94

Perfect Wife: Episode 20 (Final)

Although Eun-hee seems to be on her best behavior, Jae-bok knows her better than that and braces herself for the worst. With Jung-hee determined to sacrifice himself for his family, it could be up to Jae-bok to do the rescuing yet again. But with Eun-hee descending further and further into her madness, will it be possible for them all to survive her final play to win Jung-hee’s heart?

 
FINAL EPISODE RECAP

Eun-hee comes upstairs at the same time as Jung-hee comes downstairs, both responding to Bong-gu’s impatient ringing of the doorbell. Eun-hee lets Jung-hee answer the intercom and talk to Jae-bok, who asks if everything is okay. Jung-hee says harshly that she’s making a big deal out of nothing before cutting off the video feed.

Playing the understanding fiancee to the hilt, Eun-hee says that Jung-hee should have let Jae-bok in, but he just tells her to stop cleaning the basement and get some rest. He goes to his room and considers texting Jae-bok an apology, but he deletes it without sending.

Brian takes Jae-bok to speak to his father, where she pleads with him to put Eun-hee back in the hospital for her own good. She begs him as a fellow parent to think of what’s best for his child and not to act out of guilt for not being there while she was growing up. She even tells him that her own children are in danger, but her words fall on deaf ears. He doesn’t say a single word and only pages his men to escort her out.

Jae-bok calls Bong-gu after her failed attempt, and though he tries his best to sound perky for her sake, they both hear the weariness in each other’s voices. Bong-gu insists they meet at the office to cheer each other up, and after they hang up, we see that he’s at the site of Na-mi’s accident, still struggling to accept her death.

Jung-hee continues logging his observations of Eun-hee, noting that she flips between manic and depressive moods. His mother, who is living in the house with them, seems to be a particular trigger with her bossy critical ways. After one incident when Jung-hee’s mom criticized the way Eun-hee organizes her freezer, Jung-hee witnessed Eun-hee chopping meat into a fine paste while in a sort of fugue state.

Jung-hee writes that Eun-hee doesn’t express her anger as she used to do, but he can sense that her insanity is evolving. He adds that he’s afraid of her, but if he wants to protect his children and atone for his wrongful actions, then he has to stop her.

He writes a bit more in his observation diary, particularly about how much he misses his kids and how he wishes he’d appreciated how good life was when his family was together. He locks the diary away in his safe, which he keeps in his desk drawer at work.

Jin-wook and Hae-wook miss their dad as much as he misses them, so they decide to pay their dad a surprise visit at work. Che-ri finds them waiting for the bus and invites herself along, saying bossily that she doesn’t trust them to go alone.

Eun-hee cleans Jung-hee’s room and takes advantage of the opportunity to snoop. She doesn’t find anything until she feels around his nightstand drawer, and she pulls out a crumpled photo of Jung-hee with Jin-wook and Hae-wook.

She remembers showing him her new wall of his photos, and that he’d thanked her for loving him this much. He’d crushed that particular photo in his fist and told her that he doesn’t need anyone but her, but now she realizes with annoyance that Jung-hee was actually saving that picture.

She goes to the office to see him, arriving just after the kids. Luckily Jung-hee sees Eun-hee in time, so he pushes Hae-wook’s hug away and jerks his hand out of Jin-wook’s grasp. He snaps at the children angrily for coming here without notice, which shocks them.

Eun-hee approaches, greeting the children sweetly, but she’s knocked off-balance when bold Che-ri asks how she got released from the hospital so soon. She recovers enough to answer when Jung-hee asks why she’s here, and she invites the children to have dinner with them.

Jung-hee cuts her off sharply, asking her to wait in his office while he takes the kids home. The children are subdued and upset in the car, so Jung-hee pulls over to talk to them. He hugs them close and apologizes, telling them (kindly this time) not to come to his office anymore.

Eun-hee does some more poking around in Jung-hee’s office, and her gaze falls on the drawer holding his observation diary. But Jung-hee returns to find her innocently standing by the window waiting for him. She turns down his offer to go for a drive, saying evasively that she has something to do at home.

Before she leaves, Eun-hee tells Jung-hee that she wants a small wedding at home. He says he’ll go along with whatever she wants, but when she hugs him happily, Jung-hee looks terrified.

Che-ri decides that her mother needs a tiny push in the romance department, so she invites Sam-kyu over for a heart-to-heart. While she waits, she thinks about Jung-hee hugging his children and apologizing to them, and she wonders if that’s what having a dad is like.

When Sam-kyu arrives, Che-ri asks him bluntly if he truly likes her mom, or if he’s not really serious. She says that Won-jae definitely likes him, and that she thinks he likes her mom the same way. Sam-kyu confirms that he does, so Che-ri asks him to take the lead, since Won-jae is bad at dating.

She has some words of advice for him such as being financially responsible and becoming more well-read, but her main concern is that he settles things with Hye-ran for good. Sam-kyu looks nervous, but when Che-ri adds shyly that she’d like for him to become her dad, he’s utterly charmed.

Bong-gu and Jae-bok stay at the office late working on a case. Bong-gu gathers his courage and asks Jae-bok if she’ll do something for him if they win. Distracted, she agrees without even knowing what he wants.

She calls Jin-wook to check on things and learns that the kids went to Jung-hee’s office today, surprised to hear that he sent them away. Jung-hee stops by later to ask Jae-bok to keep the children away from him, but no matter what he does, Jae-bok refuses to believe that this isn’t an act he’s putting on to protect them.

She tells Jung-hee that Eun-hee may be laying low right now, but sooner or later she’ll figure out that Jung-hee is faking it, if she hasn’t already. She offers to help him get free of that house if he’ll help her find evidence that Eun-hee met with Na-mi on the day Na-mi died.

Jung-hee arrives home to find Eun-hee seeing his mother off on a European tour. He was supposed to take her to the airport, but he claims to have forgotten and had a few drinks, so Eun-hee is forced to make the drive. His mother complains to Eun-hee about her messy freezer as they leave and, thinking about Jae-bok’s request to look for evidence, Jung-hee heads to the kitchen.

He paws through the freezer, and way in the back he finds a package containing a pair of heels and a phone. He charges the phone, and when he sees that it was Na-mi’s, he bursts into frightened tears, faced with proof that Eun-hee was with Na-mi when she died.

Jae-bok and Won-jae talk that night about Che-ri asking Sam-kyu to be her dad, and Won-jae sighs that she doesn’t know where Che-ri gets it. Hye-ran saunters in and says she gets it from her mom, who was a big matchmaker back in school.

Won-jae tries to insist that she doesn’t like Sam-kyu, but when Hye-ran gets a call from the hot trainer at work asking her out, it becomes clear that she’s moved on. Jae-bok tells Won-jae to stop being stubborn and just date Sam-kyu, since it’s obvious that they like each other.

Neither of them hears the second half of Hye-ran’s phone conversation, where she thanks the hot trainer for calling at exactly the right time and telling him to forget everything she said about a date. Awww, it was all just an act. She’s such a good friend.

