Gu Family Book Episode 2 Recap

We began where we left off, with Wol Ryung (Choi Jin Hyuk) professing his love for Seo Hwa (Lee Yeon Hee) and his desire to become human. She tells Wol Ryung that she has to leave, because men will come looking for her. He reassures her that those men pose no real threat to him.


He then changes the subject to food and asks her to choose between a live rabbit or a live turtle, so she chooses a peach.



She then goes to take a walk, and Wol Ryung brings a bunch of flowers and releases a bag of butterflies, because he wants our hearts to explode from all the cuteness.



Seo Hwa stops smiling and begins to look sad, so Wol Ryung grabs her hand and takes her to see a beautiful view.



The two are seated around a campfire at night, Seo Hwa is telling Wol Ryung about her brother and servant she left behind, and how all she can do is try to stay alive. When he asks if she would feel better if she received a message from them, she questions his kindness. He replies that he would do anything for her to see her smile - stop it, just stop being so freaking adorable and perfect-you are seriously trying to break my heart.



 Sadly, Wol Ryung goes to find her brother, but discovers his hanged corpse instead.



Soo Ryun is talking to Gwan Woong and wants to give the brother a proper burial, but of course Satan refuses because he wants to make an example out of the brother. Wol Ryung takes the corpse and buries it.



Wol Ryung comes back to an anxious and inquisitive Seo Hwa. He lies to her in a shaky voice telling her to put her heart at ease. I understand his reasoning, but I have a feeling that this decision will turn out badly for him. He says he wants to protect her. She then embraces him, expressing her gratitude, but his guilty conscious keeps him from holding her. She quickly realizes her actions are inappropriate and apologizes, but he puts a hand to her face and wipes away her tears. He begins to walk away but turns back and kisses her suddenly, amid green lights and soaring music -be still my beating heart. He then asks her to marry him, to which she answers that she is the daughter of a state criminal. He asks again, she says she's a runaway slave. Then he asks her again, and she finally accepts.



Jo Sung is far from excited to hear the joyful news, and Wol Ryung asks for the Gu family book. Jo Sung begrudgingly looks for the book saying he never thought Wol Ryung would ever want to become human. Wol Ryung responds that he doesn't know what 1,000 years of loneliness feels like. Human life is beautiful because of its' mortality. Jo Sung is still against the marriage, and asks if Wol Ryung will tell Seo Hwa the truth. He replies: "No", because he plans on becoming human. Jo Sung tells him that to become human he must pray for 100 days and keep 3 taboos: (1) not to kill any animals (2) if a human asks for help he cannot refuse (3) he cannot reveal his divine appearance to humans in order to acquire the Gu Family Book. The results aren't always exact, and he could become a 1000 year-old demon. Jo Sung warns against it a final time, but Wol Ryung explains that it took a thousand years to find a woman who makes his heart race. If he lets her go now, he may have to wait another thousand years.


 
Wol Ryung and Seo Hwa hold a private marriage ceremony, and have a romantic wedding night in the cave filled with candles and drapes.


 
Gwan Woong and Pyung Joon then ruin the moment by discovering the brother's grave. This confirms that Seo Hwa is alive, and is receiving help from someone in the mountain.


 
Months pass. Seo Hwa comes out of the cave calling for her hubby (how cute) and gives him his lunch. She wants to go pick herbs by herself, but Wol Ryung warns that it's much too dangerous. They then argue adorably and she wins by giving him a kiss on the cheek. 



Jo Sung appears calling him a wife-idiot (truer words were never spoken),and asks how he is holding up after having to abide by the three rules for almost 100 days, and Wol Ryung says it's fine except the occasional rabbit roast hallucinations. Jo Sung takes his lunch out of his hands and eats a rice ball only to spit it right back out-Wol Ryung saying his wife's cooking skills need improving (knowing he is probably telling her constantly how delicious her food is because he is so adorably perfect). Jo Sung remarks that the power of love is amazing. He then tells Wol Ryung that he has found a way to counter a penalty if it should occur before the 100 days are over.


