ToGetHer - episode 2 recap

[dramasoliloquy]

ToGetHer. Or Together. Either way, it works. Episode 2 introduces Jia Sen, Momo's only friend. Also in this episode, Mars manages to reach yet another low. Casting couch syndrome. Ouch. Luckily, Momo's around to rescue him. I love that about this drama, how many times the heroine rescues the hero. It works both ways actually, but Momo's definitely the Sabrina Fair in this relationship.

 

(Mars needs to go to potty.)

Mars wakes to find himself bound to a chair with Momo standing over him. (If you recall, Mars had gone to use the bathroom which unfortunately was already in use by Momo, who knocks him out cold.) Momo wonders if he's here for revenge because of the punching him at school incident and he explains that he's the boarder they were expecting, and that Zhuang Jun Nan is his real name.

Momo lets him escape to the bathroom, only he calls out for help as he's still tied up. She approaches . . . with a knife and cuts him loose, thus abruptly ending Mars' scream. I like this brisk approach to the exaggerations that occur. Under the tender ministrations of Momo, Mars finds his injury looking worse and worse.

Ah, cute. Er, anyway, the next day Mars wakes to find Chu Chu snapping pictures of him sleeping and goes after her. Momo tells him Chu Chu's her sister and his landlady, and Chu Chu agrees to delete the pictures to keep the peace. Which doesn't last long, as Mars brings up Momo's actions, and raids their refrigerator. This causes Momo to point out that Mars is paying for board only, not food, so Mars slaps some money down on the table to pay for the milk he took.

To make matters worse, Mars ask the two to keep quiet about him living there, his tone and gestures implying their house is far from meeting his approval. Momo bristles at that, suggesting that since he doesn't want to live there, he can leave. Mars agrees and asks for his money back and both turn to Chu Chu, who has already given the money away to a number of brand name stores.

So Mars is staying, and he asks Momo if she wants a ride to school. This is not a bickering couple type drama, which I love. They have their differences of opinion, revenge occurs almost immediately and then they go back to treating each other like most normal people do, with politeness, or indifference. Here, Momo just thanks him and declines. A decided lack of melodrama considering their recent argument? Yes. Thank goodness!

Yi Zhi calls Mars and tells him a producer Mars knows is working on Ben's new drama, so Mars heads over there. He's greeted warmly, but then he and Ben start exchanging words with Ben thanking Mars for giving up this drama and offers him a part in it. So before Ben knows it, he's laying on the floor as Mars is dragged off him.

In a black cloud, Mars arrives home to find Chu Chu's brought a couple of her friends home, who just happened to come equipped with cameras. Mars reminds Chu Chu she's supposed to keep his living there a secret, but she just plays it off with the excuse that they just happened to be passing by. Mars in no mood to play nice when they start taking pictures and yells at them, haven't they ever see an unpopular celebrity before. It's a shade of what happened in episode 1, with him thinking everyone looks on him in a negative light.

(Momo requesting her sister's guests to leave, Mars listening as he starts to undress, keep going Mars!)

As it turns out, Mars is right this time because after he goes to his room, he hears Chu Chu's friends talk about him, his lack of popularity and they wonder if he'll even be able to afford to pay rent soon. When they start talking about his great body, Mars has had it and reaches for the door, only to be stopped by a quiet voice. Momo's.

Momo reminds the friends that they need to leave as the MRT (subway) will stop running soon, but they tell her they'll stay until Mars comes out to get pictures and Momo finally yells at them to get out.

Later on, Mars is about to eat some instant noodles when Momo comes into the kitchen. They talk, she wondering about his bandaged hand, and he thanking her for getting rid of Chu Chu's friends. Mars gets a phone call from his mom, and Momo learns he's been sending money to her even now as his mom doesn't know about his unemployment yet.

Momo gives him the meal she was cooking to replace the noodles she takes from him and Mars chows down happily.

(Li Zhi trying to get Mars to apologize, Tony consoles an upset Mars after his apology)

Abject apology time as Mars is called in to confront an angry boss Tony and a smirking Ben. Tony rounds into Mars for hitting Ben and thus causing his drama and other activities to be halted until he heals. (What they never heard of makeup?) Anyway, he wants Mars to apologize, but Mars just storms out. Yi Zhi goes after him, begging Mars to listen to him. He tells Mars he just has to wait for a chance at a comeback and so Mars reluctantly goes back and holds his hand out to Ben, who slaps it away and leaves.

A disheartened Mars is leaving the building when a female director approaches him and asks him to come by for an audition for her new movie. Mars happily agrees and even tells Momo about it as he prepares for it, telling her it he'll probably be moving out very soon.

Momo congratulates him, but also tells him another of Prince Kasaba's sayings:

“Luck that comes too fast is like milk that has spoiled: you have to drink it before you realize it.”
(Prince Kasaba)

Poor Mars puzzles over it, but still doesn't understand and leaves.

