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Forecasting Love and Weather: Episodes 7-8 Open Thread

Couple problems abound this week, as old ties, new quarrels, and ignored phone calls create a lot of tension. So does the weather, which is hot and humid, putting everyone in an irritable mood — not the best for when you have an ex showing up drunk on your doorstep, a husband that ignores your calls, or a new boyfriend that’s getting petulant.

 
EPISODES 7-8 WEECAP

I might have been convinced last week that Shi-woo would jump at the chance to move in with Ha-kyung, but he kindly turns her down, and spends much of Episode 7 looking for a place to rest his head. This means nights spent in his car and motels that bring up bad memories — all because he believes in taking responsibility for his own life… or does he just not want to squat at his older girlfriend’s swanky apartment?

Their differing viewpoints on whether to move in together here also echo the differences in their personalities: Ha-kyung doesn’t want to waste any more time after her 10-year dead end and thinks cohabiting would be the most efficient way to date; Shi-woo takes the opposite stance that efficiency doesn’t matter. It’s effort that makes a difference in a relationship.

On the other side of the coin, we have Yoo-jin and Ki-joon, both more than a little disenchanted with each other after their marriage and cohabitation began. While Shi-woo claims that cohabitation doesn’t impact a relationship, we see the opposite in our secondary couple, and Yoo-jin outright says that Ki-joon has changed. When they finally talk about it, I actually really like where this plot line goes.

Yoo-jin is honest with Ki-joon about the man she fell in love with as opposed to the one she’s saddled with now. Yoo-jin might suck as a character, but she liked very righteous things about Ki-joon: a man who was mature, decisive, responsible, competent, etc. Now, she sees none of that and is frustrated. It seems to hit Ki-joon hard, as if he knows he’s a tool and hates himself for it.

To his credit, he seeks advice from the lovely Myung-joo (possibly the most mature and grounded person in this drama) and she tells him (a.k.a. his friend) to try to win back his wife by showing her that he is all of those things she saw in him. The fact that Ki-joon tries this, is successful at it, and Yoo-jin perks up again, was a nice little vignette. But clouds keep rolling in.

While the office is dealing with angry citizens and ozone layer warnings, Shi-woo winds up following Dong-han’s lead; before long the two are squatting in the night shift bunks, showering at the office, and living together like two campus bros. It’s all well and good till people start to complain, Ha-kyung finds out, walks in on them dressing (lol), and then takes them — with their metaphorical tails between their legs — to stay temporarily at her apartment.

But it’s not that simple, because an extremely drunk Ki-joon has appeared at her doorstep, and he’s shocked to see half the KMA in her living room. Upstairs neighbor SHIN SEOK-HO (Moon Tae-yoo) has finally ditched the smelly banchan, and he’s there too (after causing unknown emotional torment to Ha-kyung’s sister over the number of toes a crocodile has).

It’s a chaotic and humorous scene, only made better when Ha-kyung, in loungewear, drags Ki-joon outside by his tie.

The humor quickly turns sour, though. Ozone warnings make way for the unpredictable rainy season, and as Shi-woo ominously says in voiceover: “We become victims of the mischievous weather when we least expect it.” Said less poetically: it’s hot and humid, everyone’s cranky and on a short fuse, and all sorts of mayhem happens.

The first is Ha-kyung in a fender bender, creating a kerfuffle with Ki-joon, who’s changed the insurance on their one-shared car. He winds up going to the accident to pick her up. As petulant as Ha-kyung is, Shi-woo is more petulant — he’s getting more and more frustrated by having to keep his relationship under wraps; he’s also jealous when Ki-joon “saves” his woman instead of him.

It’s not only hot outside, but the A.C. at the office is broken, too. Everyone gets so hot and bothered that Ki-joon winds up punching Shi-woo in the middle of a press conference, which would be tragic if only it wasn’t so funny. Ki-joon’s found out that Shi-woo once lived with Yoo-jin, and Shi-woo’s mad that Ki-joon is still such a part of Ha-kyung’s life — like their director says, “I thought you were a couple of nerds, but you know how to fight.”

Gossip, of course, is the result of this, but it’s mostly around the Yoo-jin/Shi-woo/Ki-joon love triangle (as it were), because no one knows about Ha-kyung. Yet. Just as things get to such a pitch that you think everyone’s going to go crazy, the A.C. comes on, the work day ends, and Shi-woo and Ha-kyung go to their favorite bar for dinner.

