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The Real Has Come: Episodes 34-50 (Drama Hangout)

We’re trying something new and giving you a Drama Hangout if you’re a fan of epicly long KBS weekenders! Here is your space to chat as you watch The Real Has Come, with Baek Jin-hee and Ahn Jae-hyun in a contract marriage… with a baby.

*Here are the Hangout links for Episodes 1-16 and Episodes 17-33.
 
Beware of spoilers! This thread is for discussing the entire series.

 
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I stop watching this at ep 30 (?). I wish they casted different actor, other than Ahn Jae-hyun, he is so stiff and his romance scenes are so unbelievable. And it is the problems with weekender, sometimes the story can't maintain my interest for 50 eps when it is probably watchable for 16 eps.

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I also think 50 episodes is a bit too much. I have issues with the drama as well. The second female lead is 1D villainous to an infuriating extent. I can't stand her or sympathize with her anymore. Female lead being too naive.

As for the actors, I think there is a problem with the whole cast. It is like a 2009 drama so no wonder they feel flat or stiff compared to the other stellar performances we have been watching.

There are many stories being told which is a double-edged weapon. Either some will fall flat or be insufficiently covered or we will get balanced focus on the stories of more than one couple.

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I am having similar issues as far as the villians and how many times they are going after them then they back off then they try again and it gets old fast. I enjoy it overall so I am still watching because at least the ML's catch on to the silliness early on so there is less noble idiocy than the old time dramas. I give them points for being not quite so naive. The other thing that is silly is how the ML s are developing feelings for each other yet she STILL wants to separate? Does not make sense.

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I agree that she doesn't make sense. Actually she never made sense since the beginning. She knew she was in love with Ml and couldn't raise the baby alone but was set on leaving for no reasonable reason

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Seem nothing make sense anymore 30 eps onward LOL. But you may carry on Writer! There's a contract to be fulfilled.

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So far, I'm enjoying the drama. I really hope Mom doesn't make it too hard on Yeon-doo in the next episodes. I'm assuming that nothing will happen to YD's baby since he/she is in the title but this conflict just after she nearly lost her baby. I've always believed pregnant women should stay out of worrisome situations or else it will affect the baby.

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See you soon!

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I will start posting here after I see Episode 34- so see you all soon as well.

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Your recent article on tips about weekenders made me give the show a second chance when I was about to drop it for feeling draggy.

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Thank you. The truth is that almost all weekenders- even the really good ones- drag at times. But then again, how many sixteen episode dramas should have ended sooner?

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Yeah, you are right.
The thing is this is my first weekender other than King of Tears so I had no idea how that type of dramas work and got confused at how many stories there are but your article helped mw understand a lot. Thank you for sharing those tips

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I wait until Monday here in the USA so I can see 2 episodes together, so your recaps are something I look forward to so I know what I am up against

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We are already so far??
I'm still behind though 😬

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So far so good. It's a good modern family drama with different relationships going on at the same.
I think what makes watching the drama a bit tough is that there are lot of suspense in all the different relationships. Also the fact that, we have to wait every weekend for the next episodes. Meaning when you really want to know what is happening in the next scene of the last scene of an episode, then it's either the next day or another weekend before one can do so.
But on the whole it's a beautiful movie.
The male lead is doing very well now. I think his character was a bit challenging for him to fit at the onset.

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Episode 34
It broke my heart that Yeon-do left like she did. It was hard to see Tae-kyung have to suffer and not even be a part of Real’s birth. The writers need to make up for all this sorrow.

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I agree, the writers have to give us moments that are as good as the ones the skipped over and therefore we missed. 50 episodes gives them enough time so as not to skip critical events like Real's birth!

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I've come this far so I'll finish it, but it's not a show that moves me very much. I do like the different storylines and social/moral dilemmas involving pregnancy/birth/bloodline and I want to know how they'll be resolved, but other than that, there's no character I care about enough to look forward to the show each week. Also, the production value is quite low; all the scenes are in the same, mainly indoor spaces. I suppose that's not too unusual for 50-episode weekend shows, but for some reason, the set design for this show seems even less interesting than most. Perhaps it's because there's been no meaningful, iconic outdoor set.

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Suddenly this show changed radically and I want to know why. The writer had been juggling multiple couple relationships- and then handed us a one year time skip. Have all the balls been dropped (except for ending the story of Uncle and his First Love, that is)? OK, we know that TK’s older sister has returned to work and his colleage (and BIL) is starting a Paternity leave- but that really is not telling us much. What happened with Soo-gyeum, Macknae and our Young Father? For that matter are our childless couple going to remain that way?

Awkward plothole: Yeon-doo is supposed to be looking for a location for a study room- so how is it she is looking at TK’s apartment? Sure it gives us a nice “We meet again” screne but at this moment I am actually pretty steamed up. Fortunately, I have resisted the urge to put down many otherwise appropiate language from my Naval days because I can assure you that that language would not be pretty.

Is it possible that the suits at the network demanded changes? That would explain why a wrench was suddenly thrown into what had actually been a tightly scripted show.

The writer had better give us something that makes sense of this mess next weekend.

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I agree. I don't think I've ever seen a 5-month leap followed within minutes by a 7-month leap. Somehow it was worse, more jarring, than just a 12-month leap. It's OK for us viewers to hit the fast forward button at times, but it's definitely not OK for the show's writers to hit that button!

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Amen to that. You expressed my feelings well. Weekenders show people growing and changing- to suddenly cut out a whole year violates the whole weekender concept- making it even more jarring.

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At this point, I wouldn't mind if they just wrapped up the series in 40 episodes. Might be a win-win for KBS and for the viewers.

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Unless some major repairs are made next week, I have to agree with you on this.

This is so sad. It is bad enough when the writer makes a wrong turn in a sixteen episode drama but in a weekender it is inexcusable.

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Time jump is NOT a trope used in weekender family dramas as far as all those I’ve watched. These 50-60 episodes drama cover multi relationships in parallel and time jump disrupts the storytelling of those relationships.

The latest development is head-scratching to say the very least. Frustrating is an understatement.

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You are exactly right about the fundamental problem with this. It violates the most basic idea of a weekender in exactly the way you describe.

As you said, time skips have no place in a weekender. The exception is when it is place in the final episode to provide an epilogue for the story. A truly charming one happens at the end of SMILE YOU.

One has to wonder what happened here. Is this a case where the problem was with the two actresses who are portrayed as pregnant? We already had the jarring replacement for the Chairman (apparently due to the personal problems of the original Chairman). If the reason is because Baek Jin-hee did not like the idea of not being able to show off her 21-inch waist, then she has done a world of hurt to her professional reputation- in stark contrast to Cha Joo-young who has been so professional in her portrayal of Se-jin. These two actresses previously appeared together in the comedy JUGGLERS. What a contrast- Cha Joo-young's star has risen very far since she contributed a great deal to the success of the smash hit GLORY. It will certainly not be hurt by her performance in this show. If what has happened to this show was done to meet Baek Jin-hee's demands then, in contrast, she may find her future prospects damaged.

But it is just as likely that what has happened was demanded by the executives at KBS. If that is the case then the writer has to be hopping mad about it and as the audience we have to be upset as well. It would not be the first time that a show has been harmed by an idiotic executive decision.

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You may be right about network changes. This weekender has been in the low range for KBS weekend ratings. KBS is losing its utility bill TV service fee so it probably comes down to money.

I have only seen a few episodes because my local KBS America channel does not schedule them regularly. From the comments I read on the show, it seemed deception drove the plot lines to the point of repetition. I also wondered if the actress(es) did not to wear/look 7-8 months pregnant thus the time skips.

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I had that same thought about the actresses- they were pretty much to talent so perhaps they dictated this. That is why I hope our next episodes will take the time to give us the story of all that happened with the other people. How is Grandma's search for Strawberry going? What about Soo-myung and her career, as well as her Young Father and our Macknae? Some real space will have to be devoted to catching up with them or we cannot really call this a weekender anymore.

For that matter, what about our heartbroken Uncle?

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I thought the time skips had to do with not wanting to show people fighting over a tiny infant. We sort of had to see the baby being born and then we got the second skip to take it to the point the baby isn’t a tiny infant.
Also my husband thought the time skip was also to let the heat go out the family upset because otherwise we get another set of episodes of everyone screaming and crying.

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The why fir me is why give us time leap whiplash when there are still 16 episodes left anyway? I feel like the events jumps weren't necessary. And also valuable relationship possibilities were missed. I have to admit I am disappointed to have been brought this far and now the important details are washed over that, as a viewer, I wanted to be in on.

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I've been speed watching this show and following all of your comments. I'm finally hooked, and really interested in seeing how things play out from here - there are so many relationships that have been formed and then shaken up!

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What annoys me the most i these past episodes is the hypocrisy of that family. Yeas it’s not good that they lied, but I do t see why they have such an issue it’s not biologically tar kung. Firstly he is not the chairman’s bio son, but was adopted after marrying his mother, secondly the sister in law is going to do sperm donation which if you think it’s the same thing and yoon do… the real father would be the one who raised it. But year just Amy annoyances

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Hypocrisy naturally abounds in human affairs- w should never be surprised when it rears its head in a drama.

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apologies for all the typos, I was posting from my phone

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The whole point of k drama is making issues where none should exist in real life. I think it’s also a bit that Confusian thing where blood lines are considered extremely important.

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I wasnt sure I was watching the same show anymore, haha.

I had complained about how vanilla the leads and their relationship were, atleast there is some angst now.

