Are You Human, Too? Recap Episodes 1 and 2

I have been waiting for this show to air for one year. LITERALLY one year. Are You Human, Too? secured its leads and started prepping last summer, shot all the scenes in the fall and waited and waiteed and waiteeed for a broadcast station and then an airing date. Y’all, it’s been a minute. I am so happy that this premier lived up to all my hype around it. I loved the playfulness, the motherly feels, the innocence, and just everything. This first episode was A+.

We might have another shake up to our Monday and Tuesday live Recapping line up soon due to the premier of Are You Human, Too. Right now we are live recapping About Time, aftercapping Wok of Love, and quickcapping Miss Hammurabi. We are enjoying both live recap shows so it will be a hard choice as to how our new line up will be organized. Should we wait to mix things up until Wok of Love ends? It really just depends on how much we like Are You Human, Too. So far, we like it a lot.

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ARE YOU HUMAN, TOO? LIVE RECAP: EPISODES 1 and 2
OPENING
We open with close up images of the NS3 robot. Little bits of the robot move slightly as the camera pans over it. The robot’s eyes adjust as well as if it sees us watching it. In the back, a woman adds a child’s face to the robot to complete the look of a young boy. He opens his eyes and starts talking, he is AI Robot NS1. Umma says that she misses him and hugs him dearly. She tears up as she hugs him.

Caption: It is possible to make humans – Friedrich A. Kittler

ONE YEAR BEFORE
Applause erupts in a hall as a woman walks to the stage. She is a person who used to work in Stanford on robotics. She says she feels like an idol and smiles. Then she goes into her presentation about the next stage of robots. Soon they will be able to make a human-like robot.

A boy yells, I am not a robot, I am a human!

The woman says you are a human, then she tells the crowd that this is her son, he is 7 years old. She asks him if she can continue, everyone laughs. Then she tells him that if he does it one more time then she will make a robot just like him and love him. But he says it is okay, I like Appa more anyway. Everyone laughs again.

Afterward, Umma and son walk outside together. He asks umma if she is mad that he said he will like appa more, but she isn’t mad at all. They say they should call appa. But then a menacing person shows up, this person is Seo Jong-gil. Suddenly a lot of men dressed in all black suits abduct the boy. The boy screams and fights as they put him in the car.

Umma is not able to get to him as they drive off. She tells them to let her go. JG tells her that he is sorry to surprise her, but the chairman called for Shin. She asks why? They left Korea because he did not accept them as daughter-in-law and grandson. I am here for a lecture, after seeing the boy’s father we will leave and not come back to Korea at all. Is that my husband’s cell phone, why do you have it?

The man slyly smiles and gives her a letter. It is the father’s death certificate. Suicide. He tells her that they just finished the funeral last night. She says he shouldn’t’ commit suicide, he told us he would visit his appa for a few days, why would he do that? Our Shin, no, Shin!

She tries to run after the car, but the men keep her from moving. JG tells her that the chairman will take care of his own grandchildren. If you check your bank, it will be a good comfort to you. They leave.

Umma goes to the funeral hall and sees her husband’s final resting place. She cries and tells him that he should be lonely by himself, her Shin will be lonely like him. She cries as she looks at the photo of her son. But she tells him that he need not worry, she will take him back.

Cut to her driving through a secured gate. She drives all the way to a huge building on the coast and hops out. Several men run up to her until JG comes out and stands in front of her. She drops the money in front of him and says this is what is left after she bought her car. If he gives her more money, then she will buy another car.

JG tells her that she should be in pain for the loss of her husband. Umma breaks through them and runs to find Shin. Shin is outside and calls his mother’s name. She runs to him and asks him if he is okay, she worried about him and missed him. But Shin says he will not go with her, he will live with Grandpa. Umma wants to know what he is talking about, she asks JG if they threatened him.

But Shin says he doesn’t want to die like appa. Appa died because of Umma. He will not go with Umma, if he goes with her then he will die too! He walks off up the great big steps to his grandfather. Umma tries to follow him but she can’t.

