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It was really heartbroken to see crying Hae Jun

Ep 30 “The Perfect Partner”

 (TL/DR, you know the drill by now.)

One thing I think is most interesting about this series is how we all view it differently through our own personal filters.  While we all watch the same show, we develop different feelings based on which tribe we are a part of and maybe what ‘team’ we are pulling for.  This review is based on my own feelings at this point and is the most personal one I’ve presented here.  As with many complex things in life, it is neither ‘right’ nor ‘wrong’…it is what it is.

That being said, I fell for the previews and feared this episode.  Was Episode 30 dramatic?  Yes.  Did we see character development?  Sure, it was a watershed moment for Hae Jun and MiRae’s Mom.  Was it well-written?  Mostly, although the ladies room scene was almost exactly the same from a recent episode of “Bravo, My Life”.  Who knew that the Ladies Rooms of Seoul were such a center of eavesdropping? 

TBH, I found this episode curious. I am unashamedly part of team HaeJae and I wanted to be angry with the writer for putting HJun in a situation where she cried.  I even drafted a 1,250-word review blasting the episode.  But after watching twice, I almost enjoyed it and tossed my draft.  Unfortunately this version is almost 1,500 words.  I apologize in advance.  And rather than discuss them as “The Dolts”, I will focus on them as individuals here. 

DISCLAIMER:  I admit I feel a closeness with HaeJun, as I have lived so much of the same things she & YJ are going thru in life, that it’s getting to be kind of eerie.  I understand her.  Love her or hate her (and do I realize there are those that are not fond of her) she is the most complex and interesting character on the show, either Male or Female.  They may not be the “main couple” but she is the dominant female personality (it’s a close tie with KyungAe at this point).  The writer understands this:  It’s no coincidence we hear HER inner thoughts more than any other character.  You just have to look past the humor-angle that she and YJ present to see the kernel of truth behind them.

A vital point in understanding her is that she is also as emotional as MiRae, but she keeps much of it hidden away (For instance until now, we’ve only seen brief mentions of the pain she feels at her mother’s premature death).   To succeed in her male-dominated profession, she must present a strong, confident personality.  Crying (a sign of weakness) is not allowed.  This is not unique to Korean culture.  Think of the few scenes leading up to and during the confession on the bridge, or when she met YJ in ep 28 in the parking garage to go to his parent’s house - those fleeting moments where she’s fought to hold her emotions in check, yet we have never seen tears. 

Until now.

In the 29 episodes before this, we’ve seen Hae Jun be happy, sad, funny, angry, crazy, clever, clumsy, commandeering, endearing, confused, patient, frustrated, silly, depressed and elated.  She’s dealing with running a successful business, being a lawyer, a TV personality, and virtual “Big Sister” to HJ and MiRae.  And let’s be honest:  she struggles with impulse control leading to bad decisions, mostly due to her attempts to cope with falling in love at her age.  Save for MiRae, (and to a lesser extent, HJ) until recently she had no close friends to share her life with and little family support.  She’s had to deal internally with loneliness, jealousy, confusion, doubt, and trying to be (and stay) in love with a man that needs to be coaxed to be the person he can be and that she needs. She continues to be under stress from all this.

Ultimately, she is good for YJ and they both know it.  Without her to pull him out of his shell, what is his future?  And HE is the only man that has made her truly happy, even in doing the littlest things, and they both know that too.   

I hope their destiny is being a couple forever.  She feels this way too, for her mother has arranged it.

And yet tonight, we get to see her hurt by her own brother and his wife, who rather she would live alone for the rest of her life.  Inconceivable, right?  Well, think about it: then her considerable estate will go to them and their kids upon her passing, since she will have no heirs.  Their ulterior motives were pretty well exposed in the second meeting with her brother, where all he could focus on were financial issues, wheedling information from her, and trying to make her focus on HIS family, not her own future. 

As we say here in the US:  YOU SCUMBAGS!  I hope she changes her will ASAP. 

So, the emotional walls she so carefully constructed, which have strained under the pressure of the last few episodes, finally collapse on the drive home from the first meeting and she can no longer contain the sadness, grief, desperation and fear she hides in her heart. And finally we see the tears flow and she breaks down and sobs, hiding her face in shame for revealing her weakness, even to her man.  If you aren’t touched by this scene, you might want to check yourself for a pulse.  It’s hard for me to even WRITE this!  Was this some kind of cheap teak-jerker ploy meant to pull on our heartstrings?  Maybe, but I don’t think so.  Because if you understand her, you realize this was the cumulative effect of trying so hard to seize the prize that fate finally presents to you after a lifetime of waiting, only to see it being pulled back out of reach, by your own family’s contempt for your decision, no less. 