SeJin's garbage bag coat in episode 34 was a hoot, better than Jeon Do Yeon's coats in CCIR. LOL

When Yeon Doo told TK's mother the truth and SeJin was right there and attached herself to her, especially when she advised TK to tell his mother the truth, I was thinking not this stupid stuff again. I would like this show so much better if someone, ANYONE, just stopped and asked her to leave before continuing family discussions.

With all the melodrama from TK's mother, I was in the same space as grandma "Whether you live or die, do it tomorrow(When I am not watching)". LOL. As hard as it is for me to understand family members telling an adult couple whether they can be together or not, the angst was hard to follow.

After TK's mother took her back to her mother's house, what was the point of YD returning to ask for forgiveness? Aside from the fact that she has already apologized a million times, and this is a pet peeve of mine, why harrass the person you have ostensibly wronged to ask for forgiveness? To me that is refusing to let them process it at their own pace, and forcing the pace instead. The respectful thing would have been to leave her alone for a while.
However, if she had we wouldnt have had the melodrama to beat Indian movies, LOL.

I can understand them not wanting to necessarily show YD being pregnant, she had a 21" waist for months, etc., but couldnt they atleast have NOT put her in clothes with belts, emphasizing said 21" waist?
I loved how Su Jeong caught on to Woo Hee's scam quickly, but just when I thought we saw the last of her there she was again, but atleast she is being helpful again.
YD's mother was needlessly cruel, but I was glad that she said what she did, cos now we get to see anger from TK. From the trailer, it looks like that will be gone next week though.

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I even had to rewind to identify when the two time leaps occurred because I was sure I missed something with the baby's age!

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But what a sweet chub-chub Haneul is! She is really adorable. So the preview seemed to suggest that she left Haneul with TK? What the hell is going on?

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Your guess is as good as any, the writer has thrown us for a loop!

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Is that what the preview indicated? I was distracted and thought TK asked YD to stay

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She seemed to be leaving Haneul’s stuff in those bags somewhere. I cringed thinking she had left Haneul along with the clothes at his doorstep otherwise why would he be looking after that sweet baby and asking about care-giving advice?

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That was the last scene but as usual with previews, the montage could be misleading.

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Ah ok @dancingemma. I will pay more attention to the previews in the future

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Gods above and beyond, 16 more episodes to go. When I saw who played the ML’s mother I was a bit afraid as I saw her in Young Lady and Gentleman. And alas… why is it necessary to screech that hard, it’s completely over the top, I don’t like how she plays the madwoman.

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Though, the sad thing is that until very recently, she had been quite lovely and not a screecher but her sublimated bigotry finally reared its ugly head in a narrative arc which made very little sense to me. Also, unrelated but can’t help myself here: The bizarre time shifts of 5 and 7 months occurred on screen in a matter of minutes! It was just plain bonkers! This drama is my first weekly and might very well be the last based on these shenanigans.

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Please do not judge weekenders based upon this time skip- it is actually completely abnormal for this genre and arguably violates one of the most fundamental principles of weekenders: That they are really about the other people in addition to the central couple.

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Also, I hope they’ll fill in the time in between in the coming episodes.
Let’s hope it’s a non-linear telling if the story rather than a time skip.

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I agree, she was a lovely person until that moment. Different from the person on YLAG lol !

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Is it just me or is the time skip is actually refreshing to see?

It's definitely something different and I am extremely excited to see what happens next.

ML's mother's antics does seem to be the work of executives in order to increase the ratings though 🤔

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Welcome back into the comments section🥳
I am not watching this one but keep reading comments about how it has done some thing’s differently so maybe some of these additions will become the new normal in this section of Kdramaland.

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Episode 35 tries to pick up the threads where we left off a year ago. It is still jarring though. But, clearly one new character has just been added: The owner of the cafe downstairs from where our Macknae works. Macknae and Soogyeum stepped in to pick up drinks and the young, pretty owner refuses to tell Soogyeum how she makes the watermelon juice. Then the shot of our pretty cafe owner taking out the trash- and is still not seen by our Young Father who is on the phone telling his family that he has finally been hired by a company. Who is this new lady? I am going out on a limb here to suggest that we may have just met Soogyeum's mother. Are we looking at a love triangle here?

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KBS America must be editing the show for time because I missed the 5 month time shift then suddenly YD has a 7 month old infant. Which is still odd since the whole premise of her leaving the house in two months was to have the baby at that time.

Ep 35 seemed liked KBS deliberately dropped 4 episode scripts. Reconciliation of the near divorce couple, the decision of the fertility couple, and the Young Father dating were all skipped over. A couple of lines does not fill in the story or re-set the characters properly.

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There were two time shifts- 5 months, then brief scenes from her having the baby, followed by a seven-month shift that brings us to the present.

You are right that this really damages the development of all the other stories. It really violates the most central concept of what family weekenders are all about: The families, not just the lead characters.

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Episodes 35 and 36 starts Yeon-do's and Tae-kyung's raising the baby together. I really want Se-jin's father to do something about his scheming daughter - that ungrateful wench! Now, YD's time with the TK's family is showing how influential she had been in their family that Granny is even taking care of her. TK's mother may be so upset right now, but being a mother, too, I believe that it is because of the lie - and not about the baby.

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I forgot to mention Jun-ha! Where I come from, a baby born out of wedlock remains with the mother until such time as the child can decide on his/her own who he/she wants to live with. SB put a leash on KJH!

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In k-dramas, they are bound to mess up the legal issues. Under SK law if a baby is born during a marriage, the presumption is that the married couple are the legal parents. And then the baby is to be registered on the official family registry.

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Did they officially get married though? IIRC, there were quite a lot of shenanigans to avoid registering their marriage.

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There was an odd quip from one of the nurses at the clinic that TK was grumpy after his divorce. Who knows?

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How are we doing after episode 36? It is obvious that a decision was made to increase the emphasis given to the story of Macknae, Soogyeum and our Young Father. We are told that Macknae has been dating the Young Father for a year- but officially only “Un seriously”. Except we just found out that Maknae, who was once so opposed to marriage that she literally ran away from Jay and his family, is instead now upset at the idea that our Young Father might not want to marry her. Meanwhile, Soogyeum has taken a shine to the pretty cafe owner downstairs from Macknae’s company: It is clear that this must be her (as yet unrevealed) mom- a mom who is also her ‘influencer’ daughter’s biggest fan. We are going to be treated to a love triangle. Incredibly, Maknae still does not know that her guy is our FL’s younger brother, a massive hurdle sitting in their future.

Even with a little flesh (and time) now added to this one side couple’s story an inordinate amount of time was spent on our main couple and our 2ML. The other side couples have been sidelined. Still, these episodes were dramatically much more exciting than what we have seen for a long time.

Note: It was confirmed that Strawberry was Grandma’s daughter. So the suggestion that our ML and our 2ML may be half-bothers remains plausible.

The jury is still out on the wisdom of the one-year time skip. At the very least we need much more history regarding that missing year than we have yet received because it is very hard to see what happened with many of our characters at this point.

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I just hate the time skips in this drama. To me, they were unnecessary and did nit make the drama smoother; rather they've created more distracting side issues. Instead of making me move forward with the story, I have to keep saying, "Wait, why are Se jin and Joon ha still partnering when we don't know about their misding year." It's like everyone is kind of stuck. It's like everyone's story is kind of stuck in the skips.

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"Its like everyone is stuck" Precisely- that is exactly how I have felt too but could not express it half so well. Time skips are inconsistent with the central idea of a weekender- which is not a single story but at least two other stories that are interconnected with the story of the main couple. A one-year time skip throws the rest of the stories off track- which is why we have the effect that you saw. Because we are in effect told that nothing of significance happened with the other people for a whole year. They were stuck, just as you said.

That simply does not ring true. That is why the writer needs to fill out the rest of what happened. Or we will all be stuck.

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Like a freeze screen shot and only the two main characters move forward. Then the freeze screen shot is animated again. But everyone else is behind. It works in time warps and parallel worlds (Eternal Monarch), but not in family weekend dramas!

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A great comparison. Some things work in some places but not in others.

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In-Ok: "He is going to be so lonely. I hate her for leaving him". Lol. She actually frog marched YD to her mother's home and told her everything before YD had a chance to break it to her mother. She blames YD for leaving, grandma for causing it all, with no self awareness that this crisis is entirely her doing. This was a character I loved until 2 weeks ago, then the writers took a hatchet to it. Sigh.

I had hoped that since YD left him, it would be up to her to come back, and not have TK beg her to come back. I guess that was too much to hope for.

So the childless SIL met the uncle's first love's son. Is this what the prophesy meant - their child would have 2 fathers, or something to that effect?

Not sure why SeJin and JoonHa went silent for a year but are now hot on the trail again.

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I agree with you about the odd turnabout in the character of In-ok. In fact, I found that statement that you quoted utterly jarring and perhaps the most hypocritical utterance in the history of K-dramas.

Could she possibly be that unself-aware? She even made sure to bulldoze YD into getting into the car at a moment when her son would not be present to stop her. But there you have it: The biggest lies are those that we tell ourselves.

I do not like TK being put in that position either. Does this guy ever get a break?

After the way he has been treated by YD, his mom. Grandma and Se-jin I have come to the conclusion that what he really needs to do is cut ties to all of them, move his practice to Busan, sign up with a matchmaking service, marry someone nice and live his life happily knowing that he never has to see any of them ever again.

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That would be ideal, wouldn’t it? But it wouldn’t be a kdrama if that happened

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Sad, but true.

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After watching Ep 35-36, I realize there sure is an awful lot of on again-off again when a drama is 50 episodes long!

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Episode 37 strained credulity. We are at Maximum Makjang now.

Soogyeum’s mom, the pretty cafe owner, is named Song-yi. She literally hid when our Young Father came into her cafe.

