Go Back Spouses: Episode 12 (Final)
by abirdword
Ban-do and Jin-joo say their goodbyes to 1999, and we finally get to see whether their actions in the re-do have made for a satisfying conclusion in their new present. And while many things are the same, perhaps the changes that do occur are where the two needed it the most.
FINAL EPISODE: “My beloved comrade”
Ban-do receives a call from a tearful Jin-joo and races to find her. Jin-joo darts into the street to save a child from an oncoming car, while Nam-gil watches across the way in shock. Ban-do shoots past him and shoves Jin-joo and the child out of the way, and is hit instead.
Ban-do’s body topples to the ground, and the rings fly from his pocket and clatter on the asphalt. Jin-joo screams over Ban-do’s body, calling him “yeobo.”
Ban-do is rushed to the operating room, and Jin-joo and Nam-gil run alongside Ban-do’s gurney until the doors close on them. Jin-joo collapses to the floor in her anguish, while Nam-gil can do nothing but watch.
At Jin-joo’s house, Mom notes that the revived plant is now looking peaked. Dad warns that it needs consistent watering rather than a lot all at once.
As Nam-gil leaves, he thinks of Jin-joo’s behavior earlier. The doctors needed a family member to approve his surgery, and Jin-joo argued that she was family, rattling off Ban-do’s blood type, medical conditions, and allergies. Ban-do’s parents arrived just then, and Jin-joo let slip a “Mother,” although his parents didn’t know who she was.
Nam-gil’s thoughts turn to the group trip when Jin-joo commented on Ban-do’s lackluster shaving attempt with such familiarity. Looks like someone’s starting to piece things together.
Jin-joo returns to the hospital day after day, but every time the nurse tells her that only family can see Ban-do. Finally, Jin-joo spots Ban-do’s mother and they get a chance to talk.
Mom suspects that Jin-joo is Ban-do’s girlfriend, and Jin-joo plays along. Mom is kind and reassuring, and tells Jin-joo that she’ll call her when she can visit Ban-do.
Jin-joo recalls a moment in the future, after she had spoken to her mother-in-law on the phone. Jin-joo told Ban-do that she loves it when his mom called her “our Jin-joo” rather than “daughter-in-law,” to make Jin-joo feel more included.
Back in 1999, Jin-joo can’t stop herself from giving her mother-in-law a back-hug. She offers reassurance back to Ban-do’s mom in exchange for all the love she’s given her.
Ban-do’s mom returns to his room to report that Jin-joo has finally gone home, but she doesn’t understand why he refuses to see her. Ban-do tells his mom to remember that no matter what, Jin-joo was good to her, which makes no sense to her.
Jin-joo has not, in fact, left the hospital, and Dok-jae spots her first as he searches for Ban-do’s room. She tells him that Ban-do’s doctors won’t let anyone see him, but Dok-jae says that Ban-do called asking for him.
In his hospital bed, Ban-do is thinking of the moment when Jin-joo asked him for a divorce, and in contrast how happy she is every moment she spends with her mom in 1999. Dok-jae interrupts Ban-do’s thoughts, and a glaring Jin-joo steps out from behind him to face Ban-do.
Jin-joo and Ban-do take a moment to talk. Jin-joo confesses that when she saw him hurt, she felt as afraid as she had when her mother died. She felt helpless, forced to watch her husband of eighteen years dying because she couldn’t authorize his surgery.
Ban-do apologizes for avoiding her, and when she demands to know why, he says that he could see, in that near-death moment, what kind of unhappiness arose from his selfish desire (to be with her).
Since they don’t know how or when they’ll return to the future, he suggests that she just live here, forgetting their past. Jin-joo reminds him of Seo-jin, and Ban-do responds that he cares more about Jin-joo’s happiness than his own desire to see his son. Jin-joo begins to cry, while Ban-do can’t even bear to look at her.
Later, a hospital employee returns the pair of rings recovered at the accident to Ban-do. Ban-do cries as he looks at them, and he gasps out an apology, “Daddy’s sorry, I’m sorry Seo-jin,” torn between his thoughts of Jin-joo’s happiness and his decision to not have Seo-jin at all.
Jin-joo sleeps cradled in Mom’s arms that night. Dad is surprised to see that she’s weeping, but Mom just holds her close while she lets it all out.
In the morning, Mom wakes Jin-joo—there’s a man there to see her. Nam-gil waits at the gate and claims it’s his birthday (what a liar! We know it’s already passed!). He asks Jin-joo to join him for the day, and she can’t turn him down.
On campus, Bo-reum worries over Jae-woo’s cheerleading frustration. Seol catches up with her, and she’s excited for Bo-reum to claim the center position for the upcoming national competition and for Jae-woo to become her partner. Bo-reum says that that’s not something that happens overnight.
At the tryouts for spots on the nationals team, Jae-woo gets up for his turn, and when the music starts, he surprises everyone by being much better, his movements precise and assured.
In flashback, we see that Jae-woo actually returned to practice after his frustrated outburst, encouraged to keep working after he recalled Bo-reum’s confidence in him. Fall after fall, he kept working, and it has paid off.
Everyone is impressed with his rapid improvement, and he makes the team—but as part of the ensemble, not as center.
Meanwhile, Nam-gil and Jin-joo drive to their destination: a picnic, complete with packed lunch care of Nam-gil.
Back at auditions, Bo-reum’s friends accuse her of purposely messing up her audition, giving up on the center position to do the ensemble instead. Jae-woo overhears and flees, but Bo-reum sprints to catch him.
Jae-woo’s angry, because he thinks he’s holding Bo-reum back. But Bo-reum says it’s not about the best spot, it’s about the experience, and she wants to share it with Jae-woo at her side. After some cajoling, Jae-woo loses his pout and the two hug.
Nam-gil and Jin-joo stop by the river for their picnic, and Nam-gil offers the lunch he “prepared” for them. Jin-joo is impressed with his kimbap, but as soon as the ddukbokki and soondae come out, she calls him out for buying everything. Nam-gil clarifies that he bought the food but he prepared the lunch box himself (and even asked the store clerk to make it look messy on purpose). Oh, rich boys.
Nam-gil says he wanted it to feel more like a picnic, something he hasn’t done since he was a child. Jin-joo pops a kimbap in her mouth and then feeds one to Nam-gil, both of them enjoying the food, scenery, and company.
Ban-do’s still at the hospital, but the whole gang has turned up to hang out, and they even brought beer. They head to the rooftop to drink and snack, and also help console Dok-jae, who is still moping over getting drafted.
Ban-do talks them through the five stages of grief, as Dok-jae acts each out as he goes: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance.
Seol turns to Ban-do to acknowledge that he got hurt protecting Jin-joo. Everyone chimes in that it’s obvious that Ban-do and Jin-joo like each other, and that Ban-do is the only one unaware of it.
Back at the picnic, Nam-gil gets up to leave, but Jin-joo stops him to thank him for calling for an ambulance the day of the accident. Nam-gil points out how strange it is that Jin-joo and Ban-do always thank him when he helps the other person.
He tells Jin-joo about Ban-do thanking him for helping when Hyun-suk attacked. Nam-gil notes that whatever it is going on with Ban-do and Jin-joo, he sees that he never had a chance.
