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Go Back Spouses: Episode 2

Our formerly married couple both try to make the most of their miracle day in the past, which means that they have to try to make better decisions than their first 1999 run-through. We like to think that hindsight is 20/20, but it seems like all their forethought can’t keep them from running into each other all over again.

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EPISODE 2: “Memories are remembered at your convenience”

In the present day, Ban-do watches a reality TV show about celebrity blind dates while his son, Seo-jin, sits in a baby ball pit nearby. Jin-joo is not pleased when she finds her husband on the couch, so she turns off the TV and admonishes him for not playing with Seo-jin. Jin-joo clucks that blind dates give her the creeps, and Ban-do counters that it’s not like he has fond memories of them either.

Jin-joo wishes that she had just studied hard so that she could have become a judge or a prosecutor, and Ban-do accuses her of ruining his own chances at a good life by seducing him. Jin-joo shoots back that it was Ban-do who seduced her, and the two argue over whether Ban-do was winking at her or if Jin-joo stared him down on their own blind date.

And now we’re back to 1999, and just before Jin-joo’s efforts to say hello to handsome athlete Nam-gil. Nam-gil struts down the hall as adoring ladies try to fawn over him, but he seems disinterested. Jin-joo approaches with her greeting, and everyone in the hall turns to stare. Nam-gil scoffs and gives her a hard stare as well, which comes as a surprise to Jin-joo.

Cut to: Bo-reum asking if Jin-joo has gone crazy, since she embarrassed Nam-gil by turning him down just the day before.

In flashback, we see Nam-gil marching up to Jin-joo and her friends on the quad before asking her on a date. Jin-joo declines, and when Nam-gil asks why, she covers her nose and says that he smells like sweat. The onlookers nearby gasp while Nam-gil pulls open his ROTC jacket to assess just how bad he smells.

Back in 1999, Jin-joo can’t believe her own actions. Bo-reum calls her out for being a germaphobe when poor Nam-gil had obviously just finished his ROTC workout, and Jin-joo agrees. Bo-reum just can’t register her friend’s change of heart, leading her to wonder if Jin-joo is sick.

We return to the engineering department to see that the punishment being dealt out by the seniors has intensified. All the juniors have to squat while Ban-do planks on the ground. Ban-do thinks about how it’s not just kids in the present who are bad—kids have always been scary.

Jae-woo asks when they can stop, and his seniors reply that they can stop as soon as a girl walks in. The whole group groans, since they all know that there are no girls in the engineering department.

But wait! Out in the hallway, boys gape at a figure with long flowing locks. The engineering juniors spot her shadow out the window, and Ban-do silently begs the figure to enter the classroom. The figure with flowing locks enters, but it turns out it’s not a girl at all—it’s Ban-do’s friend Dok-jae, with the most epically long mane of hair.

Dok-jae takes in the situation and apologizes for being late, but Ban-do totally loses it at the appearance of his friend (and his friend’s hair) and falls to the floor in a fit of giggles. At that, the seniors command everyone down into a plank as punishment.

Meanwhile, Jin-joo is internally berating herself for being so heartless to Nam-gil in the past, but she forgets her concerns once she steps back in a classroom and takes in the nostalgic setting. Jin-joo can’t stop staring when she spots another old friend, CHUN SEOL (Jo Hye-jung).

Seol points out that everyone seems to be gossiping about Jin-joo today, and Bo-reum sighs at how quickly the Nam-gil confrontation has spread. Meanwhile, Jin-joo recalls that Seol will eventually take a leave of absence for unknown reasons.

Today’s class debate is about historical figure Heungseon Daewongun versus Empress Myeongseong, and who was at fault for toppling the Joseon Dynasty. Jin-joo enjoys the lecture and her classmates’ presentations, until she realizes that she is the chosen speaker for her group. At the front of the classroom, Jin-joo splutters that she’s forgotten what her group debated (which is true), so the professor asks her to give her opinion.

Instead of sticking to the debate between the father-in-law regent and the empress, Jin-joo blames Emperor Gojong for not sticking up for his wife against his father. She compares it to her own married experiences, and the class erupts in laughter when she calls herself a daughter-in-law. The professor seems amused with Jin-joo’s fresh perspective, but the big red “F” the group receives for the project indicates that it wasn’t enough.

Jin-joo complains that they did this project too long ago, but Seol chimes in that they debated just yesterday. Jin-joo can’t help but think about her own father-in-law, prompting a flashback (flash forward?) where Ban-do’s father had thrown a tantrum over the kimchi Ban-do’s mother made, which wasn’t to his liking.

Back in the present, Jin-joo stands firm on her response to the teacher while her friends stare at her in disbelief.

