2023 Drama Roundup
15 – Special Kimchi slap edition: worst parent

I think it’s got to be Young-soon from The Good Bad Mother. I’m sure there are makjang mothers who do pretty unforgivable things, Ki-ho’s dad was certainly incredibly terrible, and there are some outlier parents who straight up murder their kids, for sure. BUT she was a person who was trying to be a good mother, and failed so spectacularly and repeatedly – even when handed a second chance – that it was hard to watch. Abusing him, starving him, trying to marry him off under false pretenses – her list is long. I watched this show waiting for some kind, any kind of redemption or remorse from her and was disappointed again and again and again. She died having been forgiven by everyone and I have no idea why. And now that I think about it, she did try to murder him that time, so yeah, it’s definitely her.
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    As you said there were worst parents in dramaland but the difference here *imo* was how show tried to justify all her mistakes
    For example twinkling watermelon stepmother or 7escape mother, were introduced as monsters. and every character reminded them in every chance they had that they are monsters. but in “bad mother” the show was like : it’s ok, she does all this things (abuse) for her son!
    And THAT was the worst thing ab this drama.

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      Totally agree! There are other dramas where parents do all of these same things or worse, but they are portrayed as horrible people to escape, not loving parents who were just misunderstood.

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        This show is trying hard to show us her nonexistent love for her son
        But all I saw was a mother who tried to achieve her dreams through her son and crushing him in the process

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    I quitter this drama after the scene she throws him into the river. The sole thought of she having a redemption arc and being forgiven by her son made it impossible for me to go on watching.

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      I stopped when she refused to give food to her son and he miraculously started using his hands and talking because of her “sacrifice”

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