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Perfect Wife: Episode 17

For anyone who’s ever been a parent, this episode is the stuff of nightmares. Jae-bok’s worst fears are coming true, because she can’t even count on the one person she should be able to trust to have her children’s best interests at heart. Thank heavens for Bong-gu, who seems poised to become much more than a friend — he could very well be the the one person capable of saving Jae-bok’s life.

 
EPISODE 17 RECAP

While fighting with Eun-hee, Na-mi is pushed over a railing and down a short hill, hitting her head hard on a rock. Eun-hee flees the scene, and not too long after, Jae-bok finds Na-mi’s purse and joins her at the bottom of the hill. She sees that Na-mi’s head is gushing blood and calls the police.

Someone has already notified the police that two women were fighting here, so a pair of officers shows up while Jae-bok is still on the phone. Jae-bok tells them that she found Na-mi injured, and that she was meeting with Eun-hee earlier. One officer asks Jae-bok to come to the station to give a statement, noticing the blood on her hand.

As he’s driving around looking for Na-mi, Bong-gu gets a call that Na-mi has died. He pulls off the road and sits, silent and shocked.

Equally as shocked, Jae-bok tells the detective at the station how she found Na-mi already unconscious. She repeats that Na-mi was meeting with Eun-hee, describing Eun-hee as a dangerous woman.

Another cop informs the detective that Na-mi was having an affair with Jae-bok’s husband, and that the last time Na-mi was hurt, Jae-bok was a suspect. She confirms everything, though she protests her innocence both then and now. But the circumstances look pretty bad, so Jae-bok is arrested as the prime murder suspect in Na-mi’s death.

Meanwhile, Eun-hee changes clothes in her car, purposely ignoring a call from the police department. She heads to the office to tell Jung-hee that Na-mi has died. He naturally assumes she did it, calling her a liar when she says it was an accident, and he shakes Eun-hee viciously, screaming, “Why? Why?!

It’s eerily similar to the moment he shook and accused Jae-bok of killing Na-mi after her previous accident, and Jung-hee draws back at the memory. Eun-hee physically blocks him from calling the police, calmly informing him that if anything happens to her, he’ll lose his job, his children, everything.

Again she insists that Na-mi’s death was an accident, and that she never intended to kill her. Jung-hee can only shake his head and sob as Eun-hee reassures him that all he has to do is follow her directions so that they can be together with his children, and everything will be fine.

Bong-gu has the heartbreaking task of identifying Na-mi’s body for the second time. Crying, he says over and over, “Na-mi, I’m here. Oppa is here,” hoping that she’ll wake up again, but this time there’s no happy ending. She’s really gone.

Hye-ran and Won-jae rush to the station to see Jae-bok, followed closely by Bong-gu. Despite his obvious numb grief, the first thing he does is ask if Jae-bok is okay, then he nods when she asks if Na-mi is really dead. Jae-bok swears that she didn’t kill her, but Bong-gu says that he knows, because he trusts her.

Starting to cry, Jae-bok asks if Bong-gu is okay. He covers her hand on the cell bar with his own, softly but resolutely promising to prove her innocence and catch the real murderer.

In order to create an alibi, Eun-hee pours glass after glass of wine for Jung-hee while they wait for a call to come in from the police station. When it does, Jung-hee barely holds it together as he pretends to be hearing the news of Na-mi’s death for the first time, sending Eun-hee a glare of pure hatred.

Jae-bok watches as Bong-gu argues with the detective over whether the blood on Jae-bok’s hand is evidence that she’s the murderer. Unfortunately there were no CCTV cameras in the area where Na-mi was killed, so there’s no way to prove who did it.

Bong-gu glares daggers as Jung-hee and Eun-hee enter the station and pretend to know nothing of Na-mi’s death. Eun-hee spins an alibi that she’s been with Jung-hee all night making up after a fight, prompting Bong-gu to sarcastically congratulate her on her quick thinking.

Jae-bok is allowed to speak privately with Jung-hee, and once they’re alone, he says that he knows she didn’t kill Na-mi. Jae-bok turns down his offer to hire a lawyer for her, saying that his help is worthless to her when he already knows who did it.

Jung-hee says that he doesn’t know any such thing, only that he trusts that Jae-bok didn’t do it. Jae-bok snarls at him not to trust her, since he’s changed so much that she doesn’t trust him anyway.

Bong-gu confronts Eun-hee in the station hallway to ask why she killed Na-mi. When she tries to walk away from him, he slams her against the wall and asks again why she killed her. He keeps asking, growing louder and more strident when Eun-hee doesn’t answer, until he’s pushed her to the ground by the shoulders.

Eventually a pair of cops pull Bong-gu off of Eun-hee, though he continues kicking and screaming at her as they drag him away. Jung-hee follows the noise and sees the commotion, and though he snarls at Bong-gu, he doesn’t move to help Eun-hee either.

Bong-gu stays at the station with Jae-bok all night, sitting outside her cell like a loyal guard and refusing to leave even when she tells him to go home. Jae-bok tearfully apologizes to him for getting to Na-mi too late to save her, but Bong-gu says that it wasn’t her fault.