Eun-hee comes home from the airport suspicious and goes straight to the freezer. She finds the shoes and phone still there and breathes a sigh of relief.

Happy again, she shows Jung-hee the tuxedo she bought for him for their home wedding. He’s barely holding it together, but he manages to ask when she wants to have the wedding, surprised when she suggests this coming Saturday.

The next day, Bong-gu and Jae-bok are elated after winning their case. Bong-gu reminds Jae-bok (in his adorable trying-to-be-casual-and-failing way) about her promise, which she barely remembers. She asks what he wants and he rattles off, “Let’s date officially,” like it’s no big thing, but then he turns the most hopeful puppy eyes ever on her as he waits for her answer.

When it looks like she’s going to turn him down, he stops her and says that the only answer he’ll hear is “yes.” He says that he’ll give her some time to think of a cool way to accept, then he literally runs out the door. PFFT.

Bong-gu goes to talk to Jung-hee about dating Jae-bok, which is so cute I can’t stand it. He asks for Jung-hee’s help putting Eun-hee in the hospital for good, afraid that Jae-bok won’t have the time or energy for romance until everything is settled.

Jung-hee asks if Bong-gu is thinking about marriage, to which Bong-gu seriously admits, “Probably.” Jung-hee says that it would mean becoming Jin-wook and Hae-wook’s new dad, adding that he thinks Bong-gu would be good at it. Awww.

After their talk, Jung-hee takes his kids out for lunch. He apologizes again for being angry at them before, but little Hae-wook pipes up that she understands he’s just busy. Jung-hee asks them to obey their mother and for Jin-wook to be a responsible son, then takes a long, sad look at his children.

Jung-hee had told Bong-gu all about the kids, their likes and dislikes, and how to get close to them. Bong-gu had told him not to worry, to just get clear of Eun-hee and meet a healthy woman of his own. But he can’t shake the feeling that Jung-hee was acting very strange.

Jae-bok goes for a walk, mind whirling from Bong-gu’s request to date him, and she grumbles about his terrible timing. But then she thinks of all the times he’s been there for her, providing whatever she needs, and she can’t help but smile. She looks up and there he is, standing right in front of her.

He quips that she looks like she’s in agony, asking if his question was too difficult before offering to give her the correct answer. She starts to talk but he interrupts her again, this time with a hug. He says that this is the best answer, and tells her to stand still if it’s a “yes.”

The longer she stands there, the bigger Bong-gu’s smile grows, as he chants, “Yes… yes… yes…” in her ear. Jae-bok pulls back, but only to look up into his face and smile before going back in with a hug of her own. YES!!

The following Saturday, Jae-bok prepares for her first official date with Bong-gu. Won-jae and Sam-kyu try to pretend that their “outing with the kids” isn’t a date at all, while Hye-ran and Jae-bok roll their eyes at each other, heh. Hye-ran brings Jae-bok a package containing a pretty flowered skirt from Bong-gu.

Eun-hee finally visits her mother in prison to tell her that she and Jung-hee are getting married today. She asks if Hyung-sun has something to say to her, and Hyung-sun ashamedly looks away. When she looks back, she sees the teenage Eun-kyung in front of her, and she starts to cry.

Hyung-sun apologizes for abusing her and Brian all those years ago, sobbing that she wanted to be a good mother but she didn’t know how. Eun-hee’s expression never wavers, though a lone tear does fall before she walks out for good.

Bong-gu calls Jae-bok when she’s late for their first date, grouching at her when she says she has to run by the office. He hangs up to take another call, and Jae-bok finds another package outside the office door, this time addressed to Bong-gu. She leaves it on his desk, but gets curious when she sees the SJ Construction logo on the wrapping.

She opens the package to find the shoes and phone that Jung-hee found in Eun-hee’s freezer. She calls Bong-gu but his line is still busy, then she takes a call from Jung-hee. He speaks in a monotone as he stares at his reflection, all spiffed up in his wedding tuxedo.

He ignores Jae-bok’s questions about the package, instead saying that she was his first, only, and last love. He wishes for her to be happy and hangs up, then goes downstairs to where his bride is waiting.

Jung-hee and Eun-hee sit at the table in their wedding finery, and Eun-hee sweetly asks about her shoes and Na-mi’s phone. Uh-oh. Jung-hee tells her that he sent them to Bong-gu, and Eun-hee says it’s good that her mother can clear her name now.

But her face goes blank as she repeats Jung-hee’s note from his diary about stopping her psychotic behavior. As it turns out, she did find the diary when she was in his office and had read the whole thing with growing fury.

Eun-hee quietly accuses Jung-hee of using her, and he tries one last time to convince her to go to the hospital for treatment. In response, Eun-hee throws her wine glass across the room angrily.

She pours herself a new glass of wine and says it’s time to start the wedding, indicating that he should drink, too. Eyeing his wine glass suspiciously, Jung-hee asks if the nightmares will end once he drinks it. Eun-hee softly and ominously tells him, “No. Then our complete love will begin.”

Thinking that the only way he can end this ordeal is to die, knowing that Eun-hee would follow him soon after, Jung-hee takes a drink. As he waits for whatever she put into the wine to take effect, he tells Eun-hee that she’s a sad woman.

Smiling beatifically, she says that on the contrary, “I’m a happy woman. I can finally be with you forever.” Jung-hee’s eyes roll back and he falls forward onto the table, unconscious.

Worried about Jung-hee, Jae-bok heads to Eun-hee’s house, calling Bong-gu on the way to tell him about the package, and Eun-hee’s visit to her mother. He says he’s going there too — he’s been having Eun-hee followed, and he just learned that she bought a wedding dress. With all of the information pooled together, they decide that something strange is going on.

Bong-gu arrives at Eun-hee’s house first and waits for Jae-bok on the stoop, but he’s knocked out cold by Eun-hee’s spy before he can even move. Jae-bok goes on alert when she finds Bong-gu’s car in front of Eun-hee’s house, but no Bong-gu.

She lets herself in through the half-open gate and goes into the house, then finds herself confronted by the cheerful Eun-hee in her wedding dress. She happily invites Jae-bok to the wedding, but Jae-bok ignores her and says that they have evidence proving she was there when Na-mi died.

She asks where Jung-hee is and starts to head upstairs, but she stops when Eun-hee calls out to her. Her pause allows Eun-hee’s spy to sneak up behind Jae-bok and knock her out with chloroform.

Jung-hee wakes in Eun-hee’s basement, which is decorated to look like a sick, twisted wedding hall. He’s seated in the throne, bound hand and foot, and Eun-hee is there lighting candles, ready to start the wedding.

She’s descended so deeply into her delusion that she doesn’t seem to register Jung-hee call her insane. She tells him that they have a surprise guest, and she pulls a curtain aside to reveal Jae-bok, also tied to a chair and just waking up.

Eun-hee takes her bouquet and begins reciting her wedding vows, politely asking Jae-bok to be quiet when she demands to be released. She tells Jung-hee to say his vows, but he just gasps that she really is a psycho.

