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Bad Couple: Episode 14

Ryu Su Young (Gi Chan) is really good this episode. Really good. Nobody does heartfelt cornball adoration as believably and adorably as him.

(Random) SONG OF THE DAY

Biuret – “사랑해요” (I Love You). I really like the chorus and its intense overlapping harmonies from this song by all-female rock band Biuret. [ zShare download ]

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EPISODE 14 SUMMARY

Now that the truth of Dang Ja’s pregnancy is out, the couple happily reunites, and Gi Chan promises to do his best from now on. He wants to start acting as a good father right away, and asks for Dang Ja’s guidance, and thrills in feeling her stomach for the first time.

Gi Chan goes with her to her doctor’s appointment, enjoying saying the word “Dad” over and over — “I should go see, since I’m the DAD. Of course the DAD should watch to see how much it’s come along. Does it make sense for the DAD not to go?” Dang Ja asks Yoon Seok not to mention her illness for now — she will tell him, but since this is Gi Chan’s first time meeting their baby, she wants it to be happy for him. Before going in, Gi Chan tells Dang Ja’s belly to be sure to wave when he sees it next, and true to form, seeing the baby moving on the monitor, Gi Chan marvels that it looks like it really is waving its hand at him.

Dang Ja has a separate consultation with Yoon Seok, who tells her the tests came back and her tumor has started to change — he strongly urges her to give up the baby and go into surgery immediately.

Naturally, Dang Ja can’t give it up, especially seeing how happy Gi Chan was over the baby. Yoon Seok tells her as time passes, it gets more dangerous for her.

Back at work, Gi Chan looks at the ultrasound video, which he’s had the doctor transfer to a video file on his phone. He brings Dang Ja an entire crate of plums, since she mentioned wanting to eat them.

They wonder what to nickname the baby, rather than calling it “Baby,” and decide on Jadu (plum). Gi Chan wonders what he can do for the baby, and Dang Ja asks her belly, and conveys this message: “Jadu wants to see Dad dancing the Jjang Gu dance.” (A cartoon character known for his butt-shaking dance.) Gi Chan thinks it’s a silly joke, but Dang Ja tells him: “When I ask Jadu and the idea comes to my mind immediately, that’s Jadu’s request.” The dance is awesome. I wish I knew how to make gifs.

 
Holding hands and going on a lovers’ stroll through the park, Dang Ja expresses envy seeing an elderly couple doing the same. Gi Chan tells her he’ll hold her hand till they’re old and gray, and Dang Ja says, “I wonder if I’ll live that long.” He assures her she’ll live long and happily with him and Jadu.

Dang Ja wants to go have her fortune told, although Gi Chan doesn’t really believe in it. Even the fortune-teller says, “Are you going to stay together if the fortune is bad? Just go on and live happily.” He tells her there are no good or bad fortunes — it’s all just a matter of making the decision to carry on. But Dang Ja persists, and her face falls when the fortune-teller says there’ll be difficulties, and tells Gi Chan in a serious tone that he’d better put a lot of care into Dang Ja.

Gi Chan doesn’t let it get to him, but Dang Ja turns back to ask the fortune-teller one last question: “Will our baby be able to be born healthy?” He tells her to take care of herself first, since if she’s healthy, the baby will be fine.

Gi Chan throws himself into playing the father. After their walk, he washes Dang Ja’s feet, and asks whatever happened to her sprained ankle. Dang Ja laughingly tells him the truth about faking her ankle sprain because she couldn’t tell him about her pregnancy then. She says she had to throw away the tonic medicine he brewed for her, and he laughs, telling the baby: “Jadu, don’t be too much like your mother in that way.” Dang Ja follows that with: “Jadu, be like your father, in brains, face, personality… and health.”

Gi Chan reads children’s stories and stays with Dang Ja.

He also goes to a church for the first time in his life to thank God for bringing Dang Ja and the baby into his life:

“I came because I wanted to give my thanks, but I didn’t know who to address it to, so I came here. Thank you for letting me meet Dang Ja. And really, truly thank you for our baby Jadu. Lord, please take good care of Jadu until (s)he can be born healthy, and protect him(her). Yesterday I heard from the fortune-teller that I would need to put in a lot of care. I don’t know why he said that, but I’ll do my best for Dang Ja. When I think of how she suffered alone, even now my heart hurts. So Lord, please help me. Later, when Jadu is born, I’ll come holding their hands, the three of us.”