 
Seo Hwa is happily gathering herbs when Gwan Woong's men appear in the distance. Jo Sung gives Wol Ryung a dagger made from a 100 year-old Hawthorn tree to keep with him until the 100 days are up. Gwan Woong is arguing with Pyung Joon, who wants to end the search because God forbid they use the manpower and time to more important matters than Gwan Woong's personal obsessions. One of his men then comes in announcing that Seo Hwa has been spotted in the mountains.


 
After hearing a noise, Seo Hwa quickly realizes that she is in danger and hurries to get back. The man following her shoots an exploding arrow into the sky to alert the others to her whereabouts, and Wol Ryung sees it as well. Off runs our princely gumiho to save his bride. Seo Hwa is grabbed by him as a large group chases her, and he uses his magic to camouflage them. After the group runs by, our gumiho couple attempts to return home only to run into Pyung Joon, who witnessed him using his power (oh no! I personally would have stayed hidden a bit longer or used my superbunny jumping powers to get away but whatever).



Pyung Joon questions whether Wol Ryung is human or not, but he does not wish to fight. Pyung Joon states that Seo Hwa might be the runaway slave they are searching for and demands that they come back with them. Wol Ryung uses his superpowers to frighten the horse allowing them to escape. They continue running but eventually Seo Hwa cannot run any further and apologizes to Wol Ryung for not listening to him and causing him so much trouble. 
 

He says not to worry, and that he will protect her. They continue on, but Gwan Woong's men spot them and shoot an arrow in their direction. Wol Ryung manages to protect Seo Hwa but other soldiers throw down chains, capturing him.


 
The soldiers attempt to take Seo Hwa, but Wol Ryung (tied up in chains) punches them away saying she is his person and not to touch her (what is this, yes, yes I'm crying already). Satan's army then begins beating him and manages to take her away. They are both screaming for each other, tears running down her face, blood running from his mouth (here comes the ugly sobbing). 



Wol Ryung is torn about what to do -if he does nothing then the love of his life gets taken away, but if he uses his power to free himself and save her, then he cannot become human. Love wins, and he transforms fully into his gumiho form, shocking everyone including Seo Hwa. The soldiers attack him, but they are no match for this mythological beast. Seo Hwa looks on horrified as he claws, bites and throws men around like rag dolls. 


 
After a final piercing howl, which knocks out all the men, Wol Ryung approaches her, but his appearance and the bloody aftermath of the fight terrify her and she screams before fainting.
 


Wol Ryung brings Seo Hwa back to the cave. She awakens and is still frightened, but he tries to calm her. She questions whether it is really him and he says it is and apologizes before passing out himself. Seo Hwa is still in a state of shock and runs out of the cave. Wol Ryung magically heals himself and transforms back into his normal form.



Seo Hwa wanders into the Pyung Joon's camp while Jo Sung arrives at the cave. Wol Ryung wakes calling for her, saying that she must be scared. 
 


Jo Sung asks how he can still love her after the way she reacted. Wol Ryung pleads with him and Jo Sung sets out to look for her but stops and asks if he still has the hawthorn dagger and that he must do as Jo Sung instructed at the last moment (I wonder what this will be, probably nothing pleasant).



Gwan Woong slaps Seo Hwa and reveals that both her brother and maidservant are dead stating that she sacrificed their lives to seek refuge with a magical creature. 
 


Seo Hwa recalls Wol Ryung telling her that they were fine (I knew that would come back to bite him),and that tiny seed of distrust grows. Gwan Woong basically says that it's her fault that he hung her brother because she ran away instead of sleeping with him (does anyone have a sharp, or rather a dull knife I can borrow?) Gwan Woong then wants her to lead them to the love cave, so he can cut off the gumiho's head as well as her's. All this tragic news causes Seo Hwa to hit her breaking point.



Wol Ryung walks out of the cave to get some water only to be greeted by Pyung Joon and his men. Wol Ryung questions how they came there, when humans aren't able to. Then Seo Hwa is brought out, and Wol Ryung says that she betrayed him. She counters that he betrayed her first by lying about her brother and servant. He says that he didn't want her to be grieved, but Gwan Woong steps forward and claims Wol Ryung lied because he wanted to win her heart by lying and confusing her. Wol Ryung argues that it wasn't his intent to deceive Seo Hwa, but she then questions why he never told her he was a gumiho and pretended to be human. She believed him and he betrayed her trust. Wol Ryung calls out her name while tears stream down his face. Gwan Woong orders his head to be cut off, and Wol Ryung recalls what Jo Sung said-to prevent him from turning into a demon. The woman that caused him to want to become human must continue to love him even after she discovers his true self. However, if she betrays him, he must stab her in the heart with the hawthorn dagger to remain guardian of the mountain and to stop from turning into a demon.