Again she doesn’t seem to hear, she just pleasantly offers to say his vows for him. Jung-hee stops her at the part about loving her, denying that he feels any such emotion. He yells that he’s disgusted by her, but she only smiles and finishes the vows.

She sighs that their guest is too noisy and offers Jae-bok the drugged wine. Seeing Jae-bok threatened, Jung-hee changes his tune, promising to do anything Eun-hee asks if she’ll stop. Eun-hee mocks his concern for Jae-bok, then grabs her head to force-feed her the wine.

Jae-bok manages to knock Eun-hee to the ground, where Eun-hee starts to laugh maniacally. She picks up a candelabra with several lit candles and calmly and methodically begins setting all of her “K&H” banners on fire. Smoke fills the room as Eun-hee says sweetly that they’ll all die together.

When Eun-hee flits close to Jae-bok’s chair, Jae-bok lashes out with a mighty kick, which knocks them both over. The fall knocks Eun-hee unconscious when she hits the wall, and also loosens the ropes tying Jae-bok to her chair, so she quickly frees herself. She runs to Jung-hee and starts trying to untie him.

Upstairs, the rising smoke wakes Bong-gu, and he finds himself in a corner with his hands tied. He kicks over a vase and uses the broken edges to free himself, then follows the smoke to its origin at the basement door and uses the piano bench to smash the lock.

He finds Jae-bok just as she frees Jung-hee, so she hands him over for Bong-gu to lead outside. She goes back for Eun-hee, who is still lying on the floor, and she wrestles her to a sitting position. When Eun-hee sees Jae-bok in front of her, she gets this evil grin on her face, and clamps her hands down on Jae-bok’s arms.

As Jae-bok struggles to free herself from Eun-hee’s homicidal grip, Bong-gu comes back into the room and sees flames eating away at a beam directly over the women’s heads. He runs to Jae-bok and wrenches her out of Eun-hee’s hands just as the beam falls, right where Jae-bok was standing half a second ago.

He drags Jae-bok from the room as she fights and screams Eun-hee’s name. But Eun-hee doesn’t seem to care that the house is burning down all around her, she just stares at the flaming “K&H” banners and smiles happily. As the room fills with fire and smoke, Eun-hee laughs.

Bong-gu gets Jae-bok out of the house safely, carrying her the last short distance to where Jung-hee is recovering. The three of them sit on the lawn and watch Eun-hee’s grand house burn.

One year later.

Bong-gu drives to an adorable little house in the countryside to find all of their friends on the lawn having a party. He presents Jae-bok with a massive bouquet of flowers and joins everyone in a toast to Jae-bok’s new house.

As they settle in to eat (Che-ri makes her mom blush whenever she calls Sam-kyu “Dad,” hee), Jin-wook gets a call from Jung-hee. He apologizes for not being there since he has a show today, and she wishes him luck.

As Jung-hee sings for his small audience and the housewarming party goes into full swing, Jae-bok narrates that she and Jung-hee survived the fire, but Eun-hee died. She says that nobody talks about those days anymore, but they left deep wounds behind. To heal those wounds, they all try to live and love each other harder now.

 
COMMENTS

I had a feeling it would end this way. With Eun-hee refusing to either get real treatment or let go of her obsession, there was really only one way to stop her. But in a strange way, I’m glad that the show didn’t end with Eun-hee in prison, or rocking in the corner in an insane asylum. Jae-bok’s nightmares began when Eun-hee was supposedly safely locked away, because instinctively she knew that Eun-hee was never going to stop, and that it was only a matter of time before she got out and came after Jung-hee and his family again. So it was fitting and right to see Eun-hee literally consumed by the flames of her madness. It was the only way Jae-bok would ever have real peace.

One thing I’ve really enjoyed, and not discussed much, is how many different kinds of love were depicted in Perfect Wife. There was the obvious, such as the fading love between an estranged husband and wife, the eternal love between a parent and child, and the rock-solid loyal love between friends. But the show also explored some more unusual types of love, like romantic love that grows slowly from friendship (Bong-gu and Jae-bok), brand-new puppy love (Jin-wook and Che-ri), and even the love that Jae-bok felt for Eun-hee as nothing more than a fellow human being. Even in her terror over Eun-hee’s mental illness and fear of what she might do, Jae-bok never stopped trying to help her — first by appealing to Eun-hee herself, then by going to her family members for support, and at last by risking her own life to try and save Eun-hee from the burning basement. One of my favorite things about Jae-bok was her deep and endless capacity for all kinds of love, and the way that she never stopped loving someone once they found their way into her heart.

But the most obvious and frightening type of love that the show spotlighted was the love that turns evil and twisted in the hands of someone who doesn’t know how to love in a healthy way. Eun-hee’s love for Jung-hee was such a sick thing, more of an obsession than real love, because it cared nothing for Jung-hee himself. Unlike Jae-bok, who was always willing to sacrifice herself for those she loved, Eun-hee saw Jung-hee as an object to be possessed, regardless of his own feelings. She was willing to do whatever she had to do, and hurt anyone she had to hurt, to have him. A healthy person would have learned from their traumatic childhood and grown up to be better, but Eun-hee was only capable of seeing love as something she was owed by the world, to be taken by force if not freely given, because she was denied it as a child. I don’t doubt that a lot of Eun-hee’s dysfunction came from the way her mother treated her and Brian as children, but I appreciate that the show made a point to say that that’s no excuse for her behavior.

On a happier note, I’m so excited that Bong-gu and Jae-bok got their happy ending. No two people were ever more perfectly suited for each other. And as much as I’ve loved the fact that Jae-bok always did her own rescuing, thank-you-very-much, I also thought it was very fitting that Bong-gu got to rescue her in the end. A big reason her marriage collapsed was because Jae-bok was so capable, she never let Jung-hee be responsible for anything (not that I blame her). But the threat of Eun-hee had been wearing on her for a while, causing her nightmares and fatigue from the sheer weight of the stress. That’s when Bong-gu finally got to come in and support her by allowing her to rest and count on him. And just being able to close her eyes and let Bong-gu be in charge for a while must have been a major relief for Jae-bok. Theirs will be a much more balanced, healthy relationship, which is a good thing, and Bong-gu literally saving Jae-bok from Eun-hee’s clutches is just another point in his favor — that when things get down to the wire, Jae-bok can count on Bong-gu to be there, providing whatever she needs (even if that’s just a cheerleader while she gets on with doing her own saving).

Perfect Wife is one of those shows that I wasn’t initially very excited about, since I didn’t know much about it and had no idea what to expect. But now I think that going into the show blind is a big reason I’ve enjoyed it so much, because I had no expectations or preconceived notions about what it would be. It wasn’t perfect, but as dramas go, I think I’ll remember this as one of the most entertaining, because you just never knew what was going to happen next. Every episode brought with it a fun discovery or exciting surprise, making this show a wonderful experience for me from start to finish.