After they arrive home, Jung-hee informs Eun-hee that he’s bringing his children to live here. He firmly reminds her of her promise when she tries to stall him, saying that he doesn’t care if she likes it or not. He barely makes it to his room before he sinks to the floor, keening Jae-bok’s name.

Bong-gu goes home the next morning to find the dinner that Na-mi left for him the night before, now gone cold. He sits wearily, imagining her clumsily but cheerfully cooking for him, and he finally lets himself cry.

Jung-hee stops by Won-jae’s to let her know that he’ll be taking the kids. Won-jae objects, pointing out that he doesn’t have legal custody. Jung-hee tells her that he’s only taking them until Jae-bok is free again, promising to tell Jae-bok about this himself.

Eun-hee acts like having the kids back in the house is the best thing in the world, and while Jin-wook seems happy, Hae-wook doesn’t look convinced. Jung-hee hurries them upstairs along with his mother and forcefully grabs Eun-hee’s arm when she tries to follow them, saying through gritted teeth that she has plenty to do downstairs.

He takes his mother aside, and they agree that Eun-hee isn’t stable, so it’s Mom’s job to make sure the children are never alone with her. Mom promises to be careful, even if she has to take the kids to her home to avoid Eun-hee.

True to his word, Jung-hee tells Jae-bok that he has the kids, promising to bring them back once Jae-bok is out. She accuses him of helping Eun-hee with her alibi so that he could get Jae-bok out of the way and take the children, asking frantically how he isn’t worried about them being in the same house as the woman who killed Na-mi.

Bong-gu visits the location where Na-mi died, convinced that she wouldn’t have given up without doing something. Since her cell phone is missing, he wonders if there might have been something on her phone that could prove that Eun-hee killed her.

He goes back to Sam-kyu for help searching the cloud for any pictures or recordings Na-mi may have taken before she died. Before they get a chance to look, the detective calls Bong-gu to tell him that they found a piece of leather in Na-mi’s head wound, which they think may have come from a blow by an assailant’s purse or wallet.

Eun-hee’s spy hangs around the police station and reports this information back to her. Eun-hee worries that she could lose everything just when she’s finally got Jung-hee while Hyung-sun stares at her daughter, concerned.

Bong-gu urges Sam-kyu to find something in Na-mi’s cloud storage, insisting that they have to free Jae-bok before the end of the day, though he changes the subject when Sam-kyu asks why. Sam-kyu manages to find something quickly, and they both stare at the last picture taken by Na-mi’s phone.

When Na-mi had weakly grabbed her phone as she lay bleeding, she’d snapped a picture of Eun-hee standing at the railing above her. Although Eun-hee’s face is cropped out, the distinctive striped dress she was wearing that night can be clearly seen. Even though he knew who Na-mi’s killer was, seeing the proof in literal black and white stuns Bong-gu, and he screams in frustration.

Eun-hee serves the kids a snack, but Jung-hee’s mom rushes in to grab the bread from Jin-wook’s hand and taste it herself first. Hyung-sun tells Eun-hee that she’s going out, and after a minute, Eun-hee runs out after her.

She tries to see what’s in the bag Hyung-sun is carrying, but Hyung-sun does her best to keep it a secret. Bong-gu races up in his car and interrupts them, striding straight to Eun-hee to inform her that even though she got rid of Na-mi’s phone, a picture of her was uploaded to the cloud. It seems to take every ounce of strength he possesses to stay calm as he accuses her of causing Na-mi’s death.

The police arrive then to arrest Eun-hee, but Hyung-sun surprises everyone by confessing that she did it, and was in fact on her way to turn herself in. Bong-gu calls her a liar, pointing to Eun-hee as the guilty party, but Hyung-sun holds out her proof — the striped dress she claims to have been wearing that night, and the purse that was used to hit Na-mi.

Jae-bok is released and is informed that Hyung-sun confessed to killing Na-mi. Jae-bok protests that Eun-hee is the true murderer, but Hyung-sun snaps at her indignantly, accusing Jae-bok of trying to frame her daughter.

Jae-bok gets even more upset when she can’t reach Jung-hee, so she insists that Bong-gu take her straight to Eun-hee’s house. He wants to speak to Jung-hee himself first, but Jae-bok is beyond calming, and she grows so panicked at the thought of her children in that house with Eun-hee that she suddenly drops like a stone, unconscious.

Hyung-sun tells the detective that she and Na-mi fought because Na-mi was demanding more money from her. She says she got angry and hit Na-mi with her purse, and in the scuffle, Na-mi fell over the rail.

The detective shows Hyung-sun the photo that Na-mi took right before she died of a woman in a striped dress standing at the railing above her. He asks where Na-mi’s phone is now, so Hyung-sun lies that she threw it into the river.

Jung-hee goes home early to confront Eun-hee when he hears that she let Hyung-sun confess in her place. She says that Brian will fix everything, but Jung-hee (calling her Eun-kyung now) just says that she’s a frightening woman. She asks haughtily if that makes him even more frightening for choosing her.