Meanwhile, Nam-gil’s stepmom goes to the marketplace, and notices Jin-joo’s mother stocking up on anchovies. They’re for rice balls to feed her breakfast-resistant daughters, and they give Nam-gil’s stepmom an idea.
Evening has arrived and Nam-gil and Jin-joo have taken their date to the playground. Nam-gil shares that he’s dreaded playgrounds, because as a child no one would be there to pick him up, and he’d be left alone after the other kids went home. The one thing he wanted, a mom, wasn’t there for him.
Jin-joo shares her motherly perspective—being a mother is more difficult than anyone can imagine. As she talks, she thinks back to all the moments when she struggled as a mother. Jin-joo says that perhaps it’s not that Nam-gil’s mother chose to neglect him, but that she wasn’t able to be there for him.
Nam-gil says that Jin-joo makes him feel like he’s a warm, caring person, and laments that just as he’s started to really like her, he understands that Jin-joo’s heart is already taken. He confesses to Jin-joo again, and says he just wants her to know that.
In response, Jin-joo hugs him, saying, “Thank you for liking me, thank you for letting me know I’m still a woman.” She tells him that he doesn’t know how warm-hearted a person he is and points out that he’s able to see others’ pain, like her and the crying cat, and offer them comfort.
Jin-joo adds that she knew it wasn’t his birthday, but she was happy to play along. Jin-joo asks if she’s Nam-gil’s first love, and she’s pleased to hear that she is.
Nam-gil offers to walk her home, but Jin-joo thinks the perfect goodbye is right here at the playground. And because she doesn’t want to leave him alone here, she tells him to leave first. He does, but he stops and takes one last meaningful glance back at Jin-joo, and then another, before he finally walks away.
Later that night, Jin-joo’s mom invites her to drink with her. Out in the living room, Mom dazzles Jin-joo with her drinking skills. “You’re pretty,” she tells Mom, and Mom responds that Jin-joo is pretty too. “Of course, I’m your daughter.”
They drink and sing into the night, until eventually they curl up together on the couch. And then Mom says, “Jin-joo, go back to your baby now.” She knows?
We flashback to an earlier scene, when Mom was tending to the revived plant on Jin-joo’s desk. Curiosity got to her, and she finally took a look at that letter addressed to her.
In the letter, Jin-joo wrote to her mom about what was happening, and what had happened in the future. Mom thought back to all of Jin-joo’s strange behavior, and no matter how strange her letter seemed, it also made sense.
Mom read Jin-joo’s diary next, where she finds Jin-joo’s bucket list: go to a club, go to a public bath with Mom, go to karaoke with Mom, drink with Mom, say goodbye to Mom.
Returning to Mom and Jin-joo, Mom says, “I don’t know what’s happening. But I know this. You can live without your parents, but you can’t live without your child.”
Mom tells Jin-joo to become strong against what’s been hurting her, but Jin-joo says she can’t get over losing her. Mom promises that by raising her own child, Jin-joo will grow strong and heal. Jin-joo and Mom embrace, Mom whispering words of encouragement.
At the hospital, Ban-do throws on his jacket to get some air. Thoughts of his son only grow louder outside though, as he watches a little boy walking with his mother, and Ban-do starts to run.
He finds Jin-joo on the street, and she turns to him: “Yeobo, let’s go. Let’s go home.” They embrace and cry together in relief.
In the morning, and Nam-gil’s stepmom stops him before he leaves to share that his dad is retiring, and also to give him the anchovy rice balls she made (just like the one Jin-joo shared with him).
The cheerleading national championships have arrived, and Bo-reum and Jae-woo perform to a cheering crowd. Dok-jae and Seol yell for them from the bleachers, and they giggle with each other over their cute friends, hoping they stay together forever.
Later, Dok-jae makes his way to a barber; the time has come to lose the locks. He winces as he sheds it all, and outside he dons a baseball cap to hide his shame and salutes (right before he cries out over how cold his neck is now, ha).
And at Jin-joo’s house, Mom has prepared Ban-do’s favorite meal, and it’s looking like a final farewell meal. Dad is clueless about the significance, as Mom carefully serves a piece of chicken to first Ban-do, then Jin-joo.
Jin-joo and Mom sit together in Jin-joo’s room for a final goodbye. Mom asks that if she’s no longer there wherever Jin-joo is headed, that Jin-joo take care of her father.
We go to a moment in the future, after Dad had told Jin-joo he was getting remarried. Dad woke up alone and spent his time watching TV in silence after eating a meager meal. This does not look like a man who has happily moved on.
Mom’s voice speaks to Jin-joo over the scenes: “Go visit him from time to time, have a drink with him, and bring Seo-jin around often too.”
Ban-do arrived at Dad’s house with his favorite food (classic Ban-do). They sat and shared a drink, and Ban-do asked Dad why he told Jin-joo he was remarrying when he obviously doesn’t want to. Dad said he made a promise to Mom to not live a lonely life after she was gone.
Back in Jin-joo’s room, Jin-joo nods her agreement. She and her mother sit in warm silence, holding hands and sharing a last smile together.
Outside, Ban-do and Jin-joo prepare to return to the present. The moment is sweet, but Ban-do breaks the mood by asking again about why Bo-reum broke up with Jae-woo (someone has to make sure we get all of our questions answered). Jin-joo shares that Bo-reum is infertile, and felt like she couldn’t tell Jae-woo, an only child, about it.
Ready at last, they slip the rings on to each other’s fingers. Just like the scene in the classroom, Ban-do leans in close to ask, “Shall we kiss?” This time, Jin-joo smiles and nods, and the two share a kiss, Ban-do whispering out, “I love you,” and Jin-joo nods, “Me too.” They kiss again and again, and the camera moves to the recently revived plant inside, which has flowered at last.
When we fade back in, we find Jin-joo alone in her bed in the present. She gasps in relief when she finds Seo-jin there as well. She holds him in her arms, and then Ban-do charges through the door, returned to the present as well. The whole family hugs and cries together.
Jin-joo narrates: “Ban-do said that we may have taken a short trip. And that all trips are for us to return home and to love even more what we have.”
Meanwhile, present-day Jae-woo goes on a blind date that is not going great. Behind him, he hears a man lecturing his date about her wrinkles, and he expresses disgust. But then the woman defends herself—it’s Bo-reum, of course. The two stare at each other in surprise.
Jin-joo and Ban-do, meanwhile, take Jin-joo’s dad and Seo-jin out for dinner (yay, Dad!). Dad is so cute as he bounces Seo-jin in his arms and says he waited all week to see Seo-jin.
Jin-joo and Ban-do step outside to await Ban-do’s parents, and Jin-joo shares that Bo-reum and Jae-woo are getting married. Bo-reum finally told Jae-woo what had kept them apart, and they’d agreed to not have kids and to travel the world together.
Ban-do remarks that he and Jin-joo went through that whole time-travel ordeal and nothing changed for them. As he says this, he and Jin-joo smile and talk affectionately, and the actual difference in the way they interact is profound.
An expensive car rolls up, and Jin-joo and Ban-do’s jaws both drop as Ban-do’s parents step out of it, complete with personal driver. It seems that some things have changed since our couple interfered in the past, because Ban-do’s dad took his advice and made a lot of money investing.