RELATED POSTS

Tags: , , , , ,

94

Required fields are marked *

Thank you LollyPip for a quick recap! Love your insight that there's so much love in all forms from this drama.

I did not intend to watch this drama at the beginning and what to expect. But same as you, I ended up watching 20 episodes of it, because I was really curious where this drama was heading. Also, I came to love Jae-bok as a strong and resourceful character; a character that we find rarely in k-drama.

6
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yes!! I love JaeBok as a strong, consistent and independent heroine... Most korean dramas start with strong heroines, but then drastically reduced into weak and damsel-in-distress characters which were so dissapointing.
Hopefully we will get more strong-till-the-end heroines in the future... ;)

4
reply

Required fields are marked *

Comment was deleted

4
reply

Required fields are marked *

Things that I liked with the final ep:
- Che-Ri the matchmaker talking to Sam-Kyu if he genuinely likes her mom, asking SK if she can call him dad
- BG running off before JB can give him her answer whether to date or not, loved that he really did consider that she may say no but still did not give up
- That Hug. Because we did not get anything else (JH and EH/EK kissed and writers could not even give us fan service for the leads tsk)

4
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Che-Ri was A W E S O M E in this episode !!!! I loved her so much!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thank you Perfect Wife and Lollypip.. I really enjoyed this show. It may not be perfect (still don't know what happen to JaeBok's first love and Brian after his sister died).. but the casts and story were amazing. Kinda sad that we didn't get a kiss scene, but it's understandable... GSY is married with kids, which probably not ethical in korean standard (maybe...).

2
10
reply

Required fields are marked *

But EH and JH did kiss before this final ep - is this okay because the guy is a cheater anyway? I was actually hoping for an ending with JB and BG going on a real date even without a kiss but I guess even that was too much to ask.

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I make up stories in my mind about their skinship. Learning a thing or two about being delusional here.

5
6
reply

Required fields are marked *

THEY TOTALLY MADE OUT IN THE CABIN AND NO ONE CAN TELL ME OTHERWISE!

10
5
reply

Required fields are marked *

thanks for giving me ideas! LOL XD

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

All the making out happened in the cabin. All of it. They slept in the same bed too because really, how could Jae Bok get to sleep by herself after the nightmare she'd just been through? *Totally canon*

7
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Holy shit this totally happened! SNUGGLES ARE CANON!

4

They were hugging all night long.... :)

1

@euley @alaafia @lemoncello
you guys are killing me !!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
I'm 100% behind this too: they made out off screen. I insist !

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Don't think her being married with children had anything to do with it, countless actors are married with children, and kiss and do love scenes, I mean that's what acting is. The actor that played Jung hee is married with a baby girl. I just don't think it fit the story line with how long it took them to get to the romance part, by the time that became evident for sure, we were on the last episode! I think it fit and though I'm highly disappointed I didn't get to see Jung Hoon kiss, such a waste, I still thought it would be weird for him to be kissing someone old enough to be his mother! So I'm good with it, he was beyond adorable in every way! I do wish they could have gone on a real date at least too!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

For Kyung Woo, I bet after he was kidnapped, he was warned and then given enough cash to dull his momentary pang of conscience. He was a pretty greedy guy.

I did wish we get to see Brian wracked with grief. He totally screwed up in preventing Eun Hee and his mom from getting into trouble.

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

@lollypip I loved your analysis of the different types of love! Spot on!
My review comes in 3 parts. How I feel about the ending, the lack of a kiss of my otp, and my over all feelings of he drama.

1) I know on tumblr there was a lot of hate for the ending of this drama, everyone wanting Eun Hee to get the help she needs. But I think the true villian of this story is Brian. Eun Hee was beyond the mental capacity to help herself, and as her brother Brian really should of seen her as the sick person she was. He was the only one who could of saved her in the end but he didn't. He should of made more of an effort to get her help. Seeing as no one could save Eun Hee, she had to die, it was inevitable. I feel like the message that when people are sick (not even just mentally sick, just normal sick) they need help. You can't expect a person with cancer to be able to take care of themselves do you? Eun Hee was doomed from the start because of the family she came from and lack of true love from other people in her life. Her death was inevitable.

2) You know what? I am okay. I am okay that there was no kiss. I DO believe it was a waste of Sung Joon's ability as a kisser, but I think it's important not to put your actors in this sex bubble. He is more than his ability to kiss his fellow actresses and has really proven that to me in this drama. Also I do feel like, if there was ever a couple that did not NEED to kiss, it was them. This was the most mature and realisitic relationship, and to be honest, the main reason I came back every week. Also, let's not forget those hugs! Like seriously! He just has these super long arms that look so nice and comfy! Though, I do wish, in the last few moment he had just given her a side hug, and kissed her on the forehead, like something super small.

3) This was not my favorite drama. If they had someone else, like Lee So Hyuk in this besides Sung Joon, I probably would never have watched it, or maybe watched a few episodes and dropped it. However! I do believe this drama is an important example, of good female writing and should be used an example by other writers on how to write woman.

6
13
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'd also like to take a moment to appreciate the actress who played Eun Hee and the actor who played Jung Hee. Like never have I felt much fear and also hate for two characters before! They did such an awesome awesome awesome job!

2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think Brian will have to live with the fact that the noona who became mentally ill died, the woman he was supposed to protect died at her hands and his mother is in jail, that is enough punishment to live with. He never could see past Eun Hee's kindness which was genuine in his case, he was too close and he is a victim himself. The message here is in my opinion, mental instability requires serious medical/professional help and trying to cash in on it only results in disaster.

4
7
reply

Required fields are marked *

@gem28 I can see where you are coming from in Brian being a victim. Maybe he was mentally ill too. Having that child hood attachment to her and not being able to see who she really was.

0
6
reply

Required fields are marked *

Ok I'm answering here without my real nickname because I don't want to be identified but I find your comment about Brian pretty harsh.

Having a sibling in my own family who is mentally sick, I just can't let this comment be said:

1. I don't know for other families, but for mine while I noticed very early on there was a problem, it took years for my parents to open their eyes. Maybe they didn't want to see I don't know but by that time it was already too late.

2. Living with somebody who is mentally ill is a nightmare. It is a Night-Mare. You try everything to help that person and be understanding and that person gives you hell especially when they're in denial about their illness.

3. Brian may be a character in a show, but please let's consider life in its entirety shall we? As brothers and sisters, we help each other, but we also have our own life to live. You can't expect siblings to sacrifice their life and throw it down the drain to save one person ESPECIALLY when they already tried.
In this drama, it seems Brian was still trying to do something, but hell, for me it's been over 20 years, there comes a moment when it's you or that person and I know who I choose.

Mental illness is not a cancer. If you've got cancer, your head is still working properly that is so not comparable.

Now for the parents, you've raised several kids, and you've got that one child who's got more problems than the others... Well you give that child all the attention and as children we understand. But you get older, you see your parents less often, once or twice a year even less if you live very far and the few PRECIOUS TIMES you see your parents you can't even enjoy their company because it's still Hell at home.