Over in the movie club room, Ban-do rifles through the piles of VHS tapes and film reels. He chortles when he spots a ’90s Brad Pitt poster on the wall and recalls that Dok-jae’s hair is an attempt at copying Legends of the Fall-era Brad.

Ban-do finds his two friends adorable, but Jae-woo is still pretty pissed about the punishment they received thanks to Ban-do. Jae-woo holds his scrawny wrist and whines about how it nearly broke from the strain.

Jae-woo asks if Ban-do is drunk or just bored, so Ban-do leans in and decides to tell them what’s really going on.

Over on the quad, Jin-joo has come to the same decision and tells her friends that she’s really 38-years-old and has traveled back from the future. Bo-reum cackles out, “Thirty-eight? With that face?!” Jin-joo appreciates the compliment, but nods all the same.

Ban-do picks up the conversation at the same spot, and the movie club boys make a comparison to Back to the Future. Jae-woo asks what he’s like in the future, and then whimpers for Dok-jae to massage his hurting hand.

We see a flash forward through Ban-do’s eyes, where the now-ripped Jae-woo is on a baseball field batting while Ban-do and Dok-jae watch (oh man, this muscle padding). Jae-woo mumbles about his batting looking great even though the director says that he’s lost it, and then throws his team shirt on. But then Jae-woo walks off, revealing that the back of his shirt reads: “Cheerleading Fairy.”

Back in 1999, Ban-do assures Jae-woo that he gets really healthy. Jae-woo then asks about Dok-jae’s fate as he flips the guy’s long locks. But Ban-do, who knows about Dok-jae’s future balding concerns, intercedes. Ban-do encourages Dok-jae to perm it, dye it, whatever he wants while he can. Aww.

Dok-jae asks if he has a girlfriend in the future, and we see another flash forward. In it, Dok-tae escorts a woman off his yacht. As he’s walking, he runs right into his wife, but there’s a twist: She’s there with her own lover. Dok-jae and his wife do their best not to make contact as they cross paths, and Ban-do narrates that Dok-jae has both a wife and a girlfriend.

Meanwhile, Bo-reum considers her future as an aerobics instructor and women’s rights activist. In Jin-joo’s flash forward, Bo-reum coaches her aerobics class, asking the ladies to think of their husbands as they punch, kick, and slap the air.

Back in 1999, Jin-joo amends that Bo-reum isn’t exactly a women’s rights activist, but she’s something similar. Her friends seem willing to listen, and Jin-joo catches herself before she admits that she was married to Ban-do.

Over in the movie club room, Ban-do laments that the time travel happened before he could heal from his wounds. He asks his friends to understand that if he’s acting weird, it’s because he’s from the future.

Bouncing back and forth between the men and women, everyone seems sympathetic to the time travelers’ sadness, until that empathy dissolves, and both Ban-do and Jin-joo’s friends call them crazy liars.

The girls head out for lunch, and as Jin-joo scurries after the girls, a hand reaches out to grab her wrist. She’s confronted with a gentleman with the most ’90s hair and earrings ever (cameo U-Know Yunho), and he admits that he’s been watching her for a while since she’s so pretty.

Jin-joo is beyond flattered, but she murmurs that she doesn’t have a cell phone or pager when he asks for the number, and then says that she can’t recall her home phone when he asks for that.

At this point, the guy assumes she’s trying to blow him off, but Jin-joo frantically denies it. He asks for her department and home address, but at that exact moment, Jin-joo’s pager (which she didn’t know she had) starts to go off. The guy can take a hint, and he’s marching off before she can give him her now-found pager number.

Bo-reum and Seol return to Jin-joo’s side to ask if she blew off this guy too. Jin-joo’s still caught up in the moment, but then it triggers a flash forward for her:

Jin-joo is insisting to Ban-do that there’s a guy in the neighborhood who always stops her to tell her that she’s pretty. Ban-do thinks that the guy is obviously selling something, since Jin-joo certainly isn’t pretty.

Ban-do saunters ahead, and just like the campus scene, a hand reaches out to grab Jin-joo’s wrist. It’s the same guy from the campus it seems, all grown up. The man tells Jin-joo that she’s pretty, as always.

Ban-do watches from afar as another man approaches his wife, his face pained. And then… the man pulls a textbook out of his bag and tries to sell it to her.

A beat later, we see that the guy has found another woman to ply with compliments. Ban-do loudly announces that there are so many pretty ladies in the neighborhood, then tells “Pretty Lady #1” (Jin-joo) to head home with him. Jin-joo just drops her head in embarrassment.

