Bad Couple: Episode 14

by javabeans

Ryu Su Young (Gi Chan) is really good this episode. Really good. Nobody does heartfelt cornball adoration as believably and adorably as him.

(Random) SONG OF THE DAY

Biuret – “사랑해요” (I Love You). I really like the chorus and its intense overlapping harmonies from this song by all-female rock band Biuret. [ zShare download ]

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EPISODE 14 SUMMARY

Now that the truth of Dang Ja’s pregnancy is out, the couple happily reunites, and Gi Chan promises to do his best from now on. He wants to start acting as a good father right away, and asks for Dang Ja’s guidance, and thrills in feeling her stomach for the first time.

Gi Chan goes with her to her doctor’s appointment, enjoying saying the word “Dad” over and over — “I should go see, since I’m the DAD. Of course the DAD should watch to see how much it’s come along. Does it make sense for the DAD not to go?” Dang Ja asks Yoon Seok not to mention her illness for now — she will tell him, but since this is Gi Chan’s first time meeting their baby, she wants it to be happy for him. Before going in, Gi Chan tells Dang Ja’s belly to be sure to wave when he sees it next, and true to form, seeing the baby moving on the monitor, Gi Chan marvels that it looks like it really is waving its hand at him.

Dang Ja has a separate consultation with Yoon Seok, who tells her the tests came back and her tumor has started to change — he strongly urges her to give up the baby and go into surgery immediately.

Naturally, Dang Ja can’t give it up, especially seeing how happy Gi Chan was over the baby. Yoon Seok tells her as time passes, it gets more dangerous for her.

Back at work, Gi Chan looks at the ultrasound video, which he’s had the doctor transfer to a video file on his phone. He brings Dang Ja an entire crate of plums, since she mentioned wanting to eat them.

They wonder what to nickname the baby, rather than calling it “Baby,” and decide on Jadu (plum). Gi Chan wonders what he can do for the baby, and Dang Ja asks her belly, and conveys this message: “Jadu wants to see Dad dancing the Jjang Gu dance.” (A cartoon character known for his butt-shaking dance.) Gi Chan thinks it’s a silly joke, but Dang Ja tells him: “When I ask Jadu and the idea comes to my mind immediately, that’s Jadu’s request.” The dance is awesome. I wish I knew how to make gifs.

 
Holding hands and going on a lovers’ stroll through the park, Dang Ja expresses envy seeing an elderly couple doing the same. Gi Chan tells her he’ll hold her hand till they’re old and gray, and Dang Ja says, “I wonder if I’ll live that long.” He assures her she’ll live long and happily with him and Jadu.

Dang Ja wants to go have her fortune told, although Gi Chan doesn’t really believe in it. Even the fortune-teller says, “Are you going to stay together if the fortune is bad? Just go on and live happily.” He tells her there are no good or bad fortunes — it’s all just a matter of making the decision to carry on. But Dang Ja persists, and her face falls when the fortune-teller says there’ll be difficulties, and tells Gi Chan in a serious tone that he’d better put a lot of care into Dang Ja.

Gi Chan doesn’t let it get to him, but Dang Ja turns back to ask the fortune-teller one last question: “Will our baby be able to be born healthy?” He tells her to take care of herself first, since if she’s healthy, the baby will be fine.

Gi Chan throws himself into playing the father. After their walk, he washes Dang Ja’s feet, and asks whatever happened to her sprained ankle. Dang Ja laughingly tells him the truth about faking her ankle sprain because she couldn’t tell him about her pregnancy then. She says she had to throw away the tonic medicine he brewed for her, and he laughs, telling the baby: “Jadu, don’t be too much like your mother in that way.” Dang Ja follows that with: “Jadu, be like your father, in brains, face, personality… and health.”

Gi Chan reads children’s stories and stays with Dang Ja.