Among family members there is also a constant fear of mental institutions and medications. It can truly make a person completely lifeless, so you're always hesitating using these strong drugs which may permanently damage a person (and we have a person that's been damaged like that so obviously we're not very inclined to use them) and living in constant fear of the next crisis.

And no even if Brian did refuse to help his sister, that doesn't make him a bad person, a mentally ill person or whatever. Eun Hee is a grown woman, in her case she had money. Now let's transpose that into reality because this is a drama. In reality who supports most of the cost of having a grown-up child still at home? The parents. And once the parents are gone? We all lead difficult lives these days, you have your own kids and your own family to support, should you be blamed if you decide that after all you've done all you could when that somebody who refused to treat himself/herself when his/her parents were still alive and made you live through hell did nothing?

And the worse is that yeah you still love that person. The healthiest thing would be to not care and go your own way but no, it doesn't work like that... even if the...

3
5
reply

Required fields are marked *

even if the... person in question has absolutely no empathy whatsoever for anybody other than him or herself.

0

Woooo! Potatoe I am really sorry, I sincerely wasn't trying to offend anyone. I was just sort of ranting. Sorry!

0

Like you are completely in the right, I should of been more empathetic to Brian's situation.

0

Thank you for your post! I think the reason I wasn't too sympathetic to Brian is that he and Eun Hee had money and had access to the sort of help so many family members of mentally ill individuals don't. A few years ago, I got to see a mother give testimony regarding her mentally ill adult son, who was a suspect for a crime. They were poor and she felt such despair at not being able to get him the care he needed to be better.

1

Dear Potatoe:
I understand what you're saying about mental illness etc and how there is only so much families can do. I appreciate that you're sharing your personal experience.

In Bryan's case though, no, I have no sympathy. His sister's illness has KILLED another human being. KILLED. As a responsible adult, this is not something that I nor anyone else should pass over. The cost of treating a mentally ill person? In his case, they had money coming out of their nostrils.

let's not pick on our own personal experience here. @euley was really just talking about Bryan (or is it Brian) specifically. It wasn't a general statement. He and his father should have taken better care of their sister/daughter.

She has caused physical harm to several people over the years. it's NOT something to ignore and given the wealth these characters had, this is criminal negligence, if you ask me.

I mean, if you knew someone in your family was a serial killer (and even had proof of it), would you not do something about it? or "I have my own life" would be the answer?

3

Comment was deleted

0

Eun Hee had too much power when she least needed it and when it could do the most harm. She had all this money and influence after a childhood of being horrifically abused and then having a completely unmanaged mental illness. And her dad basically put the final nail in her coffin by cutting her treatment short, probably out of being too proud to "allow" his child to remain in a mental hospital. I think everyone besides Eun Hee's dad and Jung Hee did the best they could to get Eun Hee the help she needed.

Side note: I wish there had been some room within the show to acknowledge that Eun Hee's condition is not what most untreated/unmanaged mental illness looks like. It's far more likely that someone that ill will be victimized, taken advantage of, and subjected to violence than that they'll be as malicious and violent as Eun Hee.

Totally agreed on your points 2) and 3)! I wish there had been a bit more overt affection between Jae Bok and Bong Goo—I mean, Lord knows Jae Bok needed some good lovin' after her ordeal! But they didn't really need to show that kind of affection to show the depth of respect and love between Jae Bok and Bong Goo. They're the real deal. And I love that Bong Goo doesn't make even the slightest deal out of Jae Bok being divorced and having two kids—he just takes it as a given that loving her means being a part of her kids' life and respecting that Jung Hee is her kids' dad.

Jae Bok was a boss. I love that they allowed her to have her moments of panic and despair, too—being a strong character doesn't mean you never have times when things feel out of control or hopeless. The show did a really good job of balancing Jae Bok's strength her humanity, and Bong Goo was kind of the manifestation of that. He knew when to stay out of things and when Jae Bok needed him to step in and be her support.

3
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

so there was no kiss. I can totally live with that. Jae-bok and Bong-gu were sooooo solid and awesome and cute in this episode that I REALLY AM able to live without seeing a kiss.
but would we have at LEAST seen a date. some feel-good happy time together?
maybe I'm greedy... lol

3
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Agreed. I was super annoyed that the show didn't even allow them a drama-free first date.

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Gosh @euley you always take the right words out of my mouth and express my thoughts exactly! Couldn't agree more with you on your point #2 especially! Yes it's a waste of a good kisser, especially since there are so few to be seen in kdramas, at least to satisfy me, I mean real kisses, not stiff face plants, but Sung Joon has definitely solidified his ability as an amazing actor, something I never doubted or needed proof of, but sure hope it has helped silence the naysayers! Everything about his character & acting was so dang satisfying in this role, and to me he was the only thing that made this drama worth watching from start to finish!

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I liked the finale and it does make sense for Eun Hee to die for everybody to be in peace which includes just not Jae Bok, Bong Gu but also Brian. I honestly didn't care for Jung Hee, his realization came a little too late. A whole lot of mess could've been avoided and few more people unharmed had he listened to Jae Bok instead of becoming greedy. The story hinted at him trying to get his life back but I really didn't care. But I guess for Jae Bok who will never be happy unless her children are happy, that was the only way to a happy ending to a horrible nightmare.
I always felt more sorry for Eun Hee even though she was absolutely crazy. She was a victim herself and along the line started terrorizing people while her illness grew out of bounds and she died with it. Its not an unrealistic ending but a sad one. I had hoped for a slightly optimistic version for her which included her getting the help, self-realization and her subsequent rehabilitation. But not every mentally ill patient have those endings and Eun Hee was one of them. At any rate, I think the show must be lauded for trying something different than and all the actors for their incredible work. Cho Yeo Jung is excellent actress and she gave Eun Hee so many layers. Ko So-Young also turned in fine performance for her first project after such a long hiatus. Sung Joon, I loved his improvement here, I hope he keeps it up. Yoon Sung Hyun and everyone else also did great. Special mention to our incredible fire cracker who played Che-Ri, I can't find her name listed anywhere. She was absolutely delightful to watch and hope she gets to act more.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Some brief thoughts:

1) I wanted I kiss but instead got hugs. Grant you, it was a very nice hug...but still!!

2) Jae-bok rocked it! She was a take charge no-holds-bar kind of gal. We need more female leads like her. Women don't need saving!!!

3) Bong-gu!! <3 <3

4) Never have I despised a supposedly "good" character more than the actual villian. Jung-hee was terrible!! And even his self sacrificing attitude at the end was not enough to make me like him. Thank you show for listening to us and not making them get back together in the end.

5) His mother!!! Such a superficial, excuse my language, bitch. I would not of blaimed Eun-hee if she had decided to remove her permanently from her life.

Overall I highly enjoyed this show. Eun-hee, I will miss your crazy delusional antics. You made it one hell of ride.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

I wonder if Jung Hee's mother got left in Europe. Unless she had a round trip ticket...Eun Hee did die while the mother was probably still on the plane and it doesn't look like anyone can afford to pay for a plane ticket.

