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Prime Minister and I: Episode 15

I’m… going to need a minute, and you’re going to need a box of tissues because you’ll cry tears of joy and sadness. This episode churns us through a rollercoaster of emotions and leaves us with a sense of longing by the hour’s end. The truth is never an easy pill to swallow, especially when it’s unwanted and brings pain to everyone who comes to know it. At least there’s action taken to those words, but whether that’s for the good of everyone involved is still up for debate.

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K. Will – “내곁에” (I’ll Be With You) Download ]

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EPISODE 15 RECAP

After falling into Yul’s arms in tears, Da-jung sits in the church pew with Yul, his voice understanding of the overwhelming idea of her becoming both a wife and mother. So he says they can take their time to make things official, just as long as she doesn’t cry on their real wedding day. Aww.

They get up to leave at that, but then Yul suddenly remembers the ring. Yes, find the ring!

Hye-joo is determined to tell Yul the truth about Na-young, despite In-ho’s protests. I know you mean well Hye-joo, but if you become the bringer of unhappiness, we will have words. In-ho calls after her: “Even if Park Na-young doesn’t want that?”

He points out that Na-young remained hidden because she didn’t want to return and for Hye-joo to examine the consequences by telling the prime minister. He understands why Hye-joo switched sides, but has she thought of the repercussions if the truth is leaked to the public?

All they need to do is keep quiet, but Hye-joo doesn’t like that idea because In-ho only cares about Da-jung. In-ho doesn’t deny that fact, but he also says his concern towards the prime minister aren’t just empty words.

Convinced that informing Yul is the right thing to do, Hye-joo waits at the estate and remarks on how much Woo-ri has grown up. She asks if he doesn’t miss his mother anymore, to which he answers that he does, but he’s old enough not to cry over it now.

Both Yul and Da-jung search the pews for the missing ring on all fours. It’s Da-jung who discovers it, but something about seeing the ring gives her pause, and tucks it in her hand before claiming she didn’t find anything.

They return home and the missing ring still weighs on Yul’s mind. Da-jung assures him that she’ll go look again tomorrow. They’re greeted by Hye-joo, who asks to speak with Yul privately.

With the ring in hand, Da-jung wonders to herself why she didn’t mention that she found it. She writes in her journal about the surprising revelation that Yul’s first wife is alive.

Yul urges the president to take action against Chairman Na, only to be met with disgruntled opposition. Every time I see Yul meet with this cowardly and corrupt president, the more I’m convinced that it should be Yul running this country. In any case, Yul is basically told to back off or else it’ll be his job on the line.

Oh phew, Hye-joo didn’t drop the truth bomb to Yul, admitting that she realized that In-ho was right about the consequences. She doesn’t plan on telling Yul in the future either—that is, not while he’s still the prime minister.

The president voices his complaints about Yul to Joon-ki, which is never a good idea, methinks. Joon-ki suggests that they replace the current prime minister then—the only justification they would need would be the president’s word.

Na-ra is still crushed over her soon-to-be celibate church oppa, since it means they can never get married. Da-jung cheers her up, saying that it isn’t the end of the world. She whips up ramyun for the kids, and Na-ra pretends that it isn’t any good, despite eating two bowls. Hee.

Woo-ri says his little sister really likes Da-jung; she only acts petulant because she’s actually comfortable and grateful towards her, and he feels the same. Aww. When Da-jung asks whether he misses his mother, Woo-ri notes that he’s been getting that question a lot lately.

His voice breaking, Woo-ri says he misses his mother a lot, but he’s lucky to be able to remember what she looks like, unlike his siblings. He would give anything for his mother to be alive again, but he knows that can’t happen.

Da-jung meets with In-ho at a cafe and simply recounts matter-of-factly everything she knows about Na-young and his revenge against Yul. In-ho confirms it, but he assures her that he knows it was all a misunderstanding and he’s come to terms with it now. Da-jung asks, “Because Park Na-young is alive?”

She asks for a chance to meet Na-young in person, but In-ho is firmly against that idea. He warns Da-jung that her heart will waver and that she’ll think it’s right to return Na-young to the family.

“But she’s their mother,” Da-jung replies, holding back tears. Having lost her own at a young age, Da-jung knows better than anyone a child’s heartache and longing for their own mother, so she can’t overlook those feelings she sees in the children.

“What about you?” In-ho asks. “Don’t you want to be happy with the prime minister?”

Joon-ki tenses when his secretary implies that Hye-joo isn’t to be trusted; however, the mention of how she’s been seen near Yul’s presence plants a seed of suspicion in his head. Moreover, her words of her whereabouts do little to convince him.

Da-jung spots Yul standing outside his workplace, but turns away to remain unseen. Er, why are you hiding? She picks up his call and makes the excuse that she’s out with some friends. She assures him that she’ll come home soon, but Yul tells her to take the night off and have fun.

And who should see her in her hiding place moments later but Yul himself. Ha. They head to a pojangmacha and Yul asks why she had lied earlier. He laughs to hear that she didn’t want to bother him and wonders if they should have gone somewhere fancier to eat.

Da-jung realizes that it’s their first time at a pojangmacha together, which just reinforces the idea that they don’t have a lot of memories together. Ooh, I have a simple solution for that! It’s called “creating new memories together.”

There’s a wistfulness in her voice as she remarks on how they never did any of the coupley dating activities like going to the movies, going grocery shopping, or drop her off at home with a sense of longing. Yul has never called her by her name with endearment either and they were married right away. Lucky for you there’s another solution for that: dating your wife.

You can tell how sorry Yul is at that realization, but then he says, “Then let’s do them all from now on.” Am so happy you agree, yay! He won’t be able to drop her off at home, but they can do all of the other things together. Da-jung returns a longing smile.

He promises to do all of those activities with her one by one, because they have plenty of time together. Da-jung: “What if we don’t? What if we have to part soon?” Uh, I don’t like where this conversation is going—stop saying such scary things!

As they walk home, Da-jung insists that it’s just a hypothetical: what would he want to do if they had to part tomorrow? Yul asks if he has to answer, and then says he would want to stop time so that day wouldn’t come. He adds with a laugh: “Do I have to destroy all the world’s clocks to do that?”

She’s upset that he takes her question as a joke, and Yul tells her that “what ifs” are only used for good things. Then he assures her that they won’t ever part. Sigh, his confidence is so smexy.

Yul walks ahead of her and Da-jung asks if they can’t run away. He smiles that they can’t go far anyway, “And no matter how far we run, we’ll just come back in the end.”

She brushes it off, and Yul tells her to stay where she is—this time he’ll come to her. Like a beautiful reflection of her own actions, he walks towards her one step at a time and offers his hand. She takes it.

Joon-ki is careful with his words around Hye-joo, especially when the latter asks after the rumors of removing the prime minister. He pretends to know nothing about the matter, but notes her concern. When his secretary comes in with the documents he asked for (concerning The Accident), Hye-joo takes a mental note.

In-ho invites Hye-joo out for a drink, and she’s livid to hear that he agreed to Da-jung’s request to meet Na-young, arguing that it was his idea that no one should know the truth but them.

When In-ho says he couldn’t change her mind, Hye-joo lashes out at him, asking if he didn’t want to change Da-jung’s mind. Had he hoped that Da-jung would come to him if she broke up with Yul?

Hye-joo calms down a minute later, but surprised that Da-jung wants to return everything to its original place i.e., reunite the family. But In-ho tells her that there’s a more pressing matter—he’s been informed that the police have re-opened the case to the car accident, and he thinks it was Joon-ki’s doing.

They have to know how much Joon-ki knows, and Hye-joo says she’ll look into it. So she sneaks into Joon-ki’s office but finds nothing, and then the lights turn on and with an envelope in hand, Joon-ki asks, “Were you looking for this?” Busted.

Hurt, Joon-ki says that he wanted to trusted her despite being told otherwise. Then he offers the envelope and look inside if she’s so curious. They’re not the accident reports Hye-joo had expected; rather, a proposition to have Yul removed from office.

But that’s not all—he also planned to expose Yul as the responsible party for the car accident. Now that he’s seen Hye-joo’s intentions for himself, Joon-ki revises those plans and says he’ll drop both bombs tomorrow. Oh no!

Hye-joo chases after him and protests that they both know Yul would never do such a thing. But Joon-ki is determined to see this through and says the best thing she can do now is to warn Yul of what’s coming. And then Hye-joo uses her last card: “Na-young… is alive.”