Ban-do’s mother worries about her forgetfulness and tells her husband to send her to a nursing home if she ends up having Alzheimer’s, but Dad says he’ll just carry her on his back. Jin-joo and Ban-do, meanwhile, giddily peek in the car windows.
The granddads face off in a contest of who can hold Seo-jin’s attention, and Jin-joo’s dad even brings up the mineral spring fight. It does appear that the little things that happened in the re-do have been remembered.
As for Hyun-suk, he’s up to his old tricks. He tells his wife over the phone that he can’t come home because of a conference, but he’s really meeting a girlfriend. Behind him, a man tells a friend on the phone that he’s having a date with his wife: “She is pretty and kind. To me, she is perfect.”
Hyun-suk’s gapes when Ye-rim joins the man for dinner. Ye-rim spots him as well, but her focus quickly returns to her adoring husband. Justice served.
Jin-joo reads a travel book written by Seol, who happens to call just then to see if Jin-joo received the book and to promise to call as soon as she gets back from Madagascar.
Ban-do returns with Seo-jin, and Jin-joo and Ban-do wonder at how brave Seol became. Both of their phones ring then, with reminders from the district law office that their divorce will be nullified if they don’t turn in their final divorce papers within three months. The two smile at one another, happy to let the paperwork go unfiled.
Out on their walk, Jin-joo spots a familiar face walking by—it’s Nam-gil, who stops to zip up his son’s coat. Jin-joo smiles and turns back to her own family, but she hasn’t gone unnoticed. Nam-gil turns to look at Jin-joo as she walks away, and smiles.
Jin-joo narrates, “When you have to fight this enemy called the world, you need someone to stand by your side without hesitation, your partner forever. We survive in this tough world with comradeship.”
And then, we jump to a new time and place: 50 years ago, in the celestial world.
Jin-joo finishes her narration: “When two strangers meet and spend their lifetimes together, how can everything always be good? It’s not as if we’re gods.”
In a heavenly garden, two gods (Jin-joo and Ban-do with some epic hair) have an all-too-familiar fight, and the woman calls the man a cheapskate. They both call for a divorce, and throw their rings out into the world.
Those two rings fall down, until they end up in the jewelry store where Ban-do and Ji-joo buy them. The store clerk says that the rings are “gods’ rings” that make wishes come true.
Ban-do and Jin-joo buy the rings, and make their wish: “Please make it so we will never separate.” They smile and hold hands, their rings shining on their fingers.
COMMENTS
What a satisfying, sweet ending. There were a few moments where it felt like things worked out a little too perfectly, but after spending so many weeks crying, I can’t say that I’m too upset about it.
Jin-joo’s reunion with her mother has been the driving force of the show, and by the end it felt like this wish to travel to the past was really mostly for Jin-joo’s sake, so that she could satisfy that lingering wish to finally say a proper goodbye to her mother. And so I love that Mom believed Jin-joo’s story. Mom’s love and support is the number one thing that Jin-joo’s needed. I don’t think Jin-joo really needed to be pushed to return home to Seo-jin, but leaving her Mom knowing that they shared this knowledge in this one moment is all Jin-joo could have asked for from this trip. With a refilled heart, Jin-joo can fill her life back up with those who are still with her.
For a show that’s been all about two people learning to actually communicate, noble idiocy seemed like such an unnecessary speed bump on the way to reconciliation. I just couldn’t feel for Ban-do as he shed tears over Seo-jin, because he did it to himself. This felt more like the story making an excuse to send Ban-do back into the wings (or in this case, the hospital ward) so that Jin-joo had time to say all of her goodbyes. While Jin-joo was the one who seemed to hate being stuck in the past, she’s also the one with the most to say goodbye to and to reconcile.
I’m glad Nam-gil got to end things with Jin-joo his own way. No surprises or big confrontations; he just got to spend his own mini-birthday re-do with someone who cares for him the way he’s always wanted a mother to. She reassures him that he’s a good person and that he won’t repeat the same mistakes as his parents. When he sees her again, he may feel wistfully towards his first love, but I also suspect he’s full of gratitude for making him believe he could be good to his own family.
Bo-reum throwing her audition was both sweet and not so sweet. On the one hand, don’t pretend you’re not as good as you are just because your boyfriend can’t match you. On the other hand, it also delivers a reminder that sometimes life isn’t about being the best, but also enjoying life just as it is. So if Bo-reum never really cared about the center position, it makes sense that she just wants to spend this time with those she cares about. I feel like there must have been a better way to demonstrate this concept, but I’m willing to look the other direction so that I can watch Bo-reum and Jae-woo be sweet together.
The closure to their story seemed a little too neat at times, and definitely rushed as Ban-do had to ask at the last minute what had happened to them. All the same, I’m glad that they’re traveling the world together.
And with so much tidy wrap up, where were Dok-jae and Seo-young in the new future? Perhaps their lives weren’t so drastically changed by our main couple’s interference, but it seemed odd to catch up with everyone except them.
The entire cast did a great job of balancing poignancy and fun for the full run of episodes. And while the show relied heavily on really only one emotional anchor, the love for a parent and the love of a parent, it was a heavy hitter that brought satisfying emotional resonance every week. While I’m sad to part with the show so soon, I have to admit that a shorter show made sure the story was focused, with little filler.
By the end, the show offered a very satisfying look at what it means to be an adult with a life fully lived, full of heartbreak and sorrow, and also filled with those who stand by our side through all of it, as long as we’re willing to let them in.
[geolocator_show for=”SG”]
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1 sweetsour
November 21, 2017 at 4:43 PM
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Hira Sharker
October 4, 2019 at 9:48 AM
True but what happened to do jae? I thought the change of Seo wul's timeline will help dok jae to evolve! Apart from that it's a nice ending! I appreciate ban do's sincerity from the beginning and happy that Jin Joo recognized his sincerity at the end. At the end, it's Jin Joo who understand that she is messing with the present for not letting go her past (mom)!
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2 vamvinco
November 21, 2017 at 4:54 PM
I watched this drama for the romance but stay for the family loves. I swear the way they depicted love between parents and their kids or even with their son in law was beautiful.
But seriously though, where is Dok-jae?? I want to know if his fate changed and more importantly I want to know if his hair is still intact :D
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3 oni
November 21, 2017 at 5:04 PM
Thank you abirdword and lollypip for recapping this amazing drama. not entirely perfect but its the most satisfying ending i watched so far (but wheres dok jaeee? i wantt a glimpse of my dok jae in the future). i do really love this drama because the portrayal of hardship of marriage almost captured perfectly. i do believe most of us sometime wondering what if we could go back to the past and changed it. However what excite me the most about this drama is how heart wrench the story between Jin Joo and her mother.. seriously tho, if i were jin joo i probably dont want to be back to the future lol. anyhooow i also like how Nam Gil case wrapped, i think the writer intentionally didnt show the wife so I, Nam Gil hardcore fan, can dream that i am the wife lol
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oni
November 21, 2017 at 5:16 PM
Sorry i mean Sailorjumun -__-
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ahjummadd
November 24, 2017 at 1:06 PM
I agree. It really was such an amazing drama. I was not even planning to watch it. I'm really glad I did.