I wish we can we could see her back in the motel apartment. I actually felt pretty bad for Eun Hee when JH's mother was criticizing her. As if EH's mansion was her house! She should have been careful since EH had a history of violent unhinged behavior and she held the money.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Her attitude towards Eun-hee was deplorable. The mom acted as if she owned the place and Eun-hee was her servant. Crazy as Eun-hee was, she never deserved to be treated in that manner. Jae-bok thankfully never degraded or talked down to Eun-hee as Jung-hee's mother did. She was an awful person with a terrible soul. Wow, writing this I am surprised by my own vehemence towards her. Haha. I think I disliked her character the most. She did not have a single redeeming quality.

2
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Jung-hee's mother is the worst. I mean, I actually found myself feeling sorry for Eun-hee when she was coooonstantly getting scolded IN HER OWN HOUSE over petty things!
suuuuuch a greedy inconsiderate woman!

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Loved the show and loved the characters especially Jaebok, very strong and decisive female character with no evil needed to be shown on TV since forever. Perfect wife show us not all TV shows are the same, divorce doesn't stop loving your significant other as a friend, some kids are smarter than the others (Cheri i am eyeing you), your best friends are pillars of you and sometimes being sorry is too late. All of the actors were good with honorable mention Cho Yeo-jeong. I loved her at Babysitter too. (if you haven't, do watch it.)

Now i am waiting new shows from this writer Yoon Kyung-ah.

3
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I skipped all the episodes after #11, just could not keep my interest up. I did watch the final, and I have to say it was kind of a "bleh" ending.

1
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thanks Lollypip!

This show was like "Secret" to me, I only watched since it was on tv, got intrigued, entertained, then hooked :)

Jun Hee was soooo annoying but thanks to Eun Hee and Jae Bok their characters and story made me hold on to the drama. Bong Gu and Nami were endearing as well and Chari's insighfulness grew on me. Good thing Jun Hee redeemed himself in the end.

This is the only drama I completed after Scarlet Heart. I still have 2-6 episodes left for LotBS, Goblin, Kim Bok Joo and Do Bong Soon - all good dramas but I'm too lazy to finish.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I don't know if it has been mentioned before but Sung Joon's Bong Gu reminded me of Hugh Laurie's Dr. House in terms of expressions.

Jo Yeo Joung was very good in this drama. Very charming and beautiful outside but cunning and evil on the inside. She made the character villanous yet sympathetic at the same time.

2
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

The actress playing Eun-hee is such a gem. I couldn't imagine another actress in her role. She really gave life to the tragic madness that was Eun-hee, from her scarily calm expressions to her madwoman look. ? The way her innocent, dimpled smile induced so much horror to me and probably to many other Beanies (gosh, I still have goosebumps thinking about it!) is testament to Cho Yeo-Jeong's acting prowess. I hope to see her in other dramas in the near future. ?

6
6
reply

Required fields are marked *

It's so strange that the last thing I saw Cho Yeo-Jeong in was Haeundae Lovers where she was this innocent, country girl living in a fishing village and walking around in rain boots.

Everyone was so good in this drama, but Cho Yeo-jeong was frickin amazing. It's so sad that Eun Hee was her brother's protector during their early teen years. She was the strong one and bore her mother's rage. She was a victim, but didn't seem fragile. But the trauma must have slowly ate at her as the years went by.

0
5
reply

Required fields are marked *

I read about her controversial role in The Concubine and how much she's willing to do anything to prove her salt in acting. ?

As for her being Eun-hee, I honestly would've wanted to see her treated instead of dead, although as the show progressed it kept on hinting (sadly!) how much deep Eun-hee was in her delusions. ?

1
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm glad I'm not the only one who wanted her to survive! but as someone mentioned in the comments somewhere, this would have been far too traumatic for our Jae-bok... I mean, Jae-bok wanted her to get real treatment and all, she's suuuuch a good human being. But at the same time, knowing how "carelessly" Eun-hee's father/brother handle her mental illness, I'm sure Jae-bok would always be wondering if Eun-hee's really in the hospital or not...
Just like she did these last 2 episodes.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

It's traumatic for her. Even for JH, Bong-yu, etc. It's mentioned in her final narration that everyone hurt about what happened that day, and how everyone did not want to talk about it. :(

0

I saw her in that too, ang she was the opposite of EunHee. The first time I watched her was in the movie The Servant from long time ago where she was kinda daring. Now I can say she's a versatile actress and I'm becoming a fan ;D

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

(I was referring to Heundae Lovers)

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I am with you, started watching this one night simply because I wanted a break, but quickly found myself waiting for the next episode. Eun-hee deserve an award. She nuanced her mental state that left me worried, scared, praying, and fearful in a matter of seconds. Her storyline can provide sooo many fruitful discussion regarding mental illness. Her performance was never over the top, and her ability to make a smile - deadly - hmmm.
I am also glad that Jung-hee was able to redeem himself. The moments he sold his soul - I hated his greed, but I loved his willingness to die to safe his family. He finally realized his role in oppression his loved ones.I was shocked that my great hatred for him in the prior episodes melted away. I was praying that he would not drink the wine.

I also loved that the writer allowed Jae-bok to have agency even in the moments of living hell. I am thankful even for the pace of her romance and that the writer allowed it to be open ended. Note to future writers a woman can have a strong character, agency, caring, and sexy without demonizing herself or her loved ones. Plus I love that face that the writers gave her a great sister circle - girlfriends who were willing to do anything and everything for her. I am convinced that if we - females start supporting and loving each other we can change the world.

3
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

And I was so glad to see jH redeem himself, I just knew he had too! A little to stinkin late, but better late than never I guess. I just never thought of him as a "bad" person just misguided, and knew he had a good heart. And I was also hoping & wondering why this didn't happen sooner, was him going back to music! That's where he was the happiest & most confident and what he was good at! They never explained why he stopped in the first place, or why he never got back in it. But that's where he needs to be.

1
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I hated the man throughout the whole show, until I saw him at the very end, playing music. then I thought, "seeeee! you CAN be half-decent!"
lol

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

tbh im a tad disappointed with the ending. i felt like it was a bit of a rush, and whatever happened today could be done in previous episode, and save this episode for the cute (read: jae bok and bonggoo's date). seriously, before, i might have said that im already contented with whatever our two leads have (just very very good friends). but now that they made it official i was hoping that i could see a happy, free from problem jae bok to date a good guy, being successful at her job, having fun with her children and her awesome girlfriends, but instead we got a very rushed ending, with so little closure for other characters (like nami's mother, eun hee's ex husband, brian, jung hee's mother etc.).

but whats done is done, and i still think this drama is worth watching. good job to the writer for creating a very strong admirable, and likeable female lead character, and others as well, bong goo, even eun hee. and also the casts ♥

2
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Couldn't agree more about it being a ridiculously rushed ending! I was afraid of that. Not to mention predictable & under climatic. Yeah more time spent on JB & BG, instead of the dreaded "year later" cop out, I hate that! Way too many loose ends & characters that were left hanging or just dropped completely!