An unexpected visitor surprises Hyung-sun when her son Brian is led into the interrogation room. Brian asks his mother if she really killed Na-mi, already knowing the answer. She sticks to her story with Brian, who tells her to stop confessing until she speaks with the lawyer he hired.

We’re shown that on the night of Na-mi’s death, Eun-hee had her dress sent to her mother after changing out of it, telling her to dispose of them. Hyung-sun had instead changed into the dress and gone out, making sure to stand in view of the security camera at the front gate.

Hyung-sun says that this is for the best after the way she tormented Brian and Eun-hee when they were children. She struggles to smile as she says that this is her punishment for what she did to them. She sincerely apologizes to Brian for Na-mi’s death, knowing that they’d gotten close.

Bong-gu watches over Jae-bok as she lies in the hospital, leaving the room for just a moment to take a call from the detective about the CCTV catching Hyung-sun in the striped dress. He tells the detective to look for tampering of the time stamp and hangs up, but when he goes back to Jae-bok’s room, she’s gone.

Jae-bok somehow stumbles to Eun-hee’s house, still in her hospital gown, trying desperately to reach Jung-hee on the phone. She finds that the gate code has been changed, so she yells into the video monitor for Eun-hee to let her in. Eun-hee watches her for a minute, then calmly shuts off the monitor.

Jung-hee finally notices his phone ringing, and he picks up to hear Jae-bok screaming at him to let her in. Instead he tells her to calm down, warning her that acting like this will only hurt her when she tries for custody. He says that he’s just going to keep the kids for a few days so she can rest before hanging up.

Being cut off from her children and knowing they’re in the house with Eun-hee is more than Jae-bok can bear. She pounds on the door until Bong-gu finds her and pulls her into his arms. He talks her down by agreeing that he’s as angry as she is, and he promises to help her get her kids back.

That night Jung-hee reads Hae-wook to sleep, cuddling her tight as he remembers Jae-bok’s shrieks. He tells himself that he has to do this for the kids’ sake.

Back at the hospital, Bong-gu doesn’t leave Jae-bok’s side all night long and holds her hand as he watches her battling nightmares of losing her children.

Brian visits Na-mi’s resting place the next morning, thinking about the last time he saw her alive. She’d quit her job and told him she was moving away, asking him to keep his promise to help pay for her mother’s treatment.

He starts to leave when Bong-gu arrives and asks if he actually has a conscience, but Bong-gu stops him. He says gently that Brian is the only one who can intervene and stop Eun-hee. Bong-gu clarifies that he doesn’t actually think Brian will do anything, but Na-mi had faith that Brian was a decent human being.

Jae-bok finally gets to pick up her children, and she even finds the grace to ask Eun-hee how her mother is doing. Eun-hee can’t muster the same respect and ignores her, but Jae-bok just bundles up the kids and turns to go. On the way out, Jin-wook reminds his dad of his promise that all four of them will go to an amusement park soon.

That night, Eun-hee eavesdrops as Jung-hee talks to Jin-wook on the phone and tells him to take good care of his mother and sister. When Jin-wook complains about the divorce, Jung-hee tells his son that he’s been trying to think of a way they can all be together again.

Eun-hee walks back to her room in a daze, asking, “Jung-hee, are you planning on leaving me again?” She thinks of every time he’s rejected her, turned his back on her, or looked at her in disgust, and she gasps that she can’t let this happen. Suddenly she seems to get an idea and breathes a name: “Shim Jae-bok. Jae-bok needs to disappear.”

Jung-hee leaves on a business trip to the U.S. the next morning, and Eun-hee sends him off with a cheerful smile like everything is completely normal. Jae-bok is also off on a short business trip, and the way the scene lingers on her goodbye to Hae-wook is nerve-racking.

Eun-hee’s spy visits the place where Na-mi died, reporting back that he hasn’t found anything. Bong-gu finds him there and punches him out of nowhere, following it up with more punches and kicks as he asks what the spy did with the evidence of Na-mi’s murder. Afterward, Bong-gu calls Jae-bok to say he has a gift for her when she returns — Eun-hee’s spy, trussed up like a turkey in Sam-kyu’s office.

A van swerves in front of Jae-bok and slams on its brakes, causing her to hit its bumper. Jae-bok gets out to talk to a man about the accident, never even seeing the second man sneaking up behind her. He grabs her and they shove her into the van before driving away.

They take her to a run-down building, then drag her down a filthy hall into a dark room. There’s a nurse there who asks if she’s their new patient, Lee Eun-hee, and Jae-bok denies vehemently that she’s Eun-hee. She begs to be allowed to make a call, but the nurse and guards ignore her.

Some school-age girls watch through a dingy window as the nurse loads up a syringe and advances on Jae-bok. She screams for help, but there’s nobody to hear.