We all wear “masks” in our lives.  They are a means of protecting the inner “us”, whether we wear them consciously or not.  At this moment, her own brother and sister-in-law have ripped the mask from her.  She is emotionally crushed and betrayed, and despite the hands she covers her face with, we get a brief glimpse of the real Sim Hae Jun:  A lonely woman who simply wants the support of her remaining family to live in comfort with her mate for the rest of her life. 

And as she sobs, she must think to herself:  “Was that too much to wish for?”

<<PAUSE>>

At the end of the second meeting, she finally turns her back on her brother as he continues to berate her decision.   And we see once again, the stress, pain and disappointment flash across her face as she struggles to keep her composure.  After he leaves, in her heart-to-heart with HJ, we see the walls start to fail again, but she quickly shores them up.  But her despair cannot be mistaken.

The other thing that struck me the most in this episode was the growth shown by YJ.  He makes every right decision and does everything he can to support HJun.  He makes her smile after her tears, stays with her as long as possible that day, and finally calls her at bedtime to check on her and tell her of his father’s praise for her because he knows she needs the lift, and lift she does.  He now realizes the issues ahead of them before the wedding.  Marriage is no longer a theory to him and it’s time to get down to business.  They resolve their living arrangements (he makes the correct decision to not remove her from the comfort of her nest) and the issue of children is handled reasonably well. 

When she sobbed in the car, YJ got to see this side of her and felt her pain too.  Nothing, and I mean NOTHING affects a man more than seeing the woman in his life sobbing.  It provokes an instinctive response in us that I can’t explain.  OMS’s facial expressions during this scene were so accurate and well-done.  As I asked in the Ep 29 discussion, will YJ say ‘Enough!’ and swoop to her rescue to stop these futile attempts to get their families approval and just marry the woman he loves?  After all this, does he think a Meeting of the Families will go any better?  Forget cultural customs:  Spare your woman from this pain! 

There will be challenges ahead of them to be sure, and Episode 31 will probably be no easier.  But they have a plan and are forging ahead, aware that they can’t expect overwhelming support, at least not yet.  But they know that they do have each other and that their love has been tested and still grows.

Good night from Southern California.

Ep 31  “I wont forgive anyone that attacks my Mom”

For a series that started out about the Lee Family’s efforts to marry off their sons, this episode pivoted to the ongoing troubles of the Hyun’s.

Here we got to see the evil Aunt Gold-digger continue to wreak havoc in her mission to split the family apart and assure her stature as full-share heir to their mother’s estate while isolating SooJung.  At least half of this episode displays the full wreckage caused to the family.  We also got to see JinHeon finally become a fully-fleshed out character instead of the doormat he’s been to-date.  The same is true for JungHoo, who finally gets a chance to be more that an awkward guy that sits around a lot.

This also represented a rebirth of MiRae.  She’s been stuck as a one-dimensional character ever since the incident at the restaurant where the two couples found out about each other.  Instead of just being HJ’s girlfriend, she has now reappeared as the oldest sibling of her family, and is allowed a full set of emotions again.  I can only imagine how happy Ms. Bae must have been when she first saw the script for this Episode.  The scene in the hospital lobby between the mother and her two children was one of the most touching in the series.  As traumatic as the events have been, the fallout has given them the chance to reconnect and reset their relationships (especially between MiRae and her Mom). 

The Lees…

KA is so deluded that she now thinks that SJ turned out the way he did because they didn’t pay enough attention to him.  What???  Minho goes as far as to recruit HJ to put in a good word for HJun with KA.  HJun, suspicious that KA’s dislike of her is real, despite YJs assurances, is so desperate to set things right with KA, that she barges in on HJ’s lunch date with Mom.  It goes well (by Dolt standards – nothing gets spilled or broken) and she gets to explain about the elevator and excuses herself.  She seems to feel better about it (for now).  But what was most interesting is the different dynamic we saw after she left, between HJ and his mother vs. how YJ relates to KA.  HJ butters up mom to get her to see MiRae in a positive light.  I can’t imagine YJ doing the same, at least sincerely. 

The Meeting of the Families?  Well, let’s save that for ep 32. 

Oh, and YuNa proves you CAN go home again, at least for an overnight trip.  That was nice to see too.

Ep 33 “You should express how you feel”

In addtion to "It's Beautiful Now", I’m also watching another KBS Drama, “Bravo, My Life”.  Although cute and well-produced, it does require a significant suspension-of-belief to accept the storyline.  Something that is NOT required with this series.  The director/writer/producer have combined to give us a series that is so accurate with regards to life events and the reactions of ordinary people to extraordinary things, that it takes some getting used to.

In this episode, we see the dangers facing the elderly/bedridden from aspiration of food or water.  If you’ve had elders in nursing homes, you know what I’m talking about.  Even their water is altered and thickened to prevent accidental inhalation.  What happened to Grandma Mi-Young was all too familiar and real.  That they chose to depict this was really surprising to me and reflective of the attention to detail and accuracy we’ve seen to date.