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I didn't watch this show, but I did skim along through the recaps. It's a shame I couldn't make more time for this, because it sounds like a completely haunting thriller filled with heartwarming relationships. Good work, Lollypip!

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Little cheri is the childhood version of a proper dramaland heroine. I would like to see that drama centering around her. it will be fun with her mom and her ajumma friends and jinwook can either play the second lead who held a torch for her from childhood itself or the hero who-is-her-childhood-friend-who-never-got-to-confess-his -love-while-being-cold-on-the-outside-and-warm-on-inside.

4
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'd watch the heck out of that, Che-ri(Lee Ji Won) is everything that I want in a drama land heroine in a miniature version. Smart, intelligent, considerate with just the right amount sass and playfulness. Korea has some fresh young blood who I hope can transition into bigger roles from child actors someday. Lee Ji Won, Heo Jung Eun these kids, I hope they'll make it big.

2
reply

Required fields are marked *

@amylovesoppa I would watch the crap out of that! I love the idea of a strong herione and lots of fun aunts tagging along for the mishap along the way!

1
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

It'd be like Dear My Friends--Sassy Girl edition. ?

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I cannot believe I caught up in just a few days but having a very sore thumb that hurt so much I stayed up all night not able to do anything else but watch a drama might have helped.

I was too busy to tag along when the drama started but I really wanted to and I am just very thankful for this. Way to put female actors in a spotlight and giving them challenging roles. Daesang belongs to Cho Yeo-Jeong. But I also really really liked Jae-Boks besties. There were no ahjummas in this drama, there were girls in various ages. and thats how it actually is you know.

1
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

and Im Se Mi, she plays a brat so well, but this girl acts her guts out and she should get a lead role - maybe as an artist or a stylist or something where she can make a big mess and be a hoot.

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Okay but really....what happened to Jae bok's first love??? That's the real mystery right there.

2
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

He's fine I guess. Cause you know, first love never dies. ??? *sorry*

2
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Hahaha I love you for this comment. lol

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Uhhh yeah that's bothered me the whole show, do the writers really think we're that stupid to just forget? I mean they really played it up in the beginning, JB was still hung up & even dreaming & imagining in her head what it would have been like had she married him, then he just disappeared right in front of her eyes, but she never wondered why, questioned it or thought about him again, she that cares so much about everyone, even trying to save EH out of the fire, seriously???

1
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Completely agree.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I skipped straight to the finale, and now, I might consider watching all the middle episodes.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Was I the only one who when watching at the end JH singing expected to see Lee Yu-Ri's stalker character from the mental hospital in the audience smiling at him :-)

3
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

hahaha
nope. I thought we might see a glimpse of EH and I was waiting for bgm to change XD

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I was afraid I would see Eunkyung again in the audience or another version of her post-plastic surgery after severely burning herself hehe

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Now that would be a scary horror ending!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Hahaha. I was definitely expecting Lee Yu Ri to show up one more time in the crowd as yet another character.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I wanted to finish watching Divorce Lawyer in love, since it's been on my Tv stand for a while but i thought of how Eun hee freaks me out and just put it in the finished pile. It will be a while before i can enjoy her dramas again.
Oska (Jung hee) somehow redeemed himself but still one of the worst drama husbands I've ever seen.
Anyway i really enjoyed the show, every week had something new, i really had no idea for the first half where the show was heading which was great since most shows are predictable.Thanks for the recaps.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I've actually started watching that show, thanks to your comment. Jo Yeo Jung is so totally different there, it's amazing. Really enjoying it so far haha. There are a few moments where her character goes a bit manic and I see Eun-hee peeking through, but it's really worth a watch though the drama's mood and themes make for a much lighter watch than this one.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Can't wait for Che-ri to grow up and star in her own drama. She reminds me of Kim Seulgi! ???

1
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Overall I found this an enjoyable drama with the first half being super entertaining and the second half being solid.

One of the things that I appreciated in yesterday's episode is that Jung Hee actually apologized to JB. I've had a number of friends and family members who have dealt with infidelity and subsequent divorce. It's devastating and "I'm sorry" is generally not in the cards. One person even mentioned that their ex told someone else he was sorry and it was the biggest mistake he'd ever made, but he never told her (so the mutual friend did). Jung Hee was a frustrating character, but I'll give him that... I'm sorry apparently are the hardest words ever to say.

The only thing I would change about the ending actually isn't the missing kiss, but the conversation that could have taken place when he got home from winning his court case. I actually wanted that minute or two of just them. Hey, it might even have involved a back hug but just something, and I think they had time to do it.

I was actually really happy with Jung Hee calling in showing he was involved in the lives of his children and was pursuing what he had been pursuing when he first started being stalked. Brian was an understandable character in many ways trying to protect his noona, but I actually think in all fairness Brian should have financially taken care of this family given the fact their lives were destroyed because of his sister. I get that this is a failure of writing because there is no drama with that happening. The reality the viewer is given of the life of this family at the carousel is that of a loving, thriving family before the gal came back into his life. People can hate Jung Hee all they want, but his life was destroyed twice by the same woman so I actually left this drama wishing him the best.

I do want to credit the writer in this and that is normally the "other woman" in a drama is so hated because she's taking someone elses man, but I liked Na Mi. She grew on me. So flaws and all, this one worked for me. Agree with Lollypip, going into a drama with no expectations is the way to go.

3
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Aww, I'm gonna miss this drama. I still have quite a few questions unanswered, first and most important of which is this, was Lee Eun-hee actually Lee Eun-kyung in high school? It still seems pretty probable to me, given that they have the same habit of embroidering initials onto the stuff they make, like Eun-hee's K&H for her and Jung-hee, except in high school it was K&B for her and Jae-bok. Also, the grown up brand new 'Eun-kyung' Jae-bok met in ep12 is played by the same actress who was her roommate in the mental hospital in ep18. I wish the writer had explored this a little more. Though in that regard, I wonder if Eun-hee's ex-hubby is in the mental hospital too? Likely not, but sad the writer forgot about him.

Still, this drama was a fun, thought-provoking ride. I really enjoyed the different kind of female relationships they explored in this drama, and the character of Jae-bok most of all. Lollypip put it so well when she said she admired Jae-bok's "deep and endless capacity for all kinds of love," and how that love even extended to helping Eun-hee in her final moments, although she failed. What an amazing heroine. I hope we get more in dramaland like her, principled, caring, and solid in their convictions to the end.

And though this has no doubt been said by so many others already, Jo Yeo-jung was magnetic. I felt horrified even as I couldn't look away. Terrific performance. The whole cast, really, from Jae-bok's friends to Bong-goo and even Jung-hee, much as I loathed him. Will definitely be on the lookout for future projects from this writer. Kudos!

2
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yeah, I thought I just missed it but I was also confused whether JaeBok's hs stalker and later on JungHee's were the same person.