 
COMMENTS

I’m very concerned about what Eun-hee’s next move will be now that she’s overheard Jung-hee planning to reunite his family. Clues point to this happening in the past, that they possibly did date briefly and that when Jung-hee broke things off, Eun-hee nearly killed them both. I seriously doubt that fifteen-plus years have made Eun-hee any more open to losing Jung-hee, particularly now that she feels she’s “earned” him back. This time the thing standing in Eun-hee’s way is Jae-bok, and I have a feeling that having Jae-bok kidnapped and committed under Eun-hee’s name is just the beginning.

I can’t even imagine how Jae-bok must have felt, knowing that her children were in that house with the woman who killed Na-mi while not even being able to see or talk to them. I’m not a parent, but I think that being unable to do anything when your child is in danger must be one of the worst, most helpless feelings in the world. I was crying right along with Jae-bok as she pounded on Eun-hee’s door, desperate to see her children safe but unable to go to them. And even though I don’t think Jung-hee’s intent was to ever take the kids away permanently, because he kept his word to send them home when Jae-bok was feeling better, he still should have let her at least see them to know they were okay. You have to be a cold-hearted bastard to hear a mother’s panicked screams and hang up on her. Just one more reason on my swiftly growing list of reasons to hate Jung-hee.

Speaking of Jung-hee, I can’t even begin to guess what he’s thinking anymore. Just the fact that he took steps to put his mother between the kids and Eun-hee proves that he’s aware of how dangerous she is. What’s wrong with him, that he thinks it’s appropriate to let his children stay in the same house as a stalker, psychopath, and known murderer (okay, technically Na-mi’s death was an accident, but Eun-hee’s out-of-control temper made it inevitable that someone was going to get hurt or killed after crossing her)? I think that Jung-hee’s biggest flaw is in thinking that he can control Eun-hee, even though he’s been utterly incapable of it to this point. So he repeatedly gives her access to himself and his children after witnessing her increasingly erratic behavior, knowing that she’s jealous of the time he spends with his children and has already violently lashed out at Hae-wook. He truly seems to believe that he can keep Eun-hee in line even though he hasn’t been able to so far.

Is Jung-hee really so desperate to be seen as successful that he’s willing to put his kids’ lives at risk? I mean, obviously he is, but why? He knows what she does when she’s jealous (he alluded to her even doing it when they were in college, after she ripped up Hae-wook’s rabbit, though we don’t know the details yet), he knows what Eun-hee is capable of. That’s what I don’t get, and it’s the first time I’ve been frustrated with the show’s way of withholding information. Generally it’s been an effective way of building suspense by redirecting the audience’s attention in order to surprise us with the truth later. But in Jung-hee’s case, I want to know what’s driving him so hard that he’s gone from a complete pushover to a man who would endanger his own children for money and prestige.

Bong-gu, on the other hand, has managed to elevate himself in my opinion from an annoying kid to a loyal steadfast friend, and now to a straight-up hero. Nobody would blame him if he withdrew from the hot mess Jae-bok’s life has become, but he just continues to step up to the plate, time after time, no matter how scary and difficult things get. He’s never far from Jae-bok when she needs him (and she needs him so much right now), when many people would see how Eun-hee is and be scared to stay involved. But Bong-gu’s shown no fear or inclination to let Jae-bok deal with things on her own — in fact, you get the feeling he would take care of everything for her if he could. He made me tear up when, even in the depths of his grief over Na-mi, his first concern was to make sure Jae-bok was okay. There’s just something between Bong-gu and Jae-bok that’s stronger than friendship, deeper than love, and more solid than family. I don’t even know how to describe their relationship, only that it’s pretty close to perfect.

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Jae bok is seriously badass. She's my fav female character in like forever. The writer really did a good job

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How can this drama capable of making me more hate a character in each episode? Jung hee, jinwook, eun hee... You know what? They deserve each other. JB can just leave with Haewook, her besties and Bonggu...

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lmao dude really? he's a fucking child what exacltly do you want from him?

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Loyalty!

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ugh i've never hated a male character as much as i hate junghee. such a weak, spineless idiotic guy. I used to think he'd still make a good dad, but now i dont think so. Letting your children near a potential killer is so dumb my brain cannot compute why he made such decisions.

On the other hand, bonggu is becoming more and and more dependable and i love him so much! Even if Jaebok and him dont end up together i'll still be pretty content with whatever they have right now.

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I'm so worried JH is going to use JB's little breakdown in front of the house as justification for seeking full custody. As if JB is more unstable for being justifiably upset after a traumatic few days than EH who has actually now caused someone's death. I am beyond ready to see some retribution and I hope the next few episodes will not disappoint!!!!!

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omg that'd be horrible. well i dont know why but i hope as dumb as jung hee is i still hope at least he has the decency to not take the kids away from jae bok because if he does that then thats just low man. worst character ever.

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What parent knowingly puts their kids in danger??? What an effing fool - I really hope Jaebok gets custody of the kids and a restraining order against Junghee. I know culturally, there's a huge emphasis on family etc., but this is beyond stupid.

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I can't even fathom wtf is going through Jung-hee's mind right now. Why would you even place your kids in the same vicinity as this psychotic woman?!