Gwan Woong orders the men to shoot but Wol Ryung reflects all the arrows. He then screams Seo Hwa's name and runs toward her, easily knocking aside the soldiers. He reaches her but is then stabbed by Pyung Joon with a sword.



As he is dying he asks her why she betrayed him, because he loved her so much. 



He then transforms into his true self as  Pyung Joon slices him one last time. 



The blue magic lights appear from the cut as he floats above the ground. He then completely disappears in a beautiful flurry of blue dots of light. Jo Sung returns and calls out for Wol Ryung, before realizing his fate. He screams that Wol Ryung was a guardian and never hurt anyone. Pyung Joon responds that he killed half of his men, but Jo Sung says that he was responding to their initial attack. He just wanted to become human and live with Seo Hwa.



Seo Hwa runs off feeling nauseous  and realizes that she is pregnant. Pyung Joon relays to Gwan Woong that he finished the job.



We then see Wol Ryung's body being covered by vines and shrubbery until he is no longer visible (I wonder if he is actually still alive and in a state of rest?)



Surprise surprise, Seo Hwa is alive and at the gisaeng house. She is being kept from aborting her baby by a group of gisaengs. 
 


Soo Ryun enters and  tells her to stop trying to change her fate. Seo Hwa asks what fate? Becoming a gisaeng, the wife of a mythological creature or the mother of a monster? She asks for help to terminate the pregnancy, but Soo Ryun says that if eating poisonous herbs and jumping from high places haven't taken the baby’s life, then nothing will.



Seo Hwa goes into the mountain to terminate the pregnancy herself, and hears Wol Ryung call her name. She makes her way to the cave and remembers all the moments she spent with Wol Ryung. 



She enters the cave and proceeds to give birth.



As soon as the baby cries the blue dots of light appear once more. Jo Sung sees the lights and thinks it is a sign that Wol Ryung is back.



Seo Hwa wakes from resting and unwraps the scythe she brought. She asks Wol Ryung for forgiveness and then raises the scythe above the baby. She stops when she sees the blue lights and a beam of moonlight falls over the baby. She cries out after realizing that the baby is not a monster after all.



A group of noblemen and ginseng are dining and playing music on the river bank when they hear the cries of a baby. 



A basket floats towards them containing Seo Hwa's newborn child, which Lord Park retrieves from the water. 



Jo Sung comes along telling Lord Park that he has picked up a fortune-bringer.



Jo Sung introduces himself as a traveler who has learned to read the signs of the heavens, and Lord Park will receive great blessings if he raises this child. 
 


One of the noblemen suggests the name Kang Chi, since he was found in the river along with the family name Choi, Choi Kang Chi. The sad love of Seo Hwa and Wol Ryung has ended, and now a new legend will begin.
 

Comments:

Goliath1357-Why did Seo Hwa put her baby in a basket and send it down the river? Did she still see it as a monster or a reminder of her lost love? The parents' love story was so beautiful and tragic that I fear it may overshadow the main romance of the series. I'm curious to see the leads next week and the tonal change in the drama. I will just go ahead and state my fears about the casting of Suzy as the main lead (no offense to any Suzy fans). I liked her in Dream High, she wasn't the best actress but she fit her role quite nicely. But her character in Big was very similar to Hye Mi and I fear her range may not be up to par, especially compared to some of the other actors in this drama. I hope she proves me wrong turns and turns in a fantastic performance as our heroine but for now I have some doubts. 

Laugarza -I am curious what became of Seo Hwa after the baby ended up in the river. Did So Jung have something to do with it? Did she do it because she was ashamed of what she did to Wol Ryung? I feel like she still might have loved him deep down, but was too angry to admit it so perhaps he will return someday. The fact it was also Chief Jo that ran into the river to get the baby showed a compassionate side I did not expect him to have. How his interest in saving the baby will shape Choi Kang Chi in the future will be interesting to see.