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13.14 - Podcast Review of Episode 14 of Start-Up

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 14 of Start-Up, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Bae Suzy as Seo Dal-mi, Nam Joo Hyuk as Nam Do San, Kim Seon Ho as Han Ji Pyeong, Kang Han Na as Won In Jae, and Kim Hae Sook as Choi Won Deok. We discuss:

  • The songs we featured during the recap: My Dear Love by Suzy, Merry Go Round by Kim Dong Hyeok, Tears of Piano by Park Sejun

  • Listener Jeff’s comment about Yong San’s revenge arc — was it a red herring, and why the storyline ultimately became more about Han Ji Pyeong’s growth than actual danger.

  • Why this episode is titled “Elevator Speech” - the literal and emotional elevator pitches that change minds in under a minute, especially SDM’s desperate appeal to Do San.

  • Seo Dal Mi’s humiliation spiral: the hacked company, no back-ups, spilled coffee, pride, and why she couldn’t take Do San’s calls after he saved her company.

  • Han Ji Pyeong’s complicated tenderness — hiding Dal Mi under the desk, switching from “Dal-mi-shi” to “Seo 대표님,” threatening Do San in the elevator, then immediately confessing the truth.

  • Do San’s breaking point: the returned baseball from Park Chan Ho, his father’s quiet wisdom, the five-hour bike ride to the cabin, and the symbolism of throwing something away that you cannot forget.

  • The full-circle moment: Dal Mi once begged to be CEO at the hackathon; now she’s begging the Samsan Tech trio to join CheongMyeong; this time, desperation wins.

  • Yong San’s maturity arc — seeking out honest criticism from Ji Pyeong, apologizing for blaming him for his brother’s death, and asking the fundamental question: do we want to code or run a company?

  • Chairman Yoon’s sharp reminder that investors who fund companies without business plans are “garbage,” and a discussion of due diligence and startup discipline.

  • The sisters’ evolving relationship: Dal Mi accidentally calling In Jae “언니” before correcting herself to “대표님,” and In Jae filing paperwork to change her name back to Seo after realizing her grandmother’s eyesight is failing.

  • Words that wound: from Ji Pyeong’s harsh Demo Day critique to Dal Mi’s breakup lines — “You’re not the one I loved” — and how language shapes identity and destiny in this episode.

  • The epic piggyback ride across the land bridge, the bandana wrapped around Dal Mi’s scraped knee, the wrist grab, hair touches, and that meaningful head-rest while she sleeps.

  • What we’re watching now: Summer Strike, While You Were Sleeping (a mini Start-Up reunion!), The Art of Sarah starring Shin Hye Sun, and narrowing down contenders for Season 14 — including Signal, My Mister, Resident Playbook (or maybe Hospital Playlist!), Our Unwritten Seoul, and more.

References


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K Drama Chat is a weekly podcast where we take one Korean (K) Drama each season and and recap and analyze each episode. K Drama Chat is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pandora. 

 

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