Breaking Down the Electric Ending of Take Charge of My Heart

Korean dramas are famously chaste compared to Western TV series. Though there are some exceptions, most K-dramas shy away from featuring even passionate kissing, let alone full-on sex scenes. But Take Charge of My Heart, Netflix’s latest Korean-language romance, adds a jolt, making “skinship,” or the physical intimacy between two people, a central part of its premise. In the supernatural series, TV scriptwriter Na Bo-bae (When the Phone Rings’ Chae Soo-bin) has electrical currents coursing through her body, making it so she will zap anyone she touches with bare hands. Because of the condition, Bo-bae has never dated. The lack of real-world experience is hindering her latest TV drama script—a romance about a chaebol heiress and her bodyguard.

Meanwhile, chaebol heir Baek Ho-rang (Trigger’s Kim Young-kwang) has an artificial heart that is failing. When Ho-rang and Bo-bae happen to be in the hospital at the same time, Ho-rang’s doctor discovers that physical proximity to Bo-bae charges Ho-rang’s artificial heart. Even more shocking to Bo-bae, she can touch Ho-rang without anything happening to him. As Ho-rang waits for a surgery for a new artificial heart in three months, the two strike a deal: Bo-bae will move into Ho-rang’s massive house, and act as his portable charger, and Ho-rang will go out on dates with Bo-bae as research for her script. Of course, what begins as a mutually beneficial arrangement becomes something deeper when the two fall in love.

Will corporate machinations from Ho-rang’s aunt and cousin, Choi Do-yoon (Idol I’s Jung Jae-kwang), or an unexpected change in Bo-bae’s powers keep them apart? Here’s everything that happens in the Take Charge of My Heart’s finale.

The Ho-rang exception

Take Charge of My Heart plays fast and loose with its plot logic, which is to say that the series is not overly concerned with consistency or science when it comes to characterizing Na Bo-bae’s powers. Our protagonist was hit by lightning as a child. She survived the incident, but hasn’t been able to touch others without electrocuting them ever since—until Ho-rang. While Ho-rang’s resistance to Bo-bae’s powers could be artificial heart-related, the series also implies that it has more to do with fate. The two are meant to be together.

Much of Bo-bae and Ho-rang’s relationship is encouraged by the necessity of their skin-to-skin contact. While Bo-bae can charge Ho-rang’s artificial heart by being within 10 meters of him, her charge-up is even more effective when the two hold hands, hug, or kiss. Though they don’t kiss as part of their contract, their hand-holding and embraces help both Bo-bae and Ho-rang realize that they have feelings for one another.

What happened to Ho-rang’s parents?

As is often the case with leading male characters in K-dramas, Ho-rang is an orphan. His loving parents died in a car accident when he was a child. While we learn early on in the series that they were on their way to see Ho-rang, the full context of the tragedy doesn’t become clear until the finale.. At the time, Ho-rang was in the hospital because of his heart condition, and was being visited by his grandmother, aunt, uncle, and cousin. Upset at constantly being overshadowed by his cousin, Choi Do-yoon called Ho-rang’s parents and lied to them, saying something was wrong with their son and that they needed to come quickly. In their rush, Ho-rang’s parents got into a fatal car crash. Years later, Do-yoon is still traumatized by this accident, and is still sick of being treated as the screw-up of the family.

Bo-bae is kidnapped by Ho-rang’s cousin

Do-yoon has not given up on being the successor to the TS Group, the family chaebol. But he knows he needs to get rid of the much more competent Ho-rang to do so. Knowing that Bo-bae is Ho-rang’s priority, Do-yoon kidnaps her on the night of the TS Group’s 30th anniversary celebration. When Bo-bae doesn’t arrive, Ho-rang is anxious but continues on with his speech. However, because Do-yoon also spiked his drink, Ho-rang’s artificial heart battery is losing power fast. He collapses on stage, his heart no longer functioning.

Meanwhile, Bo-bae uses her electric powers to escape from the temple Do-yoon’s hired goons have locked her in. She and Jae-ho rush to the party and arrive shortly after Ho-rang has collapsed. A desperate Bo-bae gives Ho-rang CPR, and sends a massive electrical current into his body. Ho-rang’s heart starts beating again, but Bo-bae collapses in the effort. When she wakes up again, Ho-rang’s doctor tells Bo-bae that she can’t touch Ho-rang again without endangering his life. He had surgery to get a new artificial heart, and Bo-bae’s electrical touch could stop it.

Take Charge of My Heart ending, explained

A heartbroken Bo-bae flees the city to go to her parents’ house in Dae-jeon, leaving a still-recovering Ho-rang alone. She soon discovers that her touch no longer shocks people. Her powers have temporarily short-circuited before, after large discharges of energy, but they always come back. Though she is able to touch others without hurting them, she worries that her electricity could return at any time.

Meanwhile, Ho-rang’s medical emergency has shaken confidence in his role as TS Group successor. His grandmother gives the role to Do-yoon. However, Ho-rang cares about getting Bo-bae back then securing his future at TS Group. He goes to Dae-jeon in an attempt to convince Bo-bae that they still belong together. Bo-bae, who is worried about Ho-rang’s health, is hesitant at first. But Ho-rang quickly wins over her parents by helping them with their muscat grape jam business. He convinces Bo-bae to take a chance on them, and they return to Seoul to oust Do-yoon from the TS Group.

The ousting doesn’t take much effort, as Do-yoon soon sabotages his own role in the company. He drives drunk and crashes his car. With Do-yoon embroiled in yet another scandal, Ho-rang’s grandmother re-instates Ho-rang as the chaebol heir. She meets Bo-bae, who quickly wins her over with her kind heart. Bo-bae’s career also gets back on track. Her new drama, The Bodyguard in My Heart, begins filming. Bo-bae’s best friend, Cho Seo-jeong (Kim Ah-young), is the director. Ji Eun-ho (Study Group’s Cha Woo-min), Bo-bae’s actor friend who confessed his unrequited feelings to Bo-bae earlier in the season, films a cameo in the series.

Ever the supportive boyfriend, Ho-rang comes to the filming. At the time of the series’ ending, Bo-bae’s powers have not returned. She and Ho-rang are able to cuddle up together to watch the first episode of The Bodyguard in My Heart. Ho-rang cries when Na Bo-bae’s name appears on the screen. In many ways, the drama is the story of their own love.