Did she just change her name from EunHee to EunKyung then back to EunHee? Maybe her obsession just got transferred from JaeBok to JungHee?

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think they were different people. But in JB's flashback imagination, she imagined the high school stalker to be Eun Hee.

I think with the exception of Hye Ran and Won Jae, Jae Bok tends to attract sketchy people - Jung Hee, Kyung Woo, high school stalker, Eun Hee..

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Ahhh, this makes sense. I still like to think they were the same person, but this is probably what the drama meant ?

And lol, yeah, she does that, I think.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thank you for your recap.
I loovveee this drama so much but the final episode is a bit underwhelming for me. Probably we tends to get intense thriller like episodes with this drama. I think it would be better they wrap it at 18 or even 19. And what happen to EH, pretty sure we all see it coming.
It probably not perfect drama, but I love Jaebok to pieces. Our heroine who is strong, independant, in charge but compassionate. And she continues to be that amazing character from start to finish. But not only JB, the rest of characters also well written. Well, probably except JH or maybe that is their vision with JH, I dunno and I dont care. I also like that EH is not magically cure and apologetic and becomes a whole new person.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Well, overall I really enjoyed this drama! It's different from the feel-good fluff I usually watch, but was an engaging story with plenty of awesome characters and relationships. Jae-bok is for sure one of my favorites, and I love how after all she's been through, she still remained a compassionate, caring person. Definitely would've liked to see more of her and Bong-gu, but their relationship development was so good. I also loved her friends and Che-ri. Eun-hee was terrifying but you couldn't help but feel bad for her too.

All that said, I wasn't really satisfied with the ending. Ideally, Eun-hee would've gotten the help she so desperately needed...but at the same time I'm not even sure how they could've believably given us any closure on that at this point. She was already so far gone, especially with Jung-hee putzing around when he knew how dangerous she was. Speaking of him, he's still The Actual Worst™ for all the troubles and tragedy he caused with his poor choices (still sad Na-mi was killed). His kids were the only reason I'm ok with him not being locked up or shipped off somewhere with his awful mother.

But this show still has a lot of good points and is definitely worth checking out. As always, thanks for the recaps, LollyPip!

2
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

lol @ " The Actual Worst™"

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I agree with many of the comments that the ending leaves us with questions, what exactly happens to Brian and his mother going forward, did anyone ever tell Nami's Mom that she died, do the kids ever get told that their parents have divorced? I think these loose ends are somewhat regrettable, but on the other hand they kind of make sense in the context of the story.
Perfect Wife is a mystery story but about everyday life relationships. Sure, not everyone encounters a psychopath like EH, but we all have moments in our lives where we can't help but wonder if someone is behind the curtains pulling the strings, so to speak. Our inability to be truly sure about the intentions of others makes life constantly mysterious, and Perfect Wife played with that theme in numerous ways throughout the series.
At the end, things are relatively happy, but in many ways we still don't exactly know where everyone stands. And that's a bit uncomfortable, but on the other hand, isn't that just what real life is like?

2
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Comment was deleted

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I liked the ending. This show went a little crazy, but the acting stayed great with the main female leads.

2
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm glad I'll finally be able to sleep tonight. Eun Hee dying is the only way Jae Bok will be able to sleep and Jae Bok NOT with Jung Hee allows me to sleep.

I have to say the actors and especially the actresses (Che Ri -you doll!) did an amazing job. Thanks, LollyPip for guiding us throw the crazy train and not letting us lose too many pieces of sanity luggage.

1
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Although we didn't get any hot kisses & or flirty Jaebok/Bonggu in the end, i still thing that the end is wrapped up in a good way with no loose end for all character that survived through the fiasco. A tiny bits of me wish that Junhee physically die in the fire but that will cause another emotional turmoil for the kids. Anyway, this will be one of my favorite drama this year.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thank you, Lollypip, for recapping this drama. The ratings were low, but what a gem of a drama! It reminds me of a Victorian gothic novel. I enjoyed your final thoughts, especially on the character of Jae Bok. How cool was she that she offered friendship and help to Jung Hee after all that he has done? I like how much she loved her kids and how her world seemed to revolve around them, but her kids weren't her weakness, but her strength!

2
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

So should I watch this drama?

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yes the many layers and types of love, and as weird it is, I think the thing that captivating me about this drama those kind loves and its layers most part quite realistic. The slow step romance between Jaebok and Bonggu did flutter my heart, but that clutch my heart in here are many types of parents's love for their children, from Jaebok's love and devotion for her kids. Also as flawed as it is Junghee's love for his kids- yes in most part he wants to prove his worth as husband and father in wrong way- but indeed he loves his kids. And there then that broken and twisted kind of parents' love that Eunhee's and Brian's parents have. Hyungsun regret for abusing her children make her abated and even took the fall for her daugther's crime and madness, or their father turning deaf ear and blind eye for his daughter madness and danger.

I think as useless as Brian's role is, he gives some kind layer of humanity to Eunhee. Brian as weak and pitiful he is as a person (but remember that he was Eunhee's brother whom she took beating from her mom for)- yet he did try to stop her in his own way; he asked her many times to stop and even commit her for awhile in asylum- then he too then takes Jaebok to meet their father. He did try to protect Nami- he told her as long she stay close to him, she'd be safe. But Nami, she was trying to make right so she could start with clean slate or at least abit cleaner as she repair her and Bonggu sibling relationship.

All in "Perfect Wife" is my cups tea, would be in my "let's rewatch it again" drama list.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

here's the problem: you don't ASK a woman who's mentally ill enough to:
1) almost kill the person she's obsessed with (Jung-hee)
2) accidentally kill Na-mi
3) plot for years on how to ruin seeeeveral people's lives JUST to get Jung-Hee

you don't ASK such a person to "pretty please, stop" over dinner and wine. realistically, this is worth a REAL intervention, whether they consent or not.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I appreciate all the female characters in the show, particularly Jae Bok. Jae Bok is one of a kind in k-drama..even the characterization of Eunhee was better than your usual kdrama crazy lady fare, since she had her sympathetic aspects. The show may not be a lot of people's fare - but I really think the show is worth a watch for the breadth of the female characters portrayed alone.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Well... I'm glad I don't have to flip a table.

Honestly, I only followed this show via recaps and the odd skim watched episode, but it was REALLY fun to read. Like batshit crazy, but a lot of fun :P
Thanks Lollypip.

5
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I really enjoyed this drama. It was refreshing to have such a smart, independent and loving main character. Thank you for the recaps. I mostly read the recaps instead of watching the drama itself XD

2
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Jo Yeo Jung deserves a drama award. OMG I love her on this character.
I honestly "watch" this drama trough LollyPip recaps. Thank you LollyPip for such a great work!I have never intended to watch it but I couldn't keep reading the recaps and I wanted to know the end, so I watched the last 5 episodes. I feel so disappointed about the acting of all the rest of the characters and the end I feel like the ending could be better and only with 16 episodes. I wouln't recomend this drama to anyone, seriously.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *