Descendants of the Sun - Episode 16 Final (a gifapalooza)

We've come to the end of the mega-hyped, mega hit Descendants of the Sun. This last episode does a decent job of tying up most of the loose ends in a neat little bow, providing for a mindlessly easy watch.  At the last minute the writer decided to go for an all out happy ending, and while I think I would have preferred Myeong Joo to die as was originally planned, this is probably the ending that most of the DotS lovers wanted.
Oh, they had a plan for her to die?  That would have worked, but I still think Mo Yeon would have been the best choice.  Nothing personal against her, just the most unexpected option.
Me, while watching DotS:  Sob - this is so disappointing! Why wasn't this so much better?
I don't need to waste time watching this. Song Joong Ki, I love you!

Mo Yeon and Shi Jin are reunited after a year (?) of everyone thinking Shi Jin was dead. While I would have found it slightly more plausible if it had not happened in the middle of the desert, I have to say I felt real emotion here. I like the scruffy look, too. Well, I look every look on him, basically.
Yeah, I mean... you could put him in a pumpkin suit and he'd make it work.  It's not that he's hot...he's cute, but it's him, not his looks, that bring the fire.

Back in Urk, Myeong Joo is contemplating the first snow in 100 years, when Dae Young walks up to her. Wow. He's another one who's rocking the bruised-in-battle look! But seriously, is that how they greet each other? It's not like he was playing a mean trick on her. Just be thrilled to see him and jump in his arms for crying out loud. At least they finally do kiss.
I actually thought they'd leave him dead, when he didn't come up over that dune with Shi Jin.  But that was when I thought he just randomly found her in the desert.

The real emotion comes from Gi Beom, who is taken by surprise as Dae Young walks into the barracks. This to me was pure, simple love, one of the reasons I liked the bromances more than the OTPs sometimes.
There is not one single thing not to love about this.  I'm getting choked up just watching your gif.

Dae Young and Myeong Joo share a tender moment as he explains to her what happened. It seems that before the bombing, he and Shi Jin were taken by the enemy and then thrown into a cell for 150 days. Did they get any medical care? It makes me think that I wouldn't want to be traveling with Shi Jin, who is bound to set off the metal detectors at all the airports with the amount of bullets left in his body.
I wonder if he rattles?  Also: shaving your guy is sexy.  If we can't have sex, KDrama, can we have personal grooming?
Right when they are about to be killed, with Song Joon Ki sporting one of his Nice Guy looks, Lieutenant Ahn shows up to shoot the enemy soldiers, thus repaying Shi Jin for previously saving his life (which makes me wonder how Lt. Ahn got away with the other murder, but oh well.)
I don't care, I like the guy, I'm glad to see him.

The fact that Shi Jin returned on the anniversary of his death raises some questions. Mo Yeon second guesses whether it's really him or his ghost.
Okay, this was funny.  You have to concede that.

When the hospital chingu call to see how Mo Yeon is fairing and see Shi Jin in the background, they all go crazy thinking the same thing. This.was.hilarous. They try to carefully explain to Mo Yeon that she needs to tell him she loves him so his ghost can rest in peace. Mo Yeon's loving the joke.
Yep, hilarious.  I was crying I laughed so hard. And I loved his incredulous 'did you just kill me AGAIN?'

Back in ROK, Shi Jin and Dae Young go to report to Lieutenant General Yoon, who immediately breaks formality by hugging them both and thanking them for returning alive. When they ignore a sniveling Lieutenant Colonel Park he makes them write a report of what happened. Shi Jin immediately gets Dae Young to do the work, basing it on the adventures of the Bourne series, lol. Maybe they should have written the drama.
I'd watch it. At least one of those couples would have had sex. Not that I want to watch the sex but the lead up to it, you know what I mean.

Back in the cafe where Mo Yeon originally dumped Shi Jin, they discuss their future. Will he continue to go to the department store, aka dangerous missions, even if she objects? But she knows she won't object, because all he wants to do is keep the peace, and she wants to support Shi Jin to bring peace to him. The conflict she has felt for 15 episodes is finally resolved.
Oh good. Because hey, we could have had them break up AGAIN.

As a part of Dr. Mo Yeon's recommended therapy, they go camping. They want to return to the beach where he gave her the stone, but she says he has to experience waiting, like she did when she waited for the right time to return the stone to forget him.  Then she makes him wait some more for a kiss. Hopefully stuff went on that we weren't privy to, that's all I can say.
It had to have.  It had to, come on.  I mean, they poop and we don't see that, right?  They pay bills?  They take out the trash?  Stuff happens we don't see.  I choose to believe that there was a lot of sex happening right before and right after each scene they were in together.

Back at work, the men run off to do a "secret mission." Turns out they are escorting Red Velvet to a show for the special forces. I have to say Dae Young was particularly funny in this scene. But the girls getting jealous was way too high school for me, especially when Mo Yeon retaliated by saying on her TV show that she did not have a boyfriend.
I was thinking about this, because yes, to us it's ridiculous.  But think about the way fans are so possessive of their bias...as if they have a right to them, as if it's an actual relationship on par with personal connection.  I guess this would be the flip side of that?  Although I find it difficult to believe that these women in particular would have behaved this way...but who knows.
The makeup scene was kind of cute though, with Shi Jin apologizing and also telling Mo Yeon that he's been promoted from captain to Squadron Leader. Mo Yeon is excited because she sees dollar signs, as usual. (How else can she recoup the imaginary losses from when Shi Jin used up this last card from the Arab for a helicopter?)
Someone has to be practical when one half of the couple is always running off to mysterious destinations!

