The penultimate week of a drama is always my favorite as parts of the story begin to come together beautifully while others fall spectacularly to pieces. These three episodes of Pinocchio are no exception to this rule which means we've got a lot to talk about, so let's get to it!

Picking up where we left off, Dal Po, In Ha and Bum Jo cornered Song Cha Ok with a challenge and a promise to uncover the real story of what happened at the factory, reveal it to the world and clear the name of An Chan Soo. I'm happy to say, they made good on that promise. Sure, it took a little time but you can't expect the truth to be uncovered easily when you've got someone as intelligent and powerful as Park Ro Sa working against you. My goodness, that woman is something else! I'm a bit ashamed to admit that for the longest time I thought Park Ro Sa was nothing more than a silly, naive, fluffy little character whose sole purpose was to make her son into the most abhorrent mama's boy on the face of the planet. Now I see her in a whole new light and what I see scares the bejeebies out of me. Park Ro Sa is smart, shrewd, calculating and she has this amazing ability to look beyond the present and see the bigger picture which means she's willing to make small sacrifices in the "now" to get what she's ultimately after in the future. She really is a force to be reckoned with and I'm amazed by her ability to hide such venom behind such a sweet exterior. She's such a perfect villain it's sad she has to be connected with poor, sweet, innocently naive Bum Jo.

As creeped out as I was by Bum Jo at the beginning of this drama, he's really grown on me, so much so that now that I'm forced to watch him suffer, my heart willingly goes out to him. He's grown up so spoiled and sheltered. He's never once stopped to consider where the wealth he's enjoyed his entire life has come from and now that he knows, it's shaken him to his core. Well, that's what I'm choosing to believe anyway. I know that it looks like Bum Jo has turned his back on his friends and come to stand alongside his mother during these trying times but I have a feeling he's only putting up a front so that he can get the inside information needed to bring his mother to justice. Ugh! That's such a painful thing to have to say because it means watching a son turn on his mother but we all know his mother isn't a nice person and she can't be allowed to get away with ruining the lives of countless others, just to get what she wants. I think Bum Jo knows he can't turn a blind eye to the evil deeds of his mother and I think he's doing what he can to make amends for his mother's actions. Hmmm...

It seems to be there's quite a trend with this these days, having children apologizing and trying to make amends for their mother's actions. It's certainly very obvious that this is what In Ha has set out to do. I think she's doing a rather good job of it, though there are times when she kind of takes things too far. Take her desperate quest to track down all the CCTV tapes, for instance. Yes, there were a lot of cameras and a lot of footage to find. Yes, time was of the essence as Chan Soo and his family were being harshly ridiculed, but pushing yourself to work for days on end, without eating or sleeping or even taking care of open, bloody wounds, is a bit much. I understand In Ha's feelings and her reasons for pushing herself so hard, as it's her way of paying pennance for the sins of her mother, but she's not Wonder Woman and she can't keep torturing herself like this. I suppose really all of this is just a plot device to get her and Dal Po together, which did work so I can't complain. I just wish In Ha didn't have to feel so responsible for her mother. I mean it's not her fault her mother has a very wonky moral compass. In Ha has nothing to be sorry for (which both Dal Po and Bum Jo pointed out) but she just can't let anything go which is both a good and a bad thing. It's bad because it means In Ha almost gave up on her dreams but it's good because it's sending a rather powerful message to her mother. I think this is what's going to turn the tide and bring us to our dramatic conclusion.

It seems to me Song Cha Ok is beginning to have some very serious second thoughts about her life choices and the people she's been allied with for so many years. I'm not sure she's quite ready to give up on all that she's worked so hard to build but she's standing on the brink. All she needs is the tiniest of nudges and she's going to cave. I just know it. Okay, so really I know nothing for certain but I do know that Park Ro Sa's eagerness to meet In Ha and use her to get to Dal Po isn't sitting well with Song Cha Ok. I don't think she's happy about the idea of having her daughter caught up in the same tangled web she's been trapped in, all these years. I could easily see Cha Ok coming to a place where she has to decide whether she's going to keep living this crazy, messed up life of hers or let it all go to save her daughter. I believe if she's ever put in that position, she's going to choose to save In Ha. Call me crazy but I think the Ice Queen's heart has started to thaw and she may even find redemption.

In the midst of all this darkness, we've been given a few rays of sunshine and I'm grateful for them. As much as I understood Dal Po and In Ha's need to separate, I'm happy their time apart is over. I've been cheering for these two for a very long time and I'm so glad to see they've finally found a way to work through their issues and find their way back to each other. Well, okay, so In Ha still has a little unfinished business to attend to before she can really be with Dal Po but they've taken those first few steps toward each other and that's enough for now.

So what are your thoughts on these three episodes of Pinocchio? Are things working out the way you expected them to? Do you have any predictions you'd like to make before this week's finale? I always love hearing from you so be sure to let me know what you're thinking by leaving a comment below.