Back in 1999, Jin-joo remains amused and asks her friends, “I’m really pretty, aren’t I?” Bo-reum mistakes Jin-joo’s slowly returning self-worth for arrogance, and teasingly says that Jin-joo needs a beating.

Ban-do and crew grab sodas and head outside, where they encounter Nostradamus Doomsday believers. Ban-do laughs at it, but Dok-jae prattles on about it even as Ban-do calls it all a lie. Ban-do is distracted, though, when he sees (who will be) Doctor Park stroll past them.

Ban-do follows Doctor Park (just Park Hyun-suk in 1999) across campus, recalling that last encounter the day the doctor hit him, until Hyun-suk stops to talk to his girlfriend (and future wife, Kim Ye-rin).

Ban-do slams into Hyun-suk on purpose and sends him to the ground, but then apologizes immediately for the “accident.” Ye-rin yells at Ban-do, but Hyun-suk doesn’t want to start a fight and says that it’s fine. As an apology, Ban-do gives Hyun-suk the soda he still has.

Ye-rin says that Hyun-suk is too nice, but he says it was just an accident. But then Hyun-suk opens the soda from Ban-do, and it explodes like a geyser in his face.

Crossing the quad, Ban-do triumphantly thinks back to how he vigorously shook the can the whole time while crossing the campus.

The ladies have made their way to the cafeteria in the meantime, and Jin-joo exclaims that a whole meal is as cheap as a bag of chips in her time. Seol points Jin-joo toward the signs covering the wall that demand the administration respond to the recent price hike in the cafeteria, and Bo-reum asks if Jin-joo’s chips are made of gold, ha.

Jin-joo scarfs down her meal while her friends wonder what’s become of her. In a flashback, they recall a prissier Jin-joo of 1999, who ate like a bird.

Back in the current 1999, Jin-joo even dips her spoon into Bo-reum’s soup to give it a try. Bo-reum wonders if Jin-joo has been starving herself, and Jin-joo waves off her comment, saying that Bo-reum will understand when she has kids. This gets her a confused stare from Bo-reum.

Exiting the cafeteria, the girls continue to question Jin-joo’s change of heart about eating a full meal, and Jin-joo mentions that life with a baby has changed her. This gives her friends pause, but they’re starting to roll with their friend’s new weirdness, and Bo-reum claps Jin-joo on the shoulder for finally starting to change her ways.

Jin-joo spots Ban-do and friends. Ban-do wants to know what they’re doing after lunch, and Dok-jae reminds him that they’ve got a blind date meetup. Jin-joo glares at Ban-do as he passes, while Ban-do gives her a more lingering glance, wishing that they’d stop crossing paths.

He doesn’t get his wish, however, and finds himself directly across the table from Jin-joo at the date meetup. All our guys and ladies are there, plus a few others from their respective departments. Jin-joo and Ban-do realize at the same time that they are at the blind date where they first met.

Dok-jae has something critical to say about most of the ladies, going as far as calling the chubby girl a “bomb.” Across the table, one of the ladies whispers about the color streaks in all of the guys’ hair (except for Dok-jae and Ban-do). Even without a color streak, she deems Dok-jae the worst of the bunch.

While the others gossip, Jin-joo and Ban-do are having a staredown, each determined not to get involved with the other.

The guys go down the line introducing themselves. Dok-jae’s joke about his name isn’t well received, so he screams out that there’s a cockroach to scare Jae-woo. Jae-woo squeals in panic, ruining his otherwise cool introduction. When it’s Ban-do’s turn, he manages to get a real laugh out of the others when he makes a joke, and Jin-joo glowers at his smarminess.

With the introductions done on their side, Ban-do passes it over to the ladies and calls out Bo-reum’s name. But this is supposed to be the first time that they’ve met, and Bo-reum asks how he knows her. Jin-joo catches the slip as well, but Ban-do covers quickly that her name is written on the side of her book.

Ban-do spots Jae-woo showing interest in Bo-reum, and worries about the sad fate he knows his friend will meet. Ban-do slips up again when the next girl, Go Eun-bi, introduces herself, and Ban-do says that she looks like Suzy. Eun-bi thinks he means Kang Soo-ji, and Ban-do responds that there’s someone beautiful named Suzy that they’ll know about when they grow up. Now Jin-joo is truly onto Ban-do’s time-traveler status.

In the bathroom, Dok-jae reminds Ban-do that he’s on the “bomb squad” tonight, and he knows who the bomb is, meaning the chubby girl, Seol-hyun. Ban-do tries to get out of it by saying that he has no way of knowing which item will belong to which girl, but Dok-jae insists.