After some retaliation of her own (ugh, I do not envision a happy future for Dae Young with this woman), when Myeong Joo returns from Urk she says they should go as a united front to see her father. It is pretty funny when she blurts out to her Dad that she's pregnant as a way to get his approval, even though they haven't done the deed. (Oh course they haven't.) Luckily Lt. Gen. Yoon has already decided he was proud to have Dae Young as his son-in-law.
Yeah, he decided that a year ago, and then the guy died...fortunately he came back to life!  I guess it would have added salt to her wounds if Dad had told Myeong Joo oh, by the way, I decided I was a cool with Dae Young.  Uh, sorry he died.

Mo Yeon runs into Myeong Joo at her hospital and tells her that she and Dae Young have finally gained her father's approval. She also hands her a Christmas card from Fatima, who is writing to update Mo Yeon and tell her she loves her. Aww. Another nicely tied up thread.
Maybe we get to see that disgusting diamond stealer in prison.  Oh, and the patient who gave Chi Hoon a hard time, where's he?  and that weird voiced guy, and Ye Hwa...and where's the hospital director? Do we get to see Chi Hoon's baby?

Chi Hoon, whose baby is never again acknowledged unfortunately (ha), rushes in to use Dr. Song's computer. Apparently he has a message from Bleki, who is telling him his real name. Unfortunately right when he says it, the goat neighs, so the secret of Bleki's real name is never revealed.
Not a funny joke, the black/Blek bit. *side-eyes the writer* But it IS funny that Chi Hoon never figures out the name
Before closing the computer, Jae-Ae takes the opportunity to see what is in Dr. Song's secret folder. Turns out it's pictures of Jae-Ae that he's been saving over the years, to use when he finally proposes to her. She thinks he's just doing it out of pity, but he knows it's love. She says she'll confess when she pays him off, and runs off to earn money. (What is with the way these women react to things in this drama? I don't get it.)
They've apparently known each other their whole lives? That I didn't know..but we did know that he paid for her sibling to go to school - I guess she's always felt like a less than equal person when it comes to him.  But the childishness...well, aegyo is big, just not here.

Mo Yeon and Shi Jin are driving in her bright shiny Hyundai that she named Big Boss after him, when she asks him to not only drive it but wash it. Poor guy, out in the cold. He's wearing his cleverly concealed cast, but at least we get a cute hug out of it.
So. RANDOM.

Dae Young and Myeong Joo are eating with the other soldiers when he asked if she ever read his will, which she disses as something not worth reading because wills are just filled with lyrics. Dae Young says he wrote it 100 times, then proceeds to say everything he wrote down, which she confirms. He orders everyone to shut their eyes and kisses her on the forehead. She then orders everyone, including Dae Young, to shut their eyes while she goes and plants one on him. I'm telling you, marriage to this girl will be tough and always a competition.
But he likes that about her, so...

Mo Yeon and Shi Jin finally get to return to the beach at Urk, where they get to be a normal, romantic couple. And they kiss. Ok, there are only 3 minutes left, but at least they kissed again.And again. Can I forgive writer nim for such a poorly written drama when I see such a wonderful romantic kiss? Well, I certainly can forget while watching that!
I love what he does with his hands...well, his hand.

Our final scene has our group in Vancouver for the wedding of Daniel and Ye Hwa. As the girls table and the guys table banter back and forth, (I guess couples don't sit together at Korean Russian weddings), Chi Hoon, aka Onew steps forward to talk to us, the viewers. But as he does the lights go out, and when they come back on we hear a hotel worker announcing a volcano has erupted, causing panic at the wedding. Hey, you never know how long it will take the lava to flow 30 feet up, but our team, with crisis experience, gets ready to spring into action. And on that note, we're over and out.
Girls table?  Boys table?  COME ON.  And where is Ye Hwa?  We don't even get to see the bride?  Bite me


A few final thoughts. I did not hate this drama as some others did, but that doesn't mean I thought the writing was at all good. I really liked (or loved) most of the cast, so unlike Heirs were I have an aversion to Lee Min Ho and didn't finish the first episode, it wasn't a hardship to watch. I will admit to shaking my head for much of the time. I think it had good actors who for the most part were able to rise above the writing, so while the script and cheesy lines were cringeworthy, the actors were able to pull them off to the best of their ability and make an unbelievable story almost believable. As one person said, we're not watching War and Peace. But I did feel immensely disappointed that with all the time given and talent cast, the writer could not come up with a much better drama. Yet whenever I would think enough is enough, Song Joong Ki would give the slightest facial expression that would draw me back in. I was excited to watch for him, and for that I don't regret the hours spent doing so.
Yes, praise all that is holy for this cast because...it could have been others... *coughcoughGuHyeSuncoughcough* *coughcoughAhnJaeHyuncoughcough*