Shin tells Grandpa that he did everything he asked, you are not going to do anything to my mother, are you? Grandpa says that is right and walks off.

But Umma is still trying to get to her son. She is thrown at her car. JG tells her that her husband became like that because he was against the chairman, it is better to survive than to take him with you. If something happens to Shin because of your greed, do you think you will be responsible for it?

Umma tries to keep it together.

Then we cut to a plane flying over the sea. The flight attendant asks her if she needs a light? She turns on the light and sees Umma crying over the picture of her son. The flight attendant leaves her alone in her tears.

Shin is also crying in his room as he wails for his umma. His maid asks him if he is okay, but he just yells for her to stay out.

1998 CZECH
Umma carefully brings the last piece of her robot to the robot. It is the face. She puts the face on and it seamlessly blends into the robot. It’s eyes open. He says hello, I am AI robot Nam Shin 1. Umma.

Umma – Can you call me Umma again?

NS1 – Umma.

Umma – Shin, I missed you, but…

NS1 – The first rule, when crying, give them a hug.

He gives her a big hug that she accepts.

Later, we see NS1 trying to walk down a flight of steps, he has the hardest time going down the first step. She goes outside and sees him all crumpled on the bottom step, he fell down all the steps. She runs to him to see if he is okay and then brings him back inside to fix him.

2004 SEOUL
Nam Shin looks at the horses running around his grounds. In Czech, his mother looks at all his photos online and touches the screen as she looks at him. Then she starts to prepare another robot. She makes this one bigger it is the same robot, just upgraded to bigger body.

2006 CZECH
Umma activates him with a robot. I am AI robot Nam Shin 2. Oh, Umma, why are you so short?

Umma – I am not smaller, you are bigger, Shin

NS2 – I am longer

Umma – That is right, you are stronger than Umma also. I have a present for you.

She smiles and walks him to the steps. She tells him that he fell there before, would he like to try it now? He steps down the first step and succeeds. He looks at his umma. She tells him to keep going. So, he runs down the rest of the steps. Umma smiles as she tells him that he is learning. NS2 looks at her smile and asks her how to smile.

She tells him that she will make him smile big. She smiles and takes his hand.

Cut to the robot skeleton submerged in liquid. This is for bio-muscle improvement. Blood vessels start to grow around the robot like they are in Westworld.

2015 CZECH
Nam Shin 3 hops out of the bio-chamber and looks at his body. He can smile now and smiles at his mother as he walks over to her with his new watch on. His mother is overlooking the Czech scenery. She was crying. She turns to Nam Shin 3 with tears in her eyes and tells him that he just reminds her of someone.

Nam Shin 3 walks to her and hugs her. He tells her, my rule is, when you cry, I will give you a hug. He smiles as they stand in this hug. The camera spans around them and the small castle that they live in.

2018 SEOUL
Cue the real Nam Shin to show up in his car with a driver. He is blasting Rap music with his feet in the air and looking up the robot scientist that disappeared 20 years ago. It is his mother.

Bodyguards are in another car. The head guard says that there are a lot of paparazzi around, if you fail to block the paparazzi then you will all be fired! Do you want to work? Yes! He takes out some money and tells them that this is the money to give the paparazzi when you break their cameras. Give them the money after you break it.

All the bodyguards hop out of the car to get ready. They form a line that Nam Shin walks through when he gets out of his car. NS looks at a sign that says PK motors and laughs. Then he starts walking. One of the guards sees a paparazzi and says that she will catch him! She runs after her and hops in the car. But it looks like they know each other. They high-five. Her friend tells he good job and then asks for the money. They split it half-and-half. Then the friend puts the hidden camera on SB’s wrist and says people will be surprised to know that the paparazzi pictures are from a security guard.

SB touches her necklace. Her friend is JO and tells her that she always touches her necklace when she is nervous. SB tries to play it off. JO tells her that this time he switched from a female actress to a girl group. They smile and SB hops out.