And I agree about Bong-gu. I would LOVE for them to end up together but even if they don't, this is one of the best relationships I've seen in drama land. That scene when he was sitting outside of her jail cell? Oh my heart!

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I think Jung Hee's behavior is actually consistent in that he always takes the path of least resistance. The sensible thing to do would be to move the hell out of Eun Hee's dungeon, but then he'd have to do work. He's got a nice house right there and he can't really be bothered, even if it's totally crazypants to share space with Eun Hee, much less to have her around his kids. And going to @lollypip's point, I don't think it's resolve at all that's kept him with Eun Hee for so long. He latches on to Eun Hee after he thinks Na Mi is dead, and he no longer has her to fawn over him, and after Jae Bok has made up her mind to divorce, and he no longer has Jae Bok to clean up after him. He stays with Eun Hee for so long because he keeps thinking he can get something out of her (and has no one else to leach off). And then even after he kind of realizes his brilliant "plan" isn't going to work, he still stays because Eun Hee threatens him and he's too much of a coward to stand up to her. Even when it comes to who he wants to be with, he pretty much goes with whoever is in front of him and seems best at the moment. He bounced back and forth between JB and Na Mi, and is trying to get back with JB now that Eun Hee isn't working out. He has no conviction or resolve whatsoever except to choose whatever seems most comfortable or promising—or least scary—at any given moment. That's why despite genuinely loving his kids and I think having some real affection for Jae Bok and Na Mi, he keeps putting all of them in danger. He's incapable of thinking of anyone besides himself.

TLDR; Jung Hee really sucks.

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As I was watching through my laptop, whenever I saw Junghee I was literally screaming "son of a b*tch, do something!! B*stard!!".
I love you Jaebok, seriously I wish you would be my friend (if you were real). She is the strongest female character since, like, forever...

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I curse at him too! eeevery scene!

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I said it before and I'll say it again, Jaebok's character is really going to one of my most favorites in dramaland. It's as if her reactions would be what I want my reactions to be in those situations. Kudos to Ko So-young for her amazing portrayal of JB. and this is coming from a long hiatus. she did a really great job here. Also to the actress playing Eun Hee- two thumbs up! we don't really get a lot of villains who are as psychotic and as pretty as her.

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I finally quit watching this show about 4 episodes ago, just recaps now - and mainly due to just getting so aggravated at freaking stupid and gutless Jung Hee is.

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I cursed too. A lot.

I don't know if he thinks he can control Eun Hee like LollyPip said (thanks for recaps and great comments by the way); I do think he is selfish. He is only thinking about what he wants, which is to be with his kids, not about what is best and SAFEST for them. He is no longer qualified in my eyes.

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hE just to full of himself,he still thinks JaeBok is gonna have him back

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I have called him every curse word I know and I know a lot!

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Junghee only cares about himself. He is putting his children's lives at risk by letting them live with a murder because of his greedy. There is no salvation for him now.

I hope Jaebok gets the solo custody of the kids and doesn't let him even visit them. He, like Eunhee, is actually a danger for them.

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I think there's a pretty good case to be made for Jung Hee being the real villain of the show. Eun Hee is obviously a terrible and very ill person, but there have been so many points where her schemes would have gone nowhere if Jung Hee had a spine. From the beginning with the affair to Jae Bok getting kidnapped, Jung Hee is the one who has kept walking right into Eun Hee's traps and/or dragging people Eun Hee sees as threats into her sights.

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Agreed! We can't really blame Eun-hee for everything she does because she's mentally unstable.

But Jung-hee... "Dude, you don't have mental problem, and you agreed to be an "accomplice" of a murderer by agreeing to make an alibi with her? This is insane!" Jung-hee couldn't think in the right mind. Gosh, I really want to punch him every time he's on screen!

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I love JB and I love her strength but I feel like they (the writers) went too far with JH, I mean is there a man so irresponsible? I also don't like how gullible JB is...like how come he forgot the mean snarky comment Eunhee made when he asked her for snacks? As for Haewokea...I feel sad for Haewoke.

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the son is as disloyal as his father. fortunately for the son, we can blame teenage-hood and hormones for this. he IS spoiled too. clearly, he's a bit of a jerk of a child, but there's hope that he can turn into a decent adult.
as for his father... urgh

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I'll start this by saying, dear @lollypip , Thank you for the timely recaps! I have been refreshing all morning and right on cue for my lunch break at work, here is your post! yay !

this episode had me soooooo engaged. Bong-gu's grief killed me and his need to help and be next to Jae-bok is admirable and lovely. When he sat by her jail cell and said that he doesn't want to leave her alone because HE doesn't want to be alone either... my heart!!!!

