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[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Pinocchio" Episode 20

The last case comes to a lightning fast conclusion- no surprises there, given that all the reporting in "Pinocchio" has been marked by sudden resolutions. Although it does help to underscore just how long it took for the final plot thread to be wrapped up. Still, if the cliffhanger represented excellent use of In-ha, the opening here makes a similar dramatic statement using Dal-po's own character traits. Simultaneously we can see how his confrontation is both revenge for the past as well as poetic justice by giving Ro-sa the chance to resolve matters in a way that doesn't destroy her family.

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It's an excellent demonstration of how Dal-po and In-ha will continue their reporting lives. Even if the most personal dramatic events are now behind them, the lies they can and cannot tell as well as the identities crafted from those experiences are what will determine their reporter personas. Take special note of how in the wake of the drama involving Ro-sa, both Dal-po and In-ha resolve to be completely open about everything. The short term may be unsatisfactory, but the long term will pay off.

As well as it does in the extended epiligue. Those of you still annoyed by the lack of details from "Pride and Prejudice" worry not- so far as I can tell all but two characters are explicitly showcased in the year-after postcript, which finally brings "Pinocchio" to the present day. I particularly liked the romantic pairing that wasn't exactly expected, even if in retrospect it was actually fairly predictable.

More that that, though, elements of both the final resolution and the epilogue are utilized well in the context of what we think news reporting should be. Are we obligated to watch what we want to watch, or what we should be watching? I'm impressed at how "Pinocchio" managed to come up with a fairly optimistic answer to the question. Even if we don't see that much of what Dal-po and In-ha are doing in the present day, the implication is pretty clear that the idealistic notion of journalism is sustainable. Just as long as everyone keeps trying.

Oh, who am I kidding. You really just want to see Park Shin-hye in a wedding dress don't you? No worries on that point- we get to see that, too. Seriously, though, what makes "Pinocchio" a good drama, especially as I think more about it in retrospect, is the way it's been able to give equal attention to all these plot points without really diluting or making a mockery out of any of them. Sometimes it did drag, and I wonder whether it might have done better if it was just a few episodes shorter. In any case, what we ended up with was some pretty good storytelling.

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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