Our leads are back together and their families- and our second leads- are acting like lunatics. Se-jin turns down another blind date because, Captain Ahab like, she is still obsessed with our ML. Joon-ha is obsessed with gaining possession of his baby.

No word yet on Grandma’s search for Strawberry.

I am hanging in there and will complete my watch of this show- face palming all the way from the looks of things at this point.

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Episode 38 leaves us with still no word about Grandma’s daughter Strawberry. Somehow that just symbolizes for me where we are in this story. We began with two ugly scenes: His mom disowning our ML and Joon-ha then threatening our FL with a lawsuit if she does not go to America with him and their baby. That’s a surefire way to win a girl’s heart, Joon-ha (yes that was sarcasm). Could somebody please explain what our FL could possibly ever have seen in this guy? It simply makes no dramatic sense that any woman could ever fall for such an infantile, self-centered, supposedly adult human male. My question to the writer is simply this: with only twelve more episodes to go is there time for Joonha to actually grow up? As Grandma said “Why did YD date a bastard like that?”. Odd that in this, and the last several episodes it is Grandma who is being the voice of reason.

Just to ramp the Mackjang up one more notch Se-jin has decided to destroy the Gong’s company. Her obsession knows no bounds: She is indeed the female version of Captain Ahab and this writer has thoroughly absorbed the lessons in MOBY DICK. But maybe Se-jin won’t get the chance after all..

But wait! There’s more! In-ok ends this episode with yet another bizarre stunt. Why are we still watching? To see what is the next crazy thing that is bound to happen, of course.

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Agree with your thoughts on ep37 and 38. I want to like YD and know that she is basically a good person--which is why it makes no sense that she would have fallen for someone like Joonha and even had a child out of wedlock with him. It makes no sense in the usual K-drama weekender moral universe in which the FL represents purity. Sure, everyone else around her can be crazy and evil, but she is usually the wise, moral center. I'm not saying that having a child out of a wedlock is a disqualifying stain on a FL...but with someone with no redeeming qualities like Joonha? That makes it harder to sympathize with her predicament or to root for her.

I'll finish the show even though it's a train wreck; I guess I have a bit of morbid curiosity in me. I also have a tiny, tiny bit of hope (a hope that's getting dimmer each week) that somehow the show will do something unexpectedly good.

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I finally caught up, but only because I FF through all scenes that involved only YD/TK and the baby. The sacharine oozing from the violins is just too much.

My Joon-ha - I realize he was the "man to hate" from the beginning, but after redeeming just about every other character, they have made no effort to explain his motivations or back-story. The show jumped the shark for me at Ep 34, but I'm still interested in finding out what family he is related to

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I agree with you about the lack of a backstory for Joon-ha- we still have no clue as to why he is the way that he is.

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Episode 38
I am flabbergasted at the heinous things that were said…
”You’re done being my son.”
“The pain your father felt as he raised someone else’s kid…It’s time you felt it, too.”
“I crossed him off as my son….I don’t need a son like him.”
“It looks like he chose a woman over his family.”
“Return the baby to her biological father, then I’ll approve of you and Tae-kyung.”
Like Jun-ha could be a good father; he is a complete jerk and too self-centered. He obviously did not show his true colors to Yeon-doo when they were dating or she would not have dated him. Yeon-doo and Tae-kyung need to move to Daegu or Busan so that they can be as far away as possible from their so-called families. At least it looks like Bong-nim is coming around. And why in the world did Yeon-doo get in the car with In-ok?!?!?!? Maybe they could introduce another character; an old girlfriend of Jun-ha shows up with his 5 year-old-son. Lol.

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Episode 38 was appalling.

No one in their right mind would have said any of those things.

I was absolutely astounded when Yeon-doo got into the car with In-ok. I am not sure who was more stupid: YD for falling for it or In-ok for pulling this stunt. It was totally deranged.

I have already voted for Tae-kyung moving himself and his practice to Busan. It is a really nice city that is also plenty large enough to need an OB-GYN Fertility Specialist. There is absolutely no reason why YD could not go too.

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I have come to dislike Yeon-doo for her wanting to make a martyr of herself while having no heart for the people whose lives she will shatter. Tae-kyung had determined to live with her and the baby out of love for them; he got an apartment where they could live together away from the Gong family and their abuse. Why did she write those goodbye letters crying crocodile tears determined to end her relationship with Tae-kyung? She does not deserve someone as compassionate as Tae-kyung.
I also wonder why she dresses like a schoolgirl, always wearing white socks with smocking like dresses while the other women wear adult outfits. Maybe he clothes hint that she needs to grow up.

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Let me start with something positive. Soo Gyeom is the most adorable child.

Irrespective of whether he is a jerk or not, and he is, Joon Ha has some inalienable rights as the child's father. I dont get how people can say "Go away, we will bring this child up by ourselves". I was glad when YD said as much, but shutting him out of naming the kid etc., is not cool. TK has no rights over the baby. Having said that, I am not sure why he wants YD to move with him to the US? Perhaps its because he wont be able to take the child out of the country in a joint custody scenario, but if he has feelings for her, he doesnt act like it.

Its been hard to arrive at this point, considering Ahn Jae Hyun is one of my favorite actors, but Gong Tae Gyeong is a weak and wimpy character. In their bid to make him the "good guy", the writers have made him completely pale and boring. I dont think AJH has added any color to the character either.

As much I hate In Ok right now, I was so happy when she called SeJin on her BS and asked her to stay out of the family affairs. So gratifying. Aside from a little melodrama, she was relatively subdued this week.

YD's family literally kidnapping the baby and YD and then asking InOk to help her tear them apart, BongNim telling Joon Ha that she cannot give YD or the baby to him - I cant even. I completely get that this is a different culture and I absolutely shouldnt comment on it, but this isn't even making a lot of sense. Do families get this assertive in what is essentially the decision of two grown adults? Also I am having a hard time understanding why the fact that Joon Ha is the father is so significant. They knew it was someone else, what diff does it make that it is him? Is it the proximity?

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Actually, until Joon-ha is legally established as the father of the child he has no enforceable rights at all beyond a right to bring a paternity action. There are even scenarios where a court could refuse to establish his paternity, although in this case it would probably do so. That is the logic behind bullying YD and TK: He wants to avoid a lawsuit which might take months to years to finish- and lawyers' fees (hey, this is really hard work and we do like to be paid for it).

Equally flippant, though, was TK saying he would adopt the child. Not without also filing a suit and because there is a known "Putative" father that means a scenario where Joon-ha's objections will be raised and heard.

At this point neither of these guys has rights in any real sense. A fact that both of them really need to acknowledge.

Does Joon ha love YD? Not even a little bit. His feelings for the baby? That the child is a possession that has been taken from him. Is it unusual for a mother or father to see a child that way? Sadly, in my experience, the answer is no it is not.

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As far as establishing paternity, I don’t think anyone is denying he is the father. A DNA test would easily establish that if they do. Agreed, if the courts get involved, it could become a long and tedious process.
I agree with you, the fact he wants YD and the baby makes me think this is just a childish tantrum at being rejected rather than paternal love.
As far as TK claiming he will adopt, like it just needs his intent, it made me think the writers arent doing a lot of research

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Legally, until the laws of the ROK proclaim him otherwise, Joon-ha is just another guy on the street as far as this child is concerned. That is why he cannot just grab the child.

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Yep, thanks, I looked it up, unmarried fathers have no rights to the child out of wedlock in SK. A court could refuse him paternity.
He could report himself as the father or file a paternity suit. Simply threatening people isn’t useful. I see that it’s different from here.
I think though we veered off the other point I was trying to make.
That people other than the mother(who was the only reasonable voice) were trying to dictate the course of action. Again, that’s prolly a cultural difference.
I’ve seen plenty of jerks who make women’s lives miserable, so I am not advocating for him. It just struck me how easily people say “you’re a jerk, I won’t allow you to stay in her life”
If he genuinely wants to be in the child’s life, I really don’t think anyone should be able to prevent that. But that’s just me, and I am basing my opinions on the law as I see it here.

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Under Korean law, in the case of unwed fathers, a man may come forward and accept the paternity of the child in what is called a "voluntary acknowledgment of paternity" by filing with a district office, or file an action for paternity can be determined by the courts. Instead of grandstanding, Jun-ho could have easily filed paternity claim without a court threat.

In the past, it was solely the mother who solely controlled the care and custody (and giving a child away for adoption). Today, both natural parents have to consent to an adoption. In custody cases, the courts use the best interests of the child standard.

The characters' rants about the child being his Joseon property are not even close to reality.

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A man can file an acknowledgment of parentage in the US also- but it has to be signed by the mother as well. About 5 out of seven out of wedlock children with legal fathers in the U.S. had their paternity established in that fashion- it is an option usually offered right at the hospital.

I do not know Korean law, but I suspect that YD would have to agree to the registration, and she is not going to do that. That leaves Jun-ho the option of filing a claim with the court- to which YD can object- forcing a lawsuit. Once they are there, he will be found to be the father, but custody is another matter- and Joon-Ho knows this. The odds of his gaining possession of the baby are low- and the cost of trying is high. That is why he has been trying to bully YD.

As for TK- that is true in the U.S. also- which is why I called him flippant for saying he would simply adopt the child. One of the only rights that Joon-ha has as a merely biological but not legal father is the right to object to that adoption- and even if TK were to file in court, he most likely would lose. The law of both the US and Korea are essentially the same on this, only the procedural details might differ.

So Joon-ho's grandstanding actually made sense in a way- but he really should stop simply because it is not working. TK's grandstanding makes less sense- as on that point alone Joon-ha really does have the upper hand.