The Hyun’s

Although the Hyun’s seemed to dominate this episode, they accounted for only 24 minutes of screen time in this 67 minute run.  I was surprised by this.  Grandma has outlived her purpose, as her role as the reminder of 1) the adoption of her daughter and 2) fellow-keeper-of-the-secret, was at an end .  She should be soon followed on the way out by the Evil Aunt, who’s purpose has also been fulfilled and can be kicked back to Australia (sorry, Aussies). 

That being said, Auntie did bring up a valid point.  Her tough-love message of not keeping things bottled up to maintain calm in a family has merit.  And it does help explain the dysfunction between MiRae and her mother.  “As your Aunt, I’m telling you the truth”.  And it IS the role of our Aunts & Uncles to sometimes tell us the things our parents can’t or won’t.  I actually respected her a lot for saying this.  But she’s still a rat. Although MiRae’s mom does try to refute it, the truth behind what the Aunt said can’t be denied. The truth is somewhere in-between being open and honest vs. bottling things up to keep from hurting feelings.

But there is no doubt, MiRae is getting it from all sides, Aunt, Grandma, her Mom, etc.  Only the coldest viewer couldn’t feel any empathy for this poor girl, who is also being asked when she’s going to get married every 5 minutes. 

The Lee’s

We had several cute scenes in this episode, starting with YJ drinking with HJ.  It gave us KA calling out YJ for telling her he was at HJ’s when it turned out this time HE WAS.  The background reaction of MinHo was the payoff here.  And the two older brothers share a connection that doesn’t bridge the age-gap to their younger sibling.  With the venue selected we finally get to see HaeJun’s “happy dance” again, and she eventually joins the brother’s at HJ’s.   But he has to excuse himself and go to MiRae (something he’ll repeat in Ep 34).  Which gives us the chance to again see them talk in private, as a couple.  (CONTINUITY ERROR:  She tells the brothers she got the call from the venue at her office, when clearly she was at home.  Someone check the script, please!)

Over at the Lee’s…..The next scene up is YJ telling his mom about the wedding date 3 weeks hence.  Unfortunately, we got to see the lack of communication between YJ & his Mom yet again.  YJ keeps trying to talk to his mother in a rational, logical way that reflects his scientific/medical background.  Which is NOT how you talk to your Mother, and it aggravates an already out-for-blood KA, who is looking for anything to latch on, to attack.  It never occurs to him to simply ask “Mom, we both want to make you happy, what can we do for you?”  But the good news is that MinHo was there to referee and ask the YJ key question “why must you do it in a way that upsets your mom?” 

Meanwhile, back at the Law Office….When MiRae & HJun meet to discuss wedding dresses, they’re interrupted by YJ’s call that basically tells HJun to talk to his mom (again) about the plans.  You can see her deflate upon hearing the news, and she doesn’t trust his trying to downplay his mother’s feelings.  Fortunately this time MiRae is there and HJun does not hold it in (to add to her already considerable stress load) and they can talk it out.  Watch MiRae’s reaction to this too, especially her eyes.  HJun’s offer to help MiRae when her time comes is in keeping with her dedication to her best friend, as her “big sister”, and her background as a professional advocate.  Although the mention of the word "marriage" may set MiRae's teeth on-edge again.

AND NOW IT’S TIME FOR THE EPISODE 33 AWARD CEREMONY:

Boyfriend of the Year: Lee Hyun Jae, Atty at Law.  He knows that MiRae needs a sounding board badly and he’s there to support her, twice in this episode alone.  It was interesting that she deflected his question if Marriage shocked her, and she didn’t give him a straight answer. (BTW - I wish my celfone worked in an elevator; Seoul’s celfone service makes ours in LA look crappy).

Most interesting scene:  When Grandpa says he’ll invite MiRae’s Paternal Grandma to the wedding.  Thus setting up a potential scene where MiRae winds up running into her at the wedding!

Most SMH scene:  HJun, as she tries to be cheery in talking to KA while inviting her to lunch (for the dreaded Dowry conversation).  But KA’s dismissive attitude on the phone really breaks my heart. 

Comeback of the Year Award:  YuNa, who is getting her life on track and proceeding with the occupation she desired in a supportive work environment. 

Best Quote:  YuNa’s new boss telling her “Going from a friend to a boyfriend, then breaking up. You end up losing a friend and also someone you love.”

On pins & needles for Ep 34 (You know why!)

Goodnight from Southern California

Ep 35  “It’s not an award ceremony!”

Well that was a strange one.