Back at the table, the ladies have each set a personal possession on the table for the men to choose from, and each item is pretty obviously identifiable. Ban-do catches Jin-joo glaring at him, and he wonders if she picked him as her date. He nods to himself, confident that he was right that she was the one who flirted with him first.

Jae-woo volunteers to go first, aiming for Bo-reum’s hoop earring. Ban-do recalls Jae-woo’s tears in the future and can’t let his friend choose heartbreak again, so he nudges Jae-woo’s arm until it lands on the giraffe earring from Go Eun-bi instead. But Bo-reum quickly interjects that the earring is hers, and Eun-bi backs her up. Jin-joo watches as Ban-do warns Jae-woo that this will ruin his life, but a smitten Jae-woo and Bo-reum are still matched.

It’s just Dok-jae, Ban-do, Jin-joo, and Seol-hyun left, and Dok-jae keeps winking at Jin-joo (haha, not Ban-do like she thought). Ban-do starts to reach for Seol-hyun’s flower barrette, but sweeps up Jin-joo’s handkerchief instead.

Dok-jae takes Ban-do aside in the stairwell, but Ban-do swears that he did get rid of the bomb. Dok-jae insists that Seol-hyun was the bomb, and calls her the “flying pig” (geez, dude). But Ban-do tells Dok-jae that everyone knows that Jin-joo is a shopaholic germaphobe with anger issues. Dok-jae still hesitates, but then Seol-hyun calls him over with several menacing come-hither looks.

She takes him out into the alley, and punches him right in the face several times for calling her a “flying pig” and the “bomb.” Bo-reum and Jae-woo see the two as they pass by, but after Dok-jae’s earlier attempts at sabotage, Jae-woo has no interest in helping his friend. He shuffles after Bo-reum shyly instead, who asks him to join her for a drink. Dok-jae’s grunts serve as their background music as he continues to get pummeled.

Meanwhile, Ban-do and Jin-joo haven’t left the restaurant, because his plan is to dump her once and for all tonight. He hesitates when he realizes how pretty Jin-joo looks, and he wishes that she had stayed just the same as she aged. Jin-joo starts to wonder if he’s trying to get back together with her, but Ban-do shakes himself out of it and proceeds as planned.

He suggests that Jin-joo spend her time studying instead of dating so that she can become a judge or prosecutor, using her own words from the future against her. He presents it to her as thinking only of her future, but as he starts to walk away, he can’t resist turning back and telling Jin-joo that he has indeed dumped her, very harshly. Jin-joo remains seated, flabbergasted.

On the stairs, he congratulates himself for heroically saving several lives. Then, he spots a young woman on the street and wonders, “Min Seo-young?” Ban-do recalls Seo-young as a ballet dancer while his conversation with Jae-woo and Dok-jae about his first love plays in voiceover. Ban-do specifically recalls saying that if he went back in time, he’d definitely date her, and he now sees his chance.

Back in the restaurant, Jin-joo stews over Ban-do’s words and then rushes out after him. But by the time she spots him, he’s already approached Seo-young.

Ban-do grabs Seo-young by the wrist, but releases her when she reacts in surprise. He asks if she knows who he is, and she says that she knows of him a little. That’s a satisfying answer for him, and Ban-do smiles broadly, Jin-joo watching the whole time.

Jin-joo walks home alone and wonders if she was given this miracle just to see that her husband had been pining away for his first love for their entire relationship. She shrugs that she has closure now, but a voice behind her calling out to Seo-jin stops her in her tracks.

For a moment, Jin-joo sees her son Seo-jin running down the street toward her with that signature sweet smile on his face. But the fantasy soon fades, and it’s just another mother with her own Seo-jin to chase. Overcome with conflicting emotions, Jin-joo drops to the ground and sobs.

She eventually makes her way to a taxi, and her driver just happens to be Nam-gil. Jin-joo’s too busy crying to notice, and Nam-gil just cranks the music up to drown out her sobs. She still won’t look at him when they arrive, and just hands over a credit card as payment. It’s 1999 though, so Nam-gil can’t accept credit and just hands it back to her without a word.

Watching Jin-joo walk away, Nam-gil recalls his own version of the night she rejected him. His father shows up and asks him why he’s shaming him by doing everything he tells him not to do, like being in the ROTC and majoring in English. His father says he should go on a date now, and Nam-gil declares that a great idea.

This is the moment that prompted him to ask Jin-joo out, and he selects her randomly from those passing by. When she calls him smelly, his father grumbles that his son is a fool.

Back in the current 1999, Nam-gil wonders just what’s wrong with this girl, and then we spot Jin-joo’s abandoned wallet on his front seat. Awww, he’s got a reason to go talk to her again.

