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Three Dads, One Mom: Episode 3

I wasn’t sure I’d be continuing to cover Three Dads, One Mom (and I’m still not convinced), but I had time to watch it tonight with its competition postponing its episodes for the day. (The drama received a hefty ratings bump as well, nearly tripling from its very low premiere numbers of approx 5% to somewhere in the 14% vicinity. The true test will be seeing if the upward bump sticks, or was a mere blip because of a lack of counterprogramming.)

I think I’ve also narrowed down my issues to the drama. Sorry to say, his name is Jo Hyun Jae. That’s not the only aspect that gives me pause, but it is the most prominent. I don’t hate him — I want to like him, really — and the problem isn’t that he’s a bad actor and incapable of better. It’s precisely that he IS capable of doing better that makes it seem more glaring that he’s kinda phoning it in. I know it’s just a simple romantic comedy, but Jae Hee and Shin Sung Rok are playing equally simple characters and yet they’re throwing themselves into their roles with gusto. Jo Hyun Jae seems to be coasting along.

Eugene, on the other hand, may not be the world’s most skilled actress, but she’s cute as a button and her slight overacting seems to fit with the drama, so I’m not too bothered. Yet.

SONG OF THE DAY

Three Dads, One Mom OST – “Everything” by Eve [ Download ]

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EPISODE 3

[I guess we should be happy enough that the episode aired tonight that we have to put up with election-related info taking up the bottom portion of the picture throughout the episode.]

The three friends argue over whether it’s their place to tell Na Young about the baby’s parentage. Their stances fall in line with what we know about their characters: Kwang Hee (Jae Hee) wants to absolve himself of responsibility and ignore the issue; Kyung Tae (Shin Sung Rok) wants to tell Na Young and take on full fatherly duties; and Su Hyun (Jo Hyun Jae) first thinks it’s best to butt out (do you know how much a baby costs?), then agrees that if someone tells her, it should be anybody but him. Because he and Na Young don’t get along.

My theory is that Su Hyun has always been attracted to her but shoved his feelings aside because of the myriad complications that would pose: (1) She was his friend’s girlfriend, then wife (2) it was easier to pretend he hated her to avoid her and (3) even if they were free to date, she doesn’t fit into his ideal of a rich alliance, so he may have envied Sung Min for his happiness while at the same time sneering at him for not choosing wealth. I admit that might be overanalyzing the issue, but it makes sense to me.

Su Hyun instead fixates on the rich daughter of one of his clients, an art gallery curator whom he’s never actually spoken to, but whom he’s seen several times at her father’s office.

Meanwhile, the guys try to tell Na Young the truth and plan to use Sung Min’s DVD message to break the news. But she’s so overwhelmed at seeing him onscreen that they don’t have much of a chance to broach the topic. So the guys go home, reverting to their initial stances. While Kwang Hee and Su Hyun choose to avoid the issue out of fear and laziness (they argue that a baby would be costly and a bigger headache than they’re prepared for), Kyung Tae is disgusted at his friends for their selfish point of view.

Aw, Kyung Tae — you get the sense that he’d really love family life and be content with anyone who’d be happy to have him. It’s starting to bug me that he’s the butt of everyone’s comments (e.g., “Oh no, what if the baby resembles HIM?”) and supposedly the least worthy catch of the bunch, because frankly he’s the only real man in this drama so far. (I’ll take you!) To be fair, the other two never asked for this situation, and Sung Min had promised against exactly this kind of responsibility. Plus their sperm was used without consent. It’s just that Kyung Tae, in contrast, is being so lovely about it. Su Hyun and Kwang Hee have potential, but they’re not there yet.

Na Young goes through her finances and finds that there’s a large chunk (approx $3,000) that’s unaccounted for. It’s the money Sung Min had taken to her father to bail him out of trouble when he died in the accident. Furthermore, she hears from Sung Min’s boss that he didn’t go on a business trip as he’d told her, but took vacation leave instead. She doesn’t immediately jump to the “Bastard was cheating on me??!” conclusion, but she is bothered and asks Kyung Tae about it. But the guys have no clue.

It also means she needs to start looking for work, which proves difficult because people are unwilling to hire a six-months-pregnant woman. She does land a job selling children’s educational books door to door, although she has to lie at the interview and say she’s not pregnant, she’s just fat! Because as we all know, pregnancy is something we can hide forever.