She bandages his face, they communicate like adults about their emotions, and Shi-woo goes into the swoon zone and says he’s falling hard for her. This is the first scene between these two that actually gave me the butterflies — they finally feel like a drama couple to me!

…And they look like a couple, too. And who is watching from outside in his car like a private eye but Ki-joon, who’s had a sneaking suspicion or two or three. He’s pissed, and rushes home to tell Yoo-jin, so in addition to the baggage they’re already fighting over, now they have yet more to deal with. They’re the ones that cheated, but their exes are the happy ones. Is that karma or is it karma?

Despite enjoying the character moments and sprinkles of humor we had this week, this drama is starting to feel a bit episodic. We’re presented with a new weather event, and an emotional event in the lives of our couples, and then watch both play out for the course of the episode. It’s not that it’s a bad setup, and it works for this story, but there’s something about how the drama is written that makes these episodes feel more discrete than they actually are — maybe because the plot events are tied so thematically to the weather forecast.

Anyway, episodic or not, our secret romance doesn’t look like it will remain a secret for much longer — I’m not convinced that Ki-joon will be able to keep calm about it. And I’m not convinced that Shi-woo won’t slip up soon as well. I’m expecting him to rush to protect or defend her at one point, and blow their cover. Who’s with me?

 
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I don't like how there is not limit anymore between them, no private life, professionnal life, personnal space... Everything is tangled. Nobody acts professionaly neither : the fight was stupid, Ha Kyung saying that Ki-Joon is a looser to her staff was so unprofessional.

I don't like a lot of characters. I really hope that Oh Myung-Joo won't regret her decision to help her husband. She's really a nice colleague and wife.

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Ki Joon is so good at the comical scenes that I keep forgetting he is a trashy ex, but the show never fails to remind us of that fact.

I loved the scene where Shin Seok Ho bought drinks for the repair men because it highlighted how we take things for granted and can't bear with even the smallest inconvenience.

I did, however think the entire sequence with the A/C being down was bit overdramtic🙄🙄 It is summer and still none of them wore cotton clothes. Also, I'm getting tired of the story between Senior Forecaster Um and his wife. Communicate you two!!

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Han Ki Joon is on his way to become my fave kdrama land's pathetic loser. Love that he kept on reminding us how trashy he is too lol

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Thanks for the quick recap missvictrix. Ah, I was so wrong last week thinking Ha-kyung asked him to move in because she was ready to go public with their relationship. Call it projecting my past situation to the present. :)

I'm absolutely loving this drama. It conjures up a lot of my memories of my past relationship. And I really loved how Ha-Kyung was so calm/mature(?) at the end when she was putting the band-aid on Shi-Woo, pointing out that her past with Ki-Joon will come up now and then so they can work through it.

Lots of side plots coming up and there'll be no more predictions from me. Just going to sit back and enjoy what will come up.

Incidentally, can someone explain how buying/renting works in Korea? I was completely lost when Ki-Joon and Yoo-Jin were talking about taking out loans for the house. I also cannot imaging paying off a mortgage in 10 years. Thanks in advance!!!

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I enjoyed hearing the couples talk about loans and house searching this week. I was initially surprised Shiwoo wouldn't want to move right in with Hakyung, but it makes sense he wanted to keep his pride, and it was also a way of trying to learn from his past experience jumping into cohabitation with Yoojin. Seems like Yoojin really hopes for security in her marriage. She thought Kijoon had a cushy job, appeared competent, didn't have a gambling dad, and owned an apartment (except it wasn't his)... It was really funny how the cheaters kept having to come back to their exes for relationship help.
I liked the scene with Hakyung explaining how customer service is important work that isn't beneath them, even if no one wants to deal with it. It showed Hakyung's growth as a leader, Donghan being proud of her, Myungjoo holding the team together emotionally, and Soojin learning the ropes at her job rather than just being there to office gossip.
Weather issues were also on point; ozone is a concerning air pollutant and it is indeed hard to concentrate when you are overheating. I'm glad to hear constant discussion of climate change making the weather less predictable. I used to think the weather theme here was too heavy-handed, but I've come around to the concept now. Other shows just have weather events like rain/snow/storms as a pretty background, deux ex machina, or emotional additive to scenes of loss and sadness. It's actually refreshing to see the weather act as a constant instigating character in the show, and discussed scientifically.