Ban-do’s at home as well, and he’s worried that falling asleep will be the end of his time travel. When his sister asks if he’s going to bed, he nods to himself in understanding.

Meanwhile, Jin-joo has the same assumptions and writes her mom a goodbye letter. Afterward, Jin-joo joins her family as they watch TV together, but she’s busy watching her mother lovingly instead of the program.

Once Mom goes to bed, she worries about her daughter’s actions with her husband. The camera pulls away to reveal that Jin-joo is still right there, curled next to them on the floor. Jin-joo tells her mother it was good to see her again, and then snuggles in close to Mom’s side.

While Jin-joo is savoring every last second, Ban-do’s approach is to try to not fall asleep at all. He’s got matchsticks holding up his lids, but he still keeps nodding off.

Morning arrives, and it dawns on another day in 1999. Jin-joo is shocked, while Ban-do is giddy to give the past another go.

Epilogue: What really happened in 1999

Back in the restaurant, Ban-do has his own dyed hair streak, and Jin-joo is decked out in curls and a beret. Dok-jae is still winking to catch Jin-joo’s eye, but she and Ban-do can’t stop staring at each other.

Dok-jae reminds Ban-do that he’s the bomb squad, but Ban-do is way too smitten. He scoops up Jin-joo’s handkerchief without hesitation, and they beam at each other.

The waitress offers to take a group photo and says that some people here may end up getting married. The group gathers for a sweet photo, with Ban-do insisting on standing right next to Jin-joo. Awww.

 
COMMENTS

I’m so glad that we got that epilogue to see what happened in the “real” 1999. Part of the fun of traveling back in time is seeing how things go differently from before, and since our story’s starting point is the do-over, the only way back to the real past is through flashbacks. The show has been generous in giving us quite a few to help inform the character’s backgrounds, while also balancing them with new mysteries along the way, so I’m pretty satisfied with that.

Jang Nara is the perfect pick for a baby-faced “old” woman. Each “Oh, you kids” from her made me giggle. It’s like listening to the voice of a grandmother come out of a teen, and I love it. It’s also interesting to see the flashbacks that show her as a much snobbier version of herself. In comparison, Ban-do doesn’t always seem that different in 1999, so has Jin-joo changed the most with age? And is it for the better or worse?

I also really enjoy that the main couple are basically outsiders, so their clothes and mannerisms are just a little off. They are the epitome of the future trying to capture the look and feel of the past and getting it not quite right. That’s what makes that final photo from the real 1999 really neat, because they’re both so much more awkward in their real ’90s style.

Even though Ban-do seems to be the one really relishing the opportunity to change his fate, he also seems to be the one most heartbroken by the breakdown of their marriage. He wasn’t the one to end things the first time through, so I get his triumphant declaration to Jin-joo that he was the one who dumped her at the meetup, even though it was totally inappropriate and horrible to do. He’s hurting and lashing out.

The fact that Jin-joo has figured out that Ban-do is also from the future sets up a nice power imbalance that I am really looking forward to seeing Jin-joo exploit. I really hope they drag it out for a few episodes at least before he finally figures out that she has knowledge of the future too.

And even though I’m totally on board with the couple finding their way back to each other, I’m also completely ready to watch them interact with their other love interests for now. I think it’s that the show has done a very good job at making all of the side characters seem intriguing, without actually telling us much about any of them yet. I’m ready to see Nam-gil be a little heartbroken, but also to see him get a little better at dealing with his father. We haven’t learned much at all yet about the delicate Seo-young, but I don’t think we’ll be in the dark for long.

And man, Seo-jin is so cute. How can a toddler already have such a winning smile? I really enjoy that both Jin-joo and Ban-do are enamored with their son—it would have been such an imbalance for only Jin-joo to dote on him or miss him, so every fawning moment is a win for Ban-do in my book. I do hope, however, that the two are able to find more in common than a desire to see their son again when it comes to reconciliation.

The one part of the episode that left a bad taste in my mouth though was the fat shaming. Calling Seol-hyun the “bomb” and the “flying pig” was rough. Even when she gets her revenge on Dok-jae, I wasn’t really happy with it, since it just reduced her to another stereotype of the tough, sloppy girl. I really hope that we get a future flash forward where she is gorgeous and successful—and that doesn’t necessarily mean losing weight, since I’d be fine if she just ends up confident and happy with life.

And perhaps the biggest question for me right now: Is Doctor Park evil when he’s just the medical student, Hyun-suk? Was he always evil, or was he made, and if so, can Jin-joo and Ban-do’s meddling change his future?

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This was actually a fun episode it's shaping up to be a great time travel show I can't wait for next week

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who real name seol-hyun the chubby girl a “bomb.” !?