Of course, things would be different if TK and YD had actually registered their marriage when they went to the district office. Then TK would have automatically been the father at the time that the child was born. They thought that their charade at that time was clever, but now it turns out to have been too clever by half.

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Thank you for explaining that. It makes sense.

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I also researched Korean paternity law weeks ago and, no surprise, I agree. If joon-ha establishes paternity, he won't get custody but he can make everyone's life miserable and if he behaves himself, court will likely grant visitation. In Korea, most of the case law is based upon women trying to force men (out of wedlock) to pay child support.

Joon ha's lawyer told him that if he establishes paternity, he will have some rights, but also adivsed him that the best way to gain custody and/or a role in the baby's life, he should try to get the mother to be with him. That's why he has been pushing for her to be with him.

Now that she has refused, he's planning to battle. I know it's required to stretch this out and perhaps even lob another DNA surprise into the mix, but I'm tired of it all.

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I had not thought of the fact that the DNA test could offer a surprise, if not the usual one, if TK were to insist on being tested also (these two guys are related!) but it would take a bizarre plot twist to get to that point. This writer is capable of doing that and I can even see how we get there- but that twist would never work in the US because when we do that testing for judicial establishment of paternity the test process involves taking a very high-quality photo of the putative father. This prevents sending an imposter to substitute for the putative father.

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A surprise DNA test who be an unknown stranger is the father - - - after breaking up with JH she really had a drunken one night stand. She thinks the father is JH because she does not remember the fling.

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As mentioned earlier, this show seems "stuck" in an endless loop of irrational, obsessively stubborn characters ranting about the same thing; it is like watching people struggle in quicksand. This show has to have set the record number of "I'm sorry" statements. It is boring and going nowhere.

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To me it is not so much boring but rather frustrating. Part of the whole idea of weekenders is that people can change. So far only three lesser characters have actually shown growth:

Grandma- the person we least expected it from.

Our Young Father, YD's little brother, who has finally opened his heart to our Macknae after having effectively closed himself down emotionally for years. Something he had to do simply to survive and care for his daughter.

Our Macknae, who has gone from being virulently anti-marriage to "why won't you consider marrying me?" - the idea of a long-term relationship is no longer terrifying to her.

Everyone one else is essentially frozen just as they were at the beginning of the story. No growth at all, except that TK's mom has actually regressed.

So you are right- most of the people in this story are stuck. And the effect is that in some ways the story is stuck even if there seems to be a plot of sorts moving forward.

We are now three quarters of the way through this drama. This is not how things should be.

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Out of curiosity I have continued to watch this show. And now we maybe have a new mystery to resolve.

As Episode 39 began we got a continuation of the bizarre behavior of In-Ok, TK’s mom, which then carried over with YD confronting In-ok and then carried over with TK confronting his mom at the family home- with harsh words and an upset Grandma. Then we finally had some real fun: Grandma runs away from home and parks herself with YD, TK and Haneul, the baby. Sure, she did try to urge YD to give p the baby but was her heart really in it? The answer is clearly no as we see her alone in the baby’s room clutching a handkerchief with strawberries on it - and just shortly after hearing her say that she does not need to see Haneul because the baby is not related to her, which is a clear foreshadowing of a future moment when Grandma will get to discover that in fact the baby actually is her greatgrandchild. This means that we will finally get to hear Joon-ha’s backstory. And with it the story of Grandma’s Strawberry.

But it appears that there may be a reveal coming regarding Soogyeum’s mom, the pretty cafe owner Song Song-yi. Because the one that that we know is that our Young Father is extremely surprised to see her. Obviously, there is a story there.

Did I mention that Macknae still does not know that our Young Father is YD’s younger brother? Credulity is being strained here.

And I am still watching just to see what happens next.

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Thank you for still posting about the drama. I think I probably dropped it. TK's Mom is such a disappointment. If I ever come back, it would be because of our Single Dad and Maknae... and surprisingly Grandma.

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I suspect that many people are in that same boat. Judicious use of the FF button may be needed.

You are right that the stories of Soogyeum, her birth mother, her Young Father and Maknae, plus Grandma's story which is about to unfold, are the real draws now.

Tiny little Haneul will be what puts TK's family back together- and perhaps will also be the key to allow Joon-ha to move past his past as well- an opportunity to grow up at last. This is consistent with the theme that children are valuable.

But first we are about to get more nonsense from TK's mom. The nonsense from her has turned people off from this show. Being hurt is one thing, choosing to go insane is another.

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I still hate Grandma (I call her Granny Evil) but if I was the writer, I think the perfect conclusion would be if the "orphan" Joon-Ha turned out to be a Gong. irony of all ironies since Se Jin wanted to be part of the family.

He is either Gong (Strawberry's son) or somehow related to TK - perhaps both - which would be even more delicious irony as these two men have hated each other from the first moment they set eyes on each other in the elevator - and at that point didn't have a clue as to who the other was.

Lots of net viewers believe that Bong Nim is Strawberry and if so, the young Maknae couple are doomed (1st cousins). If so, the writers did us dirty by promoting a romance (which now appears to be on the skids) and then changing their minds in order to . . . . . I dunno, make Bong Nim/Yeon Do the path to Gong royalty and erase the promised Joon-ha family history???

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For Bong-nim to be Strawberry she would have to have been adopted and there has been no suggestion that she ever was.

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I agree, there has been no hint of adoption. In fact, the suggestion was the direct opposite - twice her brother mentioned that she inherited the excellent eyesight of "their father".

But the well-constructed characters and back-stories of Episodes 1-20 have all but disappeared. This was my first weekender and will likely be my last. After reading your tips for watching weekend family dramas, I will be interested to read your overall review at the end of this drama and where it merits the viewer's time required to watch it.

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Thank you. I actually am planning to write such a review. It will be my first Beanie review and I already know some of what I will say.

But what I will say right up front and right now is that this is not at all typical of the Family Weekender Genre. You cannot judge weekenders in general based upon this one because this one broke the cardinal principles of a weekender.

A good weekender is not simply a longer version of a standard K-drama. It is even something of a misnomer to speak of a Male Lead and a Female leads as every weekender is really supposed to be an ensemble drama. There is the story of a central couple, but their stories are just the scaffolding around which the other stories are created and told- and it is often a side couple that truly captures our heart, like the Golfer Couple (Sung Hoon and Shin Hye-sun in what was the breakout roles) in FIVE CHILDREN whose central couple seemed almost curiously devoid of chemistry. It is the collective stories and character growth of the characters of that ensemble which makes the weekender interesting and even addicting with the best ones (and yes, FIVE CHILDREN is one of them).

Want to know what would utterly disrupt the natural flow of a Weekender? How about a one-year time skip? Which is what happened here.

You are right that the first twenty episodes were better. But even then, the writer was devoting to much space to the central couple and not enough to the rest.

I believe that what we have right now is essentially a second season: The writer acknowledged that the Weekender playbook had already been disregarded to such an extent that the show has to be salvaged by essentially offering us a new K-drama altogether- but along standard, not weekender, lines. Hence the appearance of Soogyeum's mom.

There is only one place in a weekender where a long time skip is appropriate and that is at the end of the last episode where the purpose is to provide an epilogue. A very charming one is done at the end of SMILE YOU (one of the very best weekenders) where we get to see what the two families look like several years after the story ends.

For the time being I suggest waiting until the show ends and then, to satisfy your curiosity if you still have any, using the FF button.

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Do y'all remember Lee Da Hee/Scarlet's perplexity in Search: WWW when the drama she was watching suddenly killed off her favorite actor's character? "What? Who died? Why would he be dead? He was alive up until yesterday, you crazy drama!"

That whiplash feeling is how I am experiencing this hot mess of an everything-and-the-kitchen-sink emotional stew.

One minute In Ok is bellowing with grief and rage over 16 years of disrespect and neglect. [Am I watching an homage to Ibsen's Doll's House? The exposition of the consequences of stuffing down a woman's dignity for more than a decade to conform to patriarchal order?]

Shortly after, her rejected wanna-be daughter-in-law Oh Yeon "Boundaries mean NOTHING to me!" Doo invades her home and continues the erasure of In Ok's very reasonable request for some alone time.

BUT -- immediate break -- Surprise! suddenly In Ok's family arrive and even more suddenly, Surprise! After a super-cringe brisk apology session In Ok's whole core family achieve an instant resolution and In Ok is back to behaving like a rational and mature parent (after at least a year of some dark downward spiral into depression and rage? Nope? Now we good?) and THEN the next day she's at Oh Yeon Doo's natal family's home to render a heartfelt apology (I assume, honestly I couldn't bear to watch it) and Yeon Doo and Tae Kyung are rejoicing in their acceptance back into the Gong compound.

I just feel so sorry for the actors. I am not hate-watching, because who has time for that, but I am definitely now bemusement-watching, just squinting at the screen and wondering what kind of crazy is coming next.

But this reminder does make me want to rewatch the Scarlett / Cha Hyeon portions of Search: WWW, so I guess that's one positive outcome.

Hope to see you all on the other side.

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bemusement-watching

Brilliant! Thank you for such a useful phrase and approach - I dropped this show long ago, but now I understand what I've been doing with so many dramas this year. And rewatching Scarlett's parts of S:WWW is always a good idea.

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Bemusement watching: A phrase for the ages. I must remember that one because it describes so well what I am doing too.

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10 more episodes, friend!

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I'm still way behind and keeping track primarily through reading comments here and on MDL and FF through old episodes (finally completed Ep. 38 yesterday).

With regard to DNA. . . .

Many, many episodes ago (when I thought we would actually have a 9 month pregnancy - even if compressed into a few episodes) I wondered if Baby Real would have an issue while in utero or immediately after birth and blood transfusions would be required. DNA not important - but blood type might be and perhaps even rare blood types.