She goes inside and tells the head guard that she broke the camera and gave her the money. The head guard says those paparazzi are trash. SB tells him, respect, respect! He tells her good job, go. She walks to her place in line and all the other guards give her a very cute thumbs up in sequence.

SB peeks into the room and thinks about what her friend told her about taking a photo of a new face. One of the other guards looks in and sees that the new girl is Go Soongi from Girl Crush! But SB tells her that they need to protect the personal life, so if you don’t want to get fired, just look to the front!

However, SB positions her camera watch and takes several photos. Then she says she will use the restroom. She smiles and flings her watch in the air as she heads out. But someone grabs her wrist and takes the watch.

It is NS, he says a hidden camera watch is funny. SB tries to say that she took it from the paparazzi. But he just breaks it on the ground which causes a huge scene. He tells her that she is the one that sold him out. How dare she. You took my picture, I had to kiss someone that I don’t even like to catch you.

I didn’t do it!

He push-slaps her and tells her, how dare you lie! Everyone starts taking photos of him. He tells them to just go ahead, take my picture! He walks in front of all the people with cell phones and points at them all. SB is left on the ground and looks at her destroyed watch.

She starts to pick it up, but another man kneels and grabs a piece, this man is YH, he tells her that they can talk about it later. Where is NS? The head guard says that he left to take a plane somewhere. YH runs after him and the head guard looks at SB in disapproval.

YH goes to the airplane but NS is not on it. YH gets a call from NS. He did speak in Jongdaemal but he switches to banmal as he talks to NS. NS tells him that he is in an airplane he only sees clouds right now. YH says he can just finish the presentation and then leave. But NS says he likes airplanes more than cars because they can fly far away. Didn’t you see it on SNS, I am the worst guy in Korea who hits women, if I do a presentation now then our biggest next project on auto driving will fail. Grandpa and JG will both like that, so stop being my shadow.

Back at the airport, SB gets yelled at in front of all the other guards. The head guard says he asked her to protect him with her life, but she takes hidden camera photos instead? Does it matter that all the bodyguards get blamed because of her? Does she only want to get rich? YH shows up and tells him to stop, just get her resignation letter and send a letter to the bodyguard association saying that she cannot work for a while.

SB is stunned at this.

YH tells her that if they don’t do this then she will go somewhere else and do the same thing. He hopes they don’t see each other again.

Later, SB gives the camera phone back to JO in a little Ziploc bag. JO feels bad about it, but SB says it’s okay, she can just guard a rich person’s dog now. She smiles and leaves. JO gets a call just at that moment. It is about NS. She tells the president that she did not recognize it, but why did you hit SB? You knew that you and I would take the paparazzi pictures, I am so sorry to SB for not telling her. If she knows this then she will kill me, she is jobless now. Hello?

He hangs up and smiles in the airplane. Cut to someone looking at him, this person is Sang-guk (SG). He is on a seat over hiding behind the paper. He peeks over the paper every now and again as he looks at Nam Shin

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COMPANY
JG gets informed that they are following NS to CZECH. They knew that he had two tickets, but they wonder why he is going there. The only thing they need to do is make JG stand where the chairman normally stands.

On the news, it only talks about how NS hit a woman. JG apologizes to the chairman and the aunt. He says he did not know that would happen. The aunt yells at him, how can he do that! Does he want to screw up our company! YH says that he did it on purpose, he will be back after taking a break.

The chairman wants to know if it is okay that he did it on purpose? Is that what you are saying? She took his photo, so she is a problematic person? So, if our employee has trouble, that means you can hit them? Why doesn’t he just bury them then? JG thinks it might have been the pressure about the presentation. It is a very important presentation that only the chairman gives. It is my fault for not knowing the amount of pressure he is under.

YN side-eyes him.

JG gets on the floor to apologize. YN tells him that it was his fault, can he stop pretending and just stand up, it looks like he is acting in the Godfather all by himself. HY says she is so brave, she doesn’t’ even know her fiancé’s whereabouts. She smiles and says that he will be back. Why should I imprison him; that is old-fashioned. I will delay tomorrows presentation, what should I do with the meeting for the presentation, chairman?

