Eleison

I can only think of one drama that tackled reuniting spouses well, and that's Go Back Couple. Dating couples, maybe, but not many about spouses. And this drama is not only doing it in a chaebol setting (AND reversing the gender roles usually found in this trope), it's not going the easier route of adding in a fantasy element like "sending them back in time" to fall in love all over again (like Go Back Couple). These spouses will have to figure out how to fall in love again in their normal, awful, mundane lives without anything new or exciting to make the journey easier. I think it's actually extremely intriguing and unusual.

I can't say if it will be good, yet, obviously, but I think it's far from average for a few reasons. It has a lot of threads it's begun to weave with few answers (I had more questions after Episode 2 than Episode 1; if it resolves these threads it will be great fun to see them unfold), it has set up a predictable scenario but is handling it unpredictably, and does not have a simplistic plot that's veiled in vagueness and mystery to make it seem clever but which ends up being more like clickbait instead (as many dramas begin). I think it's actually going to try and do some things we haven't seen before. I'm seeing the seeds being planted and I'll be curious to see what grows from them... :)

Agree about them needing to hold the tension for a bit longer.

And the family actually uses/needs Hyun Woo a lot. He's very capable and good at what he does, and I think none of them realize how invaluable he's made himself to them (least of all does Hyun Woo himself know it; I think this is proof that at heart he cares about the right things, because instead of capitalizing on his growing influence/importance to the family and company to further himself (which I feel like our 2ML wouldn't hesitate to do) and seeing a way to use it, he just wants to escape because the one he got into this mess for doesn't seem to care about him anymore. He doesn't care about power, he just got into this cause he cared about Hae In); curious to see how this will come into play later on!

Yes, while I see it's being done to give them plenty to work through so their reconciliation doesn't feel cheap and artificial, it is still kinda hard to watch. I get it! 😆

Note the "black comedy" tag; pretty sure it applies to these interactions. The perspective of the ML is played for laughs and is called dark comedy for a reason. But while we're laughing we're ALSO supposed to be squirming after Episode 2; that's the point. It's giving us plenty of fodder for our characters to grow from over the next 14, long episodes. Whether that will be done well still remains to be seen, but at the very least, I'm confident the tone will shift as the drama progresses.

I think this screenplay is original to this screenwriter?

Legend Of The Blue Sea was a happy ending?

Yeah, like many of the male chaebol heirs from dramas, Hae In strikes me as a bit socially awkward and emotionally oblivious. I see this coming through in the way she can't always pick up on cues and motivations of people around her when it comes to close interactions because she's been raised with so much angling and distance from her family. The scene between them in his room when she saw him looking up her condition is when I started to get this impression of her.

I feel like I had more questions after Episode 2, not less. 😂 I'm sure we'll get more about why they're at this place in their marriage, but I want to know what's going on ASAP; we'll probably have to wait a while to get the full picture, though. 😮‍💨

Well, we got her perspective, to even out his from Episode 1; she is now also looking quite pitiful. However, I'm hoping this is the lowest point for our ML, cause he's pretty terrible in Episode 2... I need to start seeing some pangs of guilt or this will get too painful. 🥴

That drama is quite old, though, no? The last 10-14 years have almost all been male chaebols falling in love with poor girls. It's cropped up for the 2ML loveline, though, like in Run On or The Beauty Inside.

I went to respond when I saw you already said what I was thinking. We're on the same wavelength, haha.

We rarely get to watch romances about married couples falling in love again, and if done well, it can be especially sweet to watch because they're not just coming together over their fluttery, googley-eyed feelings for each other. They will figure out how to build something sweet that lasts. THAT could be an exhilarating watch, if done well.

I think what makes it land is that most Kdrama watchers (being largely women) know EXACTLY what it feels like to be relegated to the kitchen to serve everyone, so it feels sweet to watch the men get stuck there instead.

"It kind of sucks, doesn't it, guys? Ah, poor lambs, you have it so hard." *playing my tiny violin* 🎻

Yes, if done well, it's super funny. It works best when played for laughs. One of my favorite reversed cliches was in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo when a bus drives by, splashing water onto the sidewalk. The ML hides behind the FL instead of shielding her and she gets doused. It was a great moment. 😆

Yes, like Song Joong Ki! Curious to see when he'll pop up.

Sometimes people can be shockingly resilient, especially when others depend on them. :) There's definitely more to this timid son-in-law than meets the eye. He's not just a smart lawyer with a pretty face. Looking forward to seeing what they do with him! 😏

This comment thread is exploding. It took me forever to scroll to, and find, yesterday's comments. 😅

He does always get typecast, though. Maybe he doesn't mind! 🤷‍♀️

Pretty sure it won't last; it's just his initial response. He's currently so miserable he can't see past his own pain to really take in what this means. Don't worry, he'll come around. 😉