Joon ha, of course, would be a donor (unless they are going the LOL-but-Joon-ha-isn't-the-bio-dad-hahahaha-fooled-you-stupid-viewers route) but others would also be tested to be potential blood donors.

I prefer that route (contra CNA testing) for discovering any potential relationship between Joon-ha and whichever person/family he may be related to. Now that apparently everyone is once again one big happy family, with 10 more eps in front of us, there MUST be some sort of upcoming tragedy/crisis involving Baby Real, methinks.

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I’m probably in a minority of one here, but TK’s mom’s post-time jump antics make sense to me, especially after this weekend’s episodes. She spent years taking disrespect, dismissiveness, and other bad treatment from this family because she brought an “outside child” into the family. She’s been told repeatedly for years that bringing TK into the family was a huge sin and because of that she should suffer their unkind treatment. Chun-myung and Ji-myung were horrible to her and protected by grandma and conveniently ignored by dad. She accepted that her ability to run her household would always be hampered by the sin of bringing TK into her marriage—at least until YD “married” into the family and backed her up and helped her stand up for herself.

With that background, it makes perfect sense that she’d lose all rationality when it turns out her son is trying to do the same thing her husband did. She’s knows it’s not allowed in this family. She knows she’s an exception to that rule, and she’s paid the price for that. And she’s been properly trained on what should happen in this situation: cruelty, dismissiveness, and other mistreatment.

That she goes overboard makes sense too. The family that painstakingly taught her to react with cruelty is suddenly reacting with kindness and understanding?? Towards a stranger and TK (who never tried to assimilate to the family’s way)??? And the end results is In-ok is once again an outsider, the one in the wrong, the one damaging the family. I, too, might lose my mind in that situation.

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That is an interesting take

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Excellent observations and agreed with everything you said - but the show should have provided small hints to her thinking over the last 10 episodes. She acted irrationally for 10 episodes and then abracadabra, finally explains herself (AFTER A YEAR??) and all is good.

Meanwhile, all other stories were side-lined - no obvious development or character evolution during that entire "year". Lazy writing.

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Agreed. Very lazy writing. This is the first arc I've actually respected from the writers. It's more thoughtful than anything esle thus far. But it wasn't the smoothest way to get there.

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This may not be a popular view, but IMO Tae Gyeong is a doormat. You dont have to be completely submissive to be a good person.
I understand that the writers wanted to make YD a martyr, hence bringing the family over to reconcile, while she nobly walks away, but the constant invasion of InOk's space was vey triggering. Drama Gods decided to make that the reason why the family got to a better place, so I will not say anything more.
It looks like Joon-Ha will spin out of control next, wonder when they will have time to resolve the stories of single father and maknae, the uncle and his manipulative first love, Se Jin's father, the childless couple and grandma & strawberry.

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They need to do something with maknae/single dad couple in the next episode because it's ridiculous to expect anyone to believe that they wouldn't know each other's families by now.

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He is a doormat. And it makes no sense dramatically: That year of separation alone should have killed his feelings for YD.

Neither does it make sense that, after a year of dating our Maknae and Soogyeum's Young Father do not know about each other's family.

The one-year time skip was a colossal mistake and threw everything off- I wonder why it was done?

The previews suggest that Joon-ha kidnaps the child. Even if he is the biological that would still be a major felony- until he is established as the legal father it is legally no different from kidnapping any other child. It would also destroy any chances of him gaining custody, visitation and might even be a reason to deny a DNA test- so I am thinking it won't happen and the preview is a head fake- and we have seen several of those. Unless his lawyer is a completely incompetent fool, he has already been told not to do that.

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I agree that the time skip has hurt the momentum of the show. For the last couple of episodes it’s like Joon ha and Se Jin are in a different drama.

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As far as I am concerned this is a new drama, similar to having a Season 2 of UNCANNY COUNTER. Many characters are the same, a new character (Soogyeum's mom) is introduced and now this drama is proceeding along standard drama lines, complete with our Young Father angrily tell Soogyeum's mom to get lost.

Given that this is effectively a new drama there is no reason why our 2ML and 2FL cannot be acting differently. Based upon a phone call that our 2ML just received we may be about to add yet another female character to the cast.

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I felt very wrung out after watching episodes 39-40. I’m surprised that Grandma is one of my favourite characters. She’s certainly had the biggest character arc and seeing the apology during the group hug/cathartic scene was quite something in comparison to her mean spirited apologies earlier in the drama.
I think the group hug was a way to put the family back together before we move on to Joon Ha and his attempts to coerce YD to return to him.

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It was surprising that the Gong family ended up being the voices of reason. lol

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The one thing that has conformed to the norm for a Weekender has been the genuine growth in Grandma.

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Didn’t see this coming at all - that grandma is the saving grace of this drama.

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As I Bemuse Watched episode 40, I was struck by the incongruity of this episode's resolution of the extreme conflicts which prevailed over the several episodes which preceded it. Suddenly everyone is forgiving each other? It was all resolved too easily for me: Dramas should ring true and this just did not. This just gives the audience whiplash.

It struck me as a convenient re-boot executed because all of the angst was just not selling well.

The only scene that actually did ring true was watching our Young Father expressing his anger to Soogyeum's mother and telling her to stay away from their daughter because he has told Soogyeum that her mother is dead.

Humorous moment: Sejin shows up before Bong-nim but for no reason involving our lead characters or the baby: She wants Bong-nim to stay away from her father.

Which may be a hint about the remaining episodes to come: Furious re-writing is obviously being done to make the show more entertaining. We will see if it succeeeds.

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We think Se Jin’s Dad is not going to survive to the end. He’s had a few heart palpitations now. 🤔
Wondering if his passing might be the only thing that could shock her into some self reflection.

The big group hug did have the feeling of a quick resolution of the the angst. I don’t know if there was a good way to deal with it as the writer had made InOk’s reaction so extreme.

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The passing of Se-jin's father would make sense as a device for change because her motivation for what she is doing stems from her anger at her father for losing the family fortune and placing her in the position that she is in. His passing would not just be cause for grief but also reflection.

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Oh, seriously.

What's Wrong With My Mother-In-Law has nothing on this crazy drama.

The sheer audacity of the writers who plotted out this insane (and literally unimaginable) web of connections is flabbergasting. I am lost in admiration of the actors' capacity to maintain their professional discipline.

8 episodes to go. Own it, you crazy drama. Work it. Don't ever change.

ps -- full marks to the folks -- Old Lawyer? others? -- who guessed the Kim Jun Ha reveal.

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I swear every time I saw someone make the Kim Joon-ha speculation, I’d roll my eyes. If someone had said it today before I watched that episode, I would have rolled my eyes. That’s how absurd I found the idea. Props to the true makjang vets among us for getting this one right.

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There were several others who guessed it before me, so I cannot take credit. But it did fit the overall dynamic of this drama.

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You know what I’m starting to admire? The show and its writers’ commitment to being as utterly incomprehensible as possible. The reveal at the end of episode 42? I have no desire for it. I have no need of it. I would pay them money to stop.

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No, no, no!!!!! Why??? How can they have the most despicable character be related to grandma?? This show jumped the shark!😢

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The grandma herself was pretty despicable a few weeks ago

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The salvage operation continued with this week’s episodes. It was very emotionally satisfying to see Sejin shown the door. Our Maknae and Young Father have finally discovered that they are in laws- finally. Did I mention that Soogyeum found the old picture of her dad and her mom- and recognizes Song Song-yi as the owner of the Cafe: Probably the least surprising reveal in the entire show as Soogyeum is way too smart for the truth to remain hidden. We already know that Joon-ha is Grandmother’s Grandson, so we await the rest of his story and the shock to the Gong family.

What about the other side stories?

At least we are set up for some story arcs to finish this thing off. But if you are feeling a bit dizzy I do not blame you.

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I was hoping Hye-Ok was grandma’s strawberry.

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I hope to watch Episodes 41/42 in the next day or so, but I'm keeping up with comments and honestly - I think the reveal about Joon-ha is too early. The actor said we would need to watch to the end to find out. Maybe he is a Gong (and I would be happy at the irony of SJ's decisions if he is indeed Gong) but I still think he's TK's brother and THAT is still the big reveal to come. But then, that's what I've wanted from the beginning - the birthdates that are so close together? and their instant hatred of each other before they knew each other's identity? Makjang on overload if it happens.

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Ooooh. I feel ready for anything now from this drama, so I am not in a position to dismiss your suggestion. Dismissing suggestions on the grounds of improbability is for the before-times.

On the other hand, frankly, the speculated JH + TK siblingship is just disturbing. Would In-Ok not know she had a missing son (or are we thinking half-siblingship -- TK's dad was married to JH's mom? How did In Ok lose her husband/TK's father? But how would JH be the sibling of Strawberry's daughter and ALSO TK's brother -- again, some roving guy fathering sons in multiple partnerships? Didn't JH refer to Strawberry's daughter as noona?

Still -- all the close coincidences (JH + TK living in the same hotel, driving exactly the same cars) that begin the drama... hmmm. They are so overdetermined as to hint at a deep connection between JH and TK. Or, a dismaying tendency on the part of Yeon Doo to pick the same guy every time? At least TK has a pliant, non-malicious temperament.

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According to Joon-ha's Unni (A Sister in more ways than one) her and Joon-ha's parents- that is Strawberry and her husband) both died in a car accident. For TK and Joon-ha to be half-brothers In-Ok and Strawberries husband would have had an affair. Or was it Strawberry who was the mistress of In-ok's husband? But wouldn't In-Ok has known something about this?