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4 Zarzamora
November 21, 2017 at 5:15 PM
So last episode's near-death car accident was bad enough. Of all the hackneyed plot devices...what could be more cliched than that?
And then this episode's bout of noble idiocy. WTH? He wants to sacrifice their happiness and their son's life so she can spend more time with her mother? Dude, that's just insane. Show me a mother on earth who wouldn't throw her own mother under a bus if it meant her child's life. And who is Ban-Do to make this decision for Jin-Joo, anyway?
Seriously, were the writers this desperate? They couldn't find a better story to tell for these last two episodes? I'm reminded of an early scene in BIMFL, where the seasoned writer and young director take the heroine's lovely script and throw every tired, beaten-to-death drama trope at it until it is unrecognizable.
This is so disappointing and frustrating. I really like the premise of the story, the actors, and there were some great moments. But....
Back to episode 11...the scene in the library. Now, that was hot. I know Nam-Gil is a favorite, and he's quite tall and handsome, but Ban-Do of the smoldering eyes...yeaow!
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Donna
June 11, 2018 at 8:50 AM
Actually the story is base from the korean webtoon "Do it Again!", the plot and the ending is same from the webtoon, although in this version the story is bit fast.
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5 Le__Ssy
November 21, 2017 at 5:17 PM
i ran out of tissue paper watching this finale.
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6 blnmom
November 21, 2017 at 5:21 PM
I think I stopped breathing when Mom told Jinjoo to go back to her child. Wow, what a moment. So lovely that she got to say good-bye properly to her this time. The scenes with her dad alone after Mom passed just killed me.
Dokjae and his 5 stages of grief was so funny! I hope to see the actor again soon, he's great. Though whether I prefer him with long hair or short hair, I can't decide.
I loved this episode, it made me even forget the darn car of doom from 24 hours before. Thanks so much for the recaps, abirdword! This was a wonderful drama that inspired a lot of wonderful writing from you and SailorJumun, I'll miss it a lot.
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PakalanaPikake
November 22, 2017 at 7:08 AM
@blnmom,
I agree. Mom's telling Jin-joo to go back to her child was a wonderful bombshell.
After seeing Dok-jae's take on the five stages of grief, I can imagine the late Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross spinning at high RPM in her final resting place. ;-)
If you haven't seen it yet, Lee Yi-Kyung was great in MIRROR OF THE WITCH.
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blnmom
November 22, 2017 at 4:26 PM
Ah, that's why everyone else knows him. I was too scared to watch Mirror of the Witch.
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maryalvin
November 23, 2017 at 12:10 AM
Actually he was also the evil secretary of the brother in My Love from the Star.
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Iriwa~anajwo~
January 7, 2018 at 4:53 AM
ah so that's where I saw him (lee yi kyung)!
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7 Dani
November 21, 2017 at 5:27 PM
Ah, it's finally over and now I no longer have nothing to look forward to on Fridays and Saturdays. My heart is empty
This show was so well done from beginning to start, when I saw the teasers a part of me really thought this was going to fall flat on its face and I'm glad the show proved me wrong. I have to say that the strongest point of this show was its expression of familial love, I've seen dramas about family here and there but I haven't seen one that was this well done. Every step Jin-Joo took with her mom was poignant and bittersweet because she understands her mother better than anyone else. I loved that the show didn't focus just on Ban-Do and Jin-Joo but showed us what the parents do in their free time, it allowed those sweet moments between parent and child to be more than just a sweet moments and something worth remembering. The other strong point was its comedy; boy, was it hilarious! The one scene that sticks out for me was the water fight and how it paralleled with the kids and the parents, it was unexpected and I died laughing. We also can't forget the one true couple of this show, Nam-Gil and Ban-do, this is the only time I've never been bothered by a love triangle. In fact, it was funny and revealed how petty Nam-Gil can get and that underneath his whole, "I'm the cool, aloof, suave oppa" shtick is very endearing petty man who just wants to have fun. There was no animosity or hatred towards each other, they both looked like they enjoyed this little spat.
Which brings me into the other reason why I loved this show so much: the second leads. Neither of them were annoying, possessive or cock-blocking. They were more in tune with Ban-Do and Jin-Joo were feeling for each other, I loved Seo-Young's attitude because it's rare in dramaland for a second lead to gracefully accept rejection and move on. I also loved the way they wrapped Nam-Gil's first love story, it was so well done and they left on a good note, his pride wasn't demolished, he understood her wishes and left at that. THAT'S HOW A SECOND LEAD SHOULD BE
Despite the good ending, I do think that this show needed an extension of at least 1 or 2 episodes. I wanted to know what happened with Seo-Young and Dok-Jae, I wanted to see more of Ban-Do's interaction with his parents. I think we needed more time to see Jin-Joo realise that she's always been in love with Ban-Do, I think that's why the car accident happened because she's not his immediate family, she's not his wife in the past. So to hear that she can't give consent to her husband of 18 years because she's not family must've rung a bell in her head but I feel like she could've realised that with more of the tiny gestures Ban-Do does for her (bringing her pads, taking out pills, massaging her when she has period cramps) because it would've been more heart-warming and would matter more in the future. I also wish the discussion of what caused their marriage to fall apart was looked at...
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Dani
November 21, 2017 at 5:33 PM
...yeah they talked about it briefly but had it not been for that car accident, they could've had a much heavier conversation of what they can do better for each other and Seo-Jin, why their marriage went to shambles. There was a lot more to mine there other than mom's death.
Another thing I really liked about this show was that they didn't focus too much on the logistics of how they time-travelled. It let nostalgia and familial love take over instead and I prefer that, I loved the reason for how they were able to time-travel in the first place. It didn't take itself too seriously and was all in good fun.
I'm done rambling, I don't even know if I made any sense. This show is definitely a personal favourite of mine now, I hope to see more of Son Ho-Jun and Jang Na-Ra.
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Zarzamora
November 21, 2017 at 10:04 PM
You make a good point--the scene in the hospital when she was treated as a virtual stranger was compelling, but hadn't she already decided that she wanted Ban-Do with her "why are you leaving me crying alone?"
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blnmom
November 22, 2017 at 6:40 AM
Amen to your discussion about second leads!
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Iriwa~anajwo~
January 7, 2018 at 5:01 AM
「In fact, it was funny and revealed how petty Nam-Gil can get and that underneath his whole, "I'm the cool, aloof, suave oppa" 」
「Neither of them were annoying, possessive or cock-blocking.」
THIS!
Thank God the second leads here are normal people. not some kind of obsessive-clingy second leads
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8 Joy
November 21, 2017 at 5:35 PM
This show made me cry like no other show before. I cried so much my husband freaked out lol.
But emotions aside, I can't wait to see Jang Ki Yong's future projects. Not sure if it's the way his character was written ( so so swoon) or whether this rookie actor is the real deal but he just has a way of lighting up the screen every time. Every.Single.Time.
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9 ravennightstar
November 21, 2017 at 5:51 PM
“Yeobo, let’s go. Let’s go home.”
Just reading these words is making me teary-eyed. Heck, reading the entire recap made me miss it so much. I can't believe it's over.
Apart from some minor hiccups in the last two episodes (the over used trope etc.) this drama was a gem. I'm willing to overlook said hiccups because this show gave me what I wanted and more, every week.