While I am completely against physical violence, when Bong-gu was squeezing the crap out of Eun-hee at the police station, I could feel his rage and honestly, man or woman, I would have done the same thing. there was so much desperation and frustration in his act. oh our poor puppy! :-(

Jae-bok is in my books as one of the Strongest & most Blunt Straight-Arrow Woman in KDramas. She's so very different from all other female leads, in such a great positive no-nonsense way. I loooooove her and could feel my heart breaking as she screamed for her kids. I have faith that NOTHING will make her forgive her ex-husband after THIS! don't disappoint me, Jae-bok! I look up to you!

as for Jung-hee... I... I can't. I just can't stomach this man. I don't understand him or how f**kin' foolish his every move is. He's under the delusional impression that he has Eun-hee under control, and yet, even without our Viewers' All-Seeing-Eyes, everyone can tell that he ain't got sh*t ! omg I hate this man!

last thing: I never felt this show was makjang until the end of this episode. really, a fake mental hospital? right now? ... come on...

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I think Bong Gu's actions in the police station resonated with most viewers. His grief was enough that I felt Na Mi's loss even more keenly.

I'll take the hospital over Jae Bok dying. I was actually surprised she didn't try to kill her. Maybe she's going to use her imprisonment as blackmail? I don't care if it is Jung Hee who rescues her (please be Bong Gu), she better not take back Mr. Lower Than Whale Sh$#!

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My jury is still out as to whether or not they are going to have Bong-gu and Jae-bok end up as anything more than a beautiful partnership - in many ways he is acting like the loyal brother he could have been to Na-m, though he certainly does have a profound respect and slight crush on the woman Jae-bok is, coming to know her as a loyal wife, friend, and caring mother - things he has apparently never had.

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I'm happy to embrace Bong-gu & Jae-bok's relationship in which ever form in takes, as long as she doesn't go back to her ex. At this point, it's almost an established fact that Bong-gu's here to stay in life as a permanent k-constant support. and that's all I need.
....
....
as long as Jae-bok doesn't go back to her ex.

lol

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Nope. Make them an item show or I will be angry. They killed Na Mi so they should give Bong gu at least a happy ending in the romantic aspect of his life. Please and out.

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lol

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"I think that Jung-hee’s biggest flaw is in thinking that he can control Eun-hee, even though he’s been utterly incapable of it to this point."

That and his being selfish with his kids. That he would think that by bringing his mom with his kids at home with Eun Hee is a guarantee that nothing can happen to his kids. At least mom is paranoid enough. Jae Bok's reaction is just so spot on and heartbreaking. And I cannot even ask for more with Bong-gu's steadfast friendship and loyalty. Is it really too much to ask for a happy ending with him and Jaebok? Knowing JB, I doubt that she would still end up with JH.

Btw, EunHee calling the cops on JaeBok is just so Whisper. haha.

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Who says Sung Joon doesn't knows to act??
Who was the one that said sung joon doesn't know emoting??
His jaw line is a piece of art.

That's all.

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Thank you Amy, couldn't agree more! If I hear one more person ever question his acting ability again, I'll hunt them down! Lol. Seriously, I've never questioned it, and always thought that he's more than risen to each character he's played! I've always gotten him and been impressed with everything he's done, but this role, he's hit it out of the ballpark! Still only watching because of him, heartbroken over NaMi, and heartbroken for him! Don't really care about the other characters, everyone has said enough about them! And yes, I've always thought he was a work of art, could admire it all day!

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I seriously cannot understand where JH is coming from. Hello, bringing your kids to live with a psychopath and a confessed murderer? You are so not getting any Dad of the Year medals anytime soon. And to think he knows how cruel EK can be to go as far as being jealous of a little girl and getting and destroying her most precious belonging! My gosh, he is all sorts of idiot and stupid rolled into one pathetic human being totally unfit to be a dad.

On the other hand, BG is wonderful. He stepped up big time, putting JB as his priority even over his grief. Major props to Sung Joon for his acting in this episode. It wasn't over the top. I love, love, love the controlled rage and emotions he showed, especially in the morgue and again when he saw the food NM had prepared. For me, his acting as BG is his best yet.

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I think part of the problem with Jung-hee he's dug his hole to deep to be able to climb out of it now. Eun-hee has pretty much jumped off the deep end and that is probably part of why he's made some of the poor choices recently. in some small capacity he probably thought keeping the kids at the house was the lesser of two evils. It would minorly appease Eun-hee into a small sense of security that she could get them to be a family. But having his mom there does show that he knows it's really not safe.
Also it sounds heartless but I think keeping Jae-bok out of the house was the correct choice. Honestly speaking having her in Eun-hee's house reuniting with her kids would have probably sparked Eun-hee's madness again and put them in more immediate danger.
That being said Jung-hee is still a poor excuse of man to put himself in that position to begin with. And all the other things you pointed about him still ring true. And Jung-hee saying to jin-wook on the phone that he'd figure out a way for them to be a family again was supremely stupid because he knows how Eun-hee constantly eavesdrop on him and that was probably the worse thing you could say to set her off.

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Well, at the end, it can be Jung-hee will end up with nothing; if Jae-bok won't take him anymore (I really hope, she won't get back to JH), and EH might be ending up in mental hospital as it's almost impossible to charge mentally ill people by going to prison for whatever she did to Na-mi.

Without EH, I don't think it will be possible to JH to stay in the company. I don't know how this series will pull to the ending, I hope that JH will deserve to get what he's been done, especially for the second half of the show when he started to lure himself to EH for the sake of power and money. And even he decided to stay even though he knew that EU is Eun-kyung, his stalker and a psycho who's truly obsesses with him.