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I died laughing at the scene where his friend and his wife caught each other cheating and walked away like they don't know each other, this drama is so much fun. I am sure there will be angst soon though.

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So did I! At first I was like "omo. what now?" and then I was like "HA HA HA". Guess they both have a leverage on each other now...

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They are so cool! LOL..

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I was waiting and waiting (with Ban-do I'm still waiting...) for them to remember about their son. And man did Jang Na-ra deliver in that scene. It was so heartbreaking.

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This was what I had been waiting for. She cried, I cried. I am very sad that Ban-do hasn't given a single thought to his son. I hope it comes next episode.

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Let's hope he does. He seems to be a really loving dad, so once he gets used to the time-travel thingy, he will remember. He better does, or else... *waves the fist threateningly*

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I was almost getting a feeling like they don't remember him. Even though she saw him, it seemed like a fever dream. Like she didn't actually recognize him as her son, but the image triggered her emotions locked away even though no true memory exists.

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This would be a great explanation but she talked to her friends about being a mother and having kids, unless she remembers being a mother but don't actually remembers her son

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I think in a webtoon it's based on (I remember going through it some time ago, even before this drama was announced), they both remembered him. Of course it doesn't have to follow the webtoon, but my bet is she did remember him. She didn't seem surprised by her own reaction, so she must've known the source of this pain very well. And we got no indication that their memory got influenced by the time-travel in any way.

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I kinda get it though. To them, this like a dream, especially to Ban-do. Reality doesn't really fit into dreams/magic so it makes sense that he is not thinking of his life right now and compartmentalizing. It's sad, but it makes sense. Now if he goes any longer without remembering...then I will have a problem. Come on Seo-jin's father...get it together!

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If I thought that I was time traveling for a day, I wouldn’t worry about my child. I would just figure that I would see her soon. Once I woke up the next morning and realized that it was an ongoing thing, I would then start worrying and wondering if she no longer existed. That would be when I would break down. The first day of just having fun makes sense to me, though.

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i think for now it's like a wish fulfillment thing for both leads... any implications of what might have been or could be, we would in the upcoming episodes.

but clearly jin-joo was crying for seo-jin, or lack thereof.

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This scene destroyed me. I was bawling right along with her. She's such a talented actress to make you feel that pain along with her.

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She conveys emotions really really well, but she also has acting habits (like certain expressions) that I hope she'll do away with because sometimes it makes her acting seem a little one dimensional. Perhaps it's because I've been watching her a lot. But the thing about Jang Nara is that she makes you want to watch her.

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I agree, had to drop the episode and go watch something else when I saw that scene about that "bomb" and "flying pig" thing. Fat shaming is one of those things I do not want to see in a drama

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I didn't feel comfortable when Dok-jae blurted out those words. But I found that his mockery was the reason to his sort of karma retribution because he is already experiencing extreme hair loss compared to his friends.

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This drama makes me confused on whether or not I should root for Jin Joo & Ban Do couple to get back together. I reallh want Jin Joo to have another life which has nothing to do with her ex-husband and I kinda want her to be with someone else or lead a better life with better career for her future, but I cried when she cried on the street and throughout her journey to her home when she thought about her baby, Seo Jin on how if she doesn't get married to Ban Do, there won't be Seo Jin at all. Ahh but I really don't want them to get back as Ban Do is quite a jerk in ep 2 and I have SLS toward Nam Gil, but Seo Jin....😫

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I agree with you. I too don't want them back together. The only problem about them not getting back together is their kid. Otherwise, I would like her to go out with that stinky oppa. LOL. But, she really deserves someone who at least think that she's pretty! I have no idea why kdrama heroines always fall for the jerk without the always caring second lead.

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While I agree with your main point -- Jin-joo deserves someone who thinks she is pretty, and why do drama heroines always go for the jerk -- I want to point out that there is nothing to say that cute sweaty oppa will still think she is pretty 20 years from now.

When they first met, Ban-do wasn't a jerk. And he thought she was the most gorgeous person to ever walk the earth. He couldn't take his eyes off of her the first time they met. He rushed back down the aisle to make sure she was OK when she tripped at their wedding.

It was only after life had worn him down to a nub that he became a jerk. And life might turn cute sweaty oppa into a jerk as well. And he comes with an even worse father-in-law.

While I don't want our leads to get back together now while Ban-do is being nasty, I do want them to learn how to deal with stress and life without taking it out on each other. If they get back together at that point -- great! But if they don't figure out how to live life with another person and all it's stresses, I don't see how it is going to be any better with different partners.