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I agree with you about everything but one thing. In a tough housing market, you don't move in with someone you are really liking because...? So you can keep your pride, develop your relationship the "right way", and meanwhile spend nights in your a car? This is the real estate equivalent of noble idiocy!

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The customer complaints really hit home with me. I was cheering when the normally calm Team 2 member lost it all over some bloviating fool. Yes, people have the right to complain but not the right to belittle and yell (says the former teacher).
Also incredibly happy to hear references to climate change and its effect on weather. Here in the US we've endured years of politically motivated science denial that is refreshingly absent in this show.
Weather does drive human actions and impact emotions. Many great authors employ it exactly that way. Raymond Chandler uses a description of the hot Santa Anna winds in LA as causing a wife to check the edge of a kitchen knife while staring at the back of her complaining husband. Hmm, wonder if the crime rate goes up in response to hot weather?

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I think the weather definitely can affect one's temperament. I used to sit on the "5" going from Fullerton to Irvine (hence the anteater) and on hot(ter) days, I often felt like just ramming into the car in front of me and call it a day. Had enough of the traffic and smog and moved to the northeast. Snow is easier to deal with. :)

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Pretty sure 'Rear Window' was made with the hot weather as a backdrop.....

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If Ha kyung and Shi woo don't end up together, it is fine with me. They do look like noona and dongsaeng, the fun and cool one.
Though I questioned her decision in handling her date and private life (kicking your colleague on the shin and slapping him on workplace are just no-no even if she doesn't like him, and he is jerk). But she is pretty cool and wise lady.
Some women in this drama are really cool lady: Ha kyung, Ha kyung's mother, and Myung-joo. I like them.

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Ki-Joon and Yoo-Jin really frustrated me at the end. I can understand what they're going through after finding out that their exes got together. But the way Ki-Joon was like, "you know who he's dating? My ex-finace!" Like ... why is that something so bad that I as a viewer should sympathize with you for? I would understand them being secretly affected by it. But declaring it out in the open like it's genuinely something horrible - ! Why do these 2 keep forgetting exactly how they got together? Hello. That's way worse, come on. If someone could explain the intricacies of such hypocritical characters - please do. I'm usually able to appreciate the greys in a character, but I'm just not able to make sense of this.

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I felt the same. Like, what, exactly is offends Ki-Joon so much? That Shi woo has slept with both his current wife and his ex? But . . . Ki-Joon has slept with both Shi woo's current and ex-girlfriend. So what's the problem here?

To my mind, the main issue here is that certain people cheated and the other two were cheated on. That means Shi woo has a right to dislike and disrespect Ki-Joon (up to a point, of course) just as Ha Kyung has a right to dislike and disrespect (again, up to a point) Yoo-Jin. But otherwise, no one should be getting all self-righteous and indignant here.

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I think they're having buyers' remorse. Or envious that their ex'es are happier than they are. Or that they're having trouble managing their lives/careers w/o their ex'es (not so much in Yoo-Jin's case because I don't think Shi-Woo helped her with her job that much.) Just speculating.

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These two are selfish and lazy, towards each other as well, with the result that their relationship rocks already and their true love is in doubt. This true love was the justification for the cheating and the reason to endure being publicly known as horrible people and here it goes up in smoke. That must hurt their egos.

They must suspect that Ha-kyung and Shi-woo have only found consolation and happiness with each other, because they have been hurt by these two. This is a constant reminder of their guilt and they cannot like it. They are not generous and thoughtful, only regret that they have lost things that were useful to them (taking rubbish out, help with the script).

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I'm pretty sure that Ki-Joon with his twisted mind think that Shi-Woo is getting revenge by dating Ha-Kyung and not they can have genuine feelings for each other.

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i've only seen the first two episodes, and plan to continue soon. but i had to come here and comment on the screencap @missvictrix used for this post bc it made me laugh out loud. yoon park and song kang both look like school kids who are getting sent to detention. 😂

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It was too great to pass up!

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I really appreciate how this drama is showing us the ups and downs of relationships, especially with the growing bond between our leads. They are working through the various issues that all couples deal with: pride, how much to share, desire, jealousy of former relationships, doubt, family obligations, and uncertainty. It takes hard work to make a strong relationship and I like that these characters are putting in the effort. I don't mind that they relate the weather issues to the obstacles the characters are dealing with.