I am going with the idea that Joon-ha is indeed Grandma's grandson but can see little dramatic value in he and TK being siblings. Other than a certain Irony.

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The JH/TK "connections" (all non-verbal) were strongly hinted at in the first handful of episodes and then summarily dropped. The cars could have been a plot device for YD's confusion and therefor her first meet-up with TK.

But the brown suits were the catalyst for the visceral hatred they have for each other before they knew who the other person was. So, perhaps simply another plot device; however the choice (identical suits) rather than some other catalyst would mean something if the writer is competent.

I want to know why the birth dates of each man were specifically identified - and they are the ONLY two characters with specific birth dates - w/in 30 days of each other. (Birth registration is required w/in 30 days of birth). If the purpose was to communicate to the viewer that they cannot be brothers - then the writers could have chosen dates 4-5 months apart in the same year.

It was intentional at the time - but there were other /facts/hints/clues/etc. sprinkled throughout the drama that have been ignored or forgotten (e.g., the length of InOk/Father Gong's marriage keeps changing) so if the birth dates turn out to be meaningless, it will be one more reason to never again watch a drama by this writer. 😄😄😄

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There are many reasons to believe that the story being told s not the story the writer set out to tell in the beginning. We do not know who commanded the changes, but this would explain the inconsistencies.

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It is my understanding that in Korean drama production, there is usually only one writer for the series. The director is the editor and the network can give notes/changes during a live shoot production. Having one writer is a disadvantage.

One of the main contract points in the Hollywood writer's strike is the producers demand to eliminate the "writer's room," where more than one writer is hired to work on scripts. Multiple writers bouncing off ideas and script drafts was the time honored way to make quality work.

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“ It was very emotionally satisfying to see Sejin shown the door” —> truly my favorite moment in this drama by far

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I cannot believe how adorable halmoeni has become once she stopped being a biatch.
If some said “we will make it up to you by living a happy life” I would be like “no. I’m right here make it up to me instead” LOL

“You don’t know how to change diapers, so you can’t be the dad”. “I have seen the error of my ways” LOLOLOL if only life were that simple.

I am likely in a minority of one here. He was a jerk when he heard YD was pregnant, but he is the baby’s father. The threats of future being destroyed, the assault by the father, being physically thrown out from the building… makes me feel some sympathy for Joon Ha. I do believe that he should be part of the baby’s life if he wants to be.

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Totally agree about halmoeni. Cannot join you on Joon Ha. But I suspect this drama has planned a redemption arc for him.

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Beginning with the discovery that he and the Gongs are family. He has already told Se-jin to stop with the revenge plots.

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Finally caught up through a 14-episode backlog. I'm sorry to everyone here who had wait through Lee In-Ok's uncharacteristic villain arc for a few weeks. Way to ruin a character that was otherwise fine, and I'm glad I only had go through it in one sitting.

I wouldn't have minded what happened during her villain arc as the message was clear and made a lot of sense, but the foundation just wasn't there. She was too understanding and had a well-rounded temperament to suddenly go batshizz craycray.

The double timeskip was weird. I imagine it would've felt more out of place in a weekly viewing, since the schedule already gives the illusion of long amounts of time passing by. And YD running away... just another uncharacteristic decision. It might've made more sense if it happened right after everyone knows JH is the actual dad, because by then the shame would've been peak unbearable. Oh well.

Come to think of it, I loved how YD's character kept striking aces in the first half. Now she doesn't show up much, and whenever she does it's quite annoying (invading In-Ok's privacy, using Haneul to prove a point to JH, etc). The intent is understandable but the approaches are a miss.

TK's saint-like characterization was also nice during the first half but now with bigger stakes he's a pretty dull presence. His interactions with Grandma are still enjoyable though.

The few things that keep me watching are:
- the redeemed Grandma being so adorable! She still has a sharp tongue but somehow makes up for it by her antics.
- SJ slowly but surely becoming irrelevant in TK and YD's family pictures, especially now that JH is revealed to be Grandma's grandson from a long-lost daughter, and therefore is TK's cousin. There's still an opportunity for SJ's character arc to peak as the script is writing her wounds into the deep end, and I believe the resolution will lie solely on her parents, especially her father.
- Sookyum's young dad and Maknae, although apart from the young dad's predicament I never took this couple very seriously. They're a nice palate cleanser for whatever the heck has been happening :D

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" There's still an opportunity for SJ's character arc to peak as the script is writing her wounds into the deep end, and I believe the resolution will lie solely on her parents, especially her father."

I recently re-watched a portion of Episode 8 (TK/SJ wedding) and there was one scene where SJ asks her father to practice walking down the aisle. It was a very sweet moment that showed SJ's love for her father. It was the last sweet Se Jin scene we ever saw and I've never understood why they even bothered with it.

I think one of the "clean-up" scenes in the last episodes will be Se Jin's reconciliation with her father. So perhaps that walk-down-the-aisle practice scene will have a purpose - 40 episodes later.

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We know that some sort of story will be told regarding Soogyeum and her mom- and her Young Father, but with the reveal that he and our Macknae are in fact in-laws that relationship may have just been killed off. With eight episodes to go we may see more emphasis on Soogyeum and her mom.

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I finally caught up after my local KBS-A channel kept repeating for weeks Episode 35 over and over again (maybe it was a sign to drop and just read the comments).

Am I the only one who believes that JH's Sister is a con artist? She was the mysterious woman on JH's phone who is always asking him for money. She arrives at the meeting dressed in purity and honesty as a nun but makes the weird remark to Grandma that she is not a con-artist. Why? To put her off guard. She seals her story with Strawberry's baby shirt but she could have gotten that item and orphan story while conning Strawberry. I am not convinced that they are related (but I admit this would be an actual story twist that makes sense, something we have not seen yet from the writer and director).

The only redemption arc for SJ would be for her to testify against JH in his custody trial on his character, their affair, his lack of interest in the baby and his plan to ruin YD and the Gong family.

As for the rest of the story lines, they have been dull and eye rolling. The time skip did nothing but make things more ridiculous. The young couple does not know the others' basic family members after more than a year of dating?

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I was thinking the same thing. He said something about her being after his money when she called him

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The fact that Macknae and Young Father did not know each other's family members after a year was ludicrous- but also evidence that the time skip was imposed on the writer by or at someone else's demands.

I love the idea that JH's sister may be a fake nun. Excellent hypothesis and I hope it is true- because exposing her could be part of JH's redemption arc. They are obviously not close. She need not make everything up- the relationship could be real, and she most likely did not con her mom and came by the baby shirt honestly. But she is the one who registered her DNA with the missing persons agency probably with the hope of pulling a scam on her 'lost' family. No wonder she is grinning- she thinks she hit the jackpot- like winning the lottery.

So, I hope you are right.

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The fact that Hee (and Hee's mother) are still wandering around in the drama doing nothing meaningful tells me the writer may have re-written the original plan for JH's family.

Does it make sense that Strawberry might still be alive and her DNA was somehow registered with the name of JH/sister's biological mother that died in a car accident?

Of course not. But viewers will love an ending with Granny reunited with her very much alive daughter with the added plus of JH not being a Gong.

Plus: Shin Meyong Hee (supposedly Strawberry's adopted name)

AND

Seon Woo HEE

Perhaps JH/Nun's mother was adopted into the same family as Hee's mother?

I fully expect to finally meet Hee's mother in Ep. 49. Totally ridiculous - but how many grenades have been tossed into the story from out of nowhere already? Too many to count.

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Interesting speculation

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Yeah, it was interesting but after watching Episode 43, it looks like writers didn't completely re-write the original plot.

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Oh, I forgot to mention. Buddhist monks and Catholic nuns in South Korea wear gray robes and habits, not black.

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Interesting detail.

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The idea of SJ testifying about JH’s character is delicious.

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Frankly I dislike SJ more than JH. She has been obsessive and destructive.

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I feel that what we’re getting now from the drama is the Reader’s Digest version. Everything feels like it’s being fast forwarded.

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Yes, like the viewers are finally being pulled out of quicksand after 44 hours.

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You mean like how Grandma registered her DNA and there is a result in less than 24 hours? In my experience it takes longer than that for the lab to analyze the sample. The actual matching after that would be fast, it is the lab work that takes time.

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The whole time line and continuity of the show is a mess.

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Episodes 33 and 34 continued the attempted salvage operation for this drama. Best acting in these episodes was by Grandma with a close second by Soogyeum expressing her anger to her mother (and then her father). At this point all the lead characters are mailing it in.

It is hard to take a show seriously when the four lead characters all do not.

Kang Buja, who plays Grandma, is incapable of slacking off. Her career has continued so long because she is never less than a consummate professional.

I think that Jung Seo-yeon, who plays Soo-gyeom, has a bright future.

Without naming names and not being out to disparage anyone I am conceding the point raised by other beanies that some characters were miscast.

The final story arcs are now in place. I will watch this show to the end.

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Some thoughts, as I watched episodes 43/44.
1. Atleast TK has some emotions. So nice to see that
2. I thought maybe the nun was a con artist, but it looks like she isnt.
3. I know this is a lonely path I tread, lol, but I completely fail to understand the logic of pretty much everyone. Yes, he was a jerk. But why is this family hell bent on keeping JH completely out of Ha Neul's life? Its all well and good if TK and YD are the primary caregivers, but why is it so unreasonable for to have JH have visitation rights?
4. It was unfair for the family to pressure grandma to completely shut out JH when he is the son of the child grandma didnt get to raise, and feels so much guilt about.
5. The child playing Soo Gyeom is so good.
6. After slapping him, throwing him physically out of the building, ensuring none of the lawyers will work with him, etc etc, it was laughable that the father tells him, give up completely on Ha Neul, and I will acknowledge you as family. Loved when JH said "Well, I am related to grandma by blood, so why do you need to acknowledge it?"