Da-jung visits Dad at the hospital (looking a little worse for wear) and finds it odd when he declines his favorite food. He says it’s because he lost a game against another patient, and then climbs back in bed.

Dad asks after the kids and says that their resilience reminds him of when Da-jung was young—of how she’d still smile and laugh despite growing up without a mother. He points out that no one could know how they truly feel though, and tells his daughter to take good care of them.

Da-jung says she will and adds that she’ll be giving a wonderful present to them soon. Oh I hope it’s not what you’re thinking, because I can think of a better present and that’s you.

Yul is troubled over the president’s thinly veiled warning, and then Na-ra pops in to ask to go out. He initially declines on account of being busy, but then changes his mind a moment later, much to her delight.

He swings by Man-se’s room and stops to clean up the mess, which also contains Da-jung’s journal. Ooh I knew that would come back to bite later. Don’t read it! But just as he’s about to open it, Man-se appears behind him.

In-ho escorts Da-jung to her meeting with Na-young and asks if this is something she must do. Da-jung says she does.

The women sit on a park bench, and it’s a long minute before Na-young speaks first and tells her not to worry because she doesn’t intend to return to her family. Da-jung says it’s the opposite and admits that she initially hoped that seeing Na-young was just her imagination because, “I didn’t want to leave Yul’s side.”

But she soon realized she couldn’t harbor those thoughts when Na-young is very much alive, and asks that Na-young return to her rightful place. Na-young gets up at that, and Da-jung says that the children miss her very much. “So you have to go back for them.”

Then Da-jung rejoins In-ho and slaps on a brave smile, insisting that she feels much better now. Her tears betray her words, however, and she later asks how long she has to keep this truth from Yul. Is it to his benefit to keep him in the dark?

In-ho answers that on a humanistic level, Yul and the children should know the truth. But as Yul’s aide, he believes that saying nothing is the better option. She declines a ride back and goes for a broody walk.

Na-young walks back to the shelter, only to be met by a surprise visitor: Joon-ki, who can hardly believe what he’s seeing. Hurt and angry, he grabs his sister and cries repeatedly, “How could you do this to me?!” as Na-young can only tearfully say how sorry she is.

Omg how cute—Yul picks out flowers to give to Da-jung, who in turn buys a watch for him. Then he presents her with a bouquet of… baby’s breath? I think we need to have to talk about our flower choices, prime minister.

Da-jung loves it all the same, which is what counts at the end of the day. Yul explains that he picked it because they symbolize innocence and pure of heart and was reminded of her. Aw, okay then.

She’s touched as Yul tells her that today is just the beginning of all the mundane things she wanted to do together, and they’ll do everything on that list. Awwwwwww.

Then Da-jung presents him with the watch, saying that it falls under his wish to stop time, but she hopes that Yul’s time keeps ticking forever. He says that sounds like a farewell, and though she brushes it aside to put it on, the worry remains on his face.

Da-jung moves the flowers to a vase and muses aloud that baby’s breath also has the other meaning of eternal sadness. Then Da-jung just watches him work, and Yul jokes that he can’t concentrate, but tells her to stay right there. HEE.

In the best casual tone she can muster, Da-jung asks if knowing the truth is always a good thing. There are times when the truth is unwanted and doesn’t always bring happiness; when knowing would bring about anguish. What would Yul do in that situation?

Yul answers that he’d probably lean towards knowing the truth. He knows that there’s an option of living in ignorance, but that would be deceiving oneself and others. He asks where this is coming from and Da-jung plays it off as if simply asking for his opinion.

She offers to tell him the legend of baby’s breath and we hear her narrate in voiceover a story of how a woman’s lover once died in the battlefield. As time passed, the same woman fell in love with someone else, but one day that supposedly dead lover returned alive, which is why baby’s breath is also known as eternal sadness.

As Da-jung tells Yul (and us) this story, we see her wait at the university campus (her watch interestingly has two clocks) and turns back to see Yul approach. But as she finishes the tale, the camera fades out to see Da-jung and Yul arrive separately.

Yul walks into the auditorium and smiles to see the back of what he thinks is Da-jung’s head… only to find himself face to face with Na-young instead. Ohhhhhhhhh crap. I think we’re all going to need a minute.

And just outside, Da-jung tells herself that she did the right thing. No you didn’t, you did NOT do the right thing for you! *stompity stomp*

Inside, Yul looks like he’s seen a ghost, which… is true in a sense. Na-young can only stutter that she came her to meet someone else before running off, leaving a paralyzed Yul in her wake. Yul chases after her, but she’s gone.

Joon-ki processes the shocking turn of events and bolts up when he’s told that the prime minister will soon be removed from office. He says they have to stop the proceedings immediately, which yay, but you need to hop to it!

Meanwhile, Da-jung sets down the ring on Yul’s desk and utters a goodbye, before retracing her steps and pick up the ring again. Are you going to take it with you?

Then she says bids farewell to the children with the explanation that she’s going to stay with Dad for a little while. She wishes them well, and they take her words at face value, but pick up that something’s off. Taking her suitcase, Da-jung leaves the estate, fighting tears.

Yul sits in the dark auditorium replaying the moment he saw Na-young in his head when Woo-ri calls to inform him that Da-jung has left.

Yul runs out of the auditorium and takes the wheel as Da-jung’s last words about being separated soon, to run away together, that time would continue for him repeat in his head.

Da-jung pulls up to the hospital, but then decides she can’t stay here either. And then Yul’s car drives past as she walks away. Darn that classic drama trope! Ooh, but then Yul’s car turns around to cut her off moments later. Yay for subverting that drama trope!

Yul gets out of the car and tells her, “Let’s go.” Da-jung replies that she isn’t going back to the estate, and Yul takes her by the hand.

COMMENTS

And this is why I love Yul. He’s a man of action and of his word; lies do not become him. His impulsiveness is what gets me here because it takes less than a fraction of a second for him to go after Da-jung and keep his promise that he won’t let her go.

The adorable romance is what keep this show abreast of these stormy dramatic waves, and I had enjoyed watching the cohabitation hijinks and blossoming relationship so much that it hadn’t even occurred to me that they missed out on all dating portion of the relationship until Da-jung had mentioned it. So I loved it when Yul answered that they could do all of those things she wanted from now on. Maybe it’s just me who thinks that while those cute romantic gestures are fun in the honeymoon and butterflies in stomach stages, there’s a deeper resonance when those occur in a committed relationship. That’s to say, the words and actions feel more meaningful when you love each other at that level. How can one resist the confident voice telling you that you’ll never be parted and says “As you wish?” to your requests?

Thus even in the face of the most shocking day of his life, Yul still chooses Da-jung and tells her that her place is home, with him and the children. Meeting your not-so-dead wife isn’t an everyday occurrence though, so I’m sure we’re in for a turbulent ride in the finale week. But I do think that Yul has already accepted Na-young’s death and moved on his heart, and once the initial shock wears off, he wants the opportunity for closure for the both of them. And if they get that conversation (and something tells me they will), I imagine that talk will try to reach forgiveness, and focus less on the conflict everyone has been barking about this episode: that Na-young would return to her family. To that end, it’s clear that that’s not what Na-young wants (or she thinks she deserves) and I think that it’ll be a long time before they reach reconciliation, if they’re able to achieve that at all.

Which brings us to Da-jung, who I was sad to see take the noble idiot route and distance herself from Yul and the kids, even though I could understand her reasons for doing so. Who better to understand a child’s longing to see their mother than someone who lost her own, and then struggle with the dilemma of denying that truth from those children? I had a lot of trouble processing Da-jung’s decision to unveil the truth about Na-young, because it was a matter of principle for her and I knew that she wouldn’t allow herself to live happily while withholding this information, so then she chose to sacrifice her own happiness. So on the one hand, if it had come any sooner, Da-jung would have handed over a burdening truth to a grieving family, and on the other hand, the Kwon family has already moved on and accepted her as a part of this new family unit.

I honestly can’t imagine any other scenario for Yul to find out the truth because they all seem just as disastrous and shocking in my head. Da-jung has taken the time to mull over this decision and in her head, this is what’s best and feels right for everyone in that family. Which then makes me feel like the selfish person for saying screw the moral factors and live happily ever after with Yul. I don’t want to open up the can of worms of the argument of who is more deserving of happiness and/or love because I don’t think those concepts work that way. And yet, Yul’s decision to come to Da-jung and to take her home solidifies the idea that the person you love is a choice, and I’m certain that Yul will make the same choice he does today, tomorrow, and forever—eternal sadness be damned.