 
Meanwhile, Dang Ja’s two friends have brief storylines as well. Having decided to divorce, Han Young presents Yoon Seok with divorce papers, which he refuses to sign, and tears up. He reminds her of her refusal to sign when he asked, and warns her that he’s prepared to do the same. Having seen her enjoying herself with Joon Soo, he’s irritated and surprised to see how much stronger she’s become (she tells him it’s all thanks to him). His private detective returns with information about Joon Soo’s intern past; apparently he made a mistake that killed a patient, and upon quitting, immediately returned to Korea.

Yoon Seok’s refusal causes Joon Soo to seek him out, and he tells him that he (Joon Soo) loves Young. He asks Yoon Seok to act as a man and let her go, since he doesn’t love her anyway: “Have you thought once about the pain you brought her?” Yoon Seok says love isn’t the only reason people stay married, and says he’ll make it up to his wife. Joon Soo tells him with disgust, “You’re an embarrassment to all men.” Yoon Seok retorts, “Then is chasing a married woman with a child what you call acting like a man?”

Yoon Seok then tries a different tack, swallowing his ego to apologize to Young and begging for forgiveness. Although it doesn’t quite seem heartfelt (he acts like a little boy joking around), I found him really funny here. Young, however, does not, saying they’ve both hurt each other too much. She no longer has any feelings for him. They’ll separate.

 

Dol Soon accepts Yong Gu’s decision to quit working full-time for the magazine to pursue (fine art) photography, tamping down the fear of less money and stability to be the supporting wife.

 

Although Gi Chan’s father is still resistant to Dang Ja (the resistance is a little less fierce, though), his mother decides to come up to Seoul to see her. She greets her warmly, looking on at Gi Chan’s phone-cam baby video with wonder. She’s come to bring Dang Ja some particular foods, including a fish she’s specially prepared with herbs and seasonings, saying her mother-in-law did the same for her when she was pregnant with Gi Chan. Dang Ja takes a bite, but, overwhelmed with emotion, she excuses herself from the table holding back sobs.

Gi Chan explains to his mother Dang Ja was probably overcome with her lovely gesture, but she already understands: “She longs for family. She has no mother, and she’s lived alone, putting on a brave front. She must have been very lonely. Now she has a child, and you by her side, and with me here too, it’s overwhelming. You’ll have to treat her well.” She sends Gi Chan to comfort Dang Ja.

 
Gi Chan goes to the hospital for his own project and runs into Yoon Seok, who advises him to persuade Dang Ja to seek treatment soon. Seeing that Gi Chan doesn’t know what’s going on, Yoon Seok says that he thinks Gi Chan should know, and tells him about the uterine cancer, his advice to give up on the baby, and the fact that Dang Ja only has a 50 percent chance at survival at this point. Yoon Seok tells him Dang Ja’s holding out for the month and a half that’s left before they can put the baby in an incubator, but advises him to convince her to operate: “The baby is important, but we must save Dang Ja first. You’re the only one who can persuade her.”

 
Gi Chan understandably takes the news hard, and wanders out dazedly, getting caught in a sudden shower. After walking aimlessly in the rain, he suddenly picks up his pace, and starts running with one target in mind —

…and falls to his knees in the church, wracked with sobs.

“Lord… My Dang Ja is very sick… She might even die… Please… save her.”

 

 
Additional thoughts

I really like how, despite his extreme giddiness over becoming a father, Gi Chan doesn’t even hesitate over his priorities. Dang Ja feared bursting his happiness over the baby, but Gi Chan’s first reaction to hearing the dire news isn’t conflicted — he begs for Dang Ja’s life, no question.

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I might have to watch this episode to see that dance.. you really have a way of endorsing these shows :D
Thanks for the awesome summary ^^

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Ryu Su Young (Gi Chan) is really good this episode.

DITTO!

This story works because he is very believable as Gi Chan and SEG is also very believable as Dang Ja. They just work so well together in this series!

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Another great episode!! Just wanted to thank you Javabeans love to read all of your posts!!

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Watching Korean dramas, without reading your summaries and insights, would never be the same any more. Reading your summaries and watching the actual dramas give two different experiences which complement each other. Many thanks for enriching the dramas in your own special way.

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Chohng Mahl, chohng mahl, komsamnida!

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me too, i want to watch that dance! hope to see the whole episode! 2 more episodes to go!

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Back at work, Gi Chan looks at the ultrasound video, which he’s had the doctor transfer to a video file on his phone.