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One thing that I find unfortunate in this story is the fact that JB and JH can't just tell their children that they have divorced, or explain in anyway what is wrong with their relationship? Obviously it's a delicate subject explaining to children that their parents are separating because often children can come to believe that it is somehow their fault. But it's really not good to be lying about it either, and it just leads to uncomfortable moments like when jinwook found out they actually were divorcing. I wish they had a straightforward conversation with their kids instead tiptoeing around them and pretending that everything was fine.

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Not to mention that more recently the kids are in actual danger and although JH warned his mother to watch out for the kids he hasn't warned the kids themselves...
I know this is fairly traditional, to treat children as though they aren't real people and are incapable of understanding anything of real substance but in this story it just stands out how dangerous that is.

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100% behind you on this one, re: just tell your kids already!

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I have seen that same mindset dealing with adults in other k-dramas several times, so it is not just failing to warn kids. Most recent example is Tunnel, where nobody tells the lady professor that she is in danger.

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Well, sadly, it's not uncommon to conflate women with children when it comes to discussing who "needs" protecting and who "needs" to do the protecting. In both cases, while we may wish to see that vulnerable people are protected, it seems a disservice to never inform the vulnerable party of the danger that they are in.

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JB and JH needs a lesson from Che Ri. lol

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YOU piece of #$%^&&!!!! How dare you bring those kids into what you know is a crazy murderess's house! ARGHHHH!!!!!

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I have to keep stopping this episode because I am raging so much that I just felt my blood pressure go up and did the classic Aigoo motion with my hand behind my head.

Na Mi - Dang It! You at least liked the kids and could have been a half decent bonus parent.

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'For the kid's sake,' you had bring them there! ahhhhhhhhh

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The one who needs to disappear is you, Eun Hee! You can take Jung Hee with you as he is no longer a good father putting those kids anywhere near you.

I don't know how Jae Bok will get out of that place but if she even thinks of taking back Jung Hee, she should check herself in again.

I need a drink. Bad.

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I'll join you in that drink. The frustration level with Jung Hee is off the charts.

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We could start a drinking game where you drink every time Jung Hee does something stupid.

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@ toodles - I'm afraid that if he has a lot of screen time I may be so drunk by the second half that I won't be able to read the subtitles. I'll do it anyway.

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Honestly if Jae Bok goes back to Jung Hee after all this..... I don't see it happening but this is a drama and anything is possible.. And poor sweet Bong Gu even through everything he's been going through he's still there for Jae Bok.

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She won't. Endangering her kids isn't something she can forgive.

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I didn't like this episode....and yes that's probably because I had still hope that they would put Na Mi only in a coma......which they should have done! It's not like they needed to stay more realistic or something, I mean they put Jae bok into a fricking mental asylum for dog's sake!
Poor Na Mi :( I just feel like this death was so unnecessary for the story line at this point. I wish they could have just put her in a coma until the rest of the show and just wake her up at the finale for a happy ending. They could have still framed Jae bok for attempted murder, Bong gu could have still been grieving for his sister that was "probably" never going to wake up again according to the doctors and Eun Hee would not have been a dime better than she is now. Why, oh why? :( Now excuse me while I continue to sulk in that corner over there. :((

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I wish Na-mi was alive too.

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I watched the first five minutes, and then turned the episode off in disgust. So cliched! All they need is a Truck of Doom to complete it. And making Jae-bok helpless, fainting, needing to be rescued after she's been a rock through the first part of the series? Oh, heck no. I want my awesome protagonist back!

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I think Jae Bok can be allowed a breakdown. She has put up with so many unreasonable happenings and dealt with them admirably. She was finally overwhelmed by the possibility of being jailed as a murderer and loosing her children to a man with whom she has lost all faith, and who is willing to live with a crazy woman. When she finally got out, she had had no sleep or food and the stress finally got to her. Even a rock needs a little help sometimes.

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Been there - not to the pass out point or this crazy, but I slept for 2 days when all the fires (literal) were out or at least banked. It involved my ex and daughter too, which is probably why I lost it this episode. Sorry, everyone.

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Everyone has their limits. And with kids…whew. Nothing is scarier than your kid being in danger.

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Agree with @pattimateo, Jae Bok has been through a lot—she's put up with more than most people could without falling apart. She saw someone's dead body, got accused of killing that person, who she cared about, spent a night in jail, and then found out her idiot ex thinks it's a good idea to bring their kids to the home of a murderous narcissist in the course of 24 hours. And that's on top of everything else she and her family have suffered because of Eun Hee. It's impressive she kept it together that long, and many parents would be frantic in a similar situation. She's human, being strong doesn't mean she can never be in need of rescue. I'm just glad Bong Goo has been there every time she's really needed someone by her side.