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This ep bores n annoys me bcos everyone knows about Na Young's existence but KY.
And bcos DJ spends the whole ep getting ready to leave.

I know she is doing the right thing. But I'm not on board w the assumption that Na Young has the rightful place in that household with KY and the kids after pulling a disappearing act for 7 years.

In Ho and NY's brother have been played for fools. But it is never a good idea to be so hung up on the idea of Revenge, esp. when one has no BD idea on what really went down. So they wasted 7 years of their lives due to their own misplaced hatred.

The only upside is that after the shock wears off, the PM has to win DJ back, and I hope he works hard at it. So far what has he done besides buying her a hair clip at Dongdamon?

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I'm right you with there. Because even if Na-young didn't get into that car accident, she still wouldn't have been with her family. She would've been off with her lover in the States. I think even she realizes that she no longer has a place in that family. Da-jung's decision is just a misguided one, in that she's trying to do the right thing, but it really isn't. There certainly are better ways to sort this out, other than running away.

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I agree, I am shaking my head (and my fist) a lot at the decisions made in this episode, namely:
- the decision to keep Yul in the dark is wildly inappropriate for any public figure. Sorry, but a real aide would have told him instantly, before anyone else got a hold of that information. Knowledge is power, and do you really want to have your official blindsided by a revelation, perhaps on-camera? In the real world, both aides would have been fired on the spot.
- Da-jung's assumption that because Not-Dead has been revealed, there is no place for her, is just so myopic. Those kids need MORE people who love and support them - the last thing they need is yet another adult, who seems to care for them, up and abandon them for their own reasons. Years of therapy, anyone? And she is equating her experience with theirs, which is totally wrong - they were ABANDONED, her mother died. The show may coat this whole thing with rainbows and butterflies, but I cringe for those kids.
- the global assumption, by everyone, that Not-Dead is willing and able to waltz back into her old life is counter to human nature, legality, and publicity. In real life, her return would be an instant career-killer, resulting in Yul's resignation, their divorce, and a field day for the press.

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You are right a "real aide" would have told the boss immediately. But those two aides have deep seated LOVE for their boss, either directly or through their boss's wife. That incredible love made their judgement clouded and I am with them on that front. I am too romantic to be a good aide for a politician.

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well yes, but like javabeans said, Da Jung have the past that haunted her. She herself will want to see her mother once again. She will feel a hypocrite if she denies that for the kids.

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well,,i do agree, with our pure heart dajung tell mom ny back to the child. After all, she is their mom. It just, ahh,,it would be waaay better if she's (kind of) reprimand her first (for leaving the child, cheating, bla-bla), before telling her back.

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Kwon Yul, fighting! Thank goodness he caught up with her!

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned before, but has anyone noticed that each episode ends with a scene of our OTP? I'm hoping this is a good sign for the finale :)

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You are right! You are a genius! I forgot how Episode 1 ended and sure enough Kwon Yul grabbed Da Jung to hide her from Reporter Byun. Wow, okay, let's have the OTP end together the last two episodes and then all is right in this world.

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Thanks~ have been looking forward to the recap all day...

Writer-nin better have a good conclusion for Na-young and the kids. Also expecting lots of tears next week, more KY/DJ chemistry and Lee Beom-Soo hotness!!

5 more days!

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There was something rather bittersweet in regards to Dajung leaving. If there were no kids in the equation, and she left Yul so that he could reconcile with his long-lost wife, then it would've made her sacrifice less patriotic. However, what truly moved me was that she left everything, including the man she loved, for the sake of the kids. Growing up without a mother, she knew how those kids felt during those years. The struggles were something she went through herself. The pain was one she could relate to.

Do I think she made the right decision? It's debatable, but I dont really think so. I mean, the concept of motherhood is one that should not solely defined by maternal ties. If a mother threw away her child to an orphanage, for example, and then some other woman adopted that child, loved him, and raised him, who is considered more of a mother? The mother who threw him away? Or the mother who went through thick and thin with that child while raising him? What defines a mother? That is the question. Who is more of a mother to Woori, Nara and Mansae? The birth mother who ditched her kids to run off with another guy, or the step-mother who consoled them when they were down, who came to every single performance, who hugged them everytime they were lonely? For me, a true mother is one who sacrifices everything for the sake of her children. Even if she had to endure pain and sadness, but if it meant that the kids would be happy, she would do it. That is a mother.

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I so agree with you, and I was about to type the exact same thing. I am fed up of the "leaving for good" part that occurs in almost all romcom dramas(latest being The Heirs), but this was refreshing. What moved NDJ was the fact that she cared about the children and she could sacrifice everything for them.

And THAT is what makes her more of a mother to Woori, Na Ra and Man Se than PNY could ever be. I would have been terribly disappointed if they played it out in another way. Just like Yul said in the preview - if she left him because she wants him to be happy even when she knows he loves her, she isn't doing him any favor. Romcom writers, I hope you are listening.

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THIS is why I am so angry with Da-jung. She just assumes that because this is the birth mother, she should step aside. Is she really even thinking of those kids, to be yet another adult who leaves them? How does she know that they would prefer birth mom? How does she know birth mom is even willing and able to be with them?
She may be enduring pain and sadness, but I just want to give her a smack upside the head because she is not really thinking about what those kids might need. Did she even give them a voice in the matter? Grrrr.

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Hey Skilly, nice point. I understand what you are saying, but I have a few counter-arguments.

Let's first be clear - we know that it is not possible for DJ and PNY to stay in one house. You agree, right? So - looking at the situation from DJ's point of view, she is not thinking of what PNY has done, or how incorrect she was to leave her children just like that - her topmost priority is that she does not want to hurt the people she loves. Woori had told her that he could do anything to get his mom back. For DJ, Woori is a child in her care. She cannot deny him the love of his mother. DJ, having lived without her mom, knows it is hard for the children.

If she insists on remaining in the picture when NY arrives, then - there are only two things possible. Either the children would choose NY, or they would choose DJ.

Now, from DJ's point of view, if they choose NY, she cannot insist on living in the same space, thinking about the PM and his career, and she would feel like she is out of place in the picture and she may make the children feel guilty for choosing their birth mother(which, if you see from her eyes, is natural). It isn't like she would allow Yul to leave his children to be in care of their once-mentally-ill mom.

If the children choose DJ, still, from her point of view, taking her experience and Woori's words into account, she would be forced to think they were feeling guilty, and hence they chose her. Even if you go by "immature children" logic, it would be hard for them to separate from their mom(especially Woori) - she is tearing up a family here, if you look at it from her eyes. In both the cases, would she be able to continue on happily? No.

As a motherly figure, she believes Woori's words and steps out. By doing this, she spared the children a feeling of guilt in either case. Now, they can choose their mom. But if they want her back, then it is that they chose her, for her. It is a positive outcome for everyone. She can't fathom why they would choose her, when they have their own mother. Remember, she lived without her mother. For their bonds to get stronger and being able to live like a family in future, her position makes it necessary to leave.

If she is chosen - then all ends well.

If she isn't...then - the situation may be difficult.

Yul would be getting an immediate divorce from NY, anyway, but she isn't thinking of what Yul and she would do. She is thinking of people who weren't responsible for any of this. The kids. And she here thinks Yul is a parent first, and he cares a lot about his children. So she thinks that by staying, she is making Yul choose one - either her or the children. She believes a parent must choose their child in any case(her mom's early death influences her into believing this) - and she is again sparing him the guilt of choosing his children over her.

That's my in-depth analysis of the situation. This is pretty deep if you compare it with other dramas that have pulled it.

One last thing;
No doubt, if the children were out of the picture, our OTP would have sorted things out together.

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I think you missed my point, or rather misunderstood Dajung's reasoning of leaving. It's not something to be angry about because her reasoning was noble and selfless. That in itself is commendable. I agree with @anna in the sense that leaving your loved ones is a recurring motif that keeps happening in romcoms, for the wrong reasons. But this one is an exception, because the reasoning is totally different.

When Dajung talked to Woori, he expressed how much he missed his birth mother. It tugged her heart because she knew that feeling, which is why she gracefully left for the sake of the kids. I agree in that the kids should not be deprived of that knowledge of their birth mother's survival, but in my opinion, Dajung is.. in many ways more of a mother than Nayoung to the kids. She shouldn't have to leave the family, because Dajung's existence itself has given the three kids a mother. One, that didn't necessarily give birth to them, but nevertheless, loved them unconditionally despite everything.