(Li Zhi wants to kill Mars, The black widow director)

A call from Yi Zhi comes, telling Mars not to go as the director is known as a “black widow.” But Mars just asks what does that mean, causing Yi Zhi to suffer homicidal urges. He explains, but Mars isn't interested anyway and hangs up.

S.E.D.U.C.T.I.O.N time. Mars is in front of a camera as the female director watches, holding a glass of wine and after some discussion, tells Mars to undress in front of the camera. Mars can't believe what she's saying, but as she talks about his unpopularity and tells him no one will care how he got to the top, his fingers are on his shirt's buttons.

(A distraught Mars, Momo and Mars being discovered in the morning by sister)

There's a ton of hurt in this scene, (Mars needs some more Momo TLC), and Mars refuses and leaves to the solace of the bottle. Afterwards, he goes to Momo's room, asking her about the quote, grabbing her shoulders, telling her it's true, it's true.

He finally understands it, a little too late. Don't count your chickens before they hatch. There are tears as Mars tells her about what happened, holding on to Momo for dear life.

Momo tries to get away from him, and is about to push him away, but stops. In a voice over, she says that she knew if she pushed him away then, his hurt would consume him. What a great scene. It's just episode 2, for pete's sake, and already Mars is (unconsciously really) turning to Momo for comfort, and Momo responds to his need for her. It's probably not love for her yet, but it's a glimmer into their future.

The morning after, Chu Chu is ecstatic to find Momo wrapped in Mars' arms. She squeals in delight as Momo denies anything happened and elbows Mars to let her go.

(Momo shoots Mars a cold look, Young Jia Sen and Momo in a childhood memory)

As Momo walks to the bus stop, Mars catches up to her in his car and tries to find out what happened last night between them. She doesn't answer, and he earns her ire by saying no matter how drunk he was he couldn't have done anything to her.

At the bus stop, Jia Sen pulls up in a chauffeured limo, and Mars leaves for the time being. Best friends Jia Sen and Momo enjoy their reunion as he gives her his silver medal he won at a swimming competition he was at.

Mars waits in ambush for Momo during the school day in various places, even going so far as to sit behind her in class. His whispers to get her attention DOES get the teacher's attention as Momo finally tells him loudly to be quiet and stop annoying her.

A pack of hyenas, Mars' fan club, circle Momo and demand to know what's up with her and Mars. She refuses to answer, and tries to leave, only to be sent flying as one of the girl trips her. Mars sees what happens and demands to know what's up. They tell him they're just teaching Momo some moves. Mars doesn't believe it and goes after Momo.

She tells him it's not his problem, which Mars doesn't agree with, how can he stand by and watch her be bullied. Momo goes off to watch Jia Sen's swim practice. She's clearly unhappy, so Jia Sen offers her a lollipop. There's a flashback to the two of them as kids, with Momo offering him a lollipop saying it will make him happier. He takes it and imagines that Momo is an angel with wings and halo.

(Jia Sen embracing Momo, and glaring at Mars)

Jia Sen isn't happy when they're walking home and Mars pulls up, wanting to talk to Momo. Momo agrees to go with him just to get it over with. She gets in the car, and the car pulls away, but Jia Sen starts chasing it.

The car stops and Momo rushes to him as he grabs her in a fierce hug, glaring at Mars. So Mars waits at home for her, and wonders about Jia Sen, but Momo isn't prepared to talk about it. She does tell him nothing happened, he just fell on her and slept, and Mars is much relieved.

He brings out an one-of-a-kind handkerchief that was made for him by a famous designer and gives it to her, wrapping it around her wrist, the way he had wore it.

Mars tells Momo she shouldn't sell it, and when she agrees, is through the roof happy, only to have his mood skydive as Momo tells him it probably won't be worth much anyway. She adds that she'll keep it and wait to sell it, leaving Mars a happy man.

But, more trouble looms ahead. A bathroom full of Mars' toiletries and underwear gets put in a box by Momo and dumped on the sleeping Mars.

Final Thoughts: This is the first episode with Jia Sen in it. Already we can see that Mars is looking askance at the relationship. As for Jia Sen himself, with the body of a man (and a hottie) and the mind/behavior of a child, with his presence you can better understand Momo. Obviously, Momo and him have been friends for years. The fact that she lives such a secluded life now, with no other friends other than Jia Sen makes me wonder if her isolation has something to do with his isolation. But that's just my speculation at this point.

One thing I really liked about this episode is how Momo comes through again and again for Mars, standing up for him to the gossip of other people, and not pushing him away when he's at a low point. That's true of other dramas as well of course, but you rarely see it happen so early in a drama or as a mere act of kindness, since Momo doesn't even like him much at this point.