She makes a new friend, a slightly older woman and another book saleswoman named Jumi. Jumi’s with Na Young when she collapses from the strain of lugging around heavy books all day.

The three friends rush to Na Young’s bedside, feeling guilty to realize their earlier selfishness is responsible for her condition. Notably (throughout the episode) Su Hyun displays flashes of uncharacteristic fervor, berating Na Young for putting herself in danger, insisting she rest, etc., which has the guys trading looks as if to say, “What’s with him all of a sudden?” But they are boys and therefore dense to the signs of budding lurve, even the unwanted kind.

The guys watch a recording of baby Ha Sun’s ultrasound, and proceed to fall in love with the little tyke. All of a sudden the baby seems very real to them, and they marvel at the heartbeat and moving body.

With newfound determination (and yes, some resignation over what this is costing them, both in money and effort), the three vow to collectively become the baby’s daddy. They’ll split the chores and the costs evenly three ways, and do their best to help raise him/her. But, they agree, they must not tell Na Young about that tricky sperm issue. Of course, keeping that a secret makes their decision a little stickier because in her eyes, the guys have no reason to bear so much responsibility for her and her baby. (Each time she mentions it, they nervously laugh, “We’re just like a dad to the baby! Because we’re like Sung Min’s brothers, that is.”)

And just as they’d systematically undergone that regimen to nurture their sperm in the previous episodes, now they tackle prenatal care and baby prep. Kwang Hee sells his beloved motorcycle and asks his delighted mother about foods good for pregnant women. (The mother happily misconstrues his meaning and assumes he’s had a little “accident,” but assures him that’s okay! As long as that means he’s settling down…) Mama’s-boy Kyung Tae does the same. Kyung Tae’s strange behavior and recurring pregnancy questions put his female cop colleague on alert, since she’s got her eye on him. Good eye, says I, even if she IS a little wacko. (Although the jealous cop girl isn’t as crazy as Kwang Hee’s cougar-ish manhwa editor — who was just as crazy playing the hilarious pie-selling psycho ex-wife in Dal Ja’s Spring.)

The guys finish making the crib and rocking horse that Sung Min had left incomplete, and prepare a cheerful homecoming for Na Young, who’s moved to tears at the gesture. There’s a rare moment of genuine emotion (the drama tends to skew broad and jokey) when the guys find a recording device — one of those that allows a parent to record a message and hold it to the pregnant belly for the baby to hear. They listen to Sung Min singing the beginning of a lullaby on the recorder, who stops when he’s interrupted by a phone call. Solemnly, the three dads finish singing the lullaby for him.

They even accompany Na Young to lamaze classes, where each in turn undergoes the particular torture of performing calisthenics while encased in a baby-sized faux stomach/shield/armor. Su Hyun is first to encounter this particular humiliation, and vows irritably not to go back. Naturally, once one has suffered, he is not satisfied until his best friends have shared in his torment, so Su Hyun doesn’t warn Kwang Hee, who goes next. Who doesn’t warn Kyung Tae, who goes last.

Na Young does feel that their constant attention and care is perhaps excessive, but she’s grateful and doesn’t refuse the help. At one point, Na Young comments to Su Hyun that they’re going above and beyond the call of duty, to which Su Hyun replies (echoing her former words, spoken in annoyance) that this much is a given compared to how much she’d done for them (cooking, cleaning, laundry). Somewhat abashed to hear her words repeated back to her, Na Young asks if her comments had really stuck with him, thus starting to thaw the coldness between them.

The guys get into the hang of things, buying her food and a foot massager and thinking of new ways to help. Su Hyun grits his teeth at the cost and buys her expensive pears, although not without reminding her of how very expensive they are. We know, Su Hyun, we know. Kyung Tae, bless him, even develops a mild case of sympathetic pregnancy, experiencing some unexpected morning sickness. His extreme commitment to his role leads us to an obvious and silly sequence where he rushes out of the police station to handle an emergency, prompting his co-worker to call for backup, only to discover his “emergency” was Na Young’s food craving. (Which we then learn is actually Kwang Hee’s food craving. Kwang Hee defends himself: “Would he have bought the food if I said it was me who wanted to eat it?”)

Na Young’s baby starts kicking, and Kyung Tae bashfully asks if he can feel her stomach. Su Hyun feigns disinterest (although he totally wants to feel the kicking too), but Kwang Hee grabs his hand too and the three dads all feel the kicking in amazement. The baby obliges its (her? I think) fathers — and cutely refers to them all as “my dads” in the plural — first in amusement at the dads’ reaction, and then in annoyance because one of them is copping a feel on her butt.

