Uh, I'm in just for summaries like this, @quirkycase.

So excited about this experiment, because I'd love to be able to follow along with the Weekender Beanies on this!!! I did see the first half of episode one...but don't think I can really join the crowd (but who knows, with this new format, maybe more than a few of us will get sucked in!)

I am also so very much hoping that Live Your Own Life is better than The Real Has Come which seemed to cause such existential pain!

This seems like a fun try out.
I am interested to watch how this pans out!
"Habitual-Weekend-Watcher" beanies. Fighting!

I just read that one of the supporting actors, Noh Young-gook, died earlier today of a heart attack. He was to have played the ML's father (or grandfather?).

"a veritable makjang explosion where we get kidnapping, murderous threats, a fight involving veggie and mackerel slapping, one arrest, a hospitalization, debt collecting, and more all in the first week."

It was a whirlwind - but I enjoyed it. Lots of different characters, stories and - I believe - many mysteries to be revealed and, presumably, resolved by the end. At the end of the 2 episodes, all of the main characters/families were introduced in brief scenes that captured their position and current life status. (There are many more characters to come according to KBS web site).

"The Real Has Come" was my first weekender and I was hooked in based upon one of my favorite genre's - the "contract marriage". Except, there was no contract, major re-writes took place halfway thru and every freakin' character and story revolved around one baby. I swore I wouldn't watch another weekender until I read that Ha Joon would be the (romantic) male lead.

Glad I watched and I'm looking forward to future episodes. Thanks for the great summary @quirkycase. With many more characters to be introduced, you have taken on a yeoman's task. 😊

This is a nice upgrade! 🙂 Thank You!
I'm excited!
And are you our main companion @quirkycase or are you all drawing a lot each week? 😄
Anyway, loving UEE here and I think she has a nice chemistry with Ha Joon. I was also pleasantly surprised that the oldest son phoned back to Mom and asked her about the money. Can't wait for Grandma living with Hyosim and her family, because who else is going to save her, right? 😁 (It's also obvious who is the lost rich sister.)

Whoohooo. Looking forward to watching this weeks episodes. I hope this is the salve for the wounds caused by the real

The mini-weecap format (just a few plot points) is perfect for the Weekender format.

Usually, it takes four episodes just to introduce all the characters but most of this was done in the first two, although much will be flushed out later. For instance, the relationship between our ML and his cousin who was just released from prison is clearly more complex than the usual competing Chaebol relatives trope. And do not believe for one moment that he does not resent taking the rap. But, on the other hand, he is also the obvious 2ML- who had a serious thing for our FL since long before ML and FL literally ran into each other, which is not the least cute meet cute of all time (the would be when Shin Hye-sun threw up on Sung Hoon in FIVE CHILDREN) but certainly far from a truly cute one.

And could I point out that now that our ML has spent time in prison most of the families who would normally want him to marry their daughter now view him as damaged goods- which means that if he actually wants to marry our FL that may actually now be feasible when before it was not. On the other hand, by default, that now makes our ML valuable to his family as a potential marriage alliance candidate: Which means that there is no way they would want him to end up with our FL or any other woman who does not serve that purpose.

As Quirkycase has noted the action has already started. I was a bit dubious about that until the very end of episode two- when Grandma escaped. When that happened, I realized that this weekender might actually have some serious fun in it.

Maljang done right is serious fun. Done wrong, well enough said. Grandma slipping the tether is the sort of thing you get with good makjang. Let us all pray to the Drama Goods that this show can keep it up.

I liked the first two episodes and am cautiously optimistic that it will be better than THE REAL HAS COME. I started that one and then dropped it around episode 28 when I realized it was just going around in circles. I also hope the FL in this one would have more spine and purpose (or develop one) than Oh Yeon Doo.