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I have to admit that watching JH stand up for himself was spot on: He is family whether they like it or not. He can file a simple action for affiliation (a reverse parentage proceeding brought by the child rather than a parent or the State), the court would order DNA testing and a short time later he is on the family registry- and no he cannot be removed either. A lot of the logic was totally out of whack, just as you said. He can also be legally recognized as Haneul's father and seek to have visitation established.

What he cannot legally do is force TK and YD to divorce, and the courts are not taking Haneul out of their care absent proof of child abuse. Courts love intact families raising children. TK and YD are now legally married. JH needs to sit down with a really good family law lawyer who will spell these things out for him.

It is just as insane that TK feels that cancelling his adoption will solve anything. None of the facts that I have set out will change from that- and no one wants that., not even JH.

I am very upset with the writer for setting out a false choice that makes zero sense either dramatically or legally. At the beginning this show was very real indeed but since the idiotic time skip it has been anything but that.

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The adoption cancellation thing is an emotional decision. TK feels unable to do anything about Joon Ha making a move on the family. It’s a simplistic response to the problem of them both being family. I don’t think it will eventuate but who knows at this point 🤷‍♀️

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Yes, thank you. You put it so well. From the child's perspective, it isnt healthy to pretend her biological father doesnt exist.
I am having such a hard time not laughing at JH's insistence that YD will come back to him. That bird has flown. Someone so well educated as JH is, with an international career, you might think, would show more emotional maturity than that. You can't coerce someone to live with you, and as @Possum said, he hasn't done anything to convince YD that he has changed, not that that would've made a difference.
TK's ask for cancelation of the adoption was a dramatic decision taken for maximum effect by a very very immature mind. You might expect a 10 year old to say things like that, but a 30-something - smh. He could have simply taken a deep breath, talked to halmoeni and told her to go ahead and embrace JH without worrying about him, talked to a lawyer to understand the options, worked with JH to make him understand that getting YD is not an option, but limited time with the child could be worked out. This wouldve relieved the pressure on everyone else, and hopefully led to an armed truce between himself and JH eventually.
As meh as it was the first 30 or so episodes, I 200% agree with you that the time skip marked a steep slide into ridiculous storylines. I am speculating here, but perhaps, with viewerships ratings not being great, there has been a lot of interference in the writer's work?

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I am absolutely certain of the interference with the writer. The only question I have is when t started and by whom?

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I think the problem with JH and the baby is that he hasn’t just wanted visitation rights. He’s wanted to reclaim YD and the baby as a set. He’s not done anything to persuade her that they should be a couple or addressed his cheating, the reason they broke up.

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Right. It is insane to expect YD to give up everything and go with him. Both sides have taken very extreme stances.

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Exactly right- and this is what also makes no dramatic sense. Another reason why a show which started out real has become completely unreal.

Yet another is the character of JH. He is simply too immature. His parents died when he was sixteen, by which time his character was mostly fully formed. It would have been traumatic but not such as to make him infantile. Which is the thinking being displayed here. Again, this makes no dramatic sense.

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Not that I am disagreeing with you, but he has been weird all along. He was in love with YD, then cooled off on her and was wildly in love with SJ, to the extent he tried to break in to her wedding and stop it. Then within a short timeframe, he decided to leave for America and left a voicemail(email?) telling YD he loved her. He is away for a small period of time and when he comes back he has no interest in SJ, whom he was so hot for, and now loves YD and wants her back. SJ now interests him not even a little bit. The baby he wanted her to abort, now he wants to be her dad. People change, of course, but usually there is a reason, there is no reasoning given for this whiplash inducing history.

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You rightly point to the inconsistencies displayed by our 2ML. You are not in fact in disagreement with me but rather are simply illustrating part of the very behavior that I was talking about when I described his actions as infantile.

It is indeed weird, just as you say. My problem is that we have never been given any dramatic reason for him to be this way. That is why it is so weird.

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Question: was YD ever portrayed as a "catch" (highly desirable marriage material) in the early episodes?

If she was not, then JH's obsession with her now is more unexplainable.

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The answer to whether or not she was a "catch" before our story began is maybe both yes and no. Certainly, she was cute and sexy- and very smart, and had a good career but her family was a burden. Many families would have approved anyway but others would have turned a thumbs down. Even our 2ML may have been on the fence as to that one.

Which brings me to my biggest objection to our 2ML: He has absolutely zero respect for YD. Not just no respect for her feelings but absolutely no respect of any kind at all. He has no respect for her and there is no way she could ever trust him: These two things are the reason why YD could never go to him ever again no matter what.

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I’ve often wondered how JH and YD got into a relationship. At the beginning of the show she’s focused on becoming the number one lecturer and seems to have no interest in anything else. JH even remarks at one point how unlikely it is that TK is the father because it took him, JH, so long to get to second base with her.

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Thanks for your responses.
Since the fake marriage, I found YD not very interesting. She was timid, self loathing, at times bitter, plain, not flirty or sexy, uncertain and flighty. Since their marriage, in bed TK and YD have been pieces of driftwood on a beach. No chemistry or passion. It is almost like YD has a split personality, pre and post Gong family interaction.

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I agree about the complete lack of chemistry between our two main leads. That has made out story even flatter than it otherwise could be. Many people have said that our ML was miscast in this role. It seems like we could say that for our FL as well.

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3. I know this is a lonely path I tread, lol, but I completely fail to understand the logic of pretty much everyone. Yes, he was a jerk. But why is this family hell bent on keeping JH completely out of Ha Neul's life? Its all well and good if TK and YD are the primary caregivers, but why is it so unreasonable for to have JH have visitation rights?

I really cannot forgive the writers for not providing a decent explanation - IN THE DRAMA for JH that would at least explain why he says/acts as he does. Before the program began, the actor - explaining his character - said his achilles heel was "love" - that helped explain why he was infatuated with Se Jin. However, thus far this has not clearly manifested - either in his statements re: Han Beul or YD - that it is "love" that he wants. The viewer believes it is pride, ego, selfishness, whatever.

YD/TK lied and deceived him and he's supposed to walk away?? Say - oh well, I guess I deserve to lose my daughter because you kept her from me from months and then dumped her on me for a few minutes with no warning and I didn't know how to change a diaper.

Haven't watched Ep. 44 and don't know when I will.

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It absolutely comes across as pride, ego, selfishness, hubris

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Absolutely- but why is he this way?

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Wondering what the principal is planning. Has the news about his heart made him realise he has to do something about his daughter?

His wife is certainly glad to see him as her life didn’t improve under SJ. The money never appeared and it’s not like she and SJ are girl pals or anything.
I have no idea how the show is going to end except I expect the makjang to get even deeper before we’re through.

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Learning about JH being halmoeni's grandson appeared to have prompted the move. Perhaps he is planning to prevent SJ from wreaking further havoc?

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I think the inherit problem with the series is that the main leads have no stage presence to carry a show. That is why it is so one-note, dragging with the same non-starter issue. YD, TK and Grandma are all playing a martyr, the "woe is me" card, when in fact the running theme of the show is running away from your problems. Facts are facts and not something we can accept or disregard whether it be family, blood or relationships.

Instead of weaving a web of realistic story lines, you need the jaws of life to extract something meaningful from this train wreck. I think this threads story theories are more interesting than the cold porridge script we have experienced so far. Cute baby pictures cannot cure false legal reasoning, sudden character behavior shifts, childish positions, the constant lies to not hurt someone's feelings, and the lack of continuity.

The last two episodes were dramatic duds.

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You are right about the main leads. You are also right about the difference that stage presence can bring: YOUNG LADY AND GENTLEMAN was a hit despite a script as improbable as this one (Two amnesia arcs!!!!). But the outstanding performance by the ML and FL (who was positively luminous though the entire drama) made it all work.

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"main leads have no stage presence" --> YES! so true

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I think the cast is just waiting out the clock at this point.
The actress playing TK’s Mum looks exhausted.

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I have noticed that too

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Cha Hwa-Yeon, 62, debuted in movies in early 1980s but then took a 23 year hiatus from movie-TV work after she got married. She is a weekender veteran support actress, but in this show she had to do most of the heavy lifting.

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She should be. She has played two different people. LOL

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The more I read the comments, the more I'm convinced that they switched the writer. This is not the story we began half a year ago! (And the leads DID have chemistry during the first quarter!).

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I would not be surprised to find out that you are right.

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Episode 45 begins with a deliberate misstatement of law: The idea that reversing his adoption would somehow strengthen TK’s case against Joon-ha. If anything, it would have the opposite effect as Joon-ha’s lawyer could use it as proof that TK is unstable. But really it is a total non-sequitur as the one thing has nothing to do with the other. It is obvious that TK, far from “thinking it over” did not even bother to consult a lawyer. That is another way of saying that this decision by TK is not only fundamentally silly but worse, it is an insult to the intelligence of the viewers. You do not have to be a lawyer to see the sheer stupidity of this and as such it is dramatically ineffective as a plot device. It is one thing to ask us to suspend our disbelief. It is another to present us with a story that simply cannot be accepted- because nothing about it rings true.

Far too much time was wasted in this episode on this idiotic digression, with only a little time spent on the other story lines such as they are. A weekender is supposed to be an ensemble show assembled around a central couple. But for the most part the other stories have been sidelined.

Of course, we were treated to a sort-of-cliffhanger at the end of the episode: While his noona is Grandmother's grandchild it turns out that Joon-ha is not. This is just craziness, pure and simple.