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I was actually really surprised they gave them a child. It 100% guarantees they get back together. But, if there wasn't a child, while drama rules dictate they will still end up together, there is more of a mystery of will they/won't they. Plus, by having a child and if the story really has them contemplating not being together, it would make me dislike the leads.

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Jin joo and ban do love each other. Because of the responsibility they forget how to be in love. After marriage, bando world is to become a breadwinner to his family while jinjoo's world is her son and housechores.

I understand both feeling because as a married and a housewife sometimes when i feel tired i want to go back and be a successful career woman. However if i get a chance to turn back to my old time, i will pick the same man because without him i will not have beautiful sons. This is when the children playing the most important part to build more love in the family especially between the parents.

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I LOL-ed at one part that @abirdword didn't catch/mention, where the chubby introduced herself as Seolhyun and Bando was stunned, because of CF Queen, AOA's Seolhyun, HAHA. That was a funny joke to slip in, together with mentioning Suzy, I think.

I found it a funny reference to Signal, perhaps? Where the flashbacks to what happened in 1999/before the time travel was in a different aspect ratio. LUUURVE ALL THE REFERENCES.

I hope to see how the two get back together, because from what I see in the "present/future" they really do love each other seeing as how they are all so shocked/upset when the other mentions divorce. And the reason for divorce was the "cheating" which was actually a misunderstanding! Hopefully they learn to communicate and have more time for each other :')

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Ah, you're right, I didn't mentioning it. It sounds like Ban-do is a big fanboy of many idols ^^

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thank you for the recap! i liked the episode and cant wait for more. i'm hoping for the best for both bando and jinjoo and also their son. maybe this visit to the past can help them revitalize their relationship.

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oh another thing i find interestinng is eventhough with bando's meddling during the blind date, the couples still choose each other despite not selecting the correct item. its like eventhough bando meddles in between the outcome is still somewhat similar to the past.

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The writer wants to prove that couples who end up marrying are fated to meet and love each other, if it weren't for them meeting their son wouldn't be born and that child is fated to be born from those parents.

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But wait a minute if they don't get married what happens to my adorable seo jin????

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I've been trying to decide which is funnier: Heo Jung-min's ridiculous muscles in 2017 or Lee Yi-kyung's glorious mane in 1999 🤣🤣

Thanks so much for the recap, @abirdword! I already wrote an essay on the last recap so I'm trying to limit myself on this one, lol. But I agree that I notice the most change in Jin-joo and actually think that much of it is very positive. Being a mother has made her way less fussy than she was in her youth, when it seems like she took a lot for granted, like simply having the time to sit and enjoy a meal.

I think that this sort of time-travel probably seems so surreal to them, which is why they'll take a while to really think about the consequences. It feels like a dream they'll wake up from at any moment, so they can't help but utilize this second chance to try and attain the life they think they want. I think the reason Jin-joo cries so much at the end is not just because his actions towards her so definitively choose a life without her and Seo-jin, but because she realizes that she'd been wishing for that too, even if she didn't reject him outright. I'm sure Ban-do will have a moment when it sinks in for him too, if the episode 1 epilogue is any indication.

My favorite moment of the episode was when they tried to stay awake, acknowledging that they didn't really believe this trip to the past could last long, haha. It makes their actions throughout the day feel more cathartic for them, since they seem to think their past selves will take control again at any moment and give them the future that probably seems inevitable to them.

Luckily for them, they didn't get sent back yet and, instead, are probably getting the best possible version of couple's therapy out there! I can't wait to see where it all goes!

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Those fake muscles are hilarious. The producers got the worst body suit they could find and stuck it on him.

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I'm so glad this is being recapped - I am loving this show so much. It's so obvious they both still love each other. Regarding adorable little Seo Jin, I think they are both still looking at this as some kind of extended dream (especially Ban Do). Ban Do is gleefully acting a bit like a jerk to Jin Joo and Director Park in the past, because he doesn't really think there are any consequences. Jin Joo is starting to think more about what this could mean for the future and Seo Jin, especially since she knows that Ban Do has time traveled as well. Although she has an advantage over him in knowing he's from the future, she's also at a disadvantage. He still treats her like she's not "real" in the past timeline, so he's not going to think much of pursuing Seo Young in front of her. To him, she's just going to be angry for being rejected and he won't know how cruel he's being. I hope she doesn't keep getting hurt! And he also needs to see her being pursued by other men :)

They both need to learn to communicate with each other in their marriage. Jin Joo is hugely insecure about her appearance and housewife status, and Ban Do takes her for granted. She also doesn't know how hard he works (even if I think he needs to be looking for another job, ASAP). I hope that this time in the past will help them reconnect, and the other love interests should help with this since neither of them are going to be happy seeing them with someone else.