And then, Na Young goes into labor. (Which nobody handles well.)

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thanks again!

owh..pls dun stop covering Three Dads and One Mom..

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i'm looking forward for Who are You too. (:

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Haha, sounds like a hilarious ep! Thanks for the recap, Dramabeans. I was going to skip this drama because the storyline is so typical (even though I lurvee Jae Hee) but now may just give it a try. XD

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Thanks for the summary! I'm going to try and catch the first few episodes... it sounds interesting enough... your summary sure does help a lot!

That being the case... thanks for recapping Who are you? You got me super duper hooked and addicted to that series... I've been obsessing it over the whole day since I've finished watching the episodes with subs and reading your summaries on it... l'm super anticipating the next episode only to find out that it was not aired yesterday... sucks that we only get one episode this week, no?

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I wasn't planning on watching this at all but wow it seems adorable!

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I love reading your summaries. They add so much to my understanding and enjoyment of Kdramas. Your descriptions of a given actor's acting potential are always right on the mark. Thank you!

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seems funny. thanks for ur summary again! looking forward to see how this drama will develop!

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Wow, I really love your recaps. Since I'm not sure if I want to watch this yet, it's great to be able to know how it's going without making the commitment. Thanks!

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Yes i agree with erv, pls don't stop your recaps for Three Dads, One Mom Javabeans! =P Hehe i'm beginning to love Kyung Tae more and more...

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LMAO!!! I totally forgot the Psycho Wife of Uhm Ki Joong sold Pie in Dal Ja.

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I really love your recaps! Ha~ Just like the above-posters said... I hope you'd still give it a chance... it seems like a really good drama to me. Maybe the beginning is a bit slow... but I can see potential from it. (:

Thanks for the recaps!

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Thank you dear javabeans.
:)

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So far, it's cute. I do agree...Jae Hee's voice is SO annoying in this.

I'm suprised that you're not watching "Last Scandal". It's SOOOOOO good!!

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this drama is simply adorable...not much substance so far, but it is fun to watch nonetheless...i love the guy from Thank You too...his character here is so different from his character in Thank You...he is my favorite character and it also bothers me that they treat him as a joke when he is actually the better man of the bunch...

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Kyung Tae's facial expression in the second to last screen cap is just too hilarious.

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totally agree with you ..this drama cant no way competing with Who are you...
its so boring and we know what will happen next...the only big question is with who Eugene does end up with?

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Javabeans,

Thanks for the summary of episode 3. As with you, I had the same feeling about the first two episodes. Although, I have to admit that I fully enjoy all the bathroom humor and the male-domicile gags. (Perhaps, I was tired and therefore, easy to please the other night.)

Of the three "goof-balls", I like the police detective, Kyung Tae, the best. He plays the "dumb" look every well, which is a sharp contrast to his character in "Thank You".

OMG, I didn't realize that the manhwa editor is the same actress as the psycho wife in DJS until I read your summary! I guess she's making a career out of playing "unusual" characters.

As for JHJ, you are correct. He doesn't seem to be into his character or even, in to the drama. It's like his mind is preoccupied with something else. And, it's only his acting skills that are carrying him through the day.

Looking forward to the next recap...

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OMG! I love this drama! I can't wait for the next episode! That's so funny, there's like 3 of them that went with her....
lol.
Please don't stop writing the summary!
Thanks again!

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i love your summary.... though i've yet to watch this epi, but i'm already laughing away by your descriptions... thanks! you've never fail to do such good job.

hope you'll continue with the summary of this drama and i've be one of the many who benefit from it.

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thankssssss!
despite the jokey and overexaggeratedness and suhyuns' lackingabit character
im enjoying the dramaaaaaaaaa :)
im loving kwanghee and kyungtae of course. kwanghee more cus hes jaehee! <3
im loving the summaries and commentaries tooooo!

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Though I'm the first to admit that I'm a little heads over heels attached to "Who Are You," I enjoy watching this drama a lot too. Maybe because it's mostly lighthearted and easy to digest....it gives me enough to watch but doesn't require a lot of.....I don't know....involvement on my part. It's like an appetizer before the main course! :)

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Thanks a lot for the summary. I don't understand korean ( knows a few words ) but I have been watching 3 dads 1 mom with gusto cause it is so funny and lovable. Now I can fully understand what is happening and the more I appreciate this drama. I am a huge Jae Hee fan .Please continue with your summary as it is really very helpful for us North American fans. Keep up the good work.!!! KUMAPSUMIDA!!!