I love that we are seeing the hard work that goes into accurate weather forecasting, and Lee Si-woo needs to show that he can concentrate at his job regardless of what he is dealing with in his personal life. I want him to be better than Han Ki-jun at separating work from personal life, for his sake and for his boss/girlfriend.

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The two ex's need to realize that they deserve each other. Two immature people who mainly look at their past partners and legit get angry that they moved on from them. Like they were supposed to be sad forever. How self absorbed do you have to be.

Looking at the preview, did his behind really say that Ha Kyung only dates to marry. Like no shit dude, you bailed before she could even get the ring on her finger.

As a career woman myself, I have placed my job or other things as priorities and I honestly think it's due to protecting myself. If I am in, I go all the way in and so far no person has ever made me want to push forward toward a long term commitment. I think that was the case for Ha Kyung. Ten years right?

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Ki-Joon shoud really write a book : How to be the perfect LOSER

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Totally!

Unfortunately, he wouldn't know what to write without somebody else's help.

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I enjoyed this show a whole lot and I think it comes down to having trust that the writer won't disappoint me with how the characters develop. I love that Si Woo and Ha Kyung's jealousy part didn't drag. I now understand why Si Woo and Ha Kyung start dating so fast : you still learn new things even after you date/marry. This is also true for the married couple (the cheaters, Forecaster Um and his wife).

While I do agree no one is all that professional here in separating personal/work matters (fighting at work like kindergarteners, Ha kyung kicking ki jun (but ki jun calls for it lol he got my blood boiling), ha kyung calling ki jun a loser). I found myself not thinking much about it, maybe because it's my wind down drama, too. It shows Ha Kyung isn't perfect, the men are like kids, etc.

I also love how Ha Kyung acts cute in front of Si Woo off work. She lets her guard down in front of Si Woo and it's just so cute <3

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I for timely this drama isn’t doing it for me. Weird setup of episodes where plot point are tied to weather, and therefore the episodes don’t feel like continuation of a story like you pointed out. And no amount of my great love for park Kim young is being enough to cover the terrible one-act acting from song kang. Boy only has one expression and one smile, a one trick pony. He needs to stick to acting the jerks or wounded tsundere characters in nevertheless or love alarm until he learns a bit more acting. I am this close to dropping this one but I keep coming back for park min young, who is always a delight on screen.

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*unfortunately this drama isn’t ……

Aaaah autocorrect doing me wrong 😑

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If Ha-kyung and Shi-woo doesn't end up together, I'll be the most pleased. His bickerings this two episodes were tantrum-ish and unpleasant. He closes his issues to Ha-kyung until he is okay to share but expects her to open to him every detail of her actions(past and present) the moment he asks, it's kind of an hypocritical and at this point, unpleasant. Even if he finally grows out of this behavior, I just want it to be like she helped him grow into a more reasonable person but they couldn't work out as a couple.

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I find this show very relaxing to watch, and one reason for that is the way it seamlessly shifts from the main leads to the side stories. This week, I found the dinosaur exchange in the bookstore to be especially endearing. The French farce ending of ep. 7 made me laugh, as did Ki-Joon's continued ridiculousness. In the hands of a lesser actor these kinds of loser moments would be painful, but I appreciate that the actor is embracing the comedic underpinning's of his character's shortcomings. But I do hope that Ki-Joon matures and grows by the end of the series, even if that means his ill-fated marriage breaks down (because it really should).

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Whenever I watch this show, I feel like there is something very comforting to watch there. There is something that the show has done very right. Perhaps it is the pace, the characters, the tone, I just don't know. Oh.. I know now. It calms my mind. It quietens my mind. There are characters you root for; there are characters that should be hated. It is simple show that has been executed so well. You don't have to think much. You can just sit and relax, and enjoy whatever the shows serves you.

For example, the second leads are just horrible. Ki-joon is an epitome of an incompetent trashy ex that you should just get rid of as soon as you can. BUT there were scenes when I could simply sympathize with him the same way Ha-kyung did. I want to hate him, but perhaps he is too much of a loser I feel like I can't hate him. He is very pitiful in that sense.