The chairman says he will go there, you can all leave.

They all leave but JG asks to talk to the fiancé. He tells her that he is her father, right? She says yes, appa. So, he tells her that how can he tell her to pretend ~. But she says that he should not be so ambitious just because oppa isn’t there, he can live his entire life as a chaebol father in law. JG says he knows this, but don’t suspect him, he devoted his entire life to your Oppa’s family, it makes me sad. He walks away bummed. His daughter wonders if she did too much and tells her father that they should go together.

MMA GYM
SB sits in the MMA Gym and tries to watch the TV, but it is broken (busted more like it). She yells at the other members of the gym, why did they break it! But the members of the gym tell her that their coach did it because he saw her get in trouble on TV. She says, who was on the news? They tell her that it was her, you had a mosaic on your face, but he knew that it was his daughter. She asks where he went. They tell her that he went to PK, of course!

SB runs off quickly.

Cut to the father trying to see NS but he left the country so appa wants to see the chairman! He came here as a father, not the owner of a gym.

Appa – I always told my daughter not to hit anyone but this chairman, I just want to know what he taught his grandson, just hit someone to show o their money and power to all the ones that don’t have any. Can he treat them like this!

The girl guard says this is not good for eunnie if he does this. Appa starts sniffling and says that his daughter is a good girl, she works hard. She worked as a bodyguard, she does not crave about money, she did it as a call of duty!

SB shows up and tells her appa that they should go. But appa wants an apology. The head guard says that they are the ones that should get the apology. SB apologizes to them and then tries to pull her appa away.

The head guard tells appa that SB was fired because she took a hidden camera photo of NS. Appa is stunned, is that true? The head guard tells appa that he educated her well (sarcastically). They walk off.

Appa is beyond bummed as he walks out of the building. His daughter follows him. He turns and gives her a knuckled head across her head then walks off. To make matters worse, this news is on a huge Building screen.

In the chairman’s office, the chairman is watching the news grow bigger. A 3rd generation chaebol has dating rumors and hit his own bodyguard. Flashback to NS telling his grandfather to expect that a funny thing will happen. The news keeps talking about how NS has the attention of a lot of women and now has hit a woman, so people will talk a lot about the responsibility of Chaebols.

Grandfather leaves his office in a grumpy mood. His daughter runs after him and holds his arm. She tells him not to worry, she came back from her marriage to be with him. GH stops and tells her, what about Jong-woo. She says, Jung-woo Oppa? Why are you talking about late Jung-woo Oppa?

Appa gets upset, dead Oppa? I take him as not my son, you take your brother as a dead person! He is alive! She says he is not alive, he died over 20 years ago. He tells her to shut up! YH gets in-between him and hides him from view of JG. He tells HY to take the chairman to the hospital. She does.

JG walks up to YH and asks him where the chairman is. YH says he had a shock due to his grandson and wants JG to run the meeting.

In the garage, GH still yells about his son Jung-woo, he wants to see Jung-woo! HY and YH both try to wrestle him into the car and takes off. JG slowly walks up as the car drives away. His secretary asks if he left okay. JG says he left. The secretary informs him that NS just arrived to the CZECH REPUBLIC.

CZECH REPUBLIC
NS leaves the airport and looks at his mother’s picture as he pauses outside for a moment. He takes a deep breath and heads out.

Cut to his mother’s residence. NS3 is happily walking around there. He can control everything in the house with his mind. Everything is automated, so he turns on the lights, plays music, and turns on appliances all with just his thoughts. He starts to make something for his mother to eat.

Cut to his mother happily eating the food. She tells him that she will go out to the market with David. David is in the car with his mother and calls him “his son” NS3 says not to call him that. But David says he made most of his body, he is like his son that they made with his heart. NS 3 says that Doctor OH has no plans to make a baby with him. He asks his mother to get into the back seat and he gets into the front seat.

David is all like, um I am the one that convinced your mother to take you to the market.