My two favourite scenes would definitely have to be Jin joo's mum telling her daughter to go to her son (I couldn't even see it properly, I was covered in tears) and also when the two are hugging Seo jin back in the future.
All the actors did an amazing job and I'll be looking out for Jang Nara and So Ho Jun's future projects.
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10 shii-dinda
November 21, 2017 at 6:00 PM
I'll believe that Namgil will always hold Jinjoo as his first love forever. Seeing how he looked at Jinjoo's back, I can assume that Namgil know she time travelled.
I just can't forget how shocked he is when the night bando's accident occured. He knows right away, seeing how Jinjoo worrying bando. I know Namgil have maaaannnyy question about it. But, he just keep it and figuring out himself. Rather than confront Jinjoo he takes it as it's just time he let go his first love. Because he knows they not belong in that timeline. And it's so lovely seeing how Jinjoo comforts him while she admit being his first love.
I can say that given just 12 episode. It seems the ending a bit overushed. But, i'm not complain at all. Because for time travelled drama, this kind of ending is sooooo much better. And I loved it eventually.
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Miky
November 21, 2017 at 6:12 PM
I'm happy Jinjoo changed his life in so many aspects,she healed his scarred heart and made it possible to connect with his step mother and in the future to have his own family rather than be all alone...I think he looked fond when he saw her because in his heart she will always be his first love and important,source of happy things, so he is also happy she is happy...
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11 Miky
November 21, 2017 at 6:08 PM
KBS delivering one of best dramas of this year!!!Kudos to the writer for delivering a solid script and amazing actors,loved them all!
A very poignant drama full of great moments and of now my favorite Jang Nara drama!Anticipating the next project from this writer and hope the upcoming project of the actors will be as good or even better!!!
Also hope to see more of Jang Ki Young because he has a bright future!
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12 Miky
November 21, 2017 at 6:19 PM
I must say the highlight for me in this episode was the scene between Mother and daughter,to have the chance at a proper goodbye between them and somehow be in peace with herself after suffering for such a long time for missing the last moments before her Mom died was such an amazing scene also mending her relationship with her Dad...Also happy that Ye-rim meet a man who valued her and loved her for herself not for her money...
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13 TAS-Mania
November 21, 2017 at 6:37 PM
Overall, a sweet conclusion to a very enjoyable drama.
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14 purplesheesh
November 21, 2017 at 6:39 PM
I watched this drama for Jang Nara and I stayed for the story. It was very sweet and not over-the-top. The time traveling part was uncomplicated and that it was the only fantasy element in the show. The rest however, are so realistically heartbreakingly good that I can't help but shed tears every episode.
Good Job, SHOW!!!
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mano
November 21, 2017 at 8:02 PM
Hahah, me too. Initially I watched just for Jang Nara, but then I stay for the story and every characters in it.
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15 fangirlingoppas
November 21, 2017 at 6:45 PM
such a heart warming show.... likeit to the very end.
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16 lemoncello
November 21, 2017 at 6:54 PM
I haven't watched this episode, but I'm crying reading this recap! Hope will have some spare time to watch this little germ....
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Peony
November 22, 2017 at 2:51 AM
There there... I believe you mean "gem" right?😅
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17 matchalatte
November 21, 2017 at 7:12 PM
Going into the final, I felt really apprehensive since it felt like there were quite a few ends to tie up, and also I simply didn’t want this drama to end.
But I’m surprised to say that I felt the ending was very satisfactorily done. Jinjoo’s conversations with her mother had me bawling nonstop, especially when mom said to return to wherever she had come from, understanding Jinjoo’s heart despite not knowing exactly what was going on.
Even the storyline with Nam Gil sunbae felt like it had a very well done conclusion (as opposed to say Jungpal in Reply ’88 haha). He got the chance to convey exactly how he felt, got her response, and both respectfully parted ways. The conversation she had with him about how despite a mother’s love seeming like a given, it was actually filled with sacrifice and was tough, was something I felt he needed to hear and it was a nice tying up of ends to his story arc.
The car accident and noble idiocy actually didn't bother me at all.. I think I was too busy sobbing about mom and jinjoo, and too moved by nam gil and jinjoo's farewell that it just flew over me.
I LOVE THIS DRAMA SO MUCH.
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Zarzamora
November 21, 2017 at 10:08 PM
Oh, God, did you have to mention Jung Pal from Reply '88? That one still hurts!
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18 Trina
November 21, 2017 at 7:54 PM
I love this drama so much. I am glad that I binge watched as it make sense and of how Jin Joo and Ban Do change and their love for each other. I admitted that Ban Do take longer. I think the main focus is that the issues of the divorce was death of Jin Joo mom and they did not tell how they felt after her death. They just want to enjoy their youth and thinking that second lead is better for them.
However, for me it was their little caring for each other shows that they do love each other and that what it counts most. I like the actor who played Nam Gil and hope he and Jang Nara will be main lead couple as their chemistry was really sweet. I do agree the final two episode seem bit rushed. However, I am happy it end a happy ending even though it is missing two friends. I am looking forward to everyone next projects. Therefore, even though there was some hiccups in this drama as someone mention it. It is still a great drama to binge watch with one very HOT second lead male.
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19 immawish
November 21, 2017 at 7:57 PM
I'm willing to oversee the small details imperfection for every emotional momentum this show have ever gave me. Oh my swollen eyes.
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20 azzo
November 21, 2017 at 7:59 PM
Thank you for the all the wonderful recaps, @abirdword and @sailorjumun!
I started this show just for the laughs but got so much more out of it, never thought I'll be crying my eyes out every episode but it got me hard!
I love how even when mom didn't know what exactly happened, she still believed Jin-joo, I was already crying when mom asked Jin-joo to drink with her because it felt like a goodbye but when she told her to go back to her baby, OMG! I'm glad she got to say a proper goodbye this time, it's not easy because it feels like losing mom again but at least she got to spend her time with mom doing all of the things she wanted and checking everything on her bucket-list, I hope that mom's singing tape made it through!
I felt for Ban-do when he cried for Seo-jin, though, he only said that to Jin-joo because he's seen her happy with mom and he didn't want to take it away from her, I wished he'd ask her what she wanted to do but I think he couldn't bring himself to do so because that would've been such a hard choice to make, he didn't want be the one to make her choose between her mom and son!
I loved how this show dealt with second leads, they weren't loud, clingy and obsessed, just normal people who realized the people they liked didn't feel the same so they moved on. Seo-young's cool reaction and Nam-gil's tiny understanding and appreciating smile, that's how it should be done!
I just LOVE THIS SHOW, definitely one of my favorite time-travel dramas!
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21 gadis
November 21, 2017 at 8:00 PM
Before Go Back Spouses, I never knew that family-centered romcom is a thing. This drama might not have the most heart-fluttering or adorable couple. Not when they were weighed down by bitter life burden and painful emotional scar. But it has one of the most beautiful exploration about family love and relationship. And it's interesting to watch a drama where they explored our married couple more as a family instead of as a romantic pairing. It's quite sobering to realize that our leads are actually two complete strangers who become the closest family for each other the moment marriage tied them together. They bring all their differences with them into their new family, so of course it would need a continuous effort and communication from both of them to maintain a healthy relationship.