The Real was my first weekender. I bailed out early. I'm trying this one to figure out if it's just The Real or weekenders overall that don't suit me. I did not like the first episode, all together too makjang-y, but episode two was better. The OTP has potential, but the 2ML was the most intriguing. That’ll make the inevitable triangle (or whatever polygon it ends up being) more interesting. And I’m so glad grandma got out. I hope she had adventures. Will tune into episode three.

I would prefer a Uee romance with the Ex-con ahjussi vs the young guy w/attitude .

Uee ,grandmother and Ex-con guy are the only likable characters so far ! I know it’s a long trek, here’s hoping for the best.

Someone commented on Viki when peddler ahjussi sees grandma in the roadway .

A white truck that actually stopped ! 😂

I was in two minds about starting this, so this is a welcome initiative. Will be watching this now.

Too many character introductions in Episode 1. We get that Uee’s family is terrible leaches; that ML’s family has been destroyed by a greedy aunt; and that all the standard weekender tropes will be put into a blender without a top to spray us with a mess for the next 25 weeks. It has all the script making of another sub-par series since ALL of the families are overloaded with bad people. I like it better when we have weekenders with good core families having to navigate problems. Hyo-Sim as Atlas with the weight of her world solely on her shoulders seems like a grind watch. It does set up with the corporate cousin gym love triangle but I really don't know if Prince Charming chaebol savior role will work on Hyo-Sim if she sheds her personality of being too obedient.

Is it me or this show feels old? In a good way tho. I feel like we're having many classic tropes and characters, and the show doesn't seem like it'll try to do something new or revolutionary, instead it'll go with the comfortable old vibes.

I really want to experience the koala (Homemade Love Story) syndrome with this drama. I couldn't stand the MLs from 3 Dumb Siblings and The Real Has Come, so I reaaaaaaally want to love this one as much as I loved Koala in Homemade.

I already like the FL and I feel bad for her. If she fakes her own death and runs away to another place, like her dad did, I wouldn't blame her. For real. I don't hate her siblings tho, they're not going to change until her mom changes. And she has to change too!

I want the ML's halmoni to survive till the end. Poor woman.

I really couldn't care less about who's the president of company and all that business talk, but I'm kinda curious about the family secrets. Dying/killing, disappearing/hiding, stealing, going to jail, lying... this family activities are so crazy. LOL

Big fan of this new initiative, hope we have enough traction to keep these weekly highlights going!

Overall thoughts: I was worried going in that I might not have the stomach to take makjang elements over a long stretch but I was surprised at just how invested I was by the end of the second episode!

Thoughts/theories:

- I really love Hyo-sim! I love that she's not a doormat and he's not gratingly blunt, mean or unjustifiably short-tempered either; she's kind, isn't meek and is outspoken. She's going to be the reason that I'll be able to ride through all the angst/miscommunication/other frustrating plot points that this show may (probably will) throw at us.

- I already like Tae-ho over Tae-min, but the dynamic was interesting between the two. I had expected they'd be adversaries or that Tae-ho would be openly antagonistic towards everyone BUT he's keeping his cards close to his chest, interesting 👀

- Obviously Tae-min's mum is playing EVIL to a T but I'm finding I'm not mad over this. Guess we need someone to stir up trouble, and classic stereotypes can be entertaining. I think it helps that the other somewhat irritating characters (i.e. Hyo-sim's family) in this show aren't as frustrating and they've got shades of nuance to them so it's a relatable kind of frustrating. I've literally got one of each in my extended family, so the family drama doesn't seem too wild or out of proportion to me.

- Granny escaped!! Didn't think she'd do that so quickly but I'm guessing we're setting up for an amnesia plotline here, with granny conveniently living at Hyo-sim's place.

- Tae-min's sister (the one that the parents seemed shady about when asked where she was), I'm going to guess maybe she's the homeless girl we've seen? Would further link the two families together too lol

Yay! Finally got to watch this. So far I like all the people the drama wants me to like, hate everyone it wants me to hate, am outraged at everything it wants me to be outraged at. So far so good.