For Soo-jin, I really hate this character. Kudos to the character to make me dislike her this much. She was the one who wronged Si-woo by two-timing him. She got married to the fiancé of another woman. She didn't remorse or anything. She wants her husband to do things for her. She is absolutely disgusting. At least Ki-joon shows signs of wanting to be committed to this relationship whereas she doesn't. When the things she dreamt of seemed to go down in flame, she backed off. She is a very selfish person.

There were moments I loved in these two last eps. I think the broken down air-conditioners scene was actually one of them. I loved that Seok-ho noticed how all of them took these small things for granted. I felt like I was a bit wiser watching that scene, the same way Seok-ho perhaps did.

The FL's older sister rubbed me the wrong way a little when she left those smelly things at Seok-ho's place for too long. She at least should have given him her sister's phone number or hers. This was a small thing that it did distract me a little from the story.

Oh.. and thank you so much for a fun weecap, @missvictrix! I haven't read the recaps, weecaps much recently, but now that I did read this one I feel like I'm enjoying reading recaps again. Please continue to write well!!!

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"petulant"

I wouldn't really use that word, for either of them. They are both reasonably insecure given their bad breakup, and he is irritated at having to keep this under wraps as if they are the ones doing something wrong. That's the fact: they are not. I really didn't like the cheating almost-husband acting as if, if they are dating, the woman he humiliated is not a victim, or as if people are wrong at pointing him out as filthy scum for betraying her. Every accusation he received is completely correct -he did two time her-, and since he was the one to split up with her, he has no right to question her relationship -or be in her life at all-.

"save is woman"

That's not what this is about, and he did not save anyone. This is about a reasonable understanding that things are over between them, and a reasonable expectation that he wouldn't be a part of her life anymore. As she explains to him, this is not really about him "saving her", but about him causing the problem in the first place with the mess he did of the insurance. It's really not surprising, and of a par with him trying to dispossess her of the house when he didn't really pay half of it, but only a fraction. Speaking of possessiveness, I found two adulterers arguing over who has lived with whom, etc. and his former almost-wife trying to rebuild her life just an incredible conversation, not in a good way, but in a suspension-of-dispelief-defying way. Scum, and scum that would be better served not even pretending to care.

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"I’m not convinced that Ki-joon will be able to keep calm about it"

I also don't think that the petulant man-child has enough in him to avoid this. Completely self absorbed. Also, some very retrograde opinions on women -his wife should not even interact with former lovers in order to avoid bruising his male ego? And she actually agrees with this, with his remonstrations about her living with her former lover, telling her ex "how could a man put up with that", when she actually cheated on him? No shame, or respect either for him or for herself? She has nothing to apologize for. And it's ludicrous that she would regret her cohabitation now... how much more insulting can she get?-.

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"Yoo-jin is honest with Ki-joon about the man she fell in love with as opposed to the one she’s saddled with now. Yoo-jin might suck as a character, but she liked very righteous things about Ki-joon: a man who was mature, decisive, responsible, competent, etc. Now, she sees none of that and is frustrated."

Let's take away the "might"... Ki-joon gets the brunt of it, but she did everything he did as well, despite not being taken to task for it. She is equally repulsive.

As for "responsible", committed, etc., might I point out that the guy, as he never tires to repeat, despite evidently not seeing how it makes him look, was willing to betray someone he knew for 10 years and was about to marry, by sleeping with his mistress in their own house, in their own bed, in front of said woman? That he was ready to betray her physically, emotionally, financially, while stalking her and acting like a violent, jealous man-child? That had such fragile male ego that he would hold his wife living together with the boyfriend he cuckholded against her, while not seeing the irony of them both betraying their long term partners? He was the kind of man willing to do all that and more, and she knew it, because she knew he was in a relationship with someone for a decade and was about to marry them. She didn't have a problem with it, and she knew what she was buying.

"To his credit, he seeks advice from the lovely Myung-joo (possibly the most mature and grounded person in this drama) and she tells him (a.k.a. his friend) to try to win back his wife by showing her that he is all of those things she saw in him. The fact that Ki-joon tries this, is successful at it, and Yoo-jin perks up again, was a nice little vignette. But clouds keep rolling in."

Never going to give him credit for acting like a borderline human being. Then again, they are filth that deserve each other.

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In general, I like the fact that the adulterous couple realizes they broke something that worked to get exactly what could be reasonably expected. They chose someone willing to betray their life long partner, and so they should have knowing that was the kind of person they were marrying.

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