The writer gives HaeJae fans a pregnancy promise, then yanks it away, and ends up with a talk on adoption.  Obviously, just because they failed during their first week of marriage means little, the upcoming fertility test will tell the tale.  But they wouldn’t have mentioned adoption without a reason.  Given this show’s history of adoption-related themes, I’d lay odds that they will adopt in the future.  This would enable them to have a child before the end of the show without a jump in the timeline.

Their scenes had so many sweet moments: 

• YJ running, Forrest-Gump style to find a 24hr pharmacy for the EPT. 
• HaeJun counting backwards on her calendar. 
• YJ peeking around the bathroom door.  
• The countdown to looking at the test kit window. 
• And finally YJ standing up in disbelief, holding his head in his hands before happily hugging HaeJun. 

And of course, the ecstatic reaction when Grandpa, KA and MinHo find out and ignite the family grapevine with the news.

Naturally, this all ends with heartbreak.  And then the adoption conversation in the car as he tries to comfort and reassure her.  This scene was beautifully shot and lit.  Watch his face again, how the light plays on it.  The Directors of Photography and Lighting have done great jobs with in-car shoots before (think of the return from the police station after SJ’s crisis-line call) and knock it out of the park again.  Visually, everything in that scene including the color of their clothes complementing the color of the car interior was perfect. 

The Hyun’s

Why is it that MiRae’s mom, who is surrounded by a devoted husband and loving children such a loner?  It drives me nuts to see her repeatedly haunted by demons and sitting alone, lost in her thoughts.  Is she mentally ill?  Why do the kids just leave her be?  This poor woman needs counseling so badly.  SMH.

YuNa

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen more than lip service paid to her. YuNa hasn’t been much more than a bit player since KA told her to get lost.  But beginning with this episode, she has now returned (it gets better in the next ep).  It’s hard to not feel for her, and she is my 2^nd favorite female character.  She is much more defined and complex than MiRae.  Yes, she was a participant in the scam, but she was a victim as well.  Her conscience led to the scam’s end, yet this seems to be forgotten by KA, who she must win over.  So we now see her tied to JungHoo while still clearly having feelings for SJ.  Her look at him as a janitor pretty much said everything.  Although JungHoo might be the better fit, she still loves SJ.   I do believe she will eventually reunite with him, with JungHoo winding up in the Friend Zone.  How all this shakes out for her, will be her story for the remainder of the series. 

And finally, Mr. Perfect and MiRae. 

As usual, HJ does everything right, with nary a hair out of place.  I assume in his spare time from being an undefeatable lawyer, he’s developed cold fusion, perpetual motion, and stopped economic inflation in the USA.  YSY is such a good actor and is really good at playing characters with flaws, that it’s a real waste to see him stuck being this unrealistic, idealized boyfriend.  He does everything right at MiRae's parents house luncheon, impressing crusty ol' Grandma.  He does everything right in his proposal, gets the girl, has fun at an indoor obstacle course and also at an outdoor amusement park.  PLEASE WRITER, give him an edge!  Take him down a notch or two and make him human.  It would be good for MiRae’s character development too, and get her out of his considerable shadow.  Because she’s once again devolving into HJ’s girlfriend (now fiancée) and nothing more.  Every other character in this show has flaws, and realistically so.  But not him.  I can only assume the writer has fallen in love with the character too.  What a shame.  Give YSY something he can sink his teeth into. 

There is whitewater ahead for them, but fear not, HJ will save the day.  He can't fail.  And that's the problem.  

 MinaM:

“….realistically so.  But not him.  I can only assume the writer has fallen in love with the character too.  What a shame.  Give YSY something he can sink his teeth into.

There is whitewater ahead for them, but fear not, HJ will save the day.  He can't fail.  And that's the problem“

You know, I don’t think I realized how much it bothered me, but it does. You’re right… he is Mr. Perfect. And yes, he’s the main lead but even those have flaws sometimes… not him. I do like him a lot, but I would love to see him more relatable. 

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”

HyunJae is perfectly fine as he is. He is loved by viewers, including me, precisely because of how good his character is, so why deliberately wish for his character to change for the worse? To match the more flawed characters in the show? That’s not fair I think. Even if I like HyunJae and Mirae the best, I’m rooting for all the  characters, not just them.

I love MiRae too as she is. She is tough but in a gentle way. Her gentle, generous and kind nature is the perfect fit for HyunJae’s bold personality.

And re YSY, I’m sure he accepted the role because he liked the script and the character of HyunJae. Playing a flawed character is not necessary for an actor to shine. An actor shows how good of an actor he is by how well he gets the emotions of the character across, it does not have to be an over-the-top or uber dramatic role. And YSY is doing very, very well  in this show, be it comedic, serious or romantic scenes. And I can imagine that from an actor’s point of view, they would want a variety of genres, not always the dark, flawed characters.

Besides the latest preview shows heavier scenes coming for YSY. But be it heavy or light, funny, romantic scenes, YSY is a joy to watch, nothing to fix at all!