He also goes to a church for the first time in his life to thank God for bringing Dang Ja and the baby into his life:

“I came because I wanted to give my thanks, but I didn’t know who to address it to, so I came here. Thank you for letting me meet Dang Ja. And really, truly thank you for our baby Jadu. Lord, please take good care of Jadu until (s)he can be born healthy, and protect him(her). Yesterday I heard from the fortune-teller that I would need to put in a lot of care. I don’t know why he said that, but I’ll do my best for Dang Ja. When I think of how she suffered alone, even now my heart hurts. So Lord, please help me. Later, when Jadu is born, I’ll come holding their hands, the three of us.”

 
Meanwhile, Dang Ja’s two friends have brief storylines as well. Having decided to divorce, Han Young presents Yoon Seok with divorce papers, which he refuses to sign, and tears up. He reminds her of her refusal to sign when he asked, and warns her that he’s prepared to do the same. Having seen her enjoying herself with Joon Soo, he’s irritated and surprised to see how much stronger she’s become (she tells him it’s all thanks to him). His private detective returns with information about Joon Soo’s intern past; apparently he made a mistake that killed a patient, and upon quitting, immediately returned to Korea.

Yoon Seok’s refusal causes Joon Soo to seek him out, and he tells him that he (Joon Soo) loves Young. He asks Yoon Seok to act as a man and let her go, since he doesn’t love her anyway: “Have you thought once about the pain you brought her?” Yoon Seok says love isn’t the only reason people stay married, and says he’ll make it up to his wife. Joon Soo tells him with disgust, “You’re an embarrassment to all men.” Yoon Seok retorts, “Then is chasing a married woman with a child what you call acting like a man?”

Yoon Seok then tries a different tack, swallowing his ego to apologize to Young and begging for forgiveness. Although it doesn’t quite seem heartfelt (he acts like a little boy joking around), I found him really funny here. Young, however, does not, saying they’ve both hurt each other too much. She no longer has any feelings for him. They’ll separate.

Dol Soon accepts Yong Gu’s decision to quit working full-time for the magazine to pursue (fine art) photography, tamping down the fear of less money and stability to be the supporting wife.

Although Gi Chan’s father is still resistant to Dang Ja (the resistance is a little less fierce, though), his mother decides to come up to Seoul to see her. She greets her warmly, looking on at Gi Chan’s phone-cam baby video with wonder. She’s come to bring Dang Ja some particular foods, including a fish she’s specially prepared with herbs and seasonings, saying her mother-in-law did the same for her when she was pregnant with Gi Chan. Dang Ja takes a bite, but, overwhelmed with emotion, she excuses herself from the table holding back sobs.

Gi Chan explains to his mother Dang Ja was probably overcome with her lovely gesture, but she already understands: “She longs for family. She has no mother, and she’s lived alone, putting on a brave front. She must have been very lonely. Now she has a child, and you by her side, and with me here too, it’s overwhelming. You’ll have to treat her well.” She sends Gi Chan to comfort Dang Ja.

 
Gi Chan goes to the hospital for his own project and runs into Yoon Seok, who advises him to persuade Dang Ja to seek treatment soon. Seeing that Gi Chan doesn’t know what’s going on, Yoon Seok says that he thinks Gi Chan should know, and tells him about the uterine cancer, his advice to give up on the baby, and the fact that Dang Ja only has a 50 percent chance at survival at this point. Yoon Seok tells him Dang Ja’s holding out for the month and a half that’s left before they can put the baby in an incubator, but advises him to convince her to operate: “The baby is important, but we must save Dang Ja first. You’re the only one who can persuade her.”

 
Gi Chan understandably takes the news hard, and wanders out dazedly, getting caught in a sudden shower. After walking aimlessly in the rain, he suddenly picks up his pace, and starts running with one target in mind —

…and falls to his knees in the church, wracked with sobs.

“Lord… My Dang Ja is very sick… She might even die… Please… save her.”

 
Additional thoughts

I really like how, despite his extreme giddiness over becoming a father, Gi Chan doesn’t even hesitate over his priorities. Dang Ja feared bursting his happiness over the baby, but Gi Chan’s first reaction to hearing the dire news isn’t conflicted — he begs for Dang Ja’s life, no question.