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My only point was to counter this: "Is she really even thinking of those kids, to be yet another adult who leaves them? How does she know that they would prefer birth mom? How does she know birth mom is even willing and able to be with them?
She may be enduring pain and sadness, but I just want to give her a smack upside the head because she is not really thinking about what those kids might need. Did she even give them a voice in the matter?"

And I think I have answered it. And I'm glad you are not angry anymore.

And I totally agree with what you have said here about DJ and the kids.

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I agree with both points of view on whether Dajung has done right by leaving. However I also find that Dajung actually hasn't been completely taken the place as a mother for the kids. She has simply taken good care of the kids for these few months (no idea how long it has been, but I guess one term as a Prime Minister). It's not like she brought the kids up when they were babies, which is why she isn't extremely attached to them yet, enough to stop her from leaving or at least stand up for her rights to have her happiness, be by the Prime Minister's side, and assume the role of their mother despite knowing that PNY is alive. From this point of view, I feel that what Dajung has done isn't simply noble and selfless...it's more of expected. Well I didn't get the feeling of strong attachment through these few episodes anyway, so I definitely expected her to leave.

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First person to comment nw.. The series has been absolutely perfect so far.. I get that we are rooting for yul and da-jung, but its a tough situation and i love both their responses to finding the proverbial skeleton in the closet alive and well. Cannot muster too much sympathy for na-young. The fact that she was leaving yul, the whole story that too.. But thats what makes the show perfect for me.. The escape! ??

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You are so right. She had 7 years to come back and chose not to. She had a chance to talk to PM but she ran away. I feel that he needs to move on because his kids(according to him) are behaving and acting better than before. If the family was together and da-jung came between then that would be another story but she is the elasticity between the PM and his kids. After all of the other dramas(except Secret) this is a delight and I hope the writers continue to excel. A million THANKS to the subbers.We need more heart felt dramas and less of the bashing of the innocent woman.

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This drama is driving me crazy! I hope that DJ will stay at PM side cause the mother does not deserve the spot anymore and I hope DJ will understand that in the end. I really think that the mother should leave and never come back and children should not know about her being alive! This whole coming back to life situation is destroying everything!

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This episode made me "d'awwww" on a minute and "!@#$/^&*" on the other (eventho I watched it subtitle-less). My mom was like looking at me with the face of like-you-understand-what-they're-saying-duhhh...

I was really touched that eventho KY seems to be distracted after knowing PNY is alive n kicking, he is still persistent with his word that he truly will never let go of DJ's hand. Also the scene when DJ really think about the kids and ignoring her own feelings to ask PNY to go back to her family. Arghhh... a place where she shouldn't belong is what I'm sayin!

And about DJ's dad... is it about time? The scene where he asked DJ to take care of KY's kids well-being crushed me to lil pieces. Oh dad... I really don't have enough tears today. Please don't do that to me...

BTW, is anyone seeing the scene where lil Man Se ran after DJ and asked her not to leave like on the previous trailer? Why can't I find it? I played that episode for more than 5 times... really...

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Yup... Hahahaha... I watched ep 15 with no subs, too.
I can't find that scene where Man Se ran after DJ, too. I guess the edited it out.
DJ is really pure hearted. She even ask PNY to go back to her family that she'd abandoned years ago. Aaaargh...
But thankfully KY chase after DJ right away.
Hopefully KY & DJ get back together again.
I really can't wait for the finale.

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I think it would be in the next episode? I don't know because sometimes they put what would happen in 2 episodes in one preview. Sometimes it gets edited out. But we'll see.

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This episode made me cry so much... But it's so good. Yoona shone in this episode, I guess she related to her real-life childhood as she acted out the pain she felt for the kids. Poor girl. Lee Bum Soo is smexy as ever.

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Yul has become my favoritest leading man in the dramaland because he didn't disappoint me with all of his honesty and bravado and for him just being Yul, just perfect. He just broke all the cliched and expected character trope for leading man who is portrayed as successful, good looking with dark secret he kept all by himself by not being a jackass who is actually have a heart of gold. Thank God for that!! And I can't stop myself from squealing over and over again at the sight of him doing all of those swoon worthy, mundane couple-y things to DJ eeeeee!!!!

And nice touch on Yul mirroring DJ when he asked her to just stay there, and he will come closer to her. I just lost a soul and totally went somewhere where unicorns and butterflies and cotton candy cloud are everywhere within reach.

I can't wait to see what will be Yul's action to make DJ believe that it is ok for her to be happy with him and the kids because I have a premonition that Yul will mirror every single thing DJ did to him in order to get her back. And that my friends is something worth to look forward to.

Thanks for the re-cap GM

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culture probably plays a part.

"being a mother" is not something that is earned, but something that just is. park na young may be an 'awful' mother, but at the end of the day she is still the mother. so having the mother alive is probably something to be thankful for.

at least that is the impression from the responses about the drama.

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Lots of feels this episode because i believe there were some rumors about yoona growing up without a mom in real life so this makes it all the more heartbreaking

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most sone knows about this..Some says that Yoona`s mother leaved her and her sister while she was still little.. What sure was that, she never mentions her mother in any shows while mostly kept silent when her other members talk about it..

So thats made the show more heartbreaking, in the sense of realism for Yoona who played Da Jung.

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Thanks for the recap!~ I was so looking forward to it the whole day. I'm glad to see the Prime Minister standing for Dajung. It's Nayoung's fault anyway, so why should they suffer for it...but of course since it's a drama someone has to act all noble for it. But I'm sure our KY/DJ pair together with the adorable kids will get their happy ending. I'm so excited for the finale week. MEanwhile, I just have to keep re-reading the recaps. *_*)

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It seems to me that Da-jung isn't entirely being a martyr but instead doing this because she knows what it's like to grow up without a mother, she's doing it out of empathy more than anything else.

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Reading while listening
"Que Sera Sera"
By Doris Day
Thanks again for the apt recap

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Thanks for the recap, gummi! Awesome drama and this will end next week.. Andwee!!!

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Sighs.....it's sad. Da Jung's decision, I believe is the best that she could do in that situation. We all hate Na Young but Da Jung is looking at the situation through the children's eyes. Whatever happened 7 years ago, she is still the kids' mother and that bond is not something that can simply be broken. The kids have the right to see their mother and choose whether to accept her back or not. To deny the kids that decision is not what Da Jung would do. She wouldn't be able to live with herself anyway, let alone be happy with Yul knowing that she is hiding the fact that the mother is alive from the kids.

So I accepted her decision to leave. By leaving, she is making sure that kids have the chance to choose. Not just Yul. But, this drama have always surprised me with how the characters show strength and conviction. I love that Yul did not hesitate for even a second to go find Da Jung, mission impossible style. All action, all out running, car keys grabbing, urgent driving...and I love that he knows where she'll be. No need to call a bunch of people to ask whether they know where she is. And surely I love that he simply asks Da Jung to come home. In the face of the big revelation of a dead wife rising, he did not hesitate at all to tell Da Jung that her place is with him.

You better get her back Yul. Sweep her off her feet. Though you should still help your kids deal with the dead wife rising coming back from the dead. Then, you better do everything you can to get Da Jung back. I want a happy ever after, you hear me.....:D

p/s: Thank you gummimochi. i love your recaps as much as the drama itself. and thank you for introducing me to royal pirates. love their songs. love k will too. :D

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I just wanna say I SO LOVE THIS DRAMA :)

Lee Boem Soo, my heart so flutters and soar just seeing you on screen - forever one of my utter favourite actor... you simply do it just right - my kind of guy!

I love the story too and Yoona is a good actress too, always liked her ^^

Thanks for the recap!

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Well done, writers. You played out a really worn-out scenario in a little refreshing way. Since I have already said what I wanted to in a reply, I won't repeat it. I'm glad this "noble idiot move" actually felt human...if not the most rational thing to do.

GOD! I cried so much. There were really sweet moments...like Kwon giving Da Jung flowers, caring for her, finding her when she was hiding, promising her that they'll do everything she wants together - all ruined by the prick of sadness NDJ carried all along. That was painful to watch.