I really appreciate the writer for doing justice to our second leads. It's nice to see them being very mature about their unrequited love then moving on gracefully. It might be painful at the moment, but I'm sure soon it would turned into treasured memories. And generally, I'm just glad that both Seo-young and Nam-gil have such a thoughtful and caring person as their first love. Believe me, that's a very precious thing.
I love the cute explanation of the time-travel mechanism. And I also love the fact that what really matters in their new 2017 was how they got a warm family they clearly deserved this time around. Those characters might still have the same career choice and financial problem, or maybe they finally turn their lives around, but what's really important was that now they have a husband, wife, child, or parents that will root for them. And I'm satisfied with that.
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22 Minniepie
November 21, 2017 at 8:03 PM
The drama is so warm, I loved the way how it handled a heart breaking concept in a lighter tone. Seeing two peoples lovely marriage falling apart sure is a painful thing but I liked how the show gave a chance for them to truly understand things. Though they loved each other they hurted bcoz they tried to make the other happy without healing their own pains. Ban do working hard to support his family without sharing his difficulties or Jin joo hurting alone. If only they had shared, Ban-do saying how hard it's for him or jin-joo smacking him on the had for not being there for her, it would have been nice. Anyway the drama is cute and despite it's flaws it was a sweet journey.
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23 theigorot
November 21, 2017 at 8:31 PM
Namgil: “i didn’t even stand a chance”. No you didn’t but you made many hearts flutter albeit outside the show.
Thanks for the recaps & thank you show for the tears- both of joy & sorrow. I loved every second including the car of doom & noble idiocy bit. Sure, it could have been done better but at least those tropes were used effectively in my opinion. I’ve always been on team JJ-Bando so I’m glad that the show made me believe in their journey to rediscovering their love. It wasn’t forced. They didn’t try to redo what worked for them in the original timeline just to fall in love again. Bandoo tried with the firefly date but that didn’t work out too well for him. Instead, they finally dealt with their lack of communication and went from there. And that kiss..yes that’s how adults kiss. The familial love is the highlight of this show for me. Thank you show for reminding me that I should always treasure my parents while they are still here. I knew that but it doesn’t hurt that a show meant for entertainment also serves as a reminder for the viewers.
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24 anoriori
November 21, 2017 at 8:46 PM
I really enjoyed this drama. It was by no means perfect, but fun to watch and I like that they didn't get too bogged down in drama (Bando's noble idiocy only lasted half an ep so I'll forgive them for it, and I can almost forgive the cliché car accident). My biggest issue is that this last ep felt a little rushed, especially considering there were definitely moments in the drama where they could've cut some things out to make room for a slightly more satisfying ending (i.e. one that included Dokjae and Seoyoung!) I'll just have to make up my own ending for them I suppose.
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25 Kairoskat 💐
November 21, 2017 at 8:53 PM
After watching the final 2 episodes several times, i have learnt to embrace the car of doom in GBC. Imo, the writer has integrated it well in the storyline .
Eventhough i do think the car of doom is usually a cliche scene and could have been made a bit more realistic, the accident actually fits in GBC's narrative.
Why the car accident fits in:
1) bando told jinjoo, they say when one is on the brink of death, they see their life in flashes, and that is what bando said he saw when he was laying on the asphalt. And this lead him to tell jinjoo to forget everything, and for her to live happily with her mum since he doesnt know how to go back nor does he have the confidence to make her happy again. His words: jinjoo who is in his heart is more important than his son who is filling up his mind (heartbreak).
2) it showed how much jinjoo cares for bando. It also served as a meeting point for jinjoo and bando's family because they never crossed paths in the beginning especially since in the new 1999, jinjoo is very much preoccupied with spending time with her mum.
3) with having namgil at the accident scene, it showed how different namgil and bando are. More importantly, it introduced an opportunity for namgil to help bando and for jinjoo to thank namgil in exchange. This is the turning point for namgil. Namgil said: when jinjoo is supposed to be thankful, bando is the one telling him thanks, and when bando is the one who should thank him, jinjoo is the one who says thank you. Imo, it is this point that made namgil see where jinjoo's heart is.
4) it also was a suitable opportunity for their friends to gather and eventually tell bando the obvious: he likes jinjoo, jinjoo likes him. They all knew. Hahaha
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26 seoul_searcher
November 21, 2017 at 9:00 PM
I'm not an easy crier like death scenes never really faze my tear ducts but this show especially Jang Nara and her mother got me bawling so hard every episode that I'll never forget this show and the lovable family relationships for a long time 😭💔
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27 missjb
November 21, 2017 at 9:37 PM
I love this drama though. If there is one complain, it will be a love triangle(or is it quadrapple?) think take so much screen time. It's necesarry, but the execution it's abit formulaic for me to feel them. (actually I'm more drawn to Ban Doo - Seo Young dynamic than Nam Gil - Jin Joo because it's because they are more enjoyable to watch, there is real relationship created there. It's a shame her closure is not pack as i hope.)
And Ban Doo's relate to Mom's passing is abit weak for me to relate to. It's like the writers need to find a way to blame his char with mom incident to make the whole mother in law story become more dramatic and have meaning. I hope the cause is more have punch to it but that's it?
Other than that, this is the drama who cause me so much tears in this whole 2017 years. Definitely one of my fav drama this year. So much heart put into it. The acting might be not daesang worthy. But they touch your heartstring because the way the director shot, and the way they handle particular scene is really good. For example like the contrast different between college student and a mother with a kid scene, the scene is just brilliant and that particular scene hit close to home despite i haven't experience it. All in all, what matter is despite being a trendy drama, you try to tell a story with your heart, that's what's matter the most
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28 light
November 22, 2017 at 12:32 AM
I have yet to bring myself to watch the finale as I wasn't impressed with episode 11. I will probably just stick to reading this recap, catch Namgil scenes from the finale on YouTube and just appreciate his bespectacled gorgeousness as a '40 year old'. Thanks for all the recaps! This drama wasn't perfect, but I enjoyed reading the recaps and being part of the thread. ADIEU.
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29 sriracha
November 22, 2017 at 12:50 AM
I lost my mother to cancer 14 years ago and that scene between Jin-joo and her mom strongly resonated with me. When she asked Jin-joo to go back to her child, I was sobbing like mad. My father did not remarry unlike Jin-joo's dad, and is about to become a grandpa soon courtesy of my brother's pregnant wife. That's why the familial love excellently portrayed in this series got me so hard.
Of course it didn't hurt that we have second leads who acted maturely in the face of unrequited love. And the friends of Ban-do and Jin-joo are so relatable, I felt like I'm also their friend, hee.
Thank you for recapping this Abirdword! It's been a fun ride!
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Kairoskat 💐
November 22, 2017 at 2:48 PM
Jinjoo's dad never remarried too :)
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Dorotka
November 26, 2017 at 5:08 AM
I lost my mom nearly 7 years ago and it still pains... that scene when Jinjoo follows her mon... oh, TT TT... but also so warm...
