Glamorous (Extravagant) Challenge a.k.a "Skip Beat!" Episodes 7 and 8 Recap

 EPISODE SEVEN: 

 

     Because the person behind the chicken suit had intimate knowledge of himself, Shang concludes that he/she could be no other than Gong Xi. He puffs his chest due to her low pole position and is happy to hear that she has been fired. Meanwhile Gong Xi walks about, depressed. She bumps into Lian who also is. Not knowing her identity (she is still in the chicken suit) he asks to borrow her phone. She responds that she doesn’t have one, deducts that he needs it in order to do a web search on a confusing term that he stumbled upon reading his script, and offers her assistance instead. He agrees and they sort things out. Later they talk about her being fired, and he cheers her up by saying that he had been fired too many to times to count. He sees them as positives because they contributed to his growth. The pair part on good terms and he even deems her his friend.

     That night she has a nightmare about Lian, Moko, and Shang ganging up on her and the following day she runs into Lian who teases her a bit. Apparently this is a minor revenge for when she had flicked him off (?), but I can’t seem to recall/find when this had happened. During which he notices that she is not wearing her uniform and he tells her that standing out, in any way, is vital to a budding career in showbiz. She acknowledges his words and heads off.

     Gong Xi meets up with her manager to discuss an upcoming commercial audition. Sometime during their talk she learns that she has been rehired as the chicken, though she opts to keep it off her resume. Later at the audition, Gong Xi clings to Moko and as usual she tries to maintain a distance. During the initial round Moko spots a rival of hers (Fei Li Hua) and uncharacteristically begins to waiver. Gong Xi puts an end to it by revving up her spirits with a nice motivational speech.

     At the commercial audition a partner skit is called into play, where teams of two are given 20 minutes to come up with a performance; two friends have a quarrel about loving the same guy. Gong Xi and Moko are randomly put together and Fei demands that they not be allowed to rehearse, because they are from the same agency. The director suggests a redraw instead, but Moko, with loaded confidence, accepts the challenge. Gong Xi freaks out about it during the waiting time, but on their turn Moko calms her down and tells her to just act accordingly. Their time starts and the two begin to exchange intense looks and amidst it all Moko slaps Gong Xi; completely shocking everyone.

Favorite Moment(s):

 Lian (Choi Si-Won) flicking Gong Xi off with a cleaver in hand; priceless!!

EPISODE EIGHT:

     Before Gong Xi is able to react to being slapped, Moko breaks down into tears. Seeing her friend in turmoil, Gong Xi apologizes, winning over the audience. Things aren’t over yet though, because another skit is issued. This time Gong Xi must come up with the idea. Alone she mulls over what to do, eventually deciding to use a beverage (the item being advertised in the commercial). However Fei observes in the background and decides to one up the duo by using the idea first. After Fei’s performance Gong Xi comes up with a quick fix that leads that wins over the crowd.

     Learning that they have received the parts, Gong Xi decides to go out and celebrate with Moko. The two walk around a bit and over time Moko warms up to her and the notion of friendship. At the end of the day, while Gong Xi is napping, she thanks Gong Xi by giving her some points (the ones exclusive to the Love Me Section).

     Lian’s manager gets sick and in result Gong Xi becomes a temporary replacement. Unfortunately she sucks, making things more difficult for him. At one point she even gives out his schedule to the press, exposing stuff that was meant to be secret; like upcoming projects. She cries in defeat when she realizes the gravity of her mistake, but the ever-so-charming Lian cheers her up by letting her start afresh. He gives her the simple task of finding refreshments, but on her way she spots a poster of Shang and goes nuts. The episode ends when Lian notices her being escorted out for misconduct.

Favorite Moment(s):

The skit thought up by Gong Xi; it was one of my favorite parts in the manga so seeing it live was enjoyable.

REMARKS:

And just like that the plot has pretty much come to a screeching halt, as we are left to amuse ourselves with morals and life lessons…

I keep calling Gong Xi’s “Love Me Section” partner Moko, but it really is Qin. I started calling her that because that is her name in the manga and at the time I was too lazy to figure out what was being used in the drama. Let me know if you want me to correct this.

I am having a hard time commenting on the show. Its fluff, nothing really to analyze, you know?

NOTE: 
This has been written for months, never got around to posting it till now. I think I might have a few more episodes, but after that I don't plan on continuing. I saw the whole series, just stopped writing about it. I'll probably comment on the remaining episodes to finish things off.