I'm GLAD Joon-ki has dropped his revenge plan, and that he got to meet his sister. Kang and Seo are interesting supporting characters. I still hope PNY doesn't meet her children. Even if she does(and I also feel like they deserve a closure)...the scene can be played out like - the children who longed for their real mother found that they find NDJ more comforting. Although NDJ isn't as settled into a mother character as she needs to be for this to happen, but I swear I'll love it if this does, even if it seems unrealistic. Sounds reasonably alright in my head, anyway.

Kwon is my favorite male protagonist till date. He keeps his promises, is reasonable, he's caring and knows how to use his brain. No wonder he's the prime minster! Even if something really unexpected happens, he is a man of his word. So swoontastic.

Although there are hints that this move can somewhat disappoint Yul and cause a few differences between him and NDJ, and all others who hid the fact that PNY is alive, I really hope writers can finish off this series with as much elegance and beauty as they have maintained till now.

About Kwon's political career....since clearly no one supports him in the Blue House, I think his political career is in danger...there is no way of resolving conglomerate wars in the last two episodes without making them sound like a pleasant coincidence and that's not the author's style.

If I guess the ending, it would probably be Kwon Yul resigning from his post and becoming an ordinary minister(or something else) while Joon-ki becomes the prime minister and does what Kwon would do with no threats at all, being the son in law of such a huge business, assuming Madame Na remains loyal.

About PNY...the earlier she leaves, the better.

Da Jung's father...please don't die. T-T

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If the original premise that this show is a "remake" of "Sound of Music" then the family would have to move to another more peaceful place and live happily ever after. But it has been closer to 1001 Arabian Nights, so we shall see. But the political climate would be a difficult one as I know there have been attempts to reform the chaebol system in South Korea which failed. So this cannot be a fairy tale totally. But Park Joon-Gi did ask the president whether he is concerned that the Prime Minister has become more popular than the president. If Kwon Yul is removed from being a Prime Minister, he might end up being the President during the next election cycle. Perhaps we could have a sequel called "The President and I" with the same cast? I would watch it or sure.

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Count me in! I'm up for any drama with this cast and writers.

Also, yeah - that's why I'm thinking there is a huge possibility of Kwon stepping down. Return of the first wife when he has remarried, and his continuously decreasing support from the ministers. All the government needs to do is to ensure that media ruins the image of Kwon Yul, either personally or say that the reforms he's bringing are dangerous. Public gets easily influenced and forgets everything.

It's easy to turn him into a negative figure just by hiding a few facts.

(For thinking all this, credit goes to INC trying its best to ruin NaMo's image here in India, lol)

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The Sound of Music theme has paralleled the storyline of DJ's relationship with the children. I think the threat of HJ a few episodes was the equivalent of the temporary engagement to the Baroness. I'm hoping that the return of NY is equivalent to the threat of separation by Nazi conscription. LOL. (She did ask if they could just run away instead.)

However, it seems that the storyline of the OTP's relationship has paralleled 1001 Nights. At first they simply paralleled the storyline of healing a man's hurting and closed off heart. But now they're getting to a more interesting theme that the story also entertained: what leads to and consummates the 'end' of a relationship.

In the novel the sultan's wife had 'left him', for an adulterous relationship she had no intention of abandoning. He had her killed, which can be seen as symbolic of a permanent death of their relationship. Thereafter he would marry and kill before he could be hurt again. Symbolic of someone who becomes unable to have a relationship, because of past hurt. He finds someone who manages to 'stay alive' by making a selfless effort to draw and stay near, until his heart heals and re-opens. Symbolic of the type of patient and sacrificial love needed to create a relationship that heals and lasts. Finally, he decides not to put her to death and to have her remain at his side.

My guess is that NY's storyline will parallel the relationship that was resolutely abandoned and is therefore dead. KY's storyline has already completed the arc of the sultan who regained the ability to love. DJ's storyline will complete the thematic arc of the patient and sacrificial love that mends hearts and builds lasting relationships. The OTP storyline will parallel having the death sentence (the marriage contract and the legal first marriage) lifted, in order to establish a life-long commitment.

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I'll not join the discussion about whether Da Jung's doing the right thing or not, by leaving the family, just because I've read a lot of opinions about that matter. And that's enough.

I've liked what the drama has brought so far. So, whatever the writer will play out in the final week, I'm sure I'll satisfied.

Just seeing Yul and Da Jung alone makes my heart ache. How can they do this to me? >,<

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I just want dajung and yul to be together....they shud nt be seperatd...why is d show doing like this????

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why lee boem soo gettinh hotter and hotter? yoona getting better abd better.gosh this episode already drain my energy with all the roller coster emotion.yul convince dj tjat no matter what you will only want her and why not by calling her name with pet name or sweet and intimate name like what dj want.next week will bringore tears so I better brace myself.yes every episode always end with our otp so I hope that will be the sign which otp is the end game and I want full episode of them boating and is it too much if they show their future perhaps a glimps of cute baby replica of dj and ky running and playing with woo ri,nara and manse?.

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I'm glad I wasn't the only one who noticed. He's getting hotter and younger with each episode. It must be love! Lol

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Ah, names. Nam Da Jung complained that Kwon Yul kept calling her "Nam Da Jung-ssi" instead of something more intimate. I am all for that but she herself calls him "Choong-Ri-Nim" every freakin' time, what is up with that? The first two episode she actually called him Jagiya (honey) and Kwon Yul hated it. Now that she is married to him, she could say Yeobo (honey) like Madame Na to Joon-Gi. But I don't like that, Da Jung is not like Madame Na at all. But Da Jung did use the name "Kwon Yul" twice, once when she was really mad, "I will return you a favor then, Kwon Yul, you are of low quality!" I hope their names will change in the next two episodes, calling your wife Miss Nam Da Jung won't cut it. Even Kang In Ho calls her "Da-Jung-ssi" without the family name and that is more intimate.

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So I totally understand that DJ wanted the kids to have their mother back. Whether she deserves it or not the fact is that she is their mother, can't change that. But explain to me why she can't just be brought back without DJ having to leave? I mean it's not like DJ doesn't know that the prime minister likes her or know that the ex-wife loves (loved) another man so DJ can still be part of the household AND the mother can still be part of the kids' lives.

Is it a cultural thing that this cannot happen?

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Nothing like a bouquet of eternal sadness to cap off the episode. Gulp. It's to eerie for the mom to be hanging around her baby son - I was going to say unfair, but unfairness cannot be measures and is subjective - and that she showed up at the theater to meet Yul only to run off. i am worried for the kids finding out -

So messy. Relationships. But Yul's actions show us that he has worked through some very difficult stuff, which is pretty realistic and refreshing for kdramaland, and is why I love this one so much. Gummimochi, you hit the nail on the head "And this is why I love Yul. He’s a man of action and of his word; lies do not become him."

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I hurt my ankle playing basketball yesterday and it was sort of serious. But when my 15-year old daughter, my Korean Drama pal, asked me, "gwenchana (are you okay)?" My reply was that my heart hurts way more than my ankle, aish! For once, Kwon Yul was all lovingly taking care of Da Jung but all those "separation" hints throughout the episode nearly killed me. Even In Ho was stepping up big time, his sacrifice of his own happiness for Da Jung's is special, I didn't see any selfishness on his part. Secretary Seo accused him of wanting the Kwon marriage to fail so he could have that special girl but immediately apologized because even she knew of In Ho's noble intentions.

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I truly like the plot and the actors in this drama. I've been following very happily every week... but the last two chapters have been very disappointing. So... she says that she loves him, clearly and seriously. Then, he says that he likes her... enough to ask her a couple of days later to marry him. And not a single kiss? Are you joking? Not only that, but when they were simply holding hands and the little one arrived to the bedroom they hurried up to separate them? What on earth is going on here? Isn't this incredibly patronising? I am not asking for a rampant show... just more spontaneity, and more natural behaviour. This way of avoiding any human contact that goes beyond a hug seems to me stiff as cardboard, childish, cold and ridiculous.

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Usually, I would be right there with you as far as wanting more skinship but somehow (this is just me) I feel this show does not need it. I would almost go as far as saying that skinship would cheapen the show. I dunno.. I guess I find the show so innocent. I would be satisfied with one good kiss at the end though.

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I feel the same way too.. I think they are just staying in character.. their loving looks, swoon worthy gestures, and cheesy lines makes up for supposed kisses. a proper kiss in the end can suffice, it can just be a cherry on top of a whole lot of good stuff :)

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first, it's a culture thing. koreans, especially the older generation, are typically conservative. second, yul not only came from that "older generation" but is also portrayed to be very gentlemanly. somehow, i can't see him suddenly going at it with dajung seconds after he confirmed that he likes her too.

oh, and just like Aigoooo, i have a feeling that that kind of skinship would "cheapen" the show. just a real kiss at the ending would satisfy me.