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thanks for propagating the horrible and stupid af idea that a "strong female" (whatever the fuck that even means) can't have feelings and idk be a human?! hey reality check? people pass out! surpriseee! people are all helpless, fainting, and needing to be rescued at some point in their lives, get your head out of the clouds

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I think we're finally hitting the extra gooey makjang center of this show. So hold on, we've got to get Jae Bok out of the loony bin and finally corner Eun Hee. Is this show 20 episodes?!?

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Jae Bok is never getting back together with Jung Hee. I think the show has been pretty clear about her increasing contempt for him and now complete distrust in him as a co-parent, much less as a partner.

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WTH is happening??? I'm just here reading the recap and laughing at how stupid Jung Hee's logic is.

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Poor Na-mi, she wasn't my favorite character ever but I did like her. What a deal getting killed off twice in the same show, and the blame lies with a guy who knows how unhinged Eun-hee is not just from their past together but also from being caught up in her messed up plan right now. I'd also really like to know why he'd let things go this far. I mean, it's already been too far several episodes ago, but to bring the kids back into that home wow. At least we've got Jae-bok and Bong-gu, who make up for all the frustration, concerns, and ????? brought on by Jung-hee and Eun-hee. Thanks for the recap!

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I want to meet Jung-hee in the ring. He needs another ass whooping.

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I'm second! Where can I buy brass knuckles?

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Did I just have a deja vu moment? I mean didn't this whole Nami died and JB got arrested for allegedly killing her plot already happened? Ok, granted the first time was a fake out but do I really need to go through this again? I feel like this whole story and plot is starting to unravel much like all it's characters. It seems everyone is on the verge of losing it and joining EH's psycho club. JB who is usually so calm and collected in the face of every disaster just suddenly flaking out like that screaming and yelling at EH front door. I was left wondering who is the psycho here for a moment.

Also many can understand JB's desperation to keep her kids, but JH has the same motivations. He will also do anything to hang onto the kids, hence his actions. I find myself symphatizing with EH most of the time. People around her, including JB and Nami kept provoking her for no reasons and not just let her be! JB appears to be a bully with EH. EH manipulates her psychologically but JB physically bullies her. She is much bigger and stronger than EH and constantly uses that strength to overpower and manhandles her (shoving her aside, wrestling the phone from her, etc). Is it wrong to love a psycho? I say, no, not at all.

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It seems that our universe agreed that we all hate JH and I concur!
JH was not a determined social climber. He just happened to be offered a bait to step out from his miserable life by EH and he accepted without thinking it deep. At that time he had no ide that EH is such a psychopath but once he realized her potential danger to others( I mean not just for him but his loved ones), he should have done something to get out from the mess hole but instead his greed possessed him. Even when he brought his kids to EH's house, I think he fully understood her potential harm to his own kids. So he brought his mom to watch them( but his mom does not function as a good caretaker, he should have known his mom!). After decoding his acts, I am afraid that JH calculated that JB can be in prison for a long and if that were the case, he prepared himself to take a custody over their kids. He did not do anything to help JB to get out from the police station. Though he promised to help JB, in reality all he was doing was just playing with his kids at EH's harmful house to make sure his kids still adore and love him. He was willing to prepare for a potential custody by risking his kids. He is a despicable human being. JH has never grown.

BG, on the other hand, is younger and sometimes displayed his childish antics and acts cold. But he is indeed more mature and considerate than he wants himself to be seen. BG is a male version of JB in my opinion. I hope that JB and BG get together. JB's kids need a father figure like BG instead of JH. A good father would have a courage to say things that might offend/upset his kids at times for them to grow up. JH would never be able to scold his own kids for fear that his kids would dislike him. Oh, I would hate him if I were his wife!

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Thanks for the recap
and I went into 'like' spree for all those Junghee comments. Seriously though. I thought last week eps was JH lowest point and I couldnt hate him more than that. Well, I stand corrected, my hate for him is bottomless~

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A few episodes back, we truly wanted to know how special Jung-hee is so that Eun-hee and Na-mi would be so drown to him (not to mention to Jae-bok as she married him once), and makes Eun-hee an obsessed stalker. We only saw in a flashback, that JH was an idol back in his college days. But nothing more.

Up to this episode, I haven't found anything special about him (except for being self-centred and stupid. Even if he gained power, he's still helpless and nothing much he could do to Eun-hee's actions.

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Honeslty if you opened your mind more you would have seen it, but most seem to peroccupied with hating him that you can't see it. In his college years he was a popular guys with a band and talked to a lot of people. She probably first felt obsessed with the JH that has confidence and charm on stage. But then seeing him with JB, he was a charming, sweet lover. Also because her delusion was triggered and she thought that he gave her a private concert (?). And Nami got to know sweet JH the kind that is kind and good to people always regardless of who they are. He was sweet and considerate. Also someone who worries about others constantly and very sincerely. So yeah even if you think he's weak or whatever he still has a lot of good qualities.

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ikr! such a loyal and selfless friend (or future boyfriend?) lol now where can i find someone like bonggu in my life? haha

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Let us also take a moment to think of Jung-hee's mom.
She flipped out when she learned the real identity of the looney lady, but she did a complete turnover once she was offered an apartment!

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