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"While his noona is Grandmother's grandchild it turns out that Joon-ha is not." Oy

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Episode 46 continued with TK’s false choice sucking up almost all the screentime. Terminating his adoption by Chairman Gong changes nothing as far as keeping Haneul. Also, he can move to Canada without doing that as well. Presenting Grandma with the choice of either him or Joon-ha makes zero sense when Grandma has specifically said she wants to keep both of them in the family.

Likewise, Joon-ha being recognized as a member of the Gong family does not change anything as far as the custody of Haneul.

Why is so much time being spent on this nonsense?

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...because they lost the creative writer somewhere on the road... 😆

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And hired an 8 year old to replace him 🙄

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"Joon-ha being recognized as a member of the Gong family does not change anything as far as the custody of Haneul." --> Right? Why the attempt to create drama with this? Could they not come up with something else?

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All I could think was this is an awful family that looks for the most godawful way to deal with each crisis. They even create crises where there shouldnt be any.

YD's mother's main concern is that the grandma will take her grandson's side, and we see YD being concerned about that as well. No one even attempted to solve this the peaceful way, to keep the brothers/sisters/grandma out of their drama.
They gang up on the old woman and pressure her to reject her grandson, knowing the history with her daughter.
Whether it was TK earlier or JH now, they spew venom while talking to them.

The entire "If you accept him into the family, TK will leave the family" argument is so childish, and the pressure brought on the elderly woman is hard to watch.

None of the angst makes me feel sad because none of them feel real.
As much as I like JH, I had liked the leads as well but right now I just want to slap them and say "If you want to live your own lives, live it. Dont drag everyone else into your drama"

When YD makes her declaration at Strawberry's ceremony(Really? You couldnt think of a more appropriate venue?), I think I was supposed to be in awe of her brave gesture, but I was just thinking what a silly, stupid story.

All this seems extra silly because we already know that Joon Ha is not bloodline. To me that wouldnt have made a difference since he was Strawberry's child irrespective, but we KNOW this family will make a big deal of it.

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And Joon Ha. Any sympathy I felt for him has evaporated. He is just a train wreck

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When YD makes her declaration at Strawberry's ceremony

I skip all of her scenes if I can, but since this one involved Joon-ah, I watched. I HATE that character - now more than Granny or anyone else.

The reality is that she hates herself for getting involved w/Joon-ha. In the early episodes, even after she learned he cheated, she longed for him and hoped they would reconcile. Telling Joon-ha that she would let him see the baby whenever he wished - and then staying silent when TK said he planned to adopt the baby w/in a year?

I hate her.

Meanwhile, still betting that TK and JH are fraternal twins. I wavered for a few episodes, but it's now my bet.

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You and me both sister. At this point, if TK and JH are fraternal twins, I will be like “ok cool” 😂 I’m so done. Lol

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To be clear, when I said you and me both I was referring to this -> I hate her(YD)

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You know a show has lost its way when it displays such artificiality. In the beginning of this show YD was a single mother to be in a bad situation. Now she has been reduced to being a Drama Queen- and that description applies equally to TK and to JH- and none of them seems to share a single rational thought between all of them collectively. I had continued to watch more from curiosity than anything else but even that is starting to dissipate. I will keep going but mostly out of a sense of duty to my fellow beanies.

For once my eight episodes and reach a decision simply did not work. It just goes to show that no rule is perfect.

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I am telling myself - 4 more episodes and you’re done. If there had been recaps I would’ve dropped it like a hot potato

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I appreciate your generosity in continuing to watch so that we don't have to.

At this point I confess I am skip-watching.

I would feel insulted by the sheer stupidity of this show, but that would require that I attribute any degree at all of rationality or logic to it.

Mostly I suspect I am kind of hoping that an asteroid hits the planet in the final episode, à la *Fanletter Please.* It would be a blessed release.

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Even with a reasonably good weekender the FF button can be your friend- because even in a good one there may be a specific character or couple which simply leaves you cold.

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Episodes 45 and 46 were the worst absurdist stupidity ever filmed in a k-drama. And the writer knew or should have know the simple legal and medical facts but the show decided to ignore everything to create "fake" drama which was not riveting but drivel.

Weekenders seem to be obsessed with Joseon ideas of blood lines because back hundreds of years ago blood was tied to class, status, rank and inheritance, the latter being the main purpose of the family registry to this day. It does not matter if JH is blood or adopted by Strawberry, he is the grandson of Grandmother. There is nothing to debate or struggle over in hysterical fashion. It does not change his relationship and rights to his daughter just as TK removing himself from the registry change his chances to raise YD's baby or negate his adoption. To spend two episodes on this was a waste of time.

TK's plan to solve all issues by emigrating to Canada was more stupid. Running away to a foreign country does not negate JH's rights. In fact, it probably gives him an argument that TK is kidnapping his daughter and interfering with his parental visitation rights. But what is soooooo stupid about this plan is that Canada does not accept South Korea medical licenses. For a non-country accepted doctor to get a license in Canada, he must pass the license examination, prove to be fluent in English AND in TK's case to become certified in obstetrics/ gynecology requires an additional 5 years of Royal College-approved residency training. This does not even get into immigration/visa issues. What does that solve but more add more grief and stress to the situation?

The characters' focus on nonsensical issues AND their child-like solutions are an appalling insult to viewer's intelligence. I wonder why people in Korea are watching this . . . out of habit? Korea is a very Couple centric culture. From an early age, couples are seen as being popular, status but more importantly, something people (friends and family) could comment, dissect, analyze and root for/against like a sporting event. Ironically, couple culture has not increased the nation's birth rate or family social stability.

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What a great spot-on comment. I did not know these things about Canadian medical licensing. This just makes these last two episodes even dumber than I thought. Is no one in the upper management of KBS even paying attention?

The utter drivel began when we are told that JH had established his parental rights by running into the Registry Office and filling out some paperwork- without first having to get the consent of YD. I may not know much about Korean law, but I do know that such a thing is not possible for an unmarried man. If he forged YD's signature than he committed a crime- and has no rights the moment YD points out the fraud.

Someone in KBS headquarters really screwed up with this show- beginning when they signed off on the one-year time skip. The desperate attempts to salvage something from that blunder has simply resulted piling one craziness upon another.

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It is my understanding that Korean law does provide a man the right to file his paternity claim. But I am not sure that controls over the mother's registration of the child. a formal court action would have to resolve the issue.

The real open unanswered question is how YD filled out the birth certificate and the child's registration on the Oh family line. Did she say father unknown? Or did she put JH as father? If she told the truth, then what is everybody fighting over?

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She gave her child her last name of OH. That means she elected to go with "Unknown". She did not name a father. Certainly Mr. Kim has a right to file a claim- but just filing a claim grants no rights to him other than to force an adjudication of the issue. I am quite sure that. just as our Mr. Kim would have needed the permission of Ms. Oh to be registered as a legal father that likewise Ms. Oh would have needed Mr. Kim's permission to simply name him as the father (which it seems she would have received).

If the child's last name was registered as OH that does not mean that she lied- she merely exercised her discretion as an unmarried woman to not name a father- the record would not actually say "unknown" (implying that she lied) but simply "not named".

This option exists because there are situations where establishing the father might actually place the child and mother in danger of domestic violence. The behavior of JH comes close to meeting that standard. It is precisely this fact which is why a formal court action is called for- it is not simply a matter of DNA. Given how he has behaved so far there is some possibility that a court could actually turn him down and, in light of the mother now being married to TK, could grant the requested adoption over his objection.

If you are now thinking that this setup is one where the lawyers get involved and our two fathers pay a lot in attorney's fees you would be absolutely right.

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In 2008, the old Joseon era family registration system was ruled unconstitutional. The new law provided that every family member will be registered under his or her own new individual record book, which will contain information on the person's birth, death, marriage and adoption, along with basic information on his or her spouse, parents and children. The new registration system will allow offspring to use the name of the mother with the mutual agreement of both parents at the time of marriage registration.

Prior to 2015, a father could not register his child. Only the mother had the right to register her child. A Supreme Court ruling granted fathers the equal right to register his child.

Registration Act, Article 44 (Matters to be Entered in Report of Birth) provides that the following information must be given:
(1)
Reports of birth shall be filed within one month from the date of birth.
(2)
The following matters shall be entered in a report of birth:
1.
Name, origin of surname, sex and original domicile of the child;
2.
Whether the child was born in or out of wedlock;
3.
Date and place of birth;
4.
Name, origin of surname, original domicile and resident registration number of the parents (name, date of birth, nationality and alien registration number in cases where the father or mother is a foreigner);
5.
In cases of agreements pursuant to the proviso to Article 781 (1) of the Civil Act, such fact;
6.
Where the child has multi-nationality, such fact and foreign nationality that the child has acquired.
(3)
The name of the child shall be written by using the Korean alphabet or commonly used Chinese characters. The scope of commonly used Chinese characters shall be determined by the Supreme Court Rules.
(4)
The report of birth shall be accompanied by a birth certificate prepared by a doctor, midwife or any other person involved in the delivery: Provided, That the same shall not apply where unavoidable causes exist.

Because of the "ghost babies" scandal earlier this year, SK will now require hospitals and birth centers to prepare and file birth certificates with district offices. This will allow tracking of all births. There are some legislators who want to codify an option for unwed mothers to not disclose the father on birth records, but that law has not passed yet.

A Korean national is no longer bound to be on his/her father’s registration record since each person now has their own registration which allows them the same benefits of government welfare, social security and inheritance rights. But the law still requires complete information of parentage in both the birth certificate and registration acts.

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So this is a change in the law which aligns more with the rules in Scandinavia where the mother is legally required to disclose the father and can actually be prosecuted for failure to do so. I was not aware of this change in the law. But as described this then effectively means that the whole idea of a family registry is nullified.

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