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The Koreans are very protective of their KPOP stars. In Dream High, when IU "apparently" kissed Wo-Young during a scene, they only showed their feet with her on tippy toes. But I am all for the restraints too as I am tired of the sexually oriented Western movies; they leave nothing to the imagination. In the show "Master's Sun," the CEO could have had his way with the girl's body when she was possessed by all those sexy ghosts, but he acted totally gentlemanly and held her hand so she could sleep peacefully. In the long run, male characters such as he and Kwon Yul will gain more respect from the viewers.

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Except YoonA had kissing scenes in her previous dramas.

Her debut drama and the one after that, she was underaged (below 20 years old) and her male leads are at least 10 years older than her - so the kisses here are typical kdrama kisses.

But her last drama Love Rain, she was already of legal age so her kissing scenes were a lot better.

The lack of proper kissing scenes right now in Prime Minister and I probably has something to do with the fact that the first and still legal wife is alive. Once that issue is sorted out, there could be a proper kissing scene/s since they alluded to the kissing scenes in earlier episodes as mere lip smack.

Although, I agree that the lack of skinship in this drama if ever is not exactly a flaw.

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Thanks, Angel101, you are a great contributor. After Dream High, IU had one of the best kisses in Korean Drama history, according to most viewers, in You Are the Best, Lee Soon Shin. The male lead was also 12 years older. But for that series, the timing was right for that kiss, so it made it all better. I don't see any circumstance in Prime Minister and I which calls for such a dynamic kiss, so it would be better to not have one and just let us complain about the lack of skinship. I would be grateful if In Yoon Ah could go through her career playing innocent girls only, I hate how USA television brass made young stars into sex objects after a certain age as the NEXT STEP of their careers. Even the ultra clean Julie Andrew was made to do a nude scene to complete her career. So stupid.

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I'm with you all, that although it's hard to turn down fanservice kisses, it hasn't seemed to suit this drama...at least not yet.

To me the reason that this show has so much heart, is that PMI has been exploring the deeper themes of what love is, and what it isn't. And in the way the ancient greeks talked about love:

Brotherly love (Phileo) - the love involved in deep friendship
Familial love (Storge) - the unique love binds parents to children, and a family members to each other through thick and thin
Romantic love (Eros) - the love that exists as romantic expression
Sacrificial love (Agape) - the love that is selfless towards the one loved

The show has shown us what happens when love is mixed. One person feels phileo and the other eros. It shown us the pain that's caused when storge is lacking; yet also the deep devotion and loyalty it can inspire. And it's looked at what is necessary for love to last. The first three types of love can be transient, and sometimes even selfish. The last is the glue that makes the first three stick. And for a marriage to work, it takes all four types of love.

NY is an example of what happens when someone has the first three, but lacks the fourth. She probably loved her friends, family and romantic partner. But in the end, she was selfish, not selfless. She abandoned her husband, children, family and friends; forcing them all to endure the heartache of thinking she was dead. This, to run away with her therapist (where, naturally, their interactions would have been all about her). In the end, even her therapist saw this wasn't healthy.

Yul loves with a sacrificial love. He loves his country that way. He loved his wife that way (giving his blessing for her to find happiness elsewhere). And he's re-learned to love his family that way. DJ loves selflessly as well. She loves friends that way (remaining kind even when she felt wronged). She loves her father that way. She loves Yul's children that way. She's loved Yul that way.

I actually liked the separation in this episode. To me, DJ's choice to give Yul the information and breathing room he would need to process his choices reinforced why she and Yul work as a couple. Because they look at love the same way, they'll be able to understand each other emotionally; and will be willing to live with the mutual sacrifices that enduring love requires. Not everyone is suited to that.

And once they reunite...which I expect they will...let the kisses begin. But even if they don't, I still feel satisfied that we've been given a beautiful picture of romantic love. And in a strange way, they way the drama has played out has left me feeling like I can watch these well-loved characters ride off into the sunset, knowing they'll all be ok.

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I think I know what's gonna be the next scene....yul will probably kiss dajung as I had seen this scene in the show's trailer a few days back only(as in my country the drama has just ppremeird 2-3 weeks ago only)...I surely think that this is gonna be the next scene.

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There will surely be a real kiss at some point before this show ends, but I think the scene you're referring to was part of a fantasy sequence early on, like ep02 or ep03, when Da Jung was telling someone about how the romance started between the two of them.

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oops..my fault...i think you are probably right...i should have kept in mind the fantasy sequence...i might have been a little confused as i am a little late on the show...

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Awesome series and even better recaps!

Don't mean to be a downer - but from the preview for next week, does it seem like NDJ's funny dad will leave NDJ an orphan? boohoohoo! It will be too bad as the grand kids sure could use such a sweetheart of a Grandpa!

On the brighter side - we all know that KY and NDJ will stay together (if this does not happen - I will stop watching Kdramas - at least for a few weeks to get over my rant at writers!).

What is the next patriotic phrase that KY and NDJ can name their kid? We got Woo ri Na ra Man Se! What comes after this?

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How about "영원히"? Kwon yong won hi? Lol... too long huh!? But it would make it funny... 우리 나라 만세 영원히... uri nara manse yongwonhi. Haha...

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I'm so worried for the kids! I mean after the initial of "yay mommy is alive!" the whole "Why did mommy leave us for 7 years gonna kick in?!" and that's a whole lot of therapy waiting in the wings right there. The little ones may not question it but the older ones will definitely note this jarring reality that their mom abandoned them =/

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I'm still enjoying this drama. As one poster said, Lee Beom-soo just keeps on getting hotter and he has great chemistry with Yoona. I'm not a huge fan of May/December romances but these two are really selling it for me.

I am disappointed, though, that the powers-that-be thought it necessary to up the ante when the ante really didn't need to be upped, dramatically speaking. Older man, embittered by his first wife's betrayal and subsequent death while fleeing the marriage with her lover and emotionally detached from his children, meets, marries and them falls in love with a younger woman. Younger woman marries an older man with kids, in the public eye and with baggage galore on the spur of the moment then falls in love with him.

He is warmed, humanized and reconnected to his life, as opposed to his career, by the younger woman. She has to negotiate her place in his life while still remaining her own person. This is enough drama for me and a pretty common experience for many people. We didn't need the reappearance of the long "dead" first wife because now it's all about her instead of the people we really do care about; Yul, his children and Da Jung.

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I don't think it is wrong for the writers to tell their own story in their own way. Giving enough hints as early as the first episode as well as the parallelism in each episodes are assurances enough that this is the story that the writers want to tell.

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I get what you are saying and I agree the writers set up at least the option of the first wife's return by having her missing rather than dead early enough that it doesn't come as a complete surprise. I'm just expressing my disappointment that they exercised this option so late in the narrative. It changes the focus of the story, in my opinion, from the arrival of a young, good-hearted woman into a damaged family dynamic and how this heals them into a mystery about the first wife. The focus is now really on her decision to disappear and the consequences her reappearance will have on everybody.

Why did she leave? Was she mentally ill? Did Yul treat her the same way he treats his children in the first few episodes? It's bad enough she abandons her children to go to America with her lover but then she choses to remain dead when she regains her senses. Her own brother is obviously so devastated by her death to the point that he actively works against his brother-in-law both professionally and with his nephews and niece. I don't have a problem with any of this; it could make for a very interesting drama. I just think it's a bit too late in this particular drama.

But I'm still enjoying The Prime Minister and I quite a lot.

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I think I have mentioned a few times that having the first wife is an interesting narrative because it addresses issues about family... If not here in dramabeans previous recaps of Prime Minister and I, then at koalasplayground recaps.

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i was of 2 minds and agreed with what everyone posted before but in the end i've come to my conclusions and this is my two cents. nam da jung, don't be stupid. going away so na young could return to her place?! the very same place she forfeited?! whether or not this noble sacrifice of hers is good or bad, but by the end of the day she's introducing a lot of grief by trying to bring na young back. and w/o her their to help the process of acknowledging she's alive and how best to deal with it, the kwon household is going to be undergoing pandemonium. and let's be real, na young can only return to her place as a mother, if the kids can forgive her for abandoning them and take her back. she has no place what so ever next kwon yul because that place is now permanently reserved for nam da jung. you can take a break or separate for a little while until the whole legal messy stuff of dead wife is sorted and continue your lovey dovey happily ever after as husband and wife, like you're meant to. of course since they're the OTP they'll end up together but if the writer does a complete 540 and have na young and kwon yul get back together like oh la la spouses, then heads will roll!!!!