Btw, my father hasn't remarried either... and has now 12 grand kids... :-)
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30 fay17
November 22, 2017 at 1:46 AM
Seojin is a girl, I had no idea lol. This show has been a little surprise package this year have to say. I never knew I would get lessons on the importance of time from a kdrama, but jinjoo losing her mom and crying breathlessly really hit home. I won't forget that scene when jin joo follows her mom like a puppy all day and night haha, if anything, only for the innovations in the drama I would remember it for a long time I guess. And dok jae, oh dok jae, what do we do with you? XD The actor who played him was brilliant and I think he definitely has lot of potential. But main credit goes to the webtoon writer, who just managed to write a family drama where there is something for all type of people lol. I think this is one of the drama though abirdword, where I could do with a bit more fillers[and mor episodes] cause the gang is so much fun to watch. I could see the antics of dok jae,seol and their friends all day long haha. There are people other than you shin pd, who can do the blast from the past dramas well hehe.
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mano
November 22, 2017 at 8:24 AM
What??? Seojin is a girl? But the sub said "my son"
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TAS-Mania
November 22, 2017 at 9:00 AM
Seo-jin is a boy but the actor playing Seo-jin is a girl.
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Kairoskat 💐
November 22, 2017 at 2:52 PM
I've stumble upon the webtoon, i dont think its familiar to go back spouses at all. Maybe the backbone of timetravelling was adopted from the webtoon, other than that i think its the creativity of the scriptwriter. I might be wrong though as a stopped reading the webtoon after several chapters, it was not my style. Huhu
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31 TAS-Mania
November 22, 2017 at 4:23 AM
Lots of 16 episode dramas would have been improved by only being 12 episodes. I do agree that it cut out all of the unneeded filler. I think the trip to the past and finally saying goodbye to her mom was the only thing that released Jin-joo’s anger towards Ban-do. But what happened to Ban-do’s investments - he sold all of his collections when he went back to 1999 in order to have cash to invest. So where are the riches that I had expected him to have from his investments because it sounded like his parents wealth were frim their investments not his.
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TAS-Mania
November 22, 2017 at 4:25 AM
from not frim
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PakalanaPikake
November 22, 2017 at 12:36 PM
Maybe Ban-do's investments broke even, so he at least wasn't in the hole. For him, that might have been enough of a change from his earlier wretched existence. ;-)
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Kairoskat 💐
November 22, 2017 at 2:54 PM
Or maybe he didnt invest it. Haha. He was holding wads of money before partying at the club 😂
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32 Lixie
November 22, 2017 at 4:56 AM
I really liked this show because it was very emotional and had a very good cast. I'm not going to write about all it's good qualities because I think many others have already done it but here is a list of things I wanted them to have done for it to have been not only good but a great show.
Is BanDo still a seller in the future? Why?
Better resolution for Jae Woo and Bo Reum, it was too rushed.
No car accident and noble idiocy in the last ep. it was not needed.
Explanation to JinJoo about the fake affair, it was important.
They had no clue how to go back and suddenly they knew, how?
What happened to DokJae?
More time making JinJoo going back to love her husband.
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Kairoskat 💐
November 22, 2017 at 3:03 PM
I felt a tendency to answer. I cant move on from GBC hahaha
1) it is unknown what bando works as now
2) ditto. But i felt that was already sufficient
3) explanation of the fake affair was done in earlier episodes
4) they didnt knew how. The time travel was never explained. Bando thought of buying back their couple rings after he saw the ring mark on jinjoo's finger. And luckily they returned to the present after their feelings were mended and they wore their rings.
5) yep i would like to know what happened to dokjae too. He's a hoot to watch.
6) imo, i think it was sufficient. She showed she cared throughout the show even behind her barbed words in 1999.
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33 luzitania
November 22, 2017 at 5:33 AM
Such a great show. I laughed a lot and had a great time overall.
My only regret with this finale is that we didn't get to know what happened with Dok-jae. I liked him as he was such a goofball. I wanted him to end up with Seo-young in the future, but oh well.
I still loved this show and thank you for the recaps. :) I enjoyed reading them.
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34 PakalanaPikake
November 22, 2017 at 6:48 AM
Thank you for your recap and summary comments, abirdword. It has been a pleasure reading your insights. ;-)
The 12-episode format worked very well for GO BACK COUPLE. The pace was snappy, and avoided the tail-chasing that ensues when plots run out of material before the jig is up. I wish more Kdramas would opt for fewer episodes of sustained high quality.
Although I missed Dok-jae in particular, the finale was done well. One might argue that Ban-do's car accident was unnecessary and a little too convenient, but I'll give it a pass. It was the final nail in the coffin that Nam-gil needed to see to realize that Jin-joo's heart was already occupied. I appreciated how Jin-joo and Nam-gil parted on an up-note, and how their paths crossed in the future with their offspring. Very nicely done.
Jin-joo's opportunity to reconnect with Mom and say her goodbyes really was the crux of the show. Without that do-over, she would have gone on hating Ban-do and ignoring Dad's grief. It was deeply touching that Ban-do was as bereft over Mom's death as Jin-joo was.
Mom's discovery of Jin-joo's letter and bucket list worked fine for me, although I don't like the snooping in diaries trope. But since the letter was addressed to Mom, I'm glad she read it. Peeking at the diary merely reinforced her sense that something was up. I love how she suspended her disbelief and acted as if the situation were the most usual thing in the world. Her thoughtful inclusion of Ban-do at the last supper was moving. He got to have the closure with her that he needed, too.
I don't know whether Jin-joo stated in her letter exactly how Ban-do prevented her from being at Mom's deathbed. I like to imagine what Mom would have said if she knew that he'd tried to save a kid who was being bullied. But since she'd already assured Jin-joo that she would never allow her daughter to marry a guy who wasn't good for her, I have to think that Mom could see his heart that kept trying despite repeated failure in the dog-eat-dog world.
I loved the deus ex machina gods having a hissy fit and casting their own rings out of their heavenly abode and down into the world, where Ban-do and Jin-joo unknowingly selected them. The only thing missing from the formal garden with clipped privet hedges was a pair of bickering chief gods playing baduk in the background and a flowery goat. ;-)
Thanks again for recapping a thoughtful and uplifting show that left us wanting just a little bit more.
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PakalanaPikake
November 22, 2017 at 6:57 AM
Oops! Don't want to overlook SailorJumun's recapping, either. Thank you both for adding to my enjoyment of GO BACK SPOUSES. Catch you in future recaps. ;-)
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35 verzaholicbee
November 22, 2017 at 7:33 AM
I haven't read the comments yet, maybe I'll find my answer there, but I've been waiting for the recaps to ask:
"Jinjoo's mother believed her and told her to go back to the future, she did, and everything changed. In the future everybody changed except for the leads, so what happened after they left? The story continued with the original Jinjoo and Bando living the same experiences as before but in the new reality? If so, did those Jinjoo and Bando disappeared and the original adult ones, who lived the first life line, replaced them after returning?
Ok, after writing it I'm seeing it more clearly now 😂. I was just wondering what the mother thought after believing her daughter and then seeing nothing happened, but if all immature Jinjoo returned, specially without the knowledge of those days adult Jinjoo lived in the past, the mother could notice the differences and have the certainty that after her death in the future Jinjoo will have a healthy son/daughter, and all that.
Nice, now that my mind is clear I really like it! (even if the conclusion I reached is not the right one, but it's ok, if the writer and director had wanted me to know, they would've told me, so now is up to me and I'm happy with this conclusion 😊.)