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I realy wonder who will end up loving her.. and it´s kinda so confusing how they don´t give us any traits, like in other dramas, but anyways, guess they´re trying to be unique? I really hope for the policeguy to like her, cos I personally thinks he´s so cute and the nicest among them all.. but I guess the possibility is rather thin..

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thanks. i definitely want to see this drama now.

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I recently started this drama and its pretty good so far. Entertaining and lighthearted a break from that devastating HGD.

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I don't understand Korean but I've been watching the episodes in u-tube. Surprisingly even without English subs, I'm having fun and plenty of laughs watching every episode (I've watched the 8th to date). It's a slap stick comedy at its best! Their expressions and body language are really hilarious. That says a lot about the main characters acting ability to be able to make their audience laugh without understanding the dialogue. Love it! For those of you who have not watched it yet, start doing so, you too will get hooked to it.

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Java bean please continue update this drama. I love it. Thank

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thanks !
i actually finished this drama and it was pretty good in my opinion.
a little dull at times but.....okay still.
i was wondering if you know where i could find the version of the song "everything" like the one in the drama. more slower and i think a guy sang it.

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eugene is pretty when act as a mom,
like se jin in wonderful life,
whaiting kim eugene

and who is the real father of her daughter
?????????????????????????????

sarangeyo eugene

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i already watch it................its nice............even though Im not a korean i still love korean dramas..............more power to all the cast of three fathers one mom........................

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its really cute

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i've already watched this film...
it was one of good Korean Drama i've ever watched...
I like very much Jo Hyun Jae, he's so handsome..
kakak Eugene saya suka acting kamu di sinetron ini...

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is this drama adopted from a japanese manga?

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this is cute....hopping that there is part 2...

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this is so cute... wishing that its have a part2...

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I really like this drama...!!

I really like Jae Hee, Jo Hyun Jae, Shin Sung Rok and Eugene....

this drama is so funny and cute!!!,...:D

I want to watched this again and again..............................

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hello,

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I've already watched this drama....very nice. It touches different types of feelings. Above all the casting is very good. I like Jo Hyun Jae so much. Much more if they (Eugene and Jo Hyun Jae) ended together. But that is all up to our own conclusion.
This is next to the best film i ever watched. Next to Save the Last Dance (still with Eugene and Ji Sung)

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Does anyone know where to get the baby recorder like in the movie.....??

I REALLY LIKE IT, PLEASE HELP ME....

Thanks.

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I LIKE THIS IS SERIAL ? T.O.P ABIEZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

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the drama is very entertainment.....theres a joke ... sometimes serious ...I watch it everyweek days... And when I watch it ..I laugh and laugh because of their funny actions and faces...

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i really like the t.v. show!and i had developed my feelings to jae hee!his so "GWAPO" which means handsome!hehehe!i wnt him to be the daddy of nicole baby..............and............i am hoping that very soon there will be another story in titled....3 dads with one one mom 2!!!also hooping to meet them in personal thats why im striving to study harder in order to hve a job someday there in Korea to meet them!!!and finally, i am wishing and praying to have a personal bokk of "3 dads with one mom!!! ''to jae heei hope that you will like me when you will see me someday and with the other fans of your show which i really enjoy and apply it to my daily lives....and by the way,you will just see me after 10 years starting now,october 2,2008!see you soon......and don't forget my real name.......Ezrah G. Gaurana and i am 13 years of age from now....161cm. in height and 57kg.!but don't worry!i will look sexier than you thought!okay!SEE YOU VERY SOON!GOD BLESS and MORE POWER!please tell your future wife not to get angry with me!im a good christian friend!........thank you!.......: -D.....

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i like it very much!keep up the good work!GOD BLESS!more power!

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pls pls pls i'm begging for part two of this drama because i'm not yet satisfied with the ending!!!!!!!! pls

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part two pls

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pls part two!!!! one mom and three dad part two!! pls release it

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i'm not satisfied with the ending!!! so pls!! im begging for part two!!

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i'm not satisfied with the ending!!! so pls!! im begging for part two!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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i'm not satisfied with the ending!!! so pls!! im begging for part two!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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alam nyo ba kun anong title ng ending song ng three dads with one mommy? ganda kasi ng ending song eh! kesa sa opening song comment na lng...pls!(",)

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