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agree, eternal sadness be damned. agree, closure with na young which i expect will not be overrated. agree, love goes to our otp and kids.
i really like the subtleness and pleasantness of the story.
2 eps to go...

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So I was stupidly eating a late dinner when I watched this. I seriously had to fight to keep my food down, cos I was so choked up. I have been pretty ok with Yoona's acting so far, but holy crap. The pathos and heartbreak and restraint in this Ep has kinda propelled her to the near Gong Hyo Jinosphere. Like the scene after the tent bar. Gah please happy ending... Also LBS is sexaaay!

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I think a lot of people didn't give Im Yoon Ah the credit she deserves yet because she has been labeled as K-Pop and that she's got an unfair head start. But she has been working her butt off and I think she has propelled herself to the top with this drama series. A lot of people didn't like the casting with an older actor but Lee Bum Soo's influence made Yoona better than her previous appearances. Im Yoon Ah, fighting! In my book, you have already arrived, you are as good as Yoon Eun Hye was in Coffee Prince. Good luck and become a CF queen.

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She was never a bad actress as such. Just an inexperienced one. Plus she is still really young. I don't think idols acting is a bad thing at all, especially if they improve like Yoona has done. The casting was a bit suspicious at first but good lord did they get it right. The god dang chemistry is nuclear. LBS is such a wonderful actor... Sigh. It's like when you hear Moon Myung Jin sing for the first time..! You enter heaven.

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While it is true that YoonA is on a different level here in Prime Minister and I, I never considered her as a bad actress too but just an inexperienced one with great potential.

I don't have an issue with idol turned actors or models turned actors too. Some people have innate talent. Some people learn as they do. Some are lucky to be both. Experience is a valuable learning tool, and is needed in all trades.

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I think she benefited from acting with lee beom soo, he is after all an experience acting teacher. he thought other good actors too. hyun bin is one of them. in fact he was in a show teaching SNSD how to act. ironically, yoona was missing from that particular show....hahahah....fate have a healthy sense of humour.... :D

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Ok, has anyone else noticed certain things appear in the previews but don't appear in when the actual episode airs?

It might just be me, so correct me if I'm wrong. One glaring one was the preview where Kwon Yul asked In Ho in whether he likes Da-Jung and In Ho responds by saying what's there not to like about her. I was really looking forward to watching it in the episode but it never came. Last preview also showed Man-Se running after Da-Jungie saying, "Ajumma kajimaaa." It never happened in the episode!!!

I'm I the only one who has noticed this? This is bugging the hell out of me chincha!Michigyeta!

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You are right, many of the preview scene didn't come true. I think the writer do not have an obligation to follow through with the preview ideas; even the ending sequences look different at the start of the next episode. They keep us guessing always and the previews are mixed in order as well and they gave me a lot of anxiousness, the part about being arrested for a fake marriage scared me and I felt like a fool afterward. It serves me right, it was just Nam Da Jung's vivid imagination.

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I think due to the fact that they have only 62 mins, i think they had to cut some of the scenes. So they probably put some of the better cut scenes in the preview.

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The last scene of an episode is sometimes expanded at the beginning of the next episode. We still have a chance to see Man Se running after ahjumma as she's leaving the residence in ep16 next week. The other scene you're referring to I think did happen--I mean, it was shown within an episode and not just as preview. But I agree with docster6, they do mess with us with sequencing and fake-outs. And I like your "chincha!Michigyeta!" Gyiopta.

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The scene with In Ho was def in the episode but I believed was translated differently on Viki, at least.

The one with Man Se, however, I believe was cut during editing. I didn't mind since it was a little overwrought and cheesy. It would've felt like them trying to falsely milk tears from us rather than genuinely inducing them through pathos.

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What a sad episode. Why so serious writers? :)

But yeah, this show continues to be excellent. I have to commend Yoona on her acting. She really moved me. Especially the part where she was pretending to be happy for Yul, all while the sadness was very evident in her eyes.

The wife returning twist is really a toughy. I'm still not clear on why she never tried to reconnect with her family for 7 years. Is there something else going on? A mental issue? 7 years is a long time.

With two episodes left, I'm very anxious to see how they're going to wrap this up. Mainly what role Na-Young would play in her kids' lives at this point.

P.S. Why did Da-jung only leave the house with that tiny suitcase? I know she didn't want to alarm the kids, but how could she abandon her fabulous wardrobe and gorgeous coats? She really must love those kids!

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I hope she packed her Han-Bok. I like her in that. Too bad Kwon Yul wouldn't let her wear that. Wow, I saw her in at least 8 different coats, the white one she wore to meet Yul at church was the best (to me). It is nice to be so slender, she would make a great model as well.

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I was wondering about the wardrobe thingy too. What in the world can fit in that suitcase that she needs to take with her.....

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Hmm. Here's my take:

Someone (drama writer, maybe) has read Daphne Du Maurier's "Rebecca" and thought it would make a good KDrama with a few adaptations.

* The dead wife the new woman thinks the husband is
mourning,
* The locked room with the dead wife's things no one is
permitted to enter
* blah, blah, blah, straight out of "Rebecca"

If the youngest kid is approximately 7 years old and the wife has been gone 7 years, faithless wife was faithless and clever at the same time.

Apparently his wife wasn't declared "dead," but 'disappeared?" Is there such a thing?

And, the straight-laced PM is living with a VERY young woman without having registered the marriage and no one has made a peep about that?

Despite it's inconsistencies, it is fluffy and sweet.

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- The wife left when the youngest was just a baby.

- The wife went missing in the car accident. Legal papers for her missing was officially filed. After 5 years missing, the family could have filed for legal documents officially declaring her as dead. The family has not started the paper works for that until Kwon Yul gave the go ahead signal in episode 13, lawyers told Kang In Ho the processing for the declaration of death would take 6 months.

First wife has a new identity as Kim Min Jung.

- The wife went missing, and has not appeared since then. In a way, Kwon Yul was already considered a widow so him getting married would not have been an issue.

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- The public wedding ceremony is considered as a social contract of some sort. Also, not sure if this is the case in Korea too, but church weddings have some sort of paperworks too that is separate from the legal paperworks for the government.

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I can't believe I'm saying this since I tend to avoid long dramas like the plague.. Man, I wish this show was 20 or 24 episodes. Aack! There!! I said it! lol

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Totally agree. Wouldn't mind seeing this group of people longer.

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I found this on youtube. Helps tie me over. PM and I cast on Happy Together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SdNMTvu44k

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There is one issue I have with Kwon Yul though...

Throughout his contract marriage with Nam Da Jung, Kwon Yul seems to refer to Park Na Young as his wife - no adjectives as first wife, dead wife, late wife or whatever.

Is this really the case?

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Here Here, well said.

This is noble idiocy that I can almost agree with. I agree that she had to tell Yul but I wish she told him face to face and not spring Na Young up on him with a surprise. Thing that I hate is that she already decided by herself that Na Young was better for all of them and that her place is by Yul's side. Where does she get off? Her kids deserve to know she's alive but it's up to them when and where and if they want to meet her again. Yul gets to choose who he'll spend the rest of his life with. Na Young stopped loving Yul a longtime ago and Yul moved on. So that was dumb of her. Glad Yul put the brakes on that bull.

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I don't think Nam Da Jung made the choice for Kwon Yul and his children. Like what Anna said in a comment above, I think that Nam Da Jung left so that Kwon Yul and his children can make a choice for themselves.

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Exactly. And the only thing the kids think is that she's gone to care for her father for a while.

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This show gives me a case of the warm fuzzies!!

LBS and Yoona really imbue their characters with such warmth and sincerity and caring - every time I think they might start to get annoying, I can't help loving them instead.

The kids are adorable - I even love Joon-ki, In-ho and Hye-joo this episode :)

There's still some time, so I'm wondering how the final conflict will be played out, and what will happen with In-ho's brother. Can he please wake up soon and take Na-young to America, as originally planned?

