires
• vbt-01
• Yoo Ri Ta