Can't wait for the next episode! I was in high school in 1999 and this brings back so many memories. Jin Joo is also so relatable as the wife and mother who is insecure in her new ahjumma status.

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Whaaaa.....
Can't wait for the next episode!!
So much plot is to be unravelled...jin joo's dad, her friend's personal lives....I wonder what happened in all those years... °o°

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This drama deserves more comment.

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jang nara's acting when she realized that they wouldn't have seo-jin if they don't get together was just sad:( not sure how long ban-do will have the same realization, maybe for awhile since he's out for revenge, especially in the date/meeting scene. the waiting for a girl to arrive so they would be saved from punishment was so funny:)

i liked how jin-joo is reacting to this do-over, appreciating her mom, eating lots! the scenes from present to past are nicely done to give subtext to what already happened (textbook salesman!), real or imagined.

i hope the writer can keep this up, coz i'm liking the way that the characters are taking shape with each reveal (nam-gil's driving a taxi?), crossing fingers!!!

thank you for the recap abirdword:)

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I loved the surprise with Nam-gil being her taxi driver! Is it because he's estranged from his rich father? Does super-successful Nam-gil of the future hate that he's successful? There's so much room for all the characters to develop! ^^

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i know!!! he could be working to provide for himself...

strongest deliveryman ex-chaebols flashback, hahahahhaa...

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I think that Nam-gil has become successful on his own accord to prove his self-worth to his father. So I guess earning his own keep was part of his self-development plan.

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I think that was nam gil's car? I felt Jin joo just mistakenly thought that it was a taxi and boarded it.

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could be, but his car was in line together with other taxis, no?

i guess we'll find out soon enough...

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I thought so too. Gotta go back to see.

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He was in the taxi line but his car didn't have a taxi lightbox (don't know what it's called) on the top or the meter on the inside . It seems like he just pulled on the side of the road to get his head together and she got in.

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true, and he had his head down on the wheel like maybe he was upset. So maybe he just pulled over to take a moment. I guess I can't blame Jin-joo for thinking he was a taxi, since he possibly tricked me too! Hopefully we'll see next week.

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I don't think it was a taxi cause he didn't have the taxi sign like the car behind him.

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Overall, I think this episode highlighted the supporting characters who are drawing me in, and I really want to invest in their stories. Especially, Chun Seol who has drifted from Jin-joo's circle is very reserved to herself.
And particularly, I think the writer did it right by giving young Dok-jae long hair, he felt to me the center of this episode, although it wasn't about him. Lol his hair flips are giving me Seolhyun's vibes... 🤣 Talking about Dok-jae, his actor Lee Yi-kyung seems to gravitate well between his college day persona and 38-year-old ahjussi self, despite being 27.
But I hope it dawns upon our main couple that not falling in love with each other would ultimately lead to various consequences, like he non-existence of Seo-jin and I'm guessing that Nam-gil probably wouldn't have became a successful self-made man if he did listen to his father's demand for him to find a girlfriend.

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I'm pretty sure Nam Gil isn't a taxi driver, he was just in his car and she mistook it for a taxi.

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whats the song there in the taxi/car scene

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Oh Jang Nara, you always get me. You made me cry with the little heartfelt scenes with your mom, which is suppose to be funny but so poignant at the same time putting into context your longing for your dead mom in the future.
Glad Shon Ho Joon have this project. I loved him at Reply 1994. His character is quite similar to the character he played on Reply 1994, but I am looking forward to how the development will play out on this drama for him.
So far, so good. I love the angst-y feel but with a lot of youthful funny foibles at the same time.
Can't wait for the next episodes.

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I've just watched ep 1 and 2. I'm feeling mix emotions. Sad but hilarious at the same time. Can't wait for the next episodes!

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Am I just the only one bothered that they haven't thought of their son while they're back in 1999? Or that they may lose him if they don't get together? I love the idea of going back to the day they met and all, but, poor baby!

Having said that, I love how this series has evoked several emotions in me in just two episodes. Each episode made me laugh and cry and made me rethink of what I was doing when I was 20. They're my age and that made the series relatable for me despite being single. Looking forward to how this would develop.

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Make a post about Seo Jin pleaseeee...
I adore his smile sooo much..
And every scenes where Jin Joo (or Ban Do, sometimes) missing Seo Jin, I cried sooo hard along with her.. huhuuhuuuu.. Because he reminds me of my cutie daughter, they have a similar smile and same chubby cheek.. :*

After all, I love this drama soo much.. One of my favorite drama all the time!

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whos real name seol-hyun the chubby girl a “bomb" ?

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Whats the song in the car scene ?

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