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hooray for woo-ri felling that something was wrong with Da Jung leaving.. the kids are really warming up to her, so Da jung when you asked in the previous episode if will you be able to be a good mother to them, it's a yes! you are already doing a good job of it.

In the last part, when the most popular "missed each other" trope happened, I was shouting on my seat, "no! not this cliche, please nooo!" and when Yul's car turned around, a huge sigh of relief came out of me..

I'm gonna repeat what Yul has said if in case they would have to separate that he would stop the time so that it will not happen. I want to stop the time when this series will end, cause I don't want it to happen.. I want to see more of them, not just for the last 2 episodes..

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I had a huge sigh of relief as well at the end of Episode 15. BUT, from what I have read for the next Episode, there will be a separation for quite a while and there might be hurtful things said by Da Jung to increase her noble idiocy. I guess that is the way a Korean Drama has to be written, that there will be a separation before the final episode. In Master's Sun, Ta Yang left for 370 days. In Coffee Prince, Go Eun Chan left for 2 years to Italy. In Lie to Me, Ah-Jung left for Jeju Island for no reason and gave "Panda" eyes to her boyfriend. In the recent Marry Him If You Dare, there was a three-year separation. In Secret, Min-Yuek went to Armenia for a long time before coming back. In You Are Beautiful, Go Mi Nam went away for a while. In To the Beautiful You, the girl, played by Suilli Choi of f(x), went back to the USA and it was a year before they met again. I can go on and on, but I guarantee there will be separation coming up, aish!! It is not fair to do this for our heart conditions.

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oh no! I think you're right.. In Flower boy ramyun shop, Jung Il woo's character left for military service, in Flower boy next door, Yoon Shi Yoon's character left for a year, even in My Girlfriend is a Gumiho Shin Mina's character disappeared for quite a while. Can we consider their 15 days separation in Ep 11 as the only separation in this series, please? If they must separate, another 15 days will suffice. I can't bear to watch them separate for more than a month.

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This episode is so bittersweet. I'm swooning that KY is now the one wooing DJ by giving her flowers, and saying that he will do everything she wants. But knowing that DJ is preparing the Prime Minister for a separation breaks my heart. I want them to end up together. I never had a doubt about it as every episode from 1 to 15 ends with the two of them thus reassuring as that they will be together until the end.

This episode also show how Kwon Yul has grown to love Da Jeong. When Na Young ran away from him, he tried to went after her but didn't really exert any effort and choose to remain inside the theater(?) to think about things. But the moment Woo Ri called saying that Ajumma seems weird and went to visit Grandpa; Kwon Yul without any hesitation runs fast and drives the car himself just to find the woman he loves. It shows that DJ is the woman he wants to be with and not NY.

This drama is beautifully written. I love how the writers created each characters and made them believable. I'm emotionally attached with Yul, Da Jeong and the kids.

The only thing that I think is missing and will make me very happy is a REAL KISS!!! Please writers I beg of you, make it happen on the last 2 episodes.

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"And this is why I love Yul. He’s a man of action and of his word; lies do not become him."

Someone probably already said this- but *win* for a Princess Bride quote!

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Inconceivable!

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"How can one resist the confident voice telling you that you’ll never be parted and says “As you wish?” to your requests?"

"Meeting your not-so-dead wife isn’t an everyday occurrence."
And there's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead.

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It's so weird, I just watch Nam dajung performed at the seoul music award which is the week that she was filming this episode. She was so choding at the event and yet all that sadness here. I'm so going to miss DJ, and the Kwon family. 2 more episodes to go! Fighting.

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I read that people who watch Romantic Comedy do not want to know about the political backdrop of the show. But I feel Nam Da Jung needs to give Kwon Yul some support during this turbulent time of his political career. Kwon Yul loves her simple explanations about life and she did help him greatly on several occasions even though she knows nothing about politics. Rather than worrying only about Park Na Young's return to the family, Da Jung needs to give Kwon Yul some support. Not everything is related to love and family.

From what I understand, the conglomerate being investigated for corruption belongs to Park Joon-Gi's father-in-law (Madame Na's father). Chairman Na has left the country. The assasination attempt on Kwon Yul was also initiated by that Chaebol group. The reason I am interested in this scenario is that Park Joon-Gi has resigned as the financial minister so he would no longer be a puppet of Chairman Na. That could mean Joon-Gi could end up loving his Hoobie, Secretary Seo, and leaving Madame Na. Kwon Yul is not the only one going after Chairman Na; it appears the justice department is hot on his tail, as most citizens of the country as well. Kwon Yul wants to stop that company from bidding on the National Port project and that was when the President got cold feet and wish that Kwon Yul is not around, saying he could hurt the nation's economy. A lot of assemblymen from the opposition party also want the Prime Minister gone because they are also corrupted.
That is why we need Da Jung NOW to be with Kwon Yul. She was the one who asked him to be a Prime Minister for the people and not for the rich. So if Da Jung is tied up worrying the children's feelings being hurt, she is missing the big picture of the entire country. I always wished that the PM's wife can become a political heroine besides just being a cute and loving wife. Am I asking too much?

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I have thought about that too...but let's see; while Kwon is having political problems...professionalism is not always how the opposition attacks. If the news of first wife being alive gets out, it can easily be twisted by the likes of reporter Byun(?). And then, Da Jung will be the one targeted. That will probably force a rash reaction out of Yul - destroying whatever was spared.

And even though Joon-ki is trying hard to block Kwon's removal, he has already done enough damage - he has created such a hostile atmosphere that anyone who gets a hint of NY would use it against Kwon.

While I agree the real reason behind Joon-ki's resignation, I also think he wouldn't end up with Seo. And if he remains with Madame Na and becomes the prime minister(I have almost lost hope that Kwon will continue his term, don't you think so?), he wouldn't be directly attacked, because she is the daughter of one of the biggest chaebols. That places him in a better position.

To be honest, I think Kwon Yul is too honest and straightforward for being involved in politics. And I quote myself, conglomerate wars can't be solved in just two episodes maintaining realism.

Arghh...Na Young ruins everything. :( Da-Jung does seem to be uncaring about his political position...but she doesn't know about anything, does she? I mean, she has witnessed the attack, but the culprit was caught. How would she know that there is a motion for the removal of Kwon to be passed? Kang would definitely not tell her anything.

Everything - including the talk with the President and the hostility among other ministers is happening behind the scenes. It's not out yet. The media would be showing opposition from the chaebols, but they can't get in touch with the inner politics. Kwon Yul is always vague when talking about these matters.

I think she doesn't know that the matter is this serious, so I'll give her the benefit of doubt.

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The detailing of this drama is very good the writers pay attention to little detail a lot especially describing nuances and scenes between the OTP those little details makes a very difference experience watching this drama despite of DEJA' VU cliché but it makes so much difference with the perfect cast.

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Although it ended with a cliff hanger I really liked this episode. I liked the love DJ displayed when making the decision to leave. Allowing both the children and the PM to find the time to sort out their feelings on having the mother and wife back once her return is known to all. She realized how hard it was for the PM to forget his wife and the love he had for her. She also realized how the older son missed his mom in spite of the younger ones not remembering. It takes a woman of great character to do what she did so I thank the writer for having her display this quality.

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Can't we pass the week-end and be Monday all ready ?????

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Thanks for the recap! What a bittersweet episode! I was blinking back tears most of the episode.. Yoona's acting is just so believable.. The pained look in her eyes while pretending to be ok was so point on.. I am so proud of her in this drama! I am glad she chose to accept this role because working with the great Lee Bum Soo seems to have worked wonders on her acting! So even though ratings wise they failed, Yoona must not feel sad about it because this drama allowed her to shine and move past the usual
bias people have against idols.. I will eagerly anticipate her next project..

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All of us could see the noble idiot plot since a while ago but I thought it was done pretty well here. In fact, the reason was pretty acceptable as she knew how it was to grow up without a mother too! And glad that it was resolved so quickly with Yul finding her so fast! Talk it out =)

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yes, Da-jung is a noble idiot; and yes, Na Young does not deserve her family back..but children! I seriously do not see the way out with the older one.. And I agree with what a lot of people said above - dismissal, second marriage (sort off) while first wife turnd to be alive - press would eat Yul alive!
So there is a lot to consider in all these and love sometimes not enough.. But hope drama will be smarter than I and find a way!
And I would like to see one more thing - Joon-ki becoming better father to hid (or rather Madame Nam's) son, I kind of pity the boy even if we had just a glimps how Joon-ki treats him.

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