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36 Carolina
November 22, 2017 at 8:58 AM
This was such a cute drama. The friends, the family, the first loves, and Seo Jin. I also enjoyed watching really cool second leads. I hope to see more of Chang Ki-Yong in future dramas.
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37 galen
November 22, 2017 at 9:16 AM
I would like to echo everyone to say that I really liked this drama, and appreciate all the recaps. :)
It was only right that Bando and Jinjoo went back to Seojin, and let the past be the past, and as far as that period of the past went, there was closure all around, and the reunion in the present was all sorts of happy. I ended the drama with lots of good feelings about it....
... as long as I didn't think further than that. I think that's the issue with most time-travel shows. So where were the original Bando and Jinjoo during all this? In stasis? Then they continue their lives with a blank for that time, do they remember the original past or the new past? And is Bando still in pharmaceutical sales - didn't he get a clue an get a better career this time? Argh, so many questions... I shall stop thinking now.
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38 Islander north
November 22, 2017 at 9:26 AM
What the heck happened to Dok Jae? Love that actor in everything he does, but he excelled in this drama!
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39 coffee.kdrama.repeat.
November 22, 2017 at 9:27 AM
wow. this show. It's like the writer took my life and my heart and my pain and my wish to see my mother again and wrote a drama around it. I must have ugly cried a dozen times over this show, but it was so beautiful! Like others have said, not a perfect plot, but the emotional resonance was wonderful and the themes about love between spouses and families was just so deep...at least for me since it was incredibly super similar to my life (minus divorce papers, phew!)... I hope I can watch this show again without sobbing quite as hard, someday. I better give it a few months.
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40 vishakha
November 22, 2017 at 10:49 AM
We forgot about Dok-jae....
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41 bugs_bunny
November 22, 2017 at 11:33 AM
thank you for the recaps abirdword!
true to form, this last episode felt very real in terms of familial love. i was crying w/ the goodbye scene from jin-joo & mom. so heartfelt and beautiful that jin-joo was able to finally let go of mom. i think the death of mom was the turning point for jin-joo & ban-do's relationship, when things started going downhill. the festering wound, lack of communication or miscommunication became more pronounced until the threat of divorce came about... so when mom told jin-joo to go back to their son, the story came full circle for jin-joo.
i can't belabor the tropes used in this drama, coz it didn't stop the narrative from moving forward, in fact it became the catalyst for more character realization (it was the 1st time that jin-joo called ban-do, yeobo, husband), with resolutions in the same episode. i like that the story moved fast, almost no fillers, so i'm all for making all kdrama down to 12 episodes!
hats off to jang nara, she's a personal fave! she makes her characters relatable, this might be her best drama for me. all actors & actress performed well also, no complains! will try to follow the writer's future work also, just for the fact that the relationships in this drama didn't make me want to pull my hair out. i like how kbs is giving breaks to new writers and directors for that's the only way for them to hone their craft and polish such skills.
thanks also to the beanut gallery:) happy thanksgiving!
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42 frabbycrabsis loves KBS Drama Specials
November 22, 2017 at 12:02 PM
God, I'm going to miss this one. The casting was ingenious - whoever thought to cast Kim Mi-kyung, for example, has earned my respect and allll my tears. The second leads weren't just tropes floating around in rom-com soup, they were people with personalities. Plus, how great was it that the writer tried to justify why the rings sent them back? I would have been satisfied with just them going back, I can infer the reason why - but what we got was so much better!
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43 Onyx
November 23, 2017 at 1:36 AM
Just a little sad that it seems Ban-do is stuck on the same job but with a rich dad now then he'll be able to improve his life later on, I guess. I think, it's only Go Dok Jae who was left out with no update in the present but maybe it's the same for him. One of the best for 2017. 'brought a lot of tears coz we can relate to it one way or another. I lost my mom, too and I just wish I had done more for her. I get so depressed at times, ok, so many times, I've been saying that I'd really like to be with her if only I could. But I know I still have responsibilities here and I have to take care of my father, too. One day we will all be together, mom,dad and me watching over their grandchild, much like Seo Jin.
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44 Nizmy
November 23, 2017 at 5:38 PM
When jinjoo's mom said "u can lives without your parents, but u can't lives without your child" i just want to hug her. I believe this drama want to show us both sides of love. Loves to the parents and loves to the child. For unmarried person, they will cry on the mom scene while for married person, they will cry on the divorce and seo jin's scene.
I lost my mom when i still in college and my dad remarried. When jinjoo upset on the idea of her dad want to remarry, i understand her. I feel her. However, as the time passed by i am glad that i know that my dad will not be lonely anymore.
Now, i have a new family. A little family that i want to protect. So i can't imagine to live without my kids. My parents taught me what the love is but my kids teach me how to love unconditionally.
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45 Jordan
November 25, 2017 at 1:24 AM
There's not much love to feel between the two main leads but since they are playing a married couple , it's ok. I guess, most of us at some point would like to choose Mr. Kendoll Mcdreamy to be with Ma Jin Joo but it is much nicer really to be the one that got away with him, as his first love,too.
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46 earthna
November 25, 2017 at 10:11 PM
Show, I will love you forever. I don't remember getting all the answers to my questions for such a long time. Perfectly satisfied.
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47 Dorotka
November 26, 2017 at 4:53 AM
I was a bit disappointed with the last two episodes, they were not as good as the rest (I wanted more of those little moments of mutual understanding and also more scenes in the future showing their change of attitude to each other and problem solving...).
I still love this little gem, though and Jang Nara and Sohn Ho-joon were great and on par with each other acting wise (Sohn Ho-joon really impressed me here).
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48 Maq
December 15, 2017 at 10:04 PM
I actually think it made sense for Ban-do to cry over Seo-jin. I definitely found the whole "hit by a car" twist trite, but the component involving him reluctantly abjuring Seo-jin made sense to me. After having spent years feeling like he wrenched Mom from Jin-joo and after having his self-worth gradually eroded by the debasement he experienced at work, I can see how Ban-do would feel like he had no right to ask for reunification with Seo-jin from Jin-joo. I also think the execution sold me tbh; if it was poorly done, I think I would've sympathized, but I thinking the acting really sold me.
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49 MaxFY
December 31, 2017 at 11:19 AM
I just finished the drama. And I absolutely love every moment of it! I was at first slightly confused how did Ban Do manage to run from the hospital and miraculously met Jin Joo in some old housing area. Then it dawned on me that the old housing area is the place where their apartment is going to be build since it is stated as a development area (Probably, not sure, just my interpretation :P). I find it very sweet that both of them meet up at the place where they will start to live together as a family.
I am totally admiring Kim Mi-Kyung more than ever. I have always love her potrayal as a mother (like in The Heirs and 20th Century Boy & Girl), but I think this is one drama where her potrayal as a mom is simply touching and superb.
Definitely one of my favourite dramas of 2017!
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50 neener ~ Inside the Magic Shop ~
January 7, 2018 at 8:00 AM
The ending may have been a little too perfect but yes, considering the tears we shed, I can forget that. The heart of the show was indeed Mom and Jin-joo. It pulled the right strings and I love it. Mom ( I still call her Ahjumma though, #Healer) was the best!
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