They drive off happily. NS3 tells David to slow down, don’t drive so fast. David tells him he isn’t his father so stop bugging him.

Elsewhere, NS is in a hotel looking for his mother. He talks in another language (maybe CZECH). Someone had a report that they saw a woman who looked like his mother. He wants NS to go to the market, so they can double-check. The bad guy is still watching NS and lets P know all that is happening. P tells SG to find a good chance to keep NS from coming back to Korea.

NS wants to know what the limit is, what does he want? P looks at JG for an answer. JG says he likes it like blood (wine). The man tells SG that he wants it to be a clean death. Then he tells JG that he will have good news soon.

MARKET
This is the second time NS3 is out walking around with everyone. He is happy because everyone is looking at him like a human. He hacks the walk sign so that they can all walk. Umma asks him if he did that and then asks D if he taught him how to do that. But D is all like, how do I tell him that? He is way smarter than me, let’s go, Shin! He pulls Shin away.

In the background, we see Nam Shin walking in the market.

NS3 tries to buy some cheese but NS3 says it is not the exact amount of cheese. The man is older and says that he knows the weight, he has been doing this for years. But NS3 says it is 500 grams less than it should be, let’s measure it. But the man says no, no he will cut it again.

David is so happy at this, but the mother says they aren’t supposed to get noticed. David tells NS3 to walk around for one hour, so he can go on a date with his mother. He gives him some money. But Umma is way against that and tells Shin to come with her. But David manages to say it is alright just let him walk around.

NS3 walks around the market and looks at everything in sight like a newborn baby. He blends in though (for the most part) even though his eyes are on everything that passes him. He goes up to booths to try some food and he tastes it. He smiles and talks to a florist and smells the flowers. As he bends over to smell them, the real Nam Shin passes right by him and stops for a moment.

They don’t notice each other as NS3 continues to smell the flowers while NS pus his headphones in.

The bad guy continues to follow him.

But NS feels something strange and pulls his headphones out. He stops to look at a booth and slyly looks in the direction of the man who is following him. He uses this as a chance to grab a sweater and a hat from the booth as he tries to disappear into the crowd.

The market is lively with activity as NS tries to disappear into it. He is able to elude SG among a crowd of traditional dance performers.

NS3 shows up at the same spot and has the same clothes on as well. He starts to clap along with the dancers happily.

The bad guy gets distracted for a moment which allows NS to escape. SG’s eyes settle on NS3, so he starts to follow him instead. NS3 crosses the street happily. SG follows hastily but is unable to cross the street once the light changes.

Then NS gets a call, he found the address of his mother. NS tells him in another language to throw away the luggage from the hotel and don’t tell him the address, he can get it back in Korea.

Meanwhile, Umma and David prepare to leave, she wonders where NS3 is.

NS3 is at a flower shop and being hit on by the owner, but he doesn’t understand that she likes him and just says that he doesn’t need any more flowers or paper, he has 5 minutes and 37 seconds. He happily walks away to the rendezvous point.

But then he stops and turns slowly. He sees NS looking at him. They look at each other for a long moment. The taxi that NS was about to take drives off. NS3 starts to approach NS. NS just stands in place and looks at the robot. They very slowly walk into the street as they approach each other.

But then NS gets run over by a truck suddenly. It was a huge hit.

NS3 drops his flowers and looks at the dying NS in the street. Blood gushes onto the street.

Fade Out

COMMENTS
Okay, Nam Shin should have been a lot more destroyed than he was. If I didn’t know it, I would think Nam Shin just tripped and hit his head on the road, not that he was ran over by a Mack truck. Skin and bones should be everywhere, y’all (didn’t they see that episode of Grey’s Anatomy?). I am willing to overlook that little tidbit, though because I loved the rest of the episode.

PREVIEW
YH – You know JG, he will do anything to take over the company. Shin should go back.
Mom – Go to Seoul and protect Shin’s place, you look like Shin now.
SB – Are you playing with me?
NS3 – The principle is, when you cry, I should hug you.
VO – Go, it’s dangerous, don’t go in!

Top Image by KBS

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