Ron Does Stuff

I know, I know I’ve been lagging behind when it comes to this show again, but I did caught up with actually following Secret Ingredient as it happens. There’s also been the fact that I’ve had a busy couple of days when it comes to my actual paying job, so I haven’t been able to catch up.

But I’m here now! Let’s watch episodes 14 and 15!

At the end of the previous episode, Kim has had enough of BMC and his mercurial ways and tells him that it’s better that they remain boss and employee if he can’t make up his mind on whether he wants to be something more to her.

BMC is being a stubborn ass and is refusing to apologize to Secretary Kim for something that is genuinely not her fault. All credit to Cyrus, but he at least apologizes for his role in the whole mess. He also opens up to Secretary Kim about his and Brandon’s childhood, which of course helps to humanize him in Secretary Kim’s eyes. I honestly can’t remember the original’s take on this but was the older brother there an alcoholic? See, this is how much I hated that storyline I blasted it away from my memory.

But Brandon isn’t lagging behind either, as he finally gets over his pride and apologizes to Secretary Kim in the hallway I immediately recognize from the multiple times I’ve been to the ABS-CBN building. Smart cost-cutting move! Now Secretary Kim apologizing? Honey you didn’t have to do any of that.

Secretary Kim’s father is waiting for her once she arrives home and I gotta say Romnick Sarmenta is as charming as ever I want him to be my Dada if you know what I mean. But he’s here for a mission and that mission is to confirm Secretary Kim’s memories of having been kidnapped alongside another kid. GOD THIS STORYLINE I HOPE THEY DO IT IN A WAY THAT DOESN’T MAKE ME TUNE OUT.

Secretary Kim isn’t the only one doing some reminiscing as Brandon is also having dreams about That Plotline. We also get tit and pit shots.

BMC refuses to deal with that past trauma, though, and instead makes google eyes at Secretary Kim the next day when what would have been a disaster for the company works in their favor instead. As Secretary Kim rattles off status updates and shows just how competent she is, BMC can’t help but be impressed and honestly this is one of the things I love about the original — just how competent the characters were.

After showing us some skin, BMC does us another solid by giving us another kilig moment by telling Secretary Kim that maybe he doesn’t want to stay within the boundaries of boss-employee. Maybe he wants something more. But just like in the Korean original, he hilariously pushes Secretary Kim away right at the moment when the two of them would have kissed. And that Bini song is perfectly placed!

Right off the bat we get Kim Chiu being adorably sulky and that really is a good decision on the part of the production because this really has been a showcase of the charm that won Kim that Pinoy Big Brother crown decades (?) ago. Yes, she’s done dramatic stuff as well but getting some of that OG PBB energy is fun for me, an oldie who was already old when Kim’s PBB season came about.

In an effort to apologize, BMC offers to be by Secretary Kim’s side as she runs her errands, which provides us with some great fish out of water scenes and closed proximity scenes that I am absolutely a sucker for. Do I miss taking jeeps? No. Will I get kilig over the absolutely contrived way that BMC and Kim sorta fall into each other’s arms? You bet your ass.

While that pair gets closer literally and figuratively, we also get to explore the Chansung storyline when the focus isn’t on the main pair. And they’re sticking pretty close to the Korean original! To be honest transposing that for the Philippine setting doesn’t seem so hard because the scrimping and saving in an expensive metropolis? Oh it’s the same whether you’re in Seoul or in Metro Manila.

Of course, Secretary Kim’s fun day out with BMC doesn’t last for very long because she and her father meet up with Tory later on in the day. She finds out that one of the Castillo boys was the one that got kidnapped with her all those years ago. The problem now is…which one?