Haha... this feels like a "Only in Asia" moment where you can do anything with your cell phone :)

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Let me tell you i saw this episode in raw and that little animated dance was so funny, i cannot wait to see it again when the subs come out. He is such a good actor, every time i watch an episode with him i can feel what the character is going through in full force without understanding a word....hehe. When he was overwhelmed with the daddy concept i was there cheering for him, and when he was crying at the end i could not help but start crying.....and mind you i do not cry easily in dramas. As usual thank you so much for these summaries.

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Indeed. Ryu Su Young is simply amazing as Gi Chan. I'm sooo proud of him, hehe...
When he cried in that last scene, knelt down and broke in tears, my heart felt like it's been stabbed by some heavy object. Exactly the same feeling when DJ-GC broke up, or when DJ found out about her cancer. They both are so well fitted into their roles. Can't see anybody else playing Dang Ja, and now, Lee Dong Wook as Gi Chan seems to fade since they introduced Gi Chan to us, hehe.

With only two more episodes, I'm so praying for a happy ending hehe... we so don't know what we're getting, and I love it when it's so unpredictable like this =D
Bad Couple is AWESOME! *can't seem to stress that enough*

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Thanks for all the summaries! It's great to read your interpretations as my understanding of Korean is very limited, and sometimes the Chinese translations are not really accurate. One question: I watched the episode raw, and it seems to me that when GC and DJ were naming the baby, DJ jokingly suggested Hanbok since the baby was conceived after she put on a hanbok 'fashion show' for him, since he finds them sexy?

Also, there is a wonderfully funny GIF of that dancing scene on the Soompi forum!

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Maybe because I just have experienced baby delivering (not me, my sister in law), or maybe just because of your summary, I cry only reading your summary. Thanks. Can't wait to see Bad Couple.

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i love reading ur commnents and summaries! it gives me ideas like if this episode is worth watching or not!

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just reading by comment...my tears are all over my face... i knew that doctor guy that cheats on his wife is going to win her back (Chan's mother.).. and i knew that doctor lady was a fake, just by her expressions, you can tell she's gonna break up with him..what a waste!!

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Thank you so much! Now the doctor wants Young back again? I hope they don't end up together in the end. I want her to end up with that other guy, he is sooo sweet! And he's been there for Young the whole time and they're so cute together!
About Gi Chan, that was so cute when he was so excited being a Dad and all. lol. But it was so sad in the end, when he went to the hospital, damp because of the rain... crying.. that was so sad...
2 more episodes right? Thanks a lot!

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agree with starz12...i was reading your blog with tears in my eyes...tears of sadness and happiness....ahh....i so love Bad Couple! and of course, RSY and SEG!

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Wow. Gi Chan just makes you feel sad when he's sad, and happy when he's happy.

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I want to see this episode !! :((
i still stuck on 7th epi, n can't wait to see the rest.
Oooh! *scratching head*
but, once again, thank you Javabeans for your always awesome and addicting summaries! you're the BEST!!
2 episodes left ya, let's pray for a good happy ending..and I want to see the baby!!!!

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thank you for this, this episode made me cry so much...
God, save her!! ~ Writers save her!!!

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pls let it be a happy ending! its so touching even when i see it raw ! thanks for the review ! love bad couple...

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I love your summary. I did love this series at first, but since epi 9 I stop watching. Bc I'm so tired of depressed cancer drama. I lost patient to watch but still want to know what happening. So, please continue your fabulous summary, and thank You !!!

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thanxxxxxxxxxxxxxx great drama

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I like the way you describe the character and yes the fact that he chose the life of the woman over the unborn... i haven't watched past chapter 3 but I have been moved by your spoilers (I started to read your review for the final episode). I really enjoyed the first 3chapters... i LOL...

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Although I have my own mother just reading your summary of the scene witht the fish from Gi Chan's mother whoah I teared up, because the emotion is so raw and powerfuul and your words convey that emotion so well. Thanks javabeans.

I usually hate when a drama hits me sooo emotionally with the baby and the cancer and the mortality and the cheating, but somehow Bad couple makes it work.

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INCREDIBLE EPISODE! I cried so much at the end. I love you recaps. Thanks so much!!!!

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The best korean drama ive ever watched. mixed emotions have brought this to me...i laughed, cried and touched in every single episode. all the actor and actresses made their best acting as it was for real...i love this! i highly recommend this show